[2000-05-14-ECW-Hardcore Heaven] Rhino vs Sandman

[soup23]

In the immediate aftermath of Tajiri vs Corino, Kinataro Kanemura comes out and attacks Tajiri. This results in the usual ECW segue of going from that to Dusty cleaning house, to Rhino attack Dusty to Sandman making his 10 minute entrance.

The crowds are still rabid for Sandman. This match was effective in being kept short. Sandman runs through his limited moveset and Rhino takes a big spill into the table on the apron to allow an opening for him. Rhino has been put over well in this feud and he feels like a big star and a bad ass in the same way they inflated Taz up. Finish is part trashy ECW but effective as Lori Fullington comes out and ends up getting piledriven through a table by Rhino. He goes for the gore but Sandman is able to cane everyone in sight just in the nick of time. He lifts Lori up but then gets gored through the table for the pinfall. This was an effective watch. **

[GSR]

The Sandman polishes off three cans of beer while a further two go to members of the audience.  When he was precariously balanced, one foot on the edge of the ramp way one on the guard rail and started chugging I thought there is every chance he’s going to fall and hurt himself, although he never did.  Rhino gets in first with a forearm smash just as Sandman is winding up for a cane shot.  It looks like a skirmish breaks out in the crowd as the fans turn their backs on the action to watch that instead.  Sandman tosses Rhino over the top rope to the outside before coming off the apron with a guillotine leg drop as he’s draped over the steel guard rail.  Rhino fights his way back into this but then misses a flying spear on the ramp way, crashing through a table that he’d laid upright against the ropes.  He had started his run at the top of the entrance way and also vaulted off a chair so this looked tremendous.  Sandman with a pair of piledrivers onto a flattened out table.  Jack Victory heads down the aisle but he’s followed by Lori Fullington who canes him before he even makes it into the ring.  A still bloodied Steve Corino is next out, grabbing Lori and is about to hit her when Sandman comes to his wife’s rescue.  Rhino is back to his feet and piledrives Sandman on the ramp way.  After Lori slaps him, he drags her to the ring and then piledrives her off the apron and through a table to the floor.  Holy fucking shit indeed!  Corino and Victory lift her lifeless body up and he’s about to gore her through another table when Sandman makes the save just in time.  He picks Lori up but Rhino then gores the pair of them through the table and this one is over.

A surprisingly not bad brawl, kept fairly short with a couple of memorable moments.  I don’t know what to make of that piledriver on Lori through the table to the floor (it didn’t look like Rhino made any attempt to protect her), just am glad that wrestling has evolved and moved on from stuff like that.