Welcome one and all to the first of my ECW RetroViews…ECW Double Tables 1995! I will travel back in time to 1995 and review every Supercard and PPV from 1995 until the company’s closure in 2001. I’m hoping to bring back those warm fuzzy feelings for us all. Well, that’s the plan. I’m sure there will be some matches that stink out the joint along the way, but not everything is perfect!
Within these reviews, there will be some matches on certain events that won’t be covered. Pretty much any Chris Benoit matches. I’m sure I don’t have to explain myself as to why.
Now that’s all covered, lets crack on with ECW Double Tables, the first Supercard of 1995…
ECW Double Tables
Feb 4, 1995
ECW Arena, Philadelphia, PA
The show opens with a cold open. Joey Styles is ringside and he introduces Jason, The Sexiest Man on Earth to join him. Sexiest huh? Jason says he should congratulate himself as he says the next ECW Tag Team Champions will be his team of The Pitbulls. Out come Pitbull #1 & #2, trying their hardest to look mean and menacing. Jason then goes on to say that the congratulations should keep coming as he’s brought over an international talent to ECW for tonight’s event. He has brought over from W*ING in Japan…Jason the Terrible!
Yes, you read that right, Jason the Terrible. A huge dude dressed as Jason from the Friday The 13th movies. I forgot that the mid-’90s were still full of hokey characters!
ECW Double Tables 1995
The Pitbulls & Jason the Terrible vs Hack Myers & The Young Dragons
A match begins that pits Jason and The Pitbulls (isn’t that a Greek fable?) against Hack Meyers and The Young Dragons. And oh my, this wasn’t pretty…at all.
It was really a 1 on 3 match as the Dragons were next to useless. Just fodder for The Pitbulls. Pitbull #2 actually unmasked one of them, which brought in Jason (the brutal murderer of the silver screen, not the Sexiest Man on Earth). He and Hack went at it and it became a hoss fight. Hack was busted open after the many, many head-butt shots. Jason was wearing the hockey mask remember. Committed to kayfabe there folks!
The “match” finished with The Pitbulls giving a Flapjack to Jason onto Myers. Not a bad little spot. Actually the best thing about the match, and that’s saying something!
Winners – The Pitbulls & Jason the Terrible
After match promo time with Sexy Jason putting over his team. In the background, you can see Hack demolishing his Young Dragon teammates in the ring before he heads out and uses a steel chair on his opponents. He dragged Sexy Jason into the ring and hit a top rope Facebuster. Best thing Hack has done all event dammit!
Angel Orsini (Sexy Jason’s valet) comes out in a wedding dress – I’m as lost as you peeps – and berates Hack. She slaps him around the face a few times before Meyers knocks her out. And then proceeds to spank her in the middle of the ring. Angel likes it and kisses Hack who quickly picks her up and delivers a piledriver on her. I kid you not!
And that’s just the first match folks!
ECW Double Tables 1995
Steve Richards vs Tommy Dreamer
Ok, I’m expecting good things here. Actually, I’d settle for a rest hold at this point after that last car crash of a match. Both men here have a good pedigree…fingers crossed! Joey Styles on commentary put over the fact that Tommy had just come back from a tour of Japan. And by the reaction of the ECW faithful, they had missed him too. He really was one of them, even at this early point of his career.
Again according to Styles, Steve here had been brainwashed by Raven to take out Dreamer. The reasoning is unknown here but as time went on, we all knew the backstory. And with that in mind, Richards went on the offensive. Taking the match outside and brutally whipping Tommy into the steel barricade. Following that up with a chair shot to his back. Dreamer grabbed a fan’s chair at ringside and returned the favor, by making Steve head-butt said chair and a low blow with a frying pan.
Back in the ring and a DDT/sidewalk slam combo set up a top rope splash. It looked like half a frog splash, to be honest. That garnered a two count. A great neckbreaker from Tommy for another two. Neckbreakers? Great moves that should be used more in today’s scene in my opinion.
Raven jumps into the ring and grabs Tommy, giving Steve the opportunity to hit a “Stevie Kick”. Raven is sent packing from the ring by the ref and Steve tries it once again. But Tommy ducks, and ala Goldust, flatbacks to the mat and hits a dick punch to Richards. A roll-up gives the win to Tommy Dreamer. The match was ok. Storytelling was great both in the ring and by Styles. Can’t wait to watch more ECW down the line and see the Raven/Dreamer story unfold.
