ECW Hardcore TV #10 08/06/1993

Hawk vs Samoan Warrior & Don E Allen

Unsurprisingly, the debuting Hawk squashes the unimpressive pairing of Allen and Warrior. Big double-clothesline, powerslam and top-rope clothesline to Warrior, followed by press-slamming Allen onto his partner – easy win.

Battle Royal

This is to crown the Pennsylvania State Heavyweight title, a terrifically unimportant sounding belt. It’s basically everyone on the roster, bar the Dangerous Alliance. Sandman and Rockin’ Rebel eliminate each other straight away. Suicide Blondes show the most smarts by working as a team throughout, in direct contract with Larry Winters and Tony Stetson, who break up as a team following Winters’ elimination of his partner. Stetson lays out Winters, leading to his elimination at the hands of match-winner Tommy Cairo (though Winters does botch his elimination, leading to a re-do). Stetson then apologises outside the ring. With his apology finally accepted, he brilliantly then rams Winters into the ring post. Aside from this, the battle royal was pretty unremarkable.

Suicide Blondes vs Tommy Cairo & Glen Osbourne

Not much of a bout. Osbourne actually looks a lot better than usual here, mainly because he’s got the Blondes stooging and bumping around for him. Cairo has a nice belly-to-belly suplex that he lays out both Blondes with, but he gets hit by Hunter Q Robbins with a cane – RIGHT in front of the referee – and pinned for the win. Cairo and Osbourne should really be asking this ref what he was playing at. Match only existed as a backdrop for Robbins joining the Blondes as manager and the Super Destroyers turning face.

The Sandman vs Don Muraco

This is Sandman’s ECW title rematch. We’re JIP with a long Sandman headlock section. I’m a bit of a sucker for “face frustrates heel with long headlock” sections, but Muraco’s head threatens to slip lose at any moment, ruining the illusion. Muraco responds with a lengthy cheat-filled abdominal stretch, before Sandman is counted out on the outside when he tries to attack Paul E Dangerously and gets taken out by Muraco. Terrible stuff.

UWA Solo Clasicos Vol 1

This is an IVP Videos compilation I've had for a while. As with all previous lucha reviews, I apologise for my ignorance about the genre in the following reviews...

Great Sasuke & El Matematico vs Rudy Reyna & Cassandro

Really dug the rudo team of exoticos here, especially Cassandro. Loved his vicious slaps to the chest of Sasuke when downed with a groin stretcher. Cassandro and Sasuke really pair up well in this one, both seem to complement each other well. Cassandro seems happy to bump big for all Sasuke’s offence, and they pair up well on the mat. Liked the dynamic of Matematico outsmarting the exoticos, until Reyna kisses him on the lips to confuse him. Technicos win the first fall with a Sasuke moonsault press on Reyna, which forces a change of tactics. In the second fall, the rudos are sneakier, using a double-teaming tactic of distracting and blindsiding, which works wonders for them. It allows them to isolate Matematico with a top rope legdrop/sideslam combo. Final fall sees the rudos continue to dominate, with a great German suplex by Cassandro to Sasuke, before both technicos are pinned and the exoticos win the bout. Dug this.

Los Espantos (Espanto IV & Espanto V) vs Los Estrellas Blancas (Estrella Blanca I & Estrella Blanca II)

Fun little bout here, with Los Estrellas Blancas clowning Los Espantos for most of the match, easily reversing their moves, evading any onrushing Espanto and causing Los Espantos to stooge around, before the Blancas win the first fall with a sunset flip. It takes a distraction from the referee for Los Espantos to take over, and their double-teaming is really fluid to behold. They lock in a swank double-team sub to take the fall. In the third fall, the teams split, with one pair battling inside the ring, and the other on the outside. Loved one Espanto doing an exaggerated sneaky walk to get in the ring and break up a sub, before the Espantos win the decisive fall by reversing a sunset flip. Good stuff.

Scorpio & Scorpio Jr vs Celestial & Transformer

This was a real blast, a nice pairing of dastardly rudos and really fun technicos. Scorpio Snr is an impressively ugly man, and I dug him protesting hairpulls every time he was taken over, as well as Jr just cheapshotting opponents from behind. They control the first fall with sneaky tactics, double-teams and cheap blows. Every time one of the technicos gets in the ring, they get worn down by the same cheap tactics, before a legdrop from Snr and a senton from Jr give them the first fall. This continues into the second fall, before a missed dropkick from Jr takes out his father, and the technicos take control. Loved Transformer’s spinning headscissors, and Celestial impressed with his fluidity and speed, working a nice sequence against both rudos at once. A seated senton and a sunset flip give them the equalising fall. The bulk of the final fall sees the rudos taking advantage of Transformer’s ill-advised scarf, taking it in turns to choke him with it. Everything swiftly breaks down, and the technicos win with a victory roll and an abdominal stretch. Really fun match here, really dug it.

