History of ECW 6/26/1998

Taped from Philadelphia, PA

Airdate: June 26, 1998

Hosted by Joey Styles

From the WWE Studios Joey welcomes us to another installment of the History of ECW. This week’s episode emanates from the Woodhaven Sports Centre in northeast Philly. Joey explains that even though ECW would have to turn away fans at the ECW Arena due to crowd restrictions the Philly fans would not flock to the other side of town for the Woodhaven Sports Centre, a much larger building, and fill it up. In this episode highlights of the bWo-FBI feud will be shown. Additionally RVD will defend the ECW World Television title against Kronus.

 

While wearing a Nirvana t-shirt Tommy Dreamer is in the ring and addresses the fans. He makes an open challenge to any of the Dudley Boyz RIGHT NOW! In fact he incites the crowd by calling them a string of profanities. Of course the ECW crowd loves it! Our Hardcore History moment reveals that Dreamer won his second and final ECW World title at Extreme Rules in 2009.

As the crowd chants “Tommy” D-Von Dudley is in the entranceway. After more goading from Dreamer, D-Von hits the ring. They brawl for a moment before the rest of the Dudley Boyz hits the ring to ambush Dreamer. They proceed to give him the Dudley Death Drop. They continue to stomp him until New Jack, Spike, Balls Mahoney, and Axl Rotten come to Dreamer’s rescue.

“No Viagra Jokes,” “No cross-dressing basketball players,” and “No Hulk Hogan” begin the opening credits.

Joey opens the programs acknowledging the lack of remorse shown by the Dudley Boyz for their actions towards Beulah McGillicutty.

Match 1: The FBI (w/ Tommy Rich) versus the bWo

We return to the ring to see the Blue Meanie jiggle in the ring. Wait, hold on, does anyone have any Pepto Bismol? This is making my stomach turn. Meanie even involves referee John Finnegan in his “dance.” Smothers assists my stomach’s chemical imbalance with a dropkick to Meanie. Rich sticks his face in Finnegan’s, shoves him, and receives a big shove in return. Little Guido comes in the ring and both members of the FBI shove Finnegan. He returns fire with a double clothesline! Sign him up, Paulie!

 “With reckless abandon,” according to Joey, Nova delivers a plancha to both Smothers and Little Guido outside the ring! Both Nova and Rich climb to the apron; however, Rich gives Nova a bulldog to the steel railing. Little Guido drops a couple of elbows while Nova is down. We do not get the finish of this match.

Match 2: Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten versus Jamie Dundee and Danny Doring

Instead we fast-forward to the point where Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten are in the ring with their trusty chairs. Jamie Dundee gets to his feet only to receive a chair shot to the back by Rotten then a chair shot to the head by Mahoney. Balls makes the cover and the pin is academic. DUD

Match 3: Don E. Allen versus The Equalizer

Next we move ahead and Taz hits the ring to interrupt a match between these two jabronies and delivers Taz-plexes to each of them. Even the referee gets a Taz-plex! I wonder if Taz was offering a bowl of soup with every one of those. Taz gets the microphone and shits all over the preliminary match. He then asks the crowd if they want to see him tangle with Bam Bam Bigelow although his language was much harsher. The crowd voices its approval.

Taz calls out BBB who answers the challenge. A double-leg takedown by Taz triggers a brawl between the two.

Standing between RVD and Sabu Fonzie cuts a promo. Since he’s quite unintelligible RVD translates it into a tag title match at the ECW Arena for Sabu and himself. Fonzie tries to blow his whistle but flubs. RVD calls him out for it, so he blows it really hard this time. RVD continues the promo by calling Lance Storm “boring.” Mind you, this was FIVE years before Stone Cold Steve Austin referred to him as such. RVD even tells Candido that once he loses the belts that Sunny will be knocking on his door again. Insert your own joke here.

Joey shills the tag title match at the ECW Arena on June 27.

Match 4: Sabu (w/ Fonzie) versus Ulf Hermann (w/ Lance Wright)

Next we get highlights of a match between Sabu and Lance Wright’s German import Ulf Hermann. Sabu goes for the leg, but Hermann stomps him away. Next Hermann whips Sabu off the ropes and makes him eat boot.

