This week Throwback Thursday kicks off 2021 with a trip through the “hardcore” archives of the WWE Network to revisit the go-home edition of ECW on TNN (ECW Wrestling on the WWE Network) prior to Guilty as Charged 2000 pay-per-view that aired 21 years ago today!
As the year 2000 dawned it was becoming clear that the national television deal with TNN that was supposed to elevate and sustain Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was doing neither. Increased production costs, an added expense ECW was forced to shoulder alone, and the lack of promotion on TNN were growing bones of contention between Paul Heyman and TNN executives. But it wasn’t all bad news. Ratings were consistently near or exceeding 1.0 (though ECW had promised TNN 2.0 from the start, a number ECW never got close to) while pay-per-view buys were edging closer to 100,000 per event. There was the new licensing deal with Acclaim to produce the promotion’s first video game, ECW Hardcore Revolution (released on February 17, 2000) as well as the expansion of availability for ECW Magazine. Behind the scenes, however, the same financial and creative issues that plagued the promotion for years were not getting any better. The most recent casualty was Sabu, the backbone of ECW dating back to the very beginning of what was then called Eastern Championship Wrestling. Issues with booking, back pay, and a chance to earn more in Japan pushed Sabu over the edge. Sabu’s overlooked battle with Rob Van Dam at Guilty as Charged 2000 PPV would mark Sabu’s penultimate televised match in the promotion, with Sabu’s final TV match (a win over C.W. Anderson) airing on the January 29, 2000 edition of Hardcore TV (taped January 22, 2000).
The lead stories on ECW TV at this time were Spike Dudley’s war with Mike Awesome, Rob Van Dam and Sabu’s clash for the ECW TV title at Guilty as Charged, the Impact Players feud with the ECW World Tag Team Champions Tommy Dreamer & Raven, and New Jack’s seemingly never-ending blood feud with Da Baldies. Elsewhere in America the Santana & Rob Thomas smash hit “Smooth” was the number one song in the country while DMX had the top selling album with …And Then There was X. ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire and NBC’s ER were dominating television ratings and Stuart Little was the top film at the box office.
Now let’s get the WWE Network going, hit ‘play’, and find out how well this go-home edition of ECW on TNN holds up 21 years later!
In respect to edits, all ECW Hardcore Hotline, home video, and live events promos have been cut. Much of the music (the music we hear, that is) has been overdubbed to avoid, as always, rights fees issues. Context, on the other hand, is complete with every prior edition of both ECW on TNN and ECW Hardcore TV, as well as all past ECW pay-per-view events and a growing list of supercards, available for you to enjoy right now on the WWE Network.
ECW on TNN #20 (WATCH)
Date: January 7, 2000 – Location: Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York
Attendance: >2,500 TV Rating: 1.20
Commentators: Joey Styles & Joel Gertner – Interviews: N/A
CHAMPIONS AT THE TIME:
ECW World Heavyweight Champion: Mike Awesome (December 31, 1999, ECW on TNN, from Masato Tanaka)
ECW World Television Champion: Rob Van Dam (April 8, 1998, ECW Hardcore TV, from Bam Bam Bigelow)
ECW World Tag Team Champions: Tommy Dreamer & Raven (September 3, 1999, ECW on TNN, from the Dudley Boyz)
This week’s edition of ECW on TNN opens with the closing minutes of the ECW World Heavyweight Championship rematch between Mike Awesome and newly crowned ECW World Champion Masato Tanaka from the New Year’s Eve edition of ECW on TNN. The match was a rematch from the prior week’s edition of ECW on TNN (Dec. 24, 2000) that saw Tanaka win his sole ECW World title. Eventually we see Awesome win his second and final ECW World title after an ungodly sit-out Awesome Bomb from the top rope.
After watching a bit of Awesome’s celebration we cut to the closing moments of Spike Dudley’s failed attempt at a post-match attack on Awesome. As Awesome batters Spike, Spike’s girlfriend rushes the ring and drops “Judge” Jeff Jones with an Acid Drop before having her teeth “knocked out” by a stiff lariat from Mike Awesome. Spike holds his girlfriend as she spits blood from her mouth. Spike suddenly flips out and goes after Awesome, attempting to drop Awesome with an Acid Drop when Awesome stops short and drops Spike over the top rope through a table at ringside.
