Ladies and gentlemen, I have an important announcement to make: A mistake has been made here at the Extreme Archive.  After a coordinated effort between the crack research department at the Extreme Archive and the Standards and Practices committee at Inside Pulse, we have determined that the previous two ECW Television Episodes (and episode 009) did NOT take place at Cabrini College on April 02, 1993.

Instead, they took place at Cabrini College on the following day: April 03, 1993.  This has been confirmed through wikipedia and prowrestlinghistory.com, so please adjust your notes accordingly for the final exam at the end of the semester.

ECW Television Episode 009

Taped:  April 03, 1993
Broadcast:  June 01, 1993
Taping Location:  Cabrini College Field House
Announcing Team:  Jay Sulli & Paul E. Dangerously

Previously:

• The Suicide Blondes, Chris Candido & Johnny Hotbody, defeat Larry Winters and Tony Stetson for the ECW Tag Team Championship.
• Sal Bellomo posing as Super Destroyer #3 is attacked by The Super Destroyers.

Synopsis:

Opening Segment

Sulli and Wonderful run down the evening’s card for us, including a repeat of last weeks match between the Suicide Blondes and Winters & Stetson. And the two are joined by Paul E. Dangerously who gives Stevie Wonderful a great big heel hug, ¹ establishing their friendship ². Dangerously asks Wonderful if he can take over on color commentary, and my enjoyment of this week’s episode just increased monumentally. 

  

Segment #1: ECW Tag Team Championship Match: Winters & Stetson vs Suicide Blondes

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that I copy and pasted last week’s column, and forgot to delete this. I’m afraid not, as they decide to show the match from last week, in its entirety. So go read my column from last week, if you’re feeling nostalgic.

Segment #2 Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular ³

Okay, here’s a list of the matches for the Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular. The new matches are in italics:

• Texas Chain Match Massacre: Terry Funk vs Eddie Gilbert  * winner declared the King of Philly
• Street Fight: The Sandman vs Rockin Rebel
• Cat Fight: Miss Peaches vs Tigra
• Dirty Dick Murdoch vs The Dark Patriot w/ Paul E. Dangerously
• 4 vs 3 Match: The Super Destroyers & Sal Bellomo vs The Suicide Blondes & Hunter Q. Robbins III ⁴  
• TV Title Match: Jimmy Snuka vs JT Smith * If Snuka wins he faces Tommy Cairo ⁵
  
• First Blood Match: Larry Winters vs Tony Stetson ⁶

Basically, it’s getting close to the date for the supercard, and they have to spoil upcoming developments to sell tickets. Craaazy.

Segment #3: Super Destroyer 1 ⁷ w/ Hunter Q. Robbins III vs Sal Belomo

Lockup in the corner, and this is going to be a punching and kicking extravaganza. Actually not a bad display for late 80s/early 90s brawling style ⁸. Sal rakes the eyes and hits a horrible hip toss. ⁹ Sal hits his patented standing drop kick, followed by a snap mare and big splash for a near fall.

  

And predictably, here comes Super Destroyer #2 to interfere. Sal gets the win, but a beatdown for his trouble. Tommy Cairo comes out to make the save, but afterwards Sal gives him a big shove away. 

  

Segment #4: Tommy Cairo & Glen Osborne vs Eddie Gilbert & Jimmy Snuka

This is like the third partner for Cairo in the last eight weeks. There still is some confusions as to whether this is Hot Stuff International or The Dangerous Alliance. Best to leave sleeping feuds lie, I guess.Osborne and Gilbert start off. Gilbert takes it outside quickly and nails Osborne with a chair, the ring bell hammer, while Dangerously schools Jay Sulli about inside the ring versus outside the ring etiquette. ¹⁰ Back in the ring, Osborne hits a back body drop on Gilbert and tags in Cairo. After damage from Cairo, Eddie rolls out and consults with Paul E. who has temporarily left the broadcast area to console and guide Gilbert. ¹¹ Additionally, he gets the quasi-gay heel hug from Snuka. ¹²A lot of double teaming by both groups. And in a move I’ve never seen before, Snuka throws Osborne against the ropes and gives him a “claw” to the midsection. Headbutt by Snuka. Eddie nails Osborne with a full soda can. Eventually Osborne tags Cairo. Cairo wailing on Gilbert. Gilbert against the ropes and Paul E. grabs his leg saving him from the Tommy Cairo drop kick that misses. Hot Shot by Gilbert to finish the match.

