I watched Tazz vs Bam Bam Bigelow on an old ECW ‘Greatest Matches’ videotape a long time ago. Back then, it didn’t make much of an impression on me. There were two big spots in the match, but everything surrounding those was dull. Sometimes, size difference between two wrestlers doesn’t matter, but in this match, it did. Most of the match was a punch/kick fest without a story or any psychology behind it. Re-watching it as part of the WWE Network’s Best 100…List, I can’t say my feelings on the match have changed at all!
The match is punctuated by two big spots. The first happens early on; Tazz Tazzplex’s Bam Bam Bigelow off the ramp into the crowd. It’s the high point of the match and a great feat of strength by Taz. Up until that point, the two wrestlers are concocting a decent contest. It’s an aggressive brawl between two opponents, one of which outweighs the other by some margin. No matter how great the spot is to watch, the rest of the match after that descends into mediocrity. I remember watching an interview with Tazz saying he temporarily knocked himself out during the Tazzplex spot, through banging his head on the guard rail. That may explain the mediocrity…
They lazily brawl around the crowd, end up in the ring, bring a table into play, but it’s all a comedown after the Tazzplex spot. The table spot adds little and looks as if Tazz tried a belly to back suplex but failed. Bigelow tried to bring energy back into the match with a moonsault, which considering his weight looks impressive, but he only connects with his elbow! Nothing really happens until Tazz locks on the Tazzmission and the other big spots occurs: Bigelow falls backwards with Tazz on his back, and the ring collapses under their weight. Shocking as it is, it isn’t enough to recover the match.
Tazz vs Bigelow from ‘Living Dangerously ‘98’ is an overrated match, and shouldn’t be on this list. Apart from the two big spots and a moonsault from Bigelow, Tazz and Bigelow struggle to retain any sense of momentum or story. Having a match full of spots can create plenty of entertainment, but relying on merely two, even in a short match like this one, stretches the viewer’s attention span. Maybe if Tazz hadn’t have knocked himself out, the two wrestlers may have been able to construct a better bout. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. There are plenty of other ECW matches that could have taken #60.
VERDICT: 6/10. A notch above average thanks to the two big spots, but a match is more than high spots. Tazz and Bigelow fail to rise above them.
Does this match belong in the WWE Network’s 100 Best Matches To See Before You Die? Leave your comments below!
Click here for my review of #63 Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro (2/3 Falls, WWE NXT, August 21, 2013)
Click here to view my list of reviews of the WWE Network’s 100 Best Matches To See Before You Die
Hammy Reviews 
Speaking of old WWE matches, do you remember the ones involving Shawn Michaels? He had quite a few moves that would put supporters of his opponent speechless. How do I know this, one of my friends, who is a big wrestling fan as I am, told me this. Also, remember his entrance song? That one is classic 🙂 Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂
LikeLike