ECW: Barely Legal 97 review...

[Guest PlatypusFool]

This is just one of many reviews I have posted over at The Wrestling Repute, located at http://www.geocities.com/thewrestlingrepute/home

 

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The first ever ECW show, and my second ever tape purchased, I just want to see whether this show will still be as classic to me as it was back then after watching so much puroresu and other quality stuff. I suppose this is also a re-review of sorts, as I did this show for the now defunct ecw2k.com website, but I was so poor at writing back then that that piece isn’t worth the hard drive space it’s kept on.

 

Barely Legal 97

 

Joey Styles is out here to start the PPV. He welcomes everyone and gives a quick run down of the big matches they have planned for tonight. Since The Dudleys are in the first match, they walk out to the ring and start ranting. Hmm, the fans seem to have something against D-Von in particular… oh well… "Fuck you D-Von, fuck you!"…

 

Opening video rolls with plenty of decent clips from the guys that will be on the show tonight.

 

Back to the ring, and Gertner does his spiel and introduces The Dudley’s to the world for the first ever time. Wow, can you not just feel the history oozing from your TV? But here comes The Eliminators for our first match…

 

ECW Tag Titles: The Dudley Boys vs. The Eliminators

 

The Dudleys run away from The Eliminators, and Sign Guy Dudley tries to interfere… but it’s no sold, and he takes TOTAL ELIMINATION! But the distraction allows the Dudleys to start the match with the advantage. Buh-Buh pounds on Kronus while Saturn takes a reverse DDT. Kronus is lifted for a Buh-Buh bomb and hit with a diving headbutt for 2 ¾. They pound on Saturn and Buh-Buh hits a tilt-a-whirl slam, followed with a splash from D-Von… but Kronus saves. Slap to Kronus, and they hit the Dudley Device on him… but Saturn saves. Perry is whipped, but he comes back with some flip-flop and lariats to lay out the heels, only to take a Buh-Buh slam. Kronus is whipped for the 3D, but Saturn lays out D-Von, and Kronus hits a spinning heel kick on Buh-Buh to take control of the match… and we enter squash city. The Eliminators unleash the dual-Tekken offence all over the Dudleys, mixing in some high flying stuff as well, for the rest of the match. We see the space flying Kronus drop, the 450 splash, Saturn’s patented elbow from the top, and a lovely triple jump moonsault from everyone’s favourite bald headed weirdo. The match finishes when The Eliminators hit TOTAL ELIMINATION on Buh-Buh for the pin and the titles… A complete squash really, a load of kick-ass spots being thrown at The Dudleys from all angles, and, no matter how good the spots, they just don’t hold the same excitement levels for me anymore… 32% … Post match, Gertner comes in and tries to reverse the decision, but he takes TOTAL ELIMINATION, which of course broke his neck and put that trademark neck brace around him for rest of ECW history.

 

Sandman interview… Jesus, he’s really hitting himself with that cane, got to love this man.

 

Candido is out here with his broken arm, he can’t have his match tonight, but he promises he’ll be a part of this show if it’s the last thing he does. Lance Storm comes out followed by RVD, the first ever time these two were on PPV of course.

 

Lance Storm vs. Rob Van Dam

 

