I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the idea of having a 30 man battle royal for a title shot on RAW when you then expect folks to pay 30 dollars to see ANOTHER 30 man battle royal on PPV a couple of weeks later. Yeah, I realize they aren't exactly the same thing, but I agree with Dave Scherer that anybody fence sitting the Rumble PPV, especially after the fact that WWE showed willingness to fleece you as hard as they have this month with all this PPV, and the low quality of it thus far, I think most of them will go "Already seen one from the A show, don't much care to see the B-players involved in another, going to save that money"

Once again, creative proves it's a gaggle of retards guzzling paint thinner before they book.

At 12/12/06 06:57 PM, pepeatumi wrote: You know how there's a Battle Royal next week? Its supposed tp be 30 participants, right?

Maybe some guys from SD! and ECW will participate. I think the Spirit Squad will remain in OVW for a while to develop new gimmicks and then return to feed the cruiserweight division. I guess the main differences between this Battle Royale and the Royle Rumble is that one is interpromotional and always obvious about who will win. The BR won't be easy to predict, probably a heel.

I don't usually post links to articles, but this is worth reading.

http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/485 72/The-Piledriver-Report-12.13.06:-The-Fall-o f-Paul-Heyman-and-the-New-ECW.htm

Its basically about Heyman and WWECW. It talks about who was actually supposed to go to ECW instead of Kurt Angle (And who prevented this from happening) and some of the orignal plans discussed for December to Dismember, including get this.... Lashley winning the World Title, however it would have been CM Punk who would have eliminated Big Show.

Like I said its worth a look.

A very interesting article indeed. Sad how these things tunred out.

hmm what ever happened to the spirit squad? They were really annoying and i'm glad that gimmick is finally over... but what happened? I definitely missed that Raw episode.

What happend to ECW last night? Did I miss something.. or what?

It wasn't on or anything.

At 12/13/06 12:05 PM, SlapdaHoHoHo wrote: What happend to ECW last night? Did I miss something.. or what?

It wasn't on or anything.

Its going to show on Saturday, only for this week.

At 12/13/06 12:18 PM, pepeatumi wrote: Its going to show on Saturday, only for this week.

Ah, thanks.

At 12/13/06 12:34 PM, TheD-LucksEdition wrote:

At 12/13/06 12:20 PM, SlapdaHoHoHo wrote:

At 12/13/06 12:18 PM, pepeatumi wrote: Its going to show on Saturday, only for this week.

Ah, thanks.

Maybe there's a particular reason for this air time?

There was some retarded movie on called "The lost room" or something... playing nineteen times in a row.

At 12/13/06 12:34 PM, TheD-LucksEdition wrote:

At 12/13/06 12:20 PM, SlapdaHoHoHo wrote:

At 12/13/06 12:18 PM, pepeatumi wrote: Its going to show on Saturday, only for this week.

Ah, thanks.

Maybe there's a particular reason for this air time?

If my memory serves me well, I think the Sci-Fi Channel debuted a new show yesterday, so that's why.

So today is the Video Game Awards on Spike TV, Which also mean the premier of the TNA iMPACT! game trailer! are you guys excited?

At 12/13/06 12:18 PM, pepeatumi wrote: Its going to show on Saturday, only for this week.

I actually watched the whole show last week, and I STILL forgot about that...that's a sad state of how well it keeps my attention.

At 12/13/06 02:24 PM, aviewaskewed wrote:
I actually watched the whole show last week, and I STILL forgot about that...that's a sad state of how well it keeps my attention.

And with that said.... Here's the lineup for Saturday's "ECW".

Test vs Rob Van Dam (In what was said to be a good match).
CM Punk vs Hardcore Holly (We'll finally see the long awaited Punk-Holly feud...yea.)
Tommy Dreamer vs Daivari (for the 14th time)
Bobby Lashley vs The Security Dudes... Why are these guys still around?

And there's also a Striker promo somewhere in there.

WWE has just released Jimmy Wang Yang's valet Amy. Read below to find out more.

WWE.com has posted that the company has come to terms on the release of Amy Zidan. No other news as to why she was released.

At 12/13/06 02:30 PM, pepeatumi wrote: Test vs Rob Van Dam (In what was said to be a good match).

Test has gotten better, but nobody cares, and RVD is a total second tier character now.

CM Punk vs Hardcore Holly (We'll finally see the long awaited Punk-Holly feud...yea.)

Well, it might result in some good matches...still though, it's insane that Punk isn't in the main events right now I feel.

