Styles recaps how the Sandman defeated Shane Douglas for the ECW title at Hostile City Showdown ’95 and notes on video footage how the Sandman was submitting as he was scoring the winning pin.
Tommy Dreamer explains his frustrations with Raven getting the better of him in their feud so far as pieces of their recent matches at the ECW Arena air. Dreamer says he also wants to go after the Sandman and win the ECW title because the Sandman is a disgrace.
The new version of Extreme Encyclopedia defines Dean Malenko in its usual terms and then defines Eddie Guerrero as “Master of all styles…Japanese, Lucha & American. The wrestler of the future who’s time is NOW!!!”
Television Champion Eddie Guerrero’s title defense against Dean Malenko at Hostile City Showdown ’95 airs.
A video package puts over Raven.
The Last Word: Devoting most of the show to the Eddie Guerrero-Dean Malenko match was a good call as it blew away most of what was happening in the rest of the American wrestling world in 1995. The exposure Guerrero and Malenko earned from their feud would eventually secure them WCW contracts by the end of the year, putting both on the path to bigger and better things.
ECW did its much-anticipated swing through Florida during the first week of May. Here were the results of those shows, courtesy of thehistoryofwwe.com:
Fort Lauderdale, Florida – War Memorial Auditorium – May 5, 1995 (1,009): Joe Malenko beat Alex G via submission at 13:22…Taz pinned the Evil Snake at 4:05…Axl Rotten pinned Ian Rotten in a barbed wire baseball bat match…Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko defeated Norman Smiley & Mikey Whipwreck when Benoit pinned Smiley at 7:17…Raven pinned Tommy Dreamer…Death Row 3260 pinned D-Day…ECW Champion the Sandman beat Cactus Jack…ECW Tag Team Champions the Public Enemy beat the Pitbulls at 22:00.
Tampa, Florida – Expo Park – May 6, 1995 (735): Joe Malenko beat Miguel San Juan…Death Row 3260 & Steve Richards defeated Phi Delta Slam…Taz beat the Evil Snake…Ron Simmons pinned Marty Jannetty…Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko beat Norman Smiley & Mikey Whipwreck…Axl Rotten beat Ian Rotten in a death match…Raven pinned Tommy Dreamer…ECW Champion the Sandman beat Cactus Jack via disqualification at 10:51 when special guest referee Shane Douglas stopped the match after giving Jack a quick count when Jack had the champion in the corner. Douglas ejected Woman from ringside seven minutes into the match…ECW Tag Team Champions the Public Enemy beat the Pitbulls in a dog collar match.
Backstage News*: ECW could have some structural changes in the next few weeks since some offers have been made to purchase the company. Paul Heyman is known to want to expand nationally because he thinks that is the best way to retain the loyalties of the promotion’s big stars. Steve Karel and his Stonecutter Productions, which syndicates ECW television, will also have a bigger role in booking more house shows.
*ECW drew good crowds in Florida, with the Fort Lauderdale crowd possibly being the biggest in company history. The problem was that they drew so many fans there were security concerns, with the Fort Lauderdale show nearly cancelled due to fears of fan violence and weapons were taken from fans as they entered the arena. In Tampa, fans threw chairs in the ring after the show ended to mimic what they had seen on television. One of the Pitbulls got a five-inch gash on the back of their head that was thought to have come from a chair that a fan tossed toward the ring. Antics like this will make it hard for ECW to book other venues as South Florida officials were not happy with fan behavior during the company’s previous swing through the area.
*The Fort Lauderdale card was plagued with no shows as Shane Douglas’ plane was held up in Pittsburgh, Marty Jannetty’s car broke down, and Ron Simmons and 2 Cold Scorpio had problems making it out of Atlanta.
*The May 13 ECW Arena card will be headlined by the Sandman defending the ECW Championship against Cactus Jack, with the winner defending the title later in the evening against Shane Douglas.
*In talent relations news, Luna Vachon was brought in to help Tommy Dreamer fend off attacks from Raven and Steve Richards at both Florida shows. Norman Smiley also got a look at the two Florida shows but was said to have wrestled poorly.
*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for May 15.
Up Next: ECW Hardcore TV for May 9!
What the World Was Watching: Reviewing the History of Wrestling 