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.

Let's Watch ECW #43

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 #43

This is such a great introduction to ECW. "The Night The Line Was Crossed" has become almost mythical, and it's no accident. Building the reputation of that event begins in the very first seconds of this episode. A black screen with white letters reads "Saturday Night. February 5, 1994". The next title card reads "The Night The Line Was Crossed." It fades up to the aftermath of the ECW Heavyweight Championship match between Terry Funk, Shane Douglas and Sabu. The match ended in a time limit draw. Joey Styles remarks on the normally hostile Philadelphia crowd giving all three men a standing ovation. Styles states that wrestling has returned to the United States of America.

Wow.

Finding Five-Star Commentary

We spend so much time as pro wrestling fans talking about the best performers in the ring, the best matches, the best shows and other superlatives. It can get a little excessive sometimes.

What occurred to me recently is that we rarely celebrate the best performances by announcers. Sure, you get the casual, widely-accepted "Jim Ross is the greatest of all time" opinion thrown around, but do those fans ever cite sources? Do they talk specifically about the matches and moments that make J.R. one of (if not the) best?

I found myself reflecting on what Jim Ross matches stand out as his best work, and that expanded to other prominant announcers in recent pro wrestling history. What are their best performances? How do you measure their quality? These are good questions to ponder.

I came up with a few candidates, but I'm going to need your help putting together a decent list. Leave a comment below or you can reach me via Twitter @MainstreamMat. We'll gather up the worthy candidates and maybe put them to a vote.