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ECW Memories - Boy Have Times Changed
By Brett Schwan
Every Sunday at noon I would tune in my radio and listen to John Arrezzi's
wrestling radio show. For the longest time I had heard him talking about
Joel Goodhart's Tri-State Wrestling Alliance. I would listen to him talk
about these amazing matches with Eddie Gilbert, Cactus Jack, Jerry Lawler,
and on and on and on. One day, Arrezzi announced a bus trip to a Tri State
show. I signed up.
For one reason or another, the show and trip never took place.
Fast forward a year. John Arrezzi is now singing the praises of this new
company called Eastern Championship Wrestling. He's continuously talking
about the amazing array of talent they are using. Names like Stan Hansen,
Abdullah the Butcher, Kevin Sullivan, Hawk, and many unfamiliar names.
I began following the promotion as best I could on the internet and through
tape trading. I was hooked. My only problem was I wasn't driving all the
way to Philly for this.
John Arrezzi announced a bus trip to the 'ECW Arena' in Philadelphia,
PA on November 18, 1994. The main event of the evening was Public Enemy
v Kevin Sullivan and Cactus Jack. SIGN ME UP!
The day finally came and the bus left long Island for Philadelphia. We
pulled up in front of this Bingo Hall. WHAT' A Bingo Hall' Ugh. Little
did I know what was in store.
From the minute the theme music hit (35 minutes late) I was hooked. The
energy I that building was unlike anything I had ever been a part of.
From the opening match to the main event, I was thrilled, terrified, intense,
overwhelmed, and marking out like an idiot.
I still remember the entire card: JT Smith and Stevie Richards defeated
Hack Meyers and Chad Austin....The Pitbulls defeated Ian and Axl Rotten
in a "double dog collar" match....Tommy Dreamer defeated Sandman.....Sabu
and Taz defeated Joe and Dean Malenko....Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and
Johnny Grunge) fought to a No Contest with Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan
to retain the tag team titles....Ron Simmons and Too Cold Scorpio defeated
Shane Douglas and Brian Pillman.
On the bus ride home I knew I would have to return to ECW. From that first
trip to the Arena, until 1999, I drove the 4 plus hours each way, every
three weeks, to witness the most incredible sports entertainment in the
world.
For those 5 years, I never missed a show. Even if Ron, my traveling companion
(who mainly slept in the car the whole trip and was no help driving as
he has no license) missed a show.. I would go! Of course, trying to find
the place, which did not exist on maps, the first time I drove there was
a whole different story.
I was lucky enough to get 'Club ECW' seats, so I had the same seat for
those 5 years. To this day, if you watch the ECW DVD's you can see fat
Brett, in his bright red shirt, sitting ringside behind Rocco and Bob
at the timekeepers' table.
It never ceased to amaze me how fans would start lining up at the hall
at 8 or 9 in the morning. Especially knowing that a 7:30 belltime usually
meant more like 8:30 in ECW time.
The only thing I regret is not having gotten there sooner than 1994.
So many moments stick out in my mind but here are just a few:
The Sandman "blinding angle'. This still stands out as one of the
greatest angles of all time, as everyone inside and outside of the business
believed it was real.
"Double Tables" featuring Sabu and Tazmaniac against The Public
Enemy, Chris Benoit vs. Al Snow, and the return of Terry funk after a
6 month hiatus.
Axl Rotten and Ian Rotten in a series of matches that involved barbed
wire baseball bats and culminated with the Taipei Death match.
Tommy Dreamer using my "Mr Coffee" on Kronus in a cage match.
In August of 1995, Dean Malenko and Eddy Guerrero wrestled their 'farewell
match'. (BTW, on the same show was Francine v Beulah in a bra and panties
match. Talk about a difference in styles LOL) To see an entire crowd chanting
'Please Don't Go' and 'Thank You' to the point that Eddy and Dean were
choked up, was truly amazing. The fact that Eddy hugged me on his way
around the ring is still something I rub in Ron's face from time to time
(as he 'forgot' there was a show that day)
November to Remember 1995. Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer vs Cactus Jack
and Raven plus Rey Misterio Jr v Psicosis. Need I say more?
The appearance of lucha stars Rey Misterio, Jr., Juventud Guerrera, Psicosis, Konnan, and La Parka at the ECW Arena. (and you wonder where WCW suddenly got the idea to book these guys?)
The feud between the Gangstas and the Eliminators.
Francine sitting next to us, front row, on the night she debuted with
the company.
Shane Douglas v Pitbull 2 v Chris Jericho v 2 Cold Scorpio for the ECW
TV Title (where Francine turned on Pitbull)
The Beulah is pregnant angle (which was stupid yet hilarious)
Terry Gordy and Steve Williams vs the Eliminators
The Debut of Chris Candido and the forming of the Triple Threat
The Headhunters vs the Bruise Brothers. (in which I nearly lost my life)
Watching the crowd get more and more aggrivated each month as Bill Alphonso escaped the clutches of 911
Rocco Rock using a pumpkin we brought on Too Cold Scorpio's skull.
The end of the Raven Dreamer feud
The fans turning their backs on the ring and chanting 'Bingo' during a
Shane Douglas v Tully Blanchard never ending match.
