[10.0] "1998 American pro-wrestling PPV's were not consistent, they were unbalanced. Either WCW had its fun undercard and awful main events, or WWE with its dire undercard and exciting main event. Here on this day ECW, gave 1998 what it needed a consistently exciting and action packed PPV and based on the comments, it is clear none of you were there, none of you actually watched live, you've just seen it 25+ years later and then compared it to something it shouldn't be compared against. The opener is a fantastic thrilling roller coaster of action, story and cool moves, the second match is a nice battle between two former tag partners, then you have an absolute barn burner of what is essentially the west's first taste of an FMW heavyweight battle that is still outstanding to watch. Fans are then treated to a dream tag match, a genuine dream match and while not perfect totally gave the viewer something to enjoy. Taz and Bam Bam battle and brawl and then its capped off with a typical ECW style brawl, the same style that brought all the fans to the venue in the first place. There is nothing bad at all, its a fun, exciting and energetic night of action with no lull, that really was a diamond in the rough among very inconsistent 1998 wrestling PPVS. Its a true bright spot and not only ECW's best PPV, but also easily positioned in the top 3 American PPV's of 1998."

[6.0] "If this is the best ECW PPV then ECW might not be my thing outside of how innovative and essential it is to the modern landscape of wrestling.Not to say any of it was bad but if the best ECW PPV is an above average show with a couple of standout matches then you really had to be there. The first two matches are great showcases of the technical ability of their roster with great performances from Jerry Lynn, Chris Candido, Lance Storm and surprisingly Justin Credible but neither match really ste[[ed up to that next level. Not enough substance in either bout and it was just a series of well executed moves which was noticeably lacking in the Candido/Storm match specifically. In the middle of the card we get the two best matches of the night, one specifically is of legend. Tanaka and Awesome share the ring for the 5th time in their career and have a war of stiff chair shots and career shortening powerbombs. It's simple and gruesome but very entertaining. We also get Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki taking on the odd couple of Rob Van Dam and Sabu in a messy yet innovative match that felt very ahead of its time. From that point on however the card slopes downward. In probably the most iconic match of the card due to its finish, Taz and Bam Bam Bigelow have a painfully mediocre walk and brawl falls count anywhere match. The energy of the crowd carries the match and the same can be said for the main event. Last on is a Dudleyville Street Fight with the Dudleys taking on Spike Dudley, The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer in a match of two halves. First half is a well worked trios match and the second half is a hardcore plunder spotfest but my issue is why wasn't it 100% a hardcore plunder spotfest. It's a street fight based around one of the guy's partner's neck being broken and the decide to start off with mat wrestling? An absurd booking decision. Overall the show is fun, especially with the original entrance music that WWE refused to get cleared. Despite its shortcomings, around the time this is probably one of the better shows you could have spent money on"

[8.0] "This is probably the best ECW PPV, with two decent to good wrestling matches to start, a great car crash in Awesome/Tanaka, a clunky spectacle in a dream tag team match, a huge grudge match with a satisfying ending in Taz/Bam Bam, and an ok six-man tag main event which was unfortunately a let-down from the previous match, which ended in a really strong way. They would have been better off rearranging match order."

[8.0] "I heard it's often called one of ECW's best PPVs, and it's easy to see why. The crowd was on fire all night, adding to a card that blended technical wrestling, reckless violence, and spectacle. Lynn vs. Credible and Storm vs. Candido were strong openers, Tanaka vs. Awesome was insane chaos, and RVD/Sabu vs. Hayabusa/Shinzaki felt like a dream match even with sloppy execution. Taz vs. Bam Bam delivered brutality with an iconic finish, while the main event was messy fun capped by New Jack. Shane Douglas on commentary dragged, but overall this was classic ECW energy at its peak."

"Only ever seen the Tag title match, but that's enough to give this show a 9/10! Absolutely insane match! Wish Hayabusa and Hakushi had been featured more often!"

[10.0] "Extremely sick PPV, the three punch run of Tanka vs. Awesome, RVD and Sabu vs. Hayabuse and Shinzaki, and Taz vs. Bigelow is absolutely insane. Every match was at least good and those three were phenomenal."

[4.0] "Ugh, they gave me high hopes with the first two matches. Lynn and Credible showed how to have a great match in the ECW environment for both hardcore marks and normal wrestling fans, which was also the case for Storm vs Candido, who additionaly had a nice story going for them. But then it just got worse with every match. Tanaka and Awesome had some impressive spots, but that's about it, because it was nothing more but a source for some kind of a YouTube compilation. Shinzaki looked phenomenal in the next match and they had a nice start, but then it degenerated into another dumb ECW Tag Team Match with nobody caring about the tags anymore, while Taz vs Bam Bam was a dull walking brawl with the finish being the only thing worth remembering. And then the main event was the worst thing on the show, because as soon as they stopped tagging each other they completely lost the plot and a great build they had went out of the window in favour of the mindless hardcore bullshit. So yeah - great two matches, fantastic promo from Gertner and that's about it, nothing new in the ECW world."

