House of Hardcore VII
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 11/15/14
So for those of you who don’t know, House of Hardcore is a promotion run by Tommy Dreamer. It’s an eclectic mix of old (the promotion usually features former ECW wrestlers) and new (some of the top independent talent in the country). Some of their shows in 2014 have had some pretty interesting cards. This one in particular had a really solid lineup of talent, so I decided to give it a try.
Before the show starts, Tommy Dreamer comes out to inform the crowd of some changes to the show. Ethan Carter III was unable to compete due to an injury, Jigsaw had an illness, and Davey Richards had a “medical emergency”. Despite these last minute changes, Dreamer said that the fans should expect some surprises.
1.) Danny Doring vs. Stevie Richards: **¼
The show officially kicks off with a match between two ECW originals. It was an ok match. Not really the best opener that you could have. I feel like they could have switched this match with another match, but again, it was fine. Totally inoffensive. Stevie Richards would get the win in this one.
2.) Brian Myers vs. Christian York: ***
Of course most people will know who Brian Myers is, but I never realized until recently that Christian York has been wrestling for a long time. He was actually in the original ECW (in 2000-2001). A pretty solid match between these two. In the end, Christian York would pick up the victory.
After the match, Brian Myers was very upset over his loss. He said it was a fluke and that the referee fast counted him. Myers then added that finally being in the ECW Arena was a letdown, because the place was a dump. He claimed that he wasn’t leaving the ring until someone forces him to leave. Ricardo Rodriguez then comes out!! His presence can mean only one thing, as he introduces Alberto El Patron (the former Alberto Del Rio)!! The crowd went crazy as he came out. El Patron says that he thought he wasn’t going to be able to wrestle in the United States for a full year (due the ridiculous terms of his WWE release, which were later overturned), but he’s glad to be in the ECW Arena for the first time! Brian Myers took offense to this interruption. He goes to attack, but Rodriguez hits him with a low blow. This allows El Patron to lock in the cross armbreaker. El Patron & Rodriguez celebrate afterwords.
3.) Six-Man Tag - Team Tremendous (Dan Barry & Bill Carr) & Little Guido vs. Anthony Greene, Ben Ortiz & Vik Dalishus: ***1/4
Team Tremendous & Little Guido just sounds like an awesome trio. I’m honestly not that familiar with their opponents, however. Pretty solid six-man tag. Good action from all six guys involved. The team of Team Tremendous & Little Guido scored the win.
4.) Eddie Edwards vs. Eddie Kingston: ***3/4
This is one of the matches that came about due to the card being changed. It’s a Battle of the Eddie’s!! These two have faced off before in tag team action (in ROH), but I don’t think they’ve ever faced off in a singles match. This ended up being really good. Edwards is always great, and Kingston is definitely capable of having great singles matches. Both men went toe-to-toe and just beat the crap out of each other. In the end, Edwards would get the win via referee stoppage.
5.) Three-Way Elimination Match - Alex Reynolds vs. Lance Anoai vs. Tony Nese: ***1/2
Most of you will know of Alex Reynonds & Tony Nese, but Lance Anoai is a relative unknown. He’s part of the legendary Samoan lineage of wrestlers. This was a pretty entertaining Three-Way. Lots of fast paced action, as you would expect. Reynolds would eliminated Lance Anoai first, and then Nese would eliminate Reynolds to win the match. Again, a very good Three-Way Elimination Match.
Up next, The Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) come out. They were originally supposed to face The Wolves, but as I mentioned earlier, Davey Richards being unable to show forced the card to be changed around. Davey Boy Smith Jr. said he heard that Richards missed the show due to a “tummy ache”. He said he was just scared to face The Killer Elite Squad. They said that they’re the best tag team in the world, and that there wasn’t anyone who can do a thing about it. This brings out Team 3D, who come out to a huge reaction! Bully Ray says that the rabid Philly fans want to see a fight, and a brawl breaks out! Looks like we have a match!
6.) Team 3D vs. The Killer Elite Squad: **1/2
The crowd went absolutely insane for Team 3D. Though, as you would expect, the match itself was just kind of there. It was a fun brawl, but I don’t think these two teams meshed really well together. The crowd chanted for tables, and of course, we get tables! The match ends with Bully Ray & Devon powerbombing Lance Archer through a table, and they get the cover for the win.
