Hey there felow fans of retro! Once again I return with another ECW Retroview, and what a corker of a show this was. The show in question was ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995. I came into the event feeling kinda meh.
The last show (ECW Three Way Dance 1995) didn’t really hit the spot for me. It felt like a glorified house show. So my expectations were low. But by the end of this, I was blown away by some of the matches and storyline progression on show.
Enough of my jabbering, let’s get on with the review!
ECW Hostile City Showdown
April 15, 1995
ECW Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Just one week removed from my last ECW RetroView (conveniently click here to catch yourself up), we’re back at ECW’s home for another Supercard event! As always, Joey Styles is your commentator. With that out of the way, let’s crack on with the show!
ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995
Stevie Richards (w/Raven) vs Mikey Whipwreck
Oh wow! Is this the debut of Stevie becoming a mini-Raven? He’s out here in his now infamous half-cut tee and jean short combo. A blast from the past right there folks! And as I’m “admiring” Stevie’s attire, Mikey jumps the gun and makes a move on Richards.
But Raven sees it coming and trips him up as he comes off the ropes. Doing exactly what a heel manager/valet should be doing. Simple and effective works people!
Mikey does what any self-respecting white-meat babyface does. He walks to the back and brings out Hack “SHAH” Myers to even the odds! The crowd understandably loses their mind when Hack makes his way out with Mikey.
And to be fair, I can see their point. Since I began these ECW RetroViews, I have become an admirer of Myers. He knows his limitations and works around them really well. Sounds a bit like me!
ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995
After an armbar battle, Stevie hits a great-looking powerbomb onto Mikey. And then actually sells the damage to his arm from the armbars by Mikey. You don’t see things like that anymore. Selling really has become a lost art.
After a missed corner splash by Stevie, Raven jumps on the offensive from the outside. He again trips Mikey to give the advantage back to his protege. Hack Meyers has seen enough so he senses that turnabout is fair play. He trips Stevie in retaliation. Why is the referee letting this go?!?
A quick hurricanrana counter from Mikey gives him the victory! Much to the chagrin of Raven…
Winner – Mikey Whipwreck
As soon as the referee hit that three, Raven calls for his new henchmen, The Pitbulls. They duly charge to the ring and beat down Whipwreck and Myers. Until Public Enemy run down to even the odds and clean house. The heels are sent packing to the back and the crowd is pumped! This is where you need a Teddy Long to announce an eight-man tag match playa!
ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995
Tony Stetson vs. Tsubo Genjin
Tsubo Genjin. Now there’s a name you don’t hear much about nowadays. And because of that (and the fact that the match wasn’t well-received by the live crowd), I’ve done some research on Genjin.
Tsubo worked for Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi in Japan. He really, REALLY loves Jimmy Snuka as he’s a carbon copy of Snuka, right down to ring wear and most probably underwear.
And according to Dave Meltzer, Tsubo was in a big Japanese film, and ECW officials wanted to use him to break into the Japanese market.
As I said above, the match itself wasn’t well-received, so it was cut here to just the last minute or so. A legdrop from Genjin seals the win.
All in all, nothing more than a nothing match. Shame.
Winner – Tsubo Genjin
Fans Choice Match
Ian Rotten vs. Axl Rotten
Oh jeez! I forgot that once again, I have to subject myself to more mindless violence disguised as a storyline.
Axl comes out first and gives the fans a few options as to what kind of match this will be. And no, a straight-up wrestling match didn’t win. Once again, a barbed wire baseball bat is the order of the day. Oh joy…sense the sarcasm.
I’m going to do the short version here folks…
…Both men beat the living crap out of each other with everything they can find under the ring and from the crowd. Finally settling on that baseball bat, Ian wraps the barbed wire from the bat across his brother’s head.
Then he flat-out smashes Axl with a steel chair to gain the victory. Seriously…I’m so bored with this pointless feud. Surely it’s done now?
