Extreme Championship Wrestling '96

[Nerf]

ECW was considered the outlaw promotion of the '90s. From the day they opened their doors in 1992 as part of the National Wrestling Alliance, to the day they died in 2001, ECW was perhaps the most influential wrestling company that ever existed. With that in mind, the one question in minds of fans everywhere is just why did ECW be forced to close due to financial reasons? Surely if they were so succesful, they must have had money flowing out of their ears? This however, was not the case.

When Paul Heyman took over as owner in 1996, ECW looked as promising as ever. Heyman had been booking the company since taking over the role of 'Hot Stuff' Eddie Gilbert in September of '93. As per usual, there were numerous setbacks, but Heyman managed to overcome them all and keep the promotion alive. From the controversy caused by Shane Douglas throwing down the NWA Championship in 1994, to their TV deal being cancelled by TNN. Sadly, the latter was one of the factors that lead to the downfall of Extreme Championship Wrestling, but there was still hope: ECW still had a PPV deal.

Sure, they were making money from that deal, but as it turns out Heyman was not as good at handling the finance as he was at booking the shows. Wrestler's wages, and debts owed to several external companies eventually caught up with him. Heyman had to face the fact that ECW was dead. It took more than two months after ECW's last ever show to realise it, but eventually he did. From there, the loyal ECW stars scattered the nation in search of new jobs. Many went to the corporate giants the WWF, many became independent stars, and many simply retired from the business all together.

My question to you is, what if things went a little differently? There's one way to find out, so join me as I take the Extreme Championship Wrestling brand from the year Paul Heyman took over as owner of ECW, and lead you on a journey that spans through 2001 and quite possibly further into the future.

Firstly, a quick recap of ECW's last event of 1995, Holiday Hell:

ECW HOLIDAY HELL '95

29th Dec. - Queens, NY.

• Taz def. Yuji Nakagawa

• Hack Meyers def. JT Smith

• Mikey Whipwreck def. Too Cold Scorpio ©

• The Eliminators def. The Pitbulls

• Raven def. Tommy Dreamer

• Bruiser Mastino def. El Puerto Ricano

• Buh-Buh Ray Dudley def. The Blue Meanie

• The Sandman © def. Raven

• The Gangstas def. Public Enemy

• Sabu def. Cactus Jack

And so we begin. The date is January 1st 1996, and the next scheduled event is House Party '96 in just five days time. Many questions were left unanswered at Holiday Hell, but luckily for you - those questions will be reanswered and differ from those of reality. With a weekly late night TV slot with TNN, and a rabid yet loyal fanbase, ECW was indeed at the height of popularity at this point, and I intend on keeping it that way.

Edited September 9, 2006 by Nef.

[Nerf]

The Sandman

Mikey Whipwreck

Mikey Whipwreck & Tommy Dreamer

The Roster:

911

Axl Rotten

Bam Bam Bigelow

Beulah McGuillicutty

Big Dick Dudley

Bill Alfonso

Blue Meanie

Brian Lee

Buh Buh Ray Dudley

Cactus Jack

Chris Jericho

Chubby Dudley

Damien Kane

Damien Stone

Don Harris

Dudley Dudley

DW Dudley

El Puerto Ricano

Francine

Hack Meyers

Headhunter A

Headhunter B

Ian Rotten

Joel Gertner

John Kronus

JT Smith

Juventud Guerrera

Kid Kash

Kimona Wannalaya

Lance Storm

Mikey Whipwreck

Missy Hyatt

Mustafa

New Jack

Paul Lauria

Perry Saturn

Pit Bull #1

Pit Bull #2

Psicosis

Raven

Rey Misterio Jr

Rob Van Dam

Ron Harris

Sabu

Sandman

Shane Douglas

Sign Guy Dudley

Stevie Richards

Taz

Terry Funk

Tommy Dreamer

Too Cold Scorpio

Edited September 9, 2006 by Nef.

[Nerf]

PREDICTION CONTEST

Winner gets to book one match on every show until next Monthly Event.

The Headhunters vs. The Gangstas

The Sandman vs. Brian Lee

Axl Rotten vs. Hack Meyers

The Pitbulls vs. The Eliminators

Bonus Questions:

Who will be RVD's opponent?

What is Mikey's announcement?

Edited August 24, 2006 by Loch Nef Monster

[FireDoughnut]

Good luck with this diary. I'll be reading, but as you haven't posted a show yet I'm going to do someguess work.

The Headhunters vs. The Gangstas

-I'm going with the Ganstas. As much as I love the Headhunters I hope you try to start the feud with a Gangstas win so that the Headhunters can win overall.

The Sandman vs. Brian Lee

-Has to be The Sandman

Axl Rotten vs. Hack Meyers

-I'm going with Rotten on this. Don't know much of Meyers.

The Pitbulls vs. The Eliminators

-Prepare for Total Elimination!!!

Bonus Questions:

Who will be RVD's opponent? Juventud Guerrera

What is Mikey's announcement? He'll name his Tag Team partner or book a match with guys fighting for it, and Too Cold Scorpio will win!

Good luck with this dude!

Edited August 22, 2006 by Flat_Doughnut

[El Presidente]

There's not much here, so I can't really give any feedback yet. I'll wait for this show to be posted.

The Headhunters vs. The Gangstas

- I prefer them to the Headhunters.

The Sandman vs. Brian Lee

- Yeah, there's no way you're making him lose to Brian Lee.

Axl Rotten vs. Hack Meyers

- Once again, just a personal preference.

The Pitbulls vs. The Eliminators

- I'd say the eliminators, but you have to build The Pitbulls up as one of your strongest tag teams I think. We'll see though.

Bonus Questions:

Who will be RVD's opponent? I'll take a guess and say Rey Mysterio Jr. Although I know I'm wrong.

What is Mikey's announcement? Saying he'll pick a partner is obvious. I'll say he's vacating the tag team titles.

[Steeb]

The Headhunters vs. The Gangstas

-Just a feeling for that one.

The Sandman vs. Brian Lee

-Because it's The Sandman. You can't just job him out to Brian Lee...can you?

Axl Rotten vs. Hack Meyers

-Anyone with NIN as their theme has gotta be in line for a superpush

The Pitbulls vs. The Eliminators

-Could be a good little base for the tag division, if used right.

Bonus Questions:

Who will be RVD's opponent? Tommy Dreamer

What is Mikey's announcement? Stating he'll continue as a lone champion.

[ClaRK! Kent]

The Headhunters vs. The Gangstas - Pimps and hoes > savages. Plus, the Gangstas are ECW stock really, and far more in the style of the promotion than those Headhunters.

The Sandman vs. Brian Lee - No way your World champion is losing to some schmuck like Lee, and you're gonna need to establish him for the readership as the top man.

Axl Rotten vs. Hack Meyers - Not too sure who was more established in 96, but Axl is part of ECW folklore and I'd guess you'd want to get him looking strong, unless you're totally nixing the Balls Mahoney team (or because of that, even, if you are).

The Pitbulls vs. The Eliminators - Probably the 'one of them's career ended what-could-have-been' push, not to mention they're a good solid team and could go, so yay for them.

Bonus Questions:

Who will be RVD's opponent? - I can't see you needing to bring anybody in, given the depth of the roster, and RVD will need to win on his debut, so it's somebody he can get a rub from and look good against. Rey Misterio Jr., I'd say.

What is Mikey's announcement? - I'd say he'll pick himself a partner, as vacating the belts kills the whole 'Mikey is a crazy, suicidal man' thing, no way he'd pussy out of a little thing like one-man ownership of the belts. EDIT: Ah, of course you're differing from reality, and IRL he picked Cactus as a partner. So, similarly swerving, I'll say Raven or Stevie Richards.

