Hello wrestling fans. We have another jam packed episode of homework for you this week. Each and every week without a major wrestling event, the hosts of the At Odds with Wrestling podcast assign each other something wrestling themed to watch in their spare time. I’ve been jumping in on this since day one and whether or not they want me here, they’re stuck with me. This week we continue to watch the strange era of WCW which was not only in between Vince Russo booking regimes but also full of injuries and sudden changes. Today we’re going to watch the February 9, 2000 episode of WCW Thunder live from Oklahoma City. Your commentators for the evening are the new slimmed down team of Mike Tenay and Bobby “the Brain” Heenaan. 

Highlights, if they can be called that, are shown from WCW Nitro. 

Jeff Jarrett and the Harris Brothers walk into the building. No limos or any cars shown this week. Budget cuts to Thunder perhaps? Scott Hall shows up in a WCW shirt and this feels wrong. He has always been in some version of the nWo and should not be wearing a WCW shirt. A WWF/WWE shirt would make more sense for his character. Mike Tenay tells us we’ll see the “Superstars of the nWo” tonight. Yup, all three of them. Is it really a split if it’s three against one? Hey kids, the Cruiserweight tournament is back! 

Shannon Moore (with Evan Karagias and Shane Helms of Three Count) vs Lash LeRoux. 

3 Count dance and sing. We’re reminded of the three on one match for SuperBrawl. So, how is Shannon going to win here and then go on to SuperBrawl and wrestle in two matches? Really telegraphed the ending. Lash gives Brain some beads that looks suspiciously like a chain. I’ve seen some beads or two in my day and that’s a chain. Big Asai moonsault to jump start the match. Lash breaks up a pinfall by throwing his foot over the referee so he can get the rope break. Evan distracts the ref, Shane kicks Lash, and Lash fights off the two on one. Lash floats over to get the pin. 3 Count attack Lash but Norman Smiley comes out to make the save. He asks, “you want a piece of the wiggle?” Where are the t-shirts? AEW has random shirts every week. WCW could have had two out of this episode. 

Look at Tenay and the Brain. Thunder Buddies for life! 

The nWo and their women are in the back. 

The nWo come out. Jarrett talks about Scott Hall for far too long. I’m now multi-tasking. Matches are made for later tonight. Scott Hall comes out to the Wolfpac music and he’s now wearing an Outsiders shirt, which is much more appropriate. This is a really bad promo. Kevin Nash joins us from his office via satellite. Nash quotes Spider-man and knows that with his great power there is also great responsibility. Nash removes Jarrett as temporary commissioner and then makes the main event for tonight. Jarrett calls him a “Slap ass” which is not one of my t-shirt picks. 

Jarrett is mad in the back. 

Bam Bam Bigelow (WCW Hardcore champion) vs the Demon. 

Bam jumps the Demon as he’s coming out of the casket and that’s it. Quick pin. Demon gets no respect. Brian Knobbs comes out to attack Bam and misses. Bigelow beats up Knobbs. 

Mean Gene interviews Sid Vicious and Terry Funk. 

The new Harlem Heat meets in a parking garage. Big T is going to get some food, so that’s on brand and also explains him out of an upcoming segment. 

Crowbar sings KISS songs. 

Stevie Ray comes out for his match. J Biggs joins commentary. Booker comes out and sends Midnight away. Maybe she’s getting food too. Booker says he just got out of jail (from Nitro) and he goes after Biggs. Stevie jumps in. It’s not a good fight. Booker fights with them both, he hits Stevie with a chair. That’s about it. 

Hall and Nash talk on the phone but also on video. I think they’re playing records for each other and talking about boys. Crowbar and Daffney walk to the ring, and Kidman and Torrie Wilson are elsewhere also walking to the ring. 

Mean Gene interviews Ric Flair. 

Kidman (with Torrie) vs Crowbar (with Daffney).

Best match on the show. For most of the match they’re allowed to wrestle and show what they can do. The cameramen love the women and the announcers love to talk too much. Both are to the detriment of the match yet it is still the best match on the show. Lots of distraction and then Kidman hits Crowbar with a pipe in the leg and then hits a Frankensteiner to get the pin. After the match Crowbar runs his body into the ring steps as self punishment. I mean that’s much better than cutting himself which I feel like somewhere like XPW would do. 

