NWA (ECW) Eastern Championship Wrestling (December 28, 1993)

Original Airdate: December 28, 1993

Your Host is Joey Styles from the studio

Pitbull v Chad Austin: From Holiday Hell in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on December 26 1993. This is Pitbull’s ECW debut. He escapes a headlock with a side suplex right away, and adds a few elbowdrops for good measure. Pitbull with a bodyslam to set up a bootrake, and he takes Chad into the corner to unload on with chops. A cross corner whip rebounds Chad into a clothesline, and a kick to the head gets Pitbull two. Pitbull with a Russian legsweep and a powerbomb, followed by a vertical suplex, but Pitbull pulls him up at two. Pitbull with mounted punches, and a clothesline sets up a legdrop, but Pitbull keeps pulling him up at two. A fistdrop connects, but a clothesline misses, and Austin catches him with a sloppy spinheel kick for the upset at 4:26. I get the story they were going for, but why job the guy in his debut, even in a fluke? Afterwards, Pitbull destroys him, but fuck that guy, he couldn’t get it done when it counted. Sandman makes the save, and cleans house on Pitbull until Jason comes out to distract Sandman, and Pitbull dumps him over the top. So now he looks like a double jobber, such a weird way to book a debut for a badass type. ¾*

Sandman v Mr. Hughes: Also from December 26 in Philly. Joined in progress, with Sandman missing a corner charge, and Hughes delivering a clothesline. Hughes hammers him into the corner, and a cross corner whip rattles the ring. Hughes with a shoulderbreaker for two, but we cut away from the match to get a pre-recorded promo from Jason, who talks shit about Sandman on behalf of Pitbull and Hughes. Uh… okay then? There was about two minutes of the actual match aired, and the segment felt pointless.

Rockin' Rebel v Don E Allen: Also from Philly on December 26. Rebel attacks before the bell, and dumps Don to the outside right away. Inside, Rebel with a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop for two, and he dumps Allen to the outside again. Back in for a piledriver at 2:25. Just a squash. DUD

ECW Title Match: Sabu v Terry Funk: Sabu's ECW Television title is not also on the line. Funk makes Sabu chase him around the ring early on, and the champ catches up to him on the floor. Sabu grabs a chair, but Funk dodges him, and heads inside. Sabu follows to unload on him with punches, and Terry falls out to the apron, where Sabu grabs him in a choke. Both men end up on the floor, where Funk turns it around with a chop, and delivers a bodyslam. Terry nails him with a chair before bringing it in with a piledriver for two, and a second piledriver follows, so Paul E Dangerously distracts him. Funk chases, but that allows Sabu to recover, and the champ hits him with a chair. Sabu with a bodyslam to set up a flying slingshot moonsault for two, but Funk dumps him to the outside before Sabu can continue. Terry dives after him, but a charge ends in Sabu backdropping him on the concrete. Sabu with a ledrop on the way back in, and he traps Funk in a reverse chinlock. Funk escapes and bails, so Sabu tries a baseball slide, but Funk dodges. Inside, Terry throws headbutts, but that knocks him loopy as well, and both men are down. The Rotten brothers throw a table into the ring, but Terry ends up getting sent into it a few times in the corner. The Rotten's try getting involved, but Sabu fights them off, and he hits Funk with a legdrop. He puts Funk through the table, ending in Terry going over the top, and the champ bodyslams Terry on the remains of the table on the way back in. Sabu with a flying moonsault, but he hurts himself on the landing, and can't attempt a cover. That allows Funk to sweep the leg, and a spinning toehold looks to finish, but Paul makes the save. He puts Sabu on top, but Shane Douglas comes in to attack the champion. He puts Funk on top, and we have a new champion at 12:31. This was more along the lines of what we now consider ‘classic ECW chaos,’ and while not anything close to technically strong wrestling, it was certainly entertaining. * ¾ 

Backstage, Dangerously fumes

Backstage, Funk and the Rotten boys gloat

BUExperience: A pretty good time for this show, with big stuff from the Holiday Hell card.