This match featured on the WWE release “ECW's Most Violent Matches” and is 90% of episode #170 of ECW Hardcore TV, airing on 23rd July 1996
The champion enters first as Joe Styles talks us off to a commercial break. As we return Too Cold Scorpio dancing to the ring. He and Jericho go nose to nose before Shane Douglas makes his way out, Styles calls The Franchise a great manipulator thanks to his return to ECW, as he was still under WWF contract. Douglas takes a chair from the crowd to sit at ringside, which is a smart plan in this style of match, only two men will be legal at a time. So is jumping Pitbull #2 during his entrance, which Douglas also does, hitting him with a chair from behind a blind corner, jump-starting the match.
CHRIS JERICHO © VS.SHANE DOUGLAS VS. TOO COLD SCORPIO VS. PITBULL #2
(ECW Television Championship) -ECW Heatwave 1996 (16th July 1996)
Chris Jericho and Too Cold Scorpio exchange rights in the ring at the bell. Jericho backs Scorpio into the ropes and drags him into a headlock as Joey Styles talks about the Shane Douglas and Pitbull #2 feud.
Too Cold Scorpio sends Jericho off the ropes and leapfrogs. Jericho boots him in the gut and sends Scorpio across the ring, then leapfrogs him. Scorpio dives over a monkey-flip attempt, Jericho ducks a spinning heel kick. Chris Jericho picks up some speed and baseball slides under Scorpio, hitting a spinning kick to send Scorpio out to the floor. Chris Jericho does the Hart chest bump into the top rope to tease a dive. Douglas teases coming into the ring, distracting Jericho and allowing Scorpio back in. Jericho and Scorpio circle with The Franchise and Lionheart flipping each other off as they get close. Douglas drops to the floor to talk with his fan as Jericho and Scorpio lock up. Too Cold Scorpio gets a waistlock, more chain wrestling leaves Jericho getting sent across the ring in an arm drag. Chris Jericho charges, going over, then under, then over Scorpio before running into a dropkick. Scorpio slams Jericho down as Douglas cheers him on. Too Cold Scorpio hits a somersault legdrop for a nearfall. Scorpio sends Jericho across the ring once they get to their feet, but Jericho turns it into a standing Tigerbomb and keeps Scorpio down for 2. Chris Jericho gets a hammerlock on Scorpio and tied him up like a pretzel on the mat as we see Pitbull #2 on the apron with Douglas' chairshot opening his forehead. Scorpio escapes the submission into a camel clutch on Jericho, Scorpio releases the hold to bring Jericho to his feet. Too Cold Scorpio kicks Jericho in the jaw but Jericho answers with a chop. Scorpio hits a discus chop and they exchange overhand chops until Scorpio decks Jericho with a kick.
Shane Douglas tags in and goes after the weakened champ, getting a cheap shot in on Pitbull #2 for good measure. Jericho blocks the suplex as the crowd chants “Flair still lives!” Jericho hits a suplex of his own and floats over for a nearfall. Jericho takes The Franchise down with a headlock and gets another nearfall. Douglas sends Jericho off the ropes but gets knocked down with a shoulder tackle. Jericho rolls Douglas over but Douglas kicks out before Jericho can get the bridge, a stiff right hand sends Douglas down, Jericho climbs out to the apron and barely catches him with a slingshot, almost turning it into a knee drop. Chris Jericho sends Douglas' head into the turnbuckles, working his way down and looking pleased Shane Douglas gets to his feet in the corner and Jericho lights his chest up with overhand chops. Douglas fires back with chops on Jericho out of the corner and they chop and slap each other silly. Jericho sends Douglas across the ring into a spinning heel kick. Jericho hits a Lionsault across Douglas' back and gets a nearfall. Jericho knocks Douglas across the ring with a knee lift and tags out to Pitbull #2. Shane Douglas scurries over to Too Cold Scorpio to a chorus of “pussy” chants by the ECW faithful. Too Cold Scorpio tries to sneak behind Pitbull but gets caught. Pitbull #2 wins the battle of rights and sends Scorpio across the ring. Pitbull #2 catches him in a military press, trying to keep Scorpio up with one hand but he rolls through with a sunset flip. Pitbull #2 kicks out straight away.
Pitbull #2 hits a standing military press slam but ducks early for a back body drop. Too Cold Scorpio is on Pitbull's shoulders for a victory roll but gets powerbombed to the mat. Pitbull covers for 2. Too Cold Scorpio fights to his feet and knocks Pitbull #2 down with right hands, Too Cold Scorpio covers but it only gets him a nearfall. Too Cold Scorpio grabs Pitbull #2 and sends him out of the ring into the guardrail! After taking time to congratulate himself Too Cold Scorpio hits a dropkick to Pitbull #2 from the apron. Too Cold Scorpio helps him back in the ring and sends him into the ropes with knee strikes, with a final strike knocking Pitbull #2 down in the middle of the ring. Shane Douglas tags in and lays in the boots to Pitbull #2 on the mat. He gestures towards Francine and Styles isn't a big Franchise fan on commentary. Shane Douglas hits a back suplex on Pitbull #2 and covers but only gets 2 and a half. Douglas tags Jericho back into the match before Pitbull #2 gets a second wind. Jericho kicks the back of Pitbull's head, following with a dropkick. Jericho sends Pitbull #2 across the ring but he ducks a clothesline and decks Jericho with a back elbow. Jericho gets knocked into the ropes but reverses an irish whip. Chris Jericho is caught on a leapfrog attempt and gets slammed to the mat, Pitbull #2 covers for a nearfall. Chris Jericho is sent into the ropes but comes back with a waistlock but Pitbull #2 reverses it, Chris Jericho hits a spinning heel kick from nowhere!
