[ECW] ECW Arena "House Party 98" Results...complete play by play!

[ECW News]

Would House Party 98 live up to the huge hype that it received over the past
couple of weeks on TV? Could the fact that 5 matches were announced instead
of the usual 2 or 3 change anything at all?? These were all questions leading
into what ECW hoped would be a huge night as they returned home for the first
time in 1998.
The show started at 9pm instead of the usual 7:30pm start so as to have there
main event start at midnight(actually, it started around 12:30)...the crowd
really was pumped up at this new start time. They were a lot more upbeat then
normal shows and I think that the later start had something to do with it.
Remember that all ratings are out of ****(4 stars).

The FBI(Tracy, Guido, and Rich) vs. Balls, Axl and Tommy Dreamer
When the FBI music hit to start the show after Bob Artese did his opening bit
the crowd was rocking...the 9pm start must really pump these guys up. FBI
come to the ring with a trophy. Tommy Rich gets on the mic:
Rich: "In case you don't know what your looking at, that is the world's 6 man
championship trophy. 4 weeks agao in Dallas we beat the Von Erichs for the 6
man tag. 2 weeks agao in Atlanta we beat the Freebirds. We have belts on the
way but Mr. Bob Geigel sent us a trophy and said y'all take this cause nobody
can beat you guys."
<Tracy Smothers then took the mic.>
Smothers: "What you forgot is that we beat the Koloffs a couple of nights
ago."
After that amusing display the other 3 men hit the ring. Axl talked briefly
about the trophy meaning nothing and they will tear them up, etc. Match
started off with Guido and Tommy. Tommy opened up by clotheslining Guido down
and then taking him down. He dropped a elbow and Smothers quickly came
in....Smothers gets slammed then Guido gets slammed. Smothers gets back
up...Tommy grabs a hold of him and they together do a double elbow on Guido
ala what the FBI does to there opponents. Axl gets the tag in and he rumbles
with Smothers for a little while, hitting a backdrop on Tracy before Guido
comes in and the same fate happens to Guido as he and Axl do a double elbow
onto Smothers. Balls gets the tag in and he connects with a few punches then
trys to go for the Nut Cracker sweet, Guido escapes and knocks Balls down and
makes a tag to Tracy....Tracy gets nailed with a clothesline though and Balls
tags back in Tommy. Tommy sets Smothers for a irish whip but its reversed and
both Guido and Tommy Rich gets shots in as Dreamer hits the ropes and Dreamer
falls to the outside. Rich and Guido work over Dreamer on the outside as
Balls and Axl make there way over. Smothers intercepts Balls and they go at
it as Axl comes over and takes on Guido. The action returns to the ring where
Axl and Guido are....Axl nails Guido with the Reverse DDT and goes for the
cover but Jeff Jones hits the ring and throws powder into the face of Axl.
Axl falls down as Tommy gets in to hit Jones with a DDT but gets powder in the
face as well. Balls is down on the outside after getting nailed with the
chair and Tommy is on the outside as well. Axl gets nailed with several chops
and then gets knocked down. Double team elbow by the FBI as Rich is back up
on the apron. Both men continue to work over Axl in the ring with frequent
tags back and forth. Axl nails both men with a double clothesline and makes
the tag to Balls. Balls hits all 3 men with the chair and Rich and Smothers
fall to the outside. Tommy back in and nails Gudio with the DDT...but Jeff
Jones is back in to break up the 3. Jim Molenoux and Jones have a face off in
the ring but Beulah comes up from behind nailing Jones downstairs and he falls
into a DDT from Molenoux(a real nice one!). Molenoux covers Jones as Beulah,
Tommy, Balls and Axl all count to 3. Niether of the men were legal but the
match stands I guess. Good match, good ending...I really like this referee
bit.
Winners Balls, Axl and Tommy Dreamer(14:05)
Rating: ***

