ECW November to Remember '97

Can Douglas reclaim the World title in front of his hometown fans? Who will win the tables and ladders match? Will RVD or Dreamer win the banner match? Let’s find out!

To open the show, Styles stands in the ring touting the “largest audience in ECW history.”

While Rogers made his entrance, he shook his right arm. Methinks he came in nowhere close to 100% physically.
Rogers leap-frogged Candido and followed with a hip toss.
When Rogers chose to maintain an arm bar, the Monaca faithful let him hear about it.

Candido then leap-frogged Rogers but missed an enziguri.
As Rogers connected with his enziguri, he missed a baseball slide.
Candido then rammed him face-first into the apron, tossed him back in, and mounted the top turnbuckle.
After Candido leaped, Rogers nailed him in the midsection.
Rogers then gave Candido a cross corner whip, ducked a boot during his follow-through, and crotched Candido with the ring post. OUCH!
When Rogers delivered an inverted atomic drop, he clotheslined Candido for 2.
With Rogers on the apron, Candido tried to suplex him back into the ring.
However, Rogers blocked it and suplexed Candido down to the concrete floor. Wow!
Rogers then joined Candido on the concrete floor and rammed him back-first into the steel railing.
As Candido attempted to counter a rear chin lock, Rogers hit a huracanrana for 2.
Candido rebounded with a powerslam and followed with a delayed vertical suplex for 2.
After he mounted the second turnbuckle, Candido landed a guillotine leg drop for another 2.
The Monaca faithful then partied with a series of “wooo” chants while Rogers placed Candido atop the top turnbuckle.

He then joined and delivered a top rope superplex for 2. Yowza!
When he mounted the top turnbuckle, Rogers got caught, and Candido flipped him down to the concrete floor.
Rogers returned to the apron, so Candido placed him atop the top turnbuckle, joined, and hit a super huracanrana for 2. Yahtzee!
As Candido mounted the adjacent top turnbuckle, he leaped, but Rogers caught and powerbombed him for 2.
Lance Storm, uh, stormed the ring and provided Rogers with a spinning heel kick.
After Candido and Storm delivered a double back elbow, Jerry Lynn interrupted by saving Rogers from suffering a double suplex.
He then clotheslined Candido and Storm simultaneously and backdropped Candido.
When he dropkicked Storm, Lynn unsuccessfully suplexed Candido.
Candido then missed a clothesline, so Lynn hit a baseball slide to Storm on the concrete floor.
From the apron, Lynn supplied Storm with a springboard cross body block to the concrete floor. Amazing!
Candido then mounted the top turnbuckle while Rogers appeared to be seriously hurt.
As Candido hit a tope, a not-so-healthy Rogers mounted an adjacent top turnbuckle and performed his own tope.
Referee John Finnegan then officially changed the match from single to tag team. Who does he think he is, Teddy Long?

After Lynn mistimed a spinning heel kick to Storm, Candido and Storm delivered a Hart Attack to him for 2.
Candido then reversed an Irish whip, but Rogers knocked Storm from the apron and sloppily rolled up Candido for 2. In the process, he practically disrobed Candido. Styles covered for him with his “9pm start time” comment.
When Storm mounted the top turnbuckle, Rogers escaped Candido’s clutches, and Storm mistakenly missile-dropkicked Candido. Subsequently, Rogers got 2.
Lynn then whipped Storm into the corner and hit a corner clothesline.
With Lynn propped up on the top turnbuckle, Storm joined him.
On the other hand, Rogers slipped in under Storm, and he and Lynn delivered an electric chair/cross body block combo for 2.
Lynn then mounted an adjacent top turnbuckle but got caught by Storm.
As Candido forcibly inserted himself into the match, he joined Lynn and launched a blonde bombshell upon him.
Is it over?
1-2-NO!
Rogers made the save.
With all four wrestlers inside the ring, Rogers hit a Tomikaze to Storm.
Candido then hooked a Northern Lights suplex on Rogers.
1-2-3.
Candido and Storm won.

Summary: Tons of high-flying from all four competitors, and a smart decision (probably by Finnegan) to rescue an apparently-injured Rogers with a tag team stipulation. Everyone but Lynn displayed his finisher, and the Monaca faithful appreciated it.

