CACTUS JACK VS. SABU

I was supposed to review the match at Hostile City Showdown, but I'm in the process of packing to move house and can't find specific DVDs right now. So I've decided on this match instead. Sabu is in the ring as Cactus Jack makes his entrance. This was a dream match 4 months ago, now ECW has booked it twice. Joey Styles in on commentary solo.

CACTUS JACK VS. SABU

ECW Hardcore TV Episode # 78 (18^th October 1994)

Cactus Jack begins the match with right hands, not waiting for the bell or introductions. The ring announcer makes them from ringside as the match begins anyway. Paul E Dangerously is in Sabu's corner as he is sent off the ropes into a back elbow. Cactus Jack poses and hits a leg drop for a nearfall. Cactus Jack headbutts Sabu and chokes him over the top rope. Sabu drops to the middle rope and Cactus Jack hits a running cannonball, Cactus Jack goes out to the apron and hits a running leg drop across the back of Sabu's neck as he drops over the bottom rope and grabs a chair from ringside. Sabu moves his head and Cactus Jack hits the ropes with the chair, back into his own face. Sabu overshoots a moonsault from the middle rope, smashing his ribs into the guardrail. Cactus Jack slides under the guardrail as we go to a commercial break, as I see 911 lurking in the foreground. As we return he is hitting Cactus Jack with right hands, Cactus Jack gets away, climbing over the guardrail this time.

Sabu drags himself under the guardrail to join Cactus Jack. Paul E and 911 are being kept behind the guard rail by the referee as Cactus Jack walks Sabu around ringside, sending his head into a chair. Sabu blocks a suplex and hits one of his own. Cactus Jack is bleeding, but he's the first one to his feet. He sets up a table against the ring and sends Sabu into it face first. Cactus Jack suplexes the table onto Sabu. Sabu refuses to let Paul E throw the match and brings another wooden chair into the ring. Cactus Jack stomps Sabu but takes a chairshot to the gut and another to the noggin. Air Sabu in the corner hits Cactus Jack flush. Cactus Jack is sent into the turnbuckles and he drops to the mat. He avoids a pair of Arabian facebuster attempts but Sabu fakes him out and hits the third for a 2 count. Sabu kicks at Cactus Jack as he gets to his feet, knocking him down in the corner with a running right hand. Sabu hits a right in the corner but Cactus fights back with a headbutt. Cactus Jack kicks at Sabu and drags him to his feet.

Sabu is dumped out of the ring and suplexed onto the table. Sabu falls off the table since it decided to no-sell. Cactus Jack walks Sabu over to an unused corner of the building but Sabu reverses an irish whip, sending Cactus into the wall. Cactus Jack flips into the wall on his second journey. Sabu brings Cactus Jack over to a raised platform, along with a chair which he throws into the crowd without a care. Cactus Jack cuts him off and hits a piledriver. Cactus Jack hits a running elbow drop, bringing Sabu to his feet for another piledriver. Sabu blocks it and backdrops Cactus Jack on the platform. Cactus Jack rolls to the concrete floor so Sabu sets the chair up and awkwardly jumps from it onto Cactus Jack. They enter a small room and clatter around for a few seconds then come back into the crowd. Cactus Jack hits Sabu over the head with a trash can as they make it back to ringside and throws Sabu into the ring. Paul E Dangerously attacks Cactus Jack, but screams in fear as Cactus has his hands on the boss. 911 attacks Cactus Jack from behind and sends him across the floor. The back of Cactus Jack's head hits the bottom of the guardrail.

Cactus Jack somehow finds his way to his feet, Sabu assists him in finding his way into the crowd as he sets up a table. 911 helps lay Cactus Jack across the table and holds him in place as Sabu hits a springboard moonsault. The table takes some damage and they hit the floor, but I don't feel comfortable saying they went through it. Cactus Jack gets back into the ring, 911 helps Sabu back in, also. Cactus Jack has found a bottle, but Sabu cuts him off before he gets a chance to use it with right hands and kicks. Sabu slams Cactus Jack and gets a nearfall with a split-legged moonsault. Cactus Jack catches the Air Sabu but Sabu drops on top of Cactus Jack for a nearfall. Paul E slides the bottle to Sabu. The bottle bounces off Cactus' head with a thud. It takes 6 shots to get Cactus to one knee. The next shot finally smashes the bottle. Sabu hits a slingshot moonsault for the win, with Cactus Jack kicking out a split-second too late. 

WINNER: SABU

In 1994 it may have been a dream match but in 2019 it's a nightmare for a billion dollar company with a history of workers dying early and suffering severe head injuries. I'm pretty sure Cactus Jack was knocked out on his feet after the first bottle shot. Personally, I didn't think it flowed too great. It was just random stuff put together. Certain matches work well on the fly. This one didn't– This is a 2* match but I only really enjoyed it to a level 1/5