Taz reveals how he and Bam Bam Bigelow went through the ring at ECW Living Dangerously 1998.
At the memorable show, Bigelow beat Taz to win the ECW World Television Championship. During the bout, both men crashed through the ring. Bigelow came out of the pit, and he won the gold.
The latest episode of Dark Side of the Ring on VICE TV centered around Bam Bam Bigelow. During the show, Taz revealed how he and Bigelow pulled off the famous spot where they crashed through the ring at ECW Living Dangerously 1998. The AEW commentator first recalled how Paul Heyman pitched the idea to him.
“We weren’t just trying to hurt each other. We were professionals,” Taz said. “What happens in that ring is built on trust. So the infamous Taz and Bigelow go through the ring in Asbury Park. So I get this phone call from Paul Heyman, and he says, ‘You and Bigelow, he’s gonna beat you for the belt, and he’s gonna put you through the ring to do it. He goes, ‘What do you think?’ The first thing I thought is, ‘I’m gonna die.’”
Taz Pulls The Curtain Back
Taz continued by describing the specific way they made the ring break in a safe way. He also detailed how Bigelow immediately made sure he was okay.
“The way a ring is constructed, it’s a steel frame, and then there’s these thick wood boards, and then there’s kind of a cushion,” Taz said. “It’s not as big as a mat, and then a canvas. So these wood boards were cut first, so then the boards were just moved out of the way, then opened a trap door. Bam Bam was concerned. ‘What about Taz’s head? His head’s gonna hut the frame of this thing.’ How are we going to clear this hole?’ I almost feel dirty explaining this on here. I’m so old-school, it’s like f—cking unbelievable. So basically, we fought, fought, fought. We were outside of the ring for quite some time fighting until we get the signal that this door is open.
“If you watch closely, when I have the choke on him, and I’m really pulling it back this curtain all the way here. Bam Bam, he’s tapping first. Then he puts his hand on the top rope. Under his hand is a little piece of white tape. That white tape was the measurement to clear my head. We hit that crash mat hard as hell. The ring engulfs us, and we heard the people. My eyes lit up, I was so happy. The first thing he says to me, ‘Are you okay?’ That’s Bam Bam Bigelow. He goes, ‘We f—cking did it!’ We were laughing because the place was rumbling.
Taz then stated that he’ll never forget the moment as long as he lives.
Bigelow sadly passed away in 2007, but he left behind an incredible legacy.
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