Extreme Championship Wrestling
ECW Hardcore TV
ECW Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 23rd, 2001
It’s another episode of ECW Hardcore TV, meaning the ECW Arena is jam packed, and the fans are going crazy knowing the shows getting underway. Booming “ECDUB” chants echo throughout the arena as our cameras pan around, taking in the scene, before focusing in on ringside. Standing in the middle of the ring is ‘The Voice Of ECW’, JOEY STYLES, ready to formally welcome everybody to the show. Before he can begin, the fans bring a smile to his face, starting up a “JOEY” chant. Eventually the chants and noise lessen somewhat, allowing Styles to begin.
Joey Styles: Welcome to Extreme Championship Wrestling!!!
Epic pop rings out, followed by another “ECDUB” chant. All the pumped up Joey Styles can do is smile.
Joey Styles: We’ve got a big show in store for you all tonight, including Tommy Dreamer competing in the opening match… But before we get to that, I’ve been instructed to introduce some guests to come out here, so please welcome… THE NETWORK!!!
Styles admittedly doesn’t seem happy with his guests tonight, and it doesn’t take long until “Debonaire” plays. As usual CYRUS leads the way with the entire NETWORK not far behind, and the fans shit all over them. The heat is enormous, and shows no signs of slowing down, as the arrogant Cyrus stomps into the ring and snatches the mic out of Joey’s hands. Styles isn’t happy but takes a quick look around, and Cyrus laughs in his face, knowing Styles can’t do anything with all the backup he has.
Cyrus: Thanks for the mic, Joe-…
“SHUT THE FUCK UP” chant drowns out the annoying sound of Cyrus’ voice. The leader of The Network is furious at the disrespect being shown.
Cyrus: Yeah, yeah, have your fifteen seconds of fame you mongoloids. God knows, this is as good as your life is going to get. After this show, you’ll head back to your mums basements and cry yourselves to sleep because you’re a bunch of twenty something year old virgins.
The Network chuckle at Cyrus’ retort, whilst the fans give more heat. Cyrus smiles, feeling better about himself now.
Cyrus: I’m surprised you were chanting for Joey earlier, and not Gertner, wherever that useless lug is. Looking around at this audience, it seems you are all apart of the demographic that Gertner appeals to, of course I’m talking about the FAT smurf DEMOGRAPHIC!!!
Major heat again as Cyrus continues to dig into the crowd until he’s interrupted by the sounds of “Extreme” through the arena speakers. Wearing his backwards baseball cap and long, black trench coat, the owner of ECW, PAUL HEYMAN stomps down the ramp, getting a respectful ovation from the fans. Showing no fear of The Network, Heyman steps right into the ring, removing a mic from his pocket and getting straight to it.
Paul Heyman: Usually I’d apologise for the interruption but I’m not sorry. I am sorry to the fans for having to listen to the garbage coming out of this man’s mouth… Now Cyrus, instead of insulting these fans who’re the lifeblood of ECW, lets get down to business. Let’s discuss the Raven and Corino situation and who their opponents will be this evening.
Despite not liking being interrupted, Cyrus remains calm, nodding in agreement.
Cyrus: Okay, well we don’t need to worry about half of that equation, I’ve already picked Raven’s opponent. Raven will be in a Handicap match against Ron and Don Harris. With the added stipulation of course, that New Jack is barred from ringside during the match.
Boos from the fans who despise Cyrus stacking the deck. Heyman rubs his jaw, contemplating, unsure how to respond, but just as he’s about to, “Huka Blues” hits unexpectedly. It’s a VERY loud pop, as SABU slowly steps through the curtain, followed by the whistle blowing, manager BILL ALFONSO. Both men get into the ring, with Sabu not worried about The Network, just staring down the ECW Television Champion JERRY LYNN. Fonzie shoots Heyman an apologetic look, before fetching a mic.
Bill Alfonso: Paul, I do want to take the time to say sorry for interrupting, but we just had to come speak to you. After they took out RVD and put their hands on me, The Network need to pay and we know just how. Sabu wants Jerry Lynn at Barely Legal!
The fans pop for the match, whilst an annoyed Lynn approaches Cyrus, speaking into his mic.
Jerry Lynn: Nice try but no.
Heyman gives Lynn a look of befuddlement.
Paul Heyman: I didn’t know you made the matches around here Jerry, and that match sounds good to me. The answer is yes.
Lynn throws a tantrum, but Cyrus puts a calming hand on his shoulder.
Cyrus: Whoa, hold on a second. I have to interje-…
Paul Heyman: You don’t have to do shit. You might have your pissy little job with USA, but let me remind you who the fucking owner is!!!
Epic pop as the two are nose to nose, the tension building. Cyrus looks around, seeing all his back up… AND BITCH SLAPS HEYMAN RIGHT IN THE FACE!!!
BUT HEYMAN RETALIATES BY KNOCKING CYRUS ON HIS ASS WITH A RIGHT HAND!!!
Heyman mounts Cyrus and the two start brawling!!! “ECDUB” chants reign supreme as The Network scurry over, doing their best to separate the two and protect their leader. With chaos taking over, The Network also use the opportunity to blindside Sabu and Alfonso. The numbers are just to stacked in their advantage, as they beatdown Sabu, until “Natural Born Killaz” hits and the crowd go apeshit. NEW JACK might be banned from ringside later tonight, but he’s not right now.
He comes down the ramp, armed with a 2X4 wrapped in barbed wire. Jack gets in and begins swinging wildly at every Network member, and whilst he doesn’t connect, The Network are quick to flee the ring. Sabu and New Jack stand back to back, unlikely allies, whilst The Network regroup on the outside, refusing to leave. The Network swarm the ring and even with the barbed wire bat, it’s to much for Jack and Sabu to handle. The faces start getting beaten down again, with The Harris Twins especially focusing on Jack, and making sure to take his weapon of off him. The fans are getting restless, unhappy with how things are going, when “SURVIVE IF I LET YOU” SHOCKS THE WORLD!!!
The arena shakes, the fans are losing their marbles, a mix of being stunned and super excited. For those not in the know, it doesn’t take long to see why as TAZ comes down the ramp, making a surprise ECW return. The Network are almost frozen in shock, unsure how to react, but when Taz gets in the ring, he shows why he’s the ‘Human Suplex Machine’. Taz dismantles and throws around the entire Network on his own, beating them all up or at least striking fear in them which causes them to leave the ring in a hurry. Suddenly, Taz realises the only member of The Network left is Cyrus, who looks afraid for his life. The former ECW Champion begins approaching Cyrus, but Cyrus just manages to narrowly escape, sliding out the ring before he can be brutalised. Disappointed groans come from the fans for that, as an out of breath Heyman picks up a mic off the canvas.
Paul Heyman: I guess the cat’s out of the bag… Tonight… STEVE CORINO TAKES ON TAZ IN HIS ONE NIGHT ONLY RETURN TO THE ECW ARENA!!!
Epic pop from the fans as The Network freak out on the outside, especially STEVE CORINO. Even inside of the ring, New Jack is back up and in shock, whilst Sabu and Taz wearily stare each other down from opposite sides of the ring, quite the history there. Before any further carnage can happen, we cut away…
…
*OPENING CREDITS*
Match One
Kid Kash vs. Tommy Dreamer
All I can say here is poor Kid Kash. With everything going on with Dreamer, including his issues with Shane Douglas resurfacing recently, he has a lot of pent up anger. He exerts a lot of the anger related to being attacked two weeks in a row on Kash here. Even on commentary, Joey Styles talks about how this is an unorthodox version of Dreamer, unlike himself, and more intense and aggressive than we’ve ever seen him. Kash is a promising talent though, and does show some resistance. After being knocked down with a Spinning Heel Kick, Dreamer rolls to the outside to regain his wits. As he does so, Kash ascends to the top rope… KASH LEAPS OFF THE TOP ROPE WITH A DIVING SPLASH TO THE OUTSIDE!!!
NO!!! TOMMY CATCHES KASH…
MUSCLES HIM UP ONTO HIS SHOULDERS…
AND LANDS A SPICOLLI DRIVER ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR!!!
