[2000-12-24-ECW-Hardcore TV] Rhino vs Spike Dudley

[GSR]

Spike looking for payback after Rhino made him “regurgitate” (Joey Styles’ words again) at the Massacre on 34th Street PPV.  Rhino rushes at the bell but Spike catches him with an armdrag.  Side headlock takeover.  The champ fights to his feet and backs Spike into the corner where he opens up on him.  Whip to the opposite one, Spike avoids the charge and schoolboys Rhino for a two count.  After a second pin attempt off a Victory Roll is fruitless, he returns to that side headlock take over, grounding his larger opponent.  Like the PPV, it’s another fast opening.  Rhino gets the better of a shoulderblock, running through Spike, from where he looks to slow the pace and wear the challenger down.  He misses the falling headbutt and Spike with three Hangman’s neckbreakers.  Rhino kicks out of the cover with authority, pressing him through the ropes to the floor.  The champion goes on the offensive, trying to crush Spike’s skull against the guardrail, slamming him into the timekeeper’s table and repeatedly whipping him into metal before pressing him overhead and dumping him back into the ring.  It looks like Spike is bleeding above the eye but he’s still able to kick out after being gored in the corner.  Rhino gestures that he’s about to launch Spike into the front row with all four side of the building chanting “over here”.  Spike frees himself, however as he looks for an Acid Drop gets caught with a gore.  Only a two though as the gutsy Spike kicks out.  After ducking under the clothesline Spike gets caught, pressed and launched out into the fans.  A merciless Rhino follows the challenger out there, as he pauses though, Spike jabs him in the ribs with a chair before cracking it over his head, able to make the most of that initial hesitation.  The fight makes its way around the building where Spike tosses Rhino off the stage, an almost maniacal look on his face in doing so.  He drags Rhino back to ringside where he sets up a table on the floor.  The ‘Acid Drop’ is blocked and Rhino brutally piledrives Spike through the table to the concrete.  Just as I was typing “it’s academic from here” Spike gets his left shoulder up.  Another piledriver, this time in the ring, and that finally puts him down for the three.

A second really strong match in a row out of these two, one that I think even topped their PPV effort.  The story of Spike taking a pasting but never giving up is the underlying feature of both, but again he’s competitive, dominant at times and it’s just natural, it never looks ‘wrong’ or like they’re working together.  Recommended and if you’ve got the time, watch the PPV match first.