The wrestling laureate: ecw hardcore history

[Guest]

The Wrestling Laureate: Tape Review: ECW Hardcore History

 

By: Tim Livingston

 

-The Wrestling Laureate: Tape Review: ECW Hardcore History

 

-Yep, this is the last (maybe, ever) installment in the so far, so good "Best of ECW" series, as I haven’t seen a new one out in over three months. Since I’m you hero, I’m going to do the whole set along with my ABSOLUTELY PI-IMP review for Barely Legal, the first ECW PPV. See, this is a great series if you watch the right matches, and then if you REALLY wanna be a smart-ass, you can take the best matches from the series and make your OWN "Best of ECW" series. Just buy the goddamn tapes and see what ECW was like in its GLORY YEARS.

 

-Your host, intro man, and all-around nice guy with a BOMB pair of glasses is Joey Styles.

 

-Here’s the rundown for matches:

 

Match.

 

-From the Title Matches:

 

-"Crippler" Chris Benoit and "The Shooter" Dean Malenko vs. Sabu and Taz © (2/25/95) for the ECW World Tag Team Titles.

 

-The Gangstas vs. The Eliminators (8/24/96) in a steel cage for the ECW World Tag Team Championship

 

-Raven and Steve Richards © vs. The Pitbulls (9/16/95) in a 2-out-of-3 Dog Collar Tag Team Match: Titles vs. Pitbulls Careers. Many herald this as the greatest ECW match in its history.

 

- "The Franchise" Shane Douglas © vs. Pitbull 2 (8/3/96) for the ECW Television Title.

 

 

-From the Hardcore Matches:

 

-Cactus Jack vs. The Sandman © (7/1/95) in a "Singapore Cane" vs. "Barbed Wire" match for the ECW World Heavyweight Title.

 

-Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu (8/3/96) in a Stretcher Match.

 

-From the Classic Matches:

 

-Rey Misterio, Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera (3/9/96) in a 2-out-of-3 falls "Extreme Lucha" match

 

-Tommy Dreamer vs. "Prime Time" Brian Lee (10/26/96) in a "High Incident" Scaffold Match

 

-First impression from looking at the box: Well, I knew about the Dog Collar Match, as it is a much heralded match. Sabu before he sucked and "I can bust any suplex from anywhere" old Taz vs. 2/3 of the Holy Trinity seemed watchable, the lucha match should rule, and TWO, count em TWO Shane Douglas sightings in the same video? Oh, I can die now. I’ve seen it all. Haven’t seen the stretcher match. Seen the big spot in the scaffold match, so no biggie. Cage match better not suck. Maybe the Cactus/Sandman match will be good, I don’t know. I hope it’s good, and having the best ECW match ever is a reason if any to buy the tape.

 

-So here it is, Hardcore History.

 

