Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 7/5/1997
From: Philadelphia, PA
Matches:
1.) Bam-Bam Bigelow defeated Pitbull #2
2.) Chris Candido defeated Tom Prichard
3.) Sabu & Rob Van Dam defeated Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Joey Styles opens the show in the ring welcoming everyone to the show. The show is named the Orgy of Violence and brings out the man who created the name, Rick Rude. Styles announces that Tommy Dreamer and Sandman will be wrestling Rob Van Dam and Sabu on the show tonight. Styles notes that Jerry Lawler isn’t going to be coming to the ECW Arena. Rude cuts a promo on Lawler saying that Lawler drops to his knees upon his arrival to Philadelphia because he realized he can make more money on his knees than he can on his feet. Rude pulls down his pants to reveal his ass and suggests that Lawler kiss his ass. Of course, the screen is covered by giant lips to cover the exposed ass.
2.) #2 grabs Shane Douglas by the throat but is attacked by Bigelow from behind. Bigelow hangs #2 over the top rope by his chain to get the cheap advantage. On the floor, Bigelow hits #2 with his chain and taunts the fans. #2 has been busted wide open as Bigelow continues to beat on him with right hands. Bigelow brings the action back into the ring and continues to work over #2 with basic strikes on the canvas. Bigelow puts a chin lock on #2 and gauges his open wound. Bigelow hammers away on #2 in the corner with right hands. Bigelow controls #2 with a bear hug in the middle of the ring. #2 bites his way out of the hold to break free. Bigelow stops #2 with a dropkick for a near fall. Bigelow controls #2 with a sleeper hold and licks blood off his head. #2 breaks out of the hold and goes for a clothesline but it only staggers Bigelow. #2 comes off the ropes with a leaping shoulder block and a spinning heel kick. #2 heads to the top rope and hits a flying clothesline for a near fall. #2 attempts a backdrop but Bigelow counters with a power bomb. Bigelow heads to the top rope and gets crotched by #2. #2 goes to the middle rope and Francine gets on the apron. Shane Douglas enters and decks #2 on the middle rope. Pitbull #1 runs into the ring and attacks Douglas. Bigelow comes off the top to clothesline #2. #1 is brawling with Douglas on the floor ramming him face first on the apron. #2 clotheslines Bigelow out of the corner. #2 goes for a power slam but Candido grabs #2’s leg and Bigelow hits a bulldog for the win. (**. The interference was a bit much, but I enjoyed what they presented. Bigelow probably could have just gone over clean since they are trying to put him over as a big deal in the company.)
3.) The battle of the Bodydonnas takes place. Prichard shoulder blocks Candido early on and attempts a power bomb managing to hit a sit down power bomb after a brief struggle with the move. Prichard works over Candido in the corner with chops. Candido tries to fight out of the corner with strikes. Prichard dumps Candido onto the top turnbuckle. Prichard attempts a superplex but Candido counters and they trade right hands. Prichard punches Candido off the top turnbuckle and he crashes through a table at ringside. Prichard chops on Candido and rams him face first into the guard railing. Prichard tosses Candido over the railing into the crowd. Prichard goes to hit Candido with a chair but Candido blocks it and whacks Prichard over the back. Candido goes to the top rope and Prichard hits him with a chair in midair. Prichard goes for a slam but Candido counters. Prichard is able to kick Candido on the side of the head for a near fall. Prichard plants Candido with a gut wrench sit down power bomb. Prichard takes Candido over with a superplex after coming back from commercial break. Prichard goes for the cover but Candido kicks out at two. Candido counters a slingshot back suplex for a near fall. Prichard cuts Candido off with a clothesline. Candido low blows Pricahrd on the middle rope and goes to the top turnbuckle. Candido hits a top rope power bomb and that’s good enough for a three count. (**1/2. A solid TV match with both men looking pretty good. I think it’s safe to say that the Bodydonnas weren’t allowed to do the best work. This was a fun match for what they showed. I’m not sure how much was cutoff due to the commercial.) After the match, Candido grabs a microphone and credits Tom for teaching him everything he knows. Candido puts over Prichard for being back. They shake hands to show respect. That was interested for a heel to do that.
