ECW House Show 5/23/1997

Extreme Championship Wrestling House Show
Date: 5/23/1997
From: Indiana, PA

Opening Contest: Jimmy Cicero vs. Axl Rotten: Rotten starts off by shoving Cicero to the mat and poses for the crowd. Cicero shoulder blocks Rotten, but runs into a hip toss and arm drag. Rotten keeps arm control on the mat. Cicero shoulder blocks Rotten and hits a swinging neckbreaker to gain control. Cicero chokes Rotten over the middle rope for a few moments. Cicero slams Rotten and delivers an elbow drop for a two count. Cicero takes Rotten over with a suplex and covers for a two count. Cicero uppercuts Rotten, but runs into a boot. Rotten elbows Cicero to the mat. Rotten decks Cicero with a clothesline and plays to the crowd. Rotten hits a nice lifting reverse DDT and pins Cicero for the win. (*. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Rotten focused on showing he can actually wrestle and not relying on a chair. That’s been his trend on the house show matches for quite awhile. I’m glad this was kept rather short.)

Second Contest: Taz vs. Danny Morrison (Danny Doring): Taz gains control with a hammerlock on the mat, but Morrison reaches the ropes quickly. Taz takes Morrison down with a headlock throw and a boot to the midsection. Taz clubs Morrison over the back a few times. Morrison gets a one count with a sunset flip, but Taz responds with a quick clothesline. Taz pummels Morrison in the corner and delivers a stomp to the face. Taz backdrops Morrison coming off the ropes. Taz decks Morrison over the back and a clubbing strike over the back. Taz runs the ropes and is met with a standing dropkick. Taz gets a near fall with an inside cradle. Morrison sunset flips Taz for a one count. Morrison slams Taz and heads to the top rope missing a leg drop attempt. Taz tosses Morrison with an overhead suplex. Taz counters a go-behind and locks in the Taz Mission to win the match. (*. Morrison got a brief moment of shine in the form of a rollup. This didn’t have the normal excitement that a Taz squash usually has for me.)

Prior to the next match, Raven’s sidekick guy gets on the microphone and says that Raven isn’t wrestling.

Third Contest: Raven vs. Chris Chetti: Chetti starts the match with the sidekick delivering several elbows to his arm. The fans are chanting that Raven sold out as Chetti hit a backdrop. Raven enters the ring and appears to be ready to compete. Chetti backs Raven into a corner, but cleanly backs off. Raven bails to the floor and walks towards the backstage area to stall. Raven eventually returns to the ring with a chair. The referee takes it away and Raven locks up with Chetti gaining wrist control. Raven grabs the ropes to break free. Chetti regains control with a hammerlock until Raven reaches the ropes again. Raven grabs another chair and sets it up in the corner. Raven punches Chetti a few times and follows up with snapmares. Chetti gets a two count with a backslide and Raven regroups in the corner. Raven kicks Chetti and continues with strikes and a double under hook suplex. Chetti drop toe holds Raven face first onto a steel chair. Raven gains wrist control and elbows Chetti over the shoulder a few times. Raven keeps control on Chetti, but Chetti sends Raven back first into the chair in the corner. Chetti snapmares Raven and delivers a leg drop for a two count. Raven plants Chetti with the Evenflow DDT out of nowhere to win the match. (*. With Raven on the way out to WCW in about a month it wasn’t surprising that there wasn’t a great effort in front of a couple hundred fans.) After the match. Chetti takes out the sidekick with a powerslam and spanks Chasity a few times.

