ECW Eastern Championship Wrestling (June 15, 1993)

Original Airdate: June 15, 1993 (taped May 14)

 

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Jay Sulli and Stevie Wonderful. Funny bit during the opening, as a bunch of kids walk into the shot, and the production guy has to (kinda violently) shove them away

 

Backstage, ECW TV Champion Jimmy Snuka is not to be fucked with

 

ECW Television Title Match: Jimmy Snuka v Road Warrior Hawk: The sound is all over the place here, and it's terrible. Hawk shoves the champ to the outside right away, and Snuka stalls for a bit. Back in, Snuka gets caught with a powerslam during a criss cross, and Hawk clotheslines him back to the outside. Stevie Wonderful is especially bad and annoying this week. Where did they find this guy. Back in, Hawk wins a test-of-strength, as the announcers note that this is 'not for everyone.' They ain't wrong. Nice touch from Paul E. Dangerously here, as he takes the camera away from the ringside photographer so there's no photos of Snuka losing the test-of-strength. That's great. Hawk misses a charge and ends up on the outside, where the champ whacks him with a chair, and now Paul is encouraging the photographer to get some snaps. Inside, Snuka uses a cross corner whip, and a bodyslam sets up a 2^nd rope headbutt drop, but Hawk dodges. Hawk makes a comeback, and a neckbreaker sets up a flying clothesline, so Paul runs in to break up the pin, causing a DQ at 6:44. Afterwards, the rest of Hot Stuff International run in, but Hawk no-sells all of them, and runs wild like Hulk Hogan in 1995. That gets Eddie Gilbert good and riled, so he throws a fireball in Hawk's face, and THAT finally puts him down. ¼*

 

ECW Tag Team Title Match: The Suicide Blonds v The Super Destroyers: The challengers play some mind games to start, but just end up pissing the champions off, and get pounded. The Blonds send one of the Destroyers to the outside, and Sir Christopher Candido dives after him with a flying bodypress on the floor! Chris tries adding a plancha, but gets caught, and put down with a clothesline out there. Sir Jonathan Hotbody runs over to help, but both Blonds end up getting dumped back to the outside, as Salvatore Bellomo wanders out with a piece of cake. Mmm, cake. He ends up getting into a brawl with Sir Richard Michaels on the outside, as things start to fall apart in the ring, and the referee throws the match out at 3:53. The match was nothing, but Candido was working hard here, and it's not surprising that he became the biggest star of this group. Afterwards, Bellomo and the Destroyers challenge the Blonds and Hunter Q. Robbins III for Super Summer Sizzler, and wait, I thought these guys violently turfed Bellomo a few weeks ago? Anyway, whatever, the match is on. ½*

 

Eddie Gilbert is hanging out in the woods, trying to get in touch with his inner redneck in preparation for his match with Terry Funk. With the hat and glasses, he looks like Arn Anderson here

 

Texas Chain Match: Eddie Gilbert v Herve Renesto: Renesto looks so scrawny that Rey Mysterio would probably look fat beside him. Gilbert drags him around with the chain to start, as the fans chant for blood. This idiot referee is so bad that he can't even properly attached the chain to their wrists, and Renesto comes loose. The referee spends forever trying to fix it, until Don Muraco gets so annoyed at his ineptitude that he has to step in and do it himself. Gilbert hits the four corners with ease at 2:21 - with the idiot camera crew missing the finish to really cap this shit off. Just a squash. DUD

 

Backstage, Terry Funk gives a good, soft spoken go-home promo for Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular

 

Sandman/Rockin' Rebel feud review. This segues into comments from both guys, and apparently Tigra is going to strip Peaches naked at Summer Sizzler. Well, you certainly didn't see THAT on WWF Mania. Though, considering how little Peaches is already wearing here, is it really that much of a threat?

 

Backstage, Paul E introduces us to the latest member of Hot Stuff International, Dark Patriot

 

Terry Funk v Dark Patriot: Funk hits him with chops at the bell, so Dangerously trips him up, allowing Patriot to attack. To the outside, Funk tastes the timekeeper's table, and Patriot finds a wire coat hanger to choke him out with. Inside, Patriot with a turnbuckle smash, and few punches knocks Terry back to the outside for Paul to abuse. Inside, Patriot delivers a piledriver for two, and he dumps Terry back to the outside for more from Paul. That gets Funk fired up, and he starts making a comeback. Patriot bails into the crowd, but Funk drags him back, and keeps unloading with left hands. Terry tears the mask near off of him, and a DDT connects. Second one looks to finish, so Paul runs in, but Funk is wise to him. Third DDT, and here comes Gilbert with a chair to draw the DQ at 7:06. This wasn't 'good,' but it felt more professional and together than any of the other matches this week. ½*

 

BUExperience: I’m a fan of stretched out program builds, but ECW really didn’t have the roster for it yet at this point, so thank God we’re finally at Super Summer Sizzler, because I wouldn’t be able to take another week of this.