10 Things We Learned From Bruce Prichard's WWF & ECW Podcast
3. The Taz And Mike Awesome Situation Was Paul Heyman's Idea
Ironically, Taz (renamed Tazz for his stint in the WWF) would end up back in ECW for one night only, in one of the most confusing situations in modern wrestling history. ECW Heavyweight Champion Mike Awesome signed a contract to work for WCW. Paul Heyman wanted to get the belt off Awesome, so pitched an idea that would see WWF-contracted star Taz make his ECW return.
On the April 13, 2000 edition of ECW on TNN, Taz made his comeback to the company and dethroned Awesome. At the time, it was stunning to see all three major North American promotions working together on the same night.
According to Bruce Prichard, the whole thing was Heyman's idea. Vince McMahon was supportive of it, agreeing to allow his performer to show up and wrestle on an ECW show. Conversely, Taz wasn't exactly chuffed with the idea.
He had left ECW behind the previous year, looking to make a bigger name for himself in the WWF. Prichard notes that there was an interesting level of trust between Taz and Heyman despite their previous miscommunication.