Better Than Ever 1997: Candido and Storm Win Tag Gold as ECW Heads Toward 1998

Jerry Lynn and Tommy Rogers versus the Full Blooded Italians continues the opening-match orbit established at November to Remember, but this time Lynn and Rogers receive the decisive result. Little Guido and Tracy Smothers bring familiar team chemistry, while Lynn and Rogers offer a faster athletic contrast. Rogers pins Smothers after the Tomikaze. B+ rewards execution, continuity, a clean finish, and the usefulness of giving Lynn and Rogers a meaningful win after losing the prior tag continuation. The match does not carry championship stakes, yet it starts the show with four dependable workers and gives the audience a straightforward competitive result before the heavier storyline material begins.

Mikey Whipwreck versus Justin Credible works because the November upset now becomes a genuine rivalry rather than a fluke. Credible enters determined to erase his first ECW loss, while Jason again tries to tilt the match in his favor. The interference backfires, allowing Whipwreck to hit a second-rope Whipper-Snapper and score another pin. B+ rewards storyline progression, crowd investment, decisive finishing, and the value of making Credible overcome real adversity during his early push. Whipwreck benefits from another important win, while Credible gains a stronger motivation for the next rematch. The match is compact but accomplishes exactly what a grudge rematch should do.

Al Snow versus Paul Diamond is a short veteran singles match placed between the Credible-Whipwreck rivalry and the tag-title angle. Snow has the stronger momentum and wins after the Northern Lights Bomb. B- rewards clean execution, a decisive finish, and the usefulness of giving Snow another television-friendly victory without requiring a complicated setup. Diamond provides credible opposition but is not positioned as a serious threat to the upper card, so the match never develops major stakes. Its purpose is largely structural: give the audience a concise wrestling match, keep Snow visible, and reset the pace before the championship three-way changes the direction of the tag division.

The three-way tag-title dance is the event's most important competitive result because Chris Candido and Lance Storm leave as ECW World Tag Team Champions. The Can-Am Express enter as champions after winning the belts the previous evening, while Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney add the Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks to the field. The Can-Am Express are eliminated first, and Candido and Storm eventually finish Mahoney after a double superplex. A- rewards championship significance, elimination structure, crowd response, and the long-term value of establishing Candido and Storm as a team. The short Can-Am reign is unusual, but the final result creates a championship pairing that becomes important throughout early 1998.

The Dudley Brothers versus the Gangstanators and Spike Dudley grows directly out of the angle surrounding John Kronus' injured hands. Buh Buh Ray, D-Von, and Big Dick Dudley attack Kronus before New Jack and Spike join the fight, creating an impromptu six-man tag. The Dudleys win when Buh Buh Ray pins Spike after a powerbomb and a trash-can shot. B rewards storyline logic, faction identity, crowd energy, and the way the spontaneous match turns an interview segment into a physical continuation of an existing feud. The bout is short and chaotic rather than polished, but that fits its purpose. It also sets up a later rematch at House Party.

Stevie Richards versus Chris Chetti is historically more important as a return than as a match. Richards is making his televised comeback to ECW after a stint in WCW, and the promotion wastes little time re-establishing him. He defeats Chetti with the Stevie Kick in roughly a minute and a half. B- rewards return significance, crowd recognition, a decisive finish, and the efficiency of restoring Richards without dragging out a mismatch. Chetti loses quickly but remains a developing wrestler rather than an established contender who needs protection. The match itself is too brief for a higher score, yet its placement gives the audience a clear signal that Richards is immediately relevant again.

Rob Van Dam and Sabu versus Taz and Tommy Dreamer closes Better Than Ever with four of ECW's most important late-1997 personalities in one match. RVD and Sabu remain aligned against the promotion's loyalist side, while Taz and Dreamer give the opposition credibility and intensity. Stevie Richards returns to the story during the finish, hitting Dreamer with a Stevie Kick and allowing Van Dam to score the pin. A- rewards star power, rivalry density, crowd heat, storyline progression, and the importance of the closing brawl that follows. The interference keeps the result from feeling completely clean, but the match efficiently carries several major conflicts into the 1998 calendar.