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The Gimmick comes out for the PPV Report swinging a chair!
Wed, 15 June 2005
by: The Gimmick
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12/6/2005
The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, NY
OH MY GOD!!!! Can it be true? ECW is back on PPV, and back in a big way. From the moment I heard the rumor months ago about an ECW PPV, I had visions of barbed wire, blood and good old fashioned wrestling, dancing through my sick head. The one problem I thought would ruin it would be too much of a WWE influence throughout the show. Now although WWE superstars were present during most of the proceedings, it didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment I got from this show.
The PPV opened with an introduction of the best play by play man from the last 10 years, (& I am not blowing smoke with that statement) Joey Styles, to the ring. He got on the mic, and with tears in his eyes, introduced his co commentator for the night and hardcore legend Mick Foley to the ring. I got goose bumps watching just the introduction of Styles, and not just because it’s winter either.
OPENING MATCH
LANCE STORM w/ DAWN MARIE Vs “LIONHEART” CHRIS JERICHO
Yes Y2J for one night transformed back to his ECW moniker Lionheart. Also apparently this was to be Lance Storm's final match ever. BTW Dawn Marie looked awesome! This was a match between 2 former tag team partners from the old SMW territory. They were then known as the Thrill Seekers, and after seeing this match they showed they still knew each other very well. If you have only ever seen Lance from WWE TV, then you are really missing out on a great wrestler as this match proved. It was a great opening match and true to the ECW tradition with both guys doing everything they could to get the V. The end came too quickly when Jericho had Storm in the Walls of Jericho as Dawn Marie distracted the ref. Then out of nowhere, former partner Justin Credible and stable mate Jason hit the ring. They broke up the hold and Jericho was then greeted with a savage shot to the head by Credible and his Singapore Cane. Storm covered him for the 3 count.
WINNER: LANCE STORM
After the match the former Impact Players embraced and posed maybe one last time for the crowd. Pitbull Gary Wolfe then came on the screen to show a video package of the fallen brothers of ECW who have contributed to the product over the years. Including, Rocco Rock, Terry Gordy, The Original Sheik, Mike Lozansky (Crash Holly), Pitbull Anthony Durante, Big Dick Dudley and Chris Candido. A nice touch!
INTERNATIONAL 3 WAY DANCE
TAJIRI w/ THE SINISTER MINISTER & MIKEY WHIPWRECK Vs LITTLE GUIDO w/ THE FBI Vs SUPER CRAZY
This was elimination style and it may have been short but it was sweet. All 3 guys hit hard and fast until crazy took Guido into the crowd and hit an unbelievable moonsault from the balcony. Joey Styles went crazy as did almost everyone. Crazy turned his attention to Tajiri inside the ring as the FBI attacked him and Big Guido went for a powerbomb on Tajiri. As Little Guido was perched on the top rope Tajiri hit him with the green mist as the Sinister Minister low blowed the Bigger Guido. Mikey scrambled in and hit Little Guido with a big Whippersnapper which allowed Tajiri to eliminate Guido. Jeez, even in ECW Guido gets beat! We’re down to 2 and it ended all too quickly. Crazy ended up setting Tajiri up for the triple Moonsault. As he went for the third one, Mikey stopped him dead. Tajiri went for the Buzzsaw kick, but Crazy ducked it and hit a powerbomb before hitting a moonsault for the win.
WINNER: SUPER CRAZY
If Super Crazy doesn’t get picked up by WWE after that, he never will.
EXTREME LUCHADORE MATCH
PSYCHOSIS Vs REY MISTERIO
Old ECW fans would know that these two practically started the Lucha-Libre style of wrestling in the USA when both were in ECW some 10 years ago. Again this match was fast both in speed and in time but again it was awesome. And much like the first match these 2 know each other better than a priest knows an alter boy, but not in that way. Psychosis started a bit slow but gained a big upper hand over Rey including hitting a massive Psycho Guillotine Legdrop from the top to the outside whilst Rey was hung over the guard rail. UN’ FREAKING’ BELIEVABLE! Later Psychosis went for an avalanche but missed and ended up over the guard rail. Rey went for the kill and hit Psychosis with a flying senton, clearing the guard rail. He rolled Psychosis into the ring, hit the 619 (to a round of boo’s) and then the west coast pop for the 3 count.
