Chat! culturecrossfire.slack.com

ECW Hardcore TV

alkeiper

Welcoming our new insect overlords
Messages
10,589
Reaction score
2,074
Points
253
Location
Northeast Pennsylvania
I figured by '94/'95 they were doing that, wasn't sure if they were already running back and forth to Long Island before Heyman had the reigns completely.
 

alkeiper

Welcoming our new insect overlords
Messages
10,589
Reaction score
2,074
Points
253
Location
Northeast Pennsylvania
On my Roku and iPhone apps it has every other show (generally) in early '94. Is this the same for everybody? And if so, I assume there's some sort of issue with the master tapes? Or music rights?
 

alkeiper

Welcoming our new insect overlords
Messages
10,589
Reaction score
2,074
Points
253
Location
Northeast Pennsylvania
April 26. The Bruise Brothers battle Badd Company. Joey Styles says the Bruise Brothers show off their wrestling diversity. The last time that sentence would be used to describe them.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,446
Reaction score
8,296
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
Watching the 10/18/94 show. If you think "Oh! Joey Styles interviews Tommy Cairo via satellite" is a fast forward worthy segment, think again! I might be partial because Tommy Cairo's promo style reminds me of a really annoying/unintentionally hilarious scummy dude that used to be a fellow regular at a now defunct bar I used to go to.

Chris Benoit is wrestling Surfer Ray Odyssey. Damn. Surfer Ray Odyssey takes me back. He was featured prominently on the Savoldi Brothers "classic" wrestling show that aired in the same Saturday Morning timeslot on the local UPN/MyNetworkTV affiliate that ECPW On Fire has now back in the late '90s/early '00s.
 

DrVenkman PhD

You don't know me and you don't have to know me
Messages
29,106
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
Windsor, Ontario
DouglasJacketEpisode151_zpsf599d2b7.jpg


Shane Douglas' stupid jacket and/or awesome from episode 151. Not sure if he's supposed to be a superhero or Mexican wrestler or what his end game here is.
 

Laz

Making dumb observations since 2002
Messages
19,837
Reaction score
2,572
Points
253
Location
Music City
It was supposed to be, uhhh...yeah, I have no idea. Good thing the Triple Threat shirts were so sharp, eh?
 

Jingus

Integral Poster
Messages
6,364
Reaction score
-1
Points
0
Shitty WCW Club guys, was that the episode we THOUGHT we were gonna see, when we ended up with the mystifying episode which was one long clip show and it included an inexplicably bizarre talky segment where Sherri was talking about fucking guys in Japan and Madusa was incoherently screeching curses at her and both women seemed like they were too drunk to stand up?
 

Rendclaw

Integral Poster
Messages
1,321
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
I desperately want the Taz promo right after he punked out the Pitbulls, nearly killed Lance Wright, and got arrested after near yanking a cop's arm out of the socket.

That and the Paul Varelans in ring segment where the whole locker room stops the Polar Bear from getting choked out by Taz.
 

Laz

Making dumb observations since 2002
Messages
19,837
Reaction score
2,572
Points
253
Location
Music City
Venkman said:
They've added a lot of 1996 and 1997, slowly filling in gaps too.

wwef_507100983_th_65.jpg


This aired?
Nope. They advertised his presence but he threatened a lawsuit if his segment was actually used following the Sandman's crucifixion. They advertised, "card subject to change," blah blah blah.
 

DrVenkman PhD

You don't know me and you don't have to know me
Messages
29,106
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
Windsor, Ontario
Subject to change, but here's my episode count:

1994: Ok, between 1993 and April 26th it's anywhere between every other episode to 3 or more week gaps. I did not have 24/7 when they first started airing these so I don't know if WWE even has or aired these episodes. For the rest of the year from April 26th (episode #54), episode 69 (August 9th) and episodes 79-82 (the biggest gap since it stabilized, October 25th - November 15th) are missing.

1995: The complete year, episodes 89 through 140 (though a batch seem to have a string error where the date shows up as "Undefined NaN NaN, but they're in the right order). Also contains the one and only direct Chris Benoit mention in an episode description without just saying his opponent is "in action) for episode 92 vs. 2 Cold.

1996: Episodes 141 - 192 (which at some point should become 193) - As of the time I'm writing this, and episodes are still being added today so this could change shortly, only episodes 175 (August 27) and 193 (December 30) are missing. Based on how the updating is going, this year should be complete sooner than later.

1997: Episodes 194 - 245 (which a problem with episode titling currently has it go 245 then 244, with dates that look off, but they are in chronological order). Much like 1996, even as I'm counting, gaps are being filled, but as of right now episode 220 (July 7th) is the only missing show from this year.

1998: Actually stops right about where the Nitros for 1998 stopped too (not counting the out of place April 98 Nitro episode, 2 months after the current February stopping point). Episodes 246 - 253 (January 5 - February 23) are currently available.