This looks like a good first show. I'm not qualified to talk about any possible historical inaccuracies, or the state of the ECW roster in 1996, so I can't, but on the face of it, this looks promising. NBT's comment in the Vault regarding all the stuff wrong with it looks ominous, but I'd guess it's regarding the history, as nothing in the writing stands out as being bad at this point. I'll have more to say once I've read the show, obviously.

Edited August 22, 2006 by Sephiroth Clone

[Nerf]

EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING PRESENTS

HOUSE PARTY '96

We're on the air and the ECW chants are ringing throughout the arena. In the ring stands sole ECW announcer Joey Styles with microphone in hand. He awaits the ECW faithful to die down before starting the show.

Joey Styles: "I'm Joey Styles, and we are live at the ECW Arena in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over 460 fans are jam packed and ready to witness history tonight, so enough of me and let's get down to business!"

Almost instantly, "No Remorse" by Metallica hits over the in-house stereo and The Eliminators make their way toward the ring. They aren't received well from the crowd, with the majority throwing jeers their way, but they don't let it affect their gameplan tonight. They arrive at the ring and remove their body armour as they await their opponents. "Thunderkiss '65" by White Zombie hits and the crowd goes wild. The Pit Bulls emerge from behind the curtain with the lovely Francine, clad from head to two in leather.

After posing in the ring with her clients, Francine makes her way to ringside where a chair is ready and waiting for her. Teasingly, she takes the seat, and sits in a very compromising position. Distracted by the beautiful vixen, The Pit Bulls are ambushed by The Eliminators, as Saturn and Kronus reign forearms and punches down onto their opponents. Pit Bull #2 falls from the ring and Saturn follows him, leaving just Kronus and Pit Bull #1 in the ring.

Joey Styles: "Saturn and Kronus taking their opponents out early! Surely this gives them an early advantage?"

With two separate brawls taking place in the arena, the cameramen find it hard to focus the action on which fight and when. They do their best, though, and we view Kronus now following up on the advantage with yet more offense. After dragging his foe over to the turnbuckle and smashing his skull into it, Kronus begins to lay kicks to The Pit Bull's abdomen. Suddenly, he reverses and sends Kronus into the position he was in just moments ago. Pit Bull #1 then unleashes a number of right hands to his opponent before being forced to back off by the referee. He obliges, but makes sure to hit a Corner Clothesline beforehand.

Joey Styles: "Ya might not agree with his tactics, but you gotta admit, The Pit Bull sure knows how to get it done!"

On the outside, Pit Bull #2 is having a hard time with Saturn, as the two take turns throwing punches at one another. Saturn is getting the most hits in, and soon gives his rival a knee to the gut, followed by a whip right into the opposing barricade.

Joey Styles: "Ooh, that's gotta take it outta' ya!"

As a number of groans come from the crowd, the camera switches back to the ring, where Pit Bull #1 is absolutely having his way with Kronus. He is down on the mat, now, and The Pit Bull is just going crazy with stomps and kicks, weakening Kronus' body with every hit. Saturn returns to the ring and attacks Pit Bull #1 from behind, before whipping him into the ropes. Unluckily for him, The Pit Bull avoids any attack from Saturn and hits his own Clothesline upon rebound. His momentum is stopped dead in it's tracks, however, when Kronus comes out of nowhere with a Sidekick, taking his opponent down. Turning to taunt the crowd after the impressive maneuver was not the best of ideas though, as he is whacked in the head by a Steel Chair from Pit Bull #2.

Joey Styles: "Oh My God! What a chairshot!"

He pins in the vein hope of picking up the win early, but Saturn is able to get there in time and break it up. The referee removes the Chair from play as Saturn goes back to his original foe from this match: Pit Bull #2. Kronus and Pit Bull #1 slowly get to their feet, and begin to fight once more when they do. The Pit Bull lays a hard punch right between Kronus' eyes, but he absorbs the pain and unleashes a devastating chop right across The Pit Bull's chest. The Pit Bull goes down, and Kronus turns his attention to his other opponent. The Eliminators then double-team Pit Bull #2, taking turns stomping the hell out of him.

Joey Styles: "The Eliminators are no strangers to Tag Team competition. They know that if they took out Pit Bull #1 then they would both be able to turn their attention to the other, and the numbers game would give them an advantage. That's just what they're doing now!"

After a while of this, The Eliminators both get the same idea and turn to check on their other adversary. When they do, however, they are blasted with a nice Double Clothesline from Pit Bull #1, who then checks on his partner and helps him recover from the beating he just took. Once they are both on their feet, they dispose of Kronus, throwing him to the outside before turning their attention to Perry Saturn. After weakening him a little more, they put him in position and signal for the end. Once on the turnbuckle, Saturn is blasted with a Super Bomb!

Joey Styles: "OH MY GOD!"

Saturn is out! Pit Bull #2 pins as his partner keeps lookout for John Kronus' attempts to break up the pinfall.

ONE...

TWO...

THREE!

Joey Styles: "It's over! The Pit Bulls where able to overcome The Eliminators tonight at House Party '96."

Francine hurries to the ring where she poses with her boys, before the celebration heads backstage. The Eliminators soon recover and make their way to the back also, not looking too happy with the defeat here tonight.

- - - -

After the ring is cleared, "Poundcake" by Van Halen hits and out comes ECW debutant Rob Van Dam! The fans - not knowing what to make of him - simply applaud his appearance. He smiles and makes his way down to the ring, showing no signs of nerves or anxiety. He gets in the ring and poses: raising his arms in the air and jumping in a few complete circles. He then stands to one side of the ring as Joey Styles gives us his background.

Joey Styles: "This is Rob Van Dam, a class athlete from the independent scene, discovered by Sabu and brought to ECW. He's making his debut tonight, but his opponent is unknown..."

As the last words leave Joey's lips, "War Machine" by KISS hits and the fans know just what's coming next. Taz emerges from behind the curtain with Bill Alfonso blowing his whistle wildly. RVD's face goes blank as he see's his opponent making his way down to the ring. Taz and Fonzie get to the ring and do their thing. Taz stands at the opposite corner of the ring to Rob Van Dam and stares at him coldly. Alfonso, on the other hand, chooses to get all up in RVD's face, blowing his whistle irritatingly.

Joey Styles: "Damnit! Why the hell would anyone make this kid face Taz of all people in their debut match?"

Finally, Fonzie leaves the ring, after intimidating the life out of the referee, leaving just the two opponents in the ring. They come together for a traditional lockup, much to RVD's dismay. The bell rings and it's on. The two grapple each other, but Taz gets the better of the youngster, and spins him round before buckling his legs. RVD falls to the ground as Taz backs off and lets him get to his feet again. The two lock horns again, but this time Taz simply throws RVD across the ring effortlessly.

Joey Styles: "Come on! Making the guy go through this in his debut match - this isn't right!"

RVD gets to his feet again, disheartened but not afraid. Taz offers a final lockup to see if RVD has what it takes to go the distance. He obliges, but at the last second he blasts Taz with a Spinning Heel-Kick. Taz falls to the ground and RVD gives out a burst of energy, stomping Taz until he gets to his feet again. From there, Taz blocks a punch attempt from RVD and takes him down with a leg sweep. Now pissed off with RVD, Taz goes to work with stomps, before picking him up an whipping him into the corner. With Van Dam resting against the turnbuckle, Taz runs at him, but is kicked in the face suddenly.

Joey Styles: "Van Dam battling back, but will it be enough?"

