Things are heating up here in homework land. Each and every week without a major wrestling PPV (major meaning WWE or AEW, which is a shame because this weekend’s return of TNA looks like lots of fun) the fine hosts of the At Odds with Wrestling podcast take turns assigning each other some wrestling related content to watch. This week we continue Joe’s foray in which we watch the tumultuous time in WCW in between Vince Russo’s booking eras. This week we watched the February 16, 2000 episode of WCW Thunder. This show was taped in Philadelphia, PA and your hosts for the evening are Mike Tenay and Bobby “the Brain” Heenan. 

WCW official Terry Taylor comes out to the ring. Due to events on Nitro and apparently there was an altercation between Sid Vicious and Scott Hall at a hotel, Sid will not be in the building tonight. Is this legit? I remember some Sid and Scott Hall stories over the years but I don’t remember this one. Sid has been told to stay away from the building to protect the SuperBrawl main event. I’m guessing SuperBrawl will be Joe’s next assignment, and I can wait to find out, but I remember Sid and Jarrett being with the company for the reboot in April but I don’t remember seeing Hall. Jeff Jarrett (with the Harris Brothers) comes out to yell at Taylor. Terry gets jumped and takes a guitar shot to the head. 

The announcers go over what will happen tonight. When Heenan is talking about Hogan’s broken arm I started wondering, did Heenan break his neck in ring during some interactions with Hogan or is that the angle? 

Ric Flair, Total Package, and Elizabeth arrive. 

Apparently Psicosis can’t leave Mexico so the previously defeated Kaz Hyashi is back in the Cruiserweight tournament. 

Kaz Hyashi vs The Artist Formerly Known as Prince Iaukea (with Paisley).

The announcers give word that Scott Hall is now not allowed in the building as well. Ms Hancock comes out. I’ve been fighting a cold so I’m not going to yell her name loudly like certain other people do. There’s a lot of censored signs in the crowd tonight. This show is taped so there’s no point in trying to figure out what they said. Paisley gets mad at Ms Hancock for doing the straight leg bend over. Paisley was taught to bend at the knees while wearing a dress like that. This being a taped show, we don’t get “accidental” greasy camera shots. Those camera men have moved on to record Skye Blue matches. While this altercation is going on, Kaz dives over the top rope and TAFKAPI thankfully turns around just in time to catch Kaz. These are the highlights of the match. Other than that, I kind of zoned out and the match was so “meh” the ending seemed to come out of no where to no fanfare. TAFKAPI wins. 

The Wall walks. Do you think he and the Harris Brothers get their ring gear at the same store? Maybe some sort of German themed shop. 

A WCW official (and I recognize him but it’s been 20 years and I can’t remember his name) tells Kevin Nash (and the nurses) that Jarrett took out Taylor. Nash forgets for a moment that he’s supposed to care. 

“Screaming” Norman Smiley vs The Wall.

Norman in the home team gear. The fight almost immediately goes outside, because Norman’s hardcore. Norman slams the Wall with ease. You know, this is a thing I’ve noticed over the years. WCW would have big guys get slammed to show off the strength of other men. I remember Sting slamming the Colossal Kongs. Whereas WWE would build up a guy to be “unslammable” for months. Anyways, the slam doesn’t matter because Wall hits a big choke slam to get the pin. Then the Wall choke slams Norman off the ring and through a table on the floor. Bobby calling Norman a “centerpiece” is maybe the line of the night and should be stolen liberally for a similar spot. 

Norman is loaded onto a stretcher. 

Nash wants “Bob” and “Neil” to find a way to get him to the ring. Did Nash tape his segments at Nitro? 

Norman is put into an ambulance. Boy, I hope he’s okay for his match against 3 Count at the PPV. 

Van Hammer vs Tank Abbot. 

Van Hammer is making his return in this match? Why? Just WCW hiring big guys? Hammer does get in one really good move on Tank with a big Alabama Slam kind of thing. Tank looks thrown off for a moment then hits the one punch knockout for the win. Too bad we didn’t get Steven Regal vs Tank Abbot to expose the skill level. 

Vampiro, Kidman, and Torrie talk. There’s hype for DDP’s book. Nash and the nurses wait. Jarrett and the Harris Brothers talk. 

Total Package and Elizabeth head to the ring. Package talks then brings out Ric Flair. Words are said which brings out Terry Funk and Dustin Rhodes. There is way too much talk about Philly being hardcore. You’re using another company to get your company over instead of trying to be a good company yourself. Did Philadelphia have a local oil industry too that they’re trying to get over? Lot of oil talk. An uncomfortable amount. Unless it’s Liz. Then, keep talking and tell me where to send my money. Too much talking. Funk says Dustin his better than his father, which is a great line with a lot of history. A challenge is made for later this evening. 

