ECW on TNN 12/31/1999

Written By: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents ECW on TNN
Date: 12/31/1999
From: White Plains, NY

The show opens up with the Impact Players backstage telling Raven and Tommy Dreamer that they are taking the titles from them on January 9th. Credible says that they don’t have a conscience.

A video highlighting what happened last week to close out the show.

Another from the last show where Raven cuts a promo about being crucified for his past sins.

ECW on TNN opening video

Joey Styles and Joel Gertner are standing in the ring with the fans chanting for ECW. Styles welcomes everyone to the show. Gertner delivers his naughty lines. Mikey Whipwreck makes his way down to the ring as he has returned to ECW! Styles tells Whipwreck it is nice to have him back after Whipwreck worked elsewhere for a year (WCW). Before Whipwreck can say anything, he is cut off by the music of the Impact Players! Lance Storm tells Whipwreck that tonight is his lucky night. Storm is giving Whipwreck the chance to make an impact. Storm has cash for Whipwreck if he can take someone out tonight. Storm says that Whipwreck has sold out once and he can do it again. Whipwreck agrees to do it and Storm reveals that Whipwreck is going to take out Raven!

Opening Contest: Raven defeated Mikey Whipwreck: Whipwreck with a quick dropkick and stomps away on Raven in the corner to start the match. Whipwreck connects with a slingshot guillotine leg drop onto the apron. Whipwreck grabs a microphone and says he is not a baby for living at home still. Whipwreck hits Raven with the microphone on the floor and rams a table into Raven’s midsection. Whipwreck hammers away on Raven as Raven lays onto a table. Whipwreck laps off the middle rope and elbow drops Raven through the table on the floor! Whipwreck whacks Raven across the back with a chair. Side Russian leg sweep by Whipwreck sends Raven back first into the guard railing. Whipwreck covers Raven in the ring but only gets a two count. Inside cradle by Whipwreck for a near fall. Whipwreck with a sunset flip for a two count. Raven back slides Whipwreck for a two count. Whipwreck dropkicks Raven for another two count. Raven drop toe holds Whipwreck face first into a chair. Whipwreck covers Raven after both men lay on the mat and gets a two count. Raven stomps away on Whipwreck in the corner and follows up with a running clothesline. Raven with a snot rag and DDT’s Whipwreck to win the match. *
After the match, Raven calls for the Impact Players to enter the ring. Raven gets a few right hands in but is super kicked by Lance Storm. Tommy Dreamer runs down with a steel chair but the Impact Players bail to the floor.

A video hyping up the rematch between Masato Tanaka and Mike Awesome is shown.

Backstage, Francine runs to Tommy Dreamer. Francine tells Dreamer that they need to help Raven. Francine says that she will help Raven now that Dreamer will not.

Joey Styles and Joel Gertner hype up next weeks Stairway to Hell match between Justin Credible and Tommy Dreamer!

Backstage, ECW World Champion Masato Tanaka and Mike Awesome prepare for the championship match.

Second Contest: Tajiri defeated Super Crazy: Tajiri with a couple of kicks to drop Crazy to open the match. Crazy quickly comes back with a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Tajiri with a handspring back elbow and tilt a whirl head scissors. They take each other down with a few arm drags and kip up. They trade a few chops until Crazy dropkicks Tajiri to the floor and delivers a baseball slide. Crazy leaps off top rope and takes Tajiri out with a moonsault on the floor! Steve Corino is at ringside and helps Tajiri get up. Crazy with a kick to the chest and back. Tajiri blocks a kick and dumps Crazy down to the mat. Tajiri with a few stiff kicks of his own and dropkicks a seated Crazy! Crazy stands on the apron and is met with a stiff kick to the side of the head. Crazy takes Tajiri out with a springboard dropkick and a springboard moonsault for a near fall! Crazy with ten punches in the corner but Tajiri comes back with a springboard sidekick. Crazy goes to the floor and Tajiri takes Crazy out with a somersault dive! Tajiri sends Crazy back first into the guard railing and spits at a fan. Tajiri knocks Crazy out with a vicious kick and a knee drop. Tajiri with a go behind and tangles Crazy up and spins around with a modified airplane spin. Tajiri goes for a brain buster but Crazy gets out of it and drives Tajiri down with a power bomb but Tajiri kicks out at two! Crazy connects with two moonsaults but is crotched on the top by Tajiri on the third attempt. Tajiri sets Crazy up in the tree of woe and nails Crazy with a vicious baseball slide. Tajiri covers but Crazy manages to kick out. Crazy with a hurricanrana but Tajiri rolls through and kicks Crazy in the head followed by a brain buster and Tajiri wins the match! ***
After the match, Crazy quickly sits up but lays back down as Tajiri celebrates the win.

