ECW Hardcore TV 8/19/1998

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 8/19/1998
From: Philadelphia, PA

Matches:
1.)Justin Credible defeated the Sandman
2.)ECW World Tag Team Champion Rob Van Dam fought the Dudley Boys to a no contest

Angle Developments/Notes
1. ECW World Champion Shane Douglas and Francine make their way down to the ring to be interviewed by Joey Styles to open the show. Douglas puts over Bam-Bam Bigelow for beating up Taz and Sabu in a triple threat match. Douglas believes he is a better champion than ECW Television Champion, Rob Van Dam. Shane says that the Triple Threat will be coming for the ECW World Tag Team Championships because the gold belongs to them. Joel Gertner makes his way down to the ring. Gertner notes that RVD and Sabu are in banged up condition. Joel asks if Shane would be happy if the titles were just off RVD and Sabu. Douglas just doesn’t want Sabu and RVD to hold the titles. Gertner says the Dudley Boys have a title shot against RVD and Sabu. Gertner announces they want a title shot here tonight. That brings out Rob Van Dam, but not Sabu. RVD talks about his match with Jerry Lynn and reminds Gertner that he is the Whole Fucking Show. Here comes the Dudley Boys to confront RVD. Bubba Ray Dudley tells RVD his name while doing the arm taunt. They want a title shot tonight. Bubba doesn’t think RVD would be able to beat Sign Guy Dudley. Sign Guy proceeds to taunt RVD and is knocked out. RVD kicks a chair into Big Dick’s face and bails from the ring. They will be meeting in the ring later tonight.

2. Sandman opens the show by putting Credible over the top rope and hitting a top rope leg drop. Chasity enters the ring and hits Sandman with a kendo stick. The distraction allows Credible to dropkick Sandman and gets the advantage. Sandman walks into a superkick as well. Justin focuses his attack with right hands but Sandman comes back with a series of left hands. Sandman heads to the top to hit a leg drop. Chasity breaks up the count and Nicole Bass enters but Jason kicks Sandman in the face. Credible goes for the cover but the referee is hurt. Sandman drops Jason with a side Russian leg sweep but Credible plants Sandman with the That’s Incredible to win the match. (*. A really basic match that didn’t have much action to it. A big win for Credible as he rises up the card.) After the match, Sandman is held up against the ropes while Credible smashes Sandman over the head with a kendo stick several times.

3. Backstage, Sandman says that Credible has lite a fire under his ass. So, that’s a feud starting up I’d imagine. We also hear from Justin Credible Credible asks if it bugs us that Sandman lost to a punk kid. Does it bother us that Credible beat Sandman without any help from anyone. Does it bother Sandman to have beaten within an inch of his life. Credible challenges Sandman to a Singapore cane match at the ECW Arena. He wants to see how extreme Sandman can be.

4. Bubba Dudley shoves Bob Artese for trying to introduce the Dudley Boys instead of Joel Gertner. RVD will be wrestling the match without Sabu. D-Von and RVD start the match with some mat wrestling with neither man getting the advantage. RVD hits a springboard cross body on D-Von and a standing hurricanrana for a two count. Bubba enters the match and hammers away on RVD. RVD takes both men down with a springboard spin kick but Bubba puts an end to that with a clothesline. RVD is bleeding from his nose due to the fact it is broken. Bubba hits a big backdrop as RVD struggles to get any momentum going in the match. RVD tries to fight back with right hands and kicks but can’t keep that going. RVD drops Bubba with a springboard side kick but Bubba drives him down with a side walk slam to regain control of the bout. D-Von keeps the advantage with a spinning back elbow. RVD is bleeding from is left eye area as well. The challengers are keeping control with constant tags as RVD is winded and struggling to stay standing. RVD nails Bubba with a spin kick out of the corner and gets a near fall after a springboard cross body. The fans are chanting for Sabu. RVD gets his knees up to block a double headbutt from the challengers. RVD connects with a spinning heel kick on Bubba for a near fall. RVD is met with the 3-D but Sabu runs in with a chair and nails both men with the chair. Sabu plants both men with a DDT! Sabu sets up a table in the ring and puts both men on it. Sabu heads to the top rope and hits a leg drop to put both men through the table. Bam-Bam Bigelow and Chris Candido come out to attack Sabu. A second table to brought into the ring. Shane Douglas is in the ring as well. Candido goes up top but Taz shoves him off. Douglas is begging off from Taz in the corner and bails to the floor. Taz, Sabu and RVD have cleared the ring. Sabu wants to attack Taz as the fans are chanting “New Triple Threat” during this segment. The show comes to an end with all three men standing in the ring. (**. RVD’s offense was just the same stuff over and over again. This did an alright job promoting a much bigger showdown to come between the Triple Threat and the unlikely team of RVD, Sabu and Taz. The match itself wasn’t anything all that good.)

strong>Final Thoughts:
Nothing all that good happening this week. There wasn’t any huge developments aside from a possible alliance between RVD, Sabu and Taz. The matches were lackluster, too. I have to give the show a thumbs down this week.

Thanks for reading.