ECW House Show 10/18/1996

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling House Show
Date: 10/18/1996
From: Plymouth Meeting, PA

The music guy is having a hard time getting the music to play for the first match. Hopefully that’s sign that this show is going to be tough to sit through. It literally takes fives minutes before Mikey Whipwreck comes out and just says screw it and comes out to no music. It would appear that only Mikey’s music was an issue as his opponent, Shane Douglas, had no problem coming out to music.

Opening Contest: ECW Television Champion Shane Douglas vs. Mikey Whipwreck: Pitbull #2 comes running to ringside during the ring introductions but is held back by wrestlers and officials. Douglas attacks Whipwreck from behind to get the early advantage and chokes Mikey over the middle rope. Mikey hammers away on Douglas in the corner and hits a backdrop. Whipwreck continues his offense with dropkicks to send Douglas to the floor. Whipwreck kicks Douglas into the guard railing and connects with a slingshot cross body to the floor! Mikey slingshots back into the ring and yank on Shane’s neck and gets a near fall. Mikey continues to hammer away on Douglas and plants the champ with a DDT for a two count. Whipwreck attempts to a get a submission a modified Indian death lock, but isn’t able to get a tap out. Douglas stops Mikey with a swinging neck breaker. Douglas drives Whipwreck down to the canvas with a delayed vertical suplex. Douglas jumps on the back of Mikey across the middle rope. Douglas sends Mikey into the guard railing back first.

Douglas drops Whipwreck gut first across the railing. Douglas continues to work over Whipwreck hitting a dropkick sending Mikey off the apron and chest first into the railing. Douglas power bombs Whipwreck onto two chairs in the ring but only manages a two count on the cover attempt. Whipwreck plants Douglas with another DDT but can’t get a three count. Mikey heads to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick but Douglas powers out before three. Whipwreck attempts another cover after a cross body but gets caught by Douglas moments later with a tombstone piledriver. Douglas has a full nelson locked in but Francine wants him to let go and hit the belly to belly suplex. Douglas hits the belly to belly suplex and wins the match. (***. I enjoyed this opener as Whipwreck worked hard and Douglas made Mikey look like a threat to the title. It was a fun 15-minute match or so. The crowd was hot for it and it ended clean. Can’t complain with this one.) After the match, Douglas attacks Whipwreck some more with a full nelson because he is a bully and can do that sort of thing. Tommy Dreamer would come down and check on Whipwreck, as well.

Second Contest: Taz vs. Roadkill: Roadkill looks drastically different then what he would eventually look like and be known for. It’s a squash match for Taz who makes Roadkill pass out or tap out to the Tazmission in a less than five minute match.

Third Contest: The Bad Crew vs. Hack Myers & Louie Spicolli: This is another relatively short match involving a few guys that aren’t all that important to ECW (Bad Crew). Spicolli got the win for his team following a Death Valley Driver.

Fourth Contest: Axl Rotten vs. ECW World Tag Team Champion New Jack: Jack has a bunch of weapons with him in a trash bin and it doesn’t take long for them to be used in the match. Jack chokes Rotten with a chain around the ring post and sends Axl into the guard railing. They brawl into the crowd sending each other into various things. Jack is busted wide open in the ring and Rotten continues to work over Jack. Jack delivers a chair shot and a top rope chair assisted elbow drop for the win. It was just a hardcore brawl with Jack taking most of the punishment until the finish, really. After the match, D-Von Dudley came out and attacked New Jack for a little while with Axl Rotten. Big Dick Dudley came out as well to make the save. Eventually, Big Dick and New Jack clean house to stand tall.

Fifth Contest: The Eliminators vs. Bubba Ray Dudley & Spike Dudley: Bubba and Saturn kick off the match with Saturn taking Bubba down to the canvas. Bubba counters a crucifix takedown with a Samoan Drop and hits a backdrop. Bubba takes both Kronus and Saturn over with a suplex and Spike comes off the top with a cross body. Bubba clotheslines Kronus over the top to the floor and Bubba press slams Spike over the top onto the Eliminators. Spike takes Saturn out with a somersault dive off the apron to the floor. Saturn slams Spike over the railing into the crowd. Saturn tosses Spike over the railing back to the ringside area and sends Spike into the wall. Kronus uses a trash can on Bubba and a cooking pan that a fan gave him. Kronus nails Bubba with a spinning kick to the face, as well. Bubba uses the cooking pan and trash can to stop Kronus. All four men are at the top of the stage until Kronus is tossed off into the crowd with the same happening to Saturn. Bubba press slams Spike off the stage but Spike is caught and slammed down. Bubba dives off the stage to take the Eliminators out in the crowd!

