Jim Ross Recalls WCW’s Thunderdome Match, Communication Issues Leading to Problems in the Match

– On the latest Grilling JR, Jim Ross recalled the famous Thunderdome match at WCW Halloween Havoc 1989. The Thunderdome match was the main event of that show and saw Ric Flair and Sting take on The Great Muta and Terry Funk, with Ole Anderson and Gary Hart in the two teams’ respective corners and Bruno Sammartino as the guest referee.

The match featured a special cage that had higher walls and was curved at the top, considered by some to be a sort of precursor to Hell in a Cell. The match had a complex rule set, such as the cage being “electrified” at the top so no one could climb out and the match ending only when Hart or Ole — the “Terminators” for the match — threw in the towel for their team. The electrification aspect was originally announced as being the whole cage, but changed to just the top when the talent began climbing on it. The electrification was only used twice; the first time, one of the decorations caught on fire and Muta had to put it out with green mist. The second saw Muta get shocked as he was climbing the cage, but they also were hanging off the top toward the end and didn’t get shocked. There was also a rope that could be swung from. The match ended when Old hit Hart and sent his towel flying, which Sammartino mistook for it being thrown into the ring and he called for the bell.

Highlights from the discussion, and the full podcast, are below:

On the match having overly-complex rules: “Yeah, it was too gimmicky. I had no issues basically with the cage, the inescapable cage and all that good stuff, and I understood too why we went to the old WWE-like blue cage, big blue so people could climb up and screw around at the top. It was just a lot easier to manipulate and maneuver.”

On how the wrestlers didn’t get told that the cage was supposedly ‘electrified’: “Because you don’t have one person that is the go-to, the stopgap. The decision-maker to spread the word. And we had a lot of really good guys in that booking committee, guys who are much smarter than I. But we didn’t have one goddamn guy there, because they’re all active participants for the most part. I mean, Jim Barnett wasn’t … seriously, there was no leadership! I mentioned so many times, the frustrations that poured out of my body in the WCW years. I made great friends, I made good money, I loved living in Atlanta. All that stuff, it’s all true. I was living my dream on a nationally-televised show, I was one of the lead broadcasters on the WCW broadcast for a good while, and all the things to be thankful for, I am. But god almighty, the leadership.”

On the cage having too much going on: “I thought the cage on paper looked like a good idea. We gimmicked it up, acquiesced to outsiders giving feedback — a Tarzan rope. Are you s**ting me? A Tarzan rope. How come we don’t have a Jane rope? That would be equality.”

On what he thought of the match: “Maybe not four [stars] but certainly close to it. I wouldn’t argue Dave [Meltzer]’s four-star deal. I enjoyed the match. Take away the things that the boys could not control. That stupid structure that they were asked to perform in. Discount that from your voting, or your feelings from the match. The story that was told and the pairing of Sting and Muta together — here’s the deal, man. I would have watched Terry Funk and Ric Flair wrestle every day. Every god-damned day … I think the match is okay. I love the star power in it. You’ve got Bruno — out of position, but Bruno in that match, I love the fact of Bruno, Terry and Ric in the ring for the first time ever. Maybe the last time ever, right? And I thought the pop Bruno got in Philly when he nailed Muta who took a phenomenal bump. He sold that punch like he got hit like a mule. It was really emotional … I enjoyed it, because I am a big fan of the participants in that match. Still am to this day.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Grilling JR with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.