Review: BloodSport- The Most Violent Matches of ECW (2 Disc) DVD

Brett Mix’s- Bloodsport: ECW’s Most Violent Matches Review:

 

These were MORE then three letters….these WERE our lives…. –Paul Heyman

 

 

-This DVD “BLOODSPORT” was put together due to the overwhelming success of the Rise and Fall of ECW DVD Collection that was released just the year before.

-This DVD was hosted by Paul Heyman who gave you an insight about the match that was about to take place before you witnessed it.

-This 2 Disc Set has 19 ECW matches on it including extra’s.

Disc 1 Matches:

1) The Public Enemy (c) vs Cactus Jack and Mikey Whipwreck for the ECW World Tag Team Championship -Hardcore TV: August 27th, 1994 at The ECW Arena

The Public Enemy were basically unstoppable at this point.
They had gone through every team in ECW and Joey Styles makes this clear at the beginning of this match, and then Rocco Rock got on the mic and told the hostile ECW crowd to be quiet so they could concentrate.

In other words, the story of this match was the fact that Foley didn’t stand a chance no matter who his partner was, even if it was of course…Mikey Whipwreck, the young skinny man from the ECW ringcrew.

Mikey Whipwreck seemed ready, or ready enough to get things going here and the crowd was behind him. Cactus let Mikey start things off with Rocco Rock and the bell rang.

As always with ECW crowds they were very lively.

Mikey Whipwreck attempted to run away from Rocco Rock after some heel mic work but Cactus grabbed him and gave Mikey a little pep talk. Both guys got ready to lock up but Mikey Whipwreck turned around and begged Cactus to not let him face the Enemy.

Good story at the beginning.

Foley in now and while Rocco aggrivates Mikey Whipwreck on the outside he took off and then when Cactus went for him, the Public Enemy went after Foley and threw him in the ring.

Cactus headbutted Grunge and then took Rocko Rock off the top down on the mat. Grunge slammed Cactus face first to the top turnbuckle, Flyboy Rocko Rock and Johnny Grunge stopped on Cactus. Mikey Whipwreck came back with a board and cracked it over the head of both of the Public Enemy. The fans applaud a special moment where Mikey Whipwreck was set to get it on now apparently. Fans chant his name.

Mikey Whipwreck still on the outside and Foley tied up with Rock and he backed Cactus Jack in the corner and slapped him in the face followed by a slow dance, Cactus was not impressed. Rock shoulder blocked Cactus four times in the corner, an irishwhip to the corner but Cactus Jack brought up the elbow and caught Rocko Rock in the face. Mikey Whipwreck tagged in and the fans approve, Mikey Whipwreck took down both Public Enemy inside the ring and against Grunge on the outside. Cactus used Mikey Whipwreck as a weapon and they sent Rock to the outside. A textboot dropkick by Mikey Whipwreck to Grunge and then a back body drop off the ropes.

Joey Styles did a good job and putting over Mikey Whipwreck as a major underdog against the Public Enemy. Cactus threw Grunge out of the ring and hit a neckbreaker to the floor. The fans on there feet by this point, the action now on the outside. Cactus Jack with a chair smacked Rocko Rock and then Grunge. Mikey Whipwreck making sure he stayed down and he was coming into his own. Johnny Grunge went face first into a table. Mikey Whipwreck stalking Grune and Styles was shocked, but Grunge gave Mikey Whipwreck a DDT onto the chair and Grunge did the Cabbage Match dance and Mikey Whipwreck got up. Grune levelled him down with a right fist between the eyes. A short arm clothesline by Grunge to Mikey. Mikey Whipwreck then caught by Grunge and he got hit with a long standing vertical suplex and now Mikey Whipwreck was in a tough predicament but Cactus Jack broke it up at two. Styles said it would of been over. Rock then dropped an elbow to Mikey Whipwreck and he somehow kicked out which Styles of course put over as if it was was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. Rocko Rock with a powerslam to Mikey Whipwreck and then Cactus made the save twice with a double axehandle twice to the back of Rock.

The Public Enemy were in control. Johnny Grunge with a face first piledriver and somehow Mikey Whipwreck kicked out and Styles can not believe it. Mikey Whipwreck irishwhipped and a double elbow to Mikey by the Public Enemy. Rocco Rock with a side slam attempt but Grunge tagged in and he dropped the elbow off the top, but AGAIN somehow Mikey Whipwreck kicked out and the ECW fans applaud. Rock kicked at Mikey Whipwreck and Cactus did not take to that as he evened the odds after all the times Mikey Whipwreck kicked out. Mikey Whipwreck dropped on the floor, Rock dropped a double axehandle to Cactus, and they took it into the seats. Rock hit Foley with a chair and he swung back a couple of times hitting Rocco Rock with it.

Some sloppy brawling in the stands between the teams here and the camera could not do a very good job at following the action here unfortunately.
Grunge set up Jack in the corner by the stands and Rocco Rock hit a crossbody to Foley. Public Enemy sent Foley over the railing towards the ring. Grunge sent Foley in and Mikey Whipwreck still was down on the canvas.

PE put a table in the ring. Cactus slowly got up and Grunge and Rock levelled him with shots. Public Enemy put Foley on the table face first. Mikey tried to grab Grunge, but Rocco Rock hit a moonsault through the table to Foley and Cactus Jack seems finished as the table snapped in half.
A reverse neckbreaker by Grunge to Mikey Whipwreck and Rocco Rock tagged in went to the top and then Cactus broke it up as he was pulled off and straddled the top rope. Mikey Whipwreck then curled up Rocco Rock and got an upset win as the place goes wild.

In the end at 15:27 Mikey Whipwreck and Cactus Jack won the match and the tag titles in a shocking result just as Paul Heyman elluded to on this DVD before the match aired.

Some pretty fun stuff, a little sloppy but it had a nice story to it and flowed in a typical ECW way, memorable for the result anyway.

 

** 1/2

 

 

2) The Sandman and Terry Funk vs Cactus Jack & ECW World champion Shane Douglas (c) -Extreme Warfare Volume 1: March 17th, 1995 at the ECW Arena

Shane Douglas was the World Champion in ECW during this tag contest.

Shane Douglas teamed up with his buddy Mick Foley known here as Cactus Jack in ECW to take on Funk and Sandman, two crazy personalities who could no doubt get it done, the ingredients of a great match were certainly here.

In this match were four of the most important men in the history of ECW so it was a nice touch to see al of them together here delivering a strong, solid match.
The brawling began!

Shane Douglas wasted little time pounding on the Sandman who he threw to the outside and then he got back in only to get more shots, and then The Franchise hit Sandman and Funk with Kendo stick chants. Stiff shots to the head of Cactus by accident. Foley pushed him back as he caught his own partnet. Douglas apologizes and Foley wants to know what the deal is. Funk throws a chair in the ring and caught Cactus in the leg. Cactus Jack picked up a chair and levelled Funk and Sandman both. Sandman and Funk then double team Cactus as Douglas left him high and dry as they exchanged words and Cactus is in trouble.

Shane Douglas left Cactus Jack momentarily but he came back eventually to help out Foley with Kendo Stick shots to the opposition. Cactus with a running clothesline that took Funk the outside, then another signature Foley clothesline took Sandman to the outside. Douglas threw Funk back in and Cactus with another one. Great athleticism by Foley. Never thought I’d say that. Funk showing his toughness and Nancy Benoit ran out to look on.

Cactus with his fourth running clothesline and over. A bloody Terry Funk clotheslined into the steel chsir by Douglas. Cactus Jack drops the elbow to Terry Funk from the second turnbuckle to the concrete floor and Terry is down. Foley then watched Douglas irishwhip Sandman over the barricade to the first row. Douglas then elevated his own partner by irishwhipping Cactus over the barricade and he hit Sandman on the outside.
Shane Douglas is awesome here.

Both The Franchise and Cactus work over Funk and then get him in the ring, a double irishwhip and a double reverse elbow. Cactus dropped Douglas in an atomic drop into a leg drop fashion, great team work and Sandman made the save. Funk with DDT to the Franchise and he threw Cactus to the outside giving Funk and Sandman a breather. Funk then with a chair missed Foley’s head, then connected. Sandman layed Cactus out with it on the outside and proceeded to choke out Foley. Douglas got Sandman in the ring but Sandman was able to hit a DDT to Shane Douglas.

On the outside Sandman and Funk tore apart the steel gaurdrail and had something on there minds to possibly inflict more punishment to the team of Cactus Jack (Mick Foley) and The Franchise Shane Douglas. Shane Douglas took the gaurdrail and threw a section of it in the ring with chairs to a huge pop, Styles said you can’t do that! Shane Douglas got levelled with it by both Funk and Sandman twice. Cactus kicked out. Cactus threw a series of chairs inside the ring but not hitting either opponent. Funk connected with a chair thrown at Foley from inside the ring to the outside. Douglas thrown into the steel. Terry Funk atomic dropped Douglad on the the gaurdrail and The Sandman clotheslined him in sloppy fashion. Funk then targetted the legs of Shane Douglas with a chair on the apron. Sandman missed shoulder block on Foley but Terry Funk connected with a chairshot to Foley. Small “Terry” chants were evident. Cactus grabbed Funk and sent him over the first row, Sandman charged towards Douglas and just made it to his feet on the ground. Cactus and Funk battling on the outside. Funk threw Foley face first into the pole, and then Funk hit a DDT on the floor. A toolbox from underneath the ring was opened by Terry Funk by the entrance area. Foley knocked him down, and sent a trashcan to Funk who is now down as he wasted too much valuable time. Foley grabbed Sandman by the head and smashed his head against the chair a fan was holding up. Sandman though out of desperation his a belly to back suplex on Cactus Jack on the concrete.

Cactus thrown back in but cut off Sandman coming in, hits him with a chair and layed it on Sandman’s face before dropping a leg on him. Sandman hit Foley back and then DDT’d him on the chair. The momentum by either team wasn’t clear but the action was fun, entertaining and back and forth. Sandman went high up top and dropped the leg on Cactus.

Shane Douglas, The Franchise rushed back in the ring to make the save and he dropped a chair on Sandman head first in the middle of the ring. Sandman then elevated himself over the top onto Sandmnan and hit a crossbody. Funk ran back in with a flaming iron.
Funk is trying to burn Cactus, he did it. Funk burns Cactus with a flaming burning iron, crowd screams and Joey yells OH MY GOD.
Funk sets up Cactus with a piledriver on a burning iron and gets the fall.
Extremely dangerous,.

In the end at 13:48 the match ended.
Wow.

Hardcore to the extreme, just a fun match, well worked by four ECW legends and the ending was extremely violent.

I bump up the match 1/4* for the sick ending.

 

 

*** 1/2

 

 

 

 

3) Axl Rotten vs Ian Rotten in a Taipei Death Match -ECW Hardcore Heaven: July 7th, 1995

Warning: This match is not for everybody, be very cautious when waching this one if you can not deal with blood or glass. But chances are if you are watching this DVD then it is not a problem.

What this match is all about is explained by Paul Heyman at the beginning chapter before they show the sick match.

Two brothers who tape there hands in glue and then broken glass, legitimately and proceed to punch the hell out of each other.

Sick concept, but fitting for this DVD set. Hardcore fans should enjoy it.

This was the first ever Taipei Death Match and as pointed out by Styles the most disturbing thing was these were siblings. It was real glass and the fans chanted for blood early.
Here we go.

Styles claims to the fans watching and there chanting, “If it’s blood you want, it’s blood you’ll get.” Not sound like Saw’s Serial Killer Jigsaw but it seems evident, there will be blood.

Axl Rotten opened this disturbing bout with his brother by ducking a roundhouse by Ian and he gives him a jab and Ian goes down as Axl Rotten lands trhe first punch. Ian has a small knick of blood over his left eye and the official checks it out.
Alfonso acting as official said he was going to stop the match.

The Gangsta’s and Public Enemy started brawling near ringside. New Jack was taken to the outside, he didn’t make this DVD very often and I wonder why. Cops take out New Jack, never heard of that before.

Anyway, back to the match as Commish Gordon came into the ring and announced that Bill Alfonso left the building, and he said in that case the Death Match was on.
Ian then raked Axl’s face with glass on his face. A Chop to the gut by Ian that caught his arm and it was bloodied all over no matter where you hit. Axl Rotten was being raked by Ian over and over again and both men by this point were ALREADY BLOODY.
Axl Rotten then digged the glass into the head of his brother Ian.

The match couldn’t last much longer as they’d run out of blood. Ian originally turned on Axl when they lost the titles to the Pitbulls so Axl Rotten was the babyface and he had the chants.

Both guys, especially Axl were bloodied on the outside with his arms and face. Ian chased by Axl back into the ring. Both men losing blood could barely stand, and Ian kicked out as he got the shoulder up. Axl continued to grind the glass into the forehead of Ian which is a sick shot.

Ian then dropped his head into the groin of Axl Rotten and he gets smashed by Ian Rotten as he smeared Glass across the forehead of Axl Rotten.
Disgusting.

