David Hunter
Welcome back as we continue our roll into the 1994 year through February and March!
We start off this article with constant highlights of the Douglas, Sabu, Funk three way dance that went 60 minutes to a draw at the February 5th show The Night the Line Was Crossed.
Matty In the House, the stereotypical 90s hype man, has several interviews with talent such as JT Smith and Public Enemy with them decrying what Shane Douglas did and saying he went too far in a good way to build up Douglas’ actions as being too much even for heels. Public Enemy continue to be a true highlight for me as they compare the fight to the Bloods/Crips and start showing off the wallets they stole: Jimmy Snuka, JT Smith (with only $2.00), and finally Commissioner Gordon with Grunge hilariously pleading to Rocco, “Rocco, Rocco, Rocco. We’ll sell it out of state! We’ll sell it out of state!”
Clips are shown of the end of Jimmy Snuka vs. Tommy Dreamer from February 5th with Snuka delivering the Superfly Splash for a 2 count only. The 1,300 are very clearly behind Tommy Dreamer in this match and Snuka is not happy at all. Snuka’s reaction at Dreamer kicking out is fantastic and the crowd goes nuts too. Snuka is pissed and delivers a second Splash but Snuka doesn’t want to win anymore. Yet another Superfly Splash and Snuka gets the 3 count win before headbutting the referee to the mat! Dreamer’s busted open internally with blood oozing from his mouth in a tremendous sell job and Snuka delivers a fourth Superfly Splash! Snuka has lost it and starts stomping at the referee as Commissioner Tod Gordon runs in but Snuka hammers him with a top rope axe handle smash to a big pop from the crowd. Finally the back empties and wrestlers and personnel come out to get Snuka out of the ring. Fantastic post match angle. Awesome stuff.
Now we get to the hyped moment with Styles interviewing Terry Funk after the 60 minute time limit draw happened. Funk calls out WCW as not being worth a damn and ridiculing his profession. Funk puts over the company and guys like Sandman and Jimmy Snuka in a pretty emotional interview. Funk is one of the more quietly genius moves behind ECW’s rise as he gives the promotion credibility on the microphone and really helps sell the promotion, the wrestlers, and the impact it’s continuing to foster and build and grow.
We cut to the press conference where Shane Douglas immediately goes after Commissioner Tod Gordon. Douglas wants the Heavyweight Title by proxy after physically sending both Funk and Sabu to the back during the actual match. Douglas is going intense including dropping an outright F bomb and says, “I don’t give a shit,” about media being there and continues cussing. Then it’s Terry Funk right in his face! Funk straight channels Harvey Keitel out of Reservoir Dogs here and it’s amazing stuff. Funk starts getting pissed at Shane Douglas calling him an old man and how he’s a washed up legend. In a classic moment, Funk openly gives Douglas the actual belt and says it will make Funk’s elation to not only beat Douglas but win the belt on top of that. In a masterful moment Douglas says, “You don’t have to give me the belt because I’m taking the belt,” and chucks it right off Terry Funk’s skull(!) Oh Shit. SLAP! And we got Douglas and Funk brawling! Total insanity and cannot praise this enough.
We get a music video highlighting the Hardcore TV episode from 2/15 of Peaches and Rockin’ Rebel blinding Sandman leading to Sandman knocking out Peaches with a backhand slap in a pretty stunning moment. Sandman also takes out the ring announcer for good measure. Afterwards, Sandman remarks to Jay Sulli that Peaches is stuck at home doing laundry and blames her for sticking her nose, “in a man’s business and sometimes it gets smacked,” then makes the life’s a bitch then you marry one quote. Women’s Rights Progress!
Television Title: Sabu(C) w/911 and Paul Heyman vs. Pat Tanaka Aired 2/22/94 Hardcore TV and taped 2/4 in front of 200 at the ECW Arena
Thoughts: Looking forward to this match as Tanaka’s a solid hand and Sabu is still electric to watch. Neat seeing Sabu actually slowing the pace down but soon Sabu is at it with a hard clothesline and a crazy somersault slingshot plancha onto Tanaka(!) In a truly Mick Foley level bonkers spot, Sabu crashes through a table onto solid concrete after Tanaka got up to avoid a slingshot somersault senton. That looked really painful.
