Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 4/12/1997
From: Queens, NY
Matches:
1.) ECW Tag Team Champions Dudley Boys defeated The Gangstas and The Eliminators in an elimination match to retain the titles
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Pitbull #1 says you can’t work in a place like ECW without injuries so he didn’t know he had a broken neck for two days. He had to save his partner with his neck brace and halo. He promises to break the neck of ECW Television Champion, Shane Douglas.
2.) Footage of a match between RVD and Pitbull #2 is shown. During the match, RVD took Pitbull #1 out with a dive to the floor and medics come out to check on the injured Pitbull. Shane Douglas came out and put a full nelson on Pitbull #1 but Pitbull #2 made the save for his buddy.
3.) Dudley Boys just cut a promo basically saying they’ll take the best the Eliminators have to offer and will remain the ECW Tag Team Champions on April 13th.
4.) At one point in the elimination tag match, New Jack jumped off the balcony to put D-Von Dudley through a table in the crowd. As you’d expect involving these three teams it’s mostly while brawl. The match is clipped so an overall feeling for the match isn’t really there. Saturn smashed Jack with a chair after he came off the top rope. Bubba pins Jack following an ace crusher. Saturn came off the top to elbow drop Bubba and D-Von gets crotched on the top allowing Kronus to deliver a spin kick. The referee gets blinded by powder. Eliminators work over Dudley Boys with kicks and Bubba gets dropped with Total Elimination! D-Von rolls Saturn up from behind and has a handful of tights to get the win. Saturn had kicked Sign Guy just moments prior and that cost him the match. After the match, Joel Gertner is in the ring and the Eliminators take Sign Guy out with get rid of their frustrations.
5.) Eliminators say that Sunday night is the biggest night of their careers while it will be the worst for the Dudley Boys. They will become three time ECW Tag Team Champions.
6.) Tommy Dreamer promises that April 13th will be a night that ECW World Champion Raven always remembers and a night that Terry Funk never forgets.
7.) Taz cut a promo from his dojo saying that the ring is his domain and Sabu is a welcomed visitor. Taz wants the old Sabu to show up on April 13th. The Sabu that would give 150%. Taz says he has to choke out Sabu because he waited two years for this match and Sabu is going to pay for making him wait so long.
8.) ECW World Champion Raven cut a promo taking about how we either make our own choices, they are made for us or there isn’t a choice to be made at all. He recently went to a 117 year old fortune reader. The reader used another language but Raven made out fear and dreams. Three men will need a miracle and all this pain and torment makes him feel alive and he likes it.
9.) Terry Funk went and to his fathers grave where he says he goes to get strength when he needs it. Funk notes that his family members are going to be there on April 13th and his father will be there in spirit. If he is going to beat Raven it’s going to be one step at a time. This one is for his father.
Final Thoughts:
Well, every major feud got touched upon and the tag team title match was advanced with an actual match on the show. So, this is a really good go-home show and effectively gave some last minute hype for the first pay per view. Well done, ECW.
Thanks for reading.