Written By: Bob Colling
3PW Return of the Dream
Date: 11-23-2002
From: ECW Arena
Devon Storm defeated Matt Striker: This is Matt Striker’s 3PW debut. Storm with several forearms and leaping back elbow. Striker rolls to the floor confused. He had wanted a handshake, but got beaten up instead. Side headlock by Storm. Striker with a arm drag, hip toss and dropkick. Striker runs into a drop toe hold from Storm. Storm with a front double under hook suplex. Storm leaps off the middle rope and connects with a rolling neck breaker. Striker comes back with a body scissors into a arm drag. Hurricanrana by Striker. Storm catches Striker, who went for that again, and connects with a sit down power bomb. Leg drop to Striker’s groin. Striker with a wrap around neck breaker for a near fall. Striker shoves the referee, who shoves back and Storm nearly gets the pin. Striker locks Storm’s head between his legs and leans backwards for a interesting submission hold. Storm comes off the ropes and charges into a big boot from Striker. Striker with a nice slingshot splash to the floor. Storm rams Striker back first into the guard railing and drops Striker throat first across the railing. Storm sits Striker on a chair on the floor. Storm with slingshot splash onto the seated Striker. Slingshot Splash from the apron to the ring, and a springboard moonsault by Storm for a near fall. Striker with the Stunner. Storm places a chair on Striker’s back and connects with a Northern Lights suplex with the chair to pick up the win. **1/2
The Blue Meanie defeated White Lotus: Snap suplex by Meanie early on, followed by a drop toe hold and a arm drag. Springboard back elbow by Lotus. Scoop slam, followed by a rope assisted leg drop onto Meanie for a near fall. Lotus with a super kick to get another near fall. Meanie with a atomic drop and a running bulldog for a two count. Meanie catches Lotus in mid air coming off the top. Meanie with a top rope moonsault to win the match. *
Joey Matthews defeated Rob Eckos and Josh Daniels in a 3 Way Dance: Daniels is a lot like Chris Benoit. Tonight he even has a leather vest just like Benoit had when he was with the Horsemen. Matthews and Eckos appear to be working together before bell to take Daniels out. Matthews sits on the floor allowing Eckos and Daniels to wrestle. Daniels takes Eckos down a few times with a shoulder block. Each time, Matthews gives Eckos a pep talk. Eckos slaps Daniels in the corner and rolls to the floor to hug Matthews. Daniels with a few chops in the corner. Matthews enters the ring and Daniels takes both men down with a clothesline. Daniels clotheslines Matthews to the floor. Daniels baseball slides Eckos into the guard railing. Matthews misses a suicide dive, hitting Matthews. Slingshot splash by Daniels onto both Matthews and Eckos on the floor. Hurricanrana off the top by Eckos on Daniels for a near fall. Running forearm on Daniels by Matthews. Eckos works over Daniels with a headlock for several moments, Daniels comes back with a snap suplex, and a Northern Lights for a two count. Matthews nails Daniels with a top rope clothesline. Eckos nails Matthews with a forearm on accident. Daniels with a release German suplex on Eckos. Belly to belly suplex on both Eckos and Matthews. Eckos comes off the top and Daniels connects with another overhead belly to belly suplex. Daniels misses a top rope leg drop. Eckos with a super kick. Matthews sends Eckos to the floor. Matthews pins Daniels to eliminate him. Matthews blocks a super kick and nails Eckos with a clothesline. Eckos connects with a super kick moments later for a near fall. Matthews with a low blow and rolls Eckos up, using the ropes for leverage to win the bout. **1/4
“Pitbull” Gary Wolfe defeated Jason Knight: Jasmine St. Claire is the manager of Jason Knight. Wolfe with a shoulder block and sends Knight down. They brawl to the floor and Wolfe sends Knight into the guard railing and table at ringside. Chair shot by Wolfe. Wolfe places Knight on the table and leaps off the apron and connects with a elbow drop through the table. Wolfe with the “peeing dog” taunt back in the ring. Wolfe with a running clothesline in the corner. Knight with several rights in the corner, which do not affect Wolfe. Running forearm by Wolfe in the corner. Running clothesline to the back of Knight’s head for a near fall. Scoop slam by Knight. Wolfe catches Knight on the middle turnbuckle. Wolfe with a Torture Rack into the Burning Hammer. The referee is distracted by Jasmine. Blue Meanie comes out and is slapped by Jasmine on the floor. Jason has a cover and the referee is distracted. Jason argues with Meanie. Death Valley Driver by Wolfe for the win. *
After the match, Jason attacks Meanie with a clothesline. The Blue Mad Dog comes out and has a microphone. Mad Dog tells Bob Ortiz that he is the best ring announcer not Ortiz. Mad Dog is rambling about past managers and announcers. Mad Dog wants to be Meanie’s manager. Meanie doesn’t say no. He is just confused.
Ron “The Truth” Killings defeated Kid Kash: Truth has a microphone. He is rapping to his own music. I don’t understand because the quality of the microphone is poor. Truth does say “I don’t like ya all, so how do you like me now?!” Truth taunts the ECW Hat Guy. Once Kash comes out, Truth continues to taunt Kash and the crowd. Truth with a scoop slam, but decides to taunt instead of following up. Both men trade wrist locks. A few arm drags and hip toss by Kash. Inverted Russian leg sweep by Truth. Truth misses a side kick and crotches himself on the top rope. Kash dropkicks Truth to the floor. Springboard somersault splash to the floor by Kash. They brawl over to the eagles nest. This happens every show. Truth goes all the way to the top of the eagles nest. Kash rams Truths knee on the floor. Truth with a sit down power bomb off the eagles nest through two tables! That was nice. Kash tosses a chair at Truth. Back in the ring, Kash connects with a modified brain buster, dropping Truth on his knee for a near fall. Truth with the scissors kick and gets a near fall. Running power slam by Truth. Whisper in the wind type of move by Kash. Nice tornado DDT by Kash for a near fall. Side kick by Truth to regain control. A series of near falls for both men. Vertical front suplex by Truth which earns him the win. ***
After the match, Kash grabs a microphone and says Philadelphia is his home. ECW Arena is where Kid Kash was “made”. He thanks the fans.
