Torch Newsletter back issues from five years ago and ten years ago are republished at the Torch VIP website (www.pwtorch.com/members) every week featuring full reviews of Raw, Nitro, other TV shows, and PPVs, plus the Torch cover story, WWF Newswire, WCW Newswire, ECW Newswire, ETC Newswire, "Torch Talk" interviews, columns, and more. The following is an excerpt of that feature with a full review of WWF Raw from five years ago this week.

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Torch Newsletter Archive
By Jason Powell, Torch assistant editor
January 7, 2000 - ECW on TNN TV review
Originally published: Pro Wrestling Torch Weekly newsletter #584
Cover dated: January 15, 2000

1.2 rating

(Taped Dec. 23 in White Plains, N.Y.)… [Q1: 1.1]… The show opened with the final minutes of last week's Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka match, plus Awesome's post-match angle with Spike Dudley… The opening montage aired… Joey Styles and Joel Gertner introduced the show in front of a cool-looking ECW backdrop. Gertner humorously introduced himself, but was censored… A re-cap aired of the ECW Title history. The piece originally aired on last week's syndicated show and is really well done… Spike Dudley's promo from the syndicated show aired. Like the title history piece, the promo was also worthy of being replayed. Spike is going to be a huge star for ECW…

[Q2: 1.1]… [C] Backstage, Mike Awesome and Judge Jeff Jones cut a promo hyping the PPV. This may have also aired on last week's syndicated show. At any rate, Awesome cut a solid, well-planned promo… [C] In a stairwell, the Impact Players, Jason, and Dawn Marie cut a promo. Justin did all of the talking and wasn't bad but still has a way to go when it comes to promos. His promos are fine for what they are, but if ECW wants to eventually push him as the top guy he will have to turn it up a notch… [C] (1) Danny Doring & Roadkill (w/Electra) beat Kid Cash & Nova and The Dupps in a three-way tag match. The Dupp gimmick has never been explained on TNN and the announcers didn't do a good job of getting their gimmick across. At 2:45, Nova and Doring leapt off the top rope and teamed up to splash one of the Dupps. Cash quickly made a cover and scored a pin to eliminate the Dupps. Later, Electra ran in and raked Nova's eyes. Seconds later, Jazz ran out and attacked her. Chris Chetti came out, kissed Electra, and carried her backstage. Moments later, Doring and Roadkill hit a Tennessee Jam-like move on Cash and scored the pin. A good match. All three teams are better than past wrestlers in similar positions on the roster. Through management's patience and allowing younger workers time to improve, ECW's roster is getting deeper…

[Q3: 1.2]… [C] Styles hyped PPV matches… (2) Justin Credible (w/Jason) beat Tommy Dreamer (w/Francine) at 13:18 in a Singapore cane ladder match. The rules were identical to a typical ladder match. Styles said that it was an emotional night for Dreamer because he grew up 15 minutes from the building he is now main eventing. Styles also noted that Dreamer's father was unable to attend the show because he is battling Parkinson's disease. Despite Dreamer growing up in the area, he didn't seem to receive much of a pop during his entrance from his hometown crowd. Justin came to the ring with Jason, but both men ended up leaving the ring and walking toward the back. Dreamer chased after Justin, caught him, and brawled with him near the entrance. Dreamer and Justin continued to battle at ringside and picked up solid heat from the crowd. Later, Dreamer positioned Justin's head underneath the ladder and then sling-shotted him into it.

[Q4: 1.3]… Jason threw a chair into the ring. Justin set up the chair in the middle of the ring and followed up by hitting Dreamer with a drop toe hold onto it. By this point of the match, it seemed odd not to see a drop of blood in an ECW gimmick match, but neither man bladed. Dreamer came back and set the ladder between Justin's legs. Dreamer grabbed the chair and used it to hit the ladder into Justin's groin. Dreamer set up the ladder, climbed up it, and grabbed the cane. Jason ran in and hit Dreamer with an Enziguiri. Francine ran in, attacked Jason, and followed up with a Bronco Buster. Justin grabbed Francine and set her up for a Tombstone Piledriver, but Dreamer caned Justin. Lance Storm and Dawn Marie ran in and attacked Dreamer until Raven ran in to even the odds. Francine and Dawn Marie staged their obligatory cat fight of the week. Dreamer grabbed Dawn Marie and set her up for a piledriver, but Justin broke it up. Seconds later, Justin hit his finisher and scored the pin. A very good match… Backstage, Rhino cut a promo on Sandman hyping the PPV… A good show heading into the PPV… [JP]

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