ECW on MTV #23
Wednesday, October 17th, 2001
Attendance: 2,681 – Buffalo State Sports Arena – Buffalo, New York, USA
TV Rating: 0.86 on MTV
CURRENT CHAMPIONS:ECW World Heavyweight Champion: Mike Awesome
ECW World Tag Team Champions: Chris Candido and Simon Diamond [Diamond Bodies]
ECW World Television Champion: Christopher Daniels
ECW World Junior Heavyweight Champion: Hayabusa
CHRIS HAMRICK DEF. CHRIS CHETTI – PIN – 6:10
RATING: 42
FULL-SHOW RECAPMATCH #1
BALLS MAHONEY vs. TOMMY DREAMER (w/BEULAH MCGILLICUTTY)This week’s ECW on MTV started with some hard-hitting action, as Dreamer took on Balls after two weeks of bad results. They shook hands, but of course the match was a (mild) hardcore one. Tommy ended up winning after a DDT on a chair to end a chair duel.
RESULT: TOMMY DREAMER DEF. BALLS MAHONEY – PIN – 6:27
RATING: 50>> FUNK INSISTS, DREAMER DRAWS HIS LINE>> After Tommy’s win, Terry Funk got to be seen again. Without wasting too much time, he told Dreamer that he won’t give up on having a match with him at November To Remember, so he insisted in challenging Tommy, so that both of them could create an everlasting hardcore memoir together.
>> Dreamer kept his position, however, stating that he respects Funk and maintain that he doesn’t feel ready to go one-on-one with his friend and idol. Dreamer told the living legend there’s only one way for that to happen, and that’s if Funk wins the King of the Hill Battle Royal and picks the match, as Dreamer can’t have a say about it. Funk leaves disappointed, even a bit angry at Tommy.
>> DIAMOND BODIES: TIMES SQUARE CHRONICLES – PART II>> The camera showed us… Times Square and… ugh, the Diamond Bodies. Once again, the Tag Team champions took a break to go to New York’s most famous place with Dawn Marie and Tammy Lynn Sytch to flaunt them, to flaunt the gold and to do some shopping. Chris Candido and Simon Diamond only had a few words for the F.B.I., saying that they don’t see the Italians at the same level, and that’s why they opted to take a break just days before their title match.
>> F.B.I. MEET THEIR MATCH>> The Full Bloodied Italians didn’t like it, though, and they claimed the reason why the Diamond Bodies are taking a break tonight is because they’re chicken-sh*t champions. Unlike them, the Italians are real men looking for tough competition, so they want a match right now. Their opponents came out after that.
MATCH #2
BIG VITO & LITTLE GUIDO & TONY MAMALUKE [F.B.I] vs. DANNY DORING & NOVA & ROADKILLDoring, Nova and Roadkill: the F.B.I. gained their title match by beating the former and latter in the end of a 4-way, and a win by Nova and his clients could be the click they’re chasing for some long weeks now. They tried their best in a match that was 1/3 comedic, 1/3 serious and 1/3 dead serious. But it just wasn’t enough… Mamaluke ended up pinning Doring following a Springboard DDT.
RESULT: TONY MAMALUKE DEF. DANNY DORING – PIN – 7:31
RATING: 37>> F.B.I.: A CALL-OUT AND SOME SYMPATHY>> After the match, the F.B.I. kept their line of speech, stating that just three days away from their big title match, they got into the ring and beat a very competent trio “(…) instead of parading around Times Squeah’, like Candido and Diamond, the papeah’ champs!”. New York agreed…
>> …and the Impact Players agreed as well, coming to the ring to the F.B.I.’s dislike to voice their support for the challengers once again. The F.B.I. once again accused the Players of stealing their spotlight and things only didn’t get heated because Credible and Storm were cool enough, as Francine even told the F.B.I. that Guido only beat Candido last week because of her.
>> CORINO: A PROMISE TO HEYMAN AND SHANE>> Speaking of tense segments: Paul Heyman and Shane McMahon were briefly discussing tonight’s show and talking about King of the Hill. Then, of course, someone knocked the door. It was Steve Corino.
>> Corino had a promise for the higher powers of ECW: he promised that Saturday will be his night and the night that Heyman fears: the night in which Corino finally becomes the #1 contender for the ECW World Championship. And at November To Remember, he’s winning the belt to prove he’s not just “the network’s poster boy” anymore. Heyman and Shane both dared him to back it up.
MATCH #3 – 3-WAY DANCE
BILLY KIDMAN & JERRY LYNN vs. ELIX SKIPPER & KID KASH vs. HAYABUSA & SUPER CRAZY[I’m not the biggest fan of 3-ways without a stake. But: Kidman is feuding with Hayabusa and still has beef with Kash, so this could be a fun match.]
