I am really in a good wrestling mood lately having just watched both ECW DVDs and all, so I decided to give something I try. I didn't really buffer this or try it out first, so it could end up totally sucking, but here goes:
Thanks to youtube's growing collection of kickass wrestling clips, I will enter a search term, and review the first 5 hits that come up for whoever I pick. I'll be cutting out people's No Mercy Matches (which has to be about 10 times nerdier than our NWA: EWR game) and things that just don't apply to actual footage.
For starters: Hell, I'm feeling adventurous, so we'll do Rob Van Dam.
#1 Jeff Hardy v Rob Van Dam, RAW, European & Intercontinental Unification Match -- Ladder Match
Hardy is the Euro champ, and RVD the I.C. Champ. Not sure of the date exactly, but hopefully it popups soon. Big ECW chant to start as they do a little wrestling sequence and the crowd obliges with the clapping. Nice dropkick from RVD and he attempts a cover like a dumbass. I always wonder with someone like RVD if that is your traditional "oops, I tried a cover" spot, or if he just sucks. Hardy clotheslines RVD to the outisde, and grabs the ladder, heading into the ring. RVD floors him with a baseball slide dropkick, and then hits a nice moonsault from the apron onto the floor. RVD now taking the ladder into the ring. He tried to climb, but Hardy dangerously tears him off by his leg and takes some stomps to him. Hardy is at least passable as a worker here as opposed to his more recent flailing in TNA. Hardy goes up, but RVD pulls him off hard too. RVD picks the ladder up in pretty much the most awkward way possible, obviously setting up a spot. Hardy dropkicks it out of his hands to the outside, and both RUN to the outside for new ladders. Doesn't make much sense, but they they do dueling Ladders, and RVD finishes it with a Van Daminator into the ladder. Then he follows with Cartwheel Thunder onto Hardy on the ladder. RVD climing now, and Hardy climbs up behind him and hits a back suplex off of the ladder. Hardy sets a ladder on RVD, and hits the swanton. That is just RETARDED. Both men down now. Hardy repositions and goes for the climb, but RVD climbs up the other side. Punches on top, and RVD dives over with the sunset flip powerbomb, executing it pretty much perfectly (much to my amazement). Overhead cam gives an awesome view. Thats one of the best things they ever thought of. RVD puts Hardy on the ladder, and this time hits the proper ROLLING thunder on his ass. RVD sets the ladder up, and gets his climb on. Jeff sets his own up, and slams it into RVD a few times, fuckin hard. Both now on top of their respective ladders reaching, and Hardy straddles his. RVD fuckin mule kicks it out from under him SO DANGEROUSLY, and Hardy almost lands on his head on the ladder. RVD then follows with a big ass splash from the ladder. RVD now climbs up, and pulls down the IC Title to unify the straps and get the win in 7:00. Tragically short, as you really shouldn't do a Title Match that quickly, especially a Unification title match, and especially in a ladder match. But for a RAW Ladder Match, it was pretty good, but still too short to get anything good out of me. **3/4 RVD raises Hardy's hand after the match and Hardy tries to make out with him or something.
#2 From FMW - RVD & Sabu v Tommy Dreamer & Hayabusa.
RVD cuts a sweet pre-match promo about being both the ECW Tag Champ and TV Champ, and Sabu having only one belt. JIP here, and Sabu hits the Triple Jump moonsault on Dreamer to open up. Clipped to RVD hitting Rolling Thunder on Dreamer as I finally get a chance to say: Why can't RVD give those short little promos making himself a little arrogant prick in WWE? He just has nothing in WWE, probably from lack of confidence. Maybe he needs Fonzie. Sabu and RVD hit double springboard single leg dropkicks on Dreamer. RVD gets on his knee for the Hardy Boyz Special, and it gets a near fall on Dreamer as I even SEE Hayabusa for the first time. RVD doing something bizarre in a pinning sequence that just looks stupid, and then tries a Mexican Surfboard, but then gives up. They look fuckin lost. Sabu puts a Camel Clutch on, and RVD dropkicks Dreamer in the face. Christ, Hayabusa is like the worst partner ever here. Fuckin do something! They're doubleteaming his ass!. Another Hardy Boyz attempt, but Dreamer clotheslines Sabu this time and tags Hayabusa. Hayabusa with big kicks for the heel (?) and then whips RVD off the ropes and hits a big spinning heel kick. RVD takes Hayabusa to the outside, and Dreamer hits the Dreamer Driver for a near fall, before