November to Remember 1995

November 18th, 1995 from the ECW Arena

Was going to watch the Hardcore TV going into this show but cant be bothered really so going into this one blind which is always more fun anyway. I've probably read a review of this show before but if so I don't remember anything which goes against the title I guess. I may of had a best of November to Remember in VHS, I definitely had one with Spike on the cover, I got it from Ethel Austens possibly the least extreme shop going. (Actually its very much like ECW as I dont think its going anymore certainly not in my neck of the woods anyway)

The opening says the following is presented in its original form and yet I guarantee the music is dubbed and thus a lie.

Broad Street Bully Vs. Don E. Allen
Buh Buh Ray is the special ring announcer, he brings Big Dick, Sign Guy Dudley, Dances With Dudley and Chubby Dudley with him, all bar Big Dick have debuted between this and Hardcore Heaven. Buh Buh stutters on his Michael Buffer bit and Buh Buh Bombs the participants and pins Broad Street Bully despite their not being a match. These two were involved in a 90 second stinker at Hardcore Heaven so for once i'm glad to of seen Buh Buh. Is Dances With Dudley Drew Carey?

Paul E has the lights dimmed then Sabu's back to a deafening roar, he shakes hands with Paul and they hug. Crowd chant Thank You to Paul as Sabu has gone,  did they fall out already?

Jason Vs. Konnan
This show has the chapter marks so I know who's on, Hardcore Heaven hasn't got them so I had to go to Wikipedia on occasion. Konnan is masked Knight is mulleted. Jason is doing a Buff Bagwell type thing. Taz comes out to ref, he says ECW won't let him wrestle so he's here to enforce his will, Jason runs his mouth off and Tazz drops an unbleeped F Bomb, thankfully I wasn't drinking my Tango. Konnan powerbombs Knight after Taz hits him and gets 3.

El Puerto Ricano Vs. Stevie Richards (w/ Blue Meanie)
Stevie has lost the mullet and man that was a fine mullet even HBKs mullet would've jobbed to it no questions asked. His shirt says RSPW sucks on the back, from the crowd Blue Meanie gives Stevie a half shirt so he brings him ringside. Moonsault and missile dropkick by Ricano. Tope to Meanie. Stevie Bomb is followed by a hot shot.  Stevie Bomb again then Meanie goes up top but misses a moonsault so Stevie kicks him out of the ring and a Super Kick soon finishes the match. 

Eliminators (w/ Jason) vs. The Pitbulls (w/ Francine)
I think this is early in Eliminators ECW run. Saturn with long hair is just plain weird. Despite the obvious difference between the Pitbulls  I can never remember which is 1 and which is 2. Saturn and #1 trade scoop slams. Drop toe hold and elbow combo by Pitbulls. Kronus and #2 in now as Kronus hits a dragon suplex minus the bridge. Saturn sends #2 ringside with a springboard clothesline then Kronus gives him a boost as he moonsaults over onto #2, I liked that. #2 misses a corner splash and goes over the top. Saturn hits an elbow off the top for 2, I didn't see him tag in though. Frankensteiner off the top gets 2 as if you listen carefully you can hear Steiner ranting somewhere. Pitbull #1 makes the tag and cleans house. Fighting tornado style now. Kronus is set up Doomsday style and clotheslined over the top. Saturn is hit with the guillotine, a suplex, powerbomb combo out of the corner but Jason breaks the count. Superbomb ends Kronus. Post match Total Elimination to both Pitbulls. **1/2