[10.0] "Often commented on as being the best ECW PPV put out by the company, and well, for me in my watching of them so far, I am in agreement. By far it's their most solid top to bottom of the card, with heavy Japanese Wrestling influence featured (and I'm not just talking about the FMW talent). Granted it's not as fluid as Japanese style usually is, but it's still quite a positive change that I wished lasted a little longer. As for matches on the show, the opener is a sleeper MOTN for me, closely followed by the ECW Tag title encounter. Awesome/Tanaka is strong-style with chairs and is morbidly fascinating. Candido/Storm could have better, as it lacked the fire & hatred to warrant the feud, which the main event also suffered. And finally the FTW title match was seemingly there just to top their stunt from last time. Tons of fun, tons of highlights & moments, super enjoyable PPV."

[9.0] "This is probably the definitive ECW PPV. It showcases much of what ECW had to offer, from technical bouts to hardcore brawls. This is also one of Hayabusa's only US appearances. If you've never watched ECW before, this show is the perfect place to start"

[7.0] "This was a really good PPV with 2 matches that are an absolute blast to watch. In my opinion, Taz vs Bigelow should've main evented the show but that's just. This is a really good PPV but I do think it is very overrated and should be considered an optional must watch. 4/5"

[9.0] "Super fun watch. Extremely chaotic and a product of its era. I think if I was transported to the late 90s, I would've been an ECW guy."

[7.0] "Good event. The opening matches were pretty average but the action got better. The other bouts were good."

[9.0] "Great show from top to bottom, all matches make this card flow very well and leave you wanting more or to come back to this card again at a later date. Wish the main event could have been Taz & Bam Bam despite the good build up to the main event."

[8.0] "This was a perfect encapsulation of the chaotic and fast-paced style ECW is known for. The show is a damn good time from top to bottom and features a fun closer with the wild main event and New Jack's run-in after the bell."

[8.0] "Perhaps a slightly overrated show but still one of ECW's best shows, and one of the best PPVs of the period overall. Every match was enjoyable and a couple genuinely great, with very little of the bullshit that weighed down so many ECW shows."

[8.0] "This is probably the best ECW pay per view ever (It s either this or Anarchy Rulz in 1999) and was one of the better pay per views in the entirety of 98 when it came to the Big Three American promotions. I certainly enjoy watching it more than Bash at the Beach 98, although there wasnt a match as good as the Rock/Triple H ladder match here so SummerSlam 98 probably just edges it out when it comes to being the best pay per view of the summer. Heck of a period for the wrestling business though when you take into account how good this show was from an in-ring perspective and how good both Bash and SummerSlam did at the box office (I think BATB 98 was WCWs second highest buy rate ever). Easily recommended show, check it out if you want to understand why so many people liked ECW back in the day. Hot crowd, good matches and solid booking. What more could you ask for?"

[8.0] "A good albeit imperfect show. While only Tanaka/Awesome (and maybe Taz/Bigelow) would fall into the "must watch" category, the show itself breezes by because of smart sequencing and a surprising amount of variety. On other ECW pay-per-views, there was rarely any pacing or building up to the main event. Here, the show starts with two technical matches, then delivers a really hard-hitting match in Tanaka/Awesome that features quite a few chair shots and some furniture destruction but isn't necessarily your typical ECW "kitchen sink" brawl, then offers a bit of a tape-traders' dream match for the Tag Team Titles, before wrapping up with a major grudge match between Taz and Bigelow, and then the ultra-violent, ultra-chaotic "kitchen sink" brawl that comes off very much like the show's grand finale, like Paul E. told everyone involved (including Jack Victory and New Jack) to just go out there and brutalize each other and not to worry about pesky things like "selling" or telling a story. By that point, though, this is exactly what the crowd wanted so it works. Its a show where the total is greater than the sum of the individual parts."

[8.0] "Overall, it was a pretty good show. I am not blown away by it by any means but I can still recommend it. It is a series of fun and fine matches, but there is no all-time classics in here, no must-see bouts. Also, the poor use of powerbombs really got on my nerves after a while."

[9.0] "While the first two matches were technically sound and by no means boring, this PPV really kicks into high gear following those. Pretty much every crowning aspect of ECW is on display here; Bloody brawls, high flying daredevil antics and great technical showcases from young talent. Disregarding Joel Gertner's excessively long heel promo prior to the main event, there's not an ounce of fat on this show says I. Without a doubt ECW's best original PPV."

[7.0] "People who say gamergate boomed the incel movement have clearly never seen an ECW crowd the second a woman walks out in front of them. This was a fun card although certainly doesn't belong on any all timer list. Please never ask Joey Styles to do sincerity like he had to for main event again."