Jerry Lynn vs. Chris Candido
Match opened up with Candido and Lynn applying and countering holds in the
middle of the ring. Candido hit several chops and did his Ric Flair walk out
of the corner when Lynn nailed him from the middle turnbuckle with a
clothesline. Lynn hit serveral more clotheslines and slams before hitting a
hiracarana. He tried for another but got caught in a powerbomb. Candido
worked over the arm of Lynn and then whipped him in. He nailed a clothesline
in the oppisite corner and Lynn fell to the outside. They whipped each other
around a bit on the outside before Candido got dumped into the crowd right
next to me on the oppisite side of the big poll in the Arena. Lynn atempted
to run off the apron then spring off of the time keepers table to do a move on
Candido but stepped on a bad part of the table and the table gave way and Lynn
flew right into the guard rail landing on his head and ribs. I thought that
would be the end of the match right there the way he landed. Lynn took a
couple of minutes down but then got right back up and the crowd gave him a
great ovation for his hard work. In the ring Lynn went up top but Candido
knocked him off....Candido went for a superplex but Candido fell off and
landed on his arm. Lynn then did a leg drop in that arm and it was obvious
Candido had hurt it. Lynn realized this and quickly slapped on a armbar
submission took end the match as Candido was hurt bad. The doctors hit the
ring quick and slapped a arm brace on and Candido quickly got up and seemed
ok. He shook Lynns hand and they went off.
Winner: Jerry Lynn(10:57)
Rating: **

Gran Naniwa(subing for Terry Boy) vs. Gran Hamada
Naniwa did a good job selling himself as a heel in this match up. After the
opening lock up he got arm dragged to the outside where he began yelling at
the fans. He actually attacked Hat Guy pushing him and then spitting on him
twice. Crowd chanted "F*** him up Hat Guy, f*** him up" LOL. Lots of chain
wrestling in this one. Arm drag by Naniwa, countered with a arm bar into a
hammer lock by Hamada. Head scissors counter by Naniwa and a kick up by
Hamada. Hamada controled this one for a while with some nice submission holds
on the arms and neck. Naniwa fought back showing great ballance as he walked
across the 2nd turnbuckle and nailed Hamada with a elbow. He hit a superplex
as well but could only get a two. He pushed and argued with referee John Pee
Wee Moore. Hamada fought back with some submission holds then went for a
swinging DDT off the top. He hit the move and got the three count but
apparently that was not the finish. Pee Wee called for the bell thinking that
was the finish but Hamada thought differently as he continued. My only guess
was that Pee Wee did not know the finish of the match. Hamada took Naniwa up
top and nailed him with a top rope frankinstiener and Pee Wee tried to explain
that the match was over but ended up doing the 3 count again. Everyone was
real confused. A language barrier did not help matters.
Winner: Gran Hamada(10:20)
Rating: **

Everyone gets a little head...
After the match the music hits and ECWs ring crew(Mikey, Meanie, Nova, other
wrestlers and workers)all hit the ring with boxes. Inside the boxes were
styrafoam heads with "JOB Squad" sticker on the forehead. They kept bringing
more and more of them out there as they were passing the out to the crowd and
throwing them into the bleachers. My guess is there were about 1000 of them
passed out and it should look great on TV. The place was going nuts through
the whole 20 minute ordeal of passing them out. On stage Paul Heyman was
cracking up as he thought this was absoultly great what was happening.
Everyone was chanting "We got head" and "Head Head Head." Nova was a good guy
and hooked me up with mine, thanks goes to him. Then Paul Diamonds music
hits...

