ECW Hardcore TV
Episode 3
April 20th, 1993
Welcome back, it’s week three of my Extreme Retrospective project. Coming off the heels of an enjoyable episode of Hardcore TV, I look forward to this week. We’ll see the conclusion of the TV Title tournament, which will be the focal point of this episode. As well as, a few other surprises, I’m sure of that. Jay Sully and Stevie Wonderful are our commentary team, as usual. Third week in a row, Eddie Gilbert comes out, only to be confronted by Terry Funk. Gilbert apologizes to Funk for disrespecting him and trying to take his spot. The build towards some sort of confrontation continues. Gilbert and Wonderful walk off, leaving Sully and Funk to call the show.
ECW Tag Team Championship
The Super Destroyers (with Hunter Q. Robins III) vs. Canadian Wolfman and Super Ninja
Destroyers jump their opponents at the start, isolating Wolfman, just an absolute beatdown. They botch a body slam spot, but we don’t get any chants, a far cry from what the ECW fanbase would become with their “you effed up” chants. The Destroyers continue their assault on Wolfman, before forcing Super Ninja to enter off a tag. But, the match is much of the same, a continuation of their one sided assault on their opposition tonight. Thrust kick and one of the Destroyers picks up Ninja, intentionally breaking up the pinfall. We get a flipping senton and the Super Destroyers win, apparently this was a title match, so they retain.
Thoughts: Your basic squash match, the job guys for the evening didn’t get any offense in and were there solely to put the champs over and make them look good. However, it was a punch and kick fest, with a few big moves here and there. It’s not the worst match I’ve ever seen and as I’ve said several times, judging this based solely on the time frame it comes from, it’s not a step down from stuff you’d see in WWF or WCW, but it certainly doesn’t make me want to see more of the Super Destroyers. Perhaps when they finally face off against a legitimate team, my tune will change.
Winners: The Super Destroyers
Post match, Funk calls over Robins for an interview, however Funk is blindsided by Eddie Gilbert with a chair. Gilbert assaults Funk with a chair, but we cut to commercial before things really pick up. With Gilbert in action later on, one would assume we’ll get some response by Funk, but time will tell.
TV Title Tournament Semi-Finals
Jimmy Snuka vs. Tommy Cairo
Like I said at the start, in the interest of not being a hypocrite, I skipped over most of this match, but the finish is Johnny Hotbody comes out and ends up costing Cairo the match, giving Snuka the win after his top rope splash. Cairo is no longer undefeated.
Thoughts: N/A, although if I had to say anything, as repetitive as this build may be, Cairo vs Hotbody has potential to be a fun little match.
Winner: Jimmy Snuka
Gilbert cuts a promo about Funk post match, as Snuka is part of Hotstuff International, so Gilbert was at ringside. He cuts a pretty good promo against Funk, as well as putting over Snuka and the stable.
TV Title Tournament Semi-Finals
Eddie Gilbert vs Glen Osbourne
We get our second and final semi final match here. Gilbert defeated JT Smith in a short, but chaotic and enjoyable brawl last week, Osbourne beat Hotbody in the first episode. Eddie Gilbert with the mic, he offers Osbourne the chance to avoid embarrassment, telling him to take a count out loss, instead of a beating. He also throws in some jabs about Osbourne, insinuating that he has 20 kids and a few ex-wives. 20 kids eh, I guess Heath Slater has it easy. Slow start, some stalling by Gilbert, but soon the match spills to the floor. A repeat of last week, as Gilbert sends Osbourne into a ringside table. Back in the ring, Gilbert is all over Osbourne, a chin lock is locked on and held for at least two, maybe three minutes.
Osbourne’s facepaint has smeared onto Gilbert’s forehead, just an observation during this lull in the match. The two collide in the center of the ring and this is Osbourne’s opening to make his comeback. Osbourne fires off the ten punches in the corner spot, but as the ref pulls Osbourne back, Gilbert pulls out the brass knucks and levels Osbourne. He secures the win after his cheating ways. But wait, Jay Sully heads to ringside and confronts the referee, telling him what he just saw. The ref finds the brass knuckles and reverses the decision.
Thoughts: It was a step down from Gilbert’s previous match, which I was a huge fan of. As short and simple as the match against Smith was, it was a brawl and it really got over Gilbert as a dangerous and crafty heel. This got off to a slow start, picking up very slightly with the small segment outside the ring. But once they got back in, it slowed way back down and aside from the finish and the post match stuff, it wasn’t anything to write home about. Perhaps it was best that way though, to keep Osbourne and Snuka fresh heading into their second match of the evening. But from an entertainment stand point, I didn’t really get behind this match.
