You can’t spend your whole life worrying about your mistakes! You f–ked up… you trusted us! Hey, make the best of it! – Eric “Otter” Stratton
Okay, you might have noticed something weird going on here. I’m skipping episode 002. I’d like to tell you that I have a really interesting reason for doing this. But, it’s very simple. The DVD was burned incorrectly, and episode 002 was accidentally left off. RF Video offered to make amends, but I was already up to episode 004 by the time they responded. So, I just wanted to keep moving forward, rather than going backwards.
So, if you’re dying for the results:
- ECW TV Title Tournament Match: Glen Osborne defeated Johnny Hotbody with interference from Tommy Cairo seeking revenge from last week.
- Tony Stetson & Larry Winters defeated Chris Michaels & The Samoan Warrior, and are attacked by The Super Destroyers after the match.
- ECW Heavyweight Title Match: The Sandman successfully defended his title against The Kodiak Bear
- ECW TV Title Tournament Match: Eddie Gilbert defeated JT Smith.
- Tommy Cairo defeated The Super Ninja
The ECW Television Title Tournament now looks like this:
ECW Television Tournament Bracket
| #1 Jimmy Snuka | Jimmy Snuka | ||
| #8 Larry Winters | |||
| #4 Tommy Cairo | Tommy Cairo | ||
| #6 Sal Bellomo | |||
| #2 Eddie Gilbert | Eddie Gilbert | ||
| #7 J.T. Smith | |||
| #3 Glen Osborne | Glen Osborne | ||
| #5 Johnny Hotbody |
Let’s see what episode 003 has in store for us:
ECW Television Episode 003
Taped: March 13, 1993
Broadcast: April 20, 1993
Taping Location: Cabrini College Fieldhouse
Announcing Team: Jay Sulli & Stevie Wonderful
Synopsis
- Opening Segment
- The opening begins again with Jay Sulli and Stevie Wonderful who are again joined by Terry Funk. Eddie Gilbert comes down to ringside and apologizes to Terry Funk for his behavior. Wiley veteran Terry Funk doesn’t turn his back on Eddie Gilbert.
- Segment #1: ECW Tag Team Championship Match: The Super Destroyers w/ Hunter Q. Robbins III vs. The Canadian Wolfman & Super Ninja
- Please remember, in 1993, for most of the world there was no internet. So Indy feds would still bring out characters like this when they had no other options. Wolfman is just a hairy fat white guy (think Mideon but less muscular… and yes I know Mideon isn’t muscular!!!) and Super Ninja is just a generic guy dressed all in black. This team makes the Hell Riders from Episode 1 look like an accomplished tag team.
- The Super Destroyers make short work of Wolfman and Ninja. After the match, Robbins bad mouths Terry Funk, allowing Eddie Gilbert to come behind and attack him with an embarrassingly weak chair shot.
- Segment #2: ECW Television Title Tournament Semi-Finals Match: “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka w/ Eddie Gilbert vs. Tommy Cairo
- This match is actually decent enough, as Cairo works a solid brawling based East Coast 90s style. In 2012, it’s outdated as hell, but so is Jimmy Snuka.
- Cairo keeps the pace slow for a little while, but Gilbert eventually interferes allowing Snuka to deliver a really nice piledriver on Cairo. Cairo gets the upper hand by delivering a solid running uppercut on Snuka, and Snuka accidentally knocks Gilbert off the ring apron. The ref gets bumped by Snuka, and Cairo is able to roll up Snuka for an uncounted pinfall.
- Johnny Hotbody runs in for the interference, allowing Snuka to get brass knuckles from Gilbert and nail Cairo for the victory. Snuka advances to the finals of the ECW Television Title Tournament.
- Segment #3: ECW Television Title Tournament Semi-Finals Match: Eddie Gilbert vs. Glen Osborne
- Glen Osborne is another east coast independent wrestler, who started with a Road Warriors/Sting gimmick and never quite left it. At this point in time, he is very green.Eddie Gilbert offers to let Glen Osborne leave the ring prior to the match, so he won’t be embarrassed when he loses. Osborne refuses.
- Match begins, and Osborne knocks Gilbert out of the ring. After doing so, he blatantly doesn’t even try to go around the referee to chase Gilbert. Osborne eventually does give chase outside and Gilbert throws Osborne into a table propped against the ring, slightly reminiscent of Flair vs. Funk in 1989. Back in the ring, Osborne hits a clothesline to turn the tide in his favor. Gilbert uses brass knuckles to knock of Osborne and get the victory.
- “Tattletale” Jay Sulli informs the referee of the knuckles. When John Finnegan finds them, he reverses the decision giving the fall to Osborne. Eddie confronts Jay Sulli about the decision, but Terry Funk comes down to save the day delivering (slightly) better chair shots on Eddie Gilbert. Funk delivers a strong promo telling Gilbert that he is an old man, but that he’s going to kick Gilbert’s ass.
- ECW Television Tournament Bracket
-
#1 Jimmy Snuka Jimmy Snuka Jimmy Snuka #8 Larry Winters #4 Tommy Cairo Tommy Cairo #6 Sal Bellomo #2 Eddie Gilbert Eddie Gilbert Glen Osborne #7 J.T. Smith #3 Glen Osborne Glen Osborne #5 Johnny Hotbody - Segment #4: Peaches Interview
- Apparently, Peaches (the future ex-Mrs. Jim Fullington) kissed The Sandman last week. Gushes how Sandman is everything you’d want in a man.