-Feb. 25, 1995: ECW World Tag Team Titles: "Crippler" Chris Benoit and "The Shooter" Dean Malenko vs. Taz and Sabu © (w/PAUL E. DANGEROUSLY~! and 911)-Back story here is that Public Enemy got injured by the Trinity and now Benoit and Malenko get a shot at the titles. To start off, they punk Johnny Grunge and Benoit hits the Decapitation Clothesline on a wheelchair ridden Rocco Rock, who is suffering from internal injuries. Rocco gets ran into the steel rail for another sweet spot, and then Grunge gets absolutely PUNKED in the ring. That pleases me thoroughly. Paul E.’s team comes out to start it off. PE limps off in the process as control goes back and forth until the challengers get control. Benoit gets a Decapitation Lariat on Sabu, which shows the continuation for Sabu getting dropped on his neck by Benoit, therefore giving him the name of "Crippler." Leg Lariat for Malenko by Sabu as Taz gets an Overhead Belly-to-Belly Tazplex on Benoit. Sabu falls outside as Taz gets punked inside. Sabu gets snapped over the top. Benoit whips Taz into a Malenko clothesline. Taz is now outside. Sabu then gets two brainbusters from Malenko. EVERY MOVE on Sabu has been focused on the neck. This is just non-stop. Challengers hit a Reverse Doomsday Device (Instead of facing the same way, Sabu is in a powerbomb position.) Here comes Taz back in as he gets a T-Bone Tazplex on Malenko, an Overhead Belly-to-Belly Tazplex on Benoit, a Reverse Tazplex on Malenko, and an Electric Chair Stun Gun into a Released German Tazplex on Benoit. He tries again for an Electric Chair on Benoit, but Malenko clips him, stomps the knee, and then puts on a reverse kneebar for about 2 minutes while Benoit stomps away. They slam both of Taz’s knees on the mat and toss Sabu. Taz is taken to the back by 911 as Sabu is left to fend off both challengers. They pound relentlessly on him, and try to dump Sabu on his neck, but Sabu flips onto his back. A 2nd try produces a double dropkick by Sabu. Then Sabu goes crazy. Somersault plancha for Malenko, tope suicida for Benoit, Asai Moonsault for Benoit. Malenko has walked around while Sabu gets a table. Sabu goes up top and dives onto them on the floor. He puts a table on the top rope. Double-jump tope con hilo onto both outside. He slams Malenko and puts the chair on the table. He looks for something up top, but Benoit comes up and pushes Sabu off onto the chair which hasn’t folded yet. He then brings him back to the top and hits an OH MY GOD SUPERBOMB for the pin and the titles. Except for when Taz was helped to the back, this was just non-stop action here. ****1/4. Afterwards, the champs celebrate as PE comes back to attack. Grunge holds off the champs for a while. 911 comes back out with Taz. New champs and PE are outside. 911 picks up Taz and tosses him onto everybody outside. Malenko and Taz fight as Sabu goes up to dive onto whoever else is out there. Meanwhile, 911 is back to chokeslamming referees, this time giving good ol’ Pee Wee two of ‘em. This match sets up the three way dance for the titles, in which the PE wins. Benoit would soon leave for WCW, and then Malenko would go on to have the famous Eddy-Dean TV Title wars over the next year before both jumped to WCW, as well. That’s your history lesson for today folks.

 

-Aug. 24, 1996- "Natural Born Killaz": ECW World Tag Team Titles: The Gangstas vs. The Eliminators: Eliminators are already inside. Champs take their time. There are hooded executioner-types around the ring for this. They hand The Gangstas their weapons throughout the match. The match starts with your typical crowd brawl. Mustapha FINALLY takes off his belt. Elims take control as Saturn dives onto a crowd from the top of the cage. The steel cage is probably 10 feet high. Kronus and Mustapha battle inside. Mustapha hits a suplex. Kronus to the cage, as NuJack and Saturn climb up the cage. NuJack tumbles in off a low blow (NOW THAT is a nutshot), and then Saturn hits a top-cage clothesline. NuJack goes to the cage, but Saturn gets Big Booted by Mustapha. Saturn tossed to the cage. EVERYBODY bleeds! Kronus starts kicking. Everybody starts eating steel. Kronus gets a spinning heel kick. Saturn gets the SaturnBomb (Falcon Arrow) and a top cage splash. Mustapha just got punked. NuJack comes off the top rope with the trash can. Cookie sheet shots aplenty for both teams. NuJack pulls out a fork and uses it on Kronus. Cookie Sheet Elbow gets 2 for Mustapha. Mustapha gets a backbreaker and a top-rope Vader Bomb for 2. Saturn gets a top cage elbow on NuJack for 2. Styles: "Macho WHO?" I don’t think so, Joey. Kronus gets a pumphandle fallaway slam. Saturn comes off with a trash can in a VERY contrived spot. Mustapha gets a nice dropkick. NuJack comes off with a keyboard, but Saturn just dropkicks him. Kronus uses it after having a Rick Steiner moment with it. Whole lotta weapons, and a low blow by Mustapha, then a gutwrench buttefly suplex. NuJack is REALLY digging into Kronus with that fork. NuJack wants a guitar, so when the executioner comes up to give it to him, he REALLY gives it to him. WHO HIT HIM? Oh, it’s Shane Douglas. Saturn comes off the cage with a splash. Crowd chants "We Want Flair!" Saturn comes off the top of the cage with something, but that gets countered. Shane is smiling. NuJack tosses a trash can at Saturn, who falls to the table outside. Oklahoma Slam by Mustapha and a Leaping chairshot to Kronus’ face gets the win. The match was EXTREMLY slow and contrived for its length. 3/4* The Elims argue afterwards, but Douglas flashes the Triple Threat sign, and The Elims come to some sort of an agreement as Joey wonders what is going on. I don’t know either, dude. In fact, whatever happened afterwards didn’t matter.

