THE MOSS COVERED THREE HANDLED FAMILY CREDENZA

ARTICLE #42
JUNE 10, 2002

RVD-Jerry Lynn: Stealing The Show

First came Guerrero vs Malenko, then Misterio vs Psicosis or Juventud, then Sabu-Van Dam, Tanaka-Awesome and Tajiri-Crazy. Great matches with unique and innovative moves and crowd-popping offense in general. Tajiri and Super Crazy gained notoriety in the U.S. in 1999 for their series of breathtaking and innovative matches, but whenever there was a big show or pay-per-view, they had to take a back seat to Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn. Van Dam had already emerged as ECW�s hottest worker and overall commodity, but in 1997 and 1998 never achieved his full in-ring potential due to not having the ideal opponent to match him crowd-popping move for crowd-popping move while carrying him in between such spots. Then Jerry Lynn emerged as Van Dam�s next challenger for the ECW TV title, and it quickly became evident that he was RVD�s perfect opponent. Over the next couple years, especially in 1999, they had some of the best and most memorable matches in ECW history. Even when they weren�t at their best or didn�t even produce the best match quality-wise of an event, they almost always stole the show with their spectacular exchanges. In this article I take a look at four of the most important matches featuring the whole f�n show vs the new f�n show, RVD vs Lynn.

ECW TV Title: Rob Van Dam (c) w/Bill Alfonso vs Jerry Lynn 3/21/99 (ECW Living Dangerously �99)

Lynn went for an armringer early but Van Dam took him down with a headlock. They had a criss cross ending when Lynn kicked Van Dam. They had an exchange ending when Lynn came off the second rope with a cross bodyblock. Van Dam gave Lynn a legsweep but missed a legdrop and fans popped for the early action. Lynn grabbed a headlock and then did another criss cross. This time Van Dam atomic dropped Lynn but Lynn responded with a lariat and Van Dam bailed out of the ring. They did a criss cross ending when Van Dam went to duck down by doing a split but Lynn legdropped him. Lynn dropkicked Van Dam in the face and clotheslined him out of the ring. Lynn hit a flip dive off the apron. Van Dam went to reenter the ring but Lynn hit him with a baseball slide kick and Van Dam tumbled over the barricade into the crowd. Lynn then hit a corkscrew quebrada off the middle rope onto Van Dam in the first row. Van Dam fought back with a low dropkick to Lynn�s head as he returned to the ring. Van Dam landed a couple forearms and a kick. Van Dam jumped to the middle of the top rope but Lynn dropkicked him and Van Dam fell head first onto the barricade in a great visual spot. Lynn gave Van Dam a forearm but Van Dam whipped him into the barricade, and Lynn slumped over the barricade. Van Dam then jumped off the barricade with a legdrop that knocked Lynn into the crowd. Van Dam then jumped off the barricade and dove onto Lynn in the crowd for a pop. Van Dam placed Lynn�s head on the apron and jumped off the barricade with a legdrop to Lynn on the apron for a near fall back in the ring. Van Dam gave Lynn a sliding kick to the back and gave him a backbreaker. Van Dam grabbed a chair and gave Lynn a Romero special. Van Dam maneuvered Lynn into a pinning position for a near fall while maintaining the hold. Van Dam pushed Lynn up with his legs and deposited him onto the mat and partially onto the chair for a near fall. Van Dam kicked Lynn and whipped him into the corner. Van Dam went for a somersault into a monkey flip onto the chair but Lynn moved and Van Dam landed on the second rope. Lynn then gave Van Dam a second rope sunset flip for a near fall as Van Dam�s head hit the chair. Lynn attempted to piledrive Van Dam on a chair but Van Dam countered with a backdrop for a near fall. Lynn went for a DDT but Van Dam countered with an atomic drop. Van Dam attempted a northern lights suplex but Lynn countered with an inverted DDT onto the chair for a near fall. Alfonso distracted Lynn and caught a chair Van Dam threw. Lynn blocked a chairshot from Alfonso and grabbed the chair. Van Dam missed a Van Daminator and Lynn legdropped him onto the chair in a great quick spot for a heated near fall. Lynn went to the top rope with the chair but Alfonso grabbed his leg. Van Dam went to the second rope and landed some punches. They fought over the chair and Lynn landed a couple weak chairshots. Just before Van Dam was to �lose his balance�, he jumped off the top rope with a Van Daminator and knocked Lynn off the top rope through a ringside table in the process for a huge pop. After both sold the damage for a minute Van Dam gained a near fall. Van Dam slammed Lynn and placed a chair on him. Van Dam went for a split legged moonsault but crashed onto the chair and Lynn�s outstretched knees. Lynn sunset flipped Van Dam for a near fall but Van Dam hit him with the chair. Van Dam went for a sunset flip, Lynn held his ground for a near fall, but Van Dam then flipped him over for a near fall of his own. They had a Guerrero-Malenko exchange of near falls for a pop. Lynn German suplexed Van Dam for a near fall. Lynn fought back with a kick. Van Dam whipped Lynn into the corner, Lynn dumped Van Dam to the apron, Lynn went to the top rope but Van Dam fought back. Lynn recovered and gave Van Dam a second rope tornado DDT off the apron onto a ringside table that did not break. Lynn gained a near fall a minute later. Both men countered several different suplex attempts and Van Dam scored with a clothesline. Van Dam hit a corkscrew legdrop for a near fall. Van Dam slammed Lynn and hit a rolling thunder splash for a near fall. Van Dam whipped Lynn into the corner but ran into a boot. Lynn went for a tornado DDT, Van Dam tried to counter, but Lynn DDTd him in the middle of the ring for a near fall. Both men were down as time expired at 20:00. Fans booed and some cheered the match itself. Fans called for 5 more minutes and Van Dam agreed to the overtime. The bell rang and Lynn immediately dropkicked Van Dam. Lynn piledrove Van Dam for a near fall. Lynn whipped Van Dam into the corner but ran into a boot. Alfonso threw a chair and Lynn caught it. Lynn missed a chairshot and Van Dam hit his Van Daminator for a pop. Van Dam then hit a 5 star frog splash and pinned Lynn 1:18 into overtime to retain the title. Not a classic, but definitely a great match just for the spots. Some of their sequences were just remarkable for their complexity, smoothness, and quickness of execution. Van Dam really looked sharp in part because he was in there with a very smooth worker in Lynn, who also shined. The match lost a bit of steam during the last couple minutes of regulation, and perhaps they should have stopped at 15:00 given that they hadn�t established their chemistry with each other just yet. They picked it up with a hot overtime period, although it was a bit too short for my taste. A great match that could�ve been excellent had it not been for some simple flaws, which would be for the mast part improved upon with their rematch. ***1/2

