WWE Star Defeats WCW Star For The ECW Championship | Behind The Match

Mike Awesome was years ahead of his time. While there were a fair amount of impressive heavyweight wrestlers on the scene twenty years ago, few combined jaw-dropping agility with raw power, along with a penchant for arena-encompassing, furniture-destroying brawls, the way the 290-pound Awesome did. Everything about the man felt evolutionary - except for the mullet, but that was the charm of Awesome: were you going to tell this living, breathing killing machine that he needed a haircut?
That's why it's not at all surprising that in September of 1999, ECW (weeks after gaining national TV clearance on TNN) put its World championship on the seemingly-peerless powerhouse, positioning him as a final boss of sorts. Seven months later, Awesome exited ECW under an intense cloud of controversy, and the manner in which he dropped the belt was just as head-spinning - because it involved both WCW and the WWF.
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Cultaholic provides video coverage of professional wrestling - including WWE (including WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown, NXT and 205 Live), AEW, IMPACT Wrestling (formerly TNA), NJPW, ROH, and more with daily news updates, reviews, lists, highlights, predictions, reactions, podcasts and much, much more.

[@ChrisPhillipsMusic510]

This is actually a super cool and interesting idea for a show. I'd absolutely love to see more of these

[@ryanjohnson5343]

They've done another if I'm not mistaken a month or two ago

[@michaelmooney5246]

What a wrestler Mike Awesome was. A shame about the booking in the peak of his career. RIP.

[@Marveryn]

what was worse. Not only did wcw trash him cause he was related to Hoga after hogan and russo fall out but Vince for whatever reason didn't like him so he didn't get a good wwf run after they took over the company. Personally I think he was on the right to seek a new deal but he should had talking with heyman (with a lawyer present) gotten his contract situation clear first do the job and drop the belt before he sign with wcw. I think so of the hard feeling he later got wouldnt had been nearly as harsh and more imporant the time for all that he may had seen the writing on the wall with wcw before he sign and head to other pasture.

[@MajorPaign]

Awesome would have been an easy fix....you give him a manager to be his mouthpiece. Taz, well, you can’t repair all the damage that had been done.

[@MrSuperdelf]

" Bubba The Love Sponge who was at the time part of Hogan's inner circle" Well that's one way of saying it

[@omarguzman1632]

MrSuperdelf 😂 I wouldn’t doubt if Hogan slept with Bischoff’s wife.

[@strangemonkey90]

@@omarguzman1632 🤣🤣🤣

[@BlakeO561]

@@omarguzman1632 more like hogan was in his wife’s “circle”

[@luchothemessiah]

Can't lie, somedays you miss ECW like it was your granny.

[@ericsmusic5927]

You were just a toddler when ECW was a thing

[@luchothemessiah]

@@ericsmusic5927 so? i can't be a fan bc i saw it on other times?

[@JA-ev7om]

*R.i.p Nana* *Sorry I gave you coronavirus.*

[@ericsmusic5927]

@@luchothemessiah Never said you couldn't be a fan, don't be a clown You talked about missing it but you weren't around in order to miss it

[@luchothemessiah]

@@ericsmusic5927 I mean, i have to be around at that exact moment to miss it? Your argument is pretty trash.

[@Malsolo]

Another incredible wrestling story that ends with Vince dropping the ball completely

[@PatkaBoy831]

Neither man should've been anywhere near a world title in the WWF/E. Awesome couldn't talk, and Taz was nowhere near as good as he had been by the time he showed up in WWF in 2000.

[@MajorPaign]

Awesome would have been an easy fix... you give him a manager to be his mouthpiece. Taz, well, you can’t repair the damage that had already been done

[@Malsolo]

@@MajorPaign Absolutely, mike awesome had a ton of potential. Idk about taz though. If he didn't get trounced by HHH he could have been riding high after his debut against angle at Royal rumble 2000.

[@adyashhad]

Do these matches Sam: Finger poke of Doom Jarrett lays down for Hogan Arquette wins WCW title Hogan vs Michaels SummerSlam 2005 Loving the new concept.

[@phychmasher]

0:32 that's a still from that promo where Paul tried to reverse psychology TNN to keep them on the air, isn't it? People would be talking about it to this day if it had worked.