Edit on October 5th: Episodes 175 and 220 (which completes 1997) are now up. This just happened within the hour so I suspect 193 is not far behind - edited again because 193 is up but the bot didn't catch it yet.
 

HarleyQuinn

Laugh This Off... Puddin'!
Staff member
Messages
22,078
Reaction score
1,990
Points
313
http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/ecw-hardcore-tv-december-1993-through-january-1994/#.VhgI1msralI
 

HarleyQuinn

Laugh This Off... Puddin'!
Staff member
Messages
22,078
Reaction score
1,990
Points
313
http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/ecw-tv-august-1994/ My article this month sees Mikey Whipwreck defend his TV Title against Stevie Richards, 911 and Mr. Hughes go face to face, The Sandman canes the hell out of Tommy Dreamer, and Shane Douglas throws down the NWA Title!
 

DrVenkman PhD

You don't know me and you don't have to know me
Messages
29,106
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
Windsor, Ontario
ECW Hardcore TV is now "ECW" in the Vault because they've added episodes of "ECW Wrestling" from TNN. I didn't realize Hardcore TV and TNN episodes co-existed at the same time, but they did, and they're all going up.
 

BUTT

Kreese
Messages
5,583
Reaction score
856
Points
218
I never understood why ECW continued producing a syndicated show once they got on TNN. I have read that Paul E. was paying 3 grand per week to have his show air in Chicago. Why do that when you have national cable exposure?

Fun fact:the ECW syndicated show was never called "Hardcore TV" until they got on TNN. You better believe I get annoyed when people talk about "Hardcore TV from 1996." It doesn't exist!
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,612
Reaction score
1,879
Points
253
Location
NYC
Venkman said:
ECW Hardcore TV is now "ECW" in the Vault because they've added episodes of "ECW Wrestling" from TNN. I didn't realize Hardcore TV and TNN episodes co-existed at the same time, but they did, and they're all going up.

To this day, I still have the very last episode of Hardcore TV on VHS which featured the stellar line-up of Doring & Roadkill vs the Baldiez (with an appearance from Taz), Balls Mahoney & Nova vs Hot Commodity and the main event of Jerry Lynn vs Joey Matthews. This was a week or two before Guilty as Charged.
 

Laz

Making dumb observations since 2002
Messages
19,837
Reaction score
2,572
Points
253
Location
Music City
SHKRELI SWAG said:
Fun fact:the ECW syndicated show was never called "Hardcore TV" until they got on TNN. You better believe I get annoyed when people talk about "Hardcore TV from 1996." It doesn't exist!
This is a very good point to make for historical purposes, but it's the same kind of hair splitting that some get raked over the coals for when they refer to anything between 1979 and 2002 as WWE because it's the same company. Hardcore TV was retroactively named but even Paul E refers to syndicated show as Hardcore TV.
 

DrVenkman PhD

You don't know me and you don't have to know me
Messages
29,106
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
Windsor, Ontario
The missing 1993 episodes (as of right now the oldest added is the 2nd episode) appear to be going up.
 

909

909
Staff member
Messages
40,057
Reaction score
3,858
Points
313
Location
West Point
Almost done with 1994 after never watching ECW before. Really enjoy seeing the promos Shane Douglas and Cactus Jack were doing. Show stealers.
 

Laz

Making dumb observations since 2002
Messages
19,837
Reaction score
2,572
Points
253
Location
Music City
I'm surprised you'd never seen it. You're already impressed with 1994 and the show hasn't even gotten good yet.
 

909

909
Staff member
Messages
40,057
Reaction score
3,858
Points
313
Location
West Point
Hardcore Heaven 1997 and some assorted matches were the only things I'd watched.
 

HarleyQuinn

Laugh This Off... Puddin'!
Staff member
Messages
22,078
Reaction score
1,990
Points
313
Working my way finally through September - December of 1994 but man... yeah, ECW gets a lot of guff for its lack of in-ring action/extreme elements e.g. weapons but fuck that noise to be honest.

If you're a wrestling fan, you owe it to yourself to at least watch ECW's Hardcore TV stretch from 1994 - 1997. In 1994 alone you see the evolution of Sandman's character thanks to freakin' Tommy Cairo, Tommy Dreamer's dramatic rise leading to Sandman's (with Woman) iconic caning angle, the evolution of Public Enemy as arguably the tag team of the promotion long before Dudley Boys, and Shane Douglas becoming its Ric Flair for better or worse.

Most know of ECW for surface level wrestlers (e.g. Raven/Dreamer, Taz, RVD, Dudley Boys, New Jack's violence, etc.) but that's truly a shame. There is just so much more going on beneath that surface level awareness and some of it is awesome. I never thought much of the PE but they are fucking gold & must watch promo wise for me after going through 1994. Can't wait to see who else gets a leap for me in that regard. Same for seeing Sandman evolve in large part thanks to his feud with Tommy Cairo (who?).

There's also a ton of forgotten great promos even from the likes of Cactus, Funk, etc. that most aren't aware of beyond the commonly played and/or shown.
 
Top