Review of ECW's One Night Stand
First up was a promo from Paul Heyman, which was of a high quality as usual. Then the action began:
Match 1: Tazz v Jerry Lawler
Outcome: Tazz win
As I had predicted, this was nothing more than a squash match. However, the influence of Joey Styles - he ran in and jumped on Lawlers back, before Tazz got the Tazzmission on Lawler - meant that Lawler saved face. Still, I am glad this was over quickly as I highly doubt these two are in the condition to wrestle a long match.
Match 2: Kurt Angle v Randy Orton
Outcome: Kurt Angle win
This was one of the better matches on the card - as you would expect, with Kurt Angle being involved. Angle is starting to use a bit more of his amatuer background in the ring, but still keeping it entertaining to the pro-wrestling audience.
In the match, Orton got some pretty funny stick from the ECW fans, and Angle got a great reception. Now while Kurt Angle is certainly not an advocate of hardcore wrestling, the ECW fans know good wrestling when they see it, and - in my opinion - Angle is the best ever.
After outwrestling Orton for long spells of the match - although Orton did have his own spells of offence - Angle eventually won with the ankle lock.
Match 3: The Full Blooded Italians v Super Crazy and Yoshihiro Tajiri
Outcome: The Full Blooded Italians win
This was a decent crusierweight tag match (Big Guido was in the corner of the FBI) which once again summed up how useless WWE are at booking their own cruiserweights. One particularly enjoyable spot was the stereo tarantula that Crazy & Tajiri put on the FBI!
The win came from the FBI hitting Tajiri with a double fisherman's buster while Big Guido attacked Super Crazy on the outside. After the match, the Big Show (complete with new music) came down & cleaned house.
JBL then cuts an anti-ECW promo, and gets a lot of heat from the ECW crowd. He also announces that he is taking over from Tazz as Smackdowns colour commentator.
Match 4: Sabu v Rey Mysterio (WWE World Championship)
Outcome: No contest
This was generally thought to be a dream match and, while it might not go down as an all-time classic, it certainly did not disappoint.
There was plenty of high spots in the match, chairs were involved a lot, and the action was fast paced. Thoroughly enjoyable.
The match finished when Sabu tossed a chair right at the head of Mysterio sending him to the outside. Sabu followed out and put Rey on the table between the apron and guardrail and then set up the chair in the ring and dived off the top onto the table with a DDT on Rey to the floor. Seriously, that was insane! Trainers ran down to ringside to check on both men, a doctor says they can’t fight anymore, and it was over.
Match 5: Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer v Edge and Mick Foley
Outcome: Edge and Mick Foley win
The match of the night, no question.
It started with a decent promo from Mick Foley, with one particular laugh out loud moment, about how here was a time when he loved ECW, when he respected ECW, back in the days when it was run by a visionary, when it was owned by a true creative genius, followed by - 'Let’s hear it for Stephanie McMahon'. He then chanted 'Long live the Alliance'!
There was then promo's from Edge and Lita, before Funk and Dreamer came down, accompanied by Beulah. She made the challenge to make it a 6 person tag match, which was accepted.
This match was insane. There were so many vile spots even I was looking away at times. Tables, ladders, chairs, barbed wire, baseball bats, two by fours, fire - you name it, it was involved. There was a lot of spots around a large piece of ply wood with barbed wire on it, which Foley & Funk were caught in at the end, and Funk actually had to be cut out of!
There are two images that will stick in mind from this. The first one was the fact that at one point, Mick Foley was on fire! This came from being hit by Terry Funk with a 2X4, with barbed wire on it, which had been set on fire! Foley was extinguished on the outside as he fell out of the ring.
The second was Terry Funks eye. Seriously, I think they were concerned he was gonna lose it or be blinded or something, as halfway through the match he had to go off to have it bandaged up, and when he came back it looked horrible. I am pretty squeamish about eyes, and that sight really genuinely bothered me!
The match ended when Edge hit the edgeomatic (with the barbwire around the neck of!) on Dreamer. Edge then nailed Beulah with a spear! Edge covered her for the win and pinned her as if he was nailing her!
Match 6: Balls Mahoney vs. Masato Tanaka
Outcome: Balls Mahoney win
Well not only was it always going to be hard to follow that, but for Masato Tanaka, it was also going to be hard to follow his performance from the first One Night Stand, as last year it was HE who had the match of the year, that time with Mike Awesome.
He did not on this occasion, but it was certainly a passable bout. Also enjoyable watching Balls Mahoney, if nothing else for the chants of 'Balls' by the ECW faithful!
