History of ECW 5/12/1998

Taped from Buffalo, NY

Airdate: May 12, 1998

Hosted by Joey Styles

Joey welcomes us to another installment of the History of ECW and notes that this episode emanates from Buffalo, NY. Once again he mentions that Beth Phoenix is from Buffalo and thinks she’s very hot. He even makes the “call me” gesture to her. What a cornball. In the first match Sabu will face Chris Chetti. Also a rematch from Wrestlepalooza takes place as the bWo faces the FBI. To start off the show he introduces Joel Gertner then mocks him.

Joel Gertner cuts a promo with the Dudley Boyz. He states that the Dudley Boyz will “raise the violence quotient.” With a faux Southern accent Bubba puts in a few words while rattling off the scars and injuries to his head. He then proceeds to headbutt a locker. D-Von wants us to testify to the violence they will bring to ECW. Big Dick chuckles maniacally to end the segment.

“Free Ric Flair”, “Imprison Eric Bischoff”, and “F*?! Vince McMahon” start the opening credits.

Joey opens the show from Buffalo when Taz immediately interrupts. While wearing “FTW” on his taped right hand he refers to himself as the heavyweight champion. While being intimidated and mocked by Taz Joey hypes the opening match between Chris Chetti and Danny Doring?

Match 1: Chris Chetti versus “Dastardly” Danny Doring

Right off the bat Taz starts with a “boring” chant. He says he made Douglas tap out twice. They shove each other to start. Chetti dodges a charge but takes a kick to the gut and a dropkick from Doring. As Taz provides delusional color commentary Doring puts the boots to Chetti. After he whips Chetti off the ropes he leapfrogs Chetti. Chris grabs a go-behind in order to roll Doring up off the ropes but gets shrugged off.

Suddenly Taz is destroying things at the commentator’s area. Joey looks like he just changed the color of his underwear. Chetti comes off the second rope with a double-axehandle and gets a 2 count. Taz has left the broadcast position, and the show returns to normal. As Chetti cross-corner whips Doring Taz walks in the back and into the upper deck. Joey wonders where he’s headed. Taz threatens the sound engineer to play his music then makes his way through the crowd to the ring.

As Taz enters the ring he delivers a Taz-plex to Doring. Chetti tries to spear him, but Taz side-steps him and menacingly gives him some crossfaces. Referee “Pee Wee” Moore tries to step in, but Taz throws him off. “Pee Wee” then gets a Taz-plex. Again Chetti tries to go after his cousin, but Taz takes him down and gives him a Fujiwara armbar. Security grabs him and escorts him from ringside. As Taz is handcuffed he tells Shane Douglas “Who’s the champ? I’m the champ!”

As Taz continues to be escorted out of the building Fonzie’s voice is overheard talking to Chris Chetti. Sabu and Fonzie are in the ring, and Fonzie wants Chetti to prove himself against Sabu. Instantly Sabu gets a single-leg takedown and drops the elbow. Briefly he grabs a headlock, but Chetti counters into a hammerlock then an armbar. Sabu grabs another single-leg, but Chetti powers him down with his right leg.

Now Chetti gets the single-leg takedown and holds the legbar. As Chetti grapevines Sabu’s leg on the mat Taz curses his way out of the building. We return to ringside where Sabu whips Chetti into the steel railing. While Chetti is down Fonzie pie-faces him twice. As Fonzie continues to berate the rookie Sabu bridges a table between the steel railing and the ring. Sabu finds a chair and launches it into Chetti’s face!

Sabu drags Chetti to the table, but Chetti fires back and tosses Sabu in the ring. As Chetti begins to mount the top turnbuckle Sabu catches him with a couple of punches. Chetti returns fire and heads to the top. Again Sabu catches him then gives Chetti the super-huracanrana. Both men are down. Sabu then dropkicks Chetti to the floor.

While favoring his left knee Sabu gives Chetti a pescado. The crowd chants “ECW!” Sabu sets up a chair and fucks up the triple-jump spot yet again. BOOOOOOOOOO! As the crowd chants “You fucked up” Chetti suplexes Sabu. However, Chetti is too weary to capitalize for the victory. In lieu of making the cover he heads to the apron and executes an excellent springboard clothesline and gets a 2 count. Like a very green rookie he tries a second springboard but Sabu dropkicks him onto the table. Sabu nails him with the chair again then successfully gives Chetti the triple-jump legdrop through the table! The crowd celebrates with another “ECW” chant.

