Post by jackknight on Dec 28, 2013 6:32:46 GMT
12/23/96 - Providence Civic Center Providence, RI
"Mean" Gene Okerlund and "The Genius" Lanny Poffo welcome us to the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island for another exciting edition of Eastern Championship Wrestling! They then briefly recap last week's show including the self-styled Million Dollar Champs "Mr. Wrestling" Steve Corino and Alex Porteau retaining the Titles against Ron Simmons and "Macho Man" Randy Savage in large part due to interference from fellow Million Dollar Corporation member "The Canadian Crippler" Chris Benoit! Also Sir William Regal's feud with the Mexi-Kings seemed to really heat up last week when he revealed he had joined Arn Anderson's newly formed Four Horsemen! And if that wasn't enough for Regal, in the Main Event he battled it out with the ECW Champion "The Long Island Loud-Mouth" Chris Jericho, having nearly won the Title until the Champ forced a DQ by introducing a steel chair into the match! Lanny disagrees, he doesn't think Jericho was forcing a DQ. It was an exhausting match and in an amazing show of sportsmanship he offered the challenger to take a seat.
Whatever Poffo. They then hype tonight's big show which will include a Tag-Team Title Triple Threat Match! That's right, ECW Tag-Team Champions Dustin Rhodes and Tommy Dreamer will defend their Titles against not one, but two teams; one is the Baron's Ubermensch and the other is the team of Rob Van Dam and Rick Rude; together known as World's Finest! A six-man bout is also scheduled as three members of the Horsemen take on the Mexi-Kings! "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson still being out of action of course due to injuries incurred at Wrestle Annual III.
Just then however "White Train" by Tito & Tarantula hits! And out from the back comes ECW President Eric Bischoff! "Easy E" is glad Okerlund and Poffo brought Arn up, because he has a special announcement from the former ECW Champ coming up! But as we all know by now when Eric Bischoff comes out here it can only mean one thing! And that's Business is at Hand! First off he thanks us for joining them all here tonight on the first of their two special Monday night Holiday broadcasts! He knew they could count on the fans here at Eastern Championship and looks forward to seeing them all right here on December 30th of next week!
Now to add to the excitement he has a special announcement regarding Eastern Championship's very next Pay Per View event; King of the Mountain '97!
In the fourth installment of this annual event; on February 9th, 1997 we'll be bringing down the house right back here at the Providence Civic Center in Prividence, Rhode Island! And as a special thank you to the Providence fans, advanced tickets will be on sale at the Civic Center box office right here tonight! What tickets remain will be on sale in the coming weeks. And that's not all! Because he's heard from the doctors and can now guarantee that at King of the Mountain '97; ECW Champion "The Long Island Loud-Mouth" Chris Jericho will be facing this man!
And as he gestures to the teleprompter we see...
"The Enforcer" Arn Anderson! The fans go nuts as Arn thanks Bischoff for having him here tonight. And for accepting his request to get his rematch right here in Providence, Rhode Island at King of the Mountain! He says that to make it up to all the fans in attendance today, he promises to whip Chris
Jericho's ass from one end of that arena to the other. And that's a guarandamntee!
He doesn't get much further however as "Thunderkiss '65" by White Zombie rocks the arena and out from the back come the ECW Champ Chris Jericho with the Title around his waist! He snatches the mic out of Bischoff hands and he says now hold the hell on! He didn't agree to this match! He didn't sign on the dotted line! What-
Chris gets cut off as he snatches the microphone back and says he doesn't have a choice in the matter. As per the rules of all Champions at Eastern Championship, loss of the belt guarantees you a rematch! Any time, anywhere. And if Jericho thinks he's going to pull a Ric Flair; well all "All-Class" has to say buddy is; he'll be stripped of the Title!
What?!
And because the fans want to see it. And he's sure Arn wants to see it. And hell Eric really wants to see it; "The Long Island Loud-Mouth" will be competing right her tonight! And because Bischoff is feeling generous, it being just two days before Christmas and all; he's going to give "The Enforcer" the gift of picking Jericho's opponent tonight!
What?!!
Arn seems really pleased with his gift and thanks Eric and the fans for giving it to him. He says there're alot of wrestlers on the roster who would love to get a piece of Chris Jericho. He's made alot of enemies over the years. But there's one man Arn Anderson himself has fought a number of times here in Eastern Championship. One man who's also kept ol' Double A sore for days after the fight. A man who has quite a good history with "The Loud-Mouth" too. And he figures it's been a while since he saw those "Hands of Stone" in good use. So Chris Jericho? Your opponent tonight is ECW Head of Security "Rugged Ronnie Garvin!
WHAT??!! Jericho throws another tantrum in the ring as ECW goes to...
