Sunday, August 9th, 1997 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ECW Arena – A Barbed Wire match for the Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship where champion Terry Funk defended the title against challenger Sabu, with his manager Bill Alfonso.

To be dead honest, after watching this match (for the second time that I can recall), I’m not fan of the original ECW, or at least matches like this. The reason, as I will state later as well, but matches like this will shorten a man’s career, and as well as a man’s life. This match was hard for me to watch the whole thing. With both men being wrapped in barbed wire at the end, I almost stopped the DVD and threw away my notes. But I didn’t, because I wanted to write this flashback for you guys and give ya’ll my opinion about this match! So here it is!

One thing I noticed right away with the match was when the camera went to Bill Alfonso; he was wearing a WWF Raw red baseball hat! Why did I notice that right away and took note to it? Because you know for sure that TNA wouldn’t do that on their TV time, ROH wouldn’t do that, and WWE will not acknowledge that there are other wrestling companies out there.

Another thing I noticed was Joey Styles telling us because of the brutality of the match that will about to begin, that “This match is exclusively for ECW home video.” That made me smile, how now ECW home videos don’t exist anymore outside of the VHS tapes that originally recorded the action. All due to the McMahon Empire, all its glory, and all its screw-jobs!

Two cool moves that I enjoyed at the start of the match was the low drop kick to Funk’s knees that Sabu did and the single leg Funk did to Sabu to get the upper hand after the low drop kick Sabu gave him.

Four moves that Funk did a little after this point was the headbutt, the neck breaker, the piledriver, and the DDT. Why did these four moves make me happy and why note them in my notebook and in this article? Days of old-school wrestling. Yes, the original ECW is now old-school wrestling, but days when wrestlers actually used wrestling holds and wrestling moves, not just punches and kicks that we see these days. And I’m a mark for wrestling moves like the ones I’ve previously listed in this article.

But it didn’t take long before the competitors went into the barbed wire and went outside to the concrete floor to do battle. Both men where Irish whipped into the barbed wire and it were brutal on them, and it was brutal on my eyes to watch. I am remembering why I only watched one ECW television show when it was actually around.

Much after this point, it started to break down into shock value for shock value sake, in my eyes. Funk dragging Bill Alfonso over the top of the barbed wire into the ring and Funk doing a suplex, then reversing it, dropping Sabu on the top wire of the barbed wire. Funk also wrapped a little of the wire on his fist and nailed Alfonso with it. Then for some odd reason, Sabu was using boa cutters to cut one side of the wire off to use later in the match. Nothing is making sense to me.

RVD runs in and attacks Funk and is wearing work gloves, which is smart, and is wrapping Funk in the barbed wire outside of the ring. If I heard correctly, Styles mentioned that when this match was taking place, Funk was 53 years old! Talking about being middle aged and crazy! Really! But RVD was able to put Funk and his barbed wired body on a table and Sabu jumped out of the ring and put Funk through it to the concrete floor.

After which, Tommy Dreamer came out with a trash can lid, laid out RVD with a shot to the head and DDT’ed him out of the concrete floor. Then Dreamer picked up RVD, put him over his shoulder, and brought him out of the arena and we saw no more of Rob Van Dam or Tommy Dreamer.

The two men rolled in the ring and were entangled in the wire, which was hard to see. Sabu went for a cover and got a two count, and the two couldn’t really move because of the wire, so Sabu went for another pin and got the three count, because, if I remember correctly, there was a wire that was pushing into Funks throat.

With the match being over, I was happy. Because it was hard to watch, even though it was 12 years later. Why did I watch this then? For I can do at least one ECW Original Flashback! But this is Eric Darsie from Minnesota, happy that there isn’t any more Barbed Wire matches anymore, that I know of, goodbye!

Check out more of Eric’s blogs at http://jericholic2009.blogspot.com.

Own the match and other ECW classics on the Bloodsport : ECW’s Most Violent Matches DVD by clicking here.

Read the Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of the ECW book by clicking here.

Read – Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore book by clicking here.

From the ring to your wall – WWE REAL.BIG Wall Graphics on sale now at Fat Head!

A heat-wave hit the city of Philadelphia on Saturday night, June 27th at an infamous building on the corner of Swanson & Ritner Streets.. A building which holds a special place in the hearts of extreme legends & hardcore fans. For the first time since 2005, the inmates ran the asylum once again.

It was a night where anarchy ruled. A night where everyone dared to live dangerously. A night to honor those who have passed on to hardcore heaven. And while it may not have been November, it was certainly a night that all will remember.

Alumni of the original ECW presented Legends of the Arena this past weekend; an ECW reunion show with the goal of raising money for cancer research. For those who don’t know the story, “The Queen of Extreme” Francine lost her father & her sister within 4 days of each other to cancer last year. Francine took it upon herself to reunite as many members of the original promotion as she could to present the show & raise money for a good cause.

Fans started packing the building early in the afternoon for a massive autograph/question & answer session as well as bbq with the stars. You could tell the fans & the legends were happy to be back at the place they called home for so many years. The fans who came later, in true ECW fashion, made up a line that went down the block past the Forman Mills attached to the Arena.