Segment #5: JT Smith vs Max Thrasher

Thrasher enters the ring wearing a hockey mask. The match begins with Thrasher headbutting Smith with the mask on, but the match broadcast is interrupted by Jay Sulli apparently on his way to the golf course.¹³He wants to tell us about the action we’re going to see in upcoming weeks from the ECW Arena:

• Battle Royal to determine the new ECW Pennsylvania Championship, apparently Tony Stetson turns heel on Larry Winters.
• A tag match between the Suicide Blondes and the Super Destroyers that apparently explains the upcoming 3 on 4 match.
• Road Warrior Hawk is attacked by the Dangerous Alliance, and Hot Stuff gives Hawk a fireball.
• The Dark Patriot faces JT Smith, and the battle rages to the Eagles Nest high above the ECW Arena.

All of this we will see in the upcoming weeks on ECW Television.

Back in action, JT is punching thrasher in the corner. Thrasher tries to cheat to beat JT Smith, but the Smith turns the tables and puts his feet on the ropes after rolling up Thrasher.

Segment #6: Video Message from Terry Funk

Nothing new except we’re not at the Double Cross Ranch anymore. Terry Funk with a chain around his neck is ready for the Chain Match Massacre against Eddie Gilbert. And wants to be the best in Philadelphia.

  

Segment #7: ECW Championship Match: The Sandman vs Don Muraco

Okay, I think we all know how this is going to play out, but let’s just recap it anyway, huh. Peaches is wearing a really cute outfit, looking like a french maid uniform built into short shorts, but that could be the graininess of the footage too.Sandman mixes it up with Muraco. The slowest roll-up ever by Sandman, but a kick out by Muraco. Punches by Sandman and eventually clotheslines Muraco out of the ring. Back in, Muraco hits an Irish Whip on Sandman who comes off the ropes and clotheslines Muraco. Sunset Flip and backslides get two near falls by The Sandman ¹⁴.Murcao low blows Sandman to regain control. 2nd Rope arm smash from Muraco. Punches back and forth. Muraco goes for a piledriver, putting Sandman’s thighs very close to his face, making me uncomfortable ¹⁵. Sandman wiggles out of it and lands awkwardly on the apron. Sandman punches to gain conrol. Sandman goes off the ropes, but Paul grabs his ankle. Sandman goes down and Jay Sulli sounds like he’s watching the JFK parade through Dallas, Texas.

Peaches actually attacks Paul, but Rockin Rebel comes down and pulls her off of Paul. And in the misogynist moment of 1993, he actually puts the boots to Peaches! Edgy. Sandman pulls Rebel in, and delivers the worst double-arm DDT ever. Muraco and Sandman lockup again, and the referee gets bumped ¹⁶. So Sandman gets a sleeper on Muraco, but Dangerously nails Sandman with the phone. Cover by Muraco, and we have a new ECW Champion!

 `

Closing Segment

Dangerous Alliance celebrates and pours soda on Jay Sulli while Muraco acts like he has a concussion.

Next week, we show matches from the television tapings that took place at the ECW Arena!

Analysis:

Historic Significance

• Don Muraco wins the ECW Heavyweight Championship (for the second time).
• Super Destroyers continue their attack on Sal Bellomo.