ECW TV Title: Rob Van Dam (c) w/Bill Alfonso vs Jerry Lynn 5/16/99 (ECW Hardcore Heaven �99)

They traded armringers early and Van Dam applied a headlock. Lynn countered with a wristlock and a hammerlock. He took Van Dam down but Van Dam held his own on the mat in a solid exchange. They did a criss cross. Van Dam did a split, Lynn went for a legdrop but Van Dam moved, Van Dam missed a spinning kick and they both missed other moves as fans popped for the exchange. Lynn kicked and elbowed Van Dam in the corner. Van Dam went for a dropkick but Lynn grabbed his legs. Lynn went for a catapult but Van Dam jumped to the second rope. Van Dam grabbed a waistlock but Lynn elbowed him. Van Dam went for a monkey flip out of the corner but Lynn landed on his feet. Van Dam landed some punches and kicks. He jumped off the top rope and over Lynn. Van Dan charged but Lynn dumped him to the apron. Lynn rammed Van Dam�s head into the turnbuckle and knocked him to the floor with a second rope dropkick. Lynn hit a plancha and both landed hard on the floor. Van Dam got up on the apron but Lynn met him with a dropkick. Lynn legdropped Van Dam as he was in between the ropes trying to reenter the ring. Lynn gained a near fall and gave Van Dam a couple chops in the corner. Lynn then gave Van Dam a bulldog off the top rope for a near fall. Lynn went to the top tope but Alfonso pushed him and crotched him on the rope. Alfonso placed a chair in front of Lynn�s face and Van Dam went for a top rope Van Daminator-like kick but Lynn ducked and took the chair. Van Dam landed across the ring and Lynn hit him with the chair. Lynn charged but Van Dam caught him and crotched him on the top rope. Van Dam jumped off the second rope with a superkick that knocked Lynn off the top rope to the floor. Both men, including Van Dam, sold the idea that Lynn was injured as his eye area was bleeding. Van Dam whipped Lynn over the barricade and into the crowd. Van Dam then did a running leap over the barricade and clotheslined Lynn in the crowd, himself landing in a heap of chairs in the process. Van Dam went to slam Lynn on the chairs but Lynn countered and dropkicked Van Dam over the barricade to ringside. Van Dam met Lynn with a stomp in the ring. Van Dam charged at Lynn in the corner but Lynn jumped up and twisted into a sunset flip on Van Dam for a near fall. Van Dam missed a clothesline and Lynn kicked him. Lynn attempted a piledriver but Van Dam countered with a whiplash slam. Van Dam went for a rolling thunder splash, Lynn sat up, but in mid-move Van Dam turned his move into a spinning kick on Lynn. Van Dam then missed an actual rolling thunder splash attempt. Lynn kicked Van Dam, whipped him into the corner and went for a monkey flip but Van Dam countered by placing him on the top rope. Lynn went for a tornado DDT but Van Dam countered with a northern lights suplex for a near fall. Both men were bleeding by this point. Van Dam placed Lynn on the top rope and landed some fairly weak punches. Lynn fought back as Van Dam was climbing the ropes and gave him a top rope sunset flip for a near fall. Lynn gave Van Dam a short clothesline and set up a table at ringside. Van Dam attacked Lynn at ringside but Lynn whipped him into the barricade. Lynn charged but Van Dam dumped him into the crowd. Alfonso tossed a chair at Lynn, Lynn caught it, and Van Dam jumped off the barricade with a Van Daminator onto Lynn in the front row for a pop. Van Dam attempted to ram Lynn into the ringpost but Lynn countered and rammed Van Dam into the post. Lynn landed some punches on the apron and placed Van Dam on the top rope. Lynn appeared to be attempting a top rope huracanrana through