Winner – Tommy Dreamer
ECW Double Tables 1995
“The Giant” Paul Lauria w/Jason vs Mikey Whipwreck
Mikey’s story is one of the best feel-good stories in wrestling. From a ring crew guy to fully-fledged ECW wrestler? Just the best. And here we see Mikey still finding his feet. As for Lauria? All 5’3 of him? I think he was fed to Whipwreck to make Mikey look good and continue his underdog story. Sexy Jason was here too. Totally no selling the top rope facebuster he took earlier…
Lauria jumps Miley as he made his way to the ring, but that was a mistake. Whipwreck threw Lauria into the crowd, twice, only for the fans to throw him back. Great spot that actually made me laugh a bit. But Lauria soon got a way back into the match when Mikey missed a plancha to the outside. A brutal front suplex onto the timekeepers’ table still won’t keep Mikey down. So he uses the top edge of a steel chair to ram into Mikey’s mouth. Not only does that legit bust him open, but it keeps Whipwreck down for a while.
It’s not long before the underdog spirit of Whipwreck comes into play though. He crotches Lauria on the top rope as Lauria was attempting a splash. A top rope bulldog should have got the win but Sexy Jason pulled Mikey out of the ring. He literally knocks Jason the eff out and returns to the ring where he blocked a piledriver attempt from Laurie. A reversal into a backslide pin and that’s all she wrote, Whipwreck gets the victory. Another so-so match with a few big spot highlights. Nice to see the Mikey train still rolling though. And Jason is really getting under my skin…good work!
Winner – Mikey Whipwreck
ECW Double Tables 1995
Ian Rotten vs Axl Rotten
With the break-up of The Bad Breed just a not long prior, this was never going to be a technical showing. And I was right. This was just all-out bloody war. So don’t expect much of a review here. I can only write “punch, kick, punch, chair shot” so many times!
The underlying story of both brothers blaming each other for their team’s loss was always on show here. It wasn’t who wanted to win. It was who could inflict the most pain on who. From the get-go both men went at each other like rabid dogs. Fighting around the ring, in the crowd, even up in the bleachers. Axl actually kicked Ian down the steps of the bleachers, causing Ian to bust open profusely. And like a red rag to a bull, Axl zoned in on the wound, pounding away at it at each opportunity.
The timekeepers’ ring hammer was even used in the carnage. Axl used it to gouge away at Ian’s left arm, once again causing bloody damage. This was as one-sided as you could imagine. Axl was all over Ian like a rash, even with Ian’s small attempts at an offense. And when a match is this one-sided, you know that the finish won’t go as you expected.
Back in the ring and Ian is cowering in the corner as Axl is pounding away once again. All of a sudden, Ian shoots Axl’s legs and rolls him up, with his feet on the ropes. A cheap win for Ian that left the fans angry and baying for more blood. Axl ran after his brother and they brawled to the back after the match. Another ok match (if you can call this a match) on the card. I’m hoping for better things at the top end of this card.
Winner – Ian Rotten
ECW World Championship
Shane Douglas (c) vs Tully Blanchard
Call me old fashioned but your promotion’s biggest championship shouldn’t be shoved into the midcard. Hate it then and hate it now. Shine a light on it. Make it look prestigious. Don’t dump it in the middle of the card, c’mon now! Anyway…
Once again Joey Styles was on form here. Giving you the backstory of why this feud is happening. And in case you don’t know…Shane Douglas called out Ric Flair as a dinosaur. Tully stepped up being an old running buddy/Horseman and wanted to put the champ in his place.
The match itself started great but then fell apart, and had a head-scratcher for a finish. Not a great way to highlight your main title or your champion. Tully was full of piss and vinegar as he took the fight straight to the champ. He got a really close near fall with a slingshot suplex, and even closer with a piledriver. The referee counted the three but at the last moment, he noticed that Shane had his foot on the ropes, instantly overruling himself. A good bit of storytelling there.
