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They put up a graphic dedicated to those men and women that were "no longer with us" but didn't name any of them.
Rhino vs. Al Snow vs. Brother Runt.
Some fans had the old Styrofoam heads in support of Al Snow. Rhino got the biggest reaction of the three during introductions. Runt went for an early cradle on Rhino after Snow got knocked out of the ring, but Rhino clotheslined him. Rhino set up for a Gore, but Snow tripped him. Snow avoided a clothesline from Runt, but Rhino knocked him to the floor. Runt dodged a charging Rhino, sending him to the floor. Runt dove off the top rope to the floor, but Rhino and Snow caught him and slammed him on the ramp. Snow tossed Rhino into the ring, but missed a slingshot legdrop. There was a "We Want Head" chant. Snow headbutted Rhino to the mat, then went for a moonsault, hitting it for a two count. They showed members of the TNA roster watching on a monitor in the back.
Rhino suplexed Al Snow, and Runt immediately gave Snow a double stomp off the ropes. Runt went for an Acid Drop on Rhino, but Rhino threw Runt to the mat. Runt kicked a charging Rhino and gave him a flying headscissors. Runt hit Snow and Rhino with punches and chops. Runt went for a double Acid Drop, but Rhino and Snow tossed him to the floor. Rhino elbowed Snow, who bumped into the referee. Snow picked up Head and hit Rhino with it. Runt picked up a chair, but instead of hitting Snow, he did the old Eddie Guerrero trick of tossing it to Snow and acting like he was hit with it. However, before the referee could see him with the chair, Snow threw the chair down and acted like he was hit too. The referee turned and didn't know who was hit with the chair. Snow went to hit Runt with Head, but Runt ducked it and hit Snow with the Acid Drop, walking up Rhino in the corner, for the pin, eliminating Snow. Rhino immediately hit Runt with a Gore and pinned him, winning the match.
Winner: Rhino.
Mick Foley, who was reading Hulk Hogan's book for some reason, discussed the Tommy Dreamer and Raven feud, noting at one point he endorsed Dreamer as being "Hardcore" and he also turned on Dreamer and followed Raven at one point. Foley said this match was going to be their final battle, and he was the man that could survive whatever happens and make sure the three count is made.
More comments from TNA stars. Chris Sabin said the first Hardcore match he ever saw was Terry Funk vs. Sabu in a barbed wire match, and that Rob Van Dam was his favorite wrestler.
Axl Rotten & Kahoneys (Balls Mahoney) vs.
The fans chanted "Balls" as Kahoneys shrugged over his new name being announced. Balls took the mic and said they were the most extreme tag team in the history of the business, but they don't have a match. They laid out an open challenge to anyone with the "guts or nuts" to come out. "Well, well, well.." out walked Joel Gertner, in a fur coat and shorts, with Team 3D. Brother Ray and Brother Devon were clad in tie-dye. The fans chanted "Dudley Boys". The fans then chanted "Testify". Joel Gertner did one of his classic innuendo laced introductions, invoking Lady Gaga, and getting a "That's Hardcore" chant. It really was a great intro, and I can't do it justice by typing it up. Gertner even teased calling them "The Du.... Team 3D".
Brother Ray got on the mic, and said the fans were looking at "four of the most hardcore men" in the history of wrestling. Ray said the fans didn't want to see a wrestling match, and they should give the fans what they paid to see. Ray said it should be a "South Philadelphia Streetfight" and the brawl was on. Balls and Ray fought on the floor, while Axl went at it with Devon. They used a split screen to follow both fights at the same time. Taz and Tenay were laughing about Balls' new name, and Taz noted they shouldn't be since they had four guys beating each other up. The fight, as you would expect, went into the crowd, Taz and Tenay were making jokes about not having HD TV back in the old days, while the fans chanted "ECW' as the brawl continued in the crowd. The participants made it back to ringside, and they started using weapons, including a frying pan and cookie sheet.
Axl Rotten gave Brother Ray a bionic elbow in the ring, and blasted him with a cookie sheet. Axl went at it with Devon, with Axl hitting him with a trash can lid. Brother Ray knocked Axl down, and Balls entered the ring with a lightsaber. Seriously. The fans chanted "Use The Force". Devon tossed Ray another lightsaber, and we had a lightsaber duel, with Balls "stabbing" Ray between the arms. Ray took the lightsaber and hit Balls in the nads with it. Brother Ray then did his old dance move before knocking Balls down. That got a "ECW" chant. Axl gave Brother Ray an inverted DDT for a two count. Devon gave Axl a neckbreaker for a two count. Balls gave Devon a spinebuster for a two count. Fans chanted "We want tables! We want fire!" as the two teams dueled with chairs. Axl and Balls got the better of it, but couldn't get the pin. Axl and Balls complained to referee John Finnegan, who tried to clothesline them, unsuccessfully. Team 3D hit Axl and Balls with hard chairshots to the head.
Team 3D gave Balls the What's Up headbutt, then did the "Get The Tables!" bit. They set up a table, and Gertner gave Brother Ray some lighter fluid. The fans chanted "ECW" as Brother Ray put the fluid on the table. Devon lit the table on fire, and they powerbombed Balls through it. Devon then pinned Balls.
Winners: Team 3D.
