Extreme Championship Wrestling House Show
Date: 4/19/1997
From: Warwick, PA
Opening Contest: ECW Television Champion Shane Douglas vs. Spike Dudley: Douglas works over Dudley with strikes for the advantage. Douglas elbow strikes Dudley into the corner and continues with strikes. Dudley fights back by driving Douglas to the mat face first. Dudley drop toe holds Douglas to the mat followed by an elbow drop for a two count. Dudley keeps Douglas on the mat with a sleeper hold. Dudley rams the back of Douglas head onto the mat several times. Douglas bails to the floor and Dudley sends Douglas into the guard railing. Dudley rolls Douglas into the ring and takes Douglas over with a headlock out of the corner. Dudley bulldogs Douglas out of the corner for a two count. Dudley shoulder blocks Douglas to the mat, but Douglas sends Dudley through the ropes to the floor. Douglas steps on Dudley’s leg and puts a leg lock on Dudley on the floor for a moment. Douglas grabs Dudley on the apron hitting a suplex into the ring for a two count. Douglas drives Dudley to the mat with a vertical suplex. Douglas steps on Dudley’s face to maintain the advantage. Douglas punches Dudley before sending Dudley into the ropes and delivers a press slam. Douglas taunts the crowd.
Douglas continues with a back suplex and tries for a cocky cover, but Dudley counters with a rollup. Douglas regains control by knocking Dudley to the mat quickly. Dudley nearly wins with a rollup, but Douglas strikes Dudley and delivers a forearm strike. Douglas covers, but Dudley kicks out at two. Douglas keeps Dudley on the mat with a sleeper hold. Dudley elbows Douglas to break free, but an eye poke stops his momentum. Dudley low blows Douglas followed by an atomic drop. Dudley nails Douglas with a tornado DDT for a two count. Dudley sends Douglas into the ropes to deliver a dropkick for a two count. Dudley bulldogs Douglas out of the corner for another near fall. Dudley gets another two count with an inside cradle. Dudley forearms Douglas and comes off the ropes to deliver a clothesline for a two count. Douglas stops Dudley with a belly to belly suplex for the win. (**1/2. A solid opener. Douglas gave a lot to Dudley and the near falls came across well. Spike is a great underdog and his flurry of offense is compelling. Douglas may hate Flair, but he works his matches just like the Nature Boy by giving his opponents a lot and in the end sneaking out a victory. It was a good start to the show.)
Second Contest: FBI (Little Guido & Tracy Smothers) vs. The Pitbulls (#1 & #2): Smothers & #2 kickoff the tag match. #2 shoves Smothers into the corner and plays to the crowd. #2 shoulder blocks Smothers knocking Smothers to the floor. #2 shoulder blocks Smothers and clotheslines Smothers over the top to the floor. #2 powerslams Smothers for a two count followed by a press slam for a two count. Smothers chops #2 followed by jabs. #2 counters with strikes in the corner. Smothers accidentally clotheslines the referee in the corner. #2 plants Smothers with a powerbomb, but there’s no referee for the cover attempt. Guido enters the ring and works over #2 with strikes. Smothers double teams #2 on the mat with stomps. #2 is sent into the corner and Guido shoulder rams #2 in the corner. FBI hits a double dropkick on #2 followed by a double elbow strike. FBI hits a double elbow drop, but there’s no referee for the pin attempt. Smothers jabs #2 several times and Pitbull #1 comes out with Rick Rude on the apron. Rude demands the match become a tag match, and that’s what happens.
Guido slams #2 and keeps control with stomps in the corner. Guido tags in Smothers leading to a near fall for Smothers. #2 gets an inside cradle on Smothers, but the referee is distracted. Guido chokes #2 over the middle rope for a moment. Smothers stomps #2 in the corner and Guido keeps the advantage with stomps. Guido shoulder rams #2 in the corner. Smothers tags into the match and rams #2 in the corner. #2 fights back with right hands and sends Smothers into the corner, but runs into a boot. Guido tags back into the match as Smothers leaps off the top and accidentally uppercuts Guido. #2 clotheslines Smothers and tags in #1. #1 cleans house with strikes, but is double teamed quickly. #1 decks FBI with a double clothesline and tackles Smothers before sending Guido to the floor. #1 gives Smothers to #2 on the middle rope to hit a powerbomb for the win. (*1/2. Not much to the tag match, but the crowd popped for the Pitbulls picking up a decisive win.)
