ECW House Show 3/20/1998

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling House Show
Date: 3/20/1998
From: Blackwood, NJ

Opening Contest: Danny Doring & Roadkill vs. Balls Mahoney & Axl Rotten: Rotten tries for a quick rollup on Doring but only manages a two count. Roadkill complains to the referee after Rotten grabbed his belly. Rotten tip tosses Roadkill and Doring sending Doring to the floor. Rotten shoulder blocks Doring and Doring stalls in the corner. Rotten tags in Mahoney and Mahoney eye pokes Doring before taking Doring down to the mat. Mahoney put an STF on Doring for a brief moment before tagging in Rotten. Mahoney and Rotten continue to double team Doring without making tags. Mahoney yanks Doring down to the mat by his hair. Mahoney jabs Doring in the corner a few times to keep control of the match. Doring comes off the ropes and is backdropped to the floor. Rotten sends Doring over the railing into the crowd. Rotten tosses Doring onto a ringside table, which breaks. Rotten continues with a chair shot to the back, but Droz sends Rotten into the railing back first. Roadkill scoop slams Rotten and taunts the fans, who are chanting “fuck the Amish”, or something like that.

Rotten continues to be worked over in the corner as Mahoney tries to get involved. The fans are getting behind Rotten to tag in Mahoney, but Roadkill hammers away on Rotten with strikes. Rotten falls down, but low blows Roadkill at the same time. Roadkill slams Rotten to the mat and goes to the top rope but misses a splash attempt. Mahoney gets tagged in and cleans house with strikes a scoop slam on both men. Rotten has a chair and whacks Droz with it off the apron. Doring and Roadkill are sent into each other. Mahoney hits the Nutcracker Suite on Doring for the victory. (*1/2. The crowd was for sure into Rotten and Mahoney, which is a pleasant sight since most times you can hear a pin drop for Rotten. The action was rather standard and they didn’t do much outside of their formula stuff. Rotten got the crowd into the match once he used a few weapons on the floor and the crowd remained interested from there.)

Second Contest: Doug Furnas vs. Ulf Herman: Early on, Furnas takes Herman down to the mat and delivers a few kicks followed by a dropkick. Herman battles back with a few strikes to keep Furnas on the mat. Herman connects with a double under hook suplex. Herman locks in a bearhug but isn’t going to get a submission. Furnas tosses Herman with an overhead suplex. Furnas sends Herman into the guard railing but runs into a big boot. Furnas decks Herman off the apron to the floor. Herman drops Furnas throat first over the top rope and hits a slingshot shoulder block for a two count. Herman powerslams Furnas for a two count. Herman comes off the middle rope to hit a diving headbutt for a two count. Furnas clotheslines Herman for a two count. Furnas hits a German suplex, which Herman landed on his stomach. They botch a hurricanrana spot. Furnas wins the match with a German suplex. (*. I don’t think this was a good pairing for Furnas, at all. Furnas would have had a better match with someone closer to his skill set. I wasn’t interested in this.)

Third Contest: John Kronus & Spike Dudley vs. Tracy Smothers & Little Guido: Spike and Guido start the match with Guido getting the advantage leading to a standoff. Spike gets on Guido’s back and gives Guido a wet willy before getting a two count. Guido goes to the floor to regroup. Spike hits a springboard forearm shot before tagging in Kronus. Guido avoids a kick by Kronus against the ropes. Smothers enters the match and avoids a few wild kick attempts by Kronus. Smothers tries to display his kicks, but they aren’t remotely close. Kronus nails Smothers with a spin kick to send Smothers to the floor. Kronus gets distracted by Tommy Rich, but is able to deliver a couple of kicks to gain the advantage. Spike dives over the top off of Kronus’ back to take everyone out. Smothers nails Kronus with a leaping heel kick for a two count. Kronus is met with a double dropkick and Guido gets a two count. Smothers keeps Kronus on the mat with a sleeper hold. Smothers is stopped by a powerslam and Kronus goes to the top rope hitting a twisting splash for a two count. Kronus kicks Guido and tags in Spike. Spike plants Smothers with a bulldog out of the corner for a two count. Kronus slams Guido and goes to the top to hit the 450 splash. Spike hits Smothers with the Acid Drop. Tommy Rich enters to whack Spike with the Italian flag and Smothers pins Spike! (**. I thought the double finisher spot was going to be the finish for the good guys. I liked the finish with the heels going over as it was something I didn’t expect. The action was solid enough and mostly average.)