Back in the ring, Spike is working with Saturn hitting a dropkick followed by a head scissors. Saturn decks Spike with a super kick. Saturn dives off the top to take Bubba out with a dive to the floor. Kronus drops Spike with a heel kick in the ring to keep control of the match. Spike takes Kronus over with a hurricanrana. Kronus with a fireman carry slam on Spike and Saturn hits a top rope splash for a two count. Spike takes Saturn over with a nice hurricanrana but Saturn quickly hits a super kick. Spike continues to get met with kicks by the Eliminators. Kronus hits a fallaway slam on Spike and knocks Bubba off the apron. Kronus tosses Spike across the ring with an exploder suplex. Eliminators hit a vertical suplex/cross body combo on Spike but Spike rebounds and hits a bulldog on Saturn out of the corner. Saturn decks Spike with a vicious clothesline. Kronus continues to work over Spike with a slingshot suplex. Spike counters a middle rope back suplex and tags in Bubba. Bubba cleans house on the Eliminators after being on the apron for a long time. Saturn dropkicks Spike in midair. Kronus hits a somersault leg drop on Spike for a near fall. Bubba side slams Kronus but Saturn stops any momentum. Saturn heads to the top and nails Bubba with an elbow drop. Total Elimination on Spike puts an end to the match. (**1/2. There were enjoyable parts to this but it got to a point where it felt like it was going on forever. Kronus and Saturn had some good offense to keep the action fun on Spike, but it needed to be cut a few minutes to be better.)

Sixth Contest: Devon Storm vs. Doug Furnas: Prior to the match starting, Storm gets a fan ejected for apparently throwing something at him and Storm is bleeding as a result from it. Furnas sends Storm hard into the corner causing Storm to flip over to the floor. Storm hits a springboard moonsault for a near fall. Storm misses a top rope moonsault and holds his knee as Furnas drops him on his head with a German suplex for a quick win.

Seventh Contest: Pitbull #2 vs. Sammy Slick: Slick hits a top rope big splash but Pitbull kicks out and this a power slam for the win. After the match, Samu tries to get involved but is knocked off the top rope. Shane Douglas appears and says he has a $10,000 bounty for anyone that will take Pitbull #2 out tonight. The Blue Meanie tries his luck but that doesn’t work so well. Nova also tries but is taken out relatively easy with a middle rope fallaway slam. JT Smith comes in but backs off and wants to be partners with Pitbull to take out Douglas. Smith turns on Pitbull looking to get the $10,000 but is tossed from the ring, as well. Pitbull leaves the ring and runs to the back looking to get his hands on Douglas.

Eighth Contest: Sabu vs. 2 Cold Scorpio: Sabu tries for a takedown but is met with a kick to the face and Scorpio knocks Sabu down with a couple of more kicks. Sabu sends Scorpio chest first into the corner and hits a springboard clothesline before kicking Scorpio to the floor. Sabu takes Scorpio out with a slingshot cross body to the floor. Sabu sends Scorpio into the crowd and sets a chair up in the ring. Sabu springboards off the top rope to take out Scorpio with a dive into the crowd. Sabu sets up a table across the apron and railing. Scorpio catches Sabu on a springboard attempt and power bombs Sabu from the apron into the ring. Scorpio face plants Sabu over a chair for a two count. Scorpio hits a twisting cross body from the top rope for a near fall. They go to the floor where both men use a chair on each other. Back in the ring, Scorpio keeps Sabu on the canvas looking for a pin but isn’t successful. Scorpio sends Sabu into the crowd and they brawl in the crowd. Scorpio nails Sabu with a super kick and goes to the apron to leap off to hit Sabu with a clothesline. Sabu tosses a chair at Scorpio and hits a springboard leg drop for a near fall. Sabu kicks Scorpio and hits a split legged moonsault for a near fall.

