NWA (ECW) Heatwave (July 1994)

 

Original Airdate: July 16, 1994

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Your Host is Joey Styles

Opening Match: Rockin' Rebel and Hack Meyers v Axl Rotten and Ian Rotten: Rebel is introduced as the ‘Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla,’ and I know Chris Jericho didn’t coin the term, but I never realized anyone else in wrestling was billed as such. Hack and Axl start, and Meyers goes to town on him, unloading shot after shot. Axl returns fire, and grabs a standing side-headlock, but Hack forces a criss cross. Axl manages a hiptoss to win in, and an armdrag leads to an armbar. Tags around the horn, and Rebel dominates as they posture, but Ian manages a bodyslam, and he passes back to Axl. Axl unloads, but gets reversed into the ropes, and Rebel catches him with a knee. Rebel adds an elbowdrop before tagging Hack for a stereo backelbow for two. The heels work Axl over, until Ian gets the hot tag, and very quickly puts Hack away at 9:28. This was fine for what it was, but certainly nothing special. Afterwards, Rebel gets in Hack’s face, and beats him down. ¾*

ECW Television Title Match: Mikey Whipwreck v Chad Austin: Austin unveils Jason as his manager here. A criss cross ends in Austin delivering a powerbomb, and he catches him with a clothesline from there. Austin works the arm, but Whipwreck fights him off, and uses a dropkick to put the challenger on the outside. Back in, Austin hits a brainbuster, and a powerbomb gets him two. Jason wallops Whipwreck with a chair, but Mikey fights Chad off, and dives with a flying bodypress for two. Austin railroads him into the corner to buy time, and he manages to hit a flying legdrop to win the title at 9:06. They worked hard here. But then afterwards, Austin tells the referee that he used brass knux (despite not doing so), and the official reverses the decision to let Mikey keep the belt. I… don’t get that. Apparently, he did it because he hates the fans so much that he doesn’t want them to have the pleasure of seeing a title change. I… don’t get that. * ¼ 

Tommy Dreamer v Stevie Richards: Richards stalls early on, but manages to hammer Tommy into the corner as they engage. Richards tries a ten-punch, but Dreamer shakes him off, and delivers a bodypress for two. Tommy with a hanging vertical suplex, and he grounds Richards in an armbar from there. Richards forces a criss cross, but loses it to a hiptoss. Tommy looks for an elbowdrop, but Richards dodges, and armdrags him. Tommy responds by punching him in the brain, and he goes back to the armbar. You show him, Tom. Work that arm. Richards tries a sunset flip, but Dreamer counters into a cradle for two, and tags him with a backelbow. To the outside, Richards reverses a whip into the guardrail, but an attempt to charge sees Richards get dropped onto the rail. Inside, Tommy delivers a swinging neckbreaker, and he unloads with chops in the corner. Dreamer with a cross corner whip, but the charge in gets blocked with a boot, and Richards delivers an inverted atomic drop. Richards adds a superkick, and a standing dropkick follows. Richards with chops in the corner, but a cross corner charge of his own ends badly, and Dreamer suplexes him. Tommy adds a legdrop for two, but a criss cross results in a double knockout spot. Dreamer is up first, and delivers a bodyslam to set up a splash, but Richards rolls out of the way. Richards goes up with a flying fistdrop for two, but a second one gets him caught in a sleeper at 7:37. This was good, back-and-forth action. Afterwards, Tommy calls Shane Douglas a “Pittsburgh piece of shit,” which draws Shane and Mr. Hughes out to respond. Tommy wants Shane, but Douglas sends Hughes in instead, giving us an impromptu match. ** ½ 

Tommy Dreamer v Mr. Hughes: Slugfest to start, won by Hughes. He puts the boots to Dreamer, but an avalanche gets blocked, so Hughes goes to the eyes. Dreamer responds by smacking him with a weapon, but Hughes no-sells, and throws a headbutt. Clothesline, but Dreamer ducks, and rebounds with a bodypress - only to get caught in a backbreaker. Hughes tries a clothesline, but Dreamer ducks again, and gets the sleeper on. Hughes escapes, so Dreamer tries to criss cross with him, but gets nailed by Douglas, and Hughes delivers the scrapbuster at 3:01. Afterwards, Shane recruits Angel (who was in Stevie’s corner) to be his ‘head cheerleader.’ ¼*

The Pitbulls v Sabu and Tazmaniac: Tazmaniac goes in alone to start the match, but gets destroyed by the Pitbulls. They deliver an extended beatdown, and 911 shows up. He’s met by Rockin’ Rebel and Chad Austin, but he takes them both out, so Mr. Hughes returns to beat 911 down with a chair. Meanwhile, Sabu still hasn’t shown up, and the Pitbulls continue destroying Tazmaniac. Finally, Sabu shows up, and the babyfaces get some traction. Sabu hits Pitbull #2 with a dive on the outside, allowing Tazmaniac to suplex Pitbull #1 for the pin at 5:24. This was a big mess. DUD

Dueling Canes Match: Sandman v Tommy Cairo: They chase each other around for a while to start, and then start trading shots. And trading shots. And trading shots. Cairo controls it, but misses a dive off the top, and they trade shots. And trade shots. And trade shots. Both guys get knocked down, so the women come in to take over. Miss Peaches chases Woman around with the cane, but ends up hitting the referee by accident, and Sandman disarms her. Sandman unloads on a bloody Cairo, and knocks him out for the pin at 8:29. This wasn’t really a wrestling match. DUD

ECW Title Match: Shane Douglas v Sabu: Shane dominates early, and hits a flying axehandle for two, after winning an exchange on the outside. Shane holds a front-facelock, but Sabu escapes, and gets a victory roll for two. Douglas cuts him off with a hanging vertical suplex, and he grounds the challenger in a headscissors. Sabu escapes, so Shane goes to a camel clutch. Sabu dumps him to the outside for a tope, but Shane gets control for a slingshot splash for two on the way back in. Douglas with a piledriver for two, and he goes to an STF, before shifting to a reverse chinlock. Meanwhile, Mr. Hughes and 911 nearly come to blows, but nothing comes of it. Sabu escapes the hold and uses a low blow, then dives off the top to knock Douglas out of the ring. Sabu dives after him with a somersault senton from the apron, and they brawl into the crowd from there. The lights die, and then come back up, though nothing happens. Okay then. Into the ring, a reversal sequence ends in Douglas corner whipping him, but a corner splash misses, and Shane takes a bump to the outside. Sabu dives after him with a springboard moonsault press, but Douglas dodges, and Sabu wipes out on the floor. Shane rolls back in, but Sabu cannot, and Douglas wins by countout at 19:38. ¾*

Main Event: ECW Tag Team Title Barbed Wire Match: The Public Enemy v Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr: Not much to really call as far as play-by-play here. They slug it out, guys get sent into the wire, weapons are used. Terry hits Johnny Grunge with a piledriver, and he calls for a chair, so half the crowd starts throwing theirs in! Funk piledrives Grunge on the pile of chairs, as the ring announcer desperately begs the fans to stop throwing chairs into the ring. I remember seeing an image of that happening during a match featuring Terry and Cactus Jack, but I didn’t realize it happened more than once. The wire gets cut down, and Terry gets wrapped up in it, allowing the Enemy to beat him with a chair, and dogpile for the pin at 11:46. This was unique, if nothing else. ¼*

BUExperience: This wasn’t good, but it felt like ‘classic’ ECW more than a lot of the earlier shows do. It feels like we’re finally getting to the good stuff, even if this ain’t it. 

DUD