Heat Wave (1998)
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Heat Wave (1998) was the fifth
Heat Wave A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
(PPV) event produced by
Extreme Championship Wrestling Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was an American professional wrestling promotion that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and operated by its parent company HHG Corporation. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as Nationa ...
(ECW). The event took place on August 2, 1998 from the Hara Arena in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...
. This was the first edition of Heat Wave to be broadcast on pay-per-view. The event also featured talent from
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling-Explosion (FMW-E) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989, by Atsushi Onita as (FMW). The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fir ...
(FMW) due to partnership between ECW and FMW. Six
professional wrestling matches Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
were contested at the event. The
main event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
was a Street Fight in which
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and professional wrestling promotion, promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestli ...
, The Sandman and
Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American semi-retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for his tenure in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing ...
defeated The Dudleys ( Buh Buh Ray Dudley,
D-Von Dudley Devon Hughes ( ; born August 1, 1972) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, under a legends contract. He is best known for performing in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1999 a ...
and Big Dick Dudley). On the
undercard In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
, Taz successfully defended the FTW Heavyweight Championship against
Bam Bam Bigelow Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close-to-400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned mo ...
in a
Falls Count Anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
and
Masato Tanaka is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship#Title History, one-time FMW Brass Knuckle ...
defeated
Mike Awesome Michael Lee Alfonso (January 24, 1965 – February 17, 2007) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
. The event also featured FMW's
Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...
Hayabusa was a robotic spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to return a sample of material from a small near-Earth asteroid named 25143 Itokawa to Earth for further analysis. ''Hayabusa'', formerly known as MUSES-C ...
's first and only major wrestling appearance in the United States as he teamed with
Jinsei Shinzaki Kensuke Shinzaki (新崎 健介 ''Shinzaki Kensuke'', born December 2, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive, better known by his ring name, Jinsei Shinzaki (新崎 人生 ''Shinzaki Jinsei''). He is sign ...
to take on
Rob Van Dam Robert Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD) is an American professional wrestler. Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks, acrobatic movemen ...
and Sabu for the
World Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
.


