Hello You!
This is the last Hardcore TV until we start seeing footage from the Hammerstein shows on the 25th and 26th of August. Today we’re getting footage from the ECW Arena show, with Scotty Anton Vs Steve Corino as a feature bout.
Corino is due to be getting a shot at Justin Credible on the 26th of August, so they will likely want to make him look strong here so that fans are interested in him challenging for the belt.
Let’s see if they succeed as we watch some chuffing wrestling!
This week’s matches are taped from The Arena in Philly
Calling the action is Joey Styles
Joey runs down the card for tonight, with confirmation that the Main Event will be Psicosis Vs Yoshihiro Tajiri
Steve Corino gives a backstage promo. His forehead is really starting to show the effects of all the blading he’s been doing. Corino refuses to apologise for all his devious actions whilst he was a heel and says he’ll continue to win matches however he can. This was a good promo that showed some fire and also made it clear that Corino isn’t going to do a complete 180 just because he’s a face now.
Cyrus and Scotty Anton retort, with Cyrus angry that Corino turned his back on The Network. Anton is ready to give everyone the clap, by which he of course means he wants to clap for them. Why, what did you think he meant? Deary me, you’d need bleach to clean your filthy minds! He even adds that he will leave ECW if he doesn’t make someone tap out in the middle of the ring tonight. It’s revealed that Blue Boy and Jasmine were in a toilet stall whilst that was going on having some fun.
Opener
CW Anderson, Simon and Swinger Vs Tommy Dreamer, Danny Doring and Roadkill
The faces shine on the heels to start, the work being good and the crowd being into it all. CW and Roadkill in particular do a nice segment together where Roadkill really looks like a star during it. The heels eventually retreat to the floor, where Simon grabs a mic to complain that the faces are cheating. Things start getting a bit house show special when Simon demands a pose down, which the faces agree to. Roadkill does the posing to a big pop, but that allows CW to get a chair shot and work some heat. That doesn’t last long as Roadkill catches CW with a Boss Man Slam and it’s hot tag Dreamer, which turns the match into a brawl around the building. It’s a literal pier six brawl! It’s the sort of organised chaos that ECW does best and everyone pairs off as we take a break.
COMMERCIAL
Back from the ads, CW and Dreamer are going at it inside the ring, whilst everyone else brawls. We get finisher madness, with everyone coming in to hit a big move, and it’s exciting stuff. This match has genuinely been a lot of fun. The hot crowd has definitely helped, but the work hasn’t been bad either. Eventually the faces pick up the win with The Buggy Bang on Simon.
WINNERS: DREAMER, DORING & ROADKILL
RATING: ***
Good shine, good comedy, good brawling and a good finishing sequence make this a good match (Go figure)
Joey hypes up the rest of the card for tonight and that leads to a video for Francine narrated by Paul Heyman. We get an exclusive promo from her, Rhino and Justin Credible, but that leads to squabbling between the two men, which in ECW would make them front runners to win the belts.
Match Two
Scotty Anton Vs Steve Corino
This is Corino’s first appearance at the ECW Arena as a babyface, and he’s actually pretty over too. Corino gets a great fiery shine in, which leads to Cyrus coming down to support Anton. This leads to Jack Victory (HIGH SPOT) coming down too, but to quote a legend, whose side is he on?!?!
The crowd is into everything Corino does, and he plays up to it too by cursing and working a more brawling punch based style than usual. Anton gets moments of offence in and tries to get The Clapper (Sharpshooter), but Corino fights back with the Flip, Flop and Fly. Cyrus comes in to help Anton, but Victory follows him in and displays what side he has chosen by clocking him and going Team Corino for a pop. Anton attacks him and locks him in The Clapper for the tap out to fulfil his earlier promise, but that allows Corino to super kick him and pick up the pin.
WINNER: STEVE CORINO
RATING: **
A bit too short, but it was good to see Corino win with his big Title shot on the horizon, and the crowd seems to have really taken to him.
Corino and Victory hug post-match for a pop.
Main Event
Psicosis Vs Tajiri
We get some great counter-chain wrestling in the early going, which leads to a Central American stand-off for a pop. The action in general is really good here and the crowd loves it. It reminds me a bit of some of Tajiri’s better matches with other Lucha guys such as Super Crazy and Antifaz Del Norte. He just generally fits really well into that style and can switch between Japanese and Lucha styles almost at the drop of a hat.
I didn’t see a lot of Psi’s second ECW run back in the day because I only had the pay per views and big events, so some of his TV stuff kind of got lost to time for me, but he wasn’t just a Super Crazy stand in as I first thought. Sure, they’ve already got him working with Tajiri in the Crazy slot, but he’s got enough of his own flavour to not just be Crazy’s replacement. Some of the bumps and dives here are fantastic, with the hot crowd only enhancing the action. We of course get the mandatory dive into the crowd, with Psi almost landing on his head in the process ala Lita Vs Trish.
Thankfully he seems to be okay though and they keep going. Psi takes a great Jannetty styled inside out sell on a handspring back elbow from Tajiri back in the ring, but he keeps coming as this continues to be a fun back and forth contest. Psi almost steals it with some roll ups, with Tajiri timing his kick outs perfectly, and they have the crowd in the palm of their hands. Tajiri uses a Whippersnapper at one stage in a shout out to his partner Mikey, but Psi kicks out. Eventually though Tajiri kills Psi with a series of kicks and that’s enough for three.
WINNER: TAJIRI
RATING: ***1/2
In Conclusion
Great episode of the show, with good wrestling and a hot crowd. Definitely worth