From the WWE Network Vault, it's episode #36 of Eastern Championship Wrestling.
Original air date was December 13, 1993.
So the Network Vault skips about five episodes from the last one from 11/2/93, and a lot has happened. At November to Remember '93, Terry Funk's mystery partner was King Kong Bundy, who promptly turned on Funk during the match, allowing Sabu to capture the ECW TV title, making Sabu a dual champion with the ECW Heavyweight title on the other shoulder. The team of Johnny Gunn and Tommy Dreamer walked out of November to Remember with the ECW Tag Team Championship, with a nine-second victory over Tony Stetson and Johnny Hotbody. That's probably not the first time that Johnny Gunn was finished in nine seconds, but that's a story for a Missy Hyatt shoot video, I'm sure. But I digress, so continue reading!
Match #1: Salvatore Bellomo vs. Don E. Allan.
Sal is decked out in Roman gladiator ring gear as he tosses stuffed animals out to the crowd. I believe there actually is a segment of a typical ECW audience that would enjoy that sight, actually. Not that there's anything wrong with that. On cue, Hawaiian Shirt Guy wants a teddy bear. The bell rings and we're under way. Lock up and arm drag for Bellomo. Wrist lock for Bellomo, and a pull of the hair takes Allan down. Test of strength into a knuckle lock. Sal stomps on the fingers and then hits a drop kick! Allan backs Bellomo into the corner and pounds away. Allan misses a corner charge. Sal chokes Allan on the ropes. Side headlock for Sal and an eyepoke. Big slam for Sal and he hits a splash off the ropes. 1...2...3! 1/2*
WINNER: Salvatore Bellomo. Sal was a face with heel offense, which was weird to see. It was bad heel offense at that.
We're cut off by....hell....Matty In the House. He brings up an upcoming Body Count match between Badd Company and The Public Enemy. The concept, as Matty explains it, has Pat Tanaka starting the match with Rocco Rock, with Paul Diamond and Johnny Grunge locked in cages. The winner of the match gets the key to your partner's cage. It needs to be done in fifteen minutes or else...KA-BOOOOM as Matty puts it. Sounds pretty........conceptual.....to me.
We then get a video package of the Badd Company/Public Enemy feud. The match takes place on December 26. That's 1993, by the way. So don't go booking your seat at the ECW Arena just yet.
J.T. Smith reminds us that Terry Funk turned on him, and Kevin Sullivan attacked him with a chair. Next week, J.T. gets Funk and Sullivan in a six man tag match.
Match #2: Johnny Gunn and Tommy Dreamer (c) vs. Kevin Sullivan and The Tazmaniac (with Woman) for the ECW Tag Team Championship.
We immediately receive the news that Johnny Gunn has been delayed and is not at the arena. Tommy boldly states that he will take on Sullivan and Taz by himself. Tod Gordon is out to inform Tommy that he does not need to defend the titles tonight. Shane Douglas is in the ring and he offers his services to Tommy as his partner for the night. Tommy accepts the offer, and we're on. Dreamer and Sullivan start off, and it is taken to the heel corner right away. Tommy fights out of the corner, and clotheslines Taz coming off the ropes. Suplex for Dreamer, and then he mounts Taz for some punching. Taz whips Dreamer to the corner and hits and overhead belly-to-belly for 2. Sullivan in, with Dreamer reversing a corner whip but hitting boot. Taz back in and he slaps on a headlock and gets to biting. Sullivan tagged in and he hits a guillotine on the ropes. Taz back in, Dreamer reverses a whip and hits a hip toss. Taz takes Dreamer to the heel corner and tags in Sullivan, who hits a back suplex. Taz in again. Tommy blocks a hip toss and hits a gut wrench suplex. Taz reverses a whip and they clothesline each other. Dreamer tags in Douglas, who gets a chain out of the tights, but he HITS DREAMER! Taz makes the cover...1...2...3! New champs! **
WINNERS: And NEW ECW Tag Team Champions, Kevin Sullivan and The Tazmaniac. Short and sweet, crisp moves from all involved, and we get a swerve. Which begs the question: if Shane Douglas agrees to be your partner, and swerves you, does that make you the biggest idiot north of WCW? Douglas throws Dreamer back into the ring and the three on one beatdown is on. Eventually, the heels leave and Tommy is helped to the back by the referees.
We get a replay of what just happened. Apparently, according to Joey, Sherri Martel was on business in Mexico with Jake Roberts. It probably involved a talking bush, a hallucinogenic cactus and an autograph session held at the Juarez Arby's.
Joey is in the ring with Terry Funk. Funk declares himself "king of the indies". He's facing Sabu on December 26.....1993. Funk says that he's worried that Sabu will run from him, so he's got a few good men to back him up. Out come The Bad Breed, Axl & Ian Rotten. Funk says that they will do as he demands. Next week, Sabu will be here and Funk will offer a demonstration.
