The “OH MY GOD!” Review: ECW In Orlando 1/16/95 , Plus ECW TV 1/17 & 1/24/95

1995-01-16 at Armory in Orlando, Fl

Champions
World: “The Franchise” Shane Douglas
TV: Dean Malenko
Tag: Public Enemy

Joe Malenko vs. Osamu Nishimura
Nishimura has always entertained me when wrestling for ECW. Hopefully Malenko actually does more than his last match. Malenko takes it to the mat and goes after the legs. Nishimura reverses into an arm bar. Big uppercut to the chest by Malenko. Joe with a stump puller into a leg lock. Nishimura comes back and gets a leg lock of his own. Nishimura with a hip toss and back into the leg lock. 6 minutes in. Joe reverses a corner whip and hits a clothesline. They fuck up the timing on an up and over. Nishimura with a belly to back for 2. Joe reverses a headlock with a belly to back that flips Nishimura onto his stomach. Nishimura sends Joe to the floor hits a baseball slide then a dive over the top rope. Nishimura with an abdominal stretch into a pin attempt for 2. Clothesline and then a rear naked choke. Nishimura with a head scissors on the mat but Joe slams the back of his head into his balls to break it. Nishimura goes low to return the favor. Boston crab but Joe immediately to the ropes. Joe reverses a suplex and then gets a 2 from a small package. Joe goes back to the legs of Nishimura. We get a bell at 13.20 for a draw.

Steve Richards vs. Hack Meyers, ref Jim Molineaux
Richards quickly on the attack has Hack in the corner. Hack gets sent into the corner but comes charging out with a clothesline. Richards though comes back right away and hits a suplex. Richards goes for a back body drop but gets DDTed instead. Hack with another clothesline. Hack sends Richards into the corner and charges but catches a boot to the face and goes down. Hack reverses an irish whip and locks in a sleeper but Richards quickly turns into it and hits a belly to back. Richards sets up a power bomb but Hack back drops him. Hack now pounds away and kicks him low. Richards sent into the ropes and Hack ducks his head. Richards stops and taps him then super kicks Hack when he stands back up. Corner whip reversed by Hack and he hits an elbow to the back of the head then an apron leg drop. Hack hits the kneeling face buster from the top and picks up the rare win in 6.13.

Mikey Whipwreck vs. Jason, ref John “Pee Wee” Moore
After some posturing from Jason they lock up and he hits an arm drag. Mikey comes back with an arm drag, slam, drop kick and clothesline as Jason bails to the floor. Hammerlock by Jason reversed. Mikey with a slam and a few leg drops for 2. Jason bails again this time Mikey follows. Jason runs and goes back in the ring. Mikey with a few roll ups for 2 counts. Jason cuts him off with a boot to the gut and a belly to belly. Jason sends Mikey to the floor and goes out afar him. Front suplex onto a table and Jason drops a leg. Mikey slammed face first into the apron and Jason throws him back into the ring. Slingshot leg drop from the apron by Jason and he walks around the ring taunting the crowd. Mikey sent into the ropes and nailed with a back elbow coming off. Knee drop by Jason and a gut wrench power bomb for 2. Jason drops an elbow for 2. Mikey takes a sick bump on a belly to back but manages to kick out at 2. Piledriver but Mikey gets a foot on the rope at 2. Jason calls for one more but then changes his mind and hits a reverse razors edge. Mikey kicks out at 2.8. Mikey attempts a sunset flip but Jason nails him. Jason’s ass is hanging out and he pretends he doesn’t know why the fans are laughing at him. Snap suplex. Mikey really taking a beating. Jason goes up top but Mikey slams him off and goes up himself. Crossbody attempt but Jason ducks. Jason sets up for a t bone but Mikey with a small package for the win in 12.

Dean Malenko & Chris Benoit vs. 2 Cold Scorpio & Ron Simmons, ref Jim Molineaux
Benoit and Malenko attack before the bell. Scorpio and Simmons clean house. Cut to back in the ring Simmons and Benoit start. Benoit rams Simmons head into the buckle a few times. Benoit with an irish whip he ducks his head and gets power bombed. Benoit to the floor. Cut again Malenko and Scorpio in the ring. Scorp controls the arm. Dean fights out and hits a drop kick. Scorpio fights back and hits a super kick as our camera man gets told to turn off his camera. We get 4.05 of the match.

