While in ECW, Taz accomplished something special in which pro wrestling was lacking in the 1990's-- a sense of realism. With UFC becoming a topical subject, and many stars crossing over between pro wrestling and MMA, Taz provided what Paul Heyman would call a "big fight feel" in a scripted environment, and he did it without the aid of cable, or a major corporation pushing him. As if his mega-successful ECW run wasn't enough proof that he could hang with wrestling's best, his Royal Rumble 2000 debut against Kurt Angle was. The New York City crowd gave Taz a giant ovation, one of the biggest pops of the year, on his way to a victory over Angle. The next month, Taz would be losing to comedy act Crash Holly, and was used as a lower and mid-card talent through the remaining two years of his career. Although his wrestling career ended at only 34-years old, the WWE could have gotten some mileage out of Taz, instead of making him a lackey in the alliance storyline. Unfortunately in the "land of the giants", Taz's size hindered his growth in the WWE. With the company always seeking the aforementioned "big fight feel", Taz could have helped provide that if pushed properly.