Hello You!
The hype for the double shot at the Hammerstein Ballroom on the 25th and 26th of August is in full swing (pun only slightly intended)
Let’s watch some chuffing wrestling!
This week’s matches were taped from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Calling the action is Joey Styles
Joey shows us the format for the ECW Tag Team Title Tournament, due to take place on the 25th of August
Block A
The Super Team of ECW Champ Justin Credible and ECW TV Champ Rhino Vs The Sandman and Chilly Willy
Rob Van Dam and Kid Kash Vs Tommy Dreamer and Jerry Lynn
Block B
EZ Money and Julio Dinero Vs Christian York and Joey Matthews
The FBI (Guido and Mamaluke) Vs The Unholy Alliance of Mikey Whipwreck and Tajiri
Block C
Da Baldies Vs Danny Doring and Roadkill
Simon and Swinger Vs Nova and Chetti
The final will be a Triple Threat match between the winners of each block. It’s a bit of a weird format but there should be some good matches in there at least.
Whilst the 25th will be all about the Tag Tournament, the 26th will be a “Night of Champions”, with all the belts getting defended. Already signed is Steve Corino challenging Justin Credible for the ECW Title.
Cyrus gives us a promo about the tournament, saying it that The Super Team will win it for The Network.
Opening Match
Julio Dinero and EZ Money w/ Chris Hamrick Vs Nova and Chetti Vs York and Matthews
This one is all-action, with everyone going at it and hitting big moves. More than once people seem to get in each other’s way, which I guess is liable to happen with six guys all bumping around like this. It’s frantic car crash fun for the most part, with York and Matthews again looking like a polished act who aren’t out of their depth.
However, as they are essentially fulfilling the role of Young Lions (And also possibly in an effort not to cause resentment from the more cynical element of the ECW fan base who might take umbridge to a young pretty bout team getting over pushed) York and Matthews are the first team eliminated via the Tidal Wave from Nova and Chetti after yet another good showing.
Nova/Chetti and Hot Commodity do a decent closing stretch, with Nova DDT’ing both heels (A normal and a reverse one at the same time) in a cool spot. Nova and Chetti have the match won, but Hamrick earns his corn by interfering and that allows Money to catch Nova with a Buckshot Lariat, which gets the three count.
WINNERS: HOT COMMODITY
RATING: **
Frantic stuff for the most part with the odd bit of sloppiness here and there, but it held my attention
Joey tells us that Lou E. Dangerously has challenged William F. Corgan to show up at the Hammerstein Ballroom to face him following a previous spat between the two.
Hot Commodity are attacking Nova and Chetti post-match, so Jerry Lynn makes the save and we have the old ECW impromptu match!
Match Two
Chris Hamrick Vs Jerry Lynn
Both men seem to have some chemistry issues in the early going, but Hamrick takes one of his customary ludicrous falls out onto the concrete and things settle down a bit back inside following that. Hamrick gets a mule kick to gain control and does a leg drop from the top for two. Hamrick at least taunted before making the pin though, as to have an out for the big move not securing the pin. Lynn sells a bunch to make Hamrick look competitive and then attacks him right in the Confederacy a few times to avenge the mule kick from earlier. The Cradle Piledriver follows that and that’s enough for the three.
WINNER: JERRY LYNN
RATING: *1/2
Chemistry issues aside, this was okay for a quick TV match
We get clips of Jazz getting attacked by CW Anderson on TNN, along with Prodigette also getting a kicking. Rather than drawing some heel heat for this brutal man on woman violence, it instead gets a big pop from the misogynistic ECW crowd. Dreamer chases CW off to set up this evening’s Main Event.
Simon Diamond, Johnny Swinger and CW Anderson cut a promo on Doring, Roadkill and Dreamer. The faces retort and we have a six man booked for the next ECW arena show between the two teams.
We get clips from ECW on TNN, where Lou E. Dangerously does “The Danger Zone” with Steve Corino and Scotty Anton. They turn on The Network due to being excluded from the ECW Tag Team Title Tournament. ECW Champ Justin Credible doesn’t like this, as he HAS been selected to represent The Network in the tournament, and he comes down to jaw with Corino on the mic. Surprisingly, the crowd gets behind Corino and even cheers when he tells Credible off. Ah ECW, where dropping an F-Bomb against a heel will turn you instantly. Rhino charges down and we have a brawl, which the refs break up. Corino was great here.
However, we see that Anton ended up reneging on his turn and attacked Corino on the following week of the TNN show. As a result it will be Anton Vs Corino at the ECW Arena.
Nova and Chetti have promo time backstage, where they show how fired up they are for the Tag Title Tournament.
Main Event
CW Anderson w/ Simon and Swinger Vs Tommy Dreamer w/ Jazz
These two would go on to have quite a few matches together in the dying days of the company. Dreamer isn’t even bothering with an ECW shirt anymore at this stage, instead going for a plain black t-shirt and some jogging pants. Wow, that’s a man who has been broken by this company right there. Simon and Swinger try to interfere early doors and get into it with Jazz, which leads to the referee sending all of the seconds to the back, lest they all be barred from wrestling in Fort Lauderdale ever again. That’s like trying to dissuade carjackers by telling them they won’t be allowed to drive a Sinclair C5.
With the match now one on one, it settles into a brawl, with both men going at it outside the ring. CW targets the shoulder back inside the ring in classic Anderson fashion. Bring in CW for a one-shot AEW just so I can get a kick of seeing him interact with Arn. Despite being all banged up for real, Dreamer still manages to superplex CW, which leads to Simon and Swinger clearly deciding that not being allowed to wrestle in Fort Lauderdale anymore is not the deterrent the referee seemed to think it would be and running down to help. Simon clocks Dreamer with a weapon and that allows CW to get the spine buster for the three count
WINNER: CW ANDERSON
RATING: *3/4
This was alright, but felt a bit rushed and wasn’t a satisfying TV Main Event, especially after Rob Van Dam has Main Evented the past two weeks and had ***+ matches.
Doring and Roadkill try to run down and rescue Dreamer but they get laid out too, as they are clearly trying hard to get this heel trio over. Even Jazz gets taken out!
Joey hypes up the ECW Arena and Hammerstein Ballroom shows.
Rhino cuts an angry backstage promo about how he’s going to beat Sandman up so much that he’s going to start crying blood, just like Jinpachi Mishima (I added that last bit in myself)
In Conclusion
This was all about hype for the Arena and Hammerstein shows, and it did its job on that front. They’re hyping these shows better than they’ve hyped some of their pay per views in the past year. The show itself wasn’t bad but it also was pretty missable. The best bit was probably Corino turning face, which you can find on the TNN show anyway.