ECW '01 - A World in Jeopardy | BetheBooker (2024)

ECW on MTV #20
Friday, September 26th, 2001
Attendance: 1,861 – Fleming Gymnasium – Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
TV Rating: 0.87 on MTV

CURRENT CHAMPIONS:
ECW World Heavyweight Champion: Mike Awesome
ECW World Tag Team Champions: Chris Candido & Simon Diamond [Diamond Bodies]
ECW World Television Champion: Christopher Daniels
ECW World Junior Heavyweight Champion: Super Crazy

DARK MATCH:
BIG VITO DEF. JACK BULL – PIN – 4:49
RATING: 30

FULL-SHOW RECAP

>> DIAMOND BODIES: AN ESCAPE THEY WON’T HAVE TOMORROW
>> The Diamond Bodies opened the 20th episode of ECW on MTV in the ring. Chris Candido and Simon Diamond celebrated two weeks as ECW World Tag Team Champions both complaining about the Steel Cage stipulation for the Impact Players’ rematch and, still, guaranteeing they will be the better team tomorrow at Anarchy Rulz… because they are the better team overall.
>> Two weeks ago they won dirty, last week they weren’t around, this week the former champions tried to get some revenge. Their theme hit but only Francine (with a baseball bat in hand) appeared from the entrance. The Bodies mocked her, not realizing Justin Credible and Lance Storm were coming to the ring from different sides. Surrounded by their rivals by all sides except one, the champions managed to escape, making a run to the back as the Impact Players promised revenge happening tomorrow.

MATCH #1 – ECW WORLD JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
SUPER CRAZY © vs. JAMIE GIBSON
The first ever grudge match for ECW’s Jr. Heavyweight Championship. Gibson was determined to prove he can be the most violent wrestler of the division; Crazy was focused on shutting him up and retain the title’s honor. The match started showing both’s ability, but none was shy to use chairs at first. Chair shots, throws and using the chairs as a modifier in some moves: all of that was a thing.
Near the end, after some submission holds had failed, Gibson, in control, grabbed his favorite object: the dog collar. He put the collar on himself and on the champion, but played up to the crowd and paid for it, as he wasn’t expecting Super Crazy to pull him by the collar and trip him against a wedged chair. Game changer. The champion then lashed the challenger on his back four times before releasing his own neck of the collar. Finally, Super Crazy hit a Crazy Bomb, driving Gibson’s red back against a trashcan for the win.
RESULT: SUPER CRAZY DEF. JAMIE GIBSON – PIN – STILL CHAMPION! – 9:25
RATING: 52

>> DOG-COLLARED NIGHTMARE + JUNIOR WRESTLING PERFECTION
>> Super Crazy rolled Jamie Gibson (still with the dog collar on) out of the ring so he could celebrate. Then… lights out! When they go on again, Hayabusa is in the ring! The two trade an intense stare. And…
>> Lights out! The focus was at ringside now, as someone pulled the dog collar from under the ring. Gibson tried to resist and get up, but from under came… Crowbar! Crowbar is back, with his own crowbar to hit Gibson as soon as he got up, making him bleed. Crowbar then laughed and left scene after leaving his mark.
>> Back in the ring, the face-off continued. Super Crazy laid the belt on the ground and invited Hayabusa for a respectful wrestling showdown, more like a lucha counter sequence for a bit before both stared at each other again while kneeling. Tomorrow: Hayabusa challenges Crazy for the belt!

>> DORING AND ROADKILL: MOTIVATION NEEDED + LINE-UP ANNOUNCEMENT
>> Backstage, he saw Nova hyping up his new clients, Danny Doring and Roadkill, for tomorrow’s #1 Contendership multi-team match. Doring and Roadkill were a bit reluctant about their chances, while Nova, slightly more positive about the team’s success, motivated them, remembering them that just some months ago they were champions and reminding them of his own success in the Blue World Order. They were 50% convinced.
>> On commentary, Joey Styles and Kevin Kelly then announced the line-up for the #1 Contendership match along with a graphic. It will be: Danny Doring & Roadkill vs. F.B.I. vs. Independent Church vs. Mikey Whipwreck & Yoshihiro Tajiri.

