Twenty years ago today ECW made their way to Marietta, Ga (aka WCW Country) and put on Wrestlepalooza ’98. This PPV is almost universally panned with many considering it the worst in ECW history. I say screw all, that we’ve got some Modelo and we’re here to have a good time.
The bWo (Blue Meanie/Super Nova) vs. The F.B.I. (Little Guido/Tracy Smothers)
We get things going with The Blue Meanie winning a match, so right away this show is super dope. Funny stuff here and there with Super Nova hitting NOVACAINE for the win. The main takeaway from this match is probably the terrible things chanted by the rowdy crowd. It’s ECW folks, so the chants are only gonna get more and more vicious.
Mikey Whipwreck vs. Justin Credible
Now, this match took me back peeps. I always loved Mikey and HATED Justin Credible. Seriously, if I had to make a list of the top five wrestlers I hated in my childhood, Credible would be on that list. We get some ECW shit in during this matchup with a super sketchy table spot. Mikey opens up a can of whoop ass for a good portion of the match before Justin is able to hit That’s Incredible onto a chair for the win.
Lance Storm/Chris Candido vs. Balls Mahoney/Axl Rotten
Lance and Chris are the ECW tag champions but they really don’t like each other. Normally I don’t love the ‘forced to be a team stuff’ but both Candido and Storm were so good at being pricks, and here, they are being pricks to each other. That’s A++ in my book. So Team Prick retains, even though Candido hits Storm with a chair so Candido himself can get the 1-2-3, then they fight to the curtain. I don’t know what the haters are talking about this show has been awesome.
To get serious just for a second, during the show, ECW brought out a few legends of the ring that including Bob Armstrong, Junkyard Dog and Dick Slayer. This would be the last TV appearance for JYD as he died in a car crash a month later. No doubt sad stuff, but the crowd really loved seeing him at the show and you could tell JYD loved being back in the ring.
Next up, Shane Douglas cuts a promo before Taz makes his way to the squared circle. It doesn’t take long for Taz to choke Shane out before getting in a scrap with Bam Bam Bigelow (who was out to help Shane) and security. ECW Taz was such a BAMF.
Bam Bam Bigelow stands around barking at the crowd until…is that…no it can’t be…it’s NEW JACK.
New Jack is out with a trash can of plunder looking for another justifiable homicide. Bam Bam and New Jack beat the shit out of each other with chairs, a hockey stick, and a Godzilla action figure. The two eventually make their way through the crowd before New Jack just wanders off and finds himself on the balcony above Bam Bam where an acoustic guitar is waiting.
God I love ECW.
New Jack leaps off the balcony bashing Bam Bam on the head with the guitar all while “In The Ghetto” is playing. Seriously, name someone else that has their music play through the entire match? Sadly the leap took more out of New Jack than it did Bam Bam. Bigelow carries Jack back to the ring and secures the pin fall. Five star shit here boys.
The Dudley Boyz vs. Tommy Dreamer/The Sandman
Less than three minutes into this match we had a guard rail in the ring. This is officially my shit. The Dudleyz destroy Sandman’s neck then take the boots to Tommy. Dreamer takes a pretty good beating before Spike Dudley hits the ring and starts fucking up his Dudley cousins or however they’re related. The numbers game eventually catches up with Spike and just when it looks like the dastardly Dudleyz are going to get the win, The Sandman returns in a neck brace with his signature cane. Everyone in a tye dye shirt not named Spike catches a cane shot then stereo DDTs from Sandman and Dreamer to secure the dub.
Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu
No one will be surprised to hear this but these guys did some dangerous shit. At one point, Sabu springboards and catches RVD on the guardrail for a DDT on to a table. But, the two battle to a 30 minute draw with both guys kicking out of just about everything imaginable. For the record, the Marietta crowd was super pissed about the finish. Savages.
Shane Douglas vs. Al Snow
All night, Shane has been hyping up that he’s physically beat up and wearing what appears to be the arm version of Stone Cold’s leg braces. I mean yeah the guy is banged up but I watched Steve McNair go out and win co-MVP when his body was beat to shit so I’m a little hard to impress when it comes to stuff like that. Any who, Shane is hurt and Al Snow/Head are over as fuck with this crowd. Al has a dope little entrance with a sea of ‘Heads’ in the crowd.
So after the shenanigans of the last few matches, this was pretty chill. But, Shane’s cohorts in The Triple Threat (Bam Bam and Candido) come out to help out Douglas only to have the entire ECW locker room hit to swing the odds in Snow’s favor. With the boys surrounding the ring Al attempts a sunset flip…Shane drops down and retains the ECW Heavyweight Title. Oh yeah this match was for the ECW title.
Overall it was a little sloppy, a little dangerous, but a lot of fun which is basically the chemical makeup of ECW. Happy 20th Wrestlepalooza ’98!
Show score: 7 Modelos because I drank 7 Modelos watching it.
John Mosley is the independent wrestling and TV aficionado of the SoBros Network. He graduated from ETSU with a degree in Radio, TV and Film along with a minor in Film Studies. Since graduating he’s done pretty much nothing but watch, film, edit or commentate for local wrestling promotions and is the current color commentator for Resolute Wrestling. #Preds #Titans #DefendOrVacateConor – Follow on Twitter: @CoupleOfJobbers
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