EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TV
July 19, 1996
1. Gangstas (New Jack & Mustafa) vs Samoan Gangsta Party (Samu & Matty Smalls)
The Gangstas stormed the ring and immediately attacked the Samoans. Jack broke a magnetic football game over Samu's head and threw him into the corner. Jack also hit Samu with a trash can as Mustafa dominated Matty. Mustafa hit Matty with the remnants of the magnetic football game. Jack hit Samu with a trash can lid, then placed a cookie sheet over his head and headbutted him. Mustafa rammed Matty into the ringpost and Jack broke a crutch over Samu's head for a pop. Mustafa gave Matty a high kick. Jack hit Matty with a chair and repeatedly hit Samu with the football game. Mustafa hit Matty with a trash can as Jack hit Samu with a chair in the crowd. The bell rang at 3:03 as the ref decided he had lost complete control of the match. Cheap finish, but a very energetic 3 minute squash. This was the first match I saw on ECW TV when it began airing in Massachusetts, and a great intro at that. One of the more energetic Gangstas matches in terms of a combination of their work and the crowd heat. **1/4
2. Mikey Whipwreck vs Paul Lauria (w/Damien Kane & Lady Alexandra)
Mikey gave Lauria a lariat as the bell rang and dropkicked him. Mikey hit a tope and whipped Lauria into the barricade. Mikey charged but Lauria dumped him neck first onto the barricade. Lauria slammed Mikey but Mikey crotched him on the top rope. Mikey then gave Lauria a frankenmikey and pinned him at 1:33. The Eliminators stormed the ring and gave Lauria total elimination. Nice match while it lasted. NR
The Eliminators accepted the Gangstas challenge of a 4-way dance at the next ECW Arena show. They made fun of Mikey for being Sabu's friend. Saturn told Mikey to go get Sabu and that the Eliminators would defend the ECW tag team title against Sabu and Mikey.
3. ECW Tag Team Title: Eliminators (Saturn & Kronus) (c) vs Sabu & Mikey Whipwreck
Sabu and Mikey stormed the ring and got the better of the champions, who bailed out of the ring. Saturn agreed to put the belts on the line, but under "traditional tag team rules". Sabu and Saturn exchanged punches. Sabu took down Saturn but Saturn countered with a headscissors. Sabu and Saturn exchanged counters and pin attempts. Sabu went for a rollup but grabbed Saturn's leg in a leglock instead. Sabu whipped Saturn into the corner and gave him a couple weak clotheslines. Sabu then hit a good in-ring quebrada on Saturn for a near fall. Saturn superkicked Sabu twice but Sabu fought back and slammed him. Sabu missed a slingshot moonsault and Saturn superkicked him again. Saturn dropkicked Sabu in the back of his head and slammed him. Saturn hit a top rope splash on Sabu for a near fall. Kronus kicked Sabu and Saturn added a superkick. Kronus whipped Sabu into the corner and hit a "hurricane Kronus" handspring elbow. Kronus snapmared Sabu but Sabu fought back and tied him up in the ropes. Mikey gave Kronus a top rope legdrop as he dangled on the middle rope for a near fall. Mikey hiptossed Kronus and armdragged him. Mikey hiptossed Saturn and armdragged him. He then gave both Eliminators a double Japanese armdrag and Sabu took them out with a flying bodypress. Mikey gained a near fall on Kronus. Mikey legdropped kronus and applied an armbar, then pounced on the arm. Kronus telegraphed a backdrop and Mikey kicked him. Sabu dove off Mikey's back with either a bulldog or a cross bodyblock on Kronus (looked sloppy). Saturn gave Mikey a lariat for a near fall. Saturn lifted Mikey for a suplex and Kronus came off the top rope with a flying bodypress. Kronus knocked Sabu off the apron and gave Mikey a cool Taz-esque pumphandle suplex. Kronus applied an armlock on Mikey and then a cross armbreaker but Sabu intervened. Saturn basically DDTd Mikey's arm and applied a modified hammerlock. Saturn gave Mikey a released German suplex for a near fall and dropkicked Sabu off the apron. Saturn attempted a superplex but Mikey held his ground and threw Saturn to the mat. Mikey gave Saturn a sloppy spinning huracanrana off the top rope. Sabu hit both opponents with a chair repeatedly. Sabu tried to launch off the top rope but slipped and fell to the mat. Mikey went after Kronus as the action got really messy for a moment. Mikey clotheslined Kronus over the top rope and did a tope into a huracanrana on the floor. Sabu jumped off the top rope but Saturn dropkicked him in mid-air for a near fall. Mikey attacked Kronus with punches on the floor. Sabu gave Saturn a top rope huracanrana for a near fall. Saturn kicked Sabu and gave him a doctor bomb for a near fall as Mikey hit Kronus with a chair at ringside. Saturn jumped to the top rope but Sabu dropkicked him. Sabu then gave Saturn a sunset flip/powerbomb to the floor. Sabu jumped off a chair to the top rope, but Saturn held his ground and Sabu crashed through a table propped between the apron and the barricade. Mikey clotheslined Kronus but Saturn then clotheslined him. The Eliminators gave Mikey a great total elimination and Saturn pinned him at 11:04. Some parts were great, some solid, and some unusually bad for these four, who were all pretty much in top form in 1996. Lots of missed or sloppy moves, which just seemed like a result of overzealousness in spot selection. The early minutes only contained a few great spots, but built well, and this was looking like a great match about 6 minutes in. Around the 8-9 minute mark Sabu missed a springboard spot and the match virtually fell apart for about 30 seconds. The flow never fully recovered, although they did get their act together for a decent closing stretch. Overall, a pretty good match, but a strange one and on the low end of the Sabu-Eliminators matches from 1996-1997. **1/4
BACK TO MY TV REVIEWS MENU
HOME