ECW 9/18/96 The Horsemen vs. The Dark Circle 6-Man Tag!
Sept 18, 2013 14:55:03 GMT
Post by jackknight on Sept 18, 2013 14:55:03 GMT
9/18/96 - Fifth Third Arena Cincinatti, OH
"Mean" Gene Okerlund and "The Genius" Lanny Poffo welcome us to another exciting edition of Eastern Championship Wrestling, tonight coming to you live from the Fifth Third Arena in Cincinatti, Ohio! They then briefly recap last weeks show including the firing of former ECW Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, the announcment of ECW's next big event September to Remember, Chris Benoit attacking Eastern States Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage and the show's finale in which we witnessed Papa Shango's Dark Circle viciously attack both Ric Flair and the ECW Champion "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson!
They then run down tonight's big card which will see...
They're once again interrupted. This time however it is by the ECW Champion Arn Anderson! He has the belt over his shoulder and a mic in hand as he comes down to the ring with Tully Blanchard and Scott Taylor! He apologizes for the inerruption before reminding us what happened to him and Ric Flair in this very ring last week! Now Arn has never run from a fight, so he don't appreciate being sneak attacked by a pack of cowards! So he wants their ring leader Papa Shango out here right now! And if he has to bring his little buddies out here with him? Well that's fine too. Just then the lights go out, mist fills the arena and voodoo drums begin to pound!
Down the ramp comes "The Soul Stealer!"
And he's got Brimstone, Barry Windham, Destruction Inc.; and the Circus of Doom with him! He stays on the ramp and laughs menacingly. He tells Arn Anderson that only a fool would be brave enough to challenge the dark one! But Arn Anderson has what the Dark Lord demands! He has the ECW Championship! And that "The Sou Stealer" looks to wrest that Championship from his hands and return it to wear it properly belongs; to enfold, ensnare it within the Dark Circle! He says that by rights he should have his shot at reclaiming what is his. That only a couple months ago he defeated "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair! That it may have only been by Count Out, but that was Flair's fault! Not Shangos! And that now he wants what he rightfully deserves! A shot a the ECW Title!
Arn Anderson tells Shango that he can cut with the theatrics. That all he had to do was ask. Whether he beat Flair by Count Out or not. Whether that's his problem or not. Double A don't care. But if "The Soul Stealer" wants a fight. He's got one. And he'll put the belt on the line at September to Remember!
Papa Shango seems pleased by this and cackles maniacally. He then leads the Dark Circle into...
the back!
COMMERCIAL BREAK
After the break we learn from Gene and Lanny that ECW President Eric Bischoff set up a big six-man Tag match for later tonight in which ECW Champ Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard; and Scott Taylor will face Dark Circle members Papa Shango, Barry Windham; and "The Dark Prophet" Brimstone!
Match: William Regal vs. Michele Starr w/ Joe E. Legend
Referee: S.D. Jones
Women's Champ Michele Starr comes out and tries his shenanigans on William Regal. He ends up regretting it as Regal beats him about the ring, working his neck over a bit and locks him in the Regal Stretch arm trap cross-legged STF for the submission victory. Legend helps Starr from the ring and Lanny speculates this can't bode well for Starr's chances of retaining the belt against Jacqueline Moore at September to Remember next week. Knowing Regal, that may have been his intention Okerlund speculates.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
ECW Correspondent Terri Runnels is in front of the ECW banner with William Regal. He talks about Chris Jericho's big mouth. A mouth he plans to shut once and for all next week at the Gund Arena at September to Remember!
Match: Mongo Vyle vs. Tommy Dreamer
Referee: Danny Davis
With Beulah McGillicutty at ringside cheering on Tommy Dreamer he and "The Machiavellan Mauler" beat the holy hell out of one another with Mongo Mashing Dreamer with a sitout full nelson atomic drop, several bionic elbows, a pumphandle slam; and a sidewalk slam. Not to be outdone, "The Innovator of Violence" fires back with an inverted DDT, an inverted crucifix cutter; and even gets the big man up and over for the fireman's carry slam! He hooks the leg! 1!... 2!...
