It’s late, I have a headache and I’ve just relived ECW’s fourth PPV by transcribing my notes from weeks ago. Why beat around the bush?
PAY PER VIEW NUMBER 154: ECW LIVING DANGEROUSLY 1998
Written on 6/28/23
THE OPENING HYPE: Taz pulls up in a car and enters the building. He surveys the scene and says “I’m ready.” Joey Styles is mid-ring live in Asbury Park, NJ and starts the show without incident. The opening video follows. There’s more New Jack dives and tits in this one.
MATCH NUMBER ONE: The FBI w/Tommy Rich vs Jerry Lynn and Chris Chetti
BEFORE THE BELL: The faux Italians walk out to funky music and Tracy Smothers is feeling it! Tommy Rich does some crotch chopping and has his own face on the Italian flag. Chetti is the first graduate of the ECW wrestling school and he has a jobberific look. Joey gets his Mr. JL digs in. A beardless Lynn is almost as weird as the lack of reaction he gets during his intro.
THE BREAKDOWN:
MVP/LVP ALERT: It’s jarring how Lynn is botchy and eliciting crickets here. The true highlight is Styles with his commentary once again. He’s informational, passionate and great especially considering he is running solo.
OUTSIDE THE RING: The crowd is just chanting random shit at Rich. The ring is basically not mic’ed up.
HOW GOES IT: Chetti is solid and some good offense with his legs and gets the tag to Lynn and he messes up a double DDT flapjack.
THE GO HOME: Things break down with all four guys in the ring and Tommy Rich makes one mistake that costs his team.
WINNERS: Jerry Lynn and Chris Chetti in 8:19 when Lynn pins Tracy Smothers after an errant flag shot from Tommy Rich
FINAL WORD: A simple tag opener. Too simple, in my opinion.
THE EXTRA STUFF: The FBI bicker and Rich gets pushed by Smothers. Then, there’s a video package for Wing Kanemura and Masato Tanaka, the latter of which is naturally seen beating up Mike Awesome. Here’s a picture of Wing because it’s the last time you ever see him on this show.
MATCH NUMBER TWO: Doug Furnas w/Mr. Wright vs Masato Tanaka
BEFORE THE BELL: Furnas coming out with Wright immediately after that package highlights the issue with ECW: they are always too scattered and confuses. Even Joey attests to that. Wright is an LVP presence with a DOA promo and doing WWF schtick by claiming he bought out Wing’s contract for Doug to fight instead. Why does he have a job when he’s so boring? Tanaka comes out and rocks a FMW banner.
THE BREAKDOWN:
MVP/LVP ALERT: It’s a shame Furnas never got a fair shake anywhere in America because he’s darn good. It’s also a shame this match has a ton of random gears to it.
OUTSIDE THE RING: Nothing but a bunch of confused and angry ECW fans.
HOW GOES IT: Tanaka botches a tornado DDT and drops Furnas on his head with a Spicolli Driver, so Doug gives him a receipt with a botched catch and a Tiger Driver ’91. Not another one after Kenny and Ospreay! That starts a Forbidden Door 2023 reference challenge!
THE GO HOME: Wright won’t let Doug pin Masato twice and then on the third attempt, it costs him. Plus, there’s a total miscommunication and the ending is somehow shittier than the match leading up to it.
WINNER: Masato Tanaka in 5:47 with the Roaring Elbow
FINAL WORD: Yeesh, I’m not sure if that was more rough or more unnecessary.
THE EXTRA STUFF: Wright berates Furnas on the mic and namedrops Jim Ross, Bruce Pritchard and Vince McMahon until he eats a clothesline and told to kiss Doug’s ass. He puts on an ECW shirt to big applause. Joey gives us an apology and claims the Dueling Canes match between Sandman and Sabu can’t be shown due to violence. WHAT?!?! He gets interrupted by Jason and Nicole Bass and they insist he plays a tape of Tommy Dreamer arriving alone. Nope, with a dog. That made me laugh. Joey gets threatened and we move on.
