My Take On The Original ECW 02.13.08: ECW Hardcore TV (2.18.96)

Introduction:
Welcome back to the latest edition of My Take On! With the addition of WWE 24/7 to my cable system, I have decided to have some fun and do some columns on “The Original ECW.” I plan to work this similar to the “My Take on MMA/The Monday Night Wars” columns, where it isn’t a recap as much as it is an analysis piece. Much like the Monday Night Wars pieces I am running, this is for entertainment purposes. I loved ECW back in the day, sitting with friends and watching the Monday Night Wars, and also have a love for the original ECW. I remember finding it at 2am back in the day in Pittsburgh and was just amazed at what I saw. I even went to a few shows in Pittsburgh. So with 24/7 jumping into my cable lineup, this will be another thing I bring you. I hope that you enjoy it.

For those that have asked, these columns don’t have a set schedule. They will appear as a fill in for when another 411 writer needs the day off.

CATCH-UP:

2.11.96.

ECW HARDCORE TV! From the ECW Arena: Highlights of Cyber Slam 1996 Match/SegmentJudge Dredd and Bad Crew (Ian and Axl Rotten) defeated Dino Sendoff, Don E. Allen, and the Dirt Bike Kid Larry’s Enjoyment Index: 5.0 Final Thoughts: Judge Dredd and the Bad Crew run a squash to kick off the show. Sandman hits the ring and destroys them with cane shots and that’s the real kick off. Sandman would go onto lose to Raven in an ECW title match later that night. A nothing match, but the crowd was into everything so kudos for that. A wild ECW opening with people getting killed. Match/Segment: Joey Styles opens the show and Brian Pillman debuts! Larry’s Enjoyment Index: 10.0 Final Thoughts: This was the awesome debut of Pillman to ECW. Styles of course plays up the “what are you doing here” card, while the crowd sings, “Bishoff takes it up the ass, DOO DA…DOO DA.” Tremendous. Pillman explains that Bishoff fired him, but being that he is in Philly, his constitutional rights can’t be censored here. He lays it on that Bishoff was nothing but a coffee gopher for Verne Gagne. Styles tries to go to commercial, but Brian FN Pillman puts a stop to this. He then goes onto bash the “smart marks” in the crowd. It’s great because they go from loving him to hating him in a matter of seconds. “A mark is a guy that believes OJ didn’t do it…a mark is every one of you sorry sons of bitches.” He threatens to piss in the ring and Heyman and Gordon rush out and say that this was not part of the deal. Unfortunately for them Pillman doesn’t give a fuck about “the booker men.” We hear Gordon say, “he’s shooting, he’s shooting!” Security and Shane Douglas come to the ring as Heyman starts yelling “Fuck you” repeatedly to Pillman. The Village People like security try to escort him out as the crowd chants, “Let him piss.” “A fan” tries to hit Pillman, and is pulled into the ring and Douglas makes the save. This is what ECW was all about at the time, the unexpected appearances, as well as the “shoot/worked-shoot” before it became an overused angle in WCW and beyond. Plain and simple, this was completely awesome. I still dig the entire segment to this day. Styles puts him over as the Loose Cannon of pro wrestling, saying he stepped over the line even for ECW. See the promo for yourself…unedited, so watch your sound levels if you’re at work kids. Match/Segment: Styles talks Taz Larry’s Enjoyment Index: 7.0 Final Thoughts: Styles puts over the fact that Taz is on a quest to dump people on their heads and that no one is wrestling has respect for him. We then see the Bam Bam Bigelow debut from last week. Fonzie cuts a promo on Rey and Bam Bam. This isn’t WWF, this is ECW. Fonzie loves Vince though, because Vince sent him to Betty Ford. Seriously, he said that and I am not surprised knowing Fonzie’s past. Taz lays down a warning to everyone to stay out of ECW, because ECW is his promotion. This was really good follow up to last week’s show I thought. Match/Segment: Mustapha beats down Damian Cane/Dreamer invites some friends to ECW Larry’s Enjoyment Index: 5.0 Final Thoughts: The Gangsta’s vs. the Headhunters was cancelled because New Jack was in jail. Are you surprised? We then get footage of Mustapha beating down Damian Cane until the Head Hunters rush the ring. They beat down Mustapha with ease. Cane and the Headhunters then call for challengers, and The Harris Brothers make their ECW return. This is their Bruise Brothers days, with the big old fro hair. As you can imagine there is a lot of crowd brawling and weapon shots. We end up with a double pin, but the Bruise