Extreme Championship Wrestling House Show
Date: 9/11/1998
From: Altoona, PA
Opening Contest: FBI (Smothers, Rich & Guido) vs. Balls Mahoney, Super Nova & Blue Meanie: Nova and Guido kickoff the match with Nova hitting a hip toss causing Guido to backoff in the corner. Nova controls Guido with a headlock and is sent into the ropes where Rich trips Nova from the floor. Guido decks Nova from behind followed by strikes, but Nova is hit by Rich from the floor again. Balls Mahoney comes out with a steel chair to scare the heels from the ring. It looks like the match has turned into a six man tag with Rich and Mahoney joining the bout. Nova shoulder blocks Guido and delivers a face buster. Meanie tags into the match and Guido is met with a snapmare. Nova delivers a senton splash and Meanie connects with an elbow drop. Mahoney enters the ring and mocks the FBI. Rich gets on a microphone and taunts the crowd. There’s a dance contest break between Meanie and Smothers. Smothers dropkicks Meanie to gain the advantage. Rich is shoved down by the referee. The referee also shoves Smothers and Guido. Meanie dropkicks Smothers followed by a scoop slam. The referee scoop slams Smothers. Smothers tries to tag out, but his partners aren’t willing to tag into the match. Smothers wants a piece of Mahoney. Mahoney tags into the match and Smothers works over Mahoney with right hands in the corner. Mahoney strikes Smothers several times. Mahoney ducks a clothesline and misses a clothesline. Smothers heel kicks Mahoney, but Mahoney superkicks Smothers. Mahoney strikes Smothers several times and hits a sit out powerbomb.
Nova hits a suicide dive to take out the FBI. Rich drops Nova over the railing. Guido sends Nova into the railing. Smothers covers Nova for a two count. Guido returns to the match and Nova is met with a double shoulder block for a two count. Rich legally tags into the match and kicks Nova in the midsection. Rich eye rakes Nova and continues with strikes. Rich rams Nova into Smothers boot and Smothers tags into the match. Smothers and Guido leg sweep Nova followed by a double elbow drop for a two count. Smothers strikes Nova over the back to keep control of the bout. Nova leg sweeps Smothers and covers for a two count. Guido chops Nova against the ropes, but Nova hits a powerbomb/elbow drop combo. Smothers prevents a tag from being made and works over Nova with Guido. Guido snapmares Nova to the mat and keeps control with a sleeper. Nova elbow frees and hits a sit out slam. Meanie gets tagged in and clotheslines the FBI. Meanie hits a double clothesline and tags out to Mahoney. Mahoney cleans house with strikes. Mahoney scoop slams all three members. Smothers and Guido collide leading to three finishers and Meanie pinning Guido for the win. (*1/2. This went roughly fifteen minutes and it probably didn’t need to be that long. It felt like they had it going longer than it needed to fill time on the show. Mahoney being added to the match was probably a good thing, too.) After the match, Rich shoves Smothers and Guido. Eventually, they makeup as per usual.
Second Contest: Chris Chetti vs. Danny Doring: Doring backs Chetti in the corner, but Chetti gets a rollup for a two count. Chetti gets an inside cradle for a two count. Chetti works over Doring and misses a splash in the corner. Doring slams Chetti and comes off the ropes to deliver an elbow drop for a near fall. Doring strikes Chetti and dumps Chetti to the apron. Chetti hits a springboard dropkick and Doring lands on Chetti’s groin. Doring tries for a cover, but Chetti kicks out at two. Doring clubs Chetti over the back several times. Doring side slams Chetti and taunts the crowd before getting a two count. Chetti strikes Doring several times, but Doring delivers a face buster and a clothesline. Doring tries for a cover, but Chetti kicks out at two. Doring nails Chetti with a dropkick and taunts the referee. Doring yells at Chetti and delivers a few jabs. Chetti ducks a strike to hit a bridging suplex for a two count. Doring elbows Chetti to the mat and taunts the crowd. Doring delivers a leg drop and rubs Chetti’s face over the top rope. Doring knee lifts Chetti from behind and hits a back suplex. Doring heads to the top rope hitting an elbow drop for a near fall. Doring climbs to the top again and hits a flying clothesline for a two count. Doring slaps Chetti across the face and heads to the top rope. Chetti slams Doring off the top rope and continues with strikes. Chetti nails Doring with a springboard heel kick for a near fall. Chetti powerslams Doring coming off the ropes. Chetti spin kicks Doring for a near fall. Chetti forearms Doring and misses a springboard heel kick. Doring hits his version of the Stroke. Doring slams Chetti and climbs to the top rope missing a twisting leg drop attempt. Doring knocks Chetti off the top to the floor. Doring rams Chetti into the railing chest first. Doring strikes Chetti against the railing several times. Chetti sends Doring into the railing back first. Chetti rolls Doring into the ring and is stopped on the apron. Chetti drops Doring over the top rope and hits a springboard moonsault for the win. (**1/4. There was a better pace to this one compared to the opening match. I enjoyed the action and Chetti is quite good when he’s having a good night. Doring is capable of drawing some decent heat and worked well during the match.)
