The following is a reprint of the Torch Newsletter ECW Newswire from five years ago this week.

-Jason Powell, Torch assistant editor

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Torch Newsletter Archive
By Wade Keller, Torch editor
ECW Newswire
Originally published: Pro Wrestling Torch Weekly newsletter #451
Cover dated: August 12, 1997

HARDCORE HEAVEN '97

The line-up for ECW's second PPV on Aug. 17 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. is shaping up as follows: Terry Funk vs. Shane Douglas for the ECW Hvt. Title, Taz vs. Chris Candido, Sandman vs. Sabu, Dudleys vs. FBI vs. PG13 vs. Kronus & New Jack in a four-way tag match for the ECW Tag Team Titles, Jerry Lawler vs. Tommy Dreamer, Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Balls Mahoney, and Rob Van Dam against an opponent to be determined.

The tag team titles are a bit in limbo from a storyline standpoint. The storyline is that Mustafa is unable to wrestle due to head injuries, therefore The Gangstas have to relinquish the tag titles back to the Dudleys. That means Joel Gertner won't have to shave his head and chest at the PPV, since it appears the Dudleys will enter Hardcore Heaven with the tag belts after all. With Mustafa out of action and Perry Saturn out with a legit knee injury (for which his rehab is going quicker than expected), that leaves New Jack and Eliminator John Kronus without tag partners. ECW filmed an angle last weekend where the Dudleys attacked New Jack and Kronus made the save, leading to the unlikely alliance between New Jack and Kronus at the PPV in the four-way tag title showdown.

ON THE ROAD

July 25 in Rochester, N.Y. (850 paid): Before the start of the card, Tod Gordon came out and announced that Sandman wouldn't be there due to injury. He offered refunds. Bill Alfonso came out and he and Gordon got into a scuffle. In the opener, Shane Douglas beat Chris Chetti. Jason Knight (w/Bobby Duncum Jr.) won a squash. Little Guido won a squash. Mikey Whipwreck & Spike Dudley beat Buh Buh Ray & D-Von Dudley, Taz beat Kronus to retain the TV Title, Chris Candido & Bam Bam Bigelow beat Axl Rotten & Louie Spicolli when Spicolli DDT'd Axl. Spicolli and Axl argued throughout the match. Spicolli tried to join forces with Candido and Bigelow after the match, but they beat up on him, too. Rob Van Dam beat Balls Mahoney (subbing for Sandman), and Sabu beat Tommy Dreamer. [Kevin Readel reporting]

July 26 in Buffalo, N.Y. (1.700 paid), ECW taped footage for television. At the start of the show Tod Gordon again announced that Sandman had been injured and would be unable to wrestle. He offered refunds. Tommy Dreamer then came out and said he would make sure ECW presented a card Buffalo would never forget. Bill Alfonso then led Sabu and Rob Van Dam to the ring to attack Dreamer. Taz then came out to make the save. He got on the mic and said he would team with Dreamer, but only if Dreamer would agree to wrestle him for his TV Title at the next ECW show in Buffalo. In the opener, Kronus (w/Saturn) beat Louie Spicolli after a 450 splash. Competitive bout. Jason beat Roadkill in a squash. Rick Rude came out to tremendous heel crowd heat. He used his "keep the noise down" bit on the fans. The Triple Threat then joined him in the ring for an interview.

Sabu (w/Alfonso, Van Dam) won a squash. Sabu hit a lot of flashy highspots during the match. Sabu and a fan got into a scuffle and security took the fan out of the building. The FBI were interviewed for television. Mikey Whipwreck beat Tom Hardy with the Frankenmikey. Mikey, who is from Buffalo, got a huge pop. After the match the FBI attacked Whipwreck, but he fended off all of them. The Dudleys (w/Big Dick Dudley, Joel Gertner) beat Balls Mahoney & Axl Rotten. Axl used the chair as his primary weapon. They brawled in the crowd during the match. The Triple Threat (w/Rude, Francine) beat Spike Dudley & Chris Chetti & Super Nova.

