"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP!"
Vince McMahon started off a lot of meetings by shouting, but this time was different. This meeting wasn't with TV executives or the board of directors. Today's conference was just between McMahon and two other men: Paul Heyman and Mick Foley.
"I've got one guy crippling half my SmackDown roster, and the other one stealing the superstars that are left!" McMahon said.
"Vince, I'd just like to say in my own defense that no one told Kurt Angle to do that. Taking out the SmackDown roster was his own brilliant idea."
Foley smirked a bit in Heyman's direction as he spoke the last sentence.
"Well I'm not standing for it!" Vince answered back. "You want ECW gone! Well you're going to get your chance!"
"Wait just a second!" Heyman interrupted. "As the General Manager of Extreme Championship Wrestling, I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Mister McMahon. You promised me that ECW would be reborn. We've signed all the paperwork. If you go back on that promise now, I am fully prepared to sue!"
McMahon smiled. "Wrong. You won't be able to sue me, because you see, you'll both get a chance to have what you want."
Foley and Heyman fell silent, listening curiously as McMahon continued laying down the law.
"Heyman, I promised you ECW would come back. But I never promised for how long. Foley, you and your team will get a chance to kill ECW once and for all. In fact, you'll get a chance to kill it on its very first night back. But only if you get Angle to lay off my damn superstars!"
"That can be arranged." Foley assured him.
McMahon's eyes lit up. It was clear the promoter gears in his head were turning. He was about to show again why he was a wrestling visionary as he told the two men his idea.
"It'll be team Foley versus team ECW in a classic Survivor Series match. If Heyman's team wins, Extreme Championship Wrestling can continue to thrive and prosper without anyone trying to screw it up." McMahon glared over at Foley. "Or else, they'll be fired. But, if team Foley wins, ECW is dead and buried forever."
"Why the hell should I agree to that!" Heyman questioned.
"Don't you have faith in your team?" McMahon asked him. "Don't you believe in ECW?"
Heyman thought that question over for several minutes. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally answered with a devilish grin spread across his face.
"You know what? I will agree to that match. I will Vince. Because when I look at Mick Foley's team, I see men who don't know what they're in for. I see men who are going to get destroyed. I see a broken down, former hardcore legend, a Jesus freak that won't last five minutes in the ECW arena, and Kurt Angle. All these men are good, but they're not extreme. You're on!"
McMahon immediately ordered his secretary to draw up the legal papers for the team leaders to sign. This was going to be a great moment in sports-entertainment history.
The ECW arena hosted the first TV taping of the newest WWE brand. Banners for Stacker 2 were hung from the rafters. Jim Ross did commentary for the event since Joey Styles wanted too much money. It certainly didn't feel exactly like ECW, but that didn't matter much. The important thing tonight was the match itself, and the death or survival of one of the greatest wrestling promotions that ever lived.
The wrestlers entered the ring to their WWE theme songs. Foley even wore an old Dude Love shirt to signify how anti-hardcore he was. Needless to say the crowd booed him mercilessly. Although the match was taking place under ECW rules, the referee insisted on maintaining some order considering the importance of the outcome. Tags were necessary and only two men were allowed in the ring at a time.
One problem Mick hadn't considered before signing the papers was the fact that team Foley only had three members versus team ECW's four man group. It was a rare lapse in good judgment, but after a thousand chair shots to the skull a man is bound to make mistakes. In the weeks leading up to the match, a mystery partner for team Foley was heavily promoted on WWE shows. That partner turned out to be Doink the clown. Again, a man is bound to make mistakes. The clown started the match for his team, and was quickly eliminated by a Rhyno gore in about ten seconds.
Their backs now to the wall, Foley's team sent Shawn Michaels into the ring to battle the last ECW champion. As it turned out, Paul Heyman was wrong. HBK did last five minutes in an ECW ring, but he spent most of that time getting bounced around by "The Man Beast." With Michaels down, Rhyno went to the arena floor and retrieved a table from underneath the ring. Team Foley tried to stop his progress, but they were easily cut off by the remainder team ECW. As a brawl erupted on the floor, Rhyno propped the table up in a corner of the ring and whipped Michaels into it. The wood didn't break. Rhyno immediately went for another gore, but HBK managed to leapfrog his opponent, despite the soreness in his back. Rhyno drove himself head first through the table, but slowly staggered back up to his feet. After a quick shot of Sweet Chin Music, Rhyno was pinned and gone from the match. The contest was now three against three.
Tazz stepped between the ropes next to battle "The Heartbreak Kid." HBK reached out desperately for a tag, but found his arm getting grabbed by his opponent instead. Tazz suplexed Michaels right on his head without any hesitation.
