That's Just Bad Part 2: Reunion Show That Just Won't Stop

Funny story this review was meant to be Superbrawl 2000 but my video player decided to eat my tape, must be fates way of saving me from watching such a horrible show. Sadly this has affected my original list for this series of blogs greatly as I fear destroying more tapes. But fear not as I will come up with some shows, I feel a late WCW show is needed for this list. So the show at hand is Hardcore Homecoming held in the ECW arena 24 hours before WWE’s One Night Stand, a far superior show which I classed in my 15 greatest shows ever list. Basically the idea here is something Shane Douglas is still doing, using the ECW name without actually using it to make money. But to be far back in 2005 the fans wanted to see this more than they do now that the name has been ran into the ground. So let’s begin.

The opening video has a range of wrestlers and fans hyping up the show, a lot of the footage is a part of the Forever Hardcore documentary which is pretty good. Terry Funk tells a story that he was offered to go to WWE this weekend but he chose this show, probably shows why Funk kept wrestling for as long as he did. The show officially starts with Todd Gordon being introduced to the crowd, it should be noted that when a wrestler is introduced a lot of the time it goes into a split screen with a pre-recorded message from the documentary. The Arena is packed, looks like there’s no space at all. Todd does the typical thank you speech. Joey and Cyrus come out to start the show, fans just love Joey and pop to the “Oh my God”. Joel Gertner interrupts and does his typical dirty promo. Cyrus is being a face but quickly turns heel and Joel attacks.

Simon Diamond & CW Anderson vs. Chris Chetti & Mikey Whipwreck: Finally we get a match and apparently Joey is commentating alone, bit upsetting as I like him with Cyrus. I can see why CW got the Anderson name he looks so much like them and has a great spinebuster. We get the “Mikey pinned Steve Austin” point brought up early. Chetti looks like he’s just wearing his street clothes, he’s really showing the ECW spirit. Mikey getting some quick offence in and goes with the Whipper Snapper aka the Stunner but Simon get’s the tag as does Mikey. We get our first big move in the form of a Scissors kick by Chetti, fans popped with the near Spinebuster spot, the heels finally get the advantage when Simon clothesline Chetti from the outside. Double flatliner onto Chetti, looked like they didn’t know what to do at first. It should be noted a much better Philly crowd than for the King of the Ring show. CW does the Owen crouched spot to get Mikey in, I always wondered what would happen if they had actually hit that move it would of looked weird. CW gets a superkick on Mikey and that’s followed by the spinebuster, Chetti gets the Amityville Horror, then Simon gets the Simon Seires, and Mikey gets the Whipper Snapper for the win.

Tracy Smothers w/JT Smith vs. Blue Meanie: JT says random words. Thankfully Meanie is wearing a full t-shirt. Seeing these 2 face off shows how badly this show needed the other members if their groups. A lot of dancing, hat guy in the crowd is out of his mind. The ref bodyslams Tracy, him and the Meanie do a double clothesline and then both try to pin him one after the other. Tracy gets the mic “Everybody dies” one of my favourite lines ever. A dance off happens and an attack from behind. Meanie comes back with a bulldog and does the “people’s” leg drop. Meanie goes for a moonsault, JT hits him with a chain and Tracy pins him with his foot on the rope, which looked beyond stupid. I love Tracy but that wasn’t good to watch.

We randomly cut to sad music and pictures of wrestlers who had passed on, I’m guessing that’s their tribute. Gary Wolfe, Johnny Grunge and Tammy Sytch come out. Gary looked good at least. For such an emotional moment Tammy is playing it up like there’s nothing wrong and is enjoying it. Danny Doring & Roadkill come out because you know we need heels for a tribute. We get a beat down until 911 comes down and clears house, only hardcore ECW fans would get that. Grunge goes off the top onto Roadkill on a table, that was surprising. Didn’t get the point of this if I’m honest.

Kid Kash vs. 2 Cold Scorpio: Scorpio looks so goofy going around the ring. Kash came out acting like a face and then switches to heel in a matter of seconds. Starts with strikes, after hearing stories I wouldn’t want to be Kash. A very fast exchange of near moves leading to a standoff. A lot of fast chain wrestling, fans are very pleased with it. Scorpio really comes off more as an arrogant heel. Scorpio misses a plancha to the outside and Kash hits a plancha into a head scissors and then hits some mean sounding kicks. Scorpio goes off the ramp into the crowd, Kash follows with a heelio. Scorpio was just killing time near the apron for the ref to count 9, what I don’t get is they were outside for about 4 minutes and then there was a count for a random reason.  Back in and Scorpio hits a powerbomb, somersault leg drop and another from the top rope for a 2, again a cocky pin. Kash hits a merosault onto a standing Scorpio. A pele kick from Scorpio, always looked random to me AJ Styles worked it better. A Ricola bomb and 450 for the win by Scorpio. I wasn’t a big fan of this match but it was Ok, could have been worse.

Bad Breed (Ian & Axl Rotten) vs. Kronus & New Jack: Axl talks about his legendary status in ECW, well that’s 1 person who thinks it at least. The late Kronus looks very out of shape here, this was meant to be Saturn & Kronus but Saturn got injured. Ian attacks from behind and it starts 2 on 1. Ian hits a dropkick on a chair in the corner and Kronus is bleeding, yeah it’s one of those matches. We get a dual chair shot and then New Jack enters. What’s funny is that Jack and Axl claim they could have gone to WWE. Jack hits Ian with a chain and nearly stabs Ian in the face with scissors. Axl and Ian are bleeding. Random shots, stabs and low blows everywhere. Oh Jack is now bleeding, I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did. The sound suddenly goes weird and there’s an awful echo effect. A scaffold gets brought to the ring. Jack jumps off the scaffold onto Ian who’s on the table to “end” this. This was just a random meaningless brawl. After Jack cuts a promo aka swearing.

