Barely Legal

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Barely Legal

April 13, 1997

ECW Arena

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

News & Notes: ECW finally made it to PPV. They had some help along the way. The WWF invited ECW stars to appear on RAW is WAR. They invaded the program multiple times. This included a debate between Jerry Lawler and Paul E. Dangerously. Lawler had no love for the company. But he was willing to do business. This rivalry continues into future ECW PPVs. However, ECW was lucky to make it this far. The event almost didn’t happen because of an incident in late 1996.

Axl Rotten missed a house show in November. Heyman needed someone to fill his spot for a tag team match against the Gangstas. A young man named Erich Kulas approached him backstage. He claimed Killer Kowalski trained him. Erich also said he was in his 20s. Both statements were lies. Kulas had a bus driver gimmick. He called himself Mass Transit because of his size. The ECW wrestlers didn’t like his attitude. Erich dictated what would happen in his match, despite being a rookie substitute in the bout. Since it was a Gangstas match, it would involve blood. Kulas never bladed. He asked New Jack to do it for him. That was a mistake. Jack used a scalpel and Mass Transit bled like a stuck pig. His father was in the crowd. He screamed for someone to stop the match. His son was only 17. Kulas and his father sued ECW. But they acquitted ECW and New Jack because Erich asked New Jack to blade him. His lies also didn’t help his case.

Wrestling reporter Wade Keller brought the incident to the PPV carriers’ attention. They hesitated to carry the show. Some companies acquiesced after fans emailed their complaints. But they had caveats. ECW must tone down the violence, start at a later time, and there would be no New Jack! (The Gangstas were in the tag team title match. ECW removed them to appease PPV providers.)

Before I begin, I’ll introduce a new group in ECW. Stevie Richards and The Blue Meanie broke away from Raven. They created their own stable. It’s a parody of the nWo named The Blue World Order. Stevie became Big Stevie Cool (Nash). The Meanie called himself Da Blue Guy (Hall). And Super Nova joined as Hollywood Nova (Hogan). Then they added an entourage. This included a man named Thomas Harris playing Thomas the Inch Worm Rodman. It also featured a character named 7-11 (Syxx). RF Video founder Rob Feinstein played him. The bWo even recruited a Japanese contingent. You’ll see them on this show.

The show opens with Joey Styles in the ring. (He stands in front of a sign that says, “Bischoff takes it up the @$$.”) His mic doesn’t work well. But the fans make up for it by chanting ECW. Styles welcomes everyone to the ECW’s first PPV. He speaks about the matches until The Dudleys interrupt. They’re with their personal announcer. He’s The Quintessential Stud Muffin, Joel Gertner. They chase Joey away before D-Von tells the fans to shut up. D-Von demands they bow to them. He also calls the fans inbred and illiterate pieces of garbage. It’s time to testify! (No, it’s time for the opening video!) We see various ECW clips of violence and hot women.

After the video, Gertner introduces himself with a little limerick. (They’re usually filthy. But he toned it down for this show.) Joel says it’s the fans’ pleasure to hear him speak. He introduces the undisputed and undefeated tag team champions, The Dudley Boyz. Then their opponents arrive. They’re the former champs, The Eliminators. Kronus is quite excited to be there. He hugs his partner, but Saturn looks stoic. They run the Dudleys out of the ring. So Sign Guy attacks Saturn & Kronus. They give the poor guy Total Elimination and Styles screams the name of the move!

Tag Team Title Match: The Eliminators vs. The Dudley Boyz (c) (w/ Joel Gertner & Sign Guy)

Notes: Since I last covered ECW, things have changed for the Dudleys. Buh-Buh initially feuded with D-Von. The family grew tired of his aggression. This included the newest member, Little Spike Dudley. (Do you get it? His initials are LSD! He calls his finisher The Acid Drop.) They called him the runt of the litter because he’s small and skinny. However, Buh-Buh turned heel and joined D-Von. They kicked everyone except Big Dick and Sign Guy out of the group. Buh-Buh also dropped the stuttering and became serious. Then The Dudley Boyz defeated The Eliminators for the tag titles. This is the return bout.

