The crowd was certainly into this but it has a kind of desperate feeling of something they know is in decline. As a six minute, all action tag match, this wasn't bad but also didn't leave much lasting memory with me. I just don't buy the Impact Players as the top stars ECW so desperately tries to portray them as. **1/2

Well what we saw of this was pretty great. Considering the match's reputation, I wish we had more of it. If I knew how long the actual match went, I might feel comfortable actually rating it. The best match of Lance Storm or Justin Credible's life, right?

Justin Credible with a side headlock, Gedo shoots him off, goes for a back bodydrop but Credible counters with a spinning DDT. He unloads on him in the corner before tagging in Lance Storm. Lovely standing dropkick by the Canadian. Gedo tries to fire back on Credible but he cuts him off with a poke to the eyes. Sunset flip from Gedo for two before Credible takes his head off with a clothesline. Storm with a German suplex, but Gedo lands on his feet, clothesline and he’s able to make the tag to his partner. Jado with clothesline to the Impact Players, he whips Credible into the corner, who takes the Flair bump, and Jado forearms him off the apron and into the guardrail. Storm leaps to the top turnbuckle off a reversed Irish whip, but Jado is right behind him and pushes his legs out from under him so he crotches himself. Belly to back suplex off the top turnbuckle! Jason Knight is in with a chair, however Gedo cuts him off with a side kick to the mid-section. Drop toehold/elbow drop combination on Jason onto the chair. As he’s whipped into the ropes, Credible with a knee to the back of Jado. Storm charges at him, but he sidesteps and Lance collides with his own partner. O’Connor roll, Storm kicks out and Credible nails Jado in the head with his Singapore cane. Storm schoolboys him but Jado kicks out at the last second for an awesome near fall. Credible calls for a table which he sets up in the corner. Jado blocks the suplex attempt and hiptosses Credible through it. Tiger Driver on Storm, Gedo with a frog splash and an every bit as good near fall as he gets his shoulder up just in time. Gedo ducks a lariat from Credible, thumb to the eye, jawbreaker and a dropkick sends him to the outside. Powerbomb off the middle to Storm and it’s still not enough to put him away. He ducks a clothesline and Jado runs into a superkick from Credible, stuff piledriver and the Impact Players retain.

 

I’m guessing this match is joined in progress as we only get about seven minutes, but what we do get is tremendous. The Impact Players get the heat on Gedo and once he makes the hot tag to Jado, the match just moves on another level. Great high spots, some awesome near falls (especially liked Jado’s kick out after the Singapore cane shot) and the crowd was eating all of this up. Loved, loved, loved Gedo’s eye poke, a receipt to Justin Credible for the one he gave him earlier in the match. Tajiri and Crazy’s hold on my ECW Match of the Month number one postion may just be over.

Wow this is a really damn good match. Everything is crisp and on point, the Players do a good job controlling the heat section, Jado and Gedo are great on the comeback, the crowd buys into the false finishes, just lots of fun. It makes you think - if ECW had been able to stay alive, could we have combined the fun of Heyman's creativity and that ECW atmosphere with a higher level of work from the guys who then made ROH, working similar to this match. Kind of a sad thought but ROH was great from 04-08 so not a total loss.