ECW
Chapter 10- "Last Train to Heatwave"
The stage was set for an eventful night. The two challengers for Sabu's Championship would be determined in two match-ups. CM Punk and Bobby Lashley, RVD and Hardcore Holly. Not to mention a huge 6-man tag main event which consisted of Tommy Dreamer and the Hardy's versus MNM and Stevie Richards. The music hit, the crowd cheered. ECW on SciFi was happening right now.
Already in the ring, Bobby Lashley was awaiting his opponent which was also the only thing standing between him and a title shot Sunday night. The crowd wasn't too hard on Bobby but they weren't all that welcoming. In a few seconds, Punk's tune finally hit and the straight-edged extremist came out to a decent pop from the audience. It didn't take long for him to step into the squared circle, and took even shorter for the bell to ring and this contest to begin.
"Should be an interesting match here, Joe. Both ECW rookies, very different wrestling techniques too."
Collar and elbow tie-up, Bobby easily over-powered Punk into the corner. The ref broke it up and Lashley backed away without trouble. The crowd boo'd, CM Punk smirked. Another tie-up, Bobby again getting the advantage but this time he combined it with a knee to the stomach, followed by an irish-whip into a shoulderblock. Punk hit the mat, the back of his skull bouncing off. Lashley stayed on the attack, lifting CM up into a military-style press and dropped him outside to the floor! The crowd gasped at the thud Punk's body made upon impact.
"Oh! Did you hear the sound Punk's body hitting the floor?" Styles asked.
After a replay was shown, Lashley was now outside as well. He got Punk up by the hair and trunks, then shoved him shoulder first into the steel steps. Punk yelling out in pain as it surged through his shoulder. This was a new Bobby Lashley, one that knew he needed to be ruthless to survive in ECW. He then picked up the steps and waited for Punk to rise up. When he did, Bobby went on the attack but CM somehow managed a dropkick into the steps and Lashley was knocked down onto his backside and out cold. The crowd cheered.
"Fans, we apologize but we have to take a break. Don't go anywhere."
ECW on SciFi returned, Joey explaining that not much happened. Punk simply had gotten the advantage in the ring with a couple submission holds. Back to live action, Punk had an armbar locked in, just trying to take away some of the power residing in Lashley's arms. Bobby made it to a vertical base but Punk refused to let go. It wasn't until Lashley got to the ropes that Punk let go. CM then went for a kick, followed by another, then charged to the ropes and came back with a flying clothesline but was amazingly caught in mid-air! Bobby then belly-to- belly suplexed Punk over the top rope. The crowd let a small applause escape, as Lashley worked the kinks out of his arms and went outside again.
"Lashley, man, kid's nothin' but raw power." Tazz explained, "Gotta be careful around him."
Punk favored his back as Bobby kept on the offensive. He went for a whip into the barricade but Punk reversed and Bobby was the one back-first against the wall. Punk then came in with a rising knee, then a running bulldog right there on the floor. CM knew he had to strike while the iron was hot. He rolled Lashley back into the ring and resumed the attack. He came off the ropes when Lashley stood up and put him right down with a clothesline, this one not being countered or reversed. Then he got into position and waited, it was time for the double underhook backbreaker. Bobby got back up, then CM booted him in the belly, hooked him and went for it but Lashley countered into a backdrop. But Punk got right back on his feet! They both turned and Punk surprised Bobby by going for his side slam but Lashley countered with an elbow to the side of the head and then went for his dominator.
"Oh man, this is it right here." Styles commented.
But, out of nowhere, CM Punk countered the dominator and somehow ended up with the anaconda vice locked on Bobby Lashley. The crowd erupted in applause, both commentators couldn't believe it. Punk reered back, refusing to give an inch, and eventually Lashley tapped! The crowd cheered the match and CM Punk for his victory. What a match.
"I don't believe it. That was awesome, Styles."
CM Punk's hand was raised in victory and it was official that he'd be going into ECW's Heatwave as part of its Heavyweight Title main event. But suddenly, boos rained down. Punk looked up to the entry ramp and found Shane McMahon applauding nonchlantly, with that idiotic billion dollar smirk. ECW went to commercial with this as its last image.
RVD vs. Hardcore Holly...
The show came back still amped up from the previous match. But now it was time to fit in the final piece of the championship puzzle. Out first, to a rawckus and excited crowd, Rob Van Dam made his entrance looking as cool and confident as ever. The adrenaline flowing, the fans behind him, Rob jumped into the ring and was ready for this opportunity. Out next, Hardcore Holly who was a bit more than prepared. Determined to not be outdone like he had been the previous week in his debut, Holly came out with a led pipe and a table. Setting both weapons in the ring, Holly faced off with Van Dam and the bell rang. The contest started with Holly taking a swing, but Rob ducking and coming back with a leaping roundhouse. Hardcore dropped the pipe and fell back into the corner where Van Dam came quickly with a monkey-flip. The crowd cheered.