 

-Sept. 16, 1995- "Gangsta’s Paradise": ECW World Tag Team Titles (2 out of 3 falls): Raven and Stevie Richards © (w/Beulah McGuillicuty) vs. The Pitbulls: This is one of the greatest matches ever in wrestling, and the best match in ECW wrestling history. You have to see this match. It’s a tribute to what Paul Heyman can do as a booker. If Pitbulls lose, they split up. Stevie was "injured" in the 6-man tag from the night before, so he can’t go, and that’s where Beulah requests the 2-out-of-3 falls stipulation. Raven hooks up with Pitbull 2 and here we go as Pitbull 2 gets an inverted atomic drop. Pitbull 1 goes backstage as Raven is hung over the top rope. 2 USES THE CHAIR. Back inside goes Raven, and here comes #1...with Stevie Richards a bloody mess ALREADY. Table is tossed in. 1 USES THE CHAIR on Richards. Somehow, Raven got the advantage and hits an OH MY GOD PILEDRIVER THROUGH THE TABLE! (1) YOU #### RIGHT THAT GETS THE FIRST FALL! Richards gets in and Raven kills #2. Double DDT on #1 only gets 2 as #2 saves. Raven untangles the chains. StevieKick gets 2. #2 and Raven are outside. Richards covers again for 2. Another table is in. Raven is knocked down as Richards gets Superbombed (1) through the table (2) to even the falls at 1 apiece. Replays are shown of the first two falls being made. Everyone fights in the crowd. FRYING PAN OF DOOM on Richards. Richards is a bloody mess BIGTIME. He sees his blood and goes crazy on #1. Another table is in. Ref gets sandwhiched inbetween turnbuckle and Pitbull #2. It’s the Dudleyz. Before you guys go crazy, this was Dudley Dudley and Dances with Dudley. Not the same Dudleyz as today. Raven and Richards team up with the Dudleyz to hit stereo Superbombs (3) on the faces, but this goes back to Rule #1 in the face/heel handbook: Faces need not sell their finishers if performed on them by the heels. They jump up and hit stereo Double DDTs. Superbombs (5) for both Dudleyz. Here comes another table. Raven gets superbombed (6) as his head hits the EDGE of the table. (5) THAT only gets 2! Raven chokes out Pitbull 2 with an ether-soaked rag. Styles: "Take that crap to Smoky Mountain!" Amen to that. Raven then legdrops #2 through one table (6), and elbows him through the other (7). Everybody is exhausted. Richards gets crotched on the ropes. Raven unhooks himself from Pitbull #2 since he ain’t getting up. Suplex through another table (8) by #1. Raven saves the pinfall. Beulah comes in as Pitbull #2 gets stretchered out. Francine then runs in...ah hem...Mr. Gertner...

 

Joel: Oh...it’s my line?

 

Tim: YES!

 

Joel: OK. CATFIIIIIIIGHT! CATFIIIIIIIIGHT! CATFIIIIIIGHT!

 

Raven then calmly goes over and DDTs her. Tommy Dreamer then sneaks in and hooks himself to Raven. He GOES INSANE on him with punches and then a knee in the nuts. Dreamer hits the DDT for the pin! But wait, here comes EVIL referee Bill Alfonso to reverse the decision. See, Bill was notorious for this stuff back then. Big Dick Dudley also limps in on crutches. Since Dreamer wasn’t legal, the titles can’t change hands, and the pin doesn’t go down in the record books, so Tommy STILL hasn’t beaten Raven. He also can’t be touched, so Dreamer is FUMING at this. Here comes Tod Gordon, ECW commisioner to oppose the decision. Tod and Bill shove each other, with Big Dick shoving Tod to the other side of the ring, and then he uses the currently-banned chokeslam on Tommy Dreamer. Bill Alfonso then makes the stupid announcement that the chokeslam is legal...which brings out 911. See, after the chokeslam was banned so that Bill couldn’t get chokeslammed by 911, the crowd was chomping at the bit for him to come out and do it. So out he comes to the delight of the fans. There’s the goozle, and what is commonly known as the BIGGEST CHOKESLAM EVER on Alfonso! "E-C-DUB! E-C-DUB!" Here comes Pitbull 2, and they set up Raven for the Superbomb, but then 911 puts Richards on top of Raven’s shoulders! It’s a SUPER-DUPER SUPERBOMB (7)! YOU #### RIGHT THAT GETS THE PIN! Tod Gordon counts it himself. The Pitbulls stay a team and are the new tag champs. SO many great stories in one match. Final table count: 8. Superbomb Count: 7. Number of participants in match: 13. ***** I’d give it more, but that’s as high as I go.