the table at ringside but Van Dam countered and backdropped Lynn to the floor and through a table on another side of the ring in a terrific spot. Van Dam whipped Lynn into the barricade. Van Dam slingshot Lynn gut first onto the barricade and then gave him a spinning legdrop off the apron. Van Dam gained a near fall back in the ring and dropkicked Lynn�s knee. Van Dam flipped off the ropes and drove a chair into Lynn�s face with a dropkick. Van Dam rammed Lynn into the turnbuckle as they fought on the apron and placed him on the top rope. Lynn fought back with several forearm shots and attempted a tornado DDT off the middle rope from the apron through a table at ringside but Van Dam countered and clotheslined Lynn back into the ring. Van Dam appeared to go for a springboard move (maybe not), but overshot the top rope and instead landed a slingshot legdrop for a near fall. Van Dam gave Lynn some forearms and whipped Lynn into the corner. Lynn fought back as Van Dam was on the apron and sunset flipped him over the top rope through the table at ringside for a pop. Lynn then gained a near fall a minute later. Lynn whipped Van Dam into the corner but ran into a boot. Lynn grabbed a chair from Alfonso and went to hit him but missed. Van Dam missed a spinning kick, Lynn hit him in the gut with the chair and then hit Alfonso with the chair as well. Lynn German suplexed Van Dam for a heated near fall. Lynn slammed Van Dam but Van Dam met him on the top rope with a kick and some punches. Van Dam placed a chair on the mat. They fought on the top rope and Lynn appeared to attempt a belly to belly superplex onto the chair but both men slipped and fell to the mat after which Van Dam gained a near fall. Lynn then gave Van Dam somewhat of a Van Daminator but with a dropkick instead of the usual superkick for a heated near fall. After a couple sloppy counters Lynn went for a cradle piledriver, Van Dam countered with a backdrop but Lynn held on and sunset flipped him for a near fall. Lynn went for a top rope huracanrana but Van Dam knocked him to the mat. Van Dam then hit a split legged moonsault for a near fall. Van Dam attempted a slam but Lynn countered. Lynn went for an inverted DDT but Van Dam countered with a snapmare. Van Dam hit a corkscrew legdrop and a 5 star frog splash. Van Dam slowly went for the pin but Lynn caught him with a small package for a great near fall. After a couple back and forth counters Van Dam gave Lynn a Van Daminator. Van Dam then hit a second 5 star frog splash and pinned Lynn at 26:54 to retain the title. They kinda lost a bit of steam towards the end as they had a few sloppy moments and botched moves in the last 10:00. Also some of the transitions were weak, especially from Van Dam, whose weakness in his kick-and-punch offense was very clear. Sometimes they also lacked logical pacing, although not badly as they built this match better than their other PPV matches. What they did do right in terms of pacing was they started slowly, allowing to get over their personalities in the process, and paced their big moves with enough time in between to let them register. Many wrestling purists as well as those of you who qualify as All Japan marks are not going to dig this match because of the weak transitions and lack of sound psychology and selling. However, if you�re a fan of spotfests as I am, this is definitely a match to track down, as this match featured more memorable and spectacular spots than any other RVD-Lynn match. Again the sloppiness hurt, but the slow and well-paced beginning made up for it. So, I�ll call this an excellent match, although not the most technically sound of their matches. ****