4.) Sandman and Dreamer grab Bill Alfonso to allow Beulah to toss beer into his face before the start of the main event.
5.) Dreamer and Sabu start the tag match with neither man able to get a clear cut advantage early on. Sabu punches Dreamer into the corner and hits a springboard heel kick for a two count. Sabu sends Dreamer into the corner chest first but Dreamer comes back with side Russian leg sweep. RVD gets tagged in as does Sandman. Sandman gets decked by Sabu on the apron and RVD connects with a spinning heel kick. Sandman nearly pins RVD with a clothesline and connects with a clothesline. Sabu decks Sandman from behind and Dreamer gets double teamed. All four men are in the ring brawling with Sabu and RVD hitting a rolling thunder/leg drop combo with a chair hitting Dreamer on the face. A double baseball slide dropkick on Dreamer, too. Dreamer and Sandman are laid out in the middle of the ring. RVD and Sabu miss splashes off the top rope. Dreamer slams Sabu and they hit a double team splash/leg drop. RVD gets met with a double dropkick while seated. RVD and Sabu are sent to the floor and Sandman dives over the top to take them out with a cross body. Dreamer takes everyone out with a slingshot cross body to the floor. Sabu drop-kicks the left knee of Dreamer while RVD brawls with Sandman. Dreamer low blows Sabu and attempts a DDT. Sabu backdrops Dreamer over the top to the floor and takes him out with a somersault dive! RVD and Sandman get back into the ring and RVD works over Sandman with strikes. Sandman boots RVD followed by a clothesline out of the corner.
Sandman puts RVD on the top turnbuckle but gets shoved off. RVD leaps off the top to nail Sandman with a kick to the face. Dreamer gets back in the ring and runs into a boot fro RVD. Dreamer low blows RVD on the top turnbuckle and slams him down to the mat. Dreamer has a chair but RVD dropkicks Dreamer’s knee causing Tommy to hit the chair face first. RVD throws a chair but Dreamer catches it. Dreamer and Sandman whack their opponents with chairs. Sandman sends Sabu to the floor but comes back into the ring looking for a leg drop but hit the referee on accident. A second referee quickly gets in the ring counting a near fall. RVD takes Dreamer out with a cross body into the crowd. Sabu slams Sandman for a near fall. Sabu sets up a chair and hits a hurricanrana. Dreamer gets crotched over the top rope but RVD accidentally hits the second referee with a kick. Sandman plants both Sabu and RVD with DDTs. Todd Gordon comes in to make the count but Bill Alfonso stops him. RVD whacks Gordon with a chair to take him out. Gordon is put on a table and Sabu puts him through the table with a leg drop! Sandman and Dreamer baseball slide Sabu and RVD on the floor. Sandman and Dreamer hit stereo DDTs. They attempt piledrivers but the lights go out.
When the lights come back on Jerry Lawler is in the ring! RVD and Sabu hit piledrivers on Sandman and Dreamer. Lawler helps triple team Dreamer and Sandman. Lawler whacks Dreamer over the back with a steel chair. Sabu misses a chair shot in the corner as does RVD. Sabu and RVD are put in the tree of woe and get chairs dropkicked into their faces. Lawler is unaware of this and Dreamer grabs Lawler. Dreamer has Lawler setup for a DDT but the lights go out as Sandman went to use a kendo stick. When the lights come back on… Jim Cornette is in the ring! Cornette hits Dreamer with a tennis racket! Lawler plants Dreamer with a DDT! Bill Alfonso has Beulah in the corner. RVD dropkicks a chair into Dreamer’s face. RVD and Sabu leg drop chairs onto both Dreamer and Sandman leading to a three count. (**1/2. The wrestling wasn’t overly special, but the angle development here was incredible. Gordon taking the table spot was really cool and the debut of Jim Cornette was awesome. They were getting come crazy heat from the Philadelphia crowd.) After the match, Dreamer smashes Dreamer in the groin with a kendo stick, which caused a legit injury to Dreamer’s groin.
Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this weeks episode as it was all wrestling and all the wrestling was enjoyable.
Thanks for reading.