ECW: Hardcore TV
The Best from the FALL of 1995

There is a TON going on in ECW in October and November 1995. Here is just a sample of what is happening. Since Gangsta’s Paradise, Raven and Stevie Richards regain the ECW tag belts, and then lose them in a three-way dance to Public Enemy. The Sandman loses the ECW world title to the unlikely hero Mikey Whipwreck. Plus, STEVE AUSTIN. Not that he’s really wrestling all that much. He’s just cutting some of the best promos of his career.

• 2/3 Falls: Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psychosis – (ECW Hardcore TV, 10/17/95)
  

This recap is courtesy of David – my friend and YOURS.

First fall: Psychosis runs back and forth to start and gets slid under the ropes to the floor. Mysterio gets a head of steam, flips over the ropes, lands on the apron, then goes for a high crossbody, and both men go over the guardrail! Mysterio gets right up and delivers a tope that nails Psychosis as he tries to get back over the rail. That’s the way to set the tone. Back in, Mysterio dodges Psychosis as he runs the ropes and catches him with a hurracanrana, 1-2-3! Rey wins the first fall at 1:19.

Second fall: After a commercial break, Psychosis charges at Rey for a bronco buster-like move, but Rey gets out of the way. Rey hits the ropes and goes for a crazy headscissors into an arm drag move, but he slides off and settles for a spinning wheel kick. Psychosis tries dumping Mysterio, but he lands on the apron and hits a flying hurracanrana, sending Psychosis to the floor. He chases right after him and hits another flying hurracanrana off the apron. Psychosis gets in and extends a hand, Rey buys it, and Psychosis goes to work with a wristlock and an enziguri. Psychosis taunts the crowd with what looks like a precursor to the DX crotch chop! Mysterio gets flipped over into the corner, then gets rammed abdomen-first and upside down into the other corner. Psychosis tops that off with a running shoulderblock and a single bronco buster. A powerbomb gets two with the nonchalant cover. Then he goes for a sidewalk slam and the sharpshooter. Outside, Mysterio hits the rail hard, then takes a chair to the knee. Back in, Psychosis delivers a slingshot leg drop, but misses a running shoulder in the corner. They both go off the ropes, and Rey cartwheels into a Mysteriorana! Rey tries a second-rope springboard moonsault, but Psychosis catches him and delivers a tombstone piledriver for 1-2-3. It’s one fall a piece at 7:03.

Third fall: Mysterio retreats to the floor, Psychosis chases him, and he hits a modified powerbomb onto a table. The table doesn’t break under Rey’s tiny body, but rather one set of legs collapses. Psychosis launches Rey into the crowd and hits a huge tope! Back in, Mysterio avoids a corner splash and Psychosis falls outside, and Mysterio springboards from the top rope into a front flip seated senton on the floor! Mysterio gets extreme with a couple chair shots, then places the unfolded chair around Psychosis’ head and shoves him hard into the ring post twice! That’s brutal. Back in, Mysterio hits an ugly flying hurracanrana for two and a half. Psychosis reverses a whip and Mysterio delivers an awesome modified headscissors. Psychosis rolls to the floor, and Mysterio follows up with a slightly altered springboard front flip seated senton. Psychosis comes back by whipping Rey to the rail a couple times, then sets a table in place, lays Mysterio on top, and drives a chair to the midsection. That sets up a HUGE senton from the top rope through the table! Back in, Psychosis delivers a powerbomb, sets a chair on top of Mysterio, and delivers a TWISTING MOONSAULT SENTON, 1-2-3. Psychosis wins. (13:50) Lucha libre + Extreme = Awesomeness. The action in this match is off the charts. This is up there with my favorite matches ever. Needs to be seen to be believed. ****1/2

• Ladder Match: ECW World Champion The Sandman (w/Woman) vs. Mikey Whipwreck – (ECW Hardcore TV, 10/31/95)
  

