We are live here at the ECW Arena, and Lou E. Dangerosuly came out to open the show, leading the way for .... The Blue Meanie!!! Accompanied by Jasmin St. Claire, the Meanie, who is in absolutely incredible shape, received a "Welcome Back" chant from the capacity crowd. Lou, who had his hair dyed blue as well, introduced Jasmin and then introduced the "hottest sex symbol in wrestling today, The Blue Boy!" Lou then proclaimed himself "Blue E. Dangerously." Lou then requested, on behalf of the Meanie, that all the out of shape fans in the Arena exit immediately. Jazz hit the ring, superkicking Lou E. and delivering a Jazz Stinger to the Blue Boy. Jasmin got a shot in on Jazz, but took too long to celebrate, and got bulldogged for her trouble. Jazz punctuated her attack with a powerbomb, and stood over her fallen body. Score one for the fighting female phenom. Jasmin, when revived, was none too happy with Blue Boy and Lou, until Blue Boy calmed her with a huge kiss that absolutely floored her. Lou and Blue Boy argued their way to the back.
For our first official match of the evening, we have Mikey Whipwreck taking on Yoshihiro Tajiri. Tajiri missed a spinkick to start the bout, and Mikey took advantage with a series of right jabs. Tajiri floored Mikey with a superkick, but Whipwreck responded with a Russian legsweep and a legdrop. Mikey went for a guillotine legdrop, which missed, and was then sent off the apron with a swift kick to the head. Mikey took advantage on the floor, then hit a slingshot elbow into the ring when Tajiri got caught in the ropes. Yoshihiro struck back with the handspring elbow and a kick to the head. Yoshihiro tried for the swinging DDT, but was blocked. Tajiri then blew the green mist, then hit a swinging reverse DDT for a near fall. Tajiri then applied the octopus to earn the submission win in this hard fought contest.
Joey Styles and Joel Gertner then hit the ring to tape the opening of the television program. Joel's introduction gave the fans a whole new appreciation of women's tennis, and we'll leave it at that. Out to the ring came Raven, who was greeted with a mixture of cheers and "You Sold Out" chants. Raven told the fans he was leaving, embraced Joey and Joel, and prepared to leave. Suddenly, Cyrus came to the ring, and with Scotty Anton at his side, talked about Raven's accomplishments in ECW. The fans chanted "Thank You Raven" which only served to get under Cyrus' skin. He said all of Raven's accomplishments meant little to the Network. Cyrus said he didn't care about Raven's revolutionary gimmick, because he stole it from the Jackal (Cyrus's WWF persona, for those that don't remember). Raven asked if this was leading anywhere, since he just wanted to go. Cyrus said Raven had no right to cut a promo on his Network, since he was leaving. Raven was going to walk out, when Cyrus stopped him. Anton attacked, but was given an Evenflow DDT for his trouble. Raven then grabbed Cyrus for one, but Rhino hit the ring. Raven leapfrogged the charging Rhino, but was caught with a Gore on the rebound. Anton put a table in the ring, and Rhino hoisted Raven over his shoulder and drove him through it. The Sandman then hit the ring and began to repeatedly cane Rhino to the roar of the crowd. Cyrus tried to sneak up behind him, and Sandman's wife, Lori Fullington, still in a neckbrace, jumped on his back and began to pound on the Network representative. Security finally broke up the melee, and Sandman pulled Raven into the ring, and embraced him to the cheers of the fans.
Simon Diamond and Swinger, with Mitch, The Musketeer, Prodigy and Prodigette hit the ring, with Simon proclaiming that he had a problem. He said they were not a comedy act. C.W. Anderson came to the ring, and told them if they want to be taken seriously, they should take out the comedy. He then proceeded to show them how, single handedly beating up their entourage, when suddenly, Simon and Swinger joined Anderson in beating up their own entourage. Anderson then laid out an open challenge for anyone to take on C.W., Swinger and Simon. Danny Doring and Roadkill hit the ring, but the three on two odds were two much, and the two were laid out with a lift-DDT combo. Suddenly, Beautiful Bobby Eaton hit the ring, knocking down both Swinger and Diamond with his patented right hand. Soon, Anderson and Eaton were trading punches when Simon and Swinger recovered and helped Anderson lay out Eaton. Simon said that was how you solve a problem, and the threesome left. Doring and Roadkill helped Eaton to his feet, as the fans chanted "Bobby" for the legend.