Third Contest: Battle Royal: Sabu and Taz are in the ring brawling on the mat. Taz hits a butterfly overhead suplex and clubs Sabu over the back. Taz is sent chest first into the corner and Sabu hits a springboard heel kick. Sabu misses a clothesline and Taz tosses Sabu with an exploder suplex. Taz strikes Sabu several times, but Sabu fights back with right hands until Taz drop toe holds Sabu. Rob Van Dam makes his way out and the fans chant that RVD sold out due to his recent WWF appearances. RVD dropkicks Taz while in a chin lock by Sabu. Taz tries for a suplex on Sabu, but RVD stops Taz and holds Taz to allow a leg drop by Sabu. Louie Spicolli enters the match and works over Taz with strikes. Taz is double teamed by RVD and Spicolli in the corner. Taz is triple teamed on the mat by RVD, Spicolli and Sabu. Corporal Punishment is the next man out, and nobody knows who he is and chant asking who he is.
As you’d expect it a lot of basic brawling and there’s not much to describe. Tommy Dreamer is the next man out for the match. Dreamer cleans house with strikes to all the heels. Raven is the next man for the battle royal. Punishment has been eliminated prior to Raven’s entrance. Pitbull #2 comes out to join the match. There are two guys that come out and nobody knows who they are only for them to be quickly thrown out by Taz. Eventually, the battle royal comes down to Stevie Richards and Raven. Richards superkicks Raven over the top to the floor to win the match. (NR. This went on forever and I can’t rate battle royals. They used a lot of bigger names to fill up spots, which I was not expecting. Richards winning makes a lot sense if he’s going to get a push and getting over on Raven is a nice touch.)
Fourth Contest: The Sandman vs. Balls Mahoney: Mahoney attacks Sandman on the floor during Sandman’s entrance. Mahoney pummels Sandman over the back several times, but Sandman fights back by slamming a table onto Mahoney. Mahoney tosses Sandman into the railing upside down and they enter the ring to begin the match legally. Mahoney tosses Sandman with a suplex and taunts Sandman by drinking a beer and spitting in Sandman’s face. Mahoney grabs a kendo stick and whacks Sandman over the head for a two count. Mahoney grabs a kendo stick and nails Sandman over the head for a two count. Mahoney misses a shot with the kendo stick. Sandman spikes Mahoney with a DDT to win the match. (*. For the short nature of the match, it wasn’t bad. However, it appears that Sandman may have legit suffered a head injury to cause the short match.)
Fifth Contest: Raven vs. Stevie Richards: Raven drop toe holds Richards to the mat and keeps arm control. Richards counters with elbow strikes to Raven’s shoulder followed by a snapmare and knee drops Raven on the arm a few times. Richards keeps an arm bar on Raven, but doesn’t get a submission. Richards holds onto Raven despite an arm drag attempt. Raven manages to break free and remains in the corner. Richards is backed into the corner as Raven breaks free from a hammerlock. Raven elbow strikes Richards over the arm. Richards counters with elbow strikes and goes back to an arm bar on the mat. Raven forearms Richards from behind and gains control with a side headlock. Raven shoulder blocks Richards and keeps control with a headlock on the mat. Raven decks Richards with a right hand after ducking a strike. Richards ducks a clothesline to low blow Raven for a near fall. Richards misses a dropkick as Raven holds onto the ropes. Raven knee drops Richards on the groin. Raven dumps Richards to the floor where Richards is worked over by Raven’s crew.