 

-August 3, 1996: ECW World TV Title: "The Franchise" Shane Douglas (w/Francine) vs. Pitbull 2 (w/ Gary "Pitbull 1" Wolf): They go through where Pitbull #1 gets his neck broken by Shane Douglas, and then how he torments him until this match. Wolf gives his teary retirement speech. Fun fact as to how irony is funny: There was SUPPOSED to be a big blow-off match at Barely Legal, but Wolfe actually DID hurt his neck and couldn’t compete. Joey Styles sells Douglas as a COMPLETE scumbag. JOEL GERTNER~! gets to announce the champ and his manager. It’s the usual Gertner shtick. "Your Hero: "The Franchise" Shane Douglas!" Douglas attacks from behind, but Pitbull no-sells all. He rams Douglas to the turnbuckle, but his trick knee acts up. Irish whip, Douglas ducks, Pitbull gets the brainbuster. He hits a Rude Awakening. "BREAK HIS NECK! BREAK HIS NECK!" Now THAT is what Philadelphia wrestling fans are all about. Irish whip reversed by Douglas, and he ducks again. He hits an inverted piledriver. Almost a Ganso Bomb. Only gets 2 as Douglas gets a foot on the ropes. Neck wrench by Pitbull #2. In the corner, Shane gets another low blow. He hammers away. Another whip AND ANOTHER duck by Douglas. DDT gets 2. Hard whip to corner, and a neckvice get the crowd rabid.

 

-MY COMPUTER SUCKS! I was almost done, but now I have to go back and do it over from here again because it shut down on me. UGH! Anyways...

 

-Douglas gets whipped to the railing outside and gets the APPLE PIE OF DOOM, followed by the more conventional chairshot. OK. Basically, this is really boring. Douglas comes back with a lot of his pussy offense. Pitbull comes back but misses a spinning wheel kick in the corner and hits the edge of the table. Douglas with more shitty offense, and then Pitbull comes back. He jumps off the top and hits the guardrail with his chin in the Brian Pillman jawbreaker spot. Pitbull bleeds, and knucks, a chain, chairshots, and a piledriver on the chair can’t put him away. #2 Hulks up, but Douglas gets back at him by putting him on the top rope. Couple chain shots later, and two BELLY-TO-BELLY SUPLEXES OF DOOM later, Douglas wins. So two stupid belly-to-belly suplexes beat the guy, but all those foreign objects can’t? Irony, thy name is ECW. * Pitbull #2 gets pissed and Superbombs Pee Wee and Joel Gertner.

 

-Now, the Hardcore Matches. (DVD Exclusive)

 

-July 1, 1995: ECW World Heavyweight Title: The Sandman © (w/Woman and two Singapore Canes) vs. Cactus Jack (w/fist wrapped in barbed wire): Sandman is wearing the Stars and Stripes Sweats to commemorate the 4th, I suppose. Woman is a bitch, but is married to my hero, Chris Benoit, so I won’t be too harsh to her. Sandman attacks after a distraction from Woman. Jack tossed outside, where Sandman hits a nice tope. Back in, Sandman swings and misses, and Cactus gets a DDT. Outside, Sandman ducks a chairshot, but Cactus isn’t fooled and hits it anyway. Inside, barbed wire meets steel chair. Sandman canes away. Sandman backs up about five feet to hit a DDT on the chair. NOT CONTRIVED AT ALL. Scoop Slam, and slingshot legtdrop gets 2. Slam on chair and guillotine legdrop gets 2 also. Woman went back and got barbed wire. Sandman wraps himself up and runs at Cactus. Stinger Splash from Sandman. Slam on chair leads to a F’ed up top-rope splash. Cactus backdrops Sandman out of the ring. Cactus Elbow with a chair from the apron follows. Whipped to the rail. Crutch shot outside. Back in, Cactus pulls the shirt up over the face and places a chair on the face. Legdrop on the chair, on the barbed wire, on the face, gets 2. Again, Cactus isn’t fooled with the duck on the chairshot, and again Cactus gets another 2. Grinds the forehead with the wire. Woman canes Cactus, and gets pushed down. He gets her cane, but the ref gets sandwiched. Shane Douglas runs in and punks the ref before hitting a jumping piledriver on the chair on Sandman. Shane then turns on Cactus. Sandman crawls over for 3 as Shane kisses ECW good-bye. Good match **1/4. Afterwards, Tod Gordon comes out, and Shane bitches him out before asking him to BEG if Tod wants him to stay. Tod gets on one knee, but quickly stands up and fires him on the spot. Shane beats him senseless, along with some referees, but 911 comes out and chokeslams him to stop that. Bill Alfonso helps Shane to the back.

