SANDMAN VS. TERRY FUNK VS STEVIE RICHARDS
(THREE WAY DANCE - #1 CONTENDER ECW CHAMPIONSHIP)
ECW Barely Legal (13th April 1997)
Winner of this match gets their championship opportunity against Raven immediately following this match. We start with in-ring announcements, and all three participants are popular with the ECW crowd tonight. Sandman is the only competitor in the match that's held the belt before, being a 3-time champion. Tommy Dreamer was originally scheduled to be a part of this match but he gave his place to Terry Funk, who is his mentor. He joins Joey Styles on commentary with Beulah for this match.
Sandman offers Funk a beer, but Funk politely declines. Sandman drinks some himself, well he pours it into his mouth before spitting it at Stevie Cool. The Blue Meanie and Nova are at ringside for their bWo brethren. Whilst it's on-topic I'm throwing it out there. Blue World Order's theme tune is the best in ECW history. We cut to the Eagle's Nest to see our commentary team as the fans chant “Fuck 'em up, Terry!” Dreamer says tonight was the biggest night of his life but it could be Funk's last ride. This was obviously not Funk's last ride. All three men circle around the ring, not wanting to make a sudden mistake, and Funk locks up with Stevie. Funk grabs a side headlock, and Sandman grabs one on Funk. Sandman sent off the ropes, quickly followed by Funk. Sandman knocks down Stevie, Funk stops himself on the ropes and Stevie quickly gets to his feet. Stevie and Funk lock up again and Sandman boots each of them in the ribs. Stevie gets backed into the corner and Sandman hits an overhand chop. Funk hits one too not to be outdone. Stevie fights out of the corner but doesn't get far. Sandman turns his attention to Funk hitting him with a hard overhand chop against the ropes. Funk backs Sandman across the ring and lays into him. Sandman switches positions with Funk, but Stevie gets behind Sandman. Funk pushes Sandman and Stevie rolls him up for a quick nearfall.
Sandman immediately gets to his feet, but misses a clothesline on Stevie and walks into Funk's fist, Funk applies the spinning toehold but Stevie breaks it up with a flying forearm for some reason. Stevie and Sandman take it in turns hitting elbow drops and Sandman lifts Stevie up for a leg drop. Stevie covers but Funk kicks out at 2. Dreamer says it's like watching his father get beat up but he promised not to get involved in the match. Stevie tells Sandman to lift him for another legdrop, Sandman does, but this time he hits a back suplex on Stevie before leaving the ring. Funk hits four consecutive hangman's neckbreakers on Stevie in the middle of the ring. Stevie still kicks out at 2! We see Sandman returning from the back with a cigarette hanging from his mouth carrying a ladder. Sandman throws the ladder in the ring and it lands on Funk's head! Dual “Oh my God”s from Dreamer and Styles as Sandman suplexes the ladder on Stevie. Sandman drops the ladder on Funk's head again and covers. Styles reminds us this is a #1 contenders match as Funk kicks out at 2.
Sandman sets the ladder up in the corner of the ring and DDT's Stevie. Sandman climbs the turnbuckles, Funk climbing the other side of the ladder. They slug it out at the top and Funk gets the better of Sandman. Funk panders to the crowd at the top before PULLING OFF A MOONSAULT! Richards was on his feet, but that knocked him right back down. Sandman comes off the top turnbuckle with the ladder, which would have been better if Stevie didn't noticeably have to crawl closer. Funk's back on one knee, but a punch from the Sandman knocks him down. Funk knocked down a second time, falling on the ladder. Sandman picks Stevie up and throws him on top of Funk. Why not use the ladder? Sandman covers Stevie for 2 and grabs the ladder. Stevie was quick to his feet though and he superkicks the ladder into Sandman! Stevie covers but only gets a nearfall. Funk crawling towards the action now and he headbutts Stevie. Funk covers but gets a 2. Sandman's the first to his feet, and he puts the ladder in the corner. Stevie's on his feet, and he reverses an irish whip sending Sandman into the ladder! Stevie covers but only gets a nearfall.
