The First Fans Doing The X For New Jack In ECW + Why Fans Felt As If They Were A Part Of The Show

in WOOGame17 days ago

The above video was found on the ExtremePop YT channel (click here). It shows the entire entrance, match, and post-match fan celebration in the ring from a 1995 match between The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge) and The Gangstas (New Jack & Mustafa Saed).

After a couple of run-in appearances by The Gangstas, interfering in matches with Rocco & Johnny, this was the first match in the ECW Arena by New Jack & Mustafa. Later on, when New Jack became a fan favorite in ECW the fans would hold up the "X" sign by crossing their arms above their heads. However, the first indications of fans doing this started before The Gangstas ever made it to the ring for their first ECW match. You can see this at the 2:35 mark in the upper right section of the video.

Also, if younger or first-time pro wrestling fans ask about why ECW had such a "cult following" then you can inform them of how involved fans were with the company. Fans got to party with the wrestlers in the hotel after shows, they drove them after matches to the hotel or to get beer, sometimes wrestlers would join fans coming to Philadelphia from New York on ECW fan bus trips, fans got involved with websites to promote the company, and many other examples. However, the most easily-understood example shows the entrance by the Public Enemy in this match + the post-match celebration when fans entered the ring.

This was supposed to be just a handful of dedicated fans who supported the company and The Public Enemy, including longtime fan Tom Misnik who had created, organized, and ran the earlier fan/wrestler convention + Q&A session that day. Credit to Tom for his significant efforts in 1995 which have led to the current modern-day professional wrestler conventions to meet fans and answer questions.