OH MY GOD! ECW Video Reviews!
TV 1996-04-09 (from the ECW Arena 1996-03-30)
Champions
TV: 2 Cold Scorpio
Tag Team: The Eliminators
Heavyweight: Raven
– We open the show with a recap of last weeks Eliminators interview and go to the opening theme in perhaps record time.
– Cut to the ring with Joey Styles and out comes Raven, Kimona Wanalaya, The Bruise Brothers and Ravens doctor, Dr. Mark Allen. Dr. Allen lets us know that Raven underwent surgery to reconstruct his foot after the damage from Shane Douglas 2 weeks ago. Sandman hits the ring and says that Raven can wrestle with a broken foot if he can wrestle drunk. Raven and the Bruise Brothers attack Sandman and Douglas comes out to try and make the save. He’s outnumbered, but here comes Tommy Dreamer who hits a piledriver and figure four on Raven. Out comes “Primetime” Brian Lee making his ECW debut as he goes after Dreamer. Lee lays out Dreamer until Douglas chases him off with a chair.
– After a commercial break Joey throws it to the locker room where the Bruise Brothers and Brian Lee are throwing chairs and yelling words that I can’t understand. Brian Lee headbutts one of the Harris brothers as they yell some more.
ECW commercials!
Ravens music hits but he’s no where to be seen but we have a match on stand by.
Joel Hartgood vs. The Broad Street Bully ref Paul Richards
Bully hits the ring and attacks Hartgood right away. We cut to the locker room where Lee is still headbutting things, this time a locker. Raven screams that Douglas, Sandman and Dreamer are his. Back to the ring where Bully has Hartgood draped over the second rope but Axl Rotten is standing behind him with a barbed wire baseball bat. Bully turns and gets it in the stomach. Clothesline by Axl on Hartgood.
Axl Rotten vs. Joel Hartgood ref Paul Richards
We get the ECW classic where one match turns into a different match. Irish whip by Axl, barbed wire bat to the stomach of Hartgood, Axl with the pin.
– We get a local promo for the show on April 12th with the Pitbulls and Tommy Dreamer hyping their match against the Bruise Brothers and Brian Lee. Followed by “Hype Central” running down the same card. Look for a review of that show soon!
– Back to Raven in the locker room promising a fight.
ECW Commercials!!
– Raven’s music hits and out he comes with Kimona Wanalaya & The Bruise Brothers who are carrying him to the ring. The lights go out and “Enter Sandman” plays over the loud speaker. They come back on and we see Sandman and “The Walking Riot” Missy Hyatt standing over the front door. Out the lights go again and we get a spotlight on “The Franchise” Shane Douglas who is standing in the rafters off to the side. Once more the lights go out to Tommy Dreamers music and we see him up in the eagles nest with Beulah. Dreamer starts screaming and pointing and we cut to the Sandman who doesn’t see Stevie Richards sneaking up on him with a chair until it’s to late. We get a ring bell and the match is underway.
ECW Champion Raven (w/Kimona Wanalaya) & The Bruise Brothers vs. “The Franchise” Shane Douglas, Tommy Dreamer (w/Beulah) & The Sandman (w/”The Walking Riot” Missy Hyatt) ref Jim Molineaux
Dreamer and Douglas are now brawling in the crowd with the Bruise Brothers as Raven stands in the ring with his arms out in a cross position. Blue Meanie has now appeared and he and Richards are beating on Sandman right outside the ring. Dreamer thrown through the wall!
Back and forth brawl with all your favorite weapons. Frying pans, chairs, chains etc. Dreamer and Douglas hit the ring with the Bruise Brothers. Douglas gets Raven in the ring but then turns his attention to one of the Bruise Brothers. The match finally gets to the tagging part and we get Dreamer with one of the Harris brothers. Baseball slide chair to the face on Harris. We get word that Sandman has brawled to the back with Richards. Dreamer gets crotched on the top turnbuckle and gets big booted off the apron. Back on the apron and Dreamer gets thrown back onto a table. Raven comes flying into the picture with an elbow drop off the apron through the table. Tag made to the other Bruiser Brother as they work over Dreamer. Raven comes in now that Dreamer has been beat down but tags out after only a few blows to Tommy. Douglas gets baited into the ring, allowing some double teaming from the Bruise Brothers on Dreamer. Raven hits a DDT on a chair but Douglas makes the save at 2. Raven chokes Dreamer with the chair and tags out. Miscue between the Harris brothers leads to a big boot hitting the wrong man and Dreamer makes the hot tag!
Douglas hits the ring on fire with punches and low blows. Belly to belly for 2 but a save is made. Douglas ducks a chair shot from a Bruise Brother and it hits the other brother. Raven pulls the ropes down and Douglas spills to the floor. Back in the ring Brian Lee comes from behind and hits Dreamer with a chair in the back as he stands on the apron and they brawl to the back. Douglas is left all alone against Raven and the Bruise Brothers. Douglas getting worked over on the outside for about one minute and we see a lady in the crowd who has to be like 75 years old. Back in and Douglas kicks out of both a piledriver and DDT on a chair by Raven. Douglas crawls to his corner to make a tag back no one is there. Sandman comes back down the aisle and is in the corner. Douglas reaching for the tag but Sandman just stands there. Raven throws Shane into a chair that is wedged in the corner, and does it again! Raven throws Douglas a third time and charges but Douglas throws the chair at him and both men are down.
Douglas gets the tag and Sandman is in with the cane for everyone, including Meanie. Dreamer is back out and we have a big brawl on the floor again. They are brawling all over the building now. Doors are being torn of the hinges and used as weapons! Sandman goes through a table! Douglas has a tray that the snack guys use to carry sodas on and is smashing everyone with it. Raven and Dreamer are back in the ring and Raven has a chair. Low blow by Dreamer, and a door is in the ring! Dreamer hits a piledriver on the door but its broken up at 2. Sandman with a top rope leg drop onto Raven. Sandman goes for the cover but sees the Bruise Brothers about to crotch Dreamer into the steel post. Sandman makes the save for Dreamer. Douglas hits a belly to belly on Raven. Sandman now about to get posted, Douglas sees what’s happening but goes for the pin instead and gets the win in 25.29. Sandman gets posted and the Bruise Brothers attack Douglas from behind, big boot to a chair into the face of Douglas, another to Dreamer and we fade to black.
My Thoughts on the show:
Easily recommended show. This type of episode is really what got me hooked on ECW. The entire thing revolved around one story from beginning to end. The Hartgood/Bully/Rotten segment lasted all of 2 minutes and even that got cut away for a Raven promo. The main event was a really good brawl. We see yet again that Douglas could care less about Sandman and Dreamer when it comes to them or beating Raven and winning the title. While Sandman was willing to give up a pin on Raven to save Dreamer, Shane wasn’t as eager to save his partners. Raven still manages to stay away from Dreamer for the most part with Dreamer only getting in a few moves near the end. Will the Douglas/Dreamer/Sandman trio be able to stick together any longer? Will Tommy Dreamer ever get a title match against Raven? Keep reading OH MY GOD! to find out.
