ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) - Heatwave '98 (1998) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)With the resurgence of ECW in the public eye on WWF television, more casual wrestling fans may find an interest in learning about the revolutionary promotion that changed the face of sports entertainment in the mid to late `90s. Touted by many (with GOOD reason) as ECW's best Pay-Per-View, Heatwave '98 featured 6 GREAT matches. This DVD recounts all 6 matches, plus all the promos and backstage antics from the Pay-Per-View (aired August 2, 1998 from the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio). Included on the DVD are the match histories detailing the feuds and situations at the time written by Michael Johnson II of 1wrestling.com, the same guy who wrote the wrestler bios for the other ECW DVDs and the ECW website. Johnson's match history write-ups provide nice background and sets the tone nicely for the matches. I recommend reading his write-ups BEFORE watching the matches.
Here are the matches and line-up for the program:
Heatwave `98
Your commentators are Joey Styles and "The Franchise" Shane Douglas (w/ Francine)
1.Justin Credible (w/ Jason, Nicole Bass and Chastity) vs. Jerry Lynn: Summer Series Finale. This was the cap off match to the big feud these two had during the summer of '98. Solid wrestling match between these two with several high spots, great technical wrestling and all participants getting involved. The brutal finish to the match is one for the highlight reel. 4 ½ stars.
2.Lance Storm vs. Chris Candido (w/ Tammy Lynn Sytch): Grudge Match Between Former Partners. This match was also a cap off to a feud between both men. Again, this is another solid match between two great workers with great technical wrestling and solid aerial spots. Like the previous match, the ending is also one for the highlight reel. 4 ½ stars.
3.New Jack promo with the fans outside the arena, featuring appearances by the Dudleys, Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten.
4.Rob Van Dam, Sabu and Fonzie Promo
5.Masato Tanaka vs. Mike Awesome: AWESOME match between these two as always. This is another GREAT match in the loooong history in the continent spanning war between these two gladiators. Lots of power moves, lots of aerial moves, tables and chairs mark this match. In another moment for the highlight reel, there is this one TOTALLY KILLER spot (emphasis on KILLER) that the crowd and even the announcers cringed at. 4 ¾ stars.
6.Taz promo
7.Dudleys promo
8.RVD and Sabu (w/ Fonzie) vs. Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki: ECW Tag Title Match. Shinzaki may be better known to American fans as Hakushi from the mid-90s WWF. AWESOME match. It's aerial and martial arts warfare from 4 of the best workers in the world. Hands down, to me this was THE best match of the night and realistically, one of the best matches I've ever seen!!! Jaw dropping back and forth war with TONS of high spots, TON of martial arts, tables and chairs in this one. The match was a virtual highlight reel!!! 5 stars.
9.Highlights Package featuring Taz' war with the Triple Threat.
10.Taz vs. Bam Bam Bigelow: FTW Championship Match. Falls Count Anywhere Death Match. Hard-hitting, intense and BRUTAL brawl across the arena, notable for yet another jaw dropping, unbelievable moment. It was a battle so intense, not even the ground could hold it... 4 ¼ stars for the match, 5 stars for the finish!!!
11.The Dudleys (Buh Buh Ray, D'Von and Big Dick, w/ Jeff Jones, Joel Gertner and Sign Guy) vs. The Sandman, "The Innovator of Violence" Tommy Dreamer and Spike Dudley: Dudleyville Street Fight. This is a big pay-off match to the intertwined feuds all three faces had with the Dudleys. Fun match complete with the classic Dudley and Sandman ring intros. Classical ECW arena-spanning brawl featuring tables, ladders, chairs, canes, etc... ECW at its best. 4 ½ stars for the match. 5 stars for the Intro
Overall, this Pay-Per-View has been noted as ECW's best for good reason. All 6 matches on this card were just top notch. The two opening matches were solid scientific classics, Tanaka and Awesome was a WAR (plus that INSANE bump), the Tag Match was just AWE INSPIRING and the two top matches featured the hard-hitting, hardcore style that made ECW famous.
Though the card may look small (with only six matches) and the run time on the DVD may be just a little over two hours (with NO special features other than the match histories), Heatwave '98 proves the old adage about "quality" vs. "quantity." ECW became famous for giving its fans their monies worth in action. Heatwave '98, with six of the best matches you'll see on a wrestling card, does just that.
