Living Dangerously Tape Reviews

Living Dangerously `99 - Super Crazy vs. Yoshihiro Tajiri
Two of ECW's most exciting young stars, who made a name for themselves in the US by taking on each other meet for the first time on PPV. Anytime you see these two against each other, you know you're in line for a *** match at least.
They make good entrances and the crowd likes them, but it's nothing like what they'd be like in the future. Tajiri fires a roundhouse kick, but misses and the wrestling match begins. They do a nice armbar-flipping counter and Crazy lands on his feet out of a Monkey Flip. The crowd pops for the sequence, but its just a taste.
They do a test of strength into a Tajiri bridge, but he comes back and hits a huracanrana that drops Crazy on his head. They go back into it with Monkey Flips and then Crazy does a top rope backflip, they exchange armbrags and do double nipups for a standing ovation. This a 10+ spot sequence that only two guys out of Mexico could do.
Tajiri gets his stuff in first: Handspring into Ropes Back Elbow and a Head Scissors. Then Super Crazy is sent over the top onto the ramp doing a Jerry (Estrada) Bump. He rolls off the ramp, but is hit immediately with a Tope Con Hilo over the corner post. He follows it up with an Asai Moonsault between the ramp and guardrail. He ushers Crazy back into the ring and readies his attack.
The Insane Luchador catches Tajiri and hits a Sunset Flip out onto the ramp. Then he hits a Springboard Moonsault onto a standing Tajiri on the entrance way. Crazy waits on the second rope, but Tajiri comes back with a kick and head scissors take over. Super Crazy rushes Tajiri again and takes him over the rope with a lariat. He then scoops up the Japanese Buzzsaw and drops him hard with a Fireman's Carry Slam, then hits a Three Story Moonsault Press for a nearfall.
Tajiri is then setup in the Tree of Woe and hit with a dropkick. Crazy hits a Springing Moonsault for another nearfall. Tajiri comes back with a Sunset Flip, but Super Crazy kicks out and fires a kick. Another Fireman's Carry Slam, but Tajiri gets the knees up for the moonsault and hits a kick.
Crazy is put into the Tree of Woe and nearly decapitated with a dropkick. Tajiri tops himself with several high kicks and evades another moonsault and hits another dropkick to the face for a nearfall. Then it's Crazy coming back with a Sunset Flip, but Tajiri escapes. Super Crazy comes in for another springboard, but slips and falls hard.
Yoshihiro Tajiri finds the mistake amusing and hits Crazy with a German Suplex for a 2 3/4. Crazy counters a Dragon Suplex with a low blow and hits a Lyger Bomb for a nearfall of his own. He goes for another Powerbomb, but Tajiri's reversal attempts leads to another Crazy mistake. Tajiri comes at him fast and hits another rana, but Crazy rolls through and gets the three count at 9:55.
Kind of short and not my favorite finish, but it was pretty damn good for an opener. The two first sequences were awesome, there were perfect highspots, but unfortunately Crazy botched two spots. The rope slip worked though (like Lyger-Sasuke), but the other looked pretty bad. The few flaws aside, this match was really, really good.
Rating: ***1/4

