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Well, I guess this is a
return for me. I enjoyed recapping ECW on TNN for a while, but
eventually, I didn't like the product, ECW on TNN has become a boring,
clichéd show. I thought for about 30 seconds, and I realized that I
should take a look back and review the "glory days" of ECW
that everyone speaks of: 1995. This was the year of ECW.
1995. What a year. The
WWF was still in denial, trying to give Mabel a main event push, but
not realizing that everyone wanted what that HBK guy was doing. WCW
was pre-NWO, but they still had all the WWF old guard; Hulk Hogan,
Hacksaw Jim Duggan, the Honky Tonk Man, etc; all these guys were WCW
stars. On the East Coast, however, a promotion brewed that wasn't
pushing old, fat guys to the moon; instead, the product featured
intense brawls and actual wrestling. While the other two promotions
were child-friendly, this product was focused to adults; specifically,
the cynical adults of one Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The famous fans
who would boo babyfaces like there was no tomorrow, and pop for heels.
The same fans who, four years later, would cheer as a near-crippled
Michael Irvin was stretchered out of Veterans Stadium. This, readers,
was the crowd that filled the ECW Arena in 1995.
Now, let's go over the
cast of characters going into 1995:
- Shane Douglas - Shane
Douglas is the ECW World Heavyweight champion who, in a NWA Title
Tournament in 1994, won, only to throw the NWA Title, a title with
85+ years history, onto the ground. He followed that by creating
the "Extreme Championship Wrestling" World Heavyweight
Title, and changing what was a Philadelphia indy, Eastern
Championship Wrestling, into what we know today as ECW. Douglas is
a tweener here, he doesn't really act like a heel, but the way he
carries himself is heel-like.
- Paul E.
Dangerously - I don't believe he owned ECW yet, but he was
booking. He managed Sabu, Tasmaniac, and 911. Paul E. is a
babyface.
- Sabu - This
is the Sabu that marks read about in PWI; the underground, insane
wrestler who would do moonsaults through tables out of spite.
Despite the fact that he hasn't said a word on ECW Television, and
wouldn't do so until 1999, Sabu is the most popular babyface in
the federation. He primarily wrestles tag matches, along with his
tag team partner,
- Tasmaniac - Yes,
Tasmaniac was Sabu's partner in 1995. Their breakup (which will be
covered later) lead to the whole Taz/Sabu feud in 1997. Tasmaniac
is commonly referred to as "Taz" by Joey Styles and Paul
E., but the official name is Tasmaniac. Unlike today's Taz,
Tasmaniac didn't wear a towel over his head; instead, he wore a
usually maroon singlet, and he had dreadlocks. No joking. When I
get a Snappy to scan digital pictures in, this will be the first
thing I scan in.
- 911 - 911 was
probably the 2nd most over guy in the Federation, after Sabu. He
is a major babyface, who chokeslams everyone from referees to
jobbers. That's all he does.
- The Sandman -
The Sandman is accompanied to the ring by Woman, who eventually
gains even more fame by dumping Kevin Sullivan for Chris Benoit
(we'll get to him later). She carries the Sandman's cane, as well
as being his beer and cig supplier. The Sandman is freshly turned
to his famous gimmick. He, however, is a heel when we start off,
being in a feud with babyface
- Cactus Jack -
Mick Foley is currently feuding with the Sandman and Woman, who
was the wife of Cactus' partner in WCW, the aforementioned Kevin
Sullivan. I don't think he needs more explanation.
- Tommy Dreamer - Dreamer
in 1994 was a hated babyface rookie. In 1996, he was a hardcore
hero. 1995 is the year he goes from the former to the latter. How
does he do it? His feud with a certain guy who wasn't even around
when '95 started.
- Dean Malenko - Malenko
in 1994 worked with his brother, Joe Malenko, in the ECW tag
division. He also had a feud with Tasmaniac, which included the
most gracious thing I've ever seen anyone do in wrestling. Malenko
hit a Tiger Driver (double underhook powerbomb into a sitting
position), then after, rolls backwards on his head into a standing
position. When I first saw it, I think I rewinded it 80
times.
- Chris Benoit -
Chris showed up late in 1994, and subsequently broke Sabu's neck
in the now infamous fashion shown on Extreme Warfare: Volume II.
ECW took advantage of this and booked it into angles, as you'll
see.
- Public Enemy
- If this was the year of ECW, then this was the year of Public
Enemy, because the Public Enemy were everything ECW represented;
heels in 1994, who became huge babyfaces in 1995 because of their
street attitude. They have just finished a feud with the Funk
Brothers which ended with a barbed wire match, won by PE. They are
now moving onto Sabu & Taz.
- Ron Simmons - The
ex-WCW champ was in ECW for a little while, on his way to the WWF,
where he'd become Faarooq. He was booked as a babyface in ECW, but
came off as a cheesy All-American (which is exactly what he was
billed as), meaning he became a heel.
- 2 Cold Scorpio
- Scorpio was mainly wrestling in the undercard; his glory days
would not be seen until May or so.
- Mikey Whipwreck
- A ECW standard; Whipwreck was a student of Cactus Jack, who
would get his ass kicked regularly and get no offense in; in fact,
when he got his first offensive move in against Mike Awesome (who
toured with ECW in 1994), it received an "Oh My God"
from Joey Styles; a rare one, as Joey didn't make this his
catchphrase until the middle of '95.
- Steve Richards - Yes,
he wasn't yet Stevie, and he wasn't yet funny. An undercard worker
until he got teamed up with, well, we'll get to it. A major heel.
- Jason - Jason
wasn't just a mouthpiece and bump for Justin Credible in 1995; he
was a GREAT heel manager, who managed the Pitbulls when 1995
rolled around. He was also known to wrestle a little bit.
- The Pitbulls - Speaking
of the Pitbulls, they were a tweener team booked as heels. God
knows why they got over, but they did.
- Axl and Ian
Rotten - They were a tag team who also competed in ECW in
1994. They generally got very little reaction.
- J.T. Smith - The
future originator of the FBI was a former star of ECW who, because
of injuries (most of which inflicted while trying to be
"hardcore"), was a jobber at the time. The original
recipient of "You Fucked Up".
- Tommy Cairo - Cairo
was in the main events in 1994, but only wrestles once in ECW in
1995. He is managed by a slutty-looking bitch in a wedding dress
who's called the "Virgin Princess Angel". Don't worry,
neither of them last long.
That's basically it;
anyone not mentioned either wasn't here yet (Raven, Eddy Guerrero), or
I'm forgetting. I plan on reviewing shows when I get a chance to; in
fact, I have the first show report written out, just need to type it.
Expect it tomorrow.
Bill Barnwell
Blitz Sports
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