Big Apple Blizzard Blast ’96

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Big Apple Blizzard Blast

February 3, 1996

Lost Battalion Hall

Queens, New York City, New York

News & Notes: There is a new ECW Champion. Raven defeated The Sandman, despite Tommy Dreamer interfering in the bout. Sandman blamed the loss on Woman. She is leaving for WCW, and that fact distracted him. Woman offered to bring him with her, but Sandman refused. He was loyal to ECW. On the other hand, Raven wasn’t distracted. He bounced back from the news of Beulah’s pregnancy by getting a new girlfriend. Her name is Kimona Wanalaya. (Did they rip off that name from a James Bond film?) Now, both Dreamer and Sandman are pissed off at Raven. Dreamer enlisted some help in this feud. He approached Shane Douglas. He agreed to help, but there was a catch. If either man won gold, they promised the other a title match.

Joel Gertner thanks the fans for braving the weather to attend the show. Paul Heyman interrupts him and tells him to buzz off. Paul E. then tells the fans they’re a little delayed because of a camera crew from the show A Current Affair. They’re filming the event at ringside. The fans show them their—appreciation. Paul E. jokes the camera guys will never get laid by Deborah Norville. She was the host of Inside Edition, which was the rival show of A Current Affair.

Taz (w/ Bill Alfonso) vs. The Shark Attack Kid

Notes: The Shark Attack Kid is an indie wrestler. Some of you may know him better as The Dirt Bike Kid. He ran his own promotion for a while. The Kid got the attention of ECW after having a few matches with Sabu. He later gains infamy after pissing off The Great Sasuke during a match. Sasuke beat the crap out of him for not selling his moves. He’s facing Taz in this match. I get the feeling he will meet a similar fate. Joey Styles uses the Shark Attack Kid name to take a shot at The Shark in WCW. He calls him an overweight has-been. Also, Alfonso grabs the mic and yells he hates New York, A Current Affair, and David Letterman.

The Match: They trade some mat holds, but Taz keeps catching The Kid with throws and suplexes. Shark Attack fires back with a sunset flip and a dropkick. But, Taz gives the Kid a half-nelson suplex. He also nails a second-rope belly-to-belly. Then, Taz locks the Kid in the Tazmission for the win.

Thoughts: It was a squash, but the amount of offense the Kid got surprised me. Taz continues looking like a killer. The match was crisp short and to the point. It did what it needed to do. Styles hyped the Kid as one of the best indie wrestlers in the region. Having Taz beat him helps build Taz.

Winner: Taz (3:55)

Taz doesn’t release the hold until Alfonso confirms the submission. Bill then demands a mic. Taz says he heard the chants for 911. He calls him out and the music plays, but Tod Gordon arrives instead. Tod says 911 left the building. Fonzie takes the mic and taunts Gordon and dares him to fight him. Bill tells Taz to leave the ring while he fights Gordon. Bill punches him, but Tod clotheslines Fonzie. Taz enters the ring and attacks Tod. But, Tod is saved by—Bam Bam Bigelow! Taz and Fonzie exit the ring. Bill says Bam Bam isn’t supposed to be there. Bigelow takes the microphone and tells Taz to try and suplex him. Joey says everyone wants a piece of Taz. 911 doesn’t. He left the building. The reason for this is 911 left ECW after having a falling out with Paul Heyman.

The Headhunters (w/ Damien Kane & Lady Alexandra) vs. Axl Rotten & El Puerto Riqueño

Notes: The Samoan Squat Team didn’t last long in the WWF. They’re already back in ECW as The Headhunters. Gertner introduces them as Mofat and Mahim. They are led by their manager Damien Kane and his wife, Lady Alexandra. Kane managed the team after they destroyed his old group, The Bad Crew. They announce the Headhunters’ home as South Africa. (Even ECW doesn’t present them as their real ethnicity.) They’re facing Axl Rotten & El Puerto Riqueño. Styles calls it an intriguing combination.

The Match: The Headhunters control the match early. Neither Axl nor Puerto can knock the big twins off their feet. One Headhunter uses a Tiger Bomb and a lariat. They whip El Puerto around the ring and give him a splash/leg drop combo. Axl & Puerto gain the advantage when a Headhunter misses a flying elbow. Axl throws wild punches, but the Headhunters sandwich him. Then, they try again. They miss. Axl fights off Damien and clotheslines one of the Hunters. El Puerto then nails a flying splash. However, the Hunters slam Puerto and one lands a moonsault for the win.

Thoughts: The Headhunters were impressive for their size. I wasn’t expecting a moonsault. The moves looked crisp. It was shy of being a squash match, but it was enjoyable for what it was. This is my first time watching them as a team. They’re not bad.

