Credit: PWInsider.com & Buck Woodward
After the show opening aired, Joey Styles and Taz welcomed us to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for tonight’s show.
Extreme Bikini Contest: Torrie Wilson vs. Kelly Kelly.
Torrie came out first, and they showed a video plugging her FHM magazine cover. A fan had a sign that said “If Kelly doesn’t strip, we riot”. Torrie went first, and disrobed to show off her cheeky bikini. Kelly then had her turn, and before she even got her robe off, Mike Knox, with Test in tow, came out and stopped her. Sandman and Tommy Dreamer then came in from the crowd, and Knox, Test and Kelly left the ring. Sandman took the mic and said “You three, us three, right here, right now”. Torrie took off her heels, and was up for the fight.
Knox, Test and Kelly teased getting in the ring, but Test and Knox jumped off the apron. Torrie grabbed Kelly and yanked her into the ring. Torrie tossed Kelly around, while the male wrestlers got on the apron. I guess we have a tag match.
Tommy Dreamer, Sandman & Torrie Wilson vs. Test, Mike Knox & Kelly Kelly.
The lights went out for some reason, but nothing happened. Torrie went to give Kelly a stinkface, to a pop. Test tagged in, as did Dreamer. Test gave Dreamer a side slam. Knox tagged in and gave Dreamer some elbowdrops, and there was a “You Can’t Wrestle” chant. Knox and Test tagged in and out and worked over Dreamer. Kelly didn’t even bother standing on the apron. Test worked over Dreamer with a bear hug. He went for a pumphandle slam, but Dreamer floated over it and hit a neckbreaker. Dreamer tagged in Sandman, who cleaned house on both male opponents. Sandman gave Test a legsweep, then reversed a Knox suplex attempt. Sandman hit the Rolling Rock senton off the top rope on Knox, but Test yanked Sandman out of the ring as he went for a cover. Test lifted Sandman, but Sandman floated over it and rammed Test into the ringpost. Sandman got back in the ring and set up for a Frankensander, but Knox shoved him off. Knox came off the top rope for a legdrop, but Sandman moved out of the way. Sandman tagged Dreamer, who gave Knox a DDT for the pin at the five minute mark.
Winners: Tommy Dreamer, Sandman & Torrie Wilson
Backstage, Paul Heyman was telling Big Show that he believed in him, but he didn’t like the idea of him agreeing to face Sabu again right after Summerslam. Show told Heyman not to worry, and that Sabu would be “out of his element” tonight. There would be no tables or chairs tonight (this won’t be an “Extreme Rules” match). Show walked off confidently.
Matt Striker did a promo about how ECW makes him wants to vomit, and ripped on ECW fans, using a lot of big words. He then dumbed it down and said that “Brawn works some of the time, brains work all of the time”. Matt said he was coming to ECW to be our “teacher”.
Extreme Rules: Kevin Thorn, with Ariel, vs. Balls Mahoney.
Ariel did her really cool ring entrance. ECW original referee John Finnegan is the official. Thorn kicked Balls as he entered the ring, but Mahoney came back with a series of punches with the fans doing the “Balls” chant. Mahoney kicked Thorn in the face, sending him to the floor. They brawled on the outside, going back and forth. Balls asked Tazz “Are you drinking that?” then picked up his bottle of water and hit Thorn with it. Back in the ring, Thorn used his cane to get the advantage, hitting Balls with it and driving it into his throat for a two count. Thorn kept hitting Balls with the cane, then drove it into his throat. The fans were chanting for Balls to come back. Balls did come back with a series of punches, then hit a spinebuster for a two count. Balls went for his chair, which was on the outside. Ariel grabbed Balls’ leg as he got on the ring and bit it. This allowed Thorn to kick the chair into Balls’ face. thorn then hit his Hangman’s stunner for the win at the three minute mark.
Winner: Kevin Thorn.
Shannon Moore was shown in the back. He said “The system is oppressive”.