WINNER: REY MYSTERIO
The Smackdown crew entered to a huge round of boo’s and other boorish chants directed at them and their extra curricular activities. What does you suck deck mean? Roadkill and Danny Doring were on screen but were cut off quickly. Damn apprentices! Anyway we are taken to a video of some of ECW’s greatest moments. Great memories!
Joel Gertner made his way to the Smackdown balcony but was chased out quickly by both Kurt Angle & JBL. They then began to dish out verbiage to ECW fans and the product when JBL was finally interrupted by “The Whole F’N Show” Rob Van Dam. RVD basically began to shoot on his character in ECW then in WWE, and he wasn’t kind to the WWE / RVD product. Just then “The Big F’N Show” Rhyno hit the ring and gored RVD hard and took off RVD’s knee brace and worked over his recently surgically repaired knee when the lights went out. Damn Vince, can’t you pay the light bill on time? This would’ve never happened on a WWE PPV. The lights are back on. WTF!!! IT”S SABU!!!
 | | Dead man flying |
IMPROMPTU MATCH
RHYNO Vs SABU
This was a great example of why ECW was, and still is a remarkable wrestling organization. Rhyno looked awesome and Sabu apparently was back after 9 months in hospital. Rhyno got the early advantage but Sabu came back with a hard chair shot to the head sending him to the outside. Air Sabu!!! Sabu then tried to put Rhyno through a table but was stopped and sent back in the ring. Rhyno hit hard, and Sabu flew but neither could get the win till Rhyno went for the Gore, but instead hit the ref. RVD came back in and hit Rhyno with a chair, then hit him with the running Van Daminator in the corner. If RVD’s knee is legit stuffed then he is one tough SOB. Both RVD and Bill Alfonso then set Rhyno up on a table in the ring. Sabu came off the top rope and hit Rhyno with an Arabian Skull Crusher through the table that would bring a tear to a glass eye.
WINNER: SABU
After the match both Sabu & RVD embraced as we go backstage with Al Snow with Head. He introduces another ECW memory video package packed with hard hits and other bits. Again, incredible memories!
Bischoff and his RAW group arrive and join up with the Smackdown guys.
CHRIS BENOIT Vs EDDIE GUERRERO
This match could have been the best match ever, but due to time restraints only went as far as an awesome match. The match was a typical Benoit or Guerrero match so you all know what I’m talking about. For about 15 minutes both men beat the crap out of each other and some nice “F U Bischoff” chants from the fans during the match. Guerrero finally went a rollup, but only got a 2 count when Benoit quickly clamped on the crossface and eventually made Eddie tap out.
WINNER: CHRIS BENOIT
MIKE AWESOME Vs MASATO TANAKA
When I found out this match was included on the PPV I drooled & drooled hard. Knowing how good their matches had been in the past this was sure to be a hardcore classic. For most of the match, Joey Styles verbally abused Awesome for the way he left ECW back in the late 90’s as champion. It didn’t sound like a work either. Anyway, these two men destroyed one another and the match also included some of the best table spots I’ve seen in along time, including one outside Awesome Bomb from the apron. It was Awesome! I can’t believe how tough Tanaka is and the finish proved it. Awesome hit a huge Awesome Bomb over the top rope and through a table, then leaped over the top and onto a fallen Tanaka for the win. Btw, I loved that Awesome was able to come to the ring with his regular ECW music. A nice touch!
