ECW: One Night Stand (2006)

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ONE NIGHT STAND 2006 REVIEW

Last year's ECW PPV was more of a homecoming tribute, and turned out to be an excellent event. This time, ECW is brought back with an another solid presentation, and plenty of "F-You"s for those who don't believe in it. The WWE Superstars battle the ECW Hardcore Wrestlers - Read on:

1) Tazz vs. Jerry Lawler

---This grudge match was conveniently short...about 30 seconds, I think. I'm not incredibly upset about this one, because I can't say it's a bad match. I can't really say it's a "match" at all. Enough said.

"No Grade"

2) Randy Orton vs. Kurt Angle

---Angle is the perfect catalyst to launch ECW's division of technical wrestlers. And Randy Orton, in my opinion, is one hell of a superstar. Unfortunately, this one starts off a little slow and doesn't really pick up until the end. I think it's because Orton has ring rust, and the Hammerstein Ballroom crowd clearly thinks so. This isn't a bad match, but if Kurt Angle wants to give ECW a new face, he's gonna require more suitable competition.

"6.0 out of 10"

3) Little Guido & Tony Mamaluke vs. Super Crazy & Tajiri

---Now this is an ECW match that gives fans warm nostalgia, and will educate the newcomers. This type of high-flying, hard-hitting contest is what gave ECW its reputation. It's a good clean fight with some wicked spots that WWE rarely shows. A very good Tag Team match!

"7.5 out of 10"

4) World Heavyweight Championship

Sabu vs. Rey Mysterio (champion)

---I had my doubts about this one because Sabu's body has been beaten beyond description, plus I'm sure he has the all-time record for botches. Boy, was I wrong! This match is excellent! You want fast-paced action...check. You want tables broken...check. You want sick chair spots...check. You want a great finish...sorry, too bad. I can't tell if this match's ending was planned or not, but I will say that it is the only bad part. Sabu and Mysterio pull off a great table spot, and then the match ends via referee stoppage. If you can just go easy on the finish, you'll probably still get into it.

"8.0 out of 10"---("9" for the action, "5" for the Finish & time length)

5) Mick Foley, Edge, & Lita vs. Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, & Beulah McGillicutty

---The original two-on-two match becomes bigger when the two women decided to jump in. Well not really, because Lita and Beulah don't do much, but rest easy as you will see a "CATFIGHT!". As for the four veterans, this match definitely more of a spot-fest than an actual competition. In other words, the individual moment is more important than the overall story and outcome. I'm not sure either team was really trying to "win". There are some tough spots to watch here, particularly the barbed-wire and burning-weapons moments. I think this brutal showcase, as awesome as it is, seems too choreographed. But I give tons of credit to four gladiators who are willing beat their own bodies for our sadistic pleasure.

"8.0 out of 10"

6) Balls Mahoney vs. Masato Tanaka

---It is great to see Balls back in action, and Tanaka is tougher than anybody else...PERIOD. This is your typical short-but-sweet ECW match with solid wrestling and chair violence! I wish it were longer, but it doesn't disappoint. It's the roughest main-event cooldown I've ever seen.

"7.0 out of 10"

7) WWE Championship

Rob Van Dam vs. John Cena (champion)

---If you wanna see this main event to watch John Cena get booed out of the building, it delivers in spades. If you wanna see a good hardcore match, it's adequate. I have never seen such a rabid crowd since Hogan/Rock at WRESTLEMANIA X-8. Literally every move gets a loud reaction, most of which are so obscene that nobody can print them. The match itself is solid, as RVD and Cena do some sweet moves and keep the things going. But the crowd makes the match even better. As shocking as the finish is, to me it was kind of a jip. Just like Chris Jericho didn't get a proper push as the Undisputed WWF Champion, RVD's push is tainted. But make no mistake, the crowd has to be seen to be believed. This match will go down in the books, I promise you that.

"7.0 out of 10"---(physical match gets a "6", the crowd gets a "100!")

OVERALL

ECW ONE NIGHT STAND 2006 is almost as good a PPV as last year's, but a somewhat different experience. The quality of the matches was about equal compared to the 2005 ECW PPV. The ECW spirit has never been more alive. I guess the only criticism is that last year's WWE angle was an invasion...it might've annoyed you, but you were supposed to be angry at it. This year, WWE kind of reared its safety helmet on the title bouts, which may bother some ECW faithful. Regardless of those minor nitpicks, if WWE is serious about giving ECW a fresh start, this is a more-than-worthy way to do it. The passion is still strong, the fans are still rabid, and the physicality is still entertaining. When the DVD comes out, every wrestling fan should check this out.

BARELY LEGAL REVIEW

ECW's first PPV from 1997 --- BARELY LEGAL --- is included in the 2-disc set. Big props to WWE for giving one of their best PPV DVD bonuses ever. There are some pretty good matches on here. Rob Van Dam is an impromptu replacement to face Lance Storm, and then later cuts a killer shoot promo. There's a solid opener between The Eliminators and Kronus/Saturn. Terry Funk competes in a violent 3-way match, and gets his ECW Title shot against Raven immediately afterwards. But the real treat of the card (in my humble opinion) is a Michinoku 6-Man Tag Team contest. I don't really know where this card came from, but it appears that ECW paid 6 overseas veterans to put on an exhibition bout to give fans a dose of variety. In short, it's one of the greatest Tag Team matches you'll ever see. I know I'm forgetting a few other contests, but overall, ECW BARELY LEGAL is an excellent trip down memory lane.

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