Tommy Dreamer vs Daivari (for the 14th time)

Nobody cares about Daivari, Khali, and pretty soon they probably won't care about Dreamer either. What a waste this whole thing is.

Bobby Lashley vs The Security Dudes... Why are these guys still around?

I've heard this match was designed in such a way that it's most likely going to blow them off as characters and try and make Lashley look like even more of a dominant monster

And there's also a Striker promo somewhere in there.

Which should probably be good, Striker can talk, I've also heard Sandman gets involved in that...if so...WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T THEY DO THIS AT THE PPV?!!!

Here is the match listing for WWE's upcoming ECW Extreme Rules DVD. Is anyone gonna buy this DVD when it comes out?

Disk 1.

ECW Heavyweight Championship Match: Sandman (c) vs. Cactus Jack, Hardcore Heaven 1995, 07/01/1995.

Steel Cage Weapons Match: Public Enemy vs. The Gangstas, 08/24/1996.

Scaffold Match: Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Lee, 10/26/1996. Jonathan Coachman & Tommy Dreamer will be doing new commentary for this match on a second track.

Stairway to Hell Match: Sabu vs. The Sandman, House Party 1998, 01/10/1998.

Street Fight: Tommy Dreamer & Spike Dudley & Sandman vs. The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh & DVon & Big Dick), Heat Wave 1998, 08/02/1998.

Double Titles Match: Sabu (FTW Champion) vs. Taz (ECW Heavyweight Champion), Living Dangerously 1999, 03/21/1999.

ECW Heavyweight Championship Match: Mike Awesome (c) vs. Masato Tanaka, 12/31/1999.

Tables, Ladders, Chairs, & Canes match for the ECW Heavyweight Championship: Steve Corino (c) vs. Justin Credible (w/Francine) vs. Sandman, Guilty as Charged 2001, 01/07/2001.

Disk 2.

The Dudley Boyz vs. Tommy Dreamer & Sandman, ECW One Night Stand 2005, 06/12/2005.

Rey Mysterio vs. Rob Van Dam, WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head, 06/07/2006.

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Sabu, ECW One Night Stand 2006, 06/11/2006.

Mick Foley & Edge & Lita vs. Terry Funk & Tommy Dreamer & Beulah, ECW One Night Stand 2006, 06/11/2006.

ECW Heavyweight Title Match: Rob Van Dam (c) vs. The Big Show, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 07/04/2006.

ECW Heavyweight Title Match: Big Show (c) vs. Ric Flair, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 07/11/2006.

Ladder Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 08/15/2006.

Rob Van Dam & Sabu vs. Test & Mike Knox, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 09/05/2006.

Extreme Rules Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Hardcore Holly, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 09/26/2006.

At 12/13/06 06:01 PM, aviewaskewed wrote: Well, it might result in some good matches...still though, it's insane that Punk isn't in the main events right now I feel.

Which should probably be good, Striker can talk, I've also heard Sandman gets involved in that...if so...WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T THEY DO THIS AT THE PPV?!!!

I've hearing ramblings about possible plans for Wrestlemania and one of them is supposed to be Lashley vs Punk, if that's the case I don't mind waiting.

But that begs the question.... Who will be the heel, if that happens?

As for the Stiker promo, I actually heard its Balls Mahoney who gets involved in this.... I guess I'll just wait and see.

Because I know I will be asked, let's look through the disc 1 list and I'll tell you all how many matches have been released elsewhere and is it worth the money based on that disc. Then for fun, I'll check out disc 2 and see if that's worth it too, for the record, I think it's worth the money, so I'll buy it.

Disk 1.

ECW Heavyweight Championship Match: Sandman (c) vs. Cactus Jack, Hardcore Heaven 1995, 07/01/1995.

I get the feeling this match was something I've seen this match before, like on my Best of Sandman VHS tape, and on the Pioneer Best of Cactus Jack DVD...let's check *goes to the DVD player* hmmm, no mention, but there was a Barbed Wire match held in the summer of 97, so this is probably that much, if you don't own it already, this is definitely a mark toward buying the DVD. They had a very good wire match without it getting too gruesome. So if it's the match I'm thinking of, this is a good one.

Steel Cage Weapons Match: Public Enemy vs. The Gangstas, 08/24/1996.

Pretty sure they've never released this one commercially, I believe this is actually the last match PE had in ECW before leaving for WCW and The Gangstas then took PE's place as the big time insanely violent tandem in ECW.

