Match of the Week: Masato Tanaka vs Balls Mahoney (ECW Hardcore TV #271)

Match of the Week: Masato Tanaka vs Balls Mahoney (ECW Hardcore TV #271)

1998 is the year then FMW wrestler Masato Tanaka made his US debut in ECW. This is his second appearance in ECW and first at the famed ECW Arena going against Balls Mahoney in front of wild, bloodthirsty crowd.

He made quick impression out wrestling Balls early on then went toe-to-toe in a brawl outside. Once they got back in the ring both had chair battle trading sick chair shots on each other and still got up to roar of ECW crowd. Balls tries go for Nutcracker Suite on to the chairs, but Tanaka turns it to tornado DDT on to the chairs for the win. He won ECW Arena crowd for his skills and toughness.

It's first of many battles these two had. Both teamed up a bit later in the year winning ECW tag team titles from Dudleyz. He returned in another stint ECW in late 1999 holding world heavyweight title. Known for his toughness,Tanaka continue blaze a career in Japan with FMW then Zero 1 and various Japanese feds.

Balls Mahoney stayed with ECW til it closed and worked around northeast including short stint in TNA. Wrestled in WWE with the ill-fated ECW revival brand. He passed away this year.

Catch this match on WWE Network

Match of the Week: Sandman vs D-Von Dudley (ECW Crossing the Line Again 97)

Match of the Week: Sandman vs D-Von Dudley (ECW Crossing the Line Again 97; shown on ECW Hardcore TV #198)

Prepare for trouble make it double

Several big things happen at this show. Paul Heyman announce ECW first PPV Barely Legal is back on. Another thing happen was the post match of this. Sandman doing his long 2-3 minute entrance when D-Von Dudley attacked him before the bell using the singapore cane. Sandman fought back in a brawl and squashed him in five minute match. After the match Joel Gertner announced D-Von as the "winner" only get caned. D-Von attacks Sandman afterward bringing out Bubba Ray and Spike Dudley whom they been feuding with D-Von for over half a year previously. Bubba Ray smacks a chair on Sandman then gave him, Spike and the Gangstas a beat down. No longer a comedic team both are now team of serious ass kickers. On that night Dudley Boyz unite to form one of most dominating tag teams in world of wrestling pillaging through ECW, WWE, TNA, Japan, and the indies for almost two decades.

ECW Crossing The Line Again 1997 Part 1 by WarnersRetroTV

Match of the Week: Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn (ECW Guilty as Charged 2001

Sorry for missing last week Match of the Week. Was super busy and tired from work related bs I dealt with. I'm back with this week entry.

Match of the Week: Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn (ECW Guilty as Charged 2001)

Final showdown in the final match of final ECW PPV

On January 7 marks the 15th anniversary of final ECW PPV ever produced with RVD and Jerry Lynn ending the show.

Going to the PPV its obvious company is its last legs with wrestlers owed money and checks getting bounced. It resulted Rob Van Dam leaving. Shows getting cancelled. Paul Heyman stop showing up at events. Now they have no TV show and fewer shows in between PPV heading to this event.

ECW promise a big surprise on the show. Jerry Lynn pretty much gave it away on Rob Van Dam being at there when he said he's not here and will only wrestle in main events. Other surprises include Nova turning to Heavy Metal Nova. Appareance of Missy Hyatt who was Justin Credible pre-match sex partner. Rhino destroyed Balls Mahoney, Chilly Willy, Johnny Swinger, Simon Diamond, Blue Meanie, Jasmine St. Claire and Dawn Marie. He would later appeared after Sandman won ECW World Heavyweight title goring him and taking the belt with him. This brought out the surprise Rob Van Dam. Jerry Lynn entered and both have a match. The match wasn't the best as their previous PPV encounters but its still decent. RVD did his spots while Lynn did his part to wild crowd which at times forgot about the match. Joel Gertner getting the best out of Cyrus DDTing him. He would assist in RVD hitting Van Terminator on Jerry Lynn ending the final ECW PPV match.

Show ended to video clips of the PPV to infamous ECW theme song mentioning next ECW PPV Living Dangerously on March 11. PPV never happen as they ran few shows in Arkansas afterwards before closing down ending its glorious run.

Paul Heyman wound up on WWE along with many others such as Rhino, Spike Dudley, Justin Credible, Jerry Lynn, RVD, and Tommy Dreamer within months after ECW closed. Four years later ECW have their hurrah with One Night Stand PPV. E-C-DUB!

Why ECW matterd to a fan

Been watching ECW stuff on WWE Network this week. The matches may have aged badly, but excitement of it still there. It was 20 years ago I was introduced Extreme Championship Wrestling through magazines of Bill Apter on the newstands. Being at supermarket and browsing through the magazine I came across article of Texas Deathmatch between Cactus Jack and Sandman on super exaggerated account of being in hospital after the match. While so used to watch WWF and WCW while growing up this fed stuck to me due to article written about the match. I didn't have internet at the time or heard anything about dirt sheets til 1997. These Apter magazines were gateway to indies and ECW stuck out. I followed ECW through these issues mentioning about Public Enemy breaking tables to Mikey Whipwreck a champion and pictures Axl and Ian Rotten bloody feud and Tommy Dreamer about to piledrive Beulah McGillicutty. The pictures of bloodied ECW wrestlers and mayhem told the story. It was when RAW episode ECW invaded and it was my first chance seeing them. In their three matches I came away hooked. At time it was fresh and out of ordinary. It was different. The first ECW PPV I saw was Living Dangerously 98 and loved the show from RVD and Scorpio match to three-way tag team brawl which New Jack and Spike Dudley dove off the balcony onto Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley. How can I forget Taz and Bam Bam Bigelow match which Bigelow put Taz through the ring. Then next PPV Heatwave 98 as they put on building burning show with Masato Tanaka and Mike Awesome crisscrossing their feud from FMW to ECW along with RVD/Sabu battling Hayabusa/Jinsei Shinzaki. Main event of Tommy Dreamer/Sandman/Spike Dudley plundering the Dudley Boyz with appearance of New Jack after the match. Something that clicked while watching ECW. Whether its wild frenzy brawls or the fans or the matches it stood out and it during time WWE/F Attitude went full speed. Soon I got tapes of ECW shows and was amazed of the action. I stuck with ECW even when they were going down the drain til it died.

Watching through episodes of ECW Hardcore TV I understood its importance. At the time they were cutting edge and breaking down the barriers with their feuds, storylines and in-ring action. The fans were very rabid becoming very loyal to ECW. What also stuck out more was "us vs them" mentality whether its WCW, WWE/F, censors, and various third parties. They were not going be this puppet to anyone unlike current landscape of wrestling. They will step on toes and be progressive in wrestling with their product. ECW is so influential as their roster gets raided and storylines get lifted into mainstream. Many indy feds have tried copy ECW success to no avail. Some indy feds have been influenced by ECW.

How many closed down feds will have "reunion" show years later and fans still be rabid about it? Just one and its ECW. Whatever Kool-Aid the genius mind of Paul Heyman offered it must be good as he and the wrestlers took us one hell of a ride. E-C-DUB! E-C-DUB!