We get a Terry Funk video package of just how crazy he is in the ring and on promos.
We cut to a videotaped interview with Paul E. Dangerously, as he extols the virtues of Sabu. He calls him more death-defying than Jimmy Snuka. Sabu enjoys taking things one step further in the ring. Sabu is spending the holidays with the Dangerous Alliance, kept in his cage and have his food thrown to him. Paul makes fun of Funk's family, saying that his daughters look like Dick Murdoch, if you know what he means. Ouch! Typical excellent Paul Heyman throwdown here.
Match #3: The Sandman (with Peaches) vs. Tony Stetson.
Stetson attacks before the bell. Whip to the corner and Stetson hits a corner clothesline. Sandman comes back with punches and a back bodydrop. Another whip and a back elbow. Rear headlock now for Sandman. Sandman with a slam, and he climbs to the top and hits a flying back elbow for 2. Stetson coming back with rights, but Sandman hits a Samoan Drop, as his heritage dictates he do. Stetson bails to the floor, and pulls Sandman out. Whip to the corner post and Sandman is dazed. Stetson brings Sandman in to the ring with a suplex from the apron. Slam for Stetson and he goes up and hits a flying legdrop. 1...2... Stetson pulls him up! Stetson with a gutwrench suplex and goes up again. He comes off with a crossbody, but Sandman rolls through. 1...2...3! **1/2
WINNER: The Sandman. This match was non-stop action with both guys hitting high impact moves. Surprisingly enjoyable, as I find that pre-Zubaz Sandman had a decent moveset.
Match #4: Chad Austin vs. Mr. Hughes.
We immediately cut to Joey in the dark who says that there has been a power outage. When the lights come back, almost the entire roster is in and out of the ring brawling. Tommy Dreamer chases Shane Douglas to the back. We've got guys getting hit with chairs, stairs are being used; Douglas and Dreamer are back out and they continue to hate each other, as eventually they appear to be the focus of this brawl. A trash can gets thrown in the ring, hitting Douglas. This is nuts! Just chairs flying everywhere, and Mr. Hughes probably looking for some whips, as we head out.
The Post-Game Opinion: A very easy-to-watch show this week. Guess what? I enjoyed it! I've given ECW some flak in the past about how dated it all was. I have never seen these episodes before and I'm sorry I missed them the first time. When you place this show into a 1993 state of mind, it definitely was different and maybe, dare I say, a little refreshing. Next week's episode is available in the vault, so watch for that recap coming soon. Thanks for reading.
Original air date was December 13, 1993.
So the Network Vault skips about five episodes from the last one from 11/2/93, and a lot has happened. At November to Remember '93, Terry Funk's mystery partner was King Kong Bundy, who promptly turned on Funk during the match, allowing Sabu to capture the ECW TV title, making Sabu a dual champion with the ECW Heavyweight title on the other shoulder. The team of Johnny Gunn and Tommy Dreamer walked out of November to Remember with the ECW Tag Team Championship, with a nine-second victory over Tony Stetson and Johnny Hotbody. That's probably not the first time that Johnny Gunn was finished in nine seconds, but that's a story for a Missy Hyatt shoot video, I'm sure. But I digress, so continue reading!
Match #1: Salvatore Bellomo vs. Don E. Allan.
Sal is decked out in Roman gladiator ring gear as he tosses stuffed animals out to the crowd. I believe there actually is a segment of a typical ECW audience that would enjoy that sight, actually. Not that there's anything wrong with that. On cue, Hawaiian Shirt Guy wants a teddy bear. The bell rings and we're under way. Lock up and arm drag for Bellomo. Wrist lock for Bellomo, and a pull of the hair takes Allan down. Test of strength into a knuckle lock. Sal stomps on the fingers and then hits a drop kick! Allan backs Bellomo into the corner and pounds away. Allan misses a corner charge. Sal chokes Allan on the ropes. Side headlock for Sal and an eyepoke. Big slam for Sal and he hits a splash off the ropes. 1...2...3! 1/2*
WINNER: Salvatore Bellomo. Sal was a face with heel offense, which was weird to see. It was bad heel offense at that.
We're cut off by....hell....Matty In the House. He brings up an upcoming Body Count match between Badd Company and The Public Enemy. The concept, as Matty explains it, has Pat Tanaka starting the match with Rocco Rock, with Paul Diamond and Johnny Grunge locked in cages. The winner of the match gets the key to your partner's cage. It needs to be done in fifteen minutes or else...KA-BOOOOM as Matty puts it. Sounds pretty........conceptual.....to me.
We then get a video package of the Badd Company/Public Enemy feud. The match takes place on December 26. That's 1993, by the way. So don't go booking your seat at the ECW Arena just yet.
J.T. Smith reminds us that Terry Funk turned on him, and Kevin Sullivan attacked him with a chair. Next week, J.T. gets Funk and Sullivan in a six man tag match.