Scaffold Match: Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Lee, 10/26/1996. Jonathan Coachman & Tommy Dreamer will be doing new commentary for this match on a second track.

Oh, I KNOW this one has at least been released once on DVD somewhere along the way here. Ah, yes, here it is: Hardcore History, the last of the Pioneer released "Best Of" DVD's. I personally don't like this match much, I think most people don't. It's overrated, and it's really famous for the bump Brian Lee took onto the tables, otherwise it just proves why the scaffold gimmick sucks and there's no great return for the risk your asking the performers to take. A mark against buying, but I can see why WWE would use it. ECW themselves always hyped this for their "Extreme Warfare vol. 1" release. So I won't hold it against WWE here for putting it out there, because it might help shit sell, but if you're going to buy the DVD cause you just wanna see this one match cause you think it's crazy, it's one spot of crazy, so don't shell out the money based on this match.

Stairway to Hell Match: Sabu vs. The Sandman, House Party 1998, 01/10/1998.

This has been released at least twice that I know of, RF's Best of The Sandman has it, I know it was also released by Pioneer on the Path of Destruction "Best of" DVD. It's a phenemonal fight, Sabu breaks his jaw mid-way through, tapes it shut and keeps going. It's just sick and crazy violence, if you don't own it, and that sounds like something you'd really just need to see because it will make you happy, two things: 1) You frighten me so goddamn badly and I just don't think I want to be in the same room with you, 2) You definitely want to get your hands on this then.

Street Fight: Tommy Dreamer & Spike Dudley & Sandman vs. The Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh & DVon & Big Dick), Heat Wave 1998, 08/02/1998.

Released at least once before on Pioneer's version of Heatwave 98 (considered by many to be the best top to bottom ECW PPV ever), this was a good match, they started with Buh Buh and Beulah having a funny exchange:

Buh Buh: Ah look, Spike Dudley had one beer, and now even he thinks Beulah is good looking.

Beulah: Hey Buh Buh, I just had one beer, and now I think your thin!

And then they all just beat the living fuck out of each other. Great stuff, get it if you don't own it already.

Double Titles Match: Sabu (FTW Champion) vs. Taz (ECW Heavyweight Champion), Living Dangerously 1999, 03/21/1999.

NEVER commercially released. This is something that was on a poll for Pioneer to do a DVD of, but this was after ECW ended, and also on this poll was the last PPV, so guess which show one? That's right, the last PPV. This is the last time Taz and Sabu would fight on PPV, and this is also the last match featuring the FTW title as it had lost it's purpose after Taz had gone on to beat Douglas and win the ECW title. I've never seen this myself (suck shit children, I'd only been watching for a month so ECW PPV wasn't exactly "must buy" for me yet), but I always wanted to check that out, so this is a good reason for me to buy it. I think also the historical value of it has me able to say to the rest of you that are ECW fans in general to just check that out.

ECW Heavyweight Championship Match: Mike Awesome (c) vs. Masato Tanaka, 12/31/1999.

This is a match from the ECW on TNN TV show. I remember watching this sucker, frankly as much as I don't like Mike Awesome and always felt he never should have been champion (even before he assfucked the company), but he never had a bad match with Masato Tanaka in ECW. Sadly this was the one where he won the title back from Tanaka, which detracts from the match a bit for me, but for the rest of you that don't have any particular hate for the performers, you should just love this.

Tables, Ladders, Chairs, & Canes match for the ECW Heavyweight Championship: Steve Corino (c) vs. Justin Credible (w/Francine) vs. Sandman, Guilty as Charged 2001, 01/07/2001.

Ah, this match is the one I always point at and wonder if ECW had continued on if the company could have stayed as cutting edge as it was, because this to me just totally reeked of stealing from WWE. Not to mention of the guys involved I only felt this sort of thing worked well for Sandman. It was a decent match, but when going back down the history of ECW, it's not a match that immediately springs to mind when I'm saying "go watch this to get into ECW" in fact, it never does. Historically though, this is the match that saw the crowning of the last ECW champion Rhyno (impromptu challenge after the conclusion of the TLC match), and it's the last ECW match to have been broadcast on PPV.

So overall, I think disc 1 is absolutely worth your money, especially if you don't own all, or most of these matches. Let's move along.

Disk 2.

The Dudley Boyz vs. Tommy Dreamer & Sandman, ECW One Night Stand 2005, 06/12/2005.

Great fucking match, great great fucking match. Problem is if you already bought ONS on DVD, you own this, so what's the point of another copy of this?