Vyle kicks out just before the three! Tommy can't believe it and wastes too much time in disbelief. Mongo is back up and begins wailing on him with clubbing elbow and forearms before pulling him up for a brutal cutter which he transfers from a belly to back suplex lift and gets the win! After beating the Ubermensch last month, Okerlund would say tonight would cement them getting the next shot at the Tag belts after Dreamer and Rhodes defend the belts against The Ubermensch next week; no matter the outcome.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Match: Devon Hughes w/ Spike Hughes vs. Yoshihiro Tajiri w/ Mr. Fuji
Referee: S.D. Jones
The Hughes Brothers arrive on the ramp accompanied to Ray Charles' "Mess Around" and dance their way on down to the ring! Once inside big Devon Hughes locks it up with the faster Yoshihiro Tajiri. It's obvious that "The Japanese Buzzsaw" is doing his best to use his speed to keep away from the power of his opponent and indeed when Devon gets his hands on Tajiri he takes a beating. He gets a two count off a front powerslam pin and when Yoshihiro gets some momentum going with a handspring back elbow; Devon halts it dead in its tracks with the 360 degree corkscrew back elbow smash! A shoulder tackle later and he gets another two.
Yoshihiro Tajiri however manages to fair well most of the match, hitting a hurrancanrana off the top rope, a dragon suplex; and even locks Devon in the Octopus Stretch for a bit. The fighting goes back and forth until Devon pummels Yoshihiro into the ropes and S.D. Jones is too busy dealing with Mr. Fuji to see "The Buzzsaw" let loose with a face full of Asian Mist! Screaming in pain, Devon goes down on one knee and gets taken down hard by the Shining Wizard.
After the break "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase comes out to the ring and gets on the microphone with another huge announcement. What he says is his biggest to date! Now as we know he's already signed two of the biggest names in the industry! And tonight he's going to top that ten fold! On the big screen we're treated to another promo that tells us "Hogan is coming!" He lets out his signature laugh as ECW goes to...
COMMERCIAL BREAK
"Mean" Gene and Lanny welcome us back from the break before reminding us that next Wednesday Eastern Championship will have a special treat for us with another big event; September to Remember! Like all of ECW's previous events of this nature it will be a special three hour show! And all the Title here at Eastern Championship will be on the line! Live fron the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio tickets are sold out, but those folks at home can tune in right here on ECW's home station of TNN The Nasville Network to catch all the action live! They then run down the card so far.
# 1 Contender's Match for the ECW Title: William Regal vs. Chris Jericho!
Women's Title Match: Michele Starr (c) vs. Jacqueline Moore!
Light Heavyweight Championship Match: Dean Malenko (c) vs. Brian Christopher!
Tag-Team Championship: Dustin Rhodes & Tommy Dreamer (c) vs. The Ubermensch!
Eastern States Champioship Match: Randy Savage (c) vs. Chris Benoit!
ECW Championship Match: Arn Anderson (c) vs. Papa Shango!
They then remind us that there's no need to call your local cable provider because this huge show will be free right here next Wednesday on TNN The Nashville Network!
Match: Randy Savage vs. Rhino w/ Mongo Vyle
Referee: Danny Davis
Rhino holds his own in this match against the Eastern States Champ. Okerlund talks about how if "The Man-Beast" can somehow defeat Randy Savage tonight he'd be the # 1 Contender for the Title after September to Rember next week and he obviously know this as he takes the fight right to the "Macho Man!" While the two men are evenly matched early on, a Gore striking spear takes a bit of pep out of Savage's step and gets Rhino a two count. The young grappler is in full control as he torques Randy's neck with a rear chinlock with a knee to the back. Savage however fights his way free! But he ends up trapped in a monstrous bearhug instead! Rhino attempts to make the Champ tap, but Randy refuses; so Rhino transitions to a powerbomb instead! 1!... 2!...