Fourth Contest: Al Snow vs. Bobby Duncum Jr.: Duncum comes off the ropes to shoulder block Snow. Duncum shoulder blocks Snow a second time. Snow continues to go to Head for advice in the corner. Snow kicks Duncum a few times on the knee followed by a clothesline to send Duncum to the floor. They brawl on the floor trading right hands until Snow hip tosses Duncum and clotheslines Duncum over the railing into the crowd. Snow suplexs Duncum on the floor, as well. Snow hits a snap suplex for a two count. Duncum boots Snow followed by a clothesline. Duncum sends Snow into the guard railing and delivers a chair shot over the back. Duncum sends Snow into the guard railing and chokes Duncum with a chair. Duncum leaps off the top to hit a clothesline for a near fall. Duncum controls Snow with a chin lock on the mat. Duncum drives Snow down with a shoulder block for a two count. Duncum dropkicks Snow for another two count. Snow heel kicks Duncum to the mat. Snow has Head in the corner, but Duncum stops Snow with an atomic drop. Snow hits Duncum with Head several times in the corner. Duncum grabs his bullrope, but Snow has grabbed Head. Duncum decks Snow with the bullrope, but the referee is down. Duncum misses a top rope clothesline with the bullrope. Snow spikes Duncum with the Snow Plow for the win. (*1/2. The brawling outside the ring was the best part of the match. Duncum doesn’t really fit well with ECW and I’m confused by his usage so much on the house shows. Snow is super over and I would have had him win this match in a much quicker fashion.)

Fifth Contest: Justin Credible vs. Mikey Whipwreck: They start off trading right hands with Credible getting the advantage until Whipwreck eye rakes Credible. Whipwreck keeps control with chops in the corner and forearms Credible off the apron onto the railing chest first. Whipwreck tosses Credible over the railing into the crowd. Whipwreck takes Credible out with a somersault dive into the crowd. They return to the ring where Credible begs off but is met with kicks in the corner. Whipwreck crotches Credible on the top rope and shakes the ropes. Credible plants Whipwreck with a reverse DDT to gain momentum. Credible runs the ropes to deliver a dropkick to a seated Whipwreck. Jason gives Credible a steel chair, which Credible messes up a springboard face buster onto the chair. Credible delivers a weak chair shot as an attempt to cover up for that. The crowd doesn’t buy it, though. Credible plants Whipwreck with a sit down powerbomb for a two count out of the corner. Credible wedges a chair into the corner and works over Whipwreck with chops. Credible sends Whipwreck head first into the chair for a two count. Whipwreck boots a chair into Credible’s face in the corner and hammers away on Credible. Credible goes upside down in the corner and Whipwreck connects with a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Whipwreck hits a side Russian leg sweep for a two count.

Whipwreck catapults Credible into a steel chair in the corner and almost wins the match. Credible low blows Whipwreck while the referee was distracted. Credible ends up colliding with the referee while running the ropes. Whipweck nails Credible with the Whippersnapper, but Jason enters. Mikey low blows Jason and hits a Whippersnapper. Jeff Jones enters and Credible spikes Whipwreck with the That’s Incredible. Jones provides a quick count to finish the match. (**. The finish was a bit lame, but I get what they are trying to accomplish. Credible tried a few things that I have never seen him attempt previously. Needless to say, Credible should probably stick to his regular routine. It’s a decent match, but they could have done much better.)