MATCH #2
ELIX SKIPPER vs. STEVE CORINO
Corino and Skipper had a good competitive match, as both need wins. There were no weapons, but the absence of something on the line spoiled the match ending, as Sean O’Haire felt the need to avenge Corino’s interference in his own matches two weeks ago. He entered the ring and tried hitting Corino with a chair. Corino ducked and O’Haire hit Skipper instead. Then Corino Superkicked him and hit the Northern Lights Bomb on Skipper, ending the match.
RESULT: STEVE CORINO DEF. ELIX SKIPPER – PIN – 6:19
RATING: 47

>> MAULING LEADS TO LATE SAVE
>> After the match, Sean O’Haire regained his composure and this time was successful in attacking Steve Corino. He was also joined by his I.Q. stablemate C.W. Anderson. Corino was in trouble until Balls Mahoney and Spike Dudley stood up to Corino, armed with chairs, running Anderson and O’Haire over.
>> The rest of the I.Q. was then joined by their leader, Chris Kanyon, in the entrance way. Corino, with a microphone, verbally attacked Spike, his opponent tomorrow, as well as Corino, who he challenged for a match with O’Haire, also tomorrow. Kanyon guaranteed that no one will interfere in both matches, so he hopes Balls won’t, as well.

>> UPCOMING TITLE MATCH HYPE
>> The TV Title match is next. So we had two backstage segments with the participants and associates. Mikey Whipwreck hyped Yoshihiro Tajiri’s chances, stating that Tajiri has the sweet opportunity to take the gold away from the Independent Church. Then, the Church was gathered and Sinister Minister talked, while Daniels and Punk sparred in the back. Minister hyped… a potentially (and surely) great match between two of the best in wrestling.

MATCH #3 – ECW WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP – 10 MIN. TIME LIMIT
CHRISTOPHER DANIELS © (w/CM PUNK & SINISTER MINISTER) vs. YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI (w/MIKEY WHIPWRECK)
We really saw the best match of the night. Even if Daniels wasn’t at his best due to a cracked tailbone. Tajiri wanted to use weapons early, but he didn’t as the champion challenged him to wrestle clean. And due to that, the match was a technical one for most part. Tajiri was close to take the belt, but ‘The Fallen Angel’ was also close to retain it.
Punk and Mikey provoked each other at ringside and Daniels finally used a chair after Tajiri had used a kendo stick, but only after Minister’s approval. Finally, as the match got more violent, it ended… without a decision. The ten minutes passed while both were trading kicks in the center of the ring.
RESULT: TIME LIMIT DRAW – STILL CHAMPION! – 10:00
RATING: 55

>> MINISTER’S ORDER: TO LET GO
>> Christopher Daniels and Yoshihiro Tajiri continued to trade kicks after the bell. And CM Punk entered the ring, armed with another chair. However, before he could attack Tajiri, he was surprised by one of his kicks. Sinister Minister was not pleased with Punk’s attitude and ordered Punk and Daniels to retreat, leaving Tajiri and Mikey in control of the ring.

>> DIAMOND BODIES: A COMPLAINT LEADING TO NOTHING
>> The Diamond Bodies were seen angrily knocking on a door. Shane McMahon opens it. Candido, Diamond and Sunny Dawn openly complained to the boss about the Impact Players’ attempted attack in the beginning of the show. So, they suggested that, maybe, as a consequence, the title match tomorrow should not be a Steel Cage. McMahon laughed at the Bodies’ suggestion, adding: “You only get what you wish for…” before shutting the door.

MATCH #4
AIR PARIS & AJ STYLES [AERIAL ASSAULT] vs. JERRY LYNN & MIKE AWESOME
World Champion and challenger teamed together against one of ECW’s up-and-coming teams. At first, Paris and Styles put a good fight, despite being smaller than Awesome, due to their high-flying moves. However, the bigger experience of Lynn and Awesome ended up being the difference-maker. Lynn put Paris away with his Cradle Piledriver and, then, the champion hit a big Awesome Bomb to Styles. Both pinned Aerial Assault at the same time.
RESULT: MIKE AWESOME DEF. AJ STYLES – 6:57
RATING: 54

>> ENTER THE SPECIAL ENFORCER
>> The bell sounded and Jerry Lynn and Mike Awesome stood up at the same time, eye-to-eye. Lynn is smaller than Awesome but he didn’t care and got close to the champion, knowing that tomorrow they’ll go toe-to-toe in their first one-on-one match… for the gold! Then…
>> Paul Heyman appeared in the entrance way, breaking up the face-off moment. Why? Because he needed to introduce the legendary manager who’s interested and will be a ringside enforcer in tomorrow’s title match: Paul Ellering! The manager of The Road Warriors then joined Heyman on the stage, with his trademark sunglasses, not saying a word. In the ring, the face-off remained, leaving everyone unsure if either Awesome or Lynn are keener on the news now.

