Hardcore Heaven 1995

July 1st, 1995

Not done an ECW review in awhile. My ECW history is spotty at best, like the fans bwahaha, Power Slam magazine and Scott Keith reviews being where I pick it up mostly. This is in the PPV section of the Network but I assume it wasn't as I'm fairly sure Barely Legal in 97 was the first PPV of ECW. I was never a fan of ECWs general style, the weapon shot, no sell, weapon shot style is not my cup of tea and its still going on now in WWE but with big move, rest, big move being their no psychology style of choice. This comes with TV Mature warnings. I should note that Aaron Rodgers has just had an amazing game/comeback Vs. Chicago 9/9/18.

Raven, Stevie, Pitbulls and Beulah are here, Raven and Stevie are the Tag Champions.

Pitbulls (w/ Raven, Stevie and Beulah) Vs. Dudley Boys (w/ Big Dick Dudley)
Dudley Dudley and Little Snot Dudley are the Dudleys here. Pitbull #1 and Pitbull #2 start off in control of the Little Dudley. I should note Stevie has a 1993 HBK mullet. Dudley Dudley is in  ow and has a far better showing against Pitbull #2, Little Dudley is soon in and same as before Pitbills get the better of him. Stevie has a fan ringside who kisses him, looks like Francine then Raven takes his crew to the back. Powerbomb off the top to the Little Dudley but Dudley Dudley comes off the top on to Pitbull #2, or #1 I can never remember despite one being bald, and it gets 3. ** - Pretty basic match where the squashee ended up winning but fans were into the match/people.

Pitbulls aren't happy.

Don E. Allen/Dino Sendoff Vs. Broad Street Bully/Chad Austin
Thank you Wikipedia for their names as I couldnt make out what Joey Styles said and there's no on screen graphic as this is ECW. Austin is almost back dropped on his nonce right away 'You F'd Up' chant. Pitiful 'match'goes about a minute which Styles noting how bad it is and getting a decent dig in at WCW Slamboree then 911 and Paul E. come out as 911 has Chokeslams for all.

Big Malley Vs. Hack Myers
Big Malley is the Wikipedia name Joey is saying Poochio or something, though he does later say Malley. Someone in front of the hard camera tells Malley to kiss his behind using actions and blow me I think it's Tatanka. Malley has the body shape of Viscera and the skin tone of Sheamus. Stalling for an eternity. Someone in the crowd has a King of The Ring t-shirt on and from the look on his face knows he's in the wrong. Malley reverses a whip and lands a corner splash then some more. Total nothing match and Malley misses an elbow drop and is pinned as Myers got no offence, post match, if you can call that a match, Malley gets another splash in. At least the crowd were making noise mocking Malley. 1/2

Taz Vs. Too Cold Scorpio
Things may pick up now. Scorpio is wearing Taz colours. Scorpio takes a powder after taking a clothesline. Taz has a side headlock locked on which he keeps hold of after Scorpio hits a back suplex. Scorpio goes for a leapfrog but Tax fakes out and hits a belly to belly. They wristlock and Tax bridges but that's not saying much as he's hardly high off the ground. Powerbomb by Scorpio then a double underhook suplex but Taz kicks out. Paul E. is ringside,  this show has no entrances really as the matches just cut to the next one. Taz-plex, kind of a T-Bone suplex. Too Cold nails Taz with a Tombstone, I assume Taz hasnt had the neck break yet unless he's crazy, Tumbleweed connects but Tax is soon up with a Taz-pled for 3 but Scorpios foot is on the rope. Fonzie comes in and wants it restarted. Fonzie says if a wrestler touches him he'll shut down ECW but Paul E. points out he isnt a wrestler but Too Cold hits Taz with a chair and Fonzie cheapahots Paul then counts 3 for Scorpio. ***. 

Styles plugs the hotline then Shane Douglas comes out, I believe this to be his final ECW appearance for this run as after this his Dean Douglas WWF stint begins. The fans needle him with a We Want Flair chant. The Tatanka man turns round and blow me I think it's Scott Norton in a Tatanka syrup. Shane is rabbiting on for a while bringing up him and Cactus Jack training at DeNucci's together and how they're friends. Dean holds up a shirt which is helpfully blurred out. Woman is here, this was boring me now it's saddening me, she slaps him after he insults her, Shane blocks another and Sandman attacks which brings out Cactus. Knock me down with a feather there's a woman in the crowd.  

ECW Tag Titles - Raven/Richards (c) (w/ Beulah) vs. Tommy Dreamer/Luna Vachon
Dreamers left hand is in a cast. It kicks off pre-bell but the camera misses it. Stevie stomps Luna as Raven and Dreamer fight ringside where Raven is DDTd. Testicular Claw to Stevie then a testicular toss I guess. Fallaway Slam and a neckbreaker to Stevie by Tommy and Luna respectively. Raven's been cut as he and Tommy fight by the entrance. Stevie is hit with an ironing board. Dreamer and Raven are back by the entrance way where Raven shuts Dreamers hand in a newspaper box. Double suplex to Luna then a double DDT. Raven ends up tied up in the ropes allowing Dreamer to hit a chair shot. Richards is superplexed but Beulah throws powder in Lunas face and Stevie gets 3. **1/2

Tod Gordon calls out Fonzie and makes him ref of the Taipei Deathmatch.