Winners: The Headhunters (6:45)

Tag Team Title Match: The Eliminators vs. Cactus Jack & Mikey Whipwreck (c) (w/ Raven)

Notes: The Eliminators no longer have Jason. He briefly left the company, but he will return. On the other hand, Cactus & Mikey have Raven with them. Raven keeps shoving Mikey as they enter the arena. Mikey shows his displeasure by throwing down his tag belt. Also, Cactus wears a WW f’n F t-shirt. The news leaked Cactus signed with the WWF. Cactus used it to troll the crowd. They chant you sold out at him.

The Match: Mikey keeps using mat wrestling, so Cactus admonishes him. Jack tags and tells Whipwreck to leave if he won’t help. Cactus says he will defend the belts by himself because he won them that way. Jack brawls with Saturn until Mikey tags. But, Whipwreck returns to the mat holds. The Eliminators take control and use combination moves on Mikey. They double-team the poor guy until Cactus tags. Jack cleans house and uses both a Cactus Clothesline and a pulling piledriver. Jack then breaks a glass bottle and threatens to use it. Mikey has enough and dropkicks Jack to stop him. Whipwreck then turns his attention to the Eliminators. He does a flying Frankenmikey on Saturn. However, the Eliminators shove Mikey into Cactus and nail Total Elimination for the victory.

Thoughts: This was a good match. I liked the storytelling and action. Mikey bumped well for the Eliminators, but he also looked good on offense. This was a good mix of story and wrestling. They had to get the tag titles off Cactus & Mikey because Jack is leaving soon. This was a good way to do it while also furthering the Cactus/Mikey issue.

Winners: The Eliminators (New Champions) (12:10)

Raven attacks Mikey after the match, but Cactus pulls him off Whipwreck. He only did it so he can attack Mikey himself. He clotheslines Whipwreck and holds him while Raven uses a chair. Then, Cactus gives Mikey a Double-Arm DDT. The Eliminators watch the carnage and mock Mikey.

Joey tries interviewing The Eliminators, but Francine appears. She’s still wearing a neck brace because of Total Elimination. She flirts with the Eliminators and tells them she knows they’re the better tag team. However, it’s a ruse. The Pitbulls attack The Eliminators. They hang Saturn over the ropes with their chain and give Kronus a Superbomb. Francine then uses scissors to cut Saturn’s hair. They did this because Saturn was losing his hair and wanted to change his look. Styles recaps the segment and says there’s already a team that wants a shot at the new tag champs. It’s the Gangstas.

New Jack sends a message to both the Pitbulls and The Eliminators. He says they don’t like nobody. New Jack says he doesn’t even like Mustafa that much. New Jack challenges The Eliminators to a match and threatens the Pitbulls. He then breaks the light in the hallway while Mustafa laughs like a creep.

Tommy Dreamer & Shane Douglas (w/ Beulah McGillicutty) vs. Raven & Stevie Richards (w/ Kimona Wanalaya & The Blue Meanie)

Notes: Before the match, Stevie grabs a mic. He calls himself and Meanie The Fabulous Ones. He even refers to them as Steve and Stan. Stevie and Meanie then do the Fargo Strut. Joey says the city of Memphis will sue them. Beulah accompanies Dreamer & Douglas. She dances for Tommy to get in Raven’s head. It seems to affect Joey Styles more.

The Match: Raven avoids Dreamer, so Douglas & Tommy beat up Stevie for a while. Richards taunts Douglas by donning a Razor Ramon t-shirt. Shane rips it off and chokes Stevie with it. Then, Tommy & Shane use various weapons on Richards. They hit him with an old phone and an NES. Raven doesn’t enter the match until Dreamer is in trouble. Raven & Richards use chairs and the ECW Title belt on him. Stevie also nails a dangerous powerbomb. Tommy attempts fighting off some double-teaming, but he can’t. Both men end up going down to a double-clothesline and Douglas tags. The match becomes a brawl until both Cactus and Sandman interfere. Sandman canes everyone, including the ref. Then, both teams fight back and forth. Raven tells Meanie to do a moonsault. Meanie doesn’t see Dreamer switch places with Richards, so he hits the wrong man. Raven and Douglas fight to the floor while Beulah tapes a frying pan to Tommy’s foot. He uses it to nail an enziguri for the win.

Thoughts: There were some fun spots in the match. It started hot, but it lost its way in the middle. It was a bit overbooked with the interference. Also, the bout dragged at times. It was decent, but I didn’t love it. But, I did enjoy the finish. That was unique.

Winners: Dreamer & Douglas (19:34)

WWA Welterweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) vs. Juventud Guerrera

Notes: Juventud is a second-generation wrestler from Mexico. He is the son of Fuerza Guerrera. He feuded with Rey in Mexico over the WWA Welterweight Title. Heyman brought that match to ECW. Juventud still wrestles in a mask at this point. He doesn’t lose it until he goes to WCW. It is modeled to look like his father’s mask. Rey offers a handshake before the match, despite flipping off Juvi. Guerrera spits at him.

