This Day In Wrestling History - August 2

Date: August 2, 1998 (15 years ago)

Feature: ECW's annual summer-time event featured the Dudley Family vs. The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and Spike Dudley in a six-man tag main event. Plus, RVD & Sabu defended the ECW Tag Titles and Taz faced Bam Bam Bigelow.

Torch Back-Issue: PWTorch Newsletter #506.

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ECW Heat Wave '98 PPV Report
August 2, 1998
Dayton, Ohio at Hara Arena
Report by Wade Keller, Torch editor

Joey Styles introduced the show from mid-ring. Shane Douglas and Francine came out to join him as co-hosts of the program. Douglas said, "Cut the f---ing music," establishing that ECW is willing to openly use the f-word, unlike the Big Two. Fans chanted "Show your tits" at Francine. Styles said he bought a new suit for the PPV, "double breasted, like Francine." Francine said, "I bet they didn't cost $6,000 like these," then shoved Styles's face into her chest.

The ECW opening montage aired with graphics talking about the "counter-culture revolution" and "rebels taking over."

(1) Justin Credible (w/Jason, Chastity, Nicole Bass) pinned Jerry Lynn at 14:33. Styles said the match was the culmination of a summer series and the winner would be the winner of the entire feud. The first few minutes saw solid exchanges that built well, but still left the match with somewhere to go. Styles talked about the "know it all reporters" writing off Justin, not giving him enough credit. Douglas referred to them as "scumbag journalists." That approach seems to be a reaction to the criticism of ECW for being criticized for shoving Justin down people's throats so hard as a future star before giving him a chance to show what he could do.

Justin powerbombed Lynn on a chair for a two count. At 6:00 Justin attacked Lynn at ringside. Jason got involved. Justin nailed Lynn with a plastic beer cup to "add insult to injury." At 7:40 Lynn flapjacked Justin as Justin came at him with an axehandle off the ropes. Nice spot, but it was just a hope spot as Lynn stayed on offense. Justin scored a two count after a chokeslam. Justin applied a chinlock on the mat. At 9:20 Lynn made his first full-fledged comeback with a Tigerbomb for a near fall. At 10:20 Justin reversed Lynn off the ropes into a powerbomb. At 11:00 Lynn DDT'd Justin onto a chair. Lynn then hotshot dropped Justin over the top rope.

Lynn hit a huracanrana off the top rope through a table at ringside. At 12:45 Jason hit Lynn with a chair. Lynn gave Justin a Tigerbomb. Nicole then entered the ring. Lynn low-blowed her, then chaired her as the ref chastised Chastity on the ring apron. Chastity then entered the ring. Lynn turned his attention to her. Justin then hit Lynn from behind and held him. Chastity went to kick Lynn low, but Lynn leaped in the air so the kick nailed Justin in the crotch. Lynn tombstoned Chastity, but when Lynn came at Justin, he reversed Lynn into a That's Incredible piledriver for the three count. Very good opener. ( 1/2)

(2) Chris Candido (w/Tamara Sytch) pinned Lance Storm at 10:55. Sytch's WWF name, Sunny, was never acknowledged, but she was referred to as Candido's fiance. Candido and Sytch kissed. Sytch insisted on doing ring introductions for Candido, introducing him at an exaggerated 240 pounds and said he was harder than any man she knows. The lighting in the ring wasn't flattering for Sytch. Candido and Storm exchanged chops to the chest in the opening minute with the crowd "whooing" at every chop. Storm yanked off Candido's ear protector at 1:40.

Candido dove off the top rope onto Storm at ringside at 2:15. The crowd entertained themselves with a chant of "Let's f--- Sunny." Sytch tripped Storm coming off of the ropes. Storm chased her at ringside and into the ring. Candido hit a running Tigerbomb at 3:40. The action continued to be solid for several minutes. Storm suplexed Candido over the top rope to the floor at 6:40. Candido then ended up in the front row with the fans. Storm dove onto Candido in the crowd. At 7:30 they exchanged some punches which weren't great.

Candido scored a two count. Storm came back with a top rope suplex, but he went for a springboard which Candido turned into a powerslam for a two count. Storm rebounded off the top rope with a back elbow. Candido then got some powder, but Storm knocked the powder into Candido's face. Candido mistakenly then punched the referee. When Storm climbed to the top rope, Sytch entered the ring and shoved Storm off the top rope. Before shoving Storm, though, she rubbed his butt for a few seconds.

