Sunday, 12 February 2017

ECW Hardcore TV #9 01/06/1993

Super Destroyer #1 vs Sal Bellomo
If you thought a face turn might make Bellomo into a more interesting wrestler, you’d be wrong. He’s still letting rip with some terribly weak looking offence, and SD#1 seems more than happy to play along. Just nothing here looks like it may hurt, epitomised by Destroyer “wrenching Bellomo’s leg around the bottom rope”, where he’s just about holding onto it. Bellomo hits a truly appalling slam and a low-altitude splash, before Super Destroyer #2 comes in for the DQ.

Eddie Gilbert & Jimmy Snuka vs Tommy Cairo & Glen Osbourne
Gilbert takes Osbourne to the floor early, where they have a brawl in the crowd, which feels like the only way Gilbert can make Osbourne interesting. Keeps him from having to try to wrestle. I dug Gilbert going to the floor to escape Tommy Cairo, and then hugging Snuka in a cowardly moment for big heat from the crowd. Snuka controls Osbourne with some so-so offence, though Gilbert cheapshotting Glen with a can of soda looks good. Gilbert pins Cairo with a Hotshot following some Paul E Dangerously interference. Gilbert is the only guy here you’d actively call good, but this was inoffensive.

Max Thrasher vs JT Smith
This was odd on many levels. It starts with Thrasher downing Smith with 3 headbutts whilst wearing a hockey mask, before cutting to a special announcement. The announcement basically gives away loads of spoilers for the next few weeks, before coming back to the end of the bout: Thrasher getting caught by the ref trying a pin with his feet on the ropes, before Smith gets the win doing the same thing. So baffling.

Don Muraco vs The Sandman

This is for the ECW title, and it feels odd not seeing Sandman defend against Rockin’ Rebel. Sandman controls early with some basic offence, not crisply executed, but at least hit enthusiastically. Muraco turns the tide following a distraction, hitting a shitty second rope fistdrop and a surprisingly good backfist. Sandman reversing a tombstone looks pretty awkward, before we get a big clusterfuck finish, with Dangerously, Rockin’ Rebel and Peaches all getting involved. This hubbub allows Dangerously to nail Sandman with his phone, and there’s a new ECW champion. Not a bad bout, but utterly pedestrian.

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