Thunderstruck - Thunder recap for January 22, 1998

It is announced that at Souled Out, an announcement will be coming determining the future of the vacated WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and that "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, Sting and Scott Hall are expected to be at the event for the announcement.

Scott Steiner beats Konnan by disqualification when Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton attack Scott Steiner. Rick Steiner and Ray Traylor show up to help even the odds, and Scott Steiner is able to clean house. Afterwards, Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell have an impromptu pose-off.

Kevin Nash shows up. He says that it is nice to be loved in Huntsville, Alabama, then says that within the next hour-and-a-half, he will be $1.5 million dollars richer. He then tells everyone to stay tuned, as he has some tricks up his sleeve and that The Giant is going to snap, as he wants him worse than "a lap dance after twenty years at sea," and he has had "a little bit too much coffee." Nash addresses any supposed fear of The Giant he has by saying The Giant is sadly mistaken if he thinks he fears him, then says there are two kinds of torture: physical torture, which The Giant will receive at Souled Out, and psychological torture, which The Giant has taken from Nash in the last couple of weeks. Nash then says he will head to the back and figure out how to spend his money, because The Giant will fold and he is a rich man.

Mike Tenay guests on commentary for the next match.

Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Super Calo beat La Parka and Silver King. During the match, Raven shows up and makes his way to the front row on his own. After the match, La Parka smacks Chavo and Super Calo in the back with his steel chair, then Juventud Guerrera and Lizmark Jr. get in the ring and fight La Parka and Silver King. El Dandy and Psychosis then run in, and everybody in the ring then brawls with one another.

We almost hear from referee Nick Patrick, but Rick Martel shows up. Martel is harassed by Billy Kidman, who calls him a stooge, and he is eventually attacked from behind by Perry Saturn. Saturn and Kidman put Martel through one of the glass entrance doors as referees and officials try to break up the brawl.

An advertisement for Boston Brawl, an Internet-exclusive event available at WCWwrestling.com for only $7.95 on January 31st, is shown.

Dean Malenko beats Marty Jannetty with the Texas Cloverleaf.

This weeked on WCW Saturday Night: Juventud Guerrera vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.! Wrath and Mortis vs. Glacier and Ernest "The Cat" Miller! Scott Norton vs. Rick Steiner!

Bill Goldberg beats Kendall Windham.

Scott Hall shows up. After the usual survey, The New World Order will take money from The Giant while he slaps The Giant around tonight. As for Souled Out, he plans to shut "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko's mouth shut. He tells Zbyszko to look at his scrapbook now, since he career will end Saturday night. Suddenly, Louie Spicolli shows up with a bag of golf clubs which happen to belong to Zbyszko. He then starts swinging all the golf clubs before breaking each one over his knee, then Hall says he will bring what is left of the clubs back at Souled Out as a golf career is all Zbyszko will have left. Zbyszko shows up and tells Hall he can make all the jokes he wants, since he and Spicolli look like Abbott and Costello, anyway. He also tells Hall that he will have to outwrestle him - something Zbyszko claims Hall cannot do - at Souled Out. Louie, when asked if Zbyszko has any chance on Saturday night, says that Zbyszko cannot even beat him. This leads to a brawl between Louie and Zbyszko, where Zbyszko easily comes out on top before outsmarting Scott Hall. Zbyszko then tells Hall that he will walk on Saturday night and that he will not walk out alone.

Rey Mysterio Jr. beats Eddie Guerrero by disqualification when he is attacked by Chris Jericho. After the attack, Eddie confronts Jericho before the two of them take the boots to Rey. Afterwards, Eddie confronts Jericho again, this time for costing him a Cruiserweight title shot. All of a sudden, "The Canadian Crippler" Chris Benoit comes out of the crowd and stands behind Jericho, and Guerrero changes his tune so that he can leave the ring, causing Jericho to turn around and run into Benoit. Benoit and Jericho then go at it, giving an impromptu start to the next match as referee Mickey Jay and Dean Malenko help Rey to the back.

"The Canadian Crippler" Chris Benoit beats Chris Jericho with the Crippler Crossface before Benoit can even apply the hold to Jericho. During the match, it is announced that Raven - who is still sitting in the front row - is in the front row because he bought a ticket to the show tonight. After the match, Benoit dares Raven to get in the ring. Raven gets into the ring and blindsides Benoit as soon as Benoit turns his back.

"Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff show up. Hogan says good things come to those who wait, and that he has already put his handprints on Hollywood Boulevard and has already got his star ready for Hollywood, and now that everyone has seen him beat Sting twice and beat The Giant on Nitro, he is the true champion and the WCW World Heavyweight Championship is coming back to him. Hogan then says he has heard that WCW wanted to give him the title tonight, but instead, they are giving it a double polish and a name plate with his name on it in cursive to give it back to him at Souled Out. He then says Sting will be there to worship the ground he walks on and that "Rowdy" Roddy Piper will worship the ground he walks on like a disciple. He also says that Scott Hall will be there with the rest of The New World Order to see the World title come back to him. Hogan then says that if he has to prove how good he is every night, he will be the nWo Champion for life.

Rick Martel beats Perry Saturn with the Quebec Crab. After the match, Kidman tries to hit Martel with a top rope cross body, but Martel dodges it and Kidman ends up hitting Saturn instead.

Scott Hall vs. The Giant ends in a no-contest. During the match, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash show up, and Nash hits The Giant with a foreign object as referee Randy Anderson is pre-occupied with Hall. Hall and Hogan get in the ring and take the boots to The Giant, who headbutts both men. "Macho Man" Randy Savage tries to attack The Giant from behind, but he is stopped by Lex Luger, who puts Savage in the Torture Rack. Nash proceeds to taunt Savage before turning away from him and Luger, and The Giant hits the choke slam on Hall. Kevin Hall then attacks The Giant, and The Giant confronts Nash. The Giant responds by tearing down one corner of the ring.