[2000-04-21-ECW-TNN] Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman & New Jack vs Jack Victory & Steve Corino & Yoshihiro Taijiri

[soup23]

This started off much better and intense than the previous indy match as the bullrope is a good restriction. Corino is bleeding absolute buckets. Victory interferes fairly early on and goes after Tommy. Sandman comes out in no hurry and we have an impromptu cage match. This really is one of the worst blade jobs I have seen as Corino’s head is completely red. Taijiri comes back out to give the advantage to the heels. Joey keeps yelling about the Network in a really grating way. Suplex through the ladder to Sandman in a brutal looking spot. Here comes New Jack trying to outdo Sandman in length of entrance. We haven’t seen much or any really of New Jack’s routine in 2000 so it was endearing to see here. Natural Born chairshot ends that. Rhino then decides to interfere in the match which is odd timing but whatever. Rhino beats down on everyone but here comes big Dusty to a huge pop. Dusty gives two bionic elbows that Rhino is able to shake off before being caned into oblivion. ECW as ECW can be but fun while it lasted. ***

[Loss]

This was fantastic. Corino has just been on a roll in the last few matches and was extraordinary here, bumping and bleeding like a madman for everyone in sight. I liked the impromptu nature of this as it was logical and kept a steady build each time someone new entered the ring. Super heated, and all six guys worked really hard. Even Sandman looked pretty good here. The finishing sequence was pretty complex from Tajiri choking on his own mist on, but was executed flawlessly and with rhythm. One of the better ECW matches thus far. ***3/4

[GSR]

This starts off as a singles match and Corino swings at Dreamer with the cowbell the moment he steps through the ropes. Tommy starts to fire back and Corino takes to the outside, however Dreamer yanks on the cowbell and he crashes into the ringpost. Cowbell to the head and Corino is busted open early. Dreamer ties him up in the ‘tree of woe’, stands on his balls and here’s Jack Victory attacking him from behind. Victory’s punches really are a thing of beauty. It looks bleak for the Dreamer, when the Sandman’s music plays and he makes his entrance carrying a ladder. I’m having flashbacks to that tag match in Lacrosse on 2/18, but he only takes about 90 seconds to get to the ring as opposed to five minutes! Still time enough mind to put the ladder up in the aisle, climb it and chug a beer! Corino and Victory get the jump on him, although he quickly gets the better of them thanks to his Singapore cane. He props the ladder up in the corner and whips them both into it, while Corino’s hair has turned completely red by now. Dreamer lays the ladder across the middle turnbuckle, sits Corino on the top and superplexes him off while standing on the ladder. Tajiri is out next giving the advantage back to The Network, and he boxes the ears of Dreamer and the Sandman with those crisp sounding kicks of his. Corino puts a ladder between two chairs and suplexes Sandman onto the contraption in what certainly didn’t look like a pleasant bump for him to take. As ‘The Network’ start to celebrate, New Jack and his trash can full of weapons even things up once again. He throws his weapons into the ring with Victory trying to dodge them, only to get hit flush in the head with the garbage can. Metal tray over the head of Tajiri, crutch over the back of Corino and metal drawer over the head of Jacko. New Jack with the staple gun to Victory opening him up, and Tommy gets the crowd to move as it looks like he’s taking Tajiri on his customary building tour. Inside, Sandman suplexes Corino onto the ladder with his leg getting trapped and bent between the rungs. Wow, Dreamer is actually fighting with Corino in the crowd and not just taking him for a walk! A guardrail has made its way into the ring and Sandman suplexes Corino onto it. Not sure where New Jack and Victory have got to, but Tommy places the ringbell on Tajiri’s crotch and strikes it with the hammer. Sandman with a somersault dive off the top onto the ladder which he’d placed over Corino. Oh dear, Dreamer has now got Tajiri in the Tarantula. Forunately Jacko’s back to put a stop to that one. Sandman with a legdrop off the top to Corino who’s lay across a ladder, however Corino moves and he straddles himself. Double footstomp by Tajiri puts Dreamer through a table. He then spots New Jack in the ‘tree of woe’ (put there by Victory) and nails him with a baseball slide dropkick to the face. Sandman is back to his feet and measuring Corino and Victory with the Singapore cane. Tajiri is primed ready to blow the mist, Sandman spots him though and jabs him in the stomach with the cane. Corino with a side kick to the mid-section of Sandman, but Tajiri is choking on the mist from that jab. Victory gives him the Heimlich maneuver, however when he releases the mist Tajiri accidentally blows it in Corino’s face. DDT by Dreamer on Victory, Sandman with a cane shot to Tajiri and New Jack with a nasty looking chair shot off the top to Corino for the win. Rhino attacks the ECW team after the match until Dusty Rhodes makes the save. ‘The Dream’ drops everyone bar Rhino with ‘Bionic elbows’, and it’s left to the Sandman’s Singapore cane to get him out of the ring.

 

I doubt this is, but from the way Joey Styles (infuriatingly) kept referring to this as ECW vs The Network, it almost felt like the culmination of the feud. This was a wild fight from start to finish and Corino pulled one hell of a blade job here with his hair turning from dirty blonde to bright red due to all the blood. Sandman’s entrance still makes no sense but at least he didn’t take five minutes to get to the ring this time! He also took some hellacious bumps on the ladder throughout this. The more I see of him the more I think Jack Victory is a total unsung hero. He’s got some of the best punches in the business, always bumps and bleeds, and even if he’s just in a ‘managerial’ role he’s reacting to what’s going on inside, to the crowd etc. Pretty elaborate finish but I thought it worked well within the context of the match. Also, and I didn’t double check to confirm this, but I think the only pin attempt in the match was the one that ended the bout.

[TravJ1979]

Corino and Tajiri made this match only to have arguably the three worst wrestlers ever (Jack, Dreamer, Sandman) bring it down. Solely due to Corino and Tajiri does this reach great at all. Makes me anxious to watch their Hardcore Heaven match next month, This is a great brawl, but not sure I can put it in the top tier simply because of the face team.