It’s another alternating week without a major wrestling event, which means it’s another trip into this unique era of WCW in between Vince Russo’s troubled booking reigns. 

For those of you new here, welcome, and make sure to check out the At Odds with Wrestling podcast, then sign up for their Patreon. There you will hear Joe and Adam discuss this episode of WCW Thunder in depth. I tag along with my own thoughts and see where that takes me. 

Tonight’s episode aired on March 15, 2000 and took place in Fairfax, VA. Mike Tenay and Bobby “the Brain” Heenan are the announce team for the evening. 

La Parka and Chavo Guerrero Jr vs El Dandy and Silver King. 

La Parka is doing the dubbed over promos once again. It doesn’t come across as racist as when WWF did it with Kaientai, but it wouldn’t be on my list of things to show a non wrestling fan to get them to watch. La Parka has the 411 for us, that’s one for him and one for his homies. He does not elaborate on the 4. Dandy and Silver King just appear in the ring. I wonder if there was an edit for time. Sorry, not El Dandy and Silver King, but “Los Fabulosos”. This match isn’t bad but it feels like driving someone else’s car. The fans don’t seem to care, the announcers don’t know how to call it, and that takes something out of the match. Yet this same match in front of a more knowledgeable and/or accepting crowd could have turned just another match on Thunder into something cooler. Heenan doesn’t seem to care about the match at all. Chavo hits a tornado DDT for the pin. 

David Flair, Crowbar, and Daffney arrive. 

A WCW magazine commercial airs. This actually wasn’t a bad magazine. It wasn’t in as many places as WWE/F or Raw magazine but they tried to make it worth the price. 

Brian Knobbs reminds us to leave wrestling to the pros. 

Los Fabulosos talk in the back and Ms Hancock shows up. She sees potential in them and is going to give guidance, starting with taking them clothes shopping. Who’s paying for this outing? And will we get a montage video next week? 

Team Package is out to cut a promo. There is a lot of blurring done to numerous signs in the crowd. Jimmy Hart comes out for the counter promo. This really isn’t good and I expected better from all of them. Apparently multiple news shows are in the building to interview Hulk Hogan, who isn’t there yet. The point is they’re there for Hogan, not for Flair. Hart hits Flair with the weight belt. Hart then gets beaten up, put in the Torture Rack, and whipped with the belt. Security comes out to hold off Team Package. Once again, Hogan is never there for his friends. 

The Artist Formerly Known as Prince Iaukea and Paisley are in the back. Psychosis takes a look at Prince’s Cruiserweight title. Kaz Hyashi shows up with the rest of the Jung Dragons. Words are exchanged and Charles Robinson of all people shows up to separate them. Robinson makes a match, which is a power I didn’t know referees had. Maybe he was coming to tell them they had a match. 

Jimmy Hart is loaded into the ambulance just as Hogan arrives. Hogan challenges Team Package to a handicap match tonight. I hope he can fit that in between his interviews with Larry King Live and Entertainment Tonight. 

Psychosis vs Kaz Hyashi with the winner getting a Cruiserweight title match at WCW Uncensored. 

No one else is allowed at ringside for this match. Kaz struggles to get Psychosis up. Psychosis rolls up Kaz for the pin. Then the Artist comes out to attack Psychosis from behind. The Artists then hits his finisher, the jumping DDT, and it’s maybe the best time he’s hit it during this run of WCW. 

At this point in the show I start thinking that nothing so far is bad. It’s average, but not bad. However, the announcing is adding nothing to the show. What should be there to accentuate is maybe a detriment to the show. 

Mean Gene is outside of the nWo locker room and Jeff Jarrett talks. 

Tank Abbot walks. 

Bam Bam Bigelow is talking to Oklahoma for some reason. 

Meng and someone else are in the locker room watching Tank Abbot come out. Meng vs Tank could be interesting. 

Tank Abbot vs Buzzkill. 

“No war. No guns. No tanks.” OK, that’s a funny sign. This music is a blatant and low quality rip off of Buzzkill’s more successful brother. Buzz tries to shoot Tank’s legs but this becomes another one punch knockout match and that’s all there is to it. 

The Harris Brothers talk to Harlem Heat. I’m sure it was about directions to the cookout. 

The Wall exits an elevator. 

During the break, the Wall attacked David Flair and Crowbar. 

Back to the live show and the Wall’s music plays. He’s beating up Flair in the concourse halls. The fight extends to the balcony. Wall threatens to toss David off the balcony. Bigelow shows up to make the save. Bam Bam slams Wall through a table. 