[@LeeJoRo]

That reminds me, I need to go back and watch the War Stories series. Best stuff this channel has done imo

[@JamesNettum]

Agreed! I'd love more in that series.

[@Nepthu]

Nice to see a video dedicated to Mike Awesome. I was a huge fan of his in ECW. He's underrated for sure and seems largely overlooked by newer fans.

[@SeanOZone]

I hope to see more of this type of series, here's some ideas I'd like to see you explore -Outsiders vs Sting/Luger/Savage: Bash At The Beach '96 -Sting v Jeff Hardy: Victory Road '11. -Chris Jericho vs HHH: The Raw where Jericho briefly dethroned HHH -Hulk Hogan v Sting: Starcade '97.

[@awmstudiospodcastofficial]

What about the Bash At The Beach 2000 incident?

[@diqflip205]

Jericho should’ve kept that belt that night

[@eddiel3467]

And I'm sure the 1700 fans in attendance that night chanting ' you sold out ' at Mike would all stay working for a company that wasn't paying them, when they have a family to support and Bills to pay.?

[@staticcharm3808]

They also had no clue the evil WWF was actually backrolling ECW. Total marks

[@y3ee3e]

this was a great storyline. RIP Mike awesome. he was treated like trash in wcw

[@ColinKillick]

I was hoping this would be part of War Stories, so it’s great to see it here

[@wbcwinnipegbeltcollector]

A interesting concept for a show And a suitably weird match with alot of of twists and turns Behind the match requests however Jeff Jarrett vs Hulk Hogan 2000 And Booker T vs Jeff Jarrett the Same Night Thats got alot of he said he said between all parties

[@k.konczak3291]

*a lot

[@MahDryBread]

Damn dude, great show idea!

[@littlemacisunderrated412]

Watch as eventually there will be an impact vs aew guy fight for the iwgp heavyweight title at wrestle mania

[@ChristopherJames1993]

That's unlikely. It'd have to be a WWE and AEW and an NJPW guy for it to work. iMpact don't have a part in it.

[@littlemacisunderrated412]

Above this reply you will find two people who don’t understand sarcasm

[@chrishowell6469]

Mike Awesome deserved far better.

[@shaunieinthewrasslin2877]

Just like how awesome had peers that couldn’t touch him, Cultaholic is the same way! Imo

[@craigdavis5407]

R.I.P. Mike Awesome!!!!❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🌹🌹🌹🎤🎤🎤

[@haydendivine8412]

That One Night Stand match will always be the highlight of my memory of Mike Awesome

[@Beansontoast93911]

I absolutely f ing love Sam's mini documentaries thank you guys

[@tthompson4768]

WCW had zero clue what to do with Hart or Awesome...What a waste of talent.

[@omarguzman1632]

WCW dropped the ball on Hart, Awesome, Raven, Jericho, The Giant, Wrath, Eddie Guerrero, and ruined Goldbergs push.

[@tthompson4768]

@@omarguzman1632 agreed

[@adrianhartso7060]

Wcw and later wwe really didn't have the main talent willing to take the bumps ecw wrestlers did to help make awesome the monster he was in ecw

[@christiancharles309]

@@omarguzman1632 The worst was obviously Hart as WCW didn't know what to do with him. WWF didn't know what to do with Awesome or Raven. At least Goldberg and the Giant had runs with the belt in WCW. Goldberg was also booked bad in WWF when he went there in 2003.

[@christiancharles309]

@@omarguzman1632 Guerrero and Jericho had great cruiserweight matches in WCW and US title matches. They should have been the in the main event by 1998, they had been there 3 years.

[@staticcharm3808]

Normal non-coked up promoter: "My champion Mike Awesome is leaving for a bigger promotion so he will drop the belt to my contracted next star Rhino in a great match before he leaves" Coked up Paul Heyman: "Mike Awesome is leaving and I want fans to chant sell out at him even though I didn't pay him. So I will call my sugar daddy Vince and beg to have Taz back so he can take the belt off him in 10 seconds to embarrass Awesome. Even though Taz is a WWE wrestler now and everyone called him a sell out. The the ECW title will be on WWE tv on a WWE wrestler since that will make it prestigious since ECW is just garbage wrestling in a bingo hall. None of this will help ECW or its wrestlers but I badly want to work for Vince so screw it. Now I can do another line."

