"If it's blood you want, it's blood you're gonna get," screams Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) play-by-play announcer Joey Stiles. He's talking about the hardcore "Glass Match," which features two men sticking their taped hands in glue and then glass shards before doing battle... But, really, he could just as well be summing up all of ECW. Unlike the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling, ECW eschews flash and overwrought soap operas and focuses on brutal mutilation and, occasionally, some wrestling moves. This compilation tape (a follow-up to the extremely successful ECW: Extreme Evolution) of five matches showcases what makes ECW so popular among rabid wrestling fans. The collection starts with a four-man title match (featuring Chris Jericho, 2 Cold Scorpio, Pit Bull #2, and Shane "the Franchise" Douglas) that runs over 40 minutes and challenges any notions that these guys aren't athletes. It's exhausting. The centerpiece, however, is the Stairway to Hell match, featuring Sabu vs. Sandman. As you watch Sandman, head wrapped with barbed wire and gushing blood, repeatedly cane Sabu with a 4-foot stick, your month will just hang open. Perhaps the biggest star here, however, is Stiles. He's a maniac announcer with hilarious catch phrases like "Oh my gaaawwd!" sounding like South Park's Cartman calling wrestling. "Why watch bad boxing pay-per-view? You got ECW!" he bellows, and who can argue? --Dave McCoy (Amazon.com)

Starring: Shane Douglas, Sandman, Chris Jericho, Sabu, ECW, et al.

Approximate running time: 60 minutes

Rating: NR  

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