[loopydate]

Originally Posted by Zen v.W.o. Except, Austin owns Sandman in every way possible.

He even beats up his family better!

Seriously, though, ONS was the best wrestling event I've ever seen. And this is coming from someone who has been watching for a decade and a half and is obsessive about old tapes.

This was an ECW show. Yes, there were WWE guys there, but they were just window dressing for an ECW show. I was literally on the edge of my seat for most of the show and actually exclaimed out loud more than once (despite the fact that I was alone in my apartment). I almost teared up when Styles came out. I almost teared up when Heyman came out. Hell, I was on the verge of tears for two and a half hours. I have never been so moved by a wrestling event. Well, okay, I've been moved that way once (the Owen Hart tribute RAW).

I was when the fans were booing the WWE themes. As soon as "Who's that jumpin' out the sky" hit, the crowd booed like crazy. As soon as Rey showed up, they started cheering, but this was definitely an ECW crowd. Booing the 619? Beautiful.

Tanaka/Awesome was everything I hoped it would be. These two always put on some of my favorite brawls, and tonight was no exception. Chair shots. Tables. More chairs. More tables. Powerbombs through tables. Top rope chairshots. Top-rope powerbombs onto the remnants of a broken table. Yeah. Can't beat it.

And, even though I saw it coming a mile away, when the lights went out after Rhino attacked RVD, I still marked out like a little bitch when they came back up to show Sabu staring Rhino down. And an Arabian Headcrusher (technically not a Facebuster, since he did it on the back of his head) through the table to cap it all off. The next best thing to an RVD/Sabu tag match.

Speaking of RVD... I would normally say that I hope that shoot is the start of an awesome heel character for him when he returns from his ACL surgery. But I'm having a hard time imagining anyone booing him ever again. I was really hoping for a Van Terminator after the slidekick, but that probably would have snapped his leg in half, sending his shin and foot into the crowd like the kicker on "The Simpsons."

The only things (and I mean the only things) missing from the ending were a New Jack run-in (I was kinda hoping to see Sylvain Grenier get stapled. Don't know why), Raven, and Terry Funk. While it would have been kind of cool to see Shane Douglas, it doesn't bother me too much that he wasn't there. Oh, and I wasn't crazy about Austin being there, 'cause...well...I hate Austin.

And tonight proved that Joey Styles needs a WWE gig right fucking now. The man is knowledgeable, he's funny, and he's got a catchphrase that's better than "Bah Gawd," "Puppies," "Wait a minute," and "Tamata" rolled into one. Foley did a good job, but it didn't quite feel right without the Quintessential Studmuffin Joel "I'm like a Rubik's cube. The more you play with me, the harder I get" Gertner. At least we got a "Well! Well! Well!" out of the deal.

I honestly could just keep typing and typing and typing and typing about the phenomenal time I had tonight watching "One Night Stand." This was the ECW I remember, and this is the ECW I hope comes back.

And, Corky, I don't think that ECW would necessarily fail. As long as Vince doesn't try to put ECW in, say, Madison Square Garden, and keeps it in Hammerstein-sized venues. Hey, he's Vince McMahon, he can afford to buy Viking Hall, right? As long as the scale is kept small and Heyman (and maybe Dreamer if he's not willing to go full-time in the ring anymore) writing it, ECW's fanbase is so rabid that the ones just there for the ride would be totally drowned out anyway.

If ECW doesn't come back, that will be okay, too. Because tonight was a hell of a last memory.

Thank you Vince McMahon, for letting this happen (even though I'm sure you had people *cough*Stephanie*cough* telling you it was a bad idea).

Thank you ECW fans for keeping the atmosphere alive.

Thank you Joey Styles for those three little words you say that turn me back into a mark.

Thank you Chris Jericho, Lance Storm, Mike Awesome, Masato Tanaka, Little Guido, Super Crazy, Yoshihiro Tajiri, Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero, Rey Misterio, Psicosis, Rhyno, Sabu, Rob Van Dam, Bubba Ray, D-Von, Tommy Dreamer, Sandman...aw, fuck it, thank you ECW locker room.

And, finally, thank you Paul Heyman. Two words: You freaking rule!