WCW Thunder - Monday, Week 1, October 2001

5,744 in attendance at Woollen Gymnasium in Chapel Hill, NC.

Commentary by Mike Tenay and Jim Ross.

This week on Thunder: Steve Austin and Dwayne Johnson both seek to take revenge on Scott Steiner, a new Television champion is crowned in a battle royal, and Keiji Mutoh meets Tajiri in the main event. Catch all this and more after the break!

 

1. Fresh off of last night's title defense, Sting opens the show by making his way to the ring! He says that when he stepped between those ropes at SuperBrawl, he honestly didn't know if he was going to be leaving the ring that night as champion. He says that that's how good Lance Storm was - he had faced him before, and he knew Storm was a guy that learned, that improved, and Sting didn't know what Storm was going to bring to the table this time. But, Sting says, he didn't give up. Not even for a second. Sting says that even though he knew Storm was more than man enough to beat him, he still couldn't get one over on the Stinger. He continues, saying that even though Lance Storm brought everything he had into that ring and lost, he still stood there and shook Sting's hand after. That's how you earn respect, Sting says. You don't sit back and ask, you act. He then says that after Lance, he wants to look to the future. As far as Sting is concerned, his schedule for Halloween Havoc is clear - so if anyone in the back wants to prove what they've got and earn his respect (and the respect of all those fans), bring it on! (100)

2. WCW World Television Championship: Fatu won a battle royal in 9:32 to earn the vacant Television championship. The final four consisted of Fatu, Shannon Moore, Chavo Guerrero, and D-Von Dudley, with Shannon being the last elimination. (79)

3. Backstage, Lance Storm and Steve Corino are arguing about Storm's interference in Corino's title match. Corino says that he would have won if it wasn't for Lance, but Lance says he saw Corino get hurt and went out to help. Storm says he knows Jericho, and he's exactly the guy to take advantage of something like that. Corino doubts him, and says maybe Storm wanted to make sure he had the spotlight again, like he's been doing all year. Storm calls that ridiculous, then Corino adds that maybe, just maybe, Storm couldn't stand the idea that Corino would have a world championship and Storm wouldn't. Storm tells Corino that he's lashing out at the wrong person and stands up. Corino stands up as well, but is visibly hurt due to his injury. Storm helps him sit back down, and says he's going to look for John (Tenta) and Carl (Ouellet). As he leaves, Corino watches him with a conflicted look on his face. (69)

4. In what was billed as a tryout match, Jorge Estrada (w/ Honky Tonk Man) defeated Adam Pearce, American Dragon, and Chris Adams in 4:42 after pinning Adams following a move Mike Tenay quickly informs us is named Greetings from Graceland. Though the match didn't get a great crowd reaction (nor was it expected to), the in-ring performance met expectations. (36)

5. The Hardyz defeated The Light (Big T & Glenn Gilbertti) in 8:24 following an Extreme Combination. Watching from the crowd were Milano Collection AT and Vittoria Valentine, who were noticeably focused on the offense of the Hardyz. (80)

6. Back in the locker room, Lance Storm returns to Steve Corino, who is now up and moving, albeit slowly. Storm tells Corino that the rest of the members of Team Canada have a trios match tonight, and he'd like Corino to accompany them to the ring, so everyone knows Team Canada is strong as ever, injury or not. Corino says it sounds like a great idea, but he's not going to put himself in that situation while he's still hurt - it's gonna be a no. (70)

7. Dean Malenko and Fit Finlay are lacing their boots in preparation for Finlay's return match when Ted DiBiase tells him he won't be accompanying them to the ring tonight. When Finlay asks why, DiBiase says he wants to go over some last-minute strategy for O'Haire and Jindrak's match tonight. (69)

8. Malenko & Finlay defeated UFO (Billy Kidman & Shane Helms) in 5:13 after Helms tapped to a Celtic Knot. Kidman didn't seem convinced by the name this week either, to Helms's disappointment. (53)

