Heat Wave ’99

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

Heat Wave

July 18, 1999

Hara Arena

Dayton, Ohio

News & Notes: I don’t have any extra storylines to discuss. After Hardcore Heaven, ECW focused their efforts into building the matches for this PPV. A one-hour program doesn’t allow for many side plots. So let us begin!

The show opens with a montage of promos. Who is the hottest star in ECW? Is it the Human Suplex Machine, Taz? Perhaps it is Doring and Roadkill. After all, they busted their backsides, and they are long, strong, and bound to get their wrestling on! Oh, and Roadkill likes chickens. Meanwhile, Jason rubs baby oil on his skin and calls himself the sexiest man in the world. Next, The Dudleys threaten to put Balls Mahoney through another flaming table. Then Steve Corino claims Tajiri will hand him the ECW Title after he beats Taz. Also, The Impact Players want to live up to their name. Finally, Lynn doesn’t like RVD, but he respects him enough to team together. Jerry says they will smoke the Impact Players’ asses. Speaking of smoke, we see RVD preparing for the bout. When he brags about teaming with Lynn, Sabu tries to start trouble.

Joey Styles welcomes everyone to the Hara Arena. He pauses for a Joey chant and smiles. Once it dies down, Joey says we’re about to witness the hottest PPV of the year. It’s ECW’s Heat Wave 1999! This leads to the opening video.

After the intro, Doring and Roadkill arrive with Danny’s new girlfriend. They haven’t named her yet. Her eventual name in ECW is Miss Congeniality, but you know her better as Lita. (Wikipedia calls her Angelica, but I never heard them say it.) The fans are brutal toward her, so Doring admonishes them. Then he vows to stop his destructive sexual tyranny and settle down. Danny gets on one knee and proposes to his girlfriend. She says yes, but she doesn’t see a ring. Roadkill searches his pockets and finds a chain, but that won’t do. Next, he hands Doring a condom. Danny says it isn’t his size, but he places it on her finger. Afterward, their opponents enter the arena. It’s Nova and Chris Chetti. The latter wears a top hat and cape, which confuses Joey Styles. Nova rushes into the ring, but Chetti stops to pose and gets decked.

Chris Chetti & Nova vs. Danny Doring & Amish Roadkill (w/ Doring’s Girlfriend)

Storyline: Chetti and Nova teamed together for months, but Chetti’s recent antics strained their partnership. He lost focus and developed an attitude. Nova wrestled Danny Doring, and Roadkill interfered. Chetti tried to help, but Doring’s new girlfriend distracted Chetti. She danced with Chetti while Roadkill hit Nova with a splash. It allowed Doring to pin Nova. Later, Nova confronted Chetti, but Chetti wanted to talk about himself instead. Nova had enough and walked away from the interview.

The Match: Doring and Roadkill take control early with a cane attack. Danny uses the opening to score the Bareback, G-Spot Sweep, and Panty Drop Elbow. Roadkill even adds a springboard leg drop! But Nova rebounds with the Spin Doctor (inverted swinging neckbreaker). It leads to Chetti’s tag and a wild brawl. Nova monkey flips Chetti into a double clothesline. Plus, Nova locks Roadkill in a Figure Four. While they are prone, Doring and Chetti dive onto their opponents. Afterward, Chetti hits a powerbomb and springboard moonsault. Instead of covering, Chris calls for a dance break! Doring’s girl joins him, but she slaps Chetti once Nova tells them to get serious. In response, Chetti gives her the Amityville Horror (fireman’s carry driver). Finally, Nova and Chetti do their finishers. They follow with the Tidal Wave (a splash and leg drop from the same turnbuckle). It earns them the win.

Thoughts: This was a fun and exciting way to open the show. It was a spot-fest, but the spots fit the story of the match. But the most impressive part was Roadkill. He did a springboard leg drop from the middle of the ropes, so he had nothing to steady himself. Doing that at his size is incredible.

Winners: Nova & Chetti (7:03)

Chetti poses and dances in celebration after the win. Joey still doesn’t get his new attitude, but he praises Chris’s work ethic. Styles also congratulates Nova and Chetti for getting a PPV match. But he calls Chetti’s cape and top hat a fashion faux pas.