Richards ducks a clothesline to nail Raven with a superkick. Richards slowly covers Raven, but only manages a two count. Richards heads to the top rope and leaps off, but is met with a boot to the face. Raven tries for a cover, but Richards kicks out at two. Raven demands a chair and gets one from the crowd. Richards drop toe holds Raven onto a chair face first for a near fall. Raven tosses Richards into the chair in the corner. Raven sets a chair up in the corner and sends Richards back first into the chair. Raven goes to the floor and grabs a table. Raven sets the table up against the railing before going back to Richards in the ring and gets a two count after a fist drop. Raven sends Richards through the ropes to the floor. Richards sends Raven into the railing back first. They return to the ring and trade strikes. Richards gets a two count after a forearm strike. Richards backdrops Raven coming off the ropes. Richards drives Raven to the mat with a side slam for a near fall. Raven counters a slam with a DDT to pickup the clean win. (*1/2. A rather disappointing match between these two. I’m surprised Richards lost the match, but he did get some momentum on Raven earlier in the night. It feels like it’s time to push Richards and especially on live events to give him steam moving forward.)
Sixth Contest: Sabu vs. Lance Storm: Sabu tries to takedown Storm, but Storm sidesteps the attempt and they have a standoff. Sabu takes Storm down to the mat and keeps arm control, but Storm breaks free. Storm controls Sabu with a front face lock, but Sabu arm drags Storm. Storm keeps control and snapmares Sabu followed by a spinning heel kick. Sabu backdrops Storm over the top to the floor. Storm baseball slides Sabu on the floor and Sabu regroups outside the ring. Sabu puts a headlock on Storm, but Storm counters for a moment until Sabu snapmares Storm to the mat and hits a springboard heel kick. Storm backs Sabu into a corner to deliver a knee lift. Sabu hits a springboard clothesline for a near fall. Storm leaps off the middle rope to elbow strike Sabu off the middle rope for a two count. Storm hits a vertical suplex for a near fall. Sabu elbows Storm on the mat and sends Storm through the ropes to the floor. Sabu brings two chairs into the ring and hits a double springboard dive onto Storm in the crowd. Sabu and Storm try to swing chairs at each other in the crowd, but Sabu gets the advantage and tosses Storm back to the ringside area. Sabu sends Storm into the guard railing and onto a ringside table. Sabu springboards off the chair, but goes to the floor and is tossed onto the table by Storm. Storm suplexs Sabu through the table on the floor.
Storm drives Sabu down with a rolling fireman’s carry for a two count. Storm slams Sabu to the mat and tries for a splash off the middle rope, but Sabu got his knees up. Sabu puts a chin lock on Storm, but doesn’t get a submission. Storm breaks free and Sabu clotheslines Storm. Sabu stomps Storm in the corner followed by a springboard splash in the corner. Sabu misses a moonsault and lands on the chair knee first, which looks like it hurt. Storm nails Sabu with a springboard clothesline from the apron for a near fall. Storm hits a handspring splash in the corner followed by a missile dropkick off the middle rope for a two count. Storm is crotched off the top rope and Sabu hits a hurricanrana off the top. Sabu hits a springboard moonsault off the ropes for a two count. Sabu stomps Storm and tries for another springboard, but is crotched on the ropes. Storm hits a slingshot crossbody onto Sabu on the floor. Storm misses a top rope spinning heel kick. Sabu hits a springboard splash for the win. (***. A solid match. I remember hearing in a RVD interview that Sabu would sometimes ‘botch’ on purpose and fans wouldn’t realize it. It was obvious here that Sabu did in fact botch on purpose. It adds creditability to the risky nature of his moves if he doesn’t hit it cleanly every time. I enjoyed the action overall.)