Match #2: Johnny Gunn and Tommy Dreamer (c) vs. Kevin Sullivan and The Tazmaniac (with Woman) for the ECW Tag Team Championship.
We immediately receive the news that Johnny Gunn has been delayed and is not at the arena. Tommy boldly states that he will take on Sullivan and Taz by himself. Tod Gordon is out to inform Tommy that he does not need to defend the titles tonight. Shane Douglas is in the ring and he offers his services to Tommy as his partner for the night. Tommy accepts the offer, and we're on. Dreamer and Sullivan start off, and it is taken to the heel corner right away. Tommy fights out of the corner, and clotheslines Taz coming off the ropes. Suplex for Dreamer, and then he mounts Taz for some punching. Taz whips Dreamer to the corner and hits and overhead belly-to-belly for 2. Sullivan in, with Dreamer reversing a corner whip but hitting boot. Taz back in and he slaps on a headlock and gets to biting. Sullivan tagged in and he hits a guillotine on the ropes. Taz back in, Dreamer reverses a whip and hits a hip toss. Taz takes Dreamer to the heel corner and tags in Sullivan, who hits a back suplex. Taz in again. Tommy blocks a hip toss and hits a gut wrench suplex. Taz reverses a whip and they clothesline each other. Dreamer tags in Douglas, who gets a chain out of the tights, but he HITS DREAMER! Taz makes the cover...1...2...3! New champs! **
WINNERS: And NEW ECW Tag Team Champions, Kevin Sullivan and The Tazmaniac. Short and sweet, crisp moves from all involved, and we get a swerve. Which begs the question: if Shane Douglas agrees to be your partner, and swerves you, does that make you the biggest idiot north of WCW? Douglas throws Dreamer back into the ring and the three on one beatdown is on. Eventually, the heels leave and Tommy is helped to the back by the referees.
We get a replay of what just happened. Apparently, according to Joey, Sherri Martel was on business in Mexico with Jake Roberts. It probably involved a talking bush, a hallucinogenic cactus and an autograph session held at the Juarez Arby's.
Joey is in the ring with Terry Funk. Funk declares himself "king of the indies". He's facing Sabu on December 26.....1993. Funk says that he's worried that Sabu will run from him, so he's got a few good men to back him up. Out come The Bad Breed, Axl & Ian Rotten. Funk says that they will do as he demands. Next week, Sabu will be here and Funk will offer a demonstration.
We get a Terry Funk video package of just how crazy he is in the ring and on promos.
We cut to a videotaped interview with Paul E. Dangerously, as he extols the virtues of Sabu. He calls him more death-defying than Jimmy Snuka. Sabu enjoys taking things one step further in the ring. Sabu is spending the holidays with the Dangerous Alliance, kept in his cage and have his food thrown to him. Paul makes fun of Funk's family, saying that his daughters look like Dick Murdoch, if you know what he means. Ouch! Typical excellent Paul Heyman throwdown here.
Match #3: The Sandman (with Peaches) vs. Tony Stetson.
Stetson attacks before the bell. Whip to the corner and Stetson hits a corner clothesline. Sandman comes back with punches and a back bodydrop. Another whip and a back elbow. Rear headlock now for Sandman. Sandman with a slam, and he climbs to the top and hits a flying back elbow for 2. Stetson coming back with rights, but Sandman hits a Samoan Drop, as his heritage dictates he do. Stetson bails to the floor, and pulls Sandman out. Whip to the corner post and Sandman is dazed. Stetson brings Sandman in to the ring with a suplex from the apron. Slam for Stetson and he goes up and hits a flying legdrop. 1...2... Stetson pulls him up! Stetson with a gutwrench suplex and goes up again. He comes off with a crossbody, but Sandman rolls through. 1...2...3! **1/2
WINNER: The Sandman. This match was non-stop action with both guys hitting high impact moves. Surprisingly enjoyable, as I find that pre-Zubaz Sandman had a decent moveset.
Match #4: Chad Austin vs. Mr. Hughes.
We immediately cut to Joey in the dark who says that there has been a power outage. When the lights come back, almost the entire roster is in and out of the ring brawling. Tommy Dreamer chases Shane Douglas to the back. We've got guys getting hit with chairs, stairs are being used; Douglas and Dreamer are back out and they continue to hate each other, as eventually they appear to be the focus of this brawl. A trash can gets thrown in the ring, hitting Douglas. This is nuts! Just chairs flying everywhere, and Mr. Hughes probably looking for some whips, as we head out.
The Post-Game Opinion: A very easy-to-watch show this week. Guess what? I enjoyed it! I've given ECW some flak in the past about how dated it all was. I have never seen these episodes before and I'm sorry I missed them the first time. When you place this show into a 1993 state of mind, it definitely was different and maybe, dare I say, a little refreshing. Next week's episode is available in the vault, so watch for that recap coming soon. Thanks for reading.
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