Extreme Archive: ECW Television Episode 006

ECW Television Episode 006

Taped: April 02, 1993
Broadcast: May 11, 1993
Taping Location: Cabrini College Fieldhouse
Announcing Team: Jay Sulli & Stevie Wonderful

Previously:

• Terry Funk issues a challenge to Eddie Gilbert via video from the Double Cross Ranch
• Paul E. Dangerously joined with Eddie Gilbert’s faction to reform The Dangerous Alliance
• After losing to the Super Destroyers, Stetson and Winters challenge The Super Destroyers to a hair versus titles match
• The war between Tommy Cairo and Johnny Hotbody continues

Synopsis

Opening Segment

Sulli and Wonderful set up the action that is to come on this weeks episode, including a mixed tag match: Sandman & Peaches vs Rockin’ Rebel & Tigra; A lumberjack match: Tommy Cairo vs Johnny Hotbody.

Sulli and Wonderful are joined by Comissoner Tod Gordon who announces that he has signed a Texas Chain Match Massacre between Terry Funk and Eddie Gilbert.¹ Then they are joined by Paul E. Dangerously, who says the match will not take place and that he will sue if the match goes forward.

Segment #1: Terry Funk Video

This is a really bad video. Basically Terry is driving a tractor, and is challenged by Eddie Gilbert’s “brother” ² (a man with his back to the camera in a flannel shirt). And using cheesy camera magic, a manequin is put in the ‘brother’s place, allowing crazy Terry Funk to run him over with a tractor. The less said about this, the better.³

   

Breaking News!!!!

Just added to the ECW TV Taping on May 14-15, the Russian Bear: Ivan Koloff. ⁴

   

Segment #2: ECW Tag Team Title Match: The Super Destroyers w/ Mr. Hunter Q. Robins III vs Larry Winters & Tony Stetson

There are three stipulations for this match ⁵: The match is a no disqualification match; If Winters and Stetson lose, then they will lose their hair; During the match Hunter is to be handcuffed to Tommy Cairo.

Winters and Stetson apparently have gotten a brain, and decide to attack the Destroyers before the bell. Cairo comes down and handcuffs himself to Hunter Q. Robins III. ⁶

   

Winters and Stetson cut the ring in half with frequent tags, keeping the Super Destoyers from gaining any continuity. Super Destroyer #1 nails Steton with a head to the lower midsection, and Jay Sulli loses his mind. ⁷ Super D #1 and Stetson roll around on the mat in a way that makes me uncomfortable. ⁸Super Destroyer #2 goes outside and throws Hunter’s cane into the ring, but Stetson grabs it and hits Super D #1, and covers for the victory. New Champions! Bad Match!

      

Segment #3: Jimmy Snuka & Eddie Gilbert w/ Dangerously & Muraco vs J.T. Smith & Max Thrasher ⁹

This doesn’t look good from the start. ¹⁰ We do get a treat, as Dangerously temporarily replaces Wonderful on color commentary. Snuka and Smith start off the match, and JT starts off strong with an arm drag, followed by a dropkick.

He then hits an overhead press slam on Snuka. ¹¹ Snuka eventually takes over and tags in Gilbert. Jabs and snap mare by Gilbert, eventually taking the fight outside where he slams Smith’s head on the announce table. The match is nothing, but Dangerously is adding tons of heel heat to the match. Smith is able to tag in Thrasher who gets his legs taken out by Muraco. Snuka splash mercifully ends it.

  

Segment #4: Sal Bellomo vs The Canadian Wolfman ¹²

Paul E. Dangerously is still on color commentary. Sal hits Wolfman with a forearm to the midsection, as Dangerously makes a comment about Ted Turner. Bellomo delivers a standing dropkick on Wolfman. ¹³ Wolfman annoys me by kicking out of a nearfall. Sal finally ends it with a running splash.

  

Segment #5: Johnny Hotbody w/ Chris Candido vs Tommy Cairo – Lumberjack Match

I can’t quite make out the lumberjacks, maybe Bellomo, Winters, Stetson, and the Hell Riders. This should conclude the mini Cairo vs Hotbody feud, so the Blondes can focus on the tag division. Cairo starts with a nice forearm on Hotbody which sends him out of the ring, where he is trhown back in. Cairo hits a nice snap suplex on Hotbody. Hotbody stems the tide with a low blow. He rolls out of the ring, and starts mixing it up with Winters and Stetson. ¹⁴ Cairo hits a beatiful butterfly suplex on Hotbody, followed by a 2nd rope flying clothesline. But the referee is outside the ring, dealing with the lumberjacks.

   

Hunter Q. Robbins comes in and attacks Cairo with his cane to exact revenge from the earlier match. He rolls out and Johnny Hotbody gets the victory.

