Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling House Show
Date: 6/6/1997
From: Scranton, PA
Opening Contest: Chris Chetti vs. Spike Dudley: Early on, Chetti yanks Dudley to the mat and backs away after they had counted hammerlocks. Dudley gets a rollup on Chetti, but only manages a two count. Dudley arm drags Chetti and keeps control by dropping Chetti over the top rope. Spike hits a missile dropkick leading to a near fall with a rollup. Chetti kicks Spike to the apron and hits a vertical suplex back into the ring for a near fall. Chetti backdrops Spike for a near fall. Chetti leg drops Spike for a near fall. Spike counters a back suplex by landing on top for a two count. Chetti comes off the ropes to hit a crossbody for a two count. Spike takes Chetti down to the mat locking in an arm submission, but Chetti reaches the ropes. Spike continues to try to get a submission working over Chetti’s left arm. Spike almost wins with a quick rollup, but Chetti quickly recovers with an inside cradle for a two count. Chetti nails Dudley with a spinning heel kick. Chetti slams Dudley and misses a double springboard moonsault. Spike avoids Chetti in the corner and wins the match with a rollup. (*1/2. The action was kind of boring for the most part. However, there were a few fans chanting “start the next match”, which wasn’t necessary at all. The match wasn’t that bad. I always prefer a fast pace and high action match to start the show and that wasn’t presented here.)
Second Contest: Mikey Whipwreck vs. Taz: Early on, Taz slaps Whipwreck in the corner a few times. Taz leg sweeps Whipwreck to the mat, but Whipwreck gets to the ropes quickly. Taz beats on Whipwreck with overhand strikes. Whipwreck fights back with a few dropkicks, but Taz stops him in the corner with a double leg slam. Mikey takes Taz over with a sunset flip, but Taz rolls through and slams Mikey down to the mat by his hair. Taz tries to lock in a cross arm bar, and keeps the hold on for a few moments. Taz tosses Mikey with a northern lights suplex for a two count. Taz ducks a clothesline and connects with an exploder suplex. Taz tries for a chokeslam, but Mikey dropkicks him in midair instead. Mikey elbows Taz in the corner and connects with a tornado DDT out of the corner. Taz rolls to the floor to avoid a cover. Mikey takes Taz out with a springboard somersault dive! Mikey comes off the top to hit a crossbody in the ring. Taz dumps Mikey to the apron, but Mikey rolls in and gets met with the Taz Mission. Taz keeps the hold on to win the match by submission. (**. For an extended squash match, they did a good job here. Mikey had a few solid moments of offense, but there was never a doubt that Taz wasn’t going to win.)
Prior to the match, Tommy Rich tells them to put the titles in the ring and give up the match. Naturally, the Eliminators don’t agree to that kind of request. The referee tells Saturn that he faces serious injury if he were to compete. The referee asks the champions to forfeit the championships. Of course, Kronus and Saturn decline that offer.
Third Contest: ECW Tag Team Champions Perry Saturn & John Kronus vs. Little Guido & Tracy Smothers: Saturn is using crutches since he recently tore his ACL. Kronus appears to be wrestling this match on his own. Smothers and Guido are trying to corner Kronus in the middle of the ring, but Kronus is ready and the challengers run into each other. Kronus slams Smothers and hits a handspring moonsault. Kronus continues with a somersault leg drop on Guido sending him to the floor where the challengers regroup. Saturn is on the floor and ready to swing his crutch if he has to. Guido knees Kronus from the apron and Kronus gets double teamed. Guido dropkicks Kronus twice to knock him down for a two count. FBI hit a double dropkick for another near fall. Guido slams Kronus followed by a knee drop for a near fall. Kronus is refusing to stay down for long as he continues to be worked over by the challengers. Kronus gets a backslide on Smothers, but the referee was distracted. FBI take Kronus over with a double vertical suplex for a two count. FBI hit a double elbow drop on Kronus for a two count. Saturn trips Smothers and Kronus has an inside cradle, but the referee was distracted.
Saturn hits Rich with a chair on the floor and Rich falls through a table. Saturn plants Guido with an ace cutter. Saturn holds the ropes down to send Smothers to the floor. Kronus goes to the top rope and hits a 450 splash for the win. (**. An effective segment and enjoyable match. The crowd responded positively to the action and the Eliminators are easily the most over tandem in the company. Kronus looked really good and carried the match to a respectable level. Kronus is solid when he’s motivated.)
