The first "ECW One Night Stand" took place ten years ago today from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

Read all of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the show HERE in PWTorch Newsletter #866, as part of the Torch Back-Issues available for VIP members.

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ECW ONE NIGHT STAND PPV
JUNE 12, 2005
MANAHATTAN, N.Y. AT HAMMERSTEIN
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

The show began with Joey Styles coming to the ring to introduce the show. Joey was near tears as the raucous crowd chanted, “Joey, Joey, Joey!” Joey introduced his broadcast colleague, Mick Foley, who came to the ring to his Cactus Jack theme music. As Joey and Foley hugged in the ring, the classic ECW intro video played.

(1) Lance Storm (w/Dawn Marie) beat “Lionheart” Chris Jericho at 7:23 when Justin Credible hit Jericho with a kendo stick while the referee’s back was turned. Credible, Storm, Dawn Marie, and Jason Knight posed in the ring after the match. (**3/4)

Joey Styles introduced a special “ECW Remembers” video package highlighting the deaths of former ECW alumni. The list included Rocco Rock, Terry Gordy, Crash Holly, The Original Sheik, Mike Lazansky, Pitbull Anthony Durante, Big Dick Dudley, and Chris Candido. Dates indicating the years of death accompanied each wrestler’s names, which indicated some very early deaths.

(2) Super Crazy beat Yoshihiro Tajiri (w/Mikey Whipwreck and Jim Mitchell) and Little Guido (w/Tracy Smothers, Big Guido, and Tony Mamaluke) at 6:11 in a triple threat elimination match. Guido (Nunzio in WWE) was eliminated first by Tajiri following a Whippersnapper by Whipwreck. Prior to the elimination, Super Crazy connected with a “high spot of the night” moonsault off the balcony onto FBI down below. Super Crazy eventually scored the final elimination on Tajiri with a powerbomb/moonsault combination. The action felt rushed at points. (**1/4)

(3) Rey Mysterio beat Psicosis at 6:20 with a springboard huricanrana. Before the match, Psicosis took off his mask, which the ECW audience disapproved of. They also disapproved of Rey using the 619 as the set up to the springboard huricanrana, because it felt more “WWE” than authentic “ECW.” The match felt rushed. (**)

The contingent of Smackdown invaders, led by Kurt Angle, arrived at the Hammerstein Ballroom to sit in a private section of balcony seats they purchased. Before finding their seats, the Smackdown crew was cursed at by the ECW fans while a loud, “F––– you, Smackdown” chant was started up. Joel Gertner made his first appearance of the night and he was quickly kicked out of the private seats by JBL. Angle ran down ECW and the fans, then Rob Van Dam interrupted with Bill Alfonso by his side and told the WWE contingent that people came to the show and were tuning in at home to see ECW and not the WWE wrestlers who they’re tired of having shoved down their throats. RVD indicated he was working without any “creative geniuses” and was shooting straight from the heart. One of RVD’s best promos in his career came to an end when Rhino interfered and gored RVD. The lights went out and when the lights came back on, Sabu was standing in the ring.

(4) Sabu (w/Bill Alfonso & RVD) beat Rhyno at 6:27 with an Arabian Skullcrusher through a table. RVD managed to drop kick a chair into Rhyno while hobbling on one good knee. After the match, Sabu and RVD hugged. Another crazy, high–octane highspot fest. Eric Bischoff led a contingent of Raw Crusaders to the private “WWE section” of seats to join the Smackdown crew. The fans hurled obscenities towards Bischoff as he walked to his seat.

(5) Chris Benoit beat Eddie Guerrero at 9:00 when Eddie submitted to the Crippler’s Crossface. Another match that felt too short to reach anything close to its potential. (**3/4)

Joel Gertner made his second appearance of the night and asked Eric Bischoff for a job. Bischoff shoved Gertner away and said he didn’t want any of the ECW fans to show up at his show because they’re not of the same class as the Raw fans. Bischoff said, “ECW sucks.”

(6) Mike Awesome beat Masato Tanaka at 11:00 with an Awesome Bomb through a table. During the match, the camera cut to various shots of JBL and the WWE wrestlers laughing their way through the endless table spots in the match. Plenty of chairshots, with a string of chair shots no–sold by Tanaka. The match was a major clusterf----, but it was the highpoint of the night because of endless nearfalls and a hot crowd response. (***1/4)

Paul Heyman came out to the ring sporting a headset and a long leather jacket. Heyman had tears in his eyes as he stepped into the ring to a chant of “Thank you, Paul.” Heyman soaked in the moment, then acknowledged several people who helped along the way including Tod Gordon, the producers, and the fans. Heyman pointed to Bischoff and told him, “You’re in our house, b----.” Bischoff shot his middle finger back at Heyman. Bischoff made fun of Edge’s relationship issues before saying the two (really three) words no one has the balls to say, “Matt frickin’ Hardy.” Heyman continued down the line by indicating the only way JBL became WWE Champion was because “Triple H didn’t wanna work Tuesdays.” JBL mocked being hurt by the comment and fell down on his knees holding his chest in “pain.” Heyman closed, “This isn’t Raw, this isn’t Smackdown, this is ’E–C–F–––in’–W!’”

(7) Buh Buh Ray Dudley & D–Von Dudley beat The Sandman & Tommy Dreamer at 10:15 with a double team powerbomb on Dreamer through a flaming table. The Sandman’s entrance had the WWE contingent in awe as he soaked up the moment by sharing beers with fans and going through a few rounds of “Enter the Sandman” before standing next to Dreamer. Sandman and Dreamer proceeded to pour beer on the chest of Elektra and another woman before licking the beer off. The match was a spot–fest spectacle that captured the passion and energy of ECW. Even Beulah McGilicutty and Francine became involved and got mixed up in a Catfight. Beulah and Dreamer shared a hug while Dreamer’s face was covered in blood. Spike Dudley made an appearance to light a table on fire before the Dudleys slammed Dreamer through the table. It was the spectacle it needed to be to live up to expectations. (***3/4)

The Sandman was a stumbling, drunk mess after the match and requested a beer. The glass broke and the man with the answer, Steve Austin, came to the ring to a loud pop. Austin said, “I’ve seen you drink, but you don’t need a can of beer, you need a case of beer.” Austin called out the entire ECW locker room for a beer bash, but before sharing beers with everyone, Austin said he wanted to see a fight. Austin called out the WWE crew to partake in a fight.

The WWE guys slowly made their way to the ring as Eric Bischoff sat in on commentary. Before the two sides mixed it up, Taz (with one z) made his first appearance of the night to choke out Kurt Angle. A brawl ensued with the ECW guys eventually clearing the ring of the WWE contingent. Austin called for Eric Bischoff to take his obligatory ECW beat down. Mick Foley dragged Bischoff to the ring where he took a 3–D, Flying Headbutt, 619, and Stunner for good measure.

The Dudleys hauled Bischoff out of the arena and to a flatbed truck outside as Joey Styles said, “This is the greatest night of my professional career.” A beer bash was had in the ring with Austin and Sandman shared a beer as Austin recognized the man who inspired his WWE gimmick. The show closed with Austin and Sandman standing atop the ECW entrance ramp with their arms raised in unison.

[Torch photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch.com]

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