ECW Holiday Hell 07.12.1996
Philadelphia, PA
1. Little Guido def. Kid Kash (6 mins)
At N2R, JT Smith was destroyed by the Gangstas and then his "cousin" Guido also turned on him, disgusted by JT losing the match in such a humiliating way. Guido is determined not to be overlooked anymore, so we can now focus on his skills, even though he keeps being a bit goofy with the Italian stereotypes. Kash and Guido can be a good match, a quick and fast opener. Guido hits an inverted DDT and wins!
ANGLE: Joey Styles interviews Guido. Guido says that 1997 will be a great here for the new and improved FBI, now that he took the trash out of the family! He doesn't need a fake Italian like JT telling him what to do, they were never cousins to begin with! (Joey Styles: "You don't say"). Guido says that now he's looking for a "Don", a real Italian "Don", that can lead him to a bright future in this country and in this company!
2. #1 Contender Street Fight: D-Von Dudley & Axl Rotten (w/ Joel Gertner) def. Bubba Ray Dudley & Spike Dudley (8 mins)
After the Bubba/D-Von match at N2R, the feud is not over. Bubba is upset at Gertner getting Big Dick arrested, which took another family member away, the one that was with Bubba since the beginning and was helping with the stuttering. D-Von maintains that he's showing Bubba tough love for his own good. A title shot for the next Arena show is on the line and D-Von wins it, when he hits Spike with a chair, so Rotten pins Spike!
ANGLE: D-Von and Rotten celebrate and D-Von asks Bubba to join them, thus getting rid of another weak and undeserving Dudley (Spike) like he did to so many others, but Bubba grabs the chair and chases Rotten, D-Von and Gertner away to defend Spike!
3. Rob Van Dam def. Balls Mahoney (7 mins)
Balls makes his Arena debut here and Joey Styles comments on what a year Van Dam had in 1996, he debuted in the first show of the year after all. Van Dam should be a good first pairing for Balls, who shows some hardcore attitude, that got fans into him quite quickly. Balls hangs with Van Dam for a bit, as RVD is too arrogant to capitalize at times, but still wins with the split leg moonsault!
4. Sabu def. Saturn (w/ Kronus) (16 mins)
Kronus is injured and so this match is signed as a singles bout. The Eliminators want a rematch at Van Dam and Sabu after they stole the show at N2R, but in the meantime Saturn and Sabu can go at it, this gets tons of time as it should be really good. Saturn does very well, he also blocks an arabian facebuster, but the second one finally connects with the help of a chair and Sabu gets the pinfall!
ANGLE: Van Dam celebrates with Sabu, but Sabu decides to shake Saturn's hand, cementing the Eliminators de facto babyface turn before they leave the ring. However, Van Dam seems disappointed by Sabu shaking Saturn's hand, saying Eliminators lost at N2R and don't deserve their respect! Sabu and Van Dam start pushing each other, arguing once again! But the Gangstas come to the ring! New Jack says that Mustafa is injured and they won't be cleared to fight for another bit, but they're due to receive their title rematch, so they tell Sabu and Van Dam to shine those belts for them when they're done bickering like kids!
Intermission
5. Chris Candido def. Louie Spicolli (10 mins)
Candido showed his true colours at N2R, kicking Mikey Whipwreck low to win their match, which got Spicolli angry as he's Mikey's partner and belongs to the Tommy Dreamer team. Mikey is recovering, his rubber match against Candido will be at the next Arena show, in a 2/3 falls bout. Spicolli seems about to win here, but Shane Douglas tries to interfere... but Francine trips Spicolli, so Candido kicks him low too and pins him! Why are Douglas and Francine helping Candido?!
6. Taz (w/ Bill Alfonso) def. Gary Albright (5 mins)
Joey Styles comments on how Taz is still getting to fight the international starts despite Paul E.'s revelation at N2R and his face to face with Sabu, he also hears Taz will face another star at the next Arena show too, but he has promised to reveal his side of the story tonight after his match. Albright hangs in there, but Taz escapes a sleeper hold and applies the tazmission, so Albright taps out!
