Big Papa Paegan
L. A. Z.
Quick n' dirty GUILTY AS CHARGED 1999 review:
Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks vs. FBI vs. Doring/Roadkill
This is a whatever match, just used to show any potential new viewers what an ECW show could be like. Last minute booking changes, the Three-Way Dance structure, and the emphasis on misfit-looking talents that are more about violence than technical ability. Not much, but par for the course if you're into it. **
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Super Crazy
As stated above, this is one of their early encounters in the company, if not the first, and their chemistry is apparent from the onset. Tajiri was on his 5th year as a pro and Crazy on his 11th, and it shows as both men are smooth enough in their execution while also understanding that there needs to be some sort of connective tissue between moves. Both were new to ECW, and this was a fantastic way to get both guys over. I appreciate that the finish came so abruptly, too, as it lets the crowd get a tasye for what's to come later. ***1/2
John Kronus vs. SID
SID's ECW debut was virtually perfect. The only things that could've made this better would be if it was against someone more "there" than Kronus, and if SID had a longer run before heading to WCW. As a match, it's nothing, but as a squash segment it's a beauty. N/R
Dudley Boyz vs. New Jack/Spike Dudley
After how alarmingly good the Dudleys/Balls & Tanaka match was N2R '98, this feels like such a letdown. There's also the fact that the stock music used in place of "Natural Born Killaz" just doesn't do any of this justice. Spike and Buh Buh carry this one, and I love "gangsta" Spike so damn much. Something worth noting is how the 3D to New Jack takes him out much earlier than you would expect, and he sells it like he's dying for about 10 minutes after. THAT is how you keep a finish protected. **
Terry Funk cuts a taped promo discussing why he turned on Tommy, and it's the Funker so it's good.
Rob Van Dam vs. Lance Storm
Throughout the night, Joey Styles has made it clear that Masato Tanaka couldn't make it to the US for this show, so Tanaka/RVD couldn't happen. He also mentions that Jerry Lynn's cracked pelvis hasn't healed yet, so the Lynn/Storm/Whipwreck Three-Way Dance was canceled as well. This was probably all a cover for booking decisions and Whipwreck being WCW-bound anyway, because while I think Tanaka/RVD would've been soooooo damn good? It puts RVD back, because I don't even think that the ECW fans would've bought RVD beating Tanaka.
Instead, we get a hell of a good match between two of ECW's best hands. Storm keeps RVD more grounded and even gets the better of him on multiple occasions, while RVD does his RVD shit and it's great. The end comes out of nowhere and I'm remembering that this was a little before the Five Star Frog Splash was cemented as Van Dam's finish, so we get a few trades and some chain wrestling that leads to a bridging German for the win. The crowd was starting to lose interest by that point, so it was for the best. ***
Tommy Dreamer vs. Justin Credible
This starts fine, but dies down and becomes just like every other ladder match we've seen in the last 10 years. Set up a spot, execute it. Set up a spot, execute it. There's no connective tissue here, just a series of spots and bumps with some ambling around between them. The visual of the Cutter off the ladders is still great, though, but the set up is literally both climbing parallel ladders and then Justin getting himself into position for no reason. Funk comes out and clocks Tommy with a trash can, That's Incredible on the ladder, done. **
Back-to-back pre-tapes from Taz and Shane Douglas, and Taz stumbles over his words. Then we get Douglas, who I still think is the best overall "wrestling promo" guy of the era.
Shane Douglas vs. Taz
It's funny, but I realized about halfway in here that there wasn't the usual walk n' brawl that was often a staple of Dudleys and Dreamer matches. They saved it for the main, all to cover for Shane's injury. Damn shame, too, because the two of them delivered whenever they were actually in the ring, but so much of the 22 minutes bell-to-bell was in the crowd and the match suffered as a result. Luckily, their rematch at the Arena a few weeks later blew this out of the water, and at least the highlights of this match were really damn good. **1/2
OVERALL
A better show than November 2 Remember '98, but not a great show this far removed from being within the ECW zeitgeist.
Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks vs. FBI vs. Doring/Roadkill
This is a whatever match, just used to show any potential new viewers what an ECW show could be like. Last minute booking changes, the Three-Way Dance structure, and the emphasis on misfit-looking talents that are more about violence than technical ability. Not much, but par for the course if you're into it. **
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Super Crazy
As stated above, this is one of their early encounters in the company, if not the first, and their chemistry is apparent from the onset. Tajiri was on his 5th year as a pro and Crazy on his 11th, and it shows as both men are smooth enough in their execution while also understanding that there needs to be some sort of connective tissue between moves. Both were new to ECW, and this was a fantastic way to get both guys over. I appreciate that the finish came so abruptly, too, as it lets the crowd get a tasye for what's to come later. ***1/2
John Kronus vs. SID
SID's ECW debut was virtually perfect. The only things that could've made this better would be if it was against someone more "there" than Kronus, and if SID had a longer run before heading to WCW. As a match, it's nothing, but as a squash segment it's a beauty. N/R
Dudley Boyz vs. New Jack/Spike Dudley
After how alarmingly good the Dudleys/Balls & Tanaka match was N2R '98, this feels like such a letdown. There's also the fact that the stock music used in place of "Natural Born Killaz" just doesn't do any of this justice. Spike and Buh Buh carry this one, and I love "gangsta" Spike so damn much. Something worth noting is how the 3D to New Jack takes him out much earlier than you would expect, and he sells it like he's dying for about 10 minutes after. THAT is how you keep a finish protected. **
Terry Funk cuts a taped promo discussing why he turned on Tommy, and it's the Funker so it's good.
Rob Van Dam vs. Lance Storm
Throughout the night, Joey Styles has made it clear that Masato Tanaka couldn't make it to the US for this show, so Tanaka/RVD couldn't happen. He also mentions that Jerry Lynn's cracked pelvis hasn't healed yet, so the Lynn/Storm/Whipwreck Three-Way Dance was canceled as well. This was probably all a cover for booking decisions and Whipwreck being WCW-bound anyway, because while I think Tanaka/RVD would've been soooooo damn good? It puts RVD back, because I don't even think that the ECW fans would've bought RVD beating Tanaka.
Instead, we get a hell of a good match between two of ECW's best hands. Storm keeps RVD more grounded and even gets the better of him on multiple occasions, while RVD does his RVD shit and it's great. The end comes out of nowhere and I'm remembering that this was a little before the Five Star Frog Splash was cemented as Van Dam's finish, so we get a few trades and some chain wrestling that leads to a bridging German for the win. The crowd was starting to lose interest by that point, so it was for the best. ***
Tommy Dreamer vs. Justin Credible
This starts fine, but dies down and becomes just like every other ladder match we've seen in the last 10 years. Set up a spot, execute it. Set up a spot, execute it. There's no connective tissue here, just a series of spots and bumps with some ambling around between them. The visual of the Cutter off the ladders is still great, though, but the set up is literally both climbing parallel ladders and then Justin getting himself into position for no reason. Funk comes out and clocks Tommy with a trash can, That's Incredible on the ladder, done. **
Back-to-back pre-tapes from Taz and Shane Douglas, and Taz stumbles over his words. Then we get Douglas, who I still think is the best overall "wrestling promo" guy of the era.
Shane Douglas vs. Taz
It's funny, but I realized about halfway in here that there wasn't the usual walk n' brawl that was often a staple of Dudleys and Dreamer matches. They saved it for the main, all to cover for Shane's injury. Damn shame, too, because the two of them delivered whenever they were actually in the ring, but so much of the 22 minutes bell-to-bell was in the crowd and the match suffered as a result. Luckily, their rematch at the Arena a few weeks later blew this out of the water, and at least the highlights of this match were really damn good. **1/2
OVERALL
A better show than November 2 Remember '98, but not a great show this far removed from being within the ECW zeitgeist.