MATCH RESULT SPOILERS AHEAD...
Guilty as Charged 2001, which took place in January of that year, was ECW's last pay-per-view as it went bankrupt shortly after. The event itself is pretty damn good and a lot better than some of the stuff WWE churned out in 2002. So, here are the matches on the card:
MATCH 1.. Cyrus & Jerry Lynn vs Christian York & Joey Matthews. York & Matthews were jumped by the Baldies before the match and taken apart, making it very easy for Cyrus and Jerry Lynn, who sauntered down to the ring. York was subdued by the Baldies as Lynn hit his fantastic Cradle piledriver on Matthews for the win. (Cyrus made the cover, to add insult to injury). Small, but good amount of action w/ York and Matthews trying to hold off the Baldies, but this is more of an 'angle' than a match, as Lynn cuts a promo after the pinfall.
MATCH 2.. Danny Doring & Roadkill vs Hot Commodity (EZ Money & Julio Dinero) Some great action here- particularly memorable is EZ Money's vertical suplex turned into a powerbomb of sorts. It's a good tag match and in the end Doring and Roadkill retain their ECW tag titles w/ the Buggyback. (D & R's tag move finisher)
MATCH 3.. Nova vs Chris Hamrick This was an impromptu match as Nova saved Doring & Roadkill from a post-match beatdown, courtesy of Hot Commodity. Another good match here. Hamrick's top rope standing hurricanrana is fantastic, while Nova's Kryptonite krunch is a fine finishing move. After
some confusion (as Spike and Chris Chetti & Lou E Dangerously do run-ins) Nova picks up the win nailing Hamrick w/ the Kryptonite krunch for the pin.
MATCH 4.. Tommy Dreamer vs CW Anderson-- I QUIT MATCH Very good match which is an interesting blend of technical wrestling (a good amount of submission attempts) and hardcore brutality. This is a better match than these two had at Massacre on 34th Street. Anyway, Dreamer gets the win- he Spicolli drivers Anderson through a table then gets him in a crossface of sorts, wrenching back with a strip of rubber that was from the shattered table. Anderson squeals I quit. One of the best matches I've seen Dreamer in.
MATCH 5.. Tajiri & Mikey Whipwreck vs The FBI (Full Blooded Italians) vs Super Crazy & Kid Kash. Fantastic action- great high spots from Crazy & Kash, three submission holds being performed simultaneously, those cringe-inducing kicks from Tajiri, and a whole lot more. Kash & Crazy are eliminated first as the FBI's enormous enforcer Big Sal crushes Kash w/ a big splash. After some crazy action between the FBI and Tajiri & Mikey, the latter come out on top with a pair of bridging German suplexes for the pin.
MATCH 6.. Simon Diamond & Swinger vs Balls Mahoney & Chilly Willy. This match never even gets going, as Rhino (who was much more vicious in ECW) stampedes the lot o' them, including valets Dawn Marie and
Jasmine St Claire, who is piledriven head-first into the canvas off the second turnbuckle. Joey Styles (the best commentator in the business) sums it up best: "Holy crap!!" The second rope piledriver is almost as bad as Rhino's piledriver off the apron (through a table) on Lori Fullington. Almost.
MATCH 7.. Sandman vs Steve Corino vs Justin Credible--TABLES, LADDERS, CHAIRS & CANES MATCH FOR THE ECW TITLE. Not a great match. There's nothing really creative done w/ the weapons and it's reasonably slow. Sandman's two falls through tables and the presence of Francine are good though. Sandman wins the match, and the title, but not for long...
MATCH 8..Rhino vs Sandman-- MATCH FOR THE ECW TITLE Rhino threatens Sandman's family who are sitting in the crowd, so Sandman is forced to give him a title shot. Rhino gores Sandman through a table, piledrives him off the apron through another table and piledrives him once more on a shard of table for the win. Rhino becomes the last ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
MATCH 9.. Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn. Rhino lays down an open challenge for his newly won title which is promptly accepted by RVD. However, Lynn ambushes him from behind leading to a match between the two. Another great display from both men. Van Dam hits all his signature moves and pins Jerry Lynn after a skull-crushing Van Terminator!
THE VERDICT... A fine PPV. The TLCC match was disappointing and 2 matches were scrapped in favour of angles, but the rest of the card was excellent as ECW did what it did best: showcase great wrestling. It's a shame that this company went out of business.
OTHER GOOD ECW PPVs TO CHECK OUT... Anarchy Rulz 2000 is a really good show, as well as Heatwave 98 and Hardcore Heaven 2000. Path of Destruction is also a good compilation of some great ECW matches through the years.
I'm sure there's loads more but these are some of my personal favourites.