The devastating spot gets an “ECDUB” chant from the fans, as Dreamer has to basically peel Kash off the floor and get him back inside the ring. Once inside, it’s all one sided, with Dreamer inflicting some more punishment, before finally showing mercy… CONNECTING WITH THE DREAMER DDT!!!
TOMMY MAKES A RELAXED PIN…1…2…3!!!
Winner: Tommy Dreamer
A slight change in attitude from Tommy tonight, but he’s ever the fan favourite, getting an appreciative reaction from the crowd. After taking a few moments to get his hand raised by the referee and recognise the victory, Tommy switches right back into his trance like mode. He storms around the ring as he yells out the name, “SHANE DOUGLAS”!
Grabbing a camera and camera man, he pulls the camera real close to his furious face, “I’M CO-...
BEFORE TOMMY CAN SAY ANYTHING ELSE HE’S ATTACKED FROM BEHIND!!!
BY THE FULL BLOODED ITALIANS!!!
The quartet of Italians and wanna’ be Italians all beat the holy hell out of Dreamer, until LITTLE GUIDO decides to take the camera Dreamer was screaming into earlier from the camera man. The rest of The FBI drag Dreamer up, holding him still… AND GUIDO CRACKS THE CAMERA OFO OF TOMMY’S SKULL!!!
As Dreamer crumbles to the canvas and eventually rolls to his back, the same camera shows that Dreamer is bloodied up nicely after the camera shot. The FBI stand tall, proud of their business, as ‘Damage Control’ come down to check on Tommy, AND THE PITBULLS SPRINT DOWN THE RING TO GET SOME OF THE FBI!!!
Once The Pitbulls enter the ring, The FBI are quick to hightail it, much to the dismay of the fans in attendance. The FBI look to be in unison tonight, backing away, proud of their work, as the concerned Pitbulls begin checking on Dreamer…
…
We now head up to The Eagle’s Nest where JOEY STYLES and JOEL GERTNER sit with their headsets on.
Joey Styles: I think it’s pretty obvious what happened here tonight. The Second City Saints are busy getting ready for their match and they couldn’t do Shane Douglas’ dirty work tonight. So instead, Douglas paid the FBI to take Tommy Dreamer out before The Second City Saints match with the Pitbulls later on tonight.
Joel Gertner: I don’t know. I admit it’s suspicious but Douglas having any association with the Italians feels like a bit of a stretch.
The two continue to debate the topic as we cut away…
…
Standing in front of the crooked banner with the ECW logo on it in the back is EDDIE GUERRERO. After winning last week and his match with Monty Brown being made official, Eddie looks a little more at ease with his current situation than previously.
Eddie Guerrero: I told Paul Heyman that I didn’t want to have a match with Monty Brown, but that puta didn’t listen. I didn’t want to do this and hurt ECW’s business, holmes. Monty Brown is a flavour of the month. When you really think about it, everyone of his stature and build is given this same build up by every booker. The guy built like an adonis needs to get on a run, and it always fails.
A devious smirk comes across ‘Latino Heats’ face now.
Eddie Guerrero: Thanks to Paul Heyman, Monty Bornw’s run is failing sooner than even I expected. I am one of the most respected athletes in the history of ECW and nobody, and I do mean nobody, not even the black Bill Goldberg, is going to be able to do anything to stop me.
Unlike last week, Guerrero is full of confidence this week, snarling at the camera before we cut to a break…
*COMMERCIAL BREAK*
We return to silence for a few moments, and then, “Enter Sandman” rocks through the arena courtesy of Metallica. Safe to say the opposite of silence happens now, the fans cheering like crazy for one of ECW’s favourite sons. The noise dies down a little though, when a rather anxious, downtrodden looking SANDMAN steps through the curtain, not making his usual entrance through the crowd. There’s no beer, no Singapore Cane, and no cigarette, instead The Sandman has the calming presence of his close, personal friend, DUSTIN RHODES by his side. Dustin pats Sandman on the back encouragingly, as they step into the ring and The Sandman begins to look emotional. After settling himself down, even just momentarily, Sandman gets a mic, and waits for his epic theme song to stop playing.
The Sandman: We don’t shout it out to the public so it’s not that well known that me and Dustin are good friends. Dustin had spoken to my wife, who had called him frantically to relay some news, and that’s what I was told about two weeks ago after my match. Dustin told me that my son Tyler had ran away from home and no one had seen him in days.
The fans murmur at the announcement, whilst Sandman looks on the verge of tears. Rhodes looks sorry for his friend, attempting to comfort him.
The Sandman: I don’t plan on being out here long because I need to find my son, but I’m begging anybody who knows anything, or has seen Tyler to come forward. Please, if you know anything about my sons whereabouts, please let me or the local authorities know immediately.
Hanging his head, absolutely shattered, The Sandman drops the mic and leaves the ring. Instead of following his friend, a sombre looking Rhodes briefly picks up the mic.
Dustin Rhodes: Just a reminder to my close, personal friend The Sandman, as well as the boss in the back and you ECW fans, I’m doing anything I can to help The Sandman during this time. Until something is done about this and until whenever Sandman is emotionally ready to get back to doing what he loves, he won’t be pressured or rushed back. I will continue to volunteer to take all of Sandman’s bookings in ECW. Thank you very much.
The fans don’t really react to that, more worried about The Sandman who is already at the top of the ramp by now. Rhodes chases after him, looking as supporting as ever, but the question remains, where is Tyler Fullington?
…
Back up at The Eagle’s Nest, JOEY STYLES and JOEL GERTNER both look concerned at the state of The Sandman and his current situation.
Joey Styles: I don’t think I’ve ever seen The Sandman that distraught, even when Raven heinously played games with The Sandman’s wife and son previously. Please, folks, call 1800 723 292 if there’s any information known on the whereabouts of The Sandman’s son. Please help us find Tyler Fullington.
Gertner just nods, speechless for one of very few times, as we head back to ringside for our next match…
…
Match Two
‘Bulldozer’ Brian Lee vs. Monty Brown
Having learned his lesson from his loss to another dominant youngster in Samoa Joe, Brian Lee starts this one much more aggressive. He immediately takes it to Brown, even attacking him as he steps foot in the ring, which allows him to get Brown stuck in between stepping through the ropes and into the ring. Dazed after receiving a barrage of blows, Brown doesn’t move, and Lee charges at him… LEE KNOCKS MONTY LOOPY WITH A BOOT TO THE HEAD… SENDING BROWN TUBMLING TO THE OUTSIDE!!!
Lee doesn’t allow Brown anytime to recover, quickly exiting the ring and staying on the attack. The veteran picks Monty up to his feet, and lifts him into the air… BEFORE DROPPING BROWN THROAT AND CHEST FIRST ONTO THE GUARD RAIL!!!
As Brown collapses to the floor upon landing, Lee picks him up… AND DROPS HIM THE EXACT SAME WAY ON THE GUARD RAIL A SECOND TIME…
FOLLOWED BY A THIRD TIME AS WELL!!!
Monty is in a world of trouble on the outside, with Lee looking like the dominant one. To his credit, Brown continues to attempt to fight back, but he’s to weak at this point, and Lee is able to keep shutting it down. After softening Monty up further on the outside with some straight right hands, Lee grabs Monty by the hand… LEE IRISH WHIPS MONTY INTO THE RING STEPS!!!
NO!!! MONTY REVERSES AND PULLS LEE RIGHT INTO A SHORT DISTANCE POUNCE!!!
It doesn’t have the usual impact, but the fans mark out anyway, breaking out an “ECDUB” chant for The Pounce. The move still sent Lee flying and it allows Brown to be the first one to his feet for the first time tonight. Brown signals for the end, grabbing Lee… SETTING HIM UP FOR THE ALPHA BOMB INTO THE CROWD…
BROWN MOTIONS FOR SOME MORE FANS TO GET OUT OF THE WAY…
WHEN LEE MANAGES TO SQUIRM FREE…
AND THEN CATCH MONTY WITH A VICIOUS CHOKESLAM ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR!!!