Brothers get the win. Ok. It actually wasn’t as bad as you may think, but wasn’t really very good either. Match/Segment: Triple Dog Collar Match: Francine and The Pitbulls defeated “SUPER” Stevie Richards and The Eliminators (John Kronus and Perry Saturn) Larry’s Enjoyment Index: 7.0 Final Thoughts: Dear God Stevie Richards was awesome in ECW. He completely kills Francine with a Stevie kick at the bell. Tremendous. They clip ahead to them brawling and Saturn gets a moonsault from the stage. Its clipped all to hell, which hurts when trying to rate it, but the feud had good heat with the Pitbulls previously cutting Saturn’s hair, and Stevie and Francine’s relationship also being a part of this, where they had broken up and Stevie had Stevie kicked her twice before. The Eliminators both take Superbombs as the dog collars had been taken off long ago. They totally fuck up Stevie with a powerbomb/cutter combo off the top, leading to Francine pinning Stevie. The Pitbulls were always assholes with Stevie according to Raven and never “took care of him” in the ring. This doesn’t surprise me as anyone I ever knew who worked with them or anyone I have ever heard talk about them in shoots thought they were assholes. The Eliminators would get total elimination on both Pitbulls, and would do the same to Francine. The Eliminators follow up with a short promo. At the time The Eliminators were thought to be awesome, due to the booking and presentation by Paul. But in reality they weren’t a very good team. The same could be said for the Pitbulls as well, but again like many people in ECW they looked great due to the booking and presentation by Paul, there is a trend there. Match/Segment: Bubba Ray Dudley vs. Mr. Hughes Larry’s Enjoyment Index: 3.0 Final Thoughts: I LOVED the whole Dudley gimmick in ECW. If you believe him, Raven claims to have invented the gimmick as a play on the Hanson brothers from the movie Slap Shot. This is the very fat and dancing Ray period of ECW. Big Dick Dudley would nail Hughes with his crutch and Ray would win with the top rope splash, yeah, that’s all. Thankfully. Match/Segment: The Pitbulls Speak/Joey Styles interviews Tommy Dreamer Larry’s Enjoyment Index: 8.0 Final Thoughts: The Pitbulls promise revenge and total elimination on the Eliminators. Short, sweet, and fine overall. We now move to the closing interview, and Dreamer and Beulah make their way to the ring. On the last show Raven injured Dreamer, causing a shoulder separation. Dreamer apologizes for the injury and knows that Raven did it as a receipt. Raven, Stevie, Meanie and Kimona come to the ring now, because it’s a party! I was always a big fan of the Raven/Dreamer feud and I still look back on it and feel that way. Raven, as usual gives a good interview discussing punishment in various countries where they cut off body parts, and since Dreamer got Beulah pregnant he was going to cut his dick off. Awesome. Dreamer smartly has backup in the Bruise Brothers and Shane Douglas, who make their way out. One thing that was always a problem for Dreamer was that Raven always had the numbers advantage, or would find someone to throw in the way of Dreamer, so as a fan, seeing him get backup was nice. Styles earlier in the show had mentioned a secret alliance between Dreamer and Douglas as well as Dreamer “calling in friends” who we already knew were the Bruise Brothers. Douglas would take Beulah to safety as Raven told Dreamer to prepare for death. Unfortunately for Dreamer his pals the Bruise Brothers would attack and beat him down to end the show. SORRY FOR YOUR LUCK DREAMER! This was cool because it was before we were always expecting swerves, and made you hate the Bruise Brothers, made you hate Raven even more and in the end it made you want Dreamer to get vindication in the worst way. The other great part of the feud is how Raven was always able to create roadblocks between he and Dreamer, and just when you thought Dreamer would get to Raven, a new roadblock appeared in someone new or someone turning on Dreamer. The Overall: Best Match/Segment: Joey Styles opens the show and Brian Pillman debuts! 10.0 Worst Match/Segment: Bubba Ray Dudley vs. Mr. Hughes 3.0 Final Thoughts: This was another good episode of ECW TV. We got yet another big appearance with Pillman debuting, Taz continued to look like the baddest man in wrestling, Sandman looked great as his alliance with Missy Hyatte continued (although downplayed this week) and the Raven/Dreamer and Eliminators/Pitbulls feuds all continued to grow during the episode. This was a damn fine little show here. Show Score: 7.25