Every Major Wrestling Debut TV Show Ranked From Worst To Best

9. WCW Thunder

Dynamite Chris Jericho
WWE Network

An entertaining if inauspicious start to a show virtually everybody considered an inconvenience, this marks the debut as the single greatest episode of WCW Thunder. The card was wild, very much foreshadowing Thunder’s hilariously incomprehensible format as the company failed to give even a remote sh*t about the show.

The legendary Randy Savage lost to troubled English journeyman Chris Adams via interference in the opener; New Japan Pro Wrestling was represented in a half-decent physical clash between Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Michiyoshi Ohara, whom Bobby Heenan referred to as a “strange-looking human”; Chris Jericho showed early flair as a prick heel in a funny promo before a heated, pretty good affair with Ric Flair; Juventud Guerrera captured the Cruiserweight Title from Ultimo Dragon in a choice match.

The DDP Vs. Kevin Nash main event was the schmozz-driven sh*ts, but this was 1998 WCW.

The promos were entertaining, in earnest and otherwise. Lex Luger claimed that he’d had it “up to here!” with the antics of the nWo—“up to here” being his nose, which he signalled towards. So he was very annoyed, but not quite at the point of boiling over—an unintentional reflection of the fans’ connection with the product, post-Starrcade ’97.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!