The Match: The Dudleys attack with a Buh-Buh Bomb and a flying headbutt. They also use a suplex/flying crossbody combo. But Saturn moonsaults over them and nails dropkicks and clotheslines. Perry then avoids a 3D and The Eliminators hand out kicks and elbows. Saturn & Kronus follow with stereo twisting splashes. So the Dudleys regroup. The Eliminators won’t let them rest. They nail a Saturnsault and a Space Flying Kronus Drop. When The Dudleys return to the ring, The Eliminators use wheel kicks and handspring elbows. Saturn even nails a beautiful flying elbow and a double jump moonsault. Kronus adds a 450 splash to the mix. Then they hit Buh-Buh with Total Elimination for the win.

Thoughts: This was a total spot-fest. It wasn’t announced as a Tornado Tag. But they treated it like one. The moves were cool, and they had some great spots. It did its job. They popped the crowd and got them excited. This wasn’t great, but I won’t fault it. It was fun. My only gripe is the one-sided nature of the bout. However, that was because Buh-Buh had an injured ankle.

Winners: The Eliminators (New Champions) (6:11)

The Eliminators celebrate. But Gertner enters the ring. Joel says the fans are too stupid to realize the Dudleyz won. He scored the bout on the Stud Muffin Scoring System. The tally was 86 – 83. The Dudleys are still ECW tag team champions! The fans chant fuck him up. So The Eliminators oblige. They give Gertner Total Elimination. (Gertner wears a neck brace because of the attack. He keeps it for years, much like Bob Orton’s cast.)

Styles wants someone to call Gertner’s parents and tell them he’s never coming home. Then he introduces a video for one competitor in the main event. We see footage of The Sandman. It includes a slow-motion clip of Sandman caning Balls Mahoney. They also show Sandman drinking and smashing cans on his head. (The video originally included soundbites. But they dubbed over the music and his promo.)

We’re supposed to have a Chris Candido (Skip, of the Bodydonnas) match next. But he’s injured. However, Chris cuts a promo. He speaks about his past with the company. Chris was around in the beginning. Now, the company is extreme! Last year, he was with his buddy Tom and his girl. (He can’t say her name. Bruce will get mad.) They won the WWF tag titles on the Mania pre-show. But now he’s on ECW’s first PPV, or so he thought. Chris is angry he’s not on the shirt or promotional materials. Sabu & Taz deserve to be the main event, but he should get some credit! Chris dares Sandman to hit him with a stick. However, he’s allergic to cigarettes. And he doesn’t want a dirty Singapore Cane. That’s a pussy country! Bring a Jersey Cane! Candido promises to be part of the event. He’ll reappear some time tonight.

Rob Van Dam vs. Lance Storm

Notes: Rumors circulated about RVD signing with another company. The ECW fans learned about it, so they chanted you sold out at him. They ran with this as part of his character. (You’ll see what I mean after the match.) RVD’s feud with Sabu led to them teaming, but he’s wrestling solo tonight. They needed someone to replace Candido. His opponent is Lance Storm. Lance trained with Jericho in the Hart Dungeon. They teamed together in SMW and other places. But Jericho headed to WCW. Now, it’s Storm’s turn to get exposure in ECW. (On a side note, Storm has a ridiculous haircut. It’s the rat-tail to end all rat-tails.)

The Match: RVD gets the advantage early with a springboard crossbody. He sends Storm outside and nails a somersault plancha and a flying leg drop. But Lance answers with a vaulting back elbow and sends Rob to the floor. However, Storm misses a slingshot crossbody. Then RVD grabs a chair. He nails a running Van Daminator, an underhook facebuster, and a frog splash! (It isn’t five stars yet.) Rob also chucks the chair at Storm’s face! But Lance slams Van Dam on the chair and hits a wheel kick. Storm continues with a cartwheel splash and a flying crossbody.

Next, Lance rolls into a Boston Crab and turns it into a Half Crab. They fight back and forth until Lance hits a weak chair shot. He quickly nails a Tiger Bomb on the chair to distract the crowd. But RVD counters with low-blows. He crotches Lance on the ropes and slips during a springboard back elbow. (The fans let him have it.) Storm answers with a German suplex and more weak chair shots. (This draws boos from the crowd.) It distracts Storm, so RVD attacks. He nails another Van Daminator and a standing moonsault for the victory.

Thoughts: Other than Storm’s weak chair work, it was a fun match. Both men shined. Storm had some great technical work. RVD showed off his unique offense. I liked Van Dam’s innovative use of the chair. It was a little overdone. But it didn’t ruin the bout. There were also some shaky moments. It wasn’t great, but it was enjoyable.