ECW TV Title: Rob Van Dam (c) w/Bill Alfonso vs Jerry Lynn

After a ton of counters back and forth both men clotheslined each other. Van Dam gave Lynn a spinning legdrop for an early near fall. Lynn gave Van am a cross bodyblock that sent both men over the top rope to the floor. Van Dam whipped Lynn into the barricade and dumped him into the front row. Van Dam climbed onto the barricade but Lynn hit him with a chair and Van Dam fell crotch first onto the barricade. Lynn drove Van Dam off the barricade head first onto a chair in the front row. Lynn went to give Van Dam a chairshot in the crowd but Van Dam hit a Van Daminator before Lynn could react. Van Dam rammed Lynn into the ringpost and gained a near fall back in the ring. Van Dam went for a rolling thunder splash, Lynn sat up, but an alert Van Dam kicked him. Van Dam missed a somersault legdrop and gave Lynn a legsweep. He then hit a split-legged moonsault on Lynn for a near fall. Lynn whipped Van Dam into a corner but Van Dam then whipped Lynn into the opposite corner. Van Dam set up a chair in one corner. After some counters Van Dam kicked Lynn and hit a top rope dropkick for a near fall. Van Dam whipped Lynn into the corner, Van Dam went for a monkey flip onto a chair but Lynn moved, and Lynn gave Van Dam a powerbomb out of the corner onto the chair for a near fall. Van Dam blocked a suplex attempt but Lynn countered one as well and German suplexed Van Dam for a near fall. Lynn dropkicked Van Dam into the corner. He went to ram Van Dam into the turnbuckle but Van Dam blocked it and clotheslined Lynn off the apron through a table on the floor. Lynn sold his ribs huge as several referees checked on his condition. They were going to carry Lynn to the back on a stretcher but Lynn refused and returned to the ring. Van Dam hit Lynn in the ribs with a knee and suplexed him back into the ring for a near fall. Van Dam did a backflip but Lynn dropkicked a chair into his face for a near fall. Lynn went for a cradle piledriver but Van Dam countered with a backdrop. Van Dam attempted a northern lights suplex but Lynn countered with a DDT in a great spot in part because Van Dam was spiked almost vertical in the DDT. Lynn then gained a heated near fall. Lynn whipped Van Dam into the corner but ran into a knee in the ribs. Van Dam went to the top rope but Lynn crotched him there. Lynn gave Van Dam a top rope superplex but sold his injured ribs huge, then gained a heated near fall. Van Dam rolled up Lynn for a near fall but Lynn then reversed the rollup and gained a near fall of his own. Lynn rolled up Van Dam for another near fall, Van Dam pushed him off, and Lynn ran right into a chair held up by Alfonso. Van Dam then missed a five star frog splash and Lynn gained a very heated near fall. Lynn picked up a chair but Van Dam gave him a Van Daminator and pinned him at 13:37 to retain the title. Just a brilliant effort, and perhaps the best RVD-Lynn match ever. Just about everything they did hit perfectly, and the pacing was as strong as any Van Dam match even to this day. The match built well from start to finish, even with great spots from the opening bell, climaxing in a dramatic final three minutes with super heat. In fact, this might have been the best match from ECW in 1999. As opposed to their more spot-oriented Hardcore Heaven �99 match, I think that a wider variety of fans, including purists, could enjoy this match. A must-see match. ****1/4

Rob Van Dam (w/Bill Alfonso & Scott Anton) vs Jerry Lynn 5/14/00 (ECW Hardcore Heaven �00)

