Six months after WWE ceased the brutal rape of ECW's corpse, Tommy Dreamer came along to give it a proper burial. Thanks to TNA, the legends of extreme were given the opportunity to say goodbye to an era that will never be duplicated and to give a final farewell to the fans and many of their former ECW brethren. When this was announced, many were skeptical, assuming it was yet another weak attempt by TNA to gain some attention, or to cash in on the legacy of ECW. It was said that the wrestlers were too old and washed-up to perform as they once did. However, it wasn't about popping a buyrate or riding the coattails of the past. Primarily, TNA's Hardcore Justice PPV was about closure.
Anyone that followed Tommy Dreamer knew what his feelings were regarding WWECW, as he was writing quite a bit, from 2006-2007, in a feature on WWE.com called "Tommy Dreamer's Diary of Violence", or something along those lines. His disappointment was quite evident and it was sad that he really believed that they were going to get a second lease on life, not seeing the writing on the wall.
In the promo that he did on Impact, he made several good points, as far as the way ECW was 'resurrected' and whored out, doing nothing but tarnishing its legacy and that of those who busted their asses and gave their all to make that company a success, back in the old days. Many were brought in to WWECW, treated like a joke and jobbed out. Like anyone with a brain could have seen, from a mile away, Vince merely squeezed a few more bucks out of the ECW name and then made sure that it was completely worthless beyond that. And, yes, it was a sad thing to witness.
Thankfully, Dreamer was given the green light by TNA to do a one-shot PPV, as a tribute to ECW and a way for some of the guys to get their closure. This way, they can put it to rest on their own terms, and the lasting memory the fans will have won't be the aberration put on by Vince McMahon. After last night's show, I can say that they succeeded and even exceeded everyone's expectations.
From top to bottom, the show did very well to convey the old ECW spirit. During the first match, there was even a ridiculous dance-off; something I did not really appreciate years ago, but it gave a good sense of nostalgia and fun. It was nice to see Little Guido and the rest of the guys again. As the night progressed, many faces from the past appeared, including Balls and Axl, Joel Gertner, Francine, The Gangstas, Beulah, Fonzie, and the homicidal, suicidal, genocidal Sabu. All of the matches were far better than they had any right being. In particular, the final showdown between Raven and Tommy Dreamer was brilliantly done, and was a perfect way to end this epic feud. As for the main event, from the moment it was announced that Sabu would fill in for the injured Jerry Lynn, the critics began to call for a botch-fest. As I've said many times before, Sabu is one of the most disrespected wrestlers on the planet, considering all that he's done. It was greatly satisfying to see Sabu and RVD put on a hell of a match that was sure to put all of the naysayers in their place.
Watching this show felt really good, and I'm very grateful that TNA allowed this to happen, for ECW to be laid to rest in a proper way, once and for all. I loved that promotion about as much as one could, without being directly involved, but I really hope that this show lives up to its billing: One Last Stand.
Anyone that followed Tommy Dreamer knew what his feelings were regarding WWECW, as he was writing quite a bit, from 2006-2007, in a feature on WWE.com called "Tommy Dreamer's Diary of Violence", or something along those lines. His disappointment was quite evident and it was sad that he really believed that they were going to get a second lease on life, not seeing the writing on the wall.
In the promo that he did on Impact, he made several good points, as far as the way ECW was 'resurrected' and whored out, doing nothing but tarnishing its legacy and that of those who busted their asses and gave their all to make that company a success, back in the old days. Many were brought in to WWECW, treated like a joke and jobbed out. Like anyone with a brain could have seen, from a mile away, Vince merely squeezed a few more bucks out of the ECW name and then made sure that it was completely worthless beyond that. And, yes, it was a sad thing to witness.
Thankfully, Dreamer was given the green light by TNA to do a one-shot PPV, as a tribute to ECW and a way for some of the guys to get their closure. This way, they can put it to rest on their own terms, and the lasting memory the fans will have won't be the aberration put on by Vince McMahon. After last night's show, I can say that they succeeded and even exceeded everyone's expectations.
From top to bottom, the show did very well to convey the old ECW spirit. During the first match, there was even a ridiculous dance-off; something I did not really appreciate years ago, but it gave a good sense of nostalgia and fun. It was nice to see Little Guido and the rest of the guys again. As the night progressed, many faces from the past appeared, including Balls and Axl, Joel Gertner, Francine, The Gangstas, Beulah, Fonzie, and the homicidal, suicidal, genocidal Sabu. All of the matches were far better than they had any right being. In particular, the final showdown between Raven and Tommy Dreamer was brilliantly done, and was a perfect way to end this epic feud. As for the main event, from the moment it was announced that Sabu would fill in for the injured Jerry Lynn, the critics began to call for a botch-fest. As I've said many times before, Sabu is one of the most disrespected wrestlers on the planet, considering all that he's done. It was greatly satisfying to see Sabu and RVD put on a hell of a match that was sure to put all of the naysayers in their place.
Watching this show felt really good, and I'm very grateful that TNA allowed this to happen, for ECW to be laid to rest in a proper way, once and for all. I loved that promotion about as much as one could, without being directly involved, but I really hope that this show lives up to its billing: One Last Stand.
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