THE ECW “OH MY GOD”! VIDEO REVIEW
TV Pilot #3 – 11/28/1992 from the Sports Arena in Kensington, PA
Back in early 1993 ECW was shopping their product around to try and get a TV deal. Four different pilots were created using matches filmed in 1992. This footage is the only known footage from 1992 to exist outside of the WWE vaults.
While the other pilots play out like a comp tape with just matches and no segments this one is produced much like future ECW TV shows. They mention Sports Channel multiple times so I’m thinking they had a deal at this point. We open the show with Jay Sulli and Stevie Wonderful welcoming us to the show and running down the card.
King Kahlua vs. “Ironman” Tommy Cairo ref Joe Dinolli
Kahlua attacks before the bell and has Cairo hurt in the corner. Cairo reverses and corner whip and hits a hip toss and a few arm drags ending with an arm bar. Kahlua backs Cairo to the ropes and hits some shoulders Irish whip but Cairo ducks and clothesline hits a corssbody and goes back to the arm bar. Corner whip by Cairo but Kahlua gets the foot up on the charge. Cairo up but Kahlua comes off the second rope and drives him to the ground. Irish whip and a lunging clothesline gets 2. Kahlua grabs a headlock. Cairo fights back breaks out and hits the ropes but takes a knee to the stomach. Kahlua hits a clothesline to the back of Cairo’s head. Bodyslam and fist drop by Kahlua. Back elbow and a second rope forearm. Corner whip but Cairo avoids the charge and gives us ten corner punches. Whip to the opposite corner and backdrop as Kahlua comes out. Cairo hits an atomic Kahlua bounces off the ropes and nails Cairo in the face. Cairo falls to the floor and sunset flips into the ring but Kahlua drops down for a one count Cairo throws his legs up to complete the sunset flip and get the win in 6.40.
Jay Sulli interviews Cairo at ringside after the match. He wants to know if Cairo is ready to challenge for a title and if he would wrestle the winner of the title match tonight. Cairo of course says yes and calls his fans “Iron Maniacs”.
ECW Tag Team Champions The Super Destroyers (w/ Hunter Q. Robbins) vs. Jimmy Jannetty & Larry Winters ref Jim Molineaux
Jannetty rolls out of the way of a lock up a few times. Jannetty goes for a crossbody but is caught by #2 but Winters comes in and drop kicks his back to knocked down #2. A few tags in and out they hit a double hip toss and a few double drop kicks. #2 over powers Jannetty and makes a tag to #1. The Ds double team Jannetty in their corner as Winters tries to break it up but gets sent back to the corner. Jannetty fights back and gets the tag and they hit another double drop kick. Winters now in control but #1 rakes the eyes and hits a side slam D pulls him up from a pin at 2. Tag made to #2 and he gives Winters a few sledge hammers. Winters irish whips #2 and hits a back elbow. Tag made and Jannetty climbs the ropes and comes off with a chop. Irish whip and he misses a standing spin kick by a mile but #2 still gets hurt from it. Drop kick sends him down but he makes the tag to #1 Winters also gets tagged in. Winters with a headlock headscissor combo takes down both Destroyers. Winters hits a super kick on #1 followed by a knee lift. Jannetty back in and he starts working over the leg of #1. Tag to Winters who stays on the leg of #1. Double clothesline Winters covers and the ref counts 2 and we hear a bell and have a time limit draw.
Stevie Wonderful is with TV Champion Glenn Osbourne in the locker room. Wonderful asks Osbourne what is plans are for “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka in his first TV Title defense (in reality Osbourne as been champion since September 30 and has defended the title a few times). Osbourne knows Snuka is a legend but tonight the legend ends and the “Superfly” will be grounded.
Wonderful is now with Hunter Q Robins III and “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka. Snuka is shoving an apple in his face and better be careful cause he’s taking very big bites and could choke. Wonderful lets us know that Snuka is the latest addition to Darkside Inc. Robbins says tonight Osbourne pays up for all the pain he’s caused Robbins in the past.
