Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 1/31/1995
From: Orlando, FL
Matches:
1.) ECW World Tag Team Champions Public Enemy defeated Taz & Sabu to retain the titles
2.) Cactus Jack defeated The Sandman in a falls count anywhere match
Angle Developments:
1.) ECW World Champion Shane Douglas is cutting a promo at poolside to talk about Tully Blanchard. Douglas is going to give Blanchard a sermon when they meet in the ring. Douglas was impressed by Blanchard when they wrestled for sixty minutes. Douglas says that Tully had the guts to come to the ring after his victory over Simmons last week and was attacked from behind. Blanchard got his attention and Douglas talks about how Tully use to do drugs and drank while telling kids to not do it. Shane calls Tully a two-face man and he isn’t going to give up the championship so easily. Douglas calls himself, Benoit and Malenko the Triple Threat as they took Blanchard out without needing a fourth man. The next time Tully tries to clear him of his addiction and Douglas will give Tully a bigger beating. The end of the line for Tully Blanchard is near. Shane believes the fans will hold up three fingers instead of four after the beating Tully will receive from the Franchise.
2.) Taz and Rocco brawl on the floor while Sabu hits a slingshot leg drop on Grunge across the apron. Sabu is wrestling with a fractured ankle and gets a near fall after a split legged moonsault. Sabu hits a top rope moonsault but Rocco makes the save on the cover attempt. Sabu takes Grunge out with a dive on the floor while Taz hits an overhead suplex on Rocco for a near fall. Sabu nails Grunge with a frying pan. Taz whacks Rock over the head with a chair on the floor. Sabu sends Johnny into the crowd and all four men are brawling in the crowd. Taz tosses a trash can at Rocco as they brawl by the concession stand. Grunge is working over the injured ankle of Sabu in the ring.
All four men are brawling in the ring until Taz is sent to the floor. Sabu hits a springboard moonsault onto the champs and nearly pins Rocco. Taz hits a double Japanese arm drags on Public Enemy! Sabu is caught on a suicide dive attempt and Rocco rams Sabu back first into the ring post. Grunge works over Taz on the floor while Sabu hits Rock with a springboard moonsault from the top for a two count. Grunge is double teamed with a back drop and Taz takes Grunge over with an overhead suplex. Taz gets a table from Sabu and they set it up in the ring. Johnny is put on the table but Rocco makes the save. Taz drops Rocco with a suplex. Sabu sends Grunge into the ring post face first and 911 is out there. 911 places Grunge on a table but Rocco puts Taz through the table in the ring while Sabu hit a slingshot splash through another table! Rocco appears to have pinned Taz in the ring, but the camera missed it. After the match, Rocco whacks 911 with a chair but no sells it. 911 choke slams Rocco Rock! 911 does the same to the referee. (**. A typical brawl with some decent spots thrown in by Sabu. I’ve got to give Sabu credit for working a match with a fractured ankle.)
3.) Joey Styles interviews Paul E. Dangerously. Paul cuts a promo on Public Enemy saying they are going straight to hell. He is going to send Public Enemy back where they came from. Rocco and Grunge are going to go through tables and that’s something Sabu brought into this sport. He is going to send the champions back to the hood or they are going to go to jail where people will call them their bitch!
4.) Raven is sitting in an empty classroom. He says that we spend our entire youth in a room like the one he is in right now. Childhood should be a world of bliss and knowledge. Unless, you are a misfit and an outcast which makes it all a scare. Raven says you can try, but you never forget the horrors of the classroom. Raven says this time Tommy Dreamer will not graduate the class. The chalkboard has “I hate Tommy Dreamer.” written on it over a dozen times.
5.) Sandman runs to the entrance way and is met with a trash can shot to the head by Jack. Cactus continues to whack Sandman over the head with the trash can several times. Cactus also uses a chair on Sandman to keep advantage of the bout. They are in the ring where Jack gets a near fall after splashing onto Sandman as he was across the middle rope. Jack hits a swinging neck breaker for a two count. Jack follows up with a leg drop but Sandman kicks out at two. Woman hits Cactus with a kendo stick to cause a distraction on the floor for Sandman to come from behind but is met with right hands. Woman breaks up a pin attempt with another kendo stick shot. On the floor, Sandman works over Cactus with a chair shot and trash can shots. Back in the ring, Sandman plants Jack with a DDT on the trash can! Sandman heads to the top rope and leaps off hitting a leg drop! Sandman goes to the top again and delivers a face jam from the top onto a trash can!
Jack low blows Sandman on the top and rams a trash can into Sandman’s head. Jack punches Sandman off the top to the floor. Jack whacks Sandman over the head with a cooking sheet and chokes Sandman with a rubber snake! Cactus punches a trash can into Sandman’s face but can’t follow up quickly. Sandman hits Jack with a trash can across the knuckles. Sandman spikes Jack onto a trash can with a piledriver! Cactus avoids a charging Sandman and hits an elbow off the apron onto Sandman on the floor to win the match on the outside! (*3/4. The match was heavily focused on the brawling and usage of a trash can. It’s probably nowhere near as violent as you’d think these two could get, though.) After the match, Woman tries to attack Cactus Jack but Sandman comes from behind and whacks Cactus Jack over the back with a kendo stick several times. Sandman tries to blind Cactus with a lit cigarette but Cactus is blocking the attempt. Mikey Whipwreck comes running out and saves his friend by whacking Sandman with a kendo stick to end the segment.
6.) Backstage, The Sandman is interviewed with Woman by his side. Sandman asks that Cactus wants to go head to head with him or insanity versus insanity. He will take Cactus on blow for blow while Woman will handle the mind vs. mind. Woman is going to turn Cactus Jack into Sandman.
7.) We also hear from Cactus Jack who says that inside his mind there is a soft spot for the history of his career. Thus, Sandman has a soft spot in his mind. Cactus says that every action Sandman did he was proud of what he was doing. Jack knew who Sandman was listening to and learning from. Cactus likes to win and the ego gratification of having his hand risen. Jack tells Sandman that he has awaken a sleeping giant and he isn’t going to be that man anymore. As of now, Cactus Jack doesn’t care. He says his hand is a useless weapon and has taken his psychological warfare out of the equation. Jack tells Sandman he has guts and he did at one time as well. Cactus drops to his knees and challenges Sandman to a Texas Death Match. If Sandman can beat him in that match then he will walk away from this sport with his head held low. Because, at one point his name meant something but now he doesn’t deserve it. Cactus doesn’t want to become a full time daddy and husband but he will if he loses. However, he does want a piece of Sandman!
Final Thoughts:
An excellent promo by Cactus Jack, which is a common theme in ECW. The matches were just brawls and not overly exciting despite the name value partaking in the matches. A below average episode for ECW this week.
Thanks for reading.