Rewatching ECW - discussion of various bits and bobs

[Liam O'Rourke]

 

 

Didn't know where to put this but I was listening to Squared Circle Radio's 1995 Monday Night Wars pod and Liam mentions that Shane Douglas was supposed to enter the WWF as a Texas gunslinger character. Is that right?

That was Dustin Rhodes. Douglas was always coming in as a heel teacher.

Ah, that makes more sense. I've misheard that. I was hoovering at the time!

Yeah, as has been followed up on that was Dustin, but the idea of Shane Douglas as a Texas Gunslinger and doing his HA HA HAAAAA! promo in the accent got a hearty laugh.

 

On the ECW final year front, I really liked Corino, but I hated that the World Title was in that mix of Corino, Lynn and Credible. As much as I think Mike Awesome is one of Heyman's great manipulations, he did such a good job building him that the follow up guy had to be good, and between that Taz and Dreamer mess to this period where its floating around guys who were all missing something, it devalued it massively and didnt help at a time when things were going south anyway.

 

Even taking away the obvious answers of Rhino and Van Dam, Tajiri was the fucking man in 2000, and they kept him in that tag team mix for way too long. And hell, even Kid Kash who had momentum, was doing nothing important.

 

When you're getting to the period where Bilvis Wesley and Chilly Willy make the air, its sad to watch how something that was a source of influence felt creatively bankrupt to the point they didn't really put the limited talent they had in the proper place.

 

Minister was amazing, however.

[air_raid]

........... and I just remembered The New Dangerous Alliance, ugh. And people talk about The New Midnight Express being terrible! CW Anderson and Beautiful Billy trying to follow in the footsteps of Rude/Anderson/Austin/Eaton/Zbyszko is a far worse crime against the concept of homage in my book. Just terrible.

 

I'd say that the original fivesome were involved in my favourite match of the 90s, but that would definitely not be fair to Flair.

[CleetusVanDamme]

There was a really awesome two night tournament at the Hammerstein Ballroom for the tag belts, I've been looking for a download of them for years now. They had that mental angle/match where Kid Kash won the TV title off Rhino after everyone (including the police) interfered. 

 

 

I might have the Hardcore TV stuff from those Hammerstein shows on an old hard drive. I don't know how much of the tag tournament was on them, maybe just a couple of matches, but the Kash/Rhyno stuff was definitely on it.

 

I'll have a look for it at the weekend.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

 

Yeah, as has been followed up on that was Dustin, but the idea of Shane Douglas as a Texas Gunslinger and doing his HA HA HAAAAA! promo in the accent got a hearty laugh.

"Y'all cut that blasted music."

 

In fairness to ECW, the reason the likes of RVD and Rhino werent given the belt and why Tajiri was left in the tag ranks was because Heyman was trying to get a new TV deal and whatever progress these characters were going to have he wanted on the new Network. If they'd have got on the USA Network, with all the money they'd have recieved, I imagine they'd have gotten all their house in order. Probably would have brought in a load of WCW wrestlers in when they went under.

Edited May 19, 2015 by IANdrewDiceClay

[Tommy!]

I liked CW Anderson. He had something about him I liked and had some good matches when he wasn't tied up with a load of wank to work with.

 

He had an mini feud with dreamer in the dying days which I enjoyed. Massacre on 34th and guilty as charged if I remember right.

 

He was never world class, but he's one I'll always have a soft spot for.

[Jizzlobber]

Count me in on the love for Minister. I listened to an interview with him sometime last year and he said WWE were sniffing around him the same time they brought Dutch in to be Zeb Colter. Ultimately, nothing came of it. I'd have loved to have seen him get one last run in the big time. But he seems content with his karaoke shtick at this point. 

[WWFChilli]

I've always been a huge fan of Mitchell, even the Bearer/Undertaker rip off with him and Abyss was fun before it got verrrrry daft in 2007. Has anyone seen James Vandenbergs 'Odditorium'? They were skits he did in a dark room on WCW Saturday Night that were class little up to dates on the storyline vignettes. Shame they didn't run with them.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

His first few appearances on ECW on TNN was the same thing as he did on Saturday Night. Where he'd be giving an recap of the current storylines, only with a bit of wit laced into it. He'd be sitting in a lift chatting about Raven and Dreamer's team and stuff. It was supposedly a take on the Crypt Keeper.

[WWFChilli]

That's awesome, I'd like the network to get this 2000 stuff up. Love Mitchell, he just screams wrestling character to a tee.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

He interests me so much. He's so intriguing. He's a collector of oddities, and his house is filled with all sorts of animal skeletons and eyes in glass jars. He's runs a karaoke business. He's a brilliant singer. He's a sexual deviant and former drug addict. He's lead about 800 lives. Its unreal he hasn't got a job in the business. He's a fantastic promo and looks amazing.

 

He's also a genuine Sinister Minister.

[WWFChilli]

It's his promos. He has a terrific promo voice, awesome look, lives the gimmick. He might get a go down the line, no one expected Dirty Dutch to turn up in 2013.

[dopper]

In fairness to Francine, she's a massive team player. Throughout her run, she worked super hard and was always super confident in front of the camera. Which was rare in the era of Sable and Debra, who were stars, but look lost most of the time. Francine was still getting used in early 2001 at the last shows as the headline act. That was a 6 year run she was into. Surely her time was coming up. What more could they do with her?

 

In mid-to-late 2000 Francine started incorporating wrestling moves at ringside which always got a massive pop. Seemingly influenced by Lita, she would regularly hit huracanrana's off the apron to Credible's opponents at ringside. The fact that she was usually wearing a short dresses was a pleasant alternative to Lita doing it in her baggy trousers. It seemed like she was eager to contribute more when given the opportunity, whereas (as you pointed out) on the other side Debra was running through the same hands-on-hips-and-smiling routine for years on end.

 

When Balls Mahoney was past his prime and a bit-part player by 1999, he was TWENTY SEVEN YEARS OLD. That is bonkers.

[Hounds Of Justice]

I too also liked CW Anderson and really enjoyed his match he had with Dreamer,I used to love watching ECW tapes as a kid, they were so innovative at the time, also enjoyed Nova doing a new move or two every match.

[Egg Shen]

 

There was a really awesome two night tournament at the Hammerstein Ballroom for the tag belts, I've been looking for a download of them for years now. They had that mental angle/match where Kid Kash won the TV title off Rhino after everyone (including the police) interfered. 

 

 

I might have the Hardcore TV stuff from those Hammerstein shows on an old hard drive. I don't know how much of the tag tournament was on them, maybe just a couple of matches, but the Kash/Rhyno stuff was definitely on it.

 

i used to have those shows on VHS, i don't think it ever fully aired on TV, it was a RF Fan Cam job from what i recall.

[Porkchopcash]

I think one was shown on Bravo. The one with the massive run in where Rhyno was goring everyone and Kid Kash hit a sommersault of the top onto loads of people. I remember it being mayhem when Sandman made his entrance.