We then revisit ECW history back when Whipwreck upset “Superstar” Steve Austin in 1995. Afterward, we see Credible upset Great Sasuke.

To cement that the Monaca faithful had the inside dope, they mock Credible by calling him “Aldo.”

Whipwreck gave Credible a cross corner whip which led to a Credible flip.
With Credible on the apron, Whipwreck nailed him sending Credible flying down to the concrete floor.
He then delivered a plancha to Credible. Woohoo!
As he hooked a huracanrana to Credible on the floor, Whipwreck sent him back-first into the steel railing.
With the Monaca faithful firmly in his corner, Whipwreck tossed Credible back into the ring but ate a swinging DDT.
Credible then hit a seated dropkick, slammed Whipwreck, mounted the top turnbuckle, and delivered a missile dropkick for 2.
While the Monaca faithful jeered at him, Credible distracted referee Jim Molineaux so that Jason could clothesline Whipwreck on the concrete floor. SNEAKY!
Credible then delivered a second seated dropkick for another 2.
When Whipwreck reversed a cross corner whip, Credible floated to the apron and nailed him.
He then mounted the top turnbuckle, but Whipwreck caught and joined him.
After Credible nailed him, he hooked a sunset flip from the top turnbuckle but couldn’t get 3.
Whipwreck then reversed an Irish whip and secured a sleeper.
As Credible escaped, he hooked one of his own.
Whipwreck escaped with a jawbreaker and connected with a superkick for 2.
When Credible attempted a huracanrana, Whipwreck countered with a powerbomb for another 2.
Whipwreck then gave Credible a cross corner whip and punted him.
While the Monaca faithful booed this match out of the building, Whipwreck delivered a super huracanrana for 2.

With Jason on the apron, Whipwreck suplexed him in and split his uprights. YEE-OUCH!
Credible then hit an inverted DDT for 2.
After Whipwreck escaped Jason’s clutches, he crotched Credible on the top turnbuckle, joined, and hit a Whippersnapper.
1-2-3.
Whipwreck won, and Credible was no longer undefeated.

Summary: Had Credible actually been his namesake, this match would receive a better rating. I have to subtract a star due to the apathy of the Monaca faithful.

From the locker room, Al Snow berates Head about blabbing about Snow’s dislocated shoulder. He then mocks Vince McMahon with “the Head screwed the Head.” HA! Following that, he mocks McMahon again with a “one free shot” comment. He then loses his marbles while banging lockers.

We then skip over the preview for the tables and ladders match probably for music copyright purposes.

Match 3 for the ECW TV title: Taz (champion) versus Pitbull #2 (w/ Pitbull #1 & Mr. Wright)

Uncle Paulie joined the broadcast table for this match.
When Pitbull #2 powerbombed Taz, he followed with a spinning heel kick.
He then mounted the top turnbuckle and delivered a flying shoulder block for 2.
As Taz escaped a gorilla press, he hooked an overhead belly-to-belly suplex.
He then hit a T-bone suplex and secured a katahajime.
Immediately, Pitbull #2 submitted, and Taz won.
Taz retained.

After the match, Pitbull #1, in street clothes, enters the ring but earns a pumphandle slam from Taz. With the Monaca faithful behind him, Taz grabs the microphone and disses Mr. (Lance) Wright. Upon seeing Brakkus, Taz makes a wry comment about steroids. Brakkus gets up on the apron, but a security officer gets between them. When Taz admonishes him, he slaps the security officer. In the meantime, Uncle Paulie complains about another impending lawsuit. HA! Taz then takes down the guy and cross-faces him. Before Taz can secure a katahajime on him, Uncle Paullie screams to cut to something else.

We then see Bigelow fling Spike Dudley into the fifteenth row of the ECW Arena. If you’re not familiar with this footage, the Philly faithful then crowd-surfs Spike in a neat visual. Next, we witness Bigelow achieving his dream by defeating Douglas for the World title.

Match 4 for the ECW tag team titles (elimination): FBI (champions w/ Tommy Rich) versus the Dudleys (w/ Joel Gertner) versus Balls Mahoney & Axl Rotten versus the Gangstanators

Needless to say, but when D-Von grabbed the microphone, the Monaca faithful took him to TASK.
After Gertner sophomorically introduced all of the Dudleys, Mahoney and Rotten entered the ring with steel chairs and CREAMED the Dudleys and FBI.
They then double-suplexed Bubba Ray before providing Little Guido with a spinebuster/elbow drop combo.
As they double-clotheslined D-Von, Mahoney and Rotten double-teamed Smothers while the Monaca faithful sought popcorn.