Another original recap by David. The ladder is just a weapon and the match ends on pinfall or submission. Before the match, Steve Austin comes out, takes a seat atop the ladder in the middle of the ring, and talks a bunch of trash before saying he wants to challenge the winner for the title. Man, that Steve Austin guy was perfect for ECW. He could have been huge. It’s a real shame that McMahon had to snatch him up and bury his career. Sandman hits Mikey with a can of beer to start, as Austin picks up Woman and takes her to the back. Mikey avoids getting slammed into the ladder and nails Sandman with it a few times, sending him to the floor. Back in, Mikey tries a leg drop facebuster on the ladder, but Sandman counters and dumps him right on the ladder! Damn, that had to hurt. Sandman sets the ladder on Mikey and hits a slingshot senton from the apron. Mikey rolls outside, and Sandman hurls the ladder at him from the ring. He bridges the apron and the guardrail with the ladder, suplexes Mikey onto it, then hits a guillotine leg drop off the apron. Mikey comes back by reversing a whip to the rail and punishing Sandman with a chair. FRANKENMIKEY off the apron! Sandman stops a series of punches with a backdrop over the railing. They brawl through the crowd, and Sandman drives Mikey’s sternum into the top of the ladder. Mikey’s in the crowd, and with the ladder leaning on the rail, Sandman comes over the top rope to seesaw the ladder into Mikey’s face! Sandman tosses the ladder and Mikey back in the ring and drops the ladder on him. Mikey avoids a slingshot elbow drop and rocks Sandman’s world with the ladder, which busts him open. Mikey suplexes the ladder on Sandman and gets just a one count! He drops the ladder on Sandman again, goes up top to deliver a flying splash, 1-2-3! Mikey’s the champ! (7:51) Don’t let the length fool you. This match really doesn’t need to be any longer with its level of intensity and all the brutality that’s dished out, and the quick ending makes the surprise of Mikey winning even more shocking. ****

• ECW World Tag Team Champion Rocco Rock vs. ECW World Television Champion 2 Cold Scorpio – (ECW Hardcore TV, 11/7/95)
  

So yeah, if Scorpio wins, he gets the ECW world tag belts and chooses his own partner. If Rocco wins, he’s the new ECW world TV champ. Either way, Joey promises us a new champion. Scorpio misses a pescado early and gets hit with a frying pan. Now they brawl in the crowd and over to the eagle’s nest. Scorpio delivers a moonsault off the stage onto Rocco Rock through a double stack of tables. JIP back to the ring where Scorpio gives Rocco a back superplex for two. Both men are down! TUMBLEWEED connects, but Scorpio keeps playing around and doesn’t get the three-count. Rocco blocks a superplex and hits a flying shoulderblock on Scorpio. Slow cover gets two. JIP to Rocco giving Scorpio a superplex onto a table, but the table doesn’t give. Another slow cover gets two. JIP to a flaming table, but Rocco Rock misses the DRIVE BY. Geez. The Sandman and Johnny Grunge are at ringside. Scorpio rolls Rocco around to stop the burning and then hands him the tag belts back to call it even. Nope, Scorpio is just being a dick. He clotheslines Rocco down and gets the three-count. (6:23 shown) Have I mentioned how awesome Scorpio is in 1995? Because he’s awesome. He gives Sandman the other tag belt as these two now own all the belts in ECW. Of course, karma sucks, and will surely get these two back for their misdeeds. *½

• Rey Mysterio Jr. & Konnan vs. La Parka & Psychosis – (ECW Hardcore TV, 11/14/95)
  

Konnan actually wrestled against ECW main eventers in late 1995 during the EXTREME lucha libre era of ECW that culminated with an ECW world title match against the Sandman at the House Party show in January 1996 right as he left for the brighter lights and bigger paychecks at WCW. As for Rey and Psychosis, they had already put on two great matches in ECW (that are on other WWE DVD compilations) before they had their classic opener at WCW’s Bash at the Beach the following July. Not much to say about La Parka. There’s a lucha feeling-out process to start with Rey and Psychosis. When Rey tries a cross armbreaker, Psychosis hoists him up on his shoulder only for Rey to take him back down again. JIP to Rey giving Psychosis a drop toe-hold that sends him to the floor as Rey delivers a springboard headscissors on the floor! We fast forward to La Parka bullying Rey around. Parka does the strut and then struts with Rey in his arms. Rey cleans house on him with a flying headscissors. JIP again to Konnan owning both guys. Psychosis falls to the outside and gets a chair thrown in his face by Rey! Back inside, Konnan delivers SPLASH MOUNTAIN on Psychosis and then gives La Parka a couple German suplexes. Konnan holds up Psychosis for a DOOMSDAY HEADSCISSORS from Rey. As Psychosis rolls out, Rey gives him a springboard plancha up against the guardrail. Another JIP to Konnan tossing Rey with a monkey flip into La Parka holding a chair. It’s EXTREME lucha libre! Here comes Rey with a chair-assisted flying bodypress. ANOTHER JIP to Psychosis and La Parka trying STEREO SUICIDE DIVES only to descend into steel chair shots. Konnan sits Psychosis into a chair while Rey wipes him out with a somersault plancha. Meanwhile, Konnan takes out La Parka with a tope. That’s enough to keep the rudos down for a countout as Rey and Konnan pick up the win. (7:05 shown) The crowd wanted to see a finish, but they also want to see people put through flaming tables and women being beaten, so we’ll just ignore them for now. At least of what we saw, there’s not much in the way of a story. Just lots of lucha spots and they actually didn’t look too sloppy. **½

Final Thoughts: I’ll continue with the November 2 Remember show where we’ll get to see Terry Funk again!