ANGLE: Taz says it's now time for HIS part of the story! After Sabu no showed Three Way Dance 1995, because New Japan offered him more money, Taz told Paul E. it was either him or Sabu, so Paul E. fired Sabu! But Gordon was upset about it and pushed for Sabu to come back, because for some reason the fans love Sabu, so Paul E. got both him and Sabu in a room and they agreed not to interfere with each other. Taz was offended, but Paul E. offered him a raise, which he needed, because he got injured in summer of '95 and ECW did not pay him for months. Paul E. lied to Tod Gordon for a year, going behind the scenes so he could keep him and Sabu apart, pretending to book Taz against international stars so "he wouldn't injure any ECW stars", when actually Paul E. promised Taz those featured matches, especially after Gordon ruled that Taz wouldn't have any title shots! So yes, Taz lied, but Paul E. lied too! Sabu didn't answer his challenges for a year, not because he's loyal to Paul E., but because he's scared of Taz and returned to ECW only when he was promised that he would never face Taz! Taz leaves and Joey Styles wonders how Tod Gordon will react to this revelations
7. ECW World Television Title Three Way Dance: Shane Douglas (c) (w/ Francine) def. Stevie Richards (w/ Blue Meanie and Nova) and Pitbull #2 (12 mins)
Douglas vs #2 is a rematch from the halo incident; #2 and Stevie have history as rivals; Douglas and Stevie never faced, but there seems to be some kind of alliance (Douglas borrowed Brian Lee at N2R). Stevie pins #2 with a roll up for an upset! #2 superbombs Douglas before leaving! Stevie covers Douglas, 1.. 2... But the referee is stopped by Brian Lee! Stevie is shocked, as Lee is his ally in the Nest! The referee kicks Lee away, while Chris Candido passes the TV Title to Douglas, who hits Stevie in the face and pins him!
ANGLE: Raven gets to the ring (no Peaches or Tyler) and demands an explanation (Lee is set to tag with him vs Sandman & Dreamer next) and Lee simply says that Douglas pays him more! He can still do business with Raven, if it doesn't clash with Douglas' needs; the way he sees it, both Raven and Douglas have titles and he gets paid by both. Raven seems not fully satisfied, but also doesn't really care about Lee or Stevie on a human standpoint. Once he sees Raven doesn't stand up for him, Stevie leaves disappointed! Then Tod Gordon interrupts them and says it's the wrong night to mess with him (referring to what Taz said)! At the next Arena show, Raven will defend the title against former champion Sandman in a Barbed Wire Match! Also, as Francine got involved both tonight and N2R, she will tag with Douglas to take on Dreamer and Beulah in a mixed tag match! Brian Lee will be busy facing the man that pinned him at N2R: Terry Funk! Candido scoffs at Funk's name, so Gordon makes Louie Spicolli the special referee of his 2/3 Falls match against Mikey! And the main event starts... now!
8. Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman (w/ Beulah) def. Raven & Brian Lee (11 mins)
This 2v2 is actually a first time ever, despite these feuds being a thing for ages now. Joey Styles notes how Raven doesn't seem upset by Lee doing business with Douglas, but the Blue Squad is nowhere to be found after Stevie got screwed by Lee. Francine again appears to attack Beulah and they catfight. Dreamer follows Beulah and ends up brawling with Douglas in the nest area. Raven is all alone in the ring, which is quite rare, so Sandman hits him with a few singapore cane shots and pins him!
ANGLE: Sandman celebrates, while Dreamer and Beulah come back to the ring after getting rid of Douglas and Francine. Douglas tells Lee to follow him and leave and Lee, after giving a last glance to Raven, follows Douglas leaving Raven alone. Raven now seems upset about being beaten and standing alone, but says he's still the champion and he's not alone, not anymore! Brian Lee will work for him for the right money, the Blue Squad that the fans love is all his... and especially Peaches and Tyler are still his! He will spend Christmas with them and the World Title! Dreamer will be miserable enough to spend it with HIS girl, the girl that should be Raven's, but Sandman will spend it alone... and Raven always spent Xmas alone, so he knows this pain, that is why the Barbed Wire won't hurt him one bit at House Party! Raven leaves, while Sandman and Dreamer swear revenge and toast with a beer!
Announced for House Party 1997
- World Title Barbed Wire Match: Raven (c) v Sandman
- World Tag Titles: Van Dam & Sabu (c) vs Axl & D-Von
- Mixed Tag Match: Dreamer & Beulah vs Douglas & Francine
- Funk vs Lee
- 2/3 Falls: Mikey vs Candido (Spicolli as guest referee)
- Taz vs an international star
- Gordon will speak after "the truth"
- (Also appearing: Eliminators, Blue Squad, Dudleys, Gangstas, Guido & more)