Richards turns back to Funk, stomping him before hitting a scoop slam. That gave Sandman time to set up the ladder in the middle of the ring. He elbow drops Funk. Low fist drop by BSC gets him a nearfall. Sandman lays into Funk with punches and climbs the wrong side of the ladder. Big Stevie Cool climbs the other side and they meet at the top. Funk is back to his feet on the mat and he's wobbly, inadvertently knocking both his opponents off the ladder! Funk gets his bearings and he grabs the ladder, placing it over his shoulders. Funk spins with the ladder knocking both men down. Stevie knocked down a second time and he takes a breather on the floor, Sandman keeps getting himself hit, like an avoidable amount of times before Funk falls to his knees from dizziness. Dreamer calls it a “three way hard way dance” but Styles covers nicely for him. Funk slow to get his bearings but does, and hits a left hand on Sandman before sending him face first into the ladder. Sandman replies accordingly. Sandman hits Funk's head off the ladder a second time as Stevie's climbed on the top turnbuckle. Sandman and Funk swing at each other and Stevie dives off the turnbuckle onto the apron, see-sawing the ladder into Funk and Sandman! Stevie hit it hard, possibly hurting his knee there, he lands badly and falls to the arena floor. Funk and Sandman so out of it, they can't even fall to the mat. Stevie gets back in the ring and sets up for the Stevie Kick. Sandman gets up so he's the victim! Stevie covers, 1, 2, No!
The fans chant “bullshit” as Stevie waits for Terry Funk to turn around and hits him with a Stevie Kick too! Stevie covers and Sandman offers support but Funk still kicks out! Dreamer routes for Terry and Styles tells him no one expects him to be partial as Sandman dumps Stevie and the ladder out of the ring. Stevie gets sent into the crowd and the fans still aren't happy with the referee in this match. Funk attacks Richards over the guard rail before cutting Funk off on the apron. Sandman puts the ladder against the guard rail in the crowd and gets back in the ring. Sandman hits a running plancha see-sawing the ladder at Stevie Richards this time! Funk sees an opportunity and goes for Sandman as Styles and Dreamer have been talking about the latter's feud with Raven, and him never pinning Raven. Terry Funk hits Sandman with a chair, and Stevie gets 2 shots as well. Funk throws the chair in the ring and brings Stevie back ringside as Dreamer mentions Sandman left again. Funk tries to put the ladder between the guard rail and the apron but it just falls. Stevie gets sent back in the ring and Funk hits a corkscrew vertical suplex. Sandman returns with a trash can and he throws it at Funk's head again!
Terry Funk slowly gets his wits about him and he covers Stevie, but only gets a nearfall. Sandman enters the ring and he hits Stevie with the trash can, Dreamer mentions it's reinforced with steel as Sandman suplexes Stevie on it. Funk covers but still only gets two. Dreamer puts Stevie over on commentary as a bWo chant starts. Stevie takes a spike piledriver and Sandman grabs the ladder and places it on Stevie. Funk assists Sandman with a slingshot somersault plancha on Stevie before making the cover. Stevie kicks out at 2 again! He's getting to look really resilient here. Funk holds Stevie in position for Sandman to see-saw the ladder into his face again! Sandman over-shot it though and the ladder flies out of the ring, knocking him on the head too! Funk throws a chair at Sandman's head and covers Stevie, but Stevie again kicks out at 2! Dreamer reminds us “that bastard” Raven will be fresh to face the winner of this match to defend his championship. Double powerbomb on Stevie finally eliminates him.
Funk and Sandman shake hands in the ring, but Sandman hits Funk with a cheap shot! Sandman forces Funk against the ropes and picks up speed, Funk sends Sandman over the top rope onto Stevie! He hadn't had a chance to leave ringside yet. Funk takes some time to recover in the ring, Sandman is able to get some streamers from under the ring, the streamers are caught on some barbed wire! Funk has the steel sheet from around the trash can, and he nails Sandman on the head with it as he enters the ring. Funk puts Sandman's t-shirt over his head and knocks him down with jabs. Funk whips Sandman's back with the barbed wire! Each time it gets caught it rips Sandman's bare back! Sandman grabs the sheet of steel and throws it at Funk! Sandman has the barbed wire now and he wraps it around himself. He runs at Terry Funk, knocking him down, Funk gets up but Sandman knocks him down again. Sandman climbs to the top rope and hits a leg drop on Terry Funk. Styles thinks that it's a foregone conclusion now as Sandman covers. Funk kicks out at 2!
Stevie is back on the apron, so Sandman rushes him too. Funk has the trash can and he puts it on Sandman's head! Funk lays into the trash can with left hands. STEVIE KICK ON SANDMAN! Terry Funk climbs to the top rope and hits a moonsault on Sandman! Terry Funk covers, 1, 2, 3!
WINNER: TERRY FUNK (#1 CONTENDER TO THE ECW CHAMPIONSHIP)
All three men got to look great in this match. The real struggle here was going to be making Stevie look like he belonged in the match. Otherwise, he was just there because he used to be Raven's lackey. They overcame that by making him look like a resilient SOB. He wrestled like he knew it was his only ever shot at the championship, and he needed the opportunity to prove himself. He more than did that, taking a tonne in the match, but getting enough big spots in, and the fans believed when he almost eliminated someone! Funk got to look like the legend wanting one more run, and Sandman looked like the guy that wanted the title back and would do anything to get it. – Rating: 6.7/10
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