The thud of body against concrete is sickening, as another “ECDUB” chant starts up. Realising he can’t win this one on the outside, Lee struggles to heave the dead weight of Monty up, eventually forcing him into the ring. Once back inside the ring himself, Lee lifts Brown up, wrapping his hand around his throat… NAILING ANOTHER CHOKESLAM!!!
NO!!! AS MONTY IS IN THE AIR… HE SPITS AT LEE!!!
The surprise is enough for Lee to relinquish his grip on Brown, instead focusing on wiping his face clean. This allows Brown to run and bounce off the ropes, building up a head of steam… BROWN NEARLY KILLS LEE WITH THE POOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUNCE!!!
BROWN LIES ON TOP OF LEE, STILL STRUGGLING HIMSELF…1…2…3!!!
Winner: Monty Brown
The fans cheer the result as that’s probably the most that Brown has been tested so far in ECW. He’s been put through the ringer tonight, Brown is visibly hurt, grabbing at both his neck and back after that nasty Chokeslam on the floor. Despite all of that, Brown celebrates the victory, before looking into the camera and reminding Eddie Guerrero that he’s coming for him…
…
Backstage, at the makeshift interview set is an irritated looking NEW JACK. Even though he’s not scheduled for action tonight, he’s still got his weapon loaded trolley by his side.
New Jack: I’ve had just about enough of going back and forward in ass whoopins’ with these Harris Twins. The way Cyrus handles things is complete bullshit and Paul E’s not doing things much better.
The gangster curls his upper lip, seemingly not happy with any of the authority figures in ECW at the moment.
New Jack: I’m not putting up with this to much longer. They keep the shit up, history goin’ repeat itself and ECW is going to go under again.
Probably a bit of an overexaggeration from Jack but he’s mad so whatever.
New Jack: I’ve made it clear what I want. I want the Harris Twins in a Handicap Match, but for some reason, Paul E won’t allow it.
The frustration is clear in Jack’s expression and tone.
New Jack: Hell, I want to beat the shit out of the Harris Twins and the whole Network tonight, but if Paul E isn’t gettin’ in the way, Cyrus won’t allow it.
Another shake of the head from the riled up OG.
New Jack: The way I see it, I’m not askin’ anymore. I’m gonna’ handle all the problems.
A glint of excitement appears in Jack’s eyes as he continues.
New Jack: To keep everybody out of my way, at the pay per view, I’m talkin’ Barely Legal, I’ll bring a partner.
He almost looks disappointed in himself for agreeing to having a partner, but he knows it’s the only way.
New Jack: I don’t know who it’s gonna’ be, I’ve got a few homies in mind. No mystery, no hype, no over the top surprise, but I’ll figure it out. I’ll find somebody and we’ll take on the Harris Twins.
Jack now takes a quick look over at his weapons.
New Jack: Only problem is Barely Legal is still one month away. As far as tonight goes, all these bullshit rules. I was told I’m not allowed out at ringside during the match, well I gots to wonderin’. What about before or after?
Leaving that hanging in the air, New Jack looks genuinely excited before walking away with his trolley…
…
Returning to ringside, standing inside the ring for the first time since being taken out just before Living Dangerously is CHRIS CANDIDO. The fans are giving him a positive reception, but he’s still in a neck brace, moving gingerly, apparently still injured from the sneak attack from The Second City Saints. Once the crowd start to hush, Candido pulls out a mic.
Chris Candido: When I came back to ECW, I thought things would be different. After all these years, I can’t believe it. The fact that Paul Heyman still lets the wrestlers run the company without any of Paul’s input is ridiculous. That negligence has led to my neck injury.
The fans give a mixed reaction for the disgruntled reaction from Candido. He furiously rips off his neck brace, throwing it to the floor, before rubbing his still fragile neck.
Chris Candido: But the cowards that attacked me didn’t finish the job. I’m almost 100%, and let me tell you, when I am, there’ll be hell to pay. I’m taking out Shane Douglas, and then without their fearless leader, I’m taking out the two new little shits he’s got at his side. Once that’s all done, then, whether it makes people happy or not, I’m coming for Heyman to teach him a lesson or two in proper booking.
Murmuring begins filling the arena quickly, and Candido thinks it’s related to his controversial comments on Heyman, but it’s not. Instead, THE FULL BLOODED ITALIANS HAVE COME THROUGH THE CROWD AND THEY ABSOLUTELY SWARM CANDIDO!!!
The Italians attack from behind, hammering away, paying close attention the Candido’s already damaged neck. The heat is heavy from the fans as the attack continued, with TRACY SMOTHERS stepping back and exiting the ring. Smothers isn’t showing mercy though, instead he comes back in, armed with a STEEL CHAIR!!!
SMOTHERS CRACKS THE CHAIR REPEATEDLY ACROSS THE BACK OF CANDIDO!!!
“ECDUB” chants ring out as Smothers then sets up the chair in a seated position. Wanting to prove himself to the group, JOHNNY ‘THE BULL’ STAMBOLI picks up Candido… AND LANDS A MAMALUKE DDT ONTO THE STEEL CHAIR!!!
Potentially more damage to the head and neck of Candido. The Italians stand tall, enjoying their moment, as we cut away…
…
Once again to the Eagle’s Nest where JOEY STYLES and JOEL GERTNER have some thoughts on what we’ve just seen.
Joey Styles: Surely even you’ve got to agree with me now, Joel. It really does seem all of Shane Douglas’ enemies have been taken out tonight thus far by the Full Blooded Italians. This can’t be a coincidence; there must be something very bad going on between the Triple Threat and The FBI.
Joel Gertner: I said it was a stretch earlier, and I don’t like to throw unfair accusations around, but even I have to admit, this is starting to look like collusion for sure.
With the commentary duo agreeing for a change, they send us to a break…
*COMMERCIAL BREAK*
Match Three
Sabu vs. Samoa Joe
A bit of a surprise match here. Bill Alfonso, who is not at ringside for this one, apparently requested this match as Sabu wanted to face one of the toughest in ECW to ready himself for his match with Jerry Lynn. It’s a compliment to Joe that in his short time here, he’s made such an impact that he was selected. Both men are pretty cagey in the early stages, not knowing the other well, and not wanting to make a mistake, until Sabu shows his familiarity with ECW… AS SABU THROWS A STEEL CHAIR DIRECTLY AT JOE’S HEAD!!!
The chair lands with authority, making a loud noise and taking a nice chunk of Joe’s forehead with it. Joe’s bleeding badly early on, but as his blood crosses his lips and he tastes it, it enrages him. Sabu tries to use his speed, but the furious Joe shows he’s explosive pace to catch Sabu. From here, Joe lets out all of his anger, really beating the hell out of Sabu. With Joe well in control, the fans begin to boo loudly, with Network members CW ANDERSON AND JERRY LYNN STEPPING ON STAGE TO GET A BETTER LOOK!!!
Sabu in trouble seems to make both men happy, as they whisper away into each other’s ears as the match progresses. Wanting to get revenge on Sabu for the chair shot earlier, Joe picks the same chair up and places it in a seated position. He then drags Sabu up by the hair before hoisting him high, placing him sitting on the top rope. After landing a few hard chops for good measure, Joe climbs up after Sabu. As Joe gets up, before he can steady himself, Sabu synchs in a modified Front Facelock… JUMPING SWINGING DDT ONTO THE STEEL CHAIR!!!
NO!!! JOE STOPS SABU WITH BRUTE STRENGTH…
BEFORE FALLING BACK… CONNECTING WITH A SNAP MUSCLE BUSTER THROUGH THE CHAIR!!!
Holy shit, what a spot. Thundering “ECDUB” chants can be heard, as Joe grimaces, but Sabu might be dead. JOE WASTES AS LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE, MAKING THE COVER…1…2…NO!!! SABU SOMEHOW GETS A SHOULDER OFF THE CANVAS AS THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT!!!