After Sabu re-enters the ring and clutches his left knee Fonzie rolls Chetti back in the ring. Sabu only gets a 2 count. Now Sabu acts like a green rookie and tries another triple-jump legdrop but misses. He positions Sabu in the middle of the ring but misses the double springboard moonsault. Instead Sabu delivers his triple-jump moonsault press and pins him. **1/2

We return from commercial and Joey hypes another meeting between the FBI and the bWo.

Match 2: The FBI (w/ Tommy Rich) versus the bWo

Joey mentions that Tommy Rich must be the only person in Atlanta to not only fly the Confederate but also the Italian flag at his home. As soon as the Blue Meanie and Super Nova enter the ring they are ambushed by Smothers and Guido. Smothers hammers Meanie with the flag to the back and then a flag-assisted clothesline.

“Double side-Italian legsweep” puts Nova down on the mat. Subsequently they deliver one to Meanie as well on the steel chair. All 3 members of the FBI wield chairs and nail both Nova and Meanie with them. As the crowd chants “Where’s my pizza?” Rich wipes Meanie’s facepaint off with a towel.  If only he’d give him the “Blow Away” diet he’d be loving life. Guido wallops Meanie with the flag pole again.

Relentlessly Guido wallops Nova twice with the flag pole. As an added bonus WWE Classics On Demand informs us that in 1981 Tommy Rich won the NWA title from Harley Race only to lose it back to him 4 days later. After another chair shot by Smothers the bWo leaves the ring and the FBI stands tall. Not really a match so no rating.

Next Al Snow is sitting on a stairwell muttering to Head. He chases the cameraman away citing the need for privacy.

Meanwhile Joey states that Lance Storm and Jamie Dundee are scheduled to have a match, but the Triple Threat intervenes. Candido gets on the microphone and lists all of Shane Douglas’ injuries. Then he “shoots” with Lance Storm about his character and the storyline. He asks Buffalo if they want to be a part of history and offers him a spot in the Triple Threat. Understandably Storm rejects the proposal. Shane Douglas gets on the microphone, lists the former and current members of the Triple Threat, and asks him if he really wants to turn that down.

Storm respects Douglas for the effort he put forth at the PPV and Bam Bam Bigelow as the “greatest big man this sport has ever seen.” But he refers to Candido as the “biggest pain in the ass…” and doesn’t want to be part of the same group that includes him. He tells Shane that if they remove Candido he’d consider joining them. Candido pleads with him to join. Finally he says yes. Everyone raises their arms and Storm waffles Candido with the tag belt. Long story, er, long, instead of Lance Storm facing Jamie Dundee he will face Bam Bam Bigelow.

Match 3: Lance Storm versus Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Francine, Shane Douglas, and Chris Candido)

After a minute of sizing each other up, BBB hammers Storm into the corner. He lets him get up by himself only to toss Storm back into the center of the ring. Buffalo shows their love for BBB’s workrate by chanting “Show your tits” at Francine. Bigelow tries to toss him again, but Storm blocks and hooks a Fujiwara armbar. BBB makes it to the ropes to break the hold.

BBB charges, but Storm gives him a drop toehold to stop him in his tracks. He then jumps on Bigelow’s shoulders and gives him a victory roll for 2. Storm must have watched King of the Ring 1993 to steal that move from Bret Hart. He then gives Bigelow his patented dropkick. 

We cut to where Bigelow takes Storm on the outside and makes him eat the steel railing. Maybe if it was covered in chocolate syrup it would taste good. BBB then military presses Storm and tosses him into the second row! Joey mentions that other promotions give out t-shirts to fans at ringside, but ECW throws wrestlers out to them. Bigelow runs him into the steel railing again then military presses him again. This time Storm gets launched face-first on the apron!

BBB throws eight chairs at Storm. We cut to where Storm executes a high crossbody press onto Bigelow and gets 2. Candido gets on the apron, but Storm knocks him off. A Sting bulldog puts BBB on the mat. As he mounts the top turnbuckle Francine distracts the referee so that Candido can push Storm off. Bigelow catches Storm and delivers the Greetings from Asbury Park for the pin. **

Match 4 for the ECW World Television title: RVD (champion w/ Fonzie) versus Doug Furnas

We are joined in progress as Furnas gives RVD a cross-corner whip. RVD grabs the top rope in order to vault over him, but Furnas knocks him to the apron by pushing on his left arm. When RVD re-enters the ring Furnas gives him a standing dropkick to the floor. Furnas meets RVD on the floor with a double-axehandle from the apron. He chops RVD and whips into the steel railing. He follows but gets kicked in the face. RVD mounts the steel railing and gives him a springboard moonsault!