"I'm gonna break your pretty fuckin' face." Tazz warned as he scooped up "The Showstopper" and shot him into the ring ropes. Thanks to a hard clothesline, Tazz did in fact break Michaels' nose on impact, just like he said he would. The mood was definitely changing.
Foley and Angle continued fighting The Dudleys on the arena floor, but the brawl eventually spilled into the crowd. Fortunately for Vince McMahon the rabid ECW fans loved every second of the action, even when it was happening right next to them, and wouldn't dare sue over something so "fun."
Angle was eventually rolled back into the ring by D-Von Dudley. That proved to be a mistake. Tired of throwing a now bleeding Michaels around, Tazz focused his attention on Angle instead. Michaels used all the strength he had left to low blow the distracted Tazz, sending the "Human Suplex Machine" to the canvas in a heap.
Angle got back to his feet and sprinted over to his team's corner of the ring. HBK finally made the tag, giving himself a much needed rest period. The former Olympian went right for Tazz, taking the extreme star down amateur-style. Tazz threw wild punches at Angle's head, eventually forcing the WWE star off of him. The two men got back up and began chain wrestling, while down on the floor it was still all street fighting between Foley and The Dudleys. Michaels couldn't assist either of his teammates. He had to cling to the top rope just to keep from falling over due to the massive blood loss and tremendous pain.
Even Mick Foley was no match for both Dudley brothers. After dropping the former Cactus Jack on the concrete via a double-team powerbomb, the eight-time tag champs got back into the ring. The rules be damned! Bubba and D-Von were on a roll, and refused to stop. After all, this was supposed to be ECW, where anything goes. The Dudleys hit the 3D on Kurt Angle, giving Tazz the easy win. Angle reluctantly went back to the showers, clutching at his neck.
With Foley still down, Michaels was forced to get back into the ring. Feeling Michaels was easy prey at this point, Tazz tagged out to D-Von Dudley. As they brawled inside the ring, Foley took his place back on the apron and cheered Shawn on. The ECW team simply laughed as D-Von had his way with Michaels, every move putting the former WWE champion on his back. Finally, D-Von called for the last rites. The crowd fully behind him, the black Dudley was fully prepared to finish off yet another WWE member, when out of nowhere Michaels grabbed him in a small package. Three seconds later, Michaels had scored a sudden pin fall victory that not even his own teammate could believe.
Unfortunately, it would be the last great accomplishment of the night for Michaels. He proved he could fight through the pain and squeeze out one victory, but two was asking for too much, even from a performer on Michaels' level. Bubba Dudley entered the ring next, and after about three minutes of action powerbombed an exhausted HBK to score what had to be considered the upset of the year.
Bubba didn't have long to celebrate his win however. A determined Mick Foley punched him right in the face, seeking revenge from earlier and victory for his now one-man team. Foley connected with wild lefts and rights, seeking to draw blood from the remaining Dudley. He followed it up with a clothesline, sending himself and Bubba over the top rope to the floor. It was there that a strange thing happened. Foley found himself pointing his fingers and shouting "BANG, BANG!" Maybe it was the excitement of the moment, or maybe it was the "former hardcore legend" comment Heyman had made back in Vince's office, but Mick Foley found himself reverting back to his Cactus Jack roots.
He instinctively grabbed a chair next. It was the only thing harder than his fist that he could hit an opponent with, and it wouldn't even hurt his hands. Foley swung like a madman, cracking the steel over Bubba Dudley's skull. Foley rolled his nemesis back into the ring. From his corner, Tazz just watched on, biding his time until it was his turn to wrestle again.
Back in the ring, Bubba finally retaliated with punches of his own. He whipped Foley from one ring post to the next, and then connected with a big splash in the corner. Bubba sent Foley into the ropes. As he bounced back, Bubba positioned himself for another 3D. Foley quickly avoided the maneuver with a shot to the back, followed up quickly by his old trademark: the double arm DDT. Foley got the pin on Bubba, finally evening the odds. It was now down to Tazz and Cactus Jack.
The two men stared each other down as the crowd cheered wildly. This was an ECW dream match if ever there was one. Foley ripped his Dude Love shirt ala Hulk Hogan to signify just how extreme he still was. Some of the fans actually began cheering Foley on at this point, but the majority of the crowd still wanted Tazz to kill the WWE representative.
