Hostile City Showdown 1996-04-20 from The ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA

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

We open tonight’s super show with Joey Styles introducing the Gangstas. The crowd goes crazy with a loud “New Jack” and “Mu” chant. New Jack tells us that the last time he was in the arena it was the first time in his life he got his ass kicked. He calls out the Tag Team Champions Eliminators for a fight. The champs hit the ring and we’ve got a brawl! After a few minutes the locker room empties to the boos of the crowd.

El Puerto Ricano vs. Super Nova ref Jim Molineaux
Nova hiptosses Ricano over the top rope to the floor and hits a somersault plancha from the top rope. Ricano back in with a drop kick. Nova reverses the corner whip and pulls him out with a powerbomb. Victory roll by Ricano and drop kicks Nova out fo the ring. Springboard moonsault to the floor gets an “Oh my Gooood” from Joey. The Eliminators hit the ring and lay out both Ricano and Nova with some nasty looking suplexes and Total Elimination.

Saturn calls out the Gangstas and we’ve got a brawl!!!! Chairs, garbage cans and garbage are all over the ring. The two teams fight into the crowd. Saturn lands a stiff looking right to New Jack. They go at it for another five minutes until the locker room again clears out. JT Smith and Little Guido hit the ring and Smith tries to make peace between the two times. D-Von comes and chases them away with a chair. The Gangstas and The Eliminators brawl down the aisle to the locker room.

Dudley Boys (w/ Chubby, Dances With & Sign Guy Dudley) vs. The Pitbulls (w/ Francine) ref Paul Richards
Before the match 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. 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 all four men finally hit the ring. 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.

Taz (w/Bill Alfonso & Team Taz) vs. Devon Storm ref Jim Molineaux
Before the match Alfonso gets on the mic and runs down Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Flyers. We get the bell and the match is underway. A few take downs and submissions from Taz to start. He hits a T-Bone Tazplex. Storm fights back and takes it to the floor. He sets Taz up in a chair on the floor and hits a somersault from inside the ring to the floor, it looks sick. Side slam by Storm followed by a moonsault for 2. Storm moonsaults with a chair in his hand but misses. Taz jumps out of the ring and sets up a table. Storm attempts an Air Sabu but misses. Taz belly to bellys storm out of the ring to the floor. Taz gets a countout victory at 4.51. Taz goes outside and locks in the Tazmission. Taz gets on the mic and runs Storm down as a Sabu wannabe but gives him credit for at least showing up with Sabu didn’t do.

Little Guido (w/ JT Smith) vs. Axl Rotten ref John Finnegan
Guido and Smith have become the F.B.I. (Full Blooded Italians). Guido charges to start and gets back dropped. Rotten clubs Guido. He misses a corner charge and Guido takes over with an arm bar. Rotten catches a cross body and drops Guido over the top rope to the floor. Rotten goes after him and hits him with a chair in the aisle. Smith distracts Rotten back at ringside and Guido comes from behind with a chair. Back in the ring Guido gets a few pin attempts after some basic moves. Guido attacks the arm as he tries to lock in a fujiwara arm bar. Guido misses a leg drop and Rotten fires back. Rotten hits a big time clothesline and a dominator gets him the win at 6.21. After the match Smith gets on the mic and tells Axl he better leave before Guido kicks his ass. Smith attempts to sing again.

Sandman (w/ Missy Hyatt) & TV Champion 2 Cold Scorpio vs. The Bruise Brothers ref Jim Molineaux
Scorpio and Missy dance before the match. Sandman stands in front of Missy and Joey comments that it’s the first Missy Hyatt sandwich shown on TV but he would bet it wasn’t the first filmed. HA! The two team try to decide who is going to start which Joey questions why since they are all just going to be brawling on the floor in under a minute. Bruise Brothers attempt a double big boot but Scorpio slides under it and goes to the floor. He gets cut off coming back into the ring and it’s the two brothers with the early advantage. The brothers use their strength advantage to over power the TV Champ. Scorpios speed allows him to hit a head scissor but again the power is too much. The Bruise Brothers hit a double big boot on the Sandman and begin to whip him with a belt. Missy gets up on the apron and starts telling them to hit him hard since she’s into that sort of thing. Sandman fights back grabs Missy by the hair and makes out with her but turns around into another double boot. Scorpio comes off the top with a crossbody. Sandman slingshot crossbody to the floor. All four men now fighting on the floor and into the crowd. Well it took about 5 minutes more then Joey thought it would but it still happened. Scorpio leaps from the ring into the crowd and crossbody blocks all three men. Back in the ring Scorpio hits a spin kick and a top rope standing moonsault for the win in 8.24

“Primetime” Brian Lee vs. Tommy Dreamer ref John Finnegan
Prerecorded comments from Lee and he tells us that Dreamer is his. Lee tries to attack Dreamer in the aisle but Tommy takes control. Tommy puts a chair on his head and gives Lee a jawbreaker. Irish whip and a back body drop. They go to the floor Dreamer gets a chair and puts it against Lee’s face and the ropes. Lee moves out of the way of a baseball slide and uses the chair on Dreamer. They go into the crowd as Lee continues to hit Dreamer with the chair. To the stage and Dreamer hits a bulldog and a chair to the head. Tommy with a crossbody from the eagle’s nest to the stage below. Lee fights back with a chair shot. Tommy gets thrown into the bleachers. Tommy gets wedged under the guardrail and Lee shoves it repeatedly it is groin. Dreamer able to fight back and they go to the ring at the five minute mark. Tommy ducks a clothesline and the ref goes down. The Bruise Brothers come to ringside as Tommy hits a DDT. With the ref still down the Bruise Brothers hit the ring with chairs and nail the chair sandwich big boots. Tommy is still able to kick out at 2 though. He hits another DDT but the Brusie Brothers come back in take out Dreamer and but a cinder block on his crotch Lee smashes it with a chair and covers for the win at 6.48 according to my stop watch but its announced as 7.07.