For the first time in his career, Joe looks genuinely shocked by an opponent’s resilience. Still, with a snarl, Joe drags Sabu up… AND APPLIES THE COQUINA CLUTCH!!!
NO!!! THE SWEAT ON SABU ALLOWS HIM TO SLIP OUT BEFORE IT’S APPLIED PROPERLY!!!
Sabu quickly hammers Joe with a few right hands, before running towards the ropes, and springboarding off them… MODIFIED AIR SABU CONNECTS ON JOE…
SENDING JOE TUMBLING THROUGH THE ROPES AND TO THE OUTSIDE!!!
Sabu remains down inside the ring, recovering from the punishment he’s taken so far. Joe stays down outside the ring, as CW Anderson and Jerry Lynn come down to get a closer look. No love lost for either competitor, Lynn and CW begin harassing Joe, making fun of him for not being able to bounce to his feet. CW even goes up to Joe when he makes it to his knees, and pushes him, causing Joe to fall back down. Seeing what’s happening, having now recovered, Sabu exits from the other side of the ring and grabs a second STEEL CHAIR.
Returning to the ring, Sabu sets the new steel chair in a seated position, before picking up the old, bent out of shape chair. Holding onto the chair, Sabu runs, jumps onto the other chair, then onto the ropes, and puts the other chair under his ass as he’s flying in the air… TRIPLE JUMP LEG DROP TAKES OUT ALL THREE MEN ON THE OUTSIDE!!!
Another one of Sabu’s awesome spots gains another “ECDUB” chant from the crowd. Sabu is the first to his feet, albeit still sore, and the next to his feet is the ECW Television Champion Jerry Lynn. LYNN AND SABU START BRAWLING AT RINGSIDE, NEITHER TAKING A BACKWARDS STEP!!!
With the unexpected brawl breaking out, it allows the crimson masking Joe to get back to his feet. Joe’s a badass and doesn’t give a damn about Sabu’s issues with anybody else. Joe turns the corner, AND JOE JUST FLATTENS SABU WITH A HUGE LARIAT!!!
Lynn quickly jogs away, not wanting any of Joe, who hunts around the ring, quickly finding a TRASH CAN. Once he returns to his opponent, Sabu had made it to his knees, so Joe places the trash can over Sabu’s head. JOE LANDS SOME HARD KNEES TO THE TRASH CAN, BEFORE SWITCHING TO SOME JUDO KICKS!!!
After a barrage of strikes from the deadly newcomer, Sabu finally collapses backwards, falling onto his back. In an incredible show of resilience, Sabu managed to sit back up relatively quickly… UNTIL JOE STEAM ROLLS HIM WITH A FRONT DROPKICK TO THE TRASH CAN!!!
This earns yet another “ECDUB” chant, as Joe finally rips the trash can off of Sabu’s head. After discarding the trash can, Joe grabs a hold of Sabu and rolls him back inside of the ring. Sabu gets to his feet valiantly as Joe follows him in, but Joe has his way, landing some stiff jabs, followed by a right to drop Sabu. Joe picks Sabu back up and Irish Whips him into the ropes, but when Sabu comes back, he uses the chair set up from earlier to leap into the air… FLYING HEADSCISSORS FROM SABU SENDS JOE FLYING THROUGH THE ROPES AND TO THE OUTSIDE!!!
The fans cheer loudly, appreciating the extraordinary effort from both men. With Joe dizzy and down on the outside, Sabu battles to his feet, only to be spun around and kicked in the gut out of nowhere. Sabu bends down to feel at his mid-section… AND JERRY LYNN NAILS SABU WITH THE CRADLE PILEDRIVER!!!
Boos reign supreme as Lynn rolls to the outside, reuniting with CW Anderson. Meanwhile, Sabu recovers and slides into the ring. He sees Sabu down, a little unsure, but Joe shrugs, not looking a gift horse in the mouth… JOE PINS SABU…1…2…3!!!
Winner: Samoa Joe
A mixed reaction greets the results, the fans unsure how to feel about the way Joe scored the win. As has become custom with his wins, Joe isn’t much of a celebrator, shrugging off the referee and noticing that Anderson and Lynn are laughing while walking back up the ramp. Grabbing his towel in a hurry, Joe exits the ring and begins storming up the ramp, potentially hoping to catch Lynn and Anderson and get into another scrap…
…
Backstage, our cameras focus in on a closed locker room door. The door swings open and first outsteps SHANE DOUGLAS, and one step behind him is FRANCINE. ‘The Head Cheerleader’ looks a little scattered, hair messy, and she’s wiping her mouth, almost as if there’s some substance on her face that she needs to clean off. After another beat, the door swings open again and THE FULL BLOODED ITALIANS all exit the locker room, big smiles on all their faces like Italy have just won the World Cup. Douglas turns to face them, a grateful look on his face.
Shane Douglas: Guys, thanks again for taking care of the business that needed to be done. I know we’ve already (takes a sideways glance at Francine) paid in full… But keep an eye out later on during the Pitbulls, Second City Saints match.
The FBI all nod in agreement, with Douglas then leaving Francine again only a step behind, looking like she’s been put to work tonight…
…
Back at ringside, SPIKE DUDLEY has already made his way to the ring. He paces the ring with a mic, not looking like he’s on acid for a change, meaning he’s not looking to be in the best of moods. The fans still cheer, but he doesn’t look in the mood, happy to start speaking over the crowd.
Spike Dudley: Last week I was confronted by Steven Richards and before I knew what was going on, I was being accused of knowing that my brothers were coming back to ECW.
Spike shakes his head, annoyed at last week’s proceedings.
Spike Dudley: I’ve got a few issues with the way last week went down so let me start by clearing the air. I know nothing of what Joel Gertner promised me. It’s all only noise as far as I’m concerned, because I’ve had no contact with my brothers or the World Wrestling Federation. Now that I’ve cleared the air, let me talk about a more pressing issue. I’m pissed off that I was treated the I was by a turncoat like Steven Richards. He might act all high and mighty now because he’s learned how to tie a tie, but I remember that he’s left ECW twice already.
The fans give some positive reinforcement, agreeing with Spike, until “Debonaire” plays for the second time tonight. Spike rolls his eyes as whilst it’s not the entire Network this time, he’s interrupted by arguably their two loudest mouths, CYRUS and STEVEN RICHARDS. The dastardly duo step into the ring, looking down on Spike, arrogance personified, with Cyrus opting to be the one to speak.
Cyrus: Ah poor little Spike, the demented runt of the Dudley litter. I must heed you fair warning, Spike, you’re talking really badass considering Big Dick isn’t in town this week.
Spike mouths “oh really”, and takes a step closer to Cyrus… WHEN FROM THE SIDE, RICHARDS SNEAKS A SUPERKICK OUT OF NOWHERE!!!
Richards has floored Spike for the second week in a row. The fans boo loudly as Cyrus hands the mic to Richards, and drags Dudley to his feet. As Cyrus holds Spike up, Richards gets right in his face.
Steven Richards: You didn’t listen to the first warning maybe you’ll listen to this one. You better get in contact with your brothers, or with the World Wrestling Federation. I don’t care how, but get in contact with somebody there, and give it to them straight. You tell them that it is in their best interests to stay out of Extreme Championship Wrestling.
No further punishment is inflicted as Richards drops the mic, just as Cyrus carelessly drops Spike. The two smirk, happy with their handiwork, relishing the heat from the fans before we cut away…
…
Next up a pre-taped interview is played, and we’re on location for this one. We’re inside a lavish looking home in Charlotte, North Carolina, which can only belong to one man and that’s RIC FLAIR. ‘The Nature Boy’ sits on a plush leather sofa, looking much calmer than the last time we saw him on ECW TV.
Ric Flair: I mentioned it last week but I’m still really sad that I’m not live and in person tonight in the ECW Arena. I couldn’t be at the ECW Arena because of my obligations with World Championship Wrestling. Legally, my hands are tied. I’m not sure when I’ll ever be able to grace ECW with my presence again because of WCW.
Flair furrows his brow, seemingly unhappy with being stuck in a contract with WCW.