Tie up, Storm gives RVD a clean break, but doesn’t get one in return and is whipped. RVD charges, but Storm avoids him, and they run the ropes resulting in a nice lariat from Storm. Storm pounds away and grabs a headlock, but RVD reverses and fires off a springboard cross-body .Storm is pulled outside and RVD runs for a leaping summersault plancha, and then shoves Storm back in. Slam, and the leg-drop gets 2. RVD pounds away, and Storm is whipped, but he comes back with a springboard elbow out of the corner and a drop-kick to the outside. Storm misses a pescado and is railed, allowing RVD to hit his moonsault press from the guardrail. Storm is put back in, and RVD grabs a chair. Storm is whipped, and gets a chair thrown into his face on the return! He crawls into the corner and sits down, but RVD doesn’t let him alone and hits a chair assisted drop-kick to Storm’s face! RVD taunts, and Storm tries to fight back, but he’s pounded and takes the underhook face-buster. RVD leaps up top, and hits the (not yet) FIVE-STAR FROG SPLASH for 2 ¾! RVD grabs another chair, and just shoves it in Storm’s face. Lance stumbles into the corner, and RVD misses a flip-flop, allowing Storm to hit a reverse slam on the chair! Storm is whipped, but he ducks the leg lariat, and gets one of his own on the return. Storm whips RVD and hits a cartwheel splash followed with a high cross-body… being sure to sell the head injury… for 2 ¾! RVD is whipped, and Storm rolls through sloppily for a single leg boston crab, but RVD makes the ropes. RVD is whipped again, but he holds on to the ropes and dumps Lance to the apron off the charge. Storm is shouldered on the apron, and pulled so his head rests off the apron on the outside, allowing RVD to leap over the ropes and hit a nice guillotine leg drop! RVD comes back in with a chair, and tries for the van-daminator, but Storm ducks it and hits a LAME chair shot followed with a much better sit-down powerbomb on the chair for 2.9! Storm goes up while RVD is standing the chair up… and leg-drops RVD’s head into the stood up chair! Neat spot! RVD is whipped, and they both try for a german, but RVD low blows Storm and crotches him on the ropes. RVD leaps… but loses his footing, and falls off the ropes, only just clipping Storm with the move he was attempting… Double KO, as Joey tries desperately to excuse the mistake… RVD goes for his chair, but Storm cuts him off and hits a nice german suplex for another near fall. Storm gets the chair and hits another two LAME chair shots… and when I say LAME, I mean it… But RVD puts him out of his misery with the van-daminator and a standing moonsault for the pin… Quality match, lots of fun spots, shame about Lance being unable to do hardcore stuff at this point in his career… 71%

 

Post match, RVD gets on the mic and cuts a nice promo about how he only wrestled the match for his own gain, not for the respect or admiration of anyone else in the ECW arena. I did adore the gimmick that he was only in ECW because he wanted into the WWF, might have been Paul E’s last moment of genius.

 

Funk’s video package, oh he’s sooo old…

 

The Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada & Masato Yakushiji vs. TAKA Michinoku, Dick Togo & Men’s Teioh

 