WINNER: MIKE AWESOME
Back to the ring and the famous ECW music is blared over the PA and out walks the mad professor himself: Paul E Dangerously. With tears in his eyes and a huge crowd cheering him, he said he was going to take the high road and just say thank you, but thought against it. And boy did he let some have it. He rubbed it into Bischoff that there was no WCW reunion PPV. He spotted Edge and told everyone to “hide their wives”, to which a huge “You screwed Matt” chant broke out. And finally told JBL that the only reason he was WWE champion, was because Triple H didn’t wanna work Tuesday nights. WOW! It’s a good thing Paul’s no longer under WWE contract, although I doubt Vince would get upset about any of that.
THE DUDLEY BOYZ Vs TOMMY DREAMER & THE SANDMAN | | Raise your hand if you love Buttonhole |
This match didn’t look like it was gonna start at one point. The Dudleyz made their way out to a huge response. Next was Dreamer to an equally huge pop. Finally The Sandman came through the crowd to the classic Metallica song and his theme “Enter Sandman” which had almost everyone in the arena singing along word for word, as The Sandman drank beer and smashed the cans on his head. It was an unbelievable entrance that I won’t forget anytime soon. Just the match was about to get underway, The BWO hit the ring and in classic BWO fashion, told everyone they were taking over. When and where I’m not too sure but it’ll happen. Then bang! Stevie hits The Sandman with the Stevie Kick and the BWO help The Dudleyz attack Dreamer and Sandman. Kid Kash hit the ring but was tossed out quickly as Axl Rotten & Balls Mahoney come in and even up the odds. With all the guys brawling outside the ring, Kid Kash climbs back in and launches himself off the referees back and takes everyone out with a huge somersault plancha. Bubba and Dreamer get in the ring and the bell finally rang to start the match. For the next 10 or so minutes blood was spilled and tables and chairs were used, along with the classic cheese grater. Sandman & Dreamer put both Dudleyz in figure four leglocks, when The Impact Players came back and Justin Credible gave The Sandman the “That’s Incredible” on a roll of barbed wire. They then picked up Tommy Dreamer and Francine hit the ring and gave Dreamer a low blow. This brought Beulah to the ring. CATFIGHT!! Beulah and Tommy cleaned house of Francine, Credible and Storm, and then disposed of The Dudley Boyz. The Sandman comes back in and we’re back at it again. Again the action is hard and fast until Tommy fell victim to a 3D. As Bubba got a table, little Spike Dudley (in classic ECW garb) hit the ring and handed Bubba the lighter fluid. Bubba doused the table in fluid, D-Von lit it and then they hit Tommy with a huge powerbomb through the flaming table for the 3 count. OH MY GOD!!!!!
WINNERS: THE DUDLEY BOYZ
After the match The Sandman asked someone for a beer and Stone Cold Steve Austin hit the ring. He asked all the ECW guys to come down to ring for a drink and challenged the WWE crew to come down as well for a fight. Both faction were on either side of the ring and about to fight, but not before the Human Suplex Machine: Tazz came down and was eyeing off Kurt Angle. All hell broke loose as Tazz hooked on the Tazz-mission on Kurt on the outside of the ring while the others fought inside. ECW cleared the ring and Austin told Mick Foley to bring Bischoff, who had just come to the broadcast booth, to the ring. He then got beaten down with a 3D, a Benoit flying head-butt and a 619. Austin then gave Bischoff the Stunner and The Dudleyz threw Bischoff out of the building and the ECW guys celebrated in the ring until the end of the broadcast.
I don’t know if it was the starvation factor but this ECW PPV was one of the best PPV’s I had seen in a long time. After seeing this, if anyone says this product isn’t viable they’re dreaming. The only thing that would have made this better is if guys like Shane Douglas, Raven, Terry Funk, Too Cold Scorpio and others who made ECW what it was, were there. But other than that it was huge. The crowd was as hot as any I’ve ever seen and Joey Styles proved why he is the king of commentators.
And remember; never trust a midget or anyone with 2 first names.
by: The Gimmick
Email the Author
More articles by The Gimmick
The Gimmick has a sneaking suspicion that this won’t be the last time we see or hear those three magical letters; ECW, ECW, ECW! | |
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