Fourth Contest: Spike Dudley vs. Bubba Ray Dudley: Spike forearms Bubba a few times, but is tossed to the mat quickly. Spike fights back with forearms and shoulder rams, but is knocked down again. Spike forearms Bubba a few more times, but Bubba decks Spike to the mat. Bubba clubs Spike over the back and delivers a right hand several times. Spike knee lifts Bubba in the corner, and continues with right hands until Bubba shoves Spike away. Bubba misses a clothesline and Spike dropkicks Bubba. Spike clotheslines Bubba followed by a forearm smash to send Bubba to the floor. Spike runs off the apron to hit a somersault dive. Bubba walks off on the floor, but Spike manages to get Bubba back into the ring. Bubba rams Spike into the corner to gain control. Bubba drops Spike to the mat gut first. Bubba misses a clothesline, but drives Spike down with a side slam for a two count. Bubba drives Spike down with a vertical suplex. Bubba maintains control with a few strikes. Spike tries for a sunset flip and gets a near fall. Bubba clotheslines Spike and taunts the crowd for a moment. Spike comes off the ropes and is slammed to the mat leading to a near fall for Bubba. Spike dropkicks Bubba to avoid a press slam. Spike gets out of a powerbomb and dropkicks Bubba a couple of times. Spike climbs to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick. D-Von slides into the ring and attacks Spike. D-Von grabs a chair out of the crowd and accidentally whacks Bubba over the head. Spike hits the Acid Drop and wins the match. After the match, D-Von attacks Spike with the chair. Dudley’s hit the 3D on Spike, as well. (**. It’s at least a little more competitive than the other matches. The crowd got into the match largely due to Bubba’s heel work.)

Fifth Contest: Chris Candido vs. Mikey Whipwreck: Whipwreck backdrops Candido, who has kept hold of a microphone. Candido shoulder blocks Whipwreck, but Whipwreck hits an arm drag, hip toss and dropkick before Candido rolls to the floor to regroup. Whipwreck brings Candido back into the ring with a headlock. Whipwreck shoulder blocks Candido followed by a hip toss and arm drag. Candido punches free with right hands. Whipwreck backdrops Candido over the top to the floor. Whipwreck punches Candido several times and knocks Candido into the crowd. Candido has a chair around his head when Whipwreck flips Candido back to ringside. Candido sends Whipwreck into the guard railing back first. Candido kicks Whipwreck in the ribs and rolls Whipwreck into the ring. Candido keeps a sleeper on Whipwreck in the middle of the ring. They trade several pin attempts until Candido cuts Whipwreck off with a clothesline. Whipwreck punches Candido, but Candido comes out of the corner with a swinging neckbreaker. Candido climbs to the top rope missing a diving headbutt. Whipwreck misses a clothesline and Candido delivers a kick to the head. Whipwreck fires back with left hands and a backdrop. Whipwreck continues with a dropkick. Whipwreck hits a tornado DDT as Francine comes down to ringside. Whipwreck splashes Candido in the corner and sits Candido on the top rope to hit a Whippersnapper for a near fall. Whipwreck chases Francine, who runs into Candido in the ring. Whipwreck hits a top rope crossbody, but Candido rolls through and pins Whipwreck for the win. After the match, Candido spikes Whipwreck with a piledriver. (**. The finish isn’t very good, but the action before that was enjoyable and kept my interest. Whipwreck is growing on me the more that I watch him.)

Louie Spicolli cuts a promo focusing on Tommy Dreamer and says his issues are with Dreamer and not Balls Mahoney. The promo is heavy with cursing and claims he’s the new innovator of violence.

Sixth Contest: Balls Mahoney vs. Louie Spicolli: Mahoney backs Spicolli into a corner, but cleanly backs off. Spicolli gains control with a headlock, but Mahoney arm drags Spicolli to gain control on the mat. Mahoney locks in a wrist lock. Mahoney bites Spicolli’s fingers. Spioclli eye pokes Mahoney and follows up with strikes. Mahoney arm drags Spioclli after avoiding an attack in the corner. Mahoney decks Spicolli with strikes and is dumped to the floor. Spicolli sends Mahoney into the railing and chokes Mahoney on the floor. Spicolli rolls Mahoney into the ring and delivers a boot to the head. Mahoney sunset flips Spicolli for a two count. Spicolli drops Mahoney with a kick to the head for a near fall. Spicolli scoop slams Mahoney and heads to the top rope. Spicolli tries for an axe handle, but Mahoney strikes Spicolli in midair. Mahoney backdrops Spicolli followed by clotheslines. Mahoney grabs a chair, but the referee takes it away. Spicolli plants Mahoney with a Death Valley Driver for the win. (*. The one thing fans wanted to see, the chair shot, doesn’t happen. Louie worked well and I’d like to see him and Dreamer in a singles match.) After the match, Mahoney ends up destroying the referee with a chair shot.