Dr Wagner Jr & Espanto Jr vs Celestial & Coloso

This starts off with some nice mat exchanges between Espanto and Celestial, but the rudo team – and Wagner in particular – ensure this doesn’t remain a friendly contest. Coloso stupidly falls for a handshake and hug from Wagner (brilliantly assisted by Espanto Jr coming in the ring and gesturing, as if to say “Don’t worry, you CAN trust him”) and gets blindsided. The rudos use all manner of distractions and cheapshots to retain control, and soon pin both technicos for the first fall. They control the ring so easily that Wagner is confident enough to walk Coloso to the corner to tag in Celestial, knowing the referees won’t see it and won’t allow the tag. The technicos do finally comeback, and I loved the image of Celestial stalking Wagner outside the ring, who still find time to angrily gesture at the crowd. The technicos even things up with a count out, with Celestial getting backdropped outside by his partner at a great height onto Espanto Jr. Looked amazing. Things are pretty close in the final fall, and I dug Celestial stopping a pinfall by calmly grabbing the refs hand and, when Wagner looks up, slapping him in the face. Wagner has had a few close calls when attacking below the belt in the match, and him dropping Celestial bollocks first on the top rope in the final straw, earning a DQ. This was really fun, and they took advantage of having some time to give each fall plenty of time to breath.

Bull Pain, Zandokan & The Killer vs El Texano, Silver King & Enrique Vera

One of the nice things about wrestling is discovering someone you’ve never heard of, but appears to be awesome. Based off this one match, Zandokan falls into that category for me. Looking swank as fuck in black trousers and a nice shirt, hair slicked back in a ponytail, he looks like a drug cartel kingpin from an awesome 80’s straight-to-video action film. He does lots of things here that I dig, including getting fed up with Texano’s cutesy handshake avoidance and giving him a vicious headbutt in the clinch. I also loved him faking getting kicked in the groin by Vera in an attempt to win the final fall by DQ, plus he takes the biggest bump of the match by going over the top rope to the floor. Pain also looks good, dishing out a few headbutts to the arm of Silver King when in control. With the match poised at one fall apiece, The Killer proves himself to have quite the inaccurate name by running to the back from Vera, leaving his partners to eat the fall and give the match to the technicos. Fun stuff.

Fishman, The Killer & Tigre Canadiense vs Transformer, Gran Hamada & Silver King

Bit of a sprint this one, clocking in at just over ten minutes, but it’s pretty good. There’s a terrific opening section between Tigre and Silver King, just so quick and fluid, with both guys missing stuff with aplomb. Transformer fancies his luck against all 3 rudos at once, and manages to outsmart them all. Hamada wins the first fall with a rana on the Killer. Silver King hitting an RKO on Fishman is a bit of a surprise in the second fall. The rudos plan here seems to be to take out Hamada, crotching him on the ring post, then Silver King, thus leaving them able to isolate Transformer, which occurs pretty easily for the three. Final fall, and we get a good chunk of brawling all round the venue. The technicos seem in control, until a 3-way bulldog is reverse, sending all three crashing into each other and all three are pinned for the rudo victory.

Babe Face, Negro Casas & Dr Wagner Jr vs El Hijo Del Santo, Gran Hamada & Solar

Heck of a way to finish the disk. Love the real rogue’s gallery of rudos here. Opening section is Solar and Wagner working the mat, trying to force the other’s shoulders down for a 3 count. Casas and Hamada also matchup really well in their brief stint in the ring together. Casas has so much presence. The technicos take the first fall, but the rudos rebound in the second, isolating Santo and, via a double-team submission, forcing him to submit. The deciding fall sees the rudos isolate Solar, coming SO close to holding his shoulders down on a dogpile pin attempt. Solar fight back to allow Santo in, and he’s a house of fire. First he hits Babe Face with a big rolling senton, then hits a belly-to-belly on Casas for the victory. This was so fluid, all six guys looked great.

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.

NYWC House of Madness 2016

The Benson Brothers (Brad & CJ Benson) vs The Fella Twins (Eddy McQueen & Rick Cataldo)

Interesting pairing of gimmicks, with the Benson’s being laid-back surfer types and the Fella Twins being two guys working exotico gimmicks. Of the two, McQueen looks more convincing as someone who might live that lifestyle, whilst Cataldo very much comes off as a portly guy in a bad dress. This was actually pretty fun, all four guys looked to have their upsides. I especially dug CJ as your surfer Jim Duggan big brawler, a guy either too laidback or too uncomprehending to release a waistlock when McQueen tries to use escape by grinding against him. Dug Brad using a surfboard on McQueen and actually adding a foot to the back to mimic surfing, though not so keen on him not selling when Cataldo drapes a shinbone over his throat to choke him. The Fellas work the heat on Brad, with Cataldo working a lot of ass-based offence and McQueen driving some vicious knees to the spine. CJ is a fun hot tag, and he flips Brad into a moonsault on McQueen for the win.

