I'm a big fan of Spike so it's not surprise that I liked this. Spike has a really unique way of making the size disparity in his matches play to his advantage offensively. I don't know why but I always buy his reckless chairshot barrages more than just about anyone else as it comes across like the nerdy kid in school having a nervous breakdown and rampaging on the jocks that tease him. As usual Spike bladed here, took a few massive bumps and I thought the pace of this was really well done. Rhino launching a lugee at a lady in the tenth row was pretty impressive. Perfect length and totally devoid of the overkill that often plagued ECW main events. I'll put it through.

I may have liked this a little more than you because so far, I am totally loving Spike as The Little Engine That Could. Still, some of the stuff bothered me. I am totally anti-chair right now. I loved Spike's blood and bumping and bouncing around. I hated that he kicked out of the powerbomb finish on a stack of chairs. That type of overkill bullshit is the stuff in wrestling I can do without it. I am going to agree with the low-end nomination and see if it sneaks on in the end.

Here is the question - is this better than the better Kash v. Rhino match? I can't really see including both and I don't know that it is. It's still early but if I were going for a Rhino v. little guy match at this point it would be the Kash match.

ECW World Heavyweight Title: Rhyno © vs. Spike Dudley (1/13/01)

 

This is your average Spike gets the hell beat out of him by the ECW champion match of the past year plus but Rhyno brings a different dynamic than Mike Awesome as Awesome had the height advantage making his offense look big while Rhyno has the power advantage so his offense on Spike looks like it hurt more. Spike was fun on offense getting his revenge using the chair but would get killed in the end. I liked this more than the Kash matches actually and this is a fairly easy nomination in my eyes.