There previous match is probably the best match I've watched so far so I was amped for this and I wasn't disappointed. Scorp really brings out the best in RVD as the early mat exchange here was fluid, flashy and felt like a struggle which is something you never see out of RVD matwork. There was a lot of RVD stalling in this early but I enjoyed his playing to the camera and while it probably went on too long it made sense in the context of the match. I've always though Van Dam's best asset was his bumping and he is a bump machine in this. Scorp is the kind of guy that is going to crush you with his offense one way or the other but RVD just goes with it and the result is lots of spectacular well paced shit. Van Dam comeback is off of a really brutal top rope van daminatoresque move that is actually executed really well and sends Scorp flying to the floor. Of course there are lots of dolled up counters in this and the end is really your turn, my turn, but it comes across as two guys firing on all cylinders trying to wipe out the other and not like two Senate candidate vying for equal time on an NPR debate as is usually the case with segments like that. Finish with Sabu running in and murdering Scorp with an Arabian facebuster while Scorp has RVD rolled up post-450 will irritate some, but it was so well executed I hardly minded at all. This was pretty great.

I am really digging the match and these guys were just connecting with some nasty shit including a sweet spin kick to the face from Scorp. However, I want to stab Fonzie in the face. Shut the fuck up already! Was that fucking whistle ever over? I also want to point out that this is when Scorp was about to team up with Terry Funk in WWF and it is good to see that the company did not break his will to put on a good match. But seriously, Fonzie is really killing my good vibe. I also want to say that the idea that ECW didn't have any really great matches is complete bullshit. I have watched about 15 matches tonight of ECW matches and there are some legit AWESOME matches in here.

ECW had a fuckload of good matches. The problem is that Heyman had an almost Russoesque crash tv way of booking shit. I actually like a lot of Heyman booking, but the big problem with booking that style is that you have a lot of run-in finishes that drag matches down and you also tend to remember the angles (including the ones that didn't work, went too long, et) more than the matches. Couple this with the fact that there was a clear over reliance on props and a lot more sloppiness than you got out of other companies (where to be fair guys weren't taking the same risks) and the end result is that the really awesome shit gets obscured by all the other "stuff" that was going on.

 

Also Fonzy is a fucking TERRIBLE influence on Van Dam in general. I don't like Van Dam much, but he's a thousand times worse in 99/00 because by that point Fonzy was as involved in his matches as he was and he was basically working a Carrot Top wrestling gimmick with poorly executed prop spots instead of poorly executed prop comedy.

 

Really looking forward to your thoughts on the other Van Dam v. Scorp match.

Rob Van Dam vs. 2 Cold Scorpio (3/20/98)

 

Fans love Scorp now which is great and I totally agree with Dylan regarding Fonzie being a total negative influence on RVD's schtick as he was awesome in 1996 because he wasn't so over the top and he hadn't got there yet at this time but it was on the horizon. RVD really loves stalling here which started off fine but it became a little too much there so thankfully Scorp would stop that with a plancha to the floor. RVD bumps like crazy here which is a strong point of his but he was good on offense as well as these two match up very well together. The action was fast and furious here but goddamn was that whistle annoying as shit even more than normal since this is a fancam and has no Joey Styles to drown it out. The stretch run was really good and this moves forward easily.