Candido, meanwhile, still blinded by the powder, rolled up the referee and in the process yanked on Sytch's top, momentarily exposing her breasts, but not for the camera to see. Someone came to ringside to cover Sytch with a jacket. The crowd booed. Candido then gave Storm, who was still smarting from crotching the top turnbuckle, a top rope powerbomb for a three count. Sytch and Candido kissed after the win. ( )

They showed highlights of New Jack cutting a promo before the event outside the arena with fans surrounding him. Jack Victory confronted New Jack. New Jack didn't back down, but the Dudleys then drove up and attacked New Jack. Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney made their only appearance on the PPV by making the save. Axl held New Jack's bloody head in his hands and screamed for a doctor. Styles said that the weapons match between New Jack and Victory had been called off due to New Jack's condition.

An interview aired with Bill Alfonso, Rob Van Dam, and Sabu. Van Dam said he is the "whole f---ing show." The interview got across the spotlight stealing nature of Van Dam.

(3) Masato Tanaka pinned Mike Awesome at 11:42. At 1:30 Awesome hit a huge running dive over the top rope onto Tanaka on the floor. At 2:30 Awesome hit a great released German suplex on Tanaka. Tanaka got up and reversed Awesome into a powerslam to take over offense. He rebounded off the second rope and hit Awesome with a clothesline, knocking him off the apron to the floor. He grabbed a chair and hit a running chairshot on the apron.

Tanaka then hit a top rope dropkick. At ringside, they had dueling chairshots. Awesome hit a springboard dive off the top rope into Tanaka in the front row. Styles said there aren't any guys 6-foot-7 who can do what Awesome does. At 6:20 Awesome hit the Awesome bomb. Awesome hit Tanaka with three hard chairshots and followed with a near fall. He then hit another hard chairshot off the top rope. Tanaka dropped Awesome over the top rope onto a table in a nice spot. The crowd chanted "holy sh--." At 11:15 Tanaka hit a springboard elbow for a near fall as the crowd counted aloud. Tanaka took the dented chair and hit a spinning DDT that looked great and scored the winning pinfall. ( 1/2)

A Taz interview aired. Then they plugged November to Remember in New Orleans, La. on Nov. 1. An interview aired with the Dudleys and Joel Gertner.

(4) Sabu & Rob Van Dam defeated Jinsei Shinaki & Hayabusa at 21:45. Sabu and Van Dam argued before the match over who would start. Van Dam had some well-paced exchanges with both opponents in the early minutes. At 4:45 Shinzaki walked one and a half top ropes before coming off with a forearm. At 5:40 Sabu tagged in for the first time. He was under control, not trying to do too much, and looking better than usual as a result. He went for a ground attack early. They ended up going to some four-way highspots, flipping onto each other at ringside. They brawled in the crowd for several minutes. Sabu hit a springboard off a chair in the ring over the top rope into the crowd. Van Dam hit a corkscrew guillotine legdrop on Hayabusa who was draped over the railing.

Van Dam applied a bow and arrow in the ring while Sabu came off the top rope with a chairshot. Shinzaki kicked out at two, then just five seconds later he wasn't selling at all the devastating move. That hurt the credibility of the match. Hayabusa and Shinzaki took turns attacking Van Dam, but when they went for the cover, Sabu made the save. Shinzaki powerbombed Van Dam at which point Hayabusa hit a beautiful 450 splash for a near fall. Van Dam hit a top rope legdrop on Shinzaki who was in a Sabu camel clutch.

At 18:00 Shinzaki hit a shoulder block off the top rope for a two count. Shinzaki hit some Dragon Screw type leg whips on Van Dam, then splashed Van Dam on a broken flat table in the ring. They scrambled for a minute to find a new table. When they brought one into the ring, Van Dam and Sabu set Hayabusa and Shinzaki on the table and came off opposite corners crashing both men through the table. Nice spot. Sabu shoved Van Dam away and covered Shinzaki for the pin. Van Dam and Sabu seemed to limit the convoluted, complicated spots and as a result had a better, more credible match. ( 1/2)

(5) Taz beat Bam Bam Bigelow via submission at 13:19. Taz picked up Bigelow and gave him a Samoan drop back to the mat at 1:00. They brawled onto the rampway early. Taz shoved Bigelow into the crowd and then as if he were a luchador, dove onto Bigelow in the crowd. Bigelow came back with a chairshot. They brawled in the crowd for several minutes. Back on the rampway Taz applied an armbar and a Tazmission. Bigelow jawbreakered out of it. At 7:30 they returned to the ring. Taz bled from the forehead and his left eye swelled. Bigelow threw Taz into a table in the corner.

