ECW Hardcore TV 4/15/1998

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 4/15/1998
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Matches:
1.)Sabu defeated Fatu
2.)ECW World Tag Team Champion Chris Candido & Lance Storm defeated Axl Rotten & Balls Mahoney
3.)ECW World Tag Team Champion Lance Storm defeated ECW World Tag Team Champion Chris Candido

Angle Developments/Notes
1. The Bushwhackers come out wearing Dudley Boys shirts and are with Sign Guy. The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer come out with a chair and kendo stick. Bubba and D-Von come running out and attack Dreamer and Sandman from behind. It was a set up! Dudley’s drop Dreamer with the 3-D! Sandman is dropped with a nasty looking 3-D! Sandman and Dreamer are nailed with chairs and kendo sticks. They are laid out in the ring. Bubba spits and dumps beer on the babyfaces. Too Cold Scorpio runs out and makes the save. I’m not use to seeing Scorpio in traditional tights. Scorpio is stopped with a 3-D for his efforts!

2. Fatu is not Rikishi. Anyway, this is recorded Fancam style. Sabu avoids a splash off the top and leg drops Fatu through a table on the floor. Rob Van Dam is dressed up like Sabu and tries to steal Sabu’s thunder. RVD hits a side kick off the top and hit a frog splash to get the win. After the match, Sabu enters and isn’t happy about this.

3. Sandman has been seriously hurt and is on a stretcher. He will be put on an ambulance.

4. Lance Storm is hitting Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten with a chair in the ring several times. Chris Candido appears and Storm hits him with the chair as well! Candido and Storm are rammed into each other by Rotten who connects with a few clotheslines and a slam on Candido. Mahoney has been helped to the backstage area, apparently. Rotten sends Storm into the railing after a chair shot. While Storm gets beaten up, Candido is posing with the belts in the ring! Storm springboards off the middle rope to hit Rotten with a back elbow and Candido pins Rotten to steal the win from Storm. This feud is way too similar to RVD/Sabu. After the match, Candido drops Storm with a title shot to the face. Storm is tossed over the top as well. Danny Doring and Roadkill come out and claim they are the new contenders. That is put a stop as Rotten whacks them over the head with a steel chair.

5. Candido challenges Storm to a fight right now! Candido tosses Storm onto a table and beats down on his partner. Storm nearly wins with a spinning heel kick. Candido connects with a swinging neckbreaker to stop the momentum. Candido drops Storm with a delayed vertical suplex. Storm dropkicks Candido in the corner to make a comeback. Storm hits a dropkick before hitting a springboard clothesline from off the top. Candido powerbombs Storm and nearly wins the bout. Candido crotches Storm on the top rope to avoid a springboard attempt. Storm blocks a top rope hurricanrana and hits a sit down powerbomb for the win. (**1/2. A decent match, but this was more of a way to build the fact that they are partners beating each other up before a PPV match. Joey Styles made that clear.)

6. Outside the arena, the Triple Threat is arriving. Douglas is sick of the Heads. Candido enters the scene and he is yelling about Lance Storm beating him up and says that Storm said he could beat Douglas and Bigelow up!

7. The Triple Threat enter the ring and beat up John Kronus. Bigelow hits the Greetings From Asbury Park and tosses Kronus over the top through a table on the floor! Douglas cuts a promo on Chris Chetti saying that he is lucky compared to where Douglas was. Here comes Taz to stand up for his relative, Chetti. Taz slaps Chetti for cutting him off and hits a t-bone suplex. Taz doesn’t care about anyone including his family. Taz wants Douglas to put the title on the line and he would take Douglas on right now! Douglas doesn’t think Taz deserves a title shot. Douglas is going to give Taz a shot to break his arm. If he takes it, Bigelow and Candido would beat him badly. Shane shoves Taz from behind and taunts him. Douglas slaps him in the face! Taz leg trips Douglas and yanks on his arm. He is attacked by Douglas and Candido. Taz and Bigelow brawl on the floor while Candido is checking on Douglas. Taz and Bigelow are brawling into the crowd to close the show!

Final Thoughts:
A good show this week that advanced several angles. The Sandman injury angle is sure to set up a Sandman & Dreamer vs. Dudley’s bloodbath at some point in the future. The ending segment was nicely done. It looks like the hype for Taz/Douglas has begun.

Thanks for reading.