We return from commercial and Furnas has Fonzie in his clutches. In order to save his manager RVD mounts the steel railing and broad jumps the entranceway. The crowd celebrates with a “Rob Van Dam” chant. RVD lifts Furnas up to place him on a table that’s bridged between the apron and steel railing. Unfortunately for RVD Furnas gives him a swinging DDT on the floor to counter.

Furnas tosses RVD back in the ring and gets a 2 count. After jawing with the crowd he allows RVD to get up. RVD tries to give Furnas a leg lariat, but Furnas ducks, grabs RVD from behind, and delivers a released german suplex. It gets another 2 count. He works RVD over in the corner then cross-corner whips him. Furnas charges in to find nobody home. Instead RVD jumps to the middle turnbuckle and gives Furnas a springboard sidekick.

RVD beckons Fonzie to throw him a chair. RVD whiffs on catching it and Furnas charges into him. He then grabs Fonzie on the apron and runs his face into the top turnbuckle. RVD tosses the chair to Furnas to give him the Van Daminator, but Furnas ducks and gives him a chair shot to the head! Furnas kicks Fonzie onto the table. RVD charges, but gets backdropped onto Fonzie through the table! If your diet consists of squished whistle-blowing former referees Fonzie would be on your buffet table.

Furnas looks to finish RVD off. He whips RVD off the ropes and tries a huracanrana, but RVD counters that into a powerbomb. RVD leaps to the top turnbuckle and delivers the ***** frog splash. In lieu of making the cover for the pin he basks in the cheers of the crowd as the fans chant his name again. He points to the sky to mock Sabu then applies the camel clutch to Furnas.

Enraged Sabu enters the ring wielding a chair. He leaps onto the middle rope and makes RVD eat some chair. As RVD tries to cover Furnas Sabu mounts the top turnbuckle and gives RVD the Arabian facebuster. Furnas gets up and nails Sabu with the chair. Luck would not be on his side because since he was holding the chair RVD gives him the Van Daminator for the pin! Sabu re-enters the ring and grabs the TV title belt away from the referee. ***

Fonzie cuts a promo stating there is no friction between RVD and Sabu.

Lance Storm is sick and tired of being screwed. Who is he? Bret Hart? He challenges Candido to a match to determine who the better man is.

Chris Candido cuts an unintelligible promo on Lance Storm and refers to himself as the “greatest tag team wrestler of all time.” Somewhere Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton are crying.

Lance Storm believes Candido won’t accept his challenge, so he changes it to a “dream partner” tag team match.

Candido contemplates Storm’s offer and wonders aloud who his partner would be. Bam Bam Bigelow shuffles in. Candido gives Storm no chance to win.

Once again Storm changes the stipulations and makes sure that Candido cannot choose a member of the Triple Threat as his “dream partner.” He disses Candido by stating his “biggest claim to fame is that he’s Sunny’s boyfriend.” Ooooooooooooh!

Candido accepts the challenge. He says he’s coming for blood and chooses Sabu as his partner.

Storm rebuts, but the program gets cut off. Joey apologizes then explains how much of a mess ECW was as a company. He then informs us that Storm revealed RVD as his “dream partner.” The match will take place in two weeks. Next week’s show, however,  will emanate from Queens, NY. Joey wonders if we’ll see if anyone gets run over on Queens Boulevard. Since they’ve escorted Taz out of the building twice now I’d bet on his chances.

Another intriguing show displayed by ECW this week. The match between Doug Furnas and RVD was definitely the best match on the show. The rebellious Taz storyline was advanced, so what could he possibly do next? Additionally Taz’s commentary at the beginning of the show was a fresh change of pace albeit delusional on Taz’s part. The story between Lance Storm and Chris Candido had a great twist on the Hennig-Horseman angle from the previous year. Heyman’s storytelling is shaping up nicely here. We’ll see where it goes on the next edition of the History of ECW!

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