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Tag-Team Title Triple Threat Match: Dreamer/Rhodes vs. Ubermensch vs. World's Finest
Referee: Danny Davis
With the Tag-Team Titles on the line, "The Innovator of Violence" Tommy Dreamer starts things out against Aryan von Raschke! Aryan gets in some impressive offense early on including a snap suplex that puts Tommy down for two, but Dreamer is soon handing the former Light Heavyweight Champion an ass whooping and gets him up in the air for the Fireman's Carry Slam!
But that damned slippery snake the Baron reaches in and pulls Aryan down! And as Tommy spins about he catches Das Boot to the gut and dropped with a DDT by Aryan who then hops and makes the tag to the Blitz--
Never mind, that damn showboat Rob Van Dam as pushed his way in and stolen the tag! Nimble as a cat he hopes up onto the top rope for a dropkick! But he gets thrown off from behind and collides in the middle of the ring with Tommy Dreamer! Both men are down and the fans are cheering them on as Davis begins a 10 count. And they're back up! RVD chases after Dreamer, but he gets the hot tag to Dustin Rhodes!
And "The American Nightmare" unloads with a right that drops Rob on his ass! RVD pops back up and gets dropped by another and a running bulldog seals the deal! 1!... 2!...
Rob gets his shoulder up! Dustin has RVD reeling and rocking up on his knees as he hammers him in the head and necks with a barrage of fists and elbow shots! But RVD eventually escapes with a backward roll and hopping up on the second rope connects with a springboard moonsault on a stunned Dustin! RVD is now back in control, hits several kicks before running the ropes and connects with the...
No! Dustin has gotten his knees up! And Van Dam catches a ribcage full of hurt! Dustin is back up rubbing a bloody lip, grabs Rob by the head and...
Sees Rick Rude trying to make time with Beulah McGillicutty?! Rhodes seems pissed and running "Mr. Wednesday Night" across the ring throws him right out onto his partner! Dustin then begins arguing with Tommy, telling him to watch Beulah while "Mangler's Monster" The Blitzkrieg hits the ring! Rhodes turns just in time to be caught be the throat and when he tries to make the save Tommy gets some of the same before getting double slammed into the ring with the Telegraph from Berlin! The Blitzrkieg roars in triumph while the commentators remind us Rob Van Dam is still the legal man and is about to get counted out on the outside!
But he slides back in and makes the cover! 1!...
The Blitzkrieg stomps him off and pulling him to his feet hits a falling powerbomb into the canvas! Both Dustin and Rob are down while Davis attempts to remove The Blitzkrieg from the ring. Tall order. That accomplished he escorts Tommy out too and while his back is turned Rick Rude enters the ring and drags Rob to their corner!
And it makes for an easy tag! Rude comes in and stomps the hell out of Dustin Rhodes before pulling him up, throwing him into the corner; and rains down the 10 punches! Hopping back down he pulls "The American Nightmare" into the center of the ring and signals for it! Yes! It's Rude Awakening time! And it connects for the 1!... 2!....
Dustin Rhodes kicks out! Rude can't believe it! And neither can the commentators! Rick gets back up and pulls Rhodes to his feet before going for a whip! Rude sets up the back body drop too earlier however and dropping to the ground Dustin racks him in the chops with an uppercut! He scrambles to his corner while Rude falls back into the ropes! And makes the tag to Tommy Dreamer!
"The Innovator of Violence" runs in as "The Ravishing One" comes off the ropes with a clothesline! But Tommy ducks it and counters with the Fireman's Carry Slam! He hooks the leg! 1!... 2!....
3! Tommy Dreamer has won it! The Tag-Team Champs retain! Dustin enters the ring to celebrate removing his flash from his pocket only to have it slapped away!
By The Blitzkrieg! And Dustin gets laid out by a Muscle Buster! And Dreamer gets some of the same! Rude is now staggering up to his feet and he gets a third one! The Ubermensch though Title-less look pretty victorious before the...
COMMERCIAL BREAK
ECW Correspondent Terri Runnels is with William Regal, Tully Blanchard; and Scott Taylor talking about the Mexi-Kings. Regal is not forgetting what Jericho did last night luv. Not by a long shot, but he has bigger fish to fry at the moment!
Match: Brimstone w/ CoD vs. Steve Blackman
Referee: S.D. Jones
"The Silent Assassin" Steve Blackman holds his own early on, but after hitting him with the slingshot clothesline from the apron "The Dark Prophet" Brimstone takes this one over and puts him down with the Chokeslam from Hell.