Probably shouldn’t try and call all the spots here, so I’m gonna attempt to cut it down to the bare essentials… Hamada takes control of TAKA to start, with an armdrag, a drop-kick, a snapmare, a slam and another snapmare, before setting TAKA up to be stomped by Yakushiji. Slam, and a legdrop gets 2. Sasuke comes in with some stiff kicks to TAKA, before Keientai take control and make Sasuke their bitch with some of their usual good stuff. They hit the camel clutch / drop-kick combo and Togo beats Sasuke down with a senton, but Yakushiji saves. They all pound away on Yakushiji, stopping him from tagging out. He takes a delayed suplex from Teioh and a massive flapjack from Togo, before unleashing the flip-flop and taking Togo out with some fine lucha shit. TAKA is taken out with more armdragging and Teioh comes in against Hamada. They pound each other before Hamada hits the SWIFTY HEADBUTT~! TAKA saves after a nice armbar attempt, but Hamada gets the better of him and grabs the armbar on TAKA instead. Sasuke holds off the save from Teioh, but TAKA doesn’t tap anyway. Hamada hits him with a nice backdrop, and Sasuke comes in with some offence on TAKA. Teioh comes in, and he and Sasuke run the ropes in more style than I’ve ever seen done before, ending with Sasuke hitting a cartwheel cross-body for 2 ½! Yakushiji comes in, and gets triple teamed, but runs from Teioh long enough to be able to catch him with a swifty baseball slide into a hurricanrana on the outside! Hamada and Togo come in, and they run the ropes, ending with Togo hitting him with a stiff drop-kick, but Hamada comes back with a hurricanrana for 2 ½. TAKA in, but he takes a rollup for another 2 ½. TAKA is triple teamed, and locked into a single leg boston crab by Sasuke… BUT TAKA BREAKS HIS OWN LEG TO ESCAPE! How? I have NO idea, but he just fucking did, that always freaks me out… Sasuke is laid out with an enziguri, and Yakushiji runs in, but is put out immediately. Sasuke takes some stiff kicks and becomes KEIENTAI’S BITCH for the evening, taking the enforced headstand / drop-kick combo followed with the humiliation of the KEIENTAI SPECIAL POSE~! Another drop-kick to the face of Sasuke, and a suplex gets 2 ¾. Teioh comes in with his spinning toe hold, and a weird DDT. TAKA in, and he shoves Sasuke outside. Yakushiji comes in, and takes a nasty brainbuster, or Michinoku Driver 1, for 2.9! Teioh comes in, and holds Yakushiji for a lariat, and a flying stomp! Damn that’s some smooth triple teaming! But they only get 2.999! Yakushiji is laid out, and takes Togo’s summersault senton splash from the second turnbuckle. Teioh comes in with a nasty backdrop… but Hamada saves. He’s triple teamed by Keientai, and he takes the spike piledriver. Yakushiji comes in, and takes a triple team powerbomb… but Sasuke saves. They go for another triple team powerbomb, but they fuck it up… try again, and they get Sasuke up for it… but he punches two of them in the face, and gets a rana-rollup on Teioh… but TAKA saves. Sasuke is whipped, but he ducks the double lariat and hits them with a gorgeous moonsault press! Sasuke is whipped again, but he comes back with a cartwheel elbow, sending Togo outside, and allowing himself to hit a neck breaking quebrada! Hamada deals with Teioh, and sets him up for the ‘rana off the top, but Teioh reverses for a super atomic drop! Hamada bails allowing TAKA to run and hit a giant springboard plancha him! Yakushiji gets up top and hits Teioh with a missile drop-kick for 2 ¾! Teioh takes a suplex, and the second rope moonsault for 2 ¾! Everyone is brawling on the outside while Yakushiji takes a tornado DDT… Teioh says that’s all, and hits MIRACLE ECSTACY BOMB on Yakushiji… but Hamada saves at 2.9! Togo runs in, and hits him with a powerslam for 2.9, but Togo is whipped, and takes a swift diving tornado DDT for another 2.9! Hamada is whipped for a powerbomb, getting yet another near fall, and Togo slams him. He goes up top for the diving senton, but Sasuke catches him, allowing Hamada to hit his hurricanrana from the top! Yakushiji comes off the top with a diving ‘rana to Togo, sending him outside, and follows up with a sweet tope suicida! Back in the ring, Sasuke kicks away at TAKA, but is belly-to-belly suplexed, and TAKA goes up for a NASTY missile drop-kick to the back of Sasuke’s head!! TAKA lifts him, and hits the MICHINOKU DRIVER 2… but Yakushiji saves! TAKA goes up… but is hit with a drop-kick on the way down! Sasuke runs to the ropes and hits a moonsault press for 2.999! And a NASTY THUNDERFIRE POWERBOMB proceeds the TIGER SUPLEX for the victory!! … That was BRILLIANT! Great heel / face dynamic, amazing high-flying stuff, superb execution of everything throughout the match. Just a stunning combination of work-rate and spots, incredible stuff. If they hadn’t messed up the triple-powerbomb spot with Sasuke, and if they had incorporated just a little bit of limb-work into the psychology, then this would be a perfect encounter… 95% ... And yes, I did call everything in the match... oops.