Like an idiot, Rich entered the ring, but Rotten missed a chair shot.
Big Dick Dudley also came in and chokeslammed Rotten.
When Mahoney missed a chair shot to Rich, Bubba Ray shouted an expletive and delivered a Samoan drop.
FBI then hit a double elbow drop to Rotten for 2.
After they hit a Rocket Launcher onto Rotten, Little Guido got another 2.
Bubba Ray then supplied Mahoney with a superplex while D-Von followed with a diving head butt.
As the Gangstanators finally made their entrance, New Jack LEVELED a crutch across Smothers’ back.
He then nailed Bubba Ray with the crutch, blocked a mailbox shot from Smothers, and WALLOPED him with the mailbox.
When Bubba Ray procured the cheese grater, he carved up Mahoney’s forehead.
Somehow, Rotten was BUSTED OPEN while his partner’s blood began to pour.
The Dudleys then double-backdropped Little Guido over the top rope to the concrete floor.
Add Kronus and Smothers to the BUSTED OPEN list.
After Kronus unleashed a standing spinning heel kick to D-Von, Big Dick interjected himself into the match again.
D-Von then slammed Kronus while Big Dick mounted the top turnbuckle with a little help from Gertner.
As Big Dick missed a moonsault, he chokeslammed Kronus.
New Jack then SPLATTERED Big Dick with a guitar shot to the head.
When Kronus mounted the top turnbuckle, he delivered a 450ˆ splash to Big Dick.
Bubba Ray then hit an avalanche to New Jack and supplied everyone else with a plancha. Holy flying wooly mammoths, Batman!
After Rich failed to stop him, New Jack OBLITERATED Rich with a guitar shot from the second turnbuckle.

Rich was BUSTED OPEN!
As Big Dick low-bridged New Jack down to the concrete floor, Kronus mounted the top turnbuckle, but Little Guido protected his manager by whacking Kronus with the Italian flag.
While Kronus fell from the top, Bubba Ray delivered a Bubba Cutter to him.
1-2-3.
The Gangstanators were eliminated.
When Bubba Ray CROWNED Mahoney with a chair shot, he gorilla-pressed Little Guido and PLANTED him face-first into the top turnbuckle.
Mahoney then reversed a cross corner whip from a BUSTED OPEN D-Von and hit a superkick.
After Mahoney provided D-Von with a top-rope-aided spinning heel kick that sent both wrestlers to the concrete floor, he ducked a powder shot by Gertner. Unfortunately for Bubba Ray, he got the Scarface treatment.

While Bubba Ray was blinded, he and Mahoney inadvertently hit the Dudley Death Drop to D-Von.
Rotten then pinned D-Von to eliminate the Dudleys.
As Rotten and Mahoney rammed the champs together, Mahoney HAMMERED Smothers with a chair.
Rotten then supplied FBI with his best Dusty Rhodes imitation, and Mahoney double-clotheslined them.
When Mahoney clotheslined Smothers over the top rope to the concrete floor, Rotten obtained a terrible towel from a Steelers fan.
In lieu of using it, he delivered a Curtain Call to Little Guido.
Before slamming Little Guido, Mahoney accidentally knocked down referee John Finnegan.
Referee Jeff Jones substituted for Finnegan, counted 2 on Little Guido, but stopped.
After Mahoney grabbed him, Jones punted him between the goal posts.
Little Guido then rolled up Mahoney, and Jones fast-counted him.
As a result, FBI retained.

Summary: Typical ECW garbage match with a twisted ending that nobody predicted. Some would even say wanted. Methinks this was Uncle Paulie’s version of a screwjob.

Earlier tonight, Dreamer and Beulah arrive at the building, and Dreamer announces his shoulder and heel are injured and “(he) shouldn’t be here.” He then cuts a promo on RVD. Following that, a knockoff of Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box” plays over footage involving Dreamer and RVD.