My thoughts on the show…
Too short to really get to the good stuff. The guy filming didn’t have his friends with him so he mostly shut up, which was nice.

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TV 1995-01-17 (Matches taped 1995-01-07 at ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pa)

Champions
World: “The Franchise” Shane Douglas
TV: Dean Malenko
Tag: Public Enemy

Raven is here! Music video to “Come Out and Play” by The Offspring. Raven shown walking down the street and looking all grunge and sad. I almost have a seizure from the editing and zooming in and out. Raven sitting in a hallway cuts a promo “Quote the Raven nevermore.”

Opening video.

Mikey Whipwreck vs. “The Giant” Paul Lauria (w/ Jason), ref Jim Molineaux
Mikey slaps Lauria and knocks him down. Back body drop and a knee lift from Mikey. Mikey actually the bigger of the two. Corner whip and back body drop as Lauria comes out. Reverse atomic drop and Mikey with a cactus clothesline to the floor. Mikey with a chair to the back outside the ring. Lauria and Jason huddle. Mikey charges them and the drop him throat first on the guard rail. Lauria in control now brings it back in the ring and hits a snap suplex. Gut buster. Lauria beats on Mikey in the corner. Lauria with a monkey flip but Mikey right up and he hits a bulldog for 2. Mikey swings but Lauria ducks and goes low. Lauria with a bow and arrow now. Lauria with a back elbow and a couple of fist drops. Mikey sent to the floor and Jason gets in a shot. Lauria jumps off the apron onto Mikey. Lauria sets Mikey up on the guard rail and charges but Mikey ducks and Lauria goes flying into the crowd. Mikey goes up top and dives into the crowd with a cross body as we go to commercial. Back from break Lauria comes back with a hart attack clothesline for 2. Mikey ducks a line and hits a drop kick. Mikey ducks a punch and hits a russian leg sweep for 2. Mikey pulls Lauria into the ring post crotch first. Jason up on the apron and he gets nailed by Mikey. Mikey goes for a power bomb but Lauria flip over top into a sunset flip for 2. Jason up on the apron he nails Mikey with a kick. Lauria goes up top and hits a bulldog for the 3. 10.56 was shown. Mikey attacks Lauria and Jason after the match. Lauria gets a chair and nails Mikey.

Joey Styles talks about all the injuries “Crippler” Chris Benoit has been dissing out lately.

Al Snow vs. Osamu Nishimura, ref John “Pee Wee” Moore
Back and forth on the mat for the first minute Al gets a hammer lock. Nishimura reverses it. Back and forth arm work. Snow hits a back breaker and slam. Snow goes for a springboard knee drop but Nishimura moves and goes after the knee. Nishimura into a modified figure four. Things start to break down and they nail each other with forearms. Nishimura with a german for . Snow with a wheel barrel suplex for 2. Snow with a sit out spin buster for 2. Snow goes for it again but gets dropkicked. Snow sent into the ropes and dropkicked again. Nishimura goes up top and comes off with another drop kick. Again from the top for 2. German but Snow again gets the shoulder up at 2. Suplex blocked by Snow and he hangs Nishimura on the top rope. Spring board leg gets the win in 7.33 for Snow. Good match weak finish.

Tag Team Champion Public Enemy compare themselves to Superman and say the only difference is they aren’t afraid of kryptonite. They then give shout outs to other wrestlers in ECW.

Joey hypes the loser splits tag team main event between Pitbulls and Bad Breed.

Bad Breed vs. Pitbulls, ref Jim Molineaux
Rottens hit the ring and attack. No Jason with Pitbulls. They go to the floor right away. Hockey stick to the back of Pitbull 2 by Axl. 2 and Axl go into the ring and Axl gets nailed with a chair. Axl sent into the corner but he moves as 2 charges. Back to the floor they go. Ian gets a 2 count off a clothesline on Pitbull 1. Everyone bleeding as we cross the 4 minute mark. Axl with a powerful clothesline to Pitbull 2. More brawling and chairs everywhere. Ian with a DDT on a chair to Pitbull 1. Bad Breed go for a super bomb on Pitbull 1 but it’s reversed into a super rana. Axl turns his back before it happens and doesn’t see it. Pitbull 1 with the cover for the 1, 2 and 3 in 7.18. Ian nails Axl after the match and smashes him in the face with a chair.