Third Contest: Mikey Whipwreck vs. Jerry Lynn: Lynn arm drags Whipwreck and they have a standoff. Whipwreck hip tosses Lynn and they have another standoff. Lynn controls Whipwreck with a wrist lock. Lynn gets arm control on the mat. Whipwreck counters into a side headlock. Lynn forearms free and Whipwreck delivers a shoulder block. Lynn tries for a tilt a whirl arm drag, but misses it and Whipwreck keeps control on the mat. Lynn gets a hammerlock on, but Whipwreck gets up and ends up hitting a clothesline for a one count. Lynn ducks a clothesline and head scissors Whipwreck. Lynn keeps Whipwreck on the mat with an arm bar until Whipwreck reaches the ropes. Lynn hip tosses Whipwreck out of the corner and continues with kicks. Lynn gets a rollup out of the corner for a near fall. Whipwreck powerbombs Lynn for a two count. Whipwreck hits a side Russian leg sweep for a two count. Whipwreck continues with a leg drop for another near fall. Lynn dumps Whipwreck to the apron and off to the floor. Lynn kicks Whipwreck into the railing. Lynn takes Whipwreck out with a slingshot crossbody. Lynn forearms Whipwreck and into the railing back first. Lynn slams Whipwreck on the timekeepers table. Whipwreck hits a fisherman suplex for a two count. Lynn drops Whipwreck with a neckbreaker. Lynn stops Whipwreck on the top turnbuckle hitting a hurricanrana for a two count.
Lynn plants Whipwreck with a sit down powerbomb for another near fall. Whipwreck counters Lynn to hit the Whippersnapper, but Lynn got his boot on the bottom rope. Lynn nearly wins with an inside cradle. Whipwreck clotheslines Lynn and tries for a slingshot suplex, but Lynn hits a tornado DDT for the win. (**1/4. I’d say this is a big win for Lynn to become a more established name in ECW as Whipwreck has a level of creditability since he’s a beloved ECW name. The action was a little sloppy at times, but a decent match regardless of that.)
Fourth Contest: John Kronus vs. Sal E. Graziano: Kronus kicks Sal several times in the corner. Kronus handspring back elbows Sal in the corner, but is caught and suplexed by Sal. Sal splashes Kronus in the corner before hitting a Samoan Drop for the win. (NR. I was not expecting Kronus to job like that.)
Fifth Contest: Sal E. Graziano vs. Spike Dudley: Spike rolls into the ring and stomped by Sal followed by overhand strikes. Sal kicks Spike in the ribs several times. Spike hits the Acid Drop for the win. (NR. Exactly what you’d expect from Spike and the fans loved it.)
Prior to the next match, ECW World Champion Shane Douglas comes out to cut a promo on Lance Storm. Douglas insulted Storm and Dawn Marie before introducing Chris Candido with Francine in his corner.
Sixth Contest: Lance Storm vs. Chris Candido: Storm gets frustrated in the opening moments of the match before locking up with Candido. Candido backs Storm into a corner, but Storm breaks away. Storm backs Candido into the corner and backs away. Candido backs Storm into a corner and delivers a back elbow followed by a chop. Candido continues to chop Storm, but Storm responds with a flurry of chops. Candido stops Storm with another chop and strike in the corner. Candido runs the ropes and counters a superkick with a clothesline. Candido strikes Storm in the corner, but stops Storm with an eye poke. Storm kicks Candido, but Candido gets a rollup for a two count. Storm counters a rollup with a German suplex for a two count. They trade strikes with Storm knocking Candido to the mat. Storm chops Candido in the corner and backdrops Candido to the floor. Storm sends Candido into the railing. Candido sends Storm into the railing and runs into a boot. Storm taunts the fans while working over Candido. Storm stomps Candido and they trade strikes. Storm clotheslines and uppercuts Candido in the corner. Candido catapults Storm into the corner, and hits a swinging neckbreaker. Candido hits a middle rope leg drop for a two count. Storm nails Candido with a dropkick for a two count.
Storm slams Candido and puts a sleeper on Candido. Candido kicks Storm and delivers a powerslam. Candido clotheslines Storm several times and jabs Storm. Candido powerbombs Storm for a two count. Candido crotches Storm on the top turnbuckle. Candido nails Storm with a flying clothesline. Dawn Marie and Francine end up getting in the ring to have a catfight. Francine takes Dawn’s clothes off to reveal her lingerie. Francine low blows Storm, but Storm manages to powerbomb Candido anyway. Francine decks Storm and pins Storm to win the match for Candido. (**. Okay, so Francine is deemed the winner of that match and I’m not sure what the point of that. I guess they went for a comedy style finish. The action was fine, but they’ve done a lot more on a bigger stage. This is the definition of a house show style match.)