Match 5: Tommy Dreamer (w/ Beulah) versus “Mr. Monday Night” Rob Van Dam (w/ Fonzie)

This would represent a banner war as RVD “represented” the WWF while Dreamer ECW.
Dreamer wore a walking boot during this match.
When RVD monkey-flipped Dreamer, he followed with a corkscrew leg drop.
Dreamer then delivered a side-Russian leg sweep, but RVD reversed a cross corner whip.
Upon eating walking boot during his follow-through, RVD also devoured a clothesline.
He then took a powder outside the ring, but Dreamer nailed him with a baseball slide causing RVD to taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Jon Ambrose at Bowser’s.
As Dreamer rammed RVD back-first into the steel railing, he blocked a boot and clotheslined RVD over the steel railing into the front row.
RVD rebounded by guillotining Dreamer with the steel railing, mounted it, and hit a somersault plancha.
After Dreamer reversed an Irish whip sending RVD back-first into the steel railing again, he crotched RVD upon it. OUCH!
He then WHACKED RVD with a folding chair, but a bloodied RVD returned the favor.
When RVD mounted the steel railing, he delivered a Van Daminator thanks to Fonzie.
He then made Dreamer HIT THE POLE while members of the Monaca faithful complained about their sight level to the ringside action.
As RVD succeeded with a chair-assisted dropkick to Dreamer’s face, another one silenced his critics at ringside.
He then hit a springboard leg drop for 2.
After RVD mounted the top turnbuckle, Dreamer crotched him on it.
He then delivered a hangman’s neckbreaker for 2.
While the Monaca faithful requested severe disfigurement for RVD, Dreamer tied him to the Tree of Woe.
Beulah then provided Dreamer with a chair, and Dreamer supplied RVD with his own chair-assisted dropkick.
When Dreamer mounted the top turnbuckle, Fonzie HOBBLED Dreamer with a chair to the broken heel.

RVD then delivered a somersault splash for 2.
With a chair atop Dreamer, RVD attempted a split-legged moonsault, but Dreamer raised the chair to block it.
Dreamer then attempted a DDT on the chair, but RVD executed a leg sweep, and Dreamer hit the back of his head onto it.
As Dreamer reversed a cross corner whip, he ate boot on his follow-through.
RVD then attempted a split-legged move, but Dreamer scored with the field goal.

After Dreamer landed a DDT, Fonzie pulled referee John “Pee Wee” Moore out to prevent the pin.
Fonzie then DEMOLISHED Moore with a cookie sheet. How dastardly!
With Dreamer distracted with the shenanigans outside the ring, RVD CLOCKED him with a chair.
He then gave Dreamer a cross corner whip, tossed a chair at him, but Dreamer caught the chair and nailed him with it for 2 thanks to referee Jeff Jones.
When Jones punched replacement referee John Molineaux, RVD missed a Van Daminator.
Instead, Dreamer hit one of his own, nailed RVD with a chair, and got 2.
Jones disrupted replacement referee John Finnegan’s count and knocked his lights out.
As Jones challenged both Finnegan and Molineaux, Beulah came up behind him and ruined his Sunday night plans.

Molineaux and Finnegan then delivered a double-DDT to Jones to finish his night.
After they celebrated their victory, Fonzie came in and put chocolate in their peanut butter.
Not to be outdone, Beulah interrupted Fonzie’s triumph with some chocolate to his coconuts.
Dreamer then rolled up RVD, and Beulah counted to 2.
When Dreamer piledrove him, RVD bounced like a superball off the mat. Wow!
Beulah counted to 2 again, so Dreamer SPIKED RVD with a DDT.
As Beulah handed the ECW banner to her boyfriend, Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon hit the ring to add more WWF distraction.
Suddenly, Stevie Richards delivered a Steviekick to Dreamer as he miraculously found a way out of his WCW contract.

While the Monaca faithful chanted “welcome back” to Richards, RVD hit a ***** frog splash onto a trash can-covered Dreamer. I’m not sure who got the worst of it.
Furnas, LaFon, and Richards then triple-counted Dreamer out while Fonzie rang the bell.

Summary: Call it passion. Call it guts. Or simply call it nuts. Give Dreamer props for working injured, and his style allows him to work as such. The overbooking helped with the smoke and mirrors, and Richards’ return should help ECW tremendously.

