WCW Thunder
Encyclopedia
WCW Thunder was a professional wrestling
show
produced by World Championship Wrestling
which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001. The rights to WCW Thunder now belong to WWE.
on TNT
, led Ted Turner
to create a new show, which would eventually be named Thunder, that would air Thursdays on TBS
.
WCW Executive Vice-President Eric Bischoff
was originally reluctant to produce another two-hour weekly television show for a variety of reasons. First, Time Warner
(WCW's parent company) was under a hiring freeze which prevented Bischoff from bringing in additional production people to run the show. Second, he felt WCW did not have enough talent to produce another show and risked overexposing them and making storylines less significant. Third, according to Bischoff, TBS refused to pay the cost of producing Thunder which was between $
12 million and $15 million a year.
Bischoff eventually decided that he could make the new show work and help pay for it by expanding revenue from increased house show
business. Bischoff was also given permission to sign Bret Hart
, specifically as a high-profile talent to perform on Thunder.
The first match to take place on Thunder featured former World Class Championship Wrestling
star Chris Adams against Randy Savage
. Adams pinned Savage after a chairshot from Lex Luger
. The match decision was reversed by James J. Dillon
.
saying "I'll show you some thunder, brotha!" and The Giant
with "This forecast definitely calls for pain!" However, neither Hogan nor Giant would frequently appear on what was considered by fans to be a second rate show. Furthermore, unlike TNT's Monday Nitro, TBS often featured commercials briefing the events of the latest edition of Thunder during its other programs.
in the same timeslot as Thunder, WCW had been trailing the WWF
in the ratings
on Thursdays as well as on Mondays, as this was during the time WCW's ratings began their steady decline that would eventually lead to the company's demise. (The WWF also had a slight advantage as SmackDown! was available over broadcast signals and cable was not required to view the program). Little was gained by the move, however.
On October 9, 2000, WCW moved the Thunder tapings to Mondays. From then on until March 19, 2001 (with the exception of the January 3, 2001 show), WCW aired its live Nitro broadcast at the beginning of the night and began the Thunder taping following the Nitro show.
, Bobby Heenan
and Lee Marshall. In Fall 1998, Mike Tenay
from Nitro replaced Lee Marshall. During the April 1, 1999 broadcast of Thunder, Schiavone and Tenay had a worked argument, and starting with the following week, Tenay was moved to play-by-play, with Larry Zbyszko
replacing Bobby Heenan on color commentary. In December 1999, Scott Hudson replaced Zbyszko and Schiavone returned as the second color man, the role that Tenay had in previous years. Stevie Ray
, late of Harlem Heat
also briefly did color commentary on Thunder.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
show
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
produced by World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001. The rights to WCW Thunder now belong to WWE.
Creation
The success of World Championship Wrestling's primary show, WCW Monday NitroWCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
on TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
, led Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
to create a new show, which would eventually be named Thunder, that would air Thursdays on TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
.
WCW Executive Vice-President Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
was originally reluctant to produce another two-hour weekly television show for a variety of reasons. First, Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
(WCW's parent company) was under a hiring freeze which prevented Bischoff from bringing in additional production people to run the show. Second, he felt WCW did not have enough talent to produce another show and risked overexposing them and making storylines less significant. Third, according to Bischoff, TBS refused to pay the cost of producing Thunder which was between $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
12 million and $15 million a year.
Bischoff eventually decided that he could make the new show work and help pay for it by expanding revenue from increased house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
business. Bischoff was also given permission to sign Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
, specifically as a high-profile talent to perform on Thunder.
The first match to take place on Thunder featured former World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
star Chris Adams against Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
. Adams pinned Savage after a chairshot from Lex Luger
Lex Luger
Lawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
. The match decision was reversed by James J. Dillon
James J. Dillon
James J. "J.J." Dillon is a retired American professional wrestler and manager.He is best known for being the strategic leader of the original Four Horsemen that consisted of Nature Boy Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Arn and Ole Anderson. He is most remembered as a manager in pro wrestling...
.
Advertisements
TV commercials for Thunder featured top ring talents such as Hulk HoganHulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
saying "I'll show you some thunder, brotha!" and The Giant
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
with "This forecast definitely calls for pain!" However, neither Hogan nor Giant would frequently appear on what was considered by fans to be a second rate show. Furthermore, unlike TNT's Monday Nitro, TBS often featured commercials briefing the events of the latest edition of Thunder during its other programs.
2000-2001
Thunder switched from Thursday evenings to Wednesday evenings on January 12, 2000. Since WWF SmackDown! debuted on UPNUPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
in the same timeslot as Thunder, WCW had been trailing the WWF
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
in the ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
on Thursdays as well as on Mondays, as this was during the time WCW's ratings began their steady decline that would eventually lead to the company's demise. (The WWF also had a slight advantage as SmackDown! was available over broadcast signals and cable was not required to view the program). Little was gained by the move, however.
On October 9, 2000, WCW moved the Thunder tapings to Mondays. From then on until March 19, 2001 (with the exception of the January 3, 2001 show), WCW aired its live Nitro broadcast at the beginning of the night and began the Thunder taping following the Nitro show.
Commentators
At the beginning, Thunder was broadcast by Tony SchiavoneTony Schiavone
Noah Anthony "Tony" Schiavone is an American sports broadcaster. He is the play-by-play broadcaster for the Gwinnett Braves of the International League...
, Bobby Heenan
Bobby Heenan
Raymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
and Lee Marshall. In Fall 1998, Mike Tenay
Mike Tenay
Michael William "Mike" Tenay is a professional wrestling play-by-play announcer currently employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . Prior to signing with TNA in 2002, he had a notable tenure with World Championship Wrestling from 1994-2001...
from Nitro replaced Lee Marshall. During the April 1, 1999 broadcast of Thunder, Schiavone and Tenay had a worked argument, and starting with the following week, Tenay was moved to play-by-play, with Larry Zbyszko
Larry Zbyszko
Lawrence "Larry" Whistler is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. Zbyszko is perhaps best known for his feud with his mentor, wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino during the early 1980s....
replacing Bobby Heenan on color commentary. In December 1999, Scott Hudson replaced Zbyszko and Schiavone returned as the second color man, the role that Tenay had in previous years. Stevie Ray
Lane Huffman
Lane Steven Huffman is a retired American professional wrestler who is better known as Stevie Ray. He is best known as being part of the tag team Harlem Heat with his younger brother Booker T...
, late of Harlem Heat
Harlem Heat
Harlem Heat was a professional wrestling tag team made up of two real-life brothers, Booker and Lane Huffman. Booker Huffman took the ring name of Booker T, and Lane Huffman took the ring name of Stevie Ray...
also briefly did color commentary on Thunder.