Rockin’ Rebel defeated Amish Roadkill: Rebel grabs a microphone and rips on the crowd and his opponent, Roadkill. Roadkill with a power slam and the TKO within seconds. That is Roadkill’s finisher, but Rebel rolls to the floor. Roadkill crotches Rebel onto the top rope and pulls the rope up and down several times. Rebel avoids a charging Roadkill who falls over the top to the floor. Rebel sends Roadkill into the guard railing and ring post. Rebel is sent into the corner but Rebel leaps off the middle turnbuckle and connects with a clothesline. Roadkill pulls Rebel’s underwear, and Rebel is de-pants. Big splash in the corner by Roadkill. Roadkill goes to the corner and Rebel throws a FIRE BALL into Roadkill’s face. Rebel with the cover. How in the world is that not a DQ? Rebel wins the match. *
Time for the strip tease contest. Joey Matthews comes out to a “Please Go Back” chant. Matthews thinks he and the crowd got off on the wrong foot. Matthews says he is going to make up for his actions tonight. Matthews is apparently the judge for the contest. Several women come down in night gowns. Matthews eliminates a brown hair chick. And some other blonde chick. Brianna from last month is the winner. Brianna’s prize is Matthews himself. Matthews wants a kiss. She doesn’t want to do that. Matthews starts to get physical with her. Until Annihilation comes out. Matthews runs right into a choke slam. Matthews gets another one.
Dusty Rhodes defeated Kevin Sullivan in a Texas Bullrope Match: Sullivan attacks Rhodes with some sort of object. Appears to be a fork. A few cow bell shots by Sullivan. Rhodes is busted open. Sullivan with several right hands, Rhodes eventually comes back with several elbows and right hands. Rhodes rakes Sullivan forehead with the cow bell. Sullivan is busted open. Sullivan with few more fork shots. Rhodes sends Sullivan into the ropes and nails Sullivan with the cow bell. Rhodes picks up the win. DUD
3PW Heavyweight Champion Sabu defeated Syxx-Pac to retain the title Gary Wolfe comes down before the start of the match. Wolfe challenges the winner of this match. He says “rematch” so that kind of gives away the result. “You Fucked Chyna” chant towards Syxx. That was hilarious. Pac with a few slaps to the back of Sabu’s head. Cross arm breaker by Sabu. Pac reaches the ropes. Sabu locks in a leg lock moments later, but Pac again reaches the ropes. Rather slow start to the contest. Sabu springboards off the middle rope, but Pac catches Sabu with a spin kick in mid air. Springboard heel kick with a chair by Sabu for a near fall. Pac with several chops in the corner. Sabu botches a springboard. Pac does a taunt, and side steps the move. Pac misses the Bronco Buster in the corner. Sabu places Pac in the tree of woe. Dropkick with a chair to Pac’s face. Sabu with the cover but only gets a near fall. Spin kick by Pac for a near fall. Pac grabs a chair, and Sabu connects with a big boot and a Arabian Face Buster with the chair. Tod Gordon and Annihilation send a table onto the ring, which is broken. Sabu sends Pac into the table, head first and it breaks. That was weak. Sabu grabs a much smaller one. Pac is final placed on the table. Sabu misses a somersault splash through the table. Pac with the cover but only gets a two count. Pac attacks Gordon the floor and is clotheslined by Annihilation on the floor. Sabu misses the triple jump dive to the floor. Chair shot by Pac. Pac places Sabu onto a table. Pac with a leg drop off the second rope through the table. Yet another table is sent into the ring. Pac places a chair across Sabu’s face in the corner. Pac with the Bronco Buster. Pac plays to the crowd, and Sabu connects with a power bomb off the middle rope. Pac with the X-Factor on the chair. Pac with the cover but Sabu kicks out. Chair shots by Pac in the corner. Sabu blocks a hurricanrana with a power bomb. Pac crotches Sabu on the top turnbuckle. Sabu with a top rope power bomb onto a chair through a table. Sabu with a splash off the top for the win. **1/2
After the match, Pac and Sabu shake hands. Pac grabs a microphone and says that he has a spine injury and he is sorry for his part in the match.
My Opinion: A solid opener between Storm/Striker. Striker is a funny guy, he continued to do the clapping taunt to get the crowd behind him. Meanie/Lotus was a time filler I would assume, nothing special at all. Three Way Dance was really average. Wolfe/Jason was a easy way to get Wolfe a win, and continue the Meanie/Jasmine situation. Truth/Kash was a solid bout. I was not expecting Truth to do a table spot the way did. The crowd was dead for Rebel/Roadkill, the fire spot wasn’t really needed for a match that had zero build towards it. The contest was once again the intermission of matches. Rhodes/Sullivan sucked, nothing but right hands, elbows and cow bell shots over and over again. Pac/Sabu was kind of a botched fest, but was a average match. Their first encounter was much better. Also, the crowd appeared to be not so into the contest as they were the first time. I do give credit to Pac for wrestling with a injury, but I don’t think he should have apologized, its not like it was a horrendous match. It was fairly decent.
Overall Grade: D