Let's Watch ECW #50

I'm taking a trip back in time to the early days of ECW. I'm starting with the first episode of Hardcore TV after "The Night The Line Was Crossed", which occurred on February 5, 1994. This is before "Extreme", back when ECW was still Eastern Championship Wrestling. Consider this your viewing guide to the ECW archives on the WWE Network.

ECW #50

This is a must-see episode.

We begin with highlights from a cage match called "Ultimate Jeopardy". The gimmick is that there's something on the line for every person in the event that person is pinned. I don't really feel like laying out the details. It's Shane Douglas / The Public Enemy / Mr. Hughes vs. Terry Funk / Road Warrior Hawk / Kevin Sullivan & The Tazmaniac. It's quite the spectacle of violence. In the end, Douglas puts a plastic bag over Funk's head, ties it off and delivers a piledriver to become the new ECW Heavyweight Champion.

This episode is hosted by Matty In The House!!! Sounds strange, but he's not that bad. Where's Joey Styles? We will find out soon enough as Matty sends us to a Falls Count Anywhere match between The Public Enemy and the Bruise Brothers. They brawl all over the arena. At one point, they take out the merchandise stand. They head up into the "Eagle's Nest" announce position high above the ECW Arena. The Public Enemy is pinned literally inches away from Styles and his broadcast colleague, Tom Smith. P.E. takes out its frustration on Styles himself. He gets knocked down. Johnny Grunge drops a leg on him, and Rocco Rock lays in a few chairshots. Styles is laid out. I am in shock.

Later, The Public Enemy delivers a wild promo back in studio. Rocco Rock closes things out by stating that he and Johnny Grunge had girlfriends when they were in jail, those girlfriends were tougher than the Bruise Brothers and they "took 'em every night". Quite the little piece of character development right there.

In the main event, Sabu beats Mike Awesome with a little help from 911. Paul E. gloats in a backstage interview, and hypes a possible match between 911 and Awesome. 

We close things out with Shane Douglas celebrating his title win in his dressing room. Mr. Hughes holds the microphone for him, which is an amusing visual. Sherri celebrates. The Public Enemy, The Pit Bull and The Sandman show up to congratulate Douglas. There's a funny bit where P.E. try to walk off with the ECW Title, but Douglas catches them in the act. No hard feelings! Finally, Tod Gordon reluctantly shows up to deliver his obligatory congratulations on behalf of the NWA. Douglas gloats right in his face. He is a delightful human being.