ECW Hardcore TV 9/19/1998

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 9/19/1998
From: Chalmette, LA

Matches:
1.)Masato Tanaka defeated Balls Mahoney
2.)The Sandman fought Rod Price to a no contest
3.)Spike Dudley defeated One Man Gang

Angle Developments/Notes
1. Joey Styles is promoting the Tanaka/Mahoney match as a rematch from June 27th. He is kind of making it sound like a long running feud, but it hasn’t been a feud at all. Just feels like two guys wrestling again. Tanaka gets the early offense going with a series of forearm shots. Balls hits a powerslam for a near fall of his own. Mahoney slams Tanaka down to the canvas and heads to the top rope where he misses a leg drop. Tanaka hits a missile dropkick and connects with a crossbody on the floor. They brawl on the floor with a chair for a few moments. They get back into the ring and Mahoney nearly wins with a back suplex. Balls goes to the top and hits a frog splash but can’t get a three count. Tanaka brings Mahoney back to the canvas with a superplex! Masato goes to the top rope again but is cut of by Balls. Balls hits a superplex and still can’t get a three count. Tanaka nails Mahoney with the roaring elbow for a near fall. Mahoney superkicks Tanaka as he jumped off the middle rope. They both get chairs and Mahoney destroys Tanaka with chair shots for a near fall. Balls gets the same treatment. Mahoney slams Tanaka onto two chairs for yet another near fall. Tanaka plants Mahoney with a tornado DDT on the chairs and wins the match. (**. It’s not an awful match or anything, it’s just I don’t like when they have guys kick out of things like unprotected chair shots and whatnot. Let alone actually doing unprotected chair shots. They work together and the fans liked it, though.)

2.Backstage, Justin Credible, Nicole Bass and Jason are drinking. Credible brags about beating Sandman at the ECW Arena. Credible doesn’t have to deal with Sandman’s crap anymore. Jack Victory tells them to shut up and wants some money. Jason gives Victory some money and Victory says that from this point onward, Credible’s problems are solved.

3. The Sandman entrance is incredibly long and kills a lot of television time. Need filler? Just have a Sandman entrance. Sandman chased after Credible on the floor and is attacked by Price. Price rams Sandman back first into the guard railing with a side Russian leg sweep. Sandman is getting beaten up by everyone at ringside. Sandman eventually manages to get some offense in as he scoop slams Price on the concrete floor. Sandman headbutts Price’s groin and that sends Ron to the floor for a moment. Sandman hits a top rope leg drop. Jason comes into the ring but misses a cane shot and Sandman plants Jason with a DDT. Sandman with a side Russian leg sweep on Price and Sandman has the cane! Sandman nails both men with the cane. Credible enters the ring and taunts Sandman. That allows Jack Victory to come out and attack Sandman, which leads to Sandman getting destroyed by the heels. Tommy Dreamer runs out with a trash can to make the save! One Man Gang comes down to the ring to attack Sandman and Dreamer. Gang splashes Dreamer! The same happens to Sandman, twice. The babyface locker room runs out to make the save. Spike is going to battle Gang!

4. Gang chokes Spike with a chain. Spike low blows Gang and hits the Acid Drop to get the three count.

Final Thoughts:
Well, I didn’t like the episode at all this week. There wasn’t anything that held my interest and I feel like I wasted an hour watching the show. By the way, this would be the last time Sandman would be in ECW as he is off to WCW land for roughly a year. This show needs to improve.

Thanks for reading.