Taz reversed Bigelow's whip and gave him a T-bone into what was left of the table. At 11:30 Taz stopped Bigelow from throwing him off the rampway and Taz T-boned Bigelow onto the rampway. In a revisit of their talked-about spot at the last PPV, both bumped through the ramp to the floor. Styles said, "Oh my God. What the f..." Fans chanted "Holy sh--." Bigelow got up first and walked toward the ring. Taz then rose from the hole in the rampway and applied a Tazmission from behind.

Bigelow tapped out right away and the ref called for the bell. Douglas, on color commentary, screamed that it was a "fix" and that Bigelow was merely reaching for the ropes. He nearly caused a hernia as he screamed in protest. Taz stood on the second rope and gave Douglas the finger. Douglas threw a monitor off of the broadcast stage and then dragged Francine to the back. ( )

Styles recapped the Dudleys-Beulah angle. He said he could not be objective and called the Dudleys "scumbag street trash." He said he understands Paul E.'s logic in not firing them because the fans pay to see them get their asses kicked, but he added, "They make me sick to my god damned stomach. I won't be objective." Better than usual acting by Styles.

(6) Tommy Dreamer & Sandman & Spike Dudley beat Buh Buh Ray & D-Von & Big Dick Dudley (w/Joel Gertner, Sign Guy Dudley, heel ref Jeff Jones, and the blow-up doll Beulah McGuillislutty) at 14:23. Styles refused to talk during the Dudleys ring entrance. The ring entrances for both teams took nearly 20 minutes. Buh Buh said to the crowd, "I hate each and every one of you." He challenged anyone from the WWF, WCW, or the audience to fight him. Gertner said he makes panties wet, is hotter than a heat wave, and harder than Chinese algebra. He introduced himself as "Joel ? always leave them sore, but they keep coming back for more' Gertner." Styles said, "That blow up doll is the only way Gertner's gonna get laid in this lifetime." Gertner said when he 3D'd Beulah, she didn't know whether to "urinate, defecate, or ejaculate."

He added, "We proved Beulah is not the woman for Tommy, she's the woman for just about everybody else." Team Hardcore came to the ring, each bringing a ladder with them. D-Von began against Dreamer. They had a nice series of near falls in the opening minutes. Dreamer hit a stunner on D-Von off the top rope. Dreamer tagged in Spike, but Buh Buh tossed him around the ring easily. Spike came back with hard elbows and punches in the corner. He stood on Buh Buh's chest in the corner, but Buh Buh turned it into a powerbomb. Sign Guy held up a sign that read "Stolen gimmick victim" with an arrow pointing down at him (a reference to Lodi). He then held up a sign that read: "Jeff Jones: The only straight referee." Spike came back at 4:45. Sandman sprayed beer at the Dudleys.

At 5:15 Big Dick tagged in and faced Sandman. At 6:20 a six-way brawl broke out at ringside. Dreamer and D-Von exchanged chairshots. Dreamer whipped Big Dick into the railing. Buh Buh and Sandman brawled in the ring. Sandman gave Buh Buh a huracanrana off the top rope. D-Von dropped Dreamer's leg over the railing in an attempt at a crotching. Spike climbed to the top of the ladder in the ring and dove off onto all three Dudleys at ringside. Nice spot, but not especially dangerous as long as the ladder held its ground. Sandman laid a ladder on D-Von in the ring and senton flipped onto it. Buh Buh put a ladder on Dreamer and sentoned it. Spike gave Buh Buh the Acid Drop and went for the cover at 19:30, but D-Von made the save. Spike was bleeding by this point. D-Von sideslammed Spike on the ladder. Referee Jeff Molineau joined them in giving simultaneous slidekicks into chairs in all three corners. Jones ran in and piledrove the blow up doll. Dreamer then piledrove Jones. Team Hardcore hung all three Dudleys upside down in three corners and then hung Gertner upside down in the other.

Dreamer piledrove D-Von, but Big Dick made the save. Big Dick gave Dreamer a Total Penetration onto a ladder, then dropped Spike onto a table at ringside. Sandman went nuts with the cane, but Buh Buh gave Sandman a hard chairshot to the head. Buh Buh then went to splash Dreamer on a ladder, but Dreamer moved and Buh Buh landed hard. Dreamer then piledrove Buh Buh for the three count. Jack Victory then ran in with a guitar. The crowd chanted for New Jack, and he soon came out to his music and helped Dreamer, Sandman, and Spike clear the ring. The babyfaces posed on the three ladders in the ring as Spike ran around in circles to end the show.

[Torch art credit Cory Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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