History of ECW 4/7/1998
By Scott Keith on August 8, 2012
Taped from Buffalo, NY
Airdate: April 7, 1998
Joey welcomes us to another installment of the History of ECW. To start off the show he mentions that Beth Phoenix is from Buffalo and attended the ECW shows there. Speaking of fellow Buffalo natives Mikey Whipwreck will attempt to get his revenge against Justin Credible. Also, the TV title will be defended by Bam Bam Bigelow against Rob Van Dam. Joey introduces New Jack while making a wise crack about his arrest record.
Spike Dudley and Kronus have just defeated Danny Doring and Roadkill when New Jack’s music hits. Droz joins Roadkill and Doring in beating up Kronus and Spike. Swiftly New Jack hits the ring with a trash can o’ plunda. Roadkill takes a crutch to the back by New Jack then Doring eats a cookie sheet shot. After an Irish Whip Doring is nailed twice by crutch shots. Roadkill re-enters the ring, gets whipped, and elbowed.
Out of nowhere New Jack pulls out the vacuum cleaner! When Roadkill gets hit down low by the vacuum cleaner his cry does not quite resemble “Eureka!” Droz then attacks New Jack in the corner. He challenges New Jack to get up and take his best shot. New Jack kabongs Droz with a sign but he’s still standing. Choosing a keyboard as the next weapon of choice for New Jack he wallops Droz in the head with it. Droz maintains his feet then gets into a three-point stance. He charges and misses New Jack in the corner. New Jack was hiding a guitar there so he plays a tune on Droz’s head. Doesn’t sound like “Jailhouse Rock” to me.
We get the opener and then Joey’s introduction.
Match 1: The FBI (w/ Tommy Rich) versus The Blue Meanie and Nova
Prior to entering the ring Blue Meanie “raises the roof.” Not surprisingly his rhythm technique parallels the FBI. Smothers and Meanie start us off with a tie-up in the corner. Rather than give a clean break Smothers tries to break dirty but misses. Meanie hiptosses him out of the corner. Guido comes in and gets a hiptoss. Meanie then dropkicks Smothers and Guido in succession! Immediately Nova hits a corkscrew moonsault onto both members of The FBI on the outside! The crowd is electric!
Back in the ring Nova reverses a cross-corner whip but Guido jumps over him. They run back to the original corner. Guido tries to jump over Nova again but gets caught with a Novabomb. We cut to a Meanie avalanche on Guido in the corner then Smothers in the opposite corner. Instantly Nova executes the Novocain out of the corner on Guido. Second rope splash by Meanie on Guido looks to end it; however, Rich interferes with his “Italian” flag. He puts Guido on top of Meanie and gets the pin. **3/4 for what was shown.
Match 2: Al Snow (w/ Head) versus Chris Candido
As Snow enters the ring Candido tries to take the upper hand but Snow counters with punches of his own. He even uses Candido’s own hand to hit him! He whips Candido off the ropes and gives him a back body drop. Candido bails but Snow baseball slides him then completes his Head dance. Much to my amazement the ECW fans REALLY enjoyed the Head gimmick more than I anticipated.
They do some chain wrestling off the ropes until Snow gives Candido an ocean cyclone suplex. Next Candido executes a delayed vertical suplex followed by some chops in the corner. Similar to the way Hawk would treat Ric Flair Snow no-sells the chops and puts Candido in the corner. He proceeds to chop him while the crowd provides collective “Woo’s!”
We segue to where Snow is on the canvas and Candido is mounting the top rope. He misses the diving headbutt which enables Snow to deliver the Snow Plow for the pin. *** for what was shown.
Match 3: Justin Credible (w/ Jason and Chastity) versus Mikey Whipwreck
We get Justin’s entrance followed by a commercial break. When we return Mikey immediately goes to work on Credible. He cross-corner whips Justin who leaps but gets caught with a low blow. Mikey exits the ring, grabs Credible by the legs, and crotches him on the steel ring post. He then smashes Credible’s knee into it twice. Shortly thereafter he destroys Credible’s knee with a chair. Unmistakably the crowd is FIRMLY behind Mikey here.
As Credible hobbles Mikey returns to the ring and kicks his leg out from under him a few times. A cross-corner whip is reversed to the original corner. Credible leaps over the top rope but Mikey necksnaps him to the floor. Without delay Mikey follows him to the outside and whips him to the steel railing. Credible tries to return to the locker room but receives a side Russian legsweep against the railing for his efforts.
