Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 8/9/1997
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Matches:
1.) Rob Van Dam defeated Mikey Whipwreck
2.) Chris Candido defeated Spike Dudley
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) The show starts off with Rick Rude standing with Francine and the Triple Threat. Rude says that everyone has been asking why he turned his back on Dreamer and Sandman. Rude tells us that Sandman offers him beer and a cigarette while Dreamer offers him nothing, not even a peak at Beluah. Meanwhile, Shane Douglas offers him bliss with Francine. Rude puts over the company that Douglas is associated with being Chris Candido and Bam-Bam Bigelow. Shane Douglas chimes in and says that he, Funk and Sabu made history three and a half years ago. Shane promises that Funk will not beat him on August 17th. They are showing clips of Douglas have confrontations with Funk over the years. Douglas says he has created this company and believes the ECW World Championship is his championship and he’ll walk out as champion at Hardcore Heaven. Funk will retire.
2.) RVD works over Whipwreck with several strikes and kicks to the chest before dropping Whipwreck to the mat with a leaping kick. Mikey fights back with a tornado DDT out of the corner. Whipwreck takes RVD over with two hurricanranas. The second sends both men over the top to the floor where Sabu has to be held back from hitting Whipwreck. Mikey takes Sabu out with a somersault dive to the outside as RVD just walked away. RVD forearms Whipwreck on the floor before laying Mikey over the apron. RVD hits a slingshot leg drop onto the apron. RVD hits a top rope frog splash but doesn’t go for the cover. Whipwreck takes RVD down with a side Russian leg sweep and a dropkick. Whipwreck gets crotched on the top rope. Mikey knocks RVD off the middle rope and hits a leaping head scissors. Sabu breaks up the cover but Mikey keeps control with strikes in the corner. Sabu leaps off RVD’s back to splash Mikey in the corner and RVD hits a springboard kick. RVD and Sabu hit a rolling thunder splash/slingshot leg drop from the apron for the three count. (**. I though it was a decent TV match with Whipwreck getting a few moments to shine. Was the interference by Sabu really needed, though?)
3.) Joey Styles is in the ring promoting the show and the fans are going nuts. Rick Rude comes out to be part of the segment. Styles tells Rude that he’s not an announcer anymore and nobody invited him out here. Rude threatens Styles to shut his mouth or he’ll be in for a rude awakening. Rude tells the fans that he doesn’t give a shit about what they chant. The crowd wants Styles to attack Rude. That would be hilarious. However, Rude says that Styles isn’t going to do anything and he never would be able to. Styles is encouraging the crowd behind Rude’s back. Rude eventually brings out Francine and Shane Douglas. Douglas talks crap about Terry Funk and Douglas requests that Rude take Francine and loosen her up for him later tonight.
Douglas talks about how many wrestlers from other promotions are afraid to wrestle him. He puts over the Triple Threat and does his finger taunt with the crowd. Bill Alfonso and Sabu make their way down to the ring. Rob Van Dam is with them, as well. Alfonso puts over RVD and Sabu as the greatest team going today. RVD says that Douglas does a good job as a weekend warrior. Alfonso also puts over the WWF, but Douglas gets the microphone and he’s pissed about that. Terry Funk comes out and says he doesn’t need to use the f-word like Douglas and all the stooges out here. Funk calls Douglas and Pittsburgh doo-doo and Douglas insults Texas. That leads to Funk, Sabu and Douglas brawling causing the locker room to empty.
4.) Rob Van Dam cuts a promo about wrestling Tommy Dreamer and there will be a barbed wire match between Sabu and Terry Funk for the ECW World Championship. RVD says that Lawler ruining Dreamer’s love life with Beulah will be nothing compared to him ending Dreamer’s career. RVD puts over Sabu’s scars and says he’s not afraid of barbed wire matches. RVD wonders out loud if he will get the first title match if Sabu wins the match.
5.) New Jack cuts a promo backstage but is attacked by the Dudley Boys. The Eliminators were standing by and Saturn whacked Bubba with a crutch.
6.) Joel Gertner cuts a promo with the ECW Tag Team Champions, the Dudley Boys. Gertner says that the Gangstas thought winning the titles would be the best night of their life. Gertner notes that there are always stipulations. Gertner promised to shave his hair and chest if the Dudley Boys didn’t arrive to Hardcore Heaven. He doesn’t think that Mustafa will be getting out of the hospital soon. Gertner says if the Gangstas can’t show up to the PPV then they will be stripped of the titles. Thus, someone needs to defend the titles and they are. Gertner is proud of them losing the titles, but yet winning them as a result, too. Bubba Dudley chimes in and says that the tag titles belong to the Gangstas and they want them to come take them. Bubba doesn’t want the title because of airports and the belt being too heavy. Bubba insists that they are the Gangstas bitches because they lost the belts to them.
7.) There’s been several vignettes by Jason, who will be part of the Hardcore Heaven pay per view.
8.) Chris Candido comes out dressed and acting like Taz, which was hilarious. Candido takes Spike down to the mat and gets an ankle lock on Spike for a moment. Spike dropkicks Candido to the floor and comes off the apron with a rolling senton. Candido stops Spike with a double leg slam out of the corner. Candido drives Spike down with a vertical suplex. Candido dangerously tosses Spike with a German suplex. Candido hits a top rope powerbomb for the win. (*1/2. Candido was great here to get some heat on himself and Spike did a good job of selling for Candido while also getting a few moments of offense. An effective segment.)
9.) Taz is shown via satellite and knows that Candido is trying to play mind games. Taz knows that Candido is an entertainer and assures Candido he’s not mad. He doesn’t get mad, actually. Taz proceeds to beat on students in the ring. Taz claims he never got mad during his feud with Sabu. Danny Doring didn’t seem all that excited and is shoved into Taz, who hit an overhead suplex and chokes out Doring while screaming out Candido’s name.
10.) ECW World Champion Terry Funk cuts a promo about his love for Philadelphia and Texas. He hates Pittsburgh, though. Funk considers fans in Pittsburgh are inbred and are ignorant like Shane Douglas. Funk talks about leaving Florida for ten years and it was because of Dusty Rhodes. Funk blames Asians for invading Florida. Funk blames the dumb crackers for educating immigrants. Funk says he is going home and getting out of the business, but he’ll do so with the ECW World Championship. Funk isn’t afraid of Sabu and he’s going walk out of Philadelphia as the champion. He’s promising to retain the title and he’ll keep it.
11.) There’s a video promoting the barbed wire match, which there has only been four of in ECW’s history. It would actually be the final barbed wire match in ECW history.
Final Thoughts:
I’d say it was a solid overall week of television as they focused on the right angles. You can see where they can switch to a triple threat match at Hardcore Heaven and the three way feud makes for more interesting TV.
Thanks for reading.