10 Relatively Unheralded Matches Worth A WWE Network Revisit

5. Rey Mysterio Vs. Sabu - ECW One Night Stand 2006

Sabu Rey Mysterio ECW one Night Stand 2006
WWE.com

Many fans can't get past the non-finish, and with good reason. Sabu himself once re-taped his bicep to his arm in order to finish a match. To go from that feat of will, to not being able to recover from a relatively innocuous DDT through a table, stretched the crowd's disbelief and their patience.

As crucial as finishes are to any wrestling match, what preceded it is too good, too expertly paced, to consign to the dustbin.

It's a rare botch-free effort from Sabu, whose sloppiness in the original ECW slightly compromised the quality of even his better matches. Rey meanwhile was on fire in the mid-2000s, even during his questionable reign as World Heavyweight champion, and this frenetic performance was no exception.

Lacking almost entirely in psychology, they instead take turns to batter one another with a series of increasingly violent and flamboyant chair and table spots, the most painful-looking of which sees Mysterio crotch himself on a chair after his second seated senton attempt goes awry. The fans went nuts for this.

Rejecting Rey's attempts to win their favour by dressing like his early 90s self, they received his transparency with deafening jeers, enhancing the drama in the ring.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!