 

Stevie Richards explains his situation in a nice piss-take of Raven, made all the better for the Blue Meanie’s amusing interruption…

 

ECW TV Title: Shane Douglas (w/ Horse Face) vs. Pitbull #2

 

Douglas comes out not only with Horse Face, but with a mass of armoured bodyguards to protect him from the fans and Pitbull #1, who is in the audience tonight with a broken neck Douglas gave him a few months earlier. He cuts a promo about why he came back to ECW, about his history in the company, and about this feud against the Pitbulls. The only other thing to mention here is the masked man, who has been plaguing Douglas, and must remove his mask if Pitbull #2 fails to win… The first five or so minutes are just a load of headlocks and punches, the point being that they want to break each others necks. Pitbull tries to powerbomb Douglas, but he escapes with a shitty ‘rana. Pitbull tries the powerbomb again, but Douglas punches away whilst on top of Pitbull, and they spill to the outside. Back in, Douglas hits two slow piledrivers, and yes, he follows that with another piledriver… for gods sake, if the psychology of the match is going to all be about them trying to break each others neck, tell them there are other ways to do this apart from headlocks and piledrivers… Snapmare, and a drop-kick to the back of Pitbull’s head sends him outside, and Douglas suplexes him back in, following up with a camel clutch. Pitbull works him to a vertical base and powers out, hitting an atomic drop, followed by another lariat… face comebacks are meant to be fast Mr. Pitbull, or did no one teach you that at evening classes? … To her credit, Horse Face is doing her best to make this match seem important… Douglas is whipped, but comes out of the corner with a springboard cross-body… but is caught by Pitbull… who just drops him?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! You are a power guy for crying out loud, if you catch someone like that, its best to DO A FUCKING MOVE, or is that just too obvious for you? … Pitbull picks him up again, and ever so slowly shoves him over the top and through a table. Douglas is railed, and staggers around, allowing Pitbull #1 to leap over the barrier and attack Douglas. But the bodyguards grab him and cart him away from Douglas… good lord, couldn’t Douglas have broken Pitbull #2’s neck instead, at least then this match would have been semi-speedy… Pitbull #2 grabs a guardrail and throws it into the ring, setting it up into a standing position. They head into a load of hardcore rubbish, all really, really slow stuff and barely stiff at all. Douglas works him over with the rail, and they wrestle over being crotched, but it’s basically all lame. Pitbull takes control and hits a few power moves, resulting in a few near falls. Douglas is press slammed, but gets some brass knuckles from Horse Face, and hits Pitbull with them… but it’s virtually no sold… piece of table is broken over Pitbull’s head for 2 ¾. Chair shot gets another one, and the time keepers bell gets yet another one. Another fucking bit of table, but Pitbull powers out of the pin and slugs away. Douglas grabs his TV title, and nails Pitbull with it very slowly. That doesn’t keep him down either, so Douglas goes for the chain in his boot, but Pitbull catches him and hits a decent pump-handle slam for 2.8. Pitbull grabs Douglas’ boot and gets the chain, wrapping it around his fist. Douglas is nailed, but Candido runs in for the distraction, only to be nailed as well. Horse Face distracts Pitbull, is almost nailed, but it allows Douglas to roll Pitbull up for 2.9. Pitbull grabs him for a short arm lariat. He tries another lariat, but Douglas grabs him for the EVIL belly-to-belly suplex for the victory… Thank god it’s over, that must have been nearly 20 minutes of the most boring wrestling ever… but hang on, couldn’t Douglas have just grabbed Pitbull for the belly-to-belly earlier in the match and saved us all that pain… 4%

 

Post match, the masked man arrives, with Rick Rude’s cloak on. Everyone assumes it is Rick Rude, as he kisses Horse Face and she basically faints. The masked man gyrates his hips over Horse Face, but Douglas nails him with his belt. Douglas is about to take the mask off, but one of the bodyguards leaps in the ring, removes his helmet, and reveals himself to be Rick Rude! Douglas rips the masked man’s mask off, and it’s Brian Lee! Douglas turns round, into a punch from Rude, and stumbles into a chokeslam from Lee! That little segment held more excitement than the entire match that proceeded it.

