This week Throwback Thursday returns to the land of “extreme” as we revisit a classic edition of ECW on TNN, as seen on the WWE Network and Peacock, that aired 24 years ago this month!
As it had in the summer of 1996, just four years prior, the foundation of professional wrestling was shifting yet again.
Back then it was the rise of what would become the New World Order (nWo) and the birth of the celebrated “Attitude Era”. Together they ignited the long simmering “Monday Night Wars”, ushering in an era of unprecedented growth and popularity.
By the end of June 2000, however, the wrestling boom of the late ’90s was rapidly imploding.
The once dominant World Championship Wrestling (WCW), a staple of TBS programming dating back to 1972, was an unmanageable mess AOL Time Warner executives couldn’t sell fast enough.
The dominant World Wrestling Federation (WWF), meanwhile, had pulled itself back from the brink and was looking to write its own ticket.
As this edition of ECW on TNN aired the WWF was mired in a sticky breach of contract lawsuit with USA Network. At the heart of the lawsuit was Vince McMahon’s failed attempt to purchase Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy) from USA Broadcasting (parent company of USA Network), which McMahon was interested in converting into the first “WWF Network”.
On March 1, 2000, the WWF notified USA executives that the WWF was canceling their current contract and beginning the search for a more equitable rights agreement elsewhere which, the McMahon’s hoped, would someday include the purchase of an existing cable channel that could be converted into a 24/7 “WWF Network”.
The new partner would turn out to be Viacom, parent company of, among many others, CBS, MTV, UPN, and TNN. The open negotiations between the WWF and Viacom, however, indirectly involved a third party: Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW).
Since August 1999, ECW had been the sole wrestling programming featured on TNN, where the hardcore promotion’s ECW on TNN aired every Friday night at 8 p.m.
The WWF moving to TNN would spell the end of ECW programming on the network, a move that would very well spell the end of ECW as a whole.
Forty-eight hours after this edition of ECW on TNN aired, news broke that the WWF had won their case against USA Network and were in the final stages of inking a $140 million deal to bring the bulk of WWF’s weekly programming, including their flagship Monday Night RAW, to TNN and MTV in September 2000.
The news of July 2, 2000, put ECW in an unwinnable situation. Not only were they being booted from TNN after the September 22, 2000, edition of ECW on TNN, but ECW would be unable to negotiate with any potential programming suitors until the current TNN deal neared completion.
Despite a generous offer from then Senior Vice President of TNN Sports and Outdoors Brian Hughes, one that included keeping ECW programming on TNN until the end of October (or later) as Heyman searched for a new broadcast partner, Paul Heyman threw in the towel, choosing instead to go it alone, relying solely on syndication as the search dragged on.
Though industry rumors suggested that ECW could end up replacing WWF wrestling on USA Network, the most likely landing spot for ECW seemed to be FOX, who would (insiders suggested) put the more adult-themed ECW programming on the fledgling FX network.
All of the rumors and supposed negotiations could not hide the fact that underneath it all ECW was a dead promotion walking.
Being caught in the crossfire of the new TNN/WWF agreement was bad enough, especially with Paul Heyman being unable to kick-start negotiations until a later date. But with ECW continually missing payroll, being forced to cancel live events, and being unwilling to curb the violent nature of the product, the perception of ECW as a viable national promotion was less than good.
As ECW prepared for their next pay-per-view event, the infamous Heat Wave 2000 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, it was clear to all involved that the end, for all intents and purposes, was near.
By this time next year, both ECW and WCW would be out of business. WCW would be sold to the WWF on March 23, 2001, while ECW would languish in bankruptcy court until January 28, 2003, when the WWE would step in and purchase the bulk of ECW’s assets, including their video library.
The top story in ECW the week this edition of ECW on TNN aired was Tommy Dreamer’s continued issues with ECW World Heavyweight Champion Justin Credible ahead of their “Stairway to Hell” match at Heat Wave 2000.
Other top stories included Rob Van Dam’s mission to reclaim the World Television title from Rhino; Rhino’s personal war with Sandman; and the simmering issues between former best mates Rob Van Dam and Scotty Anton (the former Scotty Riggs in WCW).
Now let’s head on over to the WWE Network on Peacock, hit ‘play’, and see how well this edition of ECW on TNN holds up 24 years later!
Edits for this edition of ECW on TNN are not an issue on the WWE Network and Peacock. All unlicensed music (as usual) as well as live event, home video, and merchandise promos have also been removed. Context, meanwhile, is perfect. All prior editions of both ECW on TNN and ECW Hardcore TV, as well as all past ECW pay-per-views and a slew of ECW supercards, are available for you to enjoy right now on the WWE Network and Peacock!