Blood all over the mat and the bodies of both brothers. Axl Rotten set up for a DDT by Ian Rotten to the canvas to his bloodied head. Ian Rotten ieth a bag of tacks, and what next?
Thumbtacks chant was heard. A backdrop to Ian Rotten who was bloodied onto the hundreds if not thousands of tacks, and he was a bloody mess. Words don’;t do it justice, the most blood you’d ever see. Axl Rotten gets the pinfall after a splash onto the tacks by Axl Rotten onto Ian Rotten.

In the end at 11:41 Ian lost to his brother Axl Rotten after a splash on the tacks and a backbody drop, mixed in with a loss of blood.

* 1/2 For the brutality alone.

 

 

** 1/2

 

 

 

4) Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Psicosis in a Mexican Death Match -ECW November to Remember: November 18th, 1995

 

There match on “The Rise and Fall of ECW” in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match was the defenition of a Classic Match. Definately a **** 1/2 match there from my perspective of course.

I have provided a link to that match’s review at the top of this review for the Rise and Fall of ECW.

Paul Heyman says this was as good as Lucha Libre got.

Here we go for aother fun ride, beteen Rey Mysterio Jr and Psicosis, and this one was a Mexican Death Match.

Psicosis and Rey had a tremendous chemistry,
This caught Bischoff’s eye for the great lucha libre style that would be presented in North America for years to come.

This match here could be a classic in every way. Rey and Psicosis were truely two of a kind together inside the ring in there prime back in the 1990’s and this was a treat and it made sense this one definately got taken to the extreme.

Two bitter rivals clashing in an extreme lucha libre clash between Psicosis and Rey.
A staredown on the top buckle upon entering by Rey and a masked Psicosis tells him to stick it and jumps down.

Here we go.

Psicosis against his longtime nemesis and this one really felt special as it would no doubt be taken to the extreme. Psicosis came dressed for the occasion instead of his usual cape and ring-attire he came with a Harley Davidson jacket, and an EC F’N W shirt.

Fans chant “Lucha”.

Mysterio comes out to a terrible edit job on this DVD of his “Who that jumpin out the sky?” theme. Anyway Rey meets Psicosis on the top rope and the two have an interesting staredown. Styles is bang on when saying THIS is like no match they have ever had.

Time to take this feud to the next level in a Mexican Death Match.

If a Wrestler is pinned or forced to submit, he will have as ten count to answer the bell, if he can’t, his oppponent is declared the winner, all bets are off. Simple enough, I’m ready.

Rey Mysterio Jr and Psicosis both individually had there own little following here and both talents were showcased quite well on this stage, inside the ring and especially out during this paticular encounter, which its best known for.

Rey Mysterio avoided Psicosis charging him and he hit his knees in the corner, Psicosis reversed an irishwhip but Rey with a flying hurricanrauna and Rey flipped over the ropes landed on the apron, Psicosis charged towards Rey again on the apron and missed once again. Rey on the top turnbuckle went for a hurricanrauna and got it even though Psicosis tried to avoid the pinning predicament. Rey got him.

Psicosis answered the count, match continues, a good thing because that opening sequence was amazing,.

Both men criss-cross and Psicosis misses a third charge attempt. Psicosis flipped Rey over and landed on his feet like a cat on the apron, Psicosis went for a vertical suplex but Rey landed on his feet once again and did a hurricanrauna for a third time to the outside this time, beautifully executed.

Fans are loving this and why shouldn’t they.

Psicosis catches Rey outside the ring after he sets up the steel-gaurd rail and Rey tried to plunge off the top but falls and this is what we call a botch.

It happens, especially in risky matches like this, they are humans and therefore I don’t subtract anything from a match in this regard if its minor like this, especially in a MATCH as incredible as this one. Psicosis grabs a chair as Rey lays flat on the outside ground are and just throws a chair at Rey who catches a chair to the face. Psicosis throws Rey in the ring and ascends from the top turnbuckle and hits Mysterio both feet to the chest. 1/4 isn’t bad, right?

Psicosis slams Rey to the mat and hit a moonsault from the top and it got a three count.

Psicosis with his first pinfall and now Psicosis waits to see if Rey’s leg gave out on him or not to answer the ten count.

This is a spot I’m confused and somewhat amazed with. Rey Mysterio is either brilliant at improv or the BOTCH I called a botch wasn’t that. You’ll have to decide for yourselves but either way Rey plays on the leg being damaged from falling to the floor earlier on the outside and barely answers the ten count.

It’s also funny how moves like this don’t put away Psicosis and Rey in other matches, but since they CAN in matches like this there are pinfalls. I thought the same thing when watching Randy Savage take on Crush in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Wrestlemania X. However people bitched when there WERE NO pinfalls or submissions for over one hour with Bret and Shawn in 96 so I guess you can’t win either way.

Psicosis is mad that Mysterio DOES manage to make it to his feet. Psicosis goes 2/5 in the charging dropkick attempt and caught Rey up high in the turnbuckle with no where to go but back first. Psicosis then press slams Rey with great elevation dropping him ribs first across the top turbuckle. Psicosis charged to Rey and dropped a double axehandel to the ribs of Rey. Fans chant LUCHA some more. Psicosis elevates Rey off the ropes from an irishwhip and dropped him face first to the mat. Psicosis shoots Rey to the ropes and catches him with an AWESOME POWERBOMB.

Just awesome looking powerbomb by Psicosis that gets him his second pinfall of the match. Rey gets up this time at the count of nine. Just barely.

Psicosis rams Rey in the corner squashing him down to the mat. Psicosis picks up Rey up high and what originally looks like an over the shoulder back breaker, Rey is flipped by Psicosis and lands chest first on the top turnbuckle.

Psicosis goes outside the ring for a chair and then throws it away which gains a chorus of boo’s. Okay? Psicosis slams Rey hard chest first into the corner again and then slams him on the mat with a Press Slam. Psicosis up high and goes for a nice swinging legdrop, a half moonsault/senton combination. Once again Psicosis gets a pinfall, his third of the match not that keeping score matters as its not an Ironman Match or anything, I just thought I’d throw it out there. Rey answers just barely. Psicosis dropkicks Rey in the chest. He begs for Rey to answer. Rey showing nice resilience.

Psicosis with a dropkick into the bruised chest in the corner. Psicosis decides TO NOW use the chair which gets a pop. Psicosis drags Rey and plants him with a DDT to the chair.

Psicosis lifts the chair and drops it against the back of Rey. Psicosis on top hits a Senton again flipping in the air with a chair on the top of Rey and ONCE again he gets the three count. Fourth time and Rey is in trouble, will he answer the ten count again? Rey getting to his feet and right bseside a CHAIR, he doesen’t grab it!? Strange. You’d figure this would be an easy way to get back in the match.

Anyway Psicosis charges him again, what else is new and then dropkicks Rey to the knee. Psicosis is picking apart Mysterio and is practically begging him to get up and then slams a steel chair to the knees of Rey. Psicosis went up top for a Senton and Rey was smart enough to plant the chair above his knees and his Senton connected a chair and now Rey is up and threw a chair to Psicosis’s face.

Rey IS BACK.

Mysterio purposely took a slow count on the last two pinfalls, well that’s the explanation given by Styles and it certainly makes sense to the story of the match here.
Rey with two quick offensive moves, make it three. A clothesline off the apron, a springboard to the outside on Psicosis, and then a springboard off the top ropes to Psicosis landing on him. Nicely done, and fans chant ECW. Rey with a chairshot to Psicosis. Rey followed Psicosis to the far corner of the building and both men brawling in the crowd.

Rey Mysterio Jr slams a chair viciously at the head of Psicosis. Psicosis dumped back over the gaurdrail and Rey slams a chair across the back of him. Rey then threw Psicosis over the gaurdrail once again. Rey then grabbed the chair and went looking after Psicosis who was heading the way of Styles int he crowd. Rey hit Psicosis with a chair. Both men go up on a stage area of sorts so most of the fans can see. Rey throws a chair to Psicosis. Chair to the face. Mysterio goes up to the very top of the building and hit a hurricanrauna and then got a three.

Pretty brilliant spot, fans loves it.

Rey goes back to the ring to a standing ovation. The count starts and Rey picks up a chair and is going apeshit in the ring. Psicosis tries to get up and then falls over the stage to the lower one and was not able to answer the ten count. Mysterio wins.
Psicosis surrenders the Mexican Death Match, the fans applaud and Styles calls it unbelievable that a 20 year old Phenom in Rey could battle back to win.

The end came at 16:20.

Heyman takes a shot at Bischoff after the match and says Heyman discovered Jericho, Psicosis and Rey and NOT HIM. He helped make them, NOT HIM.

Anyway, back to this match.

How can I sum this up or describe to you what it was to perhaps freshen your memory or give you some insight to what exactly went down if you haven’t seen it.

Psicosis dominates the entire first half, gets four pinfalls on Rey and takes advantage of his legs. (Like they’d do in the next Rey matches for years to come)

Rey somehow gets the will to battle back and does so in the 2nd half and eventually wins.

Good hurricanrana’s and Senton’s and Springboard splashes, and the finish off the top of the building was sick.

I’ll give it a good grade for the excitement but there was noticeable flaws and an overall lack of substance. Well to the likes of there other match from Rise and Fall anyway.

I didn’t like the outline of the match, the way it was structured, it just didn’t feel logical. It was great and exciting but I’m just not a fan. There better bouts were on R and F of ECW as said and dare I say perhaps in WCW. Still this is a sight to be seen for some of the spots alone, and the consistent pace.

 

*** 3/4

 

 

5) Chris Jericho (c) vs Shane Douglas vs 2 Cold Scorpio vs Pitbull #2 (W/Francine) in a Four Corner’s Match for the ECW TV Title -ECW Heatwave 96

It’s on right away here.

We see Pitbull #2 (nice name btw) walk to the ring and all of the sudden he is greeted with a flying chair to the skull from the “Franchise” Shane Douglas. Nice to see a match from him on an ECW DVD.

Scorpio and Jericho get things going in the ring. Jericho with a chop and a side headlock to Scorpio and he elevates him to the ropes, a leapfrog by Scorpio and then one by Jericho and both guys dodge each other in a nice exchange, Jericho kicks Scorpio to the outside and he goes for a walk.

Styles is right when saying “we’re off to a fast and furious start.”

Chris Jericho locks up with Scorpio and Scorpio applies a hammerlock after a waistlock go-behind, and it was reversed by Jericho but Scorpio hits an armdrag, the two exchange leapfrog’s and then Scorpio caught Chris Jericho with a dropkick to the chest and Douglas on the apron laughed at Chris Jericho on the outside since the two had trashtalked previous. Scorpio slams Jericho to the mat and then hits a nice summersault legdrop to Chris Jericho. A headbutt, irish-whip then Jericho countered it into a nice powerbomb and Scorpio kicks out. Jericho with a drop toehold and then he had Scorpio tied up with a boot above the head while he stretched the arm. Scorpio then on the mat turned him over and put him in a rear chinlock of sorts while pulling the hair on Jericho.

We are being treated to some fantastic chainwrestling but the fans chant for tables.
Chops back and forth and then Scorpio got the better of it and hit a high kick. Douglas tagged in when Chris Jericho was down and Douglas opened up on Jericho and applied a front facelock followed by a suplex attempt but Chris Jericho with a reversal and got a suplex to Douglas. Side headlock takeover to Douglas by the reigning TV Champ in Chris Jericho, and a two count momentarily with Franchise’s back on the mat. Chris Jericho shot off the ropes and then a shoulder block, a unique rollover and a two count. A shot to the cranium by Jericho and then a springboard legdrop to Douglas by Chris Jericho and the fans chant Lionheart. Jericho rams Douglas’s head into the top turnbuckle and then the middle one repeatedly. Jericho taunts Scorpio on the apron.
Chris Jericho looking exhausted hits Shane Douglas with a high knee in the corner, then a couple of hard knife edge chops while the fans WOO in style. Another one, and then Douglas hits back, stiff shots back and forth.

Awesome, just awesome physicality, stiff stuff.

A boot to the mouth of Douglas from Chris Jericho and then a Lionsault which gains him a two and a half. Chris is amazingly fatigued by this point but hits Shane Douglas with a knee lift. Jericho tagged in Pitbull #2 and The Franchise tagged in Scorpio and the fans chant “Pussy.” Pitbull gets flipped off by Douglas on the apron and Scorpio gets some right hands from Pitbull, Scorpio presslammed and countered, but back into a successful press slam by the powerful Pitbull #2. Francine getting the fans riled up for him, and then with Scorpio in the air, was going for a reverse victory roll and was planted by Pitbull #2. Fans chanted Pitbull and he was pretty over here, which is rather surprising given the talent the other three men had in this match, you figure he may be the lone guy to not get heat in a positive way but did. A nearfall and Scorpio fought back and elevated Pitbull #2 up by hooking him in the air using his mid-body strength (his core) and sending him over the top and Pitbull 2 hit the gaurdrail on the outside. Scorpio on the outside with a boot to the face, and then Scorpio sent Pitbull face first into the steel and he was all bloodied open. Pitbull told Francine he could continue. Scorpio grabbed Putbull and dragged him back in. Pitbull 2 got a high knee from Scorpio again and then an oppurtunistic Shane Douglas was eager to tag back in.
Styles complains that the Franchise Shane Douglas only comes in when his opponent is in a vulnerable state, but Douglas didn’t care being the arrogant heel he was. Obnoxious and loving it was Douglas who came in and went right to work on an already beaten down opponent inside the ring in Pitbull #2 who then taunted his manager in Francine. Shane Douglas with a Northern Light’s Suplex and a two count. Douglas in cocky fashion tagged in Jericho with a slap. Chris Jericho picks up a beaten down and bloodied Pitbull and hit him with a snapmare and a kick to the back. A dropkick to Pitbull 2 and Francine was of course concerned again. Jericho with a righthand and a chop, Pitbull even got chants over Chris Jericho here and hit a reverse elbow out of desperation to Lionheart. A small Francine chant starts up, and Styles puts over Jericho as the last survivor of the Hart family Dungeon. Pitbull plants Jericho hard to the mat taking the wind out of him momentarily and gets a two. Jericho iriswhipped by Pitbull, ducks the clothesline, waistlock reversed and a spinning heel kick out of no where by Jericho. A german suplex by Jericho followed by a bridge and a two count only, Pitbull’s strength allowing him to kick out of Jericho’s prowess and wrestling skill.

