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WARNING: The below text is not recommended to be read by the easily offended or squeamish.

Originally Written: April 26, 2002 - May 1, 2002

"ECW Path of Destruction" Video Review

Released in 2000, this video was made by Pioneer Entertainment, who produces and distributes the national line of ECW Home Videos. Many rate it as ECW's best Pioneer release, yet. It's a compilation tape, not a PPV or supercard event. So, without further ado, let's get on to the video review...

- FBI Warning.

- ECW video vignette.

- Video vignette featuring Sandman, Dreamer, New Jack, Steve Austin, Axl/Ian, etc.

- Joey Styles introduces the video: "Hello everyone. I'm Joey Styles. 'Path of destruction' is a phrase often used to describe what's left behind by a natural disaster - broken homes...[pause] broken lives...[pause] broken dreams. Well, for the last seven years, ECW has also left a path of destruction - broken rules [pause] and broken bodies. Welcome to 'Path of Destruction' - the best of Extreme Championship Wrestling." Fade out.

- Another video vignette.

"TITLE MATCHES" graphic.

- Joey introduces our first match: "Some of the biggest names in professional wrestling at one time or another competed for the ECW World Television Title. But usually [pause] one-on-one - [pause] you know, [pause] two at a time. But once - just once - ECW sanctioned a four-corners matchup for the ECW World Television Title: four men [pause] in one match [pause] at the same time - Chris Jericho, 2 Cold Scorpio, "The Franchise" Shane Douglas, and Pitbull #2." Fade out.

- This is from HeatWave '96. Pitbull enters, accompanied by Francine. He's hammered across the forehead with a chair by Shane Douglas on the outside, and goes down on the concrete.

WARNING: Very long match. Read on at your own risk.

1. 7/13/96(HeatWave '96): ECW World Television Title Four-Way Elimination Match: PITBULL #2 (w/ Francine) vs. "The Franchise" SHANE DOUGLAS vs. 2 COLD SCORPIO vs. CHRIS JERICHO (C)

The bell rings, and we're set. In the ring, Scorpio hammers Y2J's back, (I'll call Jericho "Y2J," for short). Y2J, the defending TV champion, fights back with two punches and a chest slap. He attempts a whip, but settles for a side headlock. Scorpio whips him and leapfrogs. Y2J gut kicks him. Y2J whips him, leapfrogs, Scorpio somersaults over an attempted monkeyflip. Scorpio comes off the ropes, but Y2J ducks his spinkick. Y2J runs off the ropes, slides through Scorpio's legs, and hits his own to Scorpio's gut. Scorpio rolls out (Y2J and Shane have a verbal exchange), but soon re-enters. Squareoff. Douglas drops off the apron and yells at a fan. Tieup. Full nelson hold by Scorpio, but he transitions into a hammerlock. Y2J reverses it into his own. Scorpio locks Y2J's face on his shoulder and does a nice leaping front neckbreaker facelock takeover. Jericho runs off the ropes. Scorpio drops down, leapfrogs, drops down again, and then grounds Y2J with a hard leaping sidekick. Scorpio scoop slams him, and hits a somersault leg drop (from the mat!). 2. Headbutt. Y2J's whipped. He hits a spins around on Scorpio's shoulders and then hits a nice double underhook (non-sitdown) powerbomb with a pinning combo. 2. Y2J locks on a hammerlock and does a cool spinning legsweep combo, bringing Scorpio to the mat into a wierd submission (hammerlock/headscissors combo). Scorpio twists out of it and locks on a camel clutch, and then starts pulling back on Y2J's hair. With him still yanking at the hair, Y2J rises and gut punches him, but gets leaping front kicked. Chop/chest slap exchange. Scorpio grounds Y2J with a leaping sidekick.

Scorpio tags Shane, who runs in toward Y2J, stomps him, nails several punches, and even hammers Pitbull off his feet and onto the apron. Y2J reverses Shane's suplex into a floatover suplex. 1 1/2. Side headlock a takeover by Y2J. Grounded reverse headlock by Y2J. Shane's shoulders are down. 2. Shane rises with the hold still on. intoHe whips Y2J. Y2J shoulderblocks him down, and then does a wierd pinning combo (reverse Liontamer). He begins to bridge it, but Shane escapes at 2. Y2J hammers him down. Jericho hits a slingshot direction-switching (his body switches directions in midair) splash on Shane, but only his foot connects. He rams Shane's head on the top turnbuckle five times, five on the middle one, and three on the bottom one. OK... He goes to tag in Scorpio, but decides not to. In the corner, he kicks Shane and nails three chest slaps. Shane fights back with two chops, and they go to a chest slap exchange, which Y2J gets the better of. Shane screws up the whip, and is sent to the mat with Y2J's leaping leg lariat. With Shane on his back, Y2J hits the Lionsault (Springboard Moonsault). 2. Kneelift. Shane goes down, and is now leaning on the bottom rope. Y2J tags in Pitbull, who's forehead is already busted open a bit. Shane rolls away from the rope and tags in Scorpio. "Bullshit!" chant.

Scorpio eventually enters. He hits a gut kick and a back forearm, but Pitbull fires back with three punches, sending Scorpio down. Whip. Pitbull press slams Scorpio, and actually moves away one of his arms and holds Scorpio up for a second with one hand only (!), but Scorpio drops out and sunset-flips him down, but Pitbull rolls through, stands, press slams Scorpio again, and drops him into a powerslam. Hulkup. "Pitbull!" chant. Whip. He bends down for a backdrop, so Scorpio gut kicks him, then runs off the ropes again and leaps into a mounted position on Pitbull's shoulders. He spins around, looking for a hurricanrana, but gets powerbomb'd! 2. Scorpio fights back with three blows to Pitbull's gut and four punches, the last of which sends Pitbull to the mat. Cover. 2. Three forearms. Scorpio does a teriffic move that sees leap into a postion where he locks his legs under Pitbull's armpits, and then backflip-tumbles over the top-rope, bringing Pitbull with him and sending him tumbling out and into the rail. Cool! Scorpio hangs onto the ropes and climbs back into the ring. "EC-Dub!" chant. Scorpio climbs out onto the apron, hits a diving double-leg dropkick, nailing Pitbull with one of his feet and sending him to the concrete. Scorpio stays on the apron. He climbs off, sets up a chair, and rams Pitbull's face into it. He climbs back into the ring, as Francine checks on her fallen man. Scorpio leans through the ropes and brings Pitbull back in.

Back punch by Scorpio. Gut punch by Scorpio. Scorpio hits a leaping double-knee smash, and then a kneelift, sending Pitbull tumbling into the ropes. He brings him back into the middle of the ring and kneelifts him down. He tags in Douglas, who immediately runs off the ropes and hits a stomp on Pitbull, followed by several more. He then yells at Francine, who's on the outside. Big backdrop suplex on Pitbull. 2. Punch. He slaps Y2J's chest, tagging him in, and then goes back onto the apron. Y2J climbs in, brings a bloody Pitbull to his feet, snapmares him, and hits a back neck kick. dropkick to Pitbull's back neck. Two punches. Whip. Pitbull ducks a clothesline and back elbows Y2J down. Three punches. Joey mentions that Y2J was the "last survivor of the Hart Family Dungeon." Whip's reversed by Y2J (!), who attempts a leapfrog, but gets hit with a sloppy 360º spinebuster or, if you want to get technical, a Kamikaze (Used in Japan, it's a Running Rolling Death Valley Driver w/ head-spike...very cool move.). 2. Whip by Pitbull. Y2J ducks a clothesline and locks on a waistlock. Standing reversal by Pitbull. Y2J hits a nice leaping leg lariat (heelkick), sending Pitbull down. Holy crap! Y2J locks on a waistlock and hits a german suplex on the big man. He even holds a bridge for a second, but decides to release it and just pin him with a vertical cover. 2.

Short "Pitbull 2!" chant. Pitbull hits a gut punch, but Y2J hits his own punch. Y2J whips him and attempts a 'rana, but gets powerbomb'd! He tags in Scorpio, who enters, picks up Y2J, who scoop slams him to the mat. He goes up top, but Y2J rises and crotches him on the buckle. Y2J climbs up into a standing position, and so does Scorpio. Gut punch by Y2J. He brings Scorpio off with a Both Standing Top-Rope Frankensteiner! Joey: "Oh my God!" (very raspy voice). Jericho grabs at his knee, and as he's doing this, Shane tags his back and enters. Jericho goes to cover Scorpio, but Shane pushes him off and makes his own cover. 2. Whip. Scorpio ducks a clothesline and grounds Shane with a spinning heelkick. Several hard punches, and Shane falls through the middle-rope and tumbles out of the ring. Scorpio climbs out and hits him with several punches. He rams him into the rail, and then whips him into it. He rams Shane's head into a set-up chair. He folds it up, throws it into the ring, and brings Shane into the ring. He sets up the chair, nails three punches, comes off the ropes, and rams Shane's face into it. He puts the folded-up chair onto Douglas' face, looks to be heading up top, but decides to swack the chair off Shane and cover him. 2. He tags in Pitbull. Shane retreats to the outside. Pitbull follows him out, and Shane climbs into the ring and slaps Y2J's chest, tagging him in. Shane goes to his own corner.

Pitbull goes toward Shane's corner, so Y2J sneaks up from behind with a rollup. 2. He goes to scoop slam the big man, but Pitbull folls onto him for a vertical press. He hooks the leg. 2. He rams Y2J's head into the buckle and kicks him in the gut three times. Corner whip. Y2J bounces off the buckle, and attempts a tipup, but Pitbull is too far away, and Y2J bounces off the mat. "You fucked up!" chant. Powerbomb. 2. Pitbull tags in Scorpio. Pitbull holds Y2J in position for Scorpio's sidekick to the gut. Pitbull climbs through the ropes and back onto the apron. Butterfly Suplex (Double Underhook Suplex) by Scorpio on Y2J. Y2J rolls out. Scorpio climbs through the ropes, and Shane gets in a cheap shot on Y2J. Scorpio leaps off the apron and catches Y2J with a blow to the back. He throws Y2J gut-first into the rail. He rolls him back into the ring and climbs in himself. That sequence was pointless...Y2J kicks him in the gut. Snap suplex by Y2J, the first I've seen since Chris Benoit was in WCW. Y2J wants to tag in Shane, but Shane doesn't want to get tagged in. Y2J goes and stomps Scorpio. He then tags in Pitbull, who's happy to enter. Y2J climbs out onto the apron. Pitbull picks Scorpio up on his shoulders and deposits him in a sitting position on the top-rope. He hits a fallaway slam off the second-rope! Scorpio is down. Pitbull covers, but Shane tags Scorpio's limp hand and the referee stops the count at one.