My thoughts on the show…
Two decent enough matches tonight. Brawl was pretty basic with nothing new or all to exciting in it.

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TV 1995-01-24 (Matches taped 1995-01-14 at Davie Rodeo Arena in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl)

Champions
World: “The Franchise” Shane Douglas
TV: Dean Malenko
Tag: Public Enemy

Tag Team Champions Public Enemy say some stuff but I’m not really paying attention. Highlights of there match in Florida in the 14th as well as footage from PE in Florida.

Opening video.

Joey Styles welcomes us. We got to the main even from last week.

2 Cold Scorpio vs. Chris Benoit
Not sure how many times these guys wrestled but their match at WCW Superbrawl 3 was amazing. Scorpio uses his speed to avoid Benoit and Benoit goes to the floor. Benoit on the apron and he rams Scorpio’s head into the turnbuckle then comes off the top with a cross body. Benoit follows it up with a clothesline and neck breaker. Benoit with some chops and a slam and he goes into a boston crab. Scorpio gets to the ropes to force a break. Belly to back gets 2 from Benoit. Benoit beats on Scorpio for a bit but then he fights back and hits a power bomb. Scorpio goes up top and hits a big splash for 2. Front flip leg drop for 2.5. Waist lock by Scorpio but Benoit reverses and hits a bridging german for 2. Power bomb for 2. Scorpio sent into the ropes Benoit ducks his head. Scorpio with a leap frog and kicks Benoit low. Leg drop between the legs and then he crotches Benoit on the top rope. Scorpio misses a splash in the corner but then ducks a line from Benoit. Scorpio goes for a tombstone but Benoit reverses it and hits one of his own. Benoit goes up top and hits the head butt but only gets a 2. Slam and leg drop from the second rope but Scorpio kicks out again. Benoit goes for a super belly to back but Scorpio reverses mid air and lands on top getting a 2 count. Slam by Scorpio followed by a nice looking moonsault but he can’t put Benoit away. Scorpio with a kick to the back of the head. He goes for a suplex but Benoit flips behind and locks in a full nelson. Scorpio slips out and drops to the mat and goes for a roll up but Benoit drops down hooking the legs and getting the 1, 2 and 3 in 13.30.

Joey hypes the next Arena show on February 4th. Tully Blanchard was supposed to challenge for the title but he has announced he will no longer be wrestling for ECW. Paul E Dangerously hypes next week’s TV PE takes on Sabu and Taz but the Tag Team Titles. Extreme Encyclopedia on Sandman, Woman and Cactus Jack. Seisure enduring Raven video from last week. Raven is at the playground talking about Tommy Dreamer.

World Champion “The Franchise” Shane Douglas vs. Ron Simmons, ref Jim Molineaux
Douglas makes fun of the fans and tells Simmons to prepare for the wrestling lesson of his life. Douglas attacks but gets powers lamed. Simmons with some clotheslines but Douglas goes to the eyes. Simmons with a press slam for 2. Douglas with an irish whip he ducks his head and Simmons hits him with a power bomb. Simmons with a football tackle and he clotheslines Douglas over the top to the floor. Douglas ducks a clothesline on the floor and Simmons hits the ring post injured shoulder first. Douglas with a single arm DDT on the floor. Back in the ring Douglas with a snap mare and he stomps away on the challenger. Shane with an irish whip and he ducks the head to soon as Simmons slams it to the mat. Simmons to slow to get up though and Douglas remains in control. Douglas continues to work over the arm. He goes up top and Simmons attempts to slam him off. Douglas grabs the arm and jumps to the floor pulling Simmons arm down over the top rope. 2 Cold Scorpio shows up and the ref ends the match saying Simmons can not continue and awards the match to Douglas in 6.57. Douglas wants to know if there is anyone man enough to take him on. Tully Blanchard hits the ring and attacks Douglas. He hits him with a slingshot suplex but then Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit hit the ring and attack. Douglas locks in a figure four while Dean and Benoit hold Blanchard by the arms.

My thoughts on the show…
The Scorpio/Benoit match was much better on TV than it was on the handheld. Main event was good and getting to see Tully at the end awesome. I know the matches he had with Shane sucked but he’s so damn awesome.