Living Dangerously ’98

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

Living Dangerously

March 1, 1998

Asbury Park Convention Hall

Asbury Park, New Jersey

News & Notes: There aren’t many extra notes for this PPV. ECW dedicated most of its TV time to specific matches on this card. But there are three ECW personalities I want to discuss. The first one is Lance Wright. He claimed to be Vince McMahon’s personal message boy. Wright managed Furnas & Lafon to the tag team titles. Lance threatened to take the belts to Vince. Then McMahon would throw them in the trash. Thankfully for ECW, Candido & Storm defeated Furnas & Lafon for the gold. But that team has its own issues. Meanwhile, Stevie Richards addressed his return to the company. He still remembers the fans calling him a sell-out. So he doesn’t need them anymore. Stevie called himself the superstar of professional wrestling. But he forgives the fans for their rudeness. Finally, I want to discuss the rise of Al Snow. He continued being weird over the last two months. This included hearing Head singing in the shower. He even took a trip to the beach with Head. Snow ended up buried in the sand and begged Head to help him. But this descent into madness didn’t prevent Snow from winning. Most of these wins came when he gave his opponents head. Wait! That sounded wrong. I meant he hit them with Head! Either way, the gimmick is over with the crowd. They love Snow.

We open with Taz arriving at the arena. He parks in front and walks into the empty convention hall. Taz kicks a chair out of the way and enters the auditorium. It’s empty. The fans aren’t there yet. Taz takes in the sight and says, “I’m ready.”

Then Joey Styles welcomes everyone to Asbury Park for ECW’s fourth PPV! He warns the fans to sit back and buckle up. For the next three hours, they’re all living dangerously! This leads to the usual ECW opening video. They added slow-motion shots of Jenna Jameson to the clips of violence. (ECW signed her as a backstage reporter.)

After Joey’s introduction, The FBI enters the arena. Smothers waves a defaced Italian flag. They added The Don Tommy Rich’s face to the middle. Joey says today is Smothers’ son’s birthday. His name is Kyle, which Joey says isn’t an Italian name. Styles also makes fun of WCW’s marketing monkeys for giving Jerry Lynn the Mr. JL gimmick. (I should also point out the odd smoke in the arena. RVD must be backstage preparing for his match.)

Jerry Lynn & Chris Chetti vs. The F.B.I. (w/ Tommy Rich)

Notes: Jerry Lynn continued to impress on TV. But this is meant to showcase ECW’s rookie, Chris Chetti. He’s the first graduate of the House of Hardcore training school. This didn’t impress Pitbull #2. In fact, The Pitbulls said they should leave ECW if #2 couldn’t defeat Chetti. They might eat those words because Chetti got the upset win! Chris also had a competitive encounter with Shane Douglas, but he lost. However, Chetti defeated Doug Furnas at Cyber Slam. Meanwhile, Lynn already had a run-in with The FBI. Jerry teamed with Tommy Rogers to fight them. Lynn & Rogers won after Tommy gave all the FBI members the Tomakaze.

The Match: Chetti hits Guido with kicks, arm drags, and arm holds. Then Lynn uses a diving elbow, a sunset flip out of the corner, and a springboard crossbody. Jerry also tricks Guido into helping him give Smothers a double elbow drop. This leads to an argument between The FBI. Lynn uses the opening to land a plancha to the floor onto both men. When The FBI returns to the ring, Chetti nails a springboard double clothesline. But Tommy Rich punches Chris to stop the momentum. Then The FBI use frequent tags to control Chetti. They do the Paisan Elbow, suplexes, stomps, and a double shoulder tackle. Guido complains about a slow count. Meanwhile, Chetti gets a few pin attempts. But The FBI distracted the ref each time. However, Chetti rallies with a step-up wheel kick. He also counters a double backdrop with a leg drop to both men’s necks. This allows Chris to tag Lynn. Jerry cleans house with dropkicks, headscissors, and back elbows. Rich senses trouble and distracts the ref. The FBI uses the opening to attack and try for a double flapjack. Lynn awkwardly turns it into a double DDT. This causes a four-way brawl. Rich tries to hit Lynn with the flag, but he nails Smothers by mistake. Jerry capitalizes with a jackknife pin for the win.