Rob stayed on the offensive, getting a headlock in. He wanted to be safe in this, no screw-ups. It wasn't long, though, until Hardcore was on his feet and pushing RVD off into the ropes then hitting a picture perfect dropkick. Holly got the pipe again and waited for Rob to stand. When he did, bam! Pipe into the abdomen, sending Van Dam down to the mat in a hurry. Hardcore then stood over Van Dam and choked him with the weapon, refusing to release the pressure. The crowd booed loudly but Hardcore didn't care.
"Wow, this is a side of Hardcore Holly I haven't seen in a long time."
He finally backed off and dropped the pipe, opting to set up the table. He did so, in an upright position leaning against the turnbuckle. Then Holly swung RVD into the opposing corner and waited for him to come back. When he did, Holly looked for a power slam into the table but RVD reversed it into a hip toss that sent Hardcore crashing through the table! Weakly, RVD pulled Holly away from the wreckage and then performed a stylish rolling thunder. Followed by a quick little moonsault!
"RVD! RVD! RVD! RVD!"
Pin attempt. 1... 2.. no! Holly gets out just after the 2 count. Rob picked him up to whip him into the ropes but Holly reversed, Van Dam ducked the clothesline, and then nailed a nice crossbody into a pin attempt. But, all for not, Holly kicked out. Vam Dam, just a touch frustrated now, got Hardcore back on his feet but Holly reacted quickly and ended up crotching RVD across the top rope. Then, Holly connected with a right hand to Van Dam's skull. But, having those educated feet of his proved beneficial because Van Dam performed a roundhouse kick from his spot on the rope. The crowd cheered and RVD saw this golden opportunity. He jumped up to the top turnbuckle and came down with a picture-esque five-star frog-splash! The crowd counted along...
"1... 2... 3!"
"And that's it, Rob Van Dam is going to Heatwave as part of the main event." Styles informed the audience.
Tazz followed, "Damn, that's gonna make for one hell of a match-up. And, for the fans, we get to see... oh, wait a minute now."
On the ECW stage, CM Punk had come out applauding Rob Van Dam's victory. But then, a smirk crept across his lips and he mocked the challenger with his own signature thumb pose. Then Punk turned around to exit, but was surprised by a chairshot from Sabu who emerged from behind the curtain! The audience got louder as Sabu raced down to the ring with the title around his waist and a chair in his hand.
"Sabu and Rob Van Dam face to face, What's gonna happen now? Sorry fans, we hate to do this but we need to take a commercial break."
When ECW on SciFi returned, the two extremists were still locked in a staredown. But Rob Van Dam had a microphone in his hand, "Ya know, it's pretty obvious that you're a man of few words, Sabu. So, i'm just gonna let you in on a few of my own. Sunday night, that is going to be mine. And i'm gonna triple the length of your reign as champion."
Suddenly, Van Dam swayed to the side. Punk had come off the top with a high risk manuever which ended up being a bulldog on Sabu. Punk quickly hopped up to his feet, ready to face off with Rob Van Dam but was plastered with a Van Daminator! The crowd went ballistic!
As that commotion went on and on, Tazz and Joey Styles took this opportunity ro run through the card for this Sunday's ECW Heatwave ppv. "First and foremost, love this tune. The official theme song of ECW Heatwave is 'Ladies and Gentlemen' by Saliva."
"And let's run down the card. First up, should be interesting because it was a highly personal fued that recently settled down due to the recent ECW upheaval. But, none the less, Block and Mickie James will face off against Little Guido and Trinity in a mixed tag team match. But also, adding to this, it has been announced that the ECW Women's Title will be on the line."
"Speaking of personal, let's not forget about Sandman versus Big Show. Another fued that has kinda been pushed to the back burner."
"From there, Kevin Thorne and 2 Cold Scorpio will meet in a rematch of last week's showdown."
"Again, going back to personal. Balls Mahoney and Test have both recently signed on for a Falls Count Anywhere match. Ask anyone, facing Balls in one of these types of matches is a very painful endeavor. And, of course, this is a result of what went down last week during the title match."
"And while we're on the subject of titles, let's talk about these match-ups. The Hardy Boys and MNM, with Melina in their corner, will battle for the ECW Tag Team Championships. Should be very interesting."
"Titles, interesting, personal, these are all words that can sum up our 2nd title fight. Tommy Dreamer and Stevie Richards have been stitched together in a blood fued. Joe, this one is the debut of the Extreme Cage. A steel cage specifically designed for ECW."
"Last, but certainly not least, it was just decided minutes ago that it will be CM Punk, Rob Van Dam and Sabu all colliding in what promises to be a monumental ECW Heavyweight Championship match. And it is also our main event. Don't forget to contact your local cable provider and demand that you be given ECW Heatwave. Because the only way you'll see it is on Pay Per View. But, don't go anywhere right now. Because next up, is our ECW on SciFi main event. Tommy Dreamer and The Hardy Boys versus Stevie Richards and MNM."
6-Man Tag Main Event...
