ECW Hardcore TV 5/31/1997

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 5/31/1997
From: Monaca, PA

Matches:
1.) Dudley Boys defeated Spike Dudley & Mikey Whipwreck
2.) The Sandman fought Balls Mahoney to a no contest

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) The program starts off with footage of Taz attacking Chris Chetti and Danny Doring during a singles match they were having. Taz grabs a microphone and says he is the baddest mother f’er in pro wrestling today. The fans seem to agree with that assessment. As Taz leaves he yells into the camera towards Sabu saying that this has only just begun.

2.) Rick Rude and Joey Styles talk about the Wrestlepalooza event taking place in June. ECW World Champion Terry Funk will defend against Stevie Richards.

3.) Stevie Richards cuts a promo backstage and talks about being raised in Philadelphia all his life. He’ll never forget seeing the Midnight Express winning the NWA Tag Team Championships in September 1988. That moment was when he realized he wanted to be a pro wrestler. The only time he ever felt good was when he was part of professional wrestling. He wants to be a superstar and wants kids to walk up to him on the street wanting his autograph. Richards says it’s a high that he can’t explain. He recalls going to wrestling school and was told he didn’t have what it takes. Richards prayed to God to give him a chance. In 1995, a man offered to teach him but he was abused during it and he sold out. He didn’t sell out to the WWF or WCW but rather sold out right in front of everyone in ECW. Richards had a man abuse him for 2 1/2 years until he finally came up with an idea of his own in the Blue World Order. Richards doesn’t think that Raven really wants to end his pain. He wants to live a normal fulfilling life. The only way that’s going to happen is by winning the ECW World Championship on June 7th. Richards never gave himself that much credit to reach this opportunity. Richards has much respect and admiration for ECW World Champion Terry Funk. Richards is going to bring pain to Funk on June 7th and will fulfill his dream of being the ECW World Champion in his hometown.

4.) Blue Meanie and Nova cut a promo like they are Scott Hall and Hulk Hogan. Meanie says that Richards will not leave the Blue World Order behind.

5.) Rick Rude says that he will be in Trenton, New Jersey for an ECW live event and he will slap Joel Gertner in the face.

6.) Bubba hip tosses Spike at the start of the contest. Bubba lifts Spike into the air and drops him face first onto the canvas. Bubba press slams Spike to continue his advantage. Bubba puts a full nelson on Spike but Spike counters with a couple of arm drags. Spike comes off the ropes with a few forearms to knock Bubba to the floor. Mikey enters and hammers away on D-Von followed by a double dropkick to send him to the floor. Whipwreck backdrops Spike to the floor, but Bubba avoids it. Mikey takes D-Von out with a somersault dive on the floor. Mikey hip tosses and arm drags D-Von followed by a dropkick. Mikey short arm clotheslines D-Von while Bubba tosses Spike into the guard railing. D-Von stops Whipwreck with a clothesline. Mikey comes off the ropes and is met with a double shoulder block. Bubba drops Mikey with a vertical suplex for a near fall. Spike tags back in and hammers away on Bubba. Bubba attempts a suplex on Spike, but Spike snap mares Bubba followed by a dropkick. Spike takes Bubba over with a hurricanrana for a near fall. Bubba plants Spike with a side walk slam. D-Von comes off the middle rope to leg drop Spike. D-Von connects with a spinning back elbow strike. Spike boots D-Von in the corner and leaps off the middle rope only to be caught in midair by D-Von who hit a power slam. Spike is taken down with a double vertical suplex. Bubba drives Spike down with a power bomb and taunts Spike by slapping his face. Spike low blows Bubba and gets a rollup for a near fall. Bubba cuts Spike off with a clothesline. Spike manages to tag in Whipwreck who head scissors Bubba and takes D-Von over with a hurricanrana. Mikey takes Bubba out with a cross body on the floor. Bubba whacks Whipwreck over the head with a steel chair on the floor. Spike is choking D-Von against the ropes but he is quickly met with a 3D and that’s it. (*1/2. There wasn’t much investment into the match and the action was rather basic.) After the match, Whipwreck attacks the Dudley Boys with a chair and breaks the chair over Big Dick’s head. However, Big Dick no sells it and choke slams Whipwreck. A few wrestlers from the backstage area come out to help out but they get choke slammed and taken out by the Dudley Boys. Balls Mahoney enters the ring with a steel chair and it takes three chair shots to knock Big Dick over the top to the floor. Joel Gertner is nearly hit by Mahoney but he’s pulled to the floor.

7.) Balls Mahoney remains in the ring to cut a promo saying that he drove all the way from New Jersey to be at the arena. He doesn’t understand why nobody wants to get in the ring with him. He’s begging someone to get in the ring with him. He thinks that if he had $1,000 nobody would still come out. Mahoney lays on his back for someone to come out to the ring. His challenge is eventually accepted by the Sandman. The winner of the match will get a beer.

8.) Mahoney has a chair while Sandman has his kendo stick in hand. Mahoney avoids Sandman in the corner and whacks him over the head with the chair. Sandman is laid out in the middle of the ring as Mahoney delivers a leg drop onto the chair for a near fall. Mahoney jabs Sandman in the midsection with the chair. Mahoney scoop slams Sandman and puts the chair over his body. Mahoney comes off the middle rope with an elbow drop for a near fall. Mahoney works over Sandman with right hands. Mahoney pummels a bloody Sandman with right hands. Mahoney attempts an atomic drop but Sandman counters with a DDT. Mahoney puts a chair on Sandman and delivers a baseball slide dropkick sending Sandman to the floor. Mahoney goes to the floor and hammers away on Sandman with right hands. Mahoney has a hammer used for the ring bell and jabs Sandman with a few times with it on the back of his head. Sandman battles back with a few strikes but is sent into the guard railing upside down. Mahoney grabs the kendo stick in the ring and misses a shot. Sandman plants Mahoney with a DDT for a near fall. Sandman grabs his kendo stick and whacks Mahoney over the head with it. Mahoney struggles to stay on his feet but gets knocked to the floor. Bubba and D-Von attack Mahoney on the floor. Big Dick Dudley also gets a few shots in. Sandman jumps over the top rope to hit the Dudley Boys to save Mahoney. Dudley Boys roll both Mahoney and Sandman into the ring. Sandman eats a 3D. Big Dick drives Mahoney to the canvas with a choke slam. Tommy Dreamer slides into the ring and make the save with right hands cleaning house. Louie Spicolli slides into the ring and attacks Dreamer. ECW World Champion Terry Funk comes to the ring through the crowd and attacks the Dudley Boys. Stevie Richards comes into the ring and super kicks Bubba Dudley! Funk attacks Richards with right hands but misses a clothesline. Richards lays out Funk with a super kick and poses for the crowd. (1/2*. The wrestling match portion didn’t do much for me and I didn’t care for it. The aftermath was nicely done and I like that Richards stood tall.)

Final Thoughts:
The major focus this week was Stevie Richards and trying to make him a main event guy. Personally, his promo didn’t impress me and felt like a typical face promo. When you have so many great talkers who don’t follow the normal routine it becomes painfully clear when someone does do that. I’d say this was a skippable episode of ECW TV.

Thanks for reading.