Highly Recommended

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ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) - Guilty as Charged 2001 (2002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In a time of today where WWE ruled the wrestling world, it's not too cool to see that they are the only one that's offering the product on a mass audience scale, and it doesnt even look as good as it could be. Makes me long for the days when there was actual competition from other companies, like ECW. Guilty As Charged 2K1 was the last Pay Per View ever done by the Philadelphia company, and it turned out to be one of the better ones they ever did in their history. While the show may not be as good as it can be in some areas, it is still better than what the WWE is offering today. Here are the match-by-match breakdown:
1. The Network (Jerry "New F'n Show" Lynn and Cyrus) Vs. Josh Matthews and Christian York: Not much of a match as the Baldies crashed Matthews' and York's entrance and pummelled them all the way to the ring. Lynn and Cyrus came in and match ended with the Cradle Piledriver by Lynn to give the Network the W.
2. World Tag Team Championship match: Danny Doring and Roadkill (champs) Vs. Hot Commodity w/ Chris Hamrick and Electra- Great match from the tag teams with lots of technical moves and double teaming. Champs retain, then got beaten up by HC and Hamrick. Nova then comes to the rescue, which leads into...
3. Impromptu Match #1: Nova Vs. "Confederate Currency" Chris Hamrick- The New Nova shows off new attitude and moves and all. Great wrestling displayed here. The end was bad, though, with Chris Chetti, Lou E. Dangerously and Spike Dudley all got involved in the end. Nova wins it with the Kryptonite Krunch.
4. "I Quit" match: "The innovator of Violence" Tommy Dreamer Vs. CW "The Enforcer" Anderson- Brawling, technical wrestling, weapons and blood. This match has it all here. Lots and lots of sick bumps taken by both men in the match. In the end, Anderson submitted to TD.
5. 3 Way battle for the Tag Team Title's #1 Contenders status: "Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri & Mikey Whipwreck Vs. Super Crazy & Kid Kash VS. The FBI- Now this is action-packed wrestling!! Very fast, very innovative match makes this the match of the show. The display of submission moves at one point in the match by all three teams was incredible. Tajiri and Whipwreck took this one after delivering simultaneous Tiger Suplexes on the FBI.
6. Chilly Willy & Balls Mahoney Vs. Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger: Not much of a match here either, as Rhino came and destroyed all four combatants AND their valets (Jasmine and Dawn Marie). ALso, Blue Boy took a gore from Rhino too.
7. World Heavyweight Championship Match: Tables, Ladders, Chairs and Canes- The Sandman Vs. Steve Corino Vs. Justin Credible: As Francine and Jack Victory roamed around ringside, this match played itself out as an incredibly violent and exciting match from all three men.The Title is suspended above the ring. Lots of action and double teaming, with the TLCC's being employed very well by the all three. Sandman takes it here.
8. Impromptu Match #2: World Title- Rhino Vs. The Sandman: Rhino crashed Sandman's celebration and destroyed everyone in his sight. Then after extorting the Sandman to face him for the world title, he destroyed him with gores and piledrivers through tables. Rhino is YOUR last ever ECW champ.
9. Impromptu Match #3:Rhino Vs. Rob Van Dam- After the win, Cyrus came into the ring, congratulated his Man Beast for the win, and challenged anyone from any wrestling company to take on Rhino. "Walk" by Pantera hits, and we get RVD on the scene, back after filming "Black Mask 2" in Thailand. As Rhino and RVD was about to face off for the World Title, Jerry Lynn crashed the party,and Rhino fled with the belt. So with that, we have..
10. Main Event: Rob Van Dam Vs. Jerry Lynn- Lynn's wish to main event at the beginning of the show comes true, albeit against his nemesis, RVD. Not the best match out of their numerous encounters in ECW, but it is still good, with lots of action by both men. Cyrus interfered, which brought out Joel Gertner to DDT him, and RVD finished Lynn off with two of his chair-assisted finishers: the Van Daminator and the awesome Van Terminator.
So there you go, ECW's last ever show went down with a bang, and so did the company soon after. Much better show than a lot of the PPV's you get from WWE nowadays. A great show to pick up for any wrestling fan or ECW newbies.

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