Pitbull 2 was a bloody mess and the story was evident where he was on his last ride here but Jericho was planted by Pitbull out of no where. He finally tagged out and Scorpio tried to finish off the reigning tv champ in Chris Jericho. A scoop slam and Scorpio went aerial where he is best and Jericho got to his feet and knocked him off landing groin first. Jericho yells out “Oh yeah!” Jericho on top with Scorpio and Lionheart hit a standing hurricanrauna from the top, Styles does his usual “OH MY GOD” call and the fans applaud. Douglas tags himself in, pins Scorpio but he kicks out.

Non-Stop Action.

A spinning heel kick by Scorpio to Douglas and hard blows and the fans love seeing the bad guy getting knocked out of the ring. Scorpio not finished as he levelled Douglas who played a heel to perfection on the outside and sent him into the steel gaurdrail and proceeded to make him eat a chair according to Styles since he had a BIG MOUTH and it was certainly possible. Scorpio with forearms and then sends him into a steel chair face first which then dents as a result. Scorpio covers Mr. Douglas and he kicks out. Scorpio tags in Pitbull #2 and he goes after Douglas who leaves the ring and tags in Jericho and he gets out of dangers way again. Jericho almost gets pinned by Pitbull #2, and good selling by Jericho for his knee to give out against a stronger, more powerful Pitbull #2. He knocks Chris Jericho head first into the top turnbuckle and then gives him impactful kicks to the mid-section. An irishwhip tot he corner and Jericho hit sternum first, as he mistimes the Pitbull and lands chest first. Fans chant that he messed up to put it politely but I don’t know if that was the case. Pitbull tagged in Scorpio and he kicked the bruised chest of Jericho. See, I figure it was apart of the story to damage Jericho’s mid-section all along, but that may be just me. Franchise with cheap shots, no surprise there. Scorpio sends the mid-section of Jericho into the steel. Jericho hit a DDT to Scorpio inside the ring. Jericho with a high kick to Scorpio and then Pitbull #2 tagged in and put Scorpio into a fireman’s carry and takes him to the top rope. Pitbull #2 with a nice powerful fireman’s carry slam backwards to the mat. Douglas tagged in and went for a reverse armdrag on Pitbull, but he hiptosses him to the outside and the two brawl. Chris Jericho launches himself off the apron to the outside connecting with both men. Unbelievable.

Scorpio then launched himself and landed on all three, and another Oh My God.

What action, amazing really that they can all keep up this pace.

Jericho the MVP of the match from a workrate point of view backdropped a charging Scorpio over the ring gaurdrail to the floor. Both men exchanging blows, chops in the seats. Action galore, everywhere. Jericho hits Scorpio with a chair between the eyes and tosses him over the ring post. Jericho with a shot to the back.

Jericho must of lost about ten pounds in this match already, and despite the obvious exageration I wouldn’t doubt me being far off on that speculation. Douglas bulldogged Pitbull 2 and he kicked out, more Pitbull chants. Scorpio wanted no part of Douglas’s tag attempt and neither did Jericho.

The Franchise has been left for Pitbull #2 to take control and the fans loved the coward getting his due. A corner slingshot and then Pitbull went for a pressslam, and dropped him for Jericho to dropkick him from the top. Pitbull and Jericho argue as both guys could of arguably put Franchise away, both men hated him so much they wanted to be the one specifically to put him away and ironically in a cruel twist of fate it worked to his favor as the two broke each other’s counts giving him time to kick out. Jericho with a flying elbow to Douglas and a kickout. Jericho with a spinning toehold, Fans WOO as they think he was going for the figure four. Lionheart chants resume as he does go for the Figure Four this time and Douglas is in considerable pain.

Scorpio out of no where hits an extreme dropkick to Jericho and then drops the knee between the eyes of the Lionheart. Scorpio slowing the pace down as he thinks out a strategy to put out Jericho. Scorpio hits a nice powerful, powerbomb and does a taunt by dancing around a bit. Nothing of the Flash Funk quality unfortunately.

Chris Jericho taking advantage of Scorpio turning his back on him and dropkicked him into Douglas’s corner, and he refused to tag in. Jericho tagged him in and punched Jericho, Scorpio with a thrust kick and Douglas tagged Jericho back in and the fans laugh. Douglas set him up! Scorpio hits a tombstone to Jericho and then hit a tumbleweed and eliminated the reigning Champion, the fans surprisingly pop and at 27 minutes into the match, the CHAMPION has been eliminated.

Scorpio says one down, and two to go.

The Champion out first, who would of thought that? Especially considering Jericho had been the MVP to this point. One of the most underrated half an hour of his entire career if I can be completely honest.

Douglas comes in and runs fast to Scorpio and attempts a handshake and then Scorpio laughs. Fans chant Lionheart on his way to the back appropriately.

“The Franchise” Shane Douglas still pleading with 2 Cold Scorpio to form an alliance against Pitbull #2 even despite the fact he was backstabbing him all match long.
Scorpio then goes for a handshake and kicks him in the gut, followed by shots and backdrop to a great reaction. Great standing dropkick to Douglas, and a high kick to Pitbull #2 off the apron to the outside. Scorpio then with an abdominal stretch nicely applied off the ropes to Shane Douglas. He is wearing down Douglas who is getting “Pussy” chants from this Hostice ECW crowd who add to the atmosphere of the match. Scorpio riding the Franchise down on the mat, and Douglas being very careful with his back to the mat, and kicked out just in time.

Both men to there feet, a headbutt and then a reversal irishwhip, Shane Douglas bought himself time with a reversal belly to belly suplex to Scorpio but rolled the wrong way and couldn’t capitalize with a pinfall. Douglas climbed to the top, Scorpio met him up and hit a magnificent sunset flip and and a two. Scorpio with a thrustkick to Pitbull #2 coming in. Nice.

Scorpio had both men down with a scoop slam to Pitbull and then one to Shane Douglas on top of him. Lookign to kill two birds with one stone he goes to the top and misses the moonsault! DDT from Shane Douglas to Scorpio after a move backfired on Scorpio. Now Shane Douglas wants to form an Alliance with Pitbull #2!
Hilarious.

Pitbull #2 looking to work with Douglas drove Scorpio with a super bomb from the top turning him inside out eliminating him. Shane Douglas immediately attacks Pitbull #2. The Franchise sends Pitbull 2 face frist into a busted open Pitbull 2 who at the beginning of the bout you wouldn’t have predicted him to make it this far, and he want to the ring post. A slugfest breaks out on the outside. Pitbull 2 then smacks the hell out of Shane Douglas on the ground. Brutality all around.

A couple of chairs brought into the ring with the final two men and they exchanged shots in the middle of the ring.

Shane Douglas then had Pitbull #2 with him in the center of the ring with one chair set up and the other chair also set up as the two faced each other. Pitbull 2 had Douglas set up for a powerbomb attempt perhaps into both steel chairs which would no doubt be a devistating blow.

“OH MY GODDDDD!” screams Styles as Pitbull #2 hits it and the place erupts! Pitbull #2 in almost a Cinderella like story given the nature of his performance and durability from the beginning of this clash was now the odds on favourite to win the whole thing after an impactful move such as that one, and the fact he made the final two!

Pitbull #2 then stands there looking tough while everyone chants the three letters you usually heard chanted during spots like that, and I don’t have to say what they were. Pitbull looked for something to finish off The Franchise and found a table under the ring. Pitbull #2 set up a table vertical in the corner. He proceeded to give him a hard forearm. Douglas reversed an irishwhip twice and hit a belly to belly suplex. A cover but Francine got on the apron. Douglas lifts her skirt and brings her in the ring. Douglas then goes for a kiss and connects with that.
Pitbull #2 sandwiched the ref by accident when charging for Douglas. A reversal as Pitbull picks up The Franchise and Francine out of no where throws sand in her man’s face betraying him.

Nice swerve.

Styles screams in his voice you could all picture “What the hell is going on here!?” Crowd was stunned, and you have to give it to Heyman for doing things like this before Vince or Eric were.

Francine then bends over and has Franchise written on her underwear. Nice. Pitbull 1 comes out and is pissed off. Pitbull #2 then gets fied up and continues the match and hits a clothesline and another two Shane Douglas. Pitbull 2 takes Douglas over the top with a clothesline to the floor. Pitbull 1 grabs Francine in the ring, and now Pitbull 2 comes in and the two get ready to put her through a table and everyone is standing.
What a moment.

Pitbull #2 set up a table and now both guys in Philly were going to double team her (not in the way they intented to earlier I imagine) and drove her through the table from the top, Styles screams ECW.

Fans chant it some more and The Pitbulls goes crazy.

Shane Douglas hits a DDT to Pitbull 1 on the injured shoulder, hit the TV title to Pitbull #2 and somehow he kicked out of Douglas’s cover.

It’s not over! A piece of the shattered table is driven into Pitbull 2 and he kicked out, AGAIN! Crowd goes crazy. This is amazing.

Douglas got brass knucks and connects and AGAIN he kicked out. One tough bastard for sure.

Now a CHAIN, what doesen’t Douglas have. A shot to the bloodied head and AGAIN he kicked out. A superhuman kickout and this fired him up more on adrenaline from the environment. A irishwhip to the corner and missed the spinkick. Douglas then brought in Pitbull 2 and won the match with a belly to belly.

In the end at 40:47 (Yeah, THAT LONG) “The Fanchise” Shane Douglas won the ECW Television Title in a magnificent fatal fourway, and he stumbles out with his new manager Francine.

He’s got the girl and he’s got the gold.

This is the best match from everybody included not named Chris Jericho that I’ve seen.

Underrated in a major way that it’s almost criminal. It it was not the length it was it could of easily been on his DVD.

I’ve yet to see a better match from an entertainment standpoint go this long, for fourty minutes it was NON-STOP. All kinds of awesome, even Styles brought his A game, the fans did as well. Everything flowed so perfectly here. A personal favourite of mine.
A big time gem on this DVD set or in the history of ECW and in each of these men’s career for that matter.

A classic match that makes you proud to be a fan of this sort of thing.

 

**** 1/2

 

 

6) “The Innovator of Violence” Tommy Dreamer vs “Crime Time” Brian Lee in a Weapons Match -ECW Hardcore Heaven 96

Here we have a match from the same night as the four corner’s one just previously reviewed on the DVD to this one from Heatwave 96.

Good to see the Innovator of Violence, or Silence according to Mick Foley circa 2006.

Tommy Dreamer was the heart and soul of ECW.

Here he faces Brian Lee. Remember him? Nailz from the DOA in the WWF. Or the Fake Undertaker in 1994 for that matter.

A weapons match that is full of everything.

Shot after shot, more shots then a Jenna Jameson movie likely in this one. A kid in a candy store was how Styles described Dreamer. The two exchange pan shots, garbage can shots viciously to the head area. Lee tries to open up Dreamer. Lee picks up both pans and smacks them together to the head of Dreamer. Dreamer hit a crate into Lee’s head. The two go into the crowd. Lee hits Dreamer with a chair to the head twice, fans chant for blood.

Both guys go to the corner of the building near the exit sign. Into the outside gate area where a ton of fans are standing and a poor camera job tries to catch the action.
Anything goes in ECW, and Vince likes to say that anything did in the WWF and he later copied this “lets take 2 guys outside going anywhere” type idea later calling it the Hardcore division.

Lee smacks Dreamer into a truck and then hard head first into the gate. Tommy was bleading in a big way and then he smacked Lee in the head with a chair and sent Crime Time into the gate.

The Camera kept following the action to the outside. Lee hit a vertical suplex on the street to a bloodied Dreamer. Fans chant ECW.

Both guys heading back towards the building and a bloodied Dreamer kept hitting Lee hard into the gate and another head shot with whatever the hell weapon he had in his hand, it sounded rough anyway. Dreamer dragging Crime Time by his hair and planting him head first into the truck.