RVD then hits a number of forearms followed up by another Spinning Heel-Kick. With Taz laid out in the perfect position, RVD runs at the ropes, rolls on the ground and goes for a spinning splash known as The Rolling Thunder. Taz, however, has it well scouted and avoids the hit, leaving RVD vulnerable to yet another attack. After a quick kick to RVD - who is now on one knee - Taz puts him in position for the Belly to Belly Tazplex! He nails it and RVD lands right on his neck, laying him out. From there, Taz see's an opening to finish the youngster off, and locks in the Tazmission!

Joey Styles: "There it is, the Tazmission - The Katahajime!"

RVD has no choice but to give up, leading to another victory of the seemingly unstoppable Taz. The referee tries to make Taz break the hold, but he refuses. Bill Alfonso then returns to the ring with a chair and chases the referee off as Taz keeps it locked in tight. Numerous officials make their way to ringside but can't get into the ring due to Fonzie waving the chair around like a madman. After minutes, Taz finally relents and releases the hold. Alfonso drops the chair and raises Taz' arms in the air, allowing the staff to check up on RVD's state.

- - - -

After the ringside area is cleared, "Loser" by Beck hits and Mikey Whipwreck makes his way out toward the ring. He is carrying both ECW Tag Team titles and his Television Championship, all of which he won by defeating Too Cold Scorpio at Holiday Hell just last week. He makes his way to the ring, struggling with all the gold he has to carry, before finally arriving at his destination and laying all but one Tag belt on the mat. He then receives a microphone from ringside and goes on with his scheduled announcement.

Mikey Whipwreck: "One week ago, I defeated Too Cold Scorpio in a singles match that rewarded me with not only his and Sandman's Tag Team Championships, but also his Television Championship. Now, although I have no problem with holding onto two thirds of the gold here in Extreme Championship Wrestling, I do have one itsy-bitsy tiny problem. You see, while I defeated Scorpio and won the Tag belts, it also means that I have no partner to co-hold them with me, which leads me to my announcement tonight. There's been a lot of speculation over what I'm gonna do with the situation, so I'm going to let you all know right now. The first two superstars to come out here get to face each other for the right to be my partner and co-holder of the Tag Team Championships, starting now..."

Following that, "What A Man" by Salt N' Pepper hits and Paul Lauria appears. The crowd boo as they expected a lot more of an exciting entrant in such an important match in ECW. Regardless, Lauria makes his way to the ring ignoring the various chants from the rabid ECW crowd. Lauria arrives at the ring and shakes hands with Whipwreck, before walking to one corner and waiting there for his opponent. The arena is silent for long moments before a familiar theme hits over the stereo.

Even Flow - Thoughts arrive like butterflies,

Oh he don't know, so he let's them slip away.

Joey Styles: "It's Tommy Dreamer!"

Dreamer stands in front of the entrance way with a proud smile on his face as the crowd is going absolutely fuckin' nuts at the prospect of Dreamer kicking Lauria's ass. Dreamer then slowly makes his move down to the ring, absorbing the support his receives from the crowd. He arrives at ringside and climbs the steel steps, before entering the ring and posing for the crowd. His music dies down and he turns to face Lauria, who runs at him with a Clothesline attempt. Luckily, Dreamer ducks and kicks Lauria in the stomach, before positioning him for a Piledriver. The crowd go absolutely mental as Dreamer hoists him up then drops him right down onto his neck and pins:

ONE...

TWO...

THREE!

The bell rings and the crowd go wild as Dreamer gets to his feet once again. Paul Lauria rolls out of the ring and heads to the back clutching his neck, as Dreamer embraces Mikey. The two then raise their new Tag Team titles in the air together, as the crowd shows their appreciation. The celebration lasts for a few minutes before Mikey and Tommy make their way backstage.

- - - -

With that little ordeal over, it's time to move onto the next match of the evening. "Head Like A Hole" by Nine Inch Nails began as Hack Meyers makes his way toward the ring. He is carrying a steel chair and a baseball bat, indicating that the following match will indeed be hardcore. He throws the weapons into the ring and searches under the ring for even more. In the mean time, "Fight For Your Right" by the Beastie Boys hits and Axl Rotten runs out with more weapons. He smacks a 2x4 bat across Meyers' back, forcing him to the ground, before throwing all the weapons the two have harvested together into the ring.

Joey Styles: "Put the women and children to bed, guys, this one's gonna be hard-core!"

Rotten then follows the weapons into the ring and awaits his opponent to get to his feet. Hack does, eventually, and also rolls into the ring, where he is met by a kick from Rotten. Axl begins to rain down punches, chops, slaps, claws - all sorts - before Meyers can find an iron bar at his side and smacks it on Rotten's shin. Axl goes down, clutching where he was just hit as Meyers recuperates. Meyers then gets to his feet and lays into Axl with the bar, connecting with Axl's ribs and stomach. Hack then stops, throws the bar down, and heads back to the outside. He grabs the announcers table and pushes it into the ring under the bottom rope, only to be hit with a Baseball Slide from Axl!

Joey Styles: "What we're seeing here is two men who care more about their careers than their bodies. They are so dedicated to Extreme Championship Wrestling that they are taking years of their lives in a match like this that means nothing more than a victory for the winner."

Meyers goes crashing into the fan barricade and falls to the ground, as Axl leaves the ring. He begins to stomp away, before picking him up and rolling him back into the ring. After following Hack, he then sets up the table in position and awaits Hack to stand up. He kicks him in the groin and sets him up for a Pedigree, only for Hack to flip Axl over at the last minute and send him crashing through the table. Hack then falls upon Rotten in a pin attempt.

ONE...

TWO...

KICKOUT!

Frustrated, Meyer begins to punch Axl in the face repeatedly, busting him open at the forehead. He then stands up and runs into the ropes, before dropping a knee onto Axl's shoulder - nearly dislocatin' the damn thing! Hack then tries to pick Axl up but gets poked in the eye. With Hack blinded momentarily, Axl see's his chance and takes it - WHACK! Axl Rotten just blasted Hack Meyers with that golf club! Meyer is out for the fuckin' count, surely?

Joey Styles: "Oh My God! That's gotta be all - Hack Meyers is done for!"

Chants of ECW ring throughout the arena as Rotten pins Meyers.

ONE...

TWO...

KICKOUT!

Joey Styles: "He kicked out! How the hell did he do that?"

Pissed off, Axl picks Meyers up and nails him with the Severe Skull Trauma, right on top of a steel chair! He's frustrated, and pins Meyers once more, praying that he stays down for the three.

ONE...

Joey Styles: "That's gotta be all, right?"

TWO...

Joey Styles: "Can it be?"

THREE!

Joey Styles: "Yes! It's over! What a match!"

Rotten falls to the ground, exhausted. Both men are bleeding heavily. With a little help from officials, both men manage to get to their feet, shake hands, and make their way to the back. The ECW crowd applaud their efforts in what was a very good match by their standards.

- - - -

Fresh off the previous brawl they have just witnessed, the ECW crowd are hyped for the next match. Their good moods soon turn to bad, however, as "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra hits and JT Smith emerges from backstage. Fans instantly go into a frenzy of jeering, the seemingly normal thing to do in Smith's presence. Regardless, he continues to make his way to the ring, pointing to himself and bragging. He gets into the ring quickly and grabs a microphone in the vein hope at cutting the boo's out quickly with talking.

J.T. Smith: "You know, I've been around a lotta places in mah car.."

Where's my pizza!?

Where's my pizza!?

J.T. Smith: "I said, I've been around a lotta places in mah career, but E-C-Dubyah has to be 'da worst of 'em all. I mean, seriously guys, how can you - in good conscience - rip inta a guy like me for no good reason?"