Tanaka smartly spends most of the match targeting Sabu’s injured back. Sabu takes another nasty bump after a failed hurricanranna off the top on Tanaka with Tanaka holding on leads to him landing stomach first and then he eats a second rope flying double chop for a 2 count. Tanaka hits the SIT OUT Powerbomb for a 2 and 3/4ths! Sabu hits a slingshot moonsault pretty abruptly and it gets the 3 count at 6:50. Decent sprint gets *1/2 but the ending was out of nowhere and the match didn’t go long enough for any real buildup which Tanaka started with Sabu’s back. There were a couple crazy bumps by Sabu but the time hurt what could’ve been a good match.
Bad Breed vs. Johnny Hotbody and Tony Stetson Aired on 3/8/94 Hardcore TV and taped 3/6 at the ECW Arena
Thoughts: We have Shane Douglas as a guest commentator joining Joey Styles in the eagle’s nest. Hotbody and Stetson have been having issues with one another while trying to take out Chad Austin, and failing. Axl and Ian are turning into a lot of fun to watch too as they can wrestle, know how to sell, and play the crowd well.
Early in the match, Hotbody and Stetson collide and the two exchange words on the outside rather heatedly. Bad Breed continue to impress with a double underhook suplex from Ian Rotten and a good double team move: drop toehold into a splash gets a 2 count only. Ian hits a double arm DDT on Hotbody then just kills him with a sick looking belly to back suplex reminiscent of Dr. Death Steve Williams. Nasty.
Ian takes a couple nasty bumps of his own including a suplex from Hotbody on the concrete floor as Hotbody starts to get control for his tag team. An impressive powerslam only gets a 2 and 1/2 count. A crazy superplex hits and Hotbody takes his time tagging in Stetson allowing for Axl to get in and play possum to replace Ian. Axl rolls up Stetson for the win at 7:56 in an entertaining enough match. Worth **1/4 as the crowd popped big for the pinfall. I already really want a Bad Breed vs. Public Enemy match and going into this review series, I never thought I’d be writing that out. After the match, Hotbody walks off not happy at all.
We get another music video highlighting what happened on 3/5 at the ECW Arena as Sandman (looking noticeably overweight) beats up Chad Austin with a couple of elevated DDTs until Peaches runs in. Sandman grabs Peaches’ arm much to the anger of the fans but Tommy Cairo comes out to try and break things up only for Sandman to ambush him and hit an elevated DDT(!) Peaches covers up Cairo as Sandman grabs his towel and walks off. This, I think, is the angle that really started pushing Sandman from his Cali blonde surfer dude era into the beer swilling cane swinging hardcore nutcase that we know and love now. Should be fun to follow this.
Tag Team Titles No DQ Match: Kevin Sullivan and Tazmaniac(C) vs. Public Enemy Aired 3/8/94 Hardcore TV and taped 3/6 at the ECW Arena
Thoughts: We are immediately joined in progress as Sullivan is taking it to Rocco Rock and I’m stoked for this one. It’s already a brawl with Taz taking out Grunge in the corner in a tree of woe. On the outside, Sullivan groins Rocco Rock on the guard rail then takes him off with a clothesline.
Taz takes out Grunge with a powerslam through a table on the outside(!) Sullivan goes low on Grunge with a ball peen hammer much like he did Rocco Rock while Taz hammers Rocco with a chair. Finally back in the ring and Taz and Sullivan take out Rock with a double clothesline. Out come the Bruise Brothers! Taz gets nailed and bumped into Sullivan who had lifted Rocco up for a body slam. Rocco’s on top and there’s a 3 count at 2:33 shown! New Champions! Public Enemy are the new ECW Tag Champs! Crowd is going nuts for this as the Bruise Brothers continue to brawl with Rocco and Grunge to the back. 1/4* maybe but the rating doesn’t matter, it’s a title change I’m happy to see.
Falls Count Anywhere: Public Enemy vs. Bruise Brothers Aired 3/29/94 Hardcore TV and taped 3/5 at the ECW Arena
Thoughts: This is from the night before Rocco and Grunge won the Tag Titles. Winner would face Taz and Sullivan later in the show for the then vacant Tag Titles.