Guilty as Charged 2001, which took place in January of that year, was ECW's last pay-per-view as it went bankrupt shortly after. The event itself is pretty damn good and a lot better than some of the stuff WWE churned out in 2002. So, here are the matches on the card:
MATCH 1.. Cyrus & Jerry Lynn vs Christian York & Joey Matthews. York & Matthews were jumped by the Baldies before the match and taken apart, making it very easy for Cyrus and Jerry Lynn, who sauntered down to the ring. York was subdued by the Baldies as Lynn hit his fantastic Cradle piledriver on Matthews for the win. (Cyrus made the cover, to add insult to injury). Small, but good amount of action w/ York and Matthews trying to hold off the Baldies, but this is more of an 'angle' than a match, as Lynn cuts a promo after the pinfall.
MATCH 2.. Danny Doring & Roadkill vs Hot Commodity (EZ Money & Julio Dinero) Some great action here- particularly memorable is EZ Money's vertical suplex turned into a powerbomb of sorts. It's a good tag match and in the end Doring and Roadkill retain their ECW tag titles w/ the Buggyback. (D & R's tag move finisher)
MATCH 3.. Nova vs Chris Hamrick This was an impromptu match as Nova saved Doring & Roadkill from a post-match beatdown, courtesy of Hot Commodity. Another good match here. Hamrick's top rope standing hurricanrana is fantastic, while Nova's Kryptonite krunch is a fine finishing move. After
some confusion (as Spike and Chris Chetti & Lou E Dangerously do run-ins) Nova picks up the win nailing Hamrick w/ the Kryptonite krunch for the pin.
MATCH 4.. Tommy Dreamer vs CW Anderson-- I QUIT MATCH Very good match which is an interesting blend of technical wrestling (a good amount of submission attempts) and hardcore brutality. This is a better match than these two had at Massacre on 34th Street. Anyway, Dreamer gets the win- he Spicolli drivers Anderson through a table then gets him in a crossface of sorts, wrenching back with a strip of rubber that was from the shattered table. Anderson squeals I quit. One of the best matches I've seen Dreamer in.
MATCH 5.. Tajiri & Mikey Whipwreck vs The FBI (Full Blooded Italians) vs Super Crazy & Kid Kash. Fantastic action- great high spots from Crazy & Kash, three submission holds being performed simultaneously, those cringe-inducing kicks from Tajiri, and a whole lot more. Kash & Crazy are eliminated first as the FBI's enormous enforcer Big Sal crushes Kash w/ a big splash. After some crazy action between the FBI and Tajiri & Mikey, the latter come out on top with a pair of bridging German suplexes for the pin.
MATCH 6.. Simon Diamond & Swinger vs Balls Mahoney & Chilly Willy. This match never even gets going, as Rhino (who was much more vicious in ECW) stampedes the lot o' them, including valets Dawn Marie and
Jasmine St Claire, who is piledriven head-first into the canvas off the second turnbuckle. Joey Styles (the best commentator in the business) sums it up best: "Holy crap!!" The second rope piledriver is almost as bad as Rhino's piledriver off the apron (through a table) on Lori Fullington. Almost.
MATCH 7.. Sandman vs Steve Corino vs Justin Credible--TABLES, LADDERS, CHAIRS & CANES MATCH FOR THE ECW TITLE. Not a great match. There's nothing really creative done w/ the weapons and it's reasonably slow. Sandman's two falls through tables and the presence of Francine are good though. Sandman wins the match, and the title, but not for long...
MATCH 8..Rhino vs Sandman-- MATCH FOR THE ECW TITLE Rhino threatens Sandman's family who are sitting in the crowd, so Sandman is forced to give him a title shot. Rhino gores Sandman through a table, piledrives him off the apron through another table and piledrives him once more on a shard of table for the win. Rhino becomes the last ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
MATCH 9.. Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn. Rhino lays down an open challenge for his newly won title which is promptly accepted by RVD. However, Lynn ambushes him from behind leading to a match between the two. Another great display from both men. Van Dam hits all his signature moves and pins Jerry Lynn after a skull-crushing Van Terminator!
THE VERDICT... A fine PPV. The TLCC match was disappointing and 2 matches were scrapped in favour of angles, but the rest of the card was excellent as ECW did what it did best: showcase great wrestling. It's a shame that this company went out of business.
OTHER GOOD ECW PPVs TO CHECK OUT... Anarchy Rulz 2000 is a really good show, as well as Heatwave 98 and Hardcore Heaven 2000. Path of Destruction is also a good compilation of some great ECW matches through the years.
I'm sure there's loads more but these are some of my personal favourites.