Winner – Ian Rotten
Quick interview with Joey Styles with Raven, Stevie Richards, and Beulah. Raven, in great length, explains that it was Tommy Dreamer that stole Beulah from him at summer camp.
Raven was the only one that treated the 320lbs McGillicutty with class, dignity, and respect. Stevie jumps onto the mic to say that Raven will crucify Tommy Dreamer…
ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995
Raven (w/Stevie & Beulah) vs Tommy Dreamer
Just a week removed from their match last week, this one too begins out in the crowd. With the fans giving weapons to the combatants to use, my personal fave was the kitchen sink. Yup, you read that right, a KITCHEN SINK! Who walks around downtown Philly in 1995 carrying a damn kitchen sink?! Insane!
After the usual walk and brawl in the crowd, along with the aforementioned weapon choices, both guys are back in the ring. Tommy is met with THREE DDT’s…and kicks out of all three! WTF?! I know that the move is used as a transition move now, but then?! Seriously?
Raven then decides to hit his Even Flow DDT finisher on the outside. You know, just to make sure…#overkill. Except for this time, Tommy reverses it and hits it on Raven instead!
Stevie gets involved to give Raven time to come around. He takes a DDT, the ref takes a DDT (what did he do?). Beulah comes into the ring and Dreamer gives her a damn piledriver! The crowd goes insane! That really wouldn’t fly nowadays folks…
Winner – Raven (by DQ)
ECW World Television Championship
Eddie Guerrero (c) vs Dean Malenko
You know what peeps? If I have to suffer through Rotten brother matches to get a complete gem of a match like this? This match? I would marry it and give it what it wants, it’s that damn good.
Honestly, peeps, go out of your way to watch this as soon as you can. I can’t recommend it enough. I’ll say right now that this match went 25 minutes. And in all honesty, it felt like 10. When wrestling is done right, this is how it looks.
I’m not going to break down the ins and outs of the match. It’ll take too long. What I will do is highlight some of the great action instead. WHAT…A…MATCH!
🤼♂️Dean Malenko vs Eddie Guerrero, ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995 🎦 pic.twitter.com/2q5nwjrad9
— yogi (@bexmode) March 25, 2020
Roman Greco bridging knucklelocks. Malenko beautiful double-arm suplex. Dean zeroing in on Eddie’s damaged knee, people take note of the psychology here. Eddie hurricanrana but hurts his already damaged knee, again psychology folks!
A frickin beautiful brainbuster from Dean. The cloverleaf attempts and reversals. The Gory Special into a rollup sequence by both men. OMG!!
The match is called when the thirty-minute time limit has been reached. The crowd gives a standing ovation to both men to show their appreciation. Get it seen folks, trust me. This must have won MOTY for ’95 surely. And the best part? Both guys would continue to feud through the summer!
Winner – Time Limit Draw
ECW World Championship
Shane Douglas (w/Woman) (c) vs The Sandman
From one of the best matches in wrestling history, we go to one of the most remembered angles in ECW history.
Shane is the superior wrestler and shows that at the start of the match. Outwrestling him at every turn. But it wasn’t long before Sandman took the action outside and gained the advantage. An apron legdrop put Shane in trouble but not for long. Pandering to the crowd cost him as Douglas picked Sandman up onto his shoulders and dropped him onto the railings. Great spot.
But it takes more than that to keep The Sandman down. He searches and finds a chair. And instantly uses it on the champ. Then he puts Woman in his sights, but Douglas makes the save. Back into the ring and Sandman misses a corner spot, and allows Douglas to smell blood. As in the finish of the match, not busted open!
Shane goes for the Cross Face Chicken Wing but Woman grabs a Singapore cane and whacks him across the knees! Can you say SWERVE?! Sandman collapses onto the prone Douglas for the three count, and a new ECW World Champion is crowned!
https://twitter.com/prowrestle_gifs/status/1063618571769663490
Winner – And NEWWWW ECW World Champion, The Sandman!