[@MetalMe55iah]

Mike awesome was amazing

[@jasonjimerson7046]

Nicely done, @Cultaholic Wrestling

[@dreday247]

Might be my new favorite series

[@RMGLUCK]

This is terrific, Sam - loving this series.

[@kevinfightsbears]

Mike awesome vs Walter would've been the ultimate dream match

[@JagerLange]

Always like a bit o' Sam on a video - not that the other guys aren't welcome, but Sam's a bit of a novelty and when he does voice a video, it's a good one.

[@kwmusic4560]

Awesome was an amazing talent, but WCW had no idea what to do with him. Sad how it all turned out.

[@Ken9284]

Much Luke wwe had no idea what to do with Tazz until they put him on the commentator table

[@1981jdpolgo]

When ECW & USWA invaded WWE(F) i knew VKM was taking over those shows.

[@krazykick]

I saw this match the night it aired. I thought I had lost my damn mind as it was unfolding before my eyes. Taz is one of my favorite wrestlers, and Awesome was one of the best big men in the business.

[@jonjonrods5776]

It gave ECW a bit of a bump but did nothing for Tazz. That was WWF’s fault.

[@JK-jq3eu]

More of this wrestling history please! Love it

[@MrGhostVI]

For the record Vince has stated in retrospect he should have had taz win against hunter

[@MrLnikolloj]

He never said that

[@RelentlessWrestling407]

I remember watching this on TV when it took place! Couldn’t believe it was actually happening

[@78Bigtank]

$200,000 or 1.15 billion dollars I would tell Paul Heyman goodbye Paul Heyman did the boys dirty at the end with bounced checks Mike Awesome did the best thing he could do for his family and getting his money that's well-earned they will never be heavy weights that wrestle Like Mike awesome I have no mercy for the Nintendo 64 and I created him just because he's a badass may he rest in peace

[@michaelsmith5769]

This could've been real fun for the WWF to play up, but they had Tazzzzzzz almost immediately job to Triple H without a whimper.

[@superfandomf8ketimefriends992]

Please keep doing these I subscribed cause of this series. It's like Dark side of the Ring but about a match. Great idea! Glad I'm here for its start. Great work!

[@tyeirick4639]

As good as dark side of the ring. Love these

[@nubreaks2]

I was part of the Street Team for that show. I will continue to search through video to see if I can be seen. That was a surprising night.

[@MagicBeanCollective]

I was at both those shows, it was a crazy time for sure. That Indianapolis show was in a tiny banquet hall and nobody knew what was going on, wasn’t even a TV taping.

[@DeckyStrikesBack]

In every wrestling story ever told, either Hogan or JBL is involved lol

[@leelohaskin7941]

Yeah cause their asses always tried to insert or involve themselves into every damn thing

[@absnx]

This is a masterclass in the use of stock footage. The little house of money is amazing!

[@Atomykpimp]

I was at that match in Chicago. Saw Mike Awesome over by the snack bar before he climbed over the railing.

[@babarazamsucks]

🙀🙀🙀I never knew that this family connection existed!😱😱😱

[@adrianhartso7060]

Why heyman would have taz win the belt rather than put the belt directly on one of his guys made no real sense to me.

[@staticcharm3808]

Heyman has always been a Vince sycophant and thought this would go over well with him if they both ganged up on WCW. Heyman's coked up mind probably thought putting the ECW belt on a WWE wrestler and on WWE tv would give it prestige he couldn't. In reality it made it a joke and ECW had lost its independence in the eyes of its fans

[@KylePrime_1986]

Awesome & Tanaka always put on bangers

[@01MrBLA]

Honestly I feel Awesome would’ve been taken care of if he would’ve gone to wrestle in Japan.

[@FMecha]

Awesome claims in a shoot interview that his bad gimmicks were Russo's means to put his heat with Hulk Hogan considering the family connection - which is supported by Horace quitting WCW in solidarity after BATB 2000.

