ECW Hardcore TV 8/8/1995

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 8/8/1995
From: Middletown, NY

Matches:
1.) ECW World Tag Team Champions Raven & Stevie Richards defeated The Pitbulls to retain the titles
2.) Eddie Guerrero defeated ECW Television Champion Dean Malenko to win the title

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) ECW World Champion The Sandman and Woman make their way down to the ring to start the show this week. Cactus Jack arrives with a group of guys on motorcycles. We then get clips of various undercard matches that happened on the show. One of which, was a match between Marty Jannetty and Jim Neidhart. Yeah that just sounds bizarre to have happened in ECW.

2.) Joey Styles interviewed the Gangstas in the ring. New Jack claimed that we haven’t seen any violence yet. Jack claimed that the Public Enemy were jokes and posers. We then saw clips of a brawl between those two teams.

3.) Footage of Raven and Stevie Richards attacking Tommy Dreamer with Beulah slapping Dreamer as well several times. The Pitbulls run into the ring and make the save chasing the tag champs from the ring.

4.) Richards and Pitbull #1 kick off the title match with Richards hiding behind the referee scared to death of the challengers. #1 press slams Richards to start the bout and tags in #2 who stomps on Stevie in the corner. #2 big splashes Stevie in the corner and Richards continues to beg off. #1 tags back in and drops Richards with a double under hook power bomb. Pitbull spin kicks Richards in the corner and flies over the top to the floor. Richards continues to be simply dominated by the challengers while Raven remained on the apron just watching. #2 hits a slingshot clothesline from the apron into the ring. Pitbulls go for the Super Bomb but Raven finally does something knocking #1 off the apron. Raven goes after #2 with some strikes. Richards is up and able to get some offense in on #1 hitting a double clothesline with Raven. Raven hits a belly to belly suplex and taking over as the legal man despite not being tagged in legally. #2 blocks a splash by getting his knees up. Richards tags in and goes to work on #2 with some blows. Raven chokes #2 behind the back of the referee. The referee takes too long to see Richards in an inside cradle preventing the title change.

Raven tags in and knee drops #2 on the groin but only gets a near fall. Stevie misses a clothesline and #2 takes Richards over with a suplex. #1 gets the tag and cleans house on the champs. The champs are sent into each other head first and Raven is sent into Richards in the corner. #1 has Richards hitting a power slam while #2 hits Raven with a chair on the floor. Beulah gets on the apron to cause a distraction. Richards super kicks #1 a few times and Beulah sprays #1 with hairspray. Richards has the rollup and gets the pin. (**. A basic brawl, but the finish protects the Pitbulls and gives the heels some more heat for the feud.) After the match, all four men are brawling with the champs getting the better of the exchange. Tommy Dreamer and Luna enter the ring to make the save. A double DDT on Richards just after Raven got a DDT from Dreamer. Beulah is left by herself since Richards and Raven left the area. Dreamer has Beulah and hits a piledriver!

5.) 2 Cold Scorpio was interviewed earlier in the day. He says ECW isn’t WCW or WWF and says they are trying to copyright what they are doing here in ECW. Scorpio is basically putting over ECW. Scorpio continues to brag about breaking the neck of Taz. He says if Taz wants it then come and get it. He also wants the Steiner Brothers to come get their asses kicked.

6.) Similar to their match last week, it’s a slow start with some mat wrestling and standoffs. Guerrero takes Malenko down with a head scissors but doesn’t followup with the advantage. Guerrero hits a top rope hurricanrana but only gets a near fall. Malenko comes off the ropes to take Eddie over with a head scissors but Guerrero hits a head scissors again. Eddie goes to the apron to hit a somersault splash for a near fall. Dean drives Eddie down with a back suplex and delivers an elbow strike to stop Guerrero. Malenko clotheslines Eddie in the corner to maintain control of the title match. Malenko hits a brain buster but only manages a near fall. Malenko continues with a gut buster, which the fans appreciate greatly. Eddie attempts a tornado DDT but is tossed away by Malenko. Dean hits a power bomb but Guerrero kicks out again. Eddie nearly wins with a rollup but gets stopped by a clothesline from Malenko. Guerrero slams Malenko down and heads to the top rope hitting a frog splash but can’t make the cover due to his injured ribs. Malenko keeps Guerrero in an abdominal stretch but Eddie reaches the ropes.

Malenko jumps off the ropes to deliver a leg drop for another two count. Eddie surprises Malenko with a hurricanrana and gets a rollup to win the match and title. (***. The match was very similar to their bout last week, so I didn’t rate it on the same level. Regardless, it’s a fine match and the crowd in NY is REALLY into Malenko.)

7.) A music video plays by Weezer focusing on the Mikey Whipwreck and Sandman feud.

8.) Taz and the Steiner Brothers share some thoughts to close the program. Scott Steiner says they are going to take it to the extreme at the ECW Arena. Rick Steiner chimes in and says he loves nothing more than fresh meat. Taz says he isn’t worried and takes off his neck brace to let out some barks.

Final Thoughts:
While it wasn’t a great episode, it still effectively advanced several feuds and the in-ring action was solid, which seems to be a trend lately. It appears we are back to ECW arena matches starting next week, which is a bummer, but hopefully the angles make up for that.

Thanks for reading.