Shane enters and stomps Pitbull's head. Pitbull reverses the whip. Each man tries to hiptoss the other (albeit unsuccessfully), and Pitbull eventually succeeds, hiptossing Shane over the top-rope and out of the ring. Shane drags him out and hammers him several times. Y2J hits a double-jump vertical plancha off the top-rope and onto both men! All three men eventually climb to their feet, and Scorpio hits his own vertical plancha out, taking out all three! Scorpio drags Y2J around the outside and whips him into the rail. He cahrges, but Y2J backdrops hm out and into the crowd. Y2J slingsohots over the rail and they exchange blows in the crowd. Scorpio soon gains control with several chops, and they brawl deeper into the crowd, out of camera range. "EC-Dub!" chant. Also on the outside, Shane atomic drops Pitbull, crotching him on the rail. Y2J chairshots Scorpio, drags him back towards the main ring area, and tosses him over the rail. Y2J slingshots over. Back slap by Y2J. Scorpio tries crawling onto a table, but Y2J pulls him off and throws him into the ring. Pitbull and Shane are in the ring. Pitbull is down, and Shane has a chair set up in the middle of the ring, which he bulldogs Pitbull onto. 2. "Pitbull!" chant. Shane wants to tag in Scorpio, but Scorpio doesn't want in. Shane is stuck in there with Pitbull.

10 punches in the corner by Pitbull. Corner whip by Pitbull. Shane bounces off the buckle, and Pitbull press slams him. Shane eventually drops out, and Pitbull ducks away, as Y2J comes out of nowhere (off the top-rope) and hits a double-leg missle dropkick, nailing Shane with one foot and sending him down to the mat. Pitbull covers Shane, but Y2J pulls him off and covers him himself. 2. Shane rolls out of the ring. Pitbull climbs out onto the apron. Shane climbs in and is lying in the corner. Y2J picks him up and running rams his head into the opposite buckle, sending Shane bouncing backward to the mat. Shane rises as Y2J comes off the second-rope with a flying Bionic Elbow, but Shane stays on his feet. Y2J's dropkick sends him down to the mat, though. Shane places his foot on the bottom-rope, ending the count at 2. Y2J locks on a Funk Spinning Toehold, releases, kicks Shane's crotch, and locks on a Figure Four Leglock! Shane's shoulders are down several times, but he keeps getting his right shoulder up. [Pitbull: "Break his leg!"] Y2J eventually breaks the hold, as Shane wouldn't give up. He kicks Shane's crotch and then attempts to lock on another Figure Four, but Shane kicks him off and quickly tags in Scorpio.

Scorpio enters, gets hammered by Y2J, and then receives a fisherman suplex (w/out a bridge). Y2J: "Are you ready?!" Y2J attempts a Lionsault, but Scorpio rises and dropkicks his face as he's completing the flip, a very dangerous manuever, as Y2J could've easily fallen onto his neck, exactly what happened to FMW's Hayabusa in late 2001, who's now sitting in a hospital bed partially paralyzed. He starts choking Y2J using his (Scorpio's) knee. Powerbomb. Y2J's down. Scorpio looks to be about to tag in Shane, but Y2J rises and dropkicks him down from behind. Shane gets in a cheap punch. Y2J uses a wierd double-underhook (not full nelson, double underhook) german suplex-like manuever, dumping Scorpio on the back of his head. Y2J wants to tag in Shane, who doesn't want the tag, but Y2J eventually slaps his back, tagging him in. Shane enters, but snap punches Y2J (a legal tag), leaving him to be Superkick'd into the corner by Scorpio, who brings him out and drops him hard onto the mat with a tilt-a-whirl tombstone piledriver. With Y2J lying motionless, Scorpio heads up top and flies off, hitting Y2J with a Tumbleweed (Top-Rope Twisting Corkscrew Leg Drop). 1-2-3 (27:00)!!! Chris Jericho, the reigning TV Champion, is eliminated! That means that a new ECW Television Champion is guaranteed to be crowned!

ECW World Television Champion CHRIS JERICHO is eliminated at 27:00 (according to Bob Artese).

Bob Artese announces Jericho's elimination at exactly 27:00 (!). Scorpio puts two of his fingers up and shows them to the crowd, signaling that there's two left for him to go through until he realizes his quest for the Television Title. Scorpio wants Shane, but the eagerness isn't reciprocated on Shane's part. Y2J rolls out of the ring, just as Shane enters the ring and offers Scorpio a handshake. Shane points to Pitbull, signaling that they could team up to eliminate him, and then go at it. On the outside, Y2J doesn't want to leave, but there's several referees that are forcing him to. After awhile, Scorpio agrees to team up with Shane, or so it looks...He immediately begins hammering Shane several times with snap punches, then whip him and and hits a back bodydrop. He dropkicks Shane back down, and then dropkicks Pitbull off his feet and off the apron. Whip on Shane. Abdominal stretch by Scorpio. "Bullshit!" chant. Shane eventually goes down to one knee, and Scorpio locks on a choke of some sort. Shane eventually falls onto his back, and Scorpio chokes him for a few seconds with his elbow. Headbutt. Whip's reversed. Shane drills him with his belly-to-back suplex! Both are down for awhile.

Shane heads up top, with his back to the ring, but only gets to the second-rope, as Scorpio rises, climbs up to the top-rope, and brings him off with a Twisting Second-Rope Sunset-Flip Powerbomb! 2. He clotheslines Shane back down, and then grounds Pitbull, who's entered the ring, with a thrust-kick. He picks Pitbull up and scoop slams him, and then picks Shane up and scoop slams him on top of Pitbull. He heads up top and flies off with a picture-perfect Moonsault, but there's nobody there, as both opponents have rolled away, so Scorpio hits nothing but mat! Shane quickly gets up and dumps Scorpio on his head with a DDT. Scorpio is down, and Pitbull gets up, leaving Shane alone with the monsterous "Mad Dog of War." Shane urges him to head up top and Superbomb Scorpio so that it's Pitbull vs. Shane, one-on-one. Pitbull is reluctant, but eventually climbs up and sits on the top-rope. Shane picks Scorpio up atomic drops him up to Pitbull, and gets out of the way, as Pitbull jumps off and Superbombs (Second-Rope Avalanche-Style Powerbombs) Scorpio down to the mat. Pitbull covers him. 1-2-3 (31:00)! Scorpio is eliminated!

2 COLD SCORPIO is eliminated at 31:00 (according to Bob Artese).

Bob Artese announces Scorpio's elimination at a supposed 31:00 (!). Once the pinfall is counted, Shane immediately goes over to Pitbull, pulls him off of Scorpio, hits him with a Bionic Elbow, punches him, and tosses him out of the ring through the middle rope. Shane slingshots himself over the top-rope and all the way down to the concrete below, which is where he whips Pitbull into the steel ringpost. Forearm. Punch. Pitbull fires back with three punches of his own. Pitbull drags him to a steel rail, which he whips him into. He has some kind of foreign object, which he swacks Shane, who's lying on the concrete, with. Pitbull goes over to Sign Guy (the original one, not the one that accompanied The Dudleyz to the ring), who's standing in the frontrow, and double-arm high-fives him. Pitbull goes back over to Shane and weakly whips him into the ringpost, which Shane badly sells. Pitbull folds up two chairs, slides them into the ring, and then rolls into the ring. Shane climbs up on the apron, just as Pitbull picks up the chairs and sets up each in the middle of the ring. Shane tries to attack him from behind, but gets hit in the gut and punched. Pitbull adjusts the chairs so that they're closer together, and then powerbombs Shane onto both! Ouch! Joey: "Oh my God!" Hulkup. Pitbull tosses one of the chairs out of the ring, and then climbs out himself and slides a table into the ring.

He lays it up against a turnbuckle, and then goes over to Shane, who's in the opposite corner, and starts hammering him. He goes to whip him to the opposite corner, but Shane reverses it, and then swings Pitbull back and into the empty turnbuckle. Pitbull bounces off and walks right into Shane's signature Belly-To-Back Suplex. He goes to cover Pitbull, but sees that Francine has climbed up onto the apron and is distracting the referee. Shane goes over to her and flips her over the top-rope and into the ring (her dress goes up so the fans on the opposite side of the camera's view got to see her ass for a second). He picks her up by the hair and plants a french kiss on her lips! Once he releases, she stumbles into the corner and starts spitting everywhere. Pitbull is up behind Shane, and charges him, but Shane, who's grabbed Francine, again, pulls away, and Pitbull sandwhiches referee John Finnigan into the turnbuckle! Finnigan boucnes off and falls to the mat, just as Shane goes over to Pitbull, punches him three times, and attempts a whip, but has it reversed by Pitbull and is sent into the ropes. Pitbull picks Shane up and press slams him, just as FRANCINE climbs to her feet and THROWS several handfuls of POWDER into his (PITBULL's) EYES!!!!! What the...?!?! Shane drops out of the press and gutkicks Pitbull, just as Francine runs at him (Pitbull) and slaps him down to the mat!!!

Francine eyes Shane and then starts pulling down her mini-skirt [several whistles are heard], eventually revealing a black thong with the word, "FRANCHISE," written across it in yellow!!! Francine has betrayed The Pitbulls for "The Franchise" Shane Douglas! She completely takes off her skimpy lower attire, then turns around and shows the other side of the fans her ass! Pitbull #1, #2's partner, is at ringside by now, and is repeatedly hitting the ring mat with his hands in hopes of revving up Pitbull #2, who's lying against the ropes. #1's right arm has a cast on it, as the then-storyline went that he had injured it. Anyway, Shane raises Francine's hand, while #1 repeatedly slaps #2's face in hopes of waking him up. He eventually succeeds, as #2 starts hulking up, causing Shane to start begging for mercy. #2 punches him, and then whips him into the ropes and clotheslines him down. Another clothesline. Another sends Shane tumbling over the top-rope and to the outside. Pitbull goes over with him. Pitbull #1 climbs into the ring and grabs Francine by the neck. #2 re-enters the ring and sets up the table near the corner. The fans are going apeshit by now! #2 climbs onto the turnbuckle and sits on the top-rope. #1 atomic drops her up to #2, who leaps off and Superbombs Francine through the table!!! "EC-Dub!" chant. #2 climbs up onto the turnbuckle just as Shane re-enters the ring and DDT's #1 on his injured right arm (which had a cast on it).