Thoughts: This was an okay opener. It was basic and simple. The finish was fun, but it didn’t set the world on fire. It was a fine and passable encounter. Some of the FBI’s antics were amusing. So I didn’t mind it. But it’s the kind of match you’ll forget about by the end of the show.

Winners: Jerry Lynn & Chris Chetti (8:19)

A fan steals the FBI’s flag and waves it around. Tommy Rich is too busy commiserating to notice. Guido points out the fan has the flag. The camera cuts away to show Lynn & Chetti celebrating. The FBI retrieves their flag in the meantime. But they argue among themselves. Rich and Smothers shove each other. Tracy puts Tommy on his ass, so Rich walks away. Smothers & Guido follow him, but Smothers threatens to throw the flag into the crowd like a javelin.

Joey says the next match is Masato Tanaka vs. W*ING Kanemura. But Styles hasn’t seen Kanemura all day. They show a hype video, anyway. It includes highlights of both men. Kanemura nails wheel kicks, flying sentons, and suicide dives. Tanaka’s footage includes his battles with Mike Awesome. We see a springboard clothesline, a tornado DDT, and a superplex. Masato also powerbombs Awesome out of the ring and onto a table!

But after the video, Lance Wright leads Doug Furnas to the ring. This confuses Styles. He wants someone to explain where Kanemura is. Wright says his associates in Stamford, Connecticut changed the plans. McMahon bought out Kanemura’s contract and told him to stay home. Wright brought someone to destroy Tanaka and send him back to Japan. Then Lance tells Bob Artese to take notes. He introduces Doug Furnas as Masato’s opponent.

Masato Tanaka vs. Doug Furnas (w/ Lance Wright)

Notes: This is the ECW debut of Masato Tanaka. Atsushi Onita trained him in Japan. Tanaka then worked for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW). He became one of their top hardcore wrestlers. Masato scarred his body while wrestling in barbed wire and exploding ring matches. He also earned the nickname of Dangan, which means bullet. ECW booked him to wrestle W*ING Kanemura, but those plans changed.

The Match: Tanaka uses headlocks, shoulder blocks, kicks, and dropkicks. But Furnas catches him in a powerslam and returns the favor with kicks. Masato catches one and turns it into a Dragon Screw Leg Whip. He follows with leg submissions, including a Figure Four. They reverse it back and forth until Doug grabs the ropes. After more strikes and a corner splash, Tanaka hits an awkward tornado DDT. He follows with a Death Valley Driver. Then a miscommunication causes a collision. Furnas recovers with a powerbomb that folds Masato in half. Doug also lands a release German. But Lance Wright tells him to keep attacking instead of covering him. This happens again after a hurricanrana. However, Tanaka avoids another one. Then they appear to forget their spot. Tanaka brings the match to a merciful end with a Roaring Elbow.

Thoughts: It started with promise and fell apart. Once they botched the first move, it was all downhill. The crowd let them have it. I get this wasn’t the planned match. But it was bad. You could tell the action disappointed Tanaka. I felt bad for them.

Winner: Masato Tanaka (5:46)

Joey calls Wright a moron for costing Furnas the match. Lance disagrees. He grabs a mic and berates Doug. Lance says Furnas is a WWF Superstar. Furnas is close to becoming a WWF legend and Superstar. Lance name drops Jim Ross, Bruce Prichard, and Vince McMahon. But Furnas ignores him. This pisses off Lance. He vows Furnas will never work in the WWF again. Doug has enough and clotheslines Wright. Furnas then grabs an ECW shirt. He tells Lance to give Vince a message. Tell him to kiss Doug’s ass! Furnas then puts the shirt on and leaves.

Next, Joey Styles says a Dueling Canes Match happened earlier. The Sandman fought Sabu. However, the PPV providers and the censors banned them from showing it. They deemed the encounter too violent. Joey promises they’ll release it on video. But there’s still a good card to come. This includes the dream partner match. Candido & Douglas will face Storm & a partner of his choosing. Or did Sunny pick it? No one knows. Joey also discusses Dreamer vs. Credible. He mentions Beulah, but Jason and Nicole Bass interrupt him. Styles has a bad reaction to seeing Nicole’s face. She and Jason tell Joey to play the Tommy Dreamer tape or Bass will kick his ass. We see the footage. It shows Tommy arriving at the building without Beulah. Tommy only has his dog with him. Jason claims Beulah left Tommy. She’s coming with them! Nicole also threatens Joey again.