Continuing his assault on Credible he smashes the back of his head into the steel bleachers. They return to the ring and Credible backs off. He tries to kick Mikey but gets spun around. Mikey then attempts the Whippersnapper but gets blocked. Instead Mikey gives him an inverted atomic drop.
Credible comes back with a powerslam, celebrates as Jason hands him a chair, and then punches and chokes Mikey on the ropes. While Credible sets up the chair Jason gets a couple of cheap shots in. Credible whips him off the ropes, kicks him in the midsection, and then plants him face-first into the chair. That gets a 2 count.
Credible props the chair in the corner then gives Mikey a tiger bomb. Annoyingly Jason incites the crowd over the microphone. Credible throws Mikey right into the steel chair in the corner. Helpfully Jason picks it up from ringside and hands Credible the chair. Credible whips Mikey into the ropes and hooks a sleeper. Mikey slumps to the canvas. Before Mikey’s arm can come down for the third time he picks up the chair and nails Credible in the face!
Credible clotheslines Mikey then signals that the end is near. He hoists Mikey up on the top turnbuckle and climbs up after him. Out of desperation Mikey fights back and crotches him. Whipwreck then gives him the “Franken-Mikey!” He follows with a swinging neckbreaker. After a near fall Whipwreck cross-corner whips Credible. Since he lands belly first on the top turnbuckle Mikey punts him.
Credible again gets crotched. Super Whippersnapper looks to finish; however, Jason pulls the referee out. Like a rabid cat Chastity scratches his eyes. Subsequently Jason kicks him then gets in the ring. Mikey gives Jason the Whippersnapper. Chastity jumps on Mikey’s back but gets thrown down. She slaps him, tries again, but Mikey stops her. Having had enough he attempts to give her the Whippersnapper, but the referee stops him and gets it instead. Unlike the Chartbuster by Disco Inferno and the Apocalypse by the Disciple it’s funny when Mikey imitates Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Chastity then gets the testicular claw on Mikey. Credible then gives Mikey “That’s Incredible” for the 3 count. After the bell Jason and Credible pummel him. Justin swings a chair three times and obliterates Mikey’s repaired knee! Joey notes that they will meet again at Wrestlepalooza on May 3. Tommy Dreamer hits the ring to save Mikey! **1/2
Match 4 for the ECW World Television title: Bam Bam Bigelow (champion) versus “Mr. Monday Night” Rob Van Dam (w/ Fonzie)
When Bigelow comes to the ring he is still wearing a bandage near his right eye from the Singapore cane shot delivered by Sandman two weeks ago. Upon starting the match RVD tries to kick BBB, but gets pummeled to the mat with punches. He whips RVD off the ropes and shoulderblocks him. He whips him again and misses the clothesline. RVD comes back with a spinning heel kick.
BBB backs into the corner. RVD attempts a monkey flip but lands on his feet. Upon attempting a huracanrana RVD gets powerbombed. He goes outside to catch his breath and stall. After Fonzie fluffs him to the camera RVD re-enters the ring RVD tries the enziguri but Bigelow ducks. Following that BBB headbutts RVD in the back of the head three times and tosses him to the corner.
A blind charge eats boot and RVD climbs to the top turnbuckle. He executes a high cross-body on BBB but doesn’t cover. Instead RVD mounts the opposite turnbuckle and hits the missile sidekick! He follows up with Rolling Thunder (not named yet by Joey) and gets a 1 count. In an attempt at another cross-body RVD comes off the ropes but BBB ducks sending RVD over the top rope to the outside.
Bigelow joins RVD outside, picks him up, and rams him back-first into the steel ring post. He drags RVD by the hair to another part of ringside and makes him eat the steel railing. By the look on RVD’s face it does not taste like pot brownies. RVD comes back with a kick to put BBB on the floor then springboards off the railing with another sidekick. After continuing the assault with his feet to Bigelow’s head he tries to ram his head into the steel ring post, but BBB blocks and rams RVD’s head into it.
Again Bigelow makes RVD eat the steel railing. I hope the second helping was as good as the first. RVD kicks Bigelow to create separation, attempts a headscissors, but gets tossed into the third row! Following after him BBB gives RVD a headbutt. They fight in the stands until RVD drops Bigelow jaw-first on the steel railing. Hopefully they have a dentist available to fix his loosened molars after that one. He then gives BBB a springboard huracanrana.
