UnWrest Focus REWIND: Dusty Rhodes vs. Steve Corino (Texas Bullrope Match; ECW Living Dangerously 2000, 3/12/2000)

Welcome to another edition of UnWrest Focus REWIND. This time we are going back to the year 2000 as something truly remarkable happens: the legendary American Dream Dusty Rhodes spends a few months working in ECW. Yes, THAT ECW. During that time period, he had a running feud with a young wrestler by the name of Steve Corino. Working with Dusty Rhodes in a blood feud would be enough to put over any young talent, but Corino had the honor of wrestling Dusty Rhodes in Rhodes' signature Texas Bullrope Match. Dusty Rhodes was well beyond his prime at this point, but could "The Dream" prove that Old School still works even in The Land of Extreme?

Let's find out!

ECW Living Dangerously 2000
3/12/2000
Texas Bullrope Match
"The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes vs. Steve Corino (with Jack Victory)

Corino tells Dusty to come out so he can kick his fat butt... IF YOU WILL.
Both men are wearing the jeans and shirts that go along with this type of gimmick. Dusty wears his classic black cowboy hat to the ring.

Dusty gets the elbow on Corino a couple times. Corino gets tied up into the rope. The bell rings finally. Dusty uses the rope to keep Corino from rolling out. If Corino needed more cowbell, DUSTY GAVE IT TO HIM! Dusty pulls Corino outside and smacks him with the Cowbell in front of the camera. He now uses the corner of it to torture Corino. They're fighting into the crowd now. Actually, Dusty is just destroying him at the moment, pulling him throughout the arena. The fans are going nuts. Corino is bleeding. ECW ECW ECW! Corino fights back and smacks Dusty with the cowbell, digging at his flesh now with it. Jack Victory is all over Dusty, and like a monster in a movie, DUSTY KEEPS COMING AFTER CORINO! Dusty is bleeding in the stands now. THIS CROWD LOVES THE DREAM!
Corino and Dusty continue to fight throughout this arena. Corino flips over the rail back into the ringside area. Victory now helps Corino by beating on Dusty. Corino follows up. (So far, this has been a bloodbath. And it's done a good job of mixing in the ECW formula with the Old School Bullrope match type as well.) Corino and Dusty are finally back in the ring, with Corino choking Dusty with the rope. Corino takes a face first dive into a chair. God, Dusty is really bleeding badly. HE RAKES THE BELL ACROSS CORINO'S ARM! DAMN! He's bleeding from the arms now. Cowbell to the face.
Corino fights back and starts going back at Dusty. Corino wedges the chair between the corner turnbuckles. Dusty gets sent into it face first. Elbow by Dusty. Corino fights back. Dusty's Bionic Elbow by Corino now. Bionic Elbows for Corino and Victory. The referee now HELPS DUSTY PUT A SECOND COWBELL ON CORINO'S HEAD AS DUSTY TAPES IT ON! (Apparently, Corino beat up this young referee a while back and busted him open. So this is payback.) Dusty gets the chair AND SMACKS IT RIGHT INTO THE COWBELL INTO CORINO'S SKULL! Dusty hits the Bionic Elbow Drop! 1-2-3!

Winner: Dusty Rhodes
Match Grade: C+. This was definitely a decent to good match here. Corino took most of the bumps in this match, which is probably for the best. But Dusty did some work as well getting color to add more to the match. The match only lasted about 11-12 minutes, and it's hard to say that a match is good to great when it only goes that long and the ending is never really in doubt. Still, Corino got to work with Dusty. And that's a victory in and of itself.
And yes. I would have to say based on the crowd reaction, Old School worked in The Land of Extreme.
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That's it for this edition of UnWrest Focus REWIND. Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.