#2 runs over, but gets clocked across the forehead with the TV Title. Cover. 1-2-No! Pitbull escapes! He struggles to his feet, but is floored when Shane runs across the ring and bashes him across the forehead with a piece of the broken table! 1-2-No! Pitbull escapes! Shane pulls some brass knuckles out of his boot, and once Pitbull is on his feet, he swacks him across the forehead with them, sending the goliath crashing forward to the mat (terribly sold). 1-2-No! Pitbull escapes again! Shane pulls a metal chain out of his boot, which he's always been known to store there. He wraps it around his fist, and once Pitbull is up, he bashes them into his forehead! Pitbull falls backward, crashing to the mat. 1...2...Pitbull press slams Shane off! Another kickout! A bloody Pitbull gets to his feet even before Shane. Pitbull hulks up. Shane tries to beg him off, but to no avail. Pitbull punches Shane three times, Corner whip. Pitbull charges Shane, who moves away. Pitbull's attempted spinning heel kick therefore misses, and he tumbles off the buckle and out to the concrete. Shane leans through the ropes, brings him through the bottom rope, stands him up, and hits him with the Belly-To-Back Suplex! Is it enough?! 1...2...3 (97:41 [1:37:41])!!! The bell rings, signaling a new ECW World Television Champion in the mega-heel, Shane Douglas!

PITBULL #2 is eliminated at 97:41 (1:37:41).

SHANE DOUGLAS is the survivor.

WINNER and NEW ECW World Television Champion: "The Franchise," Shane Douglas

- Douglas rolls out of the ring, and I've got to say that he's dirty as hell. The referee hands himn his newly-won title, and he tumbles to the concrete. Once he climbs to his feet, he holds up the title. We see some replays of the match. Fade Out.

POST-MATCH THOUGHTS: Incredibly long bout. Your attention drops a notch at about the time Jericho's eliminated, which was 27:00 in! That itself is a long match, but for the first elimination, that's nuts! That was the real problem with this match. The longevity was incredible. The in-ring work was great, and it's beyond me how Douglas was able to work so well for that long. On the otherhand, Pitbull #2 is one of the worst workers ever. You think The Undertaker's bad at selling moves? Please...Anyway, once you get beyond the longevity of the bout, the wrestling was great. Some great highspots, creative submissions, exciting exchanges, great drama, etc. were inserted into it. I'm not gonna' name too many, but Jericho's Frankensteiner and missle dropkick were great, and so was Scorpio's somersault leg drop, tumbleweed, twisting powerbomb, and moonsault. Jericho's Figure Four was a nice addition, too. At least Scorpio was eliminated soon after Jericho, so it wasn't like it was a whole new match after that. Scorpio survived for four minutes after Jericho's elimination. Douglas/Pitbull's teamwork for the Superbomb was nice. Francine's heel turn was performed to perfection. She took the Superbomb through the table very well, as it was certainly as stiff as always. The whole ending sequence with Pitbull kicking out of all of Douglas' foreign weapon shots really wasn't necessary. All he had to do was hit him with the belly-to-back suplex (which he eventually did) for the victory. The match was very good, if not great, but it's longevity dramatically hurt it. When you get beyond that, though, the main feature, Francine's turn, was booked to near perfection, so that will score it some points.
RATING: ***

- Joey introduces our next matchup: "'The Beast From The East," Bam Bam Bigelow, is known the world over by professional wrestling fans and at one time, he, too, was the ECW World Television Champion. He won it from 'The Human Wrecking Machine,' Taz at ECW's Living Dangerously - live on Pay-Per-View - from Bigelow's hometown of Asbury Parkk, New Jersey. Heading into the following Pay-Per-View, Bigelow was scheduled to defend the title against Sabu, but Sabu's manager, Bill Alfonso, wanted Sabu's then tag team partner, Rob Van Dam, to soften up Bigleow for Sabu. But on that fateful night in Buffalo, New York, Rob Van Dam had some ideas of his own..." Fade out.

- The ring announcer (I don't think it's Bob Artese) announces that this match has a 30:00 time limit, and has the ECW World Television Title on the line. Alfonso gets in the camera's face and starts shouting some rambling nonsense about RVD. Alfonso is introduced first as "the most respected manager in wrestling today." RVD is then introduced as hailing from Battle Creek, Michigan, at 237 lb..."Mr. Monday Night," Rob Van Dam. RVD does his signature spinkick. Bigelow is introduced next as hailing from Asbury Park, New Jersey (which is the town he beat Taz in for the TV Title), weighing in at 358 lb., the "Self-Proclaimed Taz-Killer." (he was engaged in a feud with Taz at the time), and "The Beast From The East."Bigelow gives his title belt to referee Jim Molinneaux (sp?), who shows it to RVD. RVD grabs it and doesn't want to let go, but the referee eventually muscles it away. Don't worry, Rob...it's only a matter of time. The ref holds up the title and shows it to the crowd. The ref checks Bigelow for foreign objects. "Fuck him up, Van Dam, Fuck him up!" chant. The bell rings, signaling the start of the match.

2. 4/4/98: ECW World Television Title Match (30:00 Time Limit): "Mr. Monday Night," ROB VAN DAM (w/ "The Most Respected Manager In Wrestling Today," Bill Alfonso) vs. "The Beast From The East," BAM BAM BIGELOW (C)

"Rob Van Dam!" chant. Alfonso doesn't want to get off the apron, but eventually does, and we're ready to go. Bigelow, by the way, is a Triple Threat member at this time (w/ Chris Candido and Shane Douglas). Squareoff. Bigelow has a bandage on his forehead, by the way. RVD attempts some kicks that miss. RVD hits a sloppy sidekick, but 3B grabs his leg a second later and uses a single-leg takedown. Four grounded punches. He picks RVD up, whips him, and shoulderblocks him down. He taunts the crowd. Another whip. RVD ducks a clothesline and hits a spinning heelkick. 3B climbs to his feet and stumbles into the corner. RVD charges him, runs up all the way to his chest, and backflips back, landing on his feet. 3B charges with a clothesline. RVD ducks and attempts a hurricanrana, but 3B powerbombs him to the mat. RVD rolls out of the ring, and Alfonso says some rambling words to him, and then the camera. Thumb taunt. Alfonso: "He's (RVD's) got more hangtime than Michael Jordan, daddy! He's doin' his job like a [inaudible], like a Rolex, like a Cadillac, daddy! He is a Cadillac!" Yeah... Joey calls Alfonso "the verbal diarrhetic." RVD walks around the ring before re-entering.

Another squareoff. RVD attempts a sidekick, but 3B catches his foot, and then ducks RVD's attempted enziguri. Three hard back head headbutts by 3B. He tosses RVD into the buckle. He charges, but RVD hits a thrust-kick. 3B turns his back to recover, and turns right into RVD's Top-Rope Flying Crossbody Press! Talk about hangtime...No pinfall attempted. RVD immediately springs up to the opposite buckle and flies off with a flying reverse single-leg kick. 3B goes down. Rolling Thunder (which is, at this time, a frogsplash, not a somersault senton). 1 count only. Stomp. RVD runs off the opposite rope and attempts a flying crossbody, but 3B pulls down the top-rope and RVD springs out onto the floor. Nasty bump by RVD. 3B rolls out, picks RVD up in a bearhug, and rams him back-first into the ringpost. 3B taunts the crowd, and then says some inaudible words to the camera. He rams RVD's face into the rail, and then forearms him. RVD gains the advantage after kicking 3B while on the ground, and then springboards up onto the rail and leaps back, catching 3B with another reverse single-leg kick.

Once 3B gets up, RVD hits him in the face with a thrust-kick. RVD tries to ram 3B's head into the ringpost, but 3B reverses it and rams RVD's head into it. He then throws him into the guardrail, but when 3B charges, RVD gets a foot up in his face. RVD tips up using the guardrail, and 3B catches his feet. RVD looks to be going for a headscissors, but 3B just pushes RVD off, flipping him over the guardrail and into several chairs! "EC-Dub!" chant. 3B climbs over. His headbutt sends RVD into several more chairs. Bigelow picks RVD up in a facelock, and when RVD fires back with two punches to 3B's gut, he receives a massive forearm to his (RVD's) back. 3B goes to throw RVD over the rail, but RVD elbows his gut, then locks 3B's head in a front neckbreaker facelock, and rams his head into the guardrail. Gut kick. RVD leaps up onto the rail and leaps back, looking for a hurricanrana. 3B tries to block it, but RVD finally gets him over, 'ranaing him onto the concrete! The fans are being moved back by security.

RVD climbs over the guardrail, grabs a yellow wooden chair, and bashes it over 3B's head. RVD climbs into the ring, and then to the top-rope. He leaps up, clears the rail, and catches 3B with a teriffic vertical plancha into the crowd!!! How the hell did he reach him?! After recovering, RVD again, climbs ove rthe guardrail and back into the ring. He again climbs up to the top and...FLYING SOMERSAULT PLANCHA into the crowd!!! HOLY SH*T!!! Rob Van Dam just leaped off the top-rope, cleared the guardrail, somersaulted in midair (and really at the last possible minute, making for an even more spectacular clip), and caught Bam Bam Bigelow! WOW!!! That video clip would be shown on ECW TV and Home Videos for years to come. Loud "EC-Dub!" chant. RVD eventually gets up and once again climbs over the guardrail. 3B, though, isn't far behind him, and is also up, leaning over the guardrail. RVD climbs up onto the apron, leaps off, and catapults 3B over the rail with an awesome apron-diving guillotine leg drop! RVD lays on the concrete in front of an "RVD Is God" sign. Loud "Rob Van Dam!" chant.

RVD eventually rises, and so does 3B. RVD kicks 3B in the shoulder, and 3B stumbles to the guardrail, but quickly recovers and charges RVD, flooring him onto the concrete with a clothesline out of nowhere. 3B then picks him up and powerbombs him onto the timekeeper's table, but it doesn't break. So, 3B quickly goes up onto the apron and drops an elbow, puting both RVD and himself through the table. Both men take awhile to get up. RVD actually gets up first, and quickly bashes a chair over 3B's back. 3B's right eye is busted open, which may be of note. It was, according to Joey, originally hurt in a match against The Sandman. An "EC-Dub!" chant quickly dies down and transitions into a "Rob Van Dam!" chant, which also dies down rather quickly. RVD stomps on 3B's head five times, but 3B quickly rises and elbows RVD's gut. 3B then bashes a chair over RVD's back. 3B rolls into the ring, and is right eye is fairly bloody. RVD uses the ringpost to climb to his feet, and 3B drags him up onto the apron.

