ECW on TNN 4/28/2000

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling on TNN
Date: 4/28/2000
From: Philadelphia, PA

Matches:
1.)Rhino defeated ECW Television Champion Tajiri to win the title
2.)Steve Corino defeated Dusty Rhodes in a bull rope match
3.)Justin Credible defeated ECW World Champion Tommy Dreamer to win the title

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.ECW World Champion and current WWF Superstar Tazz makes his way down to the ring to defend the championship against Tommy Dreamer. We’ll actually see that later on.

2.After we get welcomed to the show by Joey Styles and Joel Gertner we joined in the ring by the Network. Cyrus says that Tajiri is a team player and wants him to hand over the ECW Television Championship to Rhino. This segment clearly happened after Corino had his match with Dusty Rhodes, which will be seen later as well. I say that because Corino is bleeding a little bit. Tajiri doesn’t look like he wants to do that. Tajiri is shaking his head no. Cyrus tries to explain it to Tajiri but insults him by saying Tajiri will end up delivering food on a bicycle. Cyrus demands Tajiri hand over the title, but he still refuses. Tajiri actually says “fuck you” and has a match with Rhino!

3.Tajiri drops Rhino with a kick to the face as soon as the bell sounds. Tajiri chops away on Rhino in the corner and puts Rhino in the tree of woe. Tajiri steps on his groin to add insult to injury before hitting a baseball slide dropkick. Rhino fights back with a spine buster for a near fall. Tajiri backdrops Rhino to the floor and dropkicks Rhino off the apron. Tajiri delivers a handstand kick to Rhino, knocking a chair into his face and he falls off the apron as we go to commercial. Rhino drops Tajiri with a clothesline and sets up a table in the corner. Tajiri counters a power bomb and soon locks in the octopus! Steve Corino enters but is met with mist to the eyes! Rhino takes advantage with the GORE and a pile driver for a two count only! Rhino hits a second pile driver and that puts Tajiri. Rhino has won the gold for the Network!

4.Cyrus tells us that no one stands up to the Network. He wants anyone who thinks they can to come out to the ring. Rob Van Dam’s music hits and along with Scotty Anton, RVD enters the ring and cleans house. It’s RVD and Rhino in the ring and they begin to trade right hands. RVD delivers a spin kick and sends Rhino to the floor! RVD leaps off the top turnbuckle and takes the Network out with a somersault dive on the ramp way! Cyrus tells RVD that they control the title now and tells RVD he will not get a title shot. Instead, at Hardcore Heaven it will be Rhino vs. the Sandman. Cyrus ends up booking RVD in a match against Jerry Lynn. Yeah, that’s going to happen for the 400th time! Jerry Lynn comes out to the ring. He has apparently recovered from a broken ankle. Lynn tells Cyrus to leave and calls him a stooge! Lynn is clearly not with the Network! Lynn says that no one cared about Lynn nursing an injury, but everyone cared about RVD’s injury. Lynn looks forward to kicking his ass at Hardcore Heaven. Lynn is going to show everyone that he is the Whole Fucking Show! Lynn declines to shake hands and instead flips RVD off!

5.Outside, Sinister Minster is talking about how WCW would like to bring himself and Whipwreck back. However, he says he wouldn’t go so low to do that again. Minister puts himself into a coffin. He tells some karate kid that he is easy to find should he want to fight him.

6.Dusty Rhodes is working on Corino with elbow shots on the floor. They are clipping this match. Both men are busted open as Rhodes jabs Corino several times. Victory nails Rhodes with a cowbell to the back of his head. Corino delivered an elbow drop with a cowbell around his elbow to win the match. After the match, the Sandman came out and his wife actually hit Corino and Victory with a kendo stick. Rhino came out and gored Sandman through a table. Rhino grabbed Sandman’s wife and drove them both through a table.

7.We see footage of Lance Storm injuring his neck during a match that saw team with Dawn Marie and Nova team with Jazz. Justin Credible got involved with the match and nailed Jazz with a kendo stick shot. Storm wasn’t movie in the ring for several minutes as several referees entered the ring to check on Storm.

8.Tommy Dreamer won the ECW World Championship by beating Tazz. But, the night wasn’t over. All of the wrestlers came out to ringside and the fans were giving him a great ovation. “I may never make to WrestleMania, I never want to make it Starrcade, but I made it in the ECW Arena.” Dreamer thanks everyone before the wrestlers embrace him in the ring. Raven enters the ring when everyone left. Raven wants to shake Dreamer’s hand and they embrace as well. Justin Credible comes in and attacks both men. Dreamer hits Dreamer with a kendo stick and plants Raven with the That’s Incredible. Credible is sick and tired about hearing about Mike Awesome and Tazz. He wants to make an impact in ECW. He says the tag titles aren’t enough. He tosses the belts down just like Shane Douglas tossed the NWA Championship in ’94. Credible wants a title match and Dreamer accepts.

9.Dreamer blocks a super kick and clotheslines Credible over the top to the floor. Dreamer tosses Credible into the crowd. They brawl up into the bleacher seats. Actually, it’s just Dreamer just hammering away on Credible. Dreamer rings the bell on Credible’s groin! Credible gets out of a Death Valley Driver and plants Dreamer on a chair with a reverse DDT. Credible works on Dreamer in the corner. I just noticed that Francine is at ringside cheering on Dreamer. Credible gets a two count after a sit down power bomb out of the corner. Credible sends Dreamer face first into the chair with a drop toe hold. Credible hits a swinging DDT but only gets a two count on the cover. Dreamer catches Credible in the corner to hit a Stunner! Dreamer hits a Death Valley Driver off the apron through a table on the floor! Credible hits the That’s Incredible but Dreamer kicks out. Francine gets on the apron and Credible pulls her into the ring. Dreamer prevents Credible for hitting the That’s Incredible on her. Dreamer hits a DDT for a two count. Francine ends up delivering a low blow to Dreamer and Credible hits the That’s Incredible to win the title! Francine has turned on Dreamer and Raven! She is back to wearing the slutty clothing as well as she stripped off the Raven stuff she had been wearing. They pose to close the show.

Final Thoughts:
Well, this was a really good show. I greatly enjoyed the opening segment between Rhino and Tajiri. Rhino as the TV Champion is a fine choice. It is especially good since he will not lose the belt for a long time. I mean, he can’t. He has been promoted as a beast and should have a long title run. Plus, it is obvious that Tajiri is over as a babyface and the fans went nuts for him on the show. It was a really effective segment. Justin Credible winning the ECW World Championship is a good move. He is one of the more over guys in the company, and while he isn’t a great promo guy, people just naturally hate him. It will be interesting to see him as the champion and see how that run goes. This weeks episode gets a thumbs up from me.

Thanks for reading.