So I'm finally watching the old Hardcore TV episodes, starting with 8/16/94 (which starts with the infamous "chairs thrown into the ring" moment), and I'm on 9/6/94 already.
Something worth noting is that it's really easy to see why people thought Shane Douglas was going to be a huge deal. He's the only talent on the show who truly carries himself as being a big star, even if he trips over his promos and works a pretty standard style of match. The only other talent that comes close is 2 Cold Scorpio, who isn't as good on the mic but better in the ring.
It really is insane how close three key moments in ECW's history happened to one another. The ring getting filled with chairs, the Sandman/Dreamer Singapore Cane match, and Douglas throwing down the NWA World title all happen within a few weeks of each other. I knew these were all events from 1994 but had it in my head, for whatever reason, that they were spaced apart by a few months.
The episode showcasing the NWA tournament is a touch of brilliance, with the Eastern Championship Wrestling credits at the start and the closing credits saying EXTREME in big caps, right as Todd Gordon officially announces that NWA Eastern is officially folded and the ECW we'd all come to know is born.
Surprise take: Jason was awesome. Yeah, the "Sexiest Man on Earth." That schtick would be super over today, even with the meddling charisma and vague JCVD-ish faux accent.
