[2000-02-06-ECW-Hardcore TV] Rob Van Dam vs Masato Tanaka

[soup23]

I don’t know if this was taped before or after the RVD match with the injury but anyway this will be it of RVD until May. Styles informs us this is the first ever meeting of these two. T’m honestly really weary of RVD in the 2000’s on rewatch. Even though the stuff vs. Sabu and Jerry Lynn didn’t really hold up to me as classics, it did at least seem different from what we were seeing throughout the country in the 90’s and did in a weird way feel more big time than the indy stuff that we watched the time and time failed to resonate. In the 2000’s it feels like a RVD routine would be 5^th from the top of most CZW or IWA-MS shows. These two actually have some good chemistry with each other IMO as Tanaka takes the fight to RVD and the match overall doesn’t deviate into RVD’s signature spot and showoff routine. Tanaka tries to suplex I think RVD through a table but it looks more like a DDT and it was a sick bump either way. Selling isn’t on the menu for either of these guys tonight as RVD smashes the chair in Tanaka’s face, he kicks out, and then is on offense and DDTs RVD onto the chair. Match works though to a degree because of Tanaka throwing the kitchen sink at RVD and him coming back. In that way I compare it to the Sabu Guilty as Charged match even though neither are going to ever be my favorite match style. RVD is able to hit a swinging kick on the chair and the five star spash to retain. ***1/4

[Loss]

These buildings make ECW television look like old episodes of UWF TV, which is kind of charming. RVD actually has really interesting and totally unique matwork when he does it, and I'd be interested in seeing a wrestler try to get a long match out of him without going vertical just to see what happens. It may be a horror show, but I think it may surprise people. I don't know if I'd call Furnas, Kroffat and Masato Tanaka similar workers, but someone should figure out what their in-ring style had in common, because those are the guys who got the most out of RVD, and RVD should really only wrestle guys like that. Silly me, I was really into this until the table was rolled out because it was a good wrestling match. I don't mind that stuff if it enhances a match, but I hate it when a match is doing fine without it and they add it anyway. Van Dam takes a nasty bump through the table, a bad superplex which ends up being a brainbuster, which Styles calls a DDT. He keeps teasing comebacks (Who does he think he is, Ricky Morton??), only for Tanaka to cut them off. There was some of the typical ECW silliness in this, mostly with the inclusion of the table, but by and large, the work was really good. It was interesting to see Van Dam work from underneath for most of a match. The crowd rallied for his comeback by chanting his name -- the match had genuine, old school babyface psychology! His selling, his big comeback, his clean win: this may be the one time I've seen a Rob Van Dam match and thought this guy has what it takes to be the top star of a major company. ***1/2

[GSR]

A bit of adequate wrestling and exchanges, and Van Dam looks to the crowd for approvement. Christ, not this again? Really cool leg scissors takedown into a pin for two and he then bows to the audience. Seriously fuck off with this shit! Tanaka with a sit out powerbomb and RVD rolls to the floor. Side headlock and he shoots Tanaka into the ropes, split legged drop down, leap frog attempt, Masato catches him and goes for another powerbomb, but this time RVD counters with a huracanrana. Then he… you know what! A Blue Thunder Driver plants Van Dam to the canvas with authority. Belly to back suplex over the top rope to the floor but RVD lands on his feet. He gets up on the apron only to be met with a huge forearm that sends him flying backwards into the aisle. Tanaka whips him into the guard rail and nails him with a running chair shot. Back in the ring he sits Van Dam on the top turnbuckle and hits a spinning DDT for a two. Masato sets up a table, again sits RVD on the top turnbuckle and a suicideplex into a DDT through the table in what was a nasty looking bump. This also only brings a two, and Tanaka then misses an elbow off the top. RVD ducks a forearm, spinning dropkick and he starts to unload on Tanaka. No selling from RVD here today! Great side kick off the top, and whilst he can’t sell, he can still look to the crowd for acknowledgement after a move! Cartwheel into a backflip, and ‘Rolling Thunder’ onto a chair as Tanaka kicks out on two. Van Dam dropkicks a chair into the face of his opponent and it’s still only enough for two. Tanaka with a DDT onto the chair for ‘what’s between one and three’? RVD counters a tornado DDT onto the chair into a rough looking Northern Lights suplex. Tanaka ducks the Van Daminator and brains RVD with a stiff chairshot to the head for a near fall, with a further two count after a modified Ace Crusher. ‘Diamond Dust’ (Buff Blockbuster into a stunner) which looked uncomfortable as hell the way RVD took it, is still not enough to put Van Dam away. Tanaka charges at RVD with a chair but he ducks out the way and hits the turnbuckle instead. Van Daminator, ‘Five Star’ frog splash and RVD retains his TV title.

 

I hated the opening to this and have had a gutful of Van Dam’s incessant looking for approval from the crowd after a move. I got into the match more with all the near falls, but change it up a bit guys! There were a lot of pinfall attempts, and every time the kick out would occur just after the referee hits the mat for the second time; no kick outs on one, no kick outs at the last split second, it was all so predictable. RVD’s selling was non-existant, he’d take a beating and next thing he’s all fine and leaping off the top turnbuckle. The liberal use of the chair in this match bothered me more than at any other time too. A couple of very uncomfortable looking bumps along the way too with the DDT through the table and the ‘Diamond Dust’. As with Sabu, I’m not digging the RVD re-watch in the slightest.

[Kronos]

RVD matches usually have me checking my watch. There always seems to be so much going on, and yet it feels so slow. This match is better than some I have seen, but it's for sure sloppy and nothing special. Tanaka does fine work, but with RVD it's all about RVD.

 

I really like the look of the TNN show.