The Match: Both men trade takedowns and arm drags. They also slap each other a few times. Then, they go through some athletic reversals until Rey nails a dragonrana off the apron. Juvi surprises Rey with a somersault leg drop. But, Rey answers with flying headscissors and hurricanranas. They fight to the floor, where Rey wraps a chair around Juvi’s head and rams him into the post. Guerrera recovers and responds with suplexes and a springboard wheel kick. He also uses a sit-out powerbomb and a bridging fallaway slam. However, Juvi misses a splash, and Rey uses more hurricanranas. Then, they fight to the top rope. Juvi crotches Rey and attempts a super Splash Mountain Bomb. Rey reverses it into a hurricanrana for the victory.

Thoughts: This was good fun. The crowd loved the action. It was short, but they packed a lot into it. I like how they incorporate the hardcore style with Lucha Libre. They adapt well to the ECW environment.

Winner: Rey Mysterio Jr. (8:46)

Taz and Bill Alfonso are back to have an interview with Joey Styles. Fonzie says 911 will never answer an emergency call again. He’s spitting all over the place, so Bill dares Joey to say something about it. Bill keeps talking trash, so Rey Mysterio confronts them. He says he’s not afraid of Taz. Bill slaps him. Rey gives Fonzie a wheel kick. Taz attacks, but Rey gives him a hurricanrana. However, Taz catches Rey and nails a suplex. They trade more takedowns, but Taz gets the advantage. Other wrestlers and officials arrive to stop the carnage. JT Smith starts attacking Rey, so Hack Meyers brawls with Smith. Joey calls for help for Rey. The medical staff arrives. Joey refers to them as Damage Control.

Joey tries continuing, but Woman interrupts him. She tells everyone to tune in on Monday nights for the action. She promises to stick around ECW because no one can make her leave. She also asks Joey if he wants to join her in WCW. Sandman interrupts. Woman asks if he changed his mind about coming to WCW. He says he doesn’t want to come with her and calls her a bitch. Woman dares any man or woman to remove her. 2 Cold Scorpio joins them. He teases joining Woman before saying, “This bitch is out of here!” Scorpio lifts her onto his shoulder and carries her to a limo. He places her inside and says, “Take that bitch to Atlanta!”

Meanwhile, Stevie Richards and The Blue Meanie confront Sandman with a message from Raven. Sandman wants to discuss facing Raven for his ECW Title. Stevie says Raven is giving Sandman one opportunity to back out of the match. Sandman says he has never backed down from a fight. The fans chant for Sandman to kill Stevie. Richards gives him another chance to back out and threatens a Stevie Kick. Meanie says he wants to do it, but he fails. Sandman canes Meanie and gives Stevie a message for Raven. Richards panics and says Raven is going to kill him. Raven appears and calls Richards a moron. He berates Stevie for his failures and slaps him. Raven says some stuff about Sandman, but they bleep it. Raven slaps him some more and threatens to fire Stevie. But, Stevie has a surprise for Raven.

Stevie has to fish around in Meanie’s shorts for a piece of paper. It says Stevie is suing Missy Hyatt for sexual harassment. Richards says he’s using some fat lawyer from Scarsdale. (That’s a joke about Heyman’s dad. I’m sure Paul loved that.) Missy enters the ring and yells at Stevie. He threatens a restraining order. Raven tells her she has an option. She can join him. She refuses and mocks Raven because Beulah is pregnant with Tommy’s kid. Raven says he’s going to beat her, so Sandman returns and canes Raven’s crew. They leave, and Missy offers her services to Sandman. (No, not in that way! At least, not overtly.) She lights Sandman’s cigarette for him, so Sandman hands her his cane. She then pours a beer down his throat. These segments were amusing, but they went a bit long. Even Joey joked about the length.

Buh-Buh Ray Dudley (w/ The Dudleys) vs. JT Smith

Notes: JT’s head is wrapped from his fight with Hack. Joey doesn’t think Hack beat him that hard. Smith taunts the crowd with stereotypical Italian gestures. The fans chant what’s your name at Buh-Buh. He takes the mic and tries introducing himself. He stutters so JT grabs the microphone. Smith says he can’t wrestle because he got Shah’d to death. He has a major concussion to his cranial suture. Smith offers Buh-Buh $100 to walk away. Buh-Buh looks happy, but Big Dick tells him to fight. Smith uses the opening to hit a low-blow and retrieve his $100.

