Original subtitles

[MUSIC]

THROUGHOUT THE 1990S, MONDAY

NIGHT SERVED AS A PRIMETIME

BATTLEFIELD THAT TRANSFORMED

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING INTO

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

TED TURNER'S WCW TOOK ON VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE FOR RATING

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTINCTION AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE CROWNED.

IT'S TIME TO GET EXTREME.

NO, NO, NO.

EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING LIVED UP TO ITS NAME.

[CROWD CHEERING]

AND WHAT BEGAN AS AN UPSTART

ALTERNATIVE...

OH, MY GOD.

...HAD SENT SHOCKWAVES ACROSS

THE TELEVISION LANDSCAPE.

ECW IS IN THE HOUSE.

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

ECW, ECW.

[MUSIC]

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW.

WHAT IN THE--WHAT'S HE DOING

HERE?

WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

MONDAY NITRO.

WHAT'S THIS?

HE IS [INDISTINCT]

AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR ASS.

BRET SCREWED BRET.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER.

LET'S GET READY TO SUCK IT.

WE ARE AT WAR.

[MUSIC]

IN THE LATE 1980S, MEDIA

MOGUL, TED TURNER ACQUIRED WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, THE MOST

PROMINENT DIVISION IN WHAT MADE

UP THE LONG-STANDING

COLLABORATION KNOWN AS THE

NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE.

THE NWA IS PRO-WRESTLING'S

GOVERNING BODY.

ALL THE REGIONAL TERRITORIES ALL

THE WAY FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO

ATLANTA, IT WAS PRO-WRESTLING.

WHEN TURNER MADE THE

PURCHASE, THE NWA, LITTLE BY

LITTLE, STARTED TO DWINDLE.

IT WAS THE END OF AN ERA.

IN ORDER TO HELP THE PRODUCT

EVOLVE FROM ITS SOUTHERN ROOTS,

TED TURNER WOULD HIRE ERIC

BISCHOFF AS WCW'S EXECUTIVE

PRODUCER.

WCW AT THE TIME WAS PERCEIVED

TO BE, AND WAS, QUITE FRANKLY, A

SOUTHERN REGIONAL TERRITORY.

EVERYTHING ABOUT IT HAD THAT

SOUTHERN REGIONAL NWA KIND OF

FEEL TO IT.

WE HAD TO CHANGE MANY THINGS

THAT CHARACTERIZED US AS A SMALL

SOUTHERN PROMOTION.

MEANWHILE, INDUSTRY LEADER

WWE HAD BEEN MAKING CHANGES OF

THEIR OWN.

WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

AIRING LIVE EPISODES OF

MONDAY NIGHT RAW IN 1993 WAS THE

LATEST SUCCESSFUL VENTURE FOR

THE COMPANY'S THIRD GENERATION

PROMOTER VINCE MCMAHON.

[CROWD CHEERING]

UH-OH.

THIS GIANT IS A MEAN HOMBRE.

HOWEVER, WWE WAS STILL

CATERING TO A SATURDAY MORNING

AUDIENCE DESPITE THEIR PRIMETIME

POSITION ON THE USA NETWORK.

RAW WAS THE MOST HIGH-PROFILED

PROGRAM IN SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT,

BUT ITS FANS HAD GROWN TIRED OF

THE CARTOONIST PRODUCT BY AUGUST

OF 1994.

WWE WAS VERY CARTOONY AT THAT

TIME AND IT WAS VERY OVER THE

TOP.

JEFF JARRETT WAS A, YOU KNOW,

COUNTRY SINGER.

KIDS WHO WERE WATCHING WWE, THEY

KIND OF GREW UP AND GREW OUT OF

IT.

WHILE BOTH WWE AND WCW WERE

ESTABLISHING THEIR IDENTITIES...

HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME

TO NWA EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

THIS IS JOEY STYLES IN THE

EAGLE'S NEST...

EASTERN CHAMPION WRESTLING, A

PHILADELPHIA-BASED SUBDIVISION

OF THE COMPELLING NATIONAL

WRESTLING ALLIANCE WAS AIRING

LATE NIGHT IN SYNDICATION.

THE UNDERGROUND PROMOTION WAS

ABOUT TO EMERGE AS AN

ALTERNATIVE TO THE STATUS QUO.

WHOA.

LOOK AT THAT FRONT FLIP.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A NATIONAL

TIMESLOT.

WE WERE SYNDICATED.

WE WERE ALWAYS ON DIFFERENT

NETWORKS AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

WE WERE ACTUALLY, AT FIRST, LIKE

AN INFOMERCIAL.

EVA [INDISTINCT]

SLAPPED THE TEETH OUT OF

BRUNO'S MOUTH.

MY FIRST KIND OF INTRODUCTION

AT ECW WAS THROUGH THE MAGAZINES

AND FINALLY I STARTED SEEING THE

TAPES.

OH, MY, A BOOT WITH THE FRONT

FLIP ONTO THE CONCRETE.

IT WAS A DIFFERENT WORLD FOR

SURE.

THIS IS WILD, THIS IS NWA

EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

DESPITE LIMITED EXPOSURE, THE

PHILADELPHIA-BASED ORGANIZATION

WOULD GAIN A FOLLOWING THANKS TO

THE INGENUITY OF THEIR EXECUTIVE

PRODUCER, PAUL HEYMAN.

PAUL E. DANGEROUSLY HERE.

WHILE THE LARGER COMPANIES

UPGRADED THEIR PRODUCTION VALUE,

HEYMAN INSTEAD HAD OTHER IDEAS.

WRESTLING WAS STUCK IN THE

1980S AND I THOUGHT IT ALL NEEDS

TO CHANGE.

I WANTED TO BE THOUGHT OF IN THE

SAME VEIN AS WWE AND WCW.

I WANTED A GLOBAL PROMOTION.

I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE TO BE

NWA EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

I WANTED ECW TO BE THE LETTERS

THAT MEANT SOMETHING.

THIS IS ECW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

PAUL HEYMAN LOOKED TO BREAK

AWAY FROM ECW'S PERCEIVED

TRADITIONAL IDENTITY.

SHANE DOUGLAS HAS PROVEN HE

HAS CHAMPIONSHIP MATERIAL.

THE CHANCE CAME ON AUGUST

27TH, 1994 WHEN SHANE DOUGLAS

BECAME THE NEW NWA WORLD

CHAMPION.

SHANE DOUGLAS HAS CAPTURED

THE NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPIONSHIP...

...ONLY TO DENOUNCE THE

ORGANIZATION.

PAUL KNEW THAT THE NWA WAS

PRETTY MUCH, FOR ALL INTENTS AND

PURPOSES, DEAD.

WE HAD TO BE STANDALONE, BE

ALONE, AND THAT PROVIDED US THE

OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE WORLD

THAT WE WERE BREAKING AWAY.

WE TOOK THE NWA CHAMPIONSHIP

AND WE THREW IT DOWN AND SAID

-- THAT.

IT'S THE PAST.

WE'RE THE FUTURE.

HEY, CAN YOU ALL KISS MY ASS?

[CROWD CHEERING]

WE WERE MAKING A STATEMENT

THAT EVERYONE HAD TO PAY

ATTENTION TO.

I DECLARE MYSELF, THE

FRANCHISE, AS THE NEW ECW

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE

WORLD.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHETHER BY DESIGN OR BY LUCK,

IT JUST--IT WAS THE THING THAT

HAD TO BE DONE AT THAT POINT.

IT BROKE US OFF AND SET US

COMPLETELY ASIDE FROM EVERYBODY

AND I THINK WHAT ECW BECAME ALL

STARTED ON THAT NIGHT.

THE COURSE OF WRESTLING

HISTORY HAS BEEN ALTERED

PERMANENTLY.

THE NWA HAS BEEN DECLARED DEAD.

LONG LIVE ECW.

THAT PUT ECW ON THE MAP AS

SHOCKING.

HERE WAS YOUR GRAIN AND THIS IS

WHERE WE WOULD GO.

HEY, CHAD, IF YOU THINK WE

WERE HARDCORE BEFORE, NOW, WE'RE

GONNA TAKE IT TO THE EXTREME.

