Rating: 
Summary: OWN THIS HISTORY MAKING EVENT: ECW IS CLOSED
Review: ... this is a classic DVD that showcases great wrestling .. so there's something for everybody. Sabu vs Taz was my personal favorite because of the hatred these two have for each other. It all started when Sabu no showed an event and Taz had to defend the tag belt with sub partner Rick Steiner. Taz called out Sabu, but Sabu never showed until a year later. The last event ECW had was in Pine Bluff Arkansas, you can order it.... If you want to see ECW style action, then check out the next rising league Combat Zone Wrestling. They have Great wrestling... with todays rising stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Barley Worth It
Review: 1. Eliminators vs. Dudleys - Om my God, sad, agh, barf. Terrible match, miscommunications, botches the works. High Point: 450 splash from...either Saturn or the other dude, nicely landed. Low Point: The rest of the match. 3/102. RVD vs. Lance Storm - If anything worse than the first, VanDam hits the Fivestar Storm kickout. THE LAMEST CHAIR SHOT IN HISTORY is included in this epic battle. High Point: Fivestar. Low Point: Storms chair shot. 2/10 3. Little Dude 6 man thang - The fly around, people interfere It all gets to crazy to follow. High Point: One of the many High flying moves. Low Point: One of the many MISSED high flying moves. 2.5/10 4. Shane Douglas vs. Pitbull 2 - Worst match of the night, boring horrible wrestling from both men. Watching this match you wonder how either of these guys became professional wrestler. High Point: None. Low Point: Missed drop on barricade. 0.5/10 5. Taz vs. Sabu - From these two I expected better, Sabu is one of my all time favs and Taz always outs on a good show. Missed moves, sad excuse of a match. God, common guys! High Point: Sabu springboard into crowd. Low Point: Messed up table splash from Sabu. 4/10 6. Sandman vs. Terry Funk vs. Big Stevie Cool - Best match of the night, and so far the only reason I have stayed to watch it all is cuz I had nothing better too do. Sandman is fat, he keeps leaving, Stevie cool is lame, Funk is old. Funk gets a bad cut on his side during match. High Point: Sandman covering himself in barbed wire and leg droping Funk. Low Point: Sandman missing a ladder flip sending it crashing down on his own head. 7. Raven vs. Terry Funk - Might have been better if Funk had actually been able to wrestle. As it was a carry on from the 3 way Funk didn't do much more then stagger and fall down. High Point: Dreamer "chokeslaming" Papa Dudley or whoever through 3 tables Low Point: Funk not being able to actually wrestle. 3/10 Overall, it stunk. Plain and simple. Don't buy this on VHS or DVD. Neither one improves the wrestlers talent.
Rating: 
Summary: barely legal 97
Review: 1.The Eliminators(saturn,kronus)vs the dudley boyz(buh buh ray,d-von)good match here,saturn & knonus are great! saturn is totally better in ecw(this moppy idea ...)perfect 450 splash done by kronus,ones again good match by the way i love their finisher(total elimination) my rating:8/10 2:Lance Storm vs Rob Van Dam.this is another good match,this bout contains alot of spots not bad(rvd is a heel) my rating:7/10 3:Michinoku Pro 6 Man Action(taka,dick togo,mens teioh vs great sasuke,gran naniwa,masato yakushiji) great match this match contains alot aerial moves GREAT! my rating:10/10 4:Shane Douglas vs Pitbull 2.ummmmmm this is the worst match of the night(these guys can do better) my rating:3/10 5:Sabu vs Taz. this is my favorite match of the night,sabu great perfomer no doubt about it,taz is great(thats the real Human Suplex Machine)tazz from the wwf sucks he's a jobber and will never main event again as i see it,but if wwf takes the z off it could be taz(The Human Suplex Machine) my rating:10/10 6:terry funk vs the sandman vs big stevie cool.this is good match alot of hardcore here(sandman is the hardcore icon but a ... worker)here we see terry funk in a bloody mess SICK.my rating:8/10 7:raven vs terry funk.ummmmm we still see funk in a bloody mess SICK,funk didn't do anything at all but he gets a little help from the Innovator of Violence. my rating:6/10
