ECW One Night Stand

A decent night of action with arguably the most vocal crowd to ever grace a WWE sanctioned event.

1) Tazz def Jerry 'The King' Lawler - The easiest outcome to predict out of all the matches. It was never going to be about the wrestling was it? It was more of a segment than anything else. Anyway, Tazz chokes out Jerry Lawler thanks to interference from Joey Styles. 3/10

2) Kurt Angle def Randy Orton - Quite a good WWE wrestling match. The only thing that I don't like about the ECW fans is that they don't appreciate pure old school wrestling matches, e.g Bob Backlund. This was evident when they chanted "BORING" to Randy Orton. The crowd were really into Kurt Angle. Randy Orton played the heel quite well (after the match when he was being helped out by officials, the fans were calling him a pussy. He acted like they were cheering him by smiling and waving at them. Very funny). 6.5/10

3) FBI def Tajiri & Super Crazy - The crowd showed appreciation for these talented and underrated superstars. Tajiri got a great welcome back reception. A very good cruiser weight match. I'm not sure what the point of the Big Show coming out at the end was though. 7/10

4) Rey Mysterio & Sabu: No Contest - Many people were expecting a lot more but I guess the WWE has to protect it's champion and can't let him get too banged up. A few high spots leading up to the main high spot which finished the match (the finish to the match was a work by the way). The spot at the end did enough to make this match worth while. 6/10 (I would have given it a higher rating if the match was longer)

5) Mic Foley, Edge & Lita def Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer & Beulah - Good hardcore match, Mic Foley stole the show in this one. Even though he played a heel character, the ECW fans had nothing but love for him and were reluctant to boo him. When they did boo him, it was in a pantomime kind of way. Terry Funk did a Ric Flair job (everybody was just happy that he didn't die). Tommy Dreamer did his usually job, nothing out of the ordinary. Edge showed why he's the most improved wrestler of the year as far as ring presence and main event status goes. The females weren't to be out done either. Lita showed that the WWE shouldn't forget that she can actually wrestle and it was nice to see Beulah back in the thick of things again. 7.5/10 (Match of the night)

6) Balls Mahoney def Tanaka - Judging by Tanaka's match with Mike Awesome at last years ONS, I expected a show stealer. This match was pretty much garbage. Not because of Tanaka, but because Balls Mahoney is the most out of shape wrestler in the world (apart from the Blue Meanie). 5/10

7) RVD def John Cena - Like at WM 22, John Cena's match makes headlines because of the crowd, not the wrestling. I have never seen or heard a crowd with so much genuine hatred for a wrestler in my life. It wasn't the good heel heat that a heel sets out to achieve either. It was the heat that The Rock got before he joined the Nation or X-Pac heat as it's more commonly known. Edge even received a "THANK U EDGE" chant for attacking Cena during the match. John Cena & Mr McMahon can keep acting like the boos don't bother them but even if you have no soul, a reaction like what Cena received would f**k your soul up. I felt genuinely sorry for John Cena and I am no John Cena fan. The match was a standard no DQ match never the less. The match 6.5/10. The crowd reaction 10/10.

I'll give a special mention to JBL who did a segment showing why he has the best mic work in the WWE.

I also can't believe that Vince McMahon had the guts to put Eugene on an ECW show. Even though Sandman beat Eugene up that segment was pretty pointless.

Overall a standard ECW PPV which the fans turned into a good ECW PPV. ECW should always have their events in small arenas otherwise the atmosphere will disappear.

Man if you missed this one I feel sorry for you, this was the best pay per view of the year for me. I didn't have high hopes for this One Night Stand 2 like I did last year but this year it was better. The match of the night for me was Tommy Dreamer/Funk vs Edge/Foley, thank god for a guy like Funk to still be able to put on amazing matches. Sandman segment was really funny, RVD vs Cena was good, The crowd was the best part about that match, they were great. Sabu vs Mysterio was great too. F.B.I vs Super Crazy/Tajiri was great too, I loved this match. The show was great and I can't wait until the DVD hit stores. This show was a good way to bring ECW back to life.

I'm not a big ECW fan , personally I find the whole concept of the company over-rated and I think ECW fans are nothing but a flock of sheep who would get excited over anything remotely linked with ECW that is put it front of them. Not to mention considering its a programme viewed by mostly over 18 males, they show an incredible amount of immaturity. Anyway to the show Firstly Heyman comes out and feeds his sheep some grass, otherwise known as milking up to the ECW crowd so they cheer his name.