Forearm to RVD's back. RVD fights back with a punch, but he receives four hard forearms to the back.3B then picks RVD up with a suplex, looking to suplex him into the ring. He has him fully up and upside-down, but...WOW! He accidentily drops him back down and RVD crashes down to the blue protective mat, bashing his face on the ring apron rather hard on the way down! At the same time, 3B's throat got brought down very hard on the top-rope, so he's also struggling for a breath. Ouch for both men! RVD eventually recovers and climbs up to the apron, and then to the top-rope. He goes for a twisting hurricanrana takeover, but instead gets deposited rather hard on the mat with a powerbomb! This match has been very crisp so far, something that is not easy with all the spots they're doing. With RVD down, a bloody 3B climbs up top and flies off with his Bigelowsault (Partially-Twisting Moonsault Splash), but meets nothing but mat, as RVD rolls away.

RVD immediately springs up onto the top-rope and leaps off, connecting with a nice Five-Star Frogsplash. Once again: talk about hangtime...Cover. 1-2-Bigelow press slams him off! RVD runs off the apron like a damn fox, but gets caught on 3B's shoulders and slammed with a snap samoan drop (Joey called it a "fallaway slam," but I promise you that it was clearly a samoan drop). 1-2-No! RVD manages to get his right shoulder up. 3B's up. "Rob Van Dam!" chant. 3B drops RVD right on his head with a very stiff brainbuster! 1-2-No! RVD again raises his right shoulder. 3B picks RVD up and choke-throws (and I do mean throws) him into the corner. 3B charges, but RVD gets handed a chair from Alfonso, who's climbed up onto the apron. RVD's plan backfires right in his face, though, as 3B's splash sends it into his (RVD's) face.

3B scoops up RVD and gets him ready for Greetings From Asbury Park (Side Belly-To-Belly Piledriver), but Sabu runs out, climbs onto the apron, and throws a chair at 3B, which hits the back of his head (he's turned away from Sabu), causing him to drop RVD out of the holds. Sabu slingshots into the ring, and attempts Air Sabu (a leaping corner heelkick) off of RVD, who's down on his hands and knees (the same move as The Hardy Boyz' Poetry In Motion), but 3B catches him and tosses him right onto RVD! 3B picks up Sabu and attempts a Powerbomb, but Sabu punches him in his bad right eye and backflips out. RVD gets up at this time and tosses a chair to Bigelow, which he catches. Sabu gets on his hands and knees right behind Bigelow (like RVD did a few seconds before), and Van Dam bashes the chair into Bigelow's face with a Van Daminator, sending the goliath falling backwards over Sabu, who's acting kind of like a bridge. RVD rolls over on Bigelow. 1...2...3!!!

WINNER and NEW ECW World Television Champion: "Mr. Monday Night," Rob Van Dam

- Rob Van Dam is the new ECW World Television Champion! The ring announcer announces RVD as the new champion. Molinneaux hands RVD his newly-won title, and RVD stumbles down into a leaning position on the ropes. He's clearly exhausted. RVD gets up and shows off his title, and Alfonso stumbles around him. Sabu, who's on the apron, says some stuff to Alfonso, and then tries to grab the belt from RVD, who's holding it up for the crowd to see. RVD pulls away, and Sabu yells at him. We see some replays of the match. Fade out.

POST-MATCH THOUGHTS: Great match. Basically, the only drawback I really have is that I think they spent a minute or so too long outside of the ring brawling. I really would've liked to see some more in-ring exchanges. Besides that, it was a very well-worked match by both men. Their early in-ring exchange was done well, and Bigelow pulling out the top-rope so RVD went flying out was creative. The brawling they did, with RVD's springboard moves was very well done. His two planchas were spectacular, especially his somersault one. He really should've spread them out more, though, as doing two in a row hurt the flow a tiny bit. That'll cost about 1/4*, or something like that. RVD's focus on Bigelow's eye added some psychology to the match. In the ring, their last few exchanges were performed very well. The finish was good, too, with Sabu's interference paying off and RVD getting the win with the Van Daminator. The storyline, which was basically that RVD won the title when he was only supposed to soften the champion up, was well done. In my mind, whether they were brawling, hitting planchas on the outside, hitting highspots in the ring, or mat-wrestling, it was all done right. Their brawling was done correctly. The spots were performed well. Their mat-wrestling was solid. Their performance was very good. In case you're very uninformed RVD would hold this title for 23 months (until early 2000), and wouldn't even lose it in the ring, as he was forced to vacate it due to a knee injury. While there were some minor problems with the flow and lack of in-ring work, this match was very well done, and it's rating will reflect that.
RATING: ***3/8

- ECW hardcore video vignette.

- "HARDCORE MATCHES" graphic.

- Joey introduces our next match: "One of the most violent wars we have ever had here in Extreme Championship Wrestling was that pitting the beer-swilling, cigarette-smoking, cane-swinging Sandman against the suicidal, homicidal, genocidal, death-defying maniac Sabu. The problem was coming up with a matchup violent enough to satisfy both of these men. They had used everything to destroy oneanother - tables, chairs, ladders - still wasn't enough. [pause] But then we devised the Stairway to Hell - a ladder in the center of the ring leading to barbed-wire hanging above." Fade out.

- This is from House Party '98. There's a ladder in the middle of the ring, and it leads to barbed-wire. Bob Artese introduces Sandman first, who gets big pop. He's got his signapore cane. From Bombay, India, weighing in at 242 lb., Sabu is introduced, and gets booed (he's a heel). The bell rings, and we're ready to go.

WARNING: Violent, bloody match coming up. Read on at your own risk.

3. 1/10/98 (House Parth '98): Stairway To Hell Match: The SANDMAN vs. SABU (w/ Bill Alfonso)

Sabu does his trademark run from side-to-side. Alfonso climbs out of the ring. Sandman threatens Jim Molinneaux with his cane. The fans clap like nuts. Molinneaux eventually convinces Sandman to give him his cane, which he gives to someone out of camera range. They immediately fight for the ladder (each trying to pull it towards their side), and Sabu ground Sandman with a kneecap dropkick. With the ladder set up, he picks it up and bashes it over the back of Sandman's neck, and then folds it up and throws it at Sandman's face. Sandman's still up. Sabu tosses it again at the face of the poor bastard, which finally sends Sandman to the mat. Sandman's on the mat, trying to get to his feet, and Sabu rams the ladder over his back. Sabu spreads the ladder and lays it on it's side. Three head stomps. He places Sandman's neck over it, punches him, and Alfonso comes in and holds a chair over Sandman's leg, allowing Sabu to climb onto the middle of the top-rope, leap off, and leg drop the chair onto Sandman's head, forcing his neck hard into the ladder. Sandman's laying over the folded-up ladder. Sabu covers. 2.

Sabu covers Sandman's fallen body with the ladder, takes the chair, climbs up top and leaps off, bashing the ladder into his foe's body with a chair-assisted flying leg drop (Arabian Facebuster)! Sick...That's how Sabu finished off Sandman in their Hardcore Heaven '97 clusterfuck. Sabu again covers. 2. Sandman's forehead is very slightly busted open. I guess he didn't do his intro where he smashes the beer can across his forehead this time. Sandman rolls out of the ring, and Sabu baseball-slide dropkicks him over the guardrail, sending him tumbling into some chairs and causing the fans to move away. Sabu sets up a chair in the ring, runs off the ropes, jumps off the chair onto the top-rope, leaps off the top-rope, clears the guardrail, and catches Sandman with a triple-jump flying Air Sabu. WOW! This guy is a God...Loud "EC-Dub!" chant, and rightfully so. Almost every fan in sight has a white mannicken (sp?) head, meaning that Al Snow must've been involved in this event. After doing some research, I found out that he was infact, as he defeated Amish Roadkill, in the night's fourth match. It actually looked like a pretty nice card. CLICK HERE for the results. Come to think of it...how cool would an Al Snow vs. Sabu match be? They've almost undoubtedly wrestled before, but I'd love to see one of their matches. Talk about a style clash...

Two punches by Sabu. Chairshot. Kick to the head. Several punches. They go deeper into the crowd, almost out of camera sight. Sabu hits some forearms and punches. Sabu throws his opponent over a guardrail, and then slingshots over. They're really deep in the crowd now. Two forearms to Sandman's back. Kick. Forearm. Punch. Sandman tumbles off the some bleachers. They fight up near Joey's announcing postion. Sabu throws Sandman into a wall and then sets up a table. Kick. Punch. Gut kick. Sabu throws him onto the table, quickly climbs up to Joey's level, leaps off, and drops a leg drop, putting Sandman through the table. Two kicks. Punch. Sandman falls to the floor. Kick. Punch. Sandman's up. Sabu charges him, but gets sent down with a sloppy elbow smash. Sandman scoops him up and powerslams him, and then climbs up a production ladder (only one step, so he's only about a foot off the ground) and drops an elbow. Sabu rolls off the balcony and down to the concrete (about five feet down).

Sandman hops down and drags him to the main entracne way, and then tosses him face-first into the rail. Gut kick, Sandman drags Sabu back to the main entranceway, and tosses him face-first into the rail. Sandman starts leading him back to the ring, but Sabu forearms him back, and then does it a second time. At ringside, where Alfonso has assisted Sabu by setting up several tables around the ring, Sabu punches Sandman twice. Sandman fires back with some kind of sloppy blow, and then tosses the insane assassin over the rail and into some chairs. Sandman still in the main ringside area, picks Sabu up, punches him down, and then climbs into the ring. He grabs the ladder, goes onto the apron, and suplex-throws it over the rail and onto Sabu! Sabu grabs at his shoulder. "EC-Dub!" chant. He then puts the ladder in the crowd and lays it up on the rail. He climbs to the apron, leaps off, and catapults the metal ladder up into the face of Sabu! Ouch! Sabu falls to the concrete, gets up, and collapses again. Sandman gets off the apron and throws the ladder into the ring.

He goes to suplex Sabu over the guardrail and through a table, and while Sabu puts up a fight, he eventually gets sloppily suplexed/scoop slammed onto the ringside table, which half breaks. Sandman climbs up onto the apron, leaps off, and sloppily leg drops Sabu, putting him through the table. What bumps Sabu is taking. Sandman gets up and walks to the next side of the ring. Alfonso climbs into the ring to get away from him. Sandman goes back to Sabu and bridges a table across the rail and apron. He punches Sabu, who fires back, but gets hammered again by the hardcore icon. Sabu comes toward him, but Sandman vertically catapults a table (not the bridged one) into his face. A punch sends Sabu into the other guardrail on the next side of the ring. Sabu goes back towards the bridged table, crawls into the ring, and brings the ladder out to ringside, which he also bridges between the apron and rail, right to the left of the table (if you're looking from inside the ring).

