Thunderstruck - Thunder recap for April 16, 1998

We see an announcement from the New World Order where Buff Bagwell admires his body in a mirror as he talks about how he goes the extra mile to be buff, and says that you're buff and the stuff, the girls just can't get enough.

Rick Steiner beats Buff Bagwell by disqualification after Scott Steiner gets involved by tripping Rick Steiner off the top rope and attacking Rick along with Bagwell. As they continue to double-team Rick, Lex Luger shows up and evens the odds for Rick Steiner, forcing Bagwell and Scott Steiner to retreat.

We hear from "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, who says "Macho Man" Randy Savage is not smart enough to be WCW World Heavyweight Champion after "jaywalking backwards in an eight-lane highway" and getting knocked down, and tells Sting he is ready to take the World title back.

Kevin Nash shows up. He says that for two years, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan has tried to prove to the wrestling world that he walks on water. He then says that he agrees with him, as everyone knows that "a turd floats." He says he should be standing in front of the fans with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship around his waist, and tells Hogan he could not even stand the chance that he could be World Champion. Last week, Bret "The Hit Man" Hart made the biggest mistake of his wrestling career, and he quotes Jim Croce, saying "You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit in the wind, you don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you definitely don't mess with Big Sexy." Nash then tells Hogan he has one more chance to stop Armageddon in the nWo, and he has to either be his partner in the Bat Match or he will be the man that drives the stake in his heart that ends his career. He also warns The Giant and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper that he will beat them both himself whether Hogan is with him or not, and in the case of being a little redundant, he will take the bat and beat up all three men if that is what it takes. He tells Hogan to sit back and watch what a real partner does, as he and "Macho Man" Randy Savage are tagging up, and he tells Sting to put on his best face paint and to bring Bret Hart, because he, not WCW, calls the shots around here and he wants a tag team match tonight.

We hear from Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, who says that if he could give "Macho Man" Randy Savage one piece of advice, it would be to get rid of the nWo and be his own men. He says that if play with pigs, you are going to get dirty.

We see a 60-second video package of Goldberg.

Goldberg beats Barry Darsow.

We hear from "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, who asks Kevin Nash how he dares to think that he is worthy of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, as he is the leader of the nWo, the nWo is for life, the pecking order exists, and he made Nash and can break him too, whether he likes it or not.

We see a video package for Raven vs. Diamond Dallas Page for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship at Spring Stampede.

Tony Schiavone interviews WCW Executive Committee Chairman J.J. Dillon, who says that while WCW has been working on the issues for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship match at Spring Stampede, they have also been working on a match for next week's Nitro. He announces that there will be a United States title match that night, and the winner of the United States title at Spring Stampede will defend against Goldberg. Dillon says he has never seen anyone rise so quickly and create an undefeated streak like Goldberg has, and that he has earned his title shot on Monday night.

Booker T retains the WCW World Television Championship against Rick Fuller.

We hear from "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, who says that the WCW World Heavyweight Championship belongs to him. He says that "Macho Man" Randy Savage is a joke, and that he should be wrestling Sting for the title, as he won it the first time and it should still be his.

We see a video package for the Bat Match between the team of "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash and the team of The Giant and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper at Spring Stampede.

Tony Schiavone announces that Lex Luger and Rick Steiner will face Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner in a tag team match at Spring Stampede. Suddenly, Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner show up, and Bagwell says the match is not happening. Scott Steiner says it is people like him, Larry Zbyszko, Lex Luger and Sting who have Rick Steiner believing that he turned his back on him instead of WCW and people like them. Scott Steiner says he is not showing up, as his and Rick's parents would not want them in the ring against each other. Bagwell then says that he is the real total package, not Lex Luger.

"The Canadian Crippler" Chris Benoit beats Scott Norton by disqualification after Vincent attacks Benoit as he has Norton in the Crippler Crossface. Vincent and Scott Norton double-team Benoit until Booker T runs into the ring. They retreat, but when Booker T helps him up, Benoit shoves him before heading back to the back.

We hear from Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, who says that Kevin Nash is scum and that "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan is worse, and that nothing could make him happier than watching them kill each other off.

This Saturday on WCW Saturday Night: Hacksaw Jim Duggan! The Barbarian! Reese! Scott Steiner!

Tony Schiavone interviews The Giant and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in the ring. Piper says he can now get a bat from anywhere, as he has a modern-day version of David and Goliath, only instead of slingshots, there are Louisville Sluggers. He says it is time for a bat match, and he has a giant. He says that The Giant is mean, and says Kevin Nash will not look too sexy when The Giant shoves a baseball bat down his throat. He also tells "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash that they are not taking Spring Stampede seriously enough and that The Giant is the real giant of WCW, and that he is ready to chop the big vine so that Hogan will fall right into his arms before he beats him within an inch of his life. This Sunday, if Hogan and Nash want to play ball, he and The Giant will bring the bat while they bring the balls, and they will see who hits a home run.

