ECW Hardcore TV #35 07/12/1993

Mr Hughes vs Mike Norman

Bland squash, with Hughes alternating between nice big boots and impressive dropkicks, and unconvincingly missing a clothesline by aiming well over Norman’s head. Big sidewalk slam gives Hughes the win.

JT Smith vs Johnny Hotbody

These two are among the MVPs of 1993 ECW, so it’s a shame to report this match isn’t too great. Smith opens with some awkward looking chain wrestling that doesn’t feel particularly smooth, before taking over with a nice fallaway slam and a high angle back suplex. There’s a lot of offence her that just feels sloppy, Hotbody hits some awful chairshots, Smith hits some weak looking clotheslines, and there’s a really poor botch on a top rope sunset flip that basically sees Hotbody falling onto Smith as he goes over. On the Brightside, Hotbody does hit some nice meaty elbows, including one to the arena floor, but this was a letdown. Smith gets the win after Hotbody’s manager Hunter Q Robbins hits him with a caneshot, seemingly on purpose.

The Tazmaniac & Kevin Sullivan vs The Bad Breed

Barely anything to speak of, as Sullivan decides he want to beat up JT Smith in the aisle, leaving Tazz to face both Rotten brothers. He dispatches them with no fuss in mere seconds hitting a second rope belly to back suplex for the win.

The Lumberjack vs Mr X

Mr X is apparently a masked Larry Winters. This goes about 30 seconds, as we’re joined in progress with the Lumberjack hitting a press slam and a heart punch for the win.

WWF Prime Time Wrestling 02/06/1986

Don Muraco vs Danny Spivey

Not the exciting opener you might hope for to kick off this episode. Muraco is really happy to stall and waste a lot of time at the start of the bout, to the point that I’m quite happy when an impatient Spivey just says “fuck it” and stomps him as he gets in. Muraco takes control after hurling Spivey through the ringside barriers, then controls him with some very methodical offence. The best stuff in this bout comes from Spivey, and I liked his comeback punches which are quite fired up. The end sees Spivey try to suplex Muraco back in from the apron, but gets cradled for the win.

Tony Garea vs Mr X

Mr X is a masked Danny Davis. This is a truly terrible bout, controlled for the vast majority of it by Mr X holding a headlock. At one point, you can actively hear the crowd groan when X cuts off an attempted comeback and goes for another headlock. Garea gets the odd comeback, but X will always cut it off almost straight away, often by hitting Garea with a knee as he charges in. As a positive, Mr X does hit a nice legdrop, but this is mostly boring nonsense. Garea eventually gets the win with an O’Connor roll.

Lanny Poffo vs Psycho Capone

Really odd match. Capone looks like a scrawny “Double J” era Jeff Jarrett and this is strangely uncooperative in places. Poffo is mainly in control here, breaking an arm wringer with a big boot that he nicely holds in Capone’s face. Poffo does some nice 80’s high-flying hitting a flipping second rope senton and a moonsault. This should be the end, but Capone awkwardly kicks out. There’s a bit of confusion, before Poffo hit a slingshot senton to win. Basically a Poffo squash with Capone getting up quickly after some moves. Very strange.

King Tonga vs Tiger Chung Lee

This is JIP with some nice bits, but also some dull bits. Both work leg control sections that are pretty dull, neither guy seems to want to do anything more than hold the opponents foot. Better are the strikes from both men. Nice leaping enzuigiri from Tonga, vicious kicks to the face from Chung Lee and both men laying into each other aggressively. Tonga picks up the win with a big thrust kick.

The British Bulldogs vs The Hart Foundation

Real prick tease of a match. This barely goes five minutes and has a shitty ending, which is really annoying as the match was shaping up to be really good. The familiarity the four men had with each other means that there’s no holding back on some big shots. Bret hits some lovely looking European uppercuts in the corner on Dynamite and commits to missing a massive second rope elbow, and I’m getting pretty excited about this match…then the Harts hit the Hart Attack mostly behind the refs back, he turns around and disqualifies them. Just a baffling, bullshit end to a fun match.

Ted Arcidi vs Big John Studd

And of course this ended up being twice the length. The amount of time they spend stalling, dithering about a test of strength then working the test of strength is longer than the whole tag match. At times, there’s not a single bit of motion on screen as they linger in the same position working the test of strength. Eventually, they do a bit of fighting, with Arcidi gassing himself out after a series of soft looking forearms. He grinds down Studd with a series of running ax handles, the logic of which I quite like, before Studd boots him outside, seemingly to let him catch his breath. Studd keeps preventing Arcidi from getting in, before Arcidi drags him out and they “brawl” to a double countout. Yep, not even a clean finish on this stinker.