Rob Van Dam (w/ Bill Alfonso) vs. 2 Cold Scorpio

Notes: RVD was busy teaming with Sabu to make Dreamer & Sandman’s life a living hell. So I’ll talk about 2 Cold’s return. At House Party, Lance Wright vowed to introduce another WWF Superstar into ECW. It was Flash Funk. However, Lance misunderstood the situation. Flash wasn’t there to work for him. And his name wasn’t Flash Funk anymore. He’s 2 Cold Scorpio again! Scorpio then attacked Wright. After this, Scorpio faced Taz for the TV title and lost. Wright’s crew tried to get revenge on Scorpio afterward. But Taz came to his aid. There is no build for RVD facing Scorpio. This is a random pairing.

The Match: They trade kicks, holds, takedowns, and athletic reversals. Then we get bridging knucklelocks and dueling monkey flips. This leads to a stand-off before the fight spills to the floor. Scorpio avoids RVD’s moonsault and jumping kick. But 2 Cold crashes on the rail on a missed splash. RVD answers with a chair, strikes, and a slingshot leg drop. After they trade more strikes, RVD nails a wheel kicks from the ground and the air. Plus, he does a rolling splash. But Scorpio takes control when RVD misses a tumbling splash. Scorpio capitalizes with a powerbomb, a flipping leg drop, and a slingshot splash. He keeps signaling for the 450, but he does other moves instead. (It becomes annoying.) Scorpio uses a twisting splash and a moonsault. RVD fires back with the Frog Splash, but he hurts himself.

So Scorpio returns to his attack. After signaling for the 450 again, Scorp nails a somersault leg drop. However, 2 Cold misses a corner splash. RVD then hits the split-legged moonsault and takes the fight to the ramp. This leads to the Van Daminator. But Scorpio fights back and gives RVD two piledrivers! Scorpio drags Rob to the ring, but RVD counters with low blows. Then Scorpio accidentally takes out the ref with a diving splash. RVD uses the opening to boot Scorpio, mock him, and attempt a 450. He misses. This opens the door for Scorpio to do a powerbomb and the 450! But there is no ref. Sabu seizes the opportunity. He gives Scorpio an Atomic Arabian Facebuster and pulls RVD on top of him. The groggy ref only makes a two count! Meanwhile, Sandman chases Sabu away from the ring. Scorpio then throws more kicks, but RVD catches him in a victory roll for the pin.

Thoughts: I wanted to like this. The action wasn’t bad. The problem is, they stalled between moves. It had a slow pace. The fans let them have it. They chanted boring and this match sucks. I agree. RVD and Scorpio botched nothing, but this bout dragged. Did they smoke too much weed backstage? It looks like I was right earlier.

Winner: Rob Van Dam (27:10)

RVD grabs a mic. He says it was a great experience for both of them. But it was better for him. This was a hell of a match, but Scorpio didn’t beat him. After getting his ass kicked, RVD will give Scorpio a chance to shake his hand! Scorpio goes for it and RVD fakes him out. So Scorpio tells RVD he’s more of a man than Rob ever will be. But he will shake RVD’s hand even if he won’t shake his. RVD agrees and tells Scorpio to call him the better man. Scorpio does—and then clotheslines RVD. He stomps him until Sabu comes to Rob’s rescue. Sabu puts a table into the ring while RVD hits a leg drop. Then Sabu places Scorpio on the table. RVD & Sabu climb the turnbuckles, but Sandman stops them with a cane. Sandman then gives Sabu a Super Frankensteiner. It breaks the corner of the table. Once RVD & Sabu leave, Scorpio grabs a mic. He appreciates the ECW fans’ support. Scorpio also appreciates The Sandman having his back. The former tag partners have a beer together and dance to Scorpio’s music.

Then they show a hype video for the main event. We see footage of Candido & Storm working as a team. But then Chris turns on Lance. He gave him a piledriver on the belt.