Seventh Contest: ECW Tag Team Champions The Eliminators (Saturn & Kronus) vs. The Pitbulls (#1 & #2): Saturn and #1 kickoff the match trading some holds. They both attempt spinning heel kicks and there’s a standoff. Saturn arm drags #1 a few times, but is stopped by a clothesline. #1 tags in #2 and #2 decks Saturn with a clothesline. #2 yanks on Saturn’s arm, but Saturn hits a side Russian leg sweep and a kick to the back of the head. Kronus tags in and works over #2 with strikes in the corner. Kronus hits a handspring back elbow in the corner on #2. #2 hits a belly to belly suplex followed by a snap suplex. #1 returns to the match and they hit a double back suplex on Kronus. #1 misses a splash in the corner. Kronus misses a handspring elbow in the corner. #1 delivers a middle rope knee drop to the back of Kronus head. #1 follows up with a press slam. #2 clotheslines Saturn and focuses on Kronus with a clothesline. #2 sends Kronus into #1 boot and the challengers double team Kronus in the corner. Kronus hits a dragon suplex on #1 and tags in Saturn. #1 is double teamed until Saturn hits an atomic drop and a springboard moonsault for a two count. Saturn hits a sit out vertical suplex. Saturn heads to the top rope hitting an elbow drop. #1 headbutts Saturn and tags in #2. #2 drives Saturn down with a side slam. Saturn is stopped by a dangerous neckbreaker/powerbomb combo, but Kronus makes the save. #1 has Kronus on his shoulders and #2 hits a running crossbody to send Kronus to the floor.

2 grabs Saturn and #1 looks for the top rope powerbomb. Saturn counters with a hurricanrana. Kronus pummels #2 in the corner. Saturn delivers a savant kick after Kronus kicked #2 out of the corner. #1 is double teamed and knocked to the floor. #2 double clotheslines the champs. #1 leaps off the top to hit a double clothesline. #1 hits a spinning heel kick on Kronus in the corner. Saturn avoids a spinning heel kick and the champs hit Total Elimination on #2 for the win. (***1/2. I was not expecting this level of effort by these two. I might be overrating this, but it’s always based off of entertainment and considering the average wrestling prior this match made out to look even better. They went about eight minutes and it included some great spots and it didn’t lull at any point. This may be a hidden gem for ECW house show matches.)

Prior to the next match, the BWO attacks Stevie Richards. Blue Meanie powerslams Richards after Nova clotheslines Richards from behind. Nova hit a top rope splash to Richards back. Meanie plants Richards with a sit down powerbomb. I had no idea that the BWO did this to Richards, ever. Douglas comes out and makes the save in a babyface move.

Eighth Contest: ECW Television Champion Shane Douglas vs. Stevie Richards: Richards staggers to his feet and is decked by Douglas, who is now not acting like a babyface. Douglas beats on Richards over the back with several strikes. Douglas sends Richards into the corner back first and drops an elbow. Douglas locks in a chin lock, but Richards doesn’t submit as Francine taunts him from the floor. Douglas delivers a backbreaker and taunts the crowd. Douglas hits a double under hook suplex leading to a near fall. Douglas puts an abdominal stretch on Richards in the middle of the ring and continues to taunt fans. Richards hip tosses Douglas to break free. Francine chokes Richards over the ropes. Douglas drives Richards to the mat with a delayed vertical suplex. Richards tries to fight back with right hands and chops Douglas in the corner. Douglas sends Richards into the corner and Richards drops to the mat. Douglas messes up a surfboard attempt and gets a two count on a cover. Douglas drops Richards with another backbreaker for a two count. Douglas continues to pummel Richards in the corner with chops. Richards fires back with a few chops, but Douglas keeps control. Richards gets a flurry of strikes in and low blows Douglas. Richards atomic drops Douglas and crotches the champ over the top rope. Richards shakes the ropes and Douglas drops to the mat. Richards continues with a backdrop for a near fall. Richards backslides Douglas for a near fall. Douglas gets an inside cradle for a two count. Douglas eye pokes Richards and delivers a scoop slam. Douglas heads to the top rope, but Richards kicks Douglas to crotch the champ. Richards tosses Douglas off the top for a near fall. Richards powerbombs Douglas and signals for the Stevie Kick. Francine gets on the apron, but grabs Richards foot. Richards grabs Francine and pulls her into the ring. Richards kisses Francine, but Douglas delivers an arm breaker and a belly to belly suplex for the win. (**. I didn’t like the BWO beatdown that caused the advantage by Douglas. I would have rather this match been straight up as I think they would have had a better match. But, I understand the attempted storytelling. The finish fell flat, though. Richards has potential as a future main event guy for ECW.)