Jerry Lynn vs. Justin Credible w/Jason: It becomes very clear that Joey was using the same lines/jokes that he would at One Night Stand. Lots of stalling by Justin to start. Jason is constantly asking “What are you doing?” what a manager he is. Justin gets some nice sounding chops, Lynn’s don’t sound as good. Justin gets the advantage with strike while Lynn gets the advantage with wrestling, nice story telling here. Lynn hits a leg drop when Justin tries a shoulder block, a nice spot. Lynn runs off the apron and then runs on a table into a heelio onto Justin in the crowd. They come in and Lynn DDT’s Justin on a chair leading to him bleeding. That’s one of the things I hated about ECW you could of done that spot without the chair but I guess the blood would make less sense. Justin superkicks a chair into Lynn’s face. Justin pulls Lynn out of the corner from laying down into a powerbomb on a chair, I always liked that powerbomb. Lynn gets his sunset flip out of the corner but is caught in the Black Hole Slam soon after. As much as Joey talks about Lynn’s previous injured shoulder it’s playing little part in the match. Justin does his baseball slide crotched in the post move which just has to hurt. They seemed a bit confused during Lynn’s comeback in one spot but it lead to the Kryptonite Crunch. Jason’s a bit late swinging a chair to Lynn, That’s Incredible is hit for a near fall. Lynn hits the Cradle piledriver for a near fall. Jason just seems to be in the way here, Lynn hits a top rope Frankesteiner to the outside through a table but Jason pulls the ref out when a pin is attempted. Jazz then arrives and attacks Jason. They reverse tombstone attempts until Lynn gets a cradle version for the win. A very good match here probably the match of the show, these 2 could always work a good match.

Raven w/Blue Meanie & a Musketeer vs. Sandman: During Sandman’s entrance the interview from him talks about the entrance which in essence ruins the entrance, that and the fact they can’t actually play Enter Sandman. Raven cuts a promo, it’s pretty funny I’m a fan of Ravens. Sandman and Musketeer have a “sword” duel which Sandman wins. Raven attacks from behind with the mic. We get a “Johnny Polo” chant. Raven gets a suplex on a ladder on the outside then gets a leg sweep into the rail, a nice move. I should mention that Meanie is now a heel somehow, he was a face earlier. Sandman does a slingshot spot with the ladder and this results in Raven bleeding. Meanie throws powder into the eyes and we get the Evenflow DDT, this is 2 shows in a row where a man’s finisher is one of the weakest ever as Raven rarely wins with that in one go. Sandman throws Raven into a slated table after he tries for a bulldog. A rolling senton onto Raven who’s under a ladder he then hits a leg sweep and repeats the same senton on a table. Meanie misses 2 moonsaults and then hits one. We get the Terry Funk ladder spot from Sandman and a DDT but Donny Allen comes in, yeah I don’t know either. Mikey Whipwreck makes the save but hits the Whipper Snapper on Sandman leading to Raven winning. This was your typical Raven ECW match, lots of stuff to help the match get over.

Sabu vs. Terry Funk vs. Shane Douglas-No Rope Barbed Wire: Joey says Philly outlawed Barbed Wire match for years, lies as CZW and others have had those matches in the arena before this. A section of the documentary is shown talking about the original 3 way and the infamous Barbed Wire match in ECW between Sabu & Funk. Shane cuts his Franchise promo, he’s very dressed up I think he’s wearing 2 t-shirts. They do a 3 way tie up and then a 3 way headlock. Shane goes into the barbed wire first and Funk seconds later. Air Sabu into Funk, seconds later they both attack Shane. Sabu runs onto a chair and jumps over the wire onto the other two, if that had messed up it would of been seriously bad. They keep doing split screens here with both showing the same thing from different angles, it’s very annoying. All 3 men are bleeding now, there’s been a lot of blood. Sabu misses a chair he was going to run up and goes into the wire. Triple sleeper spot a tribute to their original match. Shane goes to pin both men and they kick out making him land awkwardly on the wire. Funk hits a Stunner, we’ve seen enough of those tonight. Shane drops Sabu on the wire from a suplex, a regular spot in these matches. Funk get’s his arm caught in all 3 strands of wire that’s followed by Sabu being hung in the wire in a sick spot. Shane hits the inverted Hennig role on Funk which always looks nasty. Shane knocks out 2 refs then there a ladder which he climbs the lights go out and Mick Foley appears, fans boo when Socko comes out but a Double Arm DDT brings them back. Funk gets a weird pin on Shane who kicks out and gets a chair in the face and is gone. Sabu goes for a sunset flip on Funk but he reverses it and sling shots Sabu to the outside. Funk tried to climb the ladder but it breaks, it was breaking under Shane as well. Arabian Facebuster by Sabu for the win. There you go, this just felt awkward at points. In terms of barbed wire matches I’ve seen better but it wasn’t awful and the fans were into it.

Overall: This to me shows why the ECW name should be left alone and this was 7 years ago. I’m not going to lie this was a good nostalgic show but it just wasn’t that great in the ring and it dragged, it was over 3 hours (on DVD) and it felt like so much more to me. And what I find funny is that WWE would show them how to truly do it just nights later. This show would go on tour and try to start a company, that last all of one tour I believe and just ended. You’d think Shane Douglas would learn. As a final verdict on this I’ll say that it’s not a show that you would turn off because it’s so bad, there is some good but you have to love ECW to find those bits.