[8.0] "It's pretty good. Alot of people throw this up there as one of the best PPV's of all time. I think its pretty good, but a few meh matches hold this show back for me from ranking it higher. The first two matches are okay but ultimately forgettable, and the main event in my opinion is kind of a stinker. That being said, Taz vs Bam Bam was fun, the tag match was a fun high spot circus and Tanaka vs Awesome was an insane albeit concerning match. A pretty good watch, especially considering ECW's very, um, inconsistent catalog."

[9.0] "I watched it yesterday for the second time after watching another boring Monday Night Raw with no crowd in the WWE Performance Center and it remembered me why I love so much the business. Quite possibly the best ECW Show ever, in a period of greatness for SPort Entertainment. Every match is amazing, with a big crescendo of quality from beginning to the End. Inspired by FMW, Heyman made a Revolution in America and used many Japanese workers in collaboration with FMW itself. Masato vs Awesome is incredible, one of the Greatest Hard Hitting Matches ever (the chair shots on Tanaka from Awesome has been Fantastic and hard to watch), The RVD & Sabu vs Hayabusa and Shenzaki was incredible, with two of the best pionieers in History of the Business in RVD and Hayabusa, the match between Bigelow and Taz is Infamous for the insane bump on the ramp and the Main Event its orgasmic. Simply sit down, relax and watch the crowd reaction in the main event to understand that ECW it's a feeling of rebellion revolution grudge and 90's. My fellow pro wrestling fans, brothers and sisters Can I ask You... There is anything better in this world than something like that? Something like this sense of freedom that we can feel watching a show like this? I really think that when Wrestling is bad it is really bad, it's crap, but when it is great it is the best thing on the fucking planet."

[9.0] "Every single match on this card was in the good to great range. Super impressive and one hell of a show."

[9.0] "Thankful for the network, or I may have never had the chance to watch this. Lynn vs Credible was a very good opener that provided good action. There was a reverse DDT that looked like it hurt. A clash of styles, but it worked. The interference from Credible's entourage was expected. Storm vs Candido was fun. Storm was great here and how he was utilized really shows. Candido is someone I have not really watched or focused on before, so this was a solid reintroduction to him. The spinning heel kick from the top rope by Storm was cool. Can't say I've seen it done that way before. Tammy's involvement was also expected. You hear of the legendary matches between Tanaka and Awesome, but you gotta watch one to believe those legends. The first of their series was a fantastic war that didn't need to go 20+ minutes. In the time they had, they put on a hell of a match, one that was unique in 1998. The tag titles match was OK with a cool finish, but it went on for too long. I found myself bored halfway and stopped focusing. Taz vs Bam Bam was an awesome brawl. I never knew that it was this match where Bam Bam got DDTed through the stage. Aside from that moment, the rest of this match was great between two unique athletes. Shane Douglas on commentary was great too. Main event was chaotic fun. That's the best way to describe it. It was a good match to close off with and the ending was good enough to send the fans home happy. I thought this event was great. Glad I was finally able to watch. Everything went well except for that tag title match."

[10.0] "Justin Credible Vs Jerry Lynn ****1/4. Chris Candido Vs lance Storm ***3/4. Masato Tanaka Vs Mike Awesome ****. RVD and Sabu Vs Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki ****1/4. Tazz Vs Bam Bam Bigelow ****1/2. Six man street fight ***1/2. A great, stacked card with all the matches being great. My favorite being Tazz Vs Bigelow. Defiantly recommend this show if you want some fun wrestling matches."

[10.0] "Lynn vs Credible: ***1/2 Storm vs Candido: **** Tanaka vs Awesome: ****1/2 RVD & Sabu vs Hayabusa & Shinzaki: ***1/2 Taz vs Bam Bam Bigelow: **** Spike, Sandman, & Dreamer vs The Dudleys: *** One of the greatest cards of all time, every single match was good, even the main event was pretty fun. Entertaining from start to finish, what more could you ask for?"

[10.0] "A really fantastic show with consistent match quality throughout. Not a bad match on the card, though the Tag Title match, Taz vs. Bam Bam and Awesome vs. Tanaka especially stand out, and the main event was great fun with a hot story behind it. This showcases ECW at its very best, and if one were introducing a new viewer to the promotion, this would be a great choice of shows to start with."

[8.0] "By ECW standards this was a really good show. All the matches were pretty solid and there wasn't really a bad one in the lot. The Taz/Bigelow spot through the ramp was a nice touch to their match and the ending gave that happy PPV ending feel."

[9.0] "Finally, a PPV that lives up to ECW's reputation. The first couple of shows were great, but they were followed by a streak of duds. This show was great, though with two matches that I thought hit **** level and three more that were around ***1/2. The main event was possibly the worst match on the show, but it still sent everyone home happy and definitely had its moments. Shane Douglas wasn't as bad of a color guy as I thought he would be, either."