Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu

[9.0] "This is very likely the best of the Sabu Vs. RVD matches that comes post-their early 1997 and prior clashes. Here it's two guys who have themselves all figured out and thus have to start pulling out the unexpected to try get one over on the other when their usual antics won't put the other away. What this means is that we get a lot more grappling exchanges and matwork than you may expect from either (though if you watch enough Sabu you sort of pick up he's actually a very good mat technician. There's a reason he always starts every match ever shooting for the leg). The selling of exhaustion and wear down is just built upon throughout the match, most notably when Sabu does a Leg Drop to the back of RVD's head through a table on the outside which he sells like death. But form there it's just another fifteen minutes of total desperation and heart from both guys doing as much creative and sharp wrestling as they can to try and one up the other, all while Alfonso tries (and oddly succeeds! ) at playing everything right down the middle and support both guys (much to RVD's annoyance). The booking of this time limit finish is also immaculate and manages to make it so that no matter how down you may be about the concept of time limit finishes and draws I think you'll still let this one slide. Once the twenty minute time limit is called RVD goes on a long speech about how he respects Sabu but knows that he can beat him in his special cocky fashion and demands a time extension to prove such. Sabu agrees. They then go another five, and then when that time limit hits Rob tries to leave! It's such great heel work that perfectly encapsulates the worst of RVD's self serving gimmick. Once RVD gets forced into another 5 minute extension, ad that time limit is called after both's finishers can't get the job done, RVD tries to blow it all off by saying Sabu couldn't beat him so he's still better. All while Sabu demands more time to continue the match and looking great in the process compared to RVD's obvious cowardice. It leaves you wanting more despite the fact that two overtime extensions have alreayd occurred, but also it smartly packs it up before doing so would get long in the tooth. They've got a PPV to build to after wall with their eventual last ECW singles match up at Guilty as Charged. I love this match though, it's just the both of them at their absolute peaks going all out on one another and it's refreshing even for the both of them just how creative they get in this along with the novelty of seeing so much old school grappling occur in this as well (something that I think mixes well with both their styles). An essential watch by my recommendation."

[9.0] "Really great variety in this match, they really tried everything and it was a great battle with many memorable spots, only real problem is the double breaks before deciding to continue for 5 more minutes, it is also nice to see how Bill Alfonso is really the man in the middle managing both at the same time"

[9.0] "A 30 minute match between these two sounded damn good to me, and it really delivered. They did the gimmick where they hit the 20 minute time limit, then reset for 5 minute overtime, then did it again before calling it a draw for real. That broke up the flow of the match a bit I think but it got over the story they wanted to tell, and the action itself held up extremely well. Sabu hit some crazy stuff of course, that front flip Arabian Facebuster with the chair off the top was absolutely savage, and the crowd was super into everything."