Winner: Glenn Osbourne
As Gilbert goes to contest the outcome and confront Jay Sully, Terry Funk returns the earlier ambush with one of his own, battering Gilbert with a chair and beating him all over the arena, sending him packing. Terry Funk with a fiery promo, challenges Gilbert to a fight. Really strong promo, it’s passionate, raw, and it helps get you hyped up for the eventual encounter that will surely take place within the next few episodes.
Rockin Rebel vs. Frank Cody
Back from commercial, we get a promo by Rockin Rebel calling out Peaches. Then he insults the Sandman and asks for a kiss. She refuses, instead slapping him, which enrages Rebel and he rushes into the ring and absolutely demolishes his opponent this evening in record time.
Thoughts: N/A the match was over within 30 seconds. From a wrestling standpoint, this was a terrible match. No action, no drama, nothing. But, this was clearly more about the Sandman/Rebel feud and I think they got that over well here with the enraged Rockin Rebel just bulldozing poor Frank Cody here.
Winner: Rockin Rebel
After the match, Rebel goes after Peaches, dragging her into the ring, but Sandman rushes out to the ring and attacks Rebel. Tygra comes out and distracts Sandman, clawing at his eyes, which leads to Rebel smashing the surfboard over Sandman’s head and knocking him out cold. This whole segment, both the match and the post match stuff feel rushed, but at the same time, it kinda helps put the angle over and gives this episode another stand out moment to keep you glued to the TV.
ECW Television Championship
Jimmy Snuka vs. Glenn Osbourne
Outside interference by Gilbert leads to a Superfly splash and “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka wins the match and the title. Jimmy is the Television Champion.
Thoughts: N/A. Unfortunately due to my personal stance on real life matters, as I mentioned initially and earlier in this review, I skipped over this match. Which means I missed the main event and can’t give a full write up for it. Now, with that said, speaking solely on the product and result of this match, it’s fine. The heels get the belt and it gives Hotstuff International momentum, the only thing that I didn’t like is that Gilbert was at ringside. Purely because it sorta devalues the beatdown by Funk. Sure, in real life, these matches could have been shot anywhere from 30 minutes apart to perhaps an hour or two, or even out of order to some degree. Plus, Gilbert wasn’t absolutely butchered by Terry Funk, but it felt like he got clobbered with a chair and was back out within 15 minutes not selling anything. But, perhaps that’s me just nitpicking too much.
Winner: Jimmy Snuka
Stevie Wonderful is back in the locker room area, trying to check up on Sandman after the incident earlier in the night. A distraught Peaches answers the door and mentions that Sandman might have a concussion. We close the show with Wonderful announcing that next week Don Muraco will debut and he signs off for the week.
Closing Thoughts
From a storyline standpoint, this was a strong episode. All the current angles were continued in some way or another. Johnny Hotbody and Tommy Cairo, Rebel and Sandman, and Funk and Gilbert. Plus, the way the angles played out this week were fun, from the wild attacks by Gilbert and Funk on each other, as well as the surfboard spot, there was some nice action to keep us hooked. From an in ring stand point, well perhaps the matches that I skipped over were good. But the ones I watched were bland. Two squash matches and a very slow and bland match between Gilbert and Osbourne.
It falls somewhere in the middle of a scale, if I had to rate this. Probably at like a 4/4.5 out of 10. If you’re a fan of the in ring aspects of pro wrestling, then so far, I have yet to see something that truly wowed me. Even with some decent talent like Cairo, Hotbody, Stetson, Winters, and Gilbert. But we can see flashes of what ECW would become, with some hardcore action and some hectic angles. Plus, we have a new TV champion, so even if for the time being, I’ll be ignoring that aspect of the company. As a whole, we have another title to contend for and that opens up the doors for a lot of talent.
I’m looking forward to next week, at the very least, there’s been at least one thing to draw me in week by week, whether it’s anticipation of an angle or seeing someone I like in action. As well as some surprises, so it has that going for it. Slowly, but surely, we’re seeing progression and promise as we move week to week. With that said, this concludes this week’s review. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. As always feel free to leave feedback or tell me I suck, whatever works best. I’ll see you next week, if not sooner.