The Secret History Of ECW | Wrestling Timelines
April 13, 1997 - Barely Legal
After the Mass Transit incident simmers down, ECW presents its first-ever pay-per-view: the well-named Barely Legal. The show, since it nearly didn’t happen, feels illicit. The pornographic connotations are apropos for a company that once filmed a controversial striptease segment. The name captures, to a wider audience, the essence of the promotion.
The show is uneven. In a premonition of February 29, 2020, the no-touch build to Taz Vs. Sabu is almost too effective; like AEW’s Cody Vs. MJF, the blow-off match does not meet the delirious expectations. It’s good, not great. Not that it matters, since he becomes the coolest underground wrestler going regardless, but Rob Van Dam fails to impress in a clunky styles clash with Lance Storm in the opener. Shane Douglas takes 20 torturous minutes to put Pitbull #2 away.
The show, plagued by technical difficulties that almost add to the ramshackle underdog charm, is defined by two speeches.
The grizzled Funk cuts an all-time great promo by his father’s grave on the pre-show, promising to get it done in his name. It’s incredibly moving, and atypical of the promotion almost. The punk outfit is doing classic rock.
Heyman’s rah-rah speech is also legendary. Addressing a locker room who will run through walls for him, Heyman says it’s ECW’s time to prove itself. “F*ck you, you’re wrong. F*ck you, we’re right.”
Funk is true to his word. He defeats Stevie Richards and the Sandman in a Three Way Dance, which is cute, qualifying to challenge Raven for the ECW World title in the main event. Again, this is more Mid-South Wrestling than ECW; harkening back to the ‘Pressure Bandage’ episode, the drama is intensified when doctors tend to Funk throughout the match, which is under threat due to his excessive blood loss. Funk wins after Tommy Dreamer interferes. The decision to strap up Funk and build the show around him as a living legend is lovely, and his selling is outstanding. He deserves it; Funk was instrumental in adding gravitas, substance, and working brilliance to ECW.
The sentimentality and nostalgia feels more like a celebration of a legacy than a bombastic, attention-grabbing pilot loaded with promise. Heyman opts to reward loyalty above all else. It’s one of the nicer things he ever did.
The show draws, according to the April 28 Wrestling Observer, between 50,000 and 60,000 buys. It’s enough of a success to launch ECW as a pay-per-view mainstay. ECW has the opportunity to expand - but not the resources…