Randy kicks out! Rhino pulls Savage up to one knee and the Champ begins firing back! "The Man-Beast" doesn't give him an inch however and hammers away on Randy; but soon "Macho" is back up on his feet and they're going punch for punch in the middle of the ring! Savage whips Rhino across the ring and connects with a huge running high knee! When he goes for another however, Rhino drops him with a clothesline and throws him into the corner! Rhino then rears up, spits; and charges headlong across the ring! But Savage pulls up out of the way and Rhino catches a shoulder full of steel ring post! Hopping down Randy hammers on his opponent a bit before whipping him with the bad arm into the corner and connects with another runnin high knee before dropping "The Beast" with a running bulldog! He then signals he's going up top and climbing the turnbuckle he goes airborne! And the Savage Elbow connects! 1!... 2!... 3! Randy has won it! Debbie Combs enters the ring and celebrates with him before handing him a microphone.
"Macho Man" says that last week "The Candian Crippler" put himself out there. Right in the line of fire. Yeah. And when you mess with fire you get burned! But Benoit didn't just step up to the line attacking Randy Savage. Ooooh no! And challenging him for the Eastern States Championship? That didn't get the "Macho Man" seeing red either brother. Ooooh no! But when he put his hands on Savage's woman? The lovely Miss Debbie Combs?! Well he just stepped right on over that line! Dig it!! He walked over that line, he stomped it; and he might've well delivered the Crippler Crossface to it! Well you want Randy Savage in the ring brother?! You want a shot at the Eastern States Championship?!! Well you're gonna get it! Yeah! Because in the Guna Arena next week at September to Remember Macho Madness is gonna run wild all over you! Oooooh Yeah!
Just then however the Talking Heads hits and out from the back comes Chris Benoit! He's got his sunglasses and trenchcoat on as he heads down to the ring while Savage leads Combs out of it. Alone Randy is fuming as Benoit enters the ring and gets in his face! They're nose to nose and tras talking one another when...
"White Train" by Tito & Tarantula hits! And out onto the ramp swaggers ECW President Eric Bischoff! He tells Chris Benoit that technically he has no right to be in that ring right now. See he checked with the lawyers here at Eastern Championship before he acted; but his suspicions were right! That "The Crippler" was brought back into this company by "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair! And as a result when Flair's contract expired last week... so did his!
Chris is pissed, but Randy Savage tells Bischoff that he wants him bad! And he wants him in this very ring next week! Bischoff seems to be thinking before telling him that if Savage wants the match he's got it! He then warns Benoit though that he'd better make good on his threat of winning the Eastern States Championship! Because if he doesn't.... he's out of here!
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Back from the break ECW Correspondent Terri Runnels is in front of the banner with "Too Cool" Brian Christopher and Jacqueline Moore who talk about their Championship matches next week at September to Remember! Christopher says that he's had to wait a long time for his rematch. That he saw what Malenko did to Storm at Showdown and he ain't sweatin' it yo! Because Malenko represents everything "Too Cool" is about! He'd just another old school honky getting in the way of progress! And next week at the Gund Arena he's gonna get got!
Match: Douglas Williams vs. Steve Corino w/ Jason Venom
Referee: S.D. Jones
Douglas Williams holds his own against Steve Corino whom he locks in the Chaos Theory waist-lock backward roll transitiioned into a bridging German Suplex for the win! But "Mr. Wrestling rolls out of it and hits "The U.K. Kidd" with a superkick! Steve Corino hooks the leg and comes away with the win.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Match: Buck Zumhoff vs. Mike Quackenbush
Referee: Danny Davis
Young Mike Quackenbush gets the opportunity to show off his impressive and innovative arsenal here tonight as he makes several pin attempts on the veteran "Rock 'N Roll" Buck Zumhoff who getting the win with the "Rocking 'N Rolling" springboard DDT in a hotly contested battle.