They exchanged waistlocks and had a solid exchange on the mat. They did a criss cross ending when Lynn kicked Van Dam. They had another exchange of counters. Van Dam went to duck a leapfrog by doing a split, but Lynn went for a legdrop only to miss. Van Dam missed a somersault legdrop and fans gave them a standing ovation. Lynn went for a backdrop but Van Dam flipped over his back. Van Dam missed a spin kick but scored with a second spinning kick. Van Dam did a cartwheel into a standing moonsault on Lynn for a near fall. Van Dam played to the crowd and Lynn dropkicked him from behind. Lynn landed a forearm but Van Dam reversed a whip into the corner. Van Dam charged but Lynn dumped him over the top rope, and Van Dam landed on the apron. Lynn punched Van Dam and knocked him to the floor with a second rope dropkick from inside the ring. Lynn then hit a somersault tope on Van Dam for a pop. Van Dam whipped Lynn into the barricade, Lynn missed a punch and Van Dam atomic dropped him onto the barricade. Van Dam jumped off the barricade and knocked Lynn into the first row with a mule kick. Van Dam punched Lynn and draped him over the barricade. Alfonso placed a chair over Lynn�s head and Van Dam jumped off the apron with a corkscrew legdrop onto Lynn and the chair. Van Dam punched Lynn but Lynn whipped him into the barricade. Lynn charged but ran into a boot at ringside. Van Dam then missed a moonsault bodyblock off the barricade and took a nasty albeit perfect bump on the concrete. Back in the ring Lynn gained a near fall. Lynn gave Van Dam a face front suplex and a second rope legdrop for a near fall. Lynn chopped Van Dam and gave him a tornado DDT in mid-ring for a near fall. Lynn stomped Van Dam and kicked him in the corner. Lynn jumped to the top rope, kicked Van Dam and went for a tornado DDT but Van Dam countered it by holding his ground. Both men missed moves and then clotheslined each other. Van Dam threw a chair at Lynn but Lynn caught it and hit Van Dam with it before he could attempt a Van Daminator. Van Dam missed a spin kick. Van Dam went for a legsweep, and in the process Lynn legdropped him face first onto the chair in a really neat move because it was so well-timed. Lynn then gained a near fall. Both men countered suplexes. Van Dam grabbed Lynn�s leg and did his step over into a spin kick for a near fall. I forgot he used that move in ECW. Van Dam placed a chair on Lynn and gave him a rolling thunder splash for a near fall. Van Dam landed a couple weak kicks and punches. Van Dam whipped Lynn into the corner and gave him an atomic drop. Van Dam then charged at Lynn, who was slumped down in the corner, and gave him a baseball slide-like kick with a chair to his body for a near fall. Van Dam kicked and punched Lynn. Van Dam went for a monkey flip onto a chair but Lynn moved and Van Dam landed on the second rope. Lynn then gave him a second rope sunset flip and Van Dam hit his head on the chair for a pop. Lynn gave Van Dam a top rope superplex for a near fall. Lynn whipped Van Dam into the corner and charged but Van Dam dumped him to the apron. Van Dam reached between the ropes but Lynn legdropped him onto the second rope in the process in another well-timed yet spontaneous move. Lynn set up a table at ringside and attempted a tornado DDT from the apron through the table but Van Dam countered. Van Dam missed a clothesline and flipped back into the ring. Van Dam attempted to suplex Lynn back into the ring but Lynn countered and crotched him on the top rope. Lynn then bulldogged Van Dam off the apron through the table. Lynn then hit Anton with a flip dive off the apron when Van Dam moved. Back in the ring Lynn slammed Van Dam and went to the top rope but Alfonso pushed him and crotched him on the rope. Alfonso held a chair against Lynn�s head and Van Dam hit a great top rope kick to the chair and Lynn for a pop. Van Dam placed a chair on Lynn and hit a 5 star frog splash. Steve Corino and Jack Victory interfered and attacked Van Dam. Lynn fought them off and knocked Corino out of the ring. Van Dam knocked Victory out of the ring with a kick. Out of nowhere Rhyno ran in and gored Lynn. Van Dam went after Rhyno but Rhyno got the better of him and powerbombed him. Cyrus then taunted Van Dam on the mic. Van Dam won a slugfest against Rhyno and gave him the step over spin kick. Van Dam hit Rhyno with a top rope superkick and gave Cyrus a Van Daminator for a pop. Van Dam threw a chair at Lynn but Lynn moved and Alfonso caught the chair. Lynn then gave Alfonso a Van Daminator! Lynn grabbed the chair but then received a Van Daminator of his own. Van Dam went for a 5 star frog splash but Anton pushed him off the top rope and Van Dam crashed to the floor near the entrance ramp. Back in the ring Lynn gave Van Dam a cradle piledriver for a great near fall. Lynn gave Van Dam a second cradle piledriver (supposedly on a chair but only Lynn�s butt hit the chair) and pinned him at 19:50. Not their best match, but great stuff nonetheless. Both men were coming off serious injuries, especially Van Dam, who looked pretty good after being out 4 months. A couple factors prevented this from being excellent. First, they were a little more sluggish than usual in between spots, although not badly so. Second, the interference at the end took away from the match�s atmosphere as the crowd was there to see a classic match more than a chaotic ending. Still, they did enough great spots and executed them well enough to make this a memorable match and the best match of the show. ***1/2

Next Issue: King of the Ring: The Good, Bad & Ugly

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