Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Wrestlepalooza
Date: 6/7/1997
From: Philadelphia, PA
Opening Contest: ECW Television Champion Shane Douglas vs. Chris Chetti: Douglas slaps Chetti in the corner but gets tripped and dropkicked sending him to the floor. Chetti takes Shane out with a cross body over the top to the floor. Shane gets a near fall with a backslide but Chetti continues to work over the arm of the champion. Chetti gets a near fall following a super kick thanks to Francine putting Shane’s boot on the ropes. Douglas baseball slides Chetti into the guard railing due to Francine’s distraction. Douglas scoop slams Chetti on the outside. Douglas crotches Chetti on the railing and delivers a chair shot. Douglas brings Chetti into the ring with a suplex from the apron. Douglas continues to work over Chetti with a steel chair. Chetti drives Douglas face first into the chair for a near fall. Chetti dropkicks Douglas for another two count. Chetti hits a top rope missile dropkick but Douglas kicks out before three. Chetti backdrops Douglas and misses a top rope moonsault attempt. Douglas proceeds to hit a belly to belly suplex and gets a three count. (**1/4. Not a bad start to the show as they kept a good pace and Chetti had a few believable near falls.)
Second Contest: The Pitbulls vs. Little Guido & Tracy Smothers: Guido and Pitbull #2 kick off the contest. Guido uses his speed to avoid a lockup. Guido gets met with a clothesline sandwich and Smothers gets met with a clothesline. #2 super kicks Guido to gain control and #1 tags in. Guido works over #1 in the corner with a few strikes. #1 comes out with a clothesline and drops Guido with a neck breaker. Smothers is taken over with an overhead belly to belly suplex by #2. #2 hits a top rope clothesline on both Guido and Smothers. Tommy Rich crotches #1 on the railing and continues to be worked over on the floor while Guido distracts the referee. Smothers works over #1 with several forearm drops. FBI deliver a double elbow drop on #1 for a near fall. Guido dropkicks #1 into the corner and maintains control with a sleeper hold. Smothers enters and pummels #1 with right hands. #1 drops both Smothers and Guido with a clothesline. #2 gets the hot tag and cleans house with clotheslines. #2 drops Guido with a power bomb for a near fall. #1 power slams Guido and clotheslines Smothers over the top to the floor. Pitbulls hit the Super Bomb on Guido for the win. (*1/2. That wasn’t anything overly great but rather just a basic match between these two teams. The Super Bomb is a great finisher, though.)
Third Contest: The Sandman & Balls Mahoney vs. The Dudley Boys: Sandman and Mahoney quickly go after the Dudley Boys getting the better of a brawl between the two teams. D-Von gets dropkicked off the apron to the floor where Mahoney brawls with him. Sandman works over Bubba in the ring with strikes in the corner. Balls smacks D-Von over the head with a chair but Bubba whacks Balls over the head with a kendo stick. Sandman leaps over the top rope to dive onto Bubba! Sandman dives over the top and hits both Mahoney and D-Von with a kendo stick. Bubba nails Mahoney over the head with a steel chair. Sandman uses his kendo stick on Bubba briefly as well. D-Von and Balls are brawling into the crowd. Sandman dropkicks Bubba in the ring while D-Von is beating on Mahoney. Sandman scoop slams Bubba on the floor and slams a table onto Bubba. Sandman and Bubba trade blows in the ring until Bubba hits an ace crusher for a near fall. Bubba hits a side walk slam on Mahoney but doesn’t go for a cover. Dudley Boys hit the 3D on Mahoney onto a steel chair for the victory. (*1/2. There was nothing good about this brawl. Luckily it wasn’t given a lot of time because I got bored with it after two or three minutes.)
Prior to the next match, Stevie Richards comes down to the ring. Richards was supposed to be the challenger for the ECW World Championship but is out due to a neck injury. Richards is upset about not being able to challenge for the championship. Stevie says he may never be able to wrestle again. Richards wishes Terry Funk luck and gives him a hug.
Fourth Contest: ECW World Champion Terry Funk vs. Chris Candido: Candido is dressed up like Funk wearing similar tights. Funk takes Candido down to the mat and they trade some mat wrestling. Funk sends Candido to the floor but doesn’t go out to follow. Candido works over Funk with several strikes and chops against the ropes and Funk falls to the floor. Candido wants the champ back in the ring. Funk works over Candido with chops and knocks him to the floor. Once again, they return to the ring to compete. Candido sends Funk over the top to the floor and sends Terry into the crowd over the railing. Chris is pummeling Terry in the crowd with right hands. Candido tosses Funk on top of a table at ringside. Candido spikes Funk onto a steel chair with a piledriver and tosses a few chairs into the ring. Chris attempted a piledriver through the table at ringside, but the table broke prior to the move. Back in the ring, Candido spikes Funk with a piledriver and does it again.