Sabu comes at him and nails a gut kick, but gets punched in the gut himself. Sandman flapjacks Sabu onto the ladder. Sabu is now horizontally across the ladder (forming a cross), his head and upper body leaning off the end. Sandman climbs into the ring, rather nicely slingshots over the top-rope and leg drops Sabu's head into the side of the metal ladder, and also puts himself (Sandman) through the bridged table in the process. "EC-Dub!" chant. Sabu is now hanging off the ladder. Another "EC-Dub!" chant quickly dies down. He looks about to tumble off onto Sandman, who's still recovering, but pulls himself back up onto the ladder and rolls back into the ring. Sandman crawls in, too, and drops an elbow onto Sab's chest. Sabu rolls into the corner. Sandman pulls the ladder in, and Sabu rolls out of the corner towards the one next to it. Sandman sets up the ladder kindof near the middle of the ring, steps back to look at it, adjusts it, and starts climbing. Sabu rises and forearms him, but Sandman knocks him away and continues his ascent.

He eventually is able to reach the barbed-wire (which is rolled up in a circle), so he takes it in his hand. Sabu rises again at this time and...pushes the ladder down toward the ring-rope. Sandman drops the wire out onto the concrete and tumbles off the ladder, somersaulting in midair, and...crashes through TWO ringside tables!!! Damn!!! Sabu finally has the advantage. "EC-Dub!" chant, and rightfully so. Sandman is laying in the middle of the two broken tables, and it looks like he must've crashed mostly on the concrete, as one table was touching the ring and the other the guardrail. Therefore, he must've crashed onto the concrete and had his head break the table touching the ring and feet break the one touching the guardrail. Ouch! Sabu lays the ladder up against the turnbuckle, sets up a chair in the ring, leans through the ropes, and presumably tells Fonzie to give him the barbed-wire, which he eventually does, just as Sandman's getting up.

Sabu, barbed-wire in hand, runs off the ropes, jumps off the chair onto the top-rope, leaps down to the concrete and...hits nothing but guardrail, as Sandman had stumbled away! The barbed-wire falls out of his hands and into the crowd and Sabu bashes his jaw on the metal rail. Sandman stumbles toward the rail and is given the barbed-wire by a fan. He rolls into the ring, wire in hand. Sabu is clutching at his jaw, and Fonzie immediately gets the hell over to him and starts talking to him. Blood is pouring from his mouth. Meanwhile, Sandman is in the ring and is...unraveling part of the barbed-wire (he somehow disattached part of it) and tieing it to the turnbuckle! He's clearly stalling, allowing Sabu's severe injury (in human terms; Then again, Sabu certainly ain't human) to be attended to. Fonzie helps Sabu slowly roll back into the ring.

Sandman leaves his work at the turnbuckle, heads over to Sabu, and drops a very sloppy elbow on his back. Sabu quickly begins clutching at his jaw again, so Sandman heads over to where another bunch of the barbed-wire is laying on the mat and begins tieing that to the same turnbuckle. Sabu's mouth is bloody, and he begins rising, still holding it. Sandman punches him down, but he quickly rises again and...double axheandles Sandman's back, sending the blonde-haired, middle-aged crazy son of a bitch face-first into the barbed-wire that's tied around the turnbuckle!!! Sabu picks up the chair that's in the ring and bashes it over Sandman's head. Sandman's back is now turned to the wire, and Sabu heads over and starts wrapping it around Sandman's head, digging it in! Sandman's still not bleeding much. There's only a streak or so of blood across his forehead. Just wait till later in the match, or rather right now...

Sabu backs up, pulls something out of his boot, charges Sandman, and twice stabs him in the head with a...scissors!!! Truthfully, I can't see that they're scissors, but Joey says they are, so I believe him, albeit hesitantly. Kick to Sandman's head. With his foe's back to the buckle, Sabu again starts wrapping the wire around Sandman's head, digging it into his flesh (albeit only for a few seconds). Sandman's blood is starting to flow a bit more now, as his forehead is slowly starting to see the effects of a crimson mask. Sabu picks up the other circle of barbed-wire (which Sandman hasn't tied to the buckle), puts it around the neck and head of Sandman, and punches him. Two gut kicks. Sabu scoops Sandman up and places him upside-down on the previous buckle (the next one when going counter-clockwise), locking him in the tree of woe. Keep in mind that Sandman has the barbed-wire wrapped around his face! Oh no...

Sabu puts a chair in front of Sandman's face, sets up a chair near that corner, backs up to the opposite corner, charges, leaps off the chair, and dropkicks the chair, into the barbed-wire covered face of The Sandman! There is a fairly large puddle of pure blood right under Sandman's head. Sick...Sandman tumbles out of the tree of woe. Joey says it best: "Fans, if i don't mind telling you, this may be the hardest match I've ever had to watch, let alone call." Sabu somehow gets up, and so does Sandman, who stumbles to the next buckle (the next one when going clockwise), the same one covered in barbed-wire. Sabu adjusts the chair that he used to jump off of so that it's in front of that buckle. He kicks Sandman in the shoulder, then backs up, charges, leaps off the chair, attempting a splash, but...goes face-first into the barbed-wire, as Sandman had moved away at the last possible moment.

A bloody Sandman (and one who has a large wad of barbed-wire hanging off his shirt) picks up his singapore cane, which is lying under the next turnbuckle, heads toward Sabu, and swacks him in the face, a face with an already-broken jaw. Sick...The contact made a big "<SWACK>" sound, and I know that can't be good. Sabu is now on his back near the corner, repeatedly shaking. "HOLY SH*T!" chant. Sabu crawls toward the edge of the ring, where Fonzie is. He's clutching at his jaw, again. That cane shot, if you didn't know, actually broke Sabu's jaw. Did he finish the match? Yeah. Why? He's a fucking insane maniac. Sandman, in hopes of stalling, pulls the barbed-wire from his shirt (which also has some blood on it) and ties it to the turnbuckle. Sandman's really juicing now. Sick...Sabu is really clutching at his jaw, now. Sandman drops a sloppy elbow on him, again in hopes of stalling. "Fuck him up, Sandman! Fuck him up!" chant.

Fonzie finally arrives to Sabu's aid with some...athletic tape. That's right. He tapes the jaw and mouth of Sabu, repeatedly overlapping it around his head. Hopefully that will stop the bleeding for the rest of the match. Oh my god...Sandman looks like a blood-lover's wet dream. I mean, he is just...he's just...his face is just covered. Sick...Joey mentions that it was when he won the ECW Title from Terry Funk (at Born To Be Wired in the No Rope Barbed-Wire Death Match) that he tore open his bicep and needed 100 stitches to close the would. You want to know how many stitches that is? That's twice as much as Eric Kulas (a.k.a. Mass Transit) needed after his terrible butchering by New Jack with an exacto knife!!! Oh, and Sabu finished the match. How? Fonzie taped it up with athletic tape. Yeah...Anyway, a blood-covered Sandman picks up Sabu and brings him into the opposite corner of the barbed-wire. He attempts a corner whip, but Sabu reverses and Sandman somersaults into the barbed-wire covered buckle, his lower body (mainly feet) absorbing the wire.

Sabu, clutching at his jaw, places a chair right next to him (Sandman), runs off the ropes, hops over Sandman and onto the chair, leaps onto the top-rope, and flips back, catching Sandman with his signature Triple-Jump Moonsault. Well, acually he only caught Sandman's feet, but with the injuries that both men have sustained...well...who the fuck cares? Sick!!! Sandman is just covered in blood! This is so damn sick! Sandman grabs at his legs as Sabu picks up the remaining barbed-wire that's on the mat, wraps it around Sandman's head, kicks him in the shoulder, and heads out to the apron. He climbs up to the middle of the top-rope, leaps off, and leg drops the barbed-wire covered face The Sandman! Sandman is starting to stand, now on his hands and knees, but Sabu doesn't care, as he still leaps off the top and leg drops the chair onto the back of Sandman's neck. Once again, keep in mind that Sandman has the barbed-wire wrapped around his face.

Even after being hit with Sabu's Arabian Facebuster, stands, long before Sabu. His face, and shirt, is covered in blood. He still has the barbed-wire wrapped around his face. Sandman knows now that it's gotta' end. The gore has gone over the limit. The match has to end immediately, so Sandman picks up his singapore cane, and once Sabu gets close enough, swacks him hard across the face with it, making a huge "<SWACK>" sound. Sabu goes down. Sandman covers. 1-2-3. The bell rings, signaling Sandman as the winner to the first-ever Stairway To Hell Match.

WINNER (???): The Sandman

Bob Artese announces him as his winner. Sandman slowly sides out of the ring, cane in hand and barbed-wire wrapped around his head. He holds up his cane, and almost every fan in reach of him won't even dare to touch him. Joey: "...And there is your...winner??? Oh my god..." Sandman starts limping up the aisleway, but stops, turns back towards the ring, raises his cane, and salutes the crowd. He turns around, and I'm stuck looking at his blood-covered face. He continues limping up the ramp as his music ("Enter Sandman," by Metallica) hits. Once he nears the end of the ramp, he again turns around (back toward the ring), raises his cane, saluting the crowd. There's your winner: a man who's face is the bloodiest crimson mask I've ever seen and several yards of barbed-wire wrapped around his face. Be that as it may, he salutes the crowd, turns back around, and heads through the curtain. In the ring, Bill Alfonso is tending to his man, Sabu. We see some replays of the match. Fade out.

POST-MATCH THOUGHTS: WOW...I'm in shock. I have never seen such a violent match. Jeez...These guys...they...these...wrestlers did something that I can't even describe. If you're looking for great technical warfare, this is your worst nightmare. If you're looking for hardcore warfare, this still isn't your match. If you're looking for a bloodfest that epitomizes violence, well, I guess this would have to be your match. This is...sick. Very little psychology, as expected. Blood? Everywhere. The injuries? Sandman's face was completely covered in blood. Sabu broke his jaw. The spots that were done were amazing, such as Sandman's slingshot leg drop and Sabu's Arabian Facebusters, double-jump corner dropkick, and Triple-Jump Moonsault. Sandman's somersault off the falling ladder and through the two ringside tables was sick, too. It's beyond me how these two completed this match. I have trouble even rating this, as it really wasn't even a wrestling match. However, it was included on this tape, so I should rate it, and I will. Plus, the sick spots that were so abundant really helped get a pretty impressive rating. I balanced the brutality, the violence, the blood, the technical abundance (which there was very little of [if any]), and the amazing presence of spectacular spots.
RATING: **3/4

- Joey introduces our next match: "A few years back in ECW, we had a tag team called the Bad Breed - Ian and Axl Rotten. They were brothers, and as a result of not winning the ECW World Tag Team Titles from The Public Enemy, they were forced to split up. But each brother blamed the other for that loss, and what ensued was a series of bloody battles, culminating in a Tapei Death Match - where both brothers dipped their fists first into glue and then into broken glass. You'll watch this match and understand why we've never did it again." Fade out.