Where's my pizza!?

Where's my pizza!?

Joey Styles: "Fans completely ignoring what Smith has to say. Their main priority is just keepin' this chant up."

J.T. Smith: "Alright, I get it! I can see it all clearly now - you're all racist."

Joey Styles: "Ouch. J.T. playing the black power card."

Where's my pizza!?

Where's my pizza!?

J.T. Smith: "You're all be discriminatin' me 'cause of I-talian heritage."

The crowd roar in approval.

J.T. Smith: "Well you know what? I worked too damn hard to try and make you guys like me, and where the hell has it got me? Two Championship wins in six years - one of those belts was abandoned just months after I won the damn thing, and the other I lost a month latah'. Well guess what? I don't need you bastards. There's plenty of guys in the back that don' give a shit about you or your opinions - Raven, Shane Douglas, Taz, Brian Lee - some of the most succesful singles wrasslers in E-C-Dubyah history. Well tonight, tonight is the night that I give up with you people. You're clearly all morons."

The chant changes to the more subtle; "Shut the fuck up."

J.T. Smith: "No - Fuck you. Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you and fuck y.."

Livin' easy, Livin' free,

A season ticket on a one way ride.

Joey Styles: "It's the Dudley Boyz! The Dudleyz are here!"

Slowly but surely, each of them appear. Chubby, DW, Dudley, Sign Guy, Buh-Buh and finally Big Dick Dudley. They walk towards the ring with a purpose, very swiftly. Buh-Buh and Big Dick get into the ring while the others gather at ringside in perfect size order. J.T. Smith does not look impressed.

J.T. Smith: "What 'da hell are you doin' out here?"

Buh Buh Ray Dudley: "..."

J.T. Smith: "Hey boy, I asked ya a question!"

Buh Buh Ray Dudley: "..."

J.T. Smith: "Spit it out!"

Buh Buh Ray Dudley: "...I..i...C..c..am..e..."

J.T. Smith: "Don't make me slap it outta ya!"

Buh Buh's face turns angry, at the sheer disrespect from Smith regarding his speech problems. Well, the one thing you do not want to do is make Big Buh Buh Ray Dudley mad, as J.T. finds out the hard way. WHAM! A clubbing punch takes Smith down and Buh Buh is all over the guy, hammering away. The referee rings the bell and leaves Joey Styles to state the obvious.

Joey Styles: "Looks like we've got an impromptu match here!"

Smith rolls from the ring, but the assault continues, as each Dudley member takes turn whipping him with things they brought to ringside with them. Trying to escape the multiple team attacks, he rolls back into the ring and falls straight into Big Dick Dudley! Angered by being pushed into, J.T. finds himself on the receiving end of a massive Chokeslam! That's finally put Smith away, as Buh Buh pins and referee Jim Molineux counts the pinfall.

ONE...

TWO...

THREE!

It seems as though J.T's new attitude failed to get him anywhere tonight, as regardless of his alignment with the fans he fell victim to the numbers game of the Dudley Boyz. Just as they started, the Dudleyz head to the back in order, celebrating Buh-Buh's quick win over the Italian Stallion.

- - - -

We're ready for the World Heavyweight title match! Aerosmith's "Back In The Saddle" hits as a leather-clad Brian Lee walks towards the ring without halting for a second. His appearance is that of a badass biker, and no doubt his attitude is going to be the same tonight. He does not seem nervous whatsoever, as he knows today might be his night. Prepared, he warms up in the ring awaiting the champion's entrance. "Big Shot" by Billy Joel hits and Sandman does indeed appear with Missy Hyatt at his side. The fans are going absolutely crazy for him as he takes his time to do his usual entrance.

After taking a puff of his cigarrette, he hands it over to Hyatt who begins to smoke it, and the two walk towards the ring. He stops at the bottom of the runway and begins to smoke the cigarette once more, as fans around him slap him on the back in appreciation. He then begins to circle the ring some more before arriving at the corner and bringing the beer can up. He opens it, before smashing it onto his head repeatedly and then drinking it. He spits what he has in his mouth into the crowd before taking another glug and climbing into the ring. Hyatt now takes a seat at ringside and smokes the cigarrette as Sandman poses with his cane.

Unluckily, Brian Lee attacks him early, clubbing him with a forearm and kicking him in the corner. Lee looks as determined as ever as he absolutely unleashes everything he has in him onto The Sandman. Lee then drags Sandman to the center of the ring where he plants him with a Scoop Slam and pins.

ONE...

KICKOUT!

Joey Styles: "You're not gonna win the belt that easy!"

Lee continues to beat Sandman down though, not letting the kickout bother him. After stopping him a few times, Lee leaves the ring and collects a steel chair from ringside, before bringing it back in and slamming it down on Sandman's side. He then throws the chair to one side and picks Sandman up, only to be elbowed in the gut and punched repeatedly. Sandman backs Lee into the corner before whipping him opposite and following up with a Corner Clothesline. Sandman then backs off and picks up the steel chair before running at Lee with it, only to have the weapon kicked back into his face. Lee pins again.

ONE...

TWO...

KICKOUT!

Lee knows he has things going his way, and so backs off to taunt the crowd. Sandman in the mean time, crawls to the corner and tries to pull himself up. Lee turns back and see's him struggling, and stomps towards him. Sandman lets him have it with his cane! He wasn't helping himself up, he was grabbing a weapon! With Lee out, Sandman gets to his feet and battles back with a knee to the gut followed by a DDT. He also pins but Lee kicks out easily. Sandman then gets up and Leg Drops his opponent and tries again.

ONE...

TWO...

KICKOUT!

Please, both men have a lot more in them than that. Both men get back to their feet and face off, trash talking, before Lee slaps Sandman right across the face. Sandman backs off, before running at Lee and nailing a Clothesline, sending both men over the top rope to the concerete outside. As the two stand again, Lee manages to block Sandman's punch attempts and turn it into a whip right into the opposing barricade! Lee approaches Sandman's near-broken body and grabs a chair from a fan, before sending it crashing down across Sandman's back. He then picks him up and tries to slam him head first into the turnbuckle post. Sandman is able to get a foot up and block it though, and elbow Lee in the jaw.

Joey Styles: "Both men clearly want this belt, as we've seen it spill into a ringside brawl in just a matter of minutes!"

Sandman has since managed to roll half of Lee into the ring and drive his elbow down into Lee's chest. He then grabs the chair that he was just hit with moments ago and swings it. Luckily for Lee's braincells, he manages to move out of the way at the last minute and punch Sandman right in the jaw. Lee then clambers back out of the ring and picks The Sandman up in a Double Leg Takedown position and slams him into the crowd's chairs. Lee then climbs over the barricade also and lays some punches into Sandman, before picking him up and dragging him further into the audience. Sandman tries to battle back a few times, but Lee keeps getting the better of him. Finally they arrive at the balcony where another fight breaks out between them. Sandman gets the better of Lee this time, and gets him in a DDT position at the edge of the platform. Lee, however, overcomes Sandman and hoists him up.

Joey Styles: "OH MY GOD"

The ECW chants ring like drums throughout the arena as Brian Lee Chokeslam's Sandman from the top of the balcony. Lee falls back himself, after using all his energy to Chokeslam Sandman. The arena is going crazy at what just happened as both men take a long time to recover. Lee is the first to stand, and walks down the steps to Sandman. He realises that he may well be able to pin him now, so he must get him to the ring! He grabs Sandman's lifeless body and drags it a few feet. Sandman is too weak to go any further, so Lee convinces him with a few punches to the face. He throws his head back, removing his long black locks from his view, and continues to drag Sandman. Eventually, he gets there, after tossing Sandman over the barricade, he climbs over himself. Once he does, he is met by a shot from the ring bell!

