10 Worst ECW Matches Of The 1990s, According To Cagematch.net

What is there to say about Extreme Championship Wrestling that hasn’t already been said thousands of times? They were the little engine that could, the renegade promotion that changed the business in more ways than they ever could have imagined, and so on.

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But while ECW put on some of the most revolutionary matches in wrestling history, they weren’t always perfect. It’s important to note that lots of matches from ECW’s past aren’t rated on Cagematch.net, so while some of these matches might be loved by fans, it’s only because they gathered enough votes.

10 Beulah McGillicutty vs. Bill Alfonso – As Good As It Gets 1997 [Rating: 5.63]

A prime example of what we mean when we say some of the matches you will see on this list not exactly being the worst matches in ECW history. However, while this match is certainly one of the most memorable, from a technical standpoint it’s far from perfect.

What started off as a mixed tag team match between Beulah and Tommy Dreamer taking on Fonzie and RVD, turned into one of the bloodiest, and one of the ugliest matches you will ever see. Despite this, the match was so memorable it kept Bill Alfonso from losing his job, so good on you Fonzie!

9 Terry Funk vs. Raven (ECW World Heavyweight Championship) – Barely Legal 1997 [Rating: 5.58]

If this match was given the amount of time it probably should have gotten, chances are it wouldn’t be on this list. However, circumstances surrounding the match prevented it from being anything more than angle rather than a match.

This was the main event of ECW’s first pay-per-view and was the crowning moment in the twilight years of Terry Funk’s career. Despite this, the match was against the clock as the show was desperately close to running over their allotted time slot, which if it did would have been devastating for ECW.

8 Sabu vs. Chris Candido – Cyberslam 1997 [Rating: 5.56]

This match lasted nearly 20 minutes, and if anyone reading this can figure out why you will be added to The Sportster’s Christmas card list. While not the most terrible match by any stretch, there really isn’t too much to this match that is very memorable.

One of the main things that hindered the match was that Sabu, who is as clean a wrestler as most teenagers are when it comes to personal hygiene, already went through a gruelling Tables and Ladders match at the start of the night with The Eliminators and RVD. One for the ones who want to watch every piece of ECW content.

7 Rob Van Dam vs. Tommy Dreamer (Flag Match) - November to Remember 1997 [Rating: 5.40]

If Paul Heyman got the opportunity, he would more than likely overbook his own funeral. ECW was littered with matches that had run ins, ref bumps and everything but the kitchen sink, with this match being a prime example of it.

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In fairness, Tommy Dreamer was dealing with injuries meaning that RVD carried most of the match, which did lead to one of the greatest sells of a piledriver ever put to film. However, the match just sort of falls apart towards the end, leading to referees fighting each other and Bill Alfonso declaring Van Dam the winner? It’s complicated to say the least.

6 The Dudley Boyz vs. New Jack & Spike Dudley vs. Axl Rotten & Balls Mahoney – Living Dangerously 1998 [Rating: 5.18]

This match is known for one spot and one spot only, New Jack and Spike Dudley diving off the balcony inside the Asbury Park Convention Hall onto each of The Dudley Boyz while Axl and Balls stand there hyping up the crowd. While that spot is great, what else happened in this match?

With it being a New Jack match, it’s the traditional ‘weapons based brawl into the crowd until Jack does his big dive and then some other stuff happens until the match ends’ style match. This is all fine, but of all of these sorts of matches involving these six men, it’s potentially one of the least eventful outside of THAT balcony dive.

5 Tommy Dreamer & Mikey Whipwreck vs. Raven & Stevie Richards – Enter The Sandman 1995 [Rating: 4.58]

How does a match in ECW end in a disqualification? Ask referee Bill Alfonso who called this ‘match’ in 1995. It does feel harsh to talk about this match on a ‘worst’ style list since it’s another angle more than a contest to add fuel to the ever growing fire between Tommy Dreamer and Raven.

However, it’s got this rating, so it has to be mentioned. With this being Fonzie’s debut as a referee, this is all this match should be remembered for as he insisted on wrestlers in ECW of all places fighting fair. Other than that, it’s simply a match that acted as the lead in for half hour time limit draw between Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko.

4 Axl Rotten vs. Ian Rotten (Taipei Death Match) – Hardcore Heaven 1995 [Rating: 4.56]

LET’S GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY, THIS MATCH IS NOT FOR EVERYONE! This isn’t really a match, it’s two men who hated each other so much that they were willing to glue broken glass to their fists and beat the snot out of each other. It’s certainly something.

After Bill Alfonso’s antics almost prevented the match from happening, what followed is one of the bloodiest matches in ECW history. Like previously noted, it’s certainly not for everyone, and it definitely won’t happen again on a large scale, but it sure was a spectacle.

3 Tommy Dreamer & Terry Funk vs. Shane Douglas & Brian Lee - November To Remember 1996 [Rating: 4.55]

Oh man was this match long. There’s nothing wrong with long matches by any means, but only when they are paced well and tell a convincing story that deserves said length. Despite the four very talented men in the match, this one just wasn’t it.

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It had a few things working against it. The main being that this was already a long show, with this not even being the longest match on the show, the others being that Shane Douglas was insufferable during this period as he was a great heel but always worked VERY LONG. Lastly, much like the Living Dangerously 1998 match from earlier in the list, it’s a match that lives and breathes off its big spots, and while they are impressive, they weren’t enough to make this near 30 minutes pass by any quicker.

2 Shane Douglas vs. Pitbull #2 (ECW World Television Championship) – Barely Legal 1997 [Rating: 3.70]

Take out the big spots from the previous entry on the list, mix it with the overbooking that Paul Heyman loves to do so much and you get what is possibly the biggest crowd killer in the history of ECW, and what do you know, Shane Douglas is involved once again.

Sandwiched in between a lightning fast six man tag from the guys in Michinoku Pro and the “Grudge Match of the Century” between Taz and Sabu, it was hard to be able to deliver something outstanding. However, what the fans got was a long match that felt longer and somehow ended up being longer than that.

1 Shane Douglas vs. Taz (ECW World Heavyweight Championship) – Guilty As Charged 1999 [Rating: 2.78]

One of the ultimate examples of a match truly not living up to the hype, a match that was meant to be the crowning achievement in Taz’s career and the end to the reign of terror that The Franchise had over the world title picture. However, it didn’t end up like that.

What fans got was an extremely underwhelming main event that actually made Taz look weaker than usual with the run ins from Sabu and Chris Candido, plus the fact that poor Shane Douglas was pretty banged up at this point in his run, and you end up with the worst match in the history of ECW, according to Cagematch.net.