Roadkill vs. Al Snow
Paul Diamond w/ Chastity and Roadkill come to the ring. Diamond comes with a
crutch and neck brace and arm sling and acts like he is hurt. Chastity tries
to get on the mic to say something but for the next 20 minutes everyone would
just bang on the heads everytime she tried to talk. She would go "Everyone
knows..." and they would bang on the heads to shut her up, this went on for
atleast 20 minutes. Finally she got her lines out and said that Roadkill
would replace Paul. Al Snow comes to the ring with his head and looks about
the crowd with all the heads out there...he seemed to love it. Match starts
as Al nails Roadkill with a few punches and a slam. Roadkill countered with a
powerbomb and then a chokeslam. Al tried to crawl towards the head but was
cut off. Roadkill pulled him back up but was nailed by Al. He set him up for
a nothern lights bomb but Paul Diamond hit the ring taking off his "injury
braces" and nailing Al with a crutch, Al countered and knocked him out with a
northern lights bomb. Chasity came in the ring to protect Al but she was
nailed too. Roadkill took the head in the face and then Al went up top and
nailed him with the head downstairs and got the pin. Ok match but tip you hat
to Paul on that one...a great concept and a great souvenier for everyone.
After the match Al got on the mic and asked if everyone could give him a
little head and the crowd(most of it)proceeded to throw the heads in the ring
to him. It was quite a site and should look great on TV.
Winner: Al Snow
Rating: ***

Justin Credible vs. Great Sasuke
Justin comes to the ring with Jason and his girlfriend "The sexiest woman on
earth." Sasuke hit the ring and after the intros the fight was on. Sasuke
nailed Justin several times and knocked him down. Justin rolled to the
outside where Sasuke nailed him with a dropkick which sent Justin to the
guardrail. Then Sasuke hit a running somersault plancha on Justin Credible.
Just gets rolled back into the ring where he exchanges some punches with
Justin Credible. Credible falls to the outside again but Jason trips him up.
Justin works him over a bit with a slam and a clothesline. Credible hits a
swinging neckbreaker and Sasuke gets only a 2 count. Sasuke fires back with
right and then knocks Justin to the floor on our side. He does a cartwheel
into a somersault plancha to the floor(mind you, this is on one leg
essentially). He then tried a pescalo to the floor but Credible moved and
Sasuke started to sell the injury to his knee. Justin worked over the injury
with a chair then he wrapped his knee around the ring post. Then he slapped
on a figure four around the ring post. Justin began to work over the knee
with stomps and drops across the rope. Jason handed Justin a chair and which
he nailed across the knee. Justin then put the knee over the chair and did a
splash from the top on it. Then he went for another and fell onto the chair.
Sasuke hobbled up to his feet and then knocked Credible down. He DDTed him
and went up top. Sasuke missed a corkscrew somersault plancha into a
centon(or something like that) and Justin Credible nailed him with Thats
Incredible for the win. After the match all 3 worked on Sasuke until Hamada
tried a save but got hit with Thats Incredible as well. Real good match,
Sasuke convinced me that with only one knee he is the best high flyer in the
world last night.
Winner: Justin Credible(12:53)
Rating: ***

