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UnWrest Focus REWIND: Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven (Tokyo, Japan; ECW, 8/11/96)

Welcome to a special edition of UnWrest Focus REWIND. For this edition, we go back to 1996 as ECW World Champion Raven battles Tommy Dreamer. It is one of the greatest rivalries in wrestling history (and one I will likely do greater study on later). But this is a unique match here as ECW does not take place in Philly... or in the US. For this edition of the classic feud, it's taking place in TOKYO, JAPAN in the famous Korakuen Hall (site of a lot of New Japan Pro Wrestling events over the years). It's rare enough to see ECW outside of the country, but to see ECW in Japan... I only have three words for this:

Let's Do This!!!

ECW
August 11, 1996
Tokyo, Japan


ECW World Heavyweight Championship
Raven (c) vs. Tommy Dreamer (w/ Beulah)

This is so cool to see ECW in this venue. I'm anxious to see if there are any stylistic differences.



The bell rings. The crowd is quieter than your typical ECW crowd. Tommy spits on Raven after a break. Raven and Dreamer brawl to the floor and back into the ring. Dreamer avoids a dropkick, and Dreamer drops a knee in Raven's nest. "He's Hardcore" from the crowd. Wow. They're outside. Raven's face is put on the apron, and Dreamer dropkicks a chair into his face.
They're going at it into the fans now. Raven has color. BIG ECW chant from the crowd. Suplex up in the stands by Raven on Dreamer. This looks like a Suzuki match at this point. Dreamer is thrown over the railing into a bunch of chairs. Chair shot by Raven. Raven is really bleeding now, and now Tommy Dreamer has color too.
Back in the ring, Raven knees Tommy right in his Dreamer. Raven demands a chair and gets one. Leg drop on the chair into the face of Dreamer. 5 minutes have passed. (This is feeling like an amalgamation on ECW and New Japan. I'm loving it at this point.)
DDT on Dreamer on the unfolded chair. 1-2-Kickout. Dreamer is thrown back out. Here we go again! Dreamer is placed on a table. Dreamer gets hit with an elbow drop, but the table doesn't give. Seconds later, Dreamer SUPLEXES A TABLE INTO RAVEN'S FACE! And they're back up the stands with Dreamer looking to punish Raven. A head shot into the wall of the Korakuen Hall. DREAMER TOSSES RAVEN DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS!!!! BUT STEVIE RICHARDS IS IN THE STANDS AND SENDS TOMMY DOWN TOO!!!! Stevie rolls Raven and Dreamer into the ring. He's telling Raven to cover. 1-2-kickout!
Stevie slaps and kicks Dreamer while Raven holds him. Dreamer kicks out of a pin. Dreamer moves out of the way of a second kick which hits Raven. Powerbomb by Stevie. Stevie continues to play his flunky role well, and Dreamer catches him on the ropes. Now, Raven gets him by accident. DREAMER DDTS RAVEN! 1-2-Kickout!
Dreamer gets a chair from the audience. Bulldog into the chair by Dreamer. 10 minutes have passed. Dreamer continues to fight off both Raven and Stevie, with all three men wearing that crimson mask. Leaping DDT by Dreamer. Tommy goes to the top rope. Splash by Dreamer. Now, some woman gets in the ring and attacks Dreamer. Beulah fights her off, and Dreamer gives this woman a piledriver. (Latretria? I don't know.) Raven hits Dreamer a couple times in the head with a chair in order to get the win.

Winner: Raven (STILL ECW Champion)
Match Grade: B+. This was a really fun match. Seeing ECW in Japan is fun enough, but when you add in the fact that Raven and Dreamer both threw their bodies into the match, it just adds so much to the match. They could have just phoned it in, but they chose not to. Instead they gave the fans a FUN 12-13 minute match with a ton of violence and fan interaction. What the match lacked in in-ring techniques it made up with pure emotion and engaging, hard-hitting action.
_ _ _ _ _

Well, that will do it for this edition of UnWrest Focus REWIND. Check out the other posts on the website here. Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.

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