The match ended when Balls hit Tanaka with a huge chair shot. He actually showed off the chair after and trust me, it was pretty darn dented!
This was followed by a pretty pointless angle involving Eugene, who was battered by the Sandman.
Match 7: Rob Van Dam v John Cena (WWE Championship)
Outcome: Rob Van Dam win
Well, as predicted, John Cena got one of the most hostile receptions ever in modern pro wrestling! There was even a sign in the audience saying, "If Cena wins, we riot"! Also, as predicted, RVD won - and KIMBO won a pint of Guiness off McEyebrow, and a tenner off Crank!
This was certainly not a poor bout, but the atmosphere definitely helped. The start was quite funny, when Cena threw his shirt into the crowd but they kept throwing it back! At one point, even the security guard threw it back & gave him the finger!
Personally I think Cena handled it well, however the fact is that the ECW audience know their wrestling, and Cena is basically a very average wrestler at best, who not only has a rubbish street fighter gimmick that is simply not believable (as he looks pretty un-menacing!) but also he is given promos to say about how he built his way up - but lets face it, he has had everything handed to him on a plate, though to be fair he does have a strong work ethic, and from what I gather does anything asked of him. Still though, I do not think the fans in the Hammerstein Ballroom were bothered about his work ethic!
Anyway the match ended when Edge run down & hot Cena with a spear, and RVD followed itup with a five-star frog splash. Prior to this, two ref's had taken bumps and were out, but Paul Heyman ran down & made the 3-count. Afterwards, the ECW locker room came down & celebrated with RVD.
Overall - The Sheriff's view: Well, this was not as controversial as the previous years (the RVD & Paul Heyman promos were riveting, and then there was the JBL/Blue Meanie incident in the WWE/ECW end of show brawl) but it was certainly as entertaining - if not more so - than the first One Night Stand in terms of in-ring action.
In particular, the Edge/Foley v Funk/Dreamer tag match was superb entertainment, and the Angle v Orton & Mysterio v Sabu matches were very good. The main event was also very good, but as I said, I think the crowd may have had a part to play in that.
I just hope that Paul Heyman gets to have proper creative control of the new ECW show, as I would hate for this to just turn into another WWE programme.
Match 1: Tazz v Jerry Lawler
Outcome: Tazz win
As I had predicted, this was nothing more than a squash match. However, the influence of Joey Styles - he ran in and jumped on Lawlers back, before Tazz got the Tazzmission on Lawler - meant that Lawler saved face. Still, I am glad this was over quickly as I highly doubt these two are in the condition to wrestle a long match.
Match 2: Kurt Angle v Randy Orton
Outcome: Kurt Angle win
This was one of the better matches on the card - as you would expect, with Kurt Angle being involved. Angle is starting to use a bit more of his amatuer background in the ring, but still keeping it entertaining to the pro-wrestling audience.
In the match, Orton got some pretty funny stick from the ECW fans, and Angle got a great reception. Now while Kurt Angle is certainly not an advocate of hardcore wrestling, the ECW fans know good wrestling when they see it, and - in my opinion - Angle is the best ever.
After outwrestling Orton for long spells of the match - although Orton did have his own spells of offence - Angle eventually won with the ankle lock.
Match 3: The Full Blooded Italians v Super Crazy and Yoshihiro Tajiri
Outcome: The Full Blooded Italians win
This was a decent crusierweight tag match (Big Guido was in the corner of the FBI) which once again summed up how useless WWE are at booking their own cruiserweights. One particularly enjoyable spot was the stereo tarantula that Crazy & Tajiri put on the FBI!
The win came from the FBI hitting Tajiri with a double fisherman's buster while Big Guido attacked Super Crazy on the outside. After the match, the Big Show (complete with new music) came down & cleaned house.
JBL then cuts an anti-ECW promo, and gets a lot of heat from the ECW crowd. He also announces that he is taking over from Tazz as Smackdowns colour commentator.
Match 4: Sabu v Rey Mysterio (WWE World Championship)
Outcome: No contest
This was generally thought to be a dream match and, while it might not go down as an all-time classic, it certainly did not disappoint.
There was plenty of high spots in the match, chairs were involved a lot, and the action was fast paced. Thoroughly enjoyable.
The match finished when Sabu tossed a chair right at the head of Mysterio sending him to the outside. Sabu followed out and put Rey on the table between the apron and guardrail and then set up the chair in the ring and dived off the top onto the table with a DDT on Rey to the floor. Seriously, that was insane! Trainers ran down to ringside to check on both men, a doctor says they can’t fight anymore, and it was over.