Living Dangerously `99 - Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn (TV Championship)
The feud that made Rob Van Dam a more credible champion and elevated the much under-utilized Jerry Lynn. It all started here in Asbury Park, New Jersey. I remember watching this and not knowing what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised.
They do some nice work early on and exchange leap frogs and top rope jumps with Lynn finally hitting a Body Press, then getting sweeped and dodging a flipping legdrop. The crowd applaudes the sequence, but they continue. RVD catches Lynn with an Inverted Atomic Drop, but finds himself getting lariated down and he rolls out.
After a Fonzie reinstills his overconfidence, Van Dam comes right back in. RVD goes for his split-legged drop down, but is legdropped, dropkicked, and lariated outside. This time Jerry comes out and nails Rob with a Tumbleweed off the apron and jumps back in for some death metal roaring. He then sends RVD into the front row and hits a great Asai Moonsault.
RVD beats Lynn back into the ring and dazes him in the middle of the ring. Jerry catches him though with a dropkick that sends him from the top rope to the floor. Van Dam catches Lynn and sends him into the guardrail, hits a springing legdrop, and then a springing body press. RVD catches Lynn coming back in with another springing legdrop.
Back inside Rob attacks the ribs and calls for a chair. He lays the steelchair down and puts a Rito Romero Special on and even gets a nearfall before and then catapults him up and Lynn falls hard on the chair. The crowds goes nuts as it's a cool spot.
Jerry Lynn counters by reversing RVD's Monkey Flip onto the chair spot with a vicious Sunset Flip onto the chair and gets a 2 3/4. Lynn tries to follow up with a piledriver on the chair, but is backdropped and has to bridge out with one foot (the other's slipping the chair). They do a few reversals, but Lynn ends it with a Reverse DDT on the chair.
Jerry Lynn starts on hard and begins pounding away on RVD. He fends off Fonzie and dodges the incoming RVD and legdrops him on the chair and scrambles on top for a nearfall. He climbs up top with a chair, but Alfonso grabs his leg. RVD hops up and they battle on the buckles with a chair in the middle. Then Rob hits a jump kick that equals a nasty spill for him, but a worse one for Jerry who follows outside through a table. The fans pop big time and it's a very ECW spot.
Van Dam drags Lynn back in, but can only get a nearfall. He goes for his Split-Legged Moonsault, but Lynn puts his knees and a chair up. They fight over the chair, but Jerry hits a Sunset Flip, but RVD hits him with it. They go into a cradle sequence, but nothing gets a win. Then Lynn grabs Rob and hits a high impact German Suplex for a 2 9/10. Lynn continues to pound away and he takes himself and Van Dam to the floor with a Swinging DDT off the apron and on a table (but not through).
Both guys lay prone on the cold cement, but Jerry rolls RVD in for a nearfall. He goes for several moves, but RVD fights his way free and lariats Lynn down. He follows up with Rolling Thunder, but Lynn fights back with a Swinging DDT that is almost cut off, but he hits in the end. Then the ring bells!
The crowd is hot, they want a finish. The match is restarted and Jerry knows he has to put this one away. Lynn hits a piledriver for a nearfall, but then finds himself getting caught with the Van Daminator. RVD follows up with a huge Frog Splash for the three-count at 21:18.
Though the rematch was featured on ECW's first commercial release, this one was much better in my humble opinion. They made fewer mistakes and though the sequences on this one were strecthed out in the next, which is awesome, sutle storytelling. This one was the first and I think the best, though the rematch is just a hair behind it.
Rating: ****

