The Top 5 Most Shocking ECW Moments

So, as many of you know, and as I pointed out in my debut article, my father used to work for ECW back in the 1990’s. I’ve credited him for escalating my interest in professional wrestling, resulting from the stories he told me about his time with Paulie and the extreme crew. Looking through some of the comments in my first piece, I saw that one reader actually suggested that given my (indirect) ECW ties, maybe I should compile an ECW-themed list. Well, here ya go..

ECW was known for crossing some A LOT of lines in its’ time. Hell, ECW crossed so many lines, that they began setting their own lines. At first, it was just a localized independent wrestling promotion. However, it soon developed into more than that. ECW became a revolution, dammit! It became an alternative to the WWE (well, it was WWF) and “W-C-W.” On a side note, I really hope you read that last part in Scott Hall’s voice. If not, that’d be really awkward. Anyways, like I said, ECW was known for crossing the line — quite frequently, in fact. Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the most shocking moments (in my opinion) that have taken place in ECW’s somewhat-brief (albeit brutal) history.

Dreamer vs.Sandman (Loser Gets Caned) by Benny_E

5.) “The Innovator of Violence” is Born- August 13, 1994:This was one of the many shocking moments that included The Sandman. Some were more controversial than others, and this is the first of two entries by Sandman on this list. Exactly two weeks before Eastern Championship Wrestling was transformed into Extreme Championship Wrestling, fans bared witness to the birth of (arguably) the company’s most popular star — Tommy Dreamer. When first beginning his career, Dreamer was seen as a “pretty boy” punching bag. However, on this night, he shook that image…in a big way. After losing a Singapore Cane match to The Sandman, Dreamer was the recipient of 10 whacks with the cane in question. Dreamer took every single cringe-worthy shot like a man, even refusing the option of Sandman’s valet Woman, to back out. All he had to do was kiss her feet, and the beating would end. Dreamer refused a number of times, and took a harder shot each time he refused. After withstanding all 10 shots, Dreamer would make it back to his feet, staring down The Sandman, earning the respect of the fans in the process. This moment is responsible for Dreamer’s “Thank you sir, may I have another?” comment, one of the most memorable in ECW history.

Raven Crucifies Sandman by Spencer619

4.) Crucifixion of The Sandman- October 26, 1996:Here, we had such a controversial moment, that it cost ECW the potential signing of Kurt Angle. Raven was embroiled in a very heated feud with The Sandman, a feud so heated, that it even so The Sandman’s family “turn” on him, siding with Raven, going as far as having Raven brainwash Sandman’s (real life) son into denying any relationship with his father. October 26, 1996, may have very-well been the climax of the feud. During a match that night, Sandman’s son interfered to help him. Following a post-match attack, fans would see one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history, as Raven (joined by Stevie Richards and The Blue Meanie) would beat down The Sandman, and subsequently crucify him by tying him to a wooden cross, and placing a crown made of barbed wire around his head. Given that the religious beliefs of a large portion of the United States (at that time) was Christian or Catholic, it’s pretty easy to see why this would be found as a highly-offensive angle. It was so offensive, that a young Kurt Angle left the event early, and even threatened ECW with legal action if his face was shown on the broadcast. The crowd was so stunned, that they stood completely silent watching the segment unfold. To this day, there’s conflicting reports on who knew about the angle. As of this writing, we know that the four definitely involved in devising the angle, were the four that took part in it. There are conflicting reports on Paul Heyman’s knowledge, though.

3.) Mass Transit Incident- November 23, 1996: Yeah, so, this pretty much goes without saying. Most wrestling fans are very familiar with this moment. If for some reason you’re not though, here’s the general gist of it. A then 17-year-old kid lied his way into replacing a no-showing Axl Rotten as D-Von Dudley’s partner in a tag match against The Gangstas. Eric Kulas claimed that his real age was 23, and that he was trained by wrestling legend Killer Kowalski, a statement that both his father and a midget wrestler that was with them. Kulas was unfamiliar with how to “blade,” so he asked New Jack to blade for him. Well, Jack took a surgical scalpel and cut (wayy) too deep, severing a pair of arteries in the kid’s head. At that point, his father finally yelled out “Ring the f***** bell. He’s 17!” This entire situation was just bad. First off, why the hell would you trust the word of a fan? Heyman was irresponsible for not asking for a form of identification. That was strike one. Second, how could you even think of putting a fan that was plucked from the crowd, in a match with New Jack? That was horrible judgment on Paul’s part. Heyman’s not the only one at fault though, as this kid lied his ass off just to get said ass kicked. So, yeah, there was a whole hell of a lot of blame to go around. Eventually things were settled in court, where it was deemed that Kulas was the one in the wrong. Not exactly a banner day for ECW.