Sixth Contest: ECW Tag Team Champions Chris Candido & Lance Storm vs. Jerry Lynn & Chris Chetti: Storm and Chetti start the match with a few counters on the mat. They avoid a few moves and that leads to a standoff and handshake. Candido gets frustrated with Storm and tags himself in. Candido shoulder blocks Lynn, but Lynn comes back with a hip toss on the champions. Chetti enters and they challengers hit stereo dropkicks to send the champs to the floor. Lynn tags in Chetti, who comes off the top to axe handle Candido. Chetti hip tosses Candido out of the corner followed by an arm drag. Lynn tags back in and works over Candido’s arm. Lynn nearly pins Candido with a rollup. Candido tries for a wheelbarrow bulldog, but Lynn drives Candido down to the mat gut first. Candido slaps Storm in the corner and they shove each other. Storm nails Candido with a spinning heel kick, but prevents a cover by Lynn. Candido and Storm hit a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo on Lynn for a two count. Storm connects with a dropkick for a two count on Lynn. Storm continues with a snap suplex and quick elbow drop off the ropes. Lynn is met with a double elbow shot by the champions.

Candido hits a delayed vertical suplex on Lynn before tagging in Storm. Storm covers Lynn, but can’t get a three count. Lynn nearly wins with a sunset flip cover, but Storm runs over Lynn with a clothesline. Storm drives Lynn down with a backbreaker for a two count. Lynn avoids Candido in the corner and almost wins with a rollup. Lynn head scissors Candido but Candido nails Lynn with a kick to the back of his head. Candido tags in Storm, who knee lifts Lynn and locks in a Boston Crab. Lynn and Storm trade chops until Storm runs into a boot and superkicks Lynn for a two count. Storm scoop slams Lynn before heading to the top rope. Candido tags himself in and goes to a different corner only to miss a diving headbutt. Chetti enters and backdrops Candido followed by a standing dropkick. Chetti powerslams Candido followed by a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Chetti comes off the ropes to hit a double springboard heel kick for a two count. Lynn decks Storm off the apron and the challengers hit a missile dropkick/northern lights suplex combo for a two count. The champions are sent into each other and Storm is dropkicked to the floor. Candido is dropkicked, as well. Storm takes the challengers out with a springboard clothesline and heel kicks. Storm nails Chetti with a top rope spinning heel kick, but gets dumped to the floor. Lynn is tossed to the floor, as well. Candido covers Chetti to win the match. (**1/2. The crowd was mostly dead for this, which was rather surprising. The action was solid and I enjoyed what they did here. I’m thinking the crowd is more interested in hardcore brawling than good in-ring performances.)

Seventh Contest: The Sandman vs. D-Von Dudley: D-Von stops Sandman from attacking Joel Gertner by delivering a jawbreaker. D-Von cuts a promo on Sandman while delivering right hands. Sandman ducks a right hand and drops D-Von throat first over the top rope for a two count. Sandman gets tripped by Gertner but avoids an elbow drop and arm drags D-Von. Sandman drops D-Von chest first over the top rope again for another two count. Sign Guy Dudley tries to get involved, but Sandman sees him and delivers a few chops in the corner. Gertner gets sent into Sign Guy in the corner and Sandman delivers a somersault splash. D-Von whacks Sandman with a kendo stick for a two count. Sandman ducks a kendo shot and hits a DDT. Sandman sits D-Von on the top rope and hits a hurricanrana. Big Dick enters with a kendo stick and misses a shot. Sandman tries for a DDT, but Dick counters with a spinebuster. D-Von comes off the top to hit a diving headbutt for a two count. D-Von misses a splash in the corner and Sandman wins with a rollup. (*1/2. That went the way I expected it to go. They relied on interference and basic brawling. The crowd responded much more to this than the previous tag match, which I had a feeling was going to be the case.)

Eighth Contest: Rob Van Dam vs. 2 Cold Scorpio: They start off focusing on mat wrestling with Scorpio having the advantage early on. RVD rolls to the floor to regroup after avoiding a leapfrog attempt by Scorpio. Scorpio keeps RVD on the mat until RVD gets to the ropes and Scorpio shoves Alfonso to the floor. Scorpio spin kicks RVD and clotheslines RVD over the top to the floor. Scorpio takes RVD out with a slingshot crossbody to the floor. Scorpio sends RVD back first into the guard railing. Scorpio sends RVD back first into the railing a second time. Scorpio forearm strikes RVD and rolls RVD back into the ring. Scorpio takes RVD over with a double under hook suplex followed by a knee drop. Scorpio clotheslines RVD after coming off the ropes. Scorpio gets a chair kicked into his face on the apron by RVD. Alfonso gets a few kicks in on Scorpio to help out RVD. RVD sends Scorpio into the guard railing and hits a moonsault on the floor. RVD sends Scorpio into the ring post and rolls the referee into the ring. RVD hits a slingshot leg drop from the apron into the ring for a two count.

