ECW Hardcore TV 1/2/1999

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 1/2/1999
From: Queens, NY

Matches:
1.) Tajiri defeated Pablo Marquez
2.) Super Crazy defeated Antifaz Del Norte
3.) ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Skull Von Krush to retain the title
4.) Spike Dudley defeated Lance Storm

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Terry Funk comes out during a Tommy Dreamer vs. Justin Credible match as both men are laid out. Funk asks Dreamer if he saved the last dance for him and delivers a few stomps. Funk slaps Dreamer in the corner and hits Tommy with the microphone before grabbing a steel chair. Funk sits down on the chair and continues to taunt Dreamer and slaps him. Funk wants Dreamer to do something and calls him disrespectful. Funk smashes Dreamer’s face onto the chair.

2.) Joey Styles is in the ring and announces that the show is back on MSG. The fans chant for MSG. Styles also promotes the Guilty As Charged pay per view taking place in eight days. Styles says they have a problem. They don’t have a challenger for the ECW World Champion Shane Douglas. Douglas and Francine come out for an interview. Douglas told us that Sabu wouldn’t make it to the pay per view, and he was right. Douglas puts himself over as being the best wrestler in this sport for the last several years. Douglas always has a plan when he walks the aisle. Douglas enlisted the help of Taz to take out Sabu to make sure Sabu wouldn’t make it to January 10th. So, Douglas wants Taz to come out so he can give him some stuff.

Taz makes his way out to confront Douglas. Douglas tells Taz he has a lot of cash and tells Taz to name his price and it’s all his. Douglas hugs Taz, but Taz doesn’t embrace him. That concerns Douglas for a second. Taz tells Douglas that he doesn’t need his money and he doesn’t need his “rat”. Taz doesn’t need to be part of the Triple Threat because that’s dead. Taz did the heist and Douglas is fixing to pay the price. Taz reveals the price for his heist is a title match at Guilty As Charged. Taz tells Douglas to expect no mercy because he’s going to be the next ECW World Champion. Douglas gets down on his knees and is begging Taz to not do this.

3.) Marquez and Tajiri trade a few kicks with Tajiri obviously getting the advantage. Tajiri follows up with a dropkick to a seated Marquez. Tajiri sends Marquez to the floor with a handspring back elbow. Tajiri takes Marquez out with a somersault dive to the floor. Tajiri locks in the tarantula, but has to let go since it’s not legal. Tajiri has a unique rollup on Marquez, but can’t keep Marquez down on the mat long enough. Marquez clotheslines Tajiri in the corner and after a commercial, Marquez takes Tajiri out with a dive to the floor. Marquez keeps control with a spinning heel kick and spits on Tajiri. Tajiri responds with a kick and a spinning heel kick of his own. They begin to trade slaps. Tajiri hits a German suplex for a near fall. Tajiri spikes Marquez with a brainbuster for the win. (**1/4. A solid little match with the main focus clearly being to get Tajiri over. Tajiri got very little of a reaction from the crowd, but by the end of the match they were for sure into Tajiri. I enjoyed this showcase.)

4.) We see clips of a match between Super Crazy and Antifaz Del Norte. Del Norte took Crazy out with a twisting dive to the floor, which was nuts. Crazy misses a knee strike falling to the floor where Del Norte hit another dive to the outside. Crazy tries for a moonsault, but is met with a double knee strike. Del Norte almost wins with a rollup. Crazy hits a moonsault off the railing onto the floor. Crazy almost wins with a springboard moonsault. Crazy hits another springboard moonsault for a two count. Crazy misses a twisting splash and is nearly pinned. Del Norte almost wins with a standing hurricanrana. Crazy counters a second try hitting a sit down powerbomb for the win. (NR. Since it was a clipped match, I can’t rate it. I’d assume it was an incredible match, though. Del Norte looked like he was at a top level and the clips were a lot of fun to watch.)

5.) Von Krush spits at RVD after the champion shows his flexibility. They do some mat wrestling leading to RVD spitting at Von Krush. Von Krush takes RVD down with some mat wrestling that leads to a standoff. Back from a commercial, Von Krush sends RVD into the railing. RVD backdrops Von Krush into the crowd. RVD kicks Von Krush and springboards off the railing to kick a chair into Von Krush’s face. RVD leaps off the railing to take Von Krush out with a crossbody in the crowd. Von Krush dropkicks RVD groin first onto the apron. Alfonso slaps Von Krush on the floor, which causes a distraction. RVD leaps off the railing to hit a hurricanrana on the floor. They return to the ring where RVD delivers a few stomps. RVD delivers a standing dropkick. Von Krush crotches RVD on the top turnbuckle followed by forearms. RVD is hanging upside down until Von Krush pulls him up. Von Krush hits a middle rope side slam for a two count. Von Krush hits a snap suplex and comes off the middle rope to deliver an elbow drop for another near fall. Von Krush slams RVD followed by a leg drop for another two count.

Von Krush continues to have control of the match with several strikes in the corner. RVD stops Von Krush with a snap powerslam and a spinning leg drop for a two count. RVD hits a rolling thunder and plays to the camera before getting a two count. Von Krush gets the steel chair and RVD drop toe holds Von Krush onto the chair. Alfonso attacks Lance Wright in the ring. RVD comes off the top to hit Wright with the Five Star Frog Splash. Von Krush whacks RVD over the head with the steel chair. Von Krush goes to the top but Alfonso grabs Skull. RVD crotches Von Krush on the top rope. Alfonso holds a chair and allows RVD to leap off the top to kick the chair into Von Krush’s face. RVD wins the match following a standing moonsault. (**1/2. It’s not too bad of a match, but the closing sequence with the involvement of the managers made for an awkward closing moments and took me out of the match. This is a match where RVD should be winning cleanly.)

6.) Lance Storm and Tammy Lynn Bytch make their way out and the fans want Bytch to show her breasts. Storm waits a few moments before starting to speak and says he has something to say. Storm says there is a pay per view coming up. Storm is scheduled for a three way dance but he doesn’t have enough competition for that match. Jerry Lynn is at home with a list of injuries as long as his arm. Storm notes that Lynn never beat him when he was healthy. How does Lynn expect to beat him with all his injuries? Storm believes he will win, just like he always does. Storm turns his attention to Mikey Whipwreck, who didn’t sellout, but rather realized he couldn’t beat Storm and went somewhere else where you get buried for not signing your contract. Storm thinks nobody has courage to fight him.

7.) Spike Dudley comes out and low blows Storm followed by the Acid Drop to pin Storm! Spike kisses Tammy Lynn Bytch! I was NOT expecting that. Joey Styles notes that Spike Dudley will now be in the triple threat match, replacing Mikey Whipwreck.

8.) The next two weeks of Hardcore TV will NOT be covered. They are a hype show and recap show for Guilty As Charged.

Final Thoughts:
A good episode of Hardcore TV to kickoff 1999, I’d say. I like that they focused on guys like Crazy, Tajiri and RVD. The ending with Spike pinning Storm like he does with all big guys was a great surprise and not something I was expecting to have happened at all. The Douglas/Taz segment was done well to promote their match at the PPV, too.

Thanks for reading.