[1995-07-01-ECW-Hardcore Heaven] Axl Rotten vs Ian Rotten (Taipei Death)

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

I can't put myself through this. This had to be on here, but someone else can watch it.

[Tim Evans]

I loved the early parts with Bill Alfonso as ref stopping the match cause Ian got cut open. Then the Gangstas and PE somehow have a brawl near the entrance and Bill leaves. Tod Gordon comes out and restarts the match and it goes to hell.

[goodhelmet]

What I want is an ECW fan to come in here and defend liking this... EVER. I put it on the extras section of the ECW set also but it feels like it is something that takes up space.

[El-P]

I enjoyed it. It's morbid ECW at its worst, but you can't deny it has a true bloodthirsty aura to it, and Axl was a good worker and good seller. Ok, it's guilty vampire pleasure, and it works only in this particular setting, but when I went through my ECW watch, I enjoyed this more than Eddie vs Dean. Go figure.

[jasch]

I'm not sure I can defend this per se, but I think I can rationalize it. Ian vs Axl was a blood fued born out of losing a losing team must split up match against the Pit Bulls. All of their matches had gratuitous blading, but no more so than I've seen in Southwest for instance. The matches progressed from barbed wire bat matches to fans bring the weapons, and this was the blow off to the feud. As far as the glass glued to the fists, not only did the previous show have Sandman vs Cactus in a barbed wire match, but this show had Sandman vs Cactus in a match where Jack had his fist wrapped in barbed wire, so for the blow off this is what they came up with to top it. I might add that when watching this unfold in 1995 it did not seem out of place with what was going on in ECW at the time. Again, this may be more of a rationalization than a defense, but I am not as repulsed by this as it seems like a lot of people are.

[Zenjo]

The only positive was that they managed to get through without anyone being blinded. This is dangerous and deranged.

[PeteF3]

Tod Gordon wants to make an example out of Bill Alfonso by having him officiate the Taipei Death Match. Axl gets in one punch on Ian's head, and Alfonso inspects a trickle of blood and orders the match stopped. More brilliance. Oh, here are Public Enemy and the Gangstas, and that draws Alfonso's attention and allows Gordon to sneak in and re-start the bout. BOO. I really, really wish they had the balls to go through with the match stoppage, because the heat for Fonzie's announcement was incredible. Instead we get some sub-Mr. Pogo barbarism and for all the talk of EXTREME and how they're the opposite of the circuses in the Big Two, Paul E. is exposed as pretty much the same sackless charlatan Vince and Bischoff were at this point.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Pete but then everyone would scream "Bait and switch". You get the heat for the Fonzie stoppage, but I think you have to deliver on this once it is advertised. I watched the Fonzie portion which was gold, but didnt feel like watching this. I have watched some Japanese Death Matches just try it but yeah now my cup of tea.