Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 9/13/1997
From: Waltham, MA
Matches:
1.) John Kronus defeated Tracy Smothers
2.) ECW World Champion Shane Douglas defeated Axl Rotten to retain the title
3.) Sabu fought The Sandman to a no contest
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) In Queens, Lance Wright cut into Taz’s promo in the ring and put his hands on Taz to get his attention. The crowd knew that Wright had messed up in that moment. Taz wants RVD and Sabu to make their way out to the ring. Wright is fed up with everything going on in the company. Wright claims he’s a broadcast journalist and mentions he worked with the WWF. Wright suggests that Taz doesn’t burn any bridges since he knows people in the WWF. Taz proceeds to take Wright over with an overhead suplex and locks in the Taz Mission. Taz insults Wright before posing for the crowd.
2.) “Saturn sold out” chant is heard and Kronus just shrugs at them. Kronus spinning heel kick to knock Smothers to the floor. Kronus delivers a few strikes and kicks Smothers to the floor with a kick to the back of the head. Tommy Rich pulls the top rope down to cause Kronus to crash to the floor. Guido gets a few strikes in to help Smothers out. Smothers connects with a jumping heel kick as the show goes to commercial. Kronus misses a handspring back elbow and is nearly pinned by Smothers with a clothesline. Kronus spin kicks Smothers followed by a scoop slam. Kronus comes off the ropes to hit a somersault leg drop. Guido gets decked to the floor and Rich is kicked off the apron. Kronus slams Smothers and hits a 450 splash to win the match. (*. There wasn’t a lot going on here, but I’m digging Kronus in a singles role.)
3.) ECW Tag Team Champions Dudley Boys, Big Dick Dudley and Joel Gertner cut a promo outside of their house. Joel Gertner suggests that John Kronus wrestle Big Dick Dudley after noting that Bubba and D-Von are loyal partners, unlike Saturn. Big Dick has been groaning the entire promo.
4.) Rick Rude heads to the ring to reveal the next challenger for the ECW World Championship. Shane Douglas makes his way out to join the segment. Douglas claims that nobody in the crowd would be here if it wasn’t for him. After a commercial, Axl Rotten is revealed as the opponent.
5.) Douglas gets a two count with a rollup out of the corner. Douglas ducks a clothesline and dropkicks Rotten. Douglas takes Rotten down and walks on his back before taunting the crowd again. Rotten connects with a side Russian leg sweep and several stomps on the mat. Rotten stomps all over Douglas body like he’s Ron Garvin. Rotten backs Douglas into the corner to deliver a strike and sends Douglas upside down into the corner. Rotten decks Douglas off the apron to the floor. Rotten rams Douglas face first onto the stage followed by an overhand strike. Rotten has a chair and is met with a boot to the midsection. Douglas drops Rotten chest first onto the stage. Douglas hits a middle rope clothesline for a near fall. Douglas dropkicks a seated Rotten in the corner. Douglas stomps on Rotten to maintain control of the contest. Douglas taunts the fans while keeping control of the contest. Douglas hits a vertical suplex followed by an inverted rolling neck snap. Francine chokes Rotten over the bottom rope. Douglas splashes down onto Axl’s back but is met with a low blow. Rotten hammers away on Douglas with strikes in the corner. Rotten gets a two count after a clothesline and a back elbow. Rotten backdrops Douglas for a two count. Rotten clotheslines Douglas out of the corner for a near fall. Rotten puts Douglas on the top turnbuckle, but Douglas headbutts Rotten. Rotten slams Douglas off the top to the mat. Rotten misses a clothesline and Douglas hits the belly to belly suplex for the win. (*1/2. I couldn’t have cared any less about this match once Rotten was revealed as the mystery opponent. He’s not a strong opponent and I don’t think the crowd bought into this at all.)
6.) This is the first time Sabu and Sandman have ever wrestled, apparently. Sabu leaps off the stage to break a glass bottle over Sandman’s head during Sandman’s entrance. Sabu lays Sandman on a table on the floor. Tommy Dreamer pulls Sandman off and Sabu crashes through the table. Dreamer tries to hit a DDT, but RVD comes out and spin kicks Dreamer. RVD hits a rolling thunder splash. Sandman is gushing blood. Dreamer drops RVD throat first over the guard railing and groin first. Dreamer comes off the apron to deliver a chair shot to RVD. RVD continues to stomp on Dreamer in the corner. RVD dropkicks the chair into Dreamer’s face. Dreamer fights back with a kick to RVD sending the chair into his face. Dreamer hits a frog splash off the top for a two count. Sabu leg drops a chair onto Dreamer. Sabu stomps away on Dreamer. Sabu puts a camel clutch on Dreamer and a chair is put in front of Dreamer’s face allowing RVD to hit a middle rope dropkick sending the chair into Dreamer’s face. RVD and Sabu hit a rolling thunder/leg drop combo. They have the WWF flag.
Taz makes his way out to make the save. Taz decks RVD and Sabu with right hands. RVD and Sabu attack when Taz goes after Alfonso. Taz gets dropkicked by both Sabu and RVD. They go to opposite corners, but RVD misses a splash and Taz hits an overhead suplex. Dreamer clotheslines Sabu to the floor. Dreamer and Taz bump into each other and stand tall in the ring.
Dreamer gets a microphone and says that he has Taz back. Dreamer tells Taz any time he needs a favor that he has it. Taz grabs the microphone and says he doesn’t need anyone to watch to his back. Taz wants the favor to be Dreamer to challenge him for the ECW Television Championship. Taz wants to show everyone what an extreme match is all about. That match will happen next week.
7.) Paul Heyman informs us that Todd Gordon has stepped down as the commissioner of Extreme Championship Wrestling. Gordon cited family and running a family business as reasons to stepping down. Heyman promises to make Gordon proud.
Final Thoughts:
A lackluster episode this week as the open challenge for Douglas wasn’t very great and we got a bait and switch for Sandman/Sabu. That’s never a good look especially when you make fun of the major companies doing that on their television.
Thanks for reading.