[2000-08-04-ECW-TNN] Mikey Whipwreck vs Little Guido

[soup23]

Whipwreck's gear is awful but he is still really competent in the ring and this is a strong workman's style match for seven minutes. Guido is a pro like always and willing to be in the right position to make his opponent look good. I continue to enjoy Sal running interference more than the likes of Victory. The finish here foreshadowed the future with Tajiri coming out and making teh save forming the unholy alliance with Whipwreck and Sinister Minister. Again, Tajiri in a tag seems beneath him but they do feel like one of the more fresh things within the promotion. **1/2

[GSR]

We get a recap from last week where Tajiri was attacked by the FBI and Little Guido subsequently replaced him in the match against Psicosis.  Mikey’s ring gear really does do him no favours whatsoever.  Guido with a leapfrog but Mikey kicks him flush in the balls as he’s mid-air.  Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a two count.  Tony Mamaluke is up on the apron and Guido reverses the Irish whip sending Mikey towards him, however he slides between his legs to the floor, from where he pulls out his ankles and Mamaluke ends up falling face first into the apron.  Whipwreck avoids the pescado as Guido wipes out his partner instead before showing that he learned nothing from the PPV as he again goes for one of his own on Big Sal.  Just like at Heatwave Sal catches him, and again is about to run him into the ring post but, unlike then, Mikey wriggles free and Sal goes head first into the steel.  Mikey floats over on the superplex and Guido barely kicks out of the lateral press.  As he jumps to the middle turnbuckle Guido clubs him from behind, Sal then distracts the referee and Mamaluke is in to assist on the double Russian leg sweep.  In true ECW tradition, Styles calls it an ‘Italian leg sweep’ and if that wasn’t cringe enough, he then calls an Irish whip an ‘Italian whip’!  ‘Sicilian slice’ for a two and after a basement dropkick sees the same result, Guido is in the face of Mike Kehner complaining about the slowness of his count.  This is pretty reminiscent of that tag match on the Houston house show from just under a week ago.  Guido telegraphs the backdrop and Mikey counters with a DDT.  Huracanrana followed by a slingshot guillotine leg drop.  A great version of the ‘Whippersnapper’ and as Mikey makes the cover, Sal is distracting Kehner.  Top rope leg drop to the back of the neck by Mamaluke who pulls his partner on top but Mikey is somehow able to kick out at the last moment.  Sal hooks Mikey’s ankle as he comes off the ropes and as Kehner turns to have words with him, Mamaluke cracks Mikey in the head with a chair and Guido schoolboys him for the win.  The FBI aren’t satisfied and continue to put the boots to Mikey until Tajiri makes the save who, with the help of some green mist, clears the ring of all three.  Tajiri and Mikey then shake hands as Styles calls them an ‘Unholy Alliance’ and there’s your new tag team!

As I said in the play by play, reminiscent of the Houston tag, but just as I enjoyed that I enjoyed this one too.  Mikey is someone who is much better than I ever remember too, despite the horrendous ring wear.  The Tajiri save was kinda predictable after the way the FBI jumped him the week before was highlighted at the start, although nice that there was a storyline reason for him and Mikey joining forces as after watching that Fancam from last month (maybe a try-out for them as a team first?) I thought they’d just been thrown together.