[@Hmoney42069]

Never has something made no sense yet made so much sense at the same time WWF VS WCW = ECW

[@woobgamer5210]

and the funny thing is, ECW VS ECW = WWF, considering thats where their belt went

[@itsDavidBlaze]

More of these please!

[@JMB1017]

Watching old Awesome/Tanaka matches now and seeing how brutal those chairshots they hit each other with, I get sick to my stomach.

[@fergalstackstreams]

The title match for one company between wrestlers from different promotions was replicated in 2005, when there was an ROH Title Match featuring two TNA contracted wrestlers and two WWE contracted wrestlers, CM Punk vs. James Gibson vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Samoa Joe.

[@scaparapadoobedoooo3170]

Thank you Kevin Keegan 😂

[@jakehertel6299]

I liked this. Do more of these please

[@kyledamron]

When Awesome left ECW as champion and Tazz (who was in wwe) was the guy to beat him I knew ECW was on their last legs

[@michellgeek9179]

Return the war stories

[@renafan3333]

I always got why Paul had that match. It got The Worlds attention. We are still talking about it 22 years later. And I get why the match was so short. You think WWF or WCW want their contracted guys getting paid alot of money to risk getting injured in one of those crazy half hour ECW matches? What I never got was why Vince agreed to it? What the heck did they get out of it?

[@reggiefields6551]

i really enjoy these videos. i do not know if they are "cost effective", but i would love to see this series output with a greater frequency

[@kidz4p509]

As popular as this match was, I have a love-hate relationship with it. It was super interesting to see WWE teaming up with WCW, despite being rivals, but many years after this match, Joey Styles and Paul Heyman said some things about Mike that were completely unfair. They mentioned how he was a disloyal employee who was only in for money, but in reality, it was Heyman's fault that ECW started to sink and that Mike was working for free in ECW. So, Heyman has no one but himself to blame for Mike going to WCW, yet he and Joey don't have the guts to realize it.

[@michaelreid186]

I happy Vince and Trips have said Taz losing was a huge mistake.

[@MessianicJewJitsu]

Mike Awesome was badass

[@daveydudes4423]

Remember Awesome v Tanaka at One Night Stand 2005... Joey Styles announcing, Awesome does a Suicide Dive, and Styles said something like...along the lines of Suicide Dive to the outside by Awesome...Its a shame he didn't succeed

[@thehaunted8055]

Mike Awesome = a severely unrated wrestler who should've been a megastar in WCW, WWE, and TNA but they all dropped the ball

[@davidaulds7031]

What a lot of people know today but didn't know then was that Heyman was being funded by Vince McMahon, so them sending Taz a WWE guy by this time to beat a TOP WCW TALENT was something Vince was a about. Them burying WCW was a way of life for Vince.

[@DarthAverage]

On February 1, 2000, Triple H defeated the debuting Chris Benoit, who could _claim_ at that point to be the linear WCW World Champion (having won it on January 16th and not having lost it in the ring); Trips then defeated Tazz on April 18th, before Tazz dropped the ECW title to Dreamer. Thus Triple H was able to claim that, in addition to being the WWF Champion, he had also defeated the WCW and ECW champions within an 11-week timeframe.

[@BrianSmith-ct3kh]

The crazy part is that this match ultimately led to Triple H having a claim to being the first unified heavyweight champion in American pro wrestling. HHH, as WWF champion, was the first man to defeat Chris B____t after he won the WCW title (though he was stripped of it when he left for the WWF) and then beat Taz on an episode of Smackdown where Taz appeared with the ECW belt.

[@justinbonds2002]

Tommy Dreamer never wanted to be champion and that's why he put over Rhyno that same night. Back then he hated that he had to win the title

[@erikriojas284]

Yall keep getting better

[@BigTiger_99]

This would be like today if a WWE Star faced an AEW guy in some Indie promotion!

[@jbj7599]

Tna/impact or roh

[@dr.snakes]

Adam Cole vs. Brian Cage for the PWG Championship.

[@BigTiger_99]

x snakes I mean, Now, In 2020!