Not long after though the match began to drag and Tully began to look out of sorts. He looked a step or two behind Shane, like he was gassed or something. Douglas took control and sent the match outside for some ECW brawling. Including the second front suplex of the night onto the timekeepers’ table. A suplex back into the ring from Tully was reversed into a “splash” which allowed Shane to put all his weight onto Blanchard’s shoulders. This gave him the win and also the strangest finish of the night. I expected more here and was thoroughly disappointed. But it’s ok, as my boy Mick is up next…
Winner – And STILLLLL ECW World Champion, Shane Douglas
Texas Death Match
The Sandman w/Woman vs Cactus Jack
Oh yes, the man who took my wrestling fandom and ran with it is here. Mick Foley as Cactus Jack. I’ll write more in-depth about him another day, but the fact that he’s on this card has filled my heart with joy. And this match is a Texas Death Match. Where you pin your opponent for the three count, and then he has a ten count to get to his feet. If you don’t make it, you lose. Simple really.
Cactus went on the offensive here from the off. Jumping Sandman as he made his entrance. And as you can expect, hardly any of this match took place inside the squared circle. Chairs, crutches, barriers, and frying pans were all used in the first five minutes. Now I’m not sure if Sandman was selling his ass off, or if was legit hurt. But man he really didn’t look with it for the majority of this match.
Joey Styles had picked up on it during commentary. Saying that Sandman was was superhuman after the beating he was taking. So many chair and Singapore cane shots to the head. I actually lost count. This really was a beating of huge proportions. And Cactus finished the match off with not one. Not two. But three double arm DDT’s on the exposed concrete outside. If Sandman wasn’t concussed earlier, he would be now.
Winner – Cactus Jack
ECW Tag Team Championships
Public Enemy (c) vs The Tazmaniac & Sabu
First things first…both teams are OVER! That Philly crowd really do love ECW don’t they? I mean, people loved Hogan, Cena, Reigns, in their prime. But this reaction? This is touching Road Warrior/Austin levels of excitement! Amazing scenes before a bell has even been rung. Sure don’t see that anymore…I mean before Covid came along.
The way to win this match is to put each member of a team through a table. Everything is legal (as you would expect in ECW) so expect what has happened so far in the evening, and so much more! Right after that huge ovation, both teams immediately get at it. Rocco Rock and Tazmaniac immediately walk and brawl through the crowd, leaving Johnny Grunge to get taken out by Sabu with a tope suicida.
That old saying “everything and the kitchen sink” really came into play here. Chairs, frying pans, crutches, Singapore cane’s…and yes tables, were all used. Actually a table leg as Grunge moved off a table as Sabu went to deliver a leg drop to eliminate him from the match. Rocco ended up snapping the slightly broken table and used the leg to batter down on Sabu.
ECW Double Tables 1995
A great spot (in my opinion) was seeing Tazmaniac give Sabu a Half Nelson Suplex to Sabu, who then landed onto Rocco Rock. Taz’s suplexes looked so good. You could see here where his Human Suplex Machine moniker came from. So clean and crisp. You’ll be hard-pressed to see any better 25 years later that’s for sure! In fact, Taz is the first to be eliminated, along with Johnny Grunge. They both fell through a table after they both tumbled from the top rope and fell through it on the outside.
Rocco Rock actually had the match won. If the referees were watching! But unfortunately, both ref’s were too busy getting Tazmaniac away from the ringside area and didn’t see Rock put Sabu through a table. Incensed, Grunge attacks Paul E (who was at ringside with 911). This let Sabu and Tazmaniac double team Rock and eventually, he was leg dropped through a table by Sabu. This was everything it should have been. Hard-hitting, violent as hell, and fun fun fun!
Winners – And NEWWWWW ECW World Tag Team Champions, The Tazmaniac & Sabu
And that folks, is a wrap! What a fun and extremely violent start to my new series. Yeah, there were a few matches that didn’t stand the test of time that well. But you know what? I still enjoyed that card. The storylines were solid, and action (both in and out of the ring) was pretty much non stop. And that’s all I’m looking for ECW action from 1995.
Next up on my ECW RetroView watchlist will be Return Of The Funker. Oh yes! Terry Funk baybay! Now if that doesn’t make you all warm and fuzzy, I’m not sure what will. You can add some more Rotten brothers beating the crap outta each other, and a Rocker of an appearance 😉
See you all in two weeks!