Rey Mysterio vs. Rob Van Dam, WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head, 06/07/2006.

This is actually the only match from that show that didn't tape for me. An omen of things to come for both Rey and RVD when this opened that show, and remember, Rey was World Heavyweight Champion at this time. At least it's something that wasn't commercially available before.

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Sabu, ECW One Night Stand 2006, 06/11/2006.

Great match until the lame finish. If you bought the ONS 06 show, why do you need this? Padding the DVD now.

Mick Foley & Edge & Lita vs. Terry Funk & Tommy Dreamer & Beulah, ECW One Night Stand 2006, 06/11/2006.

Great stuff, maybe Terry Funk's last match (hey, that's a possibility every time he works) good stuff, but already commercially available. Padding.

ECW Heavyweight Title Match: Rob Van Dam (c) vs. The Big Show, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 07/04/2006.

This match sucked, sorry, but it just sucked top to bottom. At least it's not been commercially released before.

ECW Heavyweight Title Match: Big Show (c) vs. Ric Flair, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 07/11/2006.

This was a great match, in the top two of ECW title matches Show had. This would be a match I'd recommend people see if they want to fight me on the idea that Big Show made a real contribution to the legacy of ECW.

Ladder Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 08/15/2006.

I really loved this thing, there was expectation, and they delivered, the finish was a bit fucky, but still good stuff.

Rob Van Dam & Sabu vs. Test & Mike Knox, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 09/05/2006.

If you want to see why people praise the teaming of RVD and Sabu, boom, here you go.

Extreme Rules Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Hardcore Holly, WWECW on Sci-Fi, 09/26/2006.

Loved this match, and it cemented Holly as being an ECW guy in my mind.

So overall, I think this DVD is going to be worth it.

At 12/13/06 09:44 PM, slaughterMYdaughter wrote: Since the topic is about ecw,is it true that sandman actually made the cross he was crucified in?

As Sandman relates on the Forever Hardcore documentary, yeah, he made it himself, took him about a week or so, and he brought it to the show on the absolute wrong fucking night (of course, was there ever a GOOD night to do something like that?) and they did the angle.

DX tagged the bbs cuzof all the TNA vs WWE talk

WWE & New Japan Pro Wrestling just had a meeting, Read below to find out more.

From WWE.com:

During his visit to the United States, President of New Japan Pro Wrestling Simon Inoki stopped by WWE headquarters in Stamford, Conn. to meet with Executive Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis.

During the brief, cordial meeting, both sides discussed possible business ventures in the future between WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling - the largest wrestling promotion in Japan.

Check back with WWE.com as more details on New Japan and WWE become available.

What does this mean? Is WWE gonna establish a working relationship with New Japan like that time when WCW had a working relationship with New Japan?

At 12/14/06 05:34 PM, LordKooler wrote:
What does this mean? Is WWE gonna establish a working relationship with New Japan like that time when WCW had a working relationship with New Japan?

From what I've heard it means nothing.... for now. Think about it, the WWE doesn't need NJPW in order to get thei own wrestlers over in Japan, so I really see no reason to do that.

Now, if it were Pro Wrestling Noah, then I'd get a bit more excited, can you say Kenta vs Benoit?

Charlie Haas' and Jackie Gayda just gave birth to their daughter. http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/fullhaas1

At 12/14/06 08:17 PM, Redface wrote: Charlie Haas' and Jackie Gayda just gave birth to their daughter. http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/fullhaas1

That's cool, and I liked that the mentioned his wife, despite the fact that when we last saw her she was working with TNA and not the WWE.

On another note, did you see preview for the TNA game? There's one on the TNA website, but there's no actual wrestling involved, just highlights of AJ Styles and Samoa Joe's entrance.

It does look good from a graphics standpoint though.

Here is the real reason why WWE released Amy Zidan.

As reported earlier, Amy Zidan, the blonde manager of Jimmy Wang Yang, was released from her WWE contract yesterday. Apparently, she was released because of her backstage behavior. Within a three week period, she somehow upset Layla El, Kristal Marshall, Vickie Guerrero, and most notably, Stephanie McMahon. At the moment, it is not known as to what she did to make those three SmackDown female talents angry. However, what is known is that when Stephanie was trying to give her some advice backstage in front of a number of people, Amy didn't know who she was. Not to say that she was specifically let go because she didn't know who Stephanie McMahon was, but it seems like she just rubbed too many people the wrong way during her short-lived WWE stint, and thus she was let go. It's incredibly important to show respect to your peers and conduct yourself in a cordial manner backstage, or else you could be let go (unless you're a top star like Randy Orton). Hopefully I can get more information on Amy's release.