We move ahead to where Sabu set up a table between the apron and the steel railing. He then dives from the apron onto Hermann on the floor. Back in the ring Sabu baseball-slides Hermann into the front row. After setting up a chair he nails Hermann with the triple-jump springboard plancha! The crowd celebrates with an “ECW” chant.

We fast-forward again, and Sabu is ready to give Hermann the triple-jump splash through the table. Instead of screwing it up Hermann trips Sabu when he lands on the top rope. Hermann then mounts the top rope and delivers a crisp clothesline. He follows up with a pump-handle slam and gets a 2 count. Next he mounts the second rope but gets caught. Sabu then delivers a huracanrana and gets a 2 count.

We move ahead and Sabu delivers an Arabian press for another 2 count. He then mounts the top rope and delivers the leg drop. Another fast-forward leads us to where Sabu sets up the chair again and hits the triple jump splash through the table onto Hermann. Joey celebrates with an “Oh My God!” The crowd chants “ECW” one more time. After an Arabian face buster and a slingshot leg drop through a chair Sabu cinches on the camel clutch and Hermann submits. *

Match 5 for the ECW World Television title: RVD (champion w/ Fonzie) versus Kronus

We are joined in progress where Kronus reverses an Irish whip that subsequently leads to an enziguri. He then follows with a spinning heel kick for a 2 count. Next he delivers his patented double handspring back elbow to RVD. As if he were watching RAW in 1993 he channels Marty Jannetty and gives RVD the Rocker dropper for another 2 count. Hopefully he wasn’t emulating Billy Gunn.

After a failed leapfrog stemming from a rope sequence Kronus delivers a urinagi to RVD. Next he gives RVD a powerbomb. He then comes off the ropes and gives RVD a somersault leg drop! Is our heralded TV champion in danger of losing his title? Let’s fast-forward…

Kronus delivers a senton onto RVD then sends him outside the ring with a jumping savate kick. Outside the ring Kronus makes RVD eat the ring post and then the steel railing. Since RVD’s strict diet doesn’t include chocolate I’m sure he doesn’t mind the taste. Upon satisfying his munchies RVD comes back with a moonsault off the steel railing! Who knew eating steel could give you energy? Hmmm…maybe I should patent THAT idea! Naaaah.

RVD returns to the ring to showboat then delivers a leaping sidekick to Kronus off the apron. A standing sidekick sets up RVD to suplex Kronus on the steel railing. OUCH! RVD then mounts the apron and gives Kronus a corkscrew leg drop!

We move ahead to RVD’s spectacular delivery of the ***** frog splash. He calls for the chair, but Kronus intercepts it and smashes RVD in the head! After Kronus’ failed attempt to nail Fonzie, RVD destroys Kronus with the Van Daminator for the pin. **1/2

If you cannot join ECW this Saturday call the Hardcore Hotline after midnight for the results! Or you could just check the Internet. After all it was 1998. Now where did I put that 56k modem?

Match 6 for the ECW World Tag Team titles: Chris Candido and Lance Storm (champions w/ Francine) versus Chris Chetti and Mikey Whipwreck

We are joined in progress again where Chris Chetti locks up with Chris Candido. Chops are exchanged in the corner as the crowd provides a collective “Woo!” Candido reverses a cross-corner whip but Chetti floats over his impending charge. He then gives Candido a hiptoss off another cross-corner whip. Next he follows up with a huracanrana. Nice chain wrestling, kid! Candido gets pinballed with punches from Chetti and Mikey before heading for higher ground.

We move ahead and Storm has entered the ring. After a rope sequence and some counter moves Chetti delivers a standing dropkick to Storm. After another quick edit Mikey is in with Storm and trading punches. Mikey gets an armdrag but receives a clothesline soon thereafter. Candido tags in and gets an armdrag of his own. A rope sequence culminates with Mikey hitting the Whippersnapper on Candido. Do we have new champs? NO! Storm saves the pinfall.

Yet another quick edit shows another rope sequence between Candido and Mikey end with Francine trying to trip Mikey. Candido sees that Mikey is distracted by her but gets backdropped over the top rope to the floor. After Mikey turns around he receives a missile dropkick from Storm.

