The OH MY GOD! Review
ECW TV 1996-05-07 (matches taped Hostile City Showdown 1996-04-20 from The ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA)

Champions
World: Raven
TV: 2 Cold Scorpio
Tag Team: The Eliminators

Third week in a row we feature matches from Hostile City Showdown. As with the previous two episodes this will mostly be a copy and paste job from that review.  On to the show!

We open the show with The Dudleys and Pitbulls in the ring already.  Buh Buh stutters his name out which really pisses off D-Von. D-Von gives us the Dudley Commandments and they attack when he gets to number 3.

Dudley Boys (w/ Chubby, Dances With & Sign Guy Dudley) vs. The Pitbulls (w/ Francine) ref Paul Richards
D-Von pairs off with Pitbull 2, Buh Buh with 1. The Pitbulls have the early advantage as they fight into the crowd. After about three minutes of brawling through the crowd they make their way to the eagles nest. Pitbull one jumps to the stage below with a chair to D-Von’s head. The Dudleys both are thrown off the stage back into the crowd. Buh Buh with a splash of the bleachers. Pitbull 1 knocks Buh Buh through a table at ringside. After six minutes of brawling through the crowd all four men finally hit the ringside area.

The match gets interrupted and we go via satellite to Long Island, NY where ECW was filming a training video.  We see an ambulance driving away.  Joey Styles tells us that Tommy Dreamer had picked the Pitbulls to be his partners for a 6 man match on the 11^th but they have been attacked.

We go back to the ring where the men are all brawling in the ring.  It appears very little was cut out of the match.  Pitbull 2 clotheslines Dances With Dudley right out of his wheel chair. Francine gets in on the action and knees Chubby down low. D-Von hits Pitbull 2 with 3 chairshots but he won’t go down. Francine is stomping Chubby outside the ring now. Superbomb onto Buh Buh. D-Von hits everyone with a chair including the ref. Huge “E-C-W” chant! The Pitbulls superbomb the ref and go back after the Dudleys.

Opening video package.

We go to Joey who sells the VHS of Hostile City Showdown.  Matter of Respect is coming up on the 11^th Sabu and Rob Van Damn will have a rematch from the match that airs tonight.  Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Lee in a 6 man dream partner match.  Shane Douglas battles 2 Cold Scorpio for the TV Title and the Eliminators and Gangstas will face off in one way or another.

We go to an encore of the Sandman Rolling Stones video from a few weeks before but it is immediately cut away from to go back to Long Island.  We learn from Joey that it was the Tag Team Champions the Eliminators that attacked the Pitbulls.  Tommy Dreamer is scheduled to make comments.  We go back to the regular programming.

After some ECW commercials we go back to NY and Dreamer is in the back of an ambulance being attended.  Styles runs over and Dreamer is ready to fight the Eliminators and Lee.  This Saturday night Dreamer picks the Gangstas as his partners in the dream partner match.

Sabu vs. Rob Van Dam, ref Jim Molineaux


We’re told by Joey that Van Dam has a broken wrist and that Sabu probably has something broken too. Van Dam hits some kicks and a rolling splash. Sabu right back up throws Van Dam to the floor. Sabu catches Van Dam coming back in and lays him on the second rope and hits a leg drop. Cover gets two and Sabu locks on the camel clutch. Van Dam to the ropes Sabu goes to a single leg crab. Two drop kicks to the knees of Van Dam. Sabu puts Van Dam on the top rope and then drop kicks him to the floor. Somersault over the top rope to the floor lands. Sends Van Dam to the rail. Van Dam jumps on the rail for a moonsault but Sabu pushes him into the crowd. Sabu uses a chair and throws one into the ring. Sabu off the chair hops to the ropes and jumps onto Van Dam. Next he sets up a table between the apron and guardrail. A couple of blown spots later and Van Dam is in control. Springboard leg drop and powerbomb by Van Dam. Van Dam getting frustrated that he can’t finish off Sabu. Joey mentions that his attacks have had no continuity. In other words he’s a spot monkey. Sabu hits a DDT. Puts Van Dam on the top rope runs off a chair but Van Dam jumps down. He knocks Sabu to the floor and clears the ropes with a somersault attack. Back in the ring Van Dam climbs the ropes and Sabu cuts him off. They fight up there and Van Dam pushes Sabu to the floor through the table that Sabu had set up earlier. Van Dam then misses an axe handle to the floor. Sabu gets another table and puts Van Dam on it. Sabu hits a somersault leg drop which doesn’t break the table so he does it again. Springboard moonsault back in the ring by Sabu for a 2. Van Dam ducks a clothesline and hits a nice looking German for 2. He goes up top and hits a blockbuster for another 2. He lays Sabu’s head outside of the ring and jumps over the top rope with a leg drop. Slingshot leg drop back into the ring now for a 2. Sabu slams Van Dams head through a chair hits a DDT for 2 and then the triple jump moonsault for the win at 18.57. Joey puts the match over big time calling it one of the best matches in ECW history and the crowd gives the two a big ovation. Sabu helps Van Dam up and extends his hand. Van Dam walks past him and hears the boos for it.

Hype central with Lance Wright for Matter of Respect which is just 4 days away.  Matches signed for the card include the 6 man between Dreamer/Gangstas vs. Lee/Eliminators, Raven will defend the world title. Damien makes his ECW arena debut, Taz vs Beef Wellington, Chris Jericho in action, FBI vs. Axl Rotten & Hack Myers, Shane Douglas vs. 2 Cold Scorpio for the TV championship and the fans get to vote on the Sandman’s opponent.

“Misirlou” promo time.  Dreamer with the girls BUT, we go back to NY.  Joey is hyping the six man and the Eliminators show up with blood all over their hands.  They are going to beat some respect into the Gangstas this Saturday night!

My thoughts on the show
Obviously as I’ve said before get the Hostile City Showdown on tape if you can.  I would check this episode out though as it had some nice hype for Matter of Respect which I am very excited to see.  Thumbs up for the hype!