 

Taz promo, to build up the heat between him and Sabu for tonight’s big blow-off to their long feud…

 

Taz (w/ Bill Alphonso) vs. Sabu

 

They look at each other intently for ages, before Taz starts it off with a SLAP to Sabu! They start slapping each other, but Taz ducks one and hits a lariat! Sabu staggers outside, while Alphonso gets in his face. Sabu gets back in the ring, and is stomped on his return. Taz whips him, and Sabu tries the speedbump, but Taz doesn’t fall for it, and reaches down for the KATA HAJIME~!! But he can’t lock it on! Sabu reverses for an arm lock on the mat. They head into a nice little series of reversals, with Taz trying to lock in for the T-bone suplex, but he has to settle for a toehold on the mat. Sabu makes the ropes, and Taz stands above him, offering him his leg. Sabu takes the bait and grabs the leg, but Taz immediately reverses for a body scissors. He punches Sabu in the face repeatedly, but Sabu manages to escape, only to be beaten down. Sabu’s nose is bleeding… ouch. Sabu bails, but he comes back in with a drop-kick to Taz’s knee, and comes off the ropes with a springboard legdrop! Taz bails, but takes a baseball slide, putting him in the crowd, so Sabu takes a chair into the ring and hits the triple jump to the outside! But Taz recovers and they brawl around the crowd, and Taz ends up draped across a guardrail facing into the audience. Sabu sets up a chair, and leaps off it at Taz, but he misses, and Taz lariats him back to ringside! Taz pounds him back in, and punches away even more. Sabu is whipped, and Taz hits a drop-toe hold segued into a bow and arrow variant. They get to their knees and pound away at each other from there, Sabu starts to get the upper hand, but he tries some matwork and is of course reversed by Taz. Sabu makes the ropes though, and hits an enziguri on the return, followed with a springboard summersault legdrop. Taz is pounded in the corner, and Sabu gets a chair, throwing it into Taz’s face! Taz stands up in the corner, and Sabu hits a poetry in motion off the chair! He tries again, but misses, and Taz dumps him on the chair for 2 ½! Taz punches, and hits a stiff lariat for 2 ½ and a spinebuster. Sabu manages to pull Taz out of the ring, and sets up the chair for the triple jump plancha… but he misses, and is belly-to-belly suplexed into the crowd! Sabu is put back in the ring, but Taz is distracted trying to bridge the guardrail and the apron with a table, so Sabu takes advantage and stomps him outside. Taz is placed on the table, and Sabu runs for the triple jump… but Taz stands up, and Sabu sees this, so he goes to the apron and punches Taz. Taz gets the upper hand, and tries a suplex, but Sabu reverses for a swinging DDT… but Taz shoots him off and down through the table!! Sabu’s neck hit the concrete, that would become important later on… They brawl away on the outside. Back in, and they brawl on the mat, looking very exhausted. Sabu gets the upper hand, and puts Taz on the top rope and hits a springboard ‘rana for 2 ½! Sabu goes up and hits a MASSIVE legdrop! Taz bails, Sabu follows and they brawl outside. Back in, Taz locks Sabu’s head, and hits a NASTY head & arm taz-plex! He follows up with an underhook suplex, and Sabu tries to bail, but Taz is having none of it. Taz tries to lock on the Kata Hajime, but Sabu reverses and steals a page from Taz’s book with a T-bone suplex! Sabu mocks Taz whilst Taz no sells the suplex behind him. Taz tries a lariat, but it’s ducked, and Sabu locks in the KATA HAJIME~! But Taz powers out and hits a dangerous backdrop on Sabu! Taz stalks him, and hits the T-bone to work on the neck just that little bit more! Taz stands over him, and locks on the KATA HAJIME~!! Sabu does not tap out though, but he passes out from the pain seconds later, giving the win to Taz! … Pretty damn good match, actually better than I remember. The little bits of psychology on the neck kept me more entertained than I was the first time around, I guess I just wasn’t expecting a spot fest this time… 75%

 

Post match, Taz gets on the mic and tells a confused Sabu what happened. He then shakes hands with Sabu, who raises Taz’s hand in a display of sportsmanship… but Sabu’s partner RVD hits the ring and takes out Taz from behind! Taz no sells though, and attacks RVD, Sabu has to choose who to save, and he saves RVD, taking out Taz. The double team begins with the high-flyers hitting much of their swifty offence on Taz. They kill Taz, and Alphonso gets in the ring, he looks like he’s going to attack Sabu & RVD… but he removes his ‘team Taz’ shirt to reveal a Sabu shirt! It was a double-cross all along!