Rating:
Summary: Simply a Classic
Review: Barely Legal was ECW first aired PPV and I don't think it should ever be forgotten this PPV really shows what a PPV is all about by just giving the fans what they really want. And even if they don't have a match where there's to amazing athletes in the ring they always find a way of making the match good. We start things of with - Dudley Boys vs. The Eliminators
Good little spot fest with some nice spots here and there nothing to great about the match except it was fun. 3 1/2Stars RVD vs. Lance Storm
I really enjoyed this match even though some people would say its just another typical spot fest from RVD well I don't care its still a very good spot fest. 4Stars Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada and Gran Naniwa vs. Taka Michinoku, Terry Boy and Dick Togo
I am big fan of Japanese wrestling so this was a great treat for me. You have to see this match for yourself cos it's out of this world. And if you don't like this match then you don't like pro wrestling. 5Stars Shane Douglas vs. Pitbull 2
This was my least favourite match but it was still good with some ok spots but did get a bit boring at times. 3Stars Taz vs. Sabu
Some say this was a huge disappointment due to the fact that it had been hyped for so long and didn't really come to anything but I still thought it was a good match these to have done better but it was good enough. 4Stars Terry Funk vs. Sandman vs. Stevie Richards
For its time it was pretty insane with terry funk just killing himself Sandman doing his usual stupid stuff and then there's Richards who freaks me out he's just really weird but still a great hardcore match that took it to the limit. 4 1/2Stars Raven vs Terry Funk< >kind of gives away who won the last match.
Not as good as the previous match probably because Terry could barely stand up and Raven just wanted to beat Terry up for a while and just pin him but that didn't quite go according to plan as Terrys bum buddy (Just kidding) Tommy Dreamer came to the rescue and saved the day (My Hero) anyway. 3Stars Probably one of the greatest nights ever.
Rating:
Summary: Extreme!
Review: ecw barely legal is one of the best ecw ppvs ever!the best 2 matches are the japan-6man match or that brutal 3-way title match.buy barely legal now!
Rating:
Summary: ECW Barely Legal ECW's first PPV
Review: ECW Barely Legal
April 13,1997
The ECW Arena
Philadelphia, PA Hosted by Joey Styles ECW World Tag Team Title Match
The Eliminators vs. The Dudley Boyz(c)
This was a great match one of my favorites on the card
it's mostly a one sided match Perry Saturn was Amazing
in ECW.
4/5 stars A breif Chris Candido Interveiw Rob Van Dam vs. Lance Storm
This was agreat Technical match started out slow but
picked up later on. Storm also has a rediculous Rat tail
at his event.
2/5 stars Michinoku Pro 6-man Tag Team Match
TAKA/Dick Togo/Mens Teioh vs.The Great Sasuke/Gran Naniwa/
Masato Yakushiji
VERY VERY FAST PACE!!!
Awsome match!!!
4/5 stars **** ECW World Television Title Match
PitBull 2 vs. Shane Douglas(c)
My favorite match on the whole card it's very hardcore
but the way Douglas won was pretty pathetic compaired to
what PitBull 2 was kicking out of early in the match. After
the match Rick Rude Debuts by attacking Douglas and
"Primetime" Brian Lee double crosses the Triple Treat.
5/5 stars Grudge Match
Sabu vs. Taz
Not as good as what you'd expect very violent but
to short of a match (about 15 min)also Bill Alfonzo
Turns on Taz
3/5 stars *** 3-Way Dance
Terry Funk vs. The Sandman vs. Stevie Richards
One of the most hardcore matches in ECW history Funk
is more hardcore at 53 years of age than than almost
anybody in ECW very violent match.
5/5 stars ECW World Heavyweight Title Match
Raven(c) vs Terry Funk
OK so you can guess now that Fnk won the 3-Way Dance
but any way this match beileve it or not is the worst
on the card it last 7 min but the best part is watching
Tommy Dreamer who is doing comentary choakslam "Big" Dick Dudley
of the balcony threw 3 tables.
