WCW Thunder

Colorado Springs, Colorado
August 9, 2000

With only days until the big pay per view, tensions were at an all time high as Thunder hit the airwaves. When Jeff Jarrett found out that Booker T was not in attendance, he took his rage out on everyone from wrestlers, to WCW office personnel, all the way to the ring announcer, David Penzer, sending a message to the WCW Champion before New Blood Rising.

Show Results

WCW World Tag Team Title Match
Handicapped Match
Kronic d. The Perfect Event and Mark Jindrak & Sean O' Haire
The tag team champions came to the ring and immediately commandeered the microphone. Adams told Jindrak and O' Haire that their death wish would be granted tonight, but asked for the Perfect Event to come out as well for a handicapped match. As Palumbo entered the ring, all four of the youngsters jumped on Brian Adams as the referee held Clark in his corner, unaware of the attack. Adams made a comeback, tagging Clark into the ring, who worked over the young Jindrak. The tide soon changed again, as the young lions held Clark in their corner, making quick tags to wear down the champions. When Palumbo reached out for a tag from Jindrak, Mark tagged his partner O' Haire instead, wanting to win the gold for his team. A shoving match ensued within the foursome, eventually leaving Stasiak in the ring to go up for the High Time, giving the champs the hard fought win. After the bell, Vampiro and Muta slowly made their way down the aisle, distracting Kronic long enough for Juvi to run in and swipe the tag belts once again, as he and Konnan made off through the crowd with Kronic hot on their heels.

Backstage:

• The Cat told Mike Awesome that he would face Lance Storm in a Flag Match later in the show. After Awesome and Heidi left, the Jung Dragons appeared for a fight, but instead had their heads slammed together by the commissioner.
• Daffney showed Crowbar her new shirt that read WCW - Watch Crowbar Wrestle. Crowbar looked smitten with Daffney, but shied away while talking to her.
• Jeff Jarrett looked for Booker T as he walked the hallway, guitar in hand.

Prime Time Player d. Crowbar with Daffney
The Prime Time Player told the crowd that they were about to witness something they never had before - Prime Time at his finest. Once the match started, Player stood his ground against the more experienced Crowbar, showing some impressive maneuvers in the ring. ML Smooth delivered a bouquet of flowers to Daffney at ringside. After missing a sunset flip off the top rope, Player countered a pick up by Crowbar and drove him to the mat with the Overdrive for the upset win.

Backstage, Jeff Jarrett questioned Jimmy hart about Booker T's absence. When Hart told Jarrett that he would have to wait until the PPV, The Chosen One took his six-stringer over The Mouth of the South's head.

Mean Gene Interview: Buff Bagwell
As Buff and Mean Gene relived Monday Nitro's happenings, Kanyon appeared and challenged them both to a tag team match against Kanyon and a mystery partner.

The MIA d. 3 Count and Tank Abbott
Tank Abbott sang and danced along with 3 Count, making their performance all the more entertaining. The MIA marched down the aisle, Super Soakers in hand, ready for battle. "Sugar" Shane and Cajun hooked it up first, flying around the ring before General Rection tagged in to the action. Loco dropped Shannon Moore across the top rope, but was soon trapped in to the 3 Count corner, where he was pummeled by the foursome. David Flair and Ms. Hancock jumped onto the apron, knocking Major Gunns off and into the arms of Sgt. AWOL. Tank threw his knockout punch on Cajun, allowing Moore and Helms time to place a ladder across the top turnbuckle, climb up, and crash down onto the Corporal for the win.

Pamela Paulshock Interview: The MIA
General Rection rallied the troops after their defeat. Major Gunns challenged Hancock and Flair to face her and AWOL in a mixed Tables Match on the Thunder broadcast.

Backstage:

• Crowbar questioned Smooth about delivering the flowers. Smooth told Crowbar that they weren't from him, but he needed to keep an eye on who did send them.
• Vampiro and his dark carnival attacked the Jung Dragons until The Cat arrived, telling the painted ones that he would face them in a tag team match later on Thunder.
• Buff and Mean Gene pondered over who Kanyon's mystery partner was going to be.
• The Cat spoke on the phone, asking someone to come to the arena and be his partner against Vampiro and his thugs.

Hardcore Match
"Screamin" Norman Smiley d. "Above Average" Mike Sanders
Sanders told Norman that he wanted a hardcore match to prove that he was indeed, above average. As Smiley said he was done with hardcore, Sanders attacked, taking the fight to the back of the arena to start the contest. Norman had a trashcan placed on his head, which was beaten repeatedly with a broomstick. After Sanders put Norman through a table, Jeff Jarrett argued in the background with WCW official Ed Ferrara, eventually slamming a guitar over his head. When Smiley attempted the big wiggle, Jarrett returned, taking another guitar over Norman's head. Sanders went for the win, but the ref reminded him that hardcore matches had to be finished inside the ring. Above Average loaded Smiley into a wheelbarrow and hauled him to the ring. Once inside, the former Hardcore Champion took over, scoring the pinfall on Sanders to take the victory.

Backstage, Vampiro stood with his dark carnival, telling the commissioner that he made a mistake in making a match against them.