Joey Styles: "Good-night!"

Both men collapse to the ground and stay there for a while, breathing heavily. They both know that they need to get to the ring in order to pin their opponent. Once both men recover, they try to get into the ring of their own accord, and slowly manage it. Once they both get back to their feet, Sandman throws a punch, to which Lee replies by wrapping his hand around his throat. Another Primetime Slam? No! Sandman goes downstairs with a kick to the nuts! He's in position - YES! - White Russian Legsweep! It's gotta be all!?

ONE...

TWO...

THREE!

Joey Styles: "He's done it, Sandman's done it! He's retained the title!"

The referee hands Sandman his belt as he poses. Missy Hyatt climbs into the ring and helps her man up but...What the hell!? That's Raven! DDT onto a chair - God damnit! Raven just laid Sandman out, why the hell? Raven takes his leave as the fans boo him out of the building. After Raven's gone, they stand still awaiting Sandman to leave, giving him a round of applause. Once the entire ringside area is clear, they fall silent, in confusion as to what they've just witnessed.

- - - -

The silence in the arena is soon interrupted by Metallica's "Battery," and the insane luchadore Psicosis runs down to the ring. He isn't so well received with the crowd, but ignores them and continues to make his entrance: posing on the turnbuckles. This is cut off though, with "Little Crazy" by Fight. The Suicidal, Homicidal, Genocidal, Death-Defying Sabu then makes his way towards the ring, doing his Sheik pose several times on the way toward the ring.

Joey Styles: "We're ready for what promises to be some extreme high flying action between Sabu and Psicosis!"

Without saying much else, the two square off. Sabu makes repeated attempts at grabbing Psicosis' leg to take him down, but he has them well scouted. Instead, Psicosis grabs Sabu's arm and twists it, forcing him into some severe pain, before rolling him into an arm bar, pulling tight and releasing. Sabu stands and realises it's going to take a lot more than usual to fend off Psicosis. The two circle each other once more, before Sabu leaps for his opponent, only to be caught in a Front Facelock and driven back to the turnbuckle. Now with his back to the turnbuckle, Psicosis has no choice but release the hold leaving both men stood still awaiting the next move. The referee convinces Sabu to take a few steps back, but only after a cheap punch to the chest.

With Sabu's back turned, Psicosis see's the perfect opportunity to return the favour and hits Running Bulldog! Sabu lands flat on his face and rolls out of the ring, pacing around before grabbing a Steel Chair and returning. Psicosis is taking his turn to taunt the crowd now, which would prove to be a costly mistake, as he turns right into a chair thrown by Sabu! Psicosis, hurt but determined, gets back up but runs straight into a Clothesline. Sabu comes off the ropes again and hits a Knee Drop onto the grounded luchadore.

Joey Styles: "Sabu now showing that he isn't just a risk-taker."

Sabu see's the opportunity to bring more weapons into play and so leaves the ring before coming back and bringing two more chairs with him. He picks Psicosis up and whips him into the corner, before setting a chair up opposite. It doesn't take fans long to know what exactly is coming next - AIR SABU!

Joey Styles: "There's one of Sabu's many many signature moves, the chair assisted Heel-Kick if you wanna get technical. He just likes to call it Air Sabu!"

Knowing the momentum is indeed going his way, Sabu slowly makes his way over to his opponent, before leaning down to drag him back up. Psicosis, however, busts out a crazy small package and rolls Sabu up, in a position most of us have never ever seen before. This only get's a two count, as Sabu isn't about to give up that easily. The two men get to their feet again and start to trade punches, before Psicosis gets a little too technical and tries to use Sabu's arms to swing himself under his legs. Sabu simply blocks him once his back is on the ground, and drops two knees to the chest.

Sabu then proceeds to back off and await for Psicosis to get to his knees - WHAM! Shining Wizard, something we haven't seen Sabu pull out before. This has finally put Psicosis to rest, but Sabu wants to make it for cert, and grabs a chair from behind him. I think we all know what's coming next - ARABIAN FACEBUSTER! Sabu drives the chair into Psicosis' face with that legdrop, Sabu pins and it's gotta be all!

ONE...

TWO...

THREE!

Joey Styles: "Sabu picks up the victory tonight at House Party '96, what a match!"

- - - -

The main event is finally here, as fans prepare to witness what should be a bloody battle between the Gangstas and the Headhunters. "Psychotron" by Megadeth hits as the Headhunters emerge with Damien Kane. They spend the longer journey to ringside intimidating fans and following Kane religiously, before getting into the ring and posing. When their music dies down, the anxious ECW crowd fall silent awaiting the arrival of the Headhunters' opponents. After minutes of suspense, "Natural Born Killaz" finally kicks in as Mustafa runs down to the ring and slides in, starting a brawl with both Headhunters, as New Jack throws weapons into the ring.

Joey Styles: "Looks like this is gonna be another typical party for the Gangstas!"

New Jack then follows his partner into the ring and evens the score, smashing a Cookie Tray of a Headhunters skull, while Mustafa and the other fall to the outside and continue their brawl at ringside. New Jack works his hardest to get the Headhunter grounded, but it takes a hell of a lot more than usual, including a shot from a steel chair, a trashcan and a clock of all things. Eventually, he succeeds in taking him down, but continues to lay the boots to the big man. On the outside, however, the brawl has spilled into the crowd, where Mustafa is whipping the Headhunter around with whatever weapons the fans give him, including several cups of beer.

Joey Styles: "This is gonna turn into a beer bash!"

In the ring, Headhunter B has turned the tables on New Jack after whacking him with a frying pan. He then heads to the outside and brings a table back into the ring. After setting it up, he is soon attacked from behind by a recovered New Jack, who lays a number of forearms to the back of his head. New Jack then grabs the nearest available weapon - a wooden plank - and lays the Headhunter over the table with it. Seeing he's in perfect position, New Jack climbs the top rope and comes off with a Diving Headbutt right through the table.

Joey Styles: "OH MY GOD!"

The ECW chants are ringing throughout the arena, as New Jack covers the Headhunter.

ONE...

TWO...

THREE!

The Gangstas win the match, but the fight is far from over. Mustafa and Headhunter are now on the upper tier and still fighting, so New Jack does the same, laying some right hands into his foe, as Joey Styles closes the show.

Joey Styles: "We're outta time, it's been a great night here in the ECW Arena so join us tomorrow night for Hardcore TV - only on TNN! See ya then, everybody."

PREDICTION CONTEST

Results:

RK!: 5

Flat_Doughnut: 4

Re-birth: 4

SSTB: 3

RK, please PM me ASAP with one match for each of the following shows. Keep in mind that the majority are normal television tapings so don't go overboard. I reserve the right to make any of your ideas void should I disagree. Other than that, have fun:

Hardcore TV (6th Jan)

Hardcore TV (13th Jan)

Hardcore TV (20th Jan)

Hardcore TV (27th Jan)

Hardcore TV (3rd Feb)

Hardcore TV (10th Feb)

Cyberslam (16th Feb)

Oh, and feedback is very much appreciated.

Edited August 23, 2006 by Loch Nef Monster

[DMN in the House]

Wasn't Mikey still doing the 'I'm going to get killed' schtick in '96? Or was he past it by then?

[Nerf]

Not too sure.

My earliest research was Big Ass Extreme Bash, where Mikey was putting up a pretty confident fight against Cactus Jack. I can't remember off the top of my head, so I just went with it.

I'd love to get some proper feedback from you anyway, DMN, as I said to TGC, you know your shit so I'd like to hear where you think I'm going wrong so I could improve.