So many people are walking: Kidman and Torrie, Vampiro, and the Harris Brothers. 

Mean Gene interviews the Mamalukes and Disco Infrerno. 

The Harris Brothers vs Billy Kidman (with Torrie Wilson) and Vampiro. 

The match really doesn’t matter. The story is that Kidman and Vampiro are rivals who are being forced to team up but have trouble getting along. The match matters so little the camera men slept on it and missed Vampiro walking away, which is one of the main points of the story. Torrie does the spot that drives me nuts: she’s complaining to the referee about what the Harris Brothers are doing, but this then allows them to do it. If Torrie, or the face manager/valet in these scenarios got down off the apron then that would protect and save their charge more so than complaining to the referee. One Harris is holding Kidman while the other comes off the top rope with a chair – but Vampiro has returned and he pushes Kidman out of the way – thus Vampiro takes the chair shot. And then Vampiro gets pinned? But wouldn’t Kidman have been the legal man here? I’m guessing this begins Kidman and Vampiro as a tag team that doesn’t like each other but does respect each other. 

The Mamalukes and Disco Inferno along with David Flair, Crowbar, and Daffney are all getting into position for the next match. 

Big Vito vs Crowbar in a Philly Street Fight. 

So Johnny the Bull and Disco close a door thus blocking Flair and Daffney from coming in to help Crowbar and then they immediately open the door back up to brawl in another room. Raising the forklift with both men on it to set up the spot onto the car was fun. The pipe through the windshield looked dangerous. Real glass. Just when the match is getting good Crowbar flops onto a car hood and then Vito drops an elbow to get the three. Honestly, I feel like a longer match and a bit of freedom and this match could have been fun. 

The referees walk. Nash is on the phone. Nash tells the nurses he’s a monster, and if he catches them he gets to eat them. I wonder if that line will work. Tune into to my next voicemail on At Odds to find out how far I got when I use that line sometime in the next week. 

“Last Monday” the referees fought backstage which leads us to the next match. 

Mark Johnson (with the Harris Brothers and he comes out to nWo music) vs Mickey Jay. 

Mark with a cheap shot to start the match. If so many wrestlers weren’t barred from the building there would be enough talent to wrestle and the referees wouldn’t have to kill time. I’m guessing both men have some sort of wrestling training. Mark works over Mickey’s leg. Mickey starts getting some momentum. One Harris distracts the referee while the other attacks Mickey, thus Mark gets the pin. Lot of working over the leg to not to a figure four spot. 

Brian Knobbs and Fit Finlay get their steps in. 

Brian Knobbs vs Fit Finlay in a cast match with Jimmy Hart as the special referee. 

WTF is Knobbs’s music? It sounds like a rip off cover of “My Sharona”. The fight goes into the crowd. Hart gets down to count a pin attempt but hits his cast arm on the mat and has to stop the count. Knobbs hits Finlay with his cast and then Hart counts the three with his other hand. A classic in any era. 

Jarrett talks to the Harris Brothers. There’s a SuperBrawl hype video. Highlights from Nitro. Hulk Hogan cuts a promo and shows off his own cast. Did he say he’s going to break Elizabeth? WrestleMania V all over again. Funk and Dustin walk the line. 

Total Package (with Elizabeth) and Ric Flair vs Terry Funk and Dustin Rhodes.

Less than 10 minutes left in the show. 

Didn’t Flair say shit about Foley being a garbage wrestler right around this time, and here’s Flair brawling outside the ring. Dustin looks like he’s borrowing Barry Windham’s gear. 

There is no emotion to this match. It’s just happening. Crowd is quiet. It’s like driving to work in the morning. You don’t remember how you got there, but you did. 

Elizabeth hits Dustin with the bat. Lex hits harder. Dustin is out. Funk just looks confused and stays in the ring fighting, but not helping his partner. Funk hits Lex so Flair puts a figure four on Dustin. Flair gets the pin fall victory with the Figure Four. Funk tosses a chair in the ring and it lands on Dustin. 

Backstage Nash meets with Jarrett. The Harris Brothers are not allowed at the PPV. Jarrett doesn’t take this well and smashes his guitar over Nash’s head. 

Months ago in the homework series we watched Body Slam. I made the comment that Body Slam assumes wrestling works in a way that it doesn’t. One group of people traveling town to town in a bus and putting on the same show with mixed in local talent and time fillers. Then I watched this episode of Thunder. Which is exactly that. The same talent over and over again. Where was the hunger? Where was the passion? This show felt like an obligation. The venue is booked but really no one cares and they’re all just trying to get situated for the PPV on Sunday. I asked last week to think of a show in which the talent phoned it in, and I think I asked that question a week too early.