ECW Hardcore TV 5/24/1997

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 5/24/1997
From: Buffalo, NY

Matches:
1.) Taz defeated Spike Dudley
2.) Raven & Stevie Richards defeated Tommy Dreamer & ECW World Champion Terry Funk

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) The show opens with highlights of ECW Television Champion Shane Douglas battling Chris Chetti in a singles match. Chetti crotches Douglas on the top turnbuckle and hit a superplex back into the ring for a near fall. Chetti drops Douglas a few clotheslines for a two count. Chetti comes off the ropes with a swinging neck breaker for another two count. Douglas attempts a slam but Chetti drops Douglas with a super kick. Chetti misses a double springboard moonsault and Douglas finishes him off with a belly to belly suplex to retain the title.

2.) Taz quickly takes Dudley down to the mat and controls the ankle for a moment unable to get a submission. Taz continues his advantage with a hip toss and taunts Spike. Taz hammers away on Spike with overhand strikes. Spike dropkicks Taz out of the ring and takes Taz out with a cross body on the floor. Spike works over Taz with a chop in the corner but Taz plants Spike with a double leg slam out of the corner. Taz continues to work over Spike with a few overhand strikes. Spike attempted a backslide but Taz counters with a clothesline. Taz grabs Spike hitting a German suplex. Taz is taunting Sabu during the match. Spike low blows Taz and nearly wins with a few rollup attempts. Spike hits a bulldog out of the corner for a near fall. Taz tosses Spike away on a second bulldog attempt. Taz ducks a clothesline and drops Spike with a t-bone suplex. Spike boots Taz in the corner but Taz takes Spike over with a suplex. Spike dropkicks a seated Taz followed by a forearm shot. Taz manages to get the Taz Mission locked in and Spike taps out. (*1/2. It’s exactly what you’d expect when you’re looking to continue the dominating run that Taz has had in ECW. Spike did well here and had a few moments to shine.)

3.) We see various highlights from other matches on the show which included a match between Spicolli and Dreamer where Spicolli sent Dreamer down empty bleachers. ECW Tag Team Champions The Eliminators won an elimination three way dance against the Dudley Boys and The Gangstas by hitting a double Total Elimination to win the match. Rick Rude thinks they are the best tag team in the world today.

4.) Chris Candido cut a promo saying that he knew Rob Van Dam was on WWF RAW to get closer to Sunny. But, instead it’s because he fits in with the WWF because he’s an asshole. Rude suggests that Rob Van Dam get a jar of KY because it’s going to get rough.

5.) Raven cuts a promo about various artists not selling out to major mainstream. Raven feels the pain of the fans for when a wrestler sells out to wrestle on Monday nights. He smirks after saying “how could you Rob Van Dam?”

6.) The Pitbulls want a piece of Rob Van Dam and Sabu. The Sandman is backstage drinking a beer to comment on Rob Van Dam. Sandman will become sober and get in the ring with Rob Van Dam. Bill Alfonso doesn’t think he has a problem that Vince McMahon said he had. ECW World Champion Terry Funk also wants to talk about Rob Van Dam. Funk has been just about everywhere in wrestling and enjoys his freedom. Funk says that RVD is giving away his freedom by competing on Monday nights. Funk believes that RVD is going to get lost in the shuffle. ECW Television Champion Shane Douglas says that WWF stands for “We Want Franchise” but since they can’t have him, they will settle for RVD. Louie Spicolli asks that Rob Van Dam say hello to Shawn and Hunter for him. Tommy Dreamer doesn’t consider Rob Van Dam to be one of them anymore and is a sellout. Dreamer says that RVD broke the cardinal rule of never selling out. He’ll never expect when the hit occurs. Joel Gertner and the Dudley Boys share their opinions on RVD calling him a real piece of crap. They are going to kick his ass along with Terry Funk, the Sandman, the Pitbulls, The Gangstas and the Eliminators. They are coming for the ECW Tag Team Championships. They also think that Tommy Dreamer is a piece of crap. Bubba thinks that RVD should have just stayed here to hangout with pieces of crap. Saturn and Kronus talk about the situation but Saturn doesn’t really care about it. Saturn suggests that RVD and Sabu stay out of their way. Tracy Smothers can’t believe what RVD is doing and says he could never be one of them. Little Guido is disappointed in RVD too. Tommy Rich acts like he doesn’t know who Rob Van Dam and thinks they are talking about Jean Claude Van Damme. Rich thinks that Gordon Solie is on Monday nights. Bill Alfonso is happy about RVD’s new business plan because he makes a lot of money. Chris Chetti says that he may only be a rookie but he would love to show RVD what ECW means to him. Francine says she has done a lot of things for money, but she’d never do what RVD did. Beulah asks RVD if he knows how much heat he has with the company. Beulah knows that RVD has bitten off more than he can chew. She was wearing a neck brace, by the way. Balls Mahoney is going to smash RVD with a steel chair. Todd Gordon puts over RVD’s business career but says that RVD has been suspended so he won’t make money from them.