[MUSIC]

EMBRACING THIS CHANGE, THE

COMPANY WAS REBRANDED AS EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING AND WAS

ANYTHING BUT TRADITIONAL.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME

TO EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

WE ARE COMING TO YOU RAW AND

UNCENSORED FROM A JAM-PACKED

SOLD-OUT ECW ARENA RIGHT HERE IN

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA.

AT THE TIME, EXTREME MEANT

SOMETHING.

THERE WAS NO EXTREME ANYTHING.

SO TO PUT EXTREME IN FRONT OF

WRESTLING GOT PEOPLE'S

ATTENTION.

HERE IN ECW, YOU GET HURT,

TOUGH CRAP, THAT'S THE WAY WE

ARE.

THIS IS WHAT EXTREME IS.

PAUL HEYMAN TOOK THE LEVELS

OF VIOLENCE TO UNCHARTED

TERRITORY.

OH.

AND WITH A LIMITED BUDGET,

ECW'S LOW PRODUCTION VALUE ONLY

EMPHASIZED THEIR GRITTY PRODUCT.

WE KNEW THAT WE COULDN'T BE

WWE, WE KNEW THAT WE COULDN'T BE

WCW.

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE BUDGET, WE

DIDN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES.

ECW LOOKED LIKE SOME OF THE

STUFF WAS FILMED IN THEIR

BASEMENT.

AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE OTHER

PEOPLE, THE FOCUS IS ON WHAT'S

GOING ON IN THE RING.

OUR PRODUCT HAD TO BE

DIFFERENT BECAUSE OUR BRAGGING

RIGHTS CAME FROM THE FACT THAT

NO ONE COULD DO WHAT WE WERE

DOING.

WHO ELSE COULD GO THROUGH THESE

TABLES, DIVE OFF THE BALCONIES,

SMASH EACH OTHER IN THE FACE

WITH CHAIRS?

NO WRESTLING PRODUCT OUT THERE

WAS AS VISUAL AS OURS WAS.

OH, MY GOD.

ECW IS PUNK ROCK TO ME.

THEY SEEMED COMPLETELY LIKE THE

OUTLAWS OF PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING.

IT'S THE SANDMAN.

WE CALLED OURSELVES THE

ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS BECAUSE

NOBODY ELSE WOULD HIRE US.

THERE IS NO WAY THAT A

BEER-SWILLING, CIGARETTE-SMOKING

CONSTRUCTION WORKER WAS GOING TO

BE A WWE SUPERSTAR.

TOMMY DREAMER SUPLEXED

THROUGH A TABLE JUST INCHES TO

[INDISTINCT]

YOU CANNOT TRY TO BE THE WWE,

YOU SHOULDN'T BE.

YOU SHOULD TRY TO BE YOURSELF.

ECW, WE ARE THE REBELS.

WE ARE THE RENEGADES.

IF YOU ARE A WRESTLING FAN,

IT'S GONNA BE THE BEST DAMN

WRESTLING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN.

AND IF YOU'RE NOT AND YOU COME

THIS SATURDAY, YOU WILL BECOME

ONE.

ECW'S LOYAL FAN BASE GAVE THE

UPSTART ORGANIZATION ANOTHER

ELEMENT WHICH SET THEM APART

FROM THE BIGGER PROMOTIONS.

THE FANS WERE AS BIG A PART

OF THE SHOW AS TALENT WAS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WE CAN ONLY FIT 1,200 PEOPLE

IN THERE AND THAT WAS ILLEGAL.

AND IT GOT TO A POINT WHERE

ALMOST THE SAME 1,200 PEOPLE

WOULD SHOW UP AND SIT IN THE

SAME SEATS.

WE WERE SO CLOSE TO

SUPERSTARS AND THEIR ENTRANCES

WHEN THEY WOULD COME TO THE

RING.

LIKE, YOU'RE A FRONT ROW SEAT,

YOU MIGHT GET SPLATTERED WITH

BLOOD.

AND WE LOVED THAT.

RAVEN BUSTED WIDE OPEN.

HE'S A MESS.

HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU GET TO

BE A PART OF A MATCH AND HAND

YOUR FAVORITE SUPERSTAR

SOMETHING TO WHACK THE GUY

YOU'VE BEEN YELLING AT FOR THIS

WHOLE TIME.

[CROWD CHEERING]

I GOT BUSTED FROM--BY A

NINTENDO.

DREAMER'S GOT A NINTENDO.

HOW HORRIBLE, AWFUL IS THAT?

BUT HOW COOL WAS THAT AT THE

SAME TIME?

THEY KNEW WHEN TO CHANT, THEY

KNEW WHEN TO THROW YOU CHAIRS.

OH, MY GOD.

ECW WITHOUT THEIR FANS WOULD

NOT HAVE BEEN ECW.

CAN YOU IMAGINE AN

INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE WHERE

THE AUDIENCE IS AS MUCH PART OF

THE SHOW AS THE SHOW ITSELF?

STOP THE CHAIRS.

AND THAT WAS ECW.

EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING'S UNIQUE STYLE WAS

BEGINNING TO ATTRACT ATTENTION.

AS THE PUBLIC ENEMY THROWS

YET ANOTHER HOUSE PARTY FOR

THEIR LEGIONS OF FANS.

BUT NOT ALL OF IT WAS

POSITIVE.

OH, MY GOD.

ECW HAD SOME REALLY GREAT

MOMENTS IN TERMS OF THE HARDCORE

PRESENTATION.

FOR EVERYONE OF THOSE, THERE WAS

LIKE EIGHT OTHER "GOSH, THIS IS

HORRIBLE."

IAN PICKING PIECES OF GLASS

FROM HIS FIST AND DIGGING THEM

INTO THE FOREHEAD OF AXL.

WHILE IT FED THAT KIND OF

BLOOD LUST OF THAT HARDCORE ECW

AUDIENCE, SOME OF THE CONTENT

THAT THEY USED WENT A LITTLE BIT

TOO FAR.

[CROWD CHEERING]

FIGHTING AGAINST A NEGATIVE

STIGMA, PAUL HEYMAN WOULD

SUCCESSFULLY BLEND BRUTALITY

WITH TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY.

GUERRERO, SERIES OF MOVES,

ROLLS OUT THE ARM AND TAKES OVER

MALENKO WITH THAT ARM DRAG.

WHEN ECW FIRST STARTED, WE'RE

THE GUYS WHO WERE BREAKING

TABLES, YOU KNOW, BLEEDING EVERY

NIGHT.

GUESS WHAT, WE GOT SOME OF THE

GREATEST WRESTLERS GOING.

WE GOT EDDIE GUERRERO, WE HAVE

DEAN MALENKO.

I HAVE TO FIND ANY OTHER

WRESTLING PROMOTION ON THIS

PLANET, TO FIND TWO ATHLETES OF

THIS CALIBER AND LET THEM GO AT

IT ONE-ON-ONE LIKE THIS FOR A

MAJOR TITLE.

IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

THE FIRST TIME YOU SEE EDDIE

GUERRERO AND DEAN MALENKO IN

ECW, YOU REALIZE YOU'RE SEEING

SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN

BEFORE, NOT CHEAP, BLOOD AND

GUTS HARDCORE STUFF.

THESE ARE REALLY TALENTED

ATHLETES.

ONE, TWO, MALENKO REVERSES

IT.

ONE, TWO--NO.

FANS CAUGHT ON.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS A TYPE

OF WRESTLING THAT WAS TOTALLY

OPPOSITE FROM WHAT ECW WAS ALL

ABOUT FROM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING

YOUR FIST IN GLASS AND THESE

TABLE MATCHES, AND ALWAYS A

DIFFERENT KIND OF VARIETY OF

MATCHES.

PAUL HEYMAN GAVE US AN

OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SHOWCASE

WHAT WE HAD OFFERED.

PEOPLE MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT ECW

WAS ABOUT.

IT WAS ABOUT CREATING A

DIFFERENT TYPE OF PRODUCT.

PAUL E. KNEW THAT, SO HE TOOK

EVERYTHING THAT HE COULD, THE

SEX, THE VIOLENCE, AND THE

TECHNICAL WRESTLING, ROLLED IT

ALL INTO ONE PACKAGE AND SAID,

"HERE IS MY MASTERPIECE."

