High Risk/Hardcore Wrestling

HHJ

RIP Toriyama
@plutonium
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I grew up watching wrestling in the 80s..then around '95..wrestling really got shitty,and I actually fell out of watching it for about 2 years...It was finding ECW that reignited my passion for it. It was literally the perfect thing for me to find at the time,and I must have gone to 20 ECW shows in NY and Philly.

Looking back on some of those matches,and considering how many of those people are dead now,or in a bad way...I do feel that some the risks taken didnt have to go that far. I used to dismiss alot of people's arguments against this style of wrestling back then,but now that im older,I can see the wisdom.

Dont get me wrong I sitll love ECW,the old production values from '96 and '97 when they didnt try to compete with wwf and wcw,and just had their OWN thing going on. It was a subculture of people who fit right in with this product and I was very much one of those.

I sometimes cringe at some of the stuff Sabu would do to himself when I watch it now. I feel like the match he was having could have still been really good without putting himself into the hospital.

Anyone else ever feel that way?
 
I grew up watching wrestling in the 80s..then around '95..wrestling really got shitty,and I actually fell out of watching it for about 2 years...It was finding ECW that reignited my passion for it. It was literally the perfect thing for me to find at the time,and I must have gone to 20 ECW shows in NY and Philly.

Looking back on some of those matches,and considering how many of those people are dead now,or in a bad way...I do feel that some the risks taken didnt have to go that far. I used to dismiss alot of people's arguments against this style of wrestling back then,but now that im older,I can see the wisdom.

Dont get me wrong I sitll love ECW,the old production values from '96 and '97 when they didnt try to compete with wwf and wcw,and just had their OWN thing going on. It was a subculture of people who fit right in with this product and I was very much one of those.

I sometimes cringe at some of the stuff Sabu would do to himself when I watch it now. I feel like the match he was having could have still been really good without putting himself into the hospital.

Anyone else ever feel that way?

Absolutely. Actually, Sabu was a very fluid technician. He looked totally legit hitting a low single on Ken Shamrock in early TNA, for example. Sabu, Jerry Lynn, RVD, Tajiri, Tazz, Mike Awesome...ECW was rife with excellent workers. I feel the same way about a lot of shoot-style Japanese wrestling--the super-stiff strikes, stomps, especially, add nothing for me, they just make me cringe knowing what damage the guys are taking. Well, some stiff strikes are cool, but there are times when it actually detracts from my enjoyment.

20 ECW shows...wow. What was that like? It always seemed like a very combustible atmosphere.
 
Absolutely. Actually, Sabu was a very fluid technician. He looked totally legit hitting a low single on Ken Shamrock in early TNA, for example. Sabu, Jerry Lynn, RVD, Tajiri, Tazz, Mike Awesome...ECW was rife with excellent workers. I feel the same way about a lot of shoot-style Japanese wrestling--the super-stiff strikes, stomps, especially, add nothing for me, they just make me cringe knowing what damage the guys are taking. Well, some stiff strikes are cool, but there are times when it actually detracts from my enjoyment.

20 ECW shows...wow. What was that like? It always seemed like a very combustible atmosphere.

Its fuckin awful what happened to guys like Hayabusa and Misawa..

As far as the ECW shows,it was wild. You had to be ready for anything. If you were in the front row...a 230 lb guy could come flying right at you with no warning. Getting blood on you was something that could easily happen...and if you didnt get the fuck out of the way,the security or wrestlers would do it for you. The Dudleys were the main event usually in new york,and the best part about the show. They had NUCLEAR heat...they would come out to no music...and spend 20 mins walking around and abusing the fans until they were ready to riot. Then theyd get in the ring,and cut a promo and the boos were like a wave,like you could almost see the hatred. But it was hatred that the fans loved to have. They loved getting worked up like this. The dudleys get in the ring and they would have bubba get the mic first so he could now verbally insult everyone so we could hear it...and some guy in the balcony,he targeted,and that guy actually jumped down 15 feet and tried to storm the ring only to get the shit beat out of him by security. (ECW had their own security guys called ATLAS,big scary dudes with mustaches and mullets)

THEN theyd hand the mic to Joel Gertner,whod give the introductions to his boys,another fuckin 5 to 10 mins long,and by this time the crowd want these guys to get their asses kicked so bad...and finally when we cant take any more,the strains of enter Sandman hit,and all of a sudden its like were at a metallica concert,but way better,and with only 2000 people as Sandman comes to the ring,and spills beer all over everyone.

Man,these days can never be replicated.

ALSO another tidbit: Some guy from New York had organized bus trips from NY to Philly,so it was like an invasion of 25 NY maniacs going up to the ECW arena,and back then it was a rivalry between the NY and Philly fans. When we got to the arena,as we are getting off the bus we see a line of fans waiting to get into the building,and they booed the shit out of us. They somehow knew were from NYC! hahaha

ahhhh.... the 90s...
 
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