Rebooking ECW: Resurgence (06/12/97)

Extreme Championship Wrestling airs for the final time before it’s first pay-per-view extravaganza, Barely Legal! Also, for the first time since ever in ECW, Bam Bam Bigelow is in one-on-one competition! The Tag Team Champions are also in action this week as they take on a pair of former champions, The Ptibulls! Also in action tonight is the living legend Terry Funk! Bethal Park is about to get rocked tonight as the Resurgence has arrived! You won’t want to miss this…

ECW RESURGENCE 06/12/97 (Bethal Park, PA)

1. Opening segment: Instead of cutting to a shot of the ECW ring and Joey Styles opening the show like usual, A camera stands alone in an alley. The busy streets can be seen and from behind a dumpster a figure appears. Shadowed, the figure walks slowly to the camera that has been placed. Once it focus, Raven moved the hair from his face and began to address a few things. “So, here we are. Just three days short of ECW’s first pa-per-view ever… And I’m not allowed in the building. You know what, I was always told to pick my battles. They can have Resurgence, but Barely Legal will be mine. Terry Funk, Sabu, it won’t be my physical body that beats you both this Sunday, not even my will. It will be my state of mind. I’m the outsider, I always have been. Look boys, they have me locked out of the building! You know what that means for Raven? A lot of extra time to think… I hope you both have enjoyed your respective championship crusades, because in three days time, it’s all over for both of you. Quote the Raven, nevermore.”

2. Spike Dudley and Roadkill were able to put away the former ECW tag team champions tonight in another impressive outing. It seems as a team they get better and better with each bout. This was an exhibition match up but could have easily been worthy of a championship match. At one point, Pitbull #2 was thrown from the ring, over the top rope, landin on the bell keeper’s table. Once there, Roadkill picked his partner up over his head military press style and dropped him on top of Pitbull #2, causing them both to crash threw the table. This is where both men would end up after Pitbull #1 was pretty much squashed in the corner, compliments of Roadkill. Roadkill would carry both championships out along with Spike who he threw on his shoulders. (11:15)

3. “The Franchise” Shane Douglas Interview: With Francine on his arm, a red-faced Franchise slowly began to speak. “Storm, Awesome… I’m going to speak simply. “The Franchise” made you both and you know what they say: I brought you into this world and I can take you out. You think that WWF-reject Bigelow scares me? There is NO SUBSTITUTION for “The Franchise”! You two have dug your graves and once I put Bam Bam in his for what he’s done, you two enter yours. When the chips fall, I want you to remember that the wrath coming your way is your own doing, Storm. You want me out? I’m going to put you out. Out of a damn job and up on a shelf somewhere. Awesome, you’re no better for allowing a worm like Storm pull your strings. “The Franchise” isn’t out, he’s just on the other side of the ring boys…”

4. Commercial break + Ordering ECW Barely Legal information. Call your TV provider for more details!

5. Danny Doring defeated Balls Mahoney in a quick battle. Balls controlled the beginning, but the deciding half of the match belonged firmly to Doring. The ending came when impressively enough, Danny Doring was able to pull off a Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma’am on Mahoney for the win. (6:07)

6. Taz interview: With Bill Alfonso at his side, Taz did all his own talking for this one. “Perry Saturn, either your the bravest son of a bi*** I’ve ever seen, or you’re the dumbest. Saturn, I don’t take challenges lightly son. If you plan to step up, you better be ready by Sunday, chump. You want the belt, you gotta’ go through the Human Suplex Machine himself to get it. At Barely Legal, I’ll be waiting and looking forward to dropping you Saturn! Odds are, you’ll just be another victim.

7. Commercial break + ECW: Resurgence merchandise information. Get yours now as it is flying off the shelves!

8. Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Tommy Dreamer in his first official ECW match up. Tommy gave Bigelow a pretty good fight before falling victim to a Greetings From Asbury Park. After the match, Mike Awesome and Lance Storm appeared ringside. Storm would raise Bam Bam’s hand in victory and then grab a microphone. “Shane Douglas, “Franchise”. Take a look at your immediate future. This Sunday at Barely Legal, Bam Bam Bigelow, your replacement, wants to dismantle you just like Tommy Dreamer. If any amount of your manhood  is still left after getting beaten on by Mike Awesome last week, you should show up with it and face him. If you don’t show up, I as well as most everybody else, will be pretty embarrassed for you. Show up and take your beating like a man Shane and be ready to admit the new Triple Threat is better than your version could ever be!” (13:34)

9. Kronus & Brian Lee Interview: Kronus and Lee are standing side by side, both smirking at the camera. Kronus starts off first. “Saturn, you’re lucky you decided to ‘shift your focus’. I know you and you know that. Our business isn’t finished. Not by a long shot. It will, however, be put on hold. “Prime Time”, tell ’em why…” With his cue granted, Brian Lee began. “Kronus, I couldn’t have said it better myself. You see, because the Prime Time Killers, Kronus and Lee are primed and ready to take out the ECW Tag Team Champions! In fact, we’ve completely shifted our focus to accomplishing the total ELIMINATION of Roadkill and Spike Dudley. They are an embarrassment to professional wrestling and a walking circus act. They’re lucky that they hold the straps, otherwise I’m sure Paul E. would have kicked them to the curb a long time ago! We’ll see you at Barely Legal, champs…

10. Commercial break + Highlight video package of ECW Wrestlepalooza 1997.

11. Terry Funk made his entrance and waited for the arrival of his opponent for the night, “Hollywood” Nova. Instead of Nova just coming out, the entire Blue World Order rushed to the ring and commenced on beating Terry Funk down. After a few minutes of a three-on-one assault, Funk began to come back in a huge way. With a steel chair in hand, Funk warded off all three men, forcing them to the floor. A referee finally rushed to ringside to restore a bit of order, turning the assault into a three-on-one handicap match with a tag format. First in for the bWo was Funk’s intended opponent, Nova. After a few good combinations, Nova wanted nothing more to do with Funk and thus tagged in The Blue Meanie. Meanie was able to get some good work done on Funk, even hitting a Meaniesault for a near fall. Seeing Funk softened up help make Richards’ mind up that he wanted in. A wrong choice, as Funk would end up pinning Richards. Funk would whip Richards into his tag corner elbowing both his partners in the face as a result. Both Meanie and Nova would bounce off the guardrail and Funk would hit a rebounding Richards with a nasty stump-pulling piledriver. This move would end the match and Funk would exit the ring while the bWo tried to figure out what just happened. (17:47)

12. Joey Styles closed the show reminding Extreme Championship Wrestling fans to order ECW Barely Legal this Sunday the fifteenth, as it will not be televised on scheduled television! Unlike supercards ECW has produced in the past, this Sunday’s event will be pay-per-view only. You will not want to miss this one folks. We’ll see you on Sunday, when pay-per-view goes EXTREME!