[2000-08-02-WCW-Thunder] Lance Storm vs The Cat

[soup23]

Lance’s final test is vs the Cat. Cat’s gear is awful and looks like women’s pajamas. Cat’s offense looks pretty putrid and this isn’t much of a match. Another referee bump and out comes Muto to attack Cat. I guess they thought they could have a vicious martial arts match. Muto Dragon Screws Cat and that of course leads to the Maple Leaf allowing Lance to leave Thunder with all three titles. ½*

[GSR]

The final title defence for Lance, this time defending his ‘Canadian Heavyweight title’ against ‘The Cat’. Storm again wants the Canadian national anthem played, but the Commissioner uses his stroke to get it turned off before it’s really began. A backbreaker stuns ‘the Cat’, but he reverses an Irish whip and floors Storm with a kick to the chest. He starts to unload with a series of punches in the corner, only for Lance to pick him up and hit a reverse atomic drop. Flying heel kick then floors the challenger as Storm gets a two. Low blow by ‘the Cat’ and a double thrust to the throat. A silly looking elbow drop for a two of his own. ‘The Cat’ tosses Storm to the outside, however Lance reverses the whip to the guardrail and drops him with a superkick. Springboard dropkick for another near fall. Storm with a whip to the corner, this time though it’s ‘the Cat’ who reverses it and Lance goes chest first into the turnbuckles. ‘Feliner kick’ but Storm collides with the official, taking him out. Even though he can see the referee is down, ‘the Cat’ covers Lance anyway. The Great Muta is in the ring and nails the Commissioner with a spinning kick and a dragon screw leg whip. Storm sees what’s gone on and quickly goes to work on that knee before slapping on his third single leg crab of the night for the tap.

 

Although two of the wins weren’t the cleanest, it’s clear that Storm has got his backers with the three title belts and the three wins in the one night. My least favourite match of the three, although that’s more to do with whom his opponent is, and a Muta/Cat feud doesn’t instil me with much enthusiasm when you consider the former’s efforts in recent matches. The ref bump at least looked (slightly) more believable than the one in the Norman Smiley bout!