Chris Jericho gets back on his feet with a german suplex but the bridge fails so he holds Pitbull #2's shoulders down only getting 2½. Pitbull #2 catches Jericho on another leapfrog and plants him with a powerbomb before tagging out to Too Cold Scorpio.
Too Cold Scorpio scoop slams Jericho and climbs to the top rope, but Jericho's quick to his feet and he crotches Scorpio on the top turnbuckle. They meet on the top rope and Jericho hits a super hurricanrana! Chris Jericho favours his knee on the landing, Shane Douglas tags himself in but Jericho covers, Douglas has to shove Jericho away which gives Scorpio time to kick out. Too Cold Scorpio is sent across the ring and he ducks a clothesline, hitting Douglas with a leg lariat on the way back. Too Cold Scorpio knocks Douglas loopy and knocks him out of the ring.
Too Cold Scorpio continues his boxing exhibition on the floor and sends Douglas' skull into the guardrail. Shane Douglas gets sent across ringside into another section of guardrail and his face meets a steel chair. Too Cold Scorpio slides the chair in the ring before he and Douglas join. Scorpio sets the chair up in the ring, hitting Douglas with his forearm, Too Cold Scorpio picks up speed for a facebuster into the chair. Too Cold Scorpio signals going to the top rope but decides to cover instead, Shane Douglas kicks out just before 3 so Scorpio tags Pitbull #2 back in. Shane Douglas was poked in the eye, so he stumbles out of the ring and around ringside, finally getting back in to tag Jericho back into the match. Pitbull #2 stalks Douglas so Jericho rolls him up for a nearfall. Jericho lifts Pitbull #2 up for a slam but his knee gives out, Pitbull #2 lands on him for a cover and a nearfall. Pitbull #2 sends Jericho's head into the turnbuckle and kicks at his ribs. Jericho gets sent into the corner and completely mistimes the floatover faceplanting the mat. Pitbull #2 powerbombs Jericho and pins him with one of the worst covers in history for 2. Pitbull #2 tags out to Too Cold Scorpio and holds Jericho in place for a kick to the ribs. Too Cold Scorpio hits a butterfly suplex and Jericho rolls out to the floor. Shane Douglas gets a cheap shot from the apron and Scorpio hits an ax handle from the apron to Jericho and sends his ribs into the guardrail. Jericho boots Scorpio as he's getting in the ring and hits a DDT. Shane Douglas refuses to tag into the match so Pitbull #2 takes Jericho's place. Pitbull #2 puts Scorpio on the top turnbuckle and hits a Fallaway slam from the middle rope, sending Scorpio across the ring. Pitbull #2 tags in using Scorpio's hand as Pitbull #2 covers and I try to figure out exactly what the strategy is. Pitbull #2 reverses an irish whip and they block hip tosses until Pitbull #2 sends Douglas over to the floor.
Shane Douglas trips Pitbull #2 and drags him out, hitting him with right hands until Jericho lands on them both with a splash. Too Cold Scorpio wants into the party, landing on the crowd with a splash of his own. Scorpio isolates the champ and sends him into the guardrail with an irish whip. Chris Jericho sends Scorpio into the second row and they brawl in the crowd. We lose sight of them as they move towards the back of the building so the camera goes back to Douglas and Pitbull #2 as Pitbull's crotched on top of the guardrail. We see Jericho hit Scorpio with a chair in the crowd and they move back to ringside, Scorpio takes a nap on the timekeeper's table until Jericho forces him into the corner, so Scorpio naps on the apron. Shane Douglas hits a bulldog on a chair standing in the ring and covers for 2. Shane Douglas tries to tag out but Scorpio and Jericho won't let him. Pitbull #2 attacks Douglas with rights and sends him from corner to corner. Douglas staggers into a military press but lands on his feet in time for Jericho to hit him with a missile dropkick. Pitbull #2 covers but Jericho drags him off and covers Douglas himself, making he tagged in on Pitbull. Jericho sends Douglas into the turnbuckle and hits an elbow from the middle rope, Douglas is still standing so Jericho hits a standing dropkick and covers Douglas but his foot's on the rope at 2. Chris Jericho pulls Douglas away from the ropes for a Figure 4, Douglas has his shoulders on the mat for a nearfall but he doesn't quit. Chris Jericho gets a closer nearfall but Douglas lifts his shoulders all the way up so Jericho chops Douglas, sending him back down before Jericho just releases the hold. Shane Douglas blocks the second attempt, shoving Jericho with his boot and tags out to Scorpio who eats a fisherman suplex.