The fans chanted "Thank you" and Brother Ray said they are the most extreme tag team of all time. Enter New Jack and Mustafa, The Gangstas, with a generic version of "Natural Born Killaz" playing. They had a trash can full of weapons and went to town on Team 3D. They used a crutch, trash can, and staple gun. Joel Gertner tried to get in to help, and New Jack blasted him with an acoustic guitar. The brawl suddenly stopped, and all six men (Axl and Balls as well) all hugged and raised each others arms as the fans applauded. Tenay called it "a tribute to hardcore wrestling".
Raven cut a promo about how when he grew up with Tommy Dreamer, Dreamer was a better athlete and a tougher man, but as they got older, Raven became the better athlete and the tougher man. Raven said Dreamer couldn't handle that, and that's why he set out to hurt him emotionally. Raven said Dreamer stole his girl, and now has the family and life he should have had. Raven said he has waited ten years for his chance to ruin Dreamer's "moment of glory" tonight.
More comments from TNA wrestlers about that "hardcore" promotion. Kazarian talked about being in training with Killer Kowalski and being able to go to some of the shows and see those wrestlers worked. Kazarian let out an "ECW' but it was bleeped.
They had a segment about Joey Styles, with Brother Ray, Rob Van Dam, Jerry Lynn, Simon Diamond, Rhino, The Sandman, Stevie Richards, and Tommy Dreamer all thanking him for his calls of ECW matches over the years and praising him for his work in ECW. They also mentioned they wished he was there tonight. Taz also added his thanks to Joey Styles.
Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven, with Mick Foley as the referee.
Teresa (Beulah), the wife of Tommy Dreamer, was at ringside with Dixie Carter. Raven came out and smiled at her, as well as Dreamer's daughters. Dreamer came out with a T-Shirt that said "Thank You" on the back. Dreamer kissed his daughters before entering the ring. Foley told them that he would give them "a lot of room" and all he wanted was that they keep the match between the two of them, with no one else getting involved. Raven kicked Dreamer in the groin as Foley was still talking, starting the match. Raven immediately took Dreamer to the floor and gave him a side Russian legsweep into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Raven wedged a chair in a corner and went to whip Dreamer into it, but Dreamer reversed it and sent Raven into the chair. Back on the floor, Dreamer pounded Raven. Dreamer took a beer from a fan and spit a mouthful at Raven, then hit him with the can. Dreamer pounded Raven in a corner of the guardrail and bit him. Taz was talking about driving around with Tommy Dreamer and Paul Heyman during all this.
Dreamer set up two chairs and went to suplex Raven on them, but Raven blocked it and gave him a drop toe hold into the chairs. They went to the floor, and Raven busted open Dreamer with a chair. Tommy's family was removed from ringside. Raven missed a chairshot on the outside, but threw Dreamer into the steps. Dreamer was a bloody mess. Raven set up a chair, but Dreamer gave him a drop toe hold into it. Tommy took a sign that said "Tommy, use this sign". Dreamer hit Raven with it, and revealed it was a Dead End street sign. Raven was now bleeding as well. Dreamer suplexed Raven on the street sign. Dreamer put a ladder in the ring, while some fans chanted "This is Hardcore" while other fans were quiet. Dreamer bit the bloody Raven, then gave him a catapult into the ladder, which was laid across the bottom rope.
Dreamer put Raven on the top rope, then put the ladder across the middle rope to do a superplex, but Raven crotched Dreamer between the steps of the ladder. Raven then drove Dreamer to the mat from the top rope. Raven went for a DDT, but Dreamer blocked it and hit a Spicoli Driver. Dreamer put Raven in the Tree Of Woe and stood on his crotch. Dreamer put the street sign in front of Raven's face and dropkicked it. Dreamer went under the ring and pulled out some barbed wire. Dreamer put Raven in a crossface with the barbed wire going through his mouth. Nova and Tillie ran out and attacked Foley and Dreamer before Raven could tap out.
Nova and Tillie worked over Foley, then Dreamer. Nova helped Tillie go to the top rope, where he missed a splash. Dreamer gave Nova and Tille a DDT/neckbreaker combo. Raven then DDT'd Dreamer, and Foley crawled over to count, but Dreamer kicked out. Raven shoved Foley over not counting to three, and Foley unloaded on Raven with punches. Foley then pulled out Socko (not an ECW gimmick) and gave it to Raven. Lupus (at least they said it was him, Taz didn't even seem sure, and he looked nothing like he did in ECW if it is the same guy) came out to help Raven, legdropping Dreamer off the top rope, but Foley gave him a Barbed Wire Socko. The fans chanted "Holy S***" and Taz choked that they were indeed an alternative. Foley battered Lupus to the back.
Raven handcuffed Dreamer's hands behind his back. Foley got back to the ring. Raven hit Dreamer with a chairshot to the back. Teresa (Beyuah) came out and begged Raven to stop. Teresa hugged Raven, but Raven hit Dreamer with a chairshot anyway. Raven threatened her with the chair, but Foley stopped him, so Raven gave him a low kick. Raven blasted Foley with the chair. Raven stood over Teresa, and she hit Raven with a low blow. Dreamer, still handcuffed, gave Raven a DDT and covered him. Foley counted, but Raven kicked out at two. Dreamer went for another DDT, but Raven hit Dreamer with a chairshot to the leg, and DDT'd Dreamer for the pin.
Winner: Raven.
Coverage continued on the next page.
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