ECW Hardcore TV (October 18, 1994)

 

Original Airdate: October 18, 1994

Your Host is Joey Styles

Opening video package, teasing Sandman’s retirement announcement 

Public Enemy v Tony Stetson and Rockin' Rich: From Hamburg Pennsylvania on September 30. Rockin’ Rich? McMahon would never have allowed too Rockin’s under his watch, I’ll tell you that much. Ran a tighter ship than Kruger, that one. The Enemy come in with baseball bats, and ends this quickly with Rocco Rock hitting a flying moonsault at 2:04. DUD

Woman calls in from Florida, promising to continue on without Sandman

2 Cold Scorpio is ready to bury Borne Again

Tommy Cairo appears via satellite, having mixed feelings about Sandman being forced into retirement. Mixed, because he wishes he could have been there to hear Sandman’s screams in person, instead of just on TV

Chris Benoit v Ray Odyssey: From Hamburg Pennsylvania on September 30. Apparently Ray is the ‘original party animal,’ per Joey. Benoit is rocking horses all over his gear, which feels like a premonition. A long reversal sequence starts us off, with Ray dropkicking him out of the ring to win it. Ray stays on him with a plancha, so Benoit stalls to break the momentum. Inside, they do a test-of-strength, won by Benoit with a northern lights suplex. Chris stays on him with chops, and a clothesline follows. Benoit with a bodyslam, as Styles discusses King Kong Bundy ‘going to Connecticut to join the circus.’ I’d rather go to the circus than this low rent church parking lot fair. Chris with a clothesline for two, and he puts Ray in a sharpshooter, but Odyssey fights. Benoit with a bridging German suplex for two, and a bridging northern lights suplex is worth another two. Side suplex, but Ray topples him for two, so Chris unloads in the corner. Benoit with a cross corner whip, as Tommy Dreamer storms into the commentary booth, wanting to talk to Cairo. Benoit drops Ray front-first across the top rope, and a bodyslam sets up a flying headbutt drop at 5:38. Solid work here. Benoit’s execution was particularly on point. * ¾ 

Dreamer forces them to reconnect the connection to Cairo, and Tommy is furious that Cairo would make fun of Sandman’s predicament. Cairo refuses to apologize, and in fact, mocks Sandman even more

ECW World Champion Shane Douglas talks up ECW being the top wrestling organization in the world, the most prestigious. This, of course, leads to a bunch of trash talking directed at Ric Flair

Cactus Jack v Sabu: From Hamburg Pennsylvania on September 30. Jack attacks before the bell, and beats Sabu down for a legdrop, getting two. Jack ropechokes him, and then delivers a straddling version for good measure. Jack with a guillotine legdrop, so Sabu tries a springboard moonsault press out there, but hits the guardrail. That draws 911 over to beat up Cactus, but Jack gets back on track, smashing Sabu into a chair. Jack tries a suplex on the floor, but Sabu reverses, so Jack throws a table at him. Jack with a suplex on the floor, and he drags Sabu into the stands. Cactus tries a whip into the bleachers, but Sabu reverses, then sends Jack into them a second time. They fight onto a stage, where Jack piledrives Sabu, and adds an elbowdrop. Jack tries another piledriver, but Sabu backdrops him this time, and dumps him off of the stage. Sabu dives after him with a bodypress on the floor, and they brawl back to the ring. Paul E. Dangerously distracts Jack long enough for 911 to attack again, and Jack takes a bump over the rail. 911 helps Sabu put Cactus on a table, and Sabu puts him through it with a springboard moonsault. Both guys make it inside, where Sabu fights off an attack with a glass bottle, and uses a bodyslam to set up a flying moonsault for two. Sabu tries a corner splash, but gets caught in a bodyslam - only for Sabu to topple for two. Sabu grabs the bottle and beats Jack with it a bit, and man, it looks like he is shoot beating him with a real bottle. After knocking Jack silly, Sabu delivers a slingshot moonsault at 14:34. They bumped around, but there was very little story with this one before the last couple of minutes. *

BUExperience: A strong episode this week.