[Thrilla]

Mikey was still doing the whole 'I'm going to get killed' deal, plus Cactus Jack was actually the co-holder of the title belts as he DDT'd Scorpio in the match at Holiday Hell that led to Mikey winning. Cactus then took one of the title belts as payment for helping Mikey.

[Nerf]

Ah, I'll incorporate the old gimmick from now on. I wasn't sure you see, and sadly I went the wrong direction with guesswork. Also, I knew Cactus was co-holder of the belts, but when was it revealed that he was accepting it? I thought it was after January 1st, if not then, my mistake. Of course, these are just minor issues right now that I'll be getting ironed out as soon as I can. With retro diaries, sometimes thing slip your mind and gets people's backs up, so I guess that's what has happened here. Could you constitute some feedback to the show as a whole, if that's not too much trouble?

And let me know what it was that was so 'wrong' about the backstory like you said in The Vault.

Thanks,

Nef.

Edited August 23, 2006 by Loch Nef Monster

[Steeb]

Told you I'd read, and I have.

First off - you kept me all the way to the end, so well done on that.

Minor nitpicking to be done in the form of a few spelling/grammatical errors, but you're only human.

From the bottom then.

Eliminators/Pitbulls: I enjoyed reading this. I have to say, I was a bit wary at first, as it seemed to be a bit formulaic, but then you managed to get into it, it seems, as the match began to flow a little easier, and became more believable.

RVD's debut: I think you managed to portray his 'green-ness' well, and Taz was definately not who I expected at all. Not sure where you're going with him losing though, as it was his debut. Personally, I would've though that making Taz destroy someone else, and giving RVD a good win would've been a better plan, but who knows what you have up your sleeve really?

Whipwreck's announcement: I'm not overly familiar with his normal promo style, but you seemed to capture him well enough. Typical crowd pleasing moment in the lower card Vs. fan favourite, but done well enough.

Hack/Axl: Wow, did Hack even get any offence in? Good enough I suppose, but I did expect a little bit more back and forth action.

JT Smith: Ahaha, I actually laughed out loud a few times reading this part. Well written, good use, and although I've never personally seen one of his promos, that was still high quality to me.

Lee/Sandman: Again, another match I enjoyed reading, but one where Lee seemed to get almost too much offence. I suppose you could be building him up more, but I don't know, something just seemed to sit uneasy. Raven gets it 110% more coolness though.

Sabu/Psicosis: Not bad. I was expecting far worse after all the complaints you made. Don't get me wrong, it does seem a little bit too laboured in some descriptions and what not, but it's not as bad as you thought, by far.

Gangstas/Headhunters: Woah. I blinked. And missed it. Really, really short. I suppose it was straight to the point, but for your 'main event', it really needed a bit more length.

Overall, a show I actually enjoyed reading which, as I said to you, isn't easy in this place. A few wrinkles, but I'm sure you'll iron them out anyway.

[Nerf]

Thanks for the feedback, SSTB.

Aye, I know there's a few spelling errors and junk in there but I'll try and get them sorted. I think it's mostly grammar that I'll maybe make a mistake in but the spellcheck won't pickup: i.e. Where instead of were - I did that a few times. I'll be sure to correct them once I have time, though.

Again, thanks for the feedback - it means a lot.

Edited August 23, 2006 by Loch Nef Monster

[Thrilla]

House Party '96

We're live (via the wonders of VHS) at the Bingo Hall in downtown Philadelphia for what will surely be a night of... OH MY GOD WE'RE ALREADY UNDERWAY!

The Pitbulls w/Francine Vs. The Eliminators

There's no time for geeks like Joey at tonight's House Party because the jocks are out in force, the team of badasses collectively known as The Eliminators are without Jason tonight for reasons non-forthcoming. The Pitbulls are ripped and jacked and ready to roll as they make their way to the ring with Francine, this is of course match three in a series that'll probably run forever, the Pitbulls won at N2R'95, while the Elims' picked up the duke at Holiday Hell last month. Elims jump the Pitbulls before the bell and we forget that wrestling crap and start with the brawling, #1 dominates inside as Saturn and #2 fight over who can sell the least. Saturn gets back in the ring and looks for a Clothesline on #1, ducked and #1 with one of his own, he turns into a Kronus Sidekick, who gets creamed with a chair from #2 for a two count. More brawling that ends with Pitbull #1 Clotheslining both men down, Kronus is thrown out and Saturn is Super Bombed. It was short and never really had any form to it, but I doubt this is the last we see of these guys in the ring.

Joey is back in the ring to introduce the former Robbie V to the mutants, remember when Joel Gertner used to announce things? Oh its the mighty midget... WCW boy is getting beat.

Rob Van Dam Vs. Taz w/Bill Alfonso

Taz is your big bad heel here, well maybe not big, but he is two months off the most heated heel turn in ECW history, so the short of it is, he's going over. Taz out wrestles Van Dam in the first two attempts and then gets kicked in the face... Big mistake. Taz comes back with a beatdown but Van Dam blocks a corner charge with his feet, Spin Kick and Van Dam looks for a Rolling Splash but its block. Belly-to-Belly Tazplex, NO BRIDGE, ALL IMPACT! Tazmission, its over. Taz keeps the move hooked in for a short while before Fonzie and Taz leave... Randomly without making reference to why Taz is on his current Path of Rage.

Mikey won the Tag Titles and TV Title at Holiday Hell thanks to Cactus Jack, but it would appear that Mikey has refused Cactus' offer of being his tag team partner and is out to scout tonight to see who is worthy of being his partner. Worthy? Its Mikey fucking Whipwreck, the guy gets blown over by a strong gust of wind.

Paul Lauria Vs. Tommy Dreamer

Clothesline attempt from Lauria, ducked, Piledriver. Its over. Blah. What's the point? One, Tommy is involved in a little feud you may have heard about with Raven. Two, surely the whole idea of Tommy Dreamer being the everyman is that he doesn't win titles, particularly not without a struggle. I mean he had to beat Paul Lauria to win a title? The fuck? How does that impress anyone? Three, what about Cactus' involvement? Mikey didn't even mention that. Four, there is no four. Five, this just seems like short-sighted booking designed to pop the crowd for a night, the team's dynamic will just be stealing from everything Mikey and Jack did together.

Hack Myers Vs. Axl Rotten

Who needs wrestling when we have weapons? The Extreme Shah gets the worst of the early going as Axl Rotten brings the NEWCASTLE VIOLENCE until an iron bar to the shin changes things around for the man from the last house on the left. Joey goes into Tony Schiavone mode as Axl tamely hits a Baseball Slide into a table held up by Hack. Axl attempts a Double Underhook Facecrusher but it gets reversed and Rotten goes through a table for a two count. Shahamania runs wild with big lefts and rights but Axl Rotten channels the spirit of Barry Darsow and nails Hack with a golf club for two, Severe Skull Trauma and its all over.

So far we've had two blatant squash matches and two really short matches, not exactly blow away stuff from Paul E this month... So far anyway.

Buh Buh Ray Dudley Vs. JT Smith

JT is pinned following a Chokeslam from Big Dick. Chalk another one up for the squash pile. JT cut a good promo beforehand but this show is beginning to feel more and more like a filler show, something real good better be coming up down the line.