Stockade vs Johnny Radke

This is for Stockade’s NYWC title, and is a fun competitive squash. Stockade is a big dude, and uses his size really well. Loved him refusing to go over for a Radke side headlock. Stockade has massive sounding chops and, as a heel, when the crowd chant “One more time!”, he pretends to go for it, then locks on a headlock instead. Stockade looks like a big bear just mauling his prey. Radke gets a brief flurry – I like that Radke’s first offensive blow seems to unsettle Stockade, who then misses a charge into the corner to totally yield control – and you buy a superkick as a potential one-shot kill. It’s not enough, and Radke misses a senton and eats a big DDT for the win. Good stuff.

Mike Verna vs Mouse

Mouse is a slight, ratty-looking kid in a shirt and trousers, and Verna is very firmly in control. Verna knows it too, and doesn’t want to hurt the kid, who wont stop trying to fight him. A cheapshot blow by Mouse seems to enrage Verna, who hits a nice slingshot suplex (which has multiple bounces on the top rope). Liked the sequence where Verna blocks a tornado DDT with sheer power, only for Mouse to chain into a guillotine choke. The end sees the Hounds of Hatred enter and attack Verna for the non-ending.

King Mega, Alvin Alvarez & Ultimo Maya vs GIT, J-Redd & Iri$h

The good thing about trios matches is they’re hard to totally mess up, even if (as is the case here), you suspect the participants aren’t very good. The face team is three lads in vests and jeans, working white-boy gangsta gimmicks. Trouble is none of them impress here – GIT (or Gangsta In Training) at least takes a good beating, but J-Redd’s offense consists of forward rolls or slipping on the ropes when trying to springboard. Iri$h is barely in the match, so he must be the least decent. The heels at least show some spark – I liked Alvarez realising the ref was distracted by the face team, so quickly rushing GIT into the heel corner for a beatdown, and Mega had a nice line in condescending covers, but this wasn’t great, before it ends on a DQ, Maya beating the opposition down with kendo sticks.

Tyler Murphy vs Joe Gacy vs Maxwell Jacob Feinstein

Too short triple threat for Murphy’s Fusion title. Feinstein seemed to be working as a cocky loudmouth, and I enjoyed the two faces quickly throwing him out to work one-on-one. When he does get in, Feinstein tries to work over the arms of both guys, bending the limb in fun ways. Gacy moves well for a big lad, and he hits a fun, if unlikely, handspring elbow on Murphy. This really went by too quickly, and I’m looking forward to watching more from all three guys. Murphy gets the submission with a keylock on Gacy.

Tony Nese vs Mike Orlando

Good match here, though I think they went a bit too long at 20 minutes. Orlando had to control the bulk of the match as heel, and he didn’t have enough interesting ways to fill time. I like Nese, and he’s pretty good as a face, even getting to hit the springboard moonsault he always misses on 205 Live. Orlando is pretty methodical on offence, getting cocky against the more famous Nese, and this gives Nese little openings for attempted comebacks. Orlando has a valet to interfere on his behalf, though she gets thrown out when she puts Orlando’s foot on the rope after a 450, the match’s first false finish. She comes back out when Nese has Orlando in a half-crab (with the camera unfortunately catching Nese telling Orlando to tap when the ref’s back is turned) leading to Orlando low-blowing and getting a roll-up for two. Orlando has a nice flying shoulderblock and a great Rydeen Bomb, and the two false finishes do help the match, as both times you buy that Nese is going to lose, only for him to hit a second 450 for the victory.

The Hounds of Hatred (Bam & Boo Sullivan) vs Alex Reynolds & JT Kasin

Sadly, the main event was probably the worst match on the show. I really dig Reynolds, guy has nice execution and carries himself well in the ring, and I liked Bam Sullivan, but the other two guys brought this down. Reynolds hits a great looking crossbody and suicide dive early, before becoming face-in-peril. Boo Sullivan is really hesitant for a big lad, and has really soft looking offence, but Bam controlled Reynolds better, and I loved his really low Swanton – instead of getting great height on it, he really whipped himself down with force. Giving Boo credit, he really misses an elbow drop with intent, before Reynold’s tags Kasin in. Kasin is an odd guy to watch, he doesn’t feel like a wrestler – his movements in the ring just feel odd. He looks like he should be a brawler, but he hits the worst mounted punches I’ve seen in a while. The end is a real mess, starting with the Hounds of Hatred blowing a double-team move, before some stuff happens outside the ring involving Reynolds and a referee (it’s dark and there’s no commentary, so it’s tough to make out). Inside, Kasin punches the HoH’s valet in the face, rightly drawing boos despite Kasin being a face, and he gets taken out with a loaded blow to keep the tag belts on the hounds. Even aside from the stupidity of having a face punching a woman, this was a sloppy bout.