Flag Match
Lance Storm d. Mike Awesome with Heidi
Storm told Awesome that their upcoming Flag Match would be non-title, stating he would have to come to Vancouver on Sunday to try for the gold. As the Canadian national anthem played on, Awesome charged the ring, ready to take the Triple Crown champion to task. Awesome laid into Storm, throwing him around the ring, before telling Heidi to go up and retrieve the US flag. After crashing down with a frogsplash, Awesome was double crossed, hit with the flag by his own girl. Heidi came off the second rope with a clothesline, setting Storm up to apply the single leg crab. Mighty Heidi climbed up, grabbed the Canadian flag, and gave it to Lance, declaring him the winner of the contest. She then proceeded to rip off her shirt, revealing another that read "Canadian and proud of it!"

Pamela Paulshock Interview: Billy Kidman
Kidman said that he wanted to make his match against The Franchise a Strap Match at the pay per view. Billy spoke briefly of Reno, then told the cameraman to follow him toward the dressing rooms. He approached the Nitro Girls' room, asking for Reno's girlfriend, Siren. When she came out, he applied a lip lock, obviously adding fuel to the fire between him and Reno.

Tygress joined the announcers at ringside.

Tables Match
David Flair and Ms. Hancock d. Sgt. AWOL and Major Gunns
Sgt. AWOL tore into Flair inside the ring as Tygress distracted Gunns at the announcer's table. Hancock attacked from behind, and the catfight was on. Back inside, Flair set up a table as he and AWOL fought to put the other through it. Gunns pulled Hancock off the apron and continued their fight at ringside. In the midst of the bedlam, Gunns was thrown into a table propped against the guardrail, breaking it to give Flair and Hancock the win. Although the match was over, AWOL continued to fight, driving Flair through the other table in the ring.

Backstage:

• Although we couldn't see who it was, Kanyon spoke with his partner for the upcoming tag match.
• Doug Dellinger told The Cat that his partner had arrived to the building.

Disqualification - Billy Kidman d. Reno
Reno looked to take some of his anger out on Kidman, who was in the back moments before swapping spit with his girlfriend. The powerful newcomer worked Billy over, but Kidman stayed in the fight throughout. After Reno delivered his "Roll the dice" move, Siren came to the apron to distract the referee. When that backfired, Torrie arrived to do the same. The Franchise snuck in from the other side of the ring and popped Billy with a chain to the forehead. The referee called for the bell as Reno and Douglas continued to beat the stuffing out of Kidman. Finally, Big Vito made the save, chasing Shane, Reno, and their girls to the back.

Backstage, The Artist walked into the dressing room to find Paisley and Papaya groping at Kwee Wee. The two men exchanged fists before security arrived.

Interview: Jeff Jarrett
The Chosen One gave David Penzer a note to read to the crowd, claiming that the slaughter would continue for the rest of the show. Once finished reading, Penzer was treated to a guitar shot, courtesy of Jarrett, who blamed his rampant attacks on Booker T, who was not in attendance.

Tony Schiavone Shoot Interview: Booker T
Booker claimed that July 9th was the greatest day of his life, finally winning the top prize in his business. Tony compared the business of today to that of eight years ago, asking T how he had maintained his sanity throughout. Booker stated that as he worked in the indies on the way up, he wrestled against many veterans, who prepared him for stardom and kept his head level. The champion said that he is under no pressure in the ring, feeling at home every time he steps between the ropes. Although struggling through a knee injury, he feels that the fans deserve to see the champion every week, and he will be there, pushing it to the limit every time.

Buff Bagwell and "Mean Gene" Okerlund d. Kanyon and Mark "Smokey" Madden
Mean Gene strutted to the ring with Buff, as Judy Bagwell joined Stevie, Tony, and Mike at the ringside table. Kanyon came down the aisle and introduced his partner - Mark Madden. As Kanyon went to start the match, Madden called for the tag, wanting in right away. After Buff posed, Madden teased taking his shirt off. Gene was tagged in, but the two just taunted each other before tagging back out to Buff and DDK. Mark caught Buff with a cheap shot to the back and was chased around the ring, leading Bagwell into a Kanyon clothesline. Back in the ring, as Mark broke up a pin attempt with a boot to Buff's back, Bagwell finally leveled "Smokey" with a clothesline of his own. After the hot tags were made to Gene and Madden, Mark kicked Okerlund low, but Gene did not sell, revealing a cup inside his pants. He put the cup on Madden's face, setting up Buff to drop down with the Blockbuster before Gene scored the pin. After the win, Kanyon leveled Bagwell with a Cutter and started choking Okerlund in the corner. Stevie Ray ran in from the announcer's table for the save.

Sting and The Cat d. Vampiro and The Great Muta
The Cat introduced Sting as his mystery partner against Vampiro and The Great Muta. The Stinger came out with a vengeance, slamming Vamp into the broadcast table. Muta and Vampiro worked over Sting inside, with the Japanese legend threatening to spit his green mist into the referee's face. Cat was finally tagged in and used his karate background to send the dark carnival to the mat. As all four entered the melee, The Cat scored the pinfall to take the win. The Demon entered and the brothers in paint destroyed Sting and the commissioner as Thunder faded to black.