Every Jerry Lynn v RVD match.
Every Masato Tanaka vs Mike Awesome match.
Just to look at the talent I had the pleasure of seeing (in addition to
those already mentioned) over those years still amazes me.
Chad Austin, Mr. Hughes, Sal Bellomo, Tommy Cairo, Sandman, Gary Wolf,
Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge), Pat Tanaka, Road Warrior
Hawk, The Bruise Brothers, Mike Awesome, Hack Myers, Al Snow, Osamu Nishimura,
Tully Blanchard, Paul Lauria, Mikey Whipwreck, Stevie Richards, Hector
Guerrero, Marty Jannetty, DC Drake, Jason Knight, Ron Simmons, Vampire
Warrior (Gangrel), Dudley Dudley, Dances With Dudley, Mr. Hughes, The
Blue Meanie, Too Cold Scorpio, El Puerto Ricano, Bad Crew, The Headhunters,
Big Titan, Damien Kane, Little Guido, Brian Lee, Beef Wellington, Devon
Storm, Tommy Rich, Tracy Smothers, Chris Chetti, Bam Bam Bigelow, Louie
Spicolli, Big Dick Dudley, Spike Dudley, Balls Mahoney, Tom Pritchard,
JC Ice and Wolfie D, Paul Diamond, Tommy Rogers, Skull Von Krush, Bill
Wiles, David Cash, Uganda, Tom Marquez, Kid Cash, Bo and Jack Dupp, Ikuto
Hidaka, 911, Taz, Kurt Angle, Balls Mahoney, Gary Albright, the Headhunters,
and so much more.
All that for $25 for a front row seat, plus the cost of travel from NY
to PA. Oh how times have changed!
ECW was not just about the bloodletting, death matches, scaffolds, and
barbed wire. It was about wrestling. Nowhere else could you see the likes
of Malenko ' Guerrero, Jericho-Sabu, Rey-Juvi-La Parka-Konan.
Along with that, all the people (at the time fans) that I met. People
from Kathy Fitzpatrick to Dave Scherer to James Finch (who later got me
involved with ECW's website and the Wrestling Area on AOL) to Tom Misnik
who I met online and if it was not for him, I never would have gotten
my Club ECW Seats and never would have sat front row behind Bob and Rocco
for all those years.
ECW will never be truly imitated, it will never be recreated properly
(sorry, Shane). However, it will live in history forever. In history.
OH how I wish EVERYONE would just leave it there.
Fast Forward:
June 10th, 2005. In an attempt to put the screws to WWEcW's sad attempt
at reliving the past (for a quick buck), Shane Douglas and Jeremy Borash
are putting on their own 'Hardcore Homecoming' at the ECW Arena.
The cost of that same $25 ringside ticket' $150. Of course you get to
keep the chair, and get to go to an autograph session afterwards. Of course,
from 94-99 most of the wrestlers were accessible for autographs and pictures
after the show anyway.. but what's $150' LOL
In addition to that (and the other ticket prices that range from $100
- $135) I got the following in an email today:
The Official Hardcore Homecoming Event Program is now for sale on the
website! It features a forward written by Terry Funk, thanking fans for
their support over the years, and how much this night means to him. The
program is available in the merchandise secion of HardcoreHomecoming.com.
We also have new event T-Shirts, and a limited edition art print entitled
"Icons of Hardcore" that features the signatures of Joey Styles,
Sabu, Sandman, Shane Douglas, Raven, and Terry Funk. The print is also
signed and numbered by artist Scott Blair, who will also be in attendence
signing chairs (the art print is also the image on the chairs) at Hardcore
Homecoming.
The official Hardcore Homecoming afternoon tailgate party starts at 3pm, and will take place in front of the New Alhambra arena. There will be food and music up until showtime. Several of the wrestlers have said they will be stopping in.
FOREVER HARDCORE is fearless is exposing the true history of this wrestling revolution, as the faces that shaped an era share their memories through the laughter and the tears. FOREVER HARDCORE will have a first release date of June 10th, 2005. New Sabu And Exclusive DVD Intro Video Added Today! Watch Now
WOW. Talk about a cash cow! Now if you want to believe that Shane is putting this show on for the fans... more power to you. If you want to believe that this is one last true tribute to the phenomenon that was ECW... more power to you. If you want to believe that this was done for any reason other than making a ridiculous profit of a bunch of us marks who are just wanting to relive the glory one last time.. then you need your head examined!!
On the other hand, if people are stupid enough OR need to relive the
past that badly, then why not soak them for all it's worth! It's wrestling
after all!
(Meantime, WWE can't give away the $400 ringisde tickets they're trying
to sell! LOL)
WWE can't deny they had a HUGE success with the ECW DVD they released.
Unfortunately, the can't understand that a WWE version of an ECW event
is not what the fans want (or need) to see.
Hopefully, Shane Douglas will have a little more of a clue in booking
the show on Friday. I do know that everyone working the show on Friday
is doing it for the love they had for the company (and of course a pay
day).
I just hope the fans who are going back to relive the past, have the opportunity
to do so one last time, in as authentic a fashion as possible.
By the way, if you're going to Hardcore Homecoming, I'll be in the same
place I was every three weeks from 1994 till 1999.
- Brett