Main Event: D-Von & Big Dick Dudley vs. Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman in a death match: Dick and Dreamer kickoff the match with Dick shoving Dreamer into a corner. Dick shoulder blocks Dreamer and Dreamer decides to tag in Sandman. Dick works over Sandman in the corner with a few strikes. Dick delivers an elbow drop for a near fall on Sandman. Dick chokes Sandman in the corner followed by a knee lift. Dick clotheslines Sandman coming off the ropes. Dick connects with another sloppy clothesline to drop Sandman. Dick slams Sandman coming off the ropes for a two count. D-Von tries to get involved, but Sandman fights them both off with strikes. Sandman kicks Dick charging into the corner. Sandman nails Dick with a running clothesline. Sandman tries for a suplex, but can’t get Dick over. Dreamer tags in and they hit a double suplex on Dick for a near fall. Dreamer elbows D-Von and hits a backdrop. Dreamer plants D-Von with a bulldog out of the corner. Dreamer misses an elbow drop off the ropes. D-Von drives Dreamer down with a side slam. Dreamer is met with a double back elbow by the Dudley’s. Dick slams Dreamer and connects with an elbow drop. D-Von forearms Sandman off the apron and pummels Dreamer with strikes as Dick holds Dreamer from the apron.

D-Von hits a snap suplex on Dreamer for a two count. D-Von punches Dreamer into the corner and chokes Dreamer over the ropes. Dudley’s hit a suplex on Dreamer. Dick slams Dreamer and D-Von leaps off the middle rope missing a diving headbutt attempt. Sandman tags in and cleans house with clotheslines. Sandman tosses D-Von to the floor and hits a running dive onto both men on the floor. Dick chokeslams Dreamer in the ring. Bubba Dudley comes out and Sandman is met with a 3D. New Jack ends up joining the match, as expected.

Jack tosses a trash can full of weapons and is promptly beaten down by Bubba. Jack comes back with a double clothesline. Jack whacks D-Von over the back with a crutch and does the same to Bubba and Dick. Jack clotheslines D-Von coming off the ropes. Jack breaks the crutch over Bubba’s back on the floor. Jack clotheslines Dick with the crutch. Bubba breaks a weapon over Jack’s head to gain the advantage. Sandman and Dreamer clean house and they brawl to the floor. Sandman tosses a table onto D-Von. This has turned into an all out brawl all over the place. D-Von is sent through a table on the floor. Bubba is also tossed onto the same table. Dreamer nails Bubba with a cutter in the ring. Dreamer tosses a trash can at D-Von. Sandman tosses D-Von to the floor and Dick is double teamed in the ring. Jack low blows Dick to prevent a double chokeslam. Jack grabs a chair and comes off the top to smash Dick with it and the trio cover Dick to win the match. After the match, Joel Gertner is beaten down, as well. (**. It’s what the fans wanted and they were vocal in a positive way. It’s mostly just nonsense hardcore brawling that doesn’t have much substance.)

Final Thoughts:
Aside from the tag title match between the Eliminators/Pitbulls there isn’t much going on here for entertainment. It’s at best an average show that isn’t a must-see. The runtime is just over 2-hours, so it wasn’t a chore to get through.

Thanks for reading.