Heat Wave 2000: RVD Gets Revenge as Justin Credible Retains

Sal E. Graziano versus Balls Mahoney is a brief 2:30 opener built around an unexpected result. Mahoney attempts to use his chair, but Graziano avoids the shot, hits a chokeslam and elbow drop, then applies a bearhug before getting the victory. C+ rewards the upset value, clear finish, and quick crowd hook. The match is simply too short to develop into a substantial contest, and its role is more about surprise than sustained quality. Graziano winning cleanly enough to establish the result gives the opener a distinct identity, but it remains one of the easiest matches on the card to skip on a selective rewatch.

Kid Kash, Danny Doring, and Roadkill face Simon Diamond, C. W. Anderson, and Johnny Swinger in an 11:01 six-man tag that combines several active ECW midcard programs. Diamond and Swinger attempt the Problem Solver on Doring, but Kash intervenes. Doring answers with Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma'am on Diamond, and Kash follows with the Money Maker on Swinger for the win. B+ rewards team chemistry, clear escalation, crowd-friendly action, and a decisive finish. The match is not a major historical turning point, but it efficiently uses six important supporting wrestlers and gives the winning trio strong momentum before the card moves into higher-profile singles matches.

Jerry Lynn versus Steve Corino is one of Heat Wave's strongest matches and receives 15:23 to develop around Lynn's athleticism and Corino's opportunistic style. Jack Victory tries to interfere with powder, the referee is knocked out, and Corino nearly steals the match after Victory uses a cowbell. Lynn survives the chaos, counters through a series of near falls, and wins with the cradle piledriver. A- rewards match length, opponent quality, crowd investment, dramatic near falls, and the importance of Lynn gaining another major singles victory. The interference keeps it from feeling completely clean, but the match still stands as a clear upper-card highlight.

Chris Chetti and Nova versus Tony DeVito and Angel begins after Da Baldies attack the injured New Jack, prompting Chetti and Nova to make the save. Once the official tag match starts, the babyface team builds toward a decisive finish and wins in 5:00 after the Tidal Wave on Angel. B rewards feud continuity, a clear transition from angle to match, recognizable teams, and a decisive result. The short runtime limits the match's ceiling, and much of its value comes from the surrounding New Jack storyline. The Event File preserves the attack as setup and the tag bout as its own official match rather than merging the two.

Yoshihiro Tajiri, Mikey Whipwreck, Little Guido, and returning Psicosis produce one of Heat Wave's most interesting matches in a four-way elimination format. Guido eliminates Whipwreck after Psicosis hits the Psycho Guillotine, Tajiri eliminates Psicosis with a German suplex, and Tajiri finally defeats Guido after mist and a brainbuster onto a chair. A- rewards the opponent mix, elimination structure, pace, variety, and Tajiri's decisive final victory. The primary Results table lists 9:12 while the elimination table records the final fall at 9:17, so the official sequence is preserved without forcing an artificial correction to the timing discrepancy. The small timing conflict does not meaningfully change the match's evaluation.

Rhino versus Sandman puts the ECW World Television Championship at stake in an 8:38 match surrounded by Network interference. Jack Victory and Steve Corino become involved, while Spike Dudley tries to help Sandman and eventually takes an accidental Gore. Rhino later drives Spike through a table and survives Sandman's cane offense before hitting the Rhino Spike on the guardrail and pinning Sandman. B+ rewards title stakes, feud intensity, crowd response, and Rhino's continued presentation as a dominant champion. The frequent interference keeps the match from becoming a stronger standalone contest, but the result clearly reinforces Rhino's position heading into the later RVD program.

Rob Van Dam versus Scotty Anton is the clearest feud payoff on Heat Wave and receives 19:02, the longest match on the card. Anton targets RVD's leg with a chair and repeatedly uses the Clapper, trying to exploit the betrayal that began at Hardcore Heaven. Bill Alfonso creates an opening, Van Dam escapes, and RVD responds with the Van Daminator and Five Star Frog Splash before debuting the Van Terminator and earning the victory. A- rewards match length, rivalry stakes, crowd investment, a memorable new move, and a decisive payoff. The match does exactly what the feud needs while keeping Van Dam positioned as one of ECW's central stars.

Justin Credible versus Tommy Dreamer closes Heat Wave in a 12:20 Stairway to Hell match for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. George turns on Dreamer by aligning with Francine, Jazz becomes involved, and the match escalates around the barbed-wire stipulation. Credible eventually hits That's Incredible on Dreamer onto the barbed wire and retains the title. B+ rewards championship stakes, feud history, a decisive finish, and the significance of keeping Credible's reign intact. The interference and relatively short runtime keep the match below the card's best work, but it remains an important chapter in the Dreamer-Credible rivalry and an appropriate closing attraction.