ECW TV Flashback - 15 yrs. ago
November 1, 1996
Originally Published: Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter #414
Report by Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING - 11/1

The show opened with footage of the scaffold match between Tommy Dreamer and Brian Lee including Lee's bump off the scaffold through tables in the ring below.

After the show's open, Joey Styles stood in mid-ring and in a segment that dragged and reeked of the boarish self-congratulations that ECW has been good about staying away from recently, talked about Olympians Mark Henry and Matt Gaffari who are with the WWF and WCW. Then he patted ECW on the back for getting a Gold Medalist (i.e. ECW does it right!) Kurt Angle. The segment only got worse as Styles ran down Little Guido's amateur background. Guido said it was an honor to meet him and said he hoped to impress him when he faced Taz later. Taz came out and said he spent a good part of the summer watching Angle on TV during the Summer Olympics. Taz said he could have tried out for the Olympics, but he'd rather make money. Angle had the usual "outsider" look where he was laughing at what was happening, not even trying to keep a straight face...

(1) Taz (w/Bill Alfonso) beat Little Guido in a shoot fight rules match at 4:10. Angle joined Styles on commentary. Angle was lost at times during commentary and Styles knew the names of some holds better than Angle did. Styles actually spent the first part of the match explaining the rules to Angle as he asked "Why did they grab the ropes? Oh, I see."... After the match, Taz said ECW is protecting Sabu. He said his patience is running thinner and thinner and thinner (his is!?).

After a commercial, Styles continued to talk about the coup of getting Angle to come to ECW and not WCW or the WWF.

(2) Shane Douglas (w/Francine) pinned Cody Michaels. Douglas called the fans "smart marks." Douglas made it two for two for heels on the show who said "f---" over the house mic before their matches (Taz did, also). The match itself played out well in that Michaels got a lot of believable near falls early, although his credentials were never established for either the live crowd or TV viewers. Douglas continues to eat up his heel role... After the match, Pitbull 2 went after Douglas, no-selling some of Douglas's chairshots. Douglas ran. Joel Gertner announced Douglas as the winner. Pitbull2 got in his face and as Pitbull grabbed him to throw him out of the ring, Gertner said, "Oh sh--."

A clip aired of Mikey Whipwreck's defeat of, as Styles said, "a stone cold superstar, Steve Austin," at November to Remember '95...

(3) Chris Candido pinned Spike Dudley. Candido looked good in the match, not to mention inspired. He gyrated as he took off his ring vest. Fans chanted "Candido," "We Want Sunny," and "Skip is Dead." Candido pinned Spike while doing push-ups on his chest. After the win, Candido talked in favorable terms about ECW and its fans, but at the very end did a 180 out of nowhere and ripped them calling the building a "sh-- hole."

(4) Sandman pinned Too Cold Scorpio to retain the ECW Hvt. Title. Styles called Scorpio and Sandman "best friends." After some mat wrestling Scorpio and Sandman squared off with chair and cane in hand, but then shook hands. Scorpio turned the handshake into a cheapshot kneelift, then rammed him into the chair. Scorpio lost after missing his twisting top rope legdrop. After the match Sandman's son Tyler entered the ring and hugged him. Raven then attacked Sandman from behind with the cane and DDT'd him as the show went off the air.

[Torch art credit Joe Borzotta (c) PWTorch.com]

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWE FLASHBACK: Kane character debuts 18 yrs. ago today in first-ever Hell in a Cell match - Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

HIAC FLASHBACK: Kane beats Undertaker in HIAC match 5 yrs. ago today, plus Randy Orton vs. Sheamus for WWE Title

ROH FLASHBACK: The aftermath of Joe vs. Kobashi 10 years ago today