40 Greatest Stories Wrestling Ever Told

In retrospect, maybe going with a crucifixion spot wasn't Paul Heyman's most tasteful decision in 1996. It soured Kurt Angle on doing business with the original ECW, but reshaped wrestling history by setting wheels in motion for his eventual WWF berth. Meanwhile, in the land of extreme, Raven and The Sandman waged a war that enveloped family.

Raven polluted the minds of Sandman's wife Lori and his young son Tyler, so much so that the latter became an early adopter of the sort of mind control Raven exercised over his Flock in WCW. Back then, it was Stevie Richards and The Blue Meanie who had been corrupted by everyone's favourite wrestling Kurt Cobain.

Sandman had actually been at loggerheads with the grunge narcissist since 1995, but their feud peaked heading into the following 2 years. 1996's developments, including Tyler emotionally hugging his father after seemingly snapping out of whatever mental vice Raven had on him, left The Sandman ripe for a caning by his arch nemesis. It was all super-dramatic stuff, and it had ECW's audience in a chokehold.

There was a myth, often perpetuated by Eric Bischoff and some on the WWF side, that Heyman's outfit was all garbage wrestling and highlight packages set to music from Pantera, Rob Zombie etc. Nonsense. ECW told world class stories at times, and Raven vs. Sandman's family was definitely one of them.

A barbed wire-laden bout at Holiday Hell in late-'96 meant everything to those crammed inside the sweaty ECW Arena in Philly. Starrcade? Pah! In Your House: It's Time? Ha! Holiday Hell was the wrestling show of the month for those lunatics lured in by a compelling drama.