Candido isn’t done as he hits a fourth piledriver. Candido hits a fifth piledriver but Funk kicks out at two. Candido follows up with a neck breaker, which he connects with three times for a near fall. Chris tosses Funk to the floor and sets up three chairs in the middle of the ring. Candido delivers a neck breaker onto the steel chairs and Funk rolls around in agony. Candido goes for the cover but somehow Funk kicks out at two. Candido plants Funk with a power bomb but again only gets a near fall. Funk counters a German suplex attempt to hit a neck breaker of his own. Candido counters a piledriver with a hurricanrana and clotheslines Terry. Candido places Funk on the middle rope and hits a hurricanrana for a near fall. Chris continues to work over the champ hitting a back suplex. Funk stops Candido with several head butts and rolls Candido up for the victory. (**. The finish was lame as hell, but Candido did an excellent job with his offense to keep this interesting considering how limited Funk was at the time. Any entertainment quality goes to Candido here.)
Fifth Contest: Raven vs. Tommy Dreamer: Raven tries to leave but Dreamer decks his sidekick and stops Raven from leaving the arena. Dreamer sends Raven head first into the steel door. Dreamer uses a chair on Raven as they continue to compete in the crowd. Dreamer spits a drink into Raven’s face but gets hip tossed off the bleachers and Dreamer goes crashing through a table! Raven hits a piledriver on concrete after a table is flipped over causing Dreamer to get busted open. They head over to the Eagles Nest and Raven slams a table onto Dreamer before setting the table up. Raven sends Dreamer through the table. Raven sets up another table and attempts a piledriver but Dreamer counters with a backdrop. Tommy misses a big splash and crashes through the table. Raven sends Dreamer into the guard railing but Tommy returns the favor. Dreamer crotches Raven over the railing and clotheslines his rival off the railing.
Dreamer again sends Raven into the railing and follows up with a face buster on the floor. Tommy nails Raven over the head with a steel chair as they continue to brawl in the crowd. They are both busted wide open at this point. Raven tosses Dreamer off the Eagles Nest and onto a vending machine before dropping down to the floor. They are finally back in the ring where Raven drop toe holds Dreamer into a steel chair. Raven puts Dreamer on the top turnbuckle but gets punched off by Tommy. Raven tosses Dreamer off the top and Tommy lands on a chair, which gets Raven a near fall. Dreamer counters a hip toss attempt with a DDT! Dreamer grabs a fans sign but the sign hits the referee. Dreamer hits Raven with the fan, which was a street sign. Tommy plants Raven with a piledriver onto the street sign for a near fall. Dreamer kicks Loofus to allow Beulah to hit a DDT. Raven nearly pins Dreamer with a rollup. Raven tries to get Beulah back but is met with a low blow and Dremae nearly wins. Chastity sprays something in Dreamer’s eyes and has a cat fight with Beulah. Beulah low blows Raven and Dreamer hits a DDT on the street sign for a near fall! Raven rams Dreamer into the referee in the corner. Dreamer plants Raven with another DDT but there is no referee and Louie Spicolli enters to DDT Dreamer. Raven has the cover but Dreamer kicks out again at two! Dreamer gets out of a Death Valley Driver and DDTs Louie. Raven hits a DDT on Dreamer but can’t get a three count! Dreamer counters a DDT with the Death Valley Driver! Tommy spikes Raven with a DDT onto the street sign and finally pins Raven. (***1/4. A good match with plenty of ref bumps and outside interference. The final three minutes were electric and Dreamer finally pinning Raven was a memorable moment.)
The lights go out after the three count and when they come back on Rob Van Dam is in the ring and kicks a chair into Dreamer’s face! Dreamer low blows Van Dam and the lights go out again. This time, Sabu is in the ring and tosses a chair into Dreamer’s face. Dreamer hits a double DDT but the lights go out for a third time! When the lights come back on it is Jerry Lawler! Dreamer goes after him but is stopped by Sabu and Van Dam. The locker room empties but everyone is taken out by Sabu and Van Dam. Bill Alphonso suggests that Shane Douglas come down to the ring but Douglas doesn’t want anything to do with it. New Jack makes his way down to the ring with Mustafa but is quickly attacked by Van Dam and Sabu. Dreamer tackles Lawler but is attacked quickly. Sandman is in the ring and whacks Sabu with a kendo stick until RVD delivers a kick. RVD kicks a chair into Sandman’s face as well. Taz finally makes his way down to the ring to get a piece of the action. The fans had been chanting for him the entire segment. Everyone bails from the ring as they are holding Sabu back. Taz tells Lawler to suck his dick. Shane Douglas chimes in and tells Taz to calm down because he ran them off already. Taz warns Douglas to never cut him off again. Taz wants the heels to return and lay him out but that isn’t going to happen. Taz isn’t leaving until Sabu comes to the ring for a match. Eventually…
Sixth Contest: Taz vs. Sabu: Sabu hits a springboard dropkick to a seated Taz early on in the contest. Taz is sent chest first into the corner and Sabu gets a near fall after a springboard heel kick. Taz stops Sabu in the corner with a double leg slam to get the advantage. Taz locks in the Red Hook Ringer but Sabu isn’t going to give in. Sabu dropkicks Taz on the knee and sends him to the floor. Sabu kicks Taz into the railing and takes Taz out with a springboard moonsault to the floor! Sabu brings Taz into the ring and gets a near fall following a somersault leg drop from the apron. Sabu attempts a triple jump moonsault but loses his footing and crotches himself on the ropes. Taz grabs Sabu and hits a t-bone suplex. Taz gets a near fall with a northern lights suplex. Sabu stops Taz on the middle rope but misses a springboard hurricanrana. Taz misses a somersault leg drop off the top! Sabu comes off the top to hit a leg drop of his own for a two count. A table has been tossed into the ring as Sabu low bows Taz and hits a DDT. Sabu places Taz on the table and heads to the top rope. Sabu leaps off and hits a twisting big splash to crash through the table! Taz recovers and locks in the Taz Mission but Sabu rolls backwards and pins Taz! After the match, Taz refuses to let go of the hold as Sabu is knocked out at this point. Taz ends up attacking the referees. (**1/2. This was shockingly less than ten minutes but it was solid for what it was. The match seemed to setup bigger things to place as we will soon find out. Sabu winning continues their rivalry, as well.)
