Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 12/13/1997
From: Philadelphia, PA
Matches:
1.) Dudley Boys defeated Kronus, Spike Dudley & New Jack
2.) Mikey Whipwreck defeated Justin Credible
3.) Stevie Richards defeated Chris Chetti
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Joey Styles is in the ring to start the program. The fans are vocal about New York sucking. Styles mentions that Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon won the ECW Tag Team Championships by defeating the FBI in Waltham. Kronus and New Jack were attacked by the Dudley Boys before the match allowing Furnas and LaFon to win the titles. Kronus suffered a broken bone in his hand.
2.) John Kronus makes his way out to be interviewed by Joey Styles. Joel Gertner and Sign Guy Dudley make their way down with the Dudley Boys slowly making their way down behind them. Styles is insisting that this isn’t a match and nothing more needs to happen. Kronus is circled in the ring as Bubba tells Styles to leave the ring. D-Von holds Kronus allowing Bog Dick to get a few strikes in. Bubba goes to hit Kronus broken hand with a chair, but New Jack comes out and makes the save with a bunch of weapons. As expected, Jack whacks the Dudley’s with various weapons while Big Dick chokes Kronus on the floor. Spike Dudley comes out and hits the Acid Drop on both Bubba and D-Von. Spike hits the Acid Drop on Big Dick, but Big Dick no sells it. New Jack smashes Big Dick with a guitar shot. Spike takes Bubba over with a hurricanrana and a bulldog on D-Von. Spike hits another bulldog on Bubba off the middle rope. Bubba throws something into Spike’s face to stop his momentum. Big Dick tosses Spike across the ring. D-Von breaks a guitar over Jack’s head. Big Dick tosses Spike into Bubba, who hit a cutter. Bubba powerbombs Spike through a table. Bubba pins Spike, as that was apparently a match. (*1/2. The usual brawling that the crowd eats up every time.)
3.) Credible and Whipwreck counter hammerlocks early on. Whipwreck shoulder blocks Credible and delivers a headbutt to counter a monkey flip. Whipwreck monkey flips Credible and Credible slides to the floor where Whipwreck hits a crossbody on Credible and Jason! Whipwreck sends Credible back first into the guard railing and Credible flies over into the crowd. Whipwreck hammers away on Credible in the corner and sends Credible sliding groin first into the ring post. Whipwreck yanks on Credible’s legs to ram him into the post again. Credible counters a slam and hits a reverse DDT. Credible comes off the ropes with a dropkick to a seated Whipwreck. Credible drops Whipwreck with a right hand. Credible chops Whipwreck and continues to deliver right hands while mounting Mikey. Credible powerbombs Mikey for a two count. Credible slides a chair into the ring and hooks Whipwreck to deliver a vertical suplex onto the chair. Credible goes to the top rope with chair in hand. Credible leaps off and gets the chair kicked into his face.
Whipwreck backdrops Credible and Credible goes upside down into the corner. Whipwreck hits a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Whipwreck continues with a side Russian leg sweep. Mikey goes to the top and hits a crossbody, but Credible rolls through leading to a near fall. Credible climbs to the top rope and Mikey cuts him off with left hands. Credible takes Mikey off the middle rope with a sunset flip powerbomb for a two count. Credible gets crotched on the top rope and Whipwreck tries for the Whippersnapper. Jason tries to get involved, but gets a Whippersnapper. Mikey takes Credible off the middle rope with a hurricanrana and wins the match! (**. Interesting to see Whipwreck earn another win over Credible. Credible seemingly came in with a lot of steam and now can’t get a win over Whipwreck. The action was decent throughout.)
4.) Chetti side slams Richards as the match is joined in progress. Chetti is being booed as he plants Richards with a powerbomb. Chetti waits in the corner and is getting frustrated with how Richards moving slowly. Chetti delivered a superkick and missed a double springboard moonsault leading to Richards winning the match with a superkick of his own.
5.) Al Snow is in the back of a car and is yelling at someone saying he’s the “arms and legs of this.” Snow says the other person is in control. Snow recalls asking how to make it to the top and the people in power saying they need a little bit of head and now he gets it. The camera looks at a mannequin head. Joey Styles is confused. This is the debut of Snow’s crazy man persona.