When ECW on SciFi returned, Stevie Richards and MNM were just coming down the aisle, being rained down upon by the boos. But, they shrugged it off and did their big entrance anyway. And then, out came the team that they would wrestle. Tommy Dreamer and The Hardy Boys came out with a few equalizers in hand. Tommy had a couple trash cans, and The Hardy's were carrying one hell of a ladder. The three men entered the ring, wasting no time but their enemies decided to slip out and retreat. Tommy, Jeff and Matt all gave chase. Tommy and Stevie connected in the aisle, Dreamer laying in a barrage of rights and lefts. Jeff and Joey Matthews came together in front of the commentator's table. Matt and Johnny Nitro butted heads at the ringside barrier, eventually clotheslining each other over it and ending up in the crowd. Their fight took them to the snack stand.
Elsewhere, Richards and Dreamer were now on the stage, still duking it out. Stevie attempted a superkick but Tommy blocked it and ended up catapulting Stevie in the fencing that made up part of the entrance.
"This has broken down in a hurry, partner." Tazz commented.
At the snack stand, Matt hit Johnny in the back with a chair, then leveled him over the skull with a trash bucket, emptying its contents over the fallen body afterwards, of course. Meanwhile, ringside, Matthews had gotten the upper hand over Jeff and was now bringing the ladder over to the commentator's table. But Jeff turn the tables, so to speak, when he bashed a monitor into Matthews' head. Jeff then layed Matthews out across the table and started ascending the ladder. As he did so, the fans started rising to their feet. It was only a matter of time until Jeff jumped off the ladder with a Swanton Bomb, driving his opponent through the commentator's table.
"OH MY GOD! SWANTON BOMB!"
"ECDUB! ECDUB! ECDUB! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!"
But the action didn't stop there, though both men were seemingly out of competition. In the aisle, coming down from the staging area, Dreamer was pulling Stevie along by the hair. Amidst the wreckage, Dreamer flung Richards into the ring and then clotheslined him down. Then came the trash cans. Tommy started with the lid, then the can itself. Then he ddt'd Stevie down onto the lid. He then set up the other trash can, preparing to drop Stevie down with a patented Dreamer Driver.
Suddenly, the boos came down. Mike Knox and Big Show had entered the fray. Dreamer saw Big Show and quickly went after him with rights and lefts, but Knox crashed a steel chair down on his back. Matt Hardy saw this happening and rushed in for a save but he was grabbed from behind by Big Show and knocked out momentarily with that cobra clutch backbreaker. Show then set his sights on Tommy, dropping him with a massive chokeslam down onto the trash can.
Cue Enter Sandman. The Sandman wasted no time in coming in from the crowd, knocking Knox out of the ring with an extreme cane shot to the head. He then was grabbed by the throat by Big Show, but Sandman battled out of it with his cane, much to the delight of the crowd. Show backed up to the ropes, his head pounding. Sandman then charged with a clothesline and the top rope gave way! Show and Sandman toppled to the floor in a crumpled heap, both not moving an inch after.
"THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME!"
Jeff Hardy then re-entered the ring, bringing a table in with him. Nitro came back in, as well. The two of them locked horns once the table was set. Meanwhile, on the outside, Matt and Joey tangled. And now, Dreamer and Stevie were both on their feet once again. All 6 men were battling it out now, all refusing to give. But, Stevie caught Dreamer with a superkick. And then Nitro rolled him up from behind. 1... 2... 3! Upset! Richards and MNM win the match!
"Damn it all!" Styles cursed.
Though the battle ended, the war was far from over. Matt came back in and went for a twist of fate, but was pushed off into the turnbuckle. Richards went for some extra damage on Dreamer but Tommy fought back. Nitro and Jeff Hardy knocked each other to the outside. Eventually, The Hardy's and MNM both battle their way to the back. Thus, leaving Stevie and Dreamer alone in the ring.
Exchanging rights and lefts, the two fought each other as hard as they could. Both knowing any edge in going to Heatwave would be greatly appreciated. Tommy managed to get in a Dreamer Driver! Then, the un-thinkable. He extracted lighter fluid from his pocket and doused the table. Following that, he lit it up. The table erupted in flames, and Dreamer waited for Stevie to get back up.
Luckily, for Richards, Knox was still around and pulled Stevie out of the ring. ECW on SciFi ended with the image of Stevie Richards retreating with Knox, and Tommy Dreamer standing on the second turnbuckle with his arms outstretched in a crucifix pose.
ECW
Next up... ECW Heatwave.
Block and Mickie James vs. Little Guido and Trinity.
Balls Mahoney vs. Test in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
2 Cold Scorpio vs. Kevin Thorne w/Ariel.
Hardy Boyz vs. MNM w/Melina for the ECW Tag Team Championships.
Tommy Dreamer vs. Stevie Richards in an Extreme Cage match for the ECW TV Title
Sandman vs. Big Show.
CM Punk vs. RVD vs. Sabu in a sudden death Three Way Dance for the ECW Heavyweight Championship.