 

-August 3, 1996: Stretcher Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu: This came about because Rob had not shown Sabu any respect in their little series of matches, so they sign this match to make up for it. This is before RVD had the ***** Frog Splash or the "Mr. PPV" moniker. Sabu bows toward Mecca and streamers fall. Neither person had Bill Alfonso yet, who was still with Taz. They circle each other for a while, and Rob flips Sabu the bird. Now THAT is sportsmanship. If Rob teaches a sportsmanship class, I want in. They exchange dropkicks to each others knees before Van Dam takes over. He pounds on him in the corner with kicks and punches. Snapmare to springboard legdrop, and Sabu kicks him in the face to break. Sabu then rolls RVD up and goes to the legvine. RVD gets the ropes. Back to a neutral base. Tie-up, and in the ropes, Sabu gets a clean break. Man, was Rob arrogant. Sabu controls and goes to the corner. Whip to corner, and Sabu gets a springboard leg lariat and a slingshot headbutt. Whip, but Sabu ducks, so Rob gives him the Flapjack. Rob tries for a slingshot something, but Sabu dropkicks him in midair to the outside. Somersault plancha follows. Sabu preps the table. Van Dam goes to the table. WHOO! from RVD, and Sabu is on the rail. Sidekick, and then a springboard guillotine off the rail. Rob jumps the rail, but Sabu hits him with a chair, and another one. Back over the rail. Back in, Sabu throws a chair. Rob in the corner. On the top turnbuckle. It’s Air Sabu, but Sabu gets crotched, and Rob hits a spinning kick to send Sabu outside. Sabu’s head on the apron now. Van Dam kicks and then throws a chair. He flips EVERYBODY off and hits a guillotine legdrop off the top rope onto Sabu. He calls for the stretcher, but Sabu is a valiant man, supposedly, and he gets back into the game. RVD stomps away and drops a knee. Jumping sidekick to the chin. Powerbomb from RVD. He mocks the handshake and drops a leg. Busts the Bret Hart off the ropes kneedrop. Whip, Sabu rolls over but doesn’t land on his feet, so Rob sweeps him and hits the standing moonsault. Few punches and Rob climbs (!!!), doesn’t vault and Sabu goes up to meet him. Rob then snaps Sabu over the tope rope and grabs a fan’s chair. Throws it in, but Sabu dropkicks him as Rob comes in. Rob wants an inside-out suplex, but Sabu counters it and drops him across the top. Rob is in between the ropes, and Sabu comes off the top with a legdrop as Rob’s head hits the chair. Sabu kicks Rob to the table, and Rob tries a springboard clothesline that misses BADLY. Sabu goes up top and hits a somersault Arabian Facebuster. Chair to the face and more stomps. Sabu goes up top again and hits an Atomic Arabian Facebuster (drops the chair before doing the legdrop). Sabu calls for the stretcher, but Rob comes back for more. VICIOUS Short lariat from Sabu, and he hits the Triple Jump Moonsault. Sabu does a cover. What a dumbass. Sabu sets Rob up again for Air Sabu but Rob comes off and they meet in midair. Van Dam is on the stretcher now. Sabu wheels him into position for an Asai Moonsault where he slams his leg into the guardrail. That was a sickening thud. Now Sabu is getting on a stretcher. They both get carted toward the back, but Sabu gets off, jumps the rail, and hits a springboard legdrop off the rail onto RVD. Rob looks like he just smoked a kilo of some awfully good shit. He has that glazed look in his eyes. Sabu is in the ring and his leg is really bothering him, but Van Dam comes back in. Sabu comes out to meet him. Sabu misses a chair shot, but Van Dam hits a Van Daminator, and then hits a springboard moonsault press off the rail. Sabu wants a chair, and then throws it at RVD. In the corner, RVD is whipped in, and Sabu gets another shot at Air Sabu, and hits a springboard hurracanrana. Rob is on the table now, and Sabu tries a Triple Jump DDT, but Rob catches him and hits a FISHERMAN’S BUSTER THROUGH THE TABLE! Sabu is being carted off, very slowly. Oh, Sabu rolls off, so Rob baseball slides him and rolls him in. Rob has the chair and throws a chair at him that’s about a 9.5 on the Hogan Pussy Chair Shot Scale. Whip to the corner, reversed by Sabu, and Sabu tries the springboard leg lariat, but Rob counters it in midair with one of his own. Rob wants a Fisherman’s Buster, but Sabu counters into one of his own. Sabu wants another Triple Jump Moonsault, but Van Dam picked up the chair and Sabu flips into the chair. Rob hits the Cactus Spinning Wheel Kick which puts Sabu on the stretcher and him on the outside. But Rob wants to go up top. Somersault Senton misses and he hits his ass on the stretcher. That sends him to the back, and Sabu wins. If this thing went 15 minutes, instead of the 24:16 it did, and they tried not to stall so much, ****+, but as it is, ***1/2.