Scorpio comes off the ropes to nail RVD with a spinning kick for a two count. Scorpio continues with a handspring elbow in the corner. RVD fights back with a spin kick and a spinning leg drop. RVD hits the split legged moonsault for a two count. Scorpio stops RVD in the corner and puts RVD on the top turnbuckle. Scorpio plants RVD with a back suplex for a two count. Scorpio goes to the top rope and hits a twisting splash for a two count. Scorpio plants RVD with a powerbomb for a two count. RVD nearly pins Scorpio with an inside cradle. RVD drops Scorpio on his head with a German suplex. RVD climbs to the top rope and misses the frog splash. Scorpio drops RVD with a kick. Scorpio slams RVD to the mat and signals for the 450. Scorpio tosses RVD with a back suplex. Scorpio hits the 450 splash but the referee is distracted by Alfonso. Sabu comes out with a chair and hits an Arabian facebuster off the top. RVD is put on top and pins Scorpio for the win. (**1/4. It’s not too bad of a match and it actually wasn’t sloppy as I had expected it to be. They didn’t stall all that much and the offense was enjoyable. I wasn’t a fan of the interference to end the match. It was a little weird to seemingly only use Sabu for that role and not have him compete in a match on the show.)

Main Event: ECW Television Champion Bam-Bam Bigelow vs. Tommy Dreamer: Bigelow shoulder blocks Dreamer a few times early on to showcase his power advantage. Bigelow chokes Dreamer over the top rope, but Dreamer delivers a low blow. Dreamer clotheslines Bigelow over the top to the floor and delivers several right hands. Dreamer punches Bigelow with a drink before sending Bigelow into the guard railing side first. Bigelow sends Dreamer into the guard railing. Bigelow uses a chair to whack Dreamer over the back on the floor. Bigelow chokes Dreamer in the ring to keep control of the contest. Bigelow baseball slides Dreamer to the floor. Bigelow flips Dreamer into the ring and continues to deliver stomps to Dreamer’s back. Bigelow stands on Dreamer’s back and sends Tommy hard back first into the corner. Bigelow keeps Dreamer on the mat with a bearhug from behind. Bigelow knee drops Dreamer on the back followed by a falling headbutt. Bigelow runs into a boot in the corner and plants Dreamer with a Samoan Drop for a two count. Bigelow goes back to controlling Dreamer with a bearhug.

Bigelow grabs a chair and whacks Dreamer over the back with it. Bigelow slams Dreamer onto the chair. Bigelow climbs to the top rope but misses a diving headbutt. Dreamer hammers away on Bigelow with right hands and comes off the ropes looking for a sunset flip, but avoids a sit down splash. Dreamer takes Bigelow down with a side Russian leg sweep followed by a leg drop for a two count. Bigelow misses a splash in the corner and Dreamer goes for a DDT, but Bigelow rams Dreamer into the referee. Francine makes her way out as Dreamer hit a DDT on Bigelow. Francine gets brought into the ring by Dreamer, but Beulah enters and has a fight with Francine. Francine chokes Beulah until Dreamer does an airplane spin. Shane Douglas comes out and misses a belt shot. Dreamer plants Douglas with a DDT and holds the championship. Bigelow comes from behind to spike Dreamer with the Greetings From Asbury Park for the victory. (**. Another interference finish didn’t sit well with me. The action was mostly slow with Bigelow working over the back, but it wasn’t bad action by any means. Similar to Sabu, I’m surprised that Douglas was used simply as someone to interfere in the match. A decent main event, but nothing overly enjoyable.)

Final Thoughts:
There were a few decent matches on the show, but a lot of the finishes to the matches were lackluster. For an ECW house show, I’d say it was an average show that wasn’t a chore to sit through, which is a positive since most times house shows for ECW are rather uneventful.

Thanks for reading.