Jarrett and the Harris boys blow the nWo women off. I wonder if they’re going to stand up for themselves and this is long term booking. Ha! 

Sid Vicious and Terry Funk vs the Harris Brothers (with Jeff Jarrett).

This isn’t a match. This is just a thing happening in the ring for the live crowd while Jarrett talks on commentary. Jarrett hits Funk with a guitar and Funk falls off the ropes to the floor and through a table on his way down. Tonight is full of over booked finishes. Sid chases away Jarrett which allows the Harris brothers to double up on Funk and get the pin. 

Ric Flair talks to a room. Total Package is supposed to be in there but we never see or hear him. 

Total Package and Elizabeth come out for a way too long promo. Package needs to stop using big words. 

Total Package vs Finlay. 

There’s a sign that gets blurred and I’m very curious what it said but not that much. Hogan is going to come back to confront Package because ole’ TP attacked Jimmy Hart. Not so much there to save the day for Knobbs though. Liz hits Finlay but the referee sees it so he calls for a DQ. Package breaks Finlay’s arm in a chair. I didn’t even know he was friends with Hogan. Knobbs comes out and attacks Finlay’s arm too! We’re getting the same maybe 10 people week in week out but at least there’s stories continuing throughout. 

Mean Gene interviews Idol and Lane. Gene knowingly agrees with plans for “rizz-ats”. 

The Mamalukes (WCW tag team champions, accompanied with Disco Inferno) vs Idol and Lane. 

Idol and Lane jump the Mamalukes. Hey, DDP’s book is about to come out and I actually own it. Bought it day one. Was actually a funny interaction with the WaldenBooks employee. Anyways, Ms Hancock comes out. She lets her hair down, which is actually a huge improvement. She drops off a paper and I guess the announcers cant read because they don’t tell us anything about what it says. This match is bad. Really bad. Worst of the night, and I’m including the 10 seconds that Bigelow fought the Demon. Disco hits Idol, Vito makes the pin. Crowbar and Daffney sneak in and hit Disco then steal the tag titles. 

Jarrett argues with the Harris Brothers. 

Mean Gene interviews Ernest Miller. “I can sell my boot to your ass” is my second t-shirt of the night. 

Mean Gene brings out Ric Flair. Flair is mad that WCW magazine named him the number two wrestler of all time. Flair is just fighting with everyone. Out of no where Dustin Rhodes shows up. Where the fuck has he been? Dustin sympathizes with David Flair and there’s a world in which this could have been a good story. They have words and start to fight and wait now there’s a referee? This is a match? I guess so. Dustin clotheslines Flair, who knocks into the referee. Now WTF no ref. Tonight is so overbooked. Dustin “wins” by counting his own pin. Flair hits a lowblow. Dustin fights back. Dustin with a figure four. Flair takes his watch, puts it around his fist, and knocks Dustin out to get the pin. That was actually clever and really interesting. I would like to see someone like an MJF steal that one. Funk comes out and hits Flair. Package is out to attack Funk. Funk in the Torture Rack until security gets Package out of there. 

Jarrett and the Harris brothers walk. Scott Hall walks. Nash watches. 

Jeff Jarrett vs Scott Hall with 7 minutes left in the show. 

Jarrett reverses Hall to the floor so the Harris boys can get involved. Hall gets in some moves but it’s always a three on one. This match feels like half ass but because these two are so experienced it’s still better than almost the entire rest of the show. Oh wtf, we have another ref bump. Hall doesn’t get the pin. A second referee, the one bought by Jarrett, comes out to give Jeff the win. But the first referee comes back and restarts the match. There are two minutes left. Harris distraction and Jeff hits Hall with a mic but only gets a two count. Hall hits Jeff with the belt but the second referee pulls the first one out. There is less than a minute left. Sid comes out. Hall drops the second referee. Sid drops Jeff. The referee calls for the bell so I guess this is a no contest. Tenay implies that this no contest could through the main event for SuperBrawl into chaos. 

Have you ever worked retail and realize that half the staff has called out and the night is going to suck but the store is committed to be open until 9 so lets just push through and the night will be over eventually? That’s what Thunder felt like. They’re committed to running a show so let’s just head down and get through it and it will be over soon enough.