9 Times ECW Was Better Than Literally EVERYTHING
6. Dreamer Beats Raven...And All Hell Breaks Loose
The rivalry between Tommy Dreamer and Raven was rightfully held up in its own time as an example of something wrestling should have done a lot more of during its headiest decade. A premise that was rooted in one of the industry's core tenets (babyface can't beat heel) and given modern tones (heel and babyface went to school together, experienced different lives, switched dynamics by the time they made it to wrestling, cult hero fights cult leader), it carried midcards and main events with ease whilst getting countless characters over as heels and babyfaces depending on which sides they took in the turf war.
It came to a glorious end at Wrestlepalooza '97, as Raven prepared to leave for WCW and Dreamer finally got his win. And Dreamer got all of 40 seconds to bask in the glory. The lights went off and came back on to reveal Bill Alfonso with Rob Van Dam in a Monday Night Raw shirt. He drilled Dreamer with a Van Daminator, but the valiant babyface fought back all the same, only for the lights to do their usual trick and this time reveal Sabu, who put the odds back in the heels' favour.
Spurred on by fighting for ECW against the evil WWE machine, Dreamer still fought back, this time drilling both with a double DDT. The final trick of the lights revealed Jerry Lawer, the company's most vocal critic over on Monday Nights and a nuclear heat magnet in the building. ECW babyfaces flooded the ring but the heels took them all out with chairs, while Lawler cut scathing promos on everybody in sight, including a choice "This bingo hall should have been built out of toilet paper because there's nothing in it other that sh*t!" retort to their disdain. After The Gangstas and The Sandman tried in vain, Taz was cast as the hero to finally send the heels packing, with Dreamer and the rest left for dead.
Raven may as well have been gone years by the time the angle concluded, with all the vindication of the victory already ripped from perennial loser Dreamer's hands. The ultimate heartbreak - a man left beaten down and unable to savour his moment after years of chasing it.
While Dreamer Vs Raven was all about constant battles in 1995 and 1996, an equally enormous rivalry took place at the same time using the polar opposite device. But former partners Taz and Sabu went that time without even touching...