>> F.B.I. EXCITED ABOUT CONTENDERSHIP MATCH
>> Backstage, we saw the Full Bloodied Italians hanging out. The three of them were excited about tomorrow’s #1 Contendership 4-Way Dance. Little Guido set the tone, telling his boys that the F.B.I. can’t waste the opportunity this time.

>> KASH: CHALLENGING THE co*ckY OUTSIDER
>> Also backstage, Kid Kash wasn’t happy about the way Billy Kidman had attacked him last week. He had some crutches, but he threw them away, challenging the former WCW Cruiserweight to a match tomorrow at Anarchy Rulz, so he can teach BK that in ECW… “fire is fought with fire… and steel is fought with steel.”

MATCH #5
BALLS MAHONEY vs. THE SANDMAN
The main event was violent. As expected. Balls didn’t have an issue with Sandman, but hardcore is his way of life and Sandman’s too, so… the beginning of the match was Balls’ chair vs. Sandman’s cane.
The hardcore brawl continued for the whole duration of the match, spilling to the outside of the ring and even to the crowd. Both men bled and used chairs, canes, tables (Sandman broke one after suffering a somewhat sloppy Belly-to-Belly Suplex by Balls that got a near-fall), and a ladder (Sandman hit a Rolling Rock on Balls after delivering a Scoop Slam on said ladder).
Ultimately, a table was set outside the ring. Both men fought on the corner and Balls tried to Superplex Sandman through that table… but didn’t. Sandman raked his eyes and pushed Balls, who took a big fall, crashing through the wood. Outside, Sandman pinned Mahoney for the win.
RESULT: THE SANDMAN DEF. BALLS MAHONEY – 7:12
RATING: 50

>> SANDMAN AND DREAMER: ONE’S LAST BRAWL (?)
>> Back in the ring, The Sandman was rampant, calling out Tommy Dreamer, even saying: “I don’t want to wait until tomorrow! I want to send you packing out of ECW tonight, mother****er!” Tommy didn’t answer, until he once again mentioned Beulah, promising to treat her “(…) as the nasty bitch she was born to be.”
>> Dreamer rushed to the ring and the two began throwing punches like madmen with no regard whatsoever for each other and their own safety. After some crazy moments, Beulah rushed, bringing 10 or 12 ECW originals to the ring to stop the chaotic brawl. The broadcast stopped when they finally somehow successfully containing the two men, with Sandman’s bloody grin closing the show. One thing is sure: tomorrow, one of these two will fight his last ECW match!

FINAL RATING: 54

BOOKER’S NOTES:
>> We had some trouble happening backstage prior to this show. The Dawn Marie-Elektra beef was revived… over another rental car hit. The same issue happened between Simon Diamond and… Paul Ellering (in his first show, wow). Big Vito has some heat backstage as well. All involved received some warnings.

>> Absolutely terrible show from a rating standpoint. It seems I should’ve put Daniels vs. Tajiri last, even if Daniels had a cracked tailbone. I’m positive that Anarchy Rulz will be far better rated, but I’m honestly not convinced of that, as it’s the first pay-per-view without ‘Mr. PPV’, Rob Van Dam…

AROUND THE WORLD:
>> WWF held Unforgiven (September 21st) and it was really good (with that roster, how could it not be?...). The main event saw Steve Austin retaining the WWF World Title against DDP. The Undertaker beat Chris Jericho inside Hell in a Cell. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit had a technical clash until Benoit was disqualified after being provoked by Angle. Sting and The Rock defeated Kane and Booker T in a random-looking match. And, of course, Ric Flair beat Bubba Ray Dudley in a Ladder Match. None is a champion, so I assume the Ladder Match was for the ownership of Nature Boy’s illegally-built mansion in Dudleyville.