EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TV
October 18, 1996
1. Submission Match: Taz (w/Bill Alfonso) vs Johnny Smith
Smith gave Taz an armbar and they traded armwringers. Smith blocked a hiptoss but Taz gave him a fireman’s carry takedown. Smith gave Taz an armwringer and a fireman’s carry takedown. Taz took down Smith with a headlock, Smith countered with a headscissors but Taz kicked out of it. They repeated the same sequence with the roles reversed. Taz challenged Smith on all fours to fight him on the mat. Smith applied a wristlock but Taz escaped. Smith got on all fours and countered a takedown by Taz. Smith went down but Taz kicked him. Taz stomped Smith and Smith rolled out of the ring. Taz whipped Smith into the barricade. Taz stomped Smith and gave him an overhead suplex. Taz whipped Smith into opposite corners but Smith gave him a couple elbows. Taz gave Smith a drop toehold and applied a cool modified bow and arrow. Smith struggled to reach the ropes and Taz stomped him. Smith blocked a hiptoss and hiptossed Taz. Smith went for a cross armbreaker but Taz blocked it and reached the ropes. Smith gave Taz an arm whip across the ring to the mat. Smith stomped Taz’s arm and gave his arm a pumphandle. Smith missed a clothesline and Taz took him down with a waistlock. Taz applied a modified bow and arrow Joey Styles called the Red Hook wringer. Smith ducked a clothesline and applied a Fujiwara armbar. Smith applied a crossface but Taz reached the ropes. Smith whipped Taz into the corner but ran into a boot. Smith powerslammed Taz and applied an STF. Smith elbowed Taz and gave him a top rope dropkick. Smith gave Taz a lariat and slammed him. Smith went for a top rope splash but crashed onto Taz’s knees. Taz gave Smith a wheelbarrow suplex and applied a Tazmission for the win at 9:44. Good match that complemented their previous match. Both men played up the submissions rule well. Also, the work here was more focused than their previous match, particularly Smith’s arm work on Taz. **3/4
2. Eliminators (Saturn & Kronus) vs Samoan Gangsta Party (Sammy Silk & Matty “S.H.I.T.” Smalls)
The Samoans attacked the Eliminators as they entered the ring. Saturn cross bodyblocked Sammy for a near fall. Saturn armdragged and dropkicked Sammy. Kronus got the better of Matty as Saturn gave Sammy a top rope dropkick for a near fall. Matty gave his partner a corkscrew elbow when Saturn moved. The Eliminators double dropkicked Matty but Sammy double clotheslined them. Sammy headbutted Saturn in the crotch as Matty pounded Kronus. Sammy slammed Saturn and dropped a headbutt. Matty clotheslined Kronus. The Samoans celebrated but the Eliminators gave them both total elimination. Saturn pinned Matty for the win at 2:07. All action while it lasted, would have made a nice WWE TV match nowadays. *1/4
3. ECW TV Title: Shane Douglas (w/Francine) (c) vs Pitbull 2 (w/Pitbull 1)
Pitbull 2 stormed the ring and attacked Douglas before the bell. Pitbull 2 clotheslined Douglas and hit him with the title belt for a near fall. Douglas kicked Pitbull 2 and DDTd him but Pitbull 2 stood up. Pitbull 2 did a weak press slam of Douglas for a near fall. Douglas rolled out of the ring but Pitbull 2 hit him with a chair. Pitbull 2 twisted Douglas’s neck and whipped him over the barricade into the crowd. Pitbull 2 threw Douglas back to ringside. Pitbull 2 chokeslammed Douglas back into the ring for a near fall. Pitbull 2 applied a camel clutch and cranked Douglas’s neck. Pitbull 2 kicked Douglas and whipped him hard into the corner. Pitbull 2 choked Douglas in the ropes. Pitbull 2 whipped Douglas into the corner, picked him up by his neck and shoved him hard into the corner. Pitbull 2 choked Douglas in the corner. Pitbull 2 whipped Douglas into the corner but telegraphed a backdrop and Douglas gave him a neckbreaker. Douglas piledrove Pitbull 2 and vertical suplexed him. Douglas applied an armbar/headscissors combo and gained a near fall. Douglas stomped Pitbull 2 and applied a camel clutch. Pitbull 2 lifted Douglas and dropped him in the corner, with Douglas hitting his jaw on the top turnbuckle. Pitbull 2 whipped Douglas into the corner but crashed shoulder first into the ringpost when Douglas moved. Douglas gave Pitbull 2 a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. Douglas landed some punches but Pitbull 2 fought back and they exchanged blows. Pitbull 2 placed Douglas on the top rope and gave him some punches. The ref was also hit when he tried to intervene. The Eliminators ran in but Pitbull 2 clotheslined them. The Eliminators gave Pitbull 2 total elimination and Douglas hit a top rope elbowsmash for a near fall. Douglas landed some punches but Pitbull 2 whipped him into the corner. Pitbull 2 whipped Douglas into opposite corners but ran into a boot 3 times. Douglas went to the top rope but Pitbull 2 crotched him by shaking the top rope. Pitbull 2 gave Douglas a second rope fallaway slam. Francine tried to throw powder at Pitbull 2 but he stopped her and brought her into the ring. Pitbull 2 powerslammed Francine for a pop. Douglas threw powder in Pitbull 2’s eyes. A “blinded” Pitbull 2 belly to belly suplexed the ref. Douglas gave Pitbull 2 a single arm DDT and placed Pitbull 2’s dog collar around his neck. Douglas whipped Pitbull 2 down by the collar and wrapped the chain around his neck. Douglas applied a full nelson on Pitbull 2. Pitbull 2 escaped but Douglas kicked him and gave him a single arm DDT. Douglas taunted Pitbull 1 and Pitbull 1 threatened him. Douglas then shook Pitbull 1’s head and neck halo. A bunch of refs and Tod Gordon stormed the ring and wrestlers went after Douglas. Tommy Dreamer went after Douglas as police were escorting Douglas away from the arena. Joel Gertner tried to announce Douglas as the winner but Gordon attacked him and a pullapart brawl erupted. Gertner tried to announce Douglas as the winner again as Pitbull 1 was being carried out on a stretcher but Paul Heyman tackled him and another pullapart ensued. The match ended without a decision after about 15:30. The match itself was good, but not quite as solid as their match two months earlier. The intensity was strong and fans were rabid for much of the match. The big storyline was the memorable post-match scene. Just a wild, out of control atmosphere that came across as both staged yet spontaneous (meaning it was well-executed). A must-see match just for the post-match chaos. **3/4
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