ECW Eastern Championship Wrestling (April 12, 1993)

Original Airdate: April 12, 1993 (taped March 12)

From Radnor, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Jay Sulli, Terry Funk, and Stevie Wonderful. Wonderful again tries to bring Eddie Gilbert onto the commentary team, but Funk chases him off

ECW Television Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Glen Osbourne v Johnny Hotbody: Hotbody's shtick is annoying after ten seconds, and not in a good way. Like, I don't want to see Glen beat him up, I just don't want to see him, period. Feeling out process to start, dominated by Glen until Hotbody bails. Back in, Glen takes it to the mat with a headlock, but Hotbody keeps countering to a headscissors until he can throw a clothesline for two. Hotbody works a chinlock, and a German suplex gets him two, so he dumps Glen to the outside. Hotbody follows for a vertical suplex on the floor, and he dives off the apron with a shoulderblock, before taking it back inside for a sleeper. The referee gets bumped in the process, but Hotbody doesn't really seem to care, and piledrives Glen in stride. He sets up a superplex, but Tommy Cairo shows up to shove him off (kinda), and Glen hits a flying splash to advance at 7:57. This was fine. Afterwards, Funk gets words with Glen at ringside, and we see a couple of the guys who would later become staples of the ECW crowd hanging around. They'd get much better seats later. *

Larry Winters and Tony Stetson v Chris Michaels and Samoan Warrior: Michaels looks like he's channeling both Stan Lane and Rockers era Shawn Michaels here, and he's the only one of the four who looks like a proper wrestler. Larry and Chris start, doing some basic exchanges, until Tony tags in, and totally blow a swinging neckbreaker on Chris. That looked terrible, though I'm not sure it was all Tony's fault. Stetson with a gutwrench suplex, and he clotheslines Chris over the top, before tagging Larry to help bring him back in with a tandem vertical suplex. They keep working Chris over with quick tags, until Warrior finally throws a cheap shot from the apron to turn the tide, and Michaels capitalizes with a series of elbowdrops on Tony. Tag to Warrior, but he misses a clothesline, and eats a bulldog from Tony... but of course that doesn't work. Rookie mistake, Tony. But then Warrior misses a charge in the corner anyway, and Larry tags back in to hit him with a backdrop. Larry pulls Chris back into the ring, and a combo finish him off at 5:05. I wouldn't say any of these four are good workers, but they were trying, and it was certainly energetic. Afterwards, Hunter Q. Robbins III comes out to talk shit about the winners, leading to a brawl with ECW Tag Team Champions The Super Destroyers. * ¼

ECW Title Match: Sandman v Kodiak Bear: Not an actual bear, sadly. Peaches (at this point just a ring attendant) forces a kiss on Sandman to start their storyline. Bear complains that the champ is pulling the tights in the early going, which is a weird way to book a big heavy literally named after a wild animal. Sandman works a wristlock and hooks a schoolboy for two, but Bear manages to gain control, and he ropechokes the champion. Bear unloads in the corner, but an avalanche misses, and Sandman clotheslines him down. That allows the champ to dive with a missile dropkick, and a slingshot shoulderblock leads to a cobra clutch at 4:39. Well, we now know why Sandman never became known for his high flying offense, that's for sure. DUD

ECW Television Title Quarterfinal Match: Eddie Gilbert v JT Smith: Gilbert blitzes him at the bell, dumping Smith to the outside, and whacking him with a chair out there. Gilbert adds a clothesline on the floor, and he rams Smith into a table, before taking the brawl into the crowd. Well, the area where a crowd would be if there as a crowd - I think the Performance Center shows have more people in the building than they do here. Gilbert continues destroying the guy, but Smith starts fighting back as they head inside, and a cross corner whip leads to a clothesline. Smith with a fallaway slam to set up a flying moonsault, but Gilbert dodges, and drills him with a clothesline. Snapmare sets up an elbowdrop, but Smith dodges, and knocks Gilbert to the apron with a big right hand. He tries a side suplex to bring it back inside, but Eddie pops him with a foreign object, and topples for the pin at 4:32. Gilbert looks like a star, especially with this crew. *

Tommy Cairo v Super Ninja: We're joined in progress, with Ninja pounding on him, and it looks like even the tiny crowd they drew for this has mostly already left. Can't really say I blame them. Cairo makes a comeback in the corner, and hits a spinheel kick, then cross corner whips Ninja to set up a corner backelbow. Ninja goes to the eyes to buy time, but a charge in the corner gets caught with a suplex - only for Johnny Hotbody to run in and attack Tommy before he can get the pin - drawing a DQ at 1:47 shown. ¼*

Funk brings Tod Gordon out to hype up the rest of the TV title tournament

BUExperience: So… when does it start getting good…?