- Rebel proves his manhood by destroying some ham-n-egger in the ring, who was conveniently waiting around. Rebel then leaves the ring giving chase to Peaches, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back to the ring. 2
- Sandman comes down for the save, while carrying his surfboard. 3 Tigra gets involved clawing Sandman’s eyes, and Rebel hits Sandman with the surfboard, breaking it in two.
- Jay Sulli sells the attack it like the Sandman just got shot.
- Segment #5: ECW Television Title Tournament Finals Match: “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka w/ Eddie Gilbert vs. Glen Osborne
- Tod Gordon is on color replacing Stevie Wonderful who is trying to interview Peaches. Old school crisscross on the ropes, and Osborne takes Snuka down; Osborne hits Snuka with a running clothesline sending him through the ropes.
- Back in the ring, Snuka pushes Osborne into Referee John Finnegan for his second bump of the night. 4 Gilbert assists Snuka in attacking Osborne; Snuka goes up and hits the Superfly Splash for the victory. Jimmy Snuka becomes the inaugural ECW Television Champion.
- Segment #6: Wrap-Up
- Stevie Wonderful is standing outside a dressing room door. 5 Stevie asks if he can talk to The Sandman, and with a quivering voice and dabbing her eyes with a tissue, she says that he can’t talk to Stevie because he is really hurt.Next week, the show hypes the arrival of the original Rock, “The Magnificent” Don Muraco.
Random Thoughts
- Eddie Gilbert’s entrance music is “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer. If he tried that in 2012, he would get so over. It’s so retro and seemingly unironic that it would totally work.
- Bob Artese is the ring announcer for Eastern Championship Wrestling, and would remain so for many years. ECW referee veteran, John Finnegan is also already a member of the staff.
- Unintentional Comedy Commentary from the Gilbert vs. Osborne Match:
Wonderful: I think he was just adjusting his waistband
Sulli: I don't think so. He got a veritable bag of tricks in his trunks, I'm sure.... Who knows what he's got down there? - Commercial announcement for the next Eastern Championship Wrestling event to take place at the new ECW Dome, located in the corners of Swanson and Rittner Avenue in Philadelphia. Let’s just say that the name ECW Dome doesn’t stick for too long.
- Sandman and Peaches officially become an on-screen ECW couple after this episode.
- Jimmy Snuka becomes the first ECW Television Champion.
Historic Significance
- Debuts
- The Canadian Wolfman, Super Ninja, The Sandman 6, Glen Osborne 6, Peaches 6, Tigra 6
- Titles
- ECW Heavyweight Champion: The Sandman (since 11/16/1992)
- ECW Television Champion: “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka (since 03/13/1993)
- ECW Tag Team Champions: The Super Destroyers (since 06/23/1992)
ECW Wrestler Spotlight: The Super Destroyers
In 1989, a new masked tag team debuted in WCW to face the Steiner Brothers, named Doom. Doom were two huge wrestlers, very muscular, and wrestled a high-impact style of wrestling. And like the Road Warriors, Rock and Roll Express, and the Fabulous Ones, copies of this tag team gimmick were copied down through independent wrestling federations. Take two superheavyweight muscular guys, who look somewhat similar, put masks on them, and make them into a tag team.
Such was the case of the Super Destroyers who were east coast independent wrestlers: AJ Petrucci (Super Destroyer #1) and Doug Stahl (Super Destroyer #2). The two of them would wear black masks and come to the ring using the theme from the classic horror movie, Halloween. In the world of NWA: Eastern Championship Wrestling, the two of them towered over their competition. Both of them were very strong men, who could very believably dominate their competition. They were joined by Hunter Q. Robbins III, their manager, who portrayed both the rich upstart punk and the angry minority at the same time.
They dominated the tag team division in the early years of Eastern Championship Wrestling. Their reign was the longest tag team title reign in the history of ECW (from 1992- 2001). Eventually they would move on from Eastern Championship Wrestling, and fade into obscurity. Petrucci would go on to start a wrestling school in Pennsylvania, training the likes of Gene Snitsky and Robb Harper.
Verdict
It’s a little better this week, as the crowning of the ECW Television Champion made the show interesting. But we really need much less of the Canadian Wolfman and Super Ninja. Just makes it really groanable. Let’s hope for a little bit better next week.
Footnotes
1 – Let’s see’s, he’s a drunk, he may me a masochist, he’s a misogynist, he smokes too much, he has scars all over his body, he smokes, he carries a Singapore cane around with him, he owns a strip club… oh wait… no that’s Hardcore Sandman, this is Surfer Sandman, my mistake… I kid because I love!
2 – Stevie Wonderful is fumbling on the microphone, trying to remain a heel, yet knowing that he can’t condone violence to women. Humorously pathetic.
3 – Sandman is coming to defend a lady, but he bothers to stop and pick up his surfboard!! before hightailing it to the ring to save her?
4 – It’s been so long since I played the ECW drinking game. How many sips is it per ref bump?
5 – You know it’s a dressing room door, because there’s a big gold star on it and it says “Dressing Room” in big red letters. I thought we were past this nonsense in 1993.
6 – They actually debuted in Episode 002, but I didn’t see that episode.
