1997 was a ground-breaking year for the world of sports entertainment. WCW was ruling the ratings as their nWo faction continued their streak of dominance. The World Wrestling Federation, meanwhile, began building toward their Attitude Era future with the ascension of Stone Cold Steve Austin. Meanwhile, ECW was growing in popularity -- solidifying themselves as the third top brand in the country. In what many consider an odd move, the WWE began a working relationship with ECW. Vince McMahons company began to give some of their own television time to ECW and its competitors. To really get things going, Jerry The King Lawler -- who had spoken out against the rebel company -- invited Heyman and his ECW locker room to bring themselves to an episode of Raw. ECW showed up and took over the Manhattan Center, where Raw was emanating from. This led to Jerry Lawler making a surprise appearance in ECW, where he attacked Tommy Dreamer. The two wrestlers would then face-off in a match at 1997s Hardcore Heaven PPV. Dreamer defeated Lawler -- who was still under WWE contract -- after a hard-fought contest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tPTqd8xXMU Jerry The King Lawler was one of the only wrestlers to compete for ECW while under WWE contract, all with the intention of helping build interest in the Extreme brand. It definitely worked, as Lawlers interaction with Heyman, Dreamer, and ECW has gone down in infamy. To this day, many fans believe that The King held genuine hatred and disgust toward the company and its owner/booker.
Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.
