What the World Was Watching: ECW Hardcore TV – November 14, 1995

Cactus Jack says he is proud of Mikey Whipwreck for winning the ECW Championship. However, he blames the crowd for ruining his moment and tells them to get ready for the most boring match they have ever seen. Jack adds that he will take care of Tommy Dreamer by himself and does not need Raven in his corner to do it.

Tommy Dreamer tells Jack that he is in for a fight tonight.

Opening Contest: Tommy Dreamer (w/Terry Funk) (6-4) beats Cactus Jack (w/Raven) (6-5) after a DDT at 13:56 shown:

ECW prefers to show clips of this match in between Dreamer recapping what took place. Having a combatant narrate a match after the fact is an interesting technique but Dreamer is not strong enough on the mic to do it effectively. The story of the match is that Dreamer wants a fight, but Jack prefers to wrestle with clean breaks and headlocks. Jack also tries to lead the crowd in a “WCW” chant from the apron instead of dropping the Cactus Elbow. Raven eventually makes his presence known by attacking Dreamer with a chair. That allows Jack to punish Dreamer with a series of fists until he hurts his hand, so the greatness of his character continues as he tells the crowd that he cannot continue, the match is a no-contest, and they should have a safe trip home and make sure to support the Turner family tomorrow night. When referee Jim Molineaux cannot get Jack to return to the ring, Funk gets on the house mic and insults Jack and his family. That finally gets Jack to fight and things turn into a four-way brawl, with Stevie Richards and Beulah McGillicutty lending assistance. Jack refuses to use brass knuckles so Raven tapes them to Jack’s boot and Jack gives Funk a low blow. Raven urges Jack to use a chair, but Jack refuses and cannot put Dreamer away. When Jack finally picks a chair, Dreamer uses one of his own to counter and scores the victory. Despite the clipping this was fun to watch thanks to how well Jack developed his pro-WCW character. Rating: ***

After the bell, Raven wastes no time running in and giving Dreamer a DDT. Jack also lays out Funk.

Tommy Dreamer concludes his twenty-minute promo bit by saying that Jack will feel his pain at November to Remember.

Dances with Dudley, Buh Buh Ray Dudley, and Big Dick Dudley are in Dudleyville. Dances has been showing Buh Buh how to juggle, which he manages to do after Big Dick hits him with a crutch. Buh Buh speaks fluent Spanish thanks to Dances tutelage but still stutters over his name.

In a promo montage, Dudley Dudley laughs. Konnan puts over how he is a legend in Mexico like Terry Funk and how AAA is the home of Eddie Guerrero, Rey Misterio, Jr., and Psicosis. He says he wants to face the best ECW has to offer because he can wrestle any kind of match. In a reflection of how poorly his debut match was received, he asks ECW fans for a chance to show what he can do. Cactus Jack smiles about breaking Tommy Dreamer’s bones in their last encounter. Bill Alfonso says he has taken worse beatings than what Tod Gordon can dish out so he is invincible. The Eliminators mock the Pitbulls, saying they are not scared of them. Sign Guy Dudley holds a sign that says “Silent but Dudley,” while Buh Buh Ray Dudley can only sneeze with Big Dick’s encouragement. Beulah McGillicutty reminds us that her box is always open and the Public Enemy review the stipulations of their match against 2 Cold Scorpio and the Sandman at November to Remember. Backstage footage shows Dreamer holding a meeting with the Pitbulls and Taz and not wanting to talk to the camera. Steve Austin still acts like Eric Bischoff, Francine blows a kiss, and Woman just stares at the camera. And Raven reminds Dreamer that their paths are intertwined and he feels his pain.

Konnan & Rey Misterio, Jr. defeat Psicosis & La Parka via count out at 7:04:

Konnan was a former California middleweight boxing champion who broke into the business in 1988, wrestling for Mexico’s Universal Wrestling Association (UWA). He teamed with Misterio’s father at Starrcade 1990, losing in the semi-finals of the Pat O’Connor Memorial International Cup Tournament to the Steiner Brothers. After that he had a brief run in the WWF as Max Moon in 1992, wrestling three matches before leaving because of disputes with Vince McMahon. Following his run in the WWF Konnan’s popularity grew as he appeared in television programs and headlined AAA’s Triplemania I card in 1994, wrestling a two-out-of-three falls retirement match against Cien Caras. That show set Mexico’s all-time attendance record for a wrestling event to that point. La Parka broke into the wrestling business in 1982 and wrestled in the Mexico City region for much of that decade. He went through several gimmick changes before landing on La Parka, a reaper-like skeleton character, when he was signed by AAA in 1992. While not achieving the same heights as Konnan, La Parka was a decorated light heavyweight, winning the WWA Light Heavyweight Championship in 1993 and winning the AAA Mexican Light Heavyweight title in 1994. Konnan and Misterio make a good team, with Misterio throwing aerial offense and Konnan following up with power moves. The crowd digs more of the former, but Konnan gets a reaction after giving Psicosis Splash Mountain. The match is clipped to the big spots, which include Konnan monkey flipping Misterio into Psicosis and sending a chair into his face. The end comes when Psicosis and La Parka try suicide dives but eat chairs and Misterio and Konnan follow with suicide dives of their own. The crowd hates the count out finish, though, but that does advantage the unfinish Misterio-Psicosis rivalry. Rating: **½

A video package hypes November to Remember by including flashbacks to prior events and the events leading up to this year’s show.

The Last Word: After a poor outing last week, Hardcore TV got back on track with two fun matches. It is little wonder why Eric Bischoff was keen on signing Konnan because that unlocked the ability to bring in stars like Rey Misterio, Jr., Psicosis, and La Parka who could wow American audiences with their unique brand of wrestling during the Monday Night Wars. And Cactus Jack has been so entertaining and wacky during his feud with Tommy Dreamer that it makes November to Remember a must-see for fans who can make it to the ECW Arena to see what he will do next.

Prior to running November to Remember, ECW ran a show in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. Here are the results of that show, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:

Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania – The Flagstaff – November 17, 1995 (475): The Bad Crew defeated Ranger Seven & George Love…Axl Rotten wrestled Hack Myers to a draw…The Eliminators beat Buh Buh Ray Dudley & Dances with Dudley…J.T. Smith beat El Puerto Ricano…ECW Champion Mikey Whipwreck pinned Rey Misterio, Jr. with a la magistral cradle…The Sandman, 2 Cold Scorpio, Raven, Cactus Jack & Stevie Richards defeated Tommy Dreamer, the Public Enemy & the Pitbulls.

Up Next: November to Remember ’95!