ECW House Show 11/28/1998

Extreme Championship Wrestling House Show
Date: 11/28/1998
From: Tampa, FL

Opening Contest: Tommy Rogers vs. Wolf Hawkfield: I’ve never heard of Wolf Hawkfield, but at first glance I thought it was Jim Powers wearing face paint. Rogers rolls around the ring before being backed into a corner by Wolf. Wolf shoulder rams Rogers a few times followed by forearms and chokes Rogers to keep the advantage. Wolf hip tosses Rogers out of the corner and misses a clothesline. Rogers drop toe holds Wolf and comes off the ropes with a forearm followed by a dropkick. Rogers clotheslines Wolf over the top to the floor. Rogers rams Wolf face first onto the timekeepers table. Wolf sends Rogers into the railing. Rogers boots Wolf and fires back with right hands. Rogers sends Wolf into the railing and grabs a chair to whack Wolf over the back. Rogers sends Wolf into the railing back first, but Wolf backdrops Rogers into the crowd. Wolf drops Rogers chest first over the railing. Wolf shakes the railing to ram the railing into Rogers chest several times. Wolf rolls Rogers back into the ring and delivers a scoop slam. Wolf leaps off the middle rope to deliver an elbow drop for a two count. Rogers counters a headlock and stomps Wolf. Wolf avoids a backdrop attempt with a kick to the chest. Wolf scoop slams Rogers and catapults Rogers chest first into the corner. Wolf delivers a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Wolf controls Rogers on the mat with a chin lock. Wolf misses a splash in the corner and Rogers tries for a suplex, but Wolf elbows Rogers. Rogers plants Wolf with a back suplex and heads to the top rope. Rogers missile dropkicks Wolf for a two count. Rogers spikes Wolf with a DDT as the fans are chanting they want blood. Wolf clotheslines Rogers in the corner and continues with a forearm strike. Wolf plants Rogers with a tilt a whirl slam for a near fall. Wolf delivers a gut wrench spinning powerbomb for the win. (**. Well, after looking him up properly Wolf is actually Jim Steele of WCW fame, which surprised the hell out of me. Wolf actually didn’t look too bad here and his power moves towards the end seemed to win the crowd over. Wolf had a significant run in AJPW for a decade and likely just worked a weekend for ECW because he’s from the area. I may have to seek some more Wolf Hawkfiled matches.)

Second Contest: Super Nova vs. Mikey Whipwreck: Whipwreck shoulder blocks Nova and runs the ropes before arm dragging Nova a couple of times. Nova nails Whipwreck with a short arm clothesline. Whipwreck jabs Nova a few times and delivers an elbow strike. Whipwreck stomps Nova on the mat, but Nova hip tosses Whipwreck to gain the advantage. Nova drives Whipwreck to the mat with a facebuster. Nova baseball slides Whipwreck on the floor. Nova slingshots Whipwreck into the ring and delivers a dropkick for a near fall. Nova nails Whipwreck with a seated blockbuster for a near fall. Nova controls Whipwreck with a dragon sleeper for a moment. Fans are chanting “end this match.” Nova misses a double axe handle and Whipwreck stops Nova with a jawbreaker. Whipwreck drives Nova down with a shoulder breaker for a near fall. Whipwreck locks in a leg lock, but Nova doesn’t submit. Whipwreck slaps Nova into the corner. Nova plants Whipwreck with a spinebuster for a near fall. Whipwreck sends Nova through the middle rope to the floor. Whipwreck sends Nova into the railing back first. Whipwreck teases using a chair, but flips off the fans instead. Whipwreck rolls Nova into the ring to continue the bout. Whipwreck slingshot leg drops Nova over the bottom rope. Whipwreck drags Nova into the ring for a near fall. Whipwreck dumps Nova to the apron, but Nova delivers a forearm and is stopped on the top rope. Whipwreck drives Nova down with an elevated reverse DDT for a near fall. Nova powerbombs Whipwreck and on the way down delivers an elbow drop. Nova punches Whipwreck several times to gain momentum. Nova sends Whipwreck into the corner chest first and delivers a side Russian leg sweep. Nova hits a top rope frog splash for a near fall. Nova sits Whipwreck on the top turnbuckle, but is met with a low blow. Nova kicks Whipwreck in the corner and connects with a tornado DDT. Nova covers, but Whipwreck kicks out at two on a rather slow count Whipwreck eye rakes Nova and gets a rollup on Nova with his hands on the ropes to steal the match. (*1/2. The crowd reaction is a bit unfair to these guys. It was a bit obvious that the crowd wants blood and a more violent encounter, but these guys didn’t have the kind of match that would justify a chant of wanting them to end the bout.)