After the match, Shane throws a tantrum, ala Christian style. As he leaves, he somehow finds a Monday Night Raw t-shirt, puts it on, and tells the crowd to kiss his ass!
ECW World Tag Team Championships
Public Enemy (c) vs The Pitbulls (w/Stevie Richards)
A very hastily arranged championship match for The Pitbulls here. It was only a few days ago that they threw their hat in the ring!
The beginning of the match was The Pitbulls destroying Rocco. Culminating with Pitbull 2 gorilla press slamming Rocco through a table to the floor. That did not look good. At all!
Blood loss is everywhere in this match. Pitbull 2 looks very pale and it’s only 7 minutes into the match. I’d be surprised if he didn’t go to A&E after the show. Grunge hits a pump splash onto Pitbull 2 through a damn table! And Rocco counters the Pitbulls Super Powerbomb with a near fall headscissors. That whole sequence was great!
The finish of the match doesn’t do the entire match justice, in my opinion. Grunge sends Pitbull 1 into the corner chest first. As he staggers back, Pitbull 1 falls into a schoolboy from Rocco for the win. A bit of a lame finish for a pretty good match, to be honest.
Winners – And STILLLL ECW Tag Team Champions, Public Enemy
ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995
Ron Simmons vs 911 (w/Paul E. Dangerously)
Waste of time. Only the finish of the match is shown. A chokeslam from 911 out of the corner for the win.
Winner – 911
ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995
Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk
Oh yes! I am a huge Mick Foley fan. Seeing him take on his mentor in ECW was something I’ve always wanted to see, and here it is!
The match begins over at the Eagle’s Nest where both men beat the crap outta each other with chairs. Cactus attempts his elbow drop through a table, from the stage…and misses. Ouchie indeed!
Funk drags Cactus back to the ring and then pulls in a table, just for good measure. Jack climbs to the top turnbuckle, but Funk knocks him off with the damn table! Which by the way, nearly ends up in the crowd! How did Heyman not get sued more often boggles my mind!
The match begins over at the Eagle’s Nest where both men beat the crap outta each other with chairs. Cactus attempts his elbow drop through a table, from the stage…and misses. Ouchie indeed!
Funk drags Cactus back to the ring, and then pulls in a table, just for good measure. Jack climbs to the top turnbuckle but Funk knocks him off with the damn table! Which by the way, nearly ends up in the crowd! How did Heyman not get sued more often boggles my mind!
Funk vs Cactus from Hostile City Showdown on April 15, 1995 was so so vicious. pic.twitter.com/vLVAYesKwA
— Rob Naylor (@NINaylor) October 19, 2017
ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995
A trash can is in the ring, and Terry rummages through it. He finds a beer bottle and uses it to beat Cactus. It soon breaks so Funk rakes the broken bottle across Jack’s head!
The proverbial crimson mask is worn by Cactus at this point. Whipwreck and Meyers run out to save Cactus, but the wily Funk sends them both packing.
Jack hits a DDT as Funk comes back to the ring but Sandman runs out and makes the save! Not to be perturbed, Cactus hits another DDT onto Funk, and this time grabs the win.
Winner – Cactus Jack
Sandman canes Cactus and pours a liquid all over him. Styles gets across that the liquid is in fact lighter fluid. He does a great job of putting across how serious this situation has become. Great work Joey. Funk comes back into the ring with a damn branding iron THAT IS ON FIRE!! Jack somehow gets the iron away from Funk and retreats from the ring as the show fades to black…
I thoroughly enjoyed that show. Well apart from the Rotten brothers. Every match, to me, was at least solid. And then you have that epic Eddie/Dean Television title match which I’m still gushing about now.
The major swerve with the ECW title and the complete mayhem of that main event. Yeah…that was probably the best ECW show I’ve covered so far.
I’ll be back in a few weeks with the follow-up event, Enter Sandman. Expect plenty of Metallica puns folks!
So until then amigos….ADIOS!
