ECW Hardcore TV 6/3/1998

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 6/3/1998
From: New Orleans, LA

Matches:
1.)ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated ECW World Tag Team Champion Lance Storm to retain the title
2.)Tommy Dreamer, Sandman and Spike Dudley fought Bubba Dudley, D-Von Dudley and Big Dick Dudley to an apparent no contest

Angle Developments/Notes
1. The show opens with the FBI and the team of Nova and Blue Meanie having a dance off. Sadly for them, the dance off is cut off by Taz! Taz takes care of Smothers and Guido with a few suplexs and the same happens for Nova. Meanie tries to dance with Taz, but he is tossed over shoulder by Taz. Taz locks in the Taz Mission on Tommy Rich because he can. Bam-Bam Bigelow comes out and grabs Guido. Oh man, Bigelow tried to press slam Guido into the crowd but missed and Guido hit the guard railing hard. Taz and Bigelow proceed to brawl into the crowd.

2. Last week, RVD and Storm teamed together but that didn’t last long. RVD kicked a chair into Storm’s face and reunited with Sabu. So, these two meet with revenge on the mind and gold on the line as well. Storm barely hits a superkick in the early moments but neither man can get a long lasting amount of offense. Alfonso grabs Storm’s leg and that eventually allows RVD to hit a somersault dive over the top on the floor! RVD continues his offense by dropping Storm across the railing and hitting a spin kick across Lance’s back. RVD gets a near fall after a rolling splash. Storm is dropped with a dropkick and suffers a leg drop as well. RVD has been able to dominate the match thus far. Storm comes off the ropes to hit a spinning heel kick to make a comeback. Storm clotheslines RVD in the corner and follows up with a series of strikes. Storm comes off the top to hit a spinning elbow strike for a near fall, again. Lance plants RVD with a sit down powerbomb but can’t get a three count. Sabu comes out and stops Lance from hitting a springboard. A table is set up on the floor as well. Sabu springboards off the top to hit an elbow drop on Storm through the table! RVD hit a split legged moonsault and wins the match. (**1/2. I guess it was an alright match, but RVD controlled a lot of the match. This didn’t do Storm any favors, though.) After the match, Chris Candido comes out and saves Lance Storm. These two teams will be meeting in two weeks. They take RVD and Sabu out with dives over the top rope.

3. Joel Gertner and the Dudley Family are in the ring to cut a promo. It takes a while for Gertner to actually introduce the guys, but is able to get some heel heat while doing so. Ass the babyfaces make their entrance, Dreamer is bringing a ladder to the ring through the crowd with Sandman. They are on the upper deck. It took me a minute, but Spike Dudley is with them as well.

4. The main event starts with Dreamer and D-Von joined in progress as Dreamer hit an elevated neckbreaker on him. This is starting off with traditional rules, but I can’t imagine that holding form the entire match. Spike and Bubba go at it with Spike hammering away on Bubba in the corner. Bubba powerbombs Spike out of the corner! Bubba hit a backdrop to continue his offense on the smaller Spike. Spike avoids a big splash and came back with basic offense. Sandman hit Bubba with a beer and Spike connected with a bulldog. Big Dick Dudley is tagged into the bout, and that brings in Sandman. Sandman and Dick go to the floor quickly where all six men begin to brawl. Sandman hits a top rope hurricanrana on Dick! Dick catches Sandman with a powerslam but a near fall. Spike has been busted open by Bubba. Spike takes Bubba and D-Von out with a top rope cross body into the crowd! Dreamer nearly pins Bubba with a slingshot splash back into the ring. Dick ducks a kendo stick shot and choke slams Sandman. Bubba is put in the tree of woe, along with Dick by Sandman and Dreamer. Dreamer, Sandman, Spike and even Beulah dropkick chairs into the Dudley’s in the corner. Judge Jeff Jones comes out and begins a fight with the referee. Beulah and the referee hit DDT’s on Jeff and Gertner! Spike hits Dick with a chair from the top rope! Dreamer bulldogs D-Von onto a ladder and leaps off the middle rope only to miss an elbow drop. Sandman hits a swanton bomb on Bubba who had a ladder over him. Dreamer has been handcuffed to the top rope. Spike has set up a ladder and but is wiggled off and as he falls, Bubba hits an ace crusher! Bubba covers but can’t get a win. Spike hits the Acid Drop on Bubba across the ladder but the referee gets distracted. Beulah stops a chair shot on a handcuffed Dreamer. D-Von grabs Beulah and they hit the 3-D! Dreamer is screaming out of anger but is helpless. New Jack comes out right after, but he is late to help Beulah. Jack Victory comes out as well when Jack is being beaten up in the corner. Victory smashes a guitar over Jack’s head and hits Dreamer over the back. (**. An average brawl, but I thought it was a pretty big deal that Beulah was hit with the 3D. Joey Styles didn’t seem to put much into that, though. I’d imagine over the next several weeks that will be brought up. It’s good to see the heel stable standing tall to close the show.)

Final Thoughts:
An average episode this week. The matches weren’t all that great and the angle advancement that happened wasn’t all that important really. I’m sure the Beulah stuff will be highlighted over the next few weeks or even months.

Thanks for reading.