Storylines

The event featured wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed
villains A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches played out on ECW's television program '' Hardcore TV''. At Wrestlepalooza,
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and professional wrestling promotion, promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestli ...
and The Sandman defeated
Dudley Boyz The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley. The team was also joined by various Dudley family members, notably Spike Dudley and ...
( Buh Buh Ray Dudley and
D-Von Dudley Devon Hughes ( ; born August 1, 1972) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, under a legends contract. He is best known for performing in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1999 a ...
) in a tag team match. On the May 13 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Dudley Boyz threatened to give violence to Sandman and Dreamer. At It Ain't Seinfeld, The Dudleys (Buh Buh Ray, D-Von and Big Dick) defeated the team of Tommy Dreamer, The Sandman and Spike Dudley in a six-man tag team match. A rematch took place between the two teams on the June 3 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', which ended in a no contest due to outside interference by
New Jack Jerome Young (January 3, 1963 – May 14, 2021) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name New Jack. He was best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he became notorious for his willingn ...
and
Jack Victory Kenneth Rinehurst (born July 3, 1964) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Manager (professional wrestling), manager, better known by his ring name, Jack Victory. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with the U ...
. During the match, Dudley Boyz executed a '' 3D'' on Beulah McGillicutty, which infuriated Dreamer and he wanted revenge on Dudleys. The following week on ''Hardcore TV'', Joel Gertner demanded that Dudleys apologize to Beulah for hitting her with a ''3D'' and trying to break her neck and then Dudleys opened an ambulance and insulted McGillicutty by apologizing her in a mock. On the June 17 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Jack Victory and Dudleys defeated Tommy Dreamer, New Jack, The Sandman and Spike Dudley in a Philadelphia Street Fight. On the June 24 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Dreamer cut a promo in which he demanded revenge on Dudleys and he was then assaulted by Dudley Boyz until New Jack, Spike Dudley and The Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks (Balls Mahoney and
Axl Rotten Brian Knighton (April 21, 1971 – February 4, 2016), better known by the ring name Axl Rotten, was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. In the early 1990s, he was a part of the tag team The Bad Breed with Ian Rotten. He had ...
) made the save. Dudley Boyz continued to insult Beulah McGillicutty on the following week's ''Hardcore TV'', where Dreamer and Sandman brought out FMW's former owner
Atsushi Onita is a Japanese actor, politician, and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and is credited with introducing the hardcore wrestling, deathmatch style of professional wrestling t ...
as their mystery partner for a match against Dudleys, who eventually turned on Dreamer and Sandman and then New Jack and Spike Dudley made the save for Dreamer and Sandman but Dudleys ended up winning the match, with assistance by Jeff Jones, who made the fast count. On the July 22 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Buh Buh Ray defeated Dreamer, Sandman defeated D-Von and Big Dick defeated Spike in singles matches, allowing Dudleys to win the singles match series with 2-1 and they were allowed to pick up the stipulation for their scheduled match against Dreamer, Sandman and Spike at Heat Wave. At the end of the show, Dreamer cut an emotional promo on Beulah McGillicutty. Dudleys picked the stipulation to be a Street Fight. At Hostile City Showdown, The Triple Threat (
Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, manager, and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship ...
,
Chris Candido Christopher Barrett Candito (March 21, 1972 – April 28, 2005) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Candito is best remembered for his tenures with professional wrestling promotion, promotions such as World Championship ...
and
Lance Storm Lance Timothy Evers (; born April 3, 1969), known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a Canadians, Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he works as a producer. He is best known ...
) competed against
Bam Bam Bigelow Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close-to-400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned mo ...
and Taz in a
handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
, which ended in a no contest when Bigelow
turn To turn is to rotate, either continuously like a wheel turns on its axle, or in a finite motion changing an object's orientation. Turn may also refer to: Sports and games * Turn (game), a segment of a game * Turn (poker), the fourth of five co ...
ed on Taz while Candido turned on his
World Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