We move ahead and Candido delivers a delayed vertical suplex to Mikey. We then fast-forward and the champs deliver back elbows to Mikey coming off the ropes. After getting a 2 count Storm tries to cross-corner whip Mikey but gets reversed. However, Mikey eats boot upon charging Storm. Lance tries to follow up but eats a superkick from Mikey instead.

Storm hooks Mikey’s legs to prevent the tag as he tags in Candido. After a body slam Candido mounts the top turnbuckle and misses the diving headbutt. Chetti gets the tag and whips Candido off the ropes for a back body drop. Another whip by Chetti sets up a running dropkick. A third whip enables Chetti to powerslam Candido which gets a very long 2 count. A swinging neckbreaker off the ropes by Chetti gets another close pin attempt.

Chetti tries a cross-corner whip but Candido reverses. In lieu of hitting the corner Chetti walks the ropes and delivers a sweet leg lariat for another 2 count. After a body slam Chetti misses the double springboard moonsault. Out of nowhere Storm destroys Chetti with a springboard clothesline. Storm then baseball-slides Mikey to the outside and mounts the top turnbuckle. As Candido hoists Chetti up for a powerbomb Storm delivers the guillotine leg drop. Candido gets the pin. ***

Back in the dressing room Storm and Candido cut a promo on RVD and Sabu. Storm wants to kick some ass, and if his partner doesn’t back him up he’ll kick his as well.

Highlights of Beulah’s unceremonious exit from ECW are shown.

Backstage Joel Gertner tries to cut a promo but the lights go out. Quickly the lights return and Joel complains about paying the electricity bill. He refers to Beulah as “America’s sweetheart…of a prostitute.” Again the lights go out. A lighter is lit and someone tells the cameraman: “Don’t you say a word…” Scuffling is overheard amidst the darkness. Some lights return and Tommy is being escorted away by security as a Dudley Boy has his leg stuck in a locker. Sandman shows up but gets escorted in the opposite direction.

A music video featuring Beulah is then shown. Compare this to Konnan’s video in WCW and I’ll take this one any day.

Joel Gertner and Bubba Ray Dudley are in the ring. Gertner takes the microphone and informs us that the reason we won’t see Beulah anymore is because she bought a one-way direct ticket to Dudleyville. While wearing a bandage wrapped around his head Bubba Ray runs down Beulah. Suddenly Sandman’s music hits.

Match 7: Sandman versus Bubba Ray Dudley (w/ Joel Gertner)

Before the bell rings Bubba gives Sandman an electric chair. He then tries to take Sandman’s head off with a chair but misses. Instead Sandman whacks Bubba with the cane twice. After a short rope sequence Bubba clotheslines him. Once Sandman returns to his feet Bubba whacks him with a cane between the eyes. That’ll ruin his weekend.

Bubba tosses Sandman outside the ring and goes to work on him. Sandman thwarts a chair shot with a pair of elbows then proceeds to make Bubba eat the steel railing. Miraculously (and sloppily) he slams Bubba then gives him a table suplex. The crowd eats it up and chants “ECW!” Bubba reverses a whip and sends Sandman upside-down into the steel railing. Suddenly a fan jumps the steel railing and puts his hands on Bubba. Security swarms to grab the guy as the crowd notifies him that he’s an “asshole.”

According to Paul Heyman who makes a quick on-screen appearance the fan is Beulah’s brother. Bubba potatoes the hell out of him until Dreamer hits the scene. The locker room empties as Dreamer continues his quest to beat up Bubba. According to Joey Beulah has a brother whose name is Spencer. New Jack and D-Von have a quick skirmish before order is restored.*

Once again I have to bemoan the idea of a show filled with clips of matches. I understand Heyman’s philosophy of showcasing a good chunk of the talent, but this show was practically Russo-rific with all the short clips of matches. The Kronus-RVD match was pretty good however.

If this show achieved anything it showed that the tag champs are more vulnerable than Joey’s commentary to the contrary would lead you to believe. The tag match next week looks extremely promising. The Beulah storyline really establishes how hated the Dudley Boyz are. Involving Beulah’s “brother” may be crossing the line though. Stay tuned to more History of ECW reviews from your resident Rock Star in the coming weeks!

Be sure to visit http://www.rockstargary.com to check out more info on me!