Brian Lee Vs. The Sandman © - ECW World Heavyweight Title

The Sandman's entrance takes up about ten minutes. Lee attacks as soon as the champ gets in the ring and gets an one count following a Scoop Slam, that residual beer in Sandman's mouth must be keeping him alive. A chair is brought into the match, you know a company is good when its champion can't go one minute without a weapon being involved. Sandman shrugs off a chairshot and whips Lee into the corner, Corner Clothesline, Sandman then gets the chair booted into his face during an attempted chair shot for two. Sandman brings in the cane and then follows up with a DDT and a Legdrop for a two count. And we're out of the ring, Lee whips Sandman into a crowd railing and then hits him with a chair for added measure. Lee dumps Sandman into the crowd and then realises he's filled his selling quota for this portion of the match and just batters the champ through the crowd onto the stage underneath the Crow's Nest, they fight up onto the balcony... Lee Chokeslams Sandman off the balcony. Lee has to drag Sandman back to the ring because Sandman is dead, Hak buys himself some time with a bell shot and they eventually crawl into the ring. Lee looks for the Primetime Slam but Sandy counters into the White Russian Legsweep. Well, it was everything you would expect from these two with the added balcony spot thrown in, after that the match just died although the crowd were hyped for it and will no doubt proclaim it a match of the year candidate. Raven appears post match to DDT Sandman.

Sabu Vs. Psicosis

The Extreme Luchadore goes outside his usual boundaries to fight Sabu. They try some of that wrestling stuff that seems so popular in other promotions but it goes nowhere. Psicosis hits a Bulldog which is more than enough to cause Saby to roll out of the ring and get a chair for protection. As Psicosis taunts the crowd, Sabu throws the chair with Terry Funk like accuracy into the back of the Mexican's head, Sabu brings in more chairs before hitting Air Sabu. Sabu counters some attempted wrestling by falling over and then uses a move that wasn't even invented for another five years and then hits the Arabian Facebuster for the academic pinfall. Eh, might as well chalk that one up in the squash column.

Headhunters w/Damien Kane Vs. The Gangstas

They hit each other with a lot of weapons until New Jack puts all 500 pounds of Headhunter B through a thin piece of plywood with a Diving Headbutt for the win

Overall:

To say that this was the only big Arena show for almost a month and a half it was incredibly underwhelming. Just check out who wasn't on the show, Scorpio, Raven, Cactus Jack and Terry Funk, as well as a number of smaller guys. Every match seemed short and rushed, was there an important Bingo game starting at 11pm or something? Sandman's bump will be the most talked about thing about this show but that's because this show felt flat and little else of importance happened here. The year is off to a bland start for ECW.

- I thought the character portrayals barring Mikey were pretty spot on, nobody seemed to do anything that was particularly out of character and the matches all had the feel of '96 ECW. Two points of contention though, a Shining Wizard should not be used in '96, Muta himself did not start using it until at least 2000. And laying a Headhunter on one of the ECW tables? Highly unlikely, those things break if a fly lands on them usually.

- I thought the matches were all short, but that is generally because I like longer matches. Also because this was an Arena show, these went on for close to three hours even without all the dark matches and pre-show shenanigans that went on.

- My major problems with the show have been brought up in the review at various points. However one I didn't get around to saying is that your roster is heavily depleted. I know the scenario for this timeframe isn't great but you will find it difficult to do realistic TV shows without guys like Dirtbike Kid, Koji, Bruiser, Spico Grecos and all the other underneath guys.

- Oh, I also really enjoyed the way you went with the RVD debut, very realistic. Plus I'm a big mark for ECW Taz.

Keep up the good work.

[Nerf]

Thanks for the feedback NBT, I *really* appreciated that.

The smark style rant made me laugh out loud a few times too, but it was also spot on. There are a fair few innacuracies within it right now, but as I said earlier I'm planning on getting those sorted. You know, I modified the roster on the scenario myself and Dirtbike Kid completely slipped my mind. Mastino, I was hoping, I could leave out and no one would notice as I never really enjoyed his work.

Starting with the length issue; honestly, that's the first time I've ever written play-by-play results, so they seemed much longer as I wrote them. When taking it out the description as you did in your review, it is VERY short, and I had no idea. I'll try and nail that in the bud.

Two very good points there. As I mentioned to countless people before I posted, I was having a lot of trouble writing for Sabu, and so I must have just written in the Shining Wizard without realising. While writing I was imagining what he would do, and I pictured a knee to the face, but that's how I wrote it, so my fault with that. The table thing, again, my sloppy writing.

The length of the show wasn't my fault, I'm afraid. I'm using EWR so I only had 8 segments to book. I know you could rebuttle with 'you should have just written them in and pretended they happened in the game,' well, I did that with Mikey and Smith and Joey's short introduction. I also felt a little uneasy about booking random angles as of YET, because I'm still finding my groove with this and getting back into the '96 frame of mind, so I don't wanna botch anything more than I already did.

Thanks again for the feedback. (Y) Hardcore TV should be recapped tonight.

[Nerf]

We open up in the parking lot, where New Jack and Mustafa are stood waiting to speak. New Jack recaps just what happened last night at House Party '96. He says that the Headhunters wanted them to bring it, and they fuckin' did. It was a short and sweet brawl that ended in tears for Kane's puppets. Mustafa takes the lead and tells Damien Kane that if his boys want to go again, then they are more than motherfuckin' ready. New Jack warns them that he's dealt with badder motherfuckers than them in his time, and he's not afraid of their fat asses. Should they be stupid enough to want a Round Two, then they know where they'll be. The Gangstas then head off in the opposite direction to the camera as we cut to the opening video of Hardcore TV.

When we return, Paul Lauria is in the ring. Jesus Christ Superstar plays over the stereo system and Stevie Richards makes his way to the ring for the first match of the evening, with The Blue Meanie following closely behind. Unfortunately for Lauria, he's on squash duty once again tonight. Stevie makes light work of his opponent, having to fend off very little offense. The entire match seems to have been booked to show off Stevie's dancing skills, or at least he thinks. Meanie seems to approve though. The finish comes after a Superkick to the jaw enables Richards to pick up the win. Heh, at least the dancing was good.

We're backstage again now, where new ECW Tag Team Champions Tommy Dreamer and Mikey Whipwreck seem to be enjoying themselves. Mikey talks about what an honor it is to have Dreamer protect him from all the 'big guys.' Cue Cactus Jack. He barges in and demands to know just why Mikey double-crossed him. Mikey tries to explain but can't seem to get the words out. Dreamer steps in and tells Cactus that he had just presumed that he would be rewarded with the tag belt, and Mikey already had plans. Cactus, seeing that Tommy is all for standing up for the little runt, leaves the locker room. Pleased with his work, Dreamer announces that he's going to grab a coffee, and asks Mikey if he'll be okay alone for a while. Reluctantly, Mikey agrees and slumps into his chair.

It's time for the second match of the night, as Lance Storm takes on Too Cold Scorpio. Storm, who had his first match in ECW last night in a dark match (teaming with fellow newcomer Kid Kash and losing to Damien Stone and El Puerto Ricano) is making his televised debut tonight. Scorpio has a lot to make up for after losing both his Television title and his Tag Team title last week at Holiday Hell, and it shows in this match as he seems more determined than ever. This does not, however, mean that Lance Storm doesn't put up a fight. Quite the opposite, in fact. Storm shows a nice display of technical work and speedy moves to make this a brilliant matchup. Scorpio picks up the win after hitting the Tumbleweed. Good stuff.

We now see Dreamer pouring the aforementioned coffee, when suddenly he is approached from behind by Raven! The two stare each other out with eyes full of hate, but avoid coming to blows for now. Raven tells Dreamer that he has been a thorn in his side for the past year and he wants to make sure that he won't get in the way of any hopes he has of taking Sandman's belt. Dreamer let's Raven know that he hasn't forgot every thing Raven put him through in 1995, and he'll be damned if he lets Raven just waltz his way to the top of the company. He tells Raven to watch his back, because with every step up the ladder he takes, he'll be right behind him.