Next, they recap the Taz/Tajiri feud. Taz showed Tajiri respect and offered him a shot at the ECW belt. Before Tajiri could answer, Corino, Jack Victory, and Rhino interrupted them. Corino mocked Taz for supposed cowardice. So Taz gave Steve a piece of his mind. Corino told him to keep cursing since it impresses his fans, and Taz obliged. What followed was the longest censor bleep I’ve heard! Afterward, Taz suggested he and Tajiri team against Corino and Rhino, but it was a setup! Tajiri knocked Taz out with buzzsaw kicks and collected his payment from Jack Victory.

That match isn’t next. Instead, Jason and Jazz enter the arena for their contest. Joey says two members of Justin Credible’s entourage will meet. He accuses Credible of exploiting Jazz’s services. They wouldn’t even allow Bob Artese to say her name! Now Jason will go one-on-one with a tough as nails woman. After the introductions, Jason kisses Jazz and receives a slap for his actions.

Jazz vs. Jason

Storyline: They added this match at the last minute, so it only had a week-long build. Jazz thought the Impact Players went too far. She climbed onto the apron and told them to stop, but Jason pulled her down. Then he gave her a short-arm clothesline. Later, Cyrus interviewed Jason about the attack. Jason said Jazz didn’t matter. Upon hearing this, Jazz jumped Jason and beat him up.

The Match: Jazz throws ineffective clotheslines and has her O’Connor Roll blocked. Then she tries a crossbody, but Jason catches her with a powerslam. Jason follows with a Vader Bomb and misses, so Jazz nails a drop toe hold. She continues with a springboard crossbody and leg sweep. Next, they exchange strikes, dropkicks, and pin attempts until Jason pie faces Jazz. It was a mistake. Jazz scores a suplex, Samoan Drop, and a headbutt to the groin! But she isn’t done. Jazz places a chair on his crotch and smacks it with another chair! (Joey calls Jason the sexiest eunuch on Earth.) Afterward, Jason does a desperate enziguri and checks his balls. Once he regains his breath, Jason goes for a powerbomb on the chair. It doesn’t work because Jazz counters into the Jazz Stinger (X-Factor). This is enough for a three.

Thoughts: This was solid. I knew Jazz could wrestle, but Jason also did well. They had a hot crowd, and they kept the action to a good length. Plus, Joey put it over the top with his commentary. This was everything it needed to be.

Winner: Jazz (6:33)

Joey calls it the most humiliating moment of Jason’s career, but he sings Jazz’s praises. While Joey speaks, Jazz cuts a promo for the camera, which no one hears. When Joey notices, he says, “You go, girl!” Joey instantly sounds disgusted with himself. He attempts to save face by calling her one bad mama.

Then Cyrus invades the commentary booth again. Styles says Cyrus isn’t on his format, so Cyrus writes his name on it. Cyrus also claims Joey is trying to get the rub from him. Joey says, “I’m not rubbing anything! My wife is here!” Cyrus ignores the comment and tries to quote Joey’s catchphrase. But he thinks the phrase is oh my goodness. Joey responds by saying he sees why Vince fired Cyrus.

Once they finish, we see the entrances for the next bout. Guido rides Sal to the ring while Joey talks about Guido’s background. He’s an eight-year pro with training in submission wrestling. Billy Robinson taught Guido the style. His opponent is Super Crazy, who is also an eight-year pro. And both men are in their twenties, so Joey calls this the real youth movement in wrestling. Meanwhile, something distracts everyone in the crowd. The fans chant you fucked up while Guido does the Italian taunt at the culprit. We never learn what happened.

Super Crazy vs. Little Guido (w/ Sal E. Graziano)

Storyline: This is part of a three-way feud between Guido, Crazy, and Tajiri. After Guido scored a victory over Nova, Tajiri attacked everyone with kicks. It led to a 3-Way Dance. Guido faced Super Crazy and Tajiri. He got the win with Sal’s help. Later, Guido wrestled Tajiri. Sal once again aided Guido, and Guido pinned Tajiri. Next, Crazy, Guido, and Tajiri had a rematch. This time, Guido eliminated Crazy with the Sicilian Crab. So they booked this return bout. When asked about Super Crazy, Guido said he put a hit out on him. He also claimed he was a better wrestler than Crazy.