TV Champion Glenn Osbourne vs. “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka (w/ Hunter Q. Robbins III) ref Jim Molineaux
Snuka gets on the mic before the match and tells Osbourne he should just hand over the title. The crowd is strongly behind Osbourne before the match. We get the bell and Osbourne gets on the buckle to get the fans cheering. Fans are loud and into things before the match. Snuka is jawing with the crowd and Osbourne goes for a quick win but only gets 2 with a school boy. Osbourne with an arm bar but Snuka pushes him back to the ropes and hits some knees. Headlock by Snuka Osbourne pushes him off gets taken down with a shoulder tackle but then hits an arm drag. Osbourne now hanging onto the arm bar and dropping a few elbows on it. Snuka pushes him back an dirish whips him but misses a clothesline and Osbourne comes with a back elbow and goes back to the arm bar. Snuka with an irish whip and Osbourne hits a sunset flip and goes right back to the arm bar after the kick out. Snuka again with the irish whip and this time Robbins trips Osbourne. Snuka now has the advantage and chops Osbourne in the corner. Snapmare and Snuka goes to the second rope and comes off with a fist drop. Small package by Osbourne for 2 and Snuka rakes the eyes as they get up. Snuka dumps Osbourne to the floor and Robbins gets in some stomps. Back in ring Osbourne gets whipped in and docks a clothesline and comes back with a drop kick. Snuka reverses a corner whip and hits a chop as Osbourne comes out. Irish whip and Osbourne goes for a diving shoulder tackle but Snuka pulls the ref in the way. Power slam by Osbourne but there’s no ref to count the pin. Osbourne is looking for a ref and Snuka sneaks up behind with a victory roll as referee Joe Dinolli hits the ring and counts the three at 8.40 making Jimmy Snuka the new TV Champion. But wait! Jim Molineaux is back up and he takes the belt away from Snuka and hands it to Osbourne as we hear from the ring announcer that Snuka has been disqualified. Snuka attacks Osbourne and both referees and leaves the ring with the belt.
Kodiak Bear (w/ The Cosmic Commander) vs. ECW Heavyweight Champion Sandman (w/ Peaches) ref Joe Dinolli
Sandman hits the ring with his surfboard and Bear and Commander bail to the floor. Pearl Harbor job to start by the Bear and he has Sandman trapped in the corner. Whip to the opposite corner and Bear follows it up with a back elbow. Bear and Commander choke the champ by the ropes. Whip to the corner again but Sandman gets the boot up and charges with a clothesline. Irish whip and drop kick by Sandman and he grabs a chin lock. Bear gets up and pushes Sandman back and hits some shoulder tackles. Sandman leap frogs Bear on an irish whip and Commander pulls the ropes making Sandman crash to the floor. Sandman tries to come back in with a sunset flip but can’t take Bear over. Bear with an irish whip but its reversed and Sandman hits a backdrop. On the floor Commander is attacking Peaches. Sandman goes out to help as Bear grabs the ref. The Rockin Rebel comes out and body slams Sandman on the floor before running back to the locker room. Bear throws Sandman back in the ring and hits a big back drop for 2. Bear chokes Sandman on the ropes and then distracts the ref so Commander can do the same. Bear has Sandman in the corner and hits some shoulders. Corner whip across the ring brings Sandman down. Bear hits two big splashes and grabs Sandman in a bear hug. Sandman fights out and hits a lunging clothesline. Sandman goes to the apron and slingshots himself back in with a kick to Bear. Sandman goes up top and hits a drop kick and retains the title at 7.09.
After the commercial break Stevie Wonderful is in the locker room with Sandman. Sandman says the Bear wasn’t a tough challenge until Rebel came out. Rebel jumps Sandman and the two are pulled apart by a few other wrestlers.
We go back to Jay Sulli and Steve Wonderful to close out our show,
My thoughts on the show…
A decent show I would recommend watching it as it is the first real “TV” episode from ECW. Nothing was very good but I wasn’t begging for any match to hurry up and end. Good enough stuff.