Third Contest: FBI (Guido & Smothers) vs. Chris Chetti & Rex King: Guido and Chetti kickoff the tag match with Guido taunting the fans at the start. Chetti takes Guido down to the mat and got arm control until Guido bailed to the floor. Chetti controls Guido with a headlock and hip tosses Guido to the apron. Chetti catches Guido on a slingshot hitting a powerslam. Chetti misses a clothesline and kicks Guido several times on the chest followed by a spinning heel kick. Guido crawls to the corner to regroup with Smothers. Smothers works over Chetti with several right hands in the corner. Guido cheap shots Chetti, but Chetti kicks Guido to the flor. Chetti kicks Smothers away and King decks Smothers from the apron to send Smothers reeling to the corner to regroup with Guido. King tags into the match to try his luck with Smothers. Smothers and King lockup in a test of strength with Smothers getting the advantage. King kicks free and arm drags Smothers out of the corner and does the same to Guido. Smothers decks King from behind and sends King into the corner. King flips to the apron and hits a top rope crossbody for a two count. King drops Guido onto Smothers and tags in Chetti. Chetti hits a springboard double clothesline to send FBI to the floor. King baseball slides the FBI and Chetti connects with a dive to the floor. Tommy Rich attacks Chetti dropping Chetti over the railing chest first. Smothers tries for a cover, but only manages a two count.

Chetti is driven down with a double side Russian leg sweep for a near fall by Guido. Guido rams Chetti into Smothers boot in the corner. Guido and Smothers leg sweep Chetti to the mat and they deliver a double elbow drop for a near fall. Smothers keeps Chetti on the mat with a sleeper. Chetti elbows free, but Smothers drops Chetti with an elbow strike. Chetti battles back with a double dropkick and King gets the hot tag. King cleans house with clotheslines and dropkicks Smothers. King drop toe holds Guido and leg drops Guido over the back a few times. King delivers a swinging neckbreaker and punches Smothers in the corner. King delivers running heel kicks in opposite corners. FBI are sent into each other and Guido is met with a double dropkick. Chetti dropkicks Smothers. King slams Rich off the top rope. Smothers nails King from behind with a chain around his fist to steal the match. (**. A decent tag match. King showed off some solid offense, which isn’t what I was expecting to see.)

Fourth Contest: Taz vs. Danny Doring: Doring decides it’s a good idea to get in Taz’s face. Doring tells Taz to cross the line and Taz slaps Doring across the face followed by a clothesline. Taz clubs Doring over the back and stomps Doring. Taz shoulder blocks Doring and hits a modified German suplex. Doring appears laid out and the referee seems to end the match. Roadkill checks on Doring as security enters the ring. Roadkill calls for a stretcher. A few wrestlers come out of the locker room to check on Doring, as well. (NR. Looks like they’re making Taz out to be a killer, which Taz does a great job at doing.) After the match, Taz chokes Doring out anyway.

Fifth Contest: ECW Tag Team Champions Dudley Boys (Bubba & D-Von) vs. Balls Mahoney & Masato Tanaka: All four men are in the ring trading right hands as Tanaka works over D-Von and Mahoney strikes Bubba. D-Von stops Tanaka with a forearm smash. Mahoney sends Bubba into the railing. Tanaka connects with a sit out slam on D-Von. Tanaka continues with a powerslam and Mahoney leaps off the top to elbow drop D-Von for a two count. Tanaka is sent into the railing back first. D-Von strikes Tanaka against the railing. Tanaka sends D-Von into the railing back first. Bubba works over Mahoney in the corner with right hands. Bubba side slams Mahoney. Tanaka sends D-Von into the railing chest first. Tanaka has a fan hold a chair and rams D-Von into the chair face first. Big Dick attacks Tanaka on the floor. Dick strikes Tanaka several times against the railing with kicks to the chest. Bubba hits Mahoney on the groin and lower midsection with a championship. Mahoney superkicks Bubba coming out of the corner. Tanaka dives off of Mahoney’s back onto the champs with a crossbody on the floor. Big Dick enters the ring from behind and delivers a double chokeslam. D-Von whacks Mahoney over the head with a chair shot. D-Von rams Mahoney onto the table face first. D-Von tosses Mahoney through the table at ringside, which the crowd loved. Mahoney sends D-Von over the railing into the crowd where they continue to brawl.