The Match: Smith attacks Buh-Buh, but Dudley ducks. He then struggles to perform a Buh-Buh Bomb until Big Dick smacks him with his crutch. He hits the move and covers for the quick win.

Thoughts: This was amusing, but it wasn’t much of a match. They’re doing a good job building the Buh-Buh character. He’s the main focus of the Dudleys now. The fans love him.

Winner: Buh-Buh Ray Dudley (0:45)

After the match, Dances with Dudleys drops an elbow on JT. Buh-Buh reaches into Smith’s coat and takes the $100. The fans want Buh-Buh to dance, but he’d rather take the $100 to the club. Big Dick tells Buh-Buh to get in the ring and dance. He obliges and gives the fans what they want.

Sabu vs. Mr. Hughes

Notes: Joey talks about Mr. Hughes’ accomplishments. I use that term loosely. Styles mentions Lex Luger didn’t want to fight Hughes. He also talks about Hughes stealing the Undertaker’s urn. (To be fair, who hasn’t done that?) Sabu is taped up from previous matches. Styles lists some of Sabu’s injuries. He says Sabu once glued his broken knuckle to finish a match. Sabu would do more extreme things in the future. This is before the infamous bicep incident.

The Match: They brawl to the floor and Sabu grabs a chair. He uses it to dive over the rail and land on Hughes. He knocks off Hughes’ sunglasses! Hughes then absorbs much of Sabu’s offense. He takes control when Sabu crashes onto a table. Hughes uses a shoulderbreaker and a nerve hold. He also gives Sabu powerslams and sidewalk slams. Sabu keeps taking Hughes to the floor with headscissors. He puts Hughes through the table with a slingshot leg drop. But, it hurts Sabu. Hughes blocks a super Frankensteiner and uses a couple of sidewalk slams. Sabu keeps getting his foot on the ropes. Hughes then places a chair on Sabu and tries a flying splash. He misses. Sabu capitalizes with a chair-assisted springboard wheel kick and pins Hughes.

Thoughts: Sabu tried saving this with his usual craziness, but it didn’t work. Hughes dragged this match to a crawl. He’s uninteresting in the ring. Plus, he no-sold much of Sabu’s offense. Hughes got up and left after the match as if he didn’t care. That wasn’t professional.

Winner: Sabu (12:30)

The Sandman & 2 Cold Scorpio vs. The Gangstas

Notes: I’m unsure why this is the main event. There isn’t much build. They want to prove they’re in line for a tag team title match. The Gangstas bring a trash can full of weapons to the ring and make quite a mess. The fans add to it by throwing trash. Sandman & Scorpio enter the ring and the brawl begins.

The Match: Everyone breaks into pairs. Scorpio brawls with New Jack while Sandman fights Mustafa. Saed uses a toilet seat. New Jack and Scorpio trade cookie sheet strikes. The teams also use the NES from earlier. New Jack breaks a pool cue while Mustafa gives Scorpio a running powerslam. Scorpio answers with a superkick and a moonsault. Meanwhile, Sandman and New Jack fight with the trash can. Sandman gives Jack a slingshot leg drop and uses the toilet seat. (No, not that way! He hits him with it.) Sandman also lands on New Jack’s head with a flying leg drop. (New Jack doesn’t need more head trauma!) Scorpio then gives Mustafa a twisting splash while Jack and Sandman trade more weapon shots. The Gangstas get Sandman’s cane and break it over his head. But, Scorpio sprays Mustafa with hairspray and rolls him up for the victory.

Thoughts: This was the usual mindless brawling of a Gangsta’s match. It didn’t have any fun spots to make it interesting. Stuff happened and then there was a finish. This should not have ended the show. It was a flat way to bring the event to a close.

Winners: Sandman & Scorpio (8:53)

New Jack continues attacking Sandman, so Scorpio fights off the Gangstas with a cane. They leave, and Scorpio revives Sandman with a cigarette and a beer. Scorpio then gets a mic and tells Sandman to dance. He does a Cabbage Patch and then hugs Scorpio.

The Good:

• The Headhunters were impressive.

• The Tag Title Match had good storytelling.

• Rey/Juvi was great.

• There were some amusing segments.

The Bad:

• Sabu/Hughes was bad.

• The main event was dull.

• Some of the segments went a bit long.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Rey Mysterio. He had a great match with Juvi and his brief interaction with Taz was good.

Final Thoughts:

This was a solid show for the most part, but it lost steam at the end. They closed the show with the wrong matches. I’m unsure why the Dreamer/Raven tag match wasn’t last. I enjoyed it overall, but they needed to restructure the event. Also, I have a bone to pick with the WWE Network. Chris Jericho faced RVD at this event. The match is mentioned in the description on the network. But, they removed it from the upload! What’s up with that!? I wanted that match!

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW SuperBrawl VI. Look for it next Sunday!