going up top ??!?! Dreamer crashes off with a huge splash, almost froggy in nature. RVD breaks up the pinfall. Dreamer then grabs RVD and plants him with a huge Piledriver. Tag to Hayabusa, who busts out a beautiful 450 splash without dying. Clipped again to Hayabusa bouncing off the ropes and getting hit in the back. RVD goes up top, loses his balance, and dives tothe outside on Dreamer. Hayabusa takes advantage by baseball sliding, and then nailed an Asai Moonsault as Sabu rushes in with a chair. Sabu sets the chair up, springboard onto the top, almost falls on his face, and dives off. Dreamer now heading up top again, but Fonzie shoves him onto the top rope. Sabu brings a table in as this is just breaking down into nothing. RVD sneaks up top and hits a Vandaminator into a Table and Chair in front of Dreamer's face, who was still crotched. Sabu with a pussy powerbomb on Hayabusa, followed by the cool double legdrop he and Sabu were doing at the time. Sabu lays Hayabusa on the table, which is the weird skinny Japanese version, and hits a legdrop on him, but it doesn't break. Naturally they have to set him on it again. Sabu up top again, and another legdrop this time collapses the shit out of the table. I thought it was the finish, but Dreamer breaks it up, and tries a DVD on Sabu, but Sabu counters to a DDT or something. The true Rolling Thunder, double team version, and thats another near fall. RVD goes up top. ***** Frog Splash. And that does it. Too clipped to know how long it was, but 9 minues were aired. It was sloppy, and didn't have much to it other than spot spot spot. **.
#3 ECW One Night Stand - RVD's Promo
Shows JBL on the mic, and then Fonzie comes out with RVD. Not sure why they don't just put Fonzie with RVD, cause he is obviously 10 times more comfy next to him. RVD comes out to a mad reaction from the crowd, and JBL keeps talking, reminding me why he is the best talker in the business today. JBL's mic is cut, while the RVD chants ring out. And RVD tells me why Fonzie isn't in WWE, saying he tried to get him a job. RVD calls out the WWE guys, saying they have nothing to do with this. I really don't understand why RVD can't talk when he isn't in ECW. Even here, he sounds great. RVD is talking, and I'm not gonna transcribe it all. I really feel like RVD's ankle injury crippled any chance ECW had of recovering from losing Tazz and the Dudleyz, and having TNN fuck them over royally. Obviously it all comes down to Heyman's mis-management of the managing end, but you know. RVD has the crowd eating out of his hand here, and it is even convincing me to order ECW One Night Stand II, assuming they at least try to put together a decent card. RVD just kind of talking, taking credit for the idea of ONS. They really should've just held off RVD till One Night Stand II, and did a big angle, but I guess them giving him the briefcase at least makes sense. Man this promo is long, and he isn't really saying anything. Rhino mercifully ends it with a huge goar and attacks the knee. Light out......and the clips it over :) at 7:42.
I've decided to skip a few music videos made by people. Looking for matches or interviews here....
#4 Sunday Night Heat - Mr. Perfect v Rob Van Dam.
Leading up to Backlash in Kansas City, which I guess means 2002 if I'm remembering right. RVD is the Intercontinental Champ here, coming off his Mania win against Regal. Awesome to see Perfect here, who really looked in great shape on his return, and I wish he could've been given a chance to do more. Perfect backs him into a corner and hits a chop as the announcers (Tazz & Cole) preview the Draft between Flair and McMahon, as well as the NWO being drafted together. That right there ruined the idea right away, cause it made no fuckin sense. RVD nails Perfect into the corner a few times, and Perfect takes over with a snap mare, and the NECK SNAP BABY!!! I love that frickin move. Perfect then slaps on an Abdominal Stretch, kicking some serious old school ass. I rag on Cole alot, but he sounds like a fuckin 17 year old kid here. At least he isn't saying DAMN every other word. Go behind by RVD, Perfect misses a clothesline, and RVD hits a spinning heel kick. Big crescent kick by RVD, and the Rolling Thunder on perfect. Thats one of the moves I would least like to take in WWE. That shit would just knock the wind out of you. RVD goes for a monkey flip, but Perfect drops him and covers with feet on the ropes for a near fall. Damn! RVD hits another kick, and goes up for the Five Star for the 3 count at 3:12. *1/2 It was a good squash match, but was still a 3 minute squash match.