Mahoney and D-Von return to the ring where D-Von delivers a jawbreaker. Mahoney is busted open at this point. Mahoney decks D-Von with a clothesline for a two count. Bubba and Tanaka are trading strikes in the crowd. Tanaka jabs Bubba with a chair shot and an elbow strike to the head. Mahoney nearly pins D-Von with a backslide. Tanaka knocks Bubba into the railing and delivers a splash. Tanaka pummels Bubba with right hands, but Bubba low blows Tanaka. Bubba tosses Tanaka over the railing into the crowd. Bubba nails Tanaka with a drink. Mahoney nails D-Von coming off the ropes as Tanaka sends Bubba into the railing. Tanaka nails Bubba with another drink. Tanaka backs Bubba into the corner and delivers a knee lift followed by strikes. Bubba drives Tanaka to the mat with the Bubba Bomb. Bubba puts a head scissors on Tanaka, but doesn’t get a submission. Tanaka hammers away on Bubba, but is stopped by a headbutt. Bubba plants Tanaka with a powerbomb. Bubba covers, but Tanaka powers out at two. Bubba sends Tanaka to the floor.

D-Von slams Mahoney in the ring and heads to the top rope. Tanaka smashes Bubba with a chair shot against the railing. D-Von gets a two count on Mahoney after a splash. Mahoney slams D-Von, but Sign Guy gets involved and is met with a Nutcracker Suite. Bubba gets a rollup on Mahoney for a two count. Mahoney slams Bubba for a near fall as D-Von made the save. Mahoney slams D-Von as Tanaka spikes Bubba with a tornado DDT leading to a near fall. Mahoney slams D-Von and heads to the top rope. Mahoney misses a top rope leg drop. Dudley’s hit the 3D on Mahoney to win the match and retain the titles. (**1/2. A fine tag match with some good brawling. The brawling here was better than the brawling early on and the clean finish for the champs is always good.) After the match, Tanaka is laid out by Big Dick and a chokebomb. Axl Rotten comes out with a barbed wire bat to make the save and lay out the Dudley’s.

Sixth Contest: ECW World Champion Shane Douglas vs. Lance Storm: Douglas works over Storm in the corner with stomps and a backdrop. Douglas decks Storm with his cast on his right arm. Douglas goes for a figure four and locks it in. Storm appears to be knocked out, but Dawn Marie stops the count and attacks Douglas with an eye rake. Francine enters the ring and they have a catfight. Francine rips off Dawn’s clothing to reveal lingerie. Douglas tries for a belly to belly suplex, but Storm delivers a DDT for a near fall. Douglas spikes Storm with a fisherman buster and pins Storm to win the match. (NR. I am stunned with how quick this went. I am incredibly disappointed they didn’t have a meaningful match, but it may have been due to Douglas arm injury. This was a match I was interested in seeing and it wasn’t anything of value.)

Seventh Contest: Roadkill vs. Sabu: Sabu is sporting a neck brace for the match. Roadkill stomps Sabu on the mat followed by right hands and a clothesline. Roadkill stomps Sabu before delivering a neckbreaker. Roadkill slams Sabu and heads to the middle rope, but is cutoff by Sabu. Sabu hits a hurricanrana off the top rope for a near fall. Sabu gets a steel chair and springboards off the ropes to moonsault Roadkill for a two count. Sabu leaps off a chair to splash Roadkill in the corner. Sabu misses a moonsault attempt and they go to the floor. Sabu knocks Roadkill into the crowd and springboards off the top to dive onto Roadkill. Roadkill rolls Sabu into the ring, and hits a back suplex after catching Sabu on a springboard. Roadkill tries for a cover, but only gets a two count. Roadkill plants Sabu with a powerslam. Roadkill leaps off the top rope to elbow drop Sabu. Roadkill decks Sabu over the back a few times. Roadkill sends Sabu chest first into the railing. Roadkill grabs a steel chair, but Bill Alfonso decks Roadkill from behind. Sabu smashes Roadkill with a chair shot. Sabu knocks Roadkill onto a table. Sabu hits a slingshot somersault dive, but the table doesn’t break. Sabu puts Roadkill through the table with a slingshot splash. Roadkill manages a cover despite being on the receiving end and gets a two count. Roadkill leaps off the top hitting a big splash leading to a near fall. Roadkill spikes Sabu with a DDT. Roadkill slides a chair into the ring, but Sabu whacks Roadkill over the head. Sabu sets up a table, but puts a camel clutch on Roadkill first. Sabu leg drops Roadkill onto a chair. Sabu punches Roadkill onto the table and heads to the top rope. Sabu puts Roadkill through the table with a leg drop and pins Roadkill. (**. The crowd loved this and it was the kind of wrestling they were craving from ECW. There wasn’t any blood, but Sabu putting Roadkill through tables got the biggest pop of the night thus far. I enjoyed it for what it was.)

