ECW Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NWA Bloodfest ‘93 was a two-night event promoted by Eastern Championship wrestling a short while after their last event Ultraclash '93.
Unlike other ECW events from around this time, Bloodfest isn’t featured on the WWE Network, though I did manage to find a one-hour version on YouTube which features most -but not all- of the matches from night 2 of the event.
If I ever come across Night 1 of the event (or if any of you can tell me where to check it out), then I will of course, review that too.
For now though, let’s dive in and check this one out.
Welcome to Bloodfest
We opened tonight’s event with a short introductory video featuring highlights of tonight’s stars before heading right down to ringside for our opening contest.
Eastern Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship
ECW Tag Team Champions Johnny Hotbody and Tony Stetson (w/ Hunter Q. Robbins III) vs. The Sandman & J.T Smith (w/ Terry Funk)
Something tells me this show might be a chore to watch if this match is anything to go by.
It really wasn’t much of anything.
After a few minutes of decent but uninspiring action, Terry Funk got involved, leading to a disqualification in about 5 minutes.
Your Winners via Disqualification and still ECW Tag Team Champions: Johnny Hotbody & Tony Stetson
Moving on..
The Tazzmaniac & Tommy Dreamer
Dreamer’s debut is well known as an early example of Paul Heyman’s booking prowess, having the future hardcore legend lose the match but gain the fan’s respect after putting on a solid show against Tazzmaniac.
That certainly happened, but it wasn’t as though Tommy completely got his ass whooped here. He held his own against a man who still had long hair, worn a loin cloth and pretended like he was an actual savage from the island of Tasmania.
It was a decent match. Not great by any stretch, but competently performed and reasonably entertaining.
Your Winner: The Tazzmaniac
Post match, the usually belligerent ECW crowd gave Dreamer
Eastern Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Championship
ECW Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas (w/ Sherri Martel) vs. J.T Smith (w/ Terry Funk)
That seems odd, but there you go.
There wasn’t much to this match. Going into it, the story was that Smith had an injured knee, so Shane Douglas wasted no time going right after it.
Within the space of 4 minutes (at least as it was presented here) Douglas wore down Smith to the point that Terry Funk had to throw in the towel.
Your Winner and Still ECW Champion: Shane Douglas
Post match, Funk turned on Smith, beating him up with his boot then tossing him to the outside and dumping a chair on him.
It was the most entertaining thing that had happened in the first 20 minutes of this show.
Yesterday’s Trash
Prior to the next match, Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge threw some garbage in the trash which allowed them to deliver the very original and very clever line:
“Diamond, Tanaka, we’re going to take you out like yesterday’s trash!”
Right on.
Badd Company (Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka) vs. Public Enemy (Flyboy Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge)
Finally, we got a match this fan could really sink his teeth into.
Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka were excellent and Public Enemy didn’t exactly phone it in either.
Their combined efforts gave us a compelling match which proved to be the best thing on the show up to this point.
After a very strong contest, Badd Company picked up the win following a miscommunication between Rock and Grunge.
Your Winners: Badd Company
And on we go.
Rockin’ Rebel vs. Chris Michaels
We joined this match in progress and it wasn’t really anything.
Rockin’ Rebel beat up on Chris Michaels for a bit, then beat up the referee too and got disqualified.
Your Winner via disqualification: Chris Michaels
Post-match, Rebel went to attack Michaels with a chair, but his arch-rival Big Sal Belomo charged the ring and saw him off.
Bad Breed (Axl & Ian Rotten) vs. Chad Austin & Don E. Allen
This was essentially a squash match, with Axl Rotten & Ian Rotten demolishing their opponents in rapid order.
It wasn’t terrible or anything, but it was very obvious (especially given Joey Styles commentary), that this was intended as nothing more than TV filler to help Bad Breed get over.
Your Winners: Bad Breed
Up next, more Public Enemy.
Don Muraco & Superfly Jimmy Snuka vs. Badd Company (Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka)
Badd Company came out second, looking like they were gearing to fight Snuka & Muraco, only to be blindsided by Public Enemy. As Rock & Grunge attacked, Joey Styles yelled:
“We haven’t seen Public Enemy since they lost to Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka!”
So like, ten minutes ago then Joey?
Anyway, Bad Breed then came out and attacked Public Enemy and the announcer declared the match a forefeit.
Your Winners via forefeit: Don Muraco & Jimmy Snuka.
What a waste of time that was. It was good news for Snuka & Muraco though, and probably the easiest pay check they ever made.
Afterwards, Styles confirmed that Badd Company really were supposed to be the intended opponents.
Eastern Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Championship
ECW Heavyweight champion Shane Douglas (w/ Sherri Martel) vs. Sabu (w/ Paul E. Dangerously)
Wikipedia says this match lasted nigh on 13 minutes so this version must have been severely edited because it was over in less than 3.
Sabu got attacked by Douglas but then slammed him and landed a moonsault to capture the title.
Your Winner and New ECW Heavyweight Champion: Sabu
Post-match, the new champion was dragged, thrashing and lashing away, to the back.
Superfly Jimmy Snuka vs. Chad Austin
Snuka destroyed Austin in no time at all then hit him with a slingshot suplex and pinned him with an arrogant ‘one foot over the chest’ cover.
The sling shot suplex looked good. The rest of this match did not.
Your Winner: Jimmy Snuka
And finally...
Steel Cage Match
Badd Company (Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka) vs. The Public Enemy (Flyboy Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge)
This match went from the entrances straight to Bad Breed running in and a whole bunch of chairs being swung about.
It looked like a good brawl, but by this point I have to admit, I’d completely switched off.
Public Enemy won by escaping the cage.
Your Winners: Public Enemy
Thank goodness that’s over
If anyone out there has a copy of night one of this event that they’d like to send me, I’d be glad to review for the sake of completion, but if it’s anything like Night 2, I dare say I won’t enjoy it much.
By the time this hour-long presentation was half way through, it had become very apparent that what NWA Bloodfest really was, was a two-night TV taping with matches shot in no particular order to be played on ECW TV.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, the fact that we only saw abridged versions of mediocre matches did not make for an entertaining hour of pro wrestling viewing.
The first Badd Company/Public Enemy match was enjoyable, but nothing else here was up to much.
Other ECW Reviews:
- ECW Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular
- ECW Ultra Clash 1993
- ECW November to Remember 1999
- WWE - ECW One Night Stand 2005
Other 1993 Event Reviews:
- WWF Royal Rumble 1993
- WWF Wrestlemania 9
- SMW Bluegrass Brawl 1993
- WWF Wrestlemania - The Album Review
- WWF King of the Ring 1993 - Preshow report
- WWF King of the Ring 1993
- ECW Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular
- WWF Summerslam 1993
- SMW Fire on the Mountain 1993
- ECW Ultra Clash 1993
- WWF Survivor Series 1993
- SMW - Thanksgiving Thunder
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3 Comments
The ads and pictures made it hard to read. They are covering some of the paragraphs you have written.
ReplyDeleteI'm really digging these '93 ECW reviews. This is such a weird, bad time for the promotion, but it's kind of good fun anyway.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bobby, I'm trying to cut adds out of the post themselves - they even piss me off.
ReplyDelete