ECW Newcomer Carl Oulette had a golden opportunity to make an immediate impact in ECW, as he had a shot at ECW World Heavyweight Champion Justin Credible who was accompanied by Francine. Oulette started out by overpowering the champion, howeverm the champion turned the match into a brawl and took it into the crowd, getting the better of his larger adversary. Back in the ring, Justin peppered him with chops, but Oulette came back strong, hitting a falcon arrow then a superkick. Oulette was coming closer and closer to gaining a three count, and took Justin to the floor, placing him on a table, then putting him through it with a slingshot senton. Oulette rolled Justin in for a two count, then hit a senton from the top rope for another near fall. Oulette went for a tombstone piledriver, but Justin reversed it and hit That's Incredible. Amazingly, Oulette kicked out, and Justin set up a table in the ring. The two then battled for position on the ropes, only to have Justin get knocked to the floor. Francine then went to hit Oulette, and Carl grabbed her and the 300-pounder put her through the table with a second rope powerslam! Justin used this reprieve to grab Oulette from behind and deliver That's Incredible for the win. Francine needed to be helped to the back, but Justin, barely, retained the ECW WOrld Heavyweight Title in the amazing match.
Time for an ECW debut, as the much heralded team of Christian York and Joey Matthews prepared to make their first appearance in an ECW original, the Four Way Dance. The opposition being DeVito & Angel of Da Baldies, Little Guido Maritato & Tony Mamaluke of the FBI, who had Big Sal in their corner, and the team of Nova & Chris Chetti. York and Nova started the match, with Nova coming out of a series of reversals with an abdominal stretch. Guido tagged in, and went to work on York, hitting a high beel throw. DeVito reluctantly took a tag from York and hit a uranage on Guido. Guido got the Fujiwara on DeVito, but da Baldie escaped and tagged in Matthews. Tony Mamaluke tagged in and traded holds with Matthews, hitting a pair of suplexes and getting a two count. Matthews responded by yanking him down by the hair. Angel kneed Matthews, then tagged himself in, beating down both men. Chris Chetti tagged in, hitting an ax kick on Angel, who responded with a poke to the eyes, and tagged Nova. Nova and Chetti were obviously not going to fight each other, so they tagged out. Tags soon started coming more rapidly, and it soon degenerated into a brawl. Big Sal came in and avalanched York, then Tony Mamaluke used him as a springboard to launch himself on the brawl in the aisle! Little Guido hit the Maritato on Matthews to get the pin and eliminate the team of York and Matthews. The free for all continued, and each team went for covers constantly, only to have them broken up. Little Guido hit a second rope rocker dropper on Chetti for a near fall, then went to the top rope, where he was shoved to the floor. Nova hit a pair of spinning piledrivers, then a spinning powerbomb on Tony Mamaluke, and Chetti made the cover to eliminate the FBI. It was down to two teams, and DeVito hit a moonsault on Nova for a near fall that Chetti broke up. Nova hit a Tiger Driver on DeVito, and Chetti hit a slingshot legdrop, but Angel broke up the cover. Nova and Chetti went for the Tidal Wave, but the FBI, who hadn't left, stopped them, and Guido applied a Fujiwara armbar off the top rope, driving Chetti into the mat. DeVito and Angel then applied a Russian legsweep/reverse DDT combo to get the pin on Chetti. Your winners, Da Baldies.
EZ Money, with Chris Hamrick, made his ECW Arena debut next, taking on the red hot Kid Kash. The two went at it fast from the get go, trading holds and counters at a rapid face, earning an ECW chant from the crowd. Money hit a standing moonsault for a two count, but Kash came back with a spinning headscissors. Kash walked the ropes into a huracanrana. Money went to the floor to regroup with Hamrick, and Kash launched off the top rope into a somersault senton. Kash sent him back in the ring and hit a springboard clothesline for a two count. Kash continued the assault with a moonsault press, but Money fought back and went for a powerbomb, but Kash tried to turn it into a sunset flip, which Money stopped, then dropped all of his weight on Kash, forcing him down neck first! Kash was taken down with a clothesline, then the two traded chops. Money hit a spinning powerbomb, and then argued with the referee while Chris Hamrick interfered with a top rope legdrop. Amazingly, Kash still kicked out. The two then battled on the top rope, as Money was attempting to finish off Kash with a top rope powerbomb. He got Kash up and leaped off, only to have Kash turn it into a rana in mid-air and get the pin. An absolutely incredible maneuver, and an amazing match.