Chris Jericho's Lionsault collides with a standing dropkick by Scorpio. Too Cold Scorpio hits a falling knee drop to Jericho but takes his time. Jericho dropkicks Scorpio into Douglas counting as a tag but he sends Scorpio over with a tiger suplex. Douglas doesn't want it to count, so it doesn't apparently, so Jericho tags him in. Douglas cheapshots Jericho and Scorpio hits a thrust kick before Douglas legally tags himself back out on Jericho in the corner. Too Cold Scorpio hits a Tombstone and the Tumbleweed from the top rope (a rotating somersault legdrop) to eliminate the champion first. As we get back Jericho is still leaving ringside and Douglas tries to sneak attack Scorpio but gets caught. He offers his hand in alliance to take out Pitbull #2, but Scorpio's having none of it, peppering Douglas with jabs. Scorpio sends Douglas across the ring into a back body drop and hits both opponents with a standing dropkick each. Too Cold Scorpio has Douglas in an abdominal stretch, Douglas drops to the mat and Scorpio moves to a chinlock before shoving Douglas down for a cover. The referee checks it isn't a choke for a good 10 seconds before counting which allows Douglas to kick out at 2. Shane Douglas reverses an irish whip and hits a belly to belly on Too Cold Scorpio but doesn't roll for the cover. He gets to his feet in the corner and climbs on the middle rope but Scorpio meets him up there, hitting a sunset flip to the mat and keeping him down for a close nearfall. Shane Douglas is knocked down with a clothesline and Scorpio kicks Pitbull #2 under the jaw. Too Cold Scorpio signals some high flying as he slams Pitbull #2 into position, with Douglas landing on top of him. Too Cold Scorpio climbs to the top turnbuckle but they both roll out of the way of the moonsault. Douglas takes advantage with a DDT and tells Pitbull #2 they need to work together to eliminate Scorpio, it takes some convincing but Pitbull #2 climbs to the middle rope and hits the Superbomb assisted by Douglas. Pitbull #2 eliminates Scorpio and Douglas immediately attacks. He sends Pitbull #2 out to the floor as we go to another commercial.
Pitbull #2 seems to have recovered as we come back, getting back in the ring and setting up two steel chairs and powerbombing Douglas onto the set-up. Pitbull #2 and the referee clear what's left of the chairs from the ring and Pitbull #2 grabs a table from under the ring. He sets it up in the corner but Douglas reverses an irish whip, sending Pitbull #2 back where Shane Douglas was and catching him with another belly to belly! Shane Douglas covers, but Francine distracts the referee, so Douglas brings her into the ring. Douglas gets off with Francine (don't try this at home, kids! It's not a great technique) and Pitbull #2 catches a glimpse. Pitbull #2 charges but just squashes the referee in the corner. Pitbull #2 reverses an irish whip and lifts Douglas in a military press but Francine throws powder in his eyes! Dick kick by Douglas before Francine slaps Pitbull #2 and I really hope it was a delayed fall from the low blow. I believe this was the first double-cross that was confirmed by panties, as Francine's say Franchise on them. Pitbull #1 is out at ringside and he tells his partner about the betrayal. Pitbull #2 is pissed off and he gets to his feet as The Franchise begs off. Shane Douglas runs into two clotheslines knocking him down. Pitbull #2 sends him over to the floor with a jumping Cactus clothesline as Pitbull #1 has Francine in the ring. Francine gets sent through the table with a Superbomb by the Pitbulls! Referees come out to assist her as Shane Douglas takes advantage, hitting Pitbull #1 with a DDT and hitting Pitbull #2 with the belt. Shane Douglas covers 1, 2, 2.999 before Pitbull #2 kicks out! Shane Douglas has a fragment of the table and he charges into Pitbull #2, hitting him in the skull with it. Douglas covers for another nearfall. Pitbull #2 is out on his feet so Douglas hits him with brass knuckles but it still isn't enough. Pitbull #2 powers out of the pin after a shot from a chain that Douglas wrapped around his fist and he fires back with right hands.
Pitbull #2 sends Shane Douglas across the ring into the other corner, but misses the spinning kick, sending himself tumbling to the floor. Shane Douglas brings Pitbull #2 back in the ring and hits the Belly to Belly Suplex to finish the match.
WINNER: SHANE DOUGLAS (NEW ECW Television Champion)
This match was going great, Chris Jericho and Scorpio were hybrids of technical and high flying, Douglas was an oldschool chickenshit heel (ironic considering what would happen at “The Night the Line was Crossed” and Pitbull #2 was the monster to overcome. There were a few things that didn't make sense and it seemed rushed yet still dragged out at the end, losing me from the match a bit. The double-cross made sense with Francine barely being involved before Pitbull #2 and Douglas were left. It just wasn't the epic they seemed to be reaching for, although the crowd lost it as Pitbull #2 got the best of Douglas throughout the match, it could have been a singles match and not made a difference. – WORKRATE: 3.5/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2.75/5 OVERALL 6.25/10
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