MATCH NUMBER THREE: Rob Van Dam w/Bill Alfonso vs Too Cold Scorpio
BEFORE THE BELL: RVD has a Louie tribute tank top. Scorpio enters to some bootleg Jungle Boogie. He’s still in WWF as Flash Funk according to Joey. He slaps all the hands and gets a pat on the back from Bill Apter.
THE BREAKDOWN:
MVP/LVP ALERT: Just Joey calling the moves like the pro that he is.
OUTSIDE THE RING: The crowd shouts some boring catcalls after a long feeling out process with some rough batches of physicality. That’s unfair because there have been some great cat and mouse counters and attempts that Scorpio has mostly won out on.
HOW GOES IT: Flashy kicks, rolling Five Star splashes, Jackknifes, two big dives and everything gets kicked out of. This does make things drag as you just wait for the next spot. The chair comes out and largely whiffs, but a piledriver on the ramp does not.
THE GO HOME: The ref gets bumped and RVD misses a pretty 450 splash. Scorpio hits his own, but Sabu interferes and hits an Arabian Facebuster that Scorpio still kicks out because the ref takes forever. Sandman chases Sabu back and then the match ends with a fucking roll up.
WINNER: Rob Van Dam in 22:09 with a victory roll cradle.
FINAL WORD: Too long with a messy ending and messy tendencies. That said, it was still good.
THE EXTRA STUFF: RVD gets mic time and gives Scorpio a chance to shake him hand, but cold shoulders him. Scorpio has an odd retort and forces the hand shake and eats a clothesline. Sabu comes back to attack and sets up a table. Sandman makes the save, lands three UNPROTECTED cane shots and hurricanranas Sabu off the top through the end of the table. OUCH. Flash thanks the fans and drinks a beer/dances with Sandman. I was going to compare this match to Omega/Ospreay, but now I just want to see Don Callis dance. A video highlights the Chris Candido/Lance Storm team and Candido turning on his partner.
MATCH NUMBER FOUR: 3 WAY DANCE-The Dudley Boyz w/Sign Guy Dudley, Big Dick Dudley and Joel Gertner vs Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney vs New Jack and Spike Dudley
BEFORE THE BELL: Joel does his usual schtick and it’s definitely getting him over as a face. It’s also getting absurd with D-Von’s announced weight. He sure takes his time. The Chair Swingin’ Freaks come out next. As soon as you see them, you know that both are now dead. The match begins before the third team arrives.
THE BREAKDOWN:
MVP/LVP ALERT: This show might set a record for least number of candidates. Everyone is guilty of mindless action, a little wrestling and all of the weapons, particularly once a wildly over New Jack joins the fracas.
UNPROTECTED WEAPON SHOT TALLY: D-Von Dudley gets totally wrecked in all of the ways and ends up with seven shots. Balls Mahoney gets four and Buh Buh Ray gets three.
OUTSIDE THE RING: Of course, the fight goes into the crowd and there’s no way to watch all of it because it’s not shot well at all. New Jack’s persistent dubbed theme doesn’t help matters. The Dudleyz are set up on tables and Jack and Spike do balcony dives onto both.
HOW GOES IT: It just keeps going lol. Back in the ring, Spike hits a tornado DDT through a table on Balls. The Chair Swingin’ Freaks are eliminated at 12:20 after a 3D on Balls.
THE GO HOME: Double guitars, an Acid Drop and one final blow mercifully end the pain.
WINNERS: New Jack and Spike Dudley in 13:13 when Jack pins D-Von Dudley after a diving chair shot
FINAL WORD: I’ve seen cleaner infant diapers in an earthquake. Honestly, though, it’s no different than Anarchy in the Arena matches.
THE EXTRA STUFF: The theme keeps going while Joey tries to talk about Justin Credible. He’s disgusted by his recent actions and the video finally begins.