It's time for the last match of the evening, with Shane Douglas taking on Chris Jericho. We witness a very, very good match between these two, with both men getting an even ammount of fight in. Jericho even managed to keep Douglas down long enough to go for his pattented Lionsault at one point, but Douglas was able to avoid the splash and nail a Belly To Belly for the victory. After the match, Jericho offered his hand to Douglas, who shook it swiftly before leaving the arena. Hardcore TV comes to an end just moments after, and Joey Styles thanking us for tuning in. Good show, but will the fans think the same?

Edited August 24, 2006 by Loch Nef Monster

[Thrilla]

Show notes:-

• Gangstas/Headhunters is a feud that can just run and run in ECW, particularly because of the 'Hunters racist manager, plus it keeps New Jack in the mix without making him a focal point or in a title chase.
• Paul Lauria, jobber supreme. Tis always good to see Stevie picking up the win.
• Well, Mikey and Tommy as champs could be interesting. How will Cactus react to not being given the title? And will his spiritual leader Raven help him out?
• In reality Scorp won the TV Title back on this show, but its good to see you're keeping him in the mix. The guy was a staple of the company until he left to join the JOB Squad.
• Douglas/Jericho sounds like a good match and good main event for the Hardcore TV show with the right man going over.
• Overall, the show was alright but it was a short recap, so there was little to involved with. No real sense of how the matches went down, but Hardcore TV was just an hour so it does make sense. I enjoyed it and will look forward to reading more.

Historical notes:-

• Lance Storm spent 1996 wrestling mainly in Japan for WAR and Canada for numerous small promotions and didn't actually make his ECW debut until Crossing The Line Again in 'Feb '97.
• Kid Kash debuted in ECW in '96 but a couple of months later, so it is cool to have him in dark matches. However he did not work as Kid Kash for a long time, he initially went as David Tyler Morton Jericho, due to his babyface looks.

[Nerf]

A recap video plays giving us various results from House Party and last weeks Hardcore TV episode. Following that is this weeks opening video, before we cut straight to the ring and see Koji Nakagawa and Juventud Guerrera already into the action. They are locking horns and attempting to over-power the other, neither seems to be getting a clear advantage, though. At this point, they begin to bust out some cruiserweight-style chain wrestling, wooing the crowd. For the majority, we see a very even matchup between the two, maintaing the fast-paced style throughout. The finish comes seemingly out of nowhere, when Juvi manages to hit the Dragon Suplex and pick up the victory. Afterwards, both men shake hands and leave together.

In a pre-taped segment now, Raven is sitting on a swing in what seems to be a children's park. Darkness fills the scene, as Raven begins to speak. He tells Tommy Dreamer that he hasn't forgotten the hell they put each other through. He hasn't forgotten the scarrs both men bare from their battles. He certainly hasn't forgotten the hatred running through their veins for one another. However, he is willing to put that hatred to one side so that he can challenge Sandman for the belt. He asks Dreamer as his nemesis to let it all slide for now. He says that he's not going to beg, so he simply warns that Tommy can have this the easy way or he can have it the hard way. The easy way is for Dreamer to stand aside and be given a title shot when Raven beats The Sandman, or the hard way: suffering the same fate as everyone else that stood in the way of his destiny. Quoth the Raven, Nevermore.

It's tag team action next, as Buh Buh and Big Dick Dudley take on The Headhunters! Weapons come into play almost immediately, as the Dudley Boyz are met with chairs to the head as soon as they step into the ring. The Headhunters follow up with some good ol' brawling action, until the Dudleyz can battle back. Pretty even brawl between these two which comes to an end after a Moonsault from Headhunter A onto Big Dick Dudley. Afterwards, Damien Kane gets on the mic to warn the Gangstas. He tells them that his team are the most dominant in the history of ECW. He tells them that they are the toughest bastards on the entire wrestling scene. With a hint of sarcasm, Kane reminds himself that The Gangstas are 'ghetto,' they're from 'da hood.' He calls bullshit and tells the Gangstas that for as long as they want to fight, they are more than ready.

They make their way to the back as Rey Misterio Jr steps forward. His opponent tonight, The Human Wrecking Machine, Taz! He wastes little time in destroying Rey, although the young luchadore does manage to fight back a few times. A Tazmission puts an end to Misterio's health and awards Taz a victory. This seemingly isn't enough however, as Taz keeps the hold locked for a good few minutes after the bell rings. When he finally lets go and celebrates with Bill Alfonso, Joey Styles informs us that Taz is on a rampage, intent on destroying everyone in ECW before challenging for the World Heavyweight belt. He is cut off, however, by ECW newcomer Rob Van Dam! RVD - bravely or stupidly? - joins Taz in the ring. He challenges him to a rematch! Is this kid crazy? Taz simply shrugs him off as a joke and turns to leave. RVD, seemingly suicidal at this point, calls Taz a pussy. Taz turns and grabs RVD blasting him with a Belly to Belly Tazplex, before staring down at the cocky youngster with eyes full of evil intentions. Hardcore TV ends with Taz finally heading to the back with Bill Alfonso at his side.

[DMN in the House]

You said you wanted some proper feedback from me, so I'll give it a go.

I can't really comment much on the historical consistencies, other than what has been mentioned. Most of my ECW knowledge is second hand through my own research, as it was pretty hard to keep up with the company on the west coast in 96, and honestly, at that point in time, I wasn't watching wrestling much anyway. Didn't get back into it until '99-2000.

House Party '96 seemed a bit lacking to me, but thats probably because you're trying the longer results, and I know how hard that can be. I won't nit-pick too much, because most of the stuff has been gone over already. I'm not too sure I'm big on you pushing Dreamer/Raven to the wayside, as it was already in full swing, and basically carried the company, along with Taz, for a good while.

As for Taz, I understand and agree with the idea of jobbing out whoever he faced to him, as thats pretty much what was going on at this point, I'm just not sure if I like it being RVD. Judging from your last show, thats going somewhere, and RVD isn't RVD at this point, so I'll sit on it for awhile.

Nice to see you trying to rectify the Dreamer/Whipwreck/Cactus situation. Might make for an interesting side feud for Dreamer, since your intent on having Raven go for Sandman at this point, which isn't such a bad idea, just don't forget too much about the underlying issues with Raven/Tommy. Don't like Tommy getting a belt though, although its nice to see a departure from ECW lore.

Like NBT said, you need Gertner. I'm pretty sure he was still doing most of the ring announcing at this point.

I can't say I like Headhunters/Gangstas too much. Never did like the HH. Its good to keep New Jack occupied though, as he'll be the breakout star of the Gangstas, and there's no way to stop that, he's just too good on the mic, and has too much of a car crash quality. Here's to an eventual Pitbulls/Gangstas feud though.

Cool to see the original style Dudleys. Won't get on you too much if you bring in D-Von, but I'd like to see Big Dick hang around awhile. I was always a fan of his, especially when he got a chance in XPW. Not a great worker, or even all that interesting, I just liked him for some reason.

Not much else I'm going to say, but it is nice to see you staying away from the pitfall of pushing just anyone with talent, or anyone who became someone. Seeing Taz destroy Rey Rey brings a tear of joy to my eye. Maybe hypocritical, but I would like to see some more of Juvi, and on the mic too. Watch some of his XPW stuff, and you can see how entertaining he can be on the mic in a more 'free' enviroment.

In closing, its good, but it has some stuff that needs to be worked on. I'd flesh out the Hardcore TV stuff a little, but I can understand the burnout factor. Just correct some of the more noticable historical errors, and it should be interesting to see where you take ECW.