RVD returns to ringside and gives Bigelow a chairshot to the head. After rolling back into the ring he mounts the top turnbuckle and dives onto Bigelow still amongst the vacated chairs. He rolls back in again and tries a second attempt off the top rope. This time he executes a flying somersault onto Bigelow! The crowd chants “ECW” as Joey’s “Oh my God!” almost understates how incredible that move was.
Bigelow is still having a difficult time returning to ringside. Then again who wouldn’t after that? RVD furthers BBB’s anguish by jumping from the apron and legdropping Bigelow across the steel railing. As the crowd chants for RVD he kicks BBB in the face. Out of nowhere Bigelow clotheslines RVD. He then powerbombs RVD onto a table that doesn’t break.
After BBB climbs on the apron he drops an elbow on RVD through the table. Both men are slow to get up at this point. RVD not only throws a part of the table at Bigelow but also a chair. Like a keen hunter sensing his prey he lands a series of kicks to BBB’s injured eye. Bigelow comes back with a clothesline and a chair shot. As he rolls back into the ring we can see that he is busted open.
When RVD climbs onto the apron BBB hammers him with forearms to the upper back. He tries to suplex him but ends up dropping him face-first on the apron! YEE-OUCH! On the other hand RVD snaps Bigelow’s neck on the top rope in the process. RVD climbs to the top rope and tries another huracanrana. BBB counters with yet another powerbomb. Upon climbing to the top rope he misses the moonsault.
Almost instantaneously RVD leaps to the top rope and delivers the ***** frog splash. However, BBB kicks out at 2. What? Was that a shoot? No? Oh, carry on then. RVD comes off the ropes but gets caught with a Samoan drop. That gets 2. Bigelow then gives RVD the brainbuster but that only gets 2. As both men get to their feet BBB heaves RVD into the corner. He charges but runs straight into a chair given to RVD by Fonzie.
Bigelow picks up RVD for a slam and knocks the referee down with RVD’s legs. In order to put BBB away Sabu comes to ringside and throws a chair at him. RVD and Sabu try to give Bigelow Poetry in Motion but BBB catches then tosses Sabu onto RVD. As BBB tries to powerbomb Sabu he gets jammed in the injured eye. Suddenly RVD then hits the Van Daminator. He somersaults over Bigelow, hooks the legs, and gets the pin! We have a new World Television champion! Because he was only supposed to soften him up Sabu is frustrated with RVD. Afterwards Candido comes to ringside to assist Bigelow. We take a break. ***1/2
We return and Joey recaps Bam Bam Bigelow’s TV title reign. It began at Living Dangerously with Bigelow falling back while caught in the Tazmission through the ring. It ended a month later with the Van Daminator in Buffalo.
Backstage the Triple Threat licks their wounds and vows to stay atop ECW at Wrestlepalooza.
Axl Rotten cuts a promo wearing a Candido pic on his face. He and Balls Mahoney want the tag belts at the PPV.
Fonzie along with RVD and Sabu cut a promo. Fonzie lists a group of challengers for RVD’s title, but Paul Heyman interrupts Fonzie by stating that the title shot belongs to Sabu. Immediately Sabu tries to grab the belt away from RVD. A tug of war breaks out while Fonzie tries to stop it.
We then get the graphic for Wrestlepalooza on May 3 from Marietta, GA available only on PPV.
Joey closes out the show highlighting RVD’s victory. He mentions the somersault flip that RVD executed onto Bigelow. He then asks us to stay tuned for more of the History of ECW!
Overall this was a really good show. RVD would go on to hold the TV title for almost 2 years before having it vacated due to injury. You can definitely see the formula used by the WWF during the Attitude Era in some of the matches here. On top of that RVD’s somersault leap from the top turnbuckle onto Bigelow In the third row cannot be understated. Frankly if Bigelow doesn’t catch him RVD would have been severely injured with all the chairs and exposed concrete in his path. Stay tuned for another installment of the History of ECW coming soon!
For those of you who are curious about my review of the Best of RAW from 1994 I was able to catch the first 2 parts before WWE Classics On Demand pulled it down, but it pales in comparison to 1993 by a wide margin. Sorry but I won’t be recapping it.
Be sure to visit http://www.rockstargary.com to check out more info on me!
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