Fourth Contest: ECW Television Champion Shane Douglas vs. Pitbull #2: Douglas runs away from Pitbull but gets hip tossed and clotheslined in the ring a few times for a two count. Pitbull sends Douglas side first into the corner and Douglas rolls to the floor to regroup. Pitbull lifts Douglas into the ring from the apron and keeps control with a neck vice. Douglas stops Pitbull with a low blow to gain control of the match. Douglas chokes Pitbull over the bottom rope and Francine gets a cheap shot in. Pitbull press slams Douglas face first over the top turnbuckle and Douglas bails to the floor again. Pitbull sends Douglas into the guard railing a few times. Pitbull chokes Douglas in the ring, but Douglas stops him with a low blow. Francine gets more cheap shots in before Douglas delivers a kick. Douglas headbutts Pitbull’s groin and yanks Pirbull’s leg over the bottom rope, which was weird. Douglas crotches Pitbull over the railing, which he missed on the first attempt. Douglas whacks Pitbull over the back with a steel chair. Douglas tries for a double axe handle, but Pitbull avoids it and crotches Douglas on the top rope.
Pitbull delivers a few right hands and hits a middle rope fallaway slam for a two count. Francine gets on the apron to distract the referee. Rick Rude makes his way out and kisses Francine. I mean, they are kissing full on and she appears to like it as they leave. Douglas decks Pitbull for a two count. Chris Candido comes out and helps hit a spike piledriver. Pitbull #1 runs into the ring and cleans house on Douglas and Candido. Pitbull almost wins with a rollup. Douglas counters a press slam and wins the match with a sunset flip for the clean win. (**. There were a few awkward moments and they came when Pitbull had to work a story. When it was just brawling and moves, he was okay. But, when Douglas was setting up moves, Pitbull was often out of place and the flow of the match was damaged. I wasn’t expecting a clean finish, and I liked it.)
Fans are chanting “you sold out” towards Raven since he’s going to WCW. Ironically, Raven is wrestling a guy who has also “sold out” on ECW.
Fifth Contest: Raven vs. Chris Candido: Candido beats up Raven’s misfits while Raven just looks on in the corner. Raven backs Candido into a corner but slowly backs away. Candido holds onto the ropes and avoids a right hand. The fans are shitting on the match. They are wrestling a slow pace beginning. Raven collides with his misfit and the BWO make their way out to the ring. It’s Nova, Blue Meanie and their version of Dennis Rodman. I can’t really understand what Nova is saying. Nova and Meanie attack Raven in the corner and do the same to Candido. Candido dropkicks both men. The Rodman wannabe gets a low blow and snap suplex for his troubles. Raven works over Candido with a few fist drops. Candido fights out of the corner with strikes and a fist drop of his own. Raven takes Candido down with a swinging neckbreaker. Raven dropkicks Candido into the corner and delivers an elbow drop for a near fall. Raven sends Candido to the floor where Candido sends Raven into the guard railing back first a few times.
Raven stops Candido with a low blow on the floor and sends Candido over the railing into the crowd. They brawl into the crowd for a few moments. Raven continues to beat on Candido at ringside. Raven drop toe holds Candido face first onto a chair. Raven rams Candido face first onto the chair a few times. Raven knee drops Candido’s face onto the chair. Candido gets worked over by Raven’s misfits at ringside until Raven brings Candido back into the ring. Raven backdrops Candido to continue his momentum. Candido nearly wins with a backslide, but Raven fights back with a clothesline. Raven locks in a figure four leg lock and uses the ropes for leverage. Candido breaks out of the hold with an eye rake. Raven clips Candido’s knee and locks in a spinning toe hold. Candido counters with an inside cradle for the win. (*1/2. Well, there was no reason for this to go nearly fifteen minutes. The cluster stuff with the BWO hurt the match quite a bit. The finish was rather dull. Get rid of the BWO segment and cut the match in half and it’s probably a better match.)