Rob Van Dam vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
They locked up to start and Bam Bam displayed his power quickly in the match
throwing RVD across the ring. Bam Bam then claimed he was going to throw
Fozzie into the crowd. Rob then got up and nailed Bam Bam down. He hit a
corkscrew leg drop and a splash on Bam Bam. He went for a somersault splash
but bam bam rolled out of the way only to be dropped kicked in the head by
Rob. This sent Bam Bam to the outside and they quickly ended up over by me
after brawling around the ringside area a bit. They were right in front of me
as Rob hit a spring board off the guardrail into a spin kick. Bam Bam was
thrown over the guard rail and into the crowd. Rob then got a running start
and hurdled the guard rail nailing Bam Bam with a splash(BTW--between those
two moves, Bam Bam and RVD broke about 8 plastic chairs)Rob really put his
body on the line with that one. He then went up to the top rope and hit a
plancha all the way into the 2nd row!!! Crazy!! Bam Bam moved more towards
the middle of the section as RVD got back into the ringside area in front of
me and then back in the ring as the crowd began to part as Bam Bam was still
in the crowd in the middle of the section. Rob hit a spring board splash from
the top rope onto Bam Bam in the crowd(ala Rey Misterio at Gangstas
Paradise)...it was a perfectly executed move and looked unbelieveable. Rob
looked great in the match. Both men get back into the ring where Rob was in
control...he nailed Bam Bam with a few more hard chair shots and then went for
a split legged moonsault on the chair, he hit it but was hurt to and Bam Bam
began to nail him with head butts. He powerbombed RVD but only got two. Bam
Bam continued to fight as he set up RVD for a moonsault press but missed as
Rob got out of the way. Rob went for the Van Daminator but nailed the ref
instead. Chris Candido hit the ring but was nailed with a Michinoku Driver by
Bam Bam....then SUNNY came down to protect Candido. She was hoisted up by Bam
Bam for a Michinioku Driver then Francine tried to break it up but was set for
one along with Sunny...it was about to be a double Michinoku Driver when Shane
Douglas hit the ring and nailed Bam Bam with a low blow from behind. Rob got
back up and hit a frog splash from the top for the 3 count. This was a great
match, the best one I have seen since Funk/Sabu barb wire match back in
August. Rob really showed he can be the best talent in ECW right now.
Winner: Rob Van Dam(16:09)
Rating: ****(A FOUR STAR MATCH!)

Joey Styles Interview
Joey Styles then made his way to the ring for the television introductions..
Styles: "As usual, it looks like I'm the only guy in the Arena who is not
gonna get a little head tonight. You guys are the craziest SOB's I've ever
seen in my life. What are you gonna do with those things when you get them
home is what I want to know. Feel like making some noise? We have 1700 people
here, let's hear some noise. Philadelphia, we are about to go national in 5,
4, 3, 2, 1..
Hello everyone and welcome to Extreme Championship Wrestling. I'm Joey
Styles and we're where it all began, the world famous ECW Arena in South
Philadelphia, PA. At this time please welcome my guest. He is the ECW World
television champion, the Human Suplex Machine Taz."
<Taz enters the ring>
"I can say without hesitation that you have elevated the ECW TV title to
heights it has never seen before."
Taz: "That's right Joey Styles."
<Lance Wright then makes his way to the ringside area>
Styles to Wright: "Are you crazy?"
Taz to Wright: "Why don't you bring your punk ass in this ring. I'm not gonna
touch you, just get in the ring."
Wright: "Now don't think I would have come out here knowing how many times
you've dropped me on my head with out some backup. My bodyguard is in the back
benchpressing a thousand pounds. I don't need to work out. I was talking to my
mommy the other day and mom said 'Lance you and the big guy have to move onto
bigger and better things other than Taz.' On behalf of Vince McMahon and the
WWF.."
<Flash Funk makes his way to the ring to 'Jungle Boogie'>
Styles: "Ladies and gentlemen the following contest is for the World's
television championship. The champion hails from Red Hook NY, weighing in at
248lbs...this is TAZ!!! His opponent...hailing from the WWF! (crowd boos)This
is..."
<Flash then tells Joey Something.>
Styles: "Are you serious? Ladies and gentlemen welcome back to the home team..
2 Cold Scorpio."
<Scorpio then nails Wright and then moonsaults him. Scorpio then throws Wright
out of the ring.>
that leads us to...