 

Tommy Dreamer joins Joey Styles on commentary for the number one contenders match, he’s promised Funk he won’t interfere tonight…

 

Number One Contenders Match: Stevie Richards vs. The Sandman vs. Terry Funk

 

They start with the triple headlock spot, a staple of ECW there, but they break out of it and it goes nowhere. Sandman and Funk start double teaming on Stevie with some nasty chops in the corner, he tries to fight back, but it’s for nothing. Funk and Sandman start on each other with evil chops, and Stevie comes in to act as speedbump when Funk pushes Sandman into a rollup for 2. Sandman misses a lariat, and Funk nails him. Terry locks on the spinning toe hold, but is knocked off by Stevie, and him and Sandman double team Funk with elbows, following up with an assisted legdrop to Funk. They go for another, but Sandman double crosses Stevie and backdrops him. Sandman disappears off screen while Funk manhandles Stevie with hangman’s neckbreakers. Sandman re-appears, and he has a ladder! He walks up to the ring and just casually tosses it at Funk’s head, hitting him stiffly across the skull… mmm nice… Sandman picks up the ladder and suplexes it into Stevie! Before doing the same to Funk’s head! Sandman sets up the ladder in the corner, and DDT’s Stevie before heading up. Funk heads up the ladder at the same time, and they brawl on top. Funk wins, but doesn’t attack Sandman, he instead hits a funksault press on Stevie! Sandman stands on the turnbuckle, picks up the ladder and brings it down off the top slamming it into Stevie! Sandman punches away at Funk and slams Stevie on top of Funk. Sandman picks up the ladder, but Stevie stevie-kicks it into his face for 2.9! Funk headbutts Stevie for 2 ¾. Sandman sets up the ladder in the corner, but is whipped into it for another 2.9! Stevie and Sandman pound away on Funk, before Sandman sets up his ladder and starts climbing. Stevie follows him up there, and they pound on each other, before Funk stands up and staggers backwards into the ladder, knocking the pair flying into the ropes! Funk then grabs the ladder and puts it on his shoulders, spinning around with it and going mental. He hits Stevie and Sandman loads of times, very stiffly, and in the head before finally dropping the ladder and propping it up against the ropes. Him and Sandman punch each other over the ladder, and Stevie comes off the top, see-sawing the ladder into both men! Stevie gets back in the ring, and sets up for the stevie-kick… he hits it on Sandman for 2.99! He hits it on Funk for 2.9, even with Sandman helping him cover! Sandman casually picks up Stevie and throws him outside through a table, following up with the most casual throwing of a ladder ever. Sandman puts Stevie into the crowd and pounds away, putting the ladder as a see-saw on the guardrail… and Sandman hits a slingshot pescado into the ladder, hitting Stevie with it on the see-saw! Funk chairs Sandman and Stevie, and puts Stevie back in the ring. Stevie takes a delayed suplex, as Sandman disappears again… but he comes right back with a steel lined trash can, casually throwing it at Funk’s head again! Sandman smacks Stevie with the trash can, and Funk assists Sandman in suplexing Stevie into the can for 2.9! They hit a spike piledriver on Stevie, and Funk hits him with the trash can for good measure. The ladder is put on top of Stevie, and Funk assists in sling-shooting Sandman into a legdrop on the ladder for 2.99! Stevie is set up, and takes the see-saw ladder once again for another 2 ¾. They hit a double powerbomb on Stevie to eliminate him from the match... Funk and Sandman now, and they spill to the outside. Sandman retrieves some barbed wire from under the ring, covered in streamers. He gets back in the ring, but is nailed with the steel from the trash can, and punched with his T-shirt over his face to blind him. Funk grabs the barbed wire and whips Sandman’s bare back with it! Ugh, it’s actually sticking into his skin at certain points. Funk carries on his whipping, but he is stopped with that sheet metal. Sandman grabs the barbed wire, and just wraps it around himself! He smashes himself into Funk with that wire! He then goes up top and hits a legdrop on Funk for 2 ¾. Stevie gets up on the apron for more punishment, and Sandman rushes him to grant his wish, but Funk sneaks up on Sandman, and shoves a trash can on his head! Funk pounds away at Sandman’s head with the trash can on it, and Stevie hits the stevie-kick on Sandman as well! Funk goes up… and the funksault finally ends it! … Good, but slow, brawl, they took themselves to the absolute limit, shame there was no sort of storyline or psychology, but lots of stiffness compensated for that… 65%

