- August 9th 1997, Philly, PA.
- I don't like ECW but I am nothing if not professional so I shall review this as it's in my VHS collection however in honour of ECW it will be kind of half assed with nothing linking my comments .... so I guess I'm not professional and therefore am nothing.
Little Guido w/ Tracy Smothers, Tommy Rich def. Pablo Marquez
Hiptoss then hurricanrana sends Guido ringside. Missile dropkick gets Pablo a 2 count after Guido had some offence. Suplex gets Guido 2 and a sunset flip gets Pablo 2 after Guido misses a dropkick. Pablo takes out Smothers with a plancha. Tommy Rich hits Pablo with a flag allowing Guido to get the 3 count at 6:05. ** - Basic inoffensive little match.
Mikey Whipwreck def. Louie Spicolli
Scoop Slam, armdrag by Spicolli who isn't taking Whipwreck seriously (Did anyone?). We go extre(eeeeeeeee)me as a chinlock is applied. Mikey hits a dive over the top rope, he may of almost broke his neck there. Top rope Frankensteiner gets Mikey the 3 count at 6:58. *1/2 - Mikey was dominated for 6:50 basically. (So an inverted Squash where the Squashee wins the match)
Spike Dudley def. Bam Bam Bigelow
Just me or is Bigelow's theme a 'Welcome To The Jungle' rip off? (ECW so it may of been the actual song) BBB is in triple threat, would this influence Jersey Triad of WCW at all as that had Bam Bam as well? Fans stand at one point as they wanted BBB to throw Spike into the crowd. Spike does occasionally gets shots in but he's pretty much getting creamed here. Spike is cut after hitting a ring post and a corner splash may of killed the little guy. BBB misses a moonsault allowing Spike to get some shots in and he gets the 3 at 6:35 from a victory roll. ** - Just as it was fun seeing Spike getting thrown around a bit, the same match as the one that preceded it really. (Squashee win!)
Chris Candido def. Chris Chetti
Even match to start. Three arm drags by Chetti with the last one going into an armbar. Candido can't get any offence really as 'the rookie' is getting the better of him. Leg drop gets Candido 2. Chinlock is applied as fans chant 'We Want Taz', Candido is in control of Chetti. A couple of 2s follow for Chetti from a bridged german and a swinging neckbreaker. Candido gets the 3 count via a double underhook superplex at 11:18. **1/2 - To be fair it was okay but I wasn't drawn in and at the end of the day okay is only okay.
Shane Douglas (w/ Francine) def. Lance Storm
Pre-match promo Shane Douglas drops an F-Bomb wow he's extrrreeeeemmmme! Storm starts better but is then choked by Francine as the ref is distracted. Douglas sets up 2 chairs in the ring, suplexing Lance through one for a 2 count. Springboard crossbody gets Lance a 2 count. They trade nearfalls. Storm DDTs out of a belly-to-belly for a 2 count. Then a belly-to-belly does get Douglas the 3 count at 8:50. **1/2 - I Can't stand Shane Douglas but to be fair this was a perfectly acceptable undercard match, you know the one that if placed as main event it'd be bad but anywhere else is okay. The review I type on here is a condensed version of the original reviews from my writing pads, old school I know, and in the original draft I was much more critical of Shane but I've cut that stuff here as I'm a good man .... and couldn't be bothered typing much more about ECW. (So basically i've done what Foley did with Flair's booking in his book though as far as i'm aware Shane hasn't responded via a book/post of his own and we haven't engaged in a worked feud based on past indiscretions.)