After the match we're brought to the office of ECW President Eric Bischoff where there's a knock on the door and in comes "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase! Eric wants to know what's going on with these "big signings." That nobody has consulted with him about it. MDM says that all will be revealed in good time and Bischoff tells him to hell with that. If DiBiase really signed these three men he's hinted at then he's going to put them to good use at next week's big event! He says that he's already talked with his guys and it's going to be the team of Rick Rude, Rob Van Dam; and Ron Simmons against whoever DiBiase brings to the table! Right here next week at September to Remember! DiBiase says he's fine with that; but Eric might not be happy once "they" arrive.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Okerlund and Poff welcome us back from the last commercial break of the evening before hyping tonight's huge Main Event! They talk about "The Soul Stealer" Papa Shango's ongoing hunt for the Eastern Heavyweight Championship including eliminating "Macho Man" Randy Savage from that same hunt back at Hardcore Heaven '96 in a Steel Cage! He went on to menace Rick Rude and then ECW Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair before Flair dropped the Title to "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson two weeks ago at Showdown in Charlotte! Last week Shango and his sinister cabal known as The Dark Circle attacked Anderson and Ric Flair to close the show. And while Flair may be gone, Anderson is still looking for revenge tonight against the man he'll be defending the ECW Title against next week at ECW's big even September to Remember! And he has a chance to get that here tonight as Arn teams with his allies Tully Blanchard and protegee Scott Taylor against three members of the Dark Cicle including Shango himself!
Gertner: The following Tag-Team contest is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first at a combined 780 lbs.; they are the team of "Blackjack" Barry Windham, "The Dark Prophet" Brimstone; and "The Soul Stealer" Papa Shango; known collectively as The Dark Circle!
The lights go out, smoke fills the arena; and voodoo drums pound as Papa Shango leads the entire Dark Circle down to the ring! Destruction Inc. and the Circus of Doom circle the ring while the three men in the match enter it and pose for the crowd; Shango spitting voodoo smoke up into the air as he cackles maniacally.
Gertner: And now introducing their opponents this evening weighing in at a combined 687 lbs.; they are the team of Scott Taylor, Tully Blanchard; and the Eastern Heavyweight Champion "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson!
Main Event: Anderson, Blanchard & Taylor vs. Shango, Windham; & Brimstone
Referee: S. D. Jones
Destruction Inc. and the Circus of Doom cause alot of trouble for Anderson's group as they enter the ring and the trio end up having to charge through them to get into the ring. This leads to S.D. Jones chastising the Dark Circle and arguing with Papa Shango himself before he's decided he's had enough and sends them to the back! They don't appear to me moving until Ronnie Garvin appears on the ramp with William Regal, Rob Van Dam, Dean Malenko; and Rick Rude to name a few along with Garvin's security team to escort them.
Scott Taylor ends up starting things off with Brimstone and is at a distinct size advantage with "The Prophet" hurling Taylor back across the ring and down to the mat! Scott rolls back and bounces to his feet as Brimstone charges in and lets him have it with a dropkick that sends the big man down to one knee! While he is down Scott climbs up the top turnbuckle and lets him have it with a diving double axe handle before beating him back into the ropes! He goes for a whip, but Brimstone reverses and takes his head off with a big boot on the rebound. Taylor never really recovers from here and gets a good working over before he flattens Scott with a Chokeslam from Hell and makes the cover! 1!.... 2!....
With Arn and Tully rallying him on Taylor gets his arm up just before the three! Brimstone is pissed and continues beating Scott down, dropping him with a running powerslam before making the throat slash motion! He doesn't see Taylor kip up behind him however and hits the Superkick! But Brimstone catches it, spins Taylor about and hits him with a suplex! He tags in Barry Windham who continues to put a hurting on Scott as they do their best to keep him in the corner. Eventually Scott makes a sprint for it, gets his leg caught by "Blackjack" but Taylor jumps up and hits him with a step-up enzuguiri! Windham is stunned and falls to his knees slowly while Scott makes the hot tag to Tully Blanchard!