partner Storm and then Douglas reformed Triple Threat with Bigelow and Candido. This led to Taz becoming a rival of Triple Threat. At Living Dangerously, Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Taz to win the World Television Championship. Taz continued his feud with Triple Threat primarily Shane Douglas and repeatedly demanded a title shot at Douglas' World Heavyweight Championship but Douglas suffered an injury and Taz was unable to get the title shot. At Wrestlepalooza, Taz attacked Douglas but was arrested and escorted away by the police. At It Ain't Seinfeld, Taz introduced his new FTW World Heavyweight Championship due to his frustration of not getting a title shot against Douglas and then challenged Douglas to a title vs. title match but was interrupted by Bigelow and Taz proclaimed that Bigelow would be his first victim. The following week on ''Hardcore TV'', Douglas was being interviewed by Joey Styles until Taz interrupted him and revealed a Triple Threat T-shirt and offered to be a member of Triple Threat and protect Douglas if Douglas gave him a title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship. He then shook Douglas' hand but then attacked his arm to further injure it. Taz got involved in several brawls with Bigelow over the next few weeks, leading to Douglas announcing on the July 8 episode of ''Hardcore TV'' that Bigelow and Taz would compete in a match at Heat Wave. On the July 22 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Taz issued an open challenge to any wrestler with Bigelow accepting the challenge and both men brawled with each other until Lance Storm and Chris Candido made the rescue for Bigelow. Chris Candido's betrayal of Lance Storm at Hostile City Showdown evolved into a rivalry between the two partners. Storm defeated Candido in a match at CyberSlam and the feud continued between the two. At Living Dangerously, Storm and his chosen partner Al Snow defeated Candido and
Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, manager, and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship ...
in a tag team match. Despite the ongoing feud with each other, Candido and Storm remained World Tag Team Champions but were at odds with each other. On the July 1 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Candido and Storm lost the World Tag Team Championship to
Rob Van Dam Robert Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD) is an American professional wrestler. Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks, acrobatic movemen ...
and Sabu. The following week on ''Hardcore TV'', there were signs of dissension between the two when Storm blamed Candido for the title loss while confronting Taz during a
promo PROMO (Promoting Missouri) is a Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territ ...
. On the July 15 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Storm sat at ringside and let Candido on his own for a tag team match against Blue World Order (
Nova A nova ( novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white ...
and The Blue Meanie) and helped Candido in winning the match after letting Candido wrestle the entire match against bWo by himself. Candido and Storm received a rematch for the World Tag Team Championship on July 22 ''Hardcore TV'', during which Storm
turn To turn is to rotate, either continuously like a wheel turns on its axle, or in a finite motion changing an object's orientation. Turn may also refer to: Sports and games * Turn (game), a segment of a game * Turn (poker), the fourth of five co ...
ed on Candido by walking out on him. On the July 29 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Candido's leader Shane Douglas cut a promo and held Storm responsible for Sabu injuring Candido's ear and vowed that Candido would avenge the injury from Storm, leading to a match between the two at Heat Wave.
Masato Tanaka is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship#Title History, one-time FMW Brass Knuckle ...
from ECW's Japanese partner
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling-Explosion (FMW-E) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989, by Atsushi Onita as (FMW). The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fir ...
competed in his first ECW match at Living Dangerously, defeating Doug Furnas. He then made his full-time debut for ECW on the July 1 episode of ''Hardcore TV'' by defeating Balls Mahoney. The following week, on ''Hardcore TV'',
Mike Awesome Michael Lee Alfonso (January 24, 1965 – February 17, 2007) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
returned to ECW, having wrestled last for the company in a losing effort against
Louie Spicolli Louis Mucciolo Jr. (February 10, 1971 – February 15, 1998) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He performed in Mexico under the ring name Madonna's Boyfriend, for the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wrestling Fed ...
at Crossing the Line Again in 1997. In his return match, Awesome lost to Tanaka and then decided to execute an '' Awesome Bomb'' on him through a table, thus beginning a rivalry between the two and a match was set between the two at Heat Wave. On July 29 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Tanaka teamed with
Jerry Lynn Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. Lynn has worked for professional wrestling promotion, promotions ...
to defeat the team of Awesome and
Justin Credible Peter Joseph Polaco (born October 16, 1973) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Justin Credible. Debut ...
in a tag team match. At It Ain't Seinfeld, Jerry Lynn defeated Justin Credible in a match to begin a feud between the two. At A Matter of Respect, Credible defeated Lynn in a
two out of three falls match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
. The feud continued as Lynn defeated Credible in an "I Quit" match on the June 17 episode of ''Hardcore TV''. On the July 15 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Credible and
Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...
defeated Lynn and Pablo Marquez in an elimination tag team match. The feud led to a match between the two at Heat Wave, with their final encounter taking place on the July 29 ''Hardcore TV'', where Lynn and Masato Tanaka defeated Credible and Mike Awesome.