Rick Rude guests on commentary for the next match, forcing Lee Marshall off the commentary table in the process.

Curt Hennig beats Super Calo.

We hear from "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, who says that Diamond Dallas Page does not want a shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, as he has the power, the money and the backing.

Chris Jericho retains the WCW Cruiserweight Championship against Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the Lion Tamer after Eddie actively. After the match, Prince Iaukea gets in the ring and hits Jericho in the back with a scale before he and Jericho brawl their way to the back. After the match, Chavo confronts Eddie for his actions, and Eddie tells him he cannot win against a wrestler of Jericho's caliber when Chavo says that he can. Eddie gives Chavo a chance to prove it: if Chavo beats Jericho on Sunday, the deal between him and Eddie is off. However, if Chavo loses, Chavo will be in a world of "you-know-what" because Eddie will ride him twice as hard.

Eric Bischoff, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, and The Disciple show up. Bischoff says that one of the first things he learned from Hogan back in July 1994 in their very first meeting in Orlando, Florida was to never, ever litter. Hogan says the whole world knows that the world is littered with bodies that challenge his power, as he has left promoters begging him to come back to save him, and left wrestlers laying for challenging his power. As far as Kevin Nash goes, he will give him one last chance to save his Armageddon from happening, for if he challenges him, he will be just another body left laying. Hogan then says he understands the jealousy and the fact that he made wrestling and makes more money that all of the fans combined, and that being the most powerful man in the wrestling business has a downside, but as his new movie was premiering last week and he was on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, he saw the jealousy and the controversy, and he has Nash and "Macho Man" Randy Savage and everyone digging at Sting. He says that the WCW World Heavyweight Championship is his, and that the nWo has decided that he is the only man deserving of a World title shot and that he will get the title back.

We hear from Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, who says that all he really cares about is winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and that all he wants is a fair shot.

Tony Schiavone interviews WCW Executive Committee Chairman J.J. Dillon, who says that there are two things that he is sure will happen next week: Goldberg earning a shot at the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship next week on Nitro and Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner facing Rick Steiner and Lex Luger at Spring Stampede. As far as the WCW World Heavyweight Championship match this Sunday is concerned, "Macho Man" Randy Savage must have a release form from a doctor as per the WCW Executive Committee to get a shot at the World title at Spring Stampede. Savage - still wearing a cast on his right arm - shows up with Miss Elizabeth, and tells Dillon that he has no jurisdiction over the madness, and if he wants to do something constructive, he should head outside of the arena and watch out for red-and-yellow Dodge Vipers with drivers who have balding blonde heads who are running people over before they can make it into the arena. Dillon says WCW has suspicions, but no evidence, of who ran Savage over, and that he and the WCW Executive Committee Chairman want to know that he is fit for the World title match on Sunday. Savage says he is tough enough, and that Dillon is weak and makes him sick. He plans to take Sting on Sunday and become the guy who goes after the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and that nobody, not even Dillon, can do anything about it.

The Giant beats Brian Adams by disqualification after the rest of the nWo goes after The Giant only to be completely overpowered.

We see a video package of Raven.

Perry Saturn beats Silver King with the Rings of Saturn.

We see a video package of Diamond Dallas Page.

Tony Schiavone interviews Diamond Dallas Page in the ring. DDP puts Raven to the side to address something WCW Executive Committee Chairman J.J. Dillon addressed: Goldberg getting a shot at the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship. He says the announcement makes him even more jacked up than he was already was, as he has seen Goldberg roll through WCW and he wants to see just how bad he really is. He wants to see if Goldberg can be "banged," but he is not looking through Raven to get to Goldberg as he has not forgotten everything that Raven has recently done to him as well as his "incessant whining." He calls Raven delusional as he has no idea who he is, but DDP knows who he is: the man who is coming to Spring Stampede to get what is his. Meanwhile, Raven will be the guy who gets to feel the bang.

We hear from Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, who says that there are a lot of guys whom he has come to respect since entering WCW, such as "The Canadian Crippler" Chris Benoit, The Giant, Diamond Dallas Page. However, the man he trusts the most is Sting for how he has confronted and tackled the nWo. He says that if Sting comes to a situation where he needs his help, all he has to do is call him and he will be there.

Before the next match, a fan manages to get a hold of a microphone during Kevin Nash and "Macho Man" Randy Savage and manages to yell "For life!" and Randy Savage's name very loudly.

Kevin Nash and "Macho Man" Randy Savage beat Sting and Bret "The Hit Man" Hart by disqualification after "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and The Disciple go after Savage, tripping him off the top rope and attacking his right arm. Kevin Nash cuts this attack short, and the rest of the nWo shows up to keep both Nash and Hogan from going after each other. Nash is held back in the ring while Hogan and The Disciple are already out of the ring. On this note, the show ends.