[1997-08-17-ECW-Hardcore Heaven] Shane Douglas vs Terry Funk vs Sabu

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Last few minutes. This match again I see. Douglas wins the ECW title. Joel Gertner and the Dudleys approaches Douglas and suggests that he dump the Triple Threat and join the Dudleys. Bigelow and Candido come out and we get a big Triple Threat/Dudleys brawl. The ring fills with guys to break it up and eventually the Duds brawl with Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten. Finally, New Jack and Kronus are out. is this where The Gangstanators were born? Saturn is crazy to do that spot on one leg. I'm assuming that injury was legit.

[FLIK]

My 1st time ever getting to see an ECW show. Loved everything about this match, easily the best of the 3 3 ways they've had and one of my all time favorite matches that's held up every time i've gone back to re-watch it.

 

I'm assuming that injury was legit.

Yup, really fucked up but he kept working on it anyways and didn't take nearly as much time off as he should have.

 

2-3 weeks later he was in WCW

[Kevin Ridge]

Shane had lost the TV title but wins the ECW World title. Gertner makes a pitch to Douglas to join up with the Dudleys. Smothers trying to play peace maker and D-Von punches him in the face. Funk still fighting. Here’s New Jack! I loved Terry just sitting against the ropes and then randomly hitting Axl in the head with a frying pan.

[soup23]

Don't recall if the match is any good so may be interested in a rewatch. Forgot that this was elimination so I wonder why they had Funk drop the belt to Sabu and not just to Douglas in the first place. The ending here felt very anticlimatic and ECW trying to do too much mitigating the title win for Douglas. I have really liked ECW for the most part but I hated everything in the ending here even though Saturn was gutsy to do that with his injuries.

[PeteF3]

The Observer says Sabu was supposed to wrestle Sandman at Hardcore Heaven, but with Sandman out injured the decision was made to move Sabu into the main event, with the title change being the kayfabe reasoning.

 

Just the finish but this doubtless had some more thought put into it than the Night the Line Was Crossed--certainly this match in full couldn't have been any worse than that, and the finish works okay. The ring fills with trash, because of course it does, and Funk is playing a sympathetic babyface in Florida despite cutting heel promos leading up to this. Joel Gertner and the Dudleys are out to make an invitation for Douglas to dump the Triple Threat for them. (Gertner: "Francine, you dig gold--er, I mean, you--you LIKE to have gold.") Douglas responds by precipitating a shitty brawl with people meandering about like a 1986 WWF battle royal. Mikey Whipwreck is the only guy working with any enthusiasm. The Dudleys clear the ring as no one can bring down Big Dick. Finally New Jack and Kronus make the save. Big Dick overpowers them as well, but after no-selling chairshots all throughout this, a CRUTCH and a diamond cutter are enough to render him comatose. Saturn drops another one-legged elbow off the turnbuckle.

 

Really shitty and nonsensical post-match (why the fuck are Balls and Axl still hanging around for all this?) that completely marginalizes the new World champion. The only positive thing I can say about it is that it ends with an effective and well-built-to payoff, with Joel Gertner getting destroyed.