The following is a reprint of the Torch Newsletter ECW Newswire from five years ago this month.

-Jason Powell, Torch assistant editor

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Torch Newsletter Archive
By Wade Keller, Torch editor
December 1, 1997 - WCW Nitro
Originally published: Pro Wrestling Torch Weekly newsletter #469
Cover dated: December 6, 1997

ON THE ROAD

Nov. 28 in Trenton, N.J. at the C.Y.O Center (est. 1,200): Spike Dudley beat Aaron O'Grady after a bulldog at 7:41. Even though no one in the building knew who O'Grady was, he got a heel reaction when he was billed as hailing from Limerick, Ireland. Both men worked very hard and Spike played into the "Spike's on acid" chant. Chris Chetti pinned Andy Morrison after a springboard moonsault at 6:03. Many fans didn't recognize Chetti, perhaps because of his new haircut. Just a so-so match. Paul Diamond (w/Chastity) beat Jerry Lynn via DQ at 6:59 when Jeff Jones reversed the decision after Lynn dropkicked Chastity from the top rope. The least heat of any match that night.

Justin Credible beat Mikey Whipwreck at 4:00 after a (weak) corkscrew tombstone. Justin appeared to be really off his game. Justin continuously used the DX mannerisms. Blue Meanie beat Jason at 4:43 with a sunset flip. The crowd wasn't into the match.

Taz beat Roadkill in a total squash at 3:40. Taz got the biggest pop of the night. Afterward Pitbull2 stormed the ring and Taz and Pitbull2 brawled until about 10 wrestlers came out and pulled them apart. A fan held up a sign that read, "$aturn thinks he's Taz." The FBI (Tracy Smothers & Little Guido, w/Tommy Rich) won a four-way dance with The Gangstanators, Dudleys, and Balls Mahoney & Axl Rotten. The match ended when for no apparent reason heel referee Jeff Jones awarded the match to the FBI at 20:41. In a surprise, no one bled. Due to the layout of the ring, it was nearly impossible for many to see any of the action at ringside.

Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Chris Candido (w/Francine) with the Asbury Park Plunge at 10:51. Best match of the show. The crowd chanted at Francine throughout, wanting her at various times to show every covered part of her body. In a response Candido said, "You know this is a Catholic facility." Afterward Candido and Francine argued for several minutes.

Sandman & Tommy Dreamer (w/Beulah) beat Rob Van Dam & Sabu (w/Bill Alfonso) at 12:20 when Sandman nailed Sabu with a top rope Arabian Facebuster. Sandman got a considerably bigger pop than Dreamer. After a pair of Rolling Thunders at 9:00, Van Dam told the crowd, "It's time to bury these motherf----ers" and Alfonso handed them the FBI flag. It turned out that the FBI had a WWF banner and Alfonso had the FBI flag. A brawl broke out between the FBI and Sabu & Van Dam which gave Sandman and Dreamer the chance to mount a comeback. Sabu & Van Dam missed their surfboard/top rope chairshot move and Sandman hit the Arabian facebuster and scored the pin. After the match Van Dam and Sabu worked over Dreamer's injured ankle. Another good match, ending a card where everyone worked hard. [Dean Burbage]

ECW NOTEBOOK
Slash from Guns 'n' Roses did not appear on the PPV as advertised on the ECW 900 line. ECW says they had a verbal commitment from him, but couldn't get ahold of him in the days before the PPV. The other no-show was Jenna Jameson, who was advertised on the PPV preview show...

ECW used the WWF's lighting crew for its PPV, thus the improved lighting of the "flashlights crew" used at the previous PPV...

Paul Heyman sent in bumpers advertising his PPV, but the WWF didn't use them on the Nov. 24 Raw. Heyman says he had a chance to air segments on the Nov. 10 or 17 shows, but turned down the opportunity to "avoid being lost in the mix" during the Bret Hart controversy...

Thursday, Dec. 4 in Revere, Mass. features New Jack & Kronus vs. The Dudleys and Sandman & Dreamer vs. Sabu & Van Dam. Friday, Dec. 5 in Waltham, Mass. will be a TV taping featuring Sabu & Van Dam vs. Sandman & Dreamer. Saturday night is an ECW Arena event...

Sabu and Sandman's match at the PPV was such a disaster in part because the ladder that they were going to use for a lot of key spots broke early in the match and they were left with a ladder that too long. Sandman suffered a rib injury in Trenton two days before the PPV and had trouble breathing going into the PPV match. After the match Sandman and Sabu were terribly beat up. Sandman was especially bruised and cut up...

Despite rumors, there was never any consideration that Chris Benoit or Eddie Guerrero would come in for the PPV as some sort of a "settlement" on the "Raven contract controversy"...

The Pitbulls will continue to work dates for ECW, including a New York swing with Pitbull2 vs. Taz later this month. They have contacted WCW about work, but there is nothing close to a start date...

Expect Taz to fight Brakus in New York within the next two months and force him to tapout. The WWF allowed ECW to use Brakus in that way since they want Brakus to get more seasoning in a variety of settings before they debut him on TV. Had Dan Severn agreed to come in for the PPV, Heyman wanted to do an angle between Severn and Taz...

The goal is for the March PPV "Living Dangerously" to be in New York, but no site has been determined yet...

ECW will be taping television at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan on Dec. 22 when several ECW wrestlers will be on tour with FMW from Dec. 19-22. Tommy Dreamer, The Dudleys, and Sandman are among those on the tour. Terry Funk will be at the events and may or may not appear on ECW TV...

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