[1996-06-22-ECW-Hardcore Heaven] Taz vs Paul Varelans

[PeteF3]

Talk about it here.

[PeteF3]

"Shootfight rules," which means a win comes by KO or submission. I've seen worse shootstyle matches and worse wrasslin' performances by real fighters, though this is awfully short and Varelans doesn't really know how to pull his strikes so that they look effective without being effective, if that makes sense. Varelans probably could have gone places in wrestling if he wanted to. Shortly into the match, Saturn decks him with a missile dropkick as Alfonso distracts the referee, and Taz chokes him out soon afterward. I get that concessions had to be made to Varelans but this is twice now that Taz has had to use chicanery to win his own "style" of match, which I don't get. He's being put over as an unstoppable machine, not a cheating bitch heel, but that's how he wins. Taz gloats about fucking the fans again--"that wasn't a shoot, that wasn't shit."