Event


Pre-show

Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, The Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks ( Balls Mahoney and
Axl Rotten Brian Knighton (April 21, 1971 – February 4, 2016), better known by the ring name Axl Rotten, was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. In the early 1990s, he was a part of the tag team The Bad Breed with Ian Rotten. He had ...
) defeated The F.B.I. (
Little Guido James Maritato (born March 12, 1972) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the ring names Little Guido and Nunzio. A high-school ...
and Tracey Smothers).


Preliminary matches

In the opening match,
Justin Credible Peter Joseph Polaco (born October 16, 1973) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Justin Credible. Debut ...
took on
Jerry Lynn Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. Lynn has worked for professional wrestling promotion, promotions ...
. Lynn started the match with a sunset flip and a crossbody for near-falls. Credible attempted to execute an early '' That’s Incredible'' on Lynn but Lynn countered with a
hurricanrana Professional wrestling throws are the application of professional wrestling techniques that involve lifting the opponent up and throwing or slamming them down. They are sometimes also called "power" maneuvers, as they are meant to emphasize a wrest ...
to toss him out of the ring and then delivered a
diving splash Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are performance techniques used in professional wrestling for simulated assault on opponents. The techniques involve jumping from the ring's posts and ropes, demonstrating the speed and agility o ...
. Credible hit a
powerbomb A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted (usually so that they are sitting on the wrestler's shoulders) and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a s ...
onto a steel chair to get a near-fall. Credible then tossed Lynn out of the ring where his bodyguards
Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...
and Nicole Bass attacked Lynn, allowing Credible to gain advantage. Lynn made a comeback with a double underhook powerbomb and a hurricanrana from the top rope. Lynn then delivered a tornado DDT on a steel chair and covered Credible for the pinfall but
Chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains from sexual activity that is considered immoral or from any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for exampl ...
put Credible's foot on the rope. Lynn then delivered a hurricanrana to Credible from the top rope through a table outside the ring. Lynn returned to the ring where Jason hit him with a steel chair but Lynn countered with a double underhook powerbomb and then Bass attacked him but he countered with a low blow. Lynn delivered a kneeling reverse piledriver to an interfering Chastity and then attempted a hurricanrana to Credible from the top rope but Credible countered with a low blow and delivered a ''That's Incredible'' from the second rope to win the match. Next,
Lance Storm Lance Timothy Evers (; born April 3, 1969), known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a Canadians, Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he works as a producer. He is best known ...
took on
Chris Candido Christopher Barrett Candito (March 21, 1972 – April 28, 2005) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Candito is best remembered for his tenures with professional wrestling promotion, promotions such as World Championship ...
and Tammy Lynn Sytch returned to ECW to be in Candido's corner. Candido sported a headgear to cover his surgically repaired ear and Storm removed it in the earlier portion of the match. Candido applied a
Surfboard A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as ''papa hee ...
on Storm until Storm
dropkick A dropkick is an Professional wrestling strikes, attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as they ju ...
ed out of the hold. Sytch tripped Storm, allowing Candido to gain advantage over Storm. Storm hit a superkick to make a comeback but Candido countered with a
neckbreaker In professional wrestling, a neckbreaker is any throw or slam that focuses its attack on the opponent's neck. One type of neckbreaker involves the wrestler slamming an opponent's neck against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee, head or ...
. Storm then
suplex A suplex is an Offense (sports), offensive move used in Wrestling, sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. It is a throw that involves lifting the opponents and Bridge (grappling), bridging or rolling to slam the ...
ed Candido to the outside and then dived onto Candido out of the ring through the ropes. Storm followed with a Superplex and followed with a flying spinning heel kick. Storm dived through into the ring from the apron and Candido countered by powerslamming Storm. Sytch interfered by crutching Storm into the ropes, allowing Candido to execute a '' Blonde Bombshell'' for the victory. A match was scheduled to take place between
