[1998-08-02-ECW-Heatwave] Bam Bam Bigelow vs Taz (Falls Count Anywhere)

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

I suppose I should care more about this considering that it's been built up all year, but I just don't. It doesn't seem to be a bad match or anything. Both guys are working hard. I think the problem is that it's plagued by being in ECW. Instead of just letting the brawling speak for itself, they have to bust out the table that breaks way too easily upon impact and do the stupid stunt on the ramp. They're playing off the PPV match. How All Japan. I'll at least give them credit for staying in the hole for a long time to get over the impact of the spot. Bigelow even sells it when he comes out and Taz acts like he's fine, then goes back to selling in the post-match. Whatever.

[Childs]

That spot going through the ramp looked so dopey, but I did like Taz emerging from the wreckage and running Bam Bam down to throw the choke on him.

[soup23]

This feels like the blowoff and there was some stuff I liked throughout, but like Childs and Loss, I couldn't be bothered to be fully invested. The ramp spot looked like a football team taking the field through a paper sign when they fell through. I did like how Taz immediately got the choke afterwards and definitively go through the gatekeeper to Douglas. Not a bad match, just one I wasn't bothered to really care about. (**1/2)

[Migs]

In terms of a definitive blow off - it's always looked to me like Bigelow was definitely reaching for the ropes and not tapping. Not sure why they left that uncertainty in there when they showed Bam Bam clearly tapping in the first match.

[PeteF3]

Uh, note to Shane and Joey: you can't "reach for the ropes" in a fucking falls-count-anywhere match. Or at least you SHOULDN'T be able to.

 

That aside, I have to say I enjoyed this more than their first PPV match. Taz isn't really suited for working underneath but Bam Bam is a guy who can more or less force him to do so, and they make it work here for the most part. As far as ramp stunts go, this was pretty well-done for what it was and did build off the previous match. And, like with Awesome going through the table, everyone involved did their damnedest to get the spot over as something memorable and significant.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I think Shane's point was that he was NOT tapping out; HE WAS REACHING FOR THE ROPES! HE WAS REACHING FOR THE ROPES!

 

Fuck The World Heavyweight Champion Taz vs Bam Bam Bigelow - ECW Heat Wave 1998

 

Fun fact when "FTW" became an popular acronym in the mid-00s I thought everyone was saying "Fuck The World" because of Taz not "For the win".

 

Way better than the Loving Dangerosuly match. Bigelow has a great powerbomb. I actually like Taz's no-sell to really add some fire to his babyface shine. I think a well-timed no sell can really add to a match. The crowd brawling ranged from very good and heated to stupid that cross armbreaker was horrible. An actual proper heat segment was nice with Bigelow looking like a monster. The table shit was stupid, but it is fucking Taz. They crash through the ramp playing off the Living Dangerously finish. They really milked it and got a great crowd reactions. Taz's no sell was perfect and exactly the fired up spot to really put the finish over. The submission was not great and the tap out was not existent. I agree with Douglas: "HE WAS REACHING FOR THE ROPES!". I didn't see a tap out. Odd way to put over their monster babyface character. Good match. ***