6.) ECW Tag Team Champions Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon make their way out alongside Lance Wright and Brakkus. Wright is Vince McMahon’s personal message boy. Wright says his men have elevated the tag championship to world class status. Wright says they will hand the tag belts to McMahon and he’ll toss them into the trash. Lance Wright leaves the ring with the WWF banner along with Brakkus.
7.) Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten make their way out. Rotten says that they’d be champions if it wasn’t for Jeff Jones. The respect they have for the champs go out the window. Lance Storm and Chris Candido make their way down with Francine, who is using crutches. This leads to a three way tag match.
8.) All six men are in the ring brawling to start with Rotten and Candido remaining after a few moments. Rotten shoulder blocks Candido and delivers a low blow to block a leapfrog attempt. Rotten decks Candido with a clothesline for a two count. Rotten powerbombs Candido to counter a hurricanrana attempt. LaFon takes Storm down to the mat with a headlock. LaFon misses a spin kick. Storm tries for a sunset flip and LaFon takes Storm down with a few right hands. Storm connects with a standing dropkick. LaFon tosses Storm onto a table at ringside. Mahoney and Furnas enter the ring with Mahoney delivering strikes. Furnas takes Mahoney over with a German suplex. Candido dropkicks Furnas. Storm and Candido work over Furnas in the corner. Furnas takes Candido over with a standing hurricanrana for a two count. Mahoney leg drops LaFon. All six men are back in the ring brawling.
LaFon plants Candido with a Tiger Driver for a two count. Furnas tosses Storm with an overhead belly to belly suplex. LaFon plants Mahoney with a DDT. LaFon hammers away on Rotten in the corner. Mahoney tries to slam LaFon, but LaFon counters. Rotten dropkciks Mahoney onto LaFon from off the middle rope and Mahoney pins LaFon for an elimination. We will have new champions tonight! We go to commercial as Storm hits a crossbody on Mahoney outside the ring.
Mahoney catches Candido in the corner, but Candido hits a back suplex. Rotten runs into a boot by Storm in the corner and delivers a clothesline as Storm runs out. Rotten goes for a cover managing a two count. Storm knee lifts Mahoney in the corner. Storm drops Mahoney with a spin kick for a two count. Mahoney staggers Storm with a right hand and a spinning heel kick sending both men to the floor. Rotten jabs Candido followed by an elbow strike. Rotten backdrops Candido coming out of the corner. Storm rolls back into the ring and Mahoney continues to work over Storm. Storm hits a springboard back elbow off the top rope for a two count. Candido leaps off the top and Mahoney connects with a superkick for a two count. Rotten tries for a reverse DDT, but Candido lands on top after Storm delivered a strike. Candido goes to the top rope, but is caught in midair by Rotten with a powerslam for a two count. Candido hits a top rope hurricanrana on Rotten. Storm blocks a chair shot by Mahoney and delivers a chair shot. Mahoney hits the Nutcracker Suite onto the chair. Candido hits a top rope headbutt on Storm on accident!
Francine enters the ring with her crutches and Candido nails Rotten with a crutch. Candido stops Mahoney on the top rope. Candido hooks Mahoney for a superplex and they drive Mahoney to the mat. Candido covers and wins the match! (**1/4. Putting the belts on Candido and Storm is the best decision. They are clearly playing up Storm being a possible member to the group and it looks like it could be working for the duo for success. I would have been shocked if Mahoney and Rotten won the titles here. The tag belts also gives the Triple Threat more gold and cements them as the top faction to close the year out.)
9.) ECW Television Champion Taz has a confrontation with Lance Wright’s bodyguard, Brakkus. Wright holds Brakkus back to end the segment.
10.) The show comes to an end with Tommy Dreamer, Sandman and Beulah coming down to the ring for a match against Rob Van Dam and Sabu.
Final Thoughts:
An average week of television this week as I was entertained by Mikey’s continued push and crowning new tag champions.
Thanks for reading.