The revamped (awesome) ECW opening sizzle reel is next. We then head to the announce position where Joey Styles and Joel Gertner, doing his usual shtick, welcome us to the show. Joey then hypes the three big title matches for this Sunday’s Guilty as Charged PPV (Mike Awesome defending the World title against Spike Dudley; Rob Van Dam defending the World TV title against Sabu; and Raven & Tommy Dreamer defending their World Tag Team titles against Lance Storm & Justin Credible) as well Sandman’s quest for revenge against the “Rookie Monster” Rhino.
This is followed by a Paul Heyman-voiced vignette detailing the history of the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, which means that the history of the formerly known NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Championship (and its eleven title changes) are conveniently ignored here. Heyman highlights every single title change, all fifteen of them, from the moment Shane Douglas created the ECW World Heavyweight Championship when “The Franchise” threw down the NWA World Heavyweight title on August 27, 1994, to Mike Awesome’s title win over Masato Tanaka (taped December 23, 1999), the finish of which opened this week’s show. Heyman then hypes Spike Dudley’s desire for revenge after Awesome injured Spike’s girlfriend.
We then get a pre-taped promo from Spike Dudley. Spike hopes that Mike Awesome isn’t thinking about “stupid” glasses or any of the other Spike Dudley gimmicks ahead of their showdown this Sunday night. “You knocked my girl’s teeth out,” Spike says. Spike warns Awesome, saying the World Heavyweight Champion has “a problem”, that Spike was the one who was kicked out of the Dudley Boyz for being too violent, that Spike hasn’t missed a match in ECW due to injury, despite chairs, tables, fire, and more. It’s not about winning or losing at the pay-per-view, Spike says, it’s about doing what Spike does best: “wrestle extreme”. “I am going to hurt you.”
Next up is a pre-taped promo from “Judge” Jeff Jones & Mike Awesome. Jones wonders who Spike thinks he is by having Spike’s “rat” girlfriend hit Jones with the Acid Drop. Jones says Spike’s girlfriend made Jones look “ridiculous” before Jones does a poor man’s impression of the famous Jack Woltz scene from The Godfather. Mike Awesome takes over and calls out Spike for having the nerve to interrupt Awesome’s title victory celebration. Awesome reminds Spike that he knocked his girlfriend’s teeth down her throat and then asks Spike what Spike thinks Awesome will do “to a man like you.”
Up next is a pre-taped promo from the Impact Players, Lance Storm & Justin Credible, with Dawn Marie & Jason. Lance Storm mocks Tommy Dreamer’s “big night”, wrestling in the very building Dreamer and his father used to watch wrestling in when Dreamer was a little innovator of violence. Storm says that just like when Dreamer was a kid watching wrestling in the Westchester County Center with is father, another star is going to “pass you by”: Justin Credible. Justin Credible says he wants tonight’s “Stairway to Hell” match to be one-on-one, asking Storm to stay out of the match no matter what. If Dreamer can win, Credible says, then Dreamer is the better man. But Dreamer isn’t the better man, Credible says, and tonight, in the same place where Dreamer’s hopes and dreams were born, Credible will “demolish every single hope that ever crossed that naive little mind.” Tonight, Credible says, he plans on showing that the Impact Players are in fact “guilty as charged”.
—“Tag Team Three-Way Dance” (WATCH – 16:53)
Kid Kash & Nova vs. The Dupps (Bo & Jack) vs. Danny Doring & Roadkill w/Elektra
With its never-ending high spots, no selling, and lack of any noticeable psychology, this match could have easily fit in on either of the Wednesday night shows today. The Dupps are the first to be eliminated at 2:47 after Doring and Nova come off the top rope together, Doring landing an elbow drop and Nova a splash. The rest of the match is a slower version of the car crash we’ve already seen but with more posing. It looks like Nova has Doring beat after Nova connects with a massive frog splash off the top when Elektra enters the ring, going after Nova. This brings out Jazz and we get the obligatory “cat fight”. Moments later Simon Diamond arrives to carry Jazz to the back while Chris Chetti eats a slap from Elektra before forcing a kiss on Elektra in the center of the ring. The now unconscious Elekrta is carried from the ring by gentleman Chris Chetti, who makes sure Elektra’s thong is visible for the fans to hoot about. Back in the ring Doring knocks Nova to the floor before Roadkill & Doring finish off Kash with Lancaster Lust for the 1-2-3 at 5:12.
