[2006-09-26-WWE ECW] Bob Holly vs Rob Van Dam

[ohtani's jacket]

This was the match where Holly sliced his back open going through a table. Absolute nasty gash. I don't wanna say it added to the match, but it definitely wouldn't have been as memorable without it. I like Holly's no nonsense style, but when you're selling for real it adds another layer to work. Van Dam did a bunch of dumb shit in the bout, but the chair spots made me wince. Holly was lucking he didn't get a staph infection from this bout. He stayed in character even when the trainer and doctor were tending to him. Should have put a rocket on him in this ECW offshoot, but they weren't interested in capitalizing on the guts Bob showed. 

[Superstar Sleeze]

Rob Van Dam vs Hardcore Holly - ECW 9/26/06

I am like 99% sure I watched this live as I gave up on ECW by the end of the year. Otherwise I would have seen the replay a million times elsewhere because this match is famous for the nasty gash on Holly’s back after he suplexes RVD from the apron through a table. Very famous spot. 
 

Before the table spot, I was pretty disappointed by the match. Very stilted both guys waiting a beat too long. Shit I expect out of today’s kids not 90s veterans. I liked that each opportunity for Holly was from RVD showboating or setting up the table. I always feel like Holly is someone I like because he is no-nonsense but he does NOT wrestle no-nonsense, smash mouth he is just blasé. After the table spot the open wound definitely adds to the match and as far as RVD’s Carrot Top Prop Wrestling goes the steel chairs were pretty done. Holly hits a couple nasty spots dropping throat first on an unfolded chair and then a leg drop on the chair. RVD gets on a suplex on chair right on the wound. So that really had to hurt. The Chair Throw block of the Five Star Frogsplash was sick. A really great Van Daminator! Five Star Frogsplash ends it. It is a weird matvh to rate because the beginning suck and the rest was prop high spots that were exciting but empty then everything gets amplified by the insane gash. That was pretty hardcore so only be generous and say *** 1/2