The two men locked up in center ring, but the match quickly got hardcore. Tazz hit two different suplexes on his opponent, but the third time proved to be the charm. As Tazz went for a T-Bone Tazzplex, Foley locked in a mandible claw. The hold forced Tazz to the outside of the ring, and Jack was quick to join him there.
The two men took turns slamming one another into the guard rail. Cactus Jack got the advantage and bodyslammed Tazz on the concrete floor. He then hit his trademark elbow drop from the apron onto his prone adversary. Unfortunately, pins didn't count on the outside of the ring.
Jack rolled Tazz back into the ring. He only scored a two count. He attempted a second double arm DDT, but Tazz countered with a back body drop before falling to his knees. Both men were tired from the previous minutes of action. The finish of the match wasn't too far off now.
The two fatigued warriors slowly got back on their feet. They traded punches back and forth. Jack swung with a wild right hand. Tazz ducked it, spinning Foley all the way around. The Tazzmission was immediately locked on much to the enjoyment of the pro-ECW crowd. It appeared all but over, until a strange thing happened. Paul Heyman made his way from the backstage into the ring. He rolled inside behind the competitors and proceeded to crack Tazz in the back of the head with his old Paul E. Dangerously cell phone. The crowd began a 'Heyman sucks!" chant, but it was all for naught. The blow to the head was all it took for Tazz to release the hold and collapse on the canvas. An equally beaten down Cactus Jack fell right on top of his opponent, his arm weakly draped over Tazz's chest. The referee made the three count, and just like that ECW was officially dead. Thanks to Paul Heyman.
Aftermath
The 3D injured Kurt Angle's often vulnerable neck. He was forced to retire.
The hardcore was brought back out of Mick Foley thanks to his experience in the ECW arena.. He went on a farewell tour as Cactus Jack, competing in one bloody death match after another both on and off WWE television. Ironically, his last match took place in Japan against ECW legend Terry Funk.
The Dudleys and Rhyno were released from World Wrestling Entertainment. They found new homes, and new names, in TNA.
Before being demoted to OVW duties, Paul Heyman was allowed one last appearance to explain his actions. The week after the ECW show, Heyman opened up a SmackDown broadcast. He made the following statement.
"The whole wrestling industry collapsed in 2001, and WCW and ECW collapsed along with it. If we were still around today, I don't think we'd be considered number two or three. I think we'd mop the floor with the WWE simply because of our work ethic and the rabid fan base we have, and how the fans promoted us themselves. I think if we could've survived that year in 2001, it would be an entirely different wrestling industry today.
"But that didn't happen, and we're never going to get a chance to find out if I'm right. Because the sad, horrible truth is that Extreme Championship Wrestling, everything we were, and everything we are, is now owned by the corporate wrestling giant that is Vince McMahon. You people saw the Stacker 2 banners at the show. You heard good ol' JR on commentary. You saw a Survivor Series match, a freakin' WWE trademark, at an ECW show. That's not what we're about, and never will be! The fact is, if we were around today, it wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't be my creation anymore. It would be ECW as viewed by Vince McMahon and his sports-entertainment enthusiasts. Well no one, I repeat, NO ONE, can run ECW but ME! I created it, and I'd rather see it dead than to have its legacy bastardized!
"McMahon, I don't care if you draw 70,000 people in a dome for WrestleMania. Nobody chants 'WWE' at your shows. I was on Fifty-Seventh Avenue in New York City. There was a three-car pileup and a bunch of people looked at the car wreck and started chanting "ECW." It's become part of the country's lexicon. It's an accepted, acknowledged phrase. For us to build that from a bingo hall and extend it out is really something. We did that, Vince. It was our blood, our sweat, our hard work, and I'll be damned if you're going to profit off of something you had nothing to do with!
"I didn't want to see a corporate reincarnation of ECW. That's why I did what I did. Much like Doctor Frankenstein, my beautiful creation turned into a monster. It wasn't supposed to be this way, but Vince McMahon once again stuck his nose in my business, and attempted to prostitute my revolutionary vision. Well that won't happen! Not now, not ever! And if you people had any brains at all, if you were true wrestling fans, you'd support my decision to kill ECW!"
One man who certainly did mind Heyman's decision was Tazz. This time, it was his turn to sneak out of the backstage area and perform a sneak attack. Heyman finished his speech and threw down the microphone. He prepared to leave the ring, but felt a pair of hands wrapping around him. Tazz gleefully applied the Tazzmission hold, once again to the thrill of the crowd. After several minutes, which were edited to several seconds following the taping, Tazz finally let go of an unconscious Paul Heyman. His revenge achieved, Tazz returned to the broadcast booth with Michael Cole, where he gladly remains today.
THE END