[2000-12-01-OMEGA] Christian York & Joey Matthews vs Shannon Moore & Shane Helms

[GSR]

A rarity here as we have an ECW duo facing off against a WCW tandem.  Were officials aware of this or as it’s on some Indy in North Carolina did it just fly under the radar?  There’s a bit of pre-match shtick involving York & Matthews’ unnamed manager and the ringside fans, while there is a big ovation for the returning 3 Count.  3 Count hit their combination Samoan drop/neckbreaker on Matthews within the first minute, but for some reason the referee just stops counting the cover.  One solitary handheld is filming this so we don’t see why.  It’s definitely nothing to do with York as he’s outside the ring and nowhere near the action at the time, maybe the manager did something?  York & Matthews have had enough already, booed vociferously as they make out their leaving.  Shannon orders the ref to count them out, the fans joining in, although predictably they have a change of heart.  Interesting to see them take on the roles of heels here, what with them being faces on ECW at this time.  Real fun simple stuff with them being outsmarted by the faces, Joey accidentally clotheslining York when Shannon ducks out the way of his clothesline and later York going to break up the cover by dropping an elbow, but again he’s spotted, Shannon moves and he hits his own man.  Cool backslide/middle rope legdrop combo by 3 Count.  The camera again misses something, I assume York kneeing Helms in the back as he comes off the ropes.  That turns the match in their favour as they start to take control of things.  One spot I did like was Matthews throwing Helms out to the floor, teasing like he was going to throw him into the chairs, but just swinging around and throwing him straight back inside.  Good heat section on Shane with a couple of teases of the tag before countering a neckbreaker with the ‘Nightmare on Helms Street’ and getting it at the third attempt.  Shannon runs wild in there and York is forced to save his partner following a ‘sleeper drop’.  3 Count with another double team move and this time York & Matthews’ manager pulls the official’s leg to stop the count.  As he’s warning him not to do it again he gets bumped in the corner.  It gets no better for him, Shannon catching him with a dropkick as Matthews steps out the way.  The manager is now in the ring but he accidentally KO’s Joey with something, Moore evading the shot, and then mule kicks Christian, erroneously thinking that it was Helms behind him.  He calls for reinforcements and two guys I don’t recognise run out from the dressing room and attack 3 Count, the referee seeing what’s going on when he comes around and calling for the bell.  York & Matthews lose it with ‘Mr Incompetence’ slugging him, before teaming up with 3 Count to clear the ring of the two unknowns.  Samoan drop/neckbreaker for the manager as the four shake hands and raise each others arms.

Okay, the finish was super cheap but I’m guessing now that ECW and WCW officials were fully aware of this match and the caveat for it going ahead was that neither wanted their team to job to the other company’s team.  As a result this is what we got and I really enjoyed this right up to that finish.  York & Matthews were tremendous and their heeling was a throwback to years gone by, simple, highly effective and a perfect fit for the environment they were in.  Good heat section on Shane with teases and cut off spots, while the crowd got their feel good moment at the end, all four teaming up to give it to the manager who gets his comeuppance.