Dreamer bloodied gets shoved back towards the ring by Lee. Lee picks up a chair and slams it against Dreamer on the concrete floor. Dreamer out of desperation continued to fight and threw a mailbox between the eyes of Lee. Another hard shot to Lee’s head. Dreamer then smashed a weapon to Lee, but he smacked a bloodied Dreamer and he went
Lee then took a trashcan and brutally planted it to his bloodied skull. Dreamer with a low blow and grabbed a Guitar and irishwhipped Lee, he ducked the Guitar shot and hit a Crime Time slam which was virtually a chokeslam. Dreamer was down.

Crime Time aka Brian Lee grabbed a baseball bat and a concrete block which he placed on Dreamer. Beulah ran in and it’s always nice to see her and Crime Time grabbed her throat. Tommy got up and then another ECW vixen flashed Lee, Beulah with a frying pan shot, Dreamer with a stop sign shot.

In the end at 10:51 Dreamer wins the Weapon’s match.
Good ending, nice little battle, very brutal but just shot after shot basically and I’m personally not a fan but do certainly respect the guts.

 

** 1/4

7) Sabu vs Rob Van Dam in a Stretcher Match -ECW The Doctor is In: August 3rd, 1996

This match ends only when a man is taken away on a stretcher.

Two of the best ECW veterans of all time go at it, and RVD facing the man who trained him, his mentor.

Here we go, this is a pretty famous match in a great feud.

This one also got a lot of time to work, the match begins.

Rob Van Dam with a high kick attempt and Sabu dodged it. Sabu with a dropkick to the knee and RVD rolls out of harms way. Both men focused and then Van Dam with a dropkick to the knee as Sabu waits in the corner, both guys feeling one another out in the beginning stage.

Sabu missed a right hand and Van Dam connects with forearms and high kicks to the mid-section using the top rope for leverage. Snapmare and a leg drop from the corner by RVD, Sabu from his back down on the mat kicked RVD in the face. Fans chant for both guys as they circle around one another. A tie-up and Sabu with a roll-up, and RVD then gets caught in a leglock by Sabu, a unique version and RVD grabs the bottom rope to break the hold.

Strange slow beginning from both guys but you could tell they wanted to set the pace in a methodical fashion.

Another tie-up and Van Dam back against the ropes and the official tells them to break it off. Van Dam with a cocky grin as both guys then go at it with another slugfest, Sabu with a shot and then face first to the buckle, irishwhip to the corner and a slingshot legdrop that gets the fans finally out of there seats. Then a slingshot headbutt by Sabu to follow it up. Irishwhip, RVD ducked it, an underhook into a powerbomb by Van Dam. Rob Van Dam then has Sabu down on the mat, goes on the outside ring apron tries to springboard, but Sabu hits a standing dropkick to RVD sending him to the outside. A slingshot summersault senton by Sabu sends RVD down as Styls screams OH MY GOD. Nice spot.

Sabu had Rob Van Dam on the outside and now and RVD fights back with a leg drop onto Sabu after sending him by the gaurdrail. RVD set up a table hanging on the rail and on the mat, Sabu hits a high kick to Van Dam and face first into the table. A chair to the top of the head of RVD by Sabu and then a hard shot. Van Dam set up on the top turnbuckle and Sabu caught RVD up high and Van Dam then turned it around with a spinkick that sent Sabu to the concrete. RVD threw a chair down to the face of Sabu. RVD with a knee drop from the top rope to Sabu’s face as he is laying on the mat.

Fans calling for the Stretcher and this is the first attempt to put Sabu away and the fans boo as they feel they haven’t seen enough. Fans chant for SABU including the two diehard Sabu fans in the front row, he rolls back in the ring. RVD drops the knee to Sabu and chokes him out raking his face in the process with his knee. Van Dam with a thrust kick to the chin. Fans chant “Safuc*inbu”.

RVD with a powerbomb to the mat. RVD shakes his head and is mocking Sabu. Van Dam drops his knees into the back of Sabu using the top rope for leverage. RVD then picks up Sabu by the hair and gives him a hard forearm to the face, RVD with an irishwhip, Sabu tried to land on his feet, legsweep by Rob Van Dam and a backwards splash. Rob Van Dam with a big shot to Sabu. Sabu caught RVD up high and then Sabu locked RVD up high but Rob Van Dam reversed a superplex and snapped Sabu’s throat across the top rope. RVD grabbed a steel chair from the crowd and threw it in the ring. Sabu dropkicked RVD out of the ring catching him coming in. Sabu with a shot but Rob Van Dam blocks it and from the outside apron goes to superplex him to the outside, Sabu then does one of his own dropping Rob Van Dam on the top rope. RVD laying on the middle rope and has his head on a steel chair. Sabu going up top and hit a legdrop to RVD in on his head ontop of the steel chair. Rob Van Dam in trouble as Sabu delivering kicks as he stopped Rob Van Dam’s punishment if only momentarily.

Sabu set up a chair in the ring, runs to the ropes and RVD went to dive but slipped, fans chant that he messed up, Sabu hit a legdrop to RVD. Sabu went to the top with a chair and hit a summersault hitting Van Dam head first with a rolling Arabian facebuster and then a chair to the face. Sabu dragging the leg of Rob Van Dam and then a kick to the face. Sabu went up high with the chair again and he dropped the leg to RVD again with a LEAPING Arabian facebuster this time which gains a round of applause. Sabu now wanting RVD to be carried out on a stretcher this time around, Styles said this might be it for RVD. Rob Van Dam stopped in the entrance way and elected to come back. He could barely stand. RVD came back in and Sabu set up a chair in the ring and Sabu clotheslined Rob Van Dam as if he was JBL, very stiff. Sabu off both ropes, triple jump moonsault off of the chair and ropes to RVD connects. Nice spot, unbelievable actually and the fans applaud deservingly so.

Sabu was so great at moves like that.

A cover but Sabu knows the match can’t end that way. Sabu then picked up RVD and set him up high on the top turnbuckle and gave him a shot to the face. Rob Van Dam went to jump off the top at the same time Sabu clotheslined him in mid-air, it looked like they both might of been unaware of what the other was doing, especially given RVD’s facial expression after the move. RVD falls on the stretcher but Sabu sets him up by the gaurdrail. Sabu with a nice springboard moonsault off the top rope onto RVD on the stretcher, and Sabu’s leg hit the steel gaurdrail and they set up a stretcher for Sabu. They go to take both men out and Sabu gets up and the fans cheer. Sabu hits a legdrop on RVD. Sabu not done, and the fans applaud. Sabu gets in the ring and Rob Van Dam walks back, or limps back to a chorus of boo’s.

Rob Van Dam irishwhipped to the ring post by Sabu and then RVD with a high kick to Sabu chair first to the face. Rob Van Dam with a moonsault off the steel gaurdrail to Sabu and both men are now down on the concrete floor. Sabu threw a chair to the head of RVD and hit successfully. Sabu irishwhipped RVD to the corner and a shoulder block by Sabu. Rob Van Dam up high set up on the top turnbuckle, air Sabu off the chair and a reverse victory roll in slow fashion takes Van Dam from up top to the canvas. A little sloppy but impressive none the less, both men were tired and Sabu’s legs had taken damage.

RVD catches Sabu in mid-air on the latest charge and a Fishermen’s buster/DDT from the top rope through the table set up on the mat and the gaurdrail. Nice.

Sabu chants. Match not over. RVD with high kicks to Sabu and dropping the chair viciously on Sabu, nothing fancy indeed. RVD irishwhipped Sabu but he reversed him to the buckle, Sabu went to jump off the top rope but Van Dam beat him to the punch as he springboarded in mid-air catching Sabu with a thrust kick. Nice.

RVD with a front facelock, Sabu blocked a fishermen’s buster and hit one of his own. Sabu set up a chair in the ring yet again and takes his time getting up obviously. Sabu off the top rope went to hit a splash to Rob Van Dam and he picked up the chair to block the impact and Sabu hit it. Rob Van Dam and Sabu both looked a bit sloppy but again the violence was still impressive. RVD with a spinning heel kick to the face of Sabu taking him over the top rope to the Stretcher off the apron. RVD rolls back in the ring and then watches the officials having control of Sabu. RVD tells them to wait. RVD then hit a moonsault off the top and hit the stretcher as Sabu moves out of the way, the back of his head hit the concrete on the way down. Van Dam wheeled out now and Sabu wins.

In the end at 24:4 Sabu got the win after a missed moonsault to the stretcher by Rob Van Dam.

This Match was good from a violent standpoint, but was extremely sloppy. Both men deserve credit for the spots but botch after botch after botch got frustrating as all hell.

***

 

 

8 ) Terry Funk vs Sandman vs Stevie Richards in a 3 Way Dance for the #1 Contendership for the ECW World Title -ECW Barely Legal 97

The winner of this match of course would then challenge for the ECW World Title directly after and this was the first PPV in ECW’s history so it was obviously important historically.

Could this match live up to the hype the event had?

Stevie Richards as he elluded to in the fabulous documentary of the Rise and Fall of ECW was beyond priviledged just to be included in this match.

April 13th 1997 was probably the most memorable show ECW ever put on says Heyman.

Three different styles going at it here and it`s pretty interesting, two men would be eliminated in this bout and one man would be the survivor. That`s how this works.
Stevie Richards was from Philly and “Big Stevie Cool“ got a big “bWo“ chant when his name was announced. Sandman gets a better ovation, and then the Hardcore Legend, or plain Wrestling`s Living Legend and now WWE Hall of Famer, Terry Funk got the best ovation.

“Terry“ chants break out and Sandman offers The Funker a beer, he says no and Sandman guzzles it down, spits it in Richard`s face and smacks the beer against his head.

Dreamer is on Commentary with Styles here and Beulah is there, I am pretty much in love with her.

Triple Side headlock and Sandman shoulder blocked Stevie and he fell to the mat, all three men off the ropes then stop and it looks awkward.

A tie-up between Stevie Richards and Funk and Sandman kicks Stevie Richards in the ribs. Funk chops Stevie and he fires back. Funk chops Sandman and the fans are in WOOOOOO mode. Funk pushed Sandman over and a schoolboy by Stevie who tripped him and got a two count. Funk going for the spinning toehold on Sandman and then Stevie Richards clotheslined him.

Both Sandman and Stevie Richards dropped elbows to Funk taking the older man out seemingly, Dreamer says this is like watching his Father get beat up. Stevie Richards slammed Terry Funk to the mat and got a two. Sandman picked up Richards and instead of planting him on Funk like he said he would, he hit a belly to back suplex, the bWo on the outside was outraged. Fans cheer the “cool“ double cross by Sandman who leaves ringside momentarily.

A hangman`s neckbreaker and a couple other blows take Stevie Richards down but he kicks out. Sandman tossed a Ladder into the ring and it connected Funk in the head. Sandman dropped back with the Ladder and it planted on Big Stevie Cool. Sandman levelled Funk out when he got to his feet. Beulah has a headset and she doesen`t speak, oh well.

A ddt by Sandman to Stevie Richards. The Ladder set up in the corner, Terry Funk and The Sandman climb both ends and brawl at the top. Sandman gets a few shots and Funk poses up high and then hits Stevie Richards with a moonsault off the Ladder. Stevie was not even close to Funk but he is 53 years old, so we can`t fault him and this was pretty amazing. Sandman then dropped the Ladder on Stevie Richards in the middle of the ring.

“EC DUB“ chants galore. Sandman is busted open and he took down both Richards and Funk.

Sandman scoops up Stevie and slams him on Funk.

Sandman picked up the Ladder and hit Richards, Funk knocked him down. Sandman back to his feet barely and then set up the Ladder in the corner of the squared circle. Stevie Richards reversed an irishwhip and sent Sandman to the corner hitting his back hard to the Ladder. Sandman kicked out. Richards slammed Funk and he kicked out. Sandman grabbed the Ladder and put it in the middle of the ring, while an elbow and a fist blow met Funk down on the mat by the two opponents.

Sandman climbed the Ladder as did Richards who both exchanged punches. Funk then pushed both of them off the Ladder. Funk picked up the Ladder and spinned around knocking out both Sandman and Stevie Richards a number of times. Dreamer calls this the greatest three way dance he has ever seen. That might be pushing it. However Funk`s performance here was definitely inspiring.

Funk met Sandman with a righthand and then he drilled Funk headfirst into the Ladder. Stevie Richards climbed to the top rope and pushed the Ladder up into the face of Funk and Sandman as the Ladder was set up on the ropes. bWo chants and Stevie Richards sets up for the Stevie Kick in Shawn fashion and met Sandman but he kicks out. Stevie Richards waited on Funk and met him with one, both guys covered Terry and he kicks out. Sandman picked up the Ladder and tossed it on Stevie on the outside. Sandman tossed Stevie Richards over the gaurdrail and to the concrete floor. Terry Funk hot hit with a shot by Sandman. Sandman then ran off the ropes and elevated himself over the top rope and dropped on the Ladder which hit Stevie Richards in the face. Funk grabbed a chair and hit Sandman and Stevie Richards back and forth with a chair. Funk looked absolutely crazy here. Funk threw Richards over the gaurdrail by the ring area. Sandman left once again to the back area for perhaps another weapon. Funk suplexes Stevie Richards with a corkscrew vertical suplex.
For the second time Sandman comes back and throws a weapon into the ring and it connects with Funk in the head to a huge crowd reaction. This time it was a trashcan. Sandman picked up Stevie Richards and suplexed him hard to the mat. Funk covered him and got a two count. Sandman and Funk both stand up and Stevie Richards is down on the mat. This three way dance has a very slow pace but the moves are definately good for the most part.

