ECW Eastern Championship Wrestling (April 19, 1993)

 Original Airdate: April 19, 1993 (taped March 12)

From Radnor, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Jay Sulli, Terry Funk, and Stevie Wonderful. Eddie Gilbert comes out during the introductions to offer Funk an apology for his behavior over the last few weeks, but Terry isn’t buying it

ECW Tag Team Title Match: The Super Destroyers v Super Ninja and Canadian Wolfman: Super. The Destroyers attack while still wearing their title belts, and they isolate Wolfman. And man, this Canadian looks absolutely horrible. And I'm not talking his physical appearance (which is also horrible), but he's working so loose that I'm not sure he's even properly trained. The way he takes a powerslam is particularly embarrassing. The Destroyers finally get tired of Wolfman and force a tag to Ninja (who, like the Destroyers, is a masked man dressed all in black), and I'm guessing the only reason he's not part of their crew is that he's not fat enough. They put Ninja away with a senton splash at 3:52. The Destroyers are actually a pretty energetic team, but they book them to go for too long with these squashes. These need to be more like mid-80s Road Warrior matches that last forty seconds. Afterwards, Funk tries to talk to manager Hunter Q. Robbins III, but Eddie Gilbert returns to attack Funk with a chair. Terry said he didn't trust Gilbert's apology, and clearly he was right. But then, maybe it's a chicken and egg thing. Maybe if Funk had graciously accepted Terry's apology this never would have happened. ¼*

ECW Television Title Tournament Semifinal Match: Jimmy Snuka v Tommy Cairo: Gilbert is in Snuka's corner. He runs over to the commentary table as the match gets started, doing an impression of Funk that's actually pretty funny, though Sulli trying to channel Gorilla Monsoon does not work at all. He doesn't have the gravitas. Meanwhile, something much less entertaining is happening in the ring, where they feel each other out in dull fashion. Cairo dominates with a headlock, but Snuka takes a jab to the throat to escape, and take over. Jimmy dumps him over the top, where Gilbert abandons his Funk impression long enough to beat on Tommy. He rolls him back in, where Snuka is waiting with a piledriver for two. Tommy randomly gets fired up and starts making a comeback, and a backelbow gets him two, so Gilbert gets involved, but it backfires. Cairo with a fisherman's cradle, but the referee is bumped, and now Johnny Hotbody runs in on Cairo. This is just not Tommy's night, is it? Cairo fights him off, but that allows Snuka to recover, and the Superfly Splash finishes at 5:19. This was a bad match, with way too much going on. Not bad, is Gilbert's post-match promo. DUD

ECW Television Title Tournament Semifinal Match: Eddie Gilbert v Glen Osbourne: I dig Eddie's act, but he's been in every single segment of the show thus far, and they need to cool it with him a little. And he's talking again, cutting a promo on how beautiful his valet (Tigra) is, before moving on to Osbourne. He offers Osbourne the night off to go spend time with his kids, but Glen doesn't take the bait. At least Godfather knew how to make an offer the right way. Osbourne dominates, knocking Gilbert to the outside early, where Eddie stalls. I'm not clear what the point is supposed to be here. Gilbert is out in the last match managing and helping Snuka advance, and now he's here trying to face him in the finals. All while feuding with Terry Funk, and trying to get Tigra over. Too much, too much. Eddie suckers him, and dumps Osbourne to the outside for a show into a table, as Wonderful notes that ECW is 'not for everyone.' It's hard to imagine that simply ramming a dude into a table used to be considered pretty hardcore. Glen beats the count in, so Gilbert works a chinlock, as the announcers declare this a 'wonderful wrestling match.' There's puffing, and there's just flat out lying, and I think we all know what side of the fence that's on. Eddie works the chinlock for several minutes, but the arm only drops twice, and Osbourne fights to a vertical base. Criss cross sees both guys get knocked silly, and Osbourne makes his comeback as they recover. Eddie pulls out the brass knux to fight him off, and he knocks Osbourne out for the pin at 6:49. Sulli immediately goes to the referee like a fucking tattle tale, and the official busts Gilbert with the knux in his tights, and reverses the decision. Um, what? So what if he has them, you didn't see him use them, you don't call what you don't see. Eddie goes after Sulli after the match, but Funk returns with a chair, exacting some revenge from earlier, and chasing Eddie off. And hopefully that's it from Eddie Gilbert for tonight. ¼*

Rockin' Rebel v Frank Cody: Rebel is out wants to know why Peaches gave Sandman a kiss last week, because he wants one, too. You know it's 1993 because he calls attention to his mullet as a supposed selling point. She slaps him in the face, however, so Rebel takes it out on Cody - blitzing him, and finishing with a spinebuster at 0:23. Afterwards, he goes after Peaches again to teach her a lesson for slapping him, but ECW Champion Sandman runs in to make the save. That draws Tigra out to claw at Sandman's eyes, allowing Rebel to break Sandman's surfboard over his head. If you're going to do that spot, at least swing it like you mean it. DUD

ECW Television Title Match: Jimmy Snuka v Glen Osbourne: ECW Commissioner Tod Gordon joins us on commentary for this one, and Gilbert's back in Snuka's corner again. Well, we made it one segment. They try to give this a big match feel, but the tournament has been such a wreck so far that it's hard to buy it. They feel each other out a bit to start, before getting into a big criss cross, with Osbourne armdragging him down for an armbar to control. Another criss cross ends in Glen clotheslining him over the top, so Gilbert distracts him, allowing Snuka to sneak attack and turn the tide. Bodyslam, but Osbourne reverses, and adds an elbowdrop for two. That draws Eddie back onto the apron, and idiot Osbourne falls for it again. This time the referee gets bumped, allowing Gilbert to come in and attack directly, and Snuka capitalizes with the Superfly Splash at 4:04. But where's Jay Sulli now? Come on, bud, tattle! Tattle! DUD

Wonderful goes backstage to check on Sandman, but Peaches answers his dressing room door, shooing Stevie away

BUExperience: Do you like Eddie Gilbert? Then boy is this the show for you! In all seriousness, Gilbert and Funk continue to be the best part of the show, but they way overplayed the Eddie hand this week. Still the best episode so far by a good margin, though, as things start to take some direction.