ECW Hardcore TV 7/8/1998

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 7/8/1998
From: Queens, NY

Matches:
1.)Taz defeated Lance Storm
2.)Masato Tanaka defeated Mike Awesome
3.)Spike Dudley defeated Ulf Herman

Angle Developments/Notes
1. Joey Styles is in the ring to welcome everyone to the show to announce this as the biggest attendance for ECW in New York. ECW World Champion Shane Douglas makes his way down to the ring. Douglas puts over the city for having people who kick ass and how good the building smells, but he insults them. Taz’s music hits and he comes out to defend his city. As Taz enters the ring, the Triple Threat and Lance Storm enters. Storm tells Taz that he would be the current tag team champion if it wasn’t for Candido getting his ass kicked. Taz proceeds to slap Storm and their match begins.

2. Storm works on Taz in the corner with right hands but runs into a big boot. Taz takes Storm over with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Storm comes off the ropes with a spinning heel kick to get the advantage. Taz hits an arm cradle suplex to keep the advantage in his favor. Taz ducks a kick to deliver a clothesline. Taz drops Storm with a t-bone suplex. Storm gets out of the Taz Mission with a low blow and hits a missile dropkick from off the top. Taz catches Storm on a springboard and gets the submission win with the Taz Mission. (**. A dominating win for Taz but a good effort by Storm to make it competitive. I feel like Taz hardly ever wrestles on television, so this was nice.)

3. Shane Douglas cuts a promo saying that Bam-Bam Bigelow holds Taz’s ego in his hands and they will wrestle at Heatwave and not a minute earlier.

4. This is Mike Awesome’s return to ECW. Tanaka and Awesome exchange blows in the middle of the ring but neither man goes down until Awesome delivers a clothesline. Tanaka shoulder blocks Awesome to the apron where he hits a springboard clothesline to knock Awesome off the apron. Awesome cuts Tanaka off with a slingshot clothesline from the apron. Tanaka is clotheslined to the floor where Awesome leaps over the top rope and takes Masato out with a dive! Mike whacks Tanaka over the head with a chair. Awesome hits a top rope clothesline back in the ring. Awesome whacks Masato over the head with a chair. Tanaka no sells a release German suplex and hits a German suplex of his own. Tanaka nearly wins with a running forearm strike. Tanaka plants Mike with a tornado DDT but only gets a two. Awesome hit a double leg slam but Tanaka kicked out before three. Awesome hits a powerbomb onto the chair but Tanaka kicks out again. Awesome hits a top rope big splash but still can’t get a three count. Tanaka gets out of the running Awesome Bomb, but the second time works for Awesome. Mike goes to the floor and sets up a table on the floor. Tanaka nails Awesome with an elbow shot and hits the roaring elbow for the win. (***. They put on a decent match but it wasn’t on the level of their later stuff. The crowd enjoyed it, too.) After the match, Awesome decides to powerbomb Tanaka over the top through the table on the floor!

5. The Spike/Herman match is from the ECW Arena. Spike won quickly after the Acid Drop and hit it on Droz and Lance Wright because he can.

6. The Dudley Boys are cutting a promo in Queens. Bubba says they have a surprise for Dreamer and company. They have a surprise for Dreamer and the music of Terry Funk has started to play. Has Funk really joined the Dudley Boys? Nope, the Dudley Boys played the fans!

7. Kronus and New Jack storm the ring with several weapons to beat down the Dudley Boys. I’m sure most of this match will just be New Jack using weapons. New Jack smashes the guitar over Jack Victory’s head! The Dudley Boys hit the 3D on New Jack. That brings out Tommy Dreamer and Spike Dudley. Dreamer and Spike get the better of the Dudley Boys.

8. Taz confronted Shane Douglas in the “booth” but Bigelow was there to save him and beats down Taz.

Final Thoughts:
Another good edition of Hardcore TV this week. The Taz/Bigelow stuff is dying down a significant amount as they have dragged it out as long as they can. I just want to come to an end. The match between Tanaka and Awesome was nicely done as well. Thus, this gets a thumbs up from me.

Thanks for reading.