25 Best Wrestling PPVs Ever

9. ECW Barely Legal

WrestleMania X Seven Poster
WWE Network

Best Match: Gran Hamada & Masato Yakushiji & The Great Sasuke Vs. Dick Togo & TAKA Michinoku & Terry Boy

Worst Match: Shane Douglas Vs. Pit Bull #2

ECW never bettered their first foray into Pay Per View, despite the best efforts of Heat Wave '98 - which only just missed the cut here as a result of its basic main event.

It was promoted impeccably - even on WWF television, at the expense of WrestleMania 13. The match between Taz and Sabu, which disappointed at the time but is agreeable in retrospect, was indicative of ECW's winning, slow-burn approach to booking.

The misconception that ECW was merely a blood and guts league was smashed in the Match Of The Night, a thrilling spot exhibition which, while slightly botched in places, married inventive and convoluted spots with incredulous, gasping crowd heat.

The ultra-violence did rear its head towards the backend of the card, in which Terry Funk defeated The Sandman and Stevie Richards en route to wrestling the ECW Heavyweight title away from the WCW-bound Raven. It was a fortuitously-timed 07:20 - had it gone any longer, the audience at home and in the arena would not have witnessed its heartwarming conclusion since the back-up generator blew seconds after the event went off the air.

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!