After this, The Dudleys arrive for their match. Gertner greets the welfare recipients and homeless vagabonds in Asbury Park. Then he introduces the Dudley clan. Gertner again implies Big Dick took liberties with fans’ mothers. He’s recognized as their father in seventeen states! Next, he introduces himself. Like milk, Gertner does the body good. He’s a damn handsome man. His wit is more tongue-in-cheek than a lesbian orgy. Your girlfriend has him on speed dial. She loves the way he star-69s her! He’s Joel Gertner! After this, Joel announces D-Von. But The Dudleys make him correct the weight to 165 pounds. (Yeah, right!) Gertner also claims Buh-Buh is Pamela Lee’s new man! He’s seen the tape. Meanwhile, The Hardcore Chair Swinging Freaks are next. As usual, New Jack is fashionably late.

Three-Way Dance: New Jack & Spike Dudley vs. The Dudley Boyz (w/ Joel Gertner, Big Dick, & Sign Guy) vs. The Hardcore Chair Swingin’ Freaks

Notes: The Dudleys attacked Kronus and injured his arm before a tag title encounter. Then they tried to attack him again on TV. But New Jack & Spike Dudley came to fend off The Dudleys. It turned into a match, but The Dudleys won. This led to Jack & Spike vowing revenge on The Dudleys. When they tried, The Dudleys tossed Spike off a balcony. Next, Jack, Spike, & Kronus fought The Dudleys at House Party. The Dudleys won again after cuffing New Jack to the ropes. Meanwhile, The Hardcore Chair Swinging Freaks are here too. They were involved in the tag title picture with The Dudleys and Jack & Kronus. But Jeff Jones cost them the victory. Then at Cyber Slam, they competed in a Three-Way Dance. Balls & Axl teamed with Sandman to fight The Dudleys and Jack, Spike, & Kronus.

The Match: The two present teams brawl. Buh-Buh fights Balls. D-Von scuffles with Axl. They take turns fighting in and out of the ring. After Balls misses a flying leg drop, Buh-Buh uses Mahoney’s personalized chair on him. Then Big Dick hands out chokeslams. But New Jack & Spike arrive with weapons! Jack uses crutches, a keyboard, and cookie sheets. Spike nails a hurricanrana on Buh-Buh. However, Buh-Buh backdrops Spike to the floor. This leads to a brawl in the crowd. We get more chair and crutch shots. Jack uses the crutch on D-Von’s nuts. But Spike and Balls attack The Dudleys with trash cans. Next, they place Buh-Buh & D-Von on two tables. Jack & Spike climb into the crowd and hit stereo balcony dives! This leaves The Dudleys and Jack & Spike laid out. So The Chair Swingin’ Freaks take advantage. Balls sets up a table for Spike. It backfires when Spike puts Balls through it. He nails a tornado DDT. Buh-Buh uses the opening to press slam Spike to the floor. The Dudleys then land a 3D on Balls for an elimination. (Elimination: Balls & Axl) They can’t celebrate because Jack & Spike give The Dudleys stereo guitar shots. Spike follows with an Acid Drop on Buh-Buh. And Jack finishes it with a flying chair shot. (Final Elimination: The Dudleys)

Thoughts: There were some cool spots. The balcony dive was fun. But this was mindless brawling. It wasn’t as entertaining as November to Remember. This fell flat. But I’ll give them credit. The crowd loved it. So it did its job. However, I didn’t care for it.

Winners: New Jack & Spike Dudley (13:25)

Next, Joey Styles apologizes for Justin Credible. ECW signed, publicized, and pushed him. Then Justin spat on the traditions of the business. He insulted wrestler’s families and injured competitors. But he presents a video about Credible. They show footage of Credible’s win over Sasuke. We also see his battles with Mikey Whipwreck. Justin injured Mikey’s knee. They wheeled him away on a stretcher. Next, Justin antagonized Tommy Dreamer.

