Review of Hardcore Homecoming

Introduction

Regular readers of my pro wrestling DVD reviews will likely know the story of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). Beginning as a small independent promotion, the company (led by Paul "E. Dangerously" Heyman) worked its way up to national television and pay-per-view by purveying the hardcore style of wrestling, which the WWE then copied in 1998.

Although Vince McMahon bought ECW in 2001, and produced The Rise and Fall of ECW DVD in 2004, it wasn`t until 2005 that he decided to promote an ECW reunion show called One Night Stand. That show, however, took place in New York, not ECW`s spiritual home of Philadelphia, and would not feature several ECW wrestlers, including The Sandman, Raven, or Shane Douglas, all of whom were not asked to partake, despite their huge influence on the original company.

Partially because of this snub, a rival event was organised, at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, which would take place two days before One Night Stand, on 10th June 2005. Dubbed "Hardcore Homecoming", the main event featured a re-match of one of the most famous matches in ECW history, as Sabu, Terry Funk, and Shane Douglas squared off in a Three-Way Dance. Unlike their 1994 meeting, however, this also had a No Rope, Barbed Wire stipulation.

Video

Video is presented in 4:3 fullscreen PAL, and is very good for a DVD of this genre. The production values of the show do an excellent job of recreating the ECW feel, right down to the almost-famous fans in the front row of ringside - it is never difficult to notice the man simply recognised as "Straw Hat Guy".

As for the transfer to DVD, it is also very good, with no noticeable digital artefacts.

Audio

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and is good for a DVD of this genre. It`s only real flaw is the fact that the audio has been edited so as to not contain any copyrighted music. Thus, much of the wrestlers` entrance music has been removed, and replaced with a generic track.

This issue, sadly, goes even further, with a concerted effort having been made to remove any crowd chants of "ECW". Reportedly, this is because the WWE threatened legal action if the Hardcore Homecoming show used the phrase "ECW". I`m not certain if that would stand up in court, but clearly the Hardcore Homecoming crew couldn`t take the risk. As such, in order to block out the crowd`s chant, you will notice a few seconds of silence as promoter Todd Gordon enters the ring at the beginning of the show.

Features

There are no extras on this disc.

Conclusion

"Hardcore Homecoming" was always going to be an emotional event for the true fans of ECW. Back in the ECW Arena, with many of the original stars of the promotion, this was something that the anti-Christ (their words, not mine) Vince McMahon couldn`t, or wouldn`t, offer.

What those fans got, was a mixture of everything that they wanted. There was comedy in Smothers vs. Meanie, some high-flying wrestling in Scorpio vs. Kash, and lots of gore with Kronus & New Jack vs. The Bad Breed, Raven vs. The Sandman, and Douglas vs. Funk vs. Sabu. There was nothing here to challenge the quality of some of ECW`s greatest ever matches, but the intense delight that the fans showed in seeing many of their favourites here, often made up for that.

Interspersed between the matches at Hardcore Homecoming are comments from many of the wrestlers, talking about their opponents, or the things that happened back in the original promotion. To go along with that, there is a an emotional tribute to some of the members of the ECW roster that have since passed away. The ovation given to Tammy Sytch - best known for a period in the WWF as Sunny, with the late Chris "Skip" Candido - is something to behold.

Overall, while there is nothing quite like the original ECW promotion, Hardcore Homecoming does a good job of bringing back some of that magic, one last time. The WWE`s One Night Stand show was also a tremendous effort, but this one feels more like home, in ECW`s natural Philadelphia habitat.

Available at an RRP of £7.99, but much less if you shop around, this is a fun reminder of what ECW was all about. Nothing can replace the original, as Vince McMahon well knows, but at least this event manages to capture the company`s unique spirit.