New Jack Jerome Young (January 3, 1963 – May 14, 2021) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name New Jack. He was best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he became notorious for his willingn ...
and
Jack Victory Kenneth Rinehurst (born July 3, 1964) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Manager (professional wrestling), manager, better known by his ring name, Jack Victory. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with the U ...
at the event but was cancelled due to a brawl between the two in the parking lot. Later,
Masato Tanaka is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship#Title History, one-time FMW Brass Knuckle ...
and
Mike Awesome Michael Lee Alfonso (January 24, 1965 – February 17, 2007) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
competed in a match. Awesome dominated the match by performing a diving back elbow drop and then caught a flying Tanaka with a belly-to-belly suplex and followed with a diving shoulder block. The action then spilled to the outside where both men brawled at the ringside area until returning to the ring where Awesome delivered an '' Awesome Bomb'' to Tanaka followed by an '' Awesome Splash'' to get near-falls. Awesome hit Tanaka with a chair three times but Tanaka still managed to get up. Awesome executed a running ''Awesome Bomb'' and set a table outside the ring and dived onto Tanaka from the top rope with a steel chair and then attempted to drive Tanaka through the table with an ''Awesome Bomb'' but Tanaka countered and delivered a Powerbomb to Awesome through the table. Tanaka delivered a '' Roaring Elbow'' to Awesome and followed with a tornado DDT onto two steel chairs to win the match. Rob Van Dam and Sabu defended the
World Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
against the Japanese team of
Hayabusa was a robotic spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to return a sample of material from a small near-Earth asteroid named 25143 Itokawa to Earth for further analysis. ''Hayabusa'', formerly known as MUSES-C ...
and
Jinsei Shinzaki Kensuke Shinzaki (新崎 健介 ''Shinzaki Kensuke'', born December 2, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive, better known by his ring name, Jinsei Shinzaki (新崎 人生 ''Shinzaki Jinsei''). He is sign ...
from
FMW Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling-Explosion (FMW-E) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989, by Atsushi Onita as (FMW). The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fi ...
. Both teams exchanged momentum during the early portion of the match. Hayabusa and Sabu used acrobatic moves against each other as Sabu
dropkick A dropkick is an Professional wrestling strikes, attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as they ju ...
ed him in the knee and executed an '' Arabian Press''. Sabu then applied a camel clutch on Hayabusa and then RVD dropkicked Hayabusa and then Shinzaki delivered a springboard dropkick to RVD. Hayabusa knocked Sabu outside the ring with a baseball slide and followed with a springboard moonsault. The action then spilled to the audience. Hayabusa and Shinzaki gained the momentum against RVD and Sabu and Hayabusa ultimately hit a '' Firebird Splash'' on RVD. RVD and Sabu made a comeback with a tandem '' Rolling Thunder''. Sabu applied a Boston crab on Shinzaki and RVD delivered a diving leg drop to get a near-fall. A table was set up in the ring and then RVD delivered '' Van Daminators'' to Hayabusa and Shinzaki. RVD and Sabu set the challengers on the table and delivered diving leg drops to both men to retain the titles. The penultimate match was a
Falls Count Anywhere match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
for Taz's FTW Heavyweight Championship. Bigelow dominated Taz with a
powerbomb A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted (usually so that they are sitting on the wrestler's shoulders) and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a s ...
and then Taz rose up and began a wild brawl with Bigelow which spilled to the crowd. The two returned to the ring where Bigelow hit another powerbomb and then set a table in the ring and drove Taz through the table. He set up the broken table in the corner and attempted to drive Taz into it again but Taz countered by driving Bigelow through the table with a '' T-Bone Tazplex''. They began brawling in the aisle where Bigelow attempted a T-Bone suplex into the crowd but Taz countered that into a tornado DDT. Bigelow walked towards the ring but Taz applied a '' Tazmission'' on Bigelow from behind to make him tap out and retain the FTW Championship.