Taz vs. 2 Cold Scorpio(for the TV Title)
The match begins with the two men staring at each other with the TV belt
between them. They lock up and open up with some chain wrestling in which Taz
quickly gains the advantage tying up 2 Cold with a ankle pick submission. 2
Cold escapes and takes down Taz with a headlock. TAz gets back up and both
men stare each other down. 2 Cold gains a adavantage nailing Taz with a leg
drop and then a knee drop. 2 Cold gives him a slam then heads up to the 2nd
turnbuckle nailing Taz with a elbow drop. He heads up again and this time
nails him with a somersault leg drop. Taz gets up as 2 Cold applies a leg
lock to Taz. Taz crawls his way to the ropes and curses at the ref telling
him to get Scorpio off of him. Scorpio breaks the hold and then works over
Taz some more now with a belly to back suplex. Taz then moved on a middle
rope move by Scorpio and did a German Tazplex. The fans began a "Taz is gay,
f*** him" chant which pissed Taz off big time. He went for a T-Bone on
Scorpio and before he nailed him with it he cursed out the fans for chanting
that. As Taz was going in for the kill, Scorpio nailed him with a kick and
then went up top and nailed him with a splash...only getting two. Scorpio
picked him up again and nailed him with a powerslam, he went up top and hit
the moonsault but Taz got the shoulder up at the last split second...it was
soooo close, everyone was on there feet and couldnt believe it. Then Scorpio
went for the Scorpio Splash and nailed him with it...he didnt go for the cover
and whipped Taz in to a corner but missed a clothesline and Taz slapped on the
Tazmission. 2 Cold was close to the ropes but could not make it. He tapped
out...great match though. Afterwards Furnas hit the ring and did a Belly to
Belly off the top of 2 Cold, Taz returned to the ring and T-Boned him. Then
Brakkus hit he ring and he got T-Boned as well...then Taz got on the mic.
Taz to Scorpio: "I don't do this a lot but I'm gonna tell you something. I've
never heard of anyone names Flash Funk but I do know someone names 2 Cold
Scorpio, and 2 Cold Scorpio showed up tonight. I tell you what, anything you
wanna wrestle for a real promotion your welcome in out lockerroom."
<Taz then raises Scorpio's hand and leaves the ring. Scorpio stays behind and
dances. Up on stage Paul Heyman and Sunny were dancing to the music>
Winner: Taz(11:14)
Rating: ***

Dudleys vs. Gangstahalusinators
The Dudley Boys made their way to the ring for the next match and Joel Gertner
grabbed the mic.
Gertner: Well, well, well. Let's cut to the chase there are a few things that
make me upset in the ECW Arena. First that my tax dollars support you people
is one thing that annoys me. The fact that you people worship heads made of
styrofoam makes you people pathetic. And the fact that you people believed the
revisonist history that Tommy Rich gave you earlier. No matter how many times
they tell you they beat teams that aren't even alive, the truth remains it is
the Dudley Boys who defeated the liars. Thus, the Dudley Boys are the Texas
All-Star World Wrestling 6-man tag team champions of the world. And then there
is me, the QSM. Joel "harder then the tree that hit Sonny Bono" Gertner. Hey,
I got you babe.
Ladies and Gentlemen, purely sexy, BS Big Dick Dudley. Also competeing
tonight from the southside of Lake Dudleyville, texas.. right outside Denton
County, weighing in at a slim, trim, buff, chisseled and jaaacked 196 lbs. The
super cruiserweight champion of thw world D-Von 'Don't call me Buddy Jack'
Dudley and his brother and tag team partner weighs in at a rough, ready and
rambuncious 350 lbs. From the Badstreet in Dudleyville Bubba Ray 'Bam Bam'
Dudley.
The music hits and the opposing team comes down. Its hard to call this one
but here is basically what happened. New Jack hit the ring with the trashcan
along with Kronus and Spike. New Jack immediatly nailed Buh Buh with a guitar
as the other 4 went at it. The action quickly paired off as Spike went after
Buh Buh, Kronus and D-Von quickly spilled to the floor and New Jack and Big
Dick were in the ring brawling. New Jack hit Big Dick with two crutches and
then they went at it in the corner. Buh Buh Ray through Spike into the ring
and then press slammed him into the 3rd row!!! D-Von nailed Kronus several
times with a chair knocking him out. Big Dick hit a avalanche in the corner
on New Jack and then Sign Guy took a pair of handcuffs and tied him to the top
rope. Then all three Dudleys began to attack New Jack and nail him with a
cheese grater and chairs. Then spike came back in and hit a acid drop on both
Buh Buh Ray and D-Von. He went for one on Big Dick but he just through Spike
over the top rope and through the time keepers table!! Kronus came in and
nailed all three Dudleys out of the ring. Sign Guy got caught and hit with a
450 Splash....Joel was about to get caught when Buh Buh Ray hit a Buh Buh
Cutter on Kronus but only could get a two count. The Dudleys went nuts when
he kicked out but they soon hit Kronus with 3-D and it was over. After the
match New Jack yelled at Kronus for getting beat.
Winners: The Dudley Boys(9:10)
Rating: **1/2