After the match, Fonzie tosses the ECW banner down to the concrete floor and displays the WWF banner which is blurred. FIX THE TAPE! The lawsuit’s settled already! Richards, Furnas, and LaFon set up a table in the ring and place Dreamer atop it. To add insult to injury, Fonzie drapes the WWF banner over Dreamer while Sabu hits the ring. Sabu then mounts the top turnbuckle as Beulah pleads for Dreamer’s rubber paycheck.

Instead of hitting Dreamer, Sabu DESTROYS Beulah! Holy shit! Like a true gentleman and hero, Dreamer covers her for protection while taking shots left and right from the heels. Sandman’s (faux) music starts, and we’re ready for the next match.

For those unaware, Sandman busts himself open with a beer can before each match.
Before Sandman could toast his second pre-match beer, Sabu delivered a tope suicida to him.

Mind you, Sandman was standing on the first rung of a ladder.
Sabu then hit a springboard moonsault for 2 with the help of a ladder in the ring.
As Sandman forearmed Sabu and provided a ladder shot, he tossed Sabu to the floor.
Dangerously, he then javelined a ladder in Sabu’s direction. Pass the Excedrin!

Although Sabu crotched him with a ladder, Sandman retaliated by ramming him face-first into it.
Sabu then reversed an Irish whip and sent Sandman back-first and upside-down into the steel railing.
When he set up a chair, Sabu delivered Air Sabu.
He then dropped a table onto Sandman before Sandman rebounded with a slam on the concrete floor.
After he landed a table suplex, Sandman put Sabu through a rather fragile table that laid between the steel railing and the apron. I do not believe that was supposed to happen.
They moved to the opposite side of the ring with another table configured between the railing and ring, and Sandman mounted the top turnbuckle and hit a guillotine leg drop to Sabu through it.
As Sabu reversed another Irish whip, he sent Sandman back-first and upside-down again but this time into a table.
He then crowned Sabu with a ladder while the Monaca faithful berated the members in the first few rows to be seated. Obviously, this match had spent too much time on the concrete floor to their liking.

With Sandman prone on a table between the ring and railing, Sabu delivered his own springboard guillotine leg drop to Sandman through a table.
Back in the ring, Sabu reversed a cross corner whip making Sandman take a sternum-first bump.
He then hit a springboard spinning heel kick for 2.
When he walked atop another table strewn across the concrete floor, Sabu launched a huge ladder at Sandman.
Back on the floor, Sabu rode a ladder from the top turnbuckle down to the concrete floor with Sandman on a table.
If you can believe it, Sandman rebounded by placing Sabu on a table, mounted the top turnbuckle, but missed a somersault plancha because Sabu smartly evaded him.
Sabu then tossed Sandman back into the ring and hit a springboard splash sandwiching Sandman between a ladder and the mat. Astonishingly, he only got 2.
After Sabu mounted the top turnbuckle, Sandman caught, joined, and superplexed him onto a ladder.
Sandman ate another ladder shot, and then they both botch what looked like a teeter-totter spot. It looked ridiculous.

As Sabu landed another springboard leg drop for 2, the back of Sandman’s head was BUSTED OPEN.
Maniacally, Sabu then grabbed a fork and stabbed Sandman numerous times. Ick.

Upon leveraging Sabu outside the ring, Sandman tossed the big ladder onto him.
He then failed miserably at a teeter-totter shot with the ladder while hitting a wild plancha.

Back in the ring, Sandman placed a ladder atop the fallen Sabu, mounted the top turnbuckle, and delivered a somersault senton onto the ladder and Sabu.
He then went to the apron and hit a springboard somersault splash.
In any other match, that would end it. Will it be here?

When Sabu reversed a cross corner whip, he springboarded onto Sandman’s shoulders.
Sandman then countered with an electric chair.
After he placed Sabu on a table at ringside, Sandman climbed a ladder and delivered a somersault dive through Sabu and the table down to the concrete floor.
While Fonzie distracted Sandman with a kendo stick, Sabu tossed a fireball at Sandman. Wicked!
Sandman then whipped Sabu into a ladder, grabbed Fonzie, but Sabu rescued his manager with a missile dropkick.
With ladder in hand, Sabu mounted the top turnbuckle and PLOWED through Sandman and a table down to the concrete floor.
Sabu then tossed Sandman back into the ring, mounted the top turnbuckle with the ladder, and delivered an Arabian face buster with it.
1-2-3.
Sabu won.

