ECW Hardcore TV 5/29/1999

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 5/29/1999
From: Detroit, MI

Matches:
1.) ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Spike Dudley to retain the title
2.) Lance Storm defeated Chris Chetti
3.) ECW Tag Team Champions Dudley Boys defeated Axl Rotten & Balls Mahoney in a street fight to retain the titles

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Backstage, Cyrus is with a woman saying that he got her a deal with ECW like he did with WWF. She can’t wait to go extreme. Cyrus tells her what Paul Heyman does and he’s obsessed with fitness. Cyrus suggests that she workout by jogging and he’s just getting her to bounce her enormously fake breasts.

2.) Backstage, Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney cut a promo about their final tag title opportunity tonight. Rotten says that they are going to bring the belts home for all the people. Rotten doesn’t have a problem fighting Mahoney if they don’t win tonight.

3.) Spike tries for a rollup to start the title match, but RVD quickly rolls out at two. RVD delivers a few strikes to control Spike followed by a double under hook face buster. Spike nearly wins with a cradle as RVD was playing to the crowd. RVD dropkicks Spike for a two count. Spike takes RVD down to the mat to deliver an elbow drop and a few dropkicks. Spike nearly wins after a forearm strike. RVD puts Spike over the top rope and kicks Spike to the floor. RVD misses a baseball slide and Spike forearms RVD a few times. RVD kicks Spike from behind to keep control on the floor. Spike sends RVD into the railing, but RVD delivers a spin kick. RVD sends Spike back first into the railing and taunts the crowd. RVD forearms Spike and tosses Spike onto the railing. RVD delivers a leg drop over the railing. RVD leaps off the railing to kick a chair into Spike’s face in the crowd.

RVD rolls Spike onto the apron to deliver more right hands. RVD leaps off the railing to leg drop Spike. Spike counters with a victory roll for a two count, but RVD stops Spike with a stomp quickly. RVD dropkicks a chair into Spike’s face and taunts the crowd. RVD rolls Spike into the ring and remains on the apron to hit a slingshot leg drop. RVD locks in a surfboard in the middle of the ring and nearly pins Spike as we go to commercial. Spike plants RVD with a tornado DDT onto a steel chair. Spike almost wins following another sunset flip. Spike drives his knee into RVD’s head onto a chair. Spike sends RVD over the top to the floor with a hurricanrana. Spike runs off the apron to hit a somersault dive. Spike sends RVD into the railing and drops RVD throat first over the railing.

Spike whacks RVD over the back with a steel chair. RVD sends Spike into the corner and runs into a boot. Spike hits a leaping head scissors off the middle rope for a two count. RVD stops Spike on the top rope with a boot to the face. RVD grabs a chair, but Spike hits a dropkick for a two count. Spike tries for the Acid Drop, but RVD counters. Spike ducks a kick and low blows RVD. Spike tries for another Acid Drop, but RVD drops Spike onto two chairs. RVD hits the rolling thunder for a two count. RVD crotches Spike over the top rope and kicks a chair into Spike’s face. RVD finishes Spike off with a frog splash. (**. The action was rather repetitive and Spike’s offense wasn’t all that entertaining as it felt like it was mostly rollups and cradles. RVD’s title defenses on TV in recent weeks have been lackluster and it’s completely because of who his opponents have been.)

4.) Lance Storm cut a promo before the next match and says that Jerry Lynn owes him.

5.) Storm takes Chetti down with a fireman’s carry and focuses on the leg, but Storm quickly gets up and to the corner to break the hold. Storm hammers away on Chetti for the advantage. Storm uppercuts Chetti to the mat. Storm shoulder blocks Chetti, but Chetti hits a backdrop and clotheslines Storm to the floor. Storm decks Chetti on the floor and sends Chetti into the railing back first. Storm knee lifts Chetti and rams him into the apron face first. Storm works over Chetti with a boot to the ribs and chokes Chetti over the middle rope. Storm continues with strikes, but Chetti fires back with chops in the corner. Storm tries for a single leg crab, but Chetti countered with a rollup for a two count. Chetti springboards off the ropes to heel kick Storm for a near fall. Storm low blows Chetti followed by a superkick. Storm hits a top rope spinning heel kick for the win. (**. An effective spotlight for Storm and I like the finishing move he used here.)

6.) Mahoney and Rotten attack before the bell and it’s now a street fight. Rotten whacks D-Von over the back with a steel chair. Mahoney hits Bubba with a drink while Rotten jabs D-Von several times in the ring. Rotten sends D-Von through the ropes to the floor. Mahoney and Bubba are brawling in the crowd. Bubba sends Mahoney into the guard railing. They brawl up into the crowd in the second deck. All four men are on the second level by the entrance way. They brawl their way back down as Mahoney is busted wide open. D-Von whacks Mahoney over the back with a chair. All four men are back to ringside. Mahoney gets a two count on Bubba while D-Von chokes Rotten in the corner. Mahoney jabs Bubba several times but misses a clothesline. Mahoney ducks a strike to hit the Nutcracker Suite on Bubba and the same to D-Von.

Joel Gertner distracts Mahoney, and Mahoney no sells a chair shot by Sign Guy. Mahoney blows a fireball towards Sign Guy, but misses. D-Von plants Mahoney with a reverse DDT. Bubba sets a table up and puts thumbtacks on the table. They also light the table on fire. Mahoney is powerbombed through the table and is pinned. (**. The typical brawl you’d expect and the violence that ECW was built on. The finish certainly wasn’t a cheap one by any means. I’m just not looking forward to a Mahoney/Rotten match that they promised.)

Final Thoughts:
A largely average show as there wasn’t a lot going on here for storylines or anything exciting. I can get behind a Storm/Lynn program as those matches could be a lot fun. I’m curious to see the direction of Taz coming out of the PPV. He needs a strong challenger. Also, RVD needs better competition on TV challenges.

Thanks for reading.