Time for a Dream Partner tag match, as Steve Corino, with Jack Victory, gets to select a mystery partner to battle Jerry Lynn and a partner. Corino selected his partner, Rhino, who hit the ring and immediately Gored Lynn. Jerry battled back, and then his mystery partner, The Sandman, hit the ring! Sandman hit the ring and missed with a caneshot, and Corino superkicked him, which allowed Rhino to get the cane for a series of blows. THe action quickly spilled to the floor, with Lynn hitting a pescado on Corino, and Sandman caning Rhino on the floor. Jerry and Corino brawled on the floor, and into the crowd, while Rhino pounded Sandman in the ring. Rhino used a towel to choke Sandman, and soon all four men were back at it, brawling in the ring. Jerry hit a reverse DDT on Corino for a two count, but Rhino broke it up and piledrove Jerry. Sandman broke up that cover with a caneshot, then hit the White Russian legsweep, only to have Corino break it up. Corino delivered a swinging neckbreaker, but a now bloody Lynn stopped the cover. Jerry tried for a cradle piledriver on Corino, but Cyrus ran in and broke it up and hit Lynn with a microphone. Corino gave Lynn a reverse DDT from the apron to a table, then elbowdropped him to put him through it. Back in the ring, Little Spike Dudley ran in, and with Sandman providing the lift, Spike and Sandman hit 3D on Rhino! Sandman made the cover and got the victory for his team. Jerry had to be helped to the back, the result of being put through the table, and Sandman celebrated the win with the fans, Spike, and a few cold ones.
Time for our main event, as Rob Van Dam returns to the ECW Arena for his first match here since suffering a broken leg early this year. His opponent, the Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freak, Balls Mahoney. The two started the match by feeling each other out, with neither unable to gain an advantage by mat wrestling. Van Dam scored with a dropkick out of a hiptoss reversal, but Balls came back with a series of right hands. Balls missed a spinkick and fell over the top rope, and Van Dam followed, hitting a perfect tope. On the floor, Balls slammed Van Dam into the ringpost, then dropped him in the crowd. Balls followed with a chair, but RVD ducked the shot and hit a spinkick, sending the chair into Balls' face. In the ring, RVD hit a spinning legdrop for a two count. Balls, who was a bloody mess now, caught a Van Dam kick, but was nailed with the other leg, and RVD scored another two count. Mahoney came back with a spinebuster, then went to the top rope, but missed the Nutley Jam. A VanDaminator hit its mark, and Van Dam went up for the five star frog splash. He hit the move, but RVD took too long to cover, and Balls managed to kick out. RVD placed a chair on Balls and went to the top again, but Mahoney got up and crothced him, then planted him with a Nutcracker Suite off the second rope. Van Dam, amazingly, kicked out. Balls hit a chairshot, but was slow to cover, and Van Dam kicked out again. Balls wedged a chair in between the top and second rope, then struggled with Bill Alfonso over the ring bell. Balls took the ringer and the bell, and rang it before charging Van Dam. RVD moved, and Balls slammed headfirst into the bell and chair. Bill Alfonso put a chair on Balls, and Van Dam hit a rolling somersault senton splash. With Mahoney's head resting against the bottom turnbuckle, and Bill Alfonso holding a chair in front of his face, Van Dam delivered a springboard dropkick from the adjacent corner, flying across the ring an connecting with the kick to the chair. Van Dam made the cover, and won the match following this incredible maneuver. Mahoney was knocked out cold, and required medical attention after the bout. Van Dam helped Balls to his feet, earning an ovation from the fans.
That's all from here at the ECW Arena.
[Credit: ECW]