Main event match

In the
main event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
of the show,
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and professional wrestling promotion, promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestli ...
, The Sandman and
Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American semi-retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for his tenure in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing ...
took on The Dudleys ( Buh Buh Ray Dudley,
D-Von Dudley Devon Hughes ( ; born August 1, 1972) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, under a legends contract. He is best known for performing in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1995 to 1999 a ...
and Big Dick Dudley) in a Street Fight. Sandman began bleeding by smashing a beer can on his head before the match even began. Both teams exchanged moves until Buh Buh attempted a '' Bubba Bomb'' on Spike which he countered into a hurricanrana and then Sandman hit Buh Buh with a beer can. Both teams then used weapons against each other and brawled throughout the match. Near the end of the match, Big Dick put Dreamer on a ladder and Spike attempted an '' Acid Drop'' on Big Dick but Big Dick countered by tossing him through a table outside the ring. Sandman knocked Big Dick by hitting him with a Singapore cane in the head and then attempted to knock out Buh Buh with the cane too but he avoided it and hit him with a chair. Buh Buh tried a diving splash on Dreamer onto the ladder but Dreamer moved out of the way and then delivered a '' Dreamer DDT'' to Buh Buh through the table for the win.


Reception

Heat Wave received mixed reviews from critics. Kevin Pantoja of ''411Mania'' rated a score of 8 to the event and called it "the best ECW Pay-Per-View of all time", with "Despite the fact that the last two matches are the worst, they're both entertaining and fun brawls. The undercard featured good wrestling and good brawling. I recommend this as a fun way to spend nearly three hours." Scott Keith of ''Inside Pulse'' stated "I liked it “live” (on the big screen) for the most part. I got into it a lot, but the half half really, really ruined my enjoyment because I kept waiting for the big spots instead of enjoying the show. I dislike being manipulated like that, especially when I can watch it later in a more objective (and less alcohol influenced) frame of mind and be as disappointed as I was. Thumbs up on the ECW sliding scale that you have to apply given their horrible efforts since Barely Legal, thumbs down if you compare it to a real PPV." David of ''Wrestling Recaps'' wrote "This show is called ECW’s best more often than any other pay-per-view or pre-PPV-era supercard, but I disagree. It’s a fun ride all the way through, everyone on the card was a good worker at the time (except Big Dick Dudley), and there isn’t one throwaway match, but it doesn’t have any real standout matches. Lynn/Credible is awesome but doesn’t quite hold the show on its back. I think it gets a good wrap for RVD/Sabu/Shinzaki/Hayabusa and Tanaka/Awesome, which were both a lot of fun, but not quite the caliber you might expect from these six names. Also, in terms of ECW storylines at the time, there weren’t many surprises. Everyone knew that Taz and Tommy Dreamer were going to get revenge in their respective feuds and everyone knew that RVD and Sabu wouldn’t job to a pair of imports brought in for one night. Thumbs up, one of the best ECW pay-per-views, but just not THE best." In 2013, WWE released a list of their "15 best pay-per-views ever", with the 1998 Heat Wave ranked at number 14. The event was named as the Best Major Wrestling Show of 1998 by the
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
.


Aftermath

Lance Storm continued his rivalry with Chris Candido at Heat Wave as the two squared off in a rematch on the August 12 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', where Storm defeated Candido after fooling him to believe that Tammy Lynn Sytch was bound under a WWF contract and could not be allowed to be at ECW. However, after the match, Joey Styles revealed that Sytch was freed from her WWF contract. Two weeks later, on ''Hardcore TV'', Sytch appeared along with Candido to tell everyone that she would stay in ECW until Storm interrupted them and Candido cleared him from the ring. On the September 5 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', Storm introduced his new
valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, ''valet de chambre'' was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "va ...
Tammy Lynn Bytch as an insult to Sytch and then Candido managed to defeat Storm when Sytch pinned him after Sytch ripped off Bytch's clothes. At UltraClash, Candido and Sytch defeated Storm and Bytch in a tag team match to end the feud. The Triple Threat moved on to a feud with Rob Van Dam and Sabu after the event as Taz defended his unrecognized FTW Heavyweight Championship against Sabu and Bam Bam Bigelow in a
triple threat match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
on the August 12 episode of ''Hardcore TV'' with Taz retaining the title due to the match ending in a thirty-minute time limit draw. RVD and Sabu ultimately formed an alliance with Taz called New Triple Threat, which feuded with Triple Threat as Shane Douglas recovered from his injury and made a comeback to in-ring competition. After intensely feuding for the next three months, New Triple Threat defeated Triple Threat at
November to Remember November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadc ...
to end the feud.


Results


References


External links

* {{ECWPPV, Heat Wave August 1998 in the United States 1998 in Ohio Heat Wave Professional wrestling shows in Dayton, Ohio Events in Dayton, Ohio 1998 Extreme Championship Wrestling pay-per-view events Professional wrestling shows in Ohio