BY AUGUST OF 1995, ECW HAD

EVOLVED FROM A ONE-TRICK PONY

INTO A WELL-ROUNDED

ORGANIZATION.

WCW EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, ERIC

BISCHOFF, TOOK NOTICE.

ERIC BISCHOFF HAD A BLANK

CHECK BOOK SIGNED BY TED TURNER.

OF COURSE HE'S GONNA COME AFTER

OUR TALENT.

WE UNDERSTOOD HOW TO DISCOVER

TALENT, DEVELOP TALENT.

THEY DIDN'T IT, THEY POACHED.

AND THEY HAD THE MONEY TO DO SO.

WELCOME, HULK HOGAN.

[MUSIC]

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

HAD OUTGROWN ITS SYNDICATED

SATURDAY PLATFORM.

TED TURNER WAS READY TO MOVE

INTO PRIMETIME AND AIR MONDAY

NITRO DIRECTLY OPPOSITE VINCE

MCMAHON'S MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

BUT IN ORDER TO COMPETE AGAINST

THE ESTABLISHED INDUSTRY LEADER,

WCW WOULD NEED TO BOLSTER THEIR

ROSTER.

WE WANNA GIVE VIEWERS A

CHOICE.

WE BELIEVE WE GOT THE BIGGEST

STARTS IN OUR INDUSTRY AND

THAT'S WHAT ENTERTAINMENT IS ALL

ABOUT.

WCW WAS WRAPPING UP FOR THE

MONDAY NIGH WAR AND THEY NEEDED

SOME GREAT TALENT.

AND ECW HAD EDDIE GUERRERO, DEAN

MALENKO.

AND WCW, WANTING TO LURE IN THAT

ECW AUDIENCE, DECIDED IT'S TIME

FOR A RAID.

AND IN ONE FELL SWOOP, ERIC

BISCHOFF SIGNED EDDIE GUERRERO,

DEAN MALENKO WHICH DRAMATICALLY

HELPED WCW.

ANYTIME SOMEONE COMES TO ME

AND SAYS TELL ME ABOUT RAIDING

ECW'S TALENT, I NEED TO POINT

OUT THAT ONE MAN'S RAID IS

ANOTHER COMPANY'S ACQUISITION.

PLEASE DON'T GO.

PLEASE DON'T GO.

PLEASE DON'T GO.

PLEASE DON'T GO.

THE ECW FANS, THEY UNDERSTOOD

AND THEY ENJOYED AND RESPECTED

YOU FOR YOUR TALENT.

AS THE FANS ARE PLEADING FOR

BOTH ATHLETES TO RECOGNIZE THAT

THEY HAVE A HOME HERE IN EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

[CROWD CHEERING]

KNOWING THAT WE HAD THAT LAST

NIGHT THERE, IT WAS A GREAT

NIGHT.

IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT FOR MYSELF,

IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT FOR EDDIE,

FOR ECW, AND MORE SO IF

ANYTHING, THE FANS.

AND IT WAS A GREAT SEND OFF, IT

WAS A GREAT WAY TO SAY GOODBYE.

I'M A FAN OF EACH AND

EVERYONE OF YOU OUT THERE.

I WILL NEVER FORGET ECW NO

MATTER WHERE THE HELL I GO.

STAY COOL, EVERYBODY.

WHEN YOU'RE GETTING OFFERED

SIX FIGURES, IF NOT SEVEN

FIGURES TO GO PLY YOUR TRADE

OVER THERE INSTEAD OF HERE, HOW

DO YOU TURN THAT DOWN?

BEST OF LUCK.

BEST OF LUCK.

BEST OF LUCK.

BEST OF LUCK.

IT WAS RUTHLESS, I DIDN'T

LIKE IT PERSONALLY, BUT IT WAS

JUST BUSINESS.

AND WE ARE LIVE AND IT IS

EDDIE GUERRERO, DEAN MALENKO

CENTER OF THE RING, TWO

TREMENDOUS ATHLETES HERE ON

NITRO.

YOU FANS ARE IN FOR A TREAT.

YOU DON'T WANNA BLINK IN THIS

MATCH BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE

SOMETHING EXCITING, FAST-PACED

ACTION.

IN THE LATTER WEEKS OF 1995,

THE ADDITIONS OF DEAN MALENKO

AND EDDIE GUERRERO HELPED THE

RECENTLY LAUNCHED MONDAY NITRO

DEFEAT MONDAY NIGHT RAW IN THE

RATINGS.

BUT PAUL HEYMAN HAD BEEN ABLE TO

KEEP ECW'S MOMENTUM ALIVE BY

ONCE AGAIN SHOWCASING A STYLE OF

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT UNFAMILIAR

TO AMERICAN AUDIENCES.

OUR STRATEGY WAS TO REACH OUT

TO THE LUCHADORES.

REY MYSTERIO, JR.,

20-YEAR-OLD SUPERSTAR OF LUCHA

LIBRE, IT'S MEXICAN PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING, YOU ARE IN FOR A

SPECIAL TREAT TONIGHT.

AS A BIG FAN OF MEXICAN

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING AND I

FIGURED THAT THEY HAD TO CONFINE

THEMSELVES TO THE VISION OF

LUCHA LIBRE, BUT IF REY AND

PSICOSIS WERE ALLOWED TO GO TO

THE EXTREME...

SPRINGBOARD PLANCHA INTO THE

SECOND ROPE.

...REY AND PSICOSIS WERE

GOING TO BRING TO ECW A STYLE

THAT HAD NOT BEEN SEEN IN THE

UNITED STATES BEFORE.

[MUSIC]

OH, DIOS MIO.

I REMEMBER WALKING IN WITH

PSICOSIS THE FIRST TIME, HE WAS

LIKE, "HEY, PAUL E., IS IT OKAY

IF WE--IF WE USE A TABLE?"

GUYS, GO OUT THERE AND HAVE A

GOOD TIME, MAN.

JUST GO OUT THERE AND TEAR IT

UP.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON MYSTERIO.

HURRICANRANA FROM THE RING APRON

ONTO THE CONCRETE FLOOR.

WE DID A LOT OF CRAZY THINGS

THAT NIGHT.

IT WAS JUST INSANE.

AS THE CALENDAR TURNED TO

1996, BOTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING AND WWE WERE TRADING

VICTORIES IN MONDAY'S NIGHT

PRIMETIME CABLE TELEVISION

RATINGS.

STILL ONLY SEEN IN LATE NIGHT

SYNDICATION, PAUL HEYMAN

CONTINUED TO POPULATE HIS

UNDERGROUND PROMOTION WITH

EXCITING TALENT.

WE WELCOME TO EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING,

LIONHEART, CHRIS JERICHO.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WE GOT THE CHRIS JERICHOS,

AND REY MYSTERIOS, AND A LOT OF

SOME REALLY TALENTED GUYS GOT

THEIR START IN ECW.

JERICHO, CATAPULT SHOULDER

BLOCK.

I STILL HAVE NEVER WORKED FOR

ANYBODY THAT WAS A MORE

MOTIVATIONAL BOSS THAN PAUL

HEYMAN.

HE WOULD GO THROUGH HIS PACES OF

TELLING YOU HOW GREAT YOU ARE,

AND, "NO OTHER COMPANY IN THE

WORLD WILL TAKE YOU, BUT I AM

HONORED TO BE HERE WITH YOU.

AND THESE PEOPLE ARE HONORED TO

BE OUT THERE TO WATCH YOU

BECAUSE YOU PUT ON THE BEST SHOW

IN THE WORLD.

AND WHEN IT'S DONE, YOU'RE LIKE,

KILL."

WHILE WE LOST THE NEW JAPAN

STYLE EMBODIED BY THOSE WHO WERE

STOLEN BY WCW...

UP AND OVER THE TOP ONCE

AGAIN.

...WE BROUGHT IN A WHOLE NEW

STYLE.

AND ONCE AGAIN, WCW WAS

PAYING ATTENTION.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S

THE DEBUT OF PSICOSIS, A

TREMENDOUS WRESTLER.

ARMED WITH GUARANTEED

CONTRACTS IN THE SUMMER OF 1996,

ERIC BISCHOFF LURED ECW'S TOP

LUCHA LIBRE STARS TO MONDAY

NITRO, POSITIONING THEM AS THE

NEW BACKBONE OF WCW'S

CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION.

