[1998-01-10-ECW-House Party] Rob Van Dam vs Bam Bam Bigelow

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[soup23]

I get that Alfonso is trying to be annoying with the whistle but jesus does it drive me nuts. Bam Bam gets a quick flurry and we get a LONG stall session with RVD and Fonzie on the outside. Bam Bam again shows his extreme power advantage and this time goes to the outside after RVD. He throws him over the guardrail and beats on him. RVD sells this like a 3 stooges spot rubbing his head in ridiculous fashion. RVD is then able to headscissor Bam Bam into the rail in a completely contrived spot I just cant buy. RVD beats him with some chairs and then sends Bam Bam over the railing with a side kick.

 

RVD hits a nice running splash and then he climbs to the top and hits a lengthy dive onto Bam Bam on the outside. RVD again doesn't let Bam Bam get into the ring and hits him with some good kicks and a neat clothesline from the apron. Van Dam follows that up with a huge crossbody that got big air. RVD is slowly winning me over with this nutso king of the mountain segment. Bigelow finally gets back and in and RVD pounds away. An awkward moment occurs where Bigelow catches RVD's foot but he hits a sloppy legdrop. RVD has no focus now as he is just giving Bam Bam sloppy strikes and mugging for the camera. Bigelow makes his comeback and catapults RVD into the corner post. A ddt gets a nearfall with Fonzie creeping in the ring. Bigelow misses a somersault senton from the top and both men are down. A chair gets insulted and RVD uses it against Bigelow. Split legged moonsault with the chair is used. Bigelow just hurls the chair at RVD and he takes a powder to the outside. Fonzie gets press slammed on top of RVD. Van Daminator is hit on the referee and Bam Bam again pastes RVD with the chair. Candido makes a run in but he gets hit with a chair and Greetings from Asbury Park. Sunny then runs in to a big pop. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong promotion. Bigelow sets her up for the greetings to a huge pop. Francine wearing a bed sheet and a thong comes in and Bam Bam lifts her up too. Franchise comes in and distracts Bigelow enough to allow RVD to hit a side kick and five star for the win. This match was a mess (* 1/2)

[Kevin Ridge]

Glad you mentioned the RVD sell of rubbing his forehead. Did feel comedic. They got really enamored with that guardrails in this match. Repeated use of guys spilling over them. Nice camera angle of Van Dam soaring off the top ropes on to Bigelow. Not sure what was going on with that senton by Bigelow. RVD may have rolled the wrong way. Things start to break down. RVD went flying into the crowd. Hope those fans were prepared. Sunny actual does something wrestling related since WWF has her just posing for merchandise. Francine was wearing next to nothing to cover her back. Yeah, mess indeed. I’m interesting to see their April match cause I always liked that one. Lets see how that holds up.

[Migs]

Van Dam seems to be developing that meandering, unfocused style that would eventually make his matches in 99-00 pretty much unwatchable. Spot-pose-spot. This wasn't terrible, but I do think the 4/4 match is probably better.

 

I vividly remember Francine's outfit. That was fairly exciting for 14-year-old me.

[bradhindsight]

Agree with the sloppiness comments, even more so than one would expect - although I did dig a bunch of the moves to the outside. RVD gets a "you fucked up" chant when he somewhat misses the split-legged moonsault.

 

Sunny showing up was a surprise, clean finish comes after a load of interference and fun teased spots (and I really lament that Greetings from Asbury Park is a very banned move nowadays - so cool looking).

 

**1/4

[Loss]

This was just a lot of spots thrown out with no build to them. Highspot, rest for a long time. Highspot, rest for a long time. It was also incredibly sloppy. I remember them having at least one good match, but this was not it for sure. And why even bother with a ref bump in ECW? It's not like the ref seeing any of this stuff would have changed anything.

[Zenjo]

Francine comes out to the ring wearing a thong for no apparent reason. Randomness. If I ever find an RVD match I like I'll be sure to mention it. Many times watching ECW I'll be fooled into thinking the bout has ended because there's been about 6 run in's and it's been 5m since the combatants wrestled. But of course the match must finish afterwards.

[PeteF3]

Well, the ending was a mess, but I thought the stuff leading up to it was surprisingly good and not even particularly spotfesty by RVD/ECW standards, thanks to Bam Bam doing a nice job of holding this together as best he can and working as a base. Heel RVD vs. babyface Bam Bam shouldn't work at all, but that dynamic allows RVD to play a lot of hit-and-run with his offense and makes his high-flying look rather logical since he has to continually strike from a distance. Still, there's lots of stalling on RVD's part and zoning out in general. After a really badly mistimed ref bump this goes off the rails, with Sunny doing a pointless run-in, Francine wearing whatever she was wearing, and Shane Douglas continuing a program that I can't imagine many people care about.

[TravJ1979]

Pre-RVD being over like mad. It takes a half-naked Francine and Sunny to pop the crowd in any significant way. Bam Bam teases throwing RVD into the crowd which we all know is never going to happen. RVD does his flippy stuff. Nothing much to this at all.

 

 

RATING: Sunny Days and a Full Moon.