The SmarK Rant for ECW Wrestling on TNN – 09.15.00

The SmarK Rant for ECW Wrestling on TNN – 09.15.00

LOL, speaking of ECW, I got blocked on Twitter by Dave Scherer because I guess I dared disagree with one of his “Temu Mark Madden in 2000” gripes with the Bucks. Oh well.

Taped from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York

Your hosts are Joey Styles & Joel Gertner

LAST WEEK: SO MUCH STUFF HAPPENED

Mikey Whipwreck & Tajiri v. Julio Dinero & EZ Money

The Minister’s team double-teams Dinero in their corner, and it’s over to EZ Money, who ironically lost out on his easy money when WCW went out of business and he didn’t get signed. Money with a standing moonsault on Tajiri for two and then puts him in a hanging surfboard, but Tajiri escapes and puts him down with a kick. Tajiri gets distracted by Elektra, but Money goes low and they double-team Tajiri with an inverted DDT for two. Dinero with the dreaded JALAPENO POPPER for two, which is mind-blowing because I had poppers and chicken wings for dinner tonight. Tajiri with the tarantula, but Money breaks it up and gets two. Hot tag Mikey and he runs wild and hits the stunner on Money, and then puts Dinero in the Tree of Woe. They destroy Dinero in the corner and Tajiri mists Chris Hamrick, who takes a crazy flat back bump to the unprotected concrete floor off that. WHY? Double brainbuster on EZ Money finishes at 6:48. I think this was actually just repurposing the semi-final match in the tag title tournament and airing it in full instead of highlights. It was a fun match for sure. ***

Meanwhile, the Sinister Minister hangs out with his discliples in Tmes Square and complains about the FBI. The Team, not the federal agency.

ECW World title: Justin Credible v. Steve Corino

Considering that they just turned Corino babyface and Heyman wanted to get the title on him and Credible was a crashing disaster as champion, they probably should have just changed the title here. Francine does a lengthy and rambling promo before the match with the upshot being that Jack Victory is banned from ringside. So Corino declares that Justin has just fallen into his TRAP, and he brings out Dawn Marie as the replacement manager. Glad to see they finally figured out something to do with her after four months. I should note that this match began at only 15:00 into the show and I was like “Man, they’re going LONG with this one!” and now we’re at 25:00 into the show by the time the bell rings and it only runs 40:00 on the WWE Network. So that makes more sense now. They fight to the floor immediately and Corino slugs away out there and sends Credible into the railing to fully turn himself babyface with the fans. Back in the ring, Credible goes low, but they trade chops in the corner and lay it in pretty good. Credible gets a chair and rams Corino into that for two. Justin goes up with a middle rope elbow for two. Back to the floor and they set up a table, but Francine gets a rana on Corino off-camera. Back in the ring, Credible with a chinlock on the mat, but Corino makes the comeback and now steals Dusty’s routine but FOR GOOD. Francine trips him up and he goes after her, and rolls up Justin for two. Ref gets bumped and Corino gets the fisherman’s suplex for the visual pinfall, and that brings in Lou E. Dangerously for the cell phone shot. But then William Patrick Corgan comes in and uses the guitar on Lou E, and Corino superkicks Credible for two. The table gets hauled into the ring and they go through that, but we get the contractually mandated catfight with Dawn and Francine. That allows Justin to hit Corino with the cane, busting him open, and that gets two. Superkick gets two. That’s Incredible is reversed to the neckbreaker by Corino, and that gets two. So Corino tosses some more weapons into the ring, but Francine begs for mercy to prevent a chairshot, so Corino piledrives her. But this allows Credible to hit That’s Incredible on Corino and retain at 14:32. The near falls at the end were really good but after all the buildup from some people on the blog this was kind of a crushing dispointment to me. Just the usual smoke and mirrors brawl and people running in for no reason to pad out the match. ***1/2

Three episodes left, as the end is near. Another good episode but they can’t tape at Hammerstein forever, sadly.