1/5 stars *
In my veiw this was one of the best Pay Per Veiws EVER
in all wrestling a MUST for any "Hardcore" (no pun intended)
wrestling fan! Overall
9/10 stars
Rating:
Summary: Better Than The ... WWF
Review: ECW's first PPV was excellent. Also, if I like it now, imagine how it was five years ago. .... Well, here is a match by match analysis. Eliminators vs. Dudley Boyz
Great match. Killer opening, both guys did alot, and didn't even use weapons of any kind. Only real bad part was that the Eliminators were wearing some fruity ... pink tights.
Rating: 8/10 Lance Strom vs. Rob Van Dam
Before RVD went soft. Good match. Some good high flying moves and much better than I expected. None of that boring technical crap where they put on minute long submissions, more of a quick paced match.
Rating: 7.5/10 Michinoku 6 Man Tag
Oh My .... These guys put on [a good] a match. So much stuff you have to watch it several times to fully get everything. These guys ruled.
Rating: 10/10 Pitbull 2 vs. Shane Douglas
BORING! This match would've been better if there wasn't so much stupid stuff. All it the match was, was Pitbull 2 trying to break Shane's neck and kicking him in the groin. Rating: 5/10 Taz vs. Sabu
This match was pretty good. Also, alot of cool stuff happens afterwards thats cool to watch. Too bad both guys couldn't put more into it, I guess Taz had arm surgery or whatever. Still, they brawled all over the place and had some great spots.
Rating: 7/10 Sandman vs. Terry Funk vs. Stevie Richards
Great three way hardcore match. You also get to see the silly and goofy bWo. Awesome ladder action that the WWF stole. These guys really put on a good match. Rating: 8.5/10 Raven vs. Terry Funk
Most of the stuff happens outside the ring. The Nest gets involved as well as Tommy Dreamer. Terry bleeds like crazy, a doctor had to come in right in the middle of the match. Too bad not too much wrestling happened.
Rating: 7/10
Rating:
Summary: ECW Barely Legal DVD
Review: Even though this DVD has yet to be released, I was lucky enough to see ECW's first pay-per-view event already. Although it was not a perfect outing for ECW, it is definitely worth buying because there were a lot of memorable moments. In the opening match, the Dudley Boyz [WWF] challenge the Eliminators (Perry Saturn [WWF] & John Kronus) for the ECW Tag Team titles. Next, Rob Van Dam replaces an injured Chris Candido when he takes on Lance Storm [WCW]. My personal favorite match of the night is a six-man tag team extravanganza starring superstars from Japan's Michinoku Pro. The Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada, and Masato Yukushiji (subbing for Gran Naniwa) face Taka Michinoku [WWF], Mens Teioh, and Dick Togo. In an easily forgettable match, Shane Douglas [WCW] defended his ECW Television title against Pitbull #2. In a match that had been built up for quite some time, Sabu took on Taz [WWF] in a classic encounter. The Sandman, Terry Funk [WCW], and Stevie Richards [WWF] battled in a match to determine who would get an ECW Heavyweight title shot. The winner of that match took on Raven for the title in the next and final match of the night. I really enjoyed this event and would recommend it to any wrestling fan to purchase on DVD. Even big fans of the WWF and WCW will recognize many superstars who appeared on this show. I gave the show four stars out of five only because of the Shane Douglas vs. Pitbull #2 mess that should have never taken place especially for as long as it did.
Rating:
Summary: Should be illegal for the real fan not to own
Review: Great show and for the hardcore fan as we reach the nirvana of ppv for the little promotion that could. That show was not available in Canada and my VHS copy I got later on was so and so. So I'm proud to put this great moment of history in my DVD collection. Now that the page is turn since the bankrupty of ECW, relive the hope of one of ECW best show of all time. Get a good early look at now WWF superstars like, TAZZ, Dudley Boyz, Saturn, Steven Richard and Raven. That is the show they talk about and show backstage footage in Beyhond the Mat. The only drawback is that for a DVD they could have added extra stuff like matches angle leading up to the event or interviews. But the match bio is great and informative. A must for the ECW fan, who will get a little choked up hearing the fans opening the show yelling ECW, ECW , ECW like we were going to take over the wrestling business. We didn't with ECW but the ideal of ECW lives on everywhere in the world of pro wrestling. Always remember why by owning this great show.
