This is one of the most infamous moments in all of professional wrestling history. In 1996, The Sandman and Raven were embroiled in a feud that involved The Sandman's real life wife and son. On October 26, 1996 at the ECW arena, Raven came up with the brilliant idea to crucify The Sandman in front of everyone in attendance. While The Sandman was propped up against the ropes with barbed wire wrapped around his head and tied to a wooden cross, his son and wife stood next to him aligned with Raven, while Raven stood over The Sandman with his arms out in his classic pose with the ECW World Championship in hand. Chronicled in "The Rise & Fall of ECW" DVD that was produced by WWE, Stevie Richards talks about how deeply offended he was while orchestrating the stunt in front of the crowd. Kurt Angle, just months off of winning an Olympic Gold Medal, was in the building that night and planning on signing to work a few shows with ECW. He abruptly left the arena because of how offended he was. Shortly after The Sandman was carried backstage on the cross in a controversial manner, Raven was sent to the ring to apologize for his actions. Many wrestlers who were backstage that night were offended as well. However, Raven and The Sandman have both gone on record stating that they thought there should have never been an apology for what was done. They both believe that this was a pivotal part of the feud and something that they were building towards...and it was ruined by the apology.
Hailing from the Jersey Shore, Jay brings a lifetime of pro wrestling knowledge and writing experience to WhatCulture! As the owner of Pro Wrestling Powerhouse, Jay has had the opportunity to interview the likes of Lex Luger, Jake Roberts, Diamond Dallas Page, Superstar Billy Graham, Maria Kanellis and many others.