[@zakrowe1301]

@@dr.snakes neither one was signed to aew or wwe at that point though. The only match I can think I've right now that could happen would be jon moxley dropping the US title to someone from roh

[@robertvaldez5744]

I remember watching that 3 way. When in Chicago... Bet u . Best bring it hard

[@FozzQuaker]

Today that would be like an AEW star fighting a WWE star in an Impact Ring for The Impact Title

[@Atroz7]

As a WWF kid growing up, I never understood what was great about Tommy Dreamer. Anyone willing to educate me or tell me where to start? A simple KZbin search and all I find is him DDTing raven and pile driving women.

[@dreadkalibur1613]

This is symbolic in a way... WWE Destroyed WCW with the aid of ECW's legacy...

[@imNotSomighty]

I feel like they used taz for 2 reasons: he was an ecw legend that would fire up the crowd.. and he was technically a wwe guy so heyman could use that as an extra slap in the face lower his standings in wcw

[@jeremybird3467]

Oh man RVD and that 2 year(basically) long reign with ecw tv title was epic!!!! The series of matches against jerry lynn...just like wwf i didnt get to see ecw until...well it was around the same time when they changed cable lines in my area finally...it was right before ecw started airing on fridays on tnn...and the 1st ecw match i ever saw was rvd v jerry lynn...cant remember if it was for tv title...dont think so...but that match lasted for a lil over half the show...and never let up...action from bell to bell...i just wish rvd and jerry lynn had gotten at least 1 reign each with the ecw title...the real ecw title...not the wwe ecw title...which rvd did hold after ecw been dead for 6 years...but...it was good while it lasted...the real ecw that is...

[@Repomidnight]

Mike Awesome’s biggest issue was being 6”4. When he left ECW, he was a long way off being the biggest guy in the roster in WCW then WWF.

[@wiseguy3675]

I remember how much Joey Styles and the ECW fans trashed Awesome at One Night Stand.

[@staticcharm3808]

Ironic since they had become WWE shills and didn't know it. ECW died once Vince was bankrolling it cause Heyman was a screwup drug addict

[@Spetia]

RIP Mike Awesome

[@miamimagicians]

Mike awesome was like Brock Lesnar

[@fatbean2000]

maybe if Paul Hayman actually paided his wresters none of this would of happened.

[@KZ900R]

Got in the ring with new jack nuff said 😳

[@MJAce85]

I know he was capable of more, but he was such a hack one trick pony in my opinion.

[@Bababosby]

So Hulk Hogan is to blame for all of this. Gotcha.

[@Ken9284]

Watcha’ gonna do?!

[@nathanielparham7734]

Y'all should make some more

[@kevinroulette]

i was there in indy when this happened. was crazy

[@robertvaldez5744]

This is why hook is being pushed

[@mrgohan4493]

Keep up the good videos

[@angelotero7729]

you'll never see this again this was a weird and rare situation

[@Saratogasaratoga]

Not even the talent understood how much this meant. This was the end..WWE, WCW, ECW. After this it was just WWE.

[@shortybob818]

This new show is cool!

[@photofreeamerica6036]

100% A Legend

[@raghavpare8823]

Amazing video , may I know again who is the narrator in this one ?

[@scaparapadoobedoooo3170]

Kevin Keegan

[@ryano2883]

Says Sam Driver, but I don't know if that's the narrator or writer.

[@scaparapadoobedoooo3170]

@@ryano2883 it's Kevin Keegan

[@raghavpare8823]

Thanks for the answer

[@jesseblackarmz]

Its sam driver. Kevin keegan is the furthest thing from a youtube presenter. Kevin keegan is a footballer

[@curtailedbike4123]

Mike awesome actions were justified

[@The4cp]

They should have just let him drop it clean to Rhyno. Awesome probably would have stayed the career killer and have a great WCW run.

[@grantmurphy3205]

Dude please do the rise of sami zayne.... Ppl dont know how good a guy he is from tge rise of el generico

[@robertvaldez5744]

Awesome would of still been star today

[@danielgertler5976]

This *could* literally still happen. Just replace ECW with Impact and WCW with AEQW ;)

[@Ken9284]

Rob Van Dam!

[@RS-cd9cf]

Paul Heyman screwed everyone over and Mike did what he had to do for his family .. imagine being the ECW heavy weight champion and driving around a Yugo while Paul is getting paid behind everyone’s back from Vince McMahon