After the match Matt Borne brings him his tome and he reads a poem.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Match: Spike Hughes w/ Devon Hughes vs. Taka Michinoku
Referee: Danny Davis
Spike Hughes gives Taka Michinoku a decent back and forth bout here until falling victim to the Michinoku Driver.
After the match "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero is with the Mexi-Kings Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Shawn Hernandez. He says that the Mexi-Kings don't give a damn about the Four Horsemen esse. Eddie will spit on the legacy of those old fossils himself!
COMMERCIAL BREAK
"Mean" Gene and Lanny welcome us back from the break before reminding us that next week's show will be coming to us live from the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachussetts! And that while tickets are sold out, those folks at home should be sure to tune in right here on Eastern Championship's home station of TNN The Nashville Network to catch all the exciting ECW action live! And just a reminder, that next week's show will be on Monday night December 30th before returning to ECW's normal timeslot on Wednesday the following week! And be sure to catch ECW Weekend Warriors this Saturday Night at 8pm; only on TNN where they've already gotten word that ECW Light Heavyweight Champion "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri will be in action in the Main Event!
Six-Man Tag-Team Match: The Horsemen vs. The Mexi-kings
Referee: S.D. Jones
Sir William Regal starts things off and he wants Eddie Guerrero in the ring bad. The fans do too, but Eddie has Shawn Hernandez jump in the ring. He fairs well early on, but it isn't long before Regal has Hernandez backstepping it across the ring and thows him out of the corner with a release German Suplex! And that may've been all they wrote as Regal went in for the Regal Stretch, but climbing up top Chavo Guerrero Jr. let Regal have it from behind with a missile dropkick! Helping Hernandez up, the two men whip pull Regal to his feet whip him into the ropes and flattern him with a flapjack!
And now Eddie Guerrero wants in! Chavo hands him the tag and grabbing the top rope E. Guerrero slingshots himself over the top rope and lands an elbow drop right into the chest of Regal! And back up on his feet he stomps him out a bit before locking in a Full Nelson on the floor! He talks alot of trash to Regal! But that stops the second Sir William cracks him in the nose with the back of his head escaping the hold! And running back to his corner, he makes the tag back to Shawn Hernandez!
Sir William is pissed and yelling at Eddie out on the floor, not paying attention to Hernandez in the least and gets attacked from behind! From here Regal wants out, but with Eddie directing traffic Chavo and Hernandez make with the quick tags to keep Sir William in their corner! But after being trapped on the wrong side of the ring for about five minutes, William Regal knocks Chavo's lights out with a European Uppercut! And looking to stop Regal from escaping Eddie tags himself in; but it's too late and Regal makes the tag to Tully Blanchard!
Guerrero goes right after Blanchard and the two men lock it up! It takes a while to get going as neither man gives the other an inch and continuous reverse several holds until Eddie gains first blood with a springboard kick off of Tully! Eddie comes in with the stomps, but a toe hold brings Guerrero crashing down to the mat where Tully works Guerrero's leg over a bit before going for the figure four! Guerrero isn't having it however and using his leg strength tosses Tull up and over to the mat and as Tully bounces back up to his feet Eddie drops him again with a Frankensteiner! He then grabs hold of Tully and locks in a surfboard! Blanchard is screaming in pain but refuses to submit. Guerrero releases him after a while and begins stomping the hell out of Blanchard as he attempts to get to his feet. He then pulls him up and goes for the whip! But Tully reverses it and on the rebound, he kicks Guerrero in the gut and drops him with a Piledriver! And makes the cover! 1!... 2!
Guerrero kicks out! Tully Blanchard pulls Eddie up and drives his knee into his ribs several times before hitting him again, this time with a suplex! But once again Eddie kicks out! This time Tully hits the ropes going for an elbow drop, but Guerrero counters it with a monkey flip sending Blanchard sailing before getting to his feet and making the tag to Chavito! Guerrero Jr. comes in a house on fire, dropping Tully with several clotheslines and a hurrancanrana before the old veteran manages to turn the tables on him and lock in the figure four! Chavo is screaming in pain, but he fights the short distance to the ropes! Blanchard releases the hold, but by this time he's had it and makes the tag to Scott Taylor!
Taylor uses Chavo's time in the figure four to his advantage early on. But Chavo eventually recovers enough and gets a two count off a Northern Lights Suplex and later still a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! This latter move clearly costs him as his knee gives out and delays the cover. Chavo attempts to make it to his corner, but doesn't quite get there as Scott Taylor catches him with a Chop Block to the leg from behind and works on it before hitting a running bulldog on Chavo and going up top for the high-angle diving Chop Drop! And it connects! 1!... Eddie is in the ring! 2! But so is Regal who lets him have it with a suplex! 3! Tully and Regal are brawling with Guerrero and Hernandez; but the Horsemen have won it!
