ECW Hardcore TV 8/30/1997

Written by: Bob Colling

Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 8/30/1997
From: Queens, NY

Matches:
1.) ECW World Champion Shane Douglas defeated Al Snow
2.) ECW Television Champion Taz defeated Pablo Marquez
3.) Tommy Dreamer defeated Rob Van Dam

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Rick Rude comes out to start the show and Joey Styles knows that Rude could kick his ass with a messed up back. The fans are chanting “you sold out” towards Rude. Styles leaves the ring and Rude tells Joey that he’s a smart man for leaving the ring. Rude says he was laid to do a job and he has to get the job done now. ECW World Champion Shane Douglas comes out to join the segment. Douglas says that he needs someone like Rude to challenge him to be the greatest champion of all time. Rude has been preparing an opponent for Douglas. Rude found an opponent to give Douglas a run for his money. Rude introduces Al Snow to challenge Douglas! Snow is still wearing his Rocker outfit.

2.) Snow decks Douglas with a right hand and backs Douglas into a corner, but is held back by the referee. Snow clotheslines Douglas a few times to keep control of the match. Snow delivers several headbutts and a running kick to a seated Douglas for a two count. Snow keeps Douglas on the mat with an arm bar. Snow plants Douglas with a side suplex for a near fall. Douglas hits a standing hurricanrana and a dropkick. Douglas clotheslines Snow over the top to the floor. Rude gives Snow some advice on the floor. Snow hammers away on Douglas from the apron and hits a savant kick. Snow signals for the superkick in the corner but misses. Douglas decks Snow with a clotheslines and a vertical suplex. Douglas spikes Snow with a piledriver. Douglas delivers a reverse rolling neck snap. Snow counters a belly to belly suplex with strikes. Douglas drives Snow back first into the corner. Douglas locks in a camel clutch in the middle of the ring. Snow gets slapped by Francine and stalks her on the floor. Snow gets hit by Francine from behind and Douglas drops Snow chest first over the railing. Douglas lifts the protective mat on the floor and Snow hits a snap suplex on the concrete floor. Douglas recovers first to put a camel clutch on in the middle of the ring. Snow drops Douglas throat first over the top rope. Snow drops Douglas with a savant kick. Snow nearly wins after a spinning heel kick. Snow tosses Douglas face first into the turnbuckle. Douglas low blows Snow to regain control of the match. Snow plants Douglas with a sit down powerbomb for a near fall. Douglas backslides Snow for a two count. Snow clotheslines Douglas and plays to the crowd. Douglas gets a sunset flip, but they trade pin attempts. Douglas takes Snow over with a belly to belly suplex. Douglas is slow to make the cover and Snow kicks out at two. Douglas atomic drops Snow and tries for another belly to belly, but Snow counters with one of his own. Douglas elbows Snow but hits a belly to belly as Snow came off the ropes and wins the match. (***. I enjoyed the action even if Snow wasn’t ever going to win this match. I’m liking the angle where Rude finds challengers for Douglas to prove he’s the best. That can lead to suspense and mystery. Snow was able to showcase his ability and that was a pleasant surprise.)

3.) Lance Wright isn’t very happy about doing Hype Central for ECW. Wright could have co-hosted WrestleMania or jumped to Nitro. However, he went back to the young and hip ECW. Wright has a more douchebag persona.

4.) Taz decks Marquez with several strikes after Marquez managed to get a few counters in. Taz hits a double leg slam. Taz tosses Marquez with a German suplex. Marquez nearly wins with a sunset flip and is met with a clothesline. Taz tosses Marquez with a t-bone suplex. Taz wins the match with a Taz Mission.

5.) Jenna Jameson says that the Big Event is coming up soon.

6.) RVD counters a hip toss with a spinning kick and a spinning leg drop. Dreamer comes off the ropes with a swinging neckbreaker. Dreamer clotheslines RVD over the top to the floor. Dreamer dropkicks RVD’s on the leg and RVD hits his face on the apron. Dreamer leaps off the apron to clothesline RVD on the floor. Dreamer sends RVD into the guard railing a few times. Dreamer misses a chair shot coming off the apron. RVD crotches Dreamer over the railing. RVD kicks the chair into Dreamer’s face. RVD dropkicks Dreamer in the corner. RVD hits a rolling thunder splash. RVD slams Dreamer and hits the frog splash. RVD has the cover, but Dreamer kicks out at two. Dreamer dropkicks a chair into RVD’s face. Dreamer puts RVD in a tree of woe. Dreamer puts a chair in front of RVD’s face and dropkicks the chair into RVD’s face. Dreamer hits a frog splash off the top rope. Bill Alfonso enters to low blow Dreamer. Beulah low blows Alfonso. Beulah chokes Alfonso in the corner. RVD spin kicks a chair into Dreamer’s face. RVD tries to hit a split legged moonsault, but Dreamer avoids it. RVD leg trips Dreamer to the mat. RVD boots Dreamer, but Dreamer low blows RVD on the top rope and hits a DDT to win the match. After the match, Sabu enters and puts a camel clutch on Dreamer. They hit a rolling thunder/leg drop combo on Dreamer. Beulah tries to save Dreamer from a chair shot, but Alfonso moves her. Sabu hits Dreamer with a chair from the top rope. Sabu and RVD lay a WWF flag over Dreamer’s body. (**. A decent match and it thankfully didn’t go too long. A simple brawl with a clean finish.)

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed the episode this week as we got a quality Douglas/Snow match and a fine main event.

Thanks for reading.