THERE ARE MORE NEW UP AND

COMING INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS

HERE IN WCW THAN ANYWHERE ON THE

PLANET.

WHEN I SAW CHRIS JERICHO AND

REY MYSTERIO LEAVE ECW TO GO BE

THE FOUNDATION OF WCW

CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION AND BE

ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WCW WAS

TRYING TO DIFFERENTIATE ITSELF

FROM WWE, I WAS UPSET AND FELT

THAT ECW HAD BEEN ROBBED OF

TALENT.

THEY RECOGNIZED THAT WCW WAS

A MUCH STRONGER, MUCH MORE

SECURE, MUCH LARGER

INTERNATIONAL PLATFORM FOR THEM

TO PLY THEIR TRADE.

IT WAS JUST SMART BUSINESS

FOR WCW BECAUSE THEY COULD ALL

DELIVER GREAT MATCHES ON ANY

GIVEN MONDAY NIGHT.

WHEN YOU'RE UP AGAINST WWE AND

VINCE MCMAHON IN A MONDAY NIGHT

WAR, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU SUPPOSED

TO DO?

[MUSIC]

WCW BURGEONING CRUISERWEIGHT

DIVISION COMPLIMENTED WHAT HAD

BECOME A VERY SUCCESSFUL MAIN

EVENT PICTURE.

ERIC BISCHOFF HAD SIGNED TWO OF

THE WWE'S TOP STARS, SCOTT HALL

AND KEVIN NASH, AND PAIRED THEM

WITH INDUSTRY ICON, HULK HOGAN.

THE TRIO FORMED THE REBELLIOUS

NEW WORLD ORDER GROUP AND HELPED

MONDAY NITRO SURGE AHEAD IN THE

RATINGS.

IT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS

BEING DONE EITHER IN WWE OR IN

WCW AT THE TIME.

OH, MY GOODNESS, THE GIANT

AND HALL, THEY ARE DESTROYING

THIS CAR.

MAYBE IT'S MY EGO TALKING,

BUT THE CONCEPT OF THE NWO, THE

CONCEPT OF THE ANTIESTABLISHMENT

REBELS, THE CONCEPT OF THE GUYS

THAT ARE GOING TO SHAKE THE

ENTIRE INDUSTRY UP, THAT WAS ECW

AND WCW.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING'S POPULARITY WAS

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS.

BUT DESPITE ITS ROSTER BEING

PILLAGED AGAIN, PAUL HEYMAN

CONTINUED TO REBUILD ECW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

OUR MOVE WAS ALWAYS TO FIND

NEW TALENT AND DEVELOP THEM

FASTER THAN THEY'RE PULLING

PEOPLE OUT.

THERE IT IS, 3D DUDLEY DEATH

DROP.

[BELL RINGING]

THE BEST PART ABOUT ECW AND

IT WAS PAUL'S DESIGN, WHEN

SOMEBODY WOULD LEAVE, THE NEXT

PERSON WAS READY TO STEP UP AND

TAKE THEIR PLACE.

EVERYONE WAS A MAIN EVENTER,

EVERYONE WAS PART OF THE SHOW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[BELL RINGING]

PAUL WAS REALLY GOOD AT

INSPIRING HOPE IN ALL OF US AS A

TEAM AND AS INDIVIDUALS.

WE ALL GOT TO LOVE HIM AND GOT

TO TRUST HIM.

HE WOULD MAKE STARTS OUT OF SOME

WRESTLERS THAT WERE PASSED OVER

BY WWE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE STEVIE KICK CONNECTS.

WHEN YOU THOUGHT ABOUT ECW,

YOU ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT ECW AS

A PRODUCT.

AS LONG AS THE PEOPLE KNEW THEY

WERE GONNA SEE ECW, THEY KNEW

THEY WERE GONNA SEE SOMETHING

SPECIAL.

THROUGHOUT 1996, EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING DEVELOPED

A LOYAL FOLLOWING THANKS TO

THEIR RABID PHILADELPHIA FAN

BASE.

ECW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHEN I'D HEARD ABOUT ECW, I

KIND OF DISMISSED IT AT FIRST.

AND THEY STARTED MAKING A LITTLE

BIT MORE NOISE.

YOU WOULD HEAR A SMATTERING AND

SOMETIMES MORE THAN A SMATTERING

OF ECW CHANTS.

SO THERE WAS SOMETHING THERE.

DESPITE ECW'S GROWING

POPULARITY, THEY STILL NEEDED

MORE MAINSTREAM EXPOSURE.

AT THE SAME TIME, MONDAY NIGHT

RAW NEEDED TO ADD AN EDGIER

ELEMENT IN ORDER TO KEEP PACE

WITH MONDAY NITRO.

THE WWE PRODUCT WAS VERY

FAMILY FRIENDLY, KIND OF

CARTOON-ISH.

I WAS LOOKING FOR A MORE

ADULT-ORIENTATED PRODUCT.

WWE SAW THAT THEY NEEDED TO

DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE.

AND VINCE MCMAHON, BECAUSE IT

WAS GOOD FOR BUSINESS, DECIDED

TO STRIKE A DEAL.

VINCE MCMAHON SAYS, "OKAY.

HERE'S YOUR SHOT."

WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE

CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE, WELCOME

TO PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

THE SITE OF IN YOUR HOUSE MIND

GAMES.

THE PITCH CAME TO ME, "DO YOU

WANNA COME TO THE SHOW?

GRAB SOME PUBLICITY FOR

YOURSELVES.

LET PEOPLE KNOW OUTSIDE OF

PHILADELPHIA THAT THERE'S THIS

MOVEMENT CALLED ECW AND PEOPLE

BETTER START PAYING ATTENTION.

IN EXCHANGE WWE WOULD GET A

BUZZ.

PEOPLE WOULD SAY, "HEY, WHAT

UH-OH, THINGS CAN REALLY GET

DANGEROUS OUT THERE.

THEY CAME AND THEY SAT AT

RINGSIDE.

AND ME AND MY FRIENDS DIDN'T

KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

BUT LIKE, "WHOA, THERE'S THE ECW

GUYS."

OH, WHAT A--HEY, WAIT JUST A

MOMENT.

SAVIO VEGA GETS BEER THROWN

ON HIM BY THE ECW GUYS GETTING

THE WHOLE OFFER AND READY TO

FIGHT.

THEY REALLY FELT THAT THINGS

WERE WELL AT THAT POINT.

I DIDN'T GET ECW PROGRAMMING, SO

I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW RABID

THOSE FANS WERE.

THERE'S A LOCAL WRESTLING

GROUP HERE IN PHILADELPHIA...

ALREADY MAKING THEIR MARK ON

SPORT ENTERTAINMENT, THE FANATIC

ECW SUPPORT SYSTEM WAS ABOUT TO

CHANGE TELEVISION TRADITIONS.

I WISH THAT THERE WERE WORDS

THAT COULD EVEN BEGIN TO

DESCRIBE TO YOU THE LEVEL OF

APPRECIATION THAT THE MEMBERS OF

THIS COMPANY FEEL TOWARDS YOU,

OUR AUDIENCE, FOR THE FACT THAT

YOU HAVE SUPPORTED US TO SUCH AN

EXTENT THAT WE WOULD EVEN DARE

TRY SOMETHING LIKE A

PAY-PER-VIEW.

[MUSIC]

PAUL WAS FORCED TO BE VERY

CREATIVE BECAUSE HE HAD TO BE

PAY-PER-VIEW COMPANIES DIDN'T

FEEL REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH THE

TYPE OF CONTENT BECAUSE, YOU

KNOW, THERE WAS A BACKLASH

ATTACHED TO IT.

NOBODY REALIZED WE WERE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

THEY THOUGHT WE WERE LIKE MIXED

MARTIAL ARTS, LIKE

NO-HOLDS-BARRED.

AND BACK THEN MIXED MARTIAL

ARTS, NO-HOLDS-BARRED COULDN'T

GET ON PAY-PER-VIEW.

IT WAS OUTLAWED IN SO MANY

STATES.

OUR AUDIENCE PICKETED OUTSIDE

CABLE COMPANIES TO GET THEM TO

ACCEPT ECW ONTO PAY-PER-VIEW.

