25 December, 2023

MIKEY WHIPWRECK (C) VS. STEVE AUSTIN VS. SANDMAN

 

Mikey Whipreck makes his way to the ring with the Championship as we go to commercial and when we get back Steve Austin is waiting patiently in the corner too. They start the match, with Sandman entering after an elimination.

 

MIKEY WHIPWRECK ©  VS. SANDMAN VS. STEVE AUSTIN

ECW Championship (Triangle Match)

ECW Hardcore TV Episode # (12th December 1995)

 

  Steve Austin has a new crew cut, he gets backed into the corner and Mikey breaks clean. Steve Austin backs Whipwreck into the corner and teases him before breaking. The third lock-up, Steve Austin backs the champion into the corner and slaps him but Mikey immediately fires back. They shake hands in the middle of the ring before resetting.

  Steve Austin takes Mikey down in a headlock, Mikey Whipwreck gets back to his feet but can’t counter with a top wristlock so he backs Austin into the corner. He backs away, staying out of Austin’s reach. Joey Styles says Sandman is expected any minute, so maybe it doesn’t need an elimination. Steve Austin puts Whipwreck in a hammerlock, Mikey reverses it but is caught with a drop toehold. Steve Austin works a front facelock and Mikey Whipwreck uses the bottom rope to break it. Austin shakes Mikey’s hand, Mikey Whipwreck takes Austin down in a headlock, Steve Austin gets to his feet but is taken over again. He rolls through to a cover, getting 2 on Mikey. Steve Austin gets back to his feet in the headlock and backs Whipwreck into the corner, Mikey releases the headlock and Austin connects with a shoulder block in the corner. Austin chops Whipwreck in the corner then kicks him in the midsection before choking him across the middle rope. Steve Austin sends Whipwreck off the ropes and they botch a sunset flip spot, Mikey Whipwreck tries to recover by grabbing Austin’s tights which is how he won the title, apparently.

  Steve Austin goes on the attack, jumping on the champion as Sandman’s music hits! Austin periodically attacks Mikey waiting for Sandman, standing on the champion’s throat whilst motioning for Sandman to walk out. After almost a minute Sandman appears from the curtain with Woman (Nancy Benoit). He holds the ECW Tag Team Championships with 2 Cold Scorpio, who is also the ECW Television Champion. Sandman spits beer at Austin, giving the Texan an idea for if he makes it to the big time. Mikey Whipwreck hits a missile dropkick from off-camera to Steve Austin and clotheslines him over to the floor. Steve Austin drags Mikey to the bottom rope and sends him into the guardrail. Austin piledrives Mikey Whipwreck on the concrete floor before waiting in the ring for Sandman. (25:12) Sandman enters the ring after his pre-match drink and smoke, Steve Austin is there to meet him and they slug it out. Both men drop simultaneously, and Sandman gets to his feet but Mikey hits a flying hurricanrana on Sandman! (2 minutes after taking the piledriver on the concrete). Mikey goes up top again, Steve Austin counters the hurricanrana with a powerbomb and covers for 2.

  Steve Austin kicks Mikey Whipwreck in the face and knocks Sandman from the apron. Mikey reverses an irish whip, and Sandman low-bridges Austin sending him to the concrete. The crowd chants for Sandman as he finishes his beer, Sandman and Austin exchange overhand chops, Mikey sends himself over the top rope and barely hits the action. He sends both challengers in the ring and has the advantage for the moment. He keeps them both groggy with punches and back elbows as Woman hits the Singapore Cane on the apron for support. Mikey Whipwreck hits a low blow on both challengers, but they move and he eats shit on a springboard from the middle rope. The challengers poke each other in the eye, somehow giving the champion an advantage in this thing. There’s a sign in the front row saying “Mikey washes Tod’s car” and I’m a sucker for funny signs at shows. Mikey hits a crossbody on Sandman for 2, he knocks Austin with his feet but it looked awkward. Sandman crawls to the floor for a break as Austin rushes Mikey Whipwreck in the corner. Steve Austin hits a piledriver for 2 on Mikey. Steve Austin hits the ropes for a knee drop, Mikey Whipwreck is sent off the ropes into a Stun Gun! 1, 2, 3!

  We get a new champion tonight! Woman tries to encourage Sandman into the ring, instead he brings Austin to the floor. A fan kindly holds a chair for Sandman but Steve Austin is sent into the top of the guardrail. Sandman hits a back elbow on Austin and drags him around the ring, Austin brings the chair, dropping it to send Sandman into the guardrail. Steve Austin grabs the chair and swings it into Sandman’s head but he gets dumped into the crowd, Sandman follows not long after and huts a short-arm clothesline before bringing the timekeeper’s table over the guardrail too. Steve Austin charges at Sandman, sending Sandman and the table back over to ringside. Joey Styles says Sandman blocked the Stun Gun on the guardrail and hurt his hand, he cuts Austin off with a chairshot to the ribs and another across the skull, Sandman leans the table against the guardrail but gets sent through it.

  Steve Austin hits the chair across a broken piece of the table next to Sandman’s head. Steve Austin chokes Sandman with a piece that holds the table together and sends him into the guardrail. Steve Austin brings it back in the ring, sets Sandman up against the middle rope and throws all his weight at Sandman’s back, Austin covers and gets 2. Steve Austin lifts Sandman for a suplex and drops him face first, then hits a running knee drop. Steve Austin grabs a beer bottle from Woman and spits it at her long-distance before taking it in the ring. He slaps Sandman and mocks him whilst stomping Sandman on the mat. Sandman rolls to the edge of the ring, Woman pours beer down his throat and it revives him. Sandman is “Him”ing up! He attacks Austin from behind, Steve Austin awkwardly slams Sandman, knocking the referee down. Steve Austin hits Sandman with some brass knuckles and wakes the referee up, Sandman rolls towards the ropes as Austin covers. 1, 2, Sandman gets his foot on the bottom rope but Austin thinks he’s won.

  Sandman falls back into Steve Austin and hits him in the back of the head with the brass knuckles. The referee turns around as Sandman covers, Austin has his foot on the bottom rope 1, 2, the referee doesn’t see it and Sandman gets the 3!

 

WINNER: SANDMAN (NEW ECW World Heavyweight Champion)

 This was a good match, Mikey Whipwreck is an expert at hope spots and fluke-wins. It made him one of the more memorable characters in ECW’s short history and got him to the top of the company. I’m definitely getting his ECW title win against Steve Austin next year. The rules were slightly strange, where Sandman just entered the match seemingly at random. Once it was down to Sandman and Steve Austin, but the Austin vs. Whipwreck II portion of the match is where it’s getting the stars. There were a couple of clunky spots but it was ECW so I give an allowance for those, to a point. [***] 6.75/10

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