ECW Eastern Championship Wrestling (May 25, 1993)

Original Airdate: May 25, 1993 (taped April 3)

                                                          

From Radnor, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Jay Sulli and Stevie Wonderful

Super Destroyer #3 v HD Ryder: So Salvatore Bellomo is now one of the Super Destroyers, though he doesn't even have Hunter Q. Robbins with him. Destroyer takes him down for a kneedrop right away, and works a hammerlock for a moment. I'm not getting this angle at all, and the horrible commentary team is not helping. Ryder misses a charge in the corner, and Destroyer uses a bodyslam to set up a splash at 3:30. Afterwards, the other Super Destroyers come out, and apparently they're none too thrilled with Bellomo's change of gimmick, and express their feeling via beating. Well, at least they're expressing themselves. DUD

 

ECW Tag Team Title Match: Larry Winters and Tony Stetson v The Suicide Blonds: Big brawl to start, ending in the champions cleaning house. Dust settles on Larry and Sir Christopher Candido, and Winters wins a criss cross with a monkeyflip. He grabs a headlock, so Candido forces another criss cross, only to lose. Over to Tony for a kneedrop, and a jumping clothesline follows. Back to Winters for a superkick to set up a headbutt drop to the groin, and Larry adds an atomic drop. The champs pinball Candido in their corner for a bit, but Chris manages to fight them off long enough for the tag to Sir Jonathan Hotbody. Hotbody with a vertical suplex on Winters for two, and a sidewalk slam is worth two. Back to Candido for a snapmare to set up a legdrop for two, but Hotbody telegraphs a backdrop, and eats a DDT. Larry makes a comeback, but the referee gets bumped while he tries a corner splash, and Roseanne Barr the door. Hotbody gets hold of a chain during the chaos, and he clocks Winters with it for the pin at 5:57. I'm all for this title change since the Blonds are at least not embarrassing to watch work like Winters and Stetson. ¾*

 

Tod Gordon - whose title seems to change from week to week - is out to introduce a new tape from Terry Funk, but Paul E. Dangerously shows up to object. And kinda do a Roddy Piper impression. Too bad we never got Piper in 95-97 ECW. Funny line in here, as Gordon talks about how ECW is going to grow, and Paul will be begging to work for the promotion by the end. Well, he was partially right

 

Don Muraco v Ernesto Benifico: Wonderful seems to think Benifico's name is Buttafuco. And he might as well be, considering how little mind Don pays him. I mean, he doesn't stop to eat a sandwich, or anything, but he does stop to take a call on Paul's cell phone. Muraco with a tombstone at 2:31. This was really lazy, even by Muraco squash standards. DUD

 

And now we get the Terry Funk video, as he continues to phone in his promos for Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular. Not that there's anything wrong with that, variety is good. This week, the Eddie Gilbert dummy gets killed with a tractor as Funk laughs it up like a complete maniac. In a good way

 

Tommy Cairo and JT Smith v Max Thrasher and Canadian Wolfman: Smith and Thrasher couldn't co-exist as a team last week, so now this. Hey, follow-up. I can dig it. Tommy and Max start, and Cairo dominates with a suplex for two. Tag to Wolfman, but Tommy is ready with another suplex for two, and he adds a bodyslam to set up a legdrop. Tag to Smith for a sloppy spinkick, and he uses a suplex of his own on the Wolfman. Smith with a jumping clothesline for two, followed by a standing dropkick, but JT lets him tag out so he can get Max. "This is what we've been waiting for," the announcers say as if we're getting Hogan/Warrior criss crossing in the Rumble, or something. And then literally nothing happens, and both guys tag out. Rocket launcher on Wolfman finishes at 3:57. ¾*

 

ECW Television Title Match: Jimmy Snuka v Glen Osbourne: 'Go back to Fiji, pineapple head,' a sign in the crowd notes. That's kind of borderline hate speech, isn't it? Osbourne uses a clothesline to send Snuka over the top (in hilarious fashion, with Jimmy having to change direction to sell it as such), and the champ stalls on the outside. I don't know if this has been said enough, but Stevie Wonderful is a brutally bad commentator. He's trying way too hard to get the heel act over. Osbourne with a suplex to bring Jimmy back in for two, and Glen works a headlock, but Jimmy whips him into the ropes for a chop. The announcers marvel at how Snuka is 'put together,' as he sags like a sixty year old man. Jimmy misses a corner charge to give Osbourne a schoolboy for two, and he adds a sloppy monkeyflip. Snuka blocks a second one, however, and a backbreaker sets up the Superfly Splash at 4:54. ½*

 

Tod Gordon is back, but this time Eddie Gilbert interrupts, and yells a bunch. Cue another video promo from Terry Funk, and he's 'middle aged and crazy'

 

BUExperience: I didn’t dig it this week. It just feels like the same thing over and over for the last few episodes, as they drag things out to build Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular. And there’s still, like, a month to go!