[2000-11-25-ECWA-Battle at the Bob] Steve Bradley vs Simon Diamond vs Inferno

[soup23]

Dawn Marie is with Simon and the crowd is large for ECWA. Simon trips getting into the ring and that is the most memorable part of the match. Otherwise, it is certainly a match where time has not been kind to it with sloppy and dated looking 3 way spots and a lot of contrived spots with the heels working together and then it blowing up in their face. Even the finish is a big trope as Simon hits the big move only for Bradley to steal the pin. A slog to get through. *1/4

 

[GSR]

Interesting match up here, one that pits a WWF (developmental) guy against an ECW guy... against an Indie dude.  Simon is out last and he gets the biggest response of the three, the decibel levels rising even more when the fans see that he has got Dawn Marie seconding him.  The three-way lock up just looks so strange, although to be fair, starting a fight with a “lock-up” is hardly conventional!  Another lock-up morphs its way into a three-way headlock before each man with an armdrag as they bust out those tropes early.  Bradley and Inferno with a double hiptoss, Simon kicks them off and then Bradley accidentally clotheslines Inferno.  The two have heated words on the floor but it looks like they make an agreement to work together.  Inferno climbs to the apron, he grabs Simon and Bradley rushes him from behind.  ‘Superbad’ at least has some fire in his shots.  A hi five cements the pact, one that doesn’t even last fifteen seconds with Inferno breaking up a pinfall attempt.  Double DDT by Simon after Bradley and Inferno telegraph the double backdrop.  Incidentally that is the exact same spot that Bradley does in the MCW three-way in a few weeks time.  Simon is soon back on the receiving end of things though as he runs into a big boot.  Bradley and Inferno continue to work together, but any time one of them goes for a pin the other breaks it up.  This happens a lot.  Eventually, as in all three-ways, Bradley and Inferno fall out and start going at it.  Double face jam by Simon.  Inferno with a superkick to Simon and as he makes the cover Dawn Marie, from the floor, pulls him off her man.  Inferno grabs Dawn by the hair and drags her up to the apron and into the ring.  Note Dawn has her shoes off so she’s getting involved here.  He puts her on his shoulders but then just lets her go; I think she was meant to have “freed herself”.  A piss poor dropkick by Dawn to the back, like worst dropkick you’re likely to see all year levels of bad, and Simon with a reverse DDT.  Simon rolls out the way leaving the coast clear for Bradley to land a moonsault on Inferno “stealing” the win.

Bar a stacked up superplex I think they hit every three-way trope going in this one.  The constant breaking up of pins got tired fast, and then they went on... and on... and on... doing it again and again.  Just so boring.  I liked Bradley stealing the win at the end with the moonsault but the execution left a  lot to be desired, especially the way Simon rolled out the way after the DDT so not to get in the way.  Disappointing and Bradley has far more enjoyable matches on Memphis TV than this.