ECW 1-18-97

Mikey Whipwreck v. Chris Chetti

Solid opening matwork that builds to a Cactus clothesline from Mikey. He follows it up with a nice flip plancha, an outside in neck snapper and then Chetti makes his comeback after Mikey hits a good kick by hitting a nice powerslam out of the corner. Mikey hits some nice cradle attempts in this and gets a nice backslide hope spot but then stands up right into a whippersnapper of all things from Chetti for a nearfall. Mikey blocks a neckbreaker attempt by holding the ropes and then hits a nice slingshot leg drop. Mikey goes to the top but Chetti hits a standing head kick to him and Mikey takes an insane bump spilling all the way to the guardrail hard as fuck. Chetti with a top rope clothesline for a great nearfall. Chetti tries to go up top but Mikey crotches him. Chetti knocks him away from a belly to back attempt off the top and tries to hit a flip splash off the top but Mikey moves and hooks a cradle for the finish. This only goes about six minutes, but it's better than their match from the month before with Chetti under the hood and that was something I nearly nominated so I am passing this through for now.

Mike Awesome v. Kid Kash

This was a sprint, with lots of big spots, but it had sound structure. Kash took the brunt of this and Awesome seemed desperate for approval at times but I liked a lot of this. Especially liked Kash using rana escapes from Awesome offense and Awesome being the guy who hit a huge splash to the floor was a nice twist on what would become the standard Kash match. Some awkward moments but fun with a nice running powerbomb finish.

Bubba Dudley/Spike Dudley v. D-Von Dudley/Axl Rotten

Bubba opens up a house of fire and gets the heels reeling which sets up the always good spot with Bubba back dropping Spike over the ropes onto the heels. Lots of "gay" schtick by the heels as the crowd chants "pussy." D -Von in and Bubba smacks the fuck out of him then hits him with a stiff as shit running clothesline. Spike in with a nice rolling cradle and the faces are isolating D-Von and working distraction spots. Bubba and Spike hit a really cool looking devastation device variation for a nearfall. Awesome momentum swing as Spike gets whipped into the corner and D-Von jumps up at the last second with a chair that Spike goes crashing face first into. Spike is always good FIP and he is no different here. Heels crush him with some good elbow drops, leg drops, punches, et. Spike ends up in a nervehold but the crowd is going ballistic for him as Axl is stirring shit up and Bubba is great on the apron. Spike takes a flip bump off of a knee lift to the gut and then folds up like an accordian off of a double clothesline of all things. Spike's selling is great and he makes the hot tag after Axl misses a second rope elbow. They do a spot where Bubba tries to powerbomb Axl but D-Von blindsides him and he almost kills Axl as Bubba falls on his head. Bubba with a cutter out of nowhere on D-Von but Gertner rings the bell. Ref tries to srot shit out and Bubba gets destroyed with chairshots. Spike hits a chairshot/dropkick combo, then takes a crazed bump on his head from an Axl clothesline and a dominator for the finish. This was a really fucking good as the heels had a great night and Bubba and Spike were a great team.

New Jack v. Balls Mahoney

Bad Crew is out there too, but they get destroyed early. Balls selling of New Jack's weapon shots is fucking hilarious. This seems to go on forever and ends with the diving chairshot.

Shane Douglas/Francine v. Tommy Dreamer/Beulah

Dreamer starts off hot, but Shane comes back and beats on Dreamer. Tommy takes a bunch of nasty bumps. Crowd is really hard on Francine here. Francine comes in and hits one move on Dreamer then accidentally slaps Douglas with Dreamer getting a nearfall on a roll up. Douglas with a delayed vertical and piledriver for a nearfall while the crowd chants "little dick." Nice butterfly suplex from Shane. Shane offers for Beulah to turn on Tommy but of course she double crosses him and Tommy comes back with nut shots and a stiff clothesline for a nearfall. Dreamer rattles off a series of nearfalls off of some solid power moves and then Shane misses a crossbody. Dreamer with a DDT but Francine breaks it up and we get the obligatory cat fight segment. Shane goes for the belly to belly on Beulah but Tommy gets a roll up for a nearfall. Shane tries for the belly to belly on Tommy, but Dreamer slips out and hits the DDT for the finish. This was actually a pretty good match.

Steve Richards v. Little Guido

Really fun opening mat exchange ends with Guido getting the shit slapped out of him by Stevie. Richards rattles off a series of traditional babyface highspots and Guido bumps to the floor for a rest. Richards ends up working the arm as a base and Guido is hilarious carrying on about hair pulling and not getting clean breaks. Good rope running exchange that ends with Richards eating a hotshot. Richards gets worked over and tries to make a comeback and they do a great spot where Richards gets caught in a Gory Special variation while going for a move off the ropes, then they tease a blackslide escape by Richards, but Guido cuts him off with a clothesline. Richards comes back and ends up hitting a rocker dropper for a nearfall. They go back and fourth a bit and Richards gets a nearfall on a blind side stunner like move. Guido ducks down coming off the ropes and Richards hits a powerbomb for a nearfall. Crowd chants for a "Stevie kick" and Richards goes for it but Guido blocks it and hits a DDT for a nearfall. A few seconds later he goes for a corner charge and eats a nasty superkick for the finish. This was a good match. I think it may have aired on tv though I'm not sure if it was in full form.

Eliminators v. Axl Rotten/D-Von Dudley

Saturn appears to knee D-Von right in the face on the assisted moonsault to the floor and then Kronus hits the Space Flying Tiger Drop onto all of them. This was all Elims stunt show stuff and to the extent that someone may like that I suppose this was okay. Run of chairshots for the heels is their only real offense and then there is a Total Elimination for a flash pin.

Brian Lee v. Pitbull 2

This ends before it really starts (thankfully) with a Triple Threat run-in.

Post-match angle with Rude flirting with Francine. Rude ends up giving the Rude Awakening to Mike Awesome who was trying to collect a Douglas bounty.

Angle with Taz choking out Todd Gordon during a contract signing.

Raven v. Sandman

Raven ambushes Sandman and canes him to hell. They do a bunch of crazy and dangerous shit with a table. Sandman ends up bleeding, sprawled out upside down hanging by his feet on the bottom rope and Raven just stands on his crotch in contempt. Raven takes some chair bumps and a DDT. Sandman starts to rip off Lori's clothes and she has a BWO shirt on underneath. Richards is out and they do a stupid finish with Richards superkicking Raven on top of Sandman for the finish.