Winner: Rob Van Dam (10:10)

Storm wants a handshake. RVD refuses. He’s not there for respect from anyone. He doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks, especially Paul E. Dangerously. Storm calls him an asshole, so RVD says he’s right. Van Dam sold out to himself. He swallowed his pride and wrestled as a replacement. He was a second-line wrestler for someone injured. But RVD is no second-line anything! He says it’s all about business. Beating Lance Storm makes RVD worth more money in ECW and elsewhere! This pisses off the fans, but Rob doesn’t care. RVD grins and poses while fans chant get the fuck out.

The Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada, & Masato Yakushiji vs. (bWo Japan) Taka Michinoku, Terry Boy, & Dick Togo

Notes: ECW struck a deal with the Japanese promotion, Michinoku Pro (Northeastern Wrestling). They combine the Japanese and Mexican styles with colorful characters. For example, this match originally included Gran Naniwa. He’s a wrestling crab. (Yes, I’m serious.) Yakushiji replaced him because of injury. He teams with The Great Sasuke and Gran Hamada. They’re veterans who helped train the men on the other side of the ring. You may recognize Taka and Togo as future Kaientai members. Their partner is Terry Boy (or Men’s Teioh). He calls himself this because he idolizes Terry Funk. (Also, Taka’s team are the Japanese representatives of the bWo.) Before the bell, fans throw streamers into the ring. It’s a Japanese tradition.

The Match: Sasuke’s team starts hot with kicks and takedowns. But the bWo start triple-teaming and posing. They take turns putting Sasuke in holds and dropkicking him. Then the bWo suplexes and presses Yakushiji into the air. Masato answers with headscissors and arm drags. Hamada also catches his opponents in armbars. Then Sasuke uses a Half Crab on Taka. However, the bWo return to triple-teaming. They humiliate Sasuke by posing on top of him. Terry Boy even uses Funk’s Spinning Toe Hold until Sasuke counters it.

Next, Taka’s team continues their onslaught on Yakushiji. Michinoku uses a DDT and a brainbuster. Togo nails a diving somersault senton. Then Hamada returns. But he gets in trouble in the bWo corner. They give him a spike piledriver. Yakushiji saves him and gets a triple powerbomb for his trouble. Sasuke is next, but they botch the powerbomb and get booed.

The face team rallies with tornado DDTs, dives, and a super Frankensteiner. But Taka counters with a missile dropkick and a Michinoku Driver. Yakushiji breaks up the count. Then Sasuke returns. He dropkicks Taka out of the air and hits a moonsault. Sasuke follows with a powerbomb and a tiger suplex for the victory.

Thoughts: This was a lot of fun. They showcased innovative moves and high spots. Plus, the bWo team displayed their personality. I liked their cocky posing. The only problem is it went a bit long. I enjoyed it. But I found myself saying, “Okay, take it home now.” Breaking up the pins became excessive. However, I still liked it.

Winners: Sasuke, Hamada, & Yakushiji (16:55)

The bWo doesn’t take their loss very well. They spit on their opponents and attack them. But Hamada fends them off with a headbutt. The bWo leaves and Sasuke’s team celebrates.

Speaking of the bWo, Big Stevie Cool cuts a promo next. He sits in the back and broods in black and white. Stevie says he spent two-and-a-half years ashamed of who he was. He wasn’t a man. Richards had no dignity or respect. A man he idolized abused him. But he can rectify it and come out of his shell. It’s his chance to shed the image of the person he was. He got picked last for sports. Richards couldn’t get a date for prom or the movies. Now, Stevie steps into the ring with Sandman and Terry Funk. It’s not about the bWo or being Big Stevie Cool. He will shed the image and become a man. Win lose or draw, Stevie Richards will leave the ring with respect. Then Da Blue Guy enters the room. He does his Scott Hall imitation. Meanie has words for Sandman and Funk. But I can’t hear them. (The sound quality was bad for this. I think it’s because of the dubbed music. I liked the content of what Stevie said. However, the promo wasn’t great. Also, there was a Terry Funk video. But they cut it from the network version.)

Styles speaks about the main event. Funk, Sandman, and Richards fight in a Three-Way Dance. The winner faces Raven for the ECW title.