The Match: They trade takedowns, reversals, and mat wrestling before Crazy lands a moonsault. He goes for more, but Guido scores a swinging neckbreaker. Then Crazy reverses a whip and does offense in the corner. This leads to Guido calling a timeout and distracting the ref for Sal’s interference. It doesn’t work, and Crazy takes Guido into the crowd for a series of moonsaults! However, Guido uses more Sal interference. Guido does a diving Fameasser and a Sicilian Crab. When that fails, Guido occupies the ref while Sal does his own Fameasser. Afterward, Guido tries more submissions and shakes off a DDT. But Crazy rallies with a Crazy Driver and triple moonsaults. He slips on the third, so Crazy dives onto Sal to make up for it. When Crazy returns, Guido hits the Tomakaze. It isn’t enough, and Crazy nails a straight jacket powerbomb for the pinfall.

Thoughts: This was great. I loved the story they told. They used callbacks to their previous encounters. But Crazy knew to avoid the traps. Plus, Crazy did impressive spots. The moonsault into the stands was nice.

Winner: Super Crazy (12:31)

Joey mentions a video package they removed from the network. Afterward, Styles makes a big announcement. ECW landed a TV deal with TNN. They make their national cable debut on August 27^th. Cyrus loves this because he can influence millions of homes!

Up next, Gertner and Sign Guy lead the Dudleys to the ring. Joel wears bandages on his face because of the fireball attack, so Joey mocks him. Then D-Von tells everyone to shut the fuck up because they have something to say. Buh-Buh calls the fans white trash and threatens to kick their asses. Also, Buh-Buh claims a mother in the front row taught her daughter to suck dick! When he finishes with her, Buh-Buh focuses on someone he calls a skankasaurus. He thinks she will have a gang bang after the show. These words rile up the crowd, so Buh-Buh dares them to jump the rail. Since they won’t, he goes to them. As a result, someone throws their drink at Buh-Buh. Buh-Buh calls him a fat bald motherfucker. Cyrus asks how he knew his name. Finally, Buh-Buh argues with a fan’s wife and calls her a whore.

Once they finish, Gertner does his spiel. He makes lewd movie and TV references to The General’s Daughter and Inspector Gadget. He calls himself the quintessential stud muffin and a handsome man! Plus, he says if the girls aren’t there in Dayton, they’re at home masturbating. This line draws applause, so Gertner berates the fans for interrupting him. With that said, he introduces Sign Guy and the Dudley Boyz. Joel claims Buh-Buh Ray and D-Von get more ass than a toilet seat at a proctologist’s office. This leads to Balls Mahoney and Spike’s entrance. Joey makes ball-related puns before Mahoney grabs a microphone. Balls calls for a Dayton Street Fight. Falls will count anywhere!

Dayton Street Fight for the Tag Team Titles: Balls Mahoney & Spike Dudley vs. The Dudley Boyz (c) (w/ Joel Gertner & Sign Guy)

Storyline: The Dudleys gave the Chair Swingin’ Freaks one last chance to win the tag titles. The Freaks failed because the Dudleys put Balls through a flaming table covered in tacks. They also ambushed Balls in the shower with a chair. So Mahoney sought revenge, but he attacked C.W. Anderson by mistake. This allowed the Dudleys to jump Mahoney again. However, Balls cost D-Von a shot at the TV Title as payback. Next, the Dudleys targeted Spike, so Balls came to his aid. It led to a Street Fight, which the Dudleys won. Later, Mahoney attempted vengeance with his own flaming table. It backfired. To make matters worse, the Dudleys avenged D-Von. They ruined Balls’ TV Title opportunity. And they dropped Mahoney on a flaming table covered in barbed wire. Finally, Balls and Spike stopped the Dudleys from attacking a fan.

