NWA (ECW) Eastern Championship Wrestling (April 12, 1994)

 

Original Airdate: April 12, 1994

Your Host is Joey Styles from the studio

Jay Sulli catches up with ECW Champion Shane Douglas and Sensational Sherri, when Mr. Hughes interrupts, offering Shane his services any time he needs it

Backstage, Road Warrior Hawk thinks pain feels good. And he’s going to help Douglas feel great

ECW Tag Team Title Match: Public Enemy v Mikey Whipwreck and Mike Norman: From Philadelphia Pennsylvania on March 27. We ignore the match completely, as Matty in the House joins Joey in the studio, and they hype up Enemy against the Bruise Brothers in a Lumberjack match for the April 16 ECW Arena card. I kind of like the branding of it as a ‘Human Cage Match,’ that’s unique. The Enemy finish Whipwreck at 3:48. DUD

April 16 ECW Show ad

Sulli catches up with ECW Television Champion JT Smith, who will be facing Pitbull at the April 16 show. Pitbull shows up to make sure the belt fits around his waist

Jimmy Snuka v Ray Odyssey: From Philly on March 27. I’m not familiar with Ray, but the name is at least familiar. He’s doing a surfer gimmick, and looks like it’s supposed to be a Louie Spicolli deal, complete with suntan lotion on his nose. Thank God Sandman changed his gimmick, or else the poor guy would still be on the bread lines. Though, honestly, based on what we’ve heard about ECW payoffs, he might still have been. Ray gets to show some fire here, but ultimately gets distracted by Hunter Q Robbins III, and Snuka kills him with the flying splash at 5:22. ¼*

Backstage, Tommy Cairo is ready to get his hands on Sandman

Sandman v Tommy Dreamer: From Philly on March 27. Sandman attacks before the bell, and cross corner whips Dreamer a few times, rattling the ring. Sandman dumps him to the outside, but Dreamer stumbles back in, so Sandman tosses him again. Dreamer comes in again, all piss and vinegar, and manages to hammer Sandman into the corner. Tommy with an enzuigiri, and he biels Sandman out of the corner. Tommy with a jumping shoulderblock, and he grabs a cobra clutch, but the referee gets bumped. Salvatore Bellomo runs out to revive him, but when that fails, Sal just steals his shirt, and counts the pin on Sandman at 2:12. Who is he, Jimmy Hart? Afterwards, Sandman beats Bellomo with a chair in response. ¼*

Backstage, Paul E Dangerously generally rants and raves. That’s what Paul do! Of note, he’s wearing an ‘ECW: Hardcore Wrestling’ hat, which I think is the first official branding of them as ‘hardcore’

Shane Douglas and Mr. Hughes v Chad Austin and Johnny Blaze: From Philly on March 27. The heels casually squash the jobbers, but fail to listen to the referee’s instructions, and get disqualified at 1:01. So hardcore! Afterwards, the locker room empties out, but Hughes wrecks them all, one at a time. Well, maybe try not charging him one at a time? Have they not seen Austin Powers? Well, considering it wouldn’t come out for another three years, I guess that’s a reasonable excuse. Finally, Hawk runs out, and he gets some traction, but the heels double team for a beat down to set up the April 16 show. DUD

BUExperience: This was fine, but a TV product that hypes a live event product, while fine as a business model, doesn’t really make for the best experience as a TV only viewer.