Before the next match, the TV champion Shane Douglas cuts a promo. Douglas says he returned to ECW to lead everyone to Nirvana, and the promised land. Pay Per View is that promised land. People don’t have to like him. He doesn’t care. But they are looking at greatness. Shane called out pussies from other organizations. But they weren’t man enough to come. (If you call out someone you know can’t come, doesn’t that make you the pussy?) He set the tempo and put the extreme in ECW. Then Shane has four points about why he’s so great. He returned from his sojourn to cartoon land. Shane won a title and broke Pitbull #1’s neck! (They show Pitbull #1 watching in the crowd.) Next, Shane dealt with a mysterious masked man. But that stops tonight. Finally, he faced Pitbull #1 in an I Quit match and re-injured his neck. So bring Douglas his opponent!

TV Title Match: Shane Douglas (c) (w/ Francine) vs. Pitbull #2

Notes: The Pitbulls haven’t had a good time. First, Francine turned on them and sided with Shane Douglas. Then Douglas broke Pitbull #1’s neck. He drove him head-first onto the TV title belt. Pitbull #1 then returned in a halo neck brace. This was a mistake. Douglas grabbed him by the brace and made the injury worse. Now, Pitbull #2 looks for revenge. Meanwhile, Shane also has issues with a mysterious masked man. I use that term loosely. There isn’t much of a mystery. It’s Rick Rude. If Shane wins, the masked man must reveal his face. Shane brings a riot squad in helmets to protect him.

The Match: They brawl and Pitbull #2 targets Shane’s neck. He wrenches it with headlocks and facelocks. (The fans chant, break his neck.) Both men use low-blows until Douglas gets control. Shane takes Pitbull over the ropes with a hurricanrana. When they return, Douglas nails three piledrivers! He also uses a snapmare and a Camel Clutch. But Pitbull breaks free and dumps Shane onto the timekeeper’s table. Pitbull #1 then attacks Shane. So the riot squad drags him to the back.

While this happens, #2 brings a guardrail into the ring. They fight with it, but it falls over. Then Shane sends Pitbull to the outside and drops the rail onto him. Momentum shifts back and forth until they go down to a double clothesline. Pitbull #2 takes control with knockdowns, a powerslam, and a press slam. But Francine hands Douglas some brass knuckles. They aren’t enough, so Shane gets more weapons. He uses a chunk of the table, a chair, the ring bell, and a frying pan. Pitbull kicks out of each attack! Then Shane reaches for a chain in his boot. Pitbull gets it instead. However, Chris Candido and Francine distract Pitbull. Shane wins after a roll-up and a belly-to-belly suplex.

Thoughts: This was slow and dull. I get the psychology they went for. But it was boring. They lost the crowd. The fans chanted nasty things at Francine instead. Even Pitbull #2’s super rally didn’t excite them. Then that overbooked finish didn’t help. The match wasn’t good. When they tried doing interesting things, it was awkward. They have no chemistry.

Winner: Shane Douglas (20:43)

The masked man gets on the mic. He says a deal is a deal. The mask comes off. But Douglas must give up the girl or get an ass-kicking. A masked man in Rude’s robe arrives. It’s clearly not Rick. But he kisses Francine. Shane attacks the man with his belt until a member of the riot squad enters the ring. He removes his helmet to reveal Rude! The masked man unmasks as well. It’s Prime Time Brian Lee! (Douglas, Lee, and Candido were the new Triple Threat. But not anymore.) Rude watches while Lee chokeslams Douglas. Then Rude gives the crowd a hip swivel. Candido and Francine can’t believe their eyes. An angry Shane drags them away from the ring.

Next, Raven broods backstage. He says the entire world tuned in. They will see the greatest hardcore legend defeat The Sandman and Richards. (Thanks for the spoiler, Raven!) But 90% of those fans will see a bitter shell of a has been. He will gain the most prized trophy in all the land. They will cheer him as he vanquishes his nemesis. But the other 10% will rage against the machine and the powers that be. They are martyrs of a dysfunctional society. These fans want to see Raven win. So quote the Raven nevermore! (Raven spoiled the main events. But I guess the last few lines leave enough reasonable doubt. It was an odd promo.)

Then Taz is with Bill Alfonso. Taz has a towel over his head while he cuts his promo. He tells Sabu the time for talking is done. He waited his whole life for a match and an opponent like him. They hate each other. But Taz wouldn’t want it any other way. Sabu will bring out his fire. Both men will go through Hell and Taz loves it. Next, Fonzie lists Taz’s victims. They show clips of Taz choking out each of them. He did it because he wants to. It’s also because Fonzie put money on it. Taz knows Sabu fears him and he should. He will bust him up and it gives him goosebumps. Taz promises to choke out Sabu. He ends by saying, “If I was you, I wouldn’t be.” (Huh? That made no sense. The rest was great. But that last line was odd.)