Booker walks. Billy Kidman and Torrie Wilson make out. 

Jeff Jarrett walks with the nWo Girls. 

The Wall is put into the back of a police car. Bigelow says he’ll be waiting. 

Jarrett and the ladies come out. Jeff doesn’t want to share the spotlight and sends them back. Again, this is a lot of payroll to walk out and turn right around. 

Jeff Jarrett vs Booker. 

Hey, Jarrett’s really wrestling here! I know I’m looking back and seeing this, but in this match it is so obvious these two are pre World champions. Neither has won the belt yet but both men shine like they’re ready to level up. 

The Harris Brothers come out and Jarrett uses that distraction to hit Booker with the United States title, but only gets a two count. The referee does a good job of not seeing the interference. The referee is busy telling Jarrett to not bring in the guitar which enables the Harris Brothers to hit an H Bomb and then Jeff hits the Stroke to get the pin. 

Sid Vicious runs out to save Booker. How does Sid look even bigger in his street clothes?! What a monster. 

Mean Gene interviews Dustin Rhodes and tonight he’s the American Nightmare. 

Vampiro jumps and walks. 

Booker walks and yells at Kidman for not coming out to have his back. 

Vampiro vs Hugh Morrus. 

Hugh comes out to a WCW cover version of “The Zoo”. Fun fact, Hugh won more titles in WCW than Vampiro. Hugh puts Vampiro on the table. Hugh goes up. Vampiro grabs him first and back drops Hugh through the table but this only gets a two count? Both seem to be in shock. Vampiro later hits the Nail in the Coffin for the pin. 

“Vampiro is among the elite.” At least they were trying to create a new main event star. 

Mean Gene interviews Kidman and Torrie. 

The casket rises. 

The Demon and Norman Smiley vs Brian Knobbs and the Dog. 

I can’t remember wanting to see a match less. Two of the guys fight outside of the ring, two of them fight inside of the ring. But the ones fighting in the ring aren’t the legal men? I’m so confused. How is Dog so bad? Wasn’t he a trainer? Lane and Rave run down to trip the Demon. Knobbs hits a super-plex. Dog hits a super-slam on Demon from the second rope for the pin. Oh, he calls that the Dog Pound. I think Dog might be my number one “turn the channel” wrestler. 

The Uncensored card is shown. 

Mean Gene interviews Team Package. 

Kidman and Torrie walk. 

Dustin Rhodes walks. 

Kidman (with Torrie) vs Dustin Rhodes. 

Kidman is trying, I have to give him credit for that. I question why Dustin is climbing the turnbuckles, but it’s so he can sneak in and hit Kidman with the cowbell. Dustin hits a side slam thing for the pin in what is called a “veteran move”. How is Dustin better now as an “old man” than in his “prime”. I mean, we know why, but it’s an interesting life. Booker comes out to save Kidman and Torrie pushes him away from Kidman. I don’t think she’s fighting anyone off better than Booker could have. 

Team Package walks. 

Lex Luger and Ric Flair (with Elizabeth) vs. Hulk Hogan. 

I hit the fast forward button during these entrances. The announcing has not gotten any better over the course of the show. Hogan uses a chair – what a heel. I guess it’s an entertaining match if you like Hogan but from the first second it screams stall for time until something screwy happens. 

There’s a nut shot for something screwy and now Flair takes control. Team Package with the double team. Flair with a second low blow. Double clothesline and there’s the Hulking Up we were expecting. Lex and Flair are down. Hogan rips a chair away from Elizabeth. Geez, Hulk, lighten up, weren’t you just at a rally that was full of speeches respecting women? Hogan hits Flair with the weight belt and chases Flair off, during which time at some point the referee called for the bell and that’s how the show goes off the air. 

We’ve been watching and mocking this era of WCW for awhile now. Sure, there’s booking changes. Lots of injuries. Many people who don’t want to work. There’s many reasons why this time lacks in quality. Yet there are people like Kidman, Booker, even Vampiro who are trying to prove themselves. Luger and Sid come out like true main event talents and put all of their effort into limited screen time. But so many other people, from backstage to ringside, are just there. Wrestling is not a 9 to 5 job to ride out until retirement. It is a job that requires passion to be picked up by the audience and come through the TV. Without that passion why are you (the wrestler, announcer, booker) there, and why am I bothering to watch? I think we stick around for the glimmers of hope in those we want to step up next and cross our fingers that our support will allow them to shine through the darkness of politics and bad writing.