Match 5: Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer v Edge and Mick Foley
Outcome: Edge and Mick Foley win
The match of the night, no question.
It started with a decent promo from Mick Foley, with one particular laugh out loud moment, about how here was a time when he loved ECW, when he respected ECW, back in the days when it was run by a visionary, when it was owned by a true creative genius, followed by - 'Let’s hear it for Stephanie McMahon'. He then chanted 'Long live the Alliance'!
There was then promo's from Edge and Lita, before Funk and Dreamer came down, accompanied by Beulah. She made the challenge to make it a 6 person tag match, which was accepted.
This match was insane. There were so many vile spots even I was looking away at times. Tables, ladders, chairs, barbed wire, baseball bats, two by fours, fire - you name it, it was involved. There was a lot of spots around a large piece of ply wood with barbed wire on it, which Foley & Funk were caught in at the end, and Funk actually had to be cut out of!
There are two images that will stick in mind from this. The first one was the fact that at one point, Mick Foley was on fire! This came from being hit by Terry Funk with a 2X4, with barbed wire on it, which had been set on fire! Foley was extinguished on the outside as he fell out of the ring.
The second was Terry Funks eye. Seriously, I think they were concerned he was gonna lose it or be blinded or something, as halfway through the match he had to go off to have it bandaged up, and when he came back it looked horrible. I am pretty squeamish about eyes, and that sight really genuinely bothered me!
The match ended when Edge hit the edgeomatic (with the barbwire around the neck of!) on Dreamer. Edge then nailed Beulah with a spear! Edge covered her for the win and pinned her as if he was nailing her!
Match 6: Balls Mahoney vs. Masato Tanaka
Outcome: Balls Mahoney win
Well not only was it always going to be hard to follow that, but for Masato Tanaka, it was also going to be hard to follow his performance from the first One Night Stand, as last year it was HE who had the match of the year, that time with Mike Awesome.
He did not on this occasion, but it was certainly a passable bout. Also enjoyable watching Balls Mahoney, if nothing else for the chants of 'Balls' by the ECW faithful!
The match ended when Balls hit Tanaka with a huge chair shot. He actually showed off the chair after and trust me, it was pretty darn dented!
This was followed by a pretty pointless angle involving Eugene, who was battered by the Sandman.
Match 7: Rob Van Dam v John Cena (WWE Championship)
Outcome: Rob Van Dam win
Well, as predicted, John Cena got one of the most hostile receptions ever in modern pro wrestling! There was even a sign in the audience saying, "If Cena wins, we riot"! Also, as predicted, RVD won - and KIMBO won a pint of Guiness off McEyebrow, and a tenner off Crank!
This was certainly not a poor bout, but the atmosphere definitely helped. The start was quite funny, when Cena threw his shirt into the crowd but they kept throwing it back! At one point, even the security guard threw it back & gave him the finger!
Personally I think Cena handled it well, however the fact is that the ECW audience know their wrestling, and Cena is basically a very average wrestler at best, who not only has a rubbish street fighter gimmick that is simply not believable (as he looks pretty un-menacing!) but also he is given promos to say about how he built his way up - but lets face it, he has had everything handed to him on a plate, though to be fair he does have a strong work ethic, and from what I gather does anything asked of him. Still though, I do not think the fans in the Hammerstein Ballroom were bothered about his work ethic!
Anyway the match ended when Edge run down & hot Cena with a spear, and RVD followed itup with a five-star frog splash. Prior to this, two ref's had taken bumps and were out, but Paul Heyman ran down & made the 3-count. Afterwards, the ECW locker room came down & celebrated with RVD.
Overall - The Sheriff's view: Well, this was not as controversial as the previous years (the RVD & Paul Heyman promos were riveting, and then there was the JBL/Blue Meanie incident in the WWE/ECW end of show brawl) but it was certainly as entertaining - if not more so - than the first One Night Stand in terms of in-ring action.
In particular, the Edge/Foley v Funk/Dreamer tag match was superb entertainment, and the Angle v Orton & Mysterio v Sabu matches were very good. The main event was also very good, but as I said, I think the crowd may have had a part to play in that.
I just hope that Paul Heyman gets to have proper creative control of the new ECW show, as I would hate for this to just turn into another WWE programme.
Labels: ECW, The Sheriffs View
posted by Sheriff Kimbo at
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