Ric Flair: But mark my words, no matter how long it takes I won’t forget about my vendetta in ECW. We all know there’s an ongoing slow burning demise of WCW, and when the day comes that I’m a free man, all bets are off. Shane Douglas needs to watch his back because the petty, insignificant, stupid little feud that started way back when he was a ‘Dynamic Dude’ isn’t over. The feud that embroiled all the way into Douglas making a career for himself and calling himself ‘The Franchise’, isn’t over. But I know how it’s going to end. It’s going to end when the 16 time World Heavyweight Champion lays into him.
Even sitting on his comfortable, luxury couch, Naitch can’t help but get worked up, clenching his fists until his hands go white.
Ric Flair: Let me remind you, Douglas, you’ve done okay for yourself. You’ve beaten a lot of people in your career. It’s an impressive list, I’m talking Dreamer, Sandman, Taz and somehow even Shawn Michaels. It’s a good list but there’s one person you have never beaten, and that’s THE MAN!
Flair gets up, strutting around his living room like only he can.
Ric Flair: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Let me remind everyone who THE MAN is, The Nature Boy… RIC FLAIR… WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Red faced and passionate, Flair continues to strut around his house, hellbent on getting his hands on Shane Douglas sometime in the future. We just don’t know when…
*COMMERCIAL BREAK*
RAVEN is out first for the Handicap Match with Barely Legal implications. Once Raven is sitting in the corner of the ring in his usual, broody manner, “War Pigs” hits and THE HARRIS TWINS step through the curtain. Getting major heat from the fans, both DON HARRIS and RON HARRIS look extremely confident, knowing they’re going in with a huge numbers advantage. Before they make it down to ringside though, DON HARRIS GETS SMASHED OVER THE SKULL WITH A STOP SIGN!!!
BY NEW JACK!!!
Ron turns to react… AND RON COPS A TRASH CAN LID TO THE HEAD FOR HIS TROUBLES!!!
“ECDUB” chants ring out for the carnage, as Raven remains calm, almost disinterested in the corner of the ring. Jack digs into his trolley though, now pulling out a baseball bat. JACK STARTS LAYING INTO BOTH HARRIS TWINS WITH THE BASEBALL BAT!!!
It’s a gangland style beating here from ECW’s original gangster. The fans love the chaos, as New Jack begins focusing most of his attack on Don now. This allows Ron to stagger away, escaping the onslaught and rolling inside the ring. As Ron stumbles to his feet, completely dazed and confused, Raven stands up straight, remaining behind him and hitting the ‘Raven Pose’. The fans pop loudly for the cool moment, as Ron turns around to face Raven, eyes going wide in shock. Raven kicks Ron in the gut, and just as he does that… JACK LANDS ONE LAST BASEBALL BAT SHOT TO THE RIBS OF DON HARRIS!!!
Match Four
Handicap Match
Raven vs. The Harris Twins
Based on Raven landing the first shot on Ron, the ref decides that’s enough to call for the bell to signal the start of the match. Remembering the ruling, Jack takes one last look down at Don Harris, before throwing his baseball bat back in his trolley. Jack disappears from sight, not wanting to break the rules and lose the ability to fight The Harris Twins at Barely Legal. The kick to the gut was enough to drop Ron to his knees, who’s suffering the effects from Jack’s attack. This allows Raven to head to the corner of the ring, grab the stolen ECW Title and place it in the centre of the ring. Raven then grabs the head and neck of Ron… EVENFLOW DDT!!!
RAVEN HOOKS THE LEG…1…2…3!!!
Winner: Raven
The fans mark out for the win. Most expected this to be really risky for Raven and his ECW Title ambitions, but thanks to New Jack, it was a walk in the park. There’s a bit happening after the match here, as initially our focus is up the ramp. ‘Damage Control’ our to check on Don Harris, who is clearly struggling after being absolutely mauled with a baseball bat by New Jack. He is motionless, meanwhile inside the ring, Raven stands above brother, Ron, the stolen ECW Title in his possession, and Raven is now one week closer to actually legally owning the title…
…
We transition back up to The Eagle’s Nest, where JOEY STYLES and JOEL GERTNER have some further thoughts.
Joey Styles: I really thought the jig was up for Raven tonight. He has to be considered lucky that New Jack took care of his business. Without New Jack’s involvement prior to the match, as good as Raven is, I don’t think he or anybody could have survived a Handicap match against the Harris Twins.
Joel Gertner: As much as New Jack would try to convince you that he’d love to try, I couldn’t agree more, Joey.
They’re agreeing again, how strange. Anyway, let’s cut to a more interesting scene…
…
Next we head to the locker room that PAUL HEYMAN has decided to make his office tonight. He’s got another makeshift table set up, covered with paperwork, when THE BLUE MEANIE comes and leans over the table. Heyman looks impatient, not having the time for the interruption.
The Blue Meanie: Paul E, I can’t believe what’s happened here tonight. Look what happened to Chris Candido and look what happened to Tommy Dreamer earlier.
Heyman sees red, standing up, AND HEYMAN FLIPS HIS OWN DESK OVER… CAUSING ITS CONTENTS TO FLY EVERYWHERE!!!
Realising he’s set off the boss, The Blue Meanie smartly scurries away. Heyman begins to scan the locker room, noticing some wrestlers standing by, until he notices not sitting that far way from each other, the LATIN AMERICAN XCHANGE and the PHENOMENAL ANGELS. Still furious, Heyman enthusiastically points them all out.
Paul Heyman: You four, come over here…
Sharing a quizzical look, AJ STYLES, CHRISTOPHER DANIELS, HERNANDEZ and HOMICIDE all do what they’re told and approached the boss.
Paul Heyman: You all said this to me last week, and you’re all right. It’s your time.
They all nod, liking the way that sounds.
Paul Heyman: As you all know, there’s some current complications with the tag titles and the division meaning I can’t just give away title shots right away. I know you all want these title shots, and, well as of now, I’ve got an idea on how you can earn a title shot.
They’re hanging on Heyman’s every word now, very interested.
Paul Heyman: All you need to do is do me a favour first. At Barely Legal, you all need to deliver some comeuppance for me. If you can take out the Full Blooded Italians and stop this havoc, it’s a done deal. Both teams will get a Tag Title shot after the pay per view. No strings attached, whenever and wherever. What do you say?
There’s nothing to even ponder at this point for the youngsters.
Christopher Daniels: We’re in.
Homicide: Likewise.
Heyman looks content now, whilst the two teams who competed against each other last week, and both want the same thing, now stare at each other awkwardly. They need to put aside their differences and be a team…
…
Back at the interview set, for the first time in a longtime, is TAZ. He’s now in his wrestling singlet, ready to cut his first promo in the ECW Arena in two years.
Taz: This isn’t the same ECW as when I left in 1999. My opponent tonight Steve Corino is the perfect example of that. He was a cowardly, useless piece of shit when I left ECW, and I’m not saying he still isn’t those things, but look what else he’s evolved into now.
Whilst the words might seem complimentary on paper, Taz’s tone is not. He is actually shaking his head in contempt.
Taz: He’s now evolved into a cowardly, useless piece of shit who’s managed to politic his way into a main event spot. You see, that pisses me of, that’s not what ECW is about. I didn’t come back tonight to help Sabu or New Jack or Raven or Tommy Dreamer.
Taz screws up his face at the mention of each name. He isn’t a fan of any of them.
Taz: I came back to do what needs to be done. I came back because Steve Corino is the biggest pussy in the history of pro wrestling. If there’s anybody in the annals of Extreme Championship Wrestling that can shut him up and shut him down, it’s me. It’s the man who says fuck it all, it’s the ‘Human Suplex Machine’, it’s the man who says fuck the world.
A brutal promo from Taz, not holding back like usual.
Taz: Steve Corino, I’m going to choke you out, kid. I haven’t said this in awhile so in case you’ve forgotten listen closely… Beat me if you can…
Taz pauses, letting the old catchphrase sink in.