NOTE: By the way, if you're wondering how to pronnounce, "Tapei," it's verbalized like the following: ti-pay. I just thought that may be of note, as I had always pronnounced it, "to-pi-ee." Yeah, I know...that was a sad attempt at the word's actual pronnunciation.

- Tod Gordon is in the ring with a mic: "I know he's in the back. I'd like him to come out right now. Come on out referee Bill Alfonso. Come on. [pauses] Referee Bill Alfonso - come on to the ring. Let's go." Alfonso comes out in a blue-collared shirt, and climbs into the ring. He climbs up to the apron and slingshots into the ring. He offers Gordon a handshake, but is waved off. Gordon: "I told you two weeks ago, I said I was gonna' have a surprise for you tonight...and I have a surprise for you. Ever since you've been here, you've been enforcing all the rules. You're the man who keeps all the rules in every match 'cuz your from the state. You're the man. So, tonight I have a job for you. You wanna' be a referee? You're gonna referee a match with no rules. You can referee the Tapei Death Match. [inaudible] You referee the Tapei Death Match." Fonzie: "I have no problem refereeing any match here." Gordon: "No rules no rules. [inaudible; I think he may have said "call," but I'm not sure.] the match."

Gordon exits the ring, leaving Fonzie in the ring along with Bob Artese. Fonzie stretches on the ropes. Ian Rotten (here's how to tell the difference between the two brothers: they have their first names stitches in the crotch area of their pants.) comes out to no music. He holds his arms up in triumph, and walks a quarter of the way around the ring before climbing up onto the aprona dn then intot he ring. He has some words for Fonzie. Axl Rotten comes out, again to no music. He also has his arms raised, but quickly lowers them and shows them to the crowd. He lets the ringside fans get a good look at the glass glued to his fists. Some even get to touch it. I wouldn't touch that guy for the life of me. Anyway, he goes three quarters of the way around the ring. He then climbs onto the apron and into the ring. Fonzie hesitantly checks his fists to make sure the glass is...real, I guess.

Bob Artese introduces Ian first, hailing from New Castle, Engaland and weighing in at 262 lb. He then introduces Axl, also hailing from New Castle, England and weiging in at 251 lb. Fonzie then starts checking Axl for foreign objects (Joey brings up an intelligent point: "Like it matters at this point! What's gonna' do more damage than broken glass?"). "We want blood!" chant. The bell rings, and we're ready to begin.

WARNING: Excessive violence and blood. Read on at your own risk.

4. 7/1/95 (Hardcore Heaven '95): Tapei Death Match: IAN ROTTEN vs. AXL ROTTEN

Squareoff. Both attempt some sparring punches that go nowhere near their opponent. Axl kicks at Ian's feet. Ian eventually takes a huge swing that Axl ducks, and gets punched in the head, sending him down to the mat. Fonzie backs Axl up to his respective corner and when he walks to Ian's side of the ring, he sees a small niche on his forehead that a tiny trickle of blood is flowing from. Fonzie moves in and looks at it closer up, examines it, tapes it up, and eventually comes to his own conclusions. By now, there's a stripe of blood trickling down Ian's face. He takes the mic from Artese and lets everyone that while a Tapei Death Match has no rules, he's the official and he is stopping the match due to the cut on Ian. Just then, The Gangstas and Public Enemy begin brawling out in the aisleway. Fonzie orders ringside security to break them up and eject them from the building. So, security breaks them up, albeit not easily, and tug away all four tough guys. Alfonso goes down and yells at the police to get them out of the building. He eventually goes backstage with them, just as Tod Gordon makes his way down to the ring.

Gordon enters the ring and takes the mic from Artese: "Excuse me...wait...wo, wo. Did Bill Alfonso just leave the building? Did Bill Alfonso just leave the building? Oh well, in that case, let's start the Tapei Death Match!" Both combatants immediately charge eachother and go punch-crazy on one another. Axl seems to get the best of it, but Ian all of a sudden takes his fist and starts digging it into Axl's forehead. Axl starts stumbling around the ring, eventually ending up in the corner, which is where Ian drills him with another punch. More stumbling. Ian uses his fist to chop at Axl's right upperarm. Axl is leaning on the bottom rope now, and Ian gets on his back and digs his "glassy" fist into the forehead of Axl. Ian pulls a piece of glass off of his fist and, with Axl still leaning on the middle rope, starts digging it into his brother's forehead, just as Jim Molinneaux hits the ring to referee the bout. "EC-Dub!" chant. Axl stumbles around, eventually falling to the mat. Ian sits him up and drills his head with several punches. Both are busted open now.

Ian stands Axl up and punches him. Axl again stumbles. Another punch. Ian starts digging his fist into Axl's face again, but doesn't immediately release. Axl falls to one knee, and Ian eventually releases the pressure and walks around the ring. Axl is pretty bloody now. "We want blood!" chant. Ian comes back to Ian, picks a piece of glass off of his (Ian's) fist, and again starts digging it into Axl's forehead. Axl crawls into the corner, and as Ian is coming back toward him, connects with a thrust kick to Ian's head, send him down to the mat. Ian sits on the mat as Axl comes over and digs his fist into Ian's forehead. He punches him 10 straight times, and then again starts digging his fist into Ian's head. [Joey: "...and this match can't last much longer. They can't keep this pace up. They'll run out of blood!"] After releasing, Axl again starts digging his fist into Ian's head.

Ian eventually rolls to the outside, and Axl follows. Axl gives Ian some payback as he chops at Ian's own right upperarm. Ian tries retreating around the ring, but Axl grabs him, leans him over the guardrail, and punches his left arm three times. He then holds his arm over the guardrail and starts digging his fist into Ian's right arm. "Bad Breed!" chant. As soon as Axl releases the grip on his brother's arm, Ian, who's forehead has now been transformed into a disgusting, blood-red crimson mask, retreats back around the ring. As soon as he turns around, Axl punches him in the left arm again. Ian continues retreating, but Axl runs forward and double axehandles him in the back from behind. Ian immediately crawls back into the ring, and Axl follows.

Ian continues crawling around the ring, retreating from Axl, but eventually drops down to the mat. Axl crawls over, turns him over, and covers him. 1-2-no. Axl sits Ian up and again starts digging his fist into the his brother's bloody head. He then hits him with five quick punches, and finally gets up. As Axl heads back over, Ian hammers him, and then front low blows him, sending his brother down to the mat. Ian gets up, spreads Axl's legs, and punches his crotch! He sits Axl up on his knees, grabs a piece of glass of the ring mat, and again begins digging it into his brother's forehead. He eventually releases and takes a breather in the corner. An "Axl vs. Ian Feud of the Year" sign is in clear view. Meanwhile, Axl is crawling in the opposite corner, using the ropes to help him to his feet.

Ian goes over to that side, pulls Axl into the middle of the ring, and hits him with a DDT. Ian then slides out of the ring and gets a bag from somewhere at ringside. He slides back into the ring, and dumps the remnants of the bag in the ring. What exactly are those remnants? Take a guess.

a) an Axl Rotten voodoo doll
b) thumbtacks
c) a Rotten family photo album
d) an RSPW t-shirt

(scroll down several lines for the correct answer)

If you chose "b) thumbtacks," then congratulations(!), for you were correct! Ian dumps a pile of clear, shiny, silvery thumbtacks down onto the blood-ridden mat (courtesy of these two terribly untalented "wrestlers"). He makes sure to dump every last one out, and then goes over to Axl and tries to piledrive him. Ian's brother has other plans, though, as he backdrops Ian over his head and onto the pile of tacks. Axl immediately runs into the corner, charges his fallen brother, and lands all of his 251 lb. body weight onto his brother, courtesy of a big splash (you know, like Mark Henry or Mabel...err...Viscera). Leg hook. Molinneax counts: 1-2-3 (7:10)! Joey's call says it all: "Axl Rotten gets the duke! Axl Rotten gets the duke! Axl Rotten has won the first-ever Tapei Death Match!"

WINNER (???): Axl Rotten

- Axl, who's now basically won the series of battles between these two garbage wrestlers, immediately starts celebrating his win, looking like he just received a gift from God. That sick bastard! Jim Molinneaux is actually sick enough to touch him. Well, not just touch him, but raise his arm, as is usually the process for a referee after declaring a winner. Still, though, why would he ever want to touch him? I mean, first of all, it's Axl Rotten, and second of all, he's a bloody mess. His hand may not be blood covered, but there are some red spots and streaks on it. "Bad Breed!" chant. Axl walks around the ring with his arms raised in triumph. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!! That motherf*cking camera man! That sick bastard! Forget Molinneaux! The camera man is a sick bastard! He shows a shot of Ian's head (Ian is still laying on the mat), a head that is...blood. Not a head that is covered in blood, but a head that is...blood. I mean, his head is...blood! It's blood! There's nothing on it but tons and tons of blood! That is so disgusting! EWWWWW!!!!! SICK!!!!!!!!!!

The "Bad Breed!" chant is still sounding. Axl is standing in the corner, somehow keeping his eyes stuck on his bloody opponent. Ian is slowly starting to rise, eventually climbing to his feet. Fade out.

