5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (March 1)
1. Tommy Dreamer’s Finger Bang
Tommy Dreamer recently underscored the lengths to which he was willing to get himself over.
Speaking recently on the ‘Why It Ended With Robbie E’, podcast, Dreamer revealed a pitch he once made to Vince McMahon. The man, and this is legit insane, once offered to cut one or more of his own fingers off on a WWE pay-per-view. He wanted $1 million dollars per finger for the stunt, which McMahon naturally refused to sanction—whether on grounds of good taste, prospective mainstream outcry or the fact that it wouldn’t have helped Dreamer get over, we can’t be certain.
Dreamer was arguably the last, true territorial hero; beloved by the Philadelphia fans before ECW self-destructed in its pursuit of becoming a third major promotion, Dreamer’s earnest, masochistic commitment to proving himself got him over as a near-literal never-say-die babyface. It was a winning gimmick, and a fiercely believable one, too. How could you not get behind a guy—and how could you not trust a guy—willing to go to those lengths to get you on side?
The problem, which this insane pitch highlights, is that Dreamer’s act resonated as total cheese elsewhere. He was hardcore, but so was the entire Attitude Era, so who cares?
Dreamer was Hardcore, and in 2009 would have cut his finger off for a pop, so we’re not doubting him.