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Overbooking convicts Guilty As Charged

John Powell

 

What has separated ECW from the Big Two is its focus on actual wrestling not convoluted angles or promos cut by grapplers putting more effort into their interviews than their matches. Some call it an outdated old school approach. To me, it’s pro-wrestling as it was meant to be. In my mind, “Shut up and wrestle!” should be the slogan of every wrestling school turning out the superstars of tomorrow. But, that’s just me.

Last night at their first pay-per-view of 2000 – Guilty As Charged – ECW tried to mimic the competition cramming the show with more mike work than a livestock auction in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The outcome was a meandering pay-per-view bereft of any momentum or clarity. Even a high voltage Sabu – RVD bout couldn’t save the show.

Prior to the event itself, insiders and fans were so dumbfounded at Heyman’s choice of the Awesome – Spike Dudley main event that everyone and their grandmother predicted a swerve. The fact that it didn’t happen and that the ‘Fed wanted fans to accept the match-up as a legitimate pay-per-view main event, may speak volumes about just how badly the usually innovative ECW booking machine has malfunctioned in recent months. What makes this poor outing even harder to comprehend is that ECW had since November to plan the event.

The 5-foot-7, 155-pound, Spike Dudley, challenging the 6-foot-6, 292-pound, Mike Awesome? If that isn’t a mismatch, I don’t know what is. Little Spike is deserving of the nickname “Giant Killer”. Just ask Bam Bam Bigelow and any of the other “big men” Spike has laid out with the Acid Drop. Spike Dudley as ECW World Heavyweight Champion? Somehow, I don’t think so. Not at this juncture in the ECW – TNN deal. So what could possibly be the function of the Guilty As Charged main event? To put Spike over as the suicidal bump-taker he is and Awesome as a unmerciful champion. Things we had an idea of already.

Spike put the nails in his own coffin by setting-up tables around all sides of the ring before Awesome walked that aisle. Not too bright, that Spike Dudley guy. Awesome power press slammed Spike over the top rope through a table and then through a pair of double-stacked tables to start the massacre. Awesome heaved Spike over the security fence. A running flying clothesline over the fence by Awesome almost decapitated the human-crash test-dummy. The ECW World Heavyweight Champion then did what he would be doing a lot of throughout the match — dragging poor Spike’s crumpled body around.

Spike’s punches halted an almost match-ending Awesome Bomb. Awesome was knocked to the floor. Spike splashed Awesome on the outside and sort of Acid Dropped the champ on a steel fence. Awesome was chair shot across the back three times. Spike attempted an Acid Drop while standing on the steel fence however he lost his footing and twisted his knee. Limping, Spike went for a suicide dive through the ropes. He didn’t make it. Awesome climbed to the top rope and Spike caught him with a Hurracanrana. Unaffected by the bold move, Awesome power clotheslined Spike down. An Awesome Splash earned him a two count.

A frustrated Awesome charged at Spike three times. He was met by the soles of Spike’s boots three times. A double stomp from the top rope had Awesome clutching his gut. Taking a page from Goldberg’s playbook, Spike speared Awesome out of the ring.

Awesome blocked a chairshot kicking the chair into Spike’s face. A slingshot splash over the top rope to the floor showed why Awesome eclipses Kevin Nash, Sid Vicious or even The Big Show as the most talented “big man” in the sport today. In the process of landing, Awesome slipped on the wet arena floor and took some time getting back up. In an act of desperation, Spike held onto Awesome’s legs on the ring apron. This bizarre maneuver disoriented Awesome enough so Spike could execute an Acid Drop running from the apron, onto the turnbuckles and off the ring post. Impressive! Awesome went crashing through a table. Next, Spike choked Awesome with a television cable and drove a steel chair from the top rope onto his skull.

Back in the ring, Spike forgot the first rule of wrestling. Never go to the proverbial well too often. Awesome countered another Acid Drop tossing him over the top rope and onto a table as he did previously on ECW’s TNN show. Awesome called on his manager “Judge” Jeff Jones to bring a table into the ring. Spike endeavored to turn an Awesome Bomb into an Acid Drop but Awesome clotheslined him. An Awesome Bomb from the top rope through a table (again like ECW On TNN) had Spike’s shoulders pinned for the three count.

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