2.) The Night That ECW Was Born- August 27, 1994:August 27, 1994 saw ECW play host to a tournament to determine the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. World Championship Wrestling had recently left the National Wrestling Alliance, leaving the NWA in search of a new champion. After six matches, we had finally arrived at the final. Shane Douglas vs 2 Cold Scorpio to determine the new champion. Douglas won a hard-fought match, and went to cut the following post-match promo, before throwing the belt to the ground in rebellion…

“In the tradition of Lou Thesz, in the tradition of Jack Brisco of The Brisco Brothers, of Dory Funk, Jr., of Terry Funk: the man who will never die. As the real “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers, upstairs tonight. From the Harley Races, to the Barry Windhams, to the…Ric Flairs, I accept this heavyweight title.

Wait a second, wait a second. Of Kerry Von Erich. Of the fat man himself, Dusty Rhodes. This is it tonight, dad. God, that’s beautiful. And Rick Steamboat…and they can all kiss my ass!

Because I am not the man who accepts a torch to be handed down to me from an organization that died – RIP – seven years ago. The Franchise, Shane Douglas, is the man who ignites the new flame of the sport of professional wrestling.

Tonight, before God and my father as witness, I declare myself, the Franchise, as the new ECW Heavyweight Champion of the world.

We have set out to change the face of professional wrestling. So tonight, let the new era begin: the era of the sport of professional wrestling; the era of the Franchise; the era of the ECW.” – Shane Douglas

Many had declared this as Douglas spitting in the face of tradition. However, if not for this specific moment, ECW may never have been born.

1.) Jerry Lawler Goes Extreme- June 6, 1997: Wrestlepalooza 1997 played host to the most shocking moment in ECW history. On this night, ECW’s resident hero Tommy Dreamer went to war with Raven in a “Loser Leaves Town” match. Up until this night, Dreamer had never beat Raven in a singles match. That changed on this night, as a great back-and-forth match ended in Dreamer uttering the phrase “E-C-F******-W” before driving Raven to the mat with a DDT for the win. Following the match, Dreamer could barely celebrate his win, as the lights cut out. After a few seconds, the lights came back on to reveal Rob Van Dam, who recently declared allegiance to WWF. The two battle for a few minutes, before the lights cut out again, giving way to the appearance of Sabu, who also pledged his allegiance to WWF. The two beat on Dreamer, before “The Innovator of Violence” mounted his comeback. Right when Dreamer was getting hot though, the lights cut out, again. This time though, the audience was truly perplexed. Who could possibly be coming to deliver more punishment to the Hero of ECW?

The lights flashed back on, revealing then-WWF announcer Jerry Lawler! Instantly, the venom started spewing from the fans, expressing their hatred for a poster-child of “the establishment.” Lawler, Sabu, and Van Dam spent the next few moments dismantling the ECW roster, right before the eyes of their die-hard fans. Lawler had long been critical of ECW, declaring it “Extremely Crappy Wrestling.” On this night though, Lawler took his criticism to a new level. After knocking down the ECW roster piece-by-piece, he declared that “this bingo hall should be made out of toilet paper because there’s nothing in it but sh*t.”

It wasn’t the first-time that the WWF & ECW had cross paths, given that ECW “invaded” the WWF a year prior. However, this felt more like a kick in the nuts to fans, as opposed to an invasion. It felt almost like your old-rival from high school –you know, the one that had the nicer house, the hotter wife, the better job, etc — coming into your home, tearing it apart, and pissing on it — just because they could. It was shocking, it was unexpected, and it infuriated the crowd beyond belief. Yet, it was also one of the best angles in ECW.

In closing, I know that many may not agree with this list. Hell, if everyone agreed with this list, I’m doing something wrong. When creating lists like this, the beauty is that there will never be a consensus agreement. Some will always argue that certain moments were left off, while others aren’t worthy, blah, blah, and so forth. The great thing about differing opinions, is that they always create great conversation. What fun would it be, if we all agreed with each other on everything?

That said, I hope you enjoyed this list, whether you agree or not.

Until next time, I bid you adieu.