1994 Eastern Championship Wrestling supercard event and tournament
The
NWA World Title Tournament
was a
live
supercard
held by the
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States-based
professional wrestling promotion
NWA
Eastern Championship Wrestling
(ECW) on August 27, 1994. The event featured a tournament for the vacant
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
. The commentator for the event was
Joey Styles
. Highlights from the event aired on the August 29, 1994 episode of
ECW Hardcore TV
, while the tournament final and the bout between
Shane Douglas
and
2 Cold Scorpio
appeared on the 2012
WWE
DVD
and
Blu-ray
release
ECW Unreleased: Vol 1
; the bout between
911
and
Doink the Clown
appeared on the 2013
WWE
Blu-ray
release
ECW Unreleased: Vol 2
; and the bout between
Cactus Jack
and
Mikey Whipwreck
and
the Public Enemy
was included in the 2005 compilation DVD
BloodSport - The Most Violent Matches of ECW
.
[2]
The event is known for the speech given by the tournament winner,
ECW Heavyweight Champion
Shane Douglas
, who dropped the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt
[3]
and proclaimed the ECW Heavyweight Championship to be a world championship. Douglas' speech presaged the emergence of ECW - renamed
Extreme Championship Wrestling
shortly after the event - as a nationally recognized promotion and the continued decline in the power and profile of the NWA.
[4]
The event has been described by
WWE
as "one of the most controversial incidents to ever occur at any
sports entertainment
event".
[1]
Douglas described his throwing down of the title strap as "the defining moment for [his] career".
[5]
Background
[
edit
]
The
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
was the principal championship recognized by
professional wrestling promotions
affiliated with the
National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA). By the early 1990s, the largest NWA affiliate was
World Championship Wrestling
(WCW). In 1993, the relationship between WCW and the NWA board of directors began to deteriorate. In September 1993, WCW withdrew from the NWA and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship - held by WCW employee
Ric Flair
- was vacated.
After the title had been vacant for several months, NWA board member
Dennis Coralluzzo
proposed holding a tournament to crown a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
Tod Gordon
and
Paul Heyman
- the owner and
booker
of the NWA affiliate
Eastern Championship Wrestling
(ECW) - wrote to the board of directors proposing that ECW host the tournament given that it had more television exposure than any other NWA affiliate. The board of directors accepted the proposal. Ostensibly unbeknownst to the board of directors, Gordon and Heyman - who had previously had disagreements with Coralluzzo - planned to use the tournament to publicly break away from the NWA and springboard ECW to prominence. Gordon and Heyman approached
Shane Douglas
, the planned winner of the tournament, who agreed to their plan.
[6]
[1]
[5]
Event
[
edit
]
The event featured an eight-man tournament for the vacant championship. The tournament began with
Dean Malenko
defeating the Japanese wrestler
Osamu Nishimura
by submission using a
standing figure-four leglock
, followed by
911
squashing
the surprise
wild card
entrant,
Doink the Clown
, with a series of
chokeslams
.
Shane Douglas
, the-then
ECW Heavyweight Champion
, pinned
the Tazmaniac
with a
roll-up
, followed by
2 Cold Scorpio
defeating
Chris Benoit
in an "aerial showcase" by reversing Benoit's
superplex
into a
small package
. In the semi-finals, 2 Cold Scorpio defeated 911 by count-out after 911 was distracted by Douglas (disguised as Doink the Clown), while Douglas pinned Dean Malenko following two
piledrivers
.
In between the semi finals and the finals, there was a scheduled
tag team
bout for the
ECW Tag Team Championship
between champions
the Public Enemy
(
Johnny Grunge
and
Rocco Rock
) and challengers
Cactus Jack
and
Terry Funk
. After Funk was forced to withdraw from the event due to missing a flight,
Tommy Dreamer
was teased as Funk's replacement but was attacked by the Public Enemy, with Rocco Rock putting him through a table using a
diving senton
.
Mikey Whipwreck
was then announced as Funk's surprise replacement. Cactus Jack and Whipwreck went on to score an
upset
victory over the Public Enemy, with Whipwreck pinning Rock after Cactus Jack jostled him while he was on the top rope, causing him to fall and hit his groin on the ring rope.
[6]
[7]
[8]
In the final bout of the tournament, Douglas pinned 2 Cold Scorpio following a
belly-to-belly suplex
.
[9]
[6]
[10]
After being presented with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt, Douglas began to deliver an acceptance speech before abruptly throwing down the title belt and instead picking up the ECW Heavyweight Championship belt, proclaiming himself to be the "ECW Heavyweight Champion of the world".
[6]
In the tradition of
Lou Thesz
, in the tradition of
Jack Brisco
of the Brisco Brothers, of
Dory Funk, Jr.
, of
Terry Funk
: the man who will never die. As the real
"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
,
upstairs
tonight. From the
Harley Races
, to the
Barry Windhams
, to the...
Ric Flairs
, I accept
this heavyweight title
.