Taz (w/ Bill Alfonso & Team Taz) vs. Sabu

Notes: They built this match for over a year. Taz called out Sabu multiple times. But he got nothing in return. We learned that Paul E. prevented the match from happening. He got in Sabu’s ear and advised him to ignore Taz’s challenge. Taz started interfering in RVD & Sabu’s tag matches. He also attacked Paul E. This was enough. Sabu confronted Taz, and they signed the match for this event.

The Match: They trade slaps, punches, and clotheslines until Taz tries the Tazmission. Sabu blocks it. So they exchange mat holds and suplex attempts. Then Taz crossfaces Sabu and breaks his nose. The blood rallies Sabu. He nails dropkicks and wheel kicks. Sabu even grabs a chair and vaults into the crowd! They brawl around the fans until Sabu crashes on the rail. Taz capitalizes with more submissions and punches. Sabu answers with an enziguri, a springboard leg drop, and more chair attacks.

Then the fight spills to the floor again. Sabu crashes on the rail once more. So Taz hurls him into the crowd. Team Taz sets up a table. Sabu tries putting Taz through it. But Taz blocks a tornado DDT and Sabu crashes. However, Sabu recovers and lands a super Frankensteiner and a flying leg drop. Taz answers with Tazplexes that dump Sabu on his head! Both men trade suplexes and Sabu even grabs a Tazmission! But Taz breaks free and uses more suplexes. He then places Sabu in the Tazmission and Sabu passes out.

Thoughts: I loved the intensity of this. It felt like a knockdown drag-out fight. I’ve changed my opinion of Sabu over these ECW reviews. I didn’t like him. But there’s something interesting about watching his matches. He destroys himself and fights valiantly. It’s a car wreck you can’t take your eyes off of. I also liked that finish. Sabu doesn’t look weak in defeat.

Winner: Taz (17:49)

The medical personnel arrive, but Sabu rises to his feet. Sabu is confused, so Taz tells him he choked him out. Taz says Sabu gave him the fight of his life. A fan says bullshit. Taz tells him to shut up. He then tells Sabu he has respect for him. Sabu can get a rematch any time he wants. Then Taz offers a handshake. Sabu accepts it. He raises Taz’s arm in victory and hugs him. But RVD enters the ring and nails Taz! Sabu argues with Van Dam and Taz grabs RVD. But Sabu attacks Taz!

RVD gives Taz leg drops while Sabu grabs a chair. RVD then places Taz on a table. Sabu has trouble bouncing off the chair. But he puts Taz through the table. Next, Sabu places Taz in the Tazmission. Fonzie watches it happen and does nothing. Alfonso enters the ring while RVD and Sabu celebrate. He removes his shirts, so they threaten him. However, Fonzie removes another shirt to reveal—a Sabu t-shirt! Alfonso grabs the mic. He says he owns Taz. Fonzie taught him everything he knows. But he lost money tonight. Taz threatens Fonzie, so he retreats behind RVD. Rob takes the mic and says he’s a PPV superstar. If any promoters want him, call Fonzie. RVD loves to work Mondays! This disgusts Joey Styles.

Joey shows replays. He can’t believe Alfonso turned on Taz. Then Joey introduces a special guest commentator for the next match. It’s Tommy Dreamer. (Tommy was originally in the main event. He stepped aside so his mentor Terry Funk could have a chance.) Beulah is with Tommy. The fans chant her name and tell her to show her tits. (That’s classy, Philly.) Dreamer says he promised Funk he wouldn’t interfere. He plans to keep that promise.

Three-Way Dance #1 Contender Match: Terry Funk vs. The Sandman vs. Big Stevie Cool (w/ The bWo)

Notes: Stevie Richards finally turned on Raven after they had a falling out. Richards substituted for Raven in a title match and lost Raven’s belt to The Sandman. Raven blamed him for screwing up. Stevie finally had enough of Raven’s treatment. He turned on him and formed his own group (The bWo). But Raven regained his ECW title from Sandman in a Barbed Wire Match. (He also turned Sandman’s wife and son against him. Raven brainwashed them.) Now Stevie and Sandman both want a shot at Raven. However, they must also deal with Terry Funk. He’s playing the role of the old veteran, looking for one last bit of glory. (It’s far from his last. But he was planning on retiring at the end of the year. We know how that goes.)

