The Secret History Of ECW | Wrestling Timelines

August 13, 1994 - Raining Chairs

Good friends, better enemies Cactus Jack and mentor Terry Funk headline Hardcore Heaven in a singles match. This goes to a no-contest when the Public Enemy hit the ring and attack Jack. An alliance forms between Jack and Funk in that moment; it won’t last, but that was the beauty of their dynamic. One cross word would mutate instantly into bloodthirsty hatred.

Funk asks the crowd to throw a chair into the ring. One fan obliges. While just the one chair will do, it looks fun, and the people want to help Funk because he legitimately is a hero and a legend. More chairs fly into the ring. Very quickly, a terrifying scene unfolds. A hailstorm of chairs buries the Public Enemy as Cactus and Funk bail. Commentator Joey Styles - whose screaming one man band and frequent “Oh my God!” squeal divides opinion, but is crucial to the promotion’s identity - leaves his post and urges the fans to stop.

The ECW Arena is a sweltering din - a sh*thole bingo hall populated by discerning bloodthirsty adult males. It’s not sweaty so much as foggy; a grimy building that demands and often receives ultra-violence. It’s where transgressions happen. It’s a place you’d like to go, but you’d feel apprehensive when you actually step foot in it. There’s a malevolent energy radiating out of the screen. It’s a place where, if you make a mistake and get knocked so loopy your face starts to swell, you’ll get mocked for messing up. It’s unpleasant and inviting, all at once. It’s scary.

This iconic extreme moment happens when the promotion is still named Eastern Championship Wrestling - but that will change imminently.