CM Punk vs. Christopher W. Anderson
Joey Styles said Anderson had a “cup of coffee” near the end of the original ECW. Tazz noted it was more than a cup of coffee (“maybe some doughnuts too”). They locked up with Anderson breaking clean in the corner. They mat wrestled, then went to the ropes again. Anderson decked Punk with a left hand on the break, then stomped Punk’s left arm. Anderson rammed the arm into the turnbuckles and wrapped it around the top rope. Punk grabbed Anderson in a Tarantula variation as he approached him in the corner. Punk went for a sunset flip, but Anderson blocked it and applied a jujigatame. Punk busted out of it with shots to the back. Punk hit a springboard clothesline and a bulldog, then kicked Anderson in the head. Anderson hit a spinebuster for a two count. Anderson went for a second, but Punk avoided it, delivered a flurry of kicks and chops, then hit a uranage. Punk applied the Anaconda Vice for the tapout win at the three minute mark (but they squeezed a lot in that three minutes).
Winner: CM Punk.
They hyped the main event for tonight. They showed Sabu, who said “I’m Sabu, and tonight, the Big Show is going down”.
We got to see the trailer for The Marine.
Backstage, Paul Heyman was talking to someone who he said has been “held back all these years” because of his “reputation of volatility”. The camera turned to show Hardcore Holly. Heyman whispered a name to Holly and said that person was trashing him to everyone else, saying they didn’t want Holly in ECW. Heyman said that Holly needs to “make an impact” in order to make it in ECW.
Rob Van Dam vs. Danny Doring.
Tazz noted that since RVD did not win the ladder match last week, Heyman was making him start from the bottom. The two worked a wristlock at the start, with Van Dam going back into a full bridge then going back to his feet. Van Dam grabbed a leg cradle for a two count. Van Dam gave Doring a drop toe hold as he charged him. Doring ducked one spin kick, but Van Dam caught him with a second. Doring grabbed a neckbreaker variation and briefly applied a bow and arrow. Van Dam kicked Doring in the head and hit a pair of clotheslines and a savate kick. Van Dam gave Doring a monkey flip, then a top rope thrust kick. Van Dam hit the Rolling Thunder somersault senton, then the five star frog splash for the pin at the two minute mark.
Winner: Rob Van Dam.
Hardcore Holly hit the ring and blasted Van Dam in the back with a chair. Holly then hit Doring in the head with the chair. Holly, who had his arms heavily taped up, gave Van Dam the Alabama Jam, then mocked Van Dam’s pose. As Holly left, he said he’d be seeing Van Dam again soon.
A Summerslam highlight package was shown.
Rene Dupree did a promo in front of a mirror, saying he is the “most extreme athlete” we will ever see.
ECW Champion Big Show vs. Sabu.
As Show entered, they showed clips of him laying out DX at Summerslam. Sabu hit some punches at the bell, but Show headbutted him to the mat, hit a forearm, then headbutted him to the mat again. Show chopped him in the corner, then chopped him again, sending him to the mat. Show pressed Sabu over his head and dropped him gut first on the top rope. Sabu fell to the floor as they went to commercial.
Back from the break, we saw that during the break a table was set up, and Show taunted Sabu by choking him on the ropes near the table (since the table is not allowed). Back live, Show slammed Sabu, but Sabu rallied with a series of punches before Show hit him with a clothesline. Sabu put Show in a bearhug, but Sabu went to the eyes to break free. Show, half-blind, charged Sabu, but Sabu moved and Show knocked out the referee. Sabu tried for a springboard leg lariat, but Show caught him and tossed him with a fallaway slam. Sabu fell to the floor. Show went to pull him back into the ring, and Sabu hit him with a chair. Sabu stayed on offense, and hit a top rope chairshot to the head. Sabu then hit a Triple Jump Moonsault. There was an ECW chant, and Sabu hit an Arabian Facebuster on Show. The referee was still out cold as Sabu tossed out the chair and covered Show. A second referee ran in, but Show got his shoulder up at the two count. Sabu went to ringside and grabbed the bell. Despite the referee protesting, Sabu hit Show with the bell at the nine minute mark. Show was busted open, but kept getting back up, so Sabu kept hitting him in the head with the bell. Sabu finally knocked Big Show over the top rope, and Show crashed through the table at ringside.
Winner via disqualification: Big Show.
Show was out cold on the floor as they started to show replays from the match. Show was shown starting to move on the floor, blood pouring out of his head, as Sabu stood in the ring, still holding the bell. Styles pointed out that Sabu did say Show was “going down” tonight, and he did.