Backstage, ECW World Champion Masato Tanaka cuts a promo in Japanese. Mike Awesome tells Judge Jeff Jones that he is going to get his belt back.

Main Event: Mike Awesome defeated ECW World Champion Masato Tanaka to regain the title: Awesome with a quick clothesline and several right hands before the bell. Awesome stomps away on Tanaka and takes Tanaka over with a overhead suplex. Awesome clotheslines Tanaka over the top to the floor. Awesome leaps over the top rope and connects with a suicide dive! Awesome sets up a table on the floor. Awesome signals for a power bomb off the apron but Tanaka counters with a backdrop on the apron. Tanaka leaps off the top rope and takes Awesome out with a cross body. Tanaka sends Awesome back first into the guard railing and smashes Awesome over the head with a chair. Tanaka chops Awesome but Awesome sends Tanaka into the railing and clotheslines Tanaka into the crowd. Awesome with a slingshot splash back into the ring from the apron for a two count. Awesome has a chair and whacks Tanaka over the head a few times but Tanaka recovers. Awesome heads to the top rope and leaps off with the chair but Tanaka dropkicks the chair into Awesome’s face! Tanaka whacks Awesome over the head with the chair and grabs a second chair from the floor. Tanaka goes for a tornado DDT and drives Awesome down onto the chairs but only gets a near fall! Tanaka places a chair on Awesome’s face and heads to the top rope where he drives another chair down onto Awesome’s face and gets a two count on a cover. Tanaka goes for the Diamond Dust and connects! Tanaka covers but Awesome is able to pop his shoulder up at two! Awesome ducks a clothesline and connects with a release German suplex. Tanaka quickly gets up and charges towards Awesome who is able to deliver a sit out spine buster! Awesome hit’s a running power bomb but isn’t able to put Tanaka away. Awesome sets a table up in a corner. Awesome goes for another running power bomb but Tanaka gets out of it . Awesome gets out of a German suplex and power bombs Tanaka through the table in the corner! Awesome covers but Tanaka just barely kicks out in time! Awesome gets another table and sets it up in the ring. Awesome places Tanaka on the table and heads to the top rope. Tanaka gets up and trades right hands with Awesome. Awesome gets the advantage and goes for a power bomb off the top but Tanaka counters with a DDT off the top through a table! Tanaka goes for the cover but Awesome somehow kicks out at two! Tanaka knocks Awesome silly with a roaring elbow but only gets a two count! Awesome runs into a big boot in the corner and Tanaka goes for a Diamond Dust but Awesome counters with a double leg slam! Awesome heads up top and leaps off connecting with the Awesome Splash but is still unable to pick up the win! Awesome crotches Tanaka on the top rope and they trade right hands. Awesome sets Tanaka up and hit’s a sit down power bomb with his back turned to the ring! Awesome covers and regains the title! ****½
After the match, Mike Awesome celebrates regaining the ECW World Championship. Wait a second, Spike Dudley’s music hits! Dudley marches down to the ring and goes for a Acid Drop on Awesome but Judge Jeff Jones punches Dudley. Spike’s girlfriend enters and Acid Drops Jeff Jones! She celebrates until Awesome knocks her out with a vicious clothesline! Spike quickly goes over to her and she has some internal bleeding! Dudley flips out and hammers away on Awesome. Dudley goes for the Acid Drop but Awesome is able to dump Dudley over the top and Dudley crashes through a table on the floor as the show comes to an end!

End of show

My Take: Impact Players putting a bounty of sorts on Raven’s head is interesting. Having the returning Mikey Whipwreck attempt to take him out, was not. The match between Raven/Whipwreck was pretty boring. Their was maybe one or two decent spots but it just never really got anywhere, nor should it. Whipwreck should clearly be on jobber duty, just like Sandman (pretty much), for leaving ECW or WCW earlier in the year

Tajiri/Crazy was a good match. It seems like it has been forever since Tajiri has beaten Crazy and done so in a clean fashion. Whatever happen to the mentioning of Jerry Lynn teaming with Tajiri or whatever that was about?

Holy mother of god that was a fantastic main event. They did some of the same spots from last week but they added a series of sick bumps and some great near falls to make this match different from last weeks. What a show those two put on. A fantastic main event to close out 1999 and what I will put down as the best ECW on TNN television match for the year 1999. Must see it!

The aftermath did a good job of adding a story to Dudley vs Awesome. Having Awesome just destroy Spike’s girlfriend was a good way for giving the fans extra reason to get behind Spike, which is hard since the fans do like Awesome.

Overall, a good overall episode. I highly recommend checking out Awesome/Tanaka as that was just a awesome contest. The show started off slow but by the midway point it was a nice episode. Good way to close out the year!

Thanks for reading.