Seventh Contest: Tommy Dreamer vs. Jack Victory: Dreamer and the BWO take out Victory, Ulf and Roadkill with stunners. They setup three tree of woes with chairs on their faces. Dreamer sets up a fourth with Jason in a corner and they hit four baseball slide dropkicks. Meanie and Nova dance for a bit. Victory decks Dreamer from behind and stomps Dreamer on the mat. Victory kicks Dreamer to the floor and keeps control sending Dreamer into the railing. Victory strikes Dreamer around ringside and sends Dreamer into the railing back first. Dreamer fights back with right hands around ringside and Victory is decked over the railing into the crowd. Dreamer hits Victory with a paper cup add they brawl into the crowd. Victory strikes Dreamer several times and knocks Dreamer off the bleachers to the floor. Victory has been busted open by this point and sends Dreamer into empty seating. Victory crotches Dreamer over the railing. Victory leaps off the apron to clothesline Dreamer. Victory whacks Dreamer with a chair shot. Victory rolls Dreamer into the ring and keeps control with strikes. Dreamer stops Victory with a neckbreaker and grabs a crutch. Dreamer is tripped by Roadkill on the floor leading to a brawl. Jason tries to get involved and is kicked by Dreamer. Dreamer low blows Victory and hits a DDT on both Jason and then Victory to win the match. (*1/2. A decent brawl, but that’s about all.)
Main Event: ECW Tag Team Champions Rob Van Dam & Sabu vs. Dudley Boys: Sabu and Bubba kickoff the match with Sabu striking Bubba in the corner. Bubba clotheslines Sabu followed by an elbow drop. Bubba strikes Sabu against the ropes and clubs Sabu to the mat. Sabu rolls over Bubba’s back and dropkicks Bubba on the knee. RVD and D-Von tag into the match. RVD tries for a few wild kicks, but D-Von backs off into a corner. RVD drop toe holds D-Von, but D-Von counters. They counter each other until RVD gets a rollup for a two count. RVD puts a front face lock on D-Von, which D-Von complains of a hair pull. D-Von knee lifts RVD followed by strikes in the corner. RVD boots a charging D-Von and hits a hurricanrana out of the corner for a near fall. D-Von hits a middle rope neckbreaker to gain control of the bout. RVD hits a fisherman suplex for a near fall. RVD nails D-Von with a spin kick, but Bubba enters and clotheslines RVD. Sabu sets up a table on the floor and hits Sign Guy. Dudley’s knock RVD to the floor as Sabu splashes Sign Guy through the table. D-Von and Bubba double team Sabu with strikes against the ropes. Bubba headbutts Sabu to the mat and D-Von continues to strike Sabu. D-Von overhand strikes Sabu over the back. Bubba slams Sabu and D-Von delivers a splash off the ropes for a two count. D-Von stomps Sabu on the mat several times. Bubba sends Sabu into the corner and delivers a splash. D-Von stomps Sabu on the mat several times.
Sabu tries to fight back, but is cutoff. RVD sends Big Dick into the railing. Dudley’s hit a suplex/top rope crossbody on Sabu for a two count. Sabu ducks a clothesline to hit a crossbody on the Dudley’s. Sabu strikes D-Von on the top rope hitting a hurricanrana for a two count. Sabu clotheslines Bubba, but Bubba tries for a powerbomb. Sabu lifts Sabu up and the referee is knocked down by Sabu’s legs. Bubba places Sabu on the top turnbuckle to deliver strikes to the back. Sabu baseball slides D-Von into the corner, but Bubba slams Sabu. Sabu hits a top rope hurricanrana. D-Von drops Sabu with a reverse DDT. Shane Douglas and Chris Candido attack RVD on the floor. Taz makes his way out to make the save. Douglas has a chair in the ring, but misses a shot and Taz locks in the Taz Mission until security gets involved. Sabu springboards off the ropes to take out Candido. RVD kicks a chair into Bubba’s face after leaping off the top rope. Sabu covers Bubba and wins the match. (**. I’m always expecting these two teams to have some kind of classic, but I should have known that in a smaller market they’re not going to go nuts. The involvement of Taz and the Triple Threat actually made the whole match more enjoyable. The action was decent, but nothing overly memorable by any means.)
Final Thoughts:
Considering their next show is in Pittsburgh and has a far bigger attendance, the effort here is what you’d expect. The action was average at best and nothing all that entertaining. It’s absolutely a skippable show, but I reviewed it since it’s a double shot weekend.
Thanks for reading.