Taz: SURVIVE… If I let you…
Like only he can, the Redhook native continues to mean mug the camera, seemingly prepared for the main event. We’ve still got one match before it though, so we’ll head to a break and come back with that match…
*COMMERCIAL BREAK*
Before the next match, a video package airs, showing highlights of THE PITBULLS return to ECW last week. They came to the aid of TOMMY DREAMER, who was being attacked by THE SECOND CITY SAINTS during the Ric Flair Appreciation Ceremony…
…
Match Five
The Pitbulls vs. The Second City Saints
Both teams come out without Dreamer or Douglas, ready to go to war alone. Surprisingly, the match begins with both teams agreeing to treat this like a proper tap match, choosing their legal men to start the match. It’s Gary Wolfe and CM Punk who start things off. With a hint of arrogance, Punk wants to start with a Lock Up, most likely thinking he’ll have the technical advantage over The Pitbulls. Instead, Wolfe just overpowers Punk, pushing him into the corner, and then just dominating the rookie all around the ring after that. Eventually Punk is able to use his speed to somehow break free from Wolfe, before Irish Whipping him into the corner. Punk runs in after him… RUNNING KNEE INTO THE CORNER!!!
NO!!! WOLFE CATCHES PUNK…
AND SMASHES HIM TO THE CANVAS WITH A MODIFIED POWERBOMB!!!
The show of strength gets a big pop from the fans, as Wolfe heads over to the corner and tags in Durante. Wanting revenge for last week, Durante gets in just begins stomping the shit out of the downed Punk… BUT PUNK CATCHES DURANTE’S LEG AND GETS A GRAPEVINE!!!
PUNK USES IT TO TAKE DURANTE DOWN…
AND LOCK IN A FIGURE FOUR SHARPSHOOTER!!!
It’s an impressive sequence of events from Punk, whilst the fans urge the screaming Durante to fight out of the hold. Whilst it’s a modified version of his Figure Four, Punk lets out a “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”, which gets major heat from the fans.
Punk doesn’t care, giggling away, enjoying enraging the fans, until Wolfe comes into the ring illegally and hits a stiff boot to Punk’s face. The hold is broken to the delight of the crowd, and Wolfe quickly heads back to his teams corner. Struggling with his legs, Durante manages to get back to his feet, and he works over Punk with some basic strikes, before sending him to the corner of the ring. Durante hoists Punk into the air and places him in a seated position on the top rope. A few more right hands keep Punk in position, until Durante gets on the apron and begins climbing to the top rope… POTENTIALLY THINKING SUPERBOMB!!!
NO!!! CABANA COMES FROM NOWHERE ONTO THE RING APRON AND LEAPS THROUGH THE AIR… DRILLING DURANTE WITH A LARIAT!!!
BUT THE MOMENTUN SENDS BOTH CABANA AND DURANTE FLYING INTO THE CROWD!!!
Wow. It’s another huge moment and the fans that haven’t been decapitated by the flying bodies bust out an “ECDUB” chant. Whilst they remain down on the outside, Punk gently falls backwards from his seated position, ending up in a Tree Of Woe position. Punk can’t free his legs, stuck… WOLFE CHARGES AT HIM WITH A BASEBALL SLIDE DROPKICK!!!
NO!!! PUNK MANAGES TO PULL HIMSELF UP…
LEAVING WOLFE TO SLIDE CROTCH FIRST INTO THE RING POST!!!
The gasps from the audience can be heard, but so can the air completely leaving Wolfe’s body. Now Punk manages to free himself, picking up Wolfe… PUNK HITS THE WELCOME TO CHICAGO!!!
PUNK HOOKS THE LEG…1…2…NO!!! WOLFE GETS A SHOULDER UP!!!
On the outside of the ring, having come back over the guard rail, Cabana and Durante are getting their plunder on… UNTIL DURANTE SMASHES A STEEL CHAIR OVER COLT’S HEAD!!!
Cabana is out of it now, as the fans all chant carelessly for “ECDUB”. Durante uses this time to look around the ring, and going underneath it, eventually pulling out a TABLE. The fans begin buzzing in anticipation for a table spot, as Durante slides into the ring. As Punk and Wolfe are busy brawling away in the corner of the ring, it allows Durante to get in and set up the table in the middle of the ring. Now Durante’s able to join the fight, and in a two on one scenario, The Pitbulls just clobber the overwhelmed Punk. After softening him up, Wolfe sits himself up on the top rope. Durante lifts Punk up, handing over the sacrificial lamb to Wolfe… AND WOLFE COMES OFF THE TOP…
SUPERBOMBING PUNK THROUGH THE TABLE!!!
The epic moment gets the fans marking out, another “ECDUB chant breaking out, AS BOTH PITBULLS HIT THEIR TRADEMARK PIN ON PUNK…1…2…NO!!! PUNK WAS DONE BUT CABANA SOMEHOW GETS IN AND PULLS THE PITBULLS OFF THE COVER!!!
The Pitbulls are furious, with Durante deciding almost immediately that he’ll be the one to make Cabana pay. Wide eyed and scared out of his mind, Cabana quickly slides out of the ring. Durante follows and Colt runs up the ramp and towards the curtain, Durante giving chase and reaching out to catch him… WHEN SHANE DOUGLAS APPEARS FROM NOWHERE AND PUNCHES DURANTE’S LIGHTS OUT WITH A THICK STEEL CHAIN WRAPPED AROUND HIS HAND!!!
Douglas laughs out loud, ignoring the heat from the crowd, knowing their plan has worked here. With Durante out of it, Cabana nods at Douglas, and heads back to the ring. Wolfe meets him and hammers away, before turning to Punk and doing the same. He’s trying to take on both Saints alone, but when he turns back to Cabana, Cabana nails him with a Bionic Elbow. The blow causes Wolfe to stagger… RIGHT INTO A GROUNDED PEPSI PLUNGE FROM PUNK!!!
PUNK GETS ON TOP FOR THE COVER…
WITH CABANA PRESSING DOWN ON PUNK’S BACK FOR EXTRA LEVERAGE…1…2…3!!!
Winners: Second City Saints
Again, most would have expected The Pitbulls to win their return match so there’s a state of shock amongst the fans. The Second City Saints are all smiles despite their exhaustion, but they don’t get long to celebrate, with Shane Douglas dragging the now busted open Durante down the ramp. The Saints join Douglas outside the ring, and start inflicting a further beatdown on Durante, really messing him up. Whilst The Saints take care of Durante, Douglas has entered the ring… APPLYING A CAMEL CLUTCH USING THE CHAIN TO CHOKE OUT WOLFE!!!
On commentary, they stress about the already bad neck of Wolfe. Eventually, Douglas relents, only to coil the chain up on the mat. Picking Wolfe up… DOUGLAS NAILS A FRONT TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER ONTO THE CHAIN!!!
The Second City Saints join the gleeful Douglas in the ring, despite the sorry sight around them. The NEW Triple Threat celebrate together in the ring, the blood of The Pitbulls on their hands. The fans boo like crazy, and in somewhat of a surprise, there has been absolutely no sighting of Tommy Dreamer…
…
Back in The Eagle’s Nest, JOEY STYLES looks worried, whilst JOEL GERTNER looks impressed.
Joey Styles: This is a new, scarier, dangerous version of Shane Douglas than we’ve ever seen before. He has become even smarter in his time away from ECW. In turn, that leads to the Second City Saints being dangerous under the guidance of The Franchise.
Joel Gertner: I wouldn’t want to get on Douglas’ bad side…
They continue to think about the scary alliance between Douglas and The Saints as we cut away…
…
In an undisclosed location in the back, SID stands on his own, no Don West in sight. Eyes wide, sweat dripping from his hair, Sid looks more intense than usual tonight.
Sid: I’m not with Don tonight because I wanted to speak directly to Scott Norton. I’ve decided to turn down your invitation for a match at Barely Legal because you’re a piece of shit who is not the man. When I look in the mirror, I can confirm, I am the man.
Sid punches his own chest to further emphasise his point.