Taipei Deathmatch - Axl Rotten Vs. Ian Rotten
Glass is glued to their fists. Ian looks like the drummer from Les Alanos off of Phoenix Nights but with Brian Knobs-ish hair whilst Axl apparently loved tennis. Apparently they're Geordies as they're billed from Newcastle making both heels to me. All gets the first shot in and Fonzie stops the match saying Ian has impaired vision. The Gangstas and Public Enemy are fighting by the entrance. Gordon's in the ring and restarts the match. The blood is flowing now as Ian cuts All with the glass across his forehead then digs it in. All hits a superkick then digs glass into Ian's turnip as Ian is wearing the crimson mask. There's a guy in the crowd who looks like my best mate from high school. Ian goes low which should end the match as aint no man getting up from that, I'd still be lay out in Philly 23 years on. Thumbtacks are brought into play by Ian but he gets dropped on them then Axl hits a splash for the 3 count. *

Cut now to Dreamer/Luna fighting Stevie/Raven. Pitbulls come out as Stevie tells them to Superbomb Luna but soon Pitbulls and the champions are fighting and Stevie is about to be Superbombed when the Dudleys make the save. There was a drink/drug problem in wrestling and going by Dreamers pants he may be the worst affected. The first teams are fighting again until Pitbills get involved as do the Dudleys.

ECW World Title - Sandman (c) (w/ Woman) vs. Cactus Jack
This being WWE I'm guessing Sandmans theme is a dub job here. Cactus has barbed wire around his fist. One fan seems to be having the time of their life dancing to Jack's theme. Cane shot to Cactus after Woman hits him with a beer or something. Cactus is sent ringside then Sandman comes over the top with a cane shot, surely that should add 50x the power and send Cactus into the floor thus leaving just his head and shoulders visible. Cactus gets in cane shots of his own, Sandman pump fakes when Cactus swings at the post but Cactus pump fakes the pump fake and hits Sandman. Cane shot to the barbed wire wrapped wrist. Sandman lands some cane shots, Woman gets one in too, then DDTs Cactus on a chair. Slingshot legdrop gets Sandman 2, he's that drunk I assume he thinks he's Rey Mysterio Jr. Woman brings some barbed wire as Sandman piledrives Cactus on a chair then puts the barbed wire around himself and splashes Cactus, I think Sabu does something similar at Born To Be Wired. Cactus Elbow with a chair connects after Sandman is dumped to ringside. Cactus pulls Sandmans shirt, with barbed wire, over his head then hits a legdrop with a chair. Woman canes Cactus so he shoves her down. Ref Bump! Shane Douglas runs in and piledrives Sandman then hits Cactus and Sandman gets 3. ** Tod Gordon comes out and Shane says he'll stay in ECW if Gordon begs him, Gordon tells him he's f----ing fired. Shane attacks as fans seem to chant for 911 who comes out and Chokeslams Shane straight into Dean Douglas hell.

The Public Enemy Vs. The Gangstas
No real themes here. I'm a big fan of Public Enemy,  the hip-hop maestros not the tag team. Gangstas are rocking Raiders. Mustafa walks straight into a frying pan shot. Grunge is cut. Mustafa and Fly Boy have fought through the crowd. As Grunge uses an umbrella to clothesline New Jack. Fly Boy hits a drive-by off the announce area putting Mustafa through a table but the tables are soon turned as Mustafa puts Fly Boy through a table. New Jack is busted and hit with a mailbox. Fly Boy goes into a fan, of the air blowing variety not human, if ECW fans count as human mind. Grunge leg drops, sort of anyway as he lands stamding, New Jack through a table. Grunge has a frying pan and he's not afraid to use it now he has a bat with RSPW on it, think that's a wrestling site or something. Mustafa powerslams Grunge but Fly Boy makes the save. Grunge goes low with a croquet mallet. Fly Boy Moonsaults New Jack through a table. Fly Boy comes off the top with the croquet mallet on Mustafa and gets 3. The fans are invited to join Public Enemy to celebrate, turns out it wasn't the ring break episode. **1/2

13.5/35 - Thats not a good score obviously but two matches combined for 1.5/10 which kind of gave the show no chance of breaking .500 and they were just ridiculously booked (Hack Myers match) and just horrendous (Rottens match), the latter of which belongs on one of them shows promoted in early 2000 by the garbage companies and not on a 'big 3' show, it was ECW at its worst.
There's nothing here which is must see although the main and the Tag Title matches were kind of ECW at its best in terms of structure, you can see how they were ahead of the times with this as it's basically the formula WWE would emulate for their hardcore division, albeit done in a more comical than violent way, and the WWE brawl style Stone Cold would bring to the masses.
It's not good in the traditional sense but there is something endearing about it in terms of excitement and the crowd shows you how a noisy crowd, in a good way not a trying to make it about them way like 2018 WWE crowds, makes a difference and its no wonder this was popular in 1995 with the style and characters when compared to 1995 WCW and WWF, you have an exciting mature product here compared to the Hogan show down in Atlanta and Diesel topping the bill in New York, though Diesel did have the odd cracker with Bret and HBK overall it was a low point.