The Match: Everyone brawls in pairs. The Dudleys toss Spike around on the ramp until Spike gives Buh-Buh the Acid Drop. Spike follows with a running start only for Buh-Buh to backdrop him into the ring! A flying ring bell shot from D-Von comes next. Later, Buh-Buh and Mahoney use a cheese grater on each other! But Balls answers with a superkick while Spike and D-Von fight in the crowd. Once everyone joins them, Spike dives out of the balcony. The camera misses the landing. Afterward, they head back to the ring. The Dudleys play with them until Spike and Balls answer with low blows. It opens the door for an Acid Drop and a spine bomb. It isn’t enough, so Spike and Balls hit stereo finishers. As they cover, Sign Guy grabs the ref. The Dudleys pounce, but Balls and Spike surprise them with roll-ups for the win.

Thoughts: It went a little longer than it should have, but I still enjoyed this. The near falls toward the end and the finish were enough to make it better. Plus, there were some cool visuals. I only wish they had a better camera angle for Spike’s balcony dive.

Winners: Balls Mahoney & Spike (New Champions) (15:41)

Balls and Spike have no time to celebrate. The Dudleys attack them and hit 3Ds. Then they grab tables and light them on fire. Joey begs someone to stop it, but it’s too late. They try stereo powerbombs on them. D-Von gets Spike, but Buh-Buh loses his grip and drops Balls on his head! Once they finish, the Dudleys pose with the belts and throw them at Balls and Spike. But wait! New Jack’s music plays and Jack enters the arena with a cart full of weapons. He put a sign on the front that says, “Not guilty.” Joey thought New Jack was gone, so this appearance surprised him. When Jack reaches the ring, he dispatches the Dudleys with weapons. This includes a vacuum cleaner. After sending the Dudleys away, Jack helps Balls and Spike to their feet and hands them the belts.

Next, Tommy Dreamer and Francine make an unannounced appearance. Joey says it is an emotional night. Dreamer can’t compete because of two herniated discs in his back. He is a young man, but it might be the end of his career. Tommy says it isn’t a party without the head cheerleader and the innovator of violence. He also trashes King of the Ring and Bash at the Beach. They don’t compare to ECW. Plus, Tommy thanks the fans for helping them score a TV deal with TNN. But Dreamer has another announcement. He chokes up and cries before he can finish, so Steve Corino interrupts him.

Rhino pushes Jack Victory in his wheelchair while Corino follows them. Steve mocks Dreamer. He says he respected Tommy when he was a wrestler wearing suspenders. However, he lost that respect once Tommy became a hardcore brawler. Where did it get Dreamer? Corino says Tommy needs surgery, so it’s the end of his career. Therefore, Corino asks Tommy to lie down and put him over on the way out of the door. Corino states he has no scars because he is an old school wrestler. For that reason, Tommy should pass the torch to him! Dreamer says he would never put Corino over and tells him to shove it up his ass. This makes Corino attack Tommy. He yells at him about his pride, but Tommy asks for more. When Corino’s strikes don’t work, Tommy punches him, and Steve falls into the corner. So Tommy tells Francine to get him.

Francine vs. Steve Corino (w/ Jack Victory & Rhino)

Storyline: Cyrus continued manipulating Corino and Taz. He told Corino Taz wanted him as a protégé. So Steve dressed and acted like Taz. Meanwhile, Cyrus informed Taz Corino was mocking him. Since they fell for it, Cyrus called them stupid sons of bitches. However, Candido saved Corino from Taz. So Corino also called Taz a stupid son of a bitch. Later, Corino insulted Taz because he didn’t think Taz was there. When Taz confronted him, Corino begged for mercy. It didn’t work. (On a side note, they already practiced the entire Dreamer/Francine/Corino segment on a house show before the PPV. I read a report that described everything as being the same, except Tommy counted the pinfall for Francine.)

The Match: As Francine enters the ring, Cyrus calls this typical. He says the old talent is holding down the young stars. While he says this, Francine hits a Bronco Buster off the referee’s back. Corino throws a clothesline in response, but she ducks it and Tommy punches Steve. This allows Francine to score a swinging DDT for the pin.