Then Artese introduces Jenna Jameson to do her first interview. Justin Credible, Jason, and Nicole Bass arrive. But when Jenna stops them for a word, Justin blows her off. Normally, he’d give her the time of day. However, he doesn’t need her. Justin now has Beulah on his jock! On the other hand, Jason wants Jenna. But Nicole glares at him until he enters the ring. Jenna has enough. She says she’ll interview who she wants. So she invites Tommy Dreamer out instead. Tommy doesn’t speak. He kisses Jameson and walks to the ring. Styles says Dreamer boldly went where every man has gone before! He might want to gargle now.

Tommy Dreamer vs. Justin Credible (w/ Jason & Nicole Bass)

Notes: It took two more tries, but Credible got his win over Whipwreck. However, the way he did it pissed everyone off. Mikey tweaked his knee in the bout. Credible pounced on the injury and refused to release his submission. They wheeled Mikey out of the ring on a stretcher after Justin gave him two That’s Incredibles. His actions disgusted Joey Styles. But Credible didn’t care. He was more concerned with his new woman. Justin added her to compliment Jason. She’s the world’s sexiest woman, Nicole Bass! Nicole is a female bodybuilder. Then Credible continued to cause pain and mayhem. He attacked Great Sasuke and Gran Hamada’s knees with chairs. If this disrespect wasn’t enough, Credible took it farther. Justin interrupted a segment honoring Dreamer’s recently deceased grandfather. Credible said Dreamer should have died instead. They brawled. And Dreamer chased Credible into the parking lot. Justin escaped in a car. This led to a First Blood Match at Cyber Slam. Credible won with RVD’s help. The victorious Credible then hit Beulah with That’s Incredible!

The Match: Dreamer punches Justin and clotheslines him to the floor. Tommy fends off Jason’s interference and gives Jason & Justin a slingshot crossbody. Then they fight over the rail and into the crowd. When they return, the fight heads to the ramp. Tommy catapults Credible onto a chair. Next, he attempts a DDT on the rail, but Justin crotches Tommy. Back in the ring, Dreamer catches a diving Justin with a fallaway slam. He then places Credible in a tree of woe and dropkicks a chair into his face. But Justin fires back with strikes when Tommy misses a flying splash. Dreamer counters with a Russian Leg Sweep. Justin answers with more chair attacks. Credible even nails a reverse DDT onto a chair! But Tommy boots the chair into Justin’s face on a dive. This allows Dreamer to nail a Spicolli Driver. (He renamed his DVD in honor of Louie.) However, Jason distracts Tommy, and Credible lands That’s Incredible. This draws Beulah to the ring. She flirts with Justin—and gives him a low blow! Beulah also DDTs Jason. So Nicole Bass grabs her with a bear hug. Then Mikey Whipwreck hobbles to the ring and does the Whippersnapper to Nicole! But Justin breaks Mikey’s crutch over Whipwreck’s knee. The distraction allowed Dreamer to recover. He whips Credible into an upside-down bump and nails a DDT for the win.

Thoughts: This was the usual overbooked Tommy Dreamer match. But they kept it light for once. I didn’t mind it. The closing minutes were fun. The action was decent. This wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t call it great. But I enjoyed it.

Winner: Tommy Dreamer (8:58)

Joey Styles asks who is the toughest man in ECW. Is it Bam Bam Bigelow or Taz? This leads to a hype video. Paul Heyman narrates it. They show Shane Douglas costing Bam Bam a match against RVD. Bam Bam approached Taz to be his partner, but he refused. He finally agreed on one condition. Bam Bam would face him in a TV title match. Taz called himself Bigelow’s savior. However, Bigelow turned on Taz during the bout. He rejoined The Triple Threat.

Then Joey Styles plugs Wrestlepalooza in May. Who will be TV champion at that time? This leads to the entrances for the next match. Bam Bam Bigelow gets a great reception in his hometown.

TV Title Match: Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Taz (c)

Notes: Shane Douglas refused to retire after his elbow surgery. This pissed off Bam Bam. He sought a partner to fight The Triple Threat. First, Al Snow offered his services. But he creeped Bigelow out. So Bam Bam approached Taz instead. Taz refused until Bigelow begged him. It worked. Taz agreed, but only if Bigelow faced him in a TV title match afterward. He told Bam Bam he wouldn’t be his partner. Taz would be his savior. However, this was a trap. Bigelow attacked Taz and rejoined The Triple Threat. They beat up Taz. The next week, Taz thanked Bigelow for this. It was a wake-up call. Taz was too soft. But Taz didn’t like how Bam Bam attacked from behind. Taz took the next opportunity to brawl with Bigelow. He attacked Bam Bam when The Triple Threat jumped Chris Chetti.