9.) Tod Gordon is in the ring asking both Dreamer and Raven who they pick for their dream tag partner. Dreamer picks ECW World Champion while Raven picks Stevie Richards.

10.) Dreamer and Richards start the tag match with Richards shoving Raven on the apron as Raven tries to get Richards under his spell. Richards works over Dreamer int he corner but Dreamer turns it around with chops. Dreamer tags in Funk who simply shoves Richards into the corner and they lockup. Richards chops Funk in the corner a few times and can’t send Funk across the ring. Funk shoulder blocks Richards sending him into the corner. Funk tags in Dreamer and they work over Richards in the corner with chops. Richards comes off the ropes and is met with a double right hand to the face. Dreamer takes Richards down with a delayed vertical suplex. Dreamer taunts Raven trying to tag him in but Raven drops to the floor. Dreamer rams Richards face first into the corner and Funk hits a vertical suplex on Richards. Funk continues with a neck breaker. Richards goes to his corner where Raven asks if Richards is going to fight like a man or a piece of shit. Raven demands that Richards kick Funk’s ass. Richards decides against fighting Funk and tags in Raven. Raven circles the ring and tags back out to Richards. Funk sends Richards to the floor but all four men brawl on the floor. Raven works over Funk while Dreamer brawls with Richards. Raven leaps over the top rope to put Funk through a table at ringside. Funk sends Raven into the guard railing and Dreamer continues to brawl with Richards in the aisle way. Funk hits Raven over the back with a chair.

During a commercial break, Richards delivered a piledriver on Funk and controls Funk on the mat with a sleeper hold. Raven tags in to deliver a forearm drop on Funk. Funk gets up and headbutts Raven but gets met with right hands from Richards. Dreamer storms into the ring trying to help Funk but Raven dumps Funk over the top to the floor. Richards hits Funk over the right knee with a steel chair. Raven sends Funk into a broken table against the ropes causing the table to land on top of Funk. Raven drives Funk head first into the table again to break it. Dreamer enters and gets decked by Richards from the apron. Richards tags in and controls the left leg with a leg lock. Raven is annoyed with Richards and demands to get tagged in. Raven plants Funk with a DDT! Raven put a spinning toe hold on Funk but goes to the floor to brawl with Dreamer. Richards tries the spinning toe hold on Funk. Raven enters and shoves Richards before hitting a DDT on Richards. Raven goes back to the spinning toe hold. Dreamer comes up and nearly pins Raven with a rollup. Raven drives Dreamer into the referee but Dreamer hits the DDT and has the cover without a referee. Louie Spicolli runs into the ring and attacks Dreamer. Spicoolli is met with a low blow. Raven clotheslines Dreamer to the floor. Funk whacks Raven with a steel chair and jabs Spicolli several times. Spicolli goes for a Death Valley Driver but Richards super kicks Spicolli and pins Funk! (**. It’s a fine brawl and the match was heavy on the angle between Raven and Richards it felt like. Spicolli’s involvement protected the face team while continuing the feud with Dreamer, too. It’s a big win for Richards as he seems to be in line for a possible ECW World Championship feud in the coming weeks or months.)

Final Thoughts:
They really drove home the angle of RVD being a traitor that has appeared on WWF television trying to work for a major wrestling company. I thought the overall episode was decent this week as ECW Hardcore TV is an easy 45-minute watch.

Thanks for reading.