Rebooking ECW: Resurgence (05/08/97)

Hardcore TV is no more and after a two-month hiatus due to a lengthy lawsuit, Extreme Championship Wrestling is BACK! Featured on a new channel with a revamped roster and production team, the extreme RESURGENCE is NOW! Tonight, the details surrounding the near-crippling lawsuit are revealed and the next chapter in this Extreme saga unfolds…

ECW RESURGENCE 05/08/97 (Various; Live Event Footage)

1. Opening segment: Joey Styles is seen at his desk with the new ECW Resurgence logo on a banner behind him. “Welcome back, to Extreme Championship Wrestling… and I have to be honest folks, I wasn’t sure we’d ever be back. Over the past two months, Extreme Championship Wrestling, specifically our Hardcore TV broadcast, has been absolutely caught up in, well, a frankly silly lawsuit case. For some vague reasons, and to be honest some fair ones, ECW was sued for an incident that happened during a non-televised Extreme Championship Wrestling event. Thus, the last straw was broken. Our former network had been looking to distance themselves from ECW and they were finally given a reason to pull the trigger. Our  Hardcore TV broadcasting contract was pulled thus binding us to a cease-and-desist from broadcasting for two months after the contract was terminated. None the less, ECW muscled on, off of broadcast TV, holding our regularly-scheduled live events. Throughout THIS broadcast however, you will once again be familiarized with where Extreme Championship Wrestling is currently standing and where it is headed in the immediate future. The man, Paul E. Dangerously will address you, the ECW fans at home further along in the broadcast with more specific details. So, sit back and relax. ECW Resurgence brings you now some ‘fan-cam footage of previously held live events during the two months Hardcore TV disappeared from the air!”

2. D-Von Dudley and Buh-Buh Ray Dudley defeated Spike Dudley and Roadkill after a hectic and heated confrontation between these two teams. A brief confrontation between Spike and his his older siblings that made up the opposing team had it out in heated words before the match began. Roadkill would break this up pretty quickly by hitting both D-Von and Buh-Buh with a huge double clothesline, hurling both Dudleys to the outside. Spike would follow this up with a top turnbuckle dive onto his recovering brothers on the outside. Roadkill did a solid job preventing the Dudleys from double-teaming Spike too often, as it seemed like their goal the entire time. The quicker Spike would strike at the most opportune, usually after Roadkill did the heavy lifting. The two worked as a solid team throughout and finally after Roadkill avalanched both Dudleys in the corner, Spike capitalized in a huge way by hitting the Acid Drop on both of his brothers and picking up a solid pinfall win. (12:39) (Original match held on 04/03/97 in Albany, NY)

3. Commercial break + Reminder that Extreme Championship Wrestling’s Hostile City Showdown has been postponed from March 3rd to May 17th! Only a little over a week away!

4. ECW Roster Update: A brief graphic is presented with information on who has come and gone since Hardcore TV has been on it’s hiatus. The list reads as follows:

• “DR. DEATH” STEVE WILLIAMS PARTED FROM ECW DUE TO SEVERAL ENGAGEMENTS IN JAPAN
• NEW ECW WRESTLER DANNY DORING DEBUTED ON  05/01 IN READING, PA.
• FORMER WWF STAR “RAVISHING” RICK RUDE MADE SEVERAL APPEARANCES LAST MONTH AT LIVE EVENTS
• NEW JACK WAS INCARCERATED ON 03/10 ON PRIOR CHARGES. HIS RELEASE IS TBA.

5. Danny Doring defeated Louie Spicolli in a pretty one-sided debut battle after Spicolli started off the match cockily mocking Doring with encouragement from Little Guido on the outside. Underestimated and angered, Doring was able to get the job done cleanly and impressively. Spicolli really wasn’t able to get going and mount any significant offense until toward the end of the contest. A surprised finish was achieved when Doring reversed a potential piledriver pushing Spicolli away and rebounding him into his lifting double underhook DDT, which he calls Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma’am. (7:53) (Original match held on 05/01 in Reading, PA)

6. Commercial break + Merchandising spot for the new ECW Resurgence logo T-Shirt. Only $14.99!

7. Paul E. Dangerously Interview: Paul E. Dangerously is seen standing in front of an ECW banner. He appears very serious yet excited. “Tonight ladies and gentlemen, you once again have to opportunity to view an alternative… An alternative with more heart and passion for the sport of professional wrestling than any other North American promotion today. I’d like to personally welcome you to the next chapter in Extreme Championship Wrestling, ECW Resurgence. Todd Gordon, the ECW staff, and all of ECW’s dedicated wrestlers welcome you as well. As you are aware, gone are the days of Hardcore TV. We here at ECW have decided to let the past be the past and to usher in the present and future. As you also have no doubt noticed, we now air on a different, more involved and focused channel. I assure you our production value has increased, which can only mean a better viewing experience for you, the loyal fans and family of ECW. Our Resurgence broadcast has also been granted a little bit more time than Hardcore TV was previously. That means more extreme action than ever before and more opportunity to push the boundaries of professional wrestling to it’s absolute limits. Next week, ECW’s true resurgence begins with it’s first live broadcast since February 27th, 1997… And despite legal troubles, I want to fully assure the fans of Extreme Championship Wrestling that is indeed alive and well. It is for this that I want to really thank all of you who have ever tuned in, bought a shirt, supported a wrestler, attended an event, voiced an opinion, and most of all stayed loyal to Extreme Championship Wrestling across previous years. You are why we are here and will remain here for as long as humanly permitted. ECW will not die and that is because of you. So, we here at ECW hope you enjoy this broadcast tonight, as we update you all with information you deserve to know. ECW’s return to a television presence is far overdue. Ladies and gentlemen, finally the RESURGENCE IS HERE.”

8. Raven defeated Terry Funk in a Cyberslam ’97 rematch for the ECW Heavyweight Championship via count out. After whining and complaining for a rematch, Raven was granted exactly that. After a bloody war however, Raven was also granted with a bittersweet victory. Winning the match without winning the championship seemed to break Raven mentally, as after the ref counted Funk out Raven snapped throwing used weapons into the crowd from inside the ring. Nearing a riot situation, ECW ended it’s event as per official demands due to several crowd safety breaches. Thus, ECW gained it’s lawsuit as it was sued by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission & the Boston Public Event Safety Council. (25:23) (Original match held on 03/20 in Boston, MA)

9. Commercial break + Reminder to tune in to ECW Resurgence every Thursday night from tonight onward!

10. Joey Styles closes the show from his desk he was seen at at the top of the broadcast. “Thank you for catching Extreme Championship Wrestling Resurgence’s premiere broadcast, in place of the former Hardcore TV broadcast. Next week, we’re headed home to none other than the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA! It’s sure to be EXTREME…”