1996/07/27 at The Twin Rinks in Warwick, PA
Champions
World: Raven
TV: Shane Douglas
Tag Team: Eliminators
JT Smith, Little and Big Guido and Sal Bellomo are in the ring and Smith is on the mic. Sandman comes in and canes everybody a few times. Taz and Bill Alfonso show up and Taz hits a head and arm suplex. Tod Gordon comes down and goes after Alfonso. Taz pulls him off but Sandman comes from behind with the cane. We get a bell and now have…
Sandman (w/ Missy Hyatt & Tod Gordon) vs. Taz (w/ Bill Alfonso)
Sandman gets the early advantage but Stevie Richards shows up at ringside with Tyler Fullington. Taz takes out the Sandman’s knee and then gets the win with the tazmission in 1.57
Super Nova (w/ Blue Meanie) vs. “El Puerto Ricano” Pablo Marquez ref Jim Molinueax
They fuck up a hip toss to start. My five year old daughter knows how to do a hip toss. Marquez lands one now and Nova bails to the floor. A slingshot brings him back in. Marquez reminds me of the demon girl from the movie The Ring. He misses a crossbody and Nova hits him with a baseball slide that sends him to the floor. Meanie and Nova do some cheating. Marquez with a sunset slip powerbomb off the ropes. Nova puts Marquez up on his shoulders in an electric chair drop position and spins with him and drops him with a power bomb. Marquez ducks a clothesline and dives through the ropes onto Meanie. Marquez comes off the top rope with a cross body but Nova rolls through hooks the tights and gets the win in 6.30. And so ends Marquez’s win streak at 1 match.
Stevie Richards (w/ Blue Meanie & Super Nova) vs. Mikey Whipwreck ref Jim Molineaux
Stevie is on the mic to start and he convinces Mikey to strut with him and Meanie. They do it to one side of the ring and then Mikey bulldogs them both. Mikey hits a plancha onto all Stevie, Meanie and Nova. In the ring Mikey goes to work on the arm. Stevie tries to mount a comeback but misses a drop kick. Mikey with a splash for 2 and he goes back to the arm. Mikey dives outside onto Meanie. Stevie ducks a clothesline and then goes low. Stevie pulls Mikey out of the corner with a power bomb. Mikey reverses a hip toss attempt and hits a rocker dropper. Mikey goes up top but Stevie knocks him down with a steviekick. Meanie comes into the ring and and goes to throw powder into Mikey’s eyes. Mikey kicks the powder into Meanie’s eyes. He throws Stevie into Meanie and Meanie double underhook power bombs him. Mikey superkicks Meanie and covers Richards. Nova comes off the top rope with a leg drop but Mikey moves and he hits Richards. Superkick to Nova and Mikey gets the pin in 8.54. Mikey does the Fargo strut over Richards.
Tag Team Champions The Eliminators vs. Buh Buh Ray Dudley (w/ Sign Guy Dudley) & Pitbull 2 ref John “Pee Wee” Moore
Buh Buh comes out by himself. Tod Gordon comes to the ring and says something. Buh Buh says he’s going to kick both their asses by himself. Pitbull 2 hits the ring and they brawl for a bit until the Eliminators bail to the floor. Buh Buh and Saturn start. Some chain wrestling ends with Saturn working over the arm. They do a rope spot Saturn ducks his head and Buh Buh runs through him. Pitbull comes in and and cleans house on the Eliminators. Saturn tags in Kronus and he misses the handspring elbow in the corner. Pitbull with a running powerslam for 2. Saturn back in and he goes for a springboard moonsault but gets caught in another powerslam. Tag to Buh Buh and he comes off the top with a double axe handle and diving clothesline. Pitbull back in and they hit a double back body drop. Pitbull goes back to the arm. Saturn wiggles out of a press slam but Pitbull picks him back up and slams him. Buh Buh back in. Kronus gets tagged in and hits Buh Buh with a somersault leg drop for 2. They go to the floor and Kronus hits Buh Buh with a squash that a fan brought with them. Pitbull tags in and gets hit with the springboard elbow in the corner. Kronus slams Pitbull and then misses a second rope moonsault. Saturn comes in and misses a corner charge and Buh Buh gets tagged in. Saturn with a top rope drop kick. The Eliminators go for a double suplex but Buh Buh reverses it and tags out. Pitbull comes in off the top rope with a double clothesline. Pitbull with a super fall away slam for 2 but Kronus breaks it up. Powerslam on Kronus. Buh Buh with a side slam on Saturn as Kronus and Pitbull fight on the floor. Buh Buh goes for a powerbomb but Saturn lands on his feet and hits a frankensteiner. Buh Buh with a boss man slam. D-Von Dudley comes out and hits Pitbull with a chair. Pitbull no sells it so D-Von runs. Back in the ring the Eliminators hit total elimination on Buh Buh and get the win in 17.36.
There is an interview segment with the F.B.I. in the ring with Bad Crew and D-Von Dudley. Smith and D-Von talk on the mic but I can’t understand a word that is being said. Big Dick comes to the ring and choke slams everybody except Big Guido and D-Von. Big Guido bounces a chair off his head twice. Dick no sells it and nails Guido three times and clotheslines him out of the ring. Dick points at D-Von but D-Von leaves the ring.