A spike piledriver by Funk to Stevie Richards as Sandman helps him out by jumping off the top and planting him down. Funk nailing Stevie and then Sandman botched a Ladder drop to him somewhat. Funk elevated Sandman into the ring and he came in with a Senton slingshot splash and Stevie Richards kicked out to a big reaction.
What was fascinating here was the fact all three guys were fan favourites. Sandman then went to hit Stevie Richards with a Ladder in another see-saw type move off the ropes to the middle rope, but it flew in the air and it ended up hitting himself, fans chant ECW. Sandman pissed off threw a chair now and hit Stevie this time with a weapon. Good aim I guess.

Dreamer calls Raven a bastard on commentary and it`s quite humerous. A double powerbomb to Big Stevie Cool and he is eliminated, the bWo help him out, some fans chant “bullshit.“

The Sandman grabbed Terry Funk and slammed him down. Funk gets up and Sandman grabbed Streamer`s under the ring with barbedwire wrapped around them. Funk hit The Sandman with a metal sheet and then put his shirt over his head blinding him and then used him as a punching bag. Funny stuff. The Funker grabs the barbed wire and hits Sandman`s bareback with it, some of it gets caught in his skin as its clear. Fans react accordingly, Styles gets nautious from the booth. Sandman gets out of it by smacking Funk with a metal sheet to the head. Sandman rushed Funk with some barbedwire and then went to the top and dropped the leg on Funk and he managed to kick out somehow. Big Stevie Cool still on the apron and he distracts The Sandman and Funk puts a trashcan over his head and smacks away at him and Stevie then gives him a Stevie kick. Funk goes up to the top rope and then hits a moonsault on Sandman who is covered in barbedwire and Funk covered Sandman. In the end at 28:40 Funk wins to a good pop.

This one was significant at the end of the day and still very good for what it was, but it was not nearly as great as once remembered.

***

—-

They then show Raven bust Funk open right after he wins and an emotional Dreamer is disturbed by this sight. Funk is all bloodied and the fans chant for Tommy.
Raven stomped on Funk and just measured Funk with shot after shot. A bloodied Funk swung blindly with blood in his eyes and Raven grabbed a table and put him through it.
Raven gets on a mic and taunts Dreamer and the two taunt each other from the broadcast booth and the ring. Big Dick Dudley hit Dreamer with a trashcan shot. This all bought Funk some time. Raven DDT`s the official and points to Dreamer.
Dreamer grabbed Dudley by the throat and pushed him off the top ramp and he crashed through a table to one of the biggest OH MY GOD`s you`ll ever hear. Fans erupt with a chant. Raven stomped on a bloodied Funk.

Dreamer helps Funk win with an inside cradle and won the ECW title.

This was slapped on as a Bonus directly after the other match and Styles uses the “Do you believe in Miracles” line.

9) Terry Funk (c) vs Sabu in a No Ropes Barbed Wire Match for the ECW World Championship -ECW Born to Be Wired 97

Paul Heyman said this is the only match in history that ever “bothered” him because of how violent it was.

He said he never booked one like it because of that.

The level of violence upon us is truly disturbing warns Heyman.

Well if that doesen’t get you psyched for a match, what will?

Terry Funk by this point was a living legend and really starting to help put ECW on the map and add to the promotion`s credibility and of course was the ECW Champion now.

It is matches like this that helped implement the importance he brought to the table here against Sabu which is an appropriate match selection for a DVD with a title like this.

Terry Funk had the “Terry” chants out nice and loud as both guys got set to square off for the World title with the ropes surrounding them, nothing but pure barbedwire. Ouch.

Terry Funk and Sabu both get God like ovations and a standing ECW crowd is applauding both men for the dangers they are about to inflict on themselves and others.

Terry Funk was cornered and Sabu had a quick charge, but Funk the intelligent veteran would have none of that and also remained focused in the corner for any possible quick strike from Sabu to take the legendary Funker off his game.
Sabu knew he had to strike early and often here and take advantage of his all around craziness in this environment to the extreme.

Terry Funk and Sabu went for a punching war and the fans applauded. This match is exclusively for ECW home video and can’t be aired on TV as pointed out by Styles.
Sabu went to take out Terry Funk’s leg and was not successful he got on top and delivered a couple of shots. Terry Funk irishwhipped Sabu to the ropes and he stopped right before impact with the barbedwire. Sabu takes Funk down and then he slides underneath the ropes, if you want to call them that. Sabu connects Funk with some kicks and then a camel clutch once back inside the ring, the hold invented by his legendary hall of famer Uncle, the Sheik.

A tie-up again and Terry Funk delivers a headbutt followed by a neckbreaker to a nice reaction. Terry Funk scooped up Sabu and hit a nice pile driver on the middle of the canvas which scores Terry Funk a nearfall. Terry Funk hits a DDT to Sabu. Funk then picks up Sabu and he put his hands out to block a potential headshot to the barbed wire. Sabu then has Funk near the wire. Funk down to his knees, held onto the wire for dearlife, his taped hands while Sabu attacked him.

An inside hurricanrana took Funk over momentarily and h got a two count, then Terry Funk pushed Sabu to the ropes and his abdomen connected with the barbedwire to a mega ovation and EC Dub chants.

Sick.

Funk then raked the face of Sabu on the barbedwire, even more sick. Sabu a bloody mess in the middle of the ring, Terry Funk threw him to the ropes and he landed back first against the wire and the crowd let out a big “ohhh!” as he does that. Funk then picks up a bloodied and battered Sabu and drops him groin first on the barbedwire. Funk then begins to rip on his tights that have been absolutely shredded by barbedwire. Funk then sent Sabu to the barbedwire ropes and he actually had to dig it out of his skin. Funk then threw two right hands to Sabu in the middle of the ring, Funker could throw them and Sabu could take punishment. Fans chanted for Sabu and then he in his bloody mess fell down to the canvas.

Terry Funk chopped Sabu twice and he fell down back first to the mat to make sure the pain was evident to most people by selling it nicely. Sabu reverses an irishwhip and now the ECW World Champion Terry Funk got pushed up to the barbedwire. Sabu picks up a chair and drops it on Terry Funk a couple of times in the corner of the ring. A head shot and then a back shot, a bloodied Sabu was ruthless here. Funk grabbing onto the barbedwire as a ways of defense, but Sabu took full advantage of this and raked Funk’s face in barbedwire.

Funk and Sabu both a bloody mess, there faces have been ripped open.

Up next is one of the sickest things I have ever seen.

Sabu grabbed a piece of barbed wire and kept raking it to Terry’s face. Sabu then launched himself into Funk and his body went into the barbedwire.

“ECW” chants break out why Styles lets out a quiet “Oh My God” out of the ordinary due to how violent this really was. You could feel it. Sabu launched himself in the corner to hit Funk but he moves just in time and he caught nothing but wire. Funk rolled on the mat to try and recover while Sabu who had also been ripped open previously was now down in the corner.

Both men full of nothing but rips on there flesh, and there faces look in disbelief.

A bloody war.

Funk hammering Sabu and he kicks out and then his legs which are exposed out of his ring attire thanks to Funk hit the barbedwire ropes with his legs each time he kicked out. Alfonso brought Sabu a roll of tape to help himself, Funk then grabbed Sabu in a means to say it’s not happeneing and he hit a neckbreaker on the chair. Funk got a kick from Sabu and he delivered some fast, solid blows out of desperation but Terry Funk middle aged and crazy kept him down on the mat.
Funk grated a bloody Sabu some more against the wire facefirst, as if he needed that.
The Funker with a spinning toehold. Funk then elevated Sabu and dropped him waist first across the barbedwire. Funk wrapped wire on his fists and hit Alfonso in the process, both mens back and face were completely altered by this point. Not a pretty sight at all.

Funk grabbed Alfonso and hit him with barbedwire between the eyes. Terry Funk got a pair of wire cutters from one of the ring attendants and started stripping off barbed wire from the ropes and he started whipping Sabu with it. Disgusting as it tore into the flesh.

I can’t stress enough how disturbing the view of the pain both men are going through right now.

Funk beat on Sabu some more on the outside and then Alfonso on the outside a bit more as Styles says he might be passed out from the pain. Now Sabu had thr wire cutters and he stabbed Funk with the wirecutter and then went to grab the wire, Sabu and Funk were both popular so they got there own section of chants.

Rob Van Dam came in the ring and attacked Funk.

RVD was cautious with the barbed wire and wrapped him around barbed wire on the outside. Funk at this point was completely covered in barbedwire, and Van Dam wasn’t a household name in ECW just yet but was gaining a reputation off his association with Sabu. Funk then got splashed through the table set up by Van Dam on the outside as Sabu launched himself over the top rope and landed on Terry Funk covered in barbedwire and blood.

Wow.

Or “Oh My God”.

Dreamer came back and took Van Dam out of the equation. Sabu covered Funk in the ring but he kickded out still all covered in barbedwire. Sabu set Funk up on the table again as he was still wrapped around with the wire ripping his flesh, a bloodied ECW Champion just layed there. Sabu went inside the ring and wrapped barbedwire around himself, sacrificing himself to hurt Terry Funk some more. He then splashed Funk through the table! Again! Both of them covered in blood and wire.

WOW!

Fans chant ECW again. Both men in disgusting fashion have nothing but blood, wire and pain on there face as they are covered in this material on the outside of a ring that used to be surrounded by wire, and now didn’t have much of that due to the wire being cut and placed around the competitors!

Styles says this is the most amazing thing he had ever witnessed, and from a pain standpoint, yeah, it’s pretty close, I always felt this match was up there for sure if not the very worst from that point.

A disturbing view as both guys bloodied bodies lay there in the middle of the ring, Sabu managed to cover Funk as he layed on top of him in wire and got the three.
The fans applaud the pain that both men went through, Sabu got his chants. Gotta give Terry Funk some amazing props here as well.

The finish came at 25:03 and Sabu was the new ECW Champion.

Nothing but barbaric brutality, an ECW Classic between two of its greatest legends for the title in a match truely, taken to the Extreme if any match was.
Both men get a standing ovation as a medic team comes out and helps them get the wire off there bodies.

****

 

 

10) Beulah McGillicutty vs Bill Alfonso in an Intergender Match -ECW As Good as It Gets 1997

As stated here and on the Rise and Fall of ECW by Heyman, this match featured 5 minutes of not only the most intense action in ECW history, but the history of Professional Wrestling.

Beulah McGillicutty, yeah I pretty much have always though she was amazing, back in the days when Sunny was getting all the praise, I liked them both about equally.

Anyway she had a chance here to show what she was made of.

The fans helped this match as well and could you blame them considering the unique circumstances of the match, in a female vs male hardcore match, in 1997!

Beulah still in a shirt much too long for her was then shoved by Alfonso to a chorus of boo’s from the hostile ECW fanbase.

Beulah McGillicutty then dares Alfonso punch he did and she blocked it with a pan which he punched twice. She then smacked him in the head and ripped off her top, the shirt she was wearing.

Bill Alfonso was busted open and Beulah had the crowd in the palm of her hands and she threw him to the outside. Beulah irishwhipped Alfonso to the steel gaurdrail, up and over both of them and then back into the ring. Styles says he is a bloody mess as if he is very worried about him. Beulah grabbed a frying pan this time around and went for a headshot but Alfonso hit a lowblow to her.

Bill Alfonso without vision in his right eye picked up a leg of Beulah and dropped his leg down in the middle.

Crowd chanted on Beulah.

Beulah then was choked out on the middle rope by Bill Alfonso and then he took his whistle off and began choking her with the strap in mid-ring. A bloodied Alfonso then scoop slammed Beulah and with her laying down on the mat grabbed her by the hair and suplexed her up, however Beulah blocked it twice and hit a DDT but Alfonso kicked out and the place popped.

Beulah ducked a clothesline from a charging Alfonso but Beulah does not. Beulah then picked up Alfonso’s head and places him in the corner and delivers a big chop. Beulah was then shoved into the corner, and Alfonso chopped Beulah to a chorus of woo’s. Bill Alfonso dragged Beulah to the other corner of the ring and he signals for a move off the top rope. Beulah gets up as he hesitated and when he was perhaps going for a moonsault she prevented it and he fell groin first on the top rope. Beulah then sets up a chair across his face and with shades of Tommy Dreamer she hits a sliding dropkick into the chair, into the face of a bloddied Bill Alfonso.

The place chants ECW.

Styles says Beulah is taking it to the Extreme, Alfonso could barely see. Fans chanted “She’s Hardcore!”

Beulah was going to be picked up in mid-air by Alfonso but she hit back with a
Beulahcanrana and a three count to a huge ovation.

The finish came at 6:17.

Very entertaining.

