The Doctor Is In 1996: The Gangstas Take Gold as Sabu and RVD Settle Their War

Mikey Whipwreck versus Devon Storm is a strong twelve-minute opener that gives the event immediate wrestling credibility. Storm has Damien Kane and Lady Alexandra at ringside, but Kane's interference backfires and creates the opening for Mikey to hit the FrankenMikey for the pin. B rewards pace, crowd investment, clean athletic work, and the fact that the interference directly produces a decisive finish rather than extending the match. Mikey remains one of ECW's most reliable underdog performers, while Storm looks competitive enough that the loss does not erase his growing role. The bout is not historically central to the show, but it establishes a higher in-ring baseline than many ECW openers.

Johnny Smith versus Louie Spicolli is short but excellent, using crisp technical exchanges and a faster pace than much of the surrounding card. Both men had recently arrived in ECW, so the match functions as a showcase rather than a chapter of an established feud. Smith wins with a tiger driver, and the audience gives both wrestlers a standing ovation afterward. B+ rewards execution, crowd response, technical variety, and the clean finish. The five-minute runtime keeps it from reaching a higher score, but the match proves ECW can create memorable reactions without weapons or elaborate angles. It is one of the easiest compact matches on the show to recommend.

Axl Rotten versus D-Von Dudley never becomes an official match because the rest of the Dudley family interferes before the bell. The angle turns when Axl and D-Von join forces against the other Dudleys, reinforcing D-Von's separation from the comedy-family structure. D+ reflects the absence of actual match substance, but the segment has real character value because D-Von is now openly choosing outsiders over his own relatives. The Dudley story has been progressing in small steps for months, and this is another meaningful break from the old family dynamic. Viewers should not treat this as wrestling to grade so much as a storyline scene that happens to occupy an official result slot.

Stevie Richards versus Sandman is one of the strangest championship defenses in ECW history because Richards is forced to defend Raven's title while Raven is sidelined with a broken foot. Raven DDTs Richards before the match, then Raven's Nest, Lori Fullington, Tyler Fullington, and Missy Hyatt all become part of the chaos. Richards finally hits Sandman with a loaded boot, but Raven pushes Richards aside and makes the pin himself. B- rewards storyline density, crowd investment, championship importance, and the sheer uniqueness of the situation. The interference prevents it from becoming a cleaner match, but the entire point is Raven's control over everyone around him rather than conventional competition.

2 Cold Scorpio versus Chris Jericho is the best pure wrestling match on The Doctor Is In and Jericho's final ECW appearance before leaving for WCW. Nearly twenty minutes gives both wrestlers room to work athletic sequences, counters, and escalating near falls without needing outside interference. Scorpio eventually wins with the shooting star press. A- rewards duration, execution, crowd response, clean structure, opponent quality, and the historical importance of Jericho's farewell. Jericho leaves after a competitive loss rather than being diminished on the way out, while Scorpio gains another meaningful victory in a year filled with strong singles work. The match is essential viewing for anyone tracking Jericho's pre-WCW development.

Shane Douglas versus Pitbull #2 continues the feud created by Francine's betrayal at Heat Wave and gives the Television Championship a physical fifteen-minute defense. Pitbull #2 repeatedly targets Douglas' neck in revenge for Pitbull #1's injury, while Douglas tries to survive long enough for blood loss and fatigue to weaken the challenger. Pitbull #2 eventually attempts a Superbomb but cannot complete it, allowing Douglas to counter with two belly-to-belly suplexes for the pin. B+ rewards championship stakes, feud continuity, crowd heat, physical storytelling, and a decisive finish. The match deepens the personal rivalry without relying on another title change and keeps Douglas firmly established as champion.

The dream-partners tag match is historically useful because Tommy Dreamer introduces "Dr. Death" Steve Williams as his partner against Brian Lee and Taz. The combination creates immediate novelty, with Williams' established reputation contrasting against the Raven-related violence surrounding Dreamer and Lee. Lee ultimately pins Dreamer after a Prime Time Slam onto a trash can. B- rewards debut importance, star power, crowd interest, and the continuation of Dreamer-Lee. The match itself is too short and chaotic to become a classic, while Beulah McGillicutty's legitimate broken wrist during a ringside fight with Bill Alfonso adds an unfortunate real injury. Williams' debut remains the segment's most important historical contribution.

The four-way tag elimination match finally pays off the Gangstas' months-long pursuit of the ECW World Tag Team Championship. New Jack and Mustafa eliminate the Samoan Gangsta Party first, while the Eliminators remove the Bruise Brothers with Total Elimination. That leaves the two teams who have defined the feud since spring. New Jack eventually hits Kronus with the 187 and scores the decisive pin to make the Gangstas champions. A- rewards championship significance, feud payoff, elimination structure, crowd eruption, and the importance of finally delivering a clean destination after so many non-finishes. The match is chaotic, but the hierarchy is easy to understand and the title change feels earned rather than improvised.

Sabu versus Rob Van Dam closes their early 1996 rivalry with the most dangerous stipulation of the series. More than twenty-three minutes allows the match to combine their familiar athletic exchanges with the stretcher condition, forcing both men to think about incapacitation rather than a normal pinfall. The finish is memorable and brutal: RVD attempts a somersault plancha onto Sabu on the stretcher, Sabu moves, and Van Dam crashes unconscious onto the stretcher himself. A- rewards rivalry payoff, pace, innovation, crowd investment, historical importance, and a decisive stipulation-specific finish. Sabu wins without a conventional pin, and the rivalry finally has a conclusion that matches the physical escalation of their previous encounters.