Sixth Contest: Louie Spicolli vs. Tommy Dreamer in a lumberjack match: Dreamer gets distracted by Cpl. Punishment on the apron and Spicolli gets control with a backdrop. Punishment works over Dreamer’s arm on the apron before going to the floor and Dreamer gets sent to the floor. Dreamer fights off the heels with strikes, but Louie regains control with Punishment works over Dreamer’s arm again. Dreamer gives Punishment Louie’s arm and Punishment works over his arm in an obvious spot. Axl Rotten works over Punishment with strikes in the ring and taunts the fans. Rotten clotheslines Punishment and tosses him to the floor. Louie low blows Dreamer and sends Tommy back first into the corner. Dreamer gets dumped to the floor and brawls with various guys. Actually, everyone is brawling. I’m not sure, but Ace Darling might be in the ring brawling with someone. Dreamer uses the ring bell to low blow Spicolli on the floor. Dreamer sends Louie face first into the a chair followed by a shot with a cookie sheet. Dreamer rings the bell on Spicolli’s groin. Louie sends Dreamer to the floor and is attacked once again.
BWO is in the ring taking out guys that haven’t wrestled in ECW before. Chetti hits a springboard splash onto Louie, but Danny Doring gets in the ring and takes out Dreamer and Chetti. Once again, everyone is brawling on the floor. Spike Dudley is in the ring and gets sent chest first into the corner by a larger guy. I’ll guess it is Rod Price. Dreamer plants Price with a DDT and Spike leaps off the top for a splash. Louie connects with a spinebuster for a two count. Dreamer counters a Death Valley Driver with a DDT for the win. (*1/2. This was mostly a cluster with the lumberjacks seemingly getting more time to shine than the guys actually wrestling the match. I’m not sure why ECW refuses to put forth their best effort on house show matches. It’s quite annoying, honestly.)
Bill Alfonso enters the ring and cuts a promo, but gets met with a low blow by Beulah. That sparks everyone entering the ring and brawling. Oh, that is to allow New Jack to come out and destroy everyone with various weapons. Uh.. Louie covers Dreamer and gets a three count? The match was already over though. This makes almost no sense. Dreamer had already won the match. Okay, whatever.
Seventh Contest: Balls Mahoney vs. Bubba Ray Dudley: Dudley attacks before the bell delivering several strikes and chops in the corner. Bubba tosses Mahoney into the crowd and they brawl amongst the fans for a few moments. Bubba tosses Mahoney through doors but they return to the crowd and continue the brawling. Bubba whacks Balls over the head with a chair and taunts the fans. Bubba hits Mahoney with a table. Mahoney has been busted open thanks to an earlier chair shot. Bubba whacks Balls with an overhead weapon but misses a chair shot. Mahoney low blows Bubba and gets a second wind. Balls has a chair but Bubba begs off and D-Von delivers a chair shot from behind. Bubba hits a cutter and wins the match. (1/2*. Really? Talk about a rather flat match and a dull finish.) After the match, Joel Gertner tries to pin Balls, but the Sandman makes his entrance.
Main Event: The Sandman vs. D-Von Dudley: Big Dick hammers away on Mahoney outside the ring while Bubba spits beer at Sandman. D-Von avoids a kendo stick shot and whacks Sandman with a chair shot. Sandman gets dumped to the floor and Bubba gets a few cheap shots in sending Sandman into the railing. D-Von tries for a quick cover, but Sandman kicks out at two. D-Von grabs a microphone and beats on Sandman with the kendo stick. D-Von tries for a cover on Sandman after three shots, but Sandman kicks out again. D-Von sends Sandman to the floor again where Sandman gets beaten up some more. Mahoney comes over with a chair to hit Bubba and help Sandman. Mahoney misses a chair shot on Big Dick and accidentally whacks Sandman instead. D-Von goes for the cover, but Sandman kicks out at two. Sandman backdrops D-Von to the floor onto Bubba. Sandman takes the Dudley’s out with a dive over the top to the floor. Sandman whacks D-Von with a kendo stick and does the same to Bubba and Big Dick. Dick doesn’t sell it and gets clotheslined to the floor. Mahoney hits D-Von off the middle rope with a chair and Sandman pins D-Von with a DDT. (1/2*. Similar to the previous match, that sucked. There was no substance to it and the match felt like they were told to go out there and do whatever they could to fill five minutes of time. It doesn’t help that this has to be considered one of the weakest house show main events for ECW to put on.)
Final Thoughts:
Before I watched show, I thought the lineup looked solid and could be an entertaining show. Sadly, the show quickly turned into a disappointment. Perhaps it was because there was less than 500 people in attendance, but they didn’t deliver a good show at all. There were several of the top matches that had interference or just unwanted distractions. A lot of the show felt like guys were mailing it in before the bigger event, Wrestlepalooza, the next day.
Thanks for reading.