Results from the show are as follows (For detailed results, go to www.pwbts.com):
2 Cold Scorpio defeated CW Anderson.
Bilvis Wesley defeated The Muskateer.
Chris Hamrick defeated Devon “Crowbar” Storm.
Rhino defeated Jamie Dundee & Scotty “Riggs” Anton.

The Hardcore Hall of Fame induction follows… with Eddie “Hot Stuff” Gilbert & Chris Candido as memorial inductions; with Tod Gordon and Sabu inducted. The Shane Douglas induction was pulled since he no-showed the event. It was mentioned that both ECW and all that’s followed in the Arena was because of people like Terry Funk (inducted two years ago), Eddie Gilbert and Tod Gordon.

Balls Mahoney/Axl Rotten defeated Da Baldiez.

The bWo defeated the FBI.

Francine then came out to cut her promo and thanking the crowd for their support. Francine is VERY, VERY pregnant. The usual wits in the audience suggested she’s give birth in the ring into a “She’s hardcore” chant. Since that didn’t happen, Francine talked about her sister and father who’d died of cancer, and her one sister (sitting in the balcony with the other family members) who beat cancer. The SISTER got the “she’s hardcore” chant instead.

Al Snow defeated Jerry Lynn (who filled in for the no-show Shane Douglas).

Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) and Sandman defeated Raven (with Chastity) and Justin Credible (with Jason); and Terry Funk as special referee.

At the very end of the show, Justin Credible finally let his inner heel down long enough to say in a surprisingly heartfelt way to the crowd “Thank you for giving me the best four years of my life”.

From a personal standpoint, this is the most fun I’ve had at a show in a long time. I’ve been involved with this business for almost 2 years now; everything ranging from lighting & sound production to ring announcing. This show is what I would consider the high point of my involvement in wrestling. A big thank you is in order for Francine & everyone who made this show possible. If it was just for one night, I’m honored to have been a part of it.

The revolution started in 1993 does indeed live on.

Pre-order the 2009 WWE Bash on DVD by clicking here..

Check out Bloodsport : ECW’s Most Violent Matches by clicking here.

Check out the WWE DVD – The Rise and Fall of ECW by clicking here.

Check out ECW’s first pay-per-view, Barely Legal on DVD by clicking here.

Check out Hardcore Homecoming 2: November Reign on DVD (announced by CamelClutchBlog.com’s Eric Gargiulo by clicking here.

Headlocks and Eye Gouges – Eric will be back on Pro Wrestling Radio Wednesday July 1 at 7 PM/EST. Former World Class Championsip Wrestling producer Mickey Grant joins the show this week. Listen live and ask your questions from the chat room by clicking here. Listen to last week’s 45-minute uncensored interview with Rob Van Dam on Pro Wrestling Radio by clicking here.

No matter how many times wrestling fans think the spirit of the original ECW is dead, it manages to rise from the grave. Two events transpired this week proving that the hardcore movement started in a dilapidated bingo hall in 1993 does in fact live on.

On Saturday night, June 27th, “The Franchise” Shane Douglas will be inducted into the Hardcore Hall of Fame at the ECW reunion show Legends of the Arena. For years, Douglas was the voice of angry wrestling fans that sought alternatives to the WWF & WCW. To this day, fans of the original ECW talk about the night Douglas threw down the NWA World Heavyweight Title and the hour long match between himself, Sabu, & fellow Hardcore Hall of Fame/WWE Hall of Fame inductee Terry Funk.

There are those that say ECW fans started losing their voice & that Douglas sold out when he left ECW for jobs in the “big two”. The fans, however, have voiced their approval over the decision to induct Shane and are certain to come out and support a hardcore legend. With the current state of the wrestling business today & knowing Shane’s knack for cutting profanity laced promos, one has to wonder what the Franchise is going to say as the hardcore faithful once again gather in the Mecca of pro wrestling.

Last night, WWE presented the Extreme Rules (formerly One Night Stand) PPV event. In the shock of the evening (at least in my mind), Tommy Dreamer finally captured his second ECW Title.

Not since July 2006 has a star from the original ECW held the brand’s title (the last to do so was Rob Van Dam & we all know what happened there). Many fans, myself included, thought last night was going to be Dreamer’s final match with WWE. I am happy to eat a big plate of crow on that one & see Tommy get one final hurrah in WWE as the ECW Champion. Nobody knows how long the title reign will last, but personally, I’m hoping he gets to wrestle at the Night of Champions PPV event in Philadelphia next month. The ECW faithful in attendance would give him nothing short of a hero’s welcome. For fans, it will be a great way to say thank you one more time. For Tommy Dreamer, it would be a hardcore homecoming he would never forget.

Congratulations to both men on their achievements. Until next time, stay extreme.

Check out Bloodsport : ECW’s Most Violent Matches by clicking here.

Check out the WWE DVD – The Rise and Fall of ECW by clicking here.

Check out ECW’s first pay-per-view, Barely Legal on DVD by clicking here.

Check out Hardcore Homecoming 2: November Reign on DVD (announced by CamelClutchBlog.com’s Eric Gargiulo by clicking here.