ECW Hardcore TV 8/12/1998

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 8/12/1998
From: Philadelphia, PA

Matches:
1.)Lance Storm defeated Chris Candido
2.)FTW World Champion Taz fought Sabu and Bam-Bam Bigelow to a draw to retain the championship
3.)ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Jerry Lynn

Angle Developments/Notes
1. Lance Storm opens the show with a letter from the WWF to explain why Candido is by himself tonight. Storm reveals that Sunny isn’t allowed to be at ringside due to her contract, but she can be in his hotel room. Candido quickly attacks Storm and soon hit a powerbomb. They trade chops as this match has been clipped a little bit. Storm plants Chris with a DDT but can’t get a three count. Candido fights back with a swinging neck breaker. Candido gets a near fall after a middle rope leg drop. Storm takes Chris out with a slingshot cross body and tosses his former partner into the crowd. Candido stops Lance on the top rope with a right hand to hit a hurricanrana. Candido follows up with a diving head butt for a two count. Storm hits a springboard back elbow but Candido connects with a full nelson face buster. Storm accidentally splashes the referee in the corner and Storm has brass knuckles. Chris ducks the shot and gets a chain from his tights. Candido knocks Storm out with the chain but can’t get a three count. Candido gets a microphone and taunts Lance in the corner. Storm low blows Candido on the top rope to hit a superplex and gets the win! (***. For what they showed, it was a solid match as per usual with these two. It’s good to see Storm getting a big win over Candido. I was actually surprised to see a superplex be the finish of a match. That’s a rare thing that never happens nowadays.)

2. Backstage, Storm says he thinks he needs to apologize to Candido and the fans for Sunny not being there. However, that’s not going to happen. Storm wants the fans to remember that he is the reason Sunny isn’t there.

3. Joey Styles reveals that Sunny is free and clear of her WWF contract and will be in Extreme Championship Wrestling. Lance Storm basically stole a win!

4. Taz and Sabu quickly head to the floor and brawl into the crowd. Taz has a single leg Boston Crab on Sabu when Bam-Bam Bigelow shows up and attacks both men. This is heavily clipped as well. Bigelow has made this a triple threat match. Sabu and Taz team up to take Bigelow out to the floor with a couple of boots. Taz hits a nice overhead suplex sending Sabu over the top rope onto Bigelow on the floor. Bigelow crotches Sabu on the top rope and hurls Sabu over to crash through Taz on a table! Taz is sent head first through a table in the corner by both opponents. Sabu plants Bigelow with a DDT for a two count. Bigelow powerbombs Sabu but is kicked down by Taz. Taz drops Sabu with a running clothesline. Sabu springboards off the top to take Taz and Bigelow out with a dive on the floor! On the floor, Taz smashes a chair into Sabu’s head. Taz and Bigelow decide to brawl in the bleachers. Sabu hits a triple jump moonsault back in the ring on Taz for a near fall. Bam-Bam powerbombs Sabu back in the ring and delivers a chair shot. Taz hits a t-bone suplex on Bigelow and tosses Sabu over with a suplex. Taz whacks Bigelow and Sabu with a piece of broken table. Sabu has an arm bar on Bigelow but Taz put an arm bar on Sabu. That causes Sabu to let go of the hold. Sabu leg drops Taz from the middle rope as he attempted to put an arm bar on Bigelow. Bigelow nails Taz with a chair shot to the back. Bigelow goes after Taz in the crowd but catches him as Taz leaps off the bleachers and rams Taz into the guard railing. Taz hits an overhead suplex on Sabu where Sabu lands on a chair. Sabu goes for the camel clutch on Taz but Bigelow breaks that up. Taz comes over to deliver a chair shot. Sabu takes Bigelow out on the floor with a suicide dive! Taz counters the Taz Mission attempt by Bigelow to lock in an arm bar. Sabu hits Taz with a chair a couple of times but Taz likes it. Sabu runs and hits the chair shot again to break the hold. Sabu nearly pins Taz with a school boy. Sabu leg drops a chair across Taz’s head and kicks a chair into Bigelow’s face. Bigelow has been busted open as Taz hits a Samoan Drop on the big man. Sabu uses a spike on Bigelow and Taz takes Sabu over with a dragon suplex. Taz grabs the spike to hit both men with a spike! The bell sounds as the match has lasted for thirty minutes and is a DRAW. (***1/2. This was a really good triple threat match that delivered on the violence aspect. Thirty minutes of this action in the middle of summer in the ECW Arena makes me give them even more credit for being able to go that long and keep it entertaining.)

5. RVD worked over Lynn with a few kicks and a roll up for a near fall in the opening moments of the contest. RVD spin kicks Lynn and follows up with a leg drop. Lynn hits a nice springboard sunset flip powerbomb sending the champion to the floor to regroup. Lynn clotheslines RVD to the floor and hits a slingshot cross body on the floor! RVD sends Jerry back first into the guard railing. RVD places Lynn gut first on the railing before delivering a leg drop. RVD gets a two count following a leg drop. RVD hits a rolling thunder spinning leg drop for a near fall as well. RVD catapults Lynn into a corner but Lynn dropkicks RVD off the middle rope to the floor. Lynn kicks RVD over the railing into the crowd. Jerry hits a springboard cross body in the crowd. Lynn drives RVD face first onto the canvas and hits a middle rope leg drop for a near fall. RVD is bleeding from the nose now. RVD crotches Lynn on the top rope and they trade blows on the top rope until Lynn hits a sunset flip powerbomb for a two count. RVD counters a tornado DDT and hits a Northern Lights suplex for a two count. RVD heads to the top rope but Lynn cuts him off. Lynn hits a superplex off the top rope! Lynn goes for the cover but RVD kicks out at two. Bill Alfonso distracts Lynn but Jerry slides under the bottom rope to grab Alfonso, which was odd. That allows RVD to deliver a leg drop across the apron. Lynn is able to send RVD crashing through the table with a tornado DDT! Lynn nearly wins back in the ring but Alfonso put RVD’s foot on the bottom rope. Lynn blocks a chair shot but RVD hits the Van Daminator! Lynn rolls to the floor, though. Lynn almost wins with a roll up. Jerry spikes RVD with a piledriver! That wasn’t the cradle piledriver! Lynn covers but RVD pops his shoulder up at two. Alfonso shoves Lynn off the top and onto the top rope. Alfonso holds the chair and allows RVD to kick a chair into Lynn’s face! RVD covers and gets the win. (***1/4. A good main event. These two guys are always putting on good matches and they would have stellar matches a year from now or so. This is basically just the start of their feud that would last for the rest of the company. Not a bad start by any means.)

Final Thoughts:
An excellent episode of ECW Hardcore TV this week. All three matches are television pay per view quality and would be great pay per view matches as well. A strong episode that I highly recommend.

Thanks for reading.