Within seconds it’s a full fledged brawl throughout. In a crazy spot, Rocco climbs a scaffold and leaps off with a crossbody onto Bruise Brother #1. Both dudes are nearly identical with long shaggy hair so I can’t even tell them apart to use their proper names of Ron and Don. This is just total chaos with chair shots swinging every which way from Grunge and Bruise Brother #2. Bruise Brother #1 and Rocco are fighting towards the eagle’s nest where Joey Styles is. A flying crossbody gets caught and Rocco gets slammed spine first into a wall. Rocco gets slammed on the stage of the eagle’s nest.
Johnny takes a pretty hard bump going face first into a table stood up against a wall. Rocco kills Johnny in a bonkers spot with a flip off the ledge above the eagle’s nest as Bruise Brother #2 moved out of the way(!) Bruise Brother #1 makes the pinfall at 6:57 in a *1/4 match. Kind of a meandering brawl with some solid spots but other promotions and wrestlers had been doing far better stuff in the few years prior. After the match in an insane moment, Rocco smacks down Joey Styles and Johnny Grunge hits a snap mare takeover and a legdrop before Rocco hammers Styles with a steel chair three times. DAMN!
Television Title: Sabu(C) vs. Mike Awesome Aired 3/29/94 Hardcore TV and taped 3/5 at the ECW Arena
Thoughts: This should be an interesting match as Awesome had debuted shortly before this match happened and is more known for his later feud with Masato Tanaka. Awesome prior to his appearance in ECW had been making his name overseas in Japan in Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW) since 1990. This should be an interesting contrast in styles although both were in FMW from 1991 – 1993. A quick search didn’t reveal them facing each other.
Yet again, we are joined in progress. Sabu takes a crazy bump (is it any wonder Matt and Jeff Hardy idolized this dude?) falling off the outside of the turnbuckle from a clothesline by Awesome. In a great moment, Awesome teases a suicide dive so Sabu hops a guard rail only for Awesome to spring off the top rope with a crazy plancha onto Sabu over the guard rail anyway. Jesus.
We then clip ahead (really? Boo) to Sabu missing a moonsault off the top rope and injuring his knee in the process. Sabu eats a clothesline sending him into the guard rail only for Awesome to follow it up with a suicide dive over the top rope onto Sabu! 911 hammers Awesome and helps set him up on a table on the outside which Sabu promptly puts him (and himself) through with a top rope flying splash. Crazy stuff. Sabu makes the cover in the ring for the victory at 3:19. *1/2 for the stuff shown but the full match time is listed at 13:27 so it’s a shame the full match wasn’t aired as it probably could have gone over the *** mark.
Shane Douglas, Mr. Hughes, and Sherri celebrate in the dressing room after Ultimate Jeopardy (3/26 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania) as Douglas won the ECW Heavyweight Title by hitting a piledriver on Terry Funk. Commissioner Tod Gordon congratulates Douglas as a bunch of wrestlers congratulate Douglas then talk up themselves as possible challengers. We then cut to Road Warrior Hawk who cuts a fun promo calling out Shane Douglas for their match on April 16th.
General Thoughts and Notes
01: It’s clear to see that ECW was headed in an interesting direction with Shane Douglas, Terry Funk, and Sabu carrying the top half while others like Tommy Dreamer and Sandman were starting to develop their characters into what they’d be down the road. Funk and Douglas are masterful at making the company seem more legit than it probably was at the time. Bad Breed and Public Enemy are solid in the ring and to my surprise, Rocco and Johnny are literal must watches for me in the ring and especially on the mic.
02: Joey Styles is solid although he too is also starting to get a better feel for his personality. He’s much more of a pro baby face announcer than I remembered and can be kind of generic at times but he hasn’t quite evolved into what would become his signature trademarks such as his infamous “Oh My God” and “Catfight!” lines.
03: It’s here in the first few months of 1994 where the company is starting to become and get that feel for being ECW. Hardcore elements are becoming more pronounced in matches, the angles are starting to become more intense and risque, and the promos are starting to become interesting and highlight the actual personalities of the individual wrestlers.
