ECW: Hardcore TV
February 7, 1995

Current Champs:
World Champ: Shane Douglas (3/26/94)
Television Champ: Dean Malenko (11/4/94)
Tag Team Champs: Tazmaniac and Sabu (2/4/95)

We’re back at the ECW Arena in South Philly this week.

Jason brings out The Pitbulls and Jason, a different Jason, who’s dressed up like the Jason from the Jason movies. He’s from the WINGS promotion in Japan, and the fans think he’s dog doodoo.

The Pitbulls and Jason (w/ Jason) vs. The Young Dragons and Hack Myers

The Young Dragons are two dudes in karate outfits and sloppy long hair, one masked, one not masked. The fans “Shah” along with Hack’s spurts of offense, but the Pitbulls are firmly in control. Jason enters five minutes in and spin kicks Hack into next week. The Pitbulls assist Jason with a big splash for the win. (8:00 shown) Post match, the heels abandon Jason the manager, and Hack beats him around. Then some lady named Angel in a wedding dress shows up. She shoves Hack. Hack slaps her around. She kisses Hack. Hack piledrives her. Sophisticated stuff, guys. 1/2*

Ads for jewelry and the ECW hotline. You can wear a neckless while you chat with Paul Lauria.

Twenty-seven minutes into the episode, they show a phone number and say “Give us your comments on the show.” Here’s a comment: it’s 27 minutes into the show and you’ve shown one crappy match.

Chris Benoit vs. Al Snow

This is from the recent big show Double Tables, and it’s one of the more well-known, well-regarded ECW matches. Arm wringers and fancy moves to start. Sunset flip pin sequence, then they flip around until Snow hits a superkick. Expert hammerlock sequence ensues. Benoit knocks him outside for a baseball slide, but right back in Snow flies off the ropes with a missile dropkick. A few minutes later he tries another missile dropkick, but Benoit dodges it and hits a German suplex for two. Snow plays ragdoll in peril as Benoit slowly beats him all over the ring. Suplex for two. Diving headbutt for two. Powerbomb for two. Another German for two. Reversals lead to a Snow-Plex (wheelbarrow suplex). Snow follows with a release German. What’s up with the German suplex anyway? It’s like the one wrestling move from Germany? They have wrestling matches where it’s nothing but German suplexes? Superkick gets two for Snow. Half Nelson overhead suplex gets two. Benoit responds with another German. More grappling and Benoit scores a Dragon suplex for 1-2-3! (15:04) Benoit gives him a powerbomb before he’s all done. I think this match is a bit overrated. They didn’t sustain the momentum they had in the beginning. But it’s got crisp grappling, hard-hitting moves, and Benoit being a big-time threat while Snow is the sympathetic, full-of-heart rookie. ***1/4

They show a bunch of stills with audio from Double Tables, when Tazmaniac and Sabu defeated The Public Enemy to win the tag team titles. After the match Benoit went after Sabu and powerbombed him off the top through a table. Benoit does an artsy promo threatening Sabu, and that’s the show.

At the time I’m sure the Benoit/Snow match was a nice treat. That alone makes this episode stand out. Otherwise it’s lacking. I still think it’s nuts to have a weekly show where your champion and several top guys aren’t even mentioned.