It’s time for another edition of At Odds with Wrestling homework. Any week there is not a brand new wrestling pay per view, Joe and Adam will alternate selecting a homework assignment for each other and for the listeners. I always attach myself onto a winning team and write up my own thoughts. I’m staying up late Wednesday night/Thursday morning to make sure this is available to the usual readers. The Soon to Be Named Network hosts and independent wrestling all stars.

Speaking of wrestling. This week’s assignment was 10 minutes of one episode of ECW and then the next two covering the November to Remember event. All told, I think there’s 20 minutes of wrestling action here.

I understand, I do. The point is to get fans to order this event on home video. Not to give it all away for free on the weekly show. As a teen/20s watching this I loved every bit. Now though I want more bang in the hour. My notes are full of “ads, more ads, still more ads”.

We did start out with the Pulp Fiction ECW closing segment but this time set to “November Rain” and I’m excited for November to Remember. I’m remembering how much I loved discovering ECW and living and breathing every twist in every story.

Next the 11/19/1996 episode. Taz “shoots” on Paul Heyman and the agreement between the two of them and Sabu. It does add something more to this epic slow build.

Over 15 minutes into a one hour show and there’s been no action. Finally the bWo come out and is this their debut? Fantastic and already over. Clips from Stevie vs David Morton Taylor Jericho play. I forgot about that name. I remember the Educator from the House Show and I marking out for that name way back when. Is DMTJ Kid Kash? Stevie wins with a Stevie kick and I’m realizing there’s an alternate world out there in which Stevie is a former world champion. An opportunity and a moment missed in this world.

Buh Buh Ray vs D-Von. Bubba is huge here. D-Von looks just full of potential. Bubba can punch but he’s just big and not much else here. D-Von is showing a lot though. Fight into crowd and then a disgusting chair shot. I honestly feel ill watching this. I could possibly throw up. Then Bubba eats a chair. This is just gross. Back to ringside. Bubba is absolutely gassed. Takes three pumps to get D-Von up and it’s only a two count. D-Von trash talks but wastes too much time. Bubba Cutter! Wow. That was cool. Bubba with the pin. Joel Gertner comes in and says D-Von wins. “He won on points”. Axl Rotten comes out to save Joel. Spike Dudley comes out to even it up and everyone fights. Axl, D-Von, and Joel are up with everyone else down. Big Dick Dudley returns. D-Von and Axl bail and Joel feels Big Dick’s wrath in the form of a moonsault. I can’t believe he was able to do that.

Backstage, Joel tells Axl what to say. This was a funny little hype central.

Highlights of Gangstas vs Eliminators vs Rob Van Dam and Sabu.

Mostly fighting everywhere. Lots of plunder and blood. Sabu goes through a table then Taz attacks RVD. Total Elimination and RVD and Sabu are out. New Jack off the top with a chair to Saturn and Eliminators are out. Gangstas win.

11/26/1996 episode.

Axl Rotten vs Hack Myers. Shaw and Shit chants. Hack doesn’t look as old to me as he did back then. Baseball swing with chair. Pedigree type move onto chair and Axl wins.

More ads, but one is paid for by the bWo. Did Meanie say he’s oozing blue cheesemo?

2 Cold Scorpio says goodbye to ECW. If anyone can beat him he’ll leave ECW for 15 days. 2 Cold squashes Devon Storm. Now 30 days and he squashes JT Smith. Hack Myers is out for a 60 days challenge and loses that effort. 2 Cold says he will be the mystery partner at Survivor Series – which turns out to be the Rock. What a crazy week in wrestling.

Louie Spicolli is one of many wrestlers out to help. 2 Cold challenges Louie and now it’s up to one year. Louie ends up hitting a DVD for the pin shocking everyone. 2 Cold then says he’s not leaving but Taz comes out and makes “Flash” back down.

Taz holds the ring and everyone in it hostage until Sabu comes out. Tod Gordon gets choked out. Paul Heyman gets suplexed. The lights go out and now Sabu stands face to face with Taz as the episode ends.

What wrestling and stories there were on these episodes was great. But there’s a TON of filler. Commercials for tapes, shirts, live events, all of it. There was not much action here but again I do understand the point is to buy the tape. And they’ve sold me. I’m planning on watching this event soon. I’m excited for it. But I would not have been excited to find ECW some day over the weekend anywhere between 11 pm to 3 am on whatever cable channel I can find them on that week.