BECAUSE OF YOUR CARDS, AND

YOUR LETTERS, AND YOUR PHONE

CALLS, AND YOUR TELEGRAMS, AND

YOUR EMAILS, AND BECAUSE OF THE

[INDISTINCT]

OF THIS AUDIENCE, BECAUSE YOU

CHANT ECW, ON SUNDAY NIGHT,

APRIL 13TH, THAT SHOW WILL BE

COMING LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

NOW, IN NEED OF MORE

PAY-PER-VIEW PROMOTION, THE

ONE-TIME COOPERATION BLOSSOMED

INTO A PARTNERSHIP.

I DON'T KNOW WHO CAME UP WITH

IT, WHETHER I DID OR WHETHER

PAUL DID, BUT IT WAS LIKE, WHY

DON'T WE SEE WHERE WE GO WITH

THIS, THERE'S NO PROMISES, YOU

KNOW, LET'S SEE WHERE WE GO.

AND IT WAS A WAY TO BROADEN THE

BUSINESS.

UNDER THE APPEARANCE OF

ANIMOSITY, WWE WAS ABOUT TO

INTRODUCE EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING TO ITS MONDAY NIGHT

AUDIENCE.

WCW AND WWE WE'RE LOCKED IN

SUCH A WAR.

HERE COMES ECW AND OF COURSE

JERRY LAWLER WAS THE PERFECT

FOIL.

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING.

OH, COME ON, KING.

I'VE HAD ABOUT--THIS IS ABOUT

ALL I WANT TO SEE IN THIS --

RIGHT HERE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND

THAT?

OH, YEAH.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS ONCE

YOU'VE READ IT?

I TURNED THE PHRASE ECW STOOD

FOR EXTREMELY CRAPPY WRESTLING.

AND IT HELPED BUILD THE

ANIMOSITY BETWEEN THE TWO

COMPANIES.

SOME PEOPLE LIKE IT.

I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING

ALL YOU ECW, EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING NOOBS,

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'LL DO, IF

YOU'RE SO GOOD, IF YOU'RE SO

TOUGH, IF ANYBODY AT ALL IN THE

COUNTRY THINKS THEY'RE WORTH

ANYTHING...

COME ON, KING.

...WHY DON'T THEY COME RIGHT

OVER HERE?

I'LL MAKE--I'LL MAKE A PERSONAL

INVITATION TO YOU.

COME RIGHT HERE ON RAW.

NEXT WEEK, COME ON DOWN HERE.

SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT.

[MUSIC]

VINCE MAKES ME AN OFFER,

"LET'S HAVE ECW SHOW UP ON

MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

AND LET'S SEE JUST HOW BIG YOU

CAN PROMOTE YOURSELF.

GLOVES OFF, TAKE IT TO THE

EXTREME."

WHAT IS THIS?

[CROWD CHEERING]

WAIT A MINUTE.

THERE'S A RING ATTENDANT.

OH.

YOUR CHALLENGE HAS BEEN

ACCEPTED.

ECW IS IN THE HOUSE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

IT WAS INTENSE.

IT WAS THEM AGAINST THE WORLD,

AND THEN IT WAS THEM AGAINST

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT.

WE REALLY BELIEVED IN OUR

HEARTS WE'RE GONNA SHOW THESE

WWE GUYS EXACTLY HOW IT'S DONE.

[MUSIC]

WE CAME IN THERE PROUD TO

REPRESENT.

AND THOSE PEOPLE COULD NOT

BELIEVE WHAT WAS GOING ON

BECAUSE IT WAS DIFFERENT.

WE MADE IT OUR TYPE OF SHOW.

IT WAS INSANE.

IT WOULD JUST COMPLETELY BLOW MY

MIND BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING

DIFFERENT I'VE NEVER SEEN.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

THEY WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE,

GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY, AND THEY

JUST--THEY TOOK IT.

HOPEFULLY THINGS AREN'T GONNA

GET OUT OF HAND HERE.

BUT HOPEFULLY THEY ARE,

THAT'S WHAT ECW IS ALL ABOUT.

WAIT A MINUTE.

OH, NO.

OH, MY GOD.

THE ECW INVASION OF WWE WAS

JUST EXCITING TO WATCH AND

KNOWING THAT I WAS WATCHING

SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WASN'T

SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING.

THE COST PROMOTION SPANNED

OVER SEVERAL MONDAY NIGHT RAW

EPISODES.

ANTICIPATION WAS BUILDING AS

ECW'S INAUGURAL PAY-PER-VIEW,

BARELY LEGAL, WAS GAINING

NATIONAL PUBLICITY.

THE WHOLE INVASION ON MONDAY

NIGHT RAW WAS LOOKED AT AS AN

OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY PUT US ON

THE MAP.

NOW, WAIT A MINUTE.

TAZZ AND THE KING.

I HAD TO BE COOL FOR THE FANS

BECAUSE IT WAS COOL FOR ALL OF

US.

IT WAS A LOT OF FUN, THE

INVASION STUFF.

IT DIDN'T LAST, BUT IT WAS COOL.

IT SERVED ITS PURPOSE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

VINCE ALLOWED US TO COME IN

AND TAKE OVER HIS SHOW OUT OF

NECESSITY.

HIS BACK WAS AGAINST THE WALL

AND HE CAME OUT SWINGING.

INCORPORATING ECW SUPERSTARS

HAD CHANGED THE FACE OF MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

WHILE WWE GOT A BOOST FROM

ADDING EDGIER CONTENT, PAUL

HEYMAN CASHED IN ON THE PRIME

TIME PUBLICITY.

ECW WAS FINALLY ABOUT TO AIR

IT'S FIRST EVER PAY-PER-VIEW

PRODUCTION.

FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ECW, ECW, ECW, ECW, ECW, ECW,

ECW, ECW, ECW.

THAT NIGHT, 1,200 PEOPLE MADE

MORE NOISE THAN 1,200 SHOULD

POSSIBLY MAKE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE BARELY LEGAL PAY-PER-VIEW

WAS LIKE THE BIGGEST STEP AT

THAT TIME THAT ECW HAD TAKEN

TOWARDS GROWING AND BECOMING AN

ACTUAL MAJOR PROMOTION.

AND VAN DAM.

THAT WAS OUR WRESTLEMANIA,

BARELY LEGAL WAS OUR

WRESTLEMANIA.

THAT WAS OUR TIME TO GO OUT

THERE AND SHOW WHAT WE DO.

ECW'S BARELY LEGAL LIVED UP

TO THE HYPE, SHOWCASING PAUL

HEYMAN'S PROMOTION IN FRONT OF A

PAY-PER-VIEW AUDIENCE.

APRIL 13TH, 1997 WAS

UNBELIEVABLE.

IT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL TIME.

A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY A LOT OF

THINGS ABOUT PAUL HEYMAN, BUT HE

PUT 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A

WEEK FOR HIM TO GET THAT

PAY-PER-VIEW OFF, ECW WAS ABOUT

TO SPRINGBOARD TO ANOTHER LEVEL.

OH.

ECW WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO

MAKE IT ON TO PAY-PER-VIEW.

THIS WAS A SCENE THAT WAS

UNFATHOMABLE TO EVEN THE ECW

AUDIENCE THAT HAD LEARNED TO

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

THE CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT OF ECW

WAS GETTING ON PAY-PER-VIEW.

[MUSIC]

IT WAS ECW AGAINST THE WORLD.

AND BEHIND PAUL HEYMAN'S PASSION

AND PERSEVERANCE, ECW WAS MAKING

NOISE TO BECOME AN ESTABLISHED

THIRD ARMY IN THE BATTLES OF

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT SUPREMACY.

WE WERE DETERMINED TO MAKE A

DIFFERENCE AND MAKE A NAME FOR

OURSELVES.

WWE, WCW, ECW WAS THE LITTLE

ENGINE THAT COULD.

[MUSIC]

FOLLOWING THE ECW INVASION,

MONDAY NIGHT RAW EXPERIENCED AN

UPTAKE IN THEIR WEEKLY RATINGS,

BUT WCW CONTINUED TO DOMINATE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT THROUGHOUT

1997 AMIDST AN 84-WEEK WINNING

STREAK.