POST-MATCH THOUGHTS: [long pause] Sick...That was so incredibly disgusting. Ian Rotten was so covered in blood, it was just...yuck. Unless for some sick, demented reason you want to see this match, you really shouldn't view this match. If you must, then be sure to be prepared. If you can't stomach watching a bloody Bill Alfonso at As Good As It Gets, the No Rope Barbed-Wire Match at Born To Be Wired between Sabu and Terry Funk, or a typical Abdullah the Butcher match, you really shouldn't be watching this match. That end picture of Ian's head is just sticking in my mind, and I don't know how I'll ever forget it. It was incredibly bloody. I thought Sandman was bloody at the end of the previous match, but Ian was just...WOW! Axl is also very bloody, but nowhere near Ian. Ian's whole face is blood. His whole upper shirt is...also blood. It's sick. The rest of his shrit has tons of drops of blood littered on it. Oh yeah...now I gotta' rate this match. When it comes to actual wrestling, there were...besides the chops, kicks, and punches, three actual wrestling manuevers (the DDT, backdrop, and big splash, if you even consider it an actual move). However, while I think it's absolutely sick, I feel that I must at least give them a star for being willing to bleed like they did. If they were willing to do that, then no matter how bad the match was, they really deserve at least a star. So, in a rating that most of you viewers will see as a pure insult to actual wrestling, I rate this match...
RATING: 5/8*

- Video vignette featuring some highlights that we've seen in previous matches on the tape.

- "CLASSIC MATCHES" graphic.

- Joey introduces our next match: "One type of matchup that has always remained a favorite here in ECW is the three-way dance. Three men, competing in the same ring, at the same time, and perhaps there is no better example of a three-way dance than that which pitted 'The Insane Luchadore,' Super Crazy, against 'The Japanese Buzzsaw,' Yoshihiro Tajiri, against 'The New F'n Show,' Jerry Lynn." Fade out.

- This match is from November to Remember '99. All of the combatants are in the ring and in their respective corners. Bob Artese first introduces a man seconded to the ring by "The King of Old School," Steve Corino (who's standing in his corner), and "The Living Legend," Jack Victory (who's standing outside of the ring). This man weighs in at 83 kilos (?) and hails from Yokahoma, Japan..."Yoshihiro Tajiri!" Tajiri spits out two bunches of green mist. Next, Artese introduces a man weighing in at 199 lb. and hailing from Mexico City, Mexico..."Super Crazy!" Crazy comes out of the corner, raises his arms in a Justin Credible-like taunt, and then steps back into his corner.

Last up, weighing in at 214 lb. and hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, the man that I believe is the greatest worker in ECW during the late '90's-00's..."The New F'n Show," Jerry Lynn! Lynn raises his hand and does his punk rock-like taunt, and then trashes his opponents. Joey, on Lynn: "Jerry Lynn - perhaps the most underutilized wrestler in all of the game. It happened in WCW, it happened in the WWF, it happened additionally when he arrived here in ECW." Please note that Lynn has bandages around his lower chest (rib) area.

5. 11/7/99 (November To Remember '99): Elimination Three-Way Dance: YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI (w/ "The King of Old School," Steve Corino & "The Living Legend," Jack Victory) vs. SUPER CRAZY vs. "The New F'n Show" JERRY LYNN

The bell rings, and we're set to go. Everyone squares off. Tajiri rolls across the ring. Crazy and Lynn tieup. Tajiri kicks Crazy's right leg, ending the tieup, and then kicks Lynn's right leg. In the corner, Tajiri hits a hard chest slap of Crazy, and then uses an armringer. Crazy reverses his corner irish whip. Tajiri bounes off the opposite corner buckle, and then catapults the charging Crazy into a leapfrog. Crazy lands on the top turnbuckle (with his back to the ring), and then leaps off into a turnaround crossbody press onto Lynn, who's in the middle of the ring. No pin attempt is made, as Crazy rolls off, rises, and charges Lynn, who catapults him into another leapfrog. Crazy, while in midair, dropkicks Tajiri, sending him stumbling to the outside.

Crazy and Lynn squareoff. Tieup. Crazy with a side headlock. Lynn whips him into the ropes, and Crazy shoulderblocks him down. Crazy runs off the ropes, Lynn drops down, and Crazy leaps over. Lynn leapfrogs, and Crazy runs through and bounces off the opposite rope. Lynn attempts a monkeyroll, but Crazy somersaults through his spread legs. Crazy charges, but Lynn ducks a clothesline, runs off the ropes, and hits a headscissors takeover. Crazy rises, charges, ducks a clothesline, and runs off the ropes. Lynn attempts his tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Crazy drops out and, while in midair, armdrags him. Lynn rises, and Crazy uses a nice kipup. They back up, and Lynn obliges to Crazy's high-five. Both back up to a standing ovation.

Tajiri immediately crawls back into the ring, charges Lynn, but gets gut kicked. Punch. Lynn corner whips him and charges, but Tajiri leaps up with spread legs and catches him, eventually using the ropes to manuever into the Tarantula (Boston Crab in ropes)! Crazy comes over and gutkicks Lynn (who's struggling in the ropes), breaking the hold. Lynn is struggling on the mat now. Crazy punches him. Tajiri is standing on the apron. He blocks Crazy's punch, lifts his foot over the ropes, kicking him in the head, and then sunset-flips over him. Tajiri flips over, but doesn't attempt a sunset-flip pinning combo, instead staying in a bridged position. Crazy holds onto the ropes. Tajiri, in quite a cool sight, rewinds the hold, climbing back onto Crazy's back and using the ropes to lock Crazy in his own Tarantula!

Lynn comes over. He hammers Crazy twice, eventually breaking the hold. Crazy crawls out of the ring. Lynn gutkicks Tajiri, then grabs his head and charges the opposite buckle, slamming his foe's head into the post. Gutkick. Chest slap. Tajiri reverses the corner-whip. Lynn tips up over the incoming Tajiri, but gets thrust-kicked. Lynn stays standing. Tajiri throws him hard into the buckle. Tajiri front-suplexes Lynn into a crotched position on the top-rope. Tajiri tries climbing up himself, but Lynn twice punches him, sending him off. Lynn stands up on the top buckle, leaps off to the outside, and catches Crazy with his signature vertical plancha! "EC-Dub!" chant. Both eventually rise. Lynn nails a weak punch just as Tajiri flies off the apron and catches both opponents with an Asai Moonsault. Tajiri lands on his feet. This clip would go on to be used in the ECW video opening for their home videos (the video with the orange tint).

Tajiri picks up Crazy and drags him to ringside. Armringer. Irish whip. Crazy slams into the rail. Tajiri charges into a backdrop over the rail, but lands on his feet. He blocks a punch and slaps Crazy. Tajiri suplexes him over the rail and onto some chairs. Tajiri uses a Bionic Elbow, just as Lynn charges from ringside, leaps over the rail, and double-clotheslines each down onto the floor. If only the camera caught it...all the viewer saw was Lynn fly in out of nowhere. Once they're up, Lynn punches Tajiri, but Crazy pulls him (Tajiri) away and starts dragging him deeper into the crowd. Lynn catches up and gut punches Crazy. He throws Tajiri into some stairs. Both are right by a corridor that fans can enter the arena area through. Lynn pushes Tajiri into a rail, but gets punched in the gut and then in the head.

The camera cuts to Crazy, who's standing on a higher level, essentially right on top of the corridor. He does a New Jack taunt (arm-cross), turns around so that his back is facing his foes, takes off his t-shirt to reveal his regular wrestling attire, and MOONSAULTS off of the (about) EIGHT FOOT high BALCONY and onto Lynn and Tajiri below. Loud "EC-Dub!" chant.Crazy picks Tajiri up and walks him back toward ringside. "Holy Sh*t!" chant. Forearm to Tajiri's back. Crazy pushes him over the rail, and then follows himself. He crawls into the ring. Another New Jack taunt. Tajiri crawls in and charges, but gets planted with a drop toehold. Crazy locks on a surfboard stretch, and rolls over so that Tajiri is on top. Another roll, and Tajiri's now face-first on the mat. Another roll leads to Tajiri being on top. Crazy lets go of the arms, and Tajiri stays in place!!! Lynn enters the ring, runs off the ropes, and bulldogs Tajiri out of Crazy's surfboard, planting him face-first on the mat.

Lynn goes over, gutkicks Crazy, and then places his (Crazy's) head in between his legs. He hooks the legs, and then twists him onto his back, looking for a Gory Guerrero Special (Shane Helm's Vertaebreaker; It's something like a reverse back underhook piledriver.), but Crazy drops out and hits a gutkick. Lynn reverses an irish whip and drops Crazy on his knee with his signature tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Tajiri immediately comes over and takes Lynn's legs out from under him with a stiff double-leg dropkick to the left knee. Crazy is up, and Tajiri ducks his clothesline. Crazy keeps running, though, and bounces off the ropes, but Tajiri hits a teriffic leaping hurricanrana. Once Crazy is up, Lynn charges him and attempts a leapfrog (or maybe another 'rana), but gets powerbomb'd onto the mat. Crazy climbs through the ropes and onto the apron, from where he slingshots into the ring, bounces off the middle-rope, and hits a moonsault on Lynn (collectively, it'd be called a "Slingshot Quebrada [Springboard Moonsault])!

Crazy covers. Tajiri stomps him, thereby breaking up the pin at 2. Tajiri picks him up and attempts his brainbuster, but Crazy drops out and nails him in the face with what looks to be a shotei (a palm thrust, used regularly by Japan's Jushin Thunder Liger). Tajiri doesn't go down, so Crazy lifts him up and drops him with a turnaround powerbomb. He holds him in the pinning combo, but Lynn breaks it up at two with a diving elbow drop. Crazy reverses an irish whip, sending Lynn into the ropes. Lynn bounces off and hits a hard gutkick. He places Crazy's head in between his legs and drops him head-first on the mat with his Cradle (single-leg cradle) Piledriver. Cover. Tajiri hits Lynn's head with a stiff double-leg dropkick, breaking the count up at 2.

Lynn places Tajiri's head between his legs, lifts him up, cradles the leg, and drops him hard on his neck with his Cradle Piledriver! He covers, locking the leg, and the referee counts: 1-2-3! Tajiri picks up Crazy and, with Lynn still on the mat, spikes him head-first into the mat with his signature Brainbuster (Vertical Drop Suplex [w/ a head-spike into the mat])! Tajiri covers (no leg grapevine) his rival. 1-2-3! Crazy is eliminated!

SUPER CRAZY is eliminated.

Bob Artese makes the announcement: "Super Crazy has been eliminated." Molinneaux helps Crazy roll out of the ring. We're now down to Lynn and Tajiri. Tajiri is still down when Lynn makes it to his feet, so Lynn stomps him, and then picks him up. Lynn hammers Tajiri in the back with a hard fist. Crazy can be seen walking back to the lockerroom in the background. Tajiri is whipped into the ropes, but gains control with his signature handspring/backspring leaping back elbow, which sends Lynn to the mat. Applause. With Lynn is on his hands and knees, Tajiri sends him rolling around on the mat with a hard kick to the injured ribs. Tajiri picks him up and directs him towards the corner, where he scoop slams him and places him in a tree of woe position. Kick to Lynn's head, which is hanging upside-down. Tajiri backs up towards the opposite corner, charges, and drills Lynn with his corner-running tree-of-woe baseball-slide! Lynn doesn't drop out immediately, instead stays locked in the position.