  

Segment #6: The Sandman & Peaches vs The Rockin’ Rebel & Tigra – Mixed Tag Match

Tigra enters the ring wearing a black sports bra and booty shorts. Peaches comes in wearing the 90s aerobics look. Peaches and Sandman run into the ring, scattering Rebel and Tigra. Peaches talks trash to Rebel and Tigra, but runs away when Rebel comes into the ring. ¹⁵  

    

Rebel attacks Sandman when his back is turned, throwing Sandman over the top rope to the floor. Sunset flip on the outside. Back in the ring, Rebel nails Sandman with a headbutt to the midsection. Double-clothesline drops both men for 2 count. Peaches and Tigra get into a catfight, which closes the show as television time has expired.

Analysis

Historic Significance

• Tony Stetson & Larry Winters are the new ECW Tag Team Champions.
• Texas Chain Match Massacre between Eddie Gilbert and Terry Funk is officially signed for the upcoming card.

Debuts

none

Titles

ECW Heavyweight Champion: The Sandman (since 11/16/1992)

ECW Television Champion: “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka (since 03/13/1993)

ECW Tag Team Champions: Larry Winters & Tony Stetson (since 04/02/1993)

Random Thoughts

• The best line of the night goes to Paul E. Dangerously to Commissioner Tod Gordon: “The only person who I’ve ever disappointed was your wife last night”
• How you go from the edgy goodness of Paul E. Dangerously to cheesy camera tricks that wouldn’t have fooled me when I was watching saturday morning cartoons in the 70s.
• Stevie Wonderful isn’t good, but he kindof reminds me of a PG version of Randal Graves from Clerk.
• Listening to Jay Sulli will make you crave for the professionalism of Michael Cole. I’m not kidding.
• Three matches with special stipulations, maybe this isthe ECW I remember.
• This episode wrapped up the Hotbody vs Cairo and Stetson & Winters vs Super Destroyers feuds, and paved the road for Suicide Blondes vs Stetson & Winters and Cairo vs Robbins feuds. Maybe the new Executive Producer had something to do with that.

ECW Wrestler Spotlight: “Wildman” Sal Bellomo

Sal Bellomo is of Italian descent but is actually from Belgium. He started his pro career in 1974 and made his way to the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1980s, where he was known as “The Italian Stallion” Salvatore Bellomo ^16>, where he started as a young babyface rookie, but ended up as a WWF jobber who would just put wrestlers over matches on the weekend WWF television shows. Sal seems to have settled in the Mid Atlantic region, just like other steady wrestling hands like Iron Mike Sharpe, Dominic Denucci, and Johnny Rodz. Probably as the work was steady on the independent scene, and always the potential for being brought back into the WWF.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JawspciTz8
Somewhere along the line, Sal went from the Italian Stallion to “Wildman” Sal Bellomo who comes to the ring wearing a gladiator like outfit and helmet. Sal seems to have joined ECW from the very beginning. In the following footage, we see Jim Neidhart facing Sal who was being managed by Stevie Wonderful. ¹⁷

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRar0hgp5ac
Sal would make his small contribution to ECW during its early days. He still hits a pretty good standing dropkick, especially for a man his size. Mostly, as we shall see in the coming weeks, Sal would be involved in the comedy matches of ECW, where he would excel.

These days, it seems that Sal works as a professional wrestling trainer for the Belgian Wrestling School in his homeland.

Verdict

More of the same. We saw the end of two feuds that were started just a few weeks ago. The Super Destroyers were defeated by the bland face team of Stetson and Winters. I don’t know where the Tommy Cairo vs Hunter Q. Robins came from or where it’s going. The Terry Funk vs Eddie Gilbert build-up is a real mess. The saving grace is the very modern heel stylings of Paul E. Dangerously! I hope next week is somewhat better.

Footnotes

1. Even though in last week’s video, Terry alluded to the fact that the match was already signed.

2. The weird part is that Eddie does have a brother, and I’m pretty sure he gets involved with this feud later on.

3. If you ever want to convince someone that professional wrestling is NOT stupid, then don’t watch independent wrestling from the early 90s.

4. Well, that will put fannies in the seats

5. That’s rather ‘extreme’ for 1993.

6. The boys actually do need a haircut, as it’s mullet city at Cabrini College tonight.

7. Completely forgetting that the match is no disqualification.

8. And I’m someone who thinks The Christopher Street Connection was a fun team.

9. Max Thrasher looks like someone who has been following The Guess Who across the country since 1975.

10. I think Barry Horowitz and Duane Gill would be given more offense against the Road Warriors.

11. Good job, JT, get in the offense while you can!

12. Wolfman must have worked for Tod Gordon, because there’s no other reason he should be out here.

13. Impressive as Bellomo is rather hefty, though compared to the Canadian Wolfman he’s Ric Flair.

14. Setting up the next feud.

15. Just because you’re screwing him, doesn’t mean you should write checks that The Sandman has to cash, ya bitch.

16. One of several wrestlers to use that moniker. Maybe more famously by Gary Sabaugh in WCW.

17. This match is heavily featured in the ECW opening credits.