AN ON-AIR COLLABORATION HAD

HELPED VINCE MCMAHON GAIN

MOMENTUM.

BUT UNBEKNOWNST TO FANS OR

SUPERSTARS, ECW WOULD CONTINUE

TO BE FUNDED BY THEIR SUPPOSED

ENEMY.

THERE WAS A HANDSHAKE

AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS FROM

A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, BUT WHAT

NO ONE KNEW WAS THAT I WAS

SUBSIDIZING ECW.

VINCE MCMAHON WAS ALWAYS

TRYING TO COHABITATE THE EARTH

WITH ECW.

THEY WERE VERY GOOD FOR US AND

WE WERE VERY GOOD FOR THEM.

WE LOANED ECW MONEY.

WE'RE TALKING HUNDREDS OF

THOUSANDS AT LEAST AND WE JUST

SAY THAT WITHOUT GETTING TOO

SPECIFIC.

I WANTED TO KEEP THEM ALIVE.

THEY DID HELP US IN A LOT OF

DIFFERENT WAYS.

AND THAT COULD BE A PLACE WHERE

THE STARS WOULD BECOME WWE

STARS, WOULD BE SORT OF THE

PROVING GROUND...

WHO'S THE MAN?

[CROWD CHEERING]

VINCE MCMAHON SAW HOW THE

FANS REACTED TO SOME OF WHAT ECW

DID AND SAW THAT MAYBE THIS WILL

WORK.

THEY WERE HUGELY SUCCESSFUL

AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD

A SERIES CALL FOLLOWING.

SO THAT WAS AN AUDIENCE THAT WE

NEEDED TO GRAB, TOO.

THEY WERE WRESTLING FANS, THEY

JUST LIKED THAT BLOOD AND GUTS,

GORE ALSO.

AND WE WEREN'T GIVING THEM THAT

AT THE TIME.

[MUSIC]

BY SEPTEMBER OF 1997, WWE

BEGAN TO INCORPORATE PROGRAMMING

INFLUENCED BY THIS EVOLVING

COUNTERCULTURE.

YOU CAN KISS MY ASS.

WHAT?

[CROWD CHEERING]

OH, GOD, AUSTIN IS GOING

DIRECTLY TO JAIL.

I WAS ANGRY BECAUSE I WOULD

SEE A LOT OF STUFF BEING

EMULATED ON A NATIONAL STAGE.

I WAS LIKE, "MAN, THEY DID THAT.

THEY TOOK THAT FROM US."

MICHAELS IS A BLOODY MESS.

ECW WAS THE EPITOME OF THE

ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE TYPE OF STYLE.

WE CAN TAKE, THAT'S FOR THE

ATTITUDE, ADOPT IT AND TURN INTO

SOMETHING THAT WAS PUBLICLY

ACCEPTABLE ON A BROADER RANGE.

THE EMBRACING OF ECW'S

HARDCORE STYLE WAS A KEY

COMPONENT IN THE CREATIVE CHANGE

IN DIRECTION.

DURING WHAT BECAME KNOWN AS

THE ATTITUDE ERA, MONDAY NIGHT

RAW SHOWCASED A MORE

CONTEMPORARY PRIMETIME PRODUCT

AND USURPED NITRO IN THE CABLE

TELEVISION RATINGS IN APRIL OF

1998.

THUMBTACKS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

I CAN EASILY SAY IF IT WASN'T

FOR ECW, THERE WOULD BE NO, YOU

KNOW, ATTITUDE ERA.

OH, WHAT A SADISTIC THING, A

CHOKESLAM ON THE TACKS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THERE WAS A REASON THAT THE

WWE IN THE LATE 90S DEVELOPED A

HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP, BECAUSE

THERE WAS AN INTEREST IN

THAT--IN THAT NICHE.

AND WE'RE, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE

TRYING TO STEAL A PART OF THAT

AUDIENCE.

WE GOT A NEW HARDCORE

CHAMPION.

ECW HAD THEIR PRODUCT UP TO

SPEED WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON IN

SOCIETY AT THE TIME, THE WWE

DIDN'T.

NO DQ.

OH.

[CROWD CHEERING]

OH, GOSH.

BEAUTIFUL.

AS SOON AS THEY DID, THEY

WERE BIGGER, THEY WERE BETTER,

AND THEY DID IT BETTER THAN

ANYBODY ELSE.

THIS IS SUICIDE.

SHANE.

OH, MY GOD, THAT HURTS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

--

GOD ALMIGHTY.

WWE HAD BROUGHT EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING'S

UNORTHODOX STYLE TO THE

MAINSTREAM MASSES.

[MUSIC]

AND BY AUGUST OF 1999, ECW

HAD BUILT ENOUGH MOMENTUM

THROUGHOUT THE LATE 90S THAT A

NATIONAL TELEVISION SHOW WAS ON

THE HORIZON.

WE HAVE THE PRODUCT, WE HAVE

WHAT IT TAKES, WHY NOT TAKE THIS

NATIONAL?

ONCE WE GOT ON PAY-PER-VIEW,

WE HAD TO GET NATIONAL TV.

WE NEEDED REVENUE STREAMS.

THE ONLY WAY TO GET VIDEO GAMES,

AND MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTION, AND

T-SHIRT DISTRIBUTION IS TO GET

NATIONAL TELEVISION.

ECW, ECW, ECW, ECW, ECW, ECW.

HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME

TO ECW ON TNN.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

NATIONAL TV.

WHO CAN STOP US NOW?

THE WAR HAS JUST BEGUN.

WE THOUGHT WE'RE GONNA BLOW

UP.

AND WE JUST WANTED THAT TO

HAPPEN SO BAD AND WE FINALLY GOT

THE DEAL MADE.

WE THOUGHT, "THIS IS IT, THIS IS

IT, WE'RE GOING BIG TIME."

EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING'S LONG JOURNEY TO THE

NATIONAL STAGE WAS FINALLY

COMPLETE AS THE COMPANY

PREMIERED ECW ON TNN ON FRIDAY

AUGUST 27TH, 1999.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

THERE WERE THREE SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT FRANCHISES AIRING

IN PRIME TIME, BUT SOME OF PAUL

HEYMAN'S TOP TALENTS WOULD NOT

BE AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO

CELEBRATE.

THE DUDLEY BOYZ FORMER ECW

TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS.

IN SEPTEMBER OF 1999, DEVON

AND BUBBA RAY DUDLEY, BECAME THE

LATEST ECW STARS TO SIGN WITH

WWE FURTHERING VINCE MCMAHON'S

CREATIVE DIRECTION.

PAUL HEYMAN WAS A

DEVELOPMENTAL TERRITORY.

THAT'S ALL HE WAS.

PAUL HEYMAN WAS GETTING A CHECK,

AND TALENT WAS COMING UP IN THAT

ORGANIZATION, AND SOME OF THEM

WOULD BE GROOMED FOR AN

OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO WWE.

YOU WERE BETTER OFF HAVING

GONE THROUGH ECW BECAUSE YOU

WERE JUST LOOKED AT AS COOL.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

[INDISTINCT]

COMING UP.

WHEN THE DUDLEY BOYZ DID COME

IN, I WANTED THEM TO STACK TWO

TABLES ON TOP OF EACH OTHER ON

THE OUTSIDE OF THE RING AND

POWER BOMB ME DOWN THROUGH THE

TWO TABLES BECAUSE I'D SEEN IT

ON THEIR TV SHOW AND I THOUGHT

IT WAS COOL.

OH, MY.

OH, MY GOD.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE DUDLEYS, ROAD DOGG--OH,

MY GOD.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

GOOD GOD, TWO TABLES.

MY HEAD ENDED UP HITTING THE

BARRICADE, KNOCKING ME OUT, AND

SO IT WASN'T AS COOL AFTERWARDS

AS I THOUGHT IT LOOKED BEFORE.

AS WWE WAS UTILIZING BOTH

ECW'S INGENUITY AND TALENT,

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING WAS

BEHIND THE CURVE.

IN AN EFFORT TO STOP MONDAY

NIGHT RAW'S MOMENTUM, ERIC

BISCHOFF HAD ATTEMPTED TO USE

TED TURNER'S CHECK BOOK TO BLOCK

HIS COMPETITION.