Debuts

none

Titles

Feud Tracker

ECW Spotlight: Larry Winters

Well, you can’t deal with the early history of ECW and TWA without discussing Larry Winters.  Larry was a wrestler from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who spent some time in the territories in the mid 80s, including a stint in the AWA where he most notably (or at least easier to find on You Tube) fought Larry Zybysco.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ptZMxvehY

Winters would become the lead trainer of Ringmasters Wrestling School in Philadelphia with Joel Goodhart, where he trained Tony Stetson, Don E. Allen, Glen Osborne, and The Sandman.  As the trainer, he would also be a main attraction in TWA.  His big feud was with long-time rival D.C. Drake, and the hardcore battles that took place between Winters and Drake would help set the standards for the hardcore style that would later be modeled in Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Winters was the original booker for ECW, but due to some conflict with Tod Gordon, he was pushed aside to allow Eddie Gilbert to take the book.  So far on ECW television, he has been tagging with his former student, Tony “Hitman” Stetson, but that situation looks to change very quickly.

Plugs

Over on 411mania.com, William Renken wrote an excellent column talking about the Eddie Gilbert vs Cactus Jack feud that took place in the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, the predecessor to NWA: Eastern Championship Wrestling.  Including a YouTube link to the 2 out of 3 falls match that put Cactus Jack back on the national spotlight. ¹⁷

So, if you want to look at the testing lab where the 90s (or modern) hardcore style originated, then you should check it out.  It is an excellent history lesson:

Going Broadway 02.28.12: Eddie Gilbert vs. Cactus Jack: The Punishing Feud of 1991

Verdict

I really am sick of matches from previous weeks.  Highlights are fine.  Finishes are fine.  But to show a match in its entirety from the previous week is really getting boring.

The upcoming highlights is kindof interesting.  Sort of reminded me of a comic book trick, where you tease the outcomes of upcoming storylines, making the fans go WTF…  It’s an interesting but confusing concept, and let’s see if the product is as interesting as the tease.

But we had a significant if telegraphed title change, and that was pretty exciting all things considered.  So yeah, eventful.  Maybe we’re getting someplace

Footnotes

1. The ‘heel hug’ is the embrace that two heels give each other when they barely know each other, typically managers. By embracing, the heels establish that they approve of each others diabolical heel actions, and it transfers heel heat between both people. My favorite heel hug is the Bobby Heenan/Jim Cornette hug on Monday Night Raw (08/02/1993).
2. Surprising because I wouldn’t think that an adjective and an adverb would get along so well.
3. Apparently, the following matches have turned it into a ‘spectacular’.
4. Totally confusing, as it seems the Super Destroyers turn face, the Suicide Blondes get a new team member and a manager. 5. Tommy Cairo apparently has won the ECW Pennsylvania Championship, but until they explain it on TV, I’m not recognizing it.
6. Apparently one of these guys has turned heel, but I don’t know which one.
7. The question is do the Super Destroyers know which one is #1 and which one is #2.
8. Boring as hell in 2012, but for the time it’s decent.
9. I don’t know which one made it horrible, Sal or Super D #1, but it was BAD!
10. Or as Jessie “The Body Ventura eloquently put it: Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!
11. The most surprising thing about these matches is that they were called live. More surprising when you realize that the late 90s matches were always called in post production.
12. The quasi-gay heel hug is the embrace between two wrestlers (sweaty and in wrestling gear) to add a hint of homosexuality or at least non-manly behavior to their inventory of heel qualities. Admittedly, when Snuka gives one, it is decidedly more manly, but that’s an individual case.
13. Lance Wright he is not.
14. Good thing Sandman turned to the hardcore brawling style, cause this is almost embarassing.
15. Not uncomfortable because of the gay implications. Uncomfortable due to the smell. I mean it’s a big man in tight Body Glove surfer outfit that probably hasn’t been washed after 2 days of television tapings. I mean your nose right next to the nutsack! Funky like a monkey, indeed!
16. So we have manager interference, manager fighting, outside interference, and now a ref bump. Overbooking, thy name is ECW
17. Surprised the crap out of me, because I’ve searched for that match before on YouTube and never was able to find it.

Tags: ECW, Extreme Archive