Eighth Contest: Jason Knight, Justin Credible, One Man Gang, Rod Price & Sal E. Graziano vs. Tommy Dreamer, New Jack & Spike Dudley in a handicap match: The match starts off between Credible and Dreamer in a singles contest. Dreamer gets headlock control, but is tripped by Jason at ringside. The referee ejects Jason for the interference. The referee threatens to fine Jason, too. The referee says Dreamer will hit Credible ten times with the kendo stick if Jason doesn’t leave ringside. Dreamer stalks Jason up the aisle of the kendo stick before returning to ringside. Credible backs off and tells the referee to watch the cane. Credible works over Dreamer with right hands and chops in the corner. Dreamer responds with chops of his own. Dreamer low blows Credible coming out of the corner and sends Credible upside down in the corner to the apron. Dreamer knocks Credible off the apron into the railing and keeps control. Dreamer sends Credible into the railing back first. Dreamer punches Credible with a drink before spitting the drink into Credible’s face. Dreamer grabs a chair and Credible begs off before attempting a kick. Credible counters a slam with a reverse DDT onto a steel chair. Credible stomps Dreamer on the mat and taunts the fans a bit. Credible continues with strikes against the ropes and jabs Dreamer several times. Credible sends Dreamer back first into a chair in the corner and delivers a swinging DDT. Credible powerbombs Dreamer out of the corner for a near fall.

Credible tries for a baseball slide, but hits the ring post instead of Dreamer. Dreamer rams Credible groin first into the post again. Chastity gets involved and runs into the ring. Dreamer grabs her and tries for a piledriver, but Credible whacks Dreamer with a kendo stick. Credible spikes Dreamer with the That’s Incredible for a near fall. Credible grabs a steel chair and works over Dreamer with strikes. Dreamer drop toe holds Credible onto the chair. Dreamer delivers a Death Valley Driver, but bails to the floor holding his head. Dreamer returns with a ladder and has been busted wide open. Dreamer tosses the ladder over the top into the ring onto Credible. Dreamer sets the ladder up in the corner and catapults Credible into the ladder. Dreamer slams Credible onto the ladder. Dreamer leaps off the middle rope, but misses an elbow drop and lands on the ladder. Dreamer catches Credible in the corner and delivers a slam. Jason and Rod Price storm the ring to attack Dreamer. Price side slams Dreamer onto the ladder. New Jack’s music hits and Jack makes his way out with a shopping cart full of weapons to make the save.

As you’d expect the match has broken down to mostly weapons being used and the heels getting busted wide open. Dreamer piledrives Credible onto a metal object. Dreamer sends Price face first into the ladder in the corner. Sal E. comes out with One Mang Gang and Gang splashes Dreamer. Jack has been laid out, as well. Gang delivers a big splash onto Jack. The heels beatdown Jack and Dreamer until Spike Dudley’s music hits. Spike cleans house with a kendo stick. Spike hits the Acid Drop on Credible. Dreamer nails Credible with a DDT. Dudley does the same to Sal. Gang accidentally splashes Sal and the heels are triple pinned for the win. (*. I feel like this was done to avoid having Credible to the job and they got the typical cheap pop of New Jack using a bunch of weapons. Credible and Dreamer were having a decent match, but the hardcore stuff didn’t connect with me.)