Living Dangerously `99 - Taz vs. Sabu (Heavyweight vs. FTW Championship)
The longest running feud in ECW that has spanned from `93, until Sabu's second departure in 2000. Though I prefered Dreamer-Raven, this one had its moments. Sabu makes an uneventful entrance and they show a clip of Taz hitting his bad jaw with a stiff lariat. Taz comes out to a decent pop and waits in the corner as Sabu paces back and fourth. After the intros, Taz talks trash on the mic and we're underway.
They grapple some, but Taz finally gets Sabu on his knees and mounts him. Taz goes for a big crossface, but Sabu blocks it and takes him over. The World Champion is pissed and makes Sabu pay with three crossfaces that rock the challenger's jaw. He follows up with his "Brooklyn Boot," which sends Sabu down.
The FTW Champ comes back with a Springing Leg Lariat, a Somersault Legdrop, and a Leg Lariat in the corner. Taz rolls out and is quickly nailed with a Baseball Dropkick and sent into the frontrow. Sabu goes for his Springboard Plancha, Taz is ready though and blocks it with a chair. Both men get up and the brawling in the crowd commences.
This whole scene is pretty redundant and boring, until Sabu springs off a chair on the ramp and body presses Taz in the crowd. Then while battling on the rampway, Taz throws Sabu off and onto a fan! Then brings him back into the ring finally.
Sabu stuns Taz and goes for the table, but Taz pounces him and belly-to-bellies him over the top rope through it! He chases the injured Indian out and continues to work on his chin. Fonzie almost throws in the towel, but Sabu stops him. Alfonso hits Taz with a chair, pissing off the Human Suplex Machine, who no-sells and chases him away.
This gives Sabu the chance to regain and advantage, while Fonzie sets up the tables. Sabu catches Taz with a top rope rana, unfrtunately his follow up is countered into a Lyger Bomb. The two champions brawl out to the floor again. They blow a huge apron sunset flip spot and Taz lands hard on Sabu. He rebounds though and hits an insane flying splash to the floor sending the World Champ through a table.
Back inside he gets a nearfall, so hits an Arabian Facebuster for another nearfall. Taz recovers though and nails Sabu with a Pumphandle Suplex for a nearfall of his own. The challenger smashes a chair into the champion's face and hits his Triple Jump Moonsault for another 2 3/4. Taz recovers yet again, but Sabu cuts him off and almost botches his Triple Jump Legdrop.
Another Taz comeback, this time with a Head & Arm Suplex and then one from the top rope, but it only gets him a two. He sets up a table of his own and executes a Dragon Suplex through it, but Sabu kicks out again. Fonzie throws in the towel and Sabu crawls over to it to refute the forfeit and Taz locks on the Tazmission for the choke out at 18:28.
This was a fitting ECW pay-per-view main event, but it didn't do much for me. It seemed to drag on and on and was not particularly long, which is poor working. The outside stuff was either bad or good, mostly the former. Taz's focus on the jaw was not what it should've been and Sabu was just spot-spot-spot. They did however beat each other up, no one can deny that and the crowd seemed to enjoy the match a lot.
Rating: **1/2

Living Dangerously `00 - Nova & Chris Chetti vs. Jado & Gedo
An interesting combination here, I've always been a mark for Jado & Gedo and was excited when ECW brought them in for a few shots. I wish I'd taped the Impact Players match they had on TNN, which was excellent. This is a good match-up for PPV though with one of Japan's best tag teams and ECW's odd couple tag team.
Jado and Gedo rush the ring and attack Jazz(?), but Nova and Chetti quickly come to her aid. They clear the ring, but Jado and Gedo come right back. Jado hits a missile dropkick and Gedo follows up with a Asai Moonsault off the buckles. (to be finished later...)(7:33)
Rating: **1/2

Living Dangerously `00 - Super Crazy vs. Little Guido (TV Championship Tournament Semifinals)
Another match between two of ECW's uncrowned junior stars. Both have a chance at making it to the finals of the TV tournament.
Guido actually outspeeds Crazy in the beginning, but is eventually sent to the floor. Sal tries to squish the luchador, but finds himself and Guido being hit with an insane Asai Moonsault. Back in the ring things bounce back and fourth with Super Crazy hitting a springing Sunset Flip for a 2 count.
Back outside, Crazy leaps from a guardrail, but falls prey to the Fujiwara Armbar. Guido controls the match back inside, but brawls instead of working over the arm. He tries to use a chair, which backfires leading to blood. Sal tries to rescue his piason partner, only to find himself getting pummelled in the corner.
Maritato makes a comeback, strapping Crazy with Big Sal's belt. Crazy teases on, but Guido maintains control with his Sicilian Slice as Sal brings in a table. The luchador is set up for the Leaning Tower of Pizza elbowdrop (Guido from Sal's shoulders). Crazy moves out of the way and the table explodes underneath the Sicilian Shooter. Graziano tries to help his partner again, but finds himself getting rana'd over - ugly, ugly, ugly!
Crazy make the cover for a 2 3/4. Guido makes a hint at a comeback, but finds himself on the receiving end of a powerbomb on the table leftovers and a quebrada. The shooter kicks out though just shy of three. Super Crazy scoops him up for brainbuster on a piece of table for the win at 7:47.
Typical Crazy action - spot, spot, highspot, spot and so on. Guido was pretty good as always, but couldn't make this match anything special. The end was pretty brutal for a junior- style match, which was unique. The Graziano interference was annoying and did nothing other than bring the match down.
Rating: **

Living Dangerously `00 - Super Crazy vs. Rhino (TV Championship Tournament Finals) (7:56)