 

And here comes the fresh man, ECW’s world champion, Raven, immediately to face your new number one contender, Terry Funk…

 

ECW World Title: Raven vs. Terry Funk

 

Raven stomps on the already dead Funk, and nails him with the belt. Funk is whipped, and takes the drop toe hold into the chair. Raven hits Funk in the face with the chair… and we clip to a doctor coming into the ring to help Funk… they must have clipped out something really nasty as Terry’s head is just a sea of blood. The crowd chant for Dreamer to make the save, but he promised Terry he wouldn’t do anything tonight to help him. Raven stomps away as the doctor says continue. Funk REALLY can’t stand, as Raven goes outside to set up a table. The doctor wants Terry to stop, but Raven takes Funk out of the ring and pounds on him, ignoring the doctor. He puts Terry on the table, and hits a running pescado, putting Funk through the table! The doctor comes in once again, and he calls for the match to stop, but Raven punches him away! Funk is shoved back into the ring, as Raven beckons his nest. Raven’s newest charge, Reggie Bennett hits Funk with a chair, and takes him down even further with a piledriver! The rest of the nest run through the crowd and set up tables underneath the commentary booth, right in front of Tommy Dreamer. Raven gets on the mic, and says that he is going to throw Funk off the commentary booth, down through three tables, just like he did to Dreamer months previously… "I’m gonna end his comeback, his career, and it’s gonna be right in front of your face"… And that is ENOUGH for Tommy Dreamer, as he stands up and rips the protective chain from the edge of the commentary booth, motioning Raven to just try it! But here’s Big Dick Dudley behind Dreamer!! Dick NAILS Dreamer with a trash can! Raven gets pissed off with the referee trying to stop him, so the official takes the evenflow DDT to put him down! Back up in the commentary booth, Big Dick Dudley grabs Tommy, he’s going to chokeslam him down through those tables once again! But Dreamer saves himself with a low blow and throws Big Dick through the tables instead!! Raven wants Tommy in the ring, right now, and here he comes! Raven tries to hold him off with a trash can, but Dreamer gets in the ring and nails Raven with the DDT from a whip! Funk crawls over… but he only gets a 2.99! Raven tries to come back, but Funk rolls him up for the victory!! … That was just booking, I can’t rate that, but it was some damn fine booking!

 

Dreamer and Funk celebrate in the ring with Funk’s title belt… and all is good in the world of ECW.

 

So that was ECW’s first PPV, and a VERY good first attempt it was too. Easily worth it for the classic Michinoku Pro 6-man, and all the damn fine hardcore spots that featured in the other matches. If none of that appeals to you, you should still own this just for the historical significance… just a damn shame about Douglas vs. Pitbull, and Storm’s WEAK chair shots, that’s all.

 

Jake Metcalfe

[email protected]

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Nice review.

 

Lance Storms chairshots sucked.

[Guest Choken One]

I liked those and I'd love to see your Review of Heat Wave '98.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

My review of Heatwave 98 is up at The Wrestling Repute, go and look in the ECW section over there.

[Guest Choken One]

I did after I posted that because I had not seen the link. Good reviews. I would'nt mind seeing you working at Smarks. I like the % rating, much better then the boring * ratings.

[Guest PlatypusFool]

Why thankyou very much, obviously working at thesmarks is a goal, but for some reason i doubt thats gonna happen quite yet