1. Tazz Vs. The King - 3/10, not really a match more of a segment, ends in no time with an unsurprising end.

2. Randy Orton Vs. Kurt Angle - 7/10 A very good show put on by the WWE guys, but my main issue with this match was the ECW crowd, there chants towards Orton were very child like and silly, it was like being back in the playground at school, the best they could do were a few ridiculous homophobic jokes, I thought that was pretty low but it sums up the narrow mindedness of a common day ECW mark.

3. The FBI Vs. Super Crazy - 7/10 A very good cruiser-weight match, nothing different to the stuff we see on Smackdown most weeks.

4. Rey Mysterio Vs. Sabu WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE - 8.5/10 Iv always criticised Sabu for being no more then a glorified stuntman, but hey the guy can pull of some stunts, there is an awesome spot at the end of this match, truly worth a thumbs up from me. Truly worth the 8.5/10 rating.

JBL gets on the Mic and delivers a great promo ripping on the ECW fans.

5. Edge/Foley/Lita Vs. Funk/Dreamer/Bellulah - 8/10 As good as Foley/Edge Wrestlemania if not better, incredible that 61 year old funk is willing to take bumps like that, he deserves credit. Dreamer for me did nothing as i expected, Edge/Foley carried much of this match making it great.

6. Balls Mahoney Vs. Tanaka - 5/10 Didn't really care for this match, wasn't anything special, more of a toilet break type match.

Eugene meets the Sandman aka drunk, fat, sexual predatory crack head. To see people cheer for a low life scum like the Sandman makes me sick. Another place where ECW fans lose their credibility by cheering for a total loser like him.

7. RVD Vs. John Cena WWE Championship - 8/10 Funny beginning to the match Cena throws his hat and shirt into the crowd, perhaps rather stupidly the ECW fans keep throwing it back, stupid because that shirt could be worth a penny or two, anyway Cena keeps throwing it back for a few Min's. People say crowd made this match well I don't think they made it that much because you knew what they were going to do and say to Cena and it was like been there done that. For me Cena made this match, seeing him revert to a heel role was great to see, beating up the referee, mocking the crowd, performing illegal moves albeit it was nodq match it was good to see. Cena hits RVD with a pretty impressive DDT on the steel chair and I think ECW fans in a weird way acknowledged he'd done something good, although they chanted "you still suck" after each pretty impressive Cena move, I think those chants were rather sinister. Ending was a bit surprising which added to what was a very good match.

Controversy, destruction, and the complete embarrassment of one John Cena. Welcome back ECW! This was without a doubt the best pay-per-view of the year. Personally I had some problems with it, but it was worth all the money I spent to watch it.

We kick of ECW with the sold out Hammer stein Ballroom chanting ECW! The ECW music begins to play and Paul Heyman enters the ring. He then begins an emotional promo, not unlike Joey Styles did last year, and begins to thank the fans, saying that they're the reason ECW is coming back. We then go into the theme video/music.

The first match was Taz vs. Jerry Lawler. Taz's old school music hits and he comes in with an explosion of cheers. The exact opposite happens when Lawler enters. As soon as Lawler enters the ring, he is attacked from behind by Joey. Lawler shakes him off and is about to give Styles a pile-driver when Taz comes up behind him and puts Lawler in the tazmission and chokes him out. The end. Not bad, but it's exactly what everyone expected. After the match Taz joined Joey on commentary, saying that he might as well stick around since he had had such a short night. Match Rating 7:10

Next came Randy Orton vs. Kurt Angle. Randy came into a semi-dead heat from the crowd. Kurt Angle managed to get a good reception and the match began. Kurt went for the ankle lock early in the match, but it was reversed. Randy Orton bailed out of the ring and was struck with a "Pussy" chant from the fans. He then went back 9in and after going back and forth, Randy was slapped a few times by Angle. This caused the fans to chant "You got b**** slapped!". It seems to me that the crowd made this match. The wrestling was good but Orton was hit with chants like "Go blow Cena" or " Angle's gonna kill you". Great match. Angle wins with the Ankle lock. Match Rating 10:10

Next was the F.B.I. vs. Super Crazy and Tajiri. I love cruiser weight matches. Super Crazy did not disappoint. Although he may not have leaped of the balcony, he did get in some spectacular moonsaults. I will not give Way all the spots in the match so as to not ruin it. In the end the F.B.I. managed to get Tajiri alone and pinned him with a double brain buster. After the match the Big Show came in and cleared house. Excellent match. Match Rating 12:10

