A Matter of Respect 1998: Credible Beats Lynn as ECW's Alliances Collapse

Justin Credible versus Jerry Lynn is A Matter of Respect's clear in-ring centerpiece because the two-out-of-three falls format gives their rivalry enough time to develop. Lynn wins the first fall by countering That's Incredible, while Credible evens the match after a sunset-flip powerbomb and his own finisher. The deciding fall turns on outside involvement when Lynn attacks Jason and Chastity creates an opening for Credible's small package. A- rewards sustained pacing, rivalry progression, multiple-fall structure, crowd investment, and the importance of Credible winning another major encounter. The interference keeps the final fall from being completely satisfying, but the match remains the strongest complete contest on the show.

Chris Chetti versus Jamie Dundee is a compact singles match that gives Chetti another opportunity to showcase his athletic offense. Dundee has enough experience to create a credible opponent, but Chetti controls the decisive stretch, lands a side kick, and follows with the springboard double-jump moonsault for the pin. B rewards clean execution, a decisive finish, opponent credibility, and the developmental value of keeping Chetti moving forward. The match is not connected to one of the event's major feuds and does not receive enough time to become a featured attraction. Its purpose is straightforward, and it succeeds by giving Chetti a clear win without adding unnecessary interference or complication.

Mikey Whipwreck versus Mike Lozansky is another short singles match built around a clean counter finish. Lozansky climbs the ropes for a diving splash, but Whipwreck catches the opportunity and turns the sequence into a Whipper-Snapper for the pin. B rewards decisiveness, crowd familiarity, pacing value, and the usefulness of keeping Whipwreck credible after his Wrestlepalooza loss to Justin Credible. The match is too brief and isolated from the card's larger stories to score higher, but it avoids the interference that affects many later bouts. Whipwreck leaves with a simple momentum win, while Lozansky provides enough resistance to make the finish feel earned rather than purely exhibitionary.

John Kronus versus Danny Doring is short, but the post-match angle gives the segment more importance than the match itself. Kronus wins decisively with a 450-degree splash. Doring, The Equalizer, and Ulf Herman then attack until New Jack and Jack Victory arrive, seemingly to make the save. Victory suddenly smashes New Jack with a guitar and reveals his alignment with Lance Wright. B- rewards Kronus' clean finish and the significance of the betrayal, but the official match is too brief to carry a higher grade on wrestling alone. The real value lies in the turn, which creates a new conflict around New Jack and Wright's expanding group.

The Blue World Order versus the Full Blooded Italians is an official Results entry, but it never develops into a conventional match. The F.B.I. attacks before the bout can settle into a normal structure, and the Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks arrive to make the save. The official result is a no contest, immediately leading to another F.B.I. match. C+ reflects the lack of competitive substance while still recognizing the segment's storyline purpose. It creates the transition to Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney versus Little Guido and Tracy Smothers, but there is too little actual wrestling to justify a stronger grade. This is best understood as an official angle-driven match entry.

Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney versus Little Guido and Tracy Smothers grows directly out of the aborted bWo-F.B.I. match. The Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks have just made the save, so the crowd has an immediate reason to accept the replacement pairing. Rotten eventually pins Guido after a double chair shot. B rewards crowd energy, a decisive finish, straightforward rivalry logic, and the fact that the second F.B.I. appearance produces an actual result. The match is not especially sophisticated, and the chair finish fits ECW's familiar formula rather than creating something new. Still, it gives the sequence a satisfying endpoint after the no contest that precedes it.

Bam Bam Bigelow versus Al Snow is a short singles match that combines Snow's crowd connection with Triple Threat interference. Chris Candido distracts Snow by trying to steal Head, giving Bigelow the opening to hit Greetings From Asbury Park and secure the pin. B rewards star power, crowd reaction, a clear finishing move, and the way the result keeps Bigelow strong while tying Candido into the outcome. The interference prevents the victory from feeling fully earned, and Snow is already moving out of ECW's central plans after Wrestlepalooza. The match remains useful as a transitional result, but it lacks the depth or clean finish needed to become a standout.

Chris Candido and Sabu versus Lance Storm and Rob Van Dam begins with unusual partnerships created by the overlapping Candido-Storm and RVD-Sabu tensions. The alliances eventually collapse when Candido turns on Sabu. RVD and Sabu then attack both Candido and Storm, leaving the match without a winner. B+ rewards star power, crowd interest, storyline convergence, and the importance of showing where the real loyalties sit. The no contest limits competitive satisfaction, but the breakdown is the purpose rather than an arbitrary escape. The segment directly advances the relationships that soon reshape ECW's tag-team championship picture, making it more valuable as storyline architecture than as a self-contained match.

Sandman, Spike Dudley, and Tommy Dreamer versus Buh Buh Ray, D-Von, and Big Dick Dudley gives A Matter of Respect a long main event built on one of ECW's most established faction rivalries. The Stairway to Hell stipulation raises the violence level without changing the basic goal of settling the six-man conflict. Sandman ultimately hits D-Von with a DDT and scores the pin for his team. B+ rewards rivalry heat, crowd investment, stipulation identity, sustained runtime, and the value of giving Dreamer's side a major-event victory. The match is chaotic and not especially polished, but the official finish is decisive and keeps the feud moving toward its summer payoff.