ECW on TNN #45 (WATCH)
Date: June 30, 2000 (TAPED: June 23, 2000) – Location: The Rave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 2,000 – TV Ratings: 0.8 (>600,000)
Commentators: Joey Styles & Joel Gertner – Interviews: Joey Styles
IN POP CULTURE:
Number One Song: “Be With You” (Enrique Iglesias)
Number One Album: The Marshall Brothers LP (Eminem)
Number One on Television: Survivor (CBS)
Number One on Cable Television: WWF Monday Night RAW (second hour) (USA Network)
Number One Film in Theaters: The Perfect Storm (George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, William Fichtner, Karen Allen, Bob Gunton, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, & John C. Reily)
U.S. President & Vice President: Bill Clinton & Al Gore
CHAMPIONS AT THE TIME:
ECW World Heavyweight Champion: Justin Credible (April 22, 2000, ECW CyberSlam ’00, from Tommy Dreamer; then-Champion Tommy Dreamer had just defeated Tazz to win the World title when Justin Credible, tossing down the World Tag Team titles, challenged Dreamer in an impromptu World title match)
ECW World Television Champion: Rhino (April 22, 2000, ECW CyberSlam ’00, from Yoshihiro Tajiri)
ECW World Tag Team Champions: VACANT (April 22, 2000, ECW CyberSlam ’00, titles were vacated when then-Champion Justin Credible relinquished his half of the titles when Credible challenged newly-crowned World Champion Tommy Dreamer to an impromptu title match that Credible went on to win)
This week’s edition of ECW on TNN begins with a cold open promo from Cyrus and ECW World Television Champion Rhino.
Cyrus says that after tonight, when Rob Van Dam challenges Rhino for the World Television title, that RVD may go from being the “whole f’n show” to the “dead f’n show”.
A lot has changed since Cyrus has taken over “the chain of command” in ECW, and the biggest of those changes is Rhino. Rhino jumps in, asking if RVD has “heard the news”, that RVD is going up against the “big f**kin’ deal”
This is followed by the standard ECW on TNN open of the era, over which Paul Heyman hypes this week’s main event pitting RVD against World TV Champion Rhino.
We then head inside the Rave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Joey Styles & Joel Gertner stand surrounded in the ring by the participants n this week’s opening match.
After holding Tajiri and Little Guido back Joey welcomes fans to the show before giving Joel the mic to give us the obligatory middle name shtick.
Just as Gertner is about to hit the punchline of his gimmick, though, Jerry Lynn interrupts Gertner. Lynn, wearing a referees shirt and holding a “TNN” microphone, tells Styles & Gertner to head back to the announce position because everything is under control.
Last week, Lynn says, he made a big mistake that he’s “man enough” to admit. Lynn was “blinded” by the mist of the “sunuvabitch” Tajiri (though Tajiri is “a really nice guy”). Now, Lynn says, he plans to “redeem” himself by calling the rematch right down the middle.
Lynn tells referee Danny Daniels to take the night off. But when Daniels resists, saying he’s the “appointed official” for the night, Lynn orders that the match have two referees.
Just then, as Lynn turns around, Lynn mule kicks Daniels in the pills before dropping the referee with a cradle piledriver. Lynn rolls Daniels out of the ring and calls for the bell to get this week’s opener under way!
—Singles Match (1:03)
Special Guest Referee: Jerry Lynn
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Little Guido w/Sal E. Graziano & Tony Mamaluke
At this point in ECW, Tajiri, Little Guido, and Super Crazy were wrestling, in some form or fashion, on nearly every ECW card. While the match-up was well past its sell-by date by this point in June 2000, the three always managed to put on a helluva bout.
As the bells ring Tony Mamaluke rushes Tajiri, eating a brainbuster for his troubles. After a brief feeling out process Little Guido and Tajiri go to work, trading the advantage in the early going as Joey and Gertner debate Jerry Lynn’s allegiances.
Tajiri and Guido continue to trade the advantage, and Fujiwara armbars, before Tajiri takes over. Tajiri batters Guido in and out of the ring, much to the crowds delight, busting Little Guido wide open as we head to a mid-match Peacock ad-break.
Tajiri is still in control of the action as we head back from break, scoring a number of near-falls. Out of nowhere, though, Tajiri attempts a basement dropkick on Little Guido but hits Jerry Lynn in the groin by mistake.
As Lynn writhes in pain Tajiri traps Guido in the Octopus stretch that Big Sal breaks up. Sal nearly powerslams Tajiri through the mat before Little Guido makes the cover to score the pinfall at 6:03.
WINNER is Little Guido w/Sal E. Graziano & Tony Mamaluke (Pin, 6:03)
Following the match we see replays of the action before cutting to the back for a promo from Rob Van Dam.