** 1/4

 

 

 

11) Taz vs Bam Bam Bigelow in a Death Match -ECW Heatwave 98

In one of the best matches of 1998 at Living Dangerously, these two put on a clinic and had tremendous chemistry in such an amazing war from Bam Bam`s backyard seen on the Rise and Fall of ECW DVD. (Link to it on the top of this Review)

I gave that encounter a solid four stars as it was absolutely incredible.

This here is another gem between these two solid workers from 1998 at Heatwave this time in a Death Match!

Bam Bam Bigelow and Taz were about to get it on and as Taz charged towards Bam Bam Bigelow with a doubleleg takedown, Taz wasn’t able to hit it as Bam Bam hit a powerbomb with authority, off the ropes Taz hit a shoulder throw and in the corner hit a series of boots. A reverse irishwhip into the other corner by Bam Bam Bigelow and he hit two clotheslines to Bam Bam and he went down. Taz hits a fireman’s carry into a nicely applied Samoan Drop.

The Heavy Hitter from Brooklyn New York tries to settle down the Beast from the East.

Taz outside the ring brawls with Bam Bam on the outside and kicks him off the stage area where he climbed.

Taz jumps off the stage and Bam Bam catches him in mid-air and as he went for the high cross-body Bam Bam Bigelow had him in a bear hug and drilled him back first into the gaurdrail.

Now Taz onto the concrete floor.

Bam Bam Bigelow smacked Taz with a chair.

Taz waited on Bigelow for a second and brawled back with him connecting with some hard right’s in the process of this attack back into the match. Taz then irishwhipped into a row of chairs by Bam Bam Bigelow who he was given up 100 pounds to.
Bam Bam splashed Taz on the concrete and got a two count. Bigelow then drove Taz’s head into the chairs some more and as he turned around Taz was already up hitting Bam Bam with another right. The two big men battled back and forth passed the fans and face first into a solid steel gaurdrail was Tazz sent by Bam Bam.
Bigelow then threww a rail into Tazz and he went behind a curtain, once Bam Bam Bigelow came back behind the curtain he caught him completely by surprise with a double leg takedown and a two count. Bam Bam went to suplex Taz and he countered it with an amazing belly to back suplex with a reversal onto the concrete floor and only a two count for Taz!

Taz comes back towards the ring through the curtain, the gaurdrail’s and the fans area and Bam Bam Bigelow follows him. Bam Bam caught up to Taz and he threw him head first into the chairs.

Taz locked on a submission hold to Bam Bam Bigelow and grabbed the arm of the big man to stretch it across his chest. Bam Bam Bigelow angered and out of the hold tosses Taz into a series of chairs once again. Bam Bam Bigelow scoops up a chair and drops it down with a hard thud. A latteral press by Bigelow and a kickout by Tazz. This battle had been through the crowd for a long duration by now. Taz hops on Bam Bam Bigelow out of desperation and tried a Tazmission and then Bam Bam out of desperation dropped to his knees on the concrete which dropped Taz jaw to the head of the big man. Nice stategic counter wrestling by the best big man in the business, Bam Bam Bigelow with the jawbreaker.

The two back by the ring.

Bam Bam Bigelow then kicked Taz right in the eye by the gaurdrail busting him open.
The fans appreciate the two big men’s brawling and they applaud what the two did outside the ring when they get back in it.

Bam Bam slams Taz to the mat then brings in a table.

Bam Bam Bigelow stomps on Taz and proceeds to place the wooden table in the corner of the ring across the buckle. Bam Bam Bigelow with an irishwhip sending Taz headfirst into the table and it breaks apart. Styles lets go a more silent “Oh My God!” then proceeds to claim this might be all for the Human Suplex Machine.

Bam Bam Bigelow then with a broken table still sets up the broken piece across the other side of the ring. Taz a bloody mess in the corner is choked out by Bam Bam Bigelow and then he hits a reversal out of no where and hits a T-Bone Northern Light’s Suplex to Bam Bam Bigelow through the table!

Insane.

Pure hatred is Styles justification for how Taz manages to suplex Bam Bam on his last legs.

Taz slow to his feet manages a Brooklyn boot twice to Taz and then as he ran off the ropes Bam Bam Bigelow caught Taz with a clothesline and both men down to the mat.

Bam Bam up first this time as a bloodied Taz was sent to the stage by Bam Bam Bigelow. Bam Bam on the stage wanted Taz to get up but he wouldn`t do it seeing as he wasn`t allowed given Bam Bam kept on him the entire time. Bigelow went to perhaps Powerbomb Tazz and as he went to suplex him off the stage, Tazz countered in mid-air!

Tazz with a tornado DDT in mid-air sending Bam Bam Bigelow head first through the stage and both big men through the floor!

Holy Shi*!

There dead is said by Styles color commentator.

No one is moving.

Fans chant ECW!

After a minute the crowd chanted “Holy Shi*!“

Bam Bam Bigelow then comes out first.

Bam Bam Bigelow limps to the ring despite being the one sent head first through the stage.

Taz got up from underneath and choked out Bam Bam Bigelow who was nearing the ring and Bam Bam was choked out.

In the end at 15:26, Taz got the win.

Another great match between the two big men, this one was more of a brawl but still a sight to see.

*** 1/2

 

 

12) Shane Douglas vs Taz (c) for the ECW World Championship -ECW Guilty As Charged ’99

Paul Heyman says this match is a CLASSIC.

Shane Douglas asked Taz to give these people what they want, “A F******* World title match!“ which gets a great pop.

Taz asks for them to ring the bell and it was on.

Both ECW veterans shook hands and the title is on the line.

Shane Douglas and Taz go at it and both men get set to square off for the title and circle one another.

A tie-up and Shane Douglas backed up into the corner by Taz who doesen`t take his eyes off of him, the official breaks it off and the fans applaud.

Both men circle one another again, a feeling out process breaks out, a waistlock by Shane Douglas and a standing switch by Taz and then Douglas got to the ropes. A “F*** em up Taz, F*** em up!“ chant breaks out.

A side headlock by Taz into a takeover, and Douglas reached up.
Shane Douglas rolled him up back first to the mat as he reversed the headlock and a cradle, two count only.

Both men stand up to there feet at the same time and more applause by the crowd as they approve this work.

A tie-up and a hammerlock by Douglas but Taz reached back and hit a hiptoss before an armbar, Taz rode the Franchise and rolled him up with a two. Mat wrestling by Taz as he tried to ground the Franchise, then Douglas tried to get a hold of Taz but he caught Shane Douglas in an armbar.

Nice chain wrestling.

Solid mat and chain combination`s by both men and Taz used an armbar.
Douglas used his own cast for leverage and irishwhipped Taz to the ropes, but Taz stopped mid-ring and hit a T-Bone suplex to The Franchise.

Douglas wisely rolled outside for a breather. Douglas caught shots to the head by Taz on the outside of the ring, and then Douglas overpowered the current Champion and sent him over the steel gaurdrail. Shane Douglas on the top turnbuckle which was uncharacteristic of him leaped off the top and caught Taz on the outside going over the steel gaurdrail hit him with the back of his cast.

Douglas hit Taz with a chair on the outside as the two continued to brawl by the gaurdrail.

Douglas with a front facelock to Taz but he blocked it on the outside and turned round.

Taz took the Franchise over through the table with a reversal into a snapshot vertical suplex outside the ring. Both challenger and champion were down on the concrete floor after that great spot.

An uppercut by Taz and then he sent The Franchise over the gaurdrail. Taz and Douglas battling into the fans area while the crowd chanted the promotion`s initials. Douglas face first into the high bleachers. Taz then threw Douglas off the top set of bleachers and through yet another table!

More ECW Chants.

Styles says the match is getting ugly, Taz hits a belly to back suplex through a table onto the concrete floor.

Taz with a hard right hand to Douglas but he caught Taz with a gut shot. Douglas set up Taz with a front facelock and dropped him sternum first on a speaker. Taz rolled down to the concrete.

Shane Douglas not known for his his high flying then flew through the air and hit Taz with a high cross-body!

Douglas hit Taz with a forearm shot.

They got to a break and we see Taz getting the hell beaten out of him in the backstage area by the gate with Shane Douglas still in control.

They move back towards the ring, Taz hit with Shane Douglas`s cast. Fans chant ECW.

Douglas tosses Taz back in the ring and the crowd roar in approval.

What a match from a technical, and brutal standpoint.

Douglas set up a table and attempted to place it over the top rope and it got almost all the way there, he`d get in the ring to finish the job.

Shane Douglas inside the ring set up the table which bought Taz a bit of time and with Taz up Shane Douglas hit a vertical suplex. Shane Douglas ran towards Taz and hit a rolling inverted neckbreaker.

Franchise set up the table in the corner while he had his fans cheering his name. Douglas went for an irishwhip to Taz into the table but he hit two clotheslines and hammered Shane Douglas into the corner with boots to the mid-section of Shane Douglas.

Taz sent Douglas to the corner, he jumped up, Taz went for a Tazmission and Douglas countered it into a gutwrench suplex and a two count. Shane Douglas with a two count after another suplex as Taz didn`t want to give in just yet.

Both men to there feet brawling some more.

A belly to back suplex and then an arm breaker to Douglas. Taz signalled that was it.
The Tazmission locked on The Franchise in mid-ring but Shane Douglas hit Taz with an uppercut to momentarily get out of his finishing predicament.

It didn`t matter because Shane Douglas soon found himself back in that same very circumstance he so desperately didn`t intend on being in, a Tazmision hold.
Taz then in unique fashion was able to elevate The Franchise Shane Douglas in the air meanwhile still in the submission hold and Douglas went flying through the table set up in the corner!

Wow.

Taz got the three count and the fans cheered an epic finish to an amazing match.
The fastest 13:17 seconds of action you`ll likely ever see, and I do stress that point because the Classic between Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat was only about a minute longer, so you can see how quality this match really is if I`m even bringing that Wrestlemania 3 classic up to begin with.

Amazing quality, tons of stuff for everyone here.

Respect, Brutality, Chain-Mat Wrestling, a back and forth tilt in a battle for honor and of course the ECW Championship. Taz retained the gold.
Exactly what it was billed as; a Classic.

 

**** 1/4

 

 

13) The Dudley Boyz (c) vs Spike Dudley & Balls Mahoney in a Chicago Street Fight; Falls Count Anywhere match for the ECW Tag Championship -Hardcore TV: July 5th 1999

Balls Mahoney is given props by Heyman before the match for having an Extreme name.

He then puts over how the Dudley Boyz were more Extreme in ECW for having Flaming Table`s rather then the Attitude Era WWF`s basic wooden tables, well he more or less meant that you`d have to assume.

Every time Balls Mahoney goes for a succession of rights or lefts the fans chant “Balls“ until the final wind up where he lands his final blow and they all go “Maaaaaahoney!“ Sounds like fun.

Quick tag action here seeing Balls Mahoney and Spike up against Bubba and D-Von Dudley.

A Hurricanrana by Spike to D-Von and an irishwhip by Balls Mahoney to Bubb to start things when both teams clash.

Balls catches Bubba with a Superkick. The Challenger`s cleared the ECW Champions right out of the ring in this Chicago street fight. Spike goes airborn as he gets thrown off the ropes in mid-air by Balls Mahoney onto Bubba on the outside.

Crowd chant ECW.

Spike ducks a clothesline by Bubba Ray Dudley but he can`t avoid the Sidewalk slam, which Styles calls a Bubba slam. Bubba Ray then grabbed a Cheese Grater!

Bubba with the Grater in one hand and Spike`s hair in the other and the two hands of Bubba eventually come to meet each other and Bubba the sick F*** he appears to be here has no remorse for grating his own flesh`s face in with a Cheese Grater.

Styles calls these actions vile as he is clearly taking a page out of Jim Ross`s book.
Bubba tells Spike to die which is hilarious at least to me.

Bubba then again meets Spike with the Cheese Grater.Balls Mahoney on the outside threw a beer to the face of D-Von Dudley to a very loud response. Spike goes downstairs with cheesegrate in hand out of desperation taking Bubba down.

These tag matches worked so well in ECW because the action was non-stop.
Payback is a bitch.

Bubba was busted open by the grater on the outside from Spike, Bubba yells out HOLY JESUS! Completely hysterical.

D-Von worked over Balls Mahoney inside the ring, crowd chanted for tables.
Spike and Bubba both bloodied on the outside, Spike got a chair from a fan and dropped it on the back of Bubba who was bent over a gaurdrail. (I`m glad the camera angle was facing down here)

What impact.

Balls Mahoney bloodied smacked D-Von with a shoulder breaker and then grabbed a Fork object and smashed D-Von Dudley meanwhile Bubba and Spike battled in the crowd.

Balls Mahoney tore the flesh of D-Von!

This was a barbaric tag street fight in the Windy City!

All four guys were full of blood, fans were rowdy chanting for ECW and Styles called it exactly how it was, a match difficult to watch!

For all the right reasons.

Bubba then smears blood all over his face, licks his palm and beats on Spike. Sick.Little Spike, the runt of the Dudleyz on the top of the security railing then hit a crossbody and he jumped at least fifteen feet in the air onto Bubba.

Every single person in the building had there hands in the air chanting ECW.
This spot was one of the familiar spots you`d see when showing the most insane clips from the history of ECW and surely Spike Dudley`s career.