Seventh Contest: Chris Chetti vs. Louie Spicolli: Spicolli gets control with a hammerlock, but Chetti counters quickly. Spicolli gets to the ropes after Chetti countered with a hammerlock. Spicolli puts a headlock on Chetti, but Chetti counters with a head scissors on the mat. Spicolli complains about the rope not granting a rope break quick enough. Spicolli elbows Chetti followed by a shoulder block. Chetti drop toe holds Spicolli followed by a dropkick to send Spicolli reeling in the corner. Chetti dropkicks Spicolli from behind and Spicolli goes to the floor. Spicolli strikes Chetti on the floor and sends Chetti into the railing. Spicolli rams Chetti into the railing face first. Spicolli stomps Chetti in the ring and plants Chetti with a spinebuster for a near fall. Spicolli gouges Chetti’s face and delivers a forearm strike. Spicolli rams Chetti into the corner to maintain the advantage. Chetti sunset flips Spicolli for a two count. Spicolli nails Chetti with a kick to the side of the head. Spicolli nails Chetti with a headbutt to the lower midsection. Spicolli covers Chetti for a near fall. Spicolli puts a sleeper on Chetti, but doesn’t get a submission. Chetti elbow strikes free and hits a crossbody off the ropes for a two count. Spicolli nails Chetti with a clothesline. Spicolli taunts the fans and stomps Chetti. Spicolli takes Chetti over with a suplex leading for a near fall. Spicolli keeps Chetti on the mat with another sleeper.
Chetti elbows free from Spicolli followed by right hands. Spicolli connects with a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. Spicolli plants Chetti with a Spicolli Driver, but pulls Chetti up on the cover attempt. Spicolli drives Chetti down with another Spicolli Driver and taunts the crowd. Tommy Dreamer slides into the ring and brawls with Louie causing the match to be thrown out. After the match, Spicolli tries for a Spicolli Driver, but Dreamer counters with a DDT. Dreamer grabs a chair and smashes Spicolli’s hand with it. (*1/2. The aftermath between Dreamer and Spicolli was the most enjoyable aspect of the match. There wasn’t much to Spicolli vs. Chetti on its own.)
Chris Candido comes out with his arm in a sling to cut a promo, but the microphone quality is awful and I can’t make out much of what he’s saying. Rob Van Dam and Sabu come out and attack Candido double teaming Candido on the mat. Taz makes his way out to make the save, but does so very slowly. Taz tosses RVD with a German suplex and sends Sabu to the floor with an overhead suplex. Candido offers a handshake, but Taz tosses Candido overhead with a suplex, too.
The Dudley Boys and Joel Gertner come out to cut a promo. Once again, the microphone quality is dreadful, but I’m sure they are insulting the crowd. In true Gertner fashion, it took an extended period of time.
Main Event: ECW Tag Team Champions The Eliminators (Saturn & Kronus) vs. Big Dick Dudley & D-Von Dudley vs. The Gangstas (Mustafa & New Jack) in an elimination match: The Gangstas come out and brawl with the Dudley Boys using a bunch of weapons. D-Von and Jack go to the floor where Jack hits D-Von with a weapon. The brawling continues between the two teams for an extended period of time. The Eliminators finally join the match. The action is mostly chaotic brawling between all three times. There is no structure to the contest. Jack and D-Von brawl in the crowd with chair shots. Kronus and Big Dick are fighting in the crowd, too. Mustafa nails Saturn with a dropkick in the ring as the rest of the wrestlers are brawling around ringside or in the crowd. D-Von and Jack trade strikes and Jack is busted wide open on the floor. Gangstas clothesline D-Von coming off the ropes and deliver a double suplex. Jack misses a chair shot off the middle rope and crashes to the mat. Bubba nails Jack with a shovel over the back. Big Dick chokeslams Jack to earn a three count to eliminate the Gangstas.
Kronus spin kicks D-Von and Big Dick is met with several superkicks by the champs. Saturn kicks Bubba to the mat and leaps off the to splash Bubba on his injured knee. D-Von is nailed by stereo spin kicks by the champs. Eliminators counter a double chokeslam by Big Dick to hit the Total Elimination to win the match. (*. I’m sure this match was a lot more fun to watch live. It was chaotic and was hard to watch a lot of what was going. The action is mostly just brawling and mindless hardcore action. It’s likely the ideal match for the live crowd with the hardcore nature, but it’s not over the top hardcore by any means. Eliminators are a great team with a fantastic finishing move.)
Final Thoughts:
Douglas/Spike and Storm/Sabu were enjoyable matches, but that’s about it for this house show. The crowd seemed to be interested in most of the action. However, the effort in some of the matches was lacking, which is to be expected on the house shows. Thus, I’ll give the show an overall thumbs down.
Thanks for reading.