Mexican Death Match - Psicosis Vs. Rey Misterio jr
The chapters on this show use Reys ECW name. There's a 'rudo' chant. I can slightly hear Reys WCW theme I think. After a pin or submission they have 10 seconds to answer the bell or it's over. Rey flips the Bird at Psicosis. Psicosis misses a wild dropkick attempt and is ranaed for 3 but survives the count. Hurricanrana sends Psi to the outside where Rey tries to jump off the guardrail but it goes wrong. Moonsault gets Psi 3 but Rey is up before 10 though himself is hurt after the guardrail blunder. Pop up powerbomb gets Psi another 3 count but again Rey is up, I should note the counts are done in Spanish in a nice touch. Inverted Oklahoma Stampede minus the powerslam then Psi gets another 3 from a twisting senton as Rey is thankful this isn't Iron Man rules. Psicosis, who's been dominant for a while now, DDTs Rey on a chair then moonsaults Rey with a chair on him for 3 again but Rey is up. Psicosis comes off the top again but Rey blocks it with a chair. Rey with a crossbody off the apron sending both into the crowd. Springboard moonsault soon follows from Rey getting an ECW chant. They're by Joey now as Rey gets 3 off a hurricanrana and Rey and the ref go over the bleachers and back to the ring as Psicosis doesn't make the count. ***1/2

Jason wants to manage Rey but Rey takes him out so The Eliminators attack Rey but 911 makes the save and Rey poses on 911s shoulders.

ECW Tag Titles - Sandman/Scorpio (c) (w/ Woman) Vs. The Public Enemy
Joey calls Scorpio Too Gold Scorpio as he is also TV Champion, Scorpio won the Tag Titles in a singles match with Rocco Rock and named Sandman his partner. Scorpio busts a move for Woman as Sandman looks on smiling. PEs entrance ain't the same without Here Comes The Hotstepper. PE are arguably Paul's greatest success. The winner of the fall faces Mikey Whipwreck tonight for the World Title. The TV Title is on the line too apparently, unsure if Sandman then wins the gold if he wins the fall, i.e. David Arquette winning DDPs world title, or if only one of PE can win the TV title. Too Cold Scorpio looks like Jon Tickle of Big Brother fame. 'Please Dont Go' chant for PE. Scorpio and Rocco Rock start us off with a dance off, I'm sun sure if this would be a 10 from Len, Sandman busts a move too, Woman does too then the Champions attack but the tables are soon turned after they mock the PE arm dance, speaking of which PE dance again when they clear the ring. Sandman is hiptossed over by Grunge then Rocco follows with a dive onto Sandman. It's duelling chairs for all. Scorpio takes the hand off someones prosthetic arm to use in Grunge as Rocco and Sandman fight ringside. Vader Bomb gets Grunge a 2 count. Sandman is thrown i to the crowd and Woman hauls him back. Slingshot boot to the face by Sandman as Grunge is cut open. Rocco Rock with a couple of tilt-a-whirl moves until he is hit with a shoulderbreaker. Rocco misses a springboard moonsault and is superkicked, double underhook powerbomb by Scorpio but Grunge breaks the pin. Woman gets some cane shots in, one right on Roccos bonce. Grunge backdrops Sandman on a table as it doesn't break then Sandman with am front suplex buts Grunge through it. Rocco with a somersault plancha as Sandman is against the broken table. Rocco hits the Drive-By on Grunge by accident and Sandman falls on top for the pin. ***

Sandman is out on the canvas so Scorpio pours him some beer and he is Sandmanning Up. Scorpio drops the beer to Sandmans shock but they hug and make up.

Joey introduces us to highlights of Tod Gordon Vs. Fonzie, Tod is the ECW Commissioner and Fonzie is a ref. We see at one point 911 chokeslamming Fonzie much to the ECW faithfuls delight.

Special ref/ Beulah McGillicutty (?) - Tod Gordon Vs. Fonzie
Fonzie is in his ref gear. Fonzie attacks as Tod is with the fans then clotheslines Beulah after she slaps him. Tod wins a punch off. Fonzie calls for a handshake but is clotheslined. Ringside Fonzie is hit with a baking tray then has his rammed into a chair and he's now busted open. Tod has a frying pan, Fonzie gets it but is lowblowed before he can use it and Tod cracks him with it. Taz coMets out in his ref shirt from earlier to count for Tod but stops at 2 and cleans Tods clock and puts Fonzie on top for 3. Crowd chants for Sabu as Taz says they can chant his f---ing name all night he ain't coming, he then says about fans caring about Dreamer, Terry Funk and Sabu when Benoit broke his neck but not about him. Taz asks who cares about him, his family etc. and says only Bill Alphonso/Fonzie does. Taz says they dont care about him and Fonzie well they dont give a flying f--k about them. Their partnership would last till Barely Legal in 1997.   