Thoughts: I guess this was an official match. There wasn’t much to it, but I found this amusing. However, the segments went too long. I didn’t mind seeing Corino get his comeuppance, but they should have cut the entire thing shorter.

Winner: Francine (N/A)

Tajiri storms to the ring and kicks Tommy and Francine. While he does this, Jack Victory rises from his wheelchair. Cyrus calls it a miracle. Then Corino waves the Japanese flag while Tajiri puts Dreamer in the Tarantula. But Taz’s music plays. Tajiri tries to break free only for Tommy to grab his legs and hold him in place. It allows Taz to deck Tajiri, so the ref starts their match.

ECW Title Match: Taz (c) vs. Yoshihiro Tajiri (w/ Steve Corino, Jack Victory, & Rhino)

Storyline: Cyrus’ manipulation didn’t work as well as he thought. Taz convinced Cyrus he was on his side and then called him a stupid son of a bitch. Meanwhile, Corino found backup. He introduced Rhino and had him wrestle Taz. However, Taz defeated Rhino with the Tazmission. (Why did they debut Rhino with a loss?) Afterward, Taz dared Corino to bring anyone he wanted. Taz said it wouldn’t matter. He called Corino an obstacle. Later, Tajiri won a 3-Way Dance to earn an ECW Title shot. Taz showed Tajiri respect and suggested they team against Corino and Rhino. But it was a setup! Corino and Jack Victory paid Tajiri to attack Taz. Once Tajiri knocked Taz out, Corino called Taz a stupid son of a bitch. This was the last straw. Taz vowed to beat Tajiri so badly it would get ECW banned from TNN and PPV.

The Match: Tajiri hits a handspring elbow, a wheel kick, and an Asai Moonsault into the crowd. Back in the ring, Tajiri tries a Tarantula. Taz counters with an Alabama Slam, but Tajiri fires back with a dropkick and Oklahoma Roll. Next, Taz lands suplexes and mocks Tajiri. So Tajiri throws a low blow and buzzsaw kicks. They only get a two, to Tajiri’s chagrin. This leads to fighting on the ramp while Rhino sets up a table behind them. Taz dares Tajiri to bring it and leads him toward the table. He puts Tajiri through it with a Tazplex. So Corino buys Tajiri time with a distraction. It doesn’t work. Taz grabs barbed wire off the entrance and wraps it around his arm. He then puts the Tazmission on Tajiri, so Joey tells the truck to go to a wide shot. Officials rush to the rescue, but Tajiri submits.

Thoughts: They built to a great intense finish, and Joey’s commentary put it over the top. Plus, I liked the sequence with the table. They told a good story, and Tajiri had enough offense to look like a threat. But it was also short enough to make Taz dominant. They accomplished their goal, so this was a success.

Winner: Taz (10:06)

Once Taz says his catchphrase and walks away, Joey discusses the final bout. The Impact Players tried to turn ECW upside down. Now they face a team of bitter rivals. Joey calls Credible a young punk, which offends Cyrus. He likes Justin, and he calls Storm Canada’s greatest athlete. Joey calls this an insult to the NHL, so Cyrus says, “What’s the NHL?”

This leads to the entrances for the main event. Three things annoy Joey. First, Justin carries the cane he stole from Sandman. Joey says it’s a trophy to Justin. Then Joey complains about Storm. He liked him better when he didn’t speak. Now Lance is a verbal diuretic. Also, Dawn Marie throws her gum into the crowd, which disgusts Joey. But Joey is complimentary of Lynn and RVD’s entrances. He points out a fan’s sign. It says, “Get well, Sonya.” This is a reference to RVD’s wife, who suffered a jet ski accident. RVD spots it and thanks the fans for their concern. Once Van Dam slaps hands with the crowd, Artese introduces the participants. Bob says Dawn Marie is Storm’s own personal bitch. Dawn bounces up and down with a smile as she says, “That’s me!”

