Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling House Show
Date: 4/29/1995
From: Dover, DE
Opening Contest: Hack Myers & Mikey Whipwreck vs. Stevie Richards & Raven: Whipwreck and Richards start the match after Richards begged Raven to allow him to start the contest. Richards works over Mikey with strikes to start the contest. Whipwreck monkey flips Richards followed by a hip toss. Richards regroups in the corner and tells Raven that he has this under control. Myers tags in ti try his luck against Richards. Richards eye rakes Myers but is met with a forearm shot and Richards goes back to his corner where he tags in Raven. Myers runs over Raven with a shoulder block and plays to the crowd. Mikey tags in and comes off the top across Raven’s arm before applying an arm lock. Mikey counters a suplex with a suplex of his own and Richards tags back into the contest. Richards works over Mikey with chops in the corner. Whipwreck head scissors Richards out of the corner and controls Stevie with an arm bar. Mikey elbows Richards in the corner and Myers comes off the middle rope with a forearm shot. Myers and Whipwreck control Richards with forearm shots off the middle rope a few times. Richards misses an elbow drop and Whipwreck controls the left arm. Richards kicks Mikey to the canvas and tags in Raven.
Raven continues to work over Whipwreck with overhand strikes across the back. Mikey goes for a sunset flip and takes Raven down for a near fall. Richards tags in and eventually collides with Raven, who was running the ropes. Mikey rams them into each other head first and tags in Myers. Hack controls Raven with a hammerlcok but is met with a back elbow before being sent over the top to the floor. Raven leaps over the top to take Myers out with a cross body. Whipwreck takes both Raven and Richards out with a somersault dive to the floor. Richards and Mikey are brawling in the ring where Mikey gets a two count. Myers is hammering away on Raven outside the ring. Mikey has a hammerlock on Richards before tagging in Myers. Myers hit an arm breaker before controlling Richards on the canvas. Richards gets up and shoulder blocks Myers but is met with an arm drag on a second attempt. Whipwreck tags back in and focuses on the left arm some more. Myers tags in and works over Raven, who is the new legal man. Raven comes off the ropes and spikes Myers with a quick DDT. Raven goes for the cover but Myers kicks out at two. Richards tags back in they knock Myers down with an elbow strike. Richards nails Myers with a super kick but can’t get a three count. Raven comes off the middle rope with a double axe handle on Myers. Raven misses a splash in the corner and crashes to the canvas. Mikey comes in and cleans house with dropkicks and a clotheslines. Raven is sent over the top to the floor. Mikey hits a top rope bulldog but can’t get a three as Raven breaks up the cover attempt. Raven tags in while Mikey hit an atomic drop on Richards. Raven nails Mikey with a running clothesline out of the corner for a near fall. Raven rams Mikey head first into the corner. Raven continues to control Mikey with a snap suplex for a near fall. Mikey counters a backdrop attempt with a DDT. Richards and Myers get tagged in with Myers cleaning house with forearm strikes. Myers i sent to the floor by Raven and Mikey hit a cross body off the top to pin Richards! After the match, Raven attacks Whipwreck hitting a DDT. Richards stomps on Mikey several times before 911 makes his way down to the ring. They want to be friends but instead 911 grabs them by the throat and hits a double choke slam. (**. Not a bad match, but it wasn’t high energy or anything to get the crowd heavily pumped up for the rest of the show. I do like the team of Richards and Raven, though.)
The Pitbulls make their way down to the ring and decide to cut a promo on Public Enemy proclaiming that they are the champions and they want the Public Enemy right now. Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge rundown to the ring and they have a brawl that the fans don’t seem to really care about. The Pitbulls controlled a good portion of it until they went to the floor and Public Enemy hit them with a few weapons.
