[2000-01-29-ECW-Orlando, FL] Yoshihiro Taijiri vs Tommy Dreamer

[soup23]

Corino cuts another great promo getting some huge heat. Tommy comes out and responds. How can I say this nicely but Francine looks like the years have taken a toll. Tajiri attacks on behalf of Corino and is a pretty entrenched heel tonight after being essentially a face last night. The action here was fun and I liked Dreamer in this type of setting. Tajiri gets tied into the tree of woe and takes a brutal chair shot. A big schmozz finish with Corino coming in to interfere, Francine being on the apron, and Raven making the save for the faces. I could have done without that and it feels like Corino and Co. take a lot of losses. **1/2

[Loss]

I loved Corino's promo before the match, and loved even more that it was a setup for Tajiri to attack Dreamer from behind and dominate him for most of the match. I agree with the criticisms about the booking of this one, as Dreamer was pretty stale and Tajiri was a rising star, not to mention that Corino kept coming up on the losing end of just about everything and needed something to fall in his favor. Okay match, but nothing special and kind of counterproductive.

[Migs]

Dug Corino's promo.

 

The arena setup here lends itself really nicely to the crowd brawl.

 

Enjoyed this. Nothing too special, but these guys had worked together a million times and know how to have a good brawl. Finish was nicely put together.

[GSR]

Steve Corino is out with Jack Victory. He’s showing the scars of last night’s match in Fort Lauderdale and says how he got his ass handed to him by Dusty Rhodes, but since he isn’t here tonight, he’s challenging the other person who was in that match, Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer and Francine make their way out and into the ring. Corino says the last time they were in this building Tommy beat him, he’s beat him in 675 house shows, but tonight he’s going to hand him his ass like he’s never had it handed to him before. He’s got 14 stitches in his head and he shouldn’t even be wrestling tonight, but he’s here to prove to each and every one of these morons that he’s more of a man than him. He tells Jack to get out of there and says that he doesn’t need him, he doesn’t need Rhino, and if Dreamer is such a big man, “what’s he going to do?” Dreamer grabs him around the throat and drives him backwards into the corner, shouts some obscenities, but unbeknownst Tajiri has snuck into the ring and kicks him from behind.

 

Corino is pleased with himself as Tajiri boxes Dreamer in the head with those snappy kicks. Jawbreaker and he throws Tommy to the floor. Tajiri whips a hobbling Dreamer into the guard rail, but he’s able to reverse it. He crotches Tajiri on the rail and drills him with a couple of rights before throwing him back in the ring. Bodyslam, then Dreamer climbs the ropes as if he’s going for a moonsault, Tajiri is back to his feet though and shoves him causing him to lose his balance. ‘Tree of Woe’ however Dreamer lifts himself up and out the way of the dropkick and Tajiri posts himself. Dreamer with a ‘tree of woe’ of his own. Francine holds a chair in front of Tajiri’s face and Dreamer with a big dropkick right to it. Handspring elbow, Tarantula, but Francine is over and claws at Tajiri’s face forcing him to break the hold. He chases after her and she heads into the ring where Dreamer is able to level him with a clothesline. Whip to the corner and the inrushing Dreamer is met with a great thrust kick for two. He ducks a head kicksand catches Tajiri with the Death Valley Driver. Jack Victory is up on the apron and with the referee distracted, Corino enters the ring and DDT’s Dreamer. He starts to celebrate doing the crucifixion pose when out comes Raven. Francine is now on the apron too arguing with Victory, snot rag to Corino and stereo DDT’s. Dreamer covers Tajiri, Francine tells the official to turn around and he counts the three.

 

Good Corino promo to open with. I tend to go either way when it comes to his interviews, but this was one I enjoyed. The match itself was pretty average, although it was nice to see Tajiri work with someone outside of Crazy, Guido and Lynn. Not a fan of the finish with everyone at ringside, and even someone who wasn’t, involved in it.