RVD, with Bill Alfonso, talks about how often he hears RVD fans ask when he’ll win his World TV title back. “Any time I want,” RVD says. “And I want it now!”
Tonight, RVD says, he’s taking his World Television title back. We then cut to the next Peacock ad-break.
Coming out of the break we head to the locker room area where Sinister Sinister is playing the “she loves me, she loves me not” game by tearing whole pages out of a pamphlet.
Suddenly Mikey Whipwreck pops out of a nearby door telling Minister that the woman on the other side of the door “is special”. Minister isn’t buying it since “special” usually means losing $200 for five minutes of pleasure.
Mikey says “this one” is worth a thousand dollars for two minutes, something Minister highly doubts. Eventually, though, Sinister Minister gives in and checks out who is behind the door.
To everyone’s shock the woman behind the door is none other than Gorgeous George, Randy Savage’s former girlfriend/valet in WCW. George does a little dance that blows Minister away.
After catching his breath Minister takes one more peak to verify that he saw what he thinks he saw as Gertner and Styles gush over George “jumping” to ECW.
Minister is speechless before telling Mikey that Gorgeous George would “temp the Devil himself”. Mikey gives his own version of Randy Savage’s “oh yeah” before we head to our next Peacock ad-break.
We return from break to catch a glimpse of RVD in his locker room, stretching before his TV title bout with Rhino, before we get a replay of the debut of Gorgeous George.
Back in The Rave Francine makes her way to the ring for her one-on-one bout with Jazz. As Francine enters the ring, and Joey Styles hypes Jazz destroying Francine, we cut to the next Peacock ad-break
We return to the ring following the break where the fans are hurling a rather unkind chant at Francine. Francine tells the fans that she is a “lady” and that the fans should not be “disrespecting a lady”.
Because of the fans behavior, or simply as an easy excuse, Francine says that they will not see Jazz kick her ass tonight, that there “is no way” she and Jazz will wrestle because Francine is refusing to wrestle.
Jazz’s music hits then and Jazz, with a referee, makes her way to the ring.
Jazz grabs the microphone and, after calling Francine a “douche bag”, tells Francine that whether she hides behind the referee or gets in the center of the ring Jazz is going to kick her ass!
As Jazz tries to finish her comments, however, ECW World Champion Justin Credible waylays Jazz from behind.
Francine & Credible double-team a helpless Jazz until Tommy Dreamer’s music hits and the “Innovator of Violence” rushes to ring in aid of Jazz.
Dreamer runs the heels off as Jazz gets to her feet, kicking off our next impromptu tag team contest.
—“Impromptu Mixed Tag Team Grudge Match” (14:30)
Francine & ECW World Heavyweight Champion Justin Credible vs. Jazz & Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer was preparing for his World title rematch with Justin Credible at Heat Wave 2000, the infamous “Stairway to Hell” barbed wire ladder match.
Tommy Dreamer & Jazz get the better of Justin Credible. Francine keeps her distance from the mayhem as Dreamer brawls with Credible into the crowd and back again.
Soon enough, as Credible regroups on the floor, Dreamer sneaks up behind Francine, who is busy trading insults with Jazz. But when Dreamer lifts Francine into position for snake eyes, Justin Credible pulls Francine free, dropping Dreamer with a super kick that turns the tide in favor of the heels.
The match settles down into a standard tag team bout with Credible & Francine focusing on Dreamer’s injured left knee. Despite Dreamer’s best efforts, which include the “claw” on Francine (wink, wink), the heels continue to dominate.
Eventually, though, Jazz fights her way past the referee to crotch and interfering Francine on the top turnbuckle. In a flash both heels are upside down in the Tree of Woe and eating steel chair basement dropkicks.
Credible blocks a Dreamer DDT attempt on a steel chair before lifting Jazz up for the That’s Incredible tombstone piledriver. Jazz wriggles free, though, before kicking Credible in the bits.
As Justin writhes in pain Tommy Dreamer hits the Tommy Hawk cutter for the flash three-count at 6:34.
WINNERS are Jazz & Tommy Dreamer (Pin, 6:34)
Immediately after the three-count we jump to a replay of the finish. Coming out of the replay Dreamer celebrates in the ring as Jazz pops out from behind the curtain with a strand of barbed wire.
Before Jazz can get to the ring with the barbed wire, however, “Network stooges” Steve Corino and Jack Victory jump Jazz in the aisle. Corino “abducts” Jazz as Dreamer battles Victory.
Out of nowhere, though, Justin Credible reappears, glomming Dreamer with the Singapore cane, busting Dreamer wide open. Credible then lays the spool of barbed wire in the center of the ring, driving Dreamer’s head into it with That’s Incredible.