I never liked Spike, but I always respected his passion and ability to put his body on the line to entertain you in a match. That`s for sure.

Bubba with a seteel chair threw it at Spike on the outside and then put him back inside the ring. A bloodied Balls Mahoney and D-Von were all down on the ring.

Bubba Ray Dudley then had Balls Mahoney getting to his feet and the two bloodied brawlers exchanged blows, a reversal of an irishwhip by Balls Mahoney and a combination spinebuster powerbomb, a legdrop by Spike Dudley and somehow Bubba kicked out!

Everyone in the arena thought the match was over, Styles puts over how close Balls Mahoney and Spike were to winning the titles.

A double X-Factor by Balls Mahoney and Spike to the Dudleyz sending them both face first to the mat and a double count, again just as two. Another close nearfall and somehow Bubba and D-Von managed to escape yet again. Right hands by Bubba an D-Von. Spike hit a Dudley Dog and Balls Mahoney slammed D-Von down and AGAIN another double kickout at two to add dramatic effects.

A side guy levelled Spike and now he had to deal with Balls Mahoney. Balls caught a low blow by D-Von who then hit an inverted DDT to Balls Mahoney. Spike back up and D-Von set up Spike for the 3D and the Dudley Death Drop was capped off by Bubba but D-Von covered him.

Balls Mahoney made the save with a steel chair. A bloodied Balls Mahoney layed out both Bubba and D-Von with a chair, a bloody mess!

Amazing action here.

Fans had not let up for a single moment in this entire match!

Everybody inside the ring was down and out and covered in nothing but blood, surrounded by weapons. Balls Mahoney set up a table in the middle of the ring and then started to put thumbtacks all over the table.

The crowd got really loud now. Balls Mahoney proceeded to put gas on the table and asked for a lighter. Balls Mahoney kicked Bubba in the mid-section and then when about to light a match, D-Von struck from behind with a chair shot to the back. D-Von Dudley then put more Gasoline on the table.
D-Von stood there while Bubba kicked Balls Mahoney in the mid-section and lit the table on fire.

The Dudley Boyz then body slammed Balls Mahoney through the tacks, the fire on the table and got the three to retain the tag team title`s in a Classic Chicago Street Fight.
The finish came at 13:24.

This bout left Styles speechless.

The fans were left chanting “Holy Sh*t“ and this was by far the best Chicago Street Fight of all time.

If any match can be defined by the word “Exciting“, it`s this one.

****

 

 

14) Mike Awesome (c) vs Spike Dudley for the ECW World Championship -ECW Guilty As Charged 2000

The late Mike Awesome was trying to put down a guy like Spike Dudley who seemingly couldn`t be put down.

This was around the time when Cactus Jack and Triple H were feuding for the WWF title and Judy Bagwell was running WCW pretty much while Goldberg was switching allignment more time then nWo members.

Either way Mike “Totally Not“ Awesome (to Quote Edge circa 2001) came out with a manager who is clearly ripping Lanny Poffo`s (Brother of Randy Poffo aka Randy Savage) “Genius“ gimmick.

Spike Dudley knew he had to attack both early and often if he were to have ANY chance in this one, Mike Awesome just shoved Spike off of him.

Mike Awesome then elevated little Spike in mid-air over the top rope and he flew through a table on the outside.

Well, a decent beginning to this one to say the very least.

Mike Awesome then had Spike by the hair and sent him to the outside through the ropes this time and he connected through another table.

Tables 2 — Spike 0

If you`re keeping score.

Mike Awesome then dragged Spike by the overalls and sent him over the steel gaurdrail with an irishwhip. Awesome then charged towards Spike and hit a shoulder block in mid-air as he jumped over the steel. Nice move by Awesome, as he rarely lives up to his name but is seemingly doing so here. I don`t mind ribbing the dead when they take there own life.

Mike grabbed Spike by the shirt and threw him inside the ring.

Spike Dudley was splashed as Mike Awesome elevated himself over the top rope and he landed on Spike who kicked out at two.

Mike Awesome hit a clothesline to the face of Spike Dudley. Mike Awesome stared into the camera and then grabbed Spike by the back of his shirt and hair as he was seemingly unwilling to get to his feet. Awesome with pure power in a glorified squash took his time with Spike and picked him up and Spike fired back with right hands and then took him over with a semi-hurricanrauna over the ropes and apron to the floor.
A shoulder block into the steel gaurdrail followed by a Dudley Dog face first to
Awesome on the steel!

Spike then grabbed a chair and had Awesome bent over the rail and smacked him in the head, and then the back as he leaped over towards the ring. Spike Dudley knew there was a major size disadvantage so he was put in a vulnerable position where he knew he was forced to go for it all, each and every time. Spike knew he wanted to inflict as much punishment on Mike Awesome as possible. Mike caught Spike`s leap this time and he layed down on the concrete.

Spike Dudley`s comeback attempt seemed unsuccessful at this time, Spike`s knee was not strong enough to go into the air due to all those leaps and crashes early in the match, only so much the man could take.

SOMEHOW Spike managed a hurricanrana off the rop but Mike Awesome caught Spike with a clothesline and a body splash but Spike kicked out at two, Awesome yells out F***!

Mike Awesome grabs Spike by the hair this time and then plants him with a hard right hand in the corner. Mike Awesome irishwhipped Spike to the side and Spike lifted the boot up to Awesome twice as he fell to the canvas. Spike leaped off the top and dropped his boot to the chest of Awesome. Spike off the ropes tackled Awesome through the ropes and he rolled out by the apron nearing a couple of tables. Spike threw a chair into Awesome who put a boot up as he had saw it coming and it hit Spike. Awesome then walked towards Spike and grabbed him by the shirt and sent him over the steel. Mike Awesome with a chair hit Spike Dudley right in the head.

Mike Awesome got inside the ring and the crowd gave him a chorus of boo`s. Mike Awesome then inside the ring elevated himself off the top rope with a springboard dropkick to the outside off the top rope, over the gaurdrail and catching Spike Dudley on the outside and both men dropping to the concrete. Nice spot.

Especially impressive considering the size of Awesome.

Mike Awesome tossed Spike over the steel to the floor.

Spike Dudley received a couple of shots and Mike Awesome set up a table right beside the ring apron, Awesome sent Spike back into the ring.

In the end Awesome pinned Dudley after a Awesome Bomb from the top rope through a table at 14:22.

What looked like a squash turned into a nice story and some awesome contrast in styles.

These two delivered an Excellent main event to this show and made it feel like a worthy title match, even though on paper it certainly didn`t look so by many`s eyes.

*** 1/4

 

 

15) Rhino vs The Sandman -ECW on TNN: February 2000

Rhino grabbed the Singapore Cane out of The Sandman`s possession and Rhino threw The Sandman to the outside.

Rhino and the Sandman brawled in the entrance way for the ECW on TNN. Sandman threw Rino down the entrance way. Sandman grabbed a Ladder from the back and he brought it towards the ring. Sandman threw the Ladder in the ring and the fans chanted ECW. Rhino caught Sandman on the outside and dropped some heavy right hands to The Sandman.

Rhino had Sandman in the ring and set up a Ladder in the corner of the ring. The Sandman kicked Rhino in the legs and with the Ladder in the corner, Sandman irishwhipped Rhino and he hit the Ladder sternum first and the crowd cheered. The Sandman wanted his cane but Corino had it on the outside.

Sandman threw Rhino to the outside of the ring and on the floor. Sandman then slammed a wooden table onto Rhino on the floor. This was a wooden floor, not a concrete floor outside the ring. Sandman slid the table into the ring and it bought Rhino a moment to retaliate and he did. Rhino had an irishwhip reversed outside the ring and went sternum first into the same gaurdrail that had impact on his chest earlier from the Ladder shot.

Sandman set up a Ladder on top of Rhino and then hit a summersault on top of him.
Rhino had a tremendous amount of punishment inflicted upon him. The Sandman set up a table in the corner of the ring and then Rhino brawled back with a couple of right hands to the back of The Sandman`s neck. Rhino wearing down Sandman out of desperation as it was clear he was in a ton of pain, and because of that The Sandman was able to battle back due to being in control endurance wise. Sandman with a chop.
Sandman set up Rhino from the top as he climbed the turnbuckle in the corner and hit a nice rolling drop, a Heniekenrauna as called by Styles which is humerous. A side russian leg sweep by The Sandman to Corino. Tajiri from no where sprayed mist in the eyes of The Sandman and Rhino gored The Sandman through the table in the corner of the ring.

The bell rang. Super Crazy then came out to even the odds and make the fans happy.

In the end this finish came at 6:11 in duration.

Nice action on TV here but nothing more.

* 3/4

 

 

16) Super Crazy vs Yoshihiro Tajiri vs Little Guido in a 3 Way Dance -ECW on TNN: March 2000

This should be a fast paced match between three cruiserweights in ECW as one would expect.

Little Guido was Nunzio before taking that name inside the WWE.

Little Guido was with Super Crazy and Tajiri who also made it to the WWE at one point or another.

Super Crazy elevated Little Guido to the outside. Super Crazy with a double leg takedown to Tajiri twice who then countered with a series of arm drag`s and then went to the outside for a breather. Little Guido climbed to the top and springboarded inside the ring which was a mistake as Tajiri kicked him twice.

Tajiri`s kicks aren`t to be messed with. Little Guido took down Super Crazy with an awesome looking armbar and Tajiri watched in the corner of the ring.
Fans chanted for Little Guido.

Little Guido hit Tajiri with a chop and he hit with one back. Tajiri with a dropkick to Little Guido and then Super Crazy as well. Both guys hit Tajiri with a chop to the chest when he meets both of them who got to there feet at the same time. Super Crazy and Little Guido momentarily were to work together but Yoshiro Tajiri hit Super Crazy with a kick to the temple.

Little Guido on top was planted on the top rope by Tajiri as he had originally intended on going for a tornado DDT to Tajiri but got the worst of thast exchange.

On the outside Tajiri sent Little Guido into the gaurdrail, Super Crazy with a moonsault off the top rope to both guys as he landed on his feet!

Awesome!

Fans chant ECW as they are witnessing insane luchador action.

All three men with quick back and forth offensive exchanges.

Little Guido on the outside while Tajiri placed a Tarantula onto Super Crazy. Little Guido dropkicked Super Crazy into Tajiri off the apron to the outside. Super Crazy was planted to the mat by Little Guido as he attempted to leap over Guido but didn`t. Tajiri then irishwhipped and was hit by Little Guido with an Italian legsweep. Super Crazy with a swinging ddt to Little Guido and he kicks out. Little Guido got the knees up on Super Crazy who went for a moonsault and then Tajiri picked up Little Guido and hit a facebuster from a suplex formation and got the three.

We are down to Yoshihiro Tajiri and Super Crazy.

Nice tilting back breaker by Super Crazy, followed by a neck breaker.
Tajiri with a high kick on the outside of the ring as he missed a moonsault and now

Yoshihiro Tajiri was back in control.

The leg of Super Crazy gave out on him and Tajiri was in control. Yoshihiro Tajiri irishwhipped Super Crazy into the steel to ground him some more. Tajiri inside the ring gave Super Crazy a boot to the head.

Fans chanted “Super Crazy!“

Yoshihiro Tajiri didn`t want to hear it and reversed a irishwhip off the ropes with a flip and a handspring elbow. Dropkick to Crazy but it didn`t effect him as he charged towards Tajiri with a running clothesline.

This was truly anyone`s match!

Fans were outrageous.

A monkey flip by Tajiri into a hurricanrauna but Yoshihiro Tajiri rolled up by Super Crazy into a small package and he got a two count, Super Crazy then elevated himself off the ropes with a moonsault and put a cradle onto Tajiri lifting up one leg and getting the three count.

The place pops.

In the end at 8:52 Super Crazy was the winner of the Three Way Dance.

Excellent!

Amazing for TV, extremely fun.

*** 1/2

17) Tommy Dreamer vs C.W. Anderson in an “I Quit” Match -ECW Guilty as Charged 2001

This one had Alternate commentary featuring Tommy Dreamer and Jonathan Coachman.

Heyman says this one was Extreme.

It took place from New York and Heyman said he believed it was to be the last ECW PPV when it aired.

Tommy Dreamer and C.W. Anderson`s main objective here in this bout was to make the other man quit.

Here we go.

C.W. Anderson wasn`t really a household name but the heart of ECW in Tommy Dreamer, who was the Innovator of Violence was involved so it wasn`t going to be bad.

The Enforcer is what C.W. Anderson was billed as.

Both men didn`t wait.

Two bulls tied up in the middle of the ring and still locked up rolled to the outside of the ring nearing the gaurdrail. Styles said Dreamer had the biggest heart in the business. C.W. Anderson gave Tommy some right hands and he battled back with chops to his chest. A reversal from C.W. Anderson to Dreamer and his back hitting the steel.

