A video package hypes Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko, with more focus paid to Benoit’s recent wave of destruction through ECW.
Benoit gives a taped promo saying that Rocco Rock was in the wrong place at the wrong time at Double Tables but if his career is over then he at least take care of Sabu. He says Sabu and the Tazmaniac are not unbeatable.
Joey Styles tells fans that Sabu & the Tazmaniac will defend the ECW Tag Team Championship against Benoit and Dean Malenko on February 25 at the ECW Arena. He tells fans that the Enemy have been unusually quiet since Double Tables.
Paul E. Dangerously says that Benoit and Malenko will have to take the ECW tag team titles from Sabu & the Tasmaniac because they are not giving it away. Dangerously says that Benoit and Malenko will be as welcome in the ring as Malcolm X’s daughter at a Louis Farrakhan rally.
The Mikey Whipwreck-Paul Lauria match from Double Tables is shown.
Falls Count Anywhere Match: Cactus Jack (2-0) beats the Sandman (w/Woman) (0-3) with a sunset flip off the apron at 8:39:
Since the Double Tables match between these two was so poor, ECW decides to show fans the brawl between these two at their show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 14. Cactus works the crowd into a frenzy by smashing a chair over the Sandman’s head several times, busting the Sandman open. The Sandman soon rallies with some Singapore cane shots and hits a delayed piledriver on top of it, busting Cactus open too. They brawl into the crowd and not much happens there except the Sandman falling like a goof off a guardrail when he thinks he can block them getting back towards the ring, but they just go around him. Cactus proceeds to knock the Sandman from the apron and launches himself into a sunset flip to score the victory, a good end for a well-paced brawl. Rating: **¼
Styles says that the Sandman suffered a severe concussion at Double Tables is on a twenty-one day disabled list as required by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. This means that Cactus will have to face someone else on the February 25 ECW Arena show.
The Sandman tells Styles that he does not care if he wins or loses matches because he evaluates fights based on blood spilt. He says that a mystery wrestler will take his place at the ECW Arena and vows to still be at the show even if he cannot compete. The Sandman calls Styles “Todd Pettengill” before leaving.
911 chokeslamming Paul Lauria three times at Double Tables is shown. Lauria got this treatment after he claimed to be the biggest giant in ECW.
The Last Word: The final segment was a nice one to have in the can to end a television broadcast as the crowd worked up a loud “E-C-W” chant at its conclusion. Next week’s show will probably include more new interviews since the company has to get to the next ECW Arena card, so they’ll have more matches for Hardcore TV telecasts.
Backstage News*: Former ECW Tag Team Champion Eddie Gilbert was found dead in Puerto Rico on February 18. Gilbert was a booked for the promotion when it was Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1993 before ceding those duties to Paul Heyman and leaving the company. At the time of his death Gilbert was booking for Carlos Colon’s World Wrestling Council (WWC) promotion.
*It appears as if the Public Enemy, the Pitbulls, Jason, and the Sandman will work on a tour for Japan’s W*ING promotion starting on March 25.
*Backstage news provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for March 6.
Up Next: ECW Hardcore TV for February 21!