Sabu hits a springboard moonsault but Scorpio kicks out at two. Scorpio blocks a split legged moonsault attempt by getting his knees up. Scorpio misses a slingshot leg drop attempts. Scorpio counters a springboard attempt by hitting a back suplex on Sabu. Scorpio hits a Rock Bottom and heads to the top rope missing a big splash. Sabu plants Scorpio with a tornado DDT. Sabu hits an impressive moonsault considering Scorpio was all the way across the ring but only gets a near fall. Scorpio misses a kick and crotches himself on the top to allow Sabu to hit a sloppy hurricanrana for a near fall. Scorpio ends up hitting a splash onto Sabu going through the table setup earlier in the match. Scorpio connects with a top rope moonsault but Sabu kicks out at two. Scorpio tosses Sabu off the middle rope to hit a twisting splash for a near fall. Sabu hits a top rope hurricanrana for another two count. Sabu with another tornado DDT and that time it is good enough for the win. (**1/2. This is an example of guys just doing a bunch of moves that had little purpose or setup. It was just spot after spot after spot here and I’m sure others will like it way more than I did.) After the match, Scorpio attacks Sabu because he is a sore loser. Scorpio sends Sabu into the railing and wall before delivering a kick and walks backstage.

Ninth Contest: Brian Lee vs. Tommy Dreamer in a steel cage match: Nova comes from behind and attacks Dreamer during his entrance. Blue Meanie was there too as Lee is sending Dreamer into the guard railing to get the early advantage. Lee uses a chair on Dreamer as well before sending Tommy over the railing into the crowd. They go outside where Lee sends Dreamer into a metal object. Lee slams Dreamer head into a truck in the parking lot. They brawl into the ladies room, which is hilarious since one woman awkwardly walks out. Dreamer suplexs Lee onto the concession table and delivers a big splash onto the table, which doesn’t break. Lee stops Dreamer with a suplex on the concrete floor. Lee sends Dreamer into some chairs in the crowd before delivering a knee drop to his groin. They enter the cage after the lengthy brawl outside the ring. Lee hits a double axe handle from the top but Dreamer kicks out at two. Lee sends Dreamer into the cage face first to maintain control of the bout. Nova and Meanie give Lee a table to use.

Dreamer crotches Lee on the top rope and goes to ram the table into Lee but the referee stops him for some reason. So, Dreamer sends the referee into the cage. Dreamer with a low blow and a DDT onto the table. Dreamer has a cover but Nova enters the ring along with Blue Meanie. Dreamer low blows Nova and Meanie misses a moonsault. Dreamer plants Nova and Meanie with DDTs. Lee choke slams Dreamer but Dreamer quickly gets an inside cradle and wins the match. After the match, Lee sends the referee into the cage upset with the outcome. Lee has Dreamer on the top and choke slams Dreamer off the top through the table. Meanie is annoying Beulah until she hits him with a DDT. (**. That could have been a lot worse. The brawling before they got in the cage was enjoyable, but the action stalled when they got inside the cage.)

Main Event: ECW World Champion The Sandman vs. Stevie Richards in a steel cage match: This was originally supposed to be Raven challenging Sandman, but Raven is out with injury, I believe. Sandman has his kendo stick swinging at Nova and Meanie but is met with a super kick by Richards which nearly won the match for him. Richards sends Sandman into the corner and chops the champ. Sandman whacks the heels with a chair but Richards nails Sandman with a super kick for a near fall. Sandman whacks Richards head first into the cage. Meanie splashes Sandman into the cage. Richards whacks Sandman over the head with a kendo stick several times. Richards hits a version of the Fame-Asser and Meanie hits a top rope moonsault but Sandman kicks out at two. Nova hits a missile dropkick but Sandman kicks out again. Sandman uses the kendo stick on Meanie and Nova. Richards is at the top of the cage but Sandman his him in midair with the kendo stick to win the match. (*1/2. Hardly a cage match or anything of true great violence. It was mainly just Sandman fighting off goons and Richards not being able to take advantage. The finish was rather lame, too.)

Final Thoughts:
It’s not a great show, but it was a decent outing for ECW. The opener was the match of the night and the other marquee matches had some entertainment value to it. The under card was rather lackluster and unappealing. The main events didn’t exactly entertain me, but they were relatively quick and were inoffensive.

Thanks for reading.