Rob Van Dam & Jerry Lynn (w/ Bill Alfonso) vs. The Impact Players (w/ Dawn Marie)

Storyline: Lynn broke his orbital bone at Hardcore Heaven. Afterward, Storm drove Jerry to the hospital, so Lance said Lynn owed him one. They offered Jerry two options. He could join them or lie down and hand Credible a TV Title shot. Jerry picked the latter. However, when Credible covered him, Lynn cradled Justin for a pinfall. So the Impact Players gave him a spike piledriver as payback. Later, the Players challenged Lynn and a partner of his choosing. They wanted an unsanctioned Death Match. The unsanctioned stipulation allowed Jerry to pick Sabu. But the Players won after giving Lynn the cradle piledriver. Next, Jerry attacked Storm while RVD wrestled Lance. RVD tried to help, but he hit Jerry by accident. So Lynn said RVD owed him. Fonzie rejected the offer, but RVD took exception to Fonzie speaking for him! RVD accepted Lynn’s plan to team against the Players.

The Match: Lynn and Credible trade chops, block each other’s finishers, and exchange Irish Whips. Then Justin demands RVD, but he runs and tags Storm when RVD enters the ring. So RVD wrestles Storm and they trade athletic counters and flips. They even do amateur mat wrestling until Storm hooks a rolling half crab. Afterward, Lynn returns, but the Players target his broken face. Justin uses the cane and a chair before doing the Outsiders Edge in honor of his friend. But the chair shenanigans backfire and RVD tags. He uses the chair for a Van Daminator and a leg drop on the rail.

Later, they scuffle on the floor and the ramp. RVD scores leg drops while Fonzie sets up a table. Storm regains control and hits a flying wheel kick, but it isn’t enough. RVD recovers and places a chair on Storm for a Rolling Thunder. Next, we get more back and forth, and Credible ends up on the table. Before RVD can do anything, Sabu appears and puts Justin through the plunder! Joey says he stole RVD’s thunder. It doesn’t faze Van Dam. Lynn and Storm fight on the mat, so RVD launches into a Five Star Frog Splash. But he lands on Jerry by mistake! To make up for the blunder, RVD hits a Van Daminator on Storm. And Lynn nails the cradle piledriver for the win.

Thoughts: This was good, but not great. Parts of it were too chaotic and hard to follow, but it also had some great spots. Then the hot finish redeemed it. As a whole, it was enjoyable. Plus, seeing RVD and Lynn team together was nice. It wasn’t a bad way to close a strong PPV.

Winners: RVD & Jerry Lynn (21:07)

Joey says RVD and Lynn coexisted and succeeded as a team. He also says Lynn kicked out after the accidental Five Star, which is a miracle. But Jerry Lynn isn’t as pleased. He yells at RVD and flips him off. Then Sabu shoves RVD into Jerry, which causes a wild brawl. Sabu punches both men, so the officials rush to the ring to stop this.

Once they break up the fight, the PPV ends with a highlight package. They show a better camera angle of Spike’s balcony dive.

The Good:

• The main event was enjoyable.

• Taz/Tajiri had nice intensity and storytelling.

• The opener was fun.

• Crazy/Guido was great.

The Bad:

• The Dreamer segments went a little long.

• The camera work.

Observations:

• Some family brought their small children to the show and sat in the front row. They never left, but those kids looked shell shocked by the end of the night.

• During the first match, Joey referred to the future Lita as a Lolita. Is that where she got the name?

• The WWE Network didn’t censor the infamous Dudleys promo. That shocked me.

• Apparently, everyone in ECW is a stupid son of a bitch. At least according to Cyrus, Taz, and Corino.

Performer of the Night:

This is a tough one, but I’m going with Guido and Super Crazy. Their match impressed me. They wrestled like men with something to prove.

Final Thoughts:

Heat Wave was one of ECW’s best shows for the second straight year. In fact, I’d almost rank this one higher than ’98. Nothing on this show was terrible, and most of the encounters were great. Watching this was a good palate cleanser after Bash at the Beach. I needed it. ECW continued their momentum in 1999. This is shaping up to be their best year in terms of quality.

Thank you for reading. My next review is the WWF’s Fully Loaded ’99. Look for it next Sunday!