ECW TV 1996-05-21 (Matches taped at multiple dates and locations)
Champions
World: Raven
TV: Shane Douglas
Tag Team: The Eliminators
What we missed,
Unfortunately a complete show for May 18 in Allentown, PA was never released. Very few matches from that card made it TV over the next few weeks. This show had the very first meeting between the Tag Team Champion Eliminators and The Gangstas. Here are the matches that took place that we won’t be seeing taken from the Crazymax Results section:
Rob Van Dam defeated El Puerto Ricano
Brian Lee defeated Axl Rotten (1:30)
Ron & Don Harris defeated The Pitbulls
World Champion Raven defeated Chris Jericho (17:23)
JT Smith, Little Guido, & Big Titan defeated Hack Meyers, Buh Buh Ray & D-Von Dudley
TV Champion Shane Douglas defeated Tommy Dreamer and Too Cold Scorpio in a “three way dance.”
- Douglas defeated Dreamer.
- Douglas defeated Scorpio.
ECW Tag Champions The Eliminators defeated The Gangstas when New Jack was pinned.
We open the show with photo highlights of the match between Sabu and Rob Van Dam from A Matter of Respect with commentary from Joey Styles over them.
Joey welcomes us to the show as he tells us that Van Dam won the match. We then go to video of the post match interview when Van Dam tells Sabu that he doesn’t respect him and thinks he’s a piece of shit.
Opening Video
Back to Styles who tells us that Sabu collapsed in the middle of the ring and had to be stretchered to the locker room. We go to Paul Heyman who is packing his back into his trunk. Heyman tells us that only three people know about how bad Sabu’s injuries are from when he broke his neck. Those three people are Paul, Sabu and a third person who Paul asked Sabu to team with as a favor. This somebody told Rob Van Dam about Sabu’s injuries. Heyman says it’s time this somebody stops.
We cut to Bill Alfonso who tells us that the somebody was Taz. Taz told Alfonso about the injuries and he told Van Dam. Taz wants Sabu to think about if Van Dam was able to do that to him just how much worse Taz will make it once Sabu has the guts to step into the ring with him.
Back to Joey and he tells us Taz has been begging for a match against Too Cold Scorpio ever since Scorpio put him out of action with a broken neck. Taz finally got his wish on May 18th in Allendale, PA.
Taz (w/ Bill Alfonso) vs. Too Cold Scorpio ref Paul Richards (1996/05/18 from Agricultural Hall in Allendale, PA)
Alfonso is on the mic and tells us that Taz is going to show the wrestling world a very important lesson. This story goes back to July 20th 1995 when 2 Cold Scorpio accidentally broke Taz’s neck in a tag team match with a spike piledriver. When Taz came back from the injury he joined up with Bill Alfonso and started to attempt to injure his opponents on purpose. We go to prerecorded comments from Scorpio. He’s already said sorry for injuring Taz 10 months ago. Scorpio is focused on the TV Title and doesn’t have time to pay attention to Taz. Scorpio says he’s still the better man and will beat Taz tonight. Scorpio gets in the ring and TV Champion “The Franchise” Shane Douglas hops up on the apron out of nowhere and hits Scorpio with the title belt. The ref calls for the bell Taz drops Scorpio on his head with a german suplex and locks in the Tazmission for the win in .14. Taz gets on the mic and says he waited ten months to drop Scorpio on his head and choke him out. Taz calls out Sabu again and tells him the longer he has to wait and more vicious the ass kicking becomes.
Joey Styles hypes a rematch between Scorpio and Douglas set for June 1st.
We get about five minutes of highlights from the Chris Jericho and Mikey Whipwreck match from A Matter of Respect. Good little match.
Joey intros the Falls Count Anywhere match that happened in Glenholden on the 17th between Tommy Dreamer and “Primetime” Brian Lee. We see a minute of footage from that match.
Back to Joey and he sends us to the Three Way Dance from “A Matter of Respect” between World Champion Raven, The Sandman and Pitbull 2.
We head to hype central, ECW returns to the Lu Lu Temple on May 31st and to the ECW Arena on June 1st.
Buh Buh Ray Dudley is learning how to drive he stops the car gets out and runs as D-Von chases him. That leads us into the “Misirlou” promos. We start off with Beulah and Kimona Wanalaya. The Pitbulls still want the Eliminators. The Bruise Brothers want the Pitbulls. Buh Buh now driving the car while D-Von rides on the hood. Back to the Pitbulls who tell the Eliminators and Bruise Brothers to both bring it on. Bill Alfonso and Taz are talking when the pay phone ring. Alfonso picks it up and starts screaming at his mom for calling him while he’s cutting promos. Scorpio is taking back is title on June 1st. Shane Douglas respected Scorpio until he jumped him from behind like a coward. The Gangstas are going to take out the Eliminators. However, The Eliminators say they are going to take out the Gangstas.
My thoughts on the show
One of my least favorite shows, I’ve watched in a long while. It was nothing more than a filler show and a way to sell the Matter of Respect VHS tapes. Pass on this one completely. For more detailed insight to the matches shown here please see my review of “A Matter of Respect”.