The stairway to hell match!
(a 10 foot ladder in the ring with a strand of barb wire being hung from the
roof!)
Sandman vs. Sabu
The match opened up with both men struggling for the ladder...Sabu dropkicked
the Sandman and then nailed him with the ladder. He through the ladder at the
Sandman in the corner and then nailed him again. They exchanged punches and
the Sandman was clotheslined over the top to the floor. Sabu hit a running
dropkick sending the Sandman over the guardrail into the first row. Sabu then
vaulted off a chair and into the crowd onto the Sandman. Sandman fired back
though with punches then he nailed him with a chair. Sandman grabbed the
ladder and did a ladder suplex from the apron into the crowd onto Sabu!
Sandman then set up the ladder and nailed Sabu with a see saw manuver with the
ladder in the crowd! Sandman picked up Sabu in teh crowd and suplexed him
onto the guardrail ribs first and into a table. He then tried a leg drop off
the apron but missed and went through the table. The action then moved to the
stage under where Paul Heyman and all are and out of my seeing range. They
were up there for a good 5 minutes and in the mean time in the ringside area
Bill Alfonso set up two tables on the outside of the ring next to each other
side to side between the guard rail and the apron. The two wrestlers came
back into the ring and continued to use the ladder. Sabu first nailed the
Sandman with a arabian face buster with a chair with the ladder ontop of him.
Then he threw it at him again. Sandman fought back with the ladder bridging
it between the guard rail and the ring and hitting Sabu with a leg drop on the
ladder. With Sabu down in the ring the Sandman climbed to the top of the 10
foot ladder to grab the barb wire. He got it and let it fall to the ring.
Just as he was about to step down from the top of the ladder Sabu dropkicked
the ladder and THE SANDMAN FELL 15 FEET FROM THE TOP OF THE LADDER IN THE RING
THROUGH TWO TABLES TO THE CONCRETE FLOOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was
insane!! The Sandman was down and out for a bit of time but was able to get
away from Sabu who missed a placha and busted his lip open on the guard rail.
Sandman set up barb wire in the corner of the ring but got whipped into it by
Sabu. Sabu then wrapped some of it around his head like a halo and tried to
really bust him open. Then he hung the Sandman to the tree of woe with the
barb wire around his face and put a chair on it. Then he came off a chair and
drop kicked the chair and barb wire into the face of the Sandman. It was
horrible!! The crowd was in shock chanting "Holy S***." The Sandman did fire
back with the barb wire raking it across Sabus face busting him open and then
nailing him with the cane in the jaw which really hurt Sabu. Sabu had to be
taped up by Bill Alfonso who really didnt do that good of a job. Sandman got
whipped upside down into the barb wire and then got hit with a triple jump
moonsault by Sabu. Then the Sandman nailed Sabu with the cane again for the
three count.
Winner: Sandman(17:48)
Rating: ***1/2

Overall
This was a really good show. The crowd was into it and the show had a great
pace with surprises, lots of action and lots of fun. It was really like old
ECW with high flying, mat wrestling and insane brawling all mixed into one.
ECW promised that they would "...up the anty in the hardcore war with the
WWF." and they certainly did that. Congrats to ECW on a great show!! Thanks
guys!
Overall Rating: ***1/2