[1998-01-08-WCW-Thunder] Show opening

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[soup23]

WCW tries their hand at a second big show once and for all de-emphasizing the importance of WCWSN in the grand scheme of things. The opening is a good bit like Nitro but the set always looks dark and murky to me. Tony tries to tie in the importance of wrestling on TBS over the years which is a nice touch.

[stomperspc]

We see the initial Thunder set which if I recall, doesn't last very long. That's a good thing (the whole cave concept didn't work). Probably the most stacked episode of Thunder of all time in terms of star power.

[Kevin Ridge]

WCW adds a second live show. Thunder was never really part of my viewing schedule. That set looks bad.

[bradhindsight]

Another two hours of WCW programming each week - being a freshman in college and really just getting into the product, I was pretty excited for this. The over-exposure of talent happened pretty quick but big card for the debut show.

[Loss]

Yeah, I had no recollection of the cave opening at all. I'm blown away that the first Thunder was three hours long. Just too much wrestling! The set definitely makes it look distinct from the Nitro set, but I remember Thunder always being out of control with the smoke machine.

[PeteF3]

After literal years of badgering from the higher-ups, and obfuscation and delays from Bischoff & co., TBS finally has their live wrestling show. With such a promising and daring premise of having a "brand split" now out the window, WCW goes into this with pretty much no plan whatsoever.

[TravJ1979]

This struck me to the extent that this opening and set design went all out in production and presentation, but eventually Thunder became an after thought and ends up as a watered down Nitro set with a different color scheme.

 

RATING: Thunder rolls (downhill) and no lighting strikes.