ECW Hardcore TV 3/5/1996

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 3/5/1996
From: Philadelphia, PA

Matches:
1.) ECW TV Champion 2 Cold Scorpio fought Sabu to a 30-minute draw

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) The show starts with Brian Pillman wrestling a giant pencil in his living room, I’d assume.

2.) Sabu tries to get an advantage, but 2 cold kicks him in the face. Sabu then gets a chair, and uses it to hurt 2 Cold. Sabu sets up the chair as 2 Cold is on the outside, and Sabu uses the chair to jump out of the ring. Back in the ring, Sabu goes for a cover, but only gets two. Scoop slam by Sabu followed by springshot knee-drop. 2 Cold escapes a powerbomb; then hits one of his own. Scoop Slam followed by a big top rope leg drop. 2 Cold talks some crap to the fans, and gets a chair. Back in the ring, 2 Cold beats down Sabu, and sets up a chair. 2 Cold hits a bulldog onto the chair. Both men exchange blows, but 2 Cold gets the advantage. 2 Cold goes for a bulldog, but Sabu counters. Sabu then uses the chair, jumps off and closelines 2 cold over. Back to their feet, Sabu hits a senton off the ring. Sabu grabs a chair, and clocks him with it. Back in the ring, Sabu hits a springboard kick to the face, but only gets two. 2 cold recovers, and hits a super kick. 2 cold grabs the chair, and runs into Sabu with it. 2 Cold works over Sabu, but Sabu counters a Rockbottom. Sabu hits a victory road. ONE-TWO-THRE-NO. Sabu puts in the camel-clutch. 2 Cold battles back, but Sabu hangs on. 2 Cold drops him, but Sabu puts in a sleeper hold. 2 Cold gets out and kicks him in the nuts. 2 Cold hits him in the nuts, again. 2 Cold hits him with a pizza pan, and then smashes him with a set up table. 2 Cold sets up for a superplex, and delivers, but only for 2. Sabu makes a comeback, and hits a splingshot moonsault. 2 Cold goes up and hits moonsault, but Sabu got his knees up.

2 Cold still makes a pin, but gets two. Sabu hits him with a chair; then puts the chair under his but. 2 Cold recovers, and drills him with the chair. 2 Cold calls for a TS Piledriver, but plants him forward. 2 Cold then hits a run in rebound of the top rope splash. 2 Cold pulls Sabu’s nuts into the rope. 2 Cold plaints Sabu with two boots to the face. 2 Cold misses a splash from the top. Both wrestlers are down. Sabu tries going up, but 2 Cold hits a sunset flip. ONE-TWO-NO. 2 Cold goes up to the top rope—but Sabu cuts him off. Sabu is going and hits a victory roll from the top. ONE-TWO-THR-NO. 2 Cold still remains on the offense. Irish whip, but Sabu holds on. Sabu throws 2 Cold over. Suicide-dive to the out side. Sabu hits a couple closelines, and then puts in an armbar. 2 Cold then gets another advantage, and starts working over Sabu.

Sabu hangs on from the F-5 and both go to the floor. Sabu hits a moonsault, but Sabu catches the guardrail. Sabu gets the table and puts 2 Cold on it. Sabu goes in the ring, sets up the chair, jumps on the chair, and then jumps on 2 Cold. Huge ECW chant breaks out. 2 Cold is back up, and hits Sabu with a chair. 2 Cold goes for cover, but only gets 2. 2 Cold brings him back up, and sets up for a powerbomb. Sabu tries to block it, and flips in Franken Steiner. Sabu hits a moonsault press, but only gets two. Sabu goes for a moonsault, but misses. 2 Cold is back on offense and hits a powerbomb. 2 Cold goes for a moonsault into a leg drop, and gets it. ONE-TWO-THRE-NO. 2 Cold goes for a top rope leg drop and hits it with the chair on his face. ONE-TWO-THRE-NOOOO! 2 Cold goes up but catches a chair to the face. Sabu hits a Frankensteiner, but only gets another nearfall. Double closeline. 2 Cold gets up, and hits a 450 splash, but doesn’t go for a cover. He goes back up to the top with the chair, but misses. Sabu goes for a springboard with the chair on the face, and nails it. 30 seconds remain. Slingshot summersault. Sabu sells the left leg. ONE-TWO-THRE-NO. 2 Cold hits out, and there is the bell @ 30:00. When I saw this match, I was very little so I did not remember how great it was, but I heard tons of praise of it on the Internet. At first, the match was slow—and the pacing felt like it was going nowhere. 2 Cold was just hitting a couple moves; then Sabu would get some offense, but 2 Cold would get back on the offense and hit a move pause hit a move pause and so on. But once they got in the groove it was all smooth sailing from there. So many great spots in this match, that it would be hard to name them all. Sabu was excellent in the role he played, and he did not botch once. Sabu sold the knee effectively all the way through the course of the match. I did not really like how 2 Cold sold, though; all he did was get hit by Sabu’s moves, and get up before him. I do not think that selling is that believable. However, 2 Cold and Sabu clicked at the end, and put a good string of dramatic near-falls and counters at the end to get you on the edge of your seat. **** (Written by: Kyle, ECW Cyberslam ’96 Review)

3.) Pitbulls cut a promo in the woods saying they only need one night to win the ECW Tag Team Championships. They are focused on both the Eliminators and the Bruise Brothers. The Bruise Brothers are going to pay for turning on Tommy Dreamer.

4.) Missy Hyatt is with the Sandman and says that Stevie Richards should have never tried to sue her. Hyatt wants Sandman to make Richards suffer pain and suffer bad. Sandman says what momma wants, momma gets.

5.) Stevie Richards and the Blue Meanie cut a promo as if they are the Freebirds. They talk to the Dudley crew where they suggest that Bubba could teach Meanie some dance moves. Bubba is seen dancing and backs into Meanie and they mimic each other. Meanie runs into a wall and falls down.

6.) Brian Pillman is in a limo with a lawyer apparently. There is something that says “early termination” and Pillman laughs.

7.) ECW Tag Team Champions the Eliminators cut a promo about winning the titles and what they had to do to win. Saturn wonders what they will do to keep them.

8.) Pillman is naked on the couch saying that he has been stripped of everything but that Eric has given him the greatest gift of all, and that is to be free.

Final Thoughts:
Nothing really advanced here this week as it was just a hype show for the big events coming up. The Scorpio/Sabu match takes up half the show, and is worth the watch, so there’s that going for the show. I prefer there to be some kind of advancement, though.

Thanks for reading.