WINNERS are Danny Doring & Roadkill w/Elektra (Last eliminating Kid Kash & Nova, Pin, 5:12)
After a break we get a Guilty as Charged promo running down the entire card. We then see an ECW Wrestling.com promo followed by a promo for a meet-and-greet at the Home Depot in Birmingham, Alabama before another Guilty as Charged plug.
An ECW merchandise catalog promo is next and then a plug for the ECW Magazine before we see Francine lead Tommy Dreamer to the ring for our main event.
After the ring introductions, before the match begins, we see a replay of Justin Credible caning Raven on last week’s edition of ECW on TNN.
—“Non-Title ‘Stairway to Hell’ Match” (WATCH – 24:08)
Justin Credible w/Jason vs. ECW World Tag Team Champion Tommy Dreamer
This is a “Stairway to Hell” match, with a Singapore cane hanging above the ring. The first person to grab the cane can use it, though the match can end with neither man reaching it. Justin Credible tries to flee before the match begins but Dreamer isn’t having any of that. These two start their brawl in the aisle before heading back to the ring. Despite crotching Dreamer on the guard rail Tommy Dreamer is in control of the opening few minutes. There’s not much in the way of storytelling in this match but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. This match is a fight from the opening bell and there is some basic psychology that gets lost in all the high spots and convoluted setups. Credible is able to turn the match around but not for long. That is until Justin crotches Dreamer on a rung of the ladder set across the middle rope in the corner. Despite this being a ladder match neither man uses the ladder for climbing, only for offense. Even as Credible has Dreamer all but beaten he never once tries to climb the ladder for the cane. Dreamer makes the comeback, using the ladder to go low on Credible, before finally climbing to grab the cane. Jason interferes then, hitting a botched enziguri on Dreamer before Francine takes out Jason with a low blow and bronco buster. Credible grabs Francine for That’s Incredible (Justin’s version of the spinning tombstone piledriver) when Dreamer clocks Credible with the cane between the legs of Francine. Dreamer then sets up Credible for a piledriver on the ladder when Lance Storm wipes Dreamer out with a lariat from the top rope. As Dawn Marie & Lance Storm taunt Dreamer, Raven appears at ringside and crotches Storm on the ring post. In the ring Francine and Dawn Marie get into our second “cat fight” of the hour until Dreamer grabs Dawn for a piledriver. Credible attacks but Dreamer ducks, attempting to slam Credible when Credible wriggles free. After a cane shot to the injured back of Dreamer and then to Dreamer’s head, Credible seals the deal with That’s Incredible for the pinfall at 13:26.
WINNER is Justin Credible w/Jason (Pin, 13:26)
After the match we head to a pre-taped promo from Rhino, with Steve Corino and Jack Victory. Rhino tells Sandman he has no mercy and no fear, and that at Guilty as Charged “I’m gonna kick the f**k outta you!” Rhino says that Sandman can then go back and tell his beer drinking friends that he got whipped by Rhino. (The Rhino/Sandman match would not happen at the PPV thanks to Sandman not showing up in Birmingham.)
Joey Styles then gives us our final rundown of the Guilty as Charged card to come on PPV. Joey then plugs Acclaims’ sponsorship and says the first pay-per-view of the new millennium is ECW Guilty as Charged!
Final Thoughts
This is a fun show for what it is but as a go-home show it’s seriously lacking. While the top of the card gets plenty of airtime, the rest of the undercard is left to fend for itself. The promos are all good and the action is decent, again, for what it is. It’s not the worst go-home show ECW ever did but it’s far from great. Don’t feel bad if this show does little to drive you to check out Guilty as Charged 2000, you wouldn’t be the only one. If you haven’t seen this go-home edition of ECW on TNN it’s well worth your time to see it. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen it it’s worth a second look if only for the crazy finish of the Awesome/Tanaka title match. Who knows, you might actually like it!
Already subscribed to the WWE Network? Then you can relive this classic, Guilty as Charged 2000 go-home edition of ECW on TNN or experience it for the very first time! As always, let us know what you think in the comments section below!
For pre-WNN editions of TBT, click here!
Thanks for reading – until next week, see ya at ringside!