Second Contest: Shane Douglas vs. Marty Jannetty: Douglas is wearing a WWF t-shirt since he is soon heading there to be known as Dean Douglas for eight months. Douglas wants to shake hands but Jannetty isn’t interested in that. Douglas eventually gets the handshake and tries to kick Jannetty, but that is blocked. Marty fakes a low blow and spins Douglas around only to be met with a right hand. Marty nearly wins with a rollup and works over Douglas with a wrist lock briefly. Jannetty decks Douglas with a right hand and has a hammerlock locked in. Douglas works over Jannetty with an elbow strike but misses a clotheslines and Marty hits a standing hurricanrana for a two count. Marty follows up with a clothesline sending Douglas over the top to the floor. Marty pulls Douglas to the apron and tries for a suplex but Douglas is holding onto the ropes. Jannetty is able to get Douglas back into the ring with a suplex for a two count. Jannetty keeps Douglas grounded with an arm lock on the canvas. Douglas punches Jannetty on the apron and clubs Marty across the chest a few times. Marty blocks a strike to drop Douglas throat first across the top rope. Jannetty goes for the cover but Douglas appears to be hurting for real as he didn’t even try to kick out. So, Marty gout out and puts a figure four on Douglas. Shane has his shoulders on the canvas and Marty wins the match. (DUD. That was pretty bad, honestly. I’m having to believe that Douglas got legit hurt following the throat across the top rope. That’s a bummer as I was kind of hoping this would be a show stealing match. This was a major disappointment due to an apparent injury.) After the match, Jannetty and several officials are checking on Douglas. Douglas is put on a stretcher and carried to the backstage area.
Third Contest: Ron Simmons vs. Jim Neidhart: Neidhart doesn’t really fit into the ECW style, in my opinion, so it is kind of weird to see him wrestling here for ECW. Neidhart tries to shoulder block Simmons, but Ron doesn’t budge and instead shows off his muscles. They do an awkward sequence where Neidhart sends Simmons into the ropes and then runs to the other ropes for some reason and they just stand there looking dumb. Simmons shoulder blocks Neidhart out of the corner and sends him to the floor following another shoulder block. Neidhart wants a test of strength and Simmons gives in to the request. Neidhart kicks Simmons a few times to drop him to his knees and keeps control of the bout. Simmons takes Neidhart over with a backdrop and has a hold of Jim’s arm on the canvas. Simmons scoop slams Neidhart and heads to the top rope. Simmons leaps off but misses a shoulder block attempt. Jim works over Simmons with several overhand strikes and a throat thrust. Neidhart works over Simmons some more in the corner choking him over the middle rope. They go to the floor where Neidhart continues to punish Simmons ramming him into the ring post back first. Neidhart has a bear hug on Simmons back in the ring. Jim eye rakes Simmons and delivers a scoop slam before locking in a camel clutch. Simmons gets to his feet and rams Neidhart back first into the corner. Simmons runs into a high knee in the corner and Neidhart knocks Simmons down to the canvas. Neidhart looks for a submission with a cobra clutch but Simmons doesn’t give up and prevents his arm from dropping three times. Neidhart comes off the middle rope but is met with a strike in the midsection. Simmons hits a leaping shoulder block and has a second wind. Simmons misses a splash in the corner and Neidhart hit a back suplex but both men have their shoulders down. Simmons pops his shoulder up and wins the match. (*. I feel like I’ve been seeing that finish more and more in this era of ECW. This was a WCW match stuck in an ECW ring and the fans didn’t really react much to it.)
Prior to the next match, the Pitbulls decide to go backstage after a promo I couldn’t quite understand. They eventually return to the ring.