THEY WERE PETTY, THEY DIDN'T

HAVE THEIR EYE ON THE PRIZE.

MOST OF THE SIGNINGS BY ERIC

BISCHOFF WERE NOT ACQUISITIONS

FOR WCW BUT MOVES AGAINST ECW.

MATCH ISN'T GONNA START TILL

YOU PUT THE CIGAR OUT.

SO IF YOU CAN DO ME A FAVOR,

GIVE EVERYBODY HERE A FAVOR, PUT

THE DAMN THING OUT SO WE GET THE

SHOW ON THE ROAD.

YOU GOT TO HAVE SANDMAN BE

SANDMAN.

HE'LL NEED TO BE ABLE TO DRINK

BEER, SMOKE CIGARETTES, AND HIT

PEOPLE WITH A KENDO STICK,

THAT'S ALL IT IS.

IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.

MIKEY WHIPWRECK HAD 19

DIFFERENT INJURIES WORKING FOR

ECW.

HE GOT SIGNED BY WCW EVEN THOUGH

THEY KNEW HE'S GONNA TAKE MOST

OF THE NEXT YEAR OFF REHABBING

FROM ALL OF THOSE INJURIES.

AND WHEN THE YEAR WAS UP, HE

COULD ALWAYS GO BACK TO ECW.

BUT TO TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ECW

FOR THAT YEAR WAS WORTH IT TO

WCW.

AND MIKEY WHIPWRECK GOES ON

THE OUTSIDE, HIT THE BACK OF HIS

HEAD VERY HARD.

COME ON, MIKEY, GET UP.

THE GRASS WAS GREENER ON THE

OTHER SIDE.

IT WAS FERTILIZER --

THEY HIRED ME JUST TO GET ME

AWAY FROM ECW.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

HAD FAILED TO GROW NITRO'S

RATINGS.

AND ECW WOULD CONTINUE TO LOSE

TALENT TO THE BIGGER PROMOTIONS

HEADING INTO THE NEW MILLENNIUM.

MY NAME IS TAZZ AND I AM THE

ECW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

TAZZ MEANT EVERYTHING TO ECW.

HE WAS ANOTHER GUY WHO WAS IN

YOUR FACE.

HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST UFC TYPE

OF GUY.

HE WOULD CHOKE YOU OUT.

AND PEOPLE GOT BEHIND HIM.

I ENJOYED TAZZ'S WORK AND WE

WERE ABLE TO OFFER OUR DOWNSIDE

CONTRACT THAT PAUL HEYMAN COULD

NOT MATCH.

TAZZ HAS DONE WHAT HE SET OUT

TO DO.

TO LEAVE ECW WASN'T JUST

CONCERN FOR MONEY.

I WAS MAIN EVENTING

PAY-PER-VIEWS.

NOW, WHAT?

THE EDGE IS GONE, THE

BUTTERFLIES ARE GONE.

THERE WAS NO CHALLENGE ANYMORE.

IT BECAME TOO EASY FOR ME.

I BECAME COMPLACENT.

WE HAD JUST GOTTEN OUR DEAL

ON NATIONAL CABLE TELEVISION AND

WE LOST OUR CHAMPION, TAZZ.

TAZZ OPENING UP FOR THE

OFFENSE ON ANGLE.

OH, I'VE NEVER SEE SUPLEXES

LIKE THIS.

WHAT?

TAZZ NOW--HE'S TRYING TO

CHOKE OUT ANGLE.

[BELL RINGING]

AND TAZZ HAS DONE IT.

[MUSIC]

MAN, WHAT AN IMPACT FROM

TAZZ.

HIS FIRST NIGHT IN THE WWE.

IN JANUARY OF 2000, TAZZ MADE

HIS MARK IN WWE, HELPING MONDAY

NIGHT RAW'S RATINGS DOUBLE THOSE

OF MONDAY NITRO.

MEANWHILE, THE ONE MILLION PLUS

VIEWERS WHO TUNED INTO ECW ON

TNN EACH FRIDAY NIGHT WITNESSED

A NEW FORCE IN THE LAND OF

EXTREME, MIKE AWESOME.

MIKE AWESOME IS THE NEW ECW

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

LIKE TAZZ BEFORE HIM,

AWESOME'S SUCCESS ATTRACTED THE

ATTENTION OF THE BIGGER

PROMOTIONS.

THIS TIME, IT WAS WCW WHO SIGNED

AWAY THE ECW CHAMPION.

BUT THEY DIDN'T JUST WANT

AWESOME, THEY WANTED HIS

CHAMPIONSHIP.

WCW WAS ON THE DECLINE.

WWE WAS JUST WHIPPING WCW ALL

OVER THE PLACE.

THE RATINGS FOR WCW HAD CRASHED.

BISCHOFF CAME OFF WITH THE IDEA

OF THE ECW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPION, MIKE AWESOME COMING

OUT ON MONDAY NITRO.

THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS MIKE WAS

UNDER CONTRACT TO ECW.

MY CONCERN WAS THAT MIKE AWESOME

WAS GOING TO THROW DOWN THE ECW

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

I GOT MONEY IN MY POCKET, I

GOT FOOD ON MY PLATE, AND I'VE

GOT THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

ON MY SHOULDER.

WE HEAR THAT MIKE AWESOME IS

GOING TO APPEAR ON NITRO.

WE KNEW WHAT HOTEL HE WAS HOLED

UP IN.

THERE WERE THOSE OF US WHO

WANTED TO GO PHYSICALLY GET THAT

TITLE FROM MIKE.

WELCOME TO WCW MONDAY NITRO.

THE ENTIRE ECW LOCKER ROOM

WOULD HAVE SHOWED UP ON THAT

NITRO AND MADE SURE THAT OUR

COMPANY WAS NOT EMBARRASSED LIKE

THAT.

WAIT, HANG ON.

WHAT'S THIS?

HOLY...

THAT'S--THAT IS MIKE AWESOME.

HE'S THE--HE'S THE

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF ECW.

THE LAST TIME WE SAW HIM, HE HAD

NOT--AND WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?

DOESN'T HE HAVE SOME KIND OF

TITLE DEFENSE?

SO, A DEAL WAS WORKED OUT

WHERE MIKE AWESOME WOULD APPEAR.

HE WOULD NOT DENIGRATE THE TITLE

IN ANY WAY.

MIKE AWESOME SHOWED UP ON

MONDAY NITRO WITHOUT THE ECW

TITLE, BUT WAS STILL THE

CHAMPION.

IN A WORLD WHERE REALITY AND

STORY TELLING WERE INCREASINGLY

BLURRED, ECW'S LATEST DEFECTION

WOULD RETURN TO THE PROMOTION

FOR ONE FINAL MATCH.

PAUL DID NOT WANT MIKE IN OUR

DRESSING ROOM.

WE HAD TO MEET HIM AT A HOTEL

AND HE HAD THREE SECURITY GUARDS

LIKE WE WERE GONNA ATTACK HIM

AND BEAT HIM UP.

ECW WOULD SHOCK EVERYONE WHEN

THEY REVEALED MIKE AWESOME'S

OPPONENT.

TAZZ.

OF ALL PEOPLE, TAZZ IS HERE TO

STAND UP FOR ECW.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW PAUL

PULLED THIS OFF WITH VINCE

MCMAHON, BUT TAZZ CAME BACK AS

THE SAVIOR OF ECW.

YOU ALWAYS WANT WRESTLING

FANS, AS SMART AS THEY THINK

THEY ARE, AS MUCH AS THEY THINK

THEY KNOW IT'S GONNA HAPPEN,

THEY'D BE LIKE, "THAT WASN'T

SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN."

OR, "HOW WAS THAT HAPPENING?"

FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE REAL

LIFE RATINGS BATTLE BETWEEN WWE

AND WCW WOULD UNFOLD INSIDE THE

RING.

I ENDED UP SHOWING UP TO FACE

AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME EVER IN

HISTORY THAT A WWE CONTRACTED

WRESTLER IS GOING TO FACE A WCW

CONTRACTED WRESTLER AT AN ECW

EVENT FOR THE ECW CHAMPIONSHIP.