Summary: First of all, this isn’t wrestling. It’s stunts and/or spots performed in the spirit of “Can you top this?” Second, the spots had no cohesion, and the selling wasn’t very strong. I wouldn’t be shocked if both men walked away with concussions, bruises, and separations. What’s that, Nature Boy?

While Styles plugs the ECW catalog, Taz interrupts him to cut a promo on Bigelow challenging him for the next PPV—Living Dangerously—on 3/1/1998.

Match 7 for the ECW World title: Bam Bam Bigelow (champion) versus the “Franchise” Shane Douglas (w/ Francine)

According to Styles, Candido and Styles have been barred from ringside. On the other hand, Francine approached the ring on crutches having suffered a fractured pelvis.
Douglas received a favorable reaction from his hometown faithful, and they booed Bigelow.
When Bigelow reversed a cross corner whip, he DEMOLISHED Douglas with an avalanche.
GET OUT THE SPATULA!
He then gave Douglas a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
As Douglas attempted a belly-to-belly suplex, Bigelow countered with a head butt.
Douglas then attempted a slam, but Bigelow fell on top for 2.
While the Monaca faithful chastised Francine, Bigelow missed a second avalanche.
Douglas then mounted the top turnbuckle, attempted a cross body block, but got caught.
After Bigelow powerslammed him, he got 2.
With Douglas on the apron, Bigelow suplexed him back into the ring.
He then delivered a baseball slide sending Douglas into the steel railing.
When Bigelow made him HIT THE POLE, he rammed Douglas back-first into it.
He then sent Douglas back-first into the railing and followed with an avalanche.
As Douglas responded with a low blow, he attempted a vertical suplex.
Bigelow blocked it and hit one of his own for 2.
After Bigelow guillotined Douglas with the top turnbuckle, he put a table in the ring, and head-butted Douglas.
He then set up the table, placed Douglas upon it, mounted the top turnbuckle, but got caught.
When Douglas powerbombed Bigelow through a table, Bigelow rebounded with a reverse suplex to the concrete floor.
Douglas then used a series of clotheslines to send Bigelow over the top rope to the concrete floor.
As Douglas attempted a plancha/huracanrana combo, Bigelow caught and powerbombed him through a table at ringside.
Back in the ring, Bigelow powerbombed Douglas again and got 2.
With the Monaca faithful building momentum for Douglas, their hometown hero was BUSTED OPEN.
Candido and Storm then tried to get to the ring to help Douglas, but ECW Security prevented them from getting there.
After Bigelow spotted them, he vaulted Douglas over the ring post onto Candido, Storm, and ECW Security. Astounding!
Francine then entered the ring and tapped Bigelow with her crutch.
When Bigelow missed with a decapitating swing of the crutch at Francine, he used it to execute a jawbreaker on Douglas.
He then WHACKED Douglas’ previously-injured elbow with the crutch and vaulted him across the ring.
As Douglas flipped over Bigelow, he delivered a belly-to-belly suplex.
With the Monaca faithful firmly behind Douglas, Bigelow hit a third avalanche.
He then assembled a folding chair and a portion of broken table together and attempted to ANNIHILATE Douglas with a powerbomb through them.
Instead, Douglas escaped and delivered another belly-to-belly suplex. This time, it was through the chair/table setup.
1-2-3.
WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION!

Summary: Historical match with Douglas winning the ECW World title for a third time. If they were trying to replicate Flair-Vader from Starrcade ‘93, they failed miserably. However, it was a decent big man versus little man matchup as well as a hometown victory for the “Franchise.”

After the match, Storm and Candido head to the ring to celebrate with the leader of the Triple Threat.

The Good: The opener. Even if you’re not a die-hard ECW fan, this match will entertain you.

The Bad: Uncle Paulie’s unpredictable booking causing finishes like the FBI retaining their titles.

The Ugly: Sabu and Sandman trying everything possible to kill one another yet still not be entertaining.

Unless you’re just curious or are a true Douglas fan, this PPV pales in comparison to Barely Legal and should be skimmed at best.