The SmarK Rant for ECW Wrestling on TNN – 10.06.00 (Finale!)

The SmarK Rant for ECW Wrestling on TNN – 10.06.00

OK, so I know the last episode was posted just a couple of days ago, but I wrote all those weeks ago to have in the can before vacation, so it’s been a while for me since I’ve done ECW. So now, let’s finish off ECW on TNN with the final episode and put it to bed so I can move onto something else.

We join things after Anarchy Rulz 2000, with Jerry Lynn using the assistance of New Jack to win the ECW World title from Justin Credible, thankfully mercy-killing that title reign too late to save the promotion.

Taped from nowhere as this is just a bunch of PPV clips and leftovers due to them being out of money and unable to run TNN tapings. We don’t even get an intro for this one.

Your hosts are Joey Styles & Joel Gertner

Billvis Wesley v. Nova

From the Anarchy Rulz show, specifically the dark match before the PPV. Nova is cos-playing as the Flash, back when that was a deep cut. Nova takes him down with a flying headscissors and puts him on the floor, and then headfakes Wesley into a baseball slide. Back in the ring with a sunset flip, but the Prodigy trips him up and comes in with a suplex and Wesley takes over with a pump splash for two. Nova with a sunset flip for two, but Wesley hits a uranage for two. They fight to the top and Nova puts him down and follows with a swanton for two. Nova puts him down with an enzuigiri for two. Nova reverses a neckbreaker attempt into the flatliner, but the circus runs in again and Nova takes out the Prodigy, allowing Wesley to get a rollup for two. Kryptonite Krunch finishes for Nova at 6:18. This was very much a match to fill some time on TV. *1/2.

Kid Kash v. EZ Money

This is also from the PPV, although the main show this time. ECW desperately uses their remaining time by putting a graphic for November to Remember on the screen during this, which definitely feels like too little too late. So the idea here is that this was advertised as Cyrus v. Joel Gertner, but Cyrus demanded that Joel face EZ Money first, so Commissioner Spike Dudley put Kash in Joel’s place. Kash clears the ring of the Money crew, and EZ accidentally hits Hamrick with a dive before Kash follows with his own double jump somersault plancha. Back in with a springboard clothesline for two. Money fights back with a buckshot lariat, which actually works as a money pun but here it’s called a Money Clip. Money with a pendulum backbreaker for two. Money with a chinlock, but Kash fights out and hits a rana and tornado DDT for two. Money with a neckbreaker for two. Kash with a Whisper in the Wind for two and a sunset flip for two. They trade cradles off that and Kash hits the Moneymaker because he’s not a wuss like Ospreay when it comes to that move, but Hamrick and Dinero come in for the double team while Elektra takes the ref, and Money gets two off that. EZ goes up and Kash brings him down, but Money goes low and tries a powerbomb off the top, which Kash turns into a rana for the pin at 9:38. Good but unremarkable, with way too much interference as usual. ***1/4. Afterwards, everyone attacks Spike Dudley, but Sandman makes the save and canes all the geeks to death. So Cyrus gets hauled into the ring and we’re on.

Joel Gertner v. Cyrus

Joel immediately spears him and tears off his shirt to reveal Kamala warpaint, but Cyrus trips him up and puts the boots to him to take over. Cyrus with the chops and he slugs away in the corner, but Sandman spits beer in his eyes, and Joel rolls him up for the pin at 2:34. This wasn’t really the “Cyrus gets his comeuppance” finale that the months of storyline warranted, but it wasn’t a total disaster or anything in the ring so that’s fine. DUD.

Meanwhile, Rhino promises that RVD will never get the TV title back, which was true, and also double true because the belt was lost soon after this and never found again as far as I know.

Meanwhile, the FBI talk about how dangerous Mikey and Tajiri are, and Guido complains about never getting any lines.

Meanwhile, Mikey and Tajiri accuse the FBI of being LIARS.

Meanwhile, New Jack rants about hookers and Justin Credible.

And we finish with quick hits from Dawn Marie and Steve Corino, and then wrap up the show with Jerry Lynn getting into a confrontation with Justin Credible, as Justin shakes his hand and promises to take the belt back, before jumping him from behind. And we get to say goodbye to this show with Justin Credible doing a promo and standing tall one last time.

And that’s ECW on TNN! Obviously a very mixed bag over the life of the show, with money troubles and notable storylines that ended up going nowhere (RAVEN I’M LOOKING AT YOU) and at the end of the day it was just a proof of concept for TNN to sign the bigger fish with. Hardcore TV limped along for another couple of months after this, also closing up shop with the December 30 episode, but the money was gone and Heyman’s negotiations with the USA Network fell apart completely. Apparently the reason ended up being that the PTC put ECW on a list of stuff that was even worse than the WWF, and USA didn’t want to bring another toxic partner on board with advertising revenue being crappy for wrestling shows as it was.

I’d like to move on and maybe cover the death of the AWA next, but there’s not much of it out there in complete form and I’ve already reviewed what’s on the WWE Network.