 

-Now...the Classic Matches.

 

-March 9, 1996-"Big Ass Extreme Bash-Extreme Lucha Libre"-2/3 falls: Juventud Guerrera vs. Rey Misterio, Jr.: This is the last match for both in ECW before jumping for WCW. Funny as how Joey mentions Rey not wanting to go there. I’m doing this in full lucha force with all my recap powers, so here goes...

 

-Primera cada (First Fall): They spit at each other, but since Juvi spit first, he’s the heel. Waistlock to start from Rey, and he trips Juvi into a Sitting Mexican Surfboard. Guerrera escapes and drops the leg into a legvine. Rey rolls out and gets the Muta Bridging Indian Deathlock. Juvi crawls to the ropes. Knucklelock, as Juvi takes Rey over in a Northern Lights for 2. Rey brings Juvi to the top buckle and hits a Super Hurracanrana. He sits on the shoulders for 2. Boot, whip by Juvi, who ducks, Rey gets the Sunset Flip, but Juvi rolls through for 2. Stand off. Juvi wins the second knucklelock. Rey rolls through, misses a legtrip, drops down and springs right into a Monkey Flip. The knucklelock is still in. Rey bridges up, trips him, but Juvi spring up into a bodyscissors and then gets a Sunset Flip Rollup, but they are in the ropes. Juvi to the ropes, as he counters a Rey Tilt-A-Whirl and lands on his feet. Rey’s turn, but he counters it into a rana rollup for 2. WHOO! WHOO! WHOO! from Juvi, who whips Rey in, Rey ducks a clothesline and hits his crucifix into a spinning headscissors that sends Juvi out. Rey bounces oppo and comes at Juvi full force, but Rey flips through the ropes and lands on the apron. Back kick to the face, into a split-legged Asai Moonsault to the floor. Very nice. Back in, Mysterio vaults to the top, but Juvi catches him, and looks for a Super Electric Chair Drop. Rey flips and slides down the back into a Super Sunset Flip Bomb for 2. Rey wants a suplex, but Juvi gets a brainbuster for 2. Juvi whips Rey in, who reverses, but Juvi slides under and gets a Jump Spinning Heel Kick. He charges Rey, who backdrops him to the apron. Juvi on his feet and hits a Sprinboard Somersault Dropkick. He gets a Dragon Suplex Hold for the first fall. Little breather for both. I am LOVING the Spanish Ring Announcer. Rey gets una cerveza from a fan and charges in.

 

-Segunda Cada: Headlock, but Juvi throws him to the ropes. He lays down and they both go down on the shoulderblock. Then they hit stereo kip-ups. I LOVE THAT! I HATE Rocky’s. There’s just no point. THAT had a point. Rey gets a Standing Hurracanrana. Both knees on the chest get 2. In the corner, WHOO! WHOO! from Rey, who whips Juvi in, who counters, who misses his running dropkick. He rolls outside, and then stands on the apron, but Rey gets to the top and hits a Diving Hurracanrana onto Juvi, and they both roll to the floor. KICK-ASS SPOT ALERT! Rey vaults over ref John Finnegan into a tope con hilo onto Juvi. That was just bomb. Rey is like, "What did I do?" Joey hits his "He doesn’t wanna go to Atlanta line. Sit-out powerbomb gets 2. Lionsault gets 2. Whip to the corner, but Juvi reverses into a short clothesline. Kicks to the stomach by Juvi, who runs Rey to the corner, runs to the opposite corner, RVD style, and then tries his Springboard Crossbody, but Rey dropkicks him in mid air. Sit-out Doctorbomb gets the second fall for Rey. Another little breather for both.