9. New United States champion D'Lo Brown is in the ring. He says that he's glad that no one around here can deny that Tajiri and Nova can't hold a candle to him anymore. D'Lo says that now that he holds the United States championship, he's gonna take things into his own hands. No more waiting to even the score, D'Lo is taking his own steps - and it starts now. D'Lo brings up Ricky Steamboat, and how he forfeited the qualifying match to let D'Lo head on to SuperBrawl. He says that a lesser man would be out here thanking Steamboat and praising him right now, but not D'Lo Brown. D'Lo says he sees through everything Steamboat is planning. He says that Steamboat only forfeited because he was scared D'Lo was going to show him up and destroy his legacy, just like D'Lo did to all of Steamboat's old co-workers like Dr. Death, Bobby Eaton, and Terry Gordy. D'Lo started this year taking the trash out of WCW, and he wants to end it the same way. (66)

10. Backstage, Fatu is in the locker room with his new TV championship. BG James approaches him, and when Fatu braces for an attack, BG tells him to calm down. BG congratulates Fatu on his victory, and says he was impressive out there. The two share a fist bump. (68)

11. Scott Steiner defeated Hector Garza in 9:43 by making him submit to the Steiner Recliner. (79)

12. Steve Austin hits the ring and immediately calls out Scott Steiner. He threatens to stomp a mudhole in the Genetic Freak and tells him to get the hell out here. However, Dwayne Johnson hits the ring instead. Dwayne says that no one cares about Austin - Dwayne wants revenge on Steiner too. Bischoff comes out and knows just how to settle this - Dwayne and Austin will have a match, and whoever wins will face Scott Steiner at Halloween Havoc. Bischoff says that better yet, that match will be tonight! (85)

13. Team Canada (Lance Storm, John Tenta, & Carl Ouellet) defeated Super Delfin & Las Parkas in 8:01 after Storm forced Delfin to submit to the Canadian Maple Leaf. (75)

14. Jim Neidhart is reading this month's copy of WCW Magazine in the Hart Foundation locker room when Adam Castle slips into view behind him. Castle attacks Neidhart with a chair, and eventually has him laid out on the ground. Castle lays one chair under Neidhart's head, and grabs the one Neidhart was sitting on previously. Castle is preparing to con-chair-to Neidhart when Benoit rushes in and saves him. (65)

15. Mark Henry defeated Raven in 8:57 following a Death from Above. The match ended after Raven rolled to the outside while Henry was down and went under the apron to grab a weapon. Instead of a weapon, Raven found Vampiro, who sprayed blood mist into Raven's eyes and rolled him back into the ring! Unaware of the attack, Henry followed up with the splash for the victory. (81)

16. WCW World Tag Team Championship: Men of War (Sean O'Haire & Mark Jindrak) defeated Ron Simmons & Vader after 11:35 when Jindrak defeated Simmons with the Mark of Perfection. (82)

17. The qualifying match between Steve Austin and Dwayne Johnson never started when Scott Steiner interfered with his lead pipe before the bell rang and attacked both men. Steiner yelled for a mic, then said that he can't believe Bischoff is out here talking about how these guys have gotta beat each other to face him! Steiner says that he ain't no pussy (which got censored on the feed), he'll take them both on at Halloween Havoc! Steiner yells for someone to get out here and make it happen - and Ric Flair comes out on stage! Flair says he doesn't like Steiner, but he has some great ideas sometimes - Flair makes the triple threat official for Halloween Havoc! (100)

18. In the night's main event, Tajiri scored an upset victory on Keiji Mutoh 13:29 into the match with a Brainbuster. (87)

19. While Tajiri is celebrating, Mike Awesome attacks! He hits Tajiri in the head with a kendo stick, and Tajiri is busted open! Awesome continues to cane Tajiri in the ring while staring at Mutoh and yelling at him, asking why he didn't hurt Tajiri like he's been hurting everyone else. Mutoh attempts to save Tajiri, but he's too worn out from the match to get an advantage on Awesome, and Awesome is able to knock him back with the cane. A crazed Awesome looks into the camera as the show goes off the air. (86)