History of ECW 3/24/1998

Taped from Philadelphia, PA

Airdate: March 24, 1998

Hosted by Joey Styles

Joey welcomes us to another installment of the History of ECW and plugs a tag match featuring Danny Doring and Roadkill against the FBI. Also, the tag titles will be on the line as the champions Lance Storm and Chris Candido face Chris Chetti and Jerry Lynn. Additionally Bam Bam Bigelow will defend the TV title against Sandman. Lastly RVD will face Al Snow.

RVD, Sabu, and Fonzie cut a promo against the Triple Threat in their search for the gold. RVD’s conceit is in full force once again by stating “Sabu…what’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine.” His unintentional comedy promo is pretty funny.

A promo airs for the upcoming PPV then the opener follows.

Joey Styles plugs the PPV and its title matches.

Match 1: The FBI (w/ Tommy Rich) versus “Dastardly” Danny Doring and Roadkill (w/ Lance Wright and Droz)

Styles thanks the fans for their donations to assist Tracy Smothers’ “affliction” by giving him a 20^th anniversary copy of Saturday Night Fever. Doring takes the mike and mocks the FBI. Apparently he doesn’t “stop until the panties drop.” I don’t think that line works in the nightclubs. He substitutes “cool” for “best” using Bret Hart’s catchphrase. Suddenly Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney come to the ring!

Taking the microphone Axl besmirches Doring and also insults the FBI. He proposes a 3-way dance between the teams tonight. On cue Rotten and Mahoney swing their chairs to get things started. Doring and Little Guido pair up for some chain wrestling while Mahoney softens up Smothers in the corner. We cut to Smothers coming off the ropes and receiving a powerslam from Roadkill. After an Irish whip Roadkill sidewalk-slams Smothers. Outside the ring Balls throws Little Guido into the steel railing and then chairs him in the back. Axl obtains a chair from ringside and delivers a shot to the back of Roadkill. Back in the ring Smothers gives Doring a side-Russian legsweep and pins him.

Balls and Smothers are now in the ring. Smothers gets placed on Mahoney’s shoulder but wiggles free. Unfortunately he gets super-kicked for his troubles. After a slam Balls mounts the top turnbuckle. Mahoney must have an endorsement contract with Western Union because his legdrop seems to get telegraphed quite often as it happens here. Little Guido tags in. After 2 unsuccessful slam attempts he rakes the eyes. After a reversal of a whip to the corner Balls misses the splash. Smothers tags back in and “dances” for the crowd. He whips Balls into the ropes, attempts a leapfrog, but gets powerbombed instead.  Hot tag to Axl. Clotheslines by Axl put both members of the FBI down. He jabs both Little Guido and Smothers and gives them both Bionic elbows. He follows up with a meeting of the minds and a double-arm clothesline. Balls tags back in and tattoos both Little Guido and Smothers with punches. Rich gets in the ring but gets escorted out profoundly by Axl. Balls picks up Smothers and gives him the Ball Breaker for the pin. **

Match 2 for the ECW World Tag Team Titles: Lance Storm and Chris Candido (champions) versus Chris Chetti and “Dynamic” Jerry Lynn

Lynn and Chetti are already in the ring. Candido again objects to coming out to the same music as Lance Storm so he gets his own entrance. Joey reiterates that not only are the tag titles on the line but also Storm and Candido’s jobs if they cross one another. Lynn starts with Candido. He gets the early advantage with a hiptoss to both Candido and Storm. All four men are in the ring early. Lynn dropkicks Candido out while Chetti dropkicks Storm out.

Back in the ring Candido chops Lynn and struts. Lynn fires back and a pin reversal sequence follows into a pancake by Candido. They hit the ropes again, but this time Lynn gets to serve the pancake to Candido. Since syrup wasn’t provided Candido angrily slaps Storm in the face to tag him in. The champs argue so Storm whips Candido into the ropes and gives him the spinning heel kick. Lynn immediately covers, but Storm saves. Lynn leapfrogs Storm but tries to leapfrog Candido and receives the powerbomb-hangman’s neckbreaker combo. Storm dropkicks Lynn coming off the ropes.

After a quick clip Candido vertical suplexes Lynn.  Storm tags in, drops down, and applies a single-leg Boston crab. Lynn gets to the ropes to break the hold. Candido tags back in and the champs double-team Lynn off the ropes with a pair of elbows.

We fast-forward to Lynn chopping Storm in the corner. After a whip reversal Storm superkicks Lynn for a 2 count.  Storm slams him and goes to his corner in order to go high-risk. Instead Candido tags in so he can go high-risk but misses the diving headbutt. Chetti gets the hot tag and backdrops, dropkicks, and powerslams Candido off a series of whips. The offense continues for Chetti with a swinging neckbreaker. During a whip reversal to the corner Chetti screws up a jump to the corner and lands awkwardly. The crowd lets him know it with a “You Fucked Up” chant.

We cut to a springboard double-clothesline from Storm to the challengers. Storm dropkicks Chetti then gives Lynn a spinning heel kick. He mounts the top turnbuckle and plants Chetti with a leg lariat. Lynn makes the save. “Accidentally” Candido backdrops Storm out of the ring and throws Lynn out afterwards. He then fortuitously covers Chetti for the pin. Joey claims shenanigans.