I saw that article. in a way it makes perfect sense. If you have no idea who Steph is yet you work for her you need to be fired. :P

That DVD looks to be pretty good. When does it come out?

At 12/15/06 12:01 AM, Outlaw88 wrote: That DVD looks to be pretty good. When does it come out?

I think it's like the second week of January.

Profiles in Extreme: The FBI coming your way next.

It is now time for another look into the career of performers who competed in the former ECW promotion. Just a note that Profiles in Extreme ONLY covers the careers of these performers within ECW as defined by whatever time they worked in the company from the period when it began operations, until it's demise in 2001, we don't cover WWECW. Today's subjects: The FBI.

“Stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive…ah ah ah! Stayin’ Aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!”

What does this have to do with wrestling you may ask? What does this have to do with more importantly, the subjects of this article, The Full Blooded Italians. Simply put…that disco beat was the theme that heralded the arrival of the F.B.I to the ring for years in ECW. Disco in wrestling? What the hell kind of crazy gimmick was this you ask? Read on and find out.

The F.B.I began very simply…with a black man named JT Smith. Smith was a local “workhorse jobber” that Tod Gordon regularly used as a put over guy on his shows, and looked to try and actually give a push to since he personally liked Smith. But the ECW crowd found nothing interesting about Smith, despite his competence in the ring, the crowd shat all over him, until one day JT missed a spot. The reaction was immediate “YOU FUCKED UP!!! YOU FUCKED UP!!!” suddenly, JT had a gimmick: blowing spots (moves). Not a very good gimmick, but JT would purposely screw up moves just to get a “YOU FUCKED UP!!! YOU FUCKED UP!!!” chant. That is…until that fateful night…

JT was wrestling an ECW show at I believe The Arena, when he received a vicious chair shot to the head. Smith was off television for a couple of weeks, we were told Smith had become comatose from the blow, and may never recover. But JT suddenly returned, but more shocking was that JT now thought he was…Italian! Somehow, in his scrambled mind, JT believed he was now an Italian man. He would come out and call everyone “pizzan!” and bring pizza to the ring, and just act stereotypically Italian in his promos and interactions. JT would eventually bring in a man of actual Italian decent in James “Little Guido” Maritato, who would be a part of the F.B.I from that point forward. Also introduced was a giant dubbed “Big Guido” (who still works in the business, as a talent trainer for WWE’s OVW territory). Together they formed the F.B.I or Full Blooded Italians…despite the fact that…ya know…JT SMITH WAS IN NO WAY ITALIAN!!!! Smith and Maritato formed a decent enough comedy tag team for awhile, and then JT left the business. The gimmick would continue.

When JT left, Paul Heyman brought in Tracy Smothers, and Tommy Rich, two journeyman wrestlers who were very well experienced in the business, and very, very Southern, to continue the gimmick. Rich dubbed himself “The Big Don” and Smothers would pronounce to anyone who would listen to him that he was a “Full, Blooded, I-talian! (yes, you say the I as in the letter I, and then “talian”). Smothers and Little Guido formed a tag team with Big Guido as enforcer, once BG left, he was replaced by a 600 pounder named “Big” Sal E. Graziano. The comedy continued on like this for about three years or so, with Guido and Smothers picking up a tag title win. But one of the hallmarks of this era, was the chant it created…now bear witness to the origin of the legendary “Where’s my pizza?” chant.

If you ever attended an event for the old ECW, or watched the television show, and saw the F.B.I. In the later days of the promotion, you have heard the “Where’s my pizza?” chant. You may have thought this was simply a derogatory and stereotypical chant from a bunch of ignorant racist fans…hey hey, we may be derogatory and ignorant, but we were not racist!!! There’s a real story here:

Tommy Rich and Tracy Smothers in…I believe it was 1998, did a sketch on ECW TV in which they purported to teach the audience how to make an authentic Italian pizza…let me once again point out that TOMMY RICH AND TRACY SMOTHERS WERE NOT ITALIAN!!! I DON’T THINK THEY COULD FIND ITALY ON A MAP!!! The sketch ended with the ring a complete mess as they had totally screwed up their pizza making, and a new chant born. Let’s review how to do a “Where’s my pizza?” chant if one has the collective F.B.I. together:

First side of the arena: “Where’s my pizza?”
Second side of the arena: “Sal E. ate it!”

