When Brock Lesnar pinned The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX, the crowd quickly descended into shocked silence, as nobody had seen it coming. Less than 48 hours later, this was followed by the untimely death of The Ultimate Warrior. Two truly shocking events, one real life and one storyline, were felt in a short space of time. But where do these two events rank among the most shocking events in wrestling history? This article delves through decades worth of wrestling history to examine the events that truly took the wrestling worlds breath away, as well as the legacy they left on the business. Many major changes in the wrestling business stemmed from these events, as you will see.
10. ECW Double Crosses The NWA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kpEjrKqf3s The National Wrestling Alliances version of the World Heavyweight Championship is the oldest surviving championship anywhere in the wrestling world. After WCW withdrew its membership in 1993, the NWA title quickly lost its sparkle. The title remained vacant for a year after Ric Flairs final reign. NWA President Dennis Coraluzzo saw the potential of the burgeoning NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling operated by Paul Heyman, which had the most television coverage of any NWA promotion, and negotiated a deal where ECW would host an 8 man tournament to crown a new champion, with Shane Douglas emerging as the new title holder. However, Coraluzzo had previously buried Douglas on a radio show for allegedly no-showing a booking for him (something which Douglas had no recollection of) and Douglas, Heyman and ECW owner Tod Gordon plotted a scheme that would result in huge publicity and a new era for ECW. Keeping it strictly between the three of them, as Douglas made an acceptance speech as new champion, he declared, I am not the man who accepts a torch to be handed down to me from an organization that died seven years ago. The Franchise, Shane Douglas, is the man who ignites the new flame of the sport of professional wrestling! I declare myself, The Franchise, as the new ECW Heavyweight Champion of the world! As a stunned Coraluzzo looked on, realising that he had been double-crossed and made to look a fool in front of the wrestling world, Eastern Championship Wrestling quit the NWA, rebranded itself Extreme Championship Wrestling and became the most controversial and polarising wrestling promotion of the 1990s.
Dean Ayass is a well known name to British wrestling fans. A commentator, manager, booker and ring announcer who has been involved in the business since 1993, Dean's insight into the business is second to none.