Kidman was the man to beat, really, as no one in the match fancied him, not even his partner from whom he stole a win last week. Hayabusa and Crazy made a great “combined-styles” duo. As for Kidman and Lynn, they eventually became a team because Lynn is a naturally-focused wrestler. Hayabusa understood that, but Kash got pissed and he visibly grew a beef with Lynn through the match. Until his team was eliminated, that is, as Hayabusa pinned Skipper with an Avalanche Falcon Arrow.
ELIMINATION: HAYABUSA DEF. ELIX SKIPPER – PIN – 7:09For four more minutes, the better-ranked teams did battle and everyone was close to get the win for their respective team in one occasion. Then, by the end, Lynn and Crazy had a cool sequence with a chair that culminated in a stiff Dropkick by Lynn. Just as he was preparing for the Cradle Piledriver, Kidman tagged in. The ‘Dynamic One’ was in disbelief, but he dared BK to show what he intended doing. BK hit the Mexican with a BK Bomb to get the win.
FINISH: BILLY KIDMAN DEF. SUPER CRAZY – PIN – 11:17
RATING: 60>> KIDMAN: USING GOLD TO PLAY DIRTY>> Jerry Lynn left scene and Hayabusa was getting up (he was out on the outside following a Slingshot Crossbody by Kidman). When he got up, though, Billy Kidman had the World Junior Heavyweight title belt… and he planned to use it on Hayabusa! From nowhere, though, Super Crazy got up too, surprising Kidman with a Crucifix Takedown to basically save the champion. Kidman fleed and Hayabusa thanked the former champion for help. One thing is sure: Kidman won’t play fair at King of the Hill either!
>> I.Q.: STRONG, FOCUSED AND UNITED>> For those who still doubt the Insurance of Quality’s in a good state, they tried to prove it again. In a promo, Chris Kanyon (backed up by the other two, of course) claimed the I.Q. is stronger than ever and his issues with Sean O’Haire were simply the product of O’Haire’s competitive nature, so useful in this business. The leader of the I.Q. then stated the trio is strong, focused and united to make an impact and ultimately conquer the King of the Hill Battle Royal.
>> INDEPENDENT CHURCH: “ALL THE GOODWILL IS BRIEF, EVERY GRUDGE IS FOREVER!”>> Sinister Minister talked for the first time since the vicious spiking of Mikey Whipwreck. The leader of the Independent Church claimed to have “no absolute remorse” for what CM Punk did. He also complimented Christopher Daniels on another great performance that allowed him to keep the World Television Championship in the Church.
>> Then, he addressed the Yoshihiro Tajiri situation: Tajiri again refused to join the Church, misting the Minister. And that… was the final straw, according to himself. He proceeded to make Tajiri know that the offer has expired and voiced a warning to the ‘Buzzsaw’: “Tajiri-san, I hope you know by now… that all the goodwill is brief and every grudge I hold is forever… so get one thing in your mind: if you’re not by the Church’s side right now, you’re against us. There’s only a right side in life… and it’s not yours! It’s always ours!”
MATCH #4
MIKE AWESOME (w/PAUL ELLERING) vs. YOSHIHIRO TAJIRIThe World Champion was back in action for a seemingly great match against the one just threatened by the Sinister Minister, and we could see Tajiri affected in the first minutes of the match, which is a rare sight. Awesome was dominating due to that, so much that he had to slap Tajiri into focus mode.
From then on, the match took off, being a stiff one and melting both the impactful heavy style of Awesome and the faster striking one of Tajiri. Once he focused, the Japanese was very effective with his kicks, wearing Awesome down. A table was then brought to the ring and it ended up playing a big part in the outcome of the match: the ECW champion caught Tajiri’s foot and planted him with a big Lariat before he hit an Awesome Bomb through the table for the win.
After the match, we got to see an handshake taking place, as both wrestlers respect each other and even Paul Ellering shook Tajiri’s hand.
RESULT: MIKE AWESOME DEF. YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI – PIN – 12:41
RATING: 59FINAL RATING: 59
BOOKER’S NOTES:>> Steve Corino again had an issue backstage. This time, however, it was Big Vito’s fault, as Vito cussed him and threw a punch. Somehow, Corino hit back and had the upper hand. Vito was the one fined this time.
ECW King Of The Hill - Saturday, October 20th 2001
Final card - Make your predictions!20-Man King Of The Hill Battle RoyalC.W. Anderson vs. Chris Kanyon vs. Justin Credible vs. Lance Storm vs. Sean O'Haire vs. Steve Corino vs. Tommy Dreamer vs. 13 other participants
ECW World Tag Team ChampionshipChris Candido and Simon Diamond [Diamond Bodies] (c) (w/Dawn Marie and Tammy Lynn Sytch) vs. Little Guido and Tony Mamaluke [F.B.I.] (w/Big Vito)
ECW World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipHayabusa (c) vs. Billy Kidman
Tag Team Match (?)Christopher Daniels and CM Punk [Independent Church] (w/Sinister Minister) vs. Mikey Whipwreck (?) and Yoshihiro Tajiri
Casket MatchCrowbar vs. Jamie Gibson
