[1997-08-17-ECW-Hardcore Heaven] Jerry Lawler vs Tommy Dreamer

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

This is an awesome match, and they both deserve credit for it. It's probably the best I've seen from Dreamer and for the decade, probably the same for Lawler. They brawl through the crowd and cut a hell of a pace, when I was expecting more of a long stall job with Lawler cutting a promo for most of the match. Even this late, Lawler was still The King, bleeding, taking big bumps and working the crowd like a pro. Dreamer's selling was also excellent and he had really good babyface fire. I loved all the lights out crap, with Jake's appearance shocking the hell out of me. I think this is my favorite ECW match ever and people are going to think I'm crazy for how high I rate this, but it's an intense brawl that pays off months of heat building on Lawler that kept me engaged. It's hard to watch this and find many flaws.

[Dylan Waco]

Biggest flaw - it wasn't in the ECW Arena

[WingedEagle]

I think this is my favorite ECW match ever and people are going to think I'm crazy for how high I rate this, but it's an intense brawl that pays off months of heat building on Lawler that kept me engaged. It's hard to watch this and find many flaws.

Definitely quite the statement. Looking back on ECW years later, the nature of their product was such that the matches/angles/stories all kind of blended together, with the Lawler/Cornette shows at the Arena arguably the peak. I don't remember looking back quite that fondly on this but you definitely have piqued my interest.

[Kevin Ridge]

Eager to revisit this one as was unimpressed on early viewings. I do no think I could give up my beer to a wrestler for him to use as a weapon. Lawler bloody already. Dreamer beating the crap out of him all over the crowd. Perfect start by Dreamer go lay it in like that after the issues building up to this match. Lawler defaces Dreamer's ECW shirt which just fires up Tommy. Straps down! I find the lights out appearances to be flat. Crowd audio is not helping. Cool to see Jake but he hits a DDT and then just walks off. Sunny is there for cat fight that barely lasts three seconds. To go from the Jake surprise to Sunny was a downer. Good match up until the interference.

[jasch]

I hated this match when I saw it on PPV. I must've been too young and dumb to appreciate it, because I watching it in 2013 I thought it was really good until the interference.

[soup23]

I thought it was great too and mixed up the garbage style of ECW brawls with violence. The run-ins still felt fresh here to me and it felt like a feel good victory for Tommy. The strap pull down sequence was really fun to watch and Joey missed Tommy pulling his strap down. Lawler has been great in this role and had a very successful 1997 as a result.

[PeteF3]

I thought this was pretty good, and the final ending with Beulah was GREAT. The lights-out stuff is starting to wear with me, though--I'm not as high on that as others here, but give Heyman credit for getting the surprises to pay off, at least for now. We're approaching diminishing returns, though, as I'm pretty sure the Jake stuff goes nowhere. In the end, though, this is everything you'd want out of Lawler vs. Dreamer.

[JKWebb]

http://placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-200-151/

 

#200

 

This is an awesome moment, and one of the best in ECW history. I'll agree to that. Lawler was so damn good here. Unlike some of ECW, that doesn't really stand the test of time, I think this most certainly does.

[El-P]

Very good match, although it does lose a bit of steam after a while. Lack of sustained heat because of not being in the ECW arena, where Dreamer dropping the strap would have gone over much bigger than in front of this lame Florida crowd. The lights out stuff was getting tired at this point, and although Roberts was a nice surprise it didn't make much sense. Sunny on the other hand was nice since the was the poster girl of WWF and this allowed Beulah to kick her ass. Both Lawler and Dreamer were excellent here, playing off each other like a charm. Great finish. Excellent cap-off of a terrific feud.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Jerry Lawler vs Tommy Dreamer - ECW Hardcore Heaven 1997

STRAP DOWN! FLAIR FLOP! Was the spot of the match! I went bonkers for it. 

This was the peak of ECW patriotism, but as others have pointed it out the only flaw was that it didnt happen in the ECW Arena, but instead of Florida so the heat just was not the same. I thought this was a really fun, popcorn brawl that was meant to pop and entertain rather than be very hate-filled and vicious. I really liked Lawler punching the pan early and then Dreamer hits him with the pan Lawler takes a King-sized bump over the top rope. Really great shine. Lawler showed a lot of ass during the crowd brawling. Great visual of Dreamer kicking ass while there is a "Lawler Must Die" sign behind him. I am a sucker for belts as a weapon in match. They are so versatile. Dreamer chokes Lawler as Lawler struggles to grab hold of fans to save himself. I love it. Dreamer goes up top with a chair and Lawler is able to shake the ropes. Lawler kicks some serious ass. I thought Lawler really carried this and he looked like he could still go. Characteristically great punches. Chair shots. Piledriver -> kick out! I would say weird, but it is ECW. It did not feel well-built to. That should have been a major false finish. I think in '97 ECW no one believes a finish unless there were run-ins. They should have saved the Lawler Piledriver for later. Lawler tearing the ECW short off and wiping his armpits and ass with it was amazing. LOVED Dreamer's no-sell comeback. In a Patriotism match that is exactly what you want! For the first time, I fell connected to Dreamer and I was rooting for him. Lawler punches him in the balls and lots of testicular violence follows. Then lights go out a bunch. Basically everytime Dreamer is about to polish off Lawler the lights go out. The first one makes sense as it is Rick Rude who was aligned with the WWF invasion. What I didnt get is why didnt he stay out there? There was the very surprising Jake The Snake, which I didnt see coming at all. But it was totally nonsensical. He DDTs Dreamer and Short Arm Clotheslines Lawler, but lets Lawler fall on Dreamer. Then Dreamer kicks out and he claps. So ok? Then FUCKING SUNNY SHOWS UP! OH HELL YEAH! Now that was awesome! She sprays Dreamer with the hairspray but here is Beluah. CATFIGHT! That was an awesome run-in and was actually useful because it got Beluah involved. Now Lawler tries to use Beluah as a human shield, but she ballshots him, TESTICULAR CLAW and Dreamer DDTs him to HELL! E-C-DUB! E-C-DUB! E-C-DUB!  ****