Tully comes in a house of fire hammering first Barry Windham and then Brimstone when he comes to his aide! S.D. Jones forces "The Prophet" out and while his back is turned Blanchard tags in the ECW Champ Arn Anderson who helps him flatten Windham's skull with a double spike piledriver! Blanchard then tags back in and goes up top connects with a sunset flip on the former Horseman! 1!... 2!... Barry kicks out. Tully keeps him down successfully for a while before Windham begins rallying back. He and Blanchard begin throwing down in the middle of the ring, but a knee to the gut give Barry the edge he needs for a whip and he takes Tully down with a lariat! He makes the cover coming away with the two before tagging in the sinister Papa Shango!
Shango and Barry whip Tully hard into the corner and stomp him out for a bit. Arn gets in the ring, but Jones yells at him to get back into his corner and while he is distracted Papa reaches into hits Blanchard in the face with a dose of voodoo mist! Blanchard is screaming in pain as Shango puts him in the Tree of Woe and kicks the crap out of him for a while, taunting Arn Anderson the whole time. He then moves Blanchard to a a seated position on the top turnbuckle and nails him with a superplex! "The Soul Stealer" jumps to his feet and wastes some time cackling in Double A's direction before making the cover. Tully kicks out at two, but he's in bad shape. He makes several attempts at a comeback, but each time gets shot down by Shango. Arn has finally had enough when Tully rallies back only to take a clubbing forearm shot to the back of the head by Brimstone reaching in from the apron. He charges in, but Jones stops him once more! But Scott Taylor also enters the ring and surprises Shango with a Superkick that sends the former ECW Champ flying into the corner! Scott then helps Tully up to his feet as they escape to the corner. S.D. objects, but it's too late as in comes Arn Anderson!
Papa Shango is immediately up on his knees pleading Arn off. Anderson hesitates and "The Soul Stealer" cackles as he rolls out to the floor to safety! Arn goes right after him but ends up in the Dark Circle corner and grabbing his former ally by the head, Barry Windham slams Double A head first into the top turnbuckle! He then reels him back and runs him right into Brimstone's boot which he has up on the top rope! Jones is annoyed, but Papa Shango has returned to the ring and kicks a dazed Anderson's legs out from under him! He begins wildly pounded Arn's head in and sets him up for the Death Valley Driver! But Arn fights his way out. Shango attempts to keep on "The Enforcer;" but a toe hold takes him to the mat and Anderson goes to work! He wears down Papa's legs before grabbing them, stomping him in the gut; and ties him up into the figure four letting out a Woooo! before dropping to the mat! Shango is screaming in pain and looks ready to tap! But into the ring come Brimstone and Windham with the stomps freeing their boss! Arn and Shango are both down, but Anderson is up first. He grabs Shango and elbows him in the back of the head before throwing him into the ropes! Arn ducks to early however and Shango stops first letting him having it with a boot to the face. He then pulls Arn off his feet and the spinning side slam connects! 1!... 2!...
Anderson kicks out! Shango is pissed. He begins beating on Arn and forces him into the Dark Circle corner. He marches orders and Brimstone holds Anderson against the ropes while Papa Shango rears back and charges in for a big boot! Arn however fights free and Papa gets hung up in the ropes while knocking Brimstone to the floor! Arn Anderson is back up and pulls Papa Shango free from the ropes before connecting with a DDT! He hooks the leg! 1!... Windham is in the ring! 2!.... But so are Arn and Tully! 3! Arn Anderson has won it for his team! A three on one advantage goes bad for Barry who exits the ring, pulling Shango out of the ring after him.
Arn, Tully; and Scott celebrate their big wing as the...
Lights Fade.
Working on it now.