The Match: Taz takes Bam Bam down with holds and throws and clotheslines him to the floor. Bam Bam clips a table. But Bam Bam whips Taz into the rail, the post, and the apron. He also nails a powerbomb and a corner splash. Taz answers with a clothesline, but Bigelow turns a Tazplex into a pin. Then the fight spills to the ramp. Taz t-bone suplexes Bam Bam off the ramp and into the crowd! It hurts both men, and Bigelow is up first. When they return to the ring, Bigelow uses a DDT and a moonsault. Next, Bam Bam grabs a broken table. But Taz avoids a powerbomb. He counters with a hotshot that puts Bigelow through the table. This leads to more fighting on the floor. They use chairs and even a street sign. Taz dares Bigelow to bring it. So Bam Bam nails a low blow. He then attempts Greetings from Asbury Park. Taz turns it into a Tazmission. A frantic Bigelow does the only thing he can think of. Bam Bam falls backward and the two men crash through the mat! The ring breaks and they fall into a hole. Bam Bam crawls out and drags Taz into a pin.

Thoughts: This bout had crazy spots. But much of it was slow. The ending is memorable and fun. I know it’s over the top, but I don’t mind that. However, I can’t call the entire match good. The beginning and end elevated it to be enjoyable. But it’s not great.

Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow (New Champion) (13:37)

The Triple Threat celebrates with Bam Bam. Meanwhile, a frantic Paul Heyman tells Joey to buy him some time. We were supposed to get Al Snow vs. Kronus, but it won’t happen now. Heyman says to show the Sandman/Sabu match. Joey doesn’t want to do it. The censors will kick them off of PPV. Heyman demands it, so Styles gives in.

Dueling Canes Match: Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) vs. The Sandman

Notes: Sandman and Sabu had more rematches. First, Sabu won after driving a ladder into Sandman’s face. He did it with an Atomic Arabian Facebuster. This led to RVD & Sabu vs. Sandman & Dreamer. RVD & Sabu took out Sandman with a chair and a ladder. They stuck Sandman’s head through the rungs. Then they whacked his head with a chair, guillotine-style. Next, Sandman fought Sabu in a Stairway to Hell encounter at House Party. This was a ladder match with barbed wire hanging over the ring. During the bout, Sabu broke his jaw on the guardrail.

The Match: Sabu jumps Sandman and they exchange cane shots. Sandman is in trouble from what we think is Sabu. But it’s a swerve! This is RVD in disguise! The real Sabu attacks and RVD nails a spin kick. After more cane strikes, Alfonso mocks Sandman. Bill sends RVD to the back while Sabu continues. He sends Sandman to the ramp and nails a double jump plancha. Then Sabu whips Sandman into an upside-down bump on the rail. After setting up a table, Sabu puts Sandman through it with a flying splash. He follows with an Arabian Facebuster. But Sabu misses a somersault variation. He still recovers before Sandman. This leads to Sabu nailing a triple jump moonsault on the ramp. However, Sandman gets some tables. He knocks the ref out by accident, but Sandman doesn’t care. Sandman suplexes the table onto Sabu. This draws RVD back to the ring. RVD hits Sandman with jumping and flying kicks. Jeff Jones even helps set up a table! Then they put a chair on Sandman and RVD lands a Frog Splash. After this, they put Sandman on another table. RVD & Sabu do stereo flying leg drops. It allows Sabu to roll Sandman into the ring for a pin.

Thoughts: That was it!? They hyped this as being ultra-violent. But it was tamer than November to Remember. What a disappointment. At least they kept it short. There were a few good spots. If they hadn’t over-hyped it, I might not have disliked this. But it didn’t live up to how they treated it.

Winner: Sabu (9:21)

When we return to the arena, the fans are waving Styrofoam mannequin heads. They also rub them together to make an odd sound. Meanwhile, Joey complains about what Heyman did. He can take the phone calls from the censors. Heyman’s the boss. It’s his job to deal with it! Joey also says they couldn’t fix the ring. But we will get the main event.

