Thanks to Karen Brickhaus for the this report

Here is a brief recap of the WECW show from Poplar Bluff:

The first match was Renee Dupree (w/o Fifi) vs Balls Mahoney. As Dupree was walking out he went to the guy right in front of Scott (my husband) and I and knocked his hat off of his head and it landed under Scott's chair. I bent down to pick it up for the guy and next thing I know security is coming up to this guy and escorting him out. I never saw the guy do anything, Scott didn't either, but he may have shoved Dupree, I don't know. But I do know Scott and I didn't see the guy do anything wrong. Sucks for they guy. Anyways, Dupree did a bit of mic work and Balls Mahoney comes out, they wrestle and Balls wins.

Next match was FBI (Little Guido and Tony Mamaluke) up against two guys that I didn't catch the name of. They didn't look anything like any guys I saw at OVW (but then it has been a year since I saw any of their shows). They were two muscular tall guys both with short brown hair and each had a few tattoos. Crowd was all over the unknowns. FBI picks up the win.

The next match was the funniest for Scott and I to watch. It was Kevin Mordecei Seven (Stooge) Count Dracula Fertig (can't remember what he was announced as) with the Tarot lady up against CM Punk. Crowd was all for CM Punk, during one point in the match CM used his index fingers to make a cross and Fertig went running out of the ring. A guy in the row behind Scott and I had a bulb of garlic and a wooden cross and was holding it up. When Fertig was running from CM, he looked over at the fan and started freaking out over that. I believe CM got a kick out of that too. There were also a few misc Jesus and Jesus Loves You chants. Scott and I were kidding saying we went to a WECW show and found God, got saved, or We went to a WECW show and a church service broke out. It was a lot funnier than it sounds.

Next up was a bikini contest (it was announced differently, but the gist of it was a bikini contest). Francine vs Kelly Kelly. Francine came out first and got a big pop, as did Kelly. Francine took of her jersey first, she strutted around the ring with it on, when she went to take it off the music stopped. After several seconds it came back on and she took off the jersey to reveal a skimpy white one piece bathing suit. Kelly took off her robe to reveal a very skimpy gold bikini. Kelly won, Francine got mad and attacked Kelly, Kelly ended up getting the better of Francine and Francine went back to the back. Kelly got on the mic and said her boyfriend Mike Knox told her she couldn't strip anymore, but since she was in the Show Me state she would. She started dancing and untied the bikini top when Knox came out and covered her up with a towel. Kelly went back to the back and out came Sandman. He did his usual entrance through the crowd, when he got to the ring the ref took away the cane. During the match, I saw something that I never would have believed unless I saw it myself. Sandman did a Hurracanrana. I kid you not, he did one. Scott and I are still in shock over that. LOL Knox ended up winning by DQ when Sandman hit him with the cane.

After intermission, Tommy Dreamer came out and gave a pep talk. I don't remember word for word what he said, but it was basically that 5-6 years ago he stood in that very ring in that very building for the second to last ECW show. Even though the wrestlers weren't getting paid, they still gave their all for the fans in that building. It is because of those fans that ECW is back (by buying the dvds and other merchandise). People can talk about Philadelphia being hardcore fans, people can talk about Hammerstein Ballroom being hardcore fans, but Poplar Bluff is the most hardcore, I (Tommy) kid you not, Poplar Bluff has had the highest attendance since ECW has been back on the road and WECW will definitely be back and it will be for a TV or possibly a PPV. Now bring out my opponent.

Test comes out, fans are all over him. But he ends up picking up the win with his new finisher. After the match Tommy struggles to his feet and as he is leaving he takes off his tshirt to give to a guy in a wheelchair. Classy move by Tommy.

The second to last match was RVD against Kurt Angle. Both came out to big pops, crowd was pro RVD, but Angle had a good amount of support as well. This was a back and forth contest when something scary happened. Kurt gave RVD a release German suplex and RVD landed on the back of his neck and head (I didn't actually see RVD land, the person in front of me blocked that part of my view but that is how Scott said he landed). RVD was down for a while, but he was moving. Steve Keirn (who was at ringside for the entire show) walked over closer to where RVD was and was watching. The match continued for a couple minutes, Angle getting some offense and RVD getting some in as well, but he was favoring his right arm very heavily. He managed to to a Rolling Thunder, but when he went for the Frog Splash, instead of jumping to the top rope, he climbed. Kurt got RVD in the ankle lock and RVD tapped after a while. After the match Kurt immediately went to the back and a trainer (I guess) came out and checked RVD out. RVD ended up getting up, pulled his right shoulder strap out far enough so he could stick his right wrist and hand through it and walked to the back under his own power using his shoulder strap as a sling. I suspect he suffered a stinger or maybe pinched nerves, but that is only what I suspect, I don't know.

Last match was Big Show against Sabu. Sabu came out first, then Show did. Sabu immediately started going after Show with a chair, Show bailed out of the ring and got on the mic and said that if Sabu didn't put down the chair, Show would walk and he would take the title with him b/c to lose the title he has to be pinned or submit. So the ref took the chair away from Sabu and put it in the corner. After destroying a chair and a table Show chokeslammed Sabu through another table for the pin.

All in all it was a pretty fun show. I am no good at estimating attendance, but if I had to guess it would be somewhere around 1500-1700. The floor was full, the lower bleachers were probably 75% full, but there were only a few (and I mean a FEW) people in the upper bleachers.
Karen Brickhaus