TV Title - Tazz (c) def. Al Snow
Al says he's not Leif Cassidy he's Al motherf***ing Snow, jeez frustrated much Al and actually you're Allen Sarven but that's besides the point. 'Tazz's gonna kill you' chant. They do some wrestling - hammerlocks, waist locks into ankle locks etc. (Wow patronizing much past me) Alabama Slam by Tazz (Hmm normally I change the Alabama to fit the person doing it, so this should be a Red Hook Section of Brooklyn Slam, I guess I really didn't care when reviewing ECW) but he's soon down from an inverted enziguri. T-Bone by Taz, sitout powerbomb by Snow. Tazz catches one of Snow's legs and punches him from a UFC style mount, Tazzmission ends it at 10:10ish. **1/2 - I enjoyed the start as I appreciate wrestling nowadays, younger me preferred spotfests, but the match didn't feel like it had a real flow to it for me.
Dudleyz def. Balls Mahoney, Axl Rotten, Hack Meyers
Who'd of thought Bubba would be World Champion one day, (aha so I must of reviewed this post Lockdown 2013 I knew watching hours of Columbo would lead me somewhere). Dudleyz go to leave but unfortunately come back (*cymbal clash*). Balls has D-Von down but Big Dick low bridges him so Balls and Axl go backstage and return with Meyers, all of the Dudleyz are whipped into each other then the faces take turns punching Big Dick. Axl chairs D-Von then beats him through the crowd. Dudleyz win by 3-Ding Hack Meyers at 12:02. *1/2 - There was some stuff pre-bell that went about 20 minutes. If people think hitting each other with chairs makes a good match then this for you is Steamboat/Flair-asque and all the more to you but I prefer wrestling so hated this.
RVD (w/ Alfonso) def. Tommy Dreamer (w/ Beulah)
Van Dam on top with VanDaminator and dropkicking chairs. Frog Splash gets 2. Dreamer takes over and hits an alleged frogsplash. Vandaminator to save Fonzie but then he is DDTd, Sabu tries to interfere and Van Dam wins with a corkscrew leg drop onto a trashcan. After the match most of the roster comes out and start fighting which lasts about a half hour ** - Usual ECW match you use weapon, I use weapon fans cheer us for giving each other concussions etc. and we pretend ECW is (was) a Big 3 even though we work bingo halls and have terrible production values. Has there been a lazier wrestler than Van Dam for the last decade+?
ECW Title - Barbed Wire Roped Match - Sabu def. Terry Funk (c)
Styles says most of this match won't be shown on TV so is a home video exclusive. Funk hits an neckbreaker and piledriver neither of which looked particularly smooth. Hurricanrana gets Sabu a 2 count then Sabu is busted by the wire after Funk grates him into it. Sabu is crotched on the wire and rips his kecks. Funk tastes barbed wire for the first time and is hit with a chair as he's tangled up. Sabu jabs some of the wire onto Funks head. Poetry In Motion misses landing Sabu, you guessed it, in the wire, his bicep is cut and it seems to bother him, he tapes the cut shut. Funk shouts 'I Don't Give A Shit' maybe about Sabus arm. Funk punches Fonzie with a barbed wire fist. Funk uses wire cutters to make a whip. RVD comes out and rolls Funk in barbed wire and on a table leaving Funk easy prey for Sabu to hit a leg drop. Funk is placed on another table as Sabu wraps himself in barbed wire and legdrops Funk, they seem to be stuck toghether in the wire and Sabu pins Funk. *1/2 - People find this entertaining, why? I did as a kid but I was a kid now it's just pure crap and not even the entertaining kind. Funk went from classic w/ Flair to this in just 8 years, that's the real shame of it all.
18 / 45 - I guess the middle had okay matches but having a couple okay matches doesn't get an automatic thumbs up especially when the rest is ranging from pure ECW garbage to just poor matches. If you're an ECW fan then this appeals to you however if you're not an ECW fan then I wouldn't recommend this as nothing stands out unlike Barely Legal which has Sabu/Tazz and the fantastic Michinoku Pro match, yes ECW hosted a fantastic match albeit one without any ECW 'talent'.
Thumbs in the middle pointing slightly down. (Thumbs in the middle pointing SLIGHTLY down?! Oh shame on you/me, this thumbs down without question)
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