MATCH NUMBER FIVE: Justin Credible w/Jason and Nicole Bass vs Tommy Dreamer
BEFORE THE BELL: Credible beating Great Sasuke and losing to Mikey Whipwreck twice is shown before injuring him. This is all to dubbed music, by the way. Back live, Jenna Jameson is introduced as a new reporter and she gets the pop of the night by wearing NOT MUCH AT ALL. Credible blows her off on entering because he claims to be with Beulah in an overexaggerated way. This allows Jenna to show off her classic acting ability. She introduces Tommy instead and he violently makes out with her. Joey has a tasteless line about every man going there before.
THE BREAKDOWN:
MVP/LVP ALERT: Despite that tasteless joke, Joey is the only one still in the driver’s seat on the MVP front.
OUTSIDE THE RING: They brawl into the crowd right away and there’s a slingshot into a chair on the ramp as well as a Tree of Woe dropkick with a chair basically UNPROTECTED back in the ring. The crowd directs a “she’s got balls” chant at Bass.
HOW GOES IT: It’s overbooked as hell. After a Spicolli Driver (getting “Louie” chants) and a Tombstone, Beulah comes out and winks at Credible before a low blow to every heel with an actual dick and a DDT to boot.
THE GO HOME: Bass continues to rip off Chyna with a bearhug and Mikey makes the save with the Whippersnapper. This is after Bass’ tit comes out. Tommy ends it soon after.
WINNER: Tommy Dreamer in 8:56 with the DDT
FINAL WORD: That was somehow the sanest thing that happened in 30 minutes.
MATCH NUMBER SIX: TV TITLE MATCH- Bam Bam Bigelow vs Taz (Champ)
BEFORE THE BELL: Another video, this time without music, shows Bigelow asking Taz for help with the Triple Threat and he agrees. This recap is the best thing on the show by far. It was naturally a trap and Bammer and his gang beat Taz up. Yippee. Styles talks about their next PPV quickly. The hometown challenger gets a good pop. Taz is still very over. The formal introductions make it obvious who the favorite is. As most Taz matches, this has a big fight feel.
THE BREAKDOWN:
MVP/LVP ALERT: It’s always impressive that Taz can hold his own as undersized as he is with monsters like Bam Bam. Nailing a big clothesline over the top and sending his opponent through part of a table doesn’t hurt. He also plays the smaller guy in peril well and gets caught off the apron and put into the post. Bam Bam breaks the rest of the table with his fists in a cool moment.
OUTSIDE THE RING: Sense a theme here? More brawling in the crowd. There’s a sick Tazplex off the ramp sending Bigelow into the crowd and Taz’s head onto the steel guardrail.
HOW GOES IT: The crowd is mixed, but into everything. Bigelow mostly whiffs on a moonsault and Taz fires up and double legs his opponent face-first through a table to block a powerbomb. Back on the floor, things are a little wet and they slip but it’s nothing catastrophic.
THE GO HOME: Bigelow’s Greetings from Asbury Park is countered with the Tazmission and Bam secretly taps, but the ref doesn’t see. It’s too late because BOOM, they just went through the damn ring. Joey is silent and the crowd is in awe. One man pulls another out of the hole and wins to a big pop.
WINNER: Bam Bam Bigelow wins the title in 13:37 after falling on top of Taz and going through the ring.
FINAL WORD: Great, big-time match that was better in execution and feel than last year’s Sabu match.
THE EXTRA STUFF: The Triple Threat come out and celebrate. Paul E asks for time to fix the ring and Joey claims we are supposed to get Al Snow vs John Kronus right now. Heyman instead insists on running Sabu versus Sandman and they get into an argument and yell at one another. Joey ultimately says fine and fuck the censors.
MATCH NUMBER SEVEN: DUELING CANES MATCH-The Sandman vs Sabu w/Bill Alfonso
THE BREAKDOWN:
MVP/LVP ALERT: Sabu is hitting all of his shit including the infamous triple jump attack. Funny, he was on point from the jump, but it was actually RVD with a great impression. They hit a double jump plancha onto the ramp.
UNPROTECTED WEAPON SHOT TALLY: Sandman takes fucking seven cane shots to the head right away and ends up with 12 total before the final bell.
