ECW on TNN 8/18/2000

Written by: Bob Colling

ECW on TNN
Date: 8/18/2000
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Matches:
1.) Big Sal, Little Guido & Tony Mamaluke defeated Psicosis, Tajiri & Mikey Whipwreck
2.) ECW World Champion Justin Credible defeated Kid Kash to retain the title
3.) Rob Van Dam defeated ECW Television Champion Rhino by disqualification

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) We see a clip from Hardcore TV where CW Anderson managed to get a pin fall over Tommy Dreamer thanks to interference from Simon Diamond. Danny Doring and Roadkill run out and make the save taking out the trio of heels. Anderson hit Roadkill with a chair and both Doring and Roadkill with spine busters. Jazz gets planted with the Problem Solver after a chair shot on Anderson. The heels stand over the baby faces to end the clip.

2.) Backstage, Bill Alfonso and Rob Van Dam talk about wrestling ECW Television Champion Rhino tonight. RVD mentions how he broke his ankle last time he wrestled Rhino. Van Dam says tonight he kicks Rhino’s ass for his injury.

3.) Cyrus and Lou E. Dangerously are in the ring for the Danger Zone to kick off the program. Cyrus is obviously the guest for the segment. Cyrus talks about Steve Corino complaining about being taken out of the tag team title tournament. Cyrus warns Corino he has made a bad move by crossing the Network. Here comes Steve Corino and Scotty Anton. Cyrus just wants to talk with them because he is a big fan of them. Cyrus is taking credit for Corino’s raise to the number one heel spot in the company. Cyrus didn’t expect Corino to get over with the crowd after bleeding buckets in every town. Cyrus tells Corino he isn’t good enough to make the cut to be a starting player for the Network. Corino chimes in and says nobody respects Cyrus’s ass. Corino threatens to kick his ass but Cyrus stalls and offers a tag match with him and Lou E. Dangerously. Corino goes to super kick Cyrus, but Anton turns on Corino and puts the Clap on Corino to end the segment!

4.) Guido attacks Whipwreck from behind to get the upper hand for his team. Mikey takes Guido over with a head scissors and a hurricanrana. Guido counters a cross body from the middle rope with an arm bar but can’t get a submission. Mamaluke enters but is backdropped and Psicosis hits a top rope spinning heel kick. Psicosis plants Mamaluke with a tilt a while back breaker. Tajiri enters to knock Guido silly with a kick and Big Sal gets worked over by all three baby faces with kicks. Psicosis attempts a dive to the floor but is caught until Whipwreck hits a dive and everyone falls on the floor. A double gut buster and a double dropkick to Mamaluke by Tajiri and Whipwreck for a two count. Mamaluke stops Mikey with a DDT and tags in Guido. Guido delivers a dropkick to a seated Whipwreck for a near fall. Big Sal gets the tag but misses a splash in the corner. Sal drops an elbow onto Whipwreck and Guido puts an arm submission on Mikey unable to get a submission. Whipwreck hits the Whippersnapper on Guido. Tajiri tags in and cleans house on the heels with kicks and backhand spring elbows. Psicosis hits a missile dropkick on Big Sal. Tajiri accidentally spits mist into Psicosis’s eyes. Psicosis low blows Tajiri due to be blinded and Guido pins Tajiri after the Kiss of Death! (**1/4. A decent match that saw the FBI continue their winning ways. I’m liking the push that Guido and Mamaluke are getting in the tag ranks. Psicosis spitting mist into Tajiri’s eyes makes sense to hype their ECW Arena match that happened the following night. An enjoyable match put on by the six men.)

5.) Kash gets a near fall after a springboard sunset flip and a body scissors rollup. Credible goes to the floor to taunt the fans. Credible tosses a chair into the ring but Kash drop toe holds the champ face first into it. A double springboard hurricanrana by Kash sends Credible to the floor. Kash leaps off the top to hit a cross body on the floor! Credible nails Kash with a super kick to gain control of the contest. Credible rams Kash face first into the chair but only gets a near fall. Credible keeps a basic offensive attack. Credible runs over Kash with a clothesline and gets a chair from Francine. Kash plants Credible with a DDT onto a chair for a near fall. Kash hits a springboard moonsault for a two count on the champ. Kash with a tornado DDT onto a chair but the referee was hit. Rhino comes out and beats down Kash in the corner. Rob Van Dam runs in and makes the save going after Rhino and hitting a spinning heel kick. RVD takes Rhino out with a dive on the floor. Credible whacks Kash over the head with a kendo stick and almost gets a three count. Kash gets out of That’s Incredible and hits the Money Maker but now the referee can’t count. Rhino enters the ring and GORES Kash. Credible is put on top as RVD comes off the top to kick Rhino in the face. RVD puts Kash on top of Credible. The referee awakes but Credible kicks out before three. Kash gets whacked with a kendo stick from Francine and Credible manages to hit That’s Incredible from the middle rope to retain the title. (**. The interference was entertaining, but took away from the quality of a match because they are still protecting Kash. A good finish to keep Kash strong while Credible still looks weak despite the win because he is unable to get a clean victory.)

6.) Rhino attacks Van Dam while on the floor slapping hands with the fans. Rhino sends Van Dam into the railing and shoves RVD into the crowd. Rhino slams RVD face first into a chair and sends Van Dam into the railing a second time. Rhino GORES Van Dam against the railing. Back in the ring, Rhino plants Van Dam with a power bomb. Rhino press slams Van Dam gut first to the canvas. Van Dam nails Rhino with a step over heel kick. Rhino is sent to the corner following an atomic drop and RVD dropkicks a chair into the champs face. Van Dam hits the Rolling Thunder! RVD hits a moonsault after a fireman carry slam. RVD kicks a chair into Rhino’s face and heads to the top rope. RVD hits the Five Star Frog Splash but here comes Justin Credible with a chair to whack Van Dam over the back. The referee has thrown out the match giving RVD the DQ victory. Kid Kash comes in to try and help but doesn’t fare well. Sandman comes out with a kendo stick and sends the heels to the floor to end the show. (*1/2. The bullshit finish saves us the eventual pay per view blowoff between these two guys. The match wasn’t spectacular, but it served its purpose.)

Final Thoughts:
On paper, it’s a strong show action wise that didn’t exactly deliver for me. I have no problem with Anton turning heel because Corino is the main baby face of the turn to begin with. Fans don’t really seem to care about Anton, so it would have been a failed baby face turn, anyway. I’d say a below average episode of ECW on TNN this week.

Thanks for reading.