7.) Austin Aries vs. Evolve Champion Drew Galloway: ***3/4
Of course, this match was a few months before Drew Galloway made his debut for TNA, but it was pretty cool nonetheless. This was a really good match, as you would expect. Aries is a great wrestler, as we all know, and Galloway continues to showcase what he’s truly capable of on the independent scene. Great back & forth action throughout this match. Eventually, Aries was finally able to put away Galloway with a Brainbuster for the win.
Up next, we have an Extreme Rules Match, where Tommy Dreamer was originally scheduled to face Ethan Carter III. But of course, as announced earlier, Ethan Carter III is injured. Dreamer is accompanied by his wife, Beulah McGillycutty, who is making her final appearance with Dreamer at ringside. Dreamer’s new opponent is none other than the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode. For those of you who may not know, House of Hardcore has developed a relationship with TNA. Several TNA Talents are on this show (as I’m sure you already know), and have appeared on past shows. Plus, Tommy Dreamer (I believe) works for TNA in some capacity. Roode cuts a promo talking about getting the call from Dixie Carter to fill in for her nephew Ethan Carter III. He says that he’s good friends with Dreamer, and that he has a lot of respect for what he’s done in the ECW Arena. Roode then decides that he’s putting the TNA World Title on the line! He says nobody deserves a shot more than Tommy Dreamer….but then he jumps Dreamer from behind to kickstart the match!
8.) TNA World Heavyweight Title - Extreme Rules Match - Bobby Roode vs. Tommy Dreamer (with Beulah McGillycutty): **1/2
This went about as well as you would expect. They brawled a lot, and used a ton of plunder. We also got A LOT of interference. Velvet Sky, Beulah McGillyCutty, CW Anderson, The Sandman, Spike Dudley, & Thea Trinidad all interfered. In the end, through all of the chaos, Roode would get the win with a Death Valley Driver on a Barbed Wire Board to retain his TNA World Title.
After the match, Roode & Dreamer embrace, and Dreamer handed the title to Roode. We then get a long promo from Dreamer, where he thanked TNA for letting him use their talent on this show (and put over how good TNA Impact Wrestling had been as of late), and his history in the ECW Arena. He then brought in his kids, and tells them that these are the people he works for (referring to the fans), and that this is where he met their mother. Dreamer then gives the mic to Beulah, who says that making it in the ECW Arena meant the world to her and that the fans will always be in her heart. The family celebrates together.
9.) The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks: ****1/4
This match was one of the things on this show that I just had to see. It ended up being as great as you would think. Of course, The Young Bucks are fantastic any time they get near a wrestling ring. They’re just so entertaining & exciting to watch. The Hardys really showed a lot in here as well, very much holding their own. Despite their age and all of the punishment they’ve endured in their careers, The Hardys are still able to put on really good tag team matches against quality teams. Lots of great action throughout this match. I lost count of how many superkicks we saw. Eventually, The Young Bucks are able to put away The Hardys for the win!
After the match, Matt Hardy takes the mic, and says that he wants everyone to know that The Young Bucks earned the respect of The Hardys tonight. They go to shake hands, but they try to attack The Young Bucks instead. The Hardys are caught, however, and The Young Bucks lay them out with superkicks! Team 3D then run out and hit The Young Bucks with a pair of 3D’s! The show closes out with a long promo from Bully Ray, and a celebration with Team 3D, Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman.
Overall: 8.0/10
As I mentioned earlier, this was my first time watching a House of Hardcore event. On the whole, the show was pretty solid, despite Ethan Carter III, Jigsaw & Davey Richards not being there for various reasons. You had a great Main Event in The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks. Plus, we saw two really good singles matches in Eddie Kingston vs. Eddie Edwards and Austin Aries vs. Drew Galloway. There were a few other solid matches on the undercard (including a TNA World Title defense, for whatever that’s worth these days). We also got a surprise appearance by Alberto El Patron, which was a pretty awesome moment. A pretty entertaining show (for the most part) from start to finish.
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