ECW World Title - Sandman (w/ Woman) Vs. Mikey Whipwreck (c)
Steve Austin, yes that Steve Austin, attacks Sandman.

ECW World Title - Steve Austin Vs. Mikey Whipwreck (c)
Austin tells Mikey to get out while they announce his name but jumps him as he goes to leave and is all over him. A fan sign Austin: The Future Has Arrived, how little he knew. Fans chant Hogan so Austin does a big boot and leg drop but it only gets 2. Mikey gets some punches in after reversing a whip into the guard rail. Austin tries to get Mikey to stop by pointing to his previously injured triceps. Stun Gun, a flapjack into the ropes, gets Austin 2. Mikey gets a sunset flip for 3. ** Not much to it is a match but it was entertaining as a p'd off Austin is always value for money. Kicking out of the leg drop was a nice touch and the small things are often the good things in wrestling.

Hack Myers Vs. Sabu
Paul E is in Sabus corner. Dodgy snapmare is followed by a springboard leg lariat as someone chants Alex Wright, if one person counts as a chant. Chair assisted springboard leg lariat gets 2. Powerslam gets Hack 2. Hack comes off the top slamming Sabus head between his legs on the way down Pedigree style, minus the arm holding, but Sabu has a leg on the rope. DDT gets Sabu a 2 count. Hack is ringside where Sabu slingshots over into a hurricanrana, during which Sabu seems to hurt his noggin. Back in Sabu comes off the top but is powerbombed for 2. Victory roll from the top doesn't live up to its name as it gets 2. Hack gets a chair from the crowd, with a coat on it, and cracks Sabu with it. Sabu gets a table to cheers as Joey says he was too extreme for the cartoon network (WCW), Sabu sentons over the top putting Hack through the table. Senton Arabian Facebuster gets Sabu the 3 count. ** Sabu makes to punch Hack post match but instead offers a handshake after acknowledging his effort according to the announcer.

Terry Funk/Tommy Dreamer Vs. Raven/Cactus Jack
Cactus has a Dungeon of Doom shirt on. Terry cracks Jack with a chair and then throws it into the back of Ravens head. Stevie Richards is here but is soon dumped in a trolley and pushed into the ringpost. Weapons have been strewn all over the ring but Tommy decides a VCR given from the crowd is of more use and hits Raven with it then again not long after. Funk hits the ref with a dustpan then hits Jafk and Raven too. Golf club to Raven's conkers, well tickle me KO'd. 'E-C-F----N-W' chant. Ravens been busted. Jack cuts open Funks arm with something. Cactus and Raven try to clothesline Dreamer with a chain but he jumps into it which pulls Jack and Raven into each other, that made me laugh. Jack now has a shirt with 'Forgive Me Uncle Eric' on the back and Bischoffs fave on the front but a bloodied Dreamer pulls it over Jack's face and punches Bischoff/Jack. Double Arm DDT onto a chair for Funk. Fonzie and Taz are here to referee and attack Funk. Dreamer DDTs Raven then hits a piledriver and Funk gets 3 so Dreamer doesn't actually beat Raven. ***1/2

16.5 / 30 -  Firstly the first few matches are too short to be rated and the Tod/Fonzie match for me isn't rateable as it's two non-wrestlers.
All the Tag matches had their moments, seems to be a style ECW does well as there's always something going on without rest holds even If there is no psychology to speak of. The main event tag match was prototypical ECW, a fun brawl which fans were I into.
Rey/Psicosis was good, I'd of thought more of it had I seen it in 1995 but its impact is lessened with what's followed in the 23 years since, still good though bar the Rey rail botch. 
Sabu and Austin's matches weren't much really, the Sabu one went too long and just didn't click, maybe should've been a quick squash featuring Sabus big moves.
Taz's heel turn was a corked too.

Thumbs up for 1995's November To Remember.