Shane Douglas tells Taz to get of the ring and let the next match happen. Taz insults Douglas saying he has a little penis. Taz suggests that Douglas make him leave the ring. Shane has nothing to prove to Taz. Taz offers Douglas a deal. Taz guarantees that he can make Douglas tap out within five minutes. Douglas says he is interested in putting his championship on the line. If Douglas lasts five minutes then Taz has to leave ECW for thirty days and make his family starve. Taz tells Douglas he offers up sixty days. Douglas is loving this and goes over the offer again. Taz continues to talk and says he will make Shane tap out in three minutes. Douglas is on his way.
Seventh Contest: ECW Television Champion Shane Douglas vs. Taz: Douglas pokes Taz in the eyes to get the cheap advantage and hammers away on Taz hitting him with the championship over the back a few times. Douglas hits a swinging neck breaker after coming out of the corner. Shane plants Taz with a DDT as we are told one minute has taken place. Douglas delivers an inverted neck snap twice. Douglas puts a full nelson on Taz, but Taz nearly counters wit the Taz Mission. Taz avoids Douglas coming out of the corner and locks in the Taz Mission! Taz manages to lock his legs around Douglas after Shane attempted to kick off the turnbuckles and Douglas is forced to tap out! We have a new champion. (NR. Hardly long enough to rate or anything, but as a segment that was incredibly done and highly entertaining.)
Tod Gordon comes out and tells the Dudley Boys that Perry Saturn has a very serious leg injury and has surgery scheduled for Tuesday and will be out of action for a year. Gordon asks the Eliminators to come out and forfeit the championships. Kronus and Saturn come down to the ring walking slowly as Saturn has his leg braced heavily and is on crutches. Saturn says being the champs means more to them than anything else. Saturn wants to lose the belts in a fight. Kronus says he is going to wrestle and lets out a laugh. Gordon rings the bell for the match to take place.
Main Event: ECW World Tag Team Champions The Eliminators vs. Dudley Boys: Kronus gets attacked from behind by the challengers. Kronus tries to fight back as he hits a double clothesline. Kronus drops Bubba with a roundhouse kick and the same to D-Von. Big Dick enters and choke slams Kronus. Bubba scoop slams Kronus and D-Von hits a top rope flying head butt. Saturn enters the ring and breaks a crutch over Big Dick sending him and D-Von to the floor. Saturn drops Bubba with an ace crusher and goes to the floor holding his knee. Kronus only manages to get a near fall on Bubba. Kronus is double teamed by the Dudley Boys. Kronus sends Bubba into D-Von to crotch D-Von on the top. Bubba avoids Kronus in the corner and gets a near fall following an ace crusher. Kronus sends Bubba into the referee in the corner on accident. Kronus kicks Big Dick to the floor and spin kicks D-Von. Kronus hits a 450 splash on D-Von but there isn’t a referee for the cover. Bubba enters and elbow drops Kronus. Saturn nails Big Dick with a crutch not eh apron and leaps off the top to elbow drop D-Von! Satun covers D-Von and gets the pin! (*1/2. It’s not a good match, but a lot of credit has to be given to Saturn for doing anything with such a bad knee.)
Final Thoughts:
The only entertaining match, for the most part, was the Raven/Dreamer bout. However, the show featured several segments that were extremely entertaining such as the Douglas/Taz and the aftermath involving Lawler. So, while the in-ring action wasn’t spectacular the show was entertaining thanks to so many memorable segments that advanced various feuds.
Thanks for reading.