Bob Artese introduces the dream partner match. Candido & Douglas are out first with Francine. The latter kisses both men. Then Candido takes a mic. He’s curious who Storm’s mystery partner is. Only three people ever kicked his ass. His grandfather, Bam Bam, and Sunny are the three. But he enjoyed it when Sunny beat him. This leads to Storm’s entrance. He motions to the curtain and out comes his partner—Sunny! She tells Chris she’ll beat his ass like she does at home. Storm flies into the ring with a double clothesline. He then cleans house with dropkicks and gives Candido a superplex. Joey thinks Candido will never attack Sunny. Meanwhile, Storm drapes Douglas on the ropes and gives Candido a back suplex. He then tags Sunny. Francine gets in her face, so Candido grabs Sunny. But Storm grabs Chris and Sunny fetches a metal tray. Sunny winds up a shot—and hits Storm! It was a swerve. Sunny hugs Francine while Candido mocks Lance. He asks where the ass-kicking is. Where’s the mystery. Candido asks what Storm will give him. So Storm says, “I’m going to give you head!” This draws out Storm’s real partner, Al Snow!

Lance Storm & Al Snow (w/ Head) vs. Chris Candido & Shane Douglas (w/ Francine & Sunny)

Notes: Even though they hate each other, Storm & Candido are the tag champs. They won the belts from Furnas & Lafon. Storm & Candido couldn’t get along. So The Triple Threat had enough. When Bigelow returned to the group, they kicked Storm to the curb. Candido gave Lance a piledriver on a title belt. Chris accused Storm of stealing his spotlight and trying to steal Sunny. This led to a challenge. Both men would choose partners. Candido picked Shane Douglas. But Storm kept his a mystery. Sunny said she knew the identity, but she wasn’t telling Chris. This caused tensions between them. It almost led to Francine and Sunny fighting. Candido asked Sunny again. She said she didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Besides, Candido can’t handle secrets. Then Sunny slapped Chris. Bam Bam held Candido back from retaliating. Meanwhile, Storm defeated Candido in two singles bouts. One happened at Cyber Slam. The other was on TV.

The Match: Fans throw the mannequin heads into the ring. Snow hits a sit-out spinebuster on Douglas. Then Storm backdrops Candido to the floor and lands a springboard plancha. Francine senses trouble, so she steals Head! But Al grabs her and gets it back. (Styles says Francine won’t give everyone head tonight.) Snow then trades punches with Douglas while we get an odd upside-down camera shot. Next, Al whips Shane into the hole in the ring. Storm retrieves him and rolls Douglas into the ring. This allows Snow to nail a Snow Plow for the victory. Styles points out Al defeated the ECW champion!

Thoughts: This wasn’t much of a match. It was more storyline than anything. But the crowd was rabid for it. Snow is over with the ECW fans. Plus, this sets up Snow for an ECW title match at the next show. I’m fine with this. It accomplished what it needed to do. It was a fun way to end the show.

Winners: Lance Storm & Al Snow (4:49)

Snow & Storm celebrate while the fans shower the ring with Styrofoam heads. They bury Shane Douglas in them. Snow then does some headbanging. Styles says a little head turned Snow’s career around. Meanwhile, an angry Chris Candido throws the heads into the air. Then Styles plugs Wrestlepalooza again. He ends the show by saying, “We’re all getting head in Asbury Park!”

The Good:

• The end of the show was fun.

• The Bam Bam/Taz finish was memorable.

• Dreamer/Credible was enjoyable.

The Bad:

• The sloppy Tanaka/Furnas match.

• That disappointing Sandman/Sabu bout.

• RVD/Scorpio was slow.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Al Snow. He was the most over competitor on this PPV. The fans love him. He didn’t do much. But what he did got a great reaction.

Final Thoughts:

This was the weakest of the ECW PPVs I’ve covered. None of the matches were great. Some were enjoyable, but that’s it. It’s a shame because the build on TV was good. However, the show didn’t live up to the hype. This event had a few memorable spots, but the overall product was lacking.

Thank you for reading. My next review is WCW’s Uncensored ’98. Look for it next Sunday.