 

Tercer Cada: Juvi starts it out with a running dropkick. Sets Rey up top, and then dropkicks him to the floor. Baseball slide through the ropes. Rey tossed over the steel. Juvi pulls back the barricade. ASAI MOONSAULT TO THE FIRST ROW! If you look close enough, you can see Lance Storm (w/ a MULLET!) and Bubba Ray Dudley (w/a CREWCUT!). They’re enjoying this. Back inside, Juvi gets the Shinjiro Ohtani Springboard Spinning Heel Kick for 2. Lots of cool Puro references in the match. That move, the Doctorbombs, the Muta Indian Deathlock. It’s great. "One More" says Juvi, but he misses the Springboard Somersault Legdrop. Rey sets Juvi on the top. He wants the Super Rana, but Juvi flips him onto his feet. HE wants a Diving Rana, but Rey just sits-out and powerbombs him for 2. Rey goes for a vertical suplex, but changes his mind and hits a Northern Lights Suplex. He goes for the top rope Lionsault, but he just flips out, and Juvi hits a Gorilla Press, and drops him down into a fallaway slam. Whip to the ropes, by Rey reverses and hits a Spinning Wheel Kick, and baseball slides into a headscissors. They battle outside for a while. Rey tossed to the first row. HAWAIIAN SHIRT GUY~!, in all his infinite wisdom, gives Rey a chair. What a nice guy. OF COURSE Rey uses it. Rey then hits a SPRINGBOARD SOMERSAULT PLANCHA INTO THE FIRST ROW! Rey drags Juvi through the crowd out the front door of the ECW Arena. Juvi to the STEEL door. Juvi comes back and POWERBOMBS REY ON A CAR. That’s original. Rey then kicks him away and hits a Hurracanrana off the car. They head back to the ring. Rey preps a table, and hits Juvi in the head with a chair. The chair went right through Juvi. Back in, Rey runs to the corner and gets vaulted to the turnbuckle by Juvi. Juvi then sets Rey up for Splash Mountain (top rope crucifix powerbomb), but Rey ranas out and pins him for the win. AWESOME match. ****1/4. Rey takes him outside and hits a sit-out powerbomb through the table. THAT ruled the world.

 

-October 26, 1996-"High Incident": Scaffold Match: Tommy Dreamer vs. "Prime Time" Brian Lee: Can YOU find the Raven flunky in this match? There are muchos tables stacked on each other in the ring. This falls out into the usual ECW brawl. There really isn’t much to cover. Tommy gets his per-contract groin shot, this time being crotched on the rail. Tommy ALSO uses the APPLE PIE OF DOOM, and they head up the scaffolding. Dreamer DDT’s Lee ON THE SCAFFOLD. That was crazy. Dreamer blocks the chokeslam, and hits enough shots on Lee to send him to the tables below. Besides the big moment, this wasn’t much. *

 

-DVD Extras: The extras are good, as you get to see JT Smith hit his feet on the ropes during a plancha attempt and splats his face on the floor in a sick spot, New Jack hits a balcony dive on Jack Victory, and some dude breaks his leg coming off the top rope, which leads to Tyler Fullington joining Raven and turning on his father, the Sandman. There is also an "extreme" Steve Austin promo, Brian Pillman killing a...er, pencil, Pillman and Douglas getting mad at each other in a promo, and as an Easter Egg, Shane cuts a promo with what he THOUGHT was an empty can of spray paint. Hella funny.

 

Conclusion: Well, I really liked this. Three matches at **** or more in my book, and some of the other matches, although dull, had good story lines. You NEED to go pick up this DVD. It’s an ECW fan’s dream. Trust me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Can SOMEBODY respond please?

[Guest KOR420]

I own the DVD and its the best I think out of the ones i currently own best of cactus,deep impact,POD,are the others that i have,my favorite match was the dog collar nice review by the way

[Guest dreamer420]

Good review.  I really want to pick this DVD up now.