After the match the champs argue so Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney return to the ring. Axl badmouths the champs and then levels Candido with a chair to the head. Storm retaliates by dropkicking both Axl and Balls. More kicks from Storm but then Balls wallops him with a chair to the head! The crowd chants “ECW!” The #1 contenders then chair the backs of the champs to celebrate. Bam Bam Bigelow comes in but gets a kick from Balls and a clothesline from Axl. Shane Douglas comes in. Axl and Balls pinball him with punches. Francine then jumps on Axl’s back but gets dumped. Axl and Balls threaten to chair Francine, but Douglas intercepts Mahoney down low. Axl nails Douglas with a chair instead. Bam Bam comes back and gives both Rotten and Mahoney the Greetings from Asbury Park. Candido “covers” Rotten as Francine makes the 3-count. The Triple Threat celebrates with their signature hand gesture. ***

Back in the WWE Studios Joey emphasizes BBB’s power with his execution of the Greetings from Asbury Park on the 600+ pound combined #1 contenders.

Prior to the next match we head back to Queens, NY where Taz interrupts a TV title contest. Pablo Marquez is so happy that he doesn’t get to face BBB that he wants to hug Taz. The hug occurs but a Tazplex follows thereafter. Taz then makes mincemeat out of poor Marquez with a running clothesline and the Tazmission.

Match 3 for the ECW World Television Title: Bam Bam Bigelow (champion) versus Sandman

Of course Sandman gets his customary entrance with cigarette and beer. But first Taz interrupts again to address Bam Bam. He actually gives props to BBB for being the “better man.” A handshake is offered and accepted. After he’s done talking Sandman even shakes Taz’s hand and says “I can respect that.” Joey notes the public animosity between Sandman and Taz and is astonished by what just happened.

Bigelow clobbers Sandman to start. A brawl ensues with Sandman favoring his left hand after punching BBB. Outside the ring Sandman wedges Bigelow’s head between his shoulder and the steel holding the bottom turnbuckle. He then gives a “table suplex” to Bam Bam. Sandman goes to the back and brings a ladder to ringside. “Ladder suplex” follows.

Back in the ring Bigelow reverses a whip and Sandman flies back-first into the ladder set up in the corner. He follows with a splash sandwiching Sandman between the ladder and himself. Sandman comes back with the cane into the bloodied eye of Bigelow. Cane shots are traded with Bigelow getting the better end of the deal. Sandman clotheslines him then throws the ladder at him. He whips BBB into the ladder in the corner and tries to splash him. However, Bigelow counters with the Greetings from Asbury Park for the pin. *

Al Snow (w/ Head) is shown with “HELP ME” written backwards on the wall. Shane Douglas’ voice is overheard in the background. Al appears to have to have lost his mind.

Match 4: Al Snow (w/ Head) versus “Mr. Monday Night” Rob Van Dam (w/ Fonzie)

RVD gains the quick advantage with some kicks and a standing sidekick. With Snow down RVD hits Rolling Thunder. RVD hooks Snow in a reverse STF with a bridge. Snow escapes but gets dropkicked. After a whip to the corner Snow tries to kick RVD but Van Dam catapults him to the top turnbuckle pad.  He attempts a springboard elbow but Snow catches and suplexes him. In the process he practically breaks RVD’s neck. Fonzie gets up on the apron to object.

Outside the ring RVD backdrops Snow into the first row. From the guardrail he hits the springboard somersault plancha followed by a sidekick. Back in the ring Snow gives RVD two ocean cyclone suplexes. Snow throws RVD outside then baseball-slides into him. He clotheslines RVD over the guardrail. Snow then executes a beautiful Asai moonsault onto RVD in the second row!  Crowd loves that move!

Back in the ring Snow powerbombs RVD. He goes up for the moonsault but misses. RVD then gives Snow the split-legged moonsault. RVD tosses the chair to Snow but misses the Van Daminator. Instead he gets two shots to the head with the chair. After a unique inverted atomic drop off the ropes Snow DDTs RVD. While Snow attempts a cover Fonzie tries to save with the chair but hits RVD. Fonzie runs interference so that RVD can hit the Van Daminator properly. Ref is out.

After checking with the ref RVD heads to the top but misses the 5-star frog splash. Subsequently Snow gives RVD the Snow Plow. Ref is still out so Sabu hits the ring. Snow crotches Sabu in the corner. RVD throws the chair at Snow but Snow throws it right back. Sabu then kicks the chair right into RVD! Snow pins RVD. The crowd celebrates by throwing their Styrofoam heads in the ring!

After the match RVD and Sabu argue. Fonzie tries to play mediator and succeeds by calming each man down. The friends embrace. RVD offers a high-five but leaves Sabu hanging and exits the ring. Sabu almost dives from the top rope to the floor onto RVD but Fonzie stops him. ***1/2

Overall, Hardcore TV succeeds again by advancing their storylines while supplying quality wrestling. The only glaring part of the show was the amazing clip job done to the BBB/Sandman match. I didn’t see this rivalry in ECW, but I saw it in WCW and didn’t enjoy it.

On another note it appears that WCW Worldwide is on a monthly rotation basis with WWE Classics on Demand. In order to get a weekly rant going I’ll have to find something to fill in once a month. Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks for reading!

Be sure to visit http://www.rockstargary.com to check out more info on me!