THERE IT IS, THE TAZZMISSION,

THE KATAHAJIME.

HE TAPPED--HE TAPPED--HE TAPPED.

MIKE AWESOME TAPPED.

MIKE AWESOME TAPPED.

WE HAVE A NEW ECW WORLD

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

THE COVETED CHAMPIONSHIP HAD

BEEN SAVED FROM SLANDER AND

WOULD BE ONE BY ECW MAINSTAY

TOMMY DREAMER IN THE DAYS THAT

FOLLOWED.

HOWEVER, WHILE ECW ON TNN WAS

SUPPOSED TO LAUNCH THE PROMOTION

TO THE LEVEL OF ITS LARGER

COMPETITORS, THE COST AND

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PRODUCING

NATIONAL TELEVISION WERE TAKING

THEIR TOLL ON EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

THE PROMOTION WAS IN BIG

TROUBLE.

WE WERE SWIMMING IN DEBT, WE

COULDN'T GET OUR MONEY FROM THE

PAY-PER-VIEW DISTRIBUTOR, BUT WE

WERE INCREASING HOW MANY

PAY-PER-VIEWS PER YEAR WE WERE

GOING TO PRESENT.

WE WERE GROWING SO FAST, WE

COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THE

GROWTH.

PAUL IS A BUSINESSMAN.

IN SOME RESPECTS, I THINK HE'S

EXCELLENT.

AND IN OTHER RESPECTS, I THINK

HE KIND OF MISSES THE MARK.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M

TRYING TO SAY?

YES, JUSTIN, I UNDERSTAND

EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING.

PAUL WAS PAYING A LOT OF

MONEY TO A LOT OF GUYS TO KEEP

THEM FROM JUMPING.

I WAS MAKING BETTER MONEY THAN I

DID WITH WWE.

HE WAS ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL

SORT OF A THING.

AND EVENTUALLY, IT JUST ALL CAME

CRASHING DOWN.

YOU KNOW WHEN WE FIRST WENT

ON TNN, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE

GREATEST -- THING THAT EVER

HAPPENED IN THE ECW.

WHEN ECW HAD ITS WEEKLY SHOW

ON TNN, PAUL WAS TELLING US THAT

IT WAS BLOWING THE BUDGET, THAT

WE WERE PAYING FOR ALL OF OUR

OWN PRODUCTION, THAT THEY

WEREN'T BACKING US UP AT ALL.

HE WAS FIGHTING WITH THE

NETWORK.

YOU HAVE TO BE AN ECW FAN TO

WATCH THIS SHOW BECAUSE GOD

KNOWS THE NETWORK HAS NEVER PUT

OUT ONE FREAKING COMMERCIAL OR

ONE PRESS RELEASE TO LET YOU

KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE.

BUT THAT'S THEIR SCHEME OF

THINGS.

TNN OF COURSE NOW IS ALREADY

IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH WWE.

THE MCMAHONS WERE ON USA

NETWORK, BUT WERE LOOKING TO

TAKE WWE TO A DIFFERENT NETWORK

FOR FAR MORE MONEY.

YOU SEE, IN JUST A FEW WEEKS,

THE NETWORK IS GONNA GIVE A

HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO VINCE

MCMAHON LIKE HE NEEDS IT TO

REPLACE US.

IT WAS A CATACLYSMIC

CONVERGENCE OF CIRCUMSTANCES IN

WHICH THE HOLY GRAIL BECAME THE

POISON THAT WAS GOING TO KILL

US.

WE PRETTY MUCH COULD SEE THE

WRITING ON THE WALL.

TNN MADE A LOT OF PROMISES THAT

THEY DIDN'T DELIVER.

THEY BASICALLY WANTED TO TEST US

TO SEE IF WRESTLING WAS

PROFITABLE FOR THEM.

THEY DID NOT RENEW US AFTER A

YEAR AND THEY TOOK THE WWE

PROGRAM.

THIS IS OUR INAUGURAL

BROADCAST FOR WWE RAW ON TNN.

ECW WENT OUT OF BUSINESS

BECAUSE BY THE TIME WE GOT ON

NATIONAL CABLE TELEVISION, OUR

SHOW LOOKED LIKE A CHEAP

IMITATION OF WHAT WWE HAD

BECOME.

AND I KNEW CALLING THAT FINAL

PAY-PER-VIEW, THAT IT WAS THE

END OF ECW.

FOR US, IT WAS ALL VERY

CRUSHING.

ALL OF US SACRIFICED A LOT TO

SEE IT SUCCEED.

I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA

ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING TO SIT

AROUND AND CRY ABOUT IT.

I'M NOT GONNA SPEND MY TIME

GOING, "OH, WHAT HAPPENED TO

ECW?"

IT DIED.

THAT WAS IT.

TIME TO MOVE ON.

IN JANUARY OF 2001, EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING DECLARED

BANKRUPTCY AND WAS PURCHASED BY

WWE.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WOULD CLOSE ITS DOORS SHORTLY

THEREAFTER AS VINCE MCMAHON

PROCLAIMED HIMSELF VICTORIOUS IN

THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

I HAVE ACQUIRED WCW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THAT'S RIGHT.

I BOUGHT MY COMPETITION.

IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED...

VAN DAM...

WWE CONTINUED TO UTILIZE

EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING'S

TALENT AND TACTICS.

IN 2005, WWE RELAUNCHED THE ECW

BRAND THANKS TO THE SUCCESS OF A

PAY-PER-VIEWS SPECIAL.

HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME

TO ECW ONE NIGHT STAND.

[CROWD CHEERING]

I LOVED BEING THERE.

IT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST NIGHTS

IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.

NO, NOT TOMMY.

NO, NO.

OH, MY GOD.

IT WAS A BLAST BECAUSE OF THE

AUDIENCE.

YOU ARE THE CRAZIEST BASTARDS

I'VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE.

I LOVE EVERYONE OF YOU.

THEY GOT A CHANCE TO BRING

THE PRODUCT FORWARD TO 2005,

REMEMBERING HOW IT WAS AT ITS

HEIGHT AND ALSO SHOWING THE

WORLD THIS IS REAL.

THIS, MY FRIEND, IS EC -- W.

THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL

THING THESE EYES HAVE EVER SEEN.

I WANNA SAY, JOEY, I HEARD

THE KNOCKS ALL THROUGH THE YEARS

SAYING ECW WAS ONLY ABOUT

CHAIRS, ONLY ABOUT BLOOD, ONLY

ABOUT TABLES.

IT'S ABOUT A LOT MORE.

IT'S ABOUT GUTS, IT'S ABOUT

PRIDE, IT'S ABOUT EMOTION.

REUNITED, EXTREME

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING WITH ITS

LOYAL FAN BASE, PROVIDED A

NOSTALGIC TRIBUTE TO A COMPANY

WITH AN EVERLASTING LEGACY.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ECW LEFT ITS FINGERPRINTS ALL

OVER STUFF.

THE STYLE OF ECW WAS ADAPTED AND

MADE MAINSTREAM BY THE WWE.

WE DID TAKE SOME OF THE ECW

ASPECTS IN WHAT THEY WERE DOING

AND SORT OF RESHAPED IT IN OUR

OWN FORM.

AND YOU HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO

PAUL HEYMAN.

THAT WAS REALLY GOOD FOR THE

BUSINESS.

OH.

SHOW TIME NOW, TIME FOR THE

LADDER.

WE ALL SAW THESE GIANT,

CONGLOMERATE COMPANIES GOING AT

IT.

BUT BEHIND THE CURTAIN, THERE

WAS THIS LITTLE ENGINE THAT

COULD, THAT WAS BASICALLY

FEEDING THAT MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

ECW'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE

MONDAY NIGHT WAR WAS NOT JUST

THE TALENT THAT WE PROVIDED, BUT

IT WAS THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF

ECW.

THE INTERACTIVITY WITH THE

AUDIENCE, THE FAR MORE PHYSICAL

PRODUCT, ECW WAS ONE OF THE MOST

IMPORTANT CATALYSTS OF THE

MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

WITHOUT THE ECW INFLUENCE, I

DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAR WOULD

HAVE BEEN NEARLY AS INTERESTING

AS IT ENDED UP BEING.

ECW, ECW, ECW, ECW.