ktc

Dueling Chair Shots
by Kurt La Mont
column date 04/28/2000

Cyberslam was quite a show. It offered everything you would expect from an ECW show and then some. In fact it had not one, not two, but three title changes. And who knows what the deal is with the Tag Team Belts now.

It was great to see Tommy Dreamer win the World Heavyweight Championship belt. While he's not my favorite wrestler or my favorite character, he was definitely the most deserving champion. No wrestler has done more for ECW in and out of the ring than Dreamer. If anyone has ever earned the right to be World Heavyweight Champion its Tommy Dreamer. And yes you can, AND SHOULD, earn the belt that goes around your waist, even if it never ended up around his waist. That's why it means something to a wrestler when they get it. That's why it means something to the fans. If you devalue your titles then you devalue your entire promotion.

How much does the ECW World Heavyweight Championship belt mean? Well, apparently it means so much that Bubba Ray Dudley was willing to hunt down Mike Awesome in Florida and physically take the belt from him so it wouldn't appear on Nitro. I'm guessing that he wasn't the only one willing to do that either. (That was probably the most revealing item that I took from the Q&A).

And now the title has been put on Justin Credible. I'll admit, initially I thought that after Dreamer won that it would be Raven who thwarted him yet again. But once Justin Credible came out and the match began I would have been more shocked if Tommy had won the match. Now that would have been a swerve to me.

I initially had some doubts about Justin being the Champion. This mostly comes because I wasn't expecting it this early, especially after he said it would be another year before he felt he could reach that level (another Q&A insight; I'd be interested to know if Paul E told him the plan for the night before or after then). The other reason I had doubts is because I wondered if he stacked up against other former champions, listed below.

ECW's World Heavyweight Champions (not including Eastern Championship Wrestling):

Shane Douglas (3 times)

Sandman (3)

Raven (2)

Mikey Whipwreck

Terry Funk

Sabu

Bam Bam Bigelow

Taz (2)

Mike Awesome (2)

Tanaka

Tommy Dreamer

Justin Credible

The more I think about it though the more that I like Justin being Champion. He's been booked that way for a while now, actually almost from the beginning, if you think about it. He's got a great heel look, can work a match with just about anyone, and with the proper focus can cut good, and potentially great, promos. And the fans really hate him too which is the most important thing for a heel. While I don't think that he ranks very highly on the list of Champions right now I really think that he will take the ball and run with it and will grow into a great champion.

While having a title change hands twice in the same night is unexpected it is not unprecedented. In fact, it has happened three other times in ECW's history (4 if you count EasternCW). The first time was in 11/94 when Malenko won the TV belt only to lose it to Too Cold; the second was 10/95 when Raven and Stevie Richards won the Tag Belts and then lost to Public Enemy; the third was the Dudleys winning in Queens in 8/99 only to lose later that night to Dreamer and Raven.

While the Heavyweight Champion got most of the attention there's also a new TV Champion in ECW in Rhino.

Here's a rundown of the ECW TV Champions

2 Cold Scorpio (4 times)

Dean Malenko (2)

Eddie Guerrero (2)

Mikey Whipwreck

Shane Douglas (2)

Pitbull #2

Chris Jericho

Taz

Bam Bam Bigelow

Rob Van Dam

Super Crazy

Tajiri

Rhino

This is a belt that has been really elevated over the last few years, almost to the point where it was almost the equal of the World Heavyweight Belt. After Shane Douglas won the belt in July of 1996 the belt only changed hands 3 times until this year. Douglas, Taz and Van Dam each all had a run in this time of nearly a year with Van Dam's run with the belt being almost 2 years.

It would be nearly impossible for the TV belt to be elevated any further without it eclipsing the World Title. Having said that Super Crazy and Tajiri are definitely worthy TV champions and rank just as high in my mind as any of the early champions of Scorpio, Malenko, Guerrero and Jericho. This belt has come back to being the clear #2 belt in the company which is really where it should be.

Now Rhino is the TV Champion. In a few years I have a feeling that he we'll look back at the TV title history and say that Rhino is a great TV champion. But like Justin Credible, Rhino isn't quite at that level in my mind, mostly because he hasn't been around quite as long. He does have the benefit of being with Cyrus so that should really help him.

Who's #2 revisited:

Here's what Joey Sytles had to say when asked about whether he though ECW was the '#2 promotion' on a 'Between the Ropes' interview

STYLES: My thoughts are that I think it's an inane debate and I won't get involved in it. I don't think it matters....... I don't care if we're #3, #4 or #17. As long as we have a strong and profitable company, that's all I hope for each and every day. If it winds up pushing us ahead of WCW, fine. If we wind up tied with WCW, fine or behind them, fine. What to do you get for being #2, a cookie? Who cares? It's an inane debate........ I think they come off as being childish and silly. Again, it's for marks.

That's what I was trying to say a month ago. I knew I liked Joey for a reason. And he watches CNBC too! I think I have a new hero.

More good stuff next week.