Sid: Look at all I’ve done. I’m a former WWF and WCW World Heavyweight Champion; I’ve done it all. You’ve done nothing but jobbed with Marcus Bagwell, jobbed with Ice Train and starred in a horrible arm-wrestling movie with Sly Stallone.
Sorry, Sly and Flash. Movie is awesome.
Sid: I’m not backing down at Barely Legal; I welcome you to show up at Barely Legal. I’m ready, and I promise if you do show up, you better be ready because what will ensue will not be a match.
Sid still looks wild eyes into the camera, apparently ready for Norton after all. We continue to look into his lights are on but nobody’s home eyes, as we cut to a break.
*COMMERCIAL BREAK*
Back from the break, we are in The Eagle’s Nest with JOEY STYLES and JOEL GERTNER one last time.
Joey Styles: Welcome back to ECW Hardcore TV. I never thought I’d be saying this, but still to come tonight, it’s Steve Corino versus Taz.
Joel Gertner: Not only is Taz back for one night only, but Corino has to win to remain in the ECW Championship match at Barely Legal. Earlier tonight, we saw Raven versus The Harris Twins and as of right now, before the main event, it’s still Raven vs. Steve Corino at Barely Legal for the ECW Title.
With one final shill, they send us to ringside for the main event…
…
Oh no, swerve. One more segment first. In a locker room in the back, CYRUS stands smugly, in front of DANNY DORING and ROADKILL, the ECW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS THE IMPACT PLAYERS and THE UNHOLY ALLIANCE. Despite the tension amongst the teams, they all behave themselves, waiting for Cyrus to begin.
Cyrus: I wanted to take this time to address the state of the tag team division with you three teams specifically. There are tons of tag teams right now in ECW, more than ever. So many that some of them have barely even appeared on television since the relaunch.
Cyrus pauses for a moment, with nobody really reacting to what he’s said so far.
Cyrus: My point is we can’t hold up the division forever, this competition between you three teams needs to be resolved. And the conflict between you all is going to be resolved in a Three Way Dance at Barely Legal. As The Impact Players are currently the champions, the winners of the match will be Tag Team Champions. On the other side of the coin, for the two losing teams, well, I can’t promise anything good.
Now all three teams look somewhat concerned, and Cyrus seems to like it, smirking slightly.
Cyrus: One final thing, to all of you just in case you lose, this could be your last opportunity. You may even want to start looking for work elsewhere.
Cyrus turns and leaves, having created further worry and concern amongst the teams…
…
Match Six
Steve Corino vs. Taz
Both men stand on either side of the ring, and the crowd is amazingly hot for this match. “ECDUB” chants ring out before any action, the fans are excited enough with the stare down. They start with a lock up, and quickly break down into some back and forth chain wrestling. Both men do pretty well, breaking even, showing some great technical wrestling skills amongst the two of them. After a while, both men battle back to their feet and Corino slips out of a Side Headlock, before bouncing off the ropes… BUT TAZ CATCHES HIM…
T BONE SUPLEX!!!
TAZ JUMPS ON THE COVER…1…2…NO!!! CORINO JUST KICKS OUT!!!
The fans are marking out as it’s the first time they’ve seen Taz throw somebody around in a match for a long time. Wanting to inflict more damage, Taz drags Corino up and lands a few hard right hands. Taz then sends Corino bouncing off the ropes, potentially looking to catch him with another Suplex… CORINO RUNS THROUGH TAZ WITH A LARIAT!!!
Wanting to end things, Corino stalks Taz, who shakes out the cobwebs and gets back to his feet. Corino grabs Taz… OLD SCHOOL EXPULSION!!!
NO!!! TAZ REVERSES…
AND LOCKS IN THE TAZMISSION!!!
NO!!! CORINO WRIGGLES OUT BEFORE IT’S COMPLETEY LOCKED IN…
HE GETS BEHIND TAZ…
APPLYING A COBRA CLUTCH!!!
Taz immediately tries to wriggle free the same way Corino did, but he’s unable to do so. Corino keeps the hold locked in, and Taz doesn’t drop to his knees but starts to get a little wobbly, losing strength… UNTIL TAZ KICKS BACKWARDS… NAILING CORINO IN THE BALLS!!!
A big pop comes from the fans, as Corino relinquishes the hold to grab at his nuts… TAZ POUNCES WITH A DDT!!!
TAZ HOOKS THE LEG…1…2…NO!!! CORINO GETS A SHOULDER UP!!!
Taz gets up and just starts punishing Corino now he remains on the canvas. He works over Corino’s legs and even lands the occasional shot to the groin, knowing how well it worked the first time. After inflicting further damage, TAZ LOCKS IN AN STF!!!
He applies as much pressure as possible, but to his credit, Corino fights and claws, and makes it to the ropes. As the referee enforces the clean break, Corino uses the bottom rope to further pull himself underneath and to the outside. Taz steps around the ref and walks briskly after Corino, looking to catch him… WHEN CORINO TURNS OUT OF NOWHERE AND JUST LEVELS TAZ WITH A LARIAT!!!
Suddenly, Corino has a second wind as he quickly grabs Taz and drags him towards the crowd barricade… CORINO DRIVES TAZZ’S FACE AGAINST THE STEEL BARRICADE… HUNTING FOR BLOOD!!!
Everybody is in shock at the rather not Corino like tactic. There’s something in this man’s eyes tonight though, as he then grabs Taz and yells, “I’M COMING FOR YOU RAVEN”!...
BEFORE DROPPING TAZ WITH AN EVENFLOW DDT ON TO THE CONCRETE FLOOR!!!
This garners an “ECDUB” chant from the fans, with Corino now slowly dragging Taz up, and forcing him back inside of the ring. ‘The King Of Old School’ follows in, but doesn’t go in for the kill, instead prancing around the ring, celebrating and frustrating the audience. Suddenly though, Corino turns to focus back on the task at hand and Taz is back up, looking completely unscathed. Corino sees that and shits himself, dropping to his knees, absolutely begging for mercy. Taz grabs Corino by his peroxide hair and just starts teeing off with right hands, clobbering the hell out of him. With Corino remaining on his knees, Taz bounces off the ropes, and takes him down with a modified Running Bulldog…
AND THEN IMMEDIATELY APPLIES A CROSSFACE UPON LANDING!!!
The agony in Corino’s eyes is clear for all to see, he’s in absolute agony. He raises his hand in the air, it’s clearly hurting him to no ends, but he doesn’t want to tap. Corino can’t make the ropes but manages to manoeuvre himself to scratch and claw at Taz’s face. Corino’s gouges Taz’s eyes, pulling at his nose, fishhooks his mouth. Taz still fights through it, holding, on, until Corino manages to get his fingers further in Taz’s eyes, eventually forcing Taz to break the grip. As Taz gets up, trying to rub his eyes clear, Corino quickly hits a Drop Toe Hold! Getting back to his feet, Corino heads to the corner, tuning up the band so to speak, which gets massive heat from the fans. Once Taz gets up… CORINO POUNCES WITH THE OLD SCHOOL KICK!!!
NO!!! TAZ CATCHES THE LEG…
SPINS CORINO AROUND…
AND HURLS CORINO ACROSS THE RING WITH A TAZPLEX!!!
“ECDUB” chants ring out for the epic move, as Corino ends up folded like an accordion in the corner of the ring. Taz drops back down to the canvas to though, unable to immediately capitalise, drained from the match so far. Taz crawls under Corino… PUSHING HIS LEGS UP FOR A MODIFIED PIN…1…2…3!!! NO!!! CORINO JUST MANAGES TO GET A HAND ON THE BOTTOM ROPE TO BREAK THE COUNT!!!
The near fall seems to waken something within Taz as he gets up looking pissed off. Taz assumed he would have finished off Corino by now. Taz sneaks around behind Corino, waiting for him to battle to his feet, and when he does… THIS TIME TAZ IS ABLE TO LOCK IN THE KATIHAJIME (TAZMISSION)!!!