Tajiri claps a few times, rallying up the crowd into some applause. Now is when Lynn slips out of the hold, falling back down to the mat. Tajiri places Lynn's head on the bottom-rope for a few seconds, thereby choking him, and then attempts a whip, but Lynn reverses. Tajiri handsprings/backsprings using the rope, but Lynn catches him in a waistlock. Huge release german suplex, but Tajiri lands on his feet (!). He charges Lynn and attempts an upward-directed stiff kick, but Lynn ducks, locks him in another waistlock, and takes him over with another German Suplex, complete with a bridge! 1...2...Tajiri kicks out! Lynn eventually climbs to his feet. He stomps on the head of Tajiri (who's still on the mat), and then picks him up. He uses a corkscrew pickup and looks for a tombstone piledriver (like Justin Credible's "That's Incredible"), but Tajiri uses his weight to drop over and use a reverse powerbomb pickup, and Lynn is now in Tajiri's own Tombstone Piledr...or not!

Instead of spiking Lynn with a tombstone piledriver, Tajiri flips him into a backbreaker, performing the first Corkscrew Tombstone Backbreaker that I've ever seen! He moves Lynn's limp body a bit, steps over him, and attempts a double-jump (middle) turnbuckle moonsault press, but hits nothing but mat, as Lynn rolls out of the way while Tajiri was in mid-flight. Lynn eventually rises first and hits a forearm to Tajiri's head, but it seems to have no effect. Another forearm. Same result. Another, though, sends Tajiri stumbling back into the corner. Gutkick. Another forearm. Lynn climbs up onto the second-rope and hits two punches before Tajiri picks him off in a bearhug and sits him on the top-rope. Lynn blocks a punch and hits his own. Tajiri's head is locked in a facelock, and Lynn swings off the buckle with a nice second-rope Tornado DDT. Cover. Kickout at 2.

Lynn stands Tajiri up and brings him over with a nice hurricanrana. He sits down on the head, but Tajiri bridges up, pulls out, and stands up. Lynn rises, turns around, and is drilled in the gut with a thrust-kick. He stays on his feet, though. Tajiri locks on a waistlock and hits a nice German Suplex (w/ a bridge). 2. Once Lynn stands, Tajiri sidekicks his lower back area (where Lynn is bandaged), and then attempts a brainbuster, but Lynn drops out and gutkicks him. He gets him halfway up in the Cradle Piledriver, but he sells his injury and drops Tajiri back down. Lynn is hit with another lower back sidekick, but starts yelling for Tajiri to try again. The demand is obliged to, as Tajiri attempts another sidekick, only for Lynn to block it and forearm (or possibly punch, as it's hard to see) him down. A nice Cradle Piledriver follows, Lynn dropping Tajiri right on his head. Lynn covers, grapevining the leg. Molinneaux counts: 1-2-3!

YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI is eliminated.

JERRY LYNN is the survivor.

WINNER: Jerry Lynn

- The crowd erupts and we've got our winner, and Molinneaux raises the arm of Lynn, who's still crawling on the mat. Steve Corino, Tajiri's manager (at the time), enters the ring and repeatedly stomps on Lynn. Jack Victory, also Tajiri's manager, is standing on the apron. Corino stands Lynn up, punches him, and whips him toward the ropes. Lynn single-leg dropkicks Victory off the apron. Corino comes over and locks on the beginning hold of an armdrag, but Lynn muscles out and Corino runs off the ropes. Lynn kicks him in the gut and drops him on his head with a Cradle Piledriver. Lynn recovers, stands up, taunts Corino, and celebrates his win. We see some Extreme Replays with some of the match's greatest exchanges and highspots. Fade out.

POST-MATCH THOUGHTS: The first part of the bout (with Super Crazy) was good. Crazy and Lynn had a great exchange early in the match. There were some nice spots, and Crazy's moonsault off of the doorway was a nice addition. The exchange once they re-entered the ring was nice, especially the surfboard sequence. Tajiri pinned Crazy to eliminate him, thereby narrowing it down to two. Lynn and Tajiri did a nice mix of matwork, highspots, and false finishes. Both showed awesome athletecism, and in the end Lynn won, eventually even fighting off interference from Tajiri's two managers. This match was very good, and while it's rather unrealistic to expect more (as this was about as athletic and scientifically well done as most can get), I have seen better from all three, including at Anarchy Rulz '99 (which I'll be reviewing very soon). Lynn's opener against Lance Storm was excellent (and one of my favorite ECW matches), and the three-way pitting Crazy vs. Guido vs. Tajiri was also great, a bit better than this bout. If you want a teriffic tape, including two awesome three-ways (one of which sees an ECW World Heavyweight Title change), buy Anarchy Rulz, which like this one, is put out by Pioneer Entertainment. Anyway, this match was very good. It saw great mix of matwork, high-paced exchanges, highspots, nice bumps, drama, false finishes, and psychology (which the focus on Lynn's ribs added to). There was a small lack of flow, as it was somewhat...well...boring...at times. I would've liked to see a bit more of the final part of the match pitting Lynn against Tajiri, but I understand that since it was on Pay-Per-View (and one which still had several matches to go), they really couldn't have gotten more time, as they got sufficient time as it was. This was an enjoyable match, and the only real complaints that I have is that I wish it flowed a bit better and was a bit longer, but as I said, I understand why it didn't get more. While all three have done significantly better, this is about as good as one can expect. A great mix of all the talents that make these three so great (athletecism, fast-paced action, great highspots, nice bumps, stiff moves, etc.) was visible throughout the match, and while the pace slowed at times, the fast-paced action really helped it to keep its impressive rating.
RATING: ***

- We go back to Joey, who closes out the video: "Unlike the path of destruction left by a natural disaster, the path of destruction behind ECW is ongoing for as far as the eye can see. Here now is just a taste of what you'll see in future volumes of 'The Best of Extreme Championship Wrestling'..." Fade out.

- The ECW music (the one they used in the WWF during the '01 invasion storyline) hits and we hear Paul E. Heyman doing a voiceover: "Extreme...Championship...Wrestling!" With the music still playing, we cut to the credits, and in the background several cool clips are shown. This includes a long blond-haired Steve Austin pushing The Sandman, only to get caned down to the mat from behind, Sabu crashing into a ladder layed up against the ropes and tumbling over to the outside, along with the ladder, Taz with a Tazmission on Shane Douglas, Tommy Dreamer's sick bump where Raven catapulted him off the top-rope and onto a set-up chair (Dreamer completely flattened the chair in a very disgusting bump) at Wrestlepalooza '97, Dreamer clotheslining Rob Van Dam out of the ring, Dreamer leaping off the top-rope and hammering RVD, who's crotched on the rail, a bloody Bill Alfonso choking Beulah, and then getting his powerbomb reversed into a hurricanrana (from As Good As It Gets I, which will be reviewed soon), and a few more clips. A Paul E. voiceover says, "This...Is Extreme!!!" and we then see a "PATH of DESTRUCTION" and "THE BEST OF...ECW" graphic. Fade out to a black screen.
"COPYRIGHT 2000
PIONEER ENTERTAINMENT"
fades in, then out, and we have a black screen.

FINAL TAPE THOUGHTS: Great tape. Highly recommended...that is, if you're mature enough to view Sabu/Sandman and Axl/Ian. The four-way is a good match, but it's so long that it eventually becomes incredibly, incredibly boring. I don't know why ECW experimented with such a long match like that. They really should've known that it would bore the viewers rather greatly. Bigelow/RVD was a great match, mainly because of it's spots. However, there were some nice in-ring exchanges, and the brawling was done well. Sabu/Sandman is...violent. Very, very violent. It's a very famous match, and the reason is for it's insane violence. It's a very sick sight to see Sabu break his jaw and Sandman covered in blood, so I really don't recommend the tape for those who are to squeamish to view it or the next match...Axl/Ian. This is a pure bloodfest that was an insult to wrestling, but was in a way a nice addition to the tape, as the match is pretty famous and it appeals to blood fans (which isn't me, but nonetheless, the pure anarchy in the match made it watchable). Ian is a human crimson mask of blood by the end of it (and even before the end), and I can't tell you (the reader) how easily it could be offending. Therefore, I recommend taking considerable caution if watching. Anyway, Crazy/Lynn/Tajiri was a great match, and a good one to end the tape. All three have done better, but the bout still was entertaining.

All in all, I highly recommend this tape, as it's a great compilation of ECW's most famous matches. If you don't think you can stomach watching the two violence-filled bouts, then I suggest buying the censored version of this video, which features the four-way TV Title match, Bigelow/RVD, Dean Malenko/Eddy Guerrero, Psychosis/Rey Mysterio Jr., and (I believe) one more match that I can't remember. If you don't mind the blood and violence on the uncensored version, then I really do suggest buying the video (if you're an ECW fan, of course). However, this isn't a great buy if you want your first look at ECW. If you're a new viewer, then I suggest Anarchy Rulz '99, Barely Legal, or HeatWave '98. Otherwise, this video is awesome, and worth the money.

- I hope you enjoyed this review!

PHAT STATS

BLOODIEST MATCH of the tape: AXL ROTTEN d. IAN ROTTEN in a "Tapei Death Match"
BUMP/SPORT of the tape: WINNER: ROB VAN DAM somersault planchas off the top-rope, over the guardrail, and into the crowd, where he catches BAM BAM BIGELOW (NOTABLE RUNNER-UPS: Jericho's standing top-rope Frankensteiner on Scorpio; RVD's Leaping Vertical Plancha off the top-rope, over the rail, and into the crowd, where he catches 3B; Sandman's slingshot leg drop out of the ring and onto Sabu's head, which is layed over the edge of a ladder that's bridged across the apron and rail; The ladder is pushed down, sending Sandman somersaulting off of it, and through two ringside tables; Super Crazy's Moonsault off of an eight-foot tall doorway onto Jerry Lynn and Yoshihiro Tajiri
HARDCORE MATCH of the tape: The SANDMAN d. SABU in a "Stairway To Hell Match"
MATCH of the tape (according to star rating): ROB VAN DAM d. BAM BAM BIGELOW (C) to win the ECW Television Title (***3/8)
WORST MATCH on the tape (according to star rating): AXL ROTTENd. IAN ROTTEN in a "Tapei Death Match" (5/8*)

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