[2000-09-24-ECW-Hardcore TV] Rob Van Dam vs C.W. Anderson

[soup23]

I hate myself for watching the first five minutes of this tv show literally be RVD high fiving fans. I would hate myself even more if I stayed up late on a Sat/Sun night to watch this shit in 2000. Talk about tone deaf. Back from the break and five more minutes of posing. At the 10:31 minute mark, the bell rings. I will say that the match was one of the better RVD offerings of the year as he was giving to CW by RVD standards. CW was able to counteract some of the flashy offense and RVD sold for a bit while CW grinded him out. The finish was never in doubt as RVD runs through his highpoints for the win but overall if you can get past the first 10 minute wank fest, the in ring action is not bad. **1/2

[AstroBoy]

CW was pretty good here but just way too much "stuff" from RVD. He takes forever on offense to start, setting up one flimsy high spot after another through an endless series of feather light punches and Irish whip reversals to get CW into position. Things are good when CW beats RVD down for a bit but then RVD is right back to fitting in as many flips and dumb shit as possible while posing like nothing happened. It had a kind of reckless charm to it but this could have been better.

 

**3/4

[GSR]

It does feel like they are trying to push C.W. up to the next level in the way that Joey Styles talks about him, I suppose that could also account for him getting the victory over Steve Corino last night in Danbury.  Another ten plus minutes of my life wasted watching a Rob Van Dam entrance.  This one might be the most preposterous yet and I almost feel sorry for C.W. having to just stand there and watch all of this.  The wrestling here isn’t too bad, RVD eventually using the ropes to back flip his way out of the arm bar.  C.W. lands on the apron after being backdropped over the top rope but is immediately forearmed across the face.  Van Dam then leaps to the top turnbuckle and jumps off, attempting some sort of bulldog/face jam into the apron although it looked really sloppy in execution.   He drapes C.W. over the guard rail, Fonzie puts the chair in place and Van Dam with a corkscrew legdrop off the apron.  Fuck following up on that when you can play to the crowd!  Moonsault press off the guard rail and yet more showboating.  A cool little sunset flip out of the corner by Van Dam for a two.  RVD mistimes the leapfrog as C.W. hangs on to the ropes and ‘the Enforcer’ then floors him with a superkick.  He clotheslines Van Dam to the outside, follows him out and whips him into the metal railings.  Fonzie is in his face blowing that wretched whistle so C.W. does us all a favour, whipping him into the railings too, Alfonso sailing over them and into the front row.  Fisherman’s Buster for a two count, dropping Van Dam right on his head.  Anderson continues to pick up near falls after both a Ferris Wheel suplex and a clothesline off the middle.  He whips RVD into the corner however Van Dam avoids the charge and C.W. crotches himself across the second turnbuckle.  I though that was the beginning of the end as Van Dam starts running through his trademark stuff but C.W. ducks the ‘Van Daminator’ and hits a spinebuster onto the chair.  That only briefly delays the inevitable as one Fonzie assisted ‘Van Daminator’ off the top and ‘Five Star’ frog splash later this one is over.

I wouldn’t blame anyone for switching off this before they even got to the match.  The entrance was beyond a joke, slapping hands with all the fans as usual, entering the ring and climbing up every turnbuckle to acknowledge them, leaving the ring to slap more hands, back inside and another ascent of all four corners, several “Whole Fucking Show” crowd participation spots along with also bowing to the audience.  I dread to think what he’ll be like come Anarchy Rulz.  C.W was the highlight of the match, looking far more competitive than I expected and even getting several near falls on Van Dam.  I especially liked his taking out of Bill Alfonso and I’m more convinced after watching this that there is a definite shift in how they’re trying to position him.  Van Dam does what Van Dam does when it comes to RVD.