Taz Defeats Sabu to Become Undisputed ECW World Champ

Taz and Sabu squared off in ECW’s first pay-per-view on April 13, 1997, called “Barely Legal.” At “Living Dangerously,” ECW’s 9th pay-per-view event, the two met in the main event to unify the ECW and the unrecognized FTW titles.

Before the match, Taz announced that he wanted the unification match to also be an extreme death match, meaning falls count anywhere in the arena.

Sabu competed in the match with a fractured jaw, which quickly turned into a bloody mouth. Taz delivered a dragon taz plex, tossing Sabu through an in ring table. Sabu’s manager, Bill Alfonzo, threw in the towel to stop the match, but the referee ignored it. Taz slapped on the tazmission, and Sabu tapped out. Taz was declared the unified and undisputed ECW champion. After the match, the two shook hands.

In the semi main event, “The Franchise” Shane Douglas, and the “innovator of violence” Tommy Dreamer knocked off Justin Credible and Lance Storm.

With on the on-going verbal assault between WCW champion Ric Flair and three time ECW champion Shane Douglas, the pro ECW crowd in Asbury, New Jersey, shouted “Ric Flair sucks,” as the action moved outside the ring.

The fake “Beulah” (Tammy Lynn Bytch) delivered a low blow to Shane Douglas, provoking Francine to start a cat fight between the two valets. Francine nailed Justin Credible with a roundhouse kick, allowing Douglas to use a Pittsburgh Plunge and small package to pin Credible, and win the match.

After the match, Sirus (The Jackyl from the WWF) attacked Francine, delivering a head butt below her waist.

New Jack defeated his former tag team partner Mustafa in a street fight match. A large trashcan containing items such as a guitar, a keyboard, golf clubs, and a kid’s lawn mower, was brought to the ring by New Jack.

The highlight of the match came when New Jack taped his former partner to a table, and jumped 20 feet off the balcony, crushing Mustafa through the table. Security escorted both men back to the ring, and New Jack covered Mustafa for the victory.

The Dudley boys came to ring following the match. After destroying New Jack, the duo challenged any team from the back. Spike Dudley and Nova answered their challenge, but put up little challenge for the five time ECW tag team champions.

Bubba Ray Dudley made another open challenge, and this time Judge Jeff Jones arrived, and sent Sid to the ring. Sid delivered a double choke slam on the team. A recovering Spike Dudley nailed Bubba Ray with his acid drop to score the fall. Sid then attacked Spike, power bombing him off the ramp and through a table.

It appeared ECW Television champion Rob Van Dam, and challenger Jerry Lynn had wrestled to a time limit draw. The fans chanted for five more minutes, and the grapplers agreed to finish the match. In the overtime period, Van Dam nailed Lynn with a frog splash to retain the TV title.

In a post match interview, Rob Van Dam challenged Lynn to a rematch at ECW’ next pay-per-view “Hardcore Heaven,” this time without a time limit.

In other action, Little Guido defeated Antifaz del Norte with a sicilian crab. After the match, Tracy Smothers turned on Guido, and Tommy Rich nailed Sal E. with the Italian flag.

Steve Corino made an open challenge to anyone in the back, and Balls Mahoney and Axl Rotten made their way to the ring. Mahoney clobbered Corino with a vicious chair shot to win the match.

In the opening match up, Super Crazy pinned Yoshihiro Tajiri to win their feud.

ECW returns to pay-per-view on Sunday, May 16th for “Hardcore Heaven.”

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