Tommy Dreamer & Taz beat Sabu & Rob Van Dam. Sabu and Van Dam hit some wild highspots, and missed a few, also. Taz applied his Tazmission, but the Triple Threat interfered to break it up. In the end, Van Dam threw a chair at Dreamer, but missed and hit Sabu instead. Dreamer then scored the pin. Sabu got into an argument with several fans in the crowd and even pie-faced a teenage girl. [Derek Prabharasuth]

The Buffalo attendance is down a bit from their first appearance in the town when they fell just short of 2,000, but there were quite a few comps at the first show, so there were actually more paying fans this time around.

ECW NOTEBOOK

Said Cornette on last week's ECW TV show: "You fans found out the other night you're not quite as smart as you think you are. Isn't that kind of a plus, though? Remember when half the fun of going to a wrestling match was when you didn't know what was going to happen? With Jerry Lawler and Jim Cornette around you never know what's going to happen. Even you smart fans, you really aren't so smart after all"...

ECW is running a commercial from "The Thought Police" telling viewers not to order Hardcore Heaven. After the commercial, Styles said that if their local cable company isn't carrying the PPV, "ditch cable and get yourself a dish." ECW gained leverage when Direct TV and PrimeStar picked up the PPV, giving fans whose cable company isn't carrying the PPV an alternative...

With it appearing Blue Meanie is abandoning the BWO gimmick, maybe it's time for him to spoof "Mr. Monday Night" Rob Van Dam and call himself Mr. Saturday Night (where Monday night jobbers get TV victories, such as Bobby Eaton, Joe Gomez, and Dave Taylor)...

ECW classed up their operations as at recent shows they have had catered food for the wrestlers backstage. Wrestlers are expected to show up at the arena to work out in the ring around four or five o'clock. Then at 5:30 or 6:00 ECW breaks out the catered food, such as pasta and cold cuts...

Sandman's injury was legit as he was unable to even walk...

Aug. 8 in Warwick, Pa. at the Twin Rinks: Funk vs. Sabu for the belt, Triple Threat vs. Sandman & Dreamer & a partner...

Aug. 8 in Philadelphia, Pa. at ECW Arena features Sabu & Van Dam & Lawler vs. Sandman & Dreamer & Taz...

The Pitbulls are scheduled to wrestle The Lost Boys in a charity show on Sept. 12 for Jersey All Pro Wrestling in Bayonne, N.J...

Terry Funk didn't appear in Buffalo, N.Y. Although he was advertised on posters, he was never booked. A bus load of fans from Canada came primarily to see him wrestle in person. They were upset, but some other ECW wrestlers visited with them in person on the bus to make up for the lack of Funk...

Insane Clown Posse who plugged the ECW Queens show on the Howard Stern Show last week are friends with John "Pee Wee" Moore, the referee from Michigan who drives to ECW with Sabu...

The War Memorial in Florida holds fewer than 2,000, not close to 3,000 as originally reported...

Pittsburgh is being considered for the November ECW PPV, although Buffalo will likely end up with a PPV next year because the building looks so good on television...

As of yet there is no word that a lawsuit has been filed by ECW against WCW or Steve Richards or Raven, or by Joey Styles against the WWF. ECW uses all of the talk about suing the WWF and WCW to their advantage to elicit loyalty from their fans because the lawsuit threats make it seem like ECW is still a renegade, lone-wolf promotion. They believe it's smart marketing. That also means that any given lawsuit threat could be merely a work just to cement that "renegade" image, although it would defeat the purpose if ECW were to publicly admit that's the case. The WWF and WCW understand that, also. ECW has yet to file a lawsuit against WCW or the WWF despite numerous public boasts that they were going to do that. That said, ECW may believe passionately that they have a case specifically, say, against Raven, and may fully intend to file a lawsuit. Until a lawsuit is officially filed, it's probably worth looking at the threats as more public relations than a shoot. Regarding the Raven situation, several sources in both WCW and ECW say that WCW sent a letter to ECW asking to see a copy of Raven's contract before he appeared on the Bash and that ECW didn't respond to the letter because they didn't feel it was their responsibility to do so. Heyman denies ever receiving the letter and says WCW lied about sending the letter. ECW is now also contending they own the rights to the characters Raven and Dancin' Stevie Richards...

CableVision still doesn't plan to carry the ECW PPV, although that decision could change in the next week, although it appears unlikely it would on such short notice…

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