Fourth Contest: ECW Tag Team Champions Public Enemy vs. The Pitbulls: Rock is sent hard back first into the corner as Pitbullt #1 taunts the fans. I’m guessing the formula tag match will not be existent tonight, really. Rock super kicks #1 into the corner but #1 comes back with a spinning heel kick in the corner. #1 continues to work over Rock with basic stomps as #2 gets tagged in and does the same. #2 taunts Grunge before slamming Rock to the canvas and tagging in #1. Rock clotheslines #1 over the top to the floor and that makes for the match to breakdown it looks like. Richards is on the apron while Public Enemy attacked #2. #1 is back in the ring and all four men are brawling in and out of the ring. #1 tosses Rock over the railing into the crowd and whacks Rock with a chair over the back. Rock gets out of a hip toss attempt and dropkicks #1. Grunge comes off the top to hit a side slam/elbow drop combo. Grunge gets out of a suplex attempt and clotheslines #1. Grunge misses a splash in the corner and #1 gets to the apron heading to the top rope. Grunge nails him with a strike to the midsection in midair followed by a clothesline and both men are down. Grunge has been busted open as he continues to be worked over by the challengers. #1 has Grunge over his shoulder hitting a running power slam for a two count. Grunge nearly wins with a surprise sunset flip attempt. All four men are brawling with everyone going to the floor. #1 is digging the ring bell into Grunge’s forehead and ramming him face first onto the announcers table. Grunge sends #1 into the guard railing while #2 and Rock are brawling somewhere in the crowd. They are brawling into the crowd but the camera guy isn’t really able to see much of what is going on. #1 has Grunge but Rock enters to dropkick Grunge on top and they win the match. (*. I didn’t enjoy this match as it should have just been a wild brawl from the start. It didn’t play off very well from the earlier angle they had done. The crowd popped for the finish, so they must have gotten the fans into the match. However, from watching it now it didn’t deliver.)
Fifth Contest: Ian Rotten vs. Axl Rotten in a barbed wire baseball bat match: The baseball bat is placed in the middle of the ring and Ian, the heel, got the first entrance. So, of course he beats down Axl to start the match with the baseball bat. This is likely going to be bloody and just brawling, which is exactly what it should be. Ian misses a wild shot with the bat and Axl beats on Ian with the bat as they go to the floor. Axl is rubbing the barbed wire bat against Ian’s head. That is the main premise of the match is various barbed wire bat shots to the arm and face. They eventually brawl into the crowd and this time the camera guy is right there to follow along. Ian splashes the barbed wire bat onto Axl but only manages a two count. They are both bloody as Axl whacks Ian across the chest with the barbed wire bat. Ian low blows Axl in the corner and gets the bat that the referee had to retrieve from the floor. Ian attempts to sit down on Axl but is met with barbed wire to the groin. Axl places the barbed wire bat on Ian and comes off the middle rope to hit a splash for the win. (*. These kind of matches are entertaining for maybe five minutes, and of course this went over ten. The gruesome nature of the match really wears off quickly for me.)
Well, the show appears to be missing an Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Mlalenko and a Tommy Dreamer vs. Sandman match. Funk comes out and attacks Dreamer during his apparent match with Sandman and beats on him in the front row. Here comes Cactus Jack with a trash can hitting Funk and Sandman with it.
Main Event: Terry Funk vs. Cactus Jack: Cactus whacks Funk over the back with a chair as they enter the ring. Cactus smashes something over Funk’s head as they go back to the floor. Cactus puts the trash can over Terry’s head but doesn’t hit him with a chair shot. Cactus leaps off the apron missing an elbow drop hitting the trash can instead. Funk rams Cactus head first onto a table before hitting him with another chair over the back. Funk drives Cactus knee first on the table several times along with chair shots. Funk whacks Jack’s knee with a step stool of sorts. Sandman is back at ringside hitting Cactus with a kendo stick several times. Sandman goes to hit Cactus with a kendo stick but misses and hits Terry on accident. Funk decks Sandman with a right hand. Cactus ends up getting a rollup on Funk and wins the match. (DUD. Wow, talk about a lackluster main event. People had to have felt screwed over for this kind of match.) After the match, Tommy Dreamer and Mikey Whipwreck rundown for the save to end the show.
Final Thoughts:
Well, I am quite disappointed with what ECW provided here. The card on paper looks like it could have been a good show. However, an injury to Douglas destroyed that match from being any good and it seemed like the top matches weren’t given much of a chance to be anything good. Cactus/Funk seems like an example of promoting a huge match and then coping out to give us a lackluster quality match just to get money from the fans. This gets a big thumbs down from me.
Thanks for reading.