Terry Funk makes his way out and wants to talk to Tommy Dreamer. Funk says the issues are between himself and Dreamer. Dreamer tells Jack and Spike to leave the ring. The audio quality is not great, so I can’t really make out what Funk is saying. Funk calls Dreamer’s mother a slut and she sleeps with everyone. Funk is trying to piss off Dreamer to get him to fight, but Dreamer doesn’t respond to the slaps to the face. Funk wants Dreamer to apologize. Dreamer apologizes for loving Funk and says Funk is bitter. Funk beats on Dreamer outside the ring, but Dreamer doesn’t engage and is getting his ass kicked. Funk works over Dreamer back in the ring and taunts the fans. Funk proceeds to walk off as Dreamer is left laying in the ring.

Main Event: ECW Television Champion Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn: They trade wrist locks at the start of the match until RVD delivers a few kicks and gets a rollup on Lynn for a two count. They avoid clotheslines and have a standoff where the fans show respect for both men. Lynn takes RVD over with a fireman carry and a seated dropkick. Lynn strikes RVD in the corner a few times. Lynn dropkicks RVD off the middle rope to the floor. RVD shoulder rams Lynn from the apron, but Lynn hits a springboard dropkick to send RVD to the floor. Lynn hits a running somersault dive off the apron to the floor. Lynn elbow strikes RVD on the apron followed by a forearm before sending RVD into the railing. Lynn drives RVD to the mat with a gut buster for a near fall. Lynn scoop slams RVD and leaps off the middle rope to deliver a leg drop for a two count. Lynn nails RVD with a spinning elbow strike, but Alfonso trips Lynn running the ropes. Lynn recovers to take RVD down with a side Russian leg sweep. Lynn grabs Alfonso, but RVD leg drops Lynn over the apron and they both crash to the floor. RVD sends Lynn chest first into the railing and delivers a leg drop over the railing. RVD kicks Lynn in the crowd and leaps off the railing to somersault dive onto Lynn in the crowd. RVD leaps off the apron to spin kick Lynn over the railing. RVD leg drops Lynn back into the ring for a near fall.

Lynn gets a rollup out of the corner for a two count. RVD nails Lynn with a spin kick and a leg drop. RVD heads to the top rope hitting a frog splash for a near fall. RVD forearms Lynn, but Lynn dropkicks RVD off the top on a springboard attempt and RVD hits the railing. Lynn sends RVD into the railing, but RVD crotches Lynn onto the railing. RVD slips off the railing and Lynn delivers a tornado DDT on the floor. Lynn tries for a cover, but RVD gets out of the pin at two. RVD sends Lynn into the corner, but Lynn hits a springboard sunset flip powerbomb for a near fall. Lynn smashes RVD with a chair shot and nearly wins with a German suplex. RVD dumps Lynn onto the apron. Lynn kicks RVD and spikes RVD with a piledriver for a near fall. Lynn scoop slams RVD and heads to the middle rope, but is caught on a dropkick attempt. RVD takes Lynn down to the mat and puts a surfboard onto Lynn. RVD locks in the surfboard, but doesn’t get a submission. Lynn prevents his shoulders from being counted on the mat. RVD pops Lynn into the air and down to the mat. RVD comes off the ropes to deliver the rolling thunder for a near fall.

RVD forearms Lynn in the corner and delivers a boot before hitting a springboard kick. RVD plays to the crowd before heading to the top rope. RVD leaps off nailing Lynn with another kick for a near fall. RVD strikes Lynn in the corner several times. Lynn plants RVD with a DDT for a two count. RVD grabs a chair and Lynn is distracted by Alfonso. Alfonso tries to deliver a chair shot, but Lynn ends up hitting a leg drop to drive RVD face first onto the chair for a near fall. Lynn heads to the top, but is crotched by Alfonso. Alfonso holds a chair and RVD kicks the chair into Lynn’s head. RVD connects with a split legged moonsault to win the match. (***1/2. These two could have mailed it in, but they instead put on a damn good match for an ECW house show. They went nearly twenty minutes and I thought it was a great way to end the show. The RVD vs. Lynn rivalry is underrated in wrestling history.)

Final Thoughts:
A strong main event and a couple of decent undercard matches make this show an average viewing leaning towards a thumbs up. The Tampa crowd was lively for the action, which always helps the shows too.

Thanks for reading.