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.

World Champion Raven (w/ Stevie Richards & The Blue Meanie) vs. “The Franchise” Shane Douglas (w/ Kimona Wanalaya) ref John Finnegan
Meanie and Stevie do their HBK/Diesel parody tonight. Shane gets on the mic and tells Raven that Beulah wasn’t only cheating on Raven but she was also cheating on Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer is in the end now and he tells Douglas to just shut up. Douglas tells us that Beulah was never actually pregnant. Tommy wants to know who he is but Douglas tells us “It’s not a he Dreamer!” Kimona lets us know she was the one Beulah was cheating with. Beulah hits the ring and the girls make out on the mat. Dreamer grabs them both by the hair and picks them up “I’ll take em both I’m hardcore” then they all make out. Raven looks very upset in the corner. We get our opening bell for tonight’s main event. Raven starts to walk down the aisle but turns and comes back to the ring. They tie up and trade hammerlocks. Douglas hits a hip toss and Raven just sits on the mat. Raven takes a knee to the stomach and a punch and again drops to the floor. Raven again to the floor and Shane knocks him into the guardrail and then throws his body over the top rope landing on Raven. Irish whip to the rail and Shane throws him back in. Sleeper but Raven quickly drops down with a jawbreaker. Douglas with a short arm clothesline. Raven jumps on Shane’s back with a sleeper and Douglas dumps them both over the top rope with Raven taking a nasty spill to the floor. Douglas with a crossbody off the top into the crowd. Douglas gets a cheese grater from a fan and runs it across Raven’s face. They brawl to the stage and we see that Raven has been busted open. Raven takes control and they brawl to the parking lot. No camera outside but we hear a lot of banging. Back in through the front door with Shane seeming to have the advantage. Back in the ring Shane hits a piledriver. Brian Lee and Tommy Dreamer end up in the ring fighting. Douglas hits his belly to belly but the ref is distracted and Douglas only gets a 2 count. Shane starts arguing with Dreamer. Dreamer lets him know what happened so they hug it out but Douglas turns on him and belly to bellys him. Tommy back up and they start brawling. The locker room empties to pull them apart. Douglas back in and Raven tries to suplex but Shane throws him onto the ropes. Shane puts Raven on the buckle and goes up for a superplex. Raven blocks it and shoves Shane to the mat and hits a double axe handle. Now Raven puts douglas on the turnbuckle and his superplex is reversed. Shane front suplexes Raven and then hits a crossbody Raven rolls through hooks the tights and gets 2. Shane with a figure four and Meanie comes in and attempts the Meaniesault but Shane moves. Single leg crab now and Stevie breaks it up with a Stevie Kick but it only gets 2. DDT by Douglas for 2. Shane hits a spinebuster and takes off Ravens boot. He puts the figure four back on but a Bruise Brother comes from under the ring and breaks up the hold. Shane hits him with a belly to belly but turns to get hit by Raven with the boot. Raven covers and gets the pin to retain his title at16.43.

After the match Joey is in the ring with Shane Douglas. Douglas wants to know what he needs to do to defeat Raven. The ECW World Title is the only belt that means anything to him. 2 Cold Scorpio hits the ring with his TV Title over his shoulder. Scorpio says his belt is more important then the World Title. Scorpio tells Shane if he wants a belt to come get his. Shane doesn’t want his belt so he turns to leave. Scorpio turns also and Shane attacks him from behind and hits a belly to belly. Shane starts hit Scorpio with the belt until Sandman comes to make the save. Shane hits a belly to belly on him and starts using the cane on both men. Shane hits a piledriver on Scorp onto the belt. The show ends with Sandman and Scorpio laid out in the middle of the ring.

My thoughts on the show
WOW! Coming off of one week worth of hype and only one match being announced before hand, this show really delivers. The first 30 minutes was easily some of the most intense action we’ve seen in a while. Two huge brawls with the Eliminators and the Gangstas as their feud is insane before they even have an official match with each other. From there we immediately went into the Dudley/Pitbull match, which was just another giant brawl. Francine really kicked it up a notch getting into the action with Chubby Dudley. Taz gets the perfect opponent in Devon Storm since Storm at this point in his career really was stealing a lot of his stuff from Sabu. Some strange developments in the world of Tommy Dreamer, his feud with Brian Lee doesn’t look to be anywhere near ending. While Joey tried to hype up the Sabu Van Dam match as great I didn’t find it to be anything more then the other matches on the card. Raven yet again sneaks out a victory while only getting in about 3 offensive moves. It looks like Douglas is moving out of the World Title picture and will begin a feud with Scorpio. What’s next for Raven? When will the Gangstas finally get a Tag Team Championship match against the Eliminators? And do they even care? Keep reading along to find out!