Wait a second, wait a second. Of
Kerry Von Erich
. Of the fat man himself,
Dusty Rhodes
. This is it tonight, dad. God, that's beautiful. And
Rick Steamboat
...and they can all kiss my ass!
Because I am not the man who accepts a torch to be handed down to me from
an organization
that died -
RIP
-
seven years ago
. The Franchise, Shane Douglas, is the man who ignites
the new flame
of the sport of
professional wrestling
.
Tonight, before God and my father as witness, I declare myself, the Franchise, as the new
ECW Heavyweight Champion of the world
.
[11]
We have set out to change the face of professional wrestling. So tonight, let the new era begin: the era of the sport of professional wrestling; the era of the Franchise; the era of the ECW.
[6]
[12]
Aftermath
[
edit
]
Dennis Coralluzzo
was interviewed immediately after the event, referring to Douglas' actions as "a disgrace" and stating that he would move to have Douglas stripped of both championships.
[1]
There are conflicting accounts as to whether Coralluzzo was aware in advance that Douglas intended to throw down the belt.
[9]
On the August 29, 1994 episode of
ECW Hardcore TV
, Tod Gordon delivered a
promo
stating that Eastern Championship Wrestling had withdrawn from the NWA, and had renamed the company
Extreme Championship Wrestling
, and would recognise Shane Douglas as its world heavyweight champion.
[6]
I listened with great interest as the representative of the NWA board of directors took it upon himself to inform you that they have the power to force NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling not to recognize the Franchise, Shane Douglas, as a world heavyweight champion. Well, as of noon today, I have folded NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling. In its place will be ECW -
Extreme
Championship Wrestling
- and we recognize the Franchise, Shane Douglas, as our
World Heavyweight Champion
. And we encourage any wrestler in the world today to come to the ECW to challenge for that belt. This is the ECW, Extreme Championship Wrestling, changing the face of professional wrestling.
The
ECW Tag Team Championship
and
ECW Television Championship
were also renamed the
ECW World Tag Team Championship
and
ECW World Television Championship
.
The NWA World Heavyweight Championship remained vacant until November 19, 1994, when
Chris Candido
won a tournament in
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
hosted by
Smoky Mountain Wrestling
, defeating
Tracy Smothers
[13]
in the finals.
[14]
Douglas' actions have been described as "killing the title's credibility forever".
[15]
Results
[
edit
]
Tournament brackets
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Linder, Zach (August 27, 2014).
"Paul Heyman on Shane Douglas and the birth of Extreme"
.
WWE
.com
.
WWE
. Retrieved
January 18,
2015
.
- ^
Mix, Brett (January 25, 2011).
"Review: BloodSport - The Most Violent Matches of ECW (2 disc) DVD"
.
WrestlingDVDNetwork.com
. Retrieved
October 23,
2020
.
- ^
Shane Douglas sends a message: ECW, Aug. 27, 1994
, retrieved
2021-02-23
- ^
James Dixon; Arnold Furious; Lee Maughan (2015).
The Complete WWE Guide Volume Six
.
Lulu.com
. p. 179.
ISBN
978-1-326-50746-6
.
- ^
a
b
Brian Fritz (2006).
Between the Ropes: Wrestling's Greatest Triumphs and Failures
.
ECW Press
. pp. 81?82.
ISBN
978-1-55490-268-2
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Thom Loverro (2007).
The Rise & Fall of ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling
.
Simon & Schuster
. pp. 67?78.
ISBN
978-1-4165-6156-9
.
- ^
"The Public Enemy vs. Cactus Jack & Mikey Whipwreck - ECW World Tag Team Championship Match: ECW, August 27, 1994"
.
WWE
.com
.
WWE
. Retrieved
January 18,
2015
.
- ^
Mick Foley
(2000).
Have a Nice Day!: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks
. Turtleback Books.
ISBN
978-0-613-33590-4
.
- ^
a
b
Scott E. Williams (2013).
Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of ECW
.
Skyhorse Publishing
. pp. 56?57.
ISBN
978-1-61321-582-1
.
- ^
Scherer, Dave
(August 28, 1994).
"ECW 8/27"
.
Rec.Sport.Pro-Wrestling
. Archived from
the original
on August 9, 2021
. Retrieved
November 23,
2020
.
- ^
"Shane Douglas denounces the NWA world title after winning it in a tournament, ECW 1994 - YouTube"
.
www.youtube.com
. Retrieved
2020-07-21
.
- ^
"2 Cold Scorpio vs. Shane Douglas: NWA World Heavyweight Title Tournament Finals - August 27, 1994"
.
WWE
.com
.
WWE
. Retrieved
January 18,
2015
.
- ^
Cris Candido vs Tracey Smothers, NWA tournament finals
, retrieved
2021-02-22
- ^
Tim Hornbaker (2007).
National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Professional Wrestling
.
ECW Press
. p. 387.
ISBN
978-1-55490-274-3
.
- ^
Lee Maughan (2013).
The Complete WWF Video Guide Volume III
.
Lulu.com
. p. 72.
ISBN
978-1-291-41107-2
.
External links
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