The Match: Everyone exchanges chops and strikes. They even do a three-way headlock. Then Sandman and Richards team until Sandman suplexes him. Meanwhile, Sandman fetches a ladder while Funk gives Stevie multiple neckbreakers. Everyone fights on the ladder until Funk does a moonsault off of it! Next, Stevie whips Sandman into an upside-down bump on the ladder. They also fight on top of it. But Funk knocks the ladder over. Terry then places it on his shoulders and does the Three Stooges spot. Funk also introduces a chair. So Sandman grabs some trash cans. Then everyone takes turns see-sawing the ladder into people’s faces. When Sandman does it, the ladder almost lands in the crowd! Finally, Funk and Sandman eliminate Richards with a double powerbomb. (Elimination: Stevie Richards)

Funk and Sandman trade punches until Terry backdrops him. However, Sandman uses the opening to grab some barbed wire. (It’s tangled up in the streamers from earlier.) Terry pulls Sandman’s shirt over his head and whips him with the wire. It cuts Sandman’s back. Sandman answers with trash can shots. He then wraps the wire around himself and charges at Funk. Sandman continues with a sloppy flying leg drop. But Stevie distracts Sandman. Funk places a can over Sandman’s head and Stevie nails a Stevie Kick. Funk follows with a moonsault for the win. (Final Elimination: The Sandman)

Thoughts: This was a fun brawl. It played to each man’s strengths. Funk was entertaining as usual. My only gripe is it went a bit long. If they shaved off five minutes, it would have been better. But it had some good spots and moments. Stevie looked strong and fought hard. I’m okay with him being eliminated first. He was the low man on the totem pole in this build. Stevie still had a good showing.

Winner: Terry Funk (19:10)

ECW Title Match: Terry Funk vs. Raven (c)

The Match: Raven wastes no time. He attacks Terry with a chair and drop toe holds him onto it. Raven also hits him in the head and Funk gushes blood! The doctor checks on Funk while fans chant for Tommy. (Dreamer sticks to his promise. But he screams encouragement.) Doc wants to stop the match, but Raven pulls Terry to the floor. He drops a table on Funk and sets up a second one. Then Raven dives over the ropes to put Terry through it. Raven also decks the doctor and calls out his cronies. (They include a female wrestler named Reggie Bennett. She was a friend of Funk, but now she’s in Raven’s Nest.) Reggie gives Terry a sloppy powerbomb.

Next, Raven grabs a mic and taunts Dreamer. He says he’ll end Terry’s career. So Tommy dares Raven to fight him. However, Big Dick Dudley appears and attacks Dreamer. They fight in the eagle’s nest. Big Dick tries chokeslamming Tommy on some tables. Dreamer stops it and—pushes Dick off the nest. (He tried a chokeslam. But they botched it.) Tommy then approaches the ring. He throws trash cans at Raven and hits a DDT. Funk covers, but Raven kicks out. (They ring the bell anyway.) Funk then rolls Raven up for the real pin.

Thoughts: This was more storyline than a match. But I liked it. It was good storytelling. Other than Dreamer’s botched chokeslam, it was great. The blood was a bit excessive. I think Funk bladed too deeply. But the image added to the bout. I’m glad they kept it short. It was the length it needed to be. Plus, that ending popped the crowd. That’s a good way to finish the show.

Winner: Terry Funk (New Champion) (7:20)

Funk celebrates in the crowd. Dreamer hands him the belt and hugs him. Styles says it’s an emotional moment. Terry Funk won the ECW title at 53 years old. He did the impossible. Joey is out of breath and emotional. But he plugs the next PPV in August as the show ends. (It’s a good thing it did. They lost power to the building mere seconds later.)

The Good:

• The international six-man tag was fun.

• RVD/Storm was good.

• I liked the storytelling of the main events.

• Taz/Sabu was a great intense fight.

The Bad:

• Douglas/Pitbull was boring.

• The sound issues.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Terry Funk. What he did at his age impressed me. Plus, he’s always entertaining.

Final Thoughts:

This was a solid show. If I were a first-time viewer, it would entice me to watch more. It wasn’t perfect. The show had its issues. But they did alright for a first PPV. This event did a good job showcasing what made ECW unique. Only one bout was bad. The rest ranged from fun to quite good.

Thank you for reading. My next review is the WWF’s In Your House: Revenge of the Taker. Look for it next Sunday!