ECW Eastern Championship Wrestling (August 3, 1993)

Original Airdate: August 3, 1993 (taped May 15)

 

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Your Host is Tod Gordon from the control center this week. He starts off by announcing a new set of TV tapings that will take place next week. And THANK GOD, considering this episode is already not only almost three months old, but is also incredibly outdated because they had a super-card a month after the tapings, but still taped two more months of TV anyway, so none of the angles make sense

 

Dark Patriot v JT Smith: This is a replay from the June 22 episode. Patriot fights off an armbar and unloads in the corner, and he whips Smith into the ropes to blast with a backelbow. Sidewalk slam gets two, but Smith fights him off with a headscissors, and dives with a flying moonsault for two. Corner charge misses, however, and Smith takes a bump to the outside off of it. Patriot follows to whip him into the post, but Smith reverses, and back in we go. The referee gets bumped, so they spill back to the outside for a brawl into the crowd. They end up on the balcony, where Patriot knocks him off, and he dives after him with a crazy flying splash on the concrete! Those are some pretty crazy bumps! That, not shockingly, is it for Smith, and Patriot takes the countout win at 5:53. This was actually a solid little match even before the two insane bumps. * ½

 

Back at the control center, Gordon announces that former WWF Intercontinental and Tag Team champion Tito Santana will be at the next tapings. So definitely don't miss that if you didn't already see him jobbing to Papa Shango or Repo Man at a town near you!

 

TV taping ad! Stan Hansen!

 

Eddie Gilbert and Dark Patriot v JT Smith and Glen Osbourne: Smith is in crutches to sell the June 22 match, though he's still wrestling. What would Jerry Lawler say?! Gilbert and Smith start, and JT dominates in the early going. That leads to some drama between Gilbert and Patriot, but it goes nowhere. Well, duh, considering this was taped weeks and weeks before the super-card, but is airing weeks and weeks after. I get that they were a small time, low budget production, but it's just ridiculously annoying, and everything feels like it’s in a holding pattern. Like, for example, the referee for this was revealed to be a heel aligned with Gilbert at Super Summer Sizzler, but since this was taped before, he's just calling the match straight. The heels finally go after Smith's leg to get control (after four full minutes - took them long enough), and they cut the ring in half. Eddie manages a figure four, and that's enough at 5:27. Glen didn't even tag in! And Smith was the one on crutches! ¼*

 

ECW Television Title Match: Jimmy Snuka v JT Smith: From Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular on June 19. Paul E. Lots of stalling from Snuka to start. Smith grabs a headlock, and works on that for a while. Smith with a bodyslam, so Snuka bails to the outside to break the momentum, and it's more stalling. Back in, Smith hooks a small package for two, so Jimmy hides in the ropes to stall him out again. Criss cross allows Smith a bodypress for two, so Snuka takes a shot at the gut, and hits a kneebreaker. That allows Jimmy to clip the leg to get full control, as Paul spins more bullshit. Snuka with a piledriver, and a backbreaker sets up the Superfly Splash at 5:56. I appreciated the psychology at play here, but the match was really boring. ½*

 

TV taping ad! Shane Douglass (sic) makes his ECW debut! Sherry (sic) Martel pours us a drink!

 

In the control center, Eddie Gilbert shows up to antagonize Gordon as we wrap up

 

BUExperience: A clip show! I hate clip shows!