Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 9/6/1997
From: Queens, NY
Matches:
1.) Spike Dudley & Chris Chetti defeated Little Guido & Tracy Smothers
2.) Sabu defeated Bobby Duncum Jr.
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) They are really promoting the fact that Tommy Dreamer was buried underneath a WWF flag last week by Sabu and Rob Van Dam.
2.) Lance Wright complains about the WWF when Tommy Dreamer enters the scene. Dreamer tells Sabu and RVD that he’s coming after them with everything he has.
3.) Spike and Guido kickoff the tag match. They trade wrist control until Spike takes Guido down to the mat. Guido shoves Spike against the ropes. Spike shoves Guido to the mat, but Guido returns the shove. Guido gets to the ropes to break a full nelson. Spike backdrops Guido and gets an inside cradle for a two count. Chetti tags in and dropkicks Guido alongside Spike for a two count. Smothers tags in but Chetti delivers a strike as Smothers came off the top. Chetti hits a spinning heel kick. Smothers runs over Chetti with a shoulder block, but Chetti hits a powerslam. Guido sends Chetti to the floor after holding the ropes. Tommy Rich drops Chetti throat first over the guard railing. Guido rolls Chetti into the ring and Smothers gets a two count. Guido tags back in and Smothers slams Guido onto Chetti for a two count. Guido stomps on Chetti and Smothers gets in on the action, as well. Smothers knocks Chetti down before tagging in Guido. Chetti gets chopped to the mat by both men and Guido gets a two count. Chetti almost pins Guido with an inside cradle. Chetti gets a sunset flip on Smothers, but Smothers drops Chetti with a clothesline. Chetti drops both Guido and Smothers with a leg drop. Spike gets the hot tag and cleans house with forearm strikes. Spike dropkicks Guido in the corner. FBI is sent into each other and are met with dropkicks. Chetti dives onto Guido while Spike hit a bulldog on Smothers. Tommy Rich gives a chain to Smothers as the referee is distracted. Spike ducks a shot and Smothers decks Rich. Spike covers Rich and wins the match. (*1/2. It was okay, but I wasn’t a fan of the finish because Rich wasn’t legally involved in the match.)
4.) Chris Candido enters the scene to talk to Joey Styles saying if he wanted to go to WWF he could get there easily. Candido promises he had nothing to do with the WWF banner on Dreamer. Candido likes being extreme and going through tables. Candido pretends to get a phone call from Jim Ross. Candido promotes the Triple Threat and says he hates needles but he got a tattoo. Candido talks about Hardcore Heaven and facing Taz. Candido went to look to make sure the camera got a good look and he submitted to Taz’s submission hold. Candido says he’ll take out RVD and Sabu. Candido wants to fight Tommy Dreamer, who went down to Memphis. Candido wants to have a mixed tag match with Dreamer and Beulah.
5.) Duncum boots Sabu and delivers a clothesline for an early two count. Sabu avoids Duncum in the corner to hit a springboard heel kick and a moonsault for a near fall. Sabu smashes Duncum with a chair shot. Sabu leaps off the chair, but is caught with a backbreaker. Duncum goes to the top rope, but Sabu cuts off Duncum and hits a top rope hurricanrana. Sabu takes Duncum out with a suicide dive to the floor. They return to the ring and trade strikes. Sabu dropkicks Duncum on the left knee. Sabu climbs to the top and is crotched by Duncum. Duncum hits a reverse DDT off the middle rope, but RVD breaks up the cover to cause the disqualification.
6.) After the match, RVD sends Duncum to the floor. Jason kicks RVD, but RVD spin kicks Jason. RVD places Duncum onto a table placed over the apron and railing allowing Sabu to hit a springboard splash to put Duncum through it. Tommy Dreamer runs down to ringside and goes after RVD with right hands. Dreamer also goes after Sabu. Dreamer drives Sabu down with a neckbreaker. Dreamer smashes Sabu with a leg drop assisted with a chair. Dreamer leaps off a chair to splash Sabu in the corner. Dreamer slams Sabu and misses a top rope splash hitting a chair. Sabu connects with a triple jump moonsault. Sabu delivers a slingshot somersault leg drop. Sabu baseball slides Dreamer over the railing into the crowd. Sabu takes Dreamer out with a dive into the crowd. Sabu hits another springboard splash into the corner. Sabu connects with a springboard hurricanrana. Dreamer drives Sabu face first onto a steel chair off the middle rope. Dreamer plants Sabu with a DDT onto the steel chair. Dreamer slides a table into the ring and sets it up. Dreamer whacks Sabu with a weak looking chair shot. Dreamer heads to the top rope managing to hit a splash to put Sabu through the table. (*1/2. I’m not a fan of the DQ finish, but the action prior to that was surprisingly decent.)
Following a commercial, RVD returned to the ring and helped Sabu hit a double leg drop on Dreamer. RVD and Sabu dropkick a chair into Dreamer’s head. Beulah gets in the ring and Sabu decks Beulah with a clothesline! Sandman makes the save with a kendo stick. RVD kicks a chair into Sandman’s head. Sabu comes off the top to smash Sandman with a chair. Alfonso has a WWF banner and lays the flag over Dreamer, Sandman and Beulah. ECW Television Champion Taz makes his way out. Taz tosses Alfonso to the mat as the show comes to an end.
Final Thoughts:
Kind of a lackluster episode this week as there wasn’t a standout match nor was there really a major angle. Sabu hitting a clothesline on Beulah should lead to a heated feud with Dreamer directly, I’d imagine. Candido had a funny promo, but nothing really stood out this week.
Thanks for reading.