Rating:
Summary: Own a Piece of ECW History
Review: Here it is. Definitely a piece of ECW history. Though the promotion is now officially dead (having filed for bankruptcy), this DVD marks ECW's crowning moment: Its first ever Pay-Per View held on April 13, 1997. The DVD itself is not overly great but it is decent. Unlike the other ECW DVD's, this one does not have "exclusive" DVD features aside from match histories for the pay-per-view. However, this is definitely a great collector's item when you look at the big picture of ECW history, and in fact, wrestling history. Seven great matches fill this card. Here they are: 1. The Eliminators vs. The Dudley Boyz: One-sided affair that was pretty much a spot fest showcase for Saturn and Kronus. AWESOME displays of martial arts and aerial maneuvers, including three (3) Total Eliminations. 4 stars. 2. Chris Candido promo. 3. Lance Storm vs. Rob Van Dam: Great match between two premier talents. Great contest mixing sound technical, mat wrestling and aerial spots. 4 1/2 stars. 4. Michinoku Pro 6 Man Action - Great Sasuke, Gran Naniwa, Masato Yakushiji vs. TAKA Michinoku, Mens "Terry Boy" Teioh and Dick Togo. At first, it would seem odd that ECW's debut pay-per-view would feature NON-ECW stars. However, ECW, among other things, has always been known for its unmatched in-ring product in terms of pure athleticism. Let me tell you, these puroresu sensations deliver that and a whole lot more in this all out war. GREAT ACTION with tons of mat wrestling, aerial maneuvers, martial arts, double team and triple team maneuvers. Fans of puroresu know that the in ring product in Japan is light years ahead what American audiences see on a weekly basis. Ironically, later on Taka, Teioh and Togo (along with Funaki) formed Kaientai in the WWF. It is ironic to think that this talented group went on to become comedy relief jobbers and their awesome skills never displayed. What a shame. 5 stars. 5. "Franchise" Shane Douglas (with Francine) vs. Pitbull 2: TV Title match. This match was the culmination of a bitter feud between the Franchise and the Pitbull tag team. Decent, hard fought bout that saw Douglas use just about everything. Plus, "guest appearances" by Pitbull 1, Chris Candido, "Primetime" Brian Lee and "Ravishing" Rick Rude. 6. Sabu vs. Taz: "Grudge Match of the Century." GREAT match with tons of great mat wrestling, high spots and good ring psychology. Plus an appearance by Rob Van Dam and the shocking turn that led to the formation of one of ECW's best heel stables. Five stars. 7. Terry Funk vs. The Sandman vs. Big Stevie Cool (guest color commentator, "The Innovator of Violence" Tommy Dreamer): Three-way Dance to determine the number one contender to the Heavyweight championship. Great hardcore, hard-hitting action including a ladder and barbed wire. Plus, an appearance by the bWo including, Da Blue Guy, Hollywood Nova, and 7-11. 5 stars. 8. ECW Heavyweight Champion Raven vs. Terry Funk: A fresh Raven seeks to keep his heavyweight title against a brutally injured Funk. Plus, appearances by Tommy Dreamer and Big Dick Dudley. 5 stars. Overall, a great event. The "Match Histories" were written by Michael Johnson II, the same guy who wrote the wrestler bios for the other ECW DVDs and the ECW website. While not earth-shattering, they give a good background behind the storylines that led up to this pay-per-view and are well worth a read if you were not following ECW at the time. Plus, they set a good tone for you as you watch the pay-per-view. Read them before you watch the matches. Overall this is a decent card and a decent DVD. It is definitely worth watching. Is it worth owning though? For pure historical value I say yes. It's definitely a collector's item. Recommended.
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