Written by: Bob Colling
Extreme Championship Wrestling presents Hardcore TV
Date: 12/11/1999
From: Atlanta, GA
Matches:
1.) Super Crazy defeated Super Calo
2.) ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam defeated Tracy Smothers to retain the title
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) The show starts off with New Jack leaping off the balcony to put someone through a table. I’ll assume it was one of the Baldies, but the lighting wasn’t very good to tell.
2.) Joey Styles says that there are a lot of WCW wrestlers there trying to get into ECW and Heyman has allowed one person to join.
3.) Raven attacks Tom Marquez and Hidaka during their singles match with a steel briefcase. Styles is saying that Raven has had a nervous breakdown due to Sandman returning. Raven drops Marquez face first onto a steel chair. Raven plants Hidaka with a DDT. Raven drives Marquez down to the mat with a DDT, as well. Raven taunts the crowd before leaving the ring with his steel briefcase.
4.) The WCW wrestler that has jumped ship to ECW is revealed as being.. Super Calo.
5.) Crazy hip tosses Calo to start the match and they have a standoff. Calo kicks Crazy followed by a slam. Crazy shoulder blocks Calo, but Calo hits a springboard head scissors. They take each other down and they have another standoff. Calo drops Crazy with a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Crazy dumps Calo to the apron and Calo hits a head scissors off the top rope. Calo dropkicks Crazy on the floor and hits a slingshot senton over the top onto Crazy on the floor. Calo rolls Crazy into the ring and leaps off the top to hit a flying shoulder block and does it again for a two count. Crazy tries for a head scissors, but Calo counters with a side slam for a two count. Crazy powerbombs Calo and hits a springboard moonsault for a two count. Crazy hammers away on Calo in the corner. Crazy hits a springboard dropkick to send Calo to the floor. Crazy tosses Calo into the crowd and hits a springboard moonsault into the crowd. Crazy rolls Calo into the ring and climbs to the top rope. Crazy misses a diving headbutt. Calo nearly wins with a couple of rollups. Calo delivers a flying back elbow for a two count. Calo plants Crazy with a sit out powerbomb for a near fall. Calo sits Crazy on the top rope hitting a head scissors off the top for a near fall. Calo misses a springboard dropkick and Crazy hits a springboard heel kick. Crazy plants Calo with a powerbomb and Crazy hits three moonsaults for the win. (***. An enjoyable match with Calo showing off some good offense. It was comical that the Calo was the WCW wrestler that jumped ship, but at least he provided a good match to make it worthwhile.)
6.) Backstage, Bill Alfonso cuts a promo about how fans are wondering what he’s going to do about RVD and Sabu. Francine steps in and screams for help because Raven is banging his head on the wall. Tommy Dreamer runs into the room and consoles Raven telling him to stop because he’s done well and to not ruin it now.
7.) Backstage, Jason cuts a promo with the Impact Players and Dawn Marie behind him. Jason suggests that the women have their eyes covered so they don’t see him. Lance Storm chimes in and says that Sandman is trying to regain a gimmick while Dreamer and Raven are trying to hang onto the tag titles. Credible says that people are knocking on their door and suggests that WCW tried to get them, but Credible declined. Credible wants Raven and Dreamer to come and get some because it will be the fight of their lives. Credible finishes off with his catchphrases.
8.) ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam cut a promo backstage before the main event. RVD never liked sharing the ring on Sabu when he carried Sabu. RVD knows that Sabu isn’t gone for long because Sabu is stupid. RVD doubts that Sabu will take the title away from him and says that he’s the Sheik’s favorite wrestler. Bill Alfonso doesn’t say a word.
9.) Smothers backs off to avoid a few kick attempts in the corner. Smothers takes RVD down to the mat following a distraction by Tommy Rich. RVD breaks free quickly and they have a standoff. RVD ducks a clothesline but they both miss kicks and they have a standoff. Smothers takes RVD down to the mat with a few headlocks, but they have a standoff again. Smothers taunts RVD until he’s kicked in the face. RVD spin kicks Smothers and stomps away on Smothers. Smothers sends RVD face first into the middle turnbuckle and delivers a few strikes. Smothers elbows RVD in the corner a few times followed by jabs. RVD avoids Smothers in the corner and hits a crossbody off the middle rope for a two count. Smothers decks RVD with an axe handle and strikes against the ropes. RVD dropkicks Rich with a baseball slide. RVD baseball slides Smothers and leaps off the top to hit a crossbody onto both Smothers and Rich on the floor. RVD hits a slingshot leg drop from the apron for a two count.
RVD jabs Smothers a few times and gets distracted by Rich allowing Smothers to dump RVD to the floor. Rich knocks RVD over the railing into the crowd. Smothers send RVD into the railing ribs first. Smothers sends RVD head first into the side of the stage. Smothers goes for the cover, but RVD kicks out at two. Rich hammers away on RVD as the referee is distracted. Smothers back rakes RVD a few times over the middle rope. Smothers pummels RVD in the corner to maintain control of the contest. Smothers tries for a slam, but RVD counters with an inside cradle for a two count. Smothers decks RVD with a clothesline and a forearm drop for a near fall. Smothers heel kicks RVD to the mat for a near fall. Smothers keeps a sleeper on RVD, but RVD elbows free. RVD hits a spinning heel kick and a step over heel kick. RVD slams Smothers before hitting a rolling thunder splash for a two count. RVD hits a rolling thunder corkscrew leg drop for a near fall. RVD lays a chair over Smothers and hits a splash with a chair for a near fall. RVD goes to the top and kicks Smothers on the jaw. RVD tries for a cover, but Smothers kicks out at two. RVD misses a kick but leg sweeps Smothers to the mat and whacks Smothers over the head. RVD dropkicks a chair into Smothers face for a near fall. RVD tries for a suplex, but Smothers counters with a belly to belly suplex. Smothers spikes RVD with a piledriver for a near fall. Smothers waits for RVD to get up and connects with a leaping kick to the head. Smothers whacks RVD with a chair several times managing a two count. Smothers heads to the top rope, but RVD kicks Smothers only to be shoved off. RVD crotches Smothers on the top rope and kicks a chair into Smothers face with help from Alfonso. RVD lays a chair over Smothers and kicks a chair into Rich’s face. RVD hits the Five Star Frog Splash to pin Smothers. (**. This probably went much longer than it needed to go, but I liked seeing Smothers back in ECW even if it’s for one night. RVD gave quite a bit to Smothers, but it lacked drama or any kind of excitement.) After the match, Sabu comes out limping on a broken crutch to taunt RVD. Sabu attacks RVD after a commercial and puts RVD over a table before hitting a leg drop off the top to put RVD through the table.
Final Thoughts:
An average episode for ECW Hardcore TV this week. Calo/Crazy was a solid match, but there wasn’t much progression for angles this week for the most part. There hasn’t been much development for Guilty As Charged, but I can assume that RVD/Sabu is going to be on the PPV.
Thanks for reading.