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Match: Douglas Williams vs. Ace Darling
Referee: Danny Davis
"The U.K. Kidd" Douglas Williams and Ace Darling have a competitive back and force match before Williams hits the Chaos Theory waist-lock backward
roll tranisited into a bridged German Suplex for the three count.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
We're brought to the office of ECW President Eric Bischoff where "Macho Man" Randy Savage and "All-American" Ron Simmons both want a match with Eastern States Champion "The Canadian Crippler" Chris Benoit! Bischoff says he can't give them a Handicap match with him, but what he can give them is a match that might welll put their newly formed friendship to the test as Simmons and Savage fight Benoit in a Triple Threat Match right here next week for the Title! Simmons and Savage both seem cool with that.
Match: Erin O'Grady vs. Doug Gilbert w/ Cousin Jamie
Referee: S.D. Jones
"The Leprechaun" Erin O'Grady keeps his lucky streak alive as he pulls out a win in this hard fought contest with the Bayou Boys! After hitting his signature Lucky Charm double underhook implant DDT he may've just gotten the pin on Doug Gilbert before Cousin Jamie came in swinging, but he didn't get to lay the gold coins on Dougie's eyes. In fact, Cousin Jamie ended up with the pot of gold and chased O'Grady up the ramp with it!
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Okerlund and Poffo welcome us back from the last commercial break of the evening before hyping tonight's huge Main Event! They talk mostly about Jericho's rivalry with Ronnie Garvin here in ECW back in 1994 when "The Long Island Loud-Mouth" waged what proved to be a losing war against "The Rugged One." And according to Gene one thing Garvin doesn't do is forgive OR forget. They also talk about the men individually, Chris Jericho having recently defeated "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson for the ECW Championship at Wrestle Annual III. Garvin however hasn't had a match in almost a year, having become ECW's head of security. Will Garvin be up to tonight's challenge? No according to Poffo who says the old man is gonna be living off Social Security checks after tonight.
Gertner: The following non-Title contest is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first from Montreal, Quebec, Canada weighing 231 lbs. pounds; he is ECW Head of Security "The Rugged One" Ron Garvin!
Garvin comes out and gets a huge ovation from the ECW fans until "Thunderkills '65" by White Zombie hits. That's when the booing starts.
Gertner: And now introducing his opponent this evening weighing 226 lbs. from Manhasset, New York; he is the ECW Champion; "The Long Island Loud-
Mouth" Chris Jericho!
Match: Chris Jericho vs. Ron Garvin
Referee: Danny Davis
Ron Garvin looks pretty good out there, much to the annoyance of Chris Jericho who keeps escaping the pounding "The Rugged One" is handing him! He beats Jericho into the corner, "The Loud-Mouth" escapes out of the ring and yells some more. The ECW Champion is definitely favoring his injured arm and it only gets worse when Garvin slams him to the mat with a hard right before going for the Garvin Stomp! The fans cheer as Ronnie dissects Jericho! But everytime Garvin goes for the pin, Jericho matches to pull out some reserve strength and kicks out just in time!
Pulling his opponent up to his feet, Garvin whips Jericho hard into the corner before pounding him in the corner! But this time Chris smacks the Hands of Stone away! And he lights Garvin up with some Chops! For the first time in the match, he's got the edge and whipping him across the ring with his good arm he lets him have it with the bulldog! And then hitting the ropes goes for the Lionsault! And it connects! 1!... 2!..
Garvin kicks out! Jericho pulls out his own hair! He's pissed! He gets up and delivers a few stomps and kicks to Garving before pulling him up--
But Garvin pulls him down with an armdrag and locks in an armbar! This is it! Jericho is going to tap! He's screaming in pain! He's pounding the mat! But "The Loud-Mouth" isn't submitting! And rolling over Garvin he's able to grab an armful of the lower rope! Davis breaks up the hold. Ronnie keeps on him, stomping at the arm. But Chris battles out with an elbow and Chops at Garvin again! Standing dropkick sends Ron reeling down to own knee! And running at Garvin Jericho hits him hard with a double knee facebreaker! And Ron drops like a sack of bricks! Chris hooks the leg! 1!... 2!...
Garvin kicks out! What the hell?! Jericho can't believe it! He leaps up and hits an elbow drop! And another cover!
And another two! Damn you Garvin stay down! Chris Jericho grabs the legs of Ron Garvin and locks in the Walls of Jericho! And he sits all the way back! Okerlund thinks he intends on pulling Garvin in half! He may've too. But Ronnie taps! Christ Jericho collapses on his knees and then faceplants. Another hard fought victory for "The Long Island Loud-Mouth."
Lights Fade.
Working on it now.