Background: Hoping to capitalize on the growing popularity of mixed martial arts, ECW created the first “Extreme Shoot Fight” where Judo black belt Taz took on international high-flyer Chris Jericho.
Massacre on Queens Boulevard
Queens, NY
April 13, 1996
Taz vs. Chris Jericho
A grappling contest broke out featuring Taz easily judo hip tossing Jericho into the first Tazplex of the evening. Stumbling to his feet, Jericho caught Taz off guard with a knee strike. The axe kick by Jericho swung him into another suplex. Quickly, Jericho recovered and swept Taz into an arm bar-German suplex of his own. Taz got up before the ten count, as the cameras focused on the problems between Taz’s manager Bill Alphonso and ECW president Tod Gordon. During the fracas, the referee was downed; giving Alphonso the chance to crown Jericho with a steel chair. Taz grabbed his opponent for the Taz Mission for the submission victory.
Winner: Taz (3:04)
Is It A Classic: That was absolutely terrible. Not only was it short and having no semblance of a real fight, the cameras were so focused on what was going on outside that most of the action occurred off-camera. Not a good idea that was poorly executed.
