[2000-02-04-ECW-Jacksonville, FL] Mikey Whipwreck vs Spike Dudley

[soup23]

This is why I really love this type of process. Stuff will of course be missed but this is a match that never would make MOTYC lists. In addition, if you watch EVERYTHING, it can be a big chore. Finding that balance of watching just enough is key. We won’t be perfect and will miss stuff but we do get to see this type of workman’s type match that had a lot of interesting stuff going on. I like Mikey as a heel portraying himself as the original underdog character to compare to this johnny come lately Spike. The opening moments were really good and mat oriented and the ratcheting of the action felt more organic here. A couple of spots where things almost went awry like the turnbuckle slam spot Mikey did but everything held together well enough. Finish was really cool as Mikey has a good stunner finish for a tease and then Spike comes back and is able to get a bit of revenge in on Mitchell before hitting the Acid Drop for the win. ***1/4

[Loss]

I tried watching this last night, but my mind kept drifting because I was too tired, so I wasn't giving this my full attention. It had nothing to do with the match and was my loss, as this was pretty good. Mikey was a better heel than I would have expected, considering how much of his career he spent as an underdog. Spike pivots from co-opting Roddy Piper with the babyface eyepoke to co-opting Bret Hart by giving his taped glasses to a kid at ringside. Go getum, Spike! Spike's pinning combo bonafides are strong! This was not at all what I expected -- total traditional house show match playing to kids in the crowd with a strong face-heel divide and some really good wrestling sequences based more on character work than the daring level of the moves. Very old school in that sense. I actually really loved this match and would like to see them match up in a longer feud like this. It seems like between Corino, CW Anderson, Kid Kash, EZ Money and these guys, they had the talent on the roster who would have benefitted from more stuff like this. Maybe selective bias is hiding some of it, but I'd love to see more that resembles this. ***1/2

[Migs]

I really liked this as well. Thought the mat wrestling transitioned nicely into the brawling, which moved nicely into a good little finishing sequence. Simple and effective.

[GSR]

Spike offers Mikey his hand before they get underway, but Mikey just makes fun of the way he waves to the crowd and pulls childish faces at him. Spike with a boot to the mid-section, he then puts his glasses on Mikey and pokes him in the eyes. Some real nice wrestling from these two to open that sees Spike get an early two count after a Magistral cradle. Spike then transitions from a Greco Roman knucklelock into a three quarter nelson for another pinfall attempt and this opening is tremendous. Mikey with some chops and he ‘Whooos’ along with the crowd. Irish whip reversal, and Mikey just about hangs on to a tilt-a-whirl to drop Spike head first on the top turnbuckle ‘snake eyes’ style. Another reversal on the Irish whip, Jim Mitchell grabs Spike’s leg distracting him and Mikey clips his knee. Indian deathlock with a reverse chinlock. As Mikey distracts the official, Mitchell gets some shots in before Whipwreck drops Spike over the guard rail and then drives a chair into his throat. Mikey throws him back into the ring but he takes too long, getting sidetracked, and when he’s up on ther apron Spike nails him with a forearm that sends him crashing backwards into the barricade. Spike with a chairshot to the back from the top turnbuckle to the floor and he’s, on landing, nicely back to selling that knee which Mikey had been working on earlier. Crossbody off the stage. Whip to the corner, however Mikey moves and Spike crashes shoulder first into the ringpost. No idea what it’s called, but a sort of reverse suplex into a stunner. Two count only as Spike is able to reach the ropes and Mikey spits at the official as he didn’t get the three. Excellent finish sees Mitchell again grab Spike’s leg off an Irish whip to try and distract him, but this time Spike senses something and with his back turned, as Mikey slides towards him, he jumps up out the way and lands with a sit down splash to his chest. One ‘Acid Drop’ later it’s all over.

 

Enjoyed this and it was so nice to see Spike in a ‘wrestling’ match, not one which involved copious amounts of chairs, table breaking and resembled more of a stunt show. We had one chairshot and a bit of brawling on the floor and that was it. The opening was really good and reminded me of old scientific grappling from 70’s World of Sport, and both showed they are more than capable at that style. Finishing stretch was also very nice and really cleverly worked. Didn’t catch what name Jim Mitchell was going under, but don’t think he’s the Sinister Minister just yet.

[Kronos]

Solid match that kept the crowd involved and included some fine matwork. Very enjoyable.

 

Spike is super over in his entrance - using "Highway to Hell", which is ECDub AF. It does make you wonder if Mikey feels some genuine jealousy about no longer being everyone's favorite scrappy underdog. It does allow his heel-work to have some more depth than it might normally.

 

One of my favorite moments is when Spike knocks Mikey down the steps and then does a flying tackle to the floor to take him down as he's standing up. Such a simple sequence, and it's very effective.

[grendel]

I actually really liked this one. Seeing how over Spike was great. I hope to see him more in these kind of matches. It shows he can wrestle anyone. And Mikey was great too. I liked they way the crowd involvement was used to make this look like a classic wrestling match. And the Acid Drop as the finisher made this came to a perfect conclusion.