ECW Hardcore TV 4/26/1997

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 4/26/1997
From: Monaca, PA

Matches:
1.) Chris Chetti & Spike Dudley defeated Tracy Smothers & Little Guido
2.) Balls Mahoney defeated Cpl. Punishment

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Rick Rude opens the show cutting a promo on Shane Douglas saying that the Triple Threat is no more and that Francine has the hots for him. Rude says that Douglas can’t click his heels together three times and make everything good again. Rude says that Douglas is a boil on the booty of life.

2.) Joey Styles goes over how Brian Lee took the money from Rick Rude and turned on Shane Douglas at ECW Barely Legal. Thus, the Triple Threat is no more in ECW.

3.) ECW Television Champion Shane Douglas and Francine cut a promo. Douglas says that Rude isn’t man enough to win the title. He also shows his muscles saying that Rude isn’t akan anymore to show them. Douglas believes that Rude is ashamed of what he used to be and what he is now. Douglas knows that Rude would have had a woman like Francine, been the champion and had his muscles. Plus, a match with Douglas is what he would have loved to happen. But, now he’s a shell of himself. Rude isn’t man enough to take what he has. Douglas is relying on money to get people to do the job he can’t do anymore. Douglas says that Rude is stepping into his trap instead of being ahead of the game. Douglas finishes off saying that Rude is good for nothing.

4.) Raven is laying on a bench saying that they took everything he had. The woman he loved, the belt he had, the cult he developed and the devotion he controlled. He has no remorse, no guilt and no conscience. Now, he has truly nothing left to live for. Expect now he is going to take ECW World Champion Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer with him. He wants Stevie Richards to come back to him. He is proud of Stevie and he earned his keep. There is one final mission to burn the place down, kill the Funk and kill the dream. Raven wants Stevie to come home because he misses him. All is forgiven.

5.) Stevie Richards isn’t so sure that Raven forgives him. However, Richards doesn’t forgive Raven. For every victory he has it’s for everyone person that picked him last in kickball. Every victory is for the girls that wouldn’t give him a second chance. They are also for the big guys in the locker room that didn’t believe him. It’s also a victory over Raven because he is the man that made him feel worthless and wouldn’t amount to anything in life. Jealously has many faces but none wear a smile, which he says with a smile.

6.) The Full Blooded Italians are dealing with some issues against rookie Chris Chetti. Before the Barely Legal pay per view, Chetti teamed with JT Smith to take on the FBI. However, JT’s return to ECW was for one night. Apparently, the FBI have a contract out on Chetti.

7.) Chetti and Guido start the tag match. Guido controls Chetti with a side headlock and gets a two count after a shoulder block. Chetti takes Guido down with an arm drag and controls the left arm of Guido. Guido tries to break free but Chetti holds on. Spike tags in and takes Guido down with a wrist lock and a leg drop. Chetti quickly tags back in after Spike drops Guido’s arm over the top rope. Guido jabs Chetti and Smothers tags in but is taken down with a drop toe hold. Smothers backs Chetti into the corner but Spike tags in managing to get a near fall with a rollup. Smothers works over Spike with a few overhand strikes and stomps. Spike connects with a head scissors and hurricanrana on Smothers for a near fall. Spike comes off the top with a cross body but Smothers rolls through for a two count. Spike almost pins Smothers while he was yelling at the referee. Spike keeps Smothers on the mat with a headlock. Smothers drives Spike down with a back suplex but misses an elbow drop. Spike dropkicks Smothers to the floor and Chetti dives over the top to take the FBI out with a cross body to the outside! Chetti hits Tommy Rich with right hands while Spike baseball slides Guido and Smothers. Smothers sends Spike into the ropes and Rich pulls down the top rope to allow Guido to send Spike into the guard railing back first. Rich drops Spike groin first over the guard railing to help out his team while the referee is distracted. Guido scoop slams Spike followed by an elbow drop for a two count.

Guido sends Spike into Smothers boot in the corner and they hit a double elbow drop allowing Guido to get a near fall. Guido taunts Chetti by spitting at him and double team Spike while the referee is holding Chetti back in the corner. Spike nearly pins Smothers with a rollup, but Smothers comes back with a running clothesline. Guido and Smothers double dropkick Spike for a near fall. Spike comes back with a cross body on Guido for a near fall, but he can’t escape. Smothers tags back in and continues to kick Spike on the canvas. Smothers drops Spike with a leaping spin kick and tags out to Guido. Spike is sent into the ropes and is met with a double clothesline for a near fall. Smothers comes back in and taunts the fans while Spike is laid out. Spike fights back with a Fame-Asser and gets his knees up to block a splash. Chetti gets tagged in and cleans house with dropkicks and a spinning heel kick on smothers. Chetti scoop slams Smothers before heading to the top and goes more than halfway across the ring to hit a somersault leg drop on Smothers for a two count. Smothers and Guido hit double clotheslines to regain control of the match. Smothers comes off the top to uppercut Spike. Guido runs into a boot from Chetti, who is being held by Rich. Chetti backdrops Smothers to the floor and brings Rich into the ring. Rich clotheslines Guido and is decked to the floor. Chetti has a cradle on Guido and wins the match! (**1/4. A perfectly acceptable TV match and it really showcased Chetti very well here. His top rope somersault leg drop was impressive as he went more than halfway across the ring. Chetti is a really solid talent in-ring and his TV push is going well, I’d say.)

8.) Footage of Chris Candido and Sunny arriving to the ECW Arena is shown. Candido has his arm in a sling and is freaking out about Brian Lee turning on the Triple Threat. Rob Van Dam walks up and pinches Sunny’s butt causing Candido to attack him. RVD laughs before walking off.

9.) There is footage of Candido cutting a promo at a recent ECW house show is shown. Of course, the sound quality isn’t so great. RVD and Sabu ended up coming into the ring and they attack Candido, who has one good arm. Taz casually enters the ring and takes RVD over with a German suplex. Sabu misses a clothesline and gets sent over the top to the floor with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Taz taunts Sabu before kicking him off the apron. Candido wants to shake hands but Taz takes Candido over with a northern lights suplex.

10.) As you might expect, Balls Mahoney makes relatively short work of Cpl. Punishment. Mahoney delivers a few chair shots during the match and wins the match following a top rope elbow drop.

11.) Bill Alfonso is with Sabu and says that he hates Taz. Anytime Taz had something wrong with him he went home. Meanwhile, Sabu tapes himself up and gets big checks. Rob Van Dam comes over and calms down Alfonso. RVD turns to the camera and shows a video putting himself over. He’s essentially pitching himself to appear on Monday nights. He is looking forward to taking it “easier” on Monday nights. He doesn’t want to get taped up and full of bandaids, which offends Sabu. RVD begs the Monday night guys to call him to close the show.

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed the episode as they advanced the issues coming out of Barely Legal rather well. Douglas and Rude are doing very well on the promos to carry their war of words feud, which shouldn’t come to a surprise. The tag match was a quality tag match and everything served a purpose here, for the most part.

Thanks for reading.