Repeat as necessary. Back to topic.

Rich and Smothers split from Guido and Sal in early 1999 as the FBI had been doing a lot of jobs of late. The split occurred at the Guilty as Charged PPV, and looked like a feud was following, but Tommy Rich and Tracy Smothers were dropped from the promotion for reasons I’m not 100% clear on, so I’ll just not speculate and potentially impugn their reputations. From here Guido and Sal settled into Guido as the wrestler, and Sal as the manager/enforcer. Guido finished 1999 feuding with Tajiri and Super Crazy, with Jerry Lynn occasionally thrown in to create some excellent three and four way dances. But 2000 turned out to be a big year for the FBI.

In early 2000, RVD was nearing the 2 year benchmark as World Television Champion. But then tragedy struck as we’ve previously discussed, RVD’s leg was broken and he took time off to heal it, and film a role in the film Black Mask 2. A tournament was scheduled for the ECW Living Dangerously PPV to determine a new champion, and while he didn’t ultimately win (that honor belonged to Super Crazy) Guido did appear and make a good showing for himself (

This version of the F.B.I lasted the longest, but all good things must come to an end. The Italians were booked into a tag match against Danny Doring and Roadkill at the inaugural Guilty As Charged PPV from Kissime Florida (also my first viewing of an ECW PPV) which turned into a Three-Way Dance when the Hardcore Chair Swingin’ Freaks; Balls Mahoney (who you will definitely see some fun stuff written about here upcoming, I assure you) and Axel Rotten crashed the match. The FBI were beaten by the…um…whatever the hell Balls and Axel are…and underlying tensions came to a head. Smothers and Guido came to blows, with Rich siding with Smothers, and Sal siding with Guido. I assume there was hope of creating a feud between the two, but Rich and Smothers quickly disappeared after the show, and Guido became a singles wrestler with Big Sal in his corner. The next year or so of the FBI had begun.

When RVD broke his leg against Rhino and went off to shoot a movie role, he was forced to vacate the ECW world television title. A tournament was held at Living Dangerously 2000, and Little Guido was a part of it. While he did not win it, Guido nonetheless made an impressive showing in the tournament, however he came up short of winning it, that honor went to Super Crazy. It seemed The FBI would be relegated to bit player status on the ECW shows, with the only notable moment being Big Sal scoring a win over Scott Hall in his second and final night with the promotion (the show was recorded, but never broadcast). But then WCW fired Tony Mamaluke.

Mamaluke was a competent cruiserweight worker who had played an Italian mafia gimmick in WCW. Heyman scooped him up upon his release and decided to team him with Guido, as ECW geared up for a tournament to crown new tag team champions after Justin Credible had vacated the belts in April. The tournament would be held at the first show of a weekend at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, the venue WWE used to tape Monday Night RAW in when the show got started. ECW hoped to have a big showing both nights and ultimately move their “big” shows into the venue, making it their new home base, and moving beyond the ECW Arena (or so I have been told by those with some knowledge of the company’s plans at the time). Guido and Mamaluke were paired as the new FBI and entered the tournament, they however failed to capture the belts that night as Mikey Whipwreck and Yoshiro Tajiri scored the victory in the final three-way dance. The next night however saw the Italians walk away with gold. The FBI had now solidified the regaining of their luster, and their feud with the Unholy Alliance of Whipwreck and Tajiri was classic stuff in my mind, and a real highlight of the last few shows of the companies existence. The Italians eventually dropped the belts to Danny Doring and Roadkill at the Massacre on 34th Street PPV in a good bout, and Doring and Roadkill remained champions until the companies end. The FBI finished their ECW run on PPV doing a job for Whipwreck and Tajiri in a #1 contenders match for the tag titles, that became moot when the company shut down. The FBI’s last ECW match was at the final show in which they lost to the team of Joey Matthews (Mercury) and Christian York. Guido vowed to stay with the company until it shut down, and eventually landed a WWE deal, and Mamaluke landed one years later with WWECW.

That's good to know. That Guido (or Nunzio as you want to call him) stayed with ECW, even if he was missused in the WWE. It made you want to respect him, even if he was jobbed to less talented wrestlers.

I've been wondering Avie. What are your thought on what seems to be a Christopher Daniels/Jerry Lynn feud in TNA? I know its not the same Lynn that had the classic matches with Van Dam, but still its gotta be cool to see Lynn possibly be back in action, right?