#5 RVD v Sabu - ECW TV Title Match - Guilty as Charged
Awesome, I haven't seen this match in forever. Off the ropes opening, and RVD nailing a legdrop. Sabu quickly sweeps the leg, and they brawl to the outside. Sabu chucks a chair at RVD's head, and then whips him into the railing. Sabu leaps off a chair with a leg to the face. ECW chant. I think Callis is on commentary here with Styles, but that wouldn't seem right. I can't place the voice, but now I'm thinking Douglas based on the time period. Sabu springboard with the back legdrop for a 2 count. Sabu misses with a flip legdrop, and RVD nails a roundhouse from a seated position. Cartwheel Backflip Splash called by Joey Styles, although I enjoy the Cartwheel Thunder a bit more. Sabu reverses a whip and charges into a boot. RVD up top, and Sabu shoves him to the outside into the guardrail. Sabu with a baseball slide, and RVD oversells into the crowd. Sabu gets the chair, and spring into the crowd, hitting hard on the concrete. Sabu gets a table and props it in the corner on the guardrails, but RVD breaks up his evil plan with some kicks. RVD places Sabu for the corkscrew legdrop, and then nails it from the apron. The color voice is definitely not the Franchise, and I have no clue who it is as RVD hits a somersault plancha onto Sabu. RVD back in the ring, and is just killing time. Sabu gets in the ring, RVD on the apron, and Sabu nails a sunsetflip powerbomb to the outside on the concrete. They go back to the corner, where Sabu gets his little table setup this time. He lay RVD on it, and climbs up top. Shit. He leaps off with a fuckin splash, and looks to hit his own face right on the fuckin guardrail. That was insane. RVD is out, and they show a reply of Sabu's head snapping back when he hits the guardrails. Audio is really shitty, but yes, Joey finally said the color man's name, and it is indeed Cyrus. Sabu is up first, into the ring, and RVD doing a hard sell on the outside like he is dead. Sabu gets the tape from Fonzie, and tapes up his right knee. Sabu hits a legdrop on RVD and gets a 2 count, and then tapes his knee up somemore. Dueling Chairs spot which just got SOOO fuckin old in ECW. Ends with Sabu bashing RVD after an attempted Van Daminator. Sabu hits the camel clutch, nice use of a real resthold instead of some shitty chinlock. Sabu now stomping away on RVD. Referee takes a bump on a Sabu flying legdrop. Sabu hits the Triple Jump, but the ref is down. So Sabu puts the chair on the other side, and this time hits the Triple Jump Legdrop. He covers, and the ref is here this time, for a 2 count only. Both men just laying here now, with the ref laying around too. Sabu kicks RVD in the face for no good reason, and heads up top with a chair in hand. RVD kicks the chair right into his face though, and both men are down again. Not really enough action so far to warrant these guys being dead in the ring. RVD grabs a chair, and tosses it to Sabu, who ducks a Van Daminator fake, but RVD countered the counter and hit the Van Daminator to the face. RVD up top, but Sabu crotches him, and follows up with the huracanrana. RVD barely clocks, hanging on with his hands. He then jumps around and hits the Split-Legged Moonsault. Pretty nice spot there. Fonzie just walking around in the ring. They're trying to sell some kind of Fonzie is with both guys, or neither guy thing, but I don't know. Van Dam kicks the chair into Fonzie's head, and Sabu hits him from behind. He tries the Triple Jump, but as he is in the air, RVD grabs the chair, so Sabu lands on the chair. Nice. RVD up top, and Five Star Frog Splash connect and get the win in 14:43. **1/2. It was decent, but had no real flow. No blown spots, but you really don't get rewarded for that, even when you're RVD and Sabu. So refreshing to hear fucking Pantera when RVD gets the win, or even the Pantera clone, whichever it was. I really hate his WWE music.
And there you have it. That was kinda fun.
Nah it wasn't. After some post-review research, I found out this was from Guilty as Charged 2000, which was generally considered a turd of a PPV. Reviewing the card, I have to agree. When the match started, I actually thought it was one of their encounters from 97 or 98, hence my "Awesome" to open up. It really wasn't very awesome.
Yeah, I've found that to be a general feeling with ECW. As I've matured and been exposed to alot of other things, and just generally grew out of markdom, nothing is that great anymore in the ring. Alot of it is just bad.
I watched RVD v Lynn from shit, Living Dangerously I think -- the one where Lynn takes the face dive onto the concrete. I can say that this is definitely their best match that I've seen, for me anyway. I would put it around ***1/4. It still had no real flow, or pacing, but was just a ton of intricate spots put together. Now, in this match, they hit all the spots and broke out some new shit that was nice... However, when I watched it live still in pretty hard mark mode, I was like OMG ****1/2+. Obviously now I see it for what it is, even though it was still an impressive showcase.
And yeah, I hated Sabu when I was an ECW mark. I've only recently grown to like him, and thats just cause he is good at his schtick. Forever Hardcore made me like him more too, cause it is badass to hear Sabu just chilling and shooting the breeze.