IAN ROTTEN VS. AXL ROTTEN (TAIPEI DEATHMATCH)
ECW Hardcore Heaven (1st July 1995)
Both of these brothers were born in Newcastle, England, and at some point, I was going to have to get to it. I thought I'd get this monstrosity of a match out of the way. It was the precursor to American Ultraviolence and companies such as CZW and Ian Rotten's own IWA: Mid-South to putting their wrestlers through some crazy stipulations and 3 matches of such a night in the infamous Tournaments of Death. All of these matches for those who don't know spawned in Japan from the 1995 Tournament of Death, also under the IWA umbrella. An event I got out of curiosity but honestly, I think I just want to review it soon and get it out of my collection.
Bad Breed (The Rotten brothers' tag team name) lost a “Losers must split” match to The Pitbulls at November 2 Remember. The right call, in my opinion. They have been feuding since Double Tables in February.
This match is available on WWE's release “Bloodsport: ECW's Most Violent Matches” and as usual Paul Heyman introduces the match. He is able to make it sound appealing for a grand total of 10 seconds to me. It's really not my thing (if you hadn't noticed already) but basically, it's a boxing match, where your fists are taped and dipped in glue, the gluey hands are then rolled in broken glass to jab each other with. An idea used in Martial Arts films during the 1980's due to the rumoured underground fighting in Taiwan with the same stipulation. Todd Gordon is in the ring and he asks if Bill Alfonso left the building. The fans cheer in confirmation, Gordon says, in that case, we'll start this “match”. Both Rotten brothers windmill at each other and they're both busted open before the camera can even focus. Ian slashes Axl's face with some glass, Axl tries to scramble away but Ian Rotten catches up with him and strikes him with a right. Axl gets to his feet and Ian Rotten swings his arm at Axl, just trying to dig the glass into his flesh.
Ian digs the shards of glass into Axl's bare arm in the ropes, before unsticking some from his tape and digging it into his brother's forehead. “E-C-Dub chant seems to fire Axl Rotten up for a second, but he drops to the mat. Ian Rotten drives his fist into Axl's forehead from above. Axl gets to his feet but he's stumbling. Ian Rotten hits another right hand before driving the glass into Axl's forehead, driving him down to one knee. Ian continues his assault on Axl Rotten, and Axl can't defend himself. Axl had to use the top rope to get to his feet. Axl hits a sidekick and drives the broken glass into Ian's head before spiking him with fists. Axl grinds his fist into Ian's head, giving him a taste of his own medicine. Ian slides out of the ring but Axl hits him with a glass-assisted chop. Axl traps Ian's arm in the barricade. Axl stabs at Ian with what I presume is more broken glass, although I can't see properly. Axl beats Ian around ringside. Ian gets back in the ring, Axl follows bit both men are exhausted. Axl slowly covers for a 2 count.
Axl forces the shards of glass into Ian's open wound on his forehead before pounding him with right hands. Ian Rotten hits a low blow sending Axl to the mat, then a diving fist drop downstairs. Ian picks up some loose glass from the canvas and rubs it into Axl's head. Axl Rotten gets to his feet, but Ian hits a standing DDT. Ian goes outside of the ring, returning with thumbtacks. Ian spreads the thumbtacks on an area of the canvas. Ian rotten sets his brother up for a piledriver on the thumbtacks, but Axl flips him overhead sending him into the tacks. Axl runs and leaps on Ian with a splash ending my pain.
WINNER: AXL ROTTEN
Axl Rotten may have won that feud, but I feel every fan that watched this match lost along with Ian Rotten. The finishing sequence was the only flicker in professional wrestling training. Other than that these guys just punched each other with glass. There was a sign in the crowd saying “Rotten vs. Rotten feud of the year” was 1995 really that bad? – Rating: 2.1/10
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