OUTSIDE THE RING: I love that this is pre-recorded, but still in front of the live crowd and that it’s just as messy as it would have been if it were actually live. It’s NOTHING like their last match, though.
HOW GOES IT: Sandman finally gets offense seven minutes in with a suplex of a table onto Sabu. RVD is back to assist along with crooked ref Jeff Jones.
THE GO HOME: The double team spot by the heels to win was sick and even gets Joey to cuss in anger.
WINNER: Sabu in 9:32 with a double top rope legdrop through a table.
FINAL WORD: Leaps and bounds better than their November to Remember affair. This was like the storylines and implications for Forbidden Door 2023 compared to 2022’s edition.
THE EXTRA STUFF: Back live, everyone has Styrofoam heads and Joey is angry they showed that match that wasn’t even close to the worse thing they’ve shown on PPV. He fights back at Paul E’s decision and gives himself great credibility caring and trying to keep things right. We won’t get Snow versus Kronus now, but the dream partner main event tag match must go on even without the ring being fixed. There is hilariously cheap caution tape blocking the hole.
MATCH NUMBER EIGHT: DREAM PARTNER TAG MATCH- Lance Storm and Al Snow vs Chris Candido and Shane Douglas w/Francine and Sunny
BEFORE THE BELL: Chris Candido is cocky and jacked. Francine takes a Styrofoam head to the dome and no sells. Candido gets mic time and Storm enters with his girlfriend. She talks too much and claims to be the mystery partner. The match actually starts and she unveils a skimpy outfit and stands on the apron.
THE BREAKDOWN:
MVP/LVP ALERT: Sunny almost takes this home in quick fashion with some embarrassing theatrics upon tagging in, then misses hitting Storm in the ruse reveal, THEN FALLING IN THE HOLE. This generates no hear and people just chant for Head. More mic taunting and Storm says he’s going to give Candido head. THIS IS THE MAIN EVENT.
OUTSIDE THE RING: This naturally means Al comes out with the cool strobe effect mixed with the heads. Fucking Heyman made Al Snow a goddamn megastar.
HOW GOES IT: This is total chaos-Storm dives on Chris, Francine is almost taken out by Snow, the camera is purposefully upside down at points, it’s madness.
THE GO HOME: In the madness, Shane is thrown into the hole and then it’s just over.
WINNERS: Al Snow and Lance Storm win in 4:40 when Snow pins Shane Douglas with the Snow Plow
FINAL WORD: That was WCW levels of main event chicanery. Like, that sucks for everyone expecting a “dream” tag match. Bullshit.
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE: Heads are thrown into the ring in a cool, snow-like visual. Storm tries to be cool and Joey does a great job putting Al’s journey and popularity over. The camera zooms make Kevin Dunn proud. The heels fall and try to dodge heads in the ring while Snow celebrates in the crowd. Joey signs off.
THE LAST IMAGE: Shane Douglas, Chris Candido, Francine and Sunny
THE WRAP UP
FINAL MVP of PPV: Joey Styles has the patience of a saint. He’s not only great at calling moves and handling the lunacy, but he’s the only consistent presence and source of sanity in this whole event.
FINAL LVP of PPV: There’s nothing I hate more than an unnecessary non-wrestler and Mr. Wright sure fits that category. His bad delivery and gimmick stick out like a sore thumb. It’s not even good heat. It’s go-away heat that makes 2001 X-Pac blush.
MY FAVORITE MATCH: Bam Bam Bigelow vs Taz
MY LEAST FAVORITE MATCH: Lance Storm and Al Snow vs Shane Douglas and Chris Candido
FINAL THOUGHTS: The law of diminishing returns with ECW PPVs has hopefully reached its basement because this is just a flat-out bad show with one famous saving grace. Gritty, edgy, hardcore action has a limit and point to it and that point it when it’s for the sake of anything else. This is a certified mess and it almost ensures ECW stays in its lane forever as opposed to trying to get out of it just one year prior. MULLET DOES NOT RECOMMEND
NEXT TIME: It’s the neutered version of extreme with WCW’s fourth annual Uncensored. I may prefer that right now after watching this show.