Credible bad mouths Dreamer before dragging a weary Francine atop Dreamer and counting a mock three-count and celebrating as if he and Francine were victorious.
As Credible and Francine leave the ring we cut to an ECWWrestling.com promo, promising news on how Gorgeous George made her way to ECW, including exclusive photos.
Next we cut back to The Rave where Cyrus leads World Television Champion Rhino to the ring for this week’s main event title match with Rob Van Dam.
As the pair enter the ring we head to our final Peacock ad-break of the hour.
Coming out of the break Rob Van Dam, with Bill Alfonso, makes his way to the ring for his title bout with Rhino. Following the ring introductions, however, as RVD does his customary jumping spin kick, Rhino rushes RVD, jump starting our main event.
—ECW World Television Championship – “Grudge Match” (26:58)
Rob Van Dam w/Bill Alfonso vs. Rhyno(c) w/Cyrus
While Rhino was preparing to face the Sandman at Heat Wave 2000 in a personal war, RVD was preparing for his own grudge match that night with former friend turned bitter foe Scotty Anton.
This is a fun, hard-hitting bout for what it is. Despite Rhino’s best efforts RVD, using his agility and speed, easily controls the early portion of the match until Rhino gores RVD nearly in half.
Rhino slows the match down, working a rear chinlock, as RVD tries (and fails) to find an opening to stage a rally. Rhino dominates RVD, scoring a slew of near-falls, before RVD lands a spinning sidekick that floors Rhino.
RVD takes the fight to Rhino, landing a steel chair assisted basement dropkick on Rhino in the corner. The fans go bonkers for RVD as RVD puts the pedal to the metal, scoring a number of near-falls.
Out of nowhere, though, Rhino lands a whiplash lariat on RVD in the corner and sets RVD up for the piledriver on the steel chair. RVD escapes, however, and all but knocks Rhino out with a stiff Van Daminator!
But As RVD heads up top for the Five-Star Frog Splash, Scotty Anton arrives, pushing RVD off the top rope to the guardrail below. As Anton mocks RVD on the floor, Cyrus dry gulches the referee, ending the match in a no contest at 7:46.
NO WINNER declared (No contest, 7:46)
As Bill Alfonso incessantly rings the bell, Scotty Anton hurls RVD back into the ring where Rhino meets RVD with a gore. The heels work over RVD but RVD manages to turn the tables, getting the better of both Anton and Rhino.
Just then, however, Steve Corino and Jack Victory rush the ring as the Network tries to take out RVD. Then, from out of nowhere, Justin Credible arrives, blasting RVD with a stiff cane shot.
Justin Credible and the Network work over RVD, with Anton tying RVD in the Tree of Woe for another Rhino gore, before Cyrus grabs the mic for a promo.
Cyrus tells RVD that “nobody messes with the Network!” As RVD struggles to get to his feet Justin Credible directs the rest of the Network to exit the ring, leaving Credible alone with RVD.
Credible sets up RVD for another cane shot but RVD ducks under the cane, flying over the top rope on to the remaining Network goons.
Just then Sandman’s music hits. Sandman, making his way through the fans, steps into the ring for a face-off with Justin Credible. The two trade dueling cane shots before Sandman hits the White Russian leg sweep.
Sandman canes the snort out of Justin Credible as Joey hypes next week’s Credible/Sandman World title showdown.
Sandman chugs a beer over the lifeless body of Justin Credible, smashing the can on his forehead, to bring this week’s edition of ECW on TNN to an eventful close!
Final Thoughts
As we’ve come to expect, this was yet another fun, fast-paced, eventful, and action-packed edition ECW on TNN!
The matches featured, especially the main event World TV title showdown between Rhino and RVD, all deliver, as do the promos we see. The addition of Gorgeous George is a not so subtle reminder of just how petty and nonsensical the “Monday Night Wars” era became in the summer of 2000.
Also on full display, unfortunately, were the glaring weaknesses in ECW’s production. Though the Rave produced an super hot crowd, not many of them could be seen. The same could be said for action not taking place in the center of the ring.
Some would argue, as they continue to, that the ramshackle production added to ECW’s allure and charm, further separating them form the trappings of the “Big Two”.
Those who point to ECW’s lack of production as a flaw that held the promotion back, though, were speaking of shows such as this, with the arena appearing too dark for TV (as if to hide a dead crowd that was anything but) while the ring is poorly lit, making it hard to see some of the action as it unfolds.
Be that as it may, this is a great hour of ECW action that deserves to be sought out and enjoyed. Who knows, you may end up liking it, and that’s never a bad thing!
Already subscribed to the WWE Network on Peacock? Then you can relive this classic edition of ECW on TNN right now 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 Throwback Thursday, click here!