A forearm shot by C.W. Anderson to Dreamer. Dreamer with an armringer and a suplex to the blue mat on top of the concrete to C.W. Anderson. C.W. Anderson then suplexed on the mat which was already stained in blood from earlier action. C.W. Anderson rolled himself into the ring and the Enforcer hammered Dreamer on the ring apron as he attempted to get back in. Dreamer took a page out of C.W. Anderson`s book hitting his arm buying him time for a slingshot high cross body, elevating himself over the top rope onto C.W. Anderson. An Armbar by Dreamer.

Tommy Dreamer then caught a knee to the gut from C.W. Anderson getting out of the armbar and he remembered to sell it. C.W. Anderson with a shoulder breaker and then shoved Dreamer`s shoulder into the ring post and a scoop slam. A armbar which wrenched on the main bicep muscle Dreamer had, and a mic was placed by his face and he didn`t quit. Dreamer then sent C.W. Anderson to the ropes and he planted him down with a frog splash.

Dreamer with a Boston Crab and C.W. Anderson managed to make it to the ropes. Dreamer went to the outside and it looked as if the violence was about to pick up now. Dreamer with a chair and set up C.W. Anderson by the ring post as his bruised arm was wrapped in another chair. The two chair`s met and Dreamer had brutally damaged C.W. Anderson`s arm.

Dreamer got a weapon under the ring and it was a wrench. A wrench shot to the head of C.W. Anderson. Now Dreamer with the ring bell and he placed it over the head of C.W. Anderson. Dreamer then grabbed the wrench and slammed it onto the ring bell, onto the head of C.W. Anderson!

Ding!

Brutal.

Dreamer then cut C.W. Anderson open with the wrench. However C.W. Anderson did elevate Dreamer up over the apron to the steel gaurdrail hitting headfirst to get out of this punishment by Dreamer.

C.W. Anderson threw Tommy back in the ring, set up a chair in the middle of the ring, off the ropes C.W. Anderson hit Dreamer with a drop toehold and he hit the face up chair, face first. Dreamer ducked a clothesline and then a knee drop from C.W. Anderson to Dreamer who was limping. Anderson sold the arm and kicked out the leg of Dreamer.

A bloodied C.W. Anderson in control here went back to work on the bruised knee of Tommy Dreamer as C.W. Anderson slapped on a leglock. The official asked Dreamer what he wanted to say, but the bloodied Dreamer with a lot of heart fought back and wouldn`t give in.

The Enforcer with a bruised shoulder, and The Innovator with a bruised knee, both men bloodied to there feet. C.W. Anderson hit Dreamer with two hard chair shots. Styles with biased commentary to Dreamer and the color guy rips on him. Dreamer threw a chair into C.W. Anderson`s face while the crowd chanted for Tommy.

C.W. Anderson was down.

Dreamer goes through a gift box and found RAZOR WIRE! A snap takedown by Dreamer into a Full Nelson!

Tommy Dreamer is absolutely punishing C.W. Anderson by wrapping a wire around his face and pulling back in an attempt to make him give in yet again!

Tommy Dreamer kept the Camel Clutch like hold on C.W. Anderson. Dreamer got another gift from a towel boy and it was two pans, himself and the fan hit C.W. Anderson in the head with each pan. C.W. Anderson managed a suplex to Dreamer.

Towel Boy got caught with a pan shot to the head. C.W. Anderson had towel boy from the top rope and set him up for a giant superplex from the top rope and he dropped him right on his back.

Talk about paying your dues. Fans chant ECW.

A superkick by Tommy to C.W. Anderson as he bought himself some time. Both men dripping with blood. A spinebuster slam by C.W. Anderson to Tommy Dreamer on the Razor Wire.
Fans are amazed.

Dreamer refuses to quit yet again.
C.W. Anderson to the outside grabbed a second chair and and then set both up next to one another and suplexed Dreamer through BOTH of them.

Tommy`s bloodied face was elevated up and now had a beyond bruised back. C.W. Anderson wrapped a chair around Dreamer`s throat and smacked it into a chair set up on the top turnbuckle.

Dreamer had absorbed all kinds of punishment by this point.

C.W. Anderson set up a table in the corner. C.W. Anderson took his time to get to the top buckle, Dreamer threw a chair at Anderson`s head and with him on the top rope he hit a Driver through the table, and choked a wire around C.W. Anderson`s eyes.
Dreamer wins, Dreamer wins!

In the end at 14:46, Dreamer made C.W. Anderson tap out.

This one was compelling to say the least.

Awesome stuff, one of Tommy`s best efforts ever.

 

*** 1/2

 

 

18) Mike Awesome vs Masato Tanaka -WWE and ECW`s: One Night Stand 2005

“This Match Rules!”

A chant heard many times during this amazing match here between Tanaka and Awesome who had a long history together in ECW as they put on an awesome series of matches.

Mick Foley (Hardcore and ECW Legend) was doing color commentary for this match here at ECW One Night Stand in 2005. He did it with Joey Styles.

This night felt so special and was such a nostalgia rush for everyone, and this match stole the show hands down.

Here we go!

Masato Tanaka gets shoved and he shoves Awesome back as the bell had already rung.
Styles goes insane on Awesome for leaving ECW awhile back. Raw and Smackdown! were watching from the box.

A suicide dive from Awesome to Tanaka after a shoulder blocker inside the ring.

Joey Styles says “It`s a shame he didn`t take his own life“ after Awesome`s suicide dive.

Well I guess he got his wish not even two years later. I think he would probably call that differently now.

Masato Tanaka connects with a chair shot to Awesome on the outside followd by pressing his back against the steel, but the bigger Mike Awesome fired back with a charging clothesline to Masato Tanaka. Masato Tanaka inside the ring was rolled up in the middle while Mike Awesome set up a table n the gaurdrail. Masato Tanaka ducked a clothesline and then recieved one from Awesome.

Mike Awesome from the ring apron gave Masato Tanaka an amazing Awesome Bomb through the table outside the ring.

Masato Tanaka was then driven over the top rope by Mike Awesome and through the table, even a sign had read Awesome Bomb!

Back inside the ring Masato Tanaka got hit with an Awesome Splash and Tanaka kicked out! Fans applaud the efforts.

Raw`s Edge and SD`s JBL argue from the box.

Awesome then with more Raw power hit yet another Awesome bomb to Masato Tanaka inside the middle of the ring. Mike Awesome looked for more weaoins and found a steel chair. Awesome missed a chairshot, Tanaka issed his. Awesome hit one.

Bam!

Another!

Bam!

And finally a third. Amazing chair shots.

ECW chants. Masato Tanaka in the corner got a boot up on Tanaka and then hit a snap takedown to Awesome on the ground. Masato Tanaka set up a chair on the mat in the midle of the ring and hit a Tornado DDT to Awesome on to the chair and he kicks out.

Great pacing with spots, and all of them were hardcore to say the least. Masato Tanaka slammed a chair on top of another chair to Awesome. A chair still laying on Awesome, meanwhile Masato Tanaka does a leg drop from the top onto a chair onto Awesome and somehow he managed to kick out!

A waistlock go behind by Masato Tanaka, but Awesome charged towards him and speared him back first onto a table! Awesome with a steel chair in hand went to the top turnbuckle and slammed a chair into the head of Masato Tanaka. Everything is legal.
Foley says the human skull was not made for this kind of punishment, and he`d know. Infact I`m surprised with the shots he`s taken he even still is able to know that.

Awesome then having table troubles outside the ring and finally puts one in to a sarcastic applaud from a rowdy ECW fanbase who were just having a good time all night long.

Masato Tanaka was on the corner and Mike Awesome set him up on top of the turnbuckle. Mike Awesome then had his move reversed in mid-air, a tornado DDT by Masato Tanaka through the table! What a counter, and just a two count for Masato Tanaka on Mike Awesome.

Fans chant ECW once again.

JBL seems to have been cheering on Mike Awesome. Masato Tanaka to the top rope got caught with a forearm by Mike Awesome. Awesome then from the top rope hit an unbelievable powerbomb onto the table head first.

And still just a two count.

That powerbomb was beyond unbelievable and I personally do not see how Masato Tanaka even agreed to that seeing as it was beyond dangerous due to his head nearing one of the legs of the table.

Masato Tanaka was in the middle of the ring and rolling in pain and agony. Awesome set up another table outside the ring. Mike Awesome got back in the ring and then set up Masato Tanaka for another Awesome Bomb and he drove him over the top rope a splash through the table, Mike Awesome flew over the top rope right behind him which is impressive for his size.

In the end 12:49, Awesome won.

This match was the best of One Night Stand 2005 which is hands down one of the most enjoyable events of all time so that is really saying something.

Foley said it right when he said, Mercifully, it is over.
One of the best spotfests you will ever see between two guys throwing there balls to the wall.

One of my all time favourite matches.

**** 1/4

 

 

————–

Disc 2 Extra`s:

-ECW Music Video Recap
-Axl Rotten on the Taipei Death Match
-ECW & Blood
-Extreme Measures: The Flaming Table
-C.W. Anderson on his “I Quit“ match with Tommy Dreamer
-Danny Doring and Roadkill get into the Business
-The Pitbulls
-Justin Credible on being Champion
-Public Enemy vs Cactus Jack and Mikey Whipwreck History Video

19) Extra Match: Gangsta`s vs Public Enemy -ECW House Party: January 5th 1996

We get a complete match here which is nice and it`s pretty enjoyable.

This was Public Enemy’s final match before heading to WCW.

An all out brawl to begin as Rocco Rock and New Jack went at it while Grunge and Moustafa battled.

Grunge is opened up already from a shot by Moustafa after a frying pan shot. New Jack choked Grunge by the throat on the apron and then Rocco was sent face first on the buckle. The Gangsta’s weren’t fooling around here as they wanted to take down the Public Enemry before they got to WCW.

Iron shots to the head of New Jack by Grunge in the corner. Some sloppy brawling between both teams but conservatively rough.

A sunset flip by Moustafa and then Rocco Rock got back up and started biting into the forehead

of him which ultimately busts him open. Face first into the steel post went Moustafa by Grunge. Grunge set up a table, Rocco Rock used an iron and then eventually Moustafa was planted through a table on the outside of the ring.

Styles claims this has turned into the Street Fight we expected. A cheese grater was then used. There is material all over the middle of the ring. New Jack with a cooking sheet and then a chair planted down The Public Enemy’s Grunge on the outside.

Moustafa with a big shot to the head of Rocco Rock with a cooking sheet and then a two. Grunge ripped into the face of New Jack on the outside.

By this point the atmosphere didn’t look pretty. Grunge and Jack were beyond bloodied and battered. Moustafa drove his knee inside the ring into Rocco Rock. We actually get a wrestling move, probably the first of the contest and its a spinning toehold by Moustafa. Grunge planted by New Jack, then Johnny got the best of him in bulldog like fashion sending him face first into the chair. New Jack sent Grunge face first into the wall. Rocco Rock picked up a trashcan and then New Jack splashed from the top onto him through a table.

Moustafa sweeped the knee of Grunge back inside the ring. Moustafa stomped on the left knee with blood all over Grunge’s face. The driveby could be used by The Gangsta’s claims Styles.

A figure four leglock by Moustafa to Rocco Rock now inside the ring. Grunge on the outside dropped the leg onto New Jack on the outside who continued to brawl, the action was kind of all over the place in this one.

This one was relatively rough, it’s a fair point to make.

Standing dropkick by Moustafa inside the ring hitting Rocco Rock, New Jack and Grunge battled inside the ring. Rocco was grabbed and placed on the table, Moustafa went vertical and splashed him with leverage used from the top rope. He may have injured himself here as he gets covered as well but a kickout takes place.

New Jack choked out Rock on the middle rope and then he dropped his body weight on top of him with his body on the ropes. Rocco Rock tried to do an arm ringer and straddled the top rope when New Jack rolled into the corner and made him fall. A twocount only out of no where from Moustafa on Grunge who went right for his head. Rocco Rock with a chai shot, most guys bloody at this point, especially New Jack and Grunge.

A brawl continues between two bloodied competitor’s in New Jack and Grunge. A can shot to the head of Moustafa. New Jack on the inside had Rock on the table and he hit a moonsault from the top rope busted open. Could Rock capitalize was now the question?

New Jack grabbed a weapon and proceeded to grate the face of Grunge on the outside while on the inside Moustafa hit Rock with a vertical suplex. Grunge reversed an irishwhip sending Jack to the gaurdrail, and he came in the ring and hit a forearm to the back of Moustafa, and then a boot to New Jack on the outside.

Grunge with a reverse DDT, dropped the elbow. Rocco Rock from the top hit the drive by!

In the end The Public Enemy got the victory in there ECW farewell at 15:51.

This one was a bit rough, all over the place, and an all out brawl. Difficult to follow and therefore difficult to rate but for what it was, got the job done.

Fans chant “Thank You.”

** 1/2

 

 

 

——————————————————————

Final Rating for Bloodsport: ECW’s Most Violent Matches (2 Disc Review) = 8/10

 

This set was a very entertaining one much like The Rise and Fall of ECW only without a Documentary. Some flaws are the lack of material from some of the major ECW stars like the Dudleyz, Raven, New Jack or Shane Douglas but they definitely featured enough good material here such as all the gems on both discs you wont find anywhere else.

A must own for the diehard fanbase of Extreme Championship Wrestling, and I’d suggest it to anyone else as well.