It’s locked in firmer than last time, and this might be the end of this one. Slowly, with the chokehold applied, Corino falls to his knees, before weakening further, allowing Taz to get the Grapevine. With Corino fading, the referee raises Corino’s arm… IT DROPS ONCE…
CORINO’S ARM DROPS A SECOND TIME…
BUT SOMEHOW, CORINO KEEPS HIS ARM UP THE THIRD TIME!!!
Corino continues to shock everybody over the past few weeks with his resilience. He keeps the arm pumping, pulling himself over, and Corino grabs the ropes, forcing Taz to have to break the hold. Frustrated, Taz simply just throws Corino to the canvas, before heading outside the ring and grabbing a STEEL CHAIR.
Once returning to the ring, Taz lines up Corino, slamming the chair on the mat like he’s playing baseball. Once Corino gets up and stumbles around… TAZ NAILS CORINO WITH THE CHAIR IN THE SKULL!!!
NO!!! CORINO DUCKS…
AND THEN HITS AN OLD SCHOOL KICK… KICKING THE CHAIR OUT OF TAZ’S HANDS!!!
Taz is stunned briefly, shaking his stinging hands out, allowing Corino to get a kick to the gut… CORINO NAILS AN OLD SCHOOL BOMB OUT OF NOWHERE!!!
AN EXHAUSTED CORINO DROPS TO THE CANVAS, BASICALLY FALLING ON TOP OF TAZ…1…2…3!!!
Winner: Steve Corino
What a match! Both men remain down after the hard fought contest, whilst the fans are all on their feet, greeting the finish with a standing ovation. Corino eventually struggles to his feet, but has no time to celebrate, with “Come Out And Play” blaring through the PA system. Snapping into a more alert state, Corino searches around the arena, and Raven is eventually found on a high, looking down into the ring. Raven throws out his arms, getting a nice pop from the fans as he performs his patented pose, the stolen ECW Championship in his hand. Getting gutsier by the week, Corino slowly climbs to the top rope, screaming at the top of his lungs that “I’M READY FOR YOU NOW, RAVEN”!
The two continue to stare each other down, standing tall… WHEN JACK VICTORY ATTACKS RAVEN FROM BEHIND!!!
Up on the high rise, Victory seizes the advantage… AND THEN NAILS RAVEN WITH THE VICTORY ROLL!!!
The fans are in shock, as Victory stumbles back to his feet after having driven Raven into the concrete hard. He even grabs at his own back, clearly in great pain, but he understands he’s got a mission to accomplish. Victory reaches over and picks up the ECW Championship, leaving the high rise with the title. He rushes down to the ring, eventually able to slide in and meet up with Corino. Victory then presents the ECW Championship to Corino, who is absolutely beaming, and the two celebrate together, hooting and hollering as the scene fades to black…
…
Of course, the show isn’t over because we’ve got some PULP FICTION~! Our first scene shows THE FULL BLOODED ITALIANS standing in a locker room. Their leader, LITTLE GUIDO is shadow boxing, where as JOHNNY STAMBOLI, TONY MAMALUKE and TRACY SMOTHERS look like they are in the middle of some form of argument.
Sal E Graziano: We just need to keep it together. At Barely Legal, live on pay per view, those two white bread paisans teaming up with the two spicks don’t mean a thing.
Big Sal’s stablemates barely listen to him, continuing on with their argument.
Sal E Graziano: What’s their names… LAX, uh, Phenomenal Angels, come on. They need to fuhgeddaboudit.
Sal looks around, trying to inspire confidence, but the rest of the group are busy doing their own thing, so he stops. Instead, he grabs a slice of pizza and eats his troubles away…
…
Considering they were recently screwed out of their ECW Tag Team Championship rematch, DANNY DORING and ROADKILL don’t look to be in the best of moods.
Danny Doring: We haven’t made a lot of noise lately, but we’ve been silently stewing. We’ve been pissed off about the way things have been going lately.
Doring shakes his head, full of contempt, whilst Roadkill remains rather stoic.
Danny Doring: All of the misery and disappointment will be over for us soon. I’m gonna’ end it all and win back the tag titles with a WHAM, with a BAM and a THANK YOU, MA’AM come Barely Legal.
Doring looks intent, as Roadkill steps up, twisting his hands as if he were breaking a neck.
Roadkill: CHIIICKENS!!!
Both men stare into the camera, envisioning championship gold in their future as we cut away…
…
Somewhere, backstage, a beaten and bloody SABU is somehow standing. In typical fashion, he’s pointing up at the sky, although after a rough night, he’s barely able to hold his balance. Meanwhile, BILL ALFONSO blows into his whistle, red faced and fired up.
Bill Alfonso: We are going to take the head of Jerry Lynn…
Sabu doesn’t react or move, as Alfonso continues to blow his shrill whistle like only he can…
…
Without their crew, the ECW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS THE IMPACT PLAYERS stand in a random hallway, ready to get something off their chest.
Lance Storm: What we did last week at Hardcore TV 400 should be a pure indication of why we’re the best. We’re not just the best wrestlers; we are also the smartest and that’s why we are better than the rest.
Credible smirks, but Storm doesn’t, remaining serious for a minute.
Lance Storm: We’re the sum of two parts. I’m the best because I’m from Calgary, Alberta, Canada and that’s something nobody else in the Three Way Dance can say.
Storm smugly points to his t-shirt, which has a Mapleleaf on it.
Lance Storm: It’s the biggest professional wrestling hot bed in the world. Calgary is much better than Lancaster, PA, and it’s much better than the Jersey Shore or Tokyo, Japan.
Agreeing with everything his partner has said, Credible is all smiles, arrogantly chewing his gum.
Justin Credible: And in case you’ve forgotten, we’re not just great. No, we’re not just awesome, we’re more than that, we’re JUST INCREDIBLE!!!
Credible hits his signature line and The Impact Players are content as the scene ends…
…
Moving through a hallway in the back, both looking worse for wear, RON HARRIS is helping a groaning DON HARRIS through the back. The camera follows them and Ron is furious once he notices.
Ron Harris: That black waste of space is going to die. I don’t care what Paul or Cyrus have to say. After what he did to my brother, next week, when it comes to New Jack, we’re killin’ ourselves a Nope.
Geez, these are difficult to write. Ron lays down the ultimate threat, but surely not even authority figures and people behind the scenes in ECW will be happy with what’s said here. Either way, Ron continues to struggle to help his brother, now pie facing the camera out of the way…
…
THE UNHOLY ALLIANCE is in a random area in the back, but things don’t look rosy between the trio. MIKEY WHIPWRECK looks really nervous, TAJIRI is shouting in incoherent Japanese, and even THE SINISTER MINISTER looks concerned with the news Cyrus released earlier.
The Sinister Minister: … FUCK… I don’t know what else to say, Mikey… This isn’t what I planned. This is not good...
Seeing TSM seem somewhat defeated looks to freak out Mikey and Tajiri more. The Unholy Alliance do not look to be in the best frame of mind right now…
…
And our final scene shows JACK VICTORY kneeling in front of STEVE CORINO. These are on top of the high rise Raven frequented earlier, and Victory is once again handing Corino the ECW Title. Completely mocking his opponent for Barely Legal, Corino stretches his arm out in the Raven pose, holding his newly possessed title tightly.
Steve Corino: Quote Corino… Never More…
ECW title in his hand, Victory cheering him on, Corino finally looks at peace with the world as the show fades to black…
*END OF SHOW*
ECW Barely Legal
April 15th, 2001
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
ECW Arena
ECW World Heavyweight Championship Match:
Raven vs. Steve Corino
ECW Television Championship Match:
Jerry Lynn (c) defends against Sabu w/Bill Alfonso
ECW World Tag Team Championship Match;
Three Way Dance:
The Impact Players (c) vs. Danny Doring and Roadkill vs. The Unholy Alliance
Tag Team Match:
New Jack and ??? vs. The Harris Twins
Eddie Guerrero vs. Monty Brown
Eight Man Tag Team Match:
Latin American Xchange and Phenomenal Angels vs. The Full Blooded Italians
Scott Norton confronts Sid