Bruise Brothers vs. The Gangstas ref John “Pee Wee” Moore
Gangstas come through the crowd with a garbage can full of weapons and the fight begins. Whoever came up with the idea to have their music play through the whole match is a fucking genius. New Jack is busted open in the crowd after a few minutes of the fight. They make it to the ring after close to ten minutes in the crowd. The ref goes to check on Jack’s cut and gets slapped away. The Samoan Gangsta Party interferes and they lay out the Gangstas with a trash can lid and then leave. The fight continues as we reach the 14 minute mark and this match as gone on about 10 minutes to long if you ask me. Mustfa with a running powerslam and Jack hits the 187 for the win at 14.31.
Stevie Richards, Blue Meanie and Super Nova are in the ring and Richards in on the mic. Tommy Dreamer, Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy and Beulah come to the ring. Richards says that tonight Dreamer and Gordy are going to take on “Primetime” Brian Lee and Super Nova in the main event. Gordy power bombs Nova. Richards decides that instead of Nova it will be Lee and the Meanie. Beulah DDTs Meanie. Richards now says he will fight them so Dreamer piledrivers him. Dreamer gets on the mic and wants to know who is going to be teaming with Lee. Taz’s music hits and out he comes with Lee and Alfonso. Taz is throwing a giant lip. They pace around the ring and then leave
TV Champion “The Franchise” Shane Douglas (w/ Francine) vs. “Lionheart” Chris Jericho ref Jim Molineaux
Douglas on the mic before the match trashes the crowd and Jericho and gets Joel Gertner to do his personal ring announcing. Lots of jawing with the crowd and we get the bell. Jericho works the arm to start. Douglas gets out of the ring and gets on the mic and says something to a girl in the crowd but I can’t understand him. Apparently it’s so great that even Jericho claps for it inside the ring. Shane back in and Jericho hits a back body drop and a suplex then goes back to the arm. Shane goes low but then misses a corner charge and hits his shoulder on the pole. Jericho goes back to the arm. Spin kick and Shane rolls to the apron. Jerchio with a springboard dropkick and Shane falls to the floor. Jericho now with a plancha. Back in the ring Jericho goes for a cover and Francine reaches through the ropes and slaps him. Jericho drags her into the ring and goes for a german suplex but Shane chop blocks him. Shane now works the leg with various submissions. 12 minutes in and I’m getting depressed as this match isn’t nearly as good as I thought it would be. Shane goes for a dropkick but Jericho holds onto the ropes he gives Shane a slingshot into the corner then an inverted atomic, regular atomic and then a german for 2. He used the knee that Shane was not going after for the atomics, psychology. Shane moves on the lionsault but Jericho lands on his feet and hits a frankensteiner for 2. Francine on the apron Jericho pulls her in the ring and kisses her. Shane tries to attack from behind but Jericho slams him and then misses a lionsault and hits his knee on the mat. Chop block by Shane and back to the submissions. Figure four and Francine pulls on Shane’s arms for added leverage. Jericho reverses it but Francine rakes his eyes to break that up. Shane goes for a suplex but Jericho reverses it into a small package. They reverse it back and forth a few times each getting 2 counts. Shane rolls it back over once more and grabs the tights this getting the win in 16.39. Things picked up those last few minutes.
Tommy Dreamer & Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy (w/ Beulah) vs. “Primetime” Brian Lee & Taz (w/ Bill Alfonso & Stevie Richards) ref Jim Molineaux
I wonder if Taz being involved in this match means it will have wrestling in it and not just be the normal ECW main event brawl all over the building. Taz touches the mic and a “Fuck you Taz” chant immediately breaks out. Taz and Dreamer start off the match in the ring wrestling! Taz throws Dreamer into the corner and belly to bellys him out of it. Northern lights with a bridge gets a 2 count. Dreamer goes low and throws Taz out of the ring. Lee and Gordy hit the ring start brawling and then they go to the floor. So two minutes into the match and Taz falls into the brawling trap. They brawl into the stands and since this is at a hockey arena the slam each other into the boards from the crowd side. Gordy and Lee make it back in the ring at around 6 minutes. Gordy puts on the Asiatic spike but Stevie gives him the steviekick. Lee wraps his thumb in tap and puts in out Gordy himself. Dreamer tries to break it up but gets german suplexed and put in the tazmission. Someone gives up and Taz and Lee pick up the victory in 7.56. Alfonso locks Beulah in the tazmission after the match. A bunch of wrestlers come from the back to check on Dreamer and Gordy as they lay in the ring. Both men are helped out of the ring.
Backstage Dreamer says he’s calling Terry Funk as Beulah and Gordy and checked over by doctors.
Brian Lee is in the locker room working at a promo with Paul E. Lee trash talks Dreamer and Gordy. He tells Dreamer to dream up any partner cause the one he picks already choked him out. Taz and Alfonso film a few takes of a promo. Taz and Alfonso are wondering who Dreamer’s partner is going to be. Taz begs Dreamer to pick Sabu.
Paul E. sets up another promo with Dreamer. Dreamer says his partner is the only guy that Taz sweats.
Taz says he once told Dreamer he might sweat somebody but there’s no way Dreamer even remember who it was. Dreamer bursts through the door and hands Alfonso a piece of paper. Alfonso is worried and tells Taz he could call Vince or Bischoff. Taz says he will face his fears on August 3rd.
My thoughts on the show
This was one of my least favorite shows to date. The tag title match was a giant mess. There was no Raven, no Sabu, no RVD. Shane and Jericho was nowhere near up to what I was expecting it to be and there was nothing at all that stood out as anything better then average at best. The backstage promos were cool and it gave a cool behind the scenes look at some stuff that will probably be aired on TV. I have to pass on this one though.