Next came the World Heavyweight championship match Rey Mysterio vs. Sabu. Spectacular match. I have always been a great fan of the Suicidal, Homicidal, Genocidal, Death-defying maniac, Sabu. And who can forget the high-flying tendencies of Rey Mysterio? Both showed and gave it their all. Sabu showed how innovative he can be, and Mysterio reverted to his ECW hardcore style. The match ending wasn't much to my liking. Sabu hit a triple-jump DDT on Mysterio through a table on the outside. They didn't land on non-awkward angles and both had to be helped outside. Still a classic Match Rating 20:10

Next match Tommy Dreamer, Terry Funk vs. Cactus Jack, Edge. Tommy and Terry came in with Beulah at their side, while Cactus and Edge came in with Lita. This match went Hardcore to the EXTREME! Both Terry And Mick Foley showed that they can still take suicidal bumps and come back fighting. The match included fire, wood and barbed wire. Not necessarily in that order. The highly anticipated cat fight between Lita and Beulah was nice. Edge won when he speared Beulah. Match Rating 15:10

Next match Balls Mahoney vs. Masato Tanaka. Not a bad match, could've been longer. Masato Tanaka showed how tough he was by taking the hardest chair-shot I have ever seen. Balls wins with a chair-shot. Match Rating 8:10

What happened next was disgusting. Eugene came out to some boos, which I half expected, but I did not like what happened next. After Eugene read a poem The Sandman came out. He pulled out his Singapore cane and started caning Eugene. And after forcing Eugene to beg for mercy, he started caning him again. Eugene had to retreat in to the locker room, with the Sandman giving chase. Promo Rating -20:10

Now for the main event, John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam. This was the emotional slaughter of John Cena's soul. He came into explosive boo's, and "F*** you Cena" chants. Someone even went as far as to make a sign that said "If Cena wins we riot". I was cracking up the whole time. These boos were only topped when Cena threw his shirt into the ring, and the fan threw it back. He tried this several times, but kept getting his shirt returned, one time a fan actually spit on It., "Throw it back chants" began rising and Cena was forced to leave the shirt lying. I can't believe how hard I laughed. For Cena's entire entrance the fans threw toilet paper at Cena, even some during the match. You suck Dick chants ran through the match. And every time Cena did a move, "Same old s***" chants would rise. When Cena did a flying move, the fans chanted "You still suck". Rvd put a nice beating on Cena, as did the fans. The match ended when edge came out and speared Cena through a table. Although Edge had been booed earlier in the evening, "thank you, Edge" chants rang after he speared Cena. Rvd hit his patented five-star-frog- splash and pinned Cena. Match Rating 10:10 Fan Rating 100:10

This was great pay-per-view. I only have one question. Whatever happened to the Benoit vs. Dean Malenko match that was supposed to happen?PPV Rating 1000:10

I admit it, I was pretty certain that this PPV would bomb. The idea of having WWE superstars like Edge, Randy Orton and Lita on the PPV was weird, especially since this was all about ECW. But I will take my word back, it was an enjoyable show. And I also must admit it that I am disappointed that with all the rumours going around on the internet about a possible Dean Malenko vs Chris Benoit match, it didn't happen.

In all ONS 2006 wasn't as sharp or as crisp as ONS 2005, but WWE did produce a good show even though Tazz couldn't be arsed to wrestle a regular match with Jerry Lawler, but looking at the size of Tazz these days, it's no wonder.

The Super Crazy and Tajiri vs Little Guido and Tony Mamaluke match featured a few good moves but was let down by far too many blown spots and I was dismayed when Big Show came out and destroyed all four men and Big Guido as well. The ECW fans gave him a standing ovation, I couldn't understand why, especially when you consider Show dines on junk food and rarely works out in the gym.

The crowd reaction in the main event featuring John Cena and Rob Van Dam was unforgettable. 100% of the fans were behind RVD and not one was there for Cena. They shouted things at Cena like "You can't wrestle", "Same old s*it" (in reference to his wrestling routine), "F*ck you Cena" and even worse. Still Cena knew this would happen and played his heel role well.

Results from the Hammerstein Ballroom in front of 2,500 fans are as follows: Tazz defeated Jerry Lawler in a quick match. Balls Mahoney defeated Masato Tanaka in a short match, after his excellent match in 2005 with Mike Awesome, this was a waste of Tanaka. Edge, Mick Foley and Lita defeated Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer and Beulah in a wild, hardcore match. Kurt Angle defeated Randy Orton in a great war. The FBI (Little Guido and Tony Mamaluke) defeated Super Crazy and Tajiri. Sabu and Rey Mysterio ended in a no contest. RVD defeated John Cena to become the ECW champion.

Overall Grade - A