Dive back into the history of ECW this November with November to Remember Matches
November to Remember was a staple of the Extreme Championship Wrestling’s calendar, running from 1993 to 2000. The show has had some standout matches that old fans should revisit and newer fans should check out. With Peacock or the WWE Network at our disposal, there’s no better time to dive into some old-school ECW. Here are five November to Remember matches to check out this month:
Rey Misterio Jr. vs Psicosis – Mexican Death Match – November to Remember 1995
It is always a good time when you get two of the best luchadors in the world and you let them roll. The two had debuted in ECW in September and had traded some wins. Misterio Jr. won the first battle, and Psicosis won a two-out-of-three falls match in the rematch. This led to the blow-off match, and it’s a doozy. Without spoilers, these two have an excellent back-and-forth which leads to a great spot to finish the match. At just under 15 minutes, it is a quick and entertaining match.
Raven & Cactus Jack vs Tommy Dreamer & Terry Funk – November to Remember 1995
1995 brought us two of the best matches. Stick around after Misterio Jr./Psicosis for the main event. Cactus Jack had renounced hardcore wrestling and had turned on Tommy Dreamer to join up with Raven. Dreamer ended up getting help from one of Jack’s longest friends/foes in Terry Funk. The tag match is brutal with lots of violence and some outside interference. It is another match of under 15 minutes, but it’s a car crash in terms of brutality. Check it out if you want some of the extreme from Extreme Championship Wrestling.
Gangstas vs Eliminators vs Rob Van Dam & Sabu – ECW Tag Team Championships – November to Remember 1996
The tag team division was strong in 1996 ECW. Earlier in the show, the Eliminators and Rob Van Dam & Sabu fought for the right to challenge The Gangstas for the right to challenge for the titles later in the night. That match went to a time-limit draw. Both teams were tired by the time they got to New Jack and Mustafa Saed. The match was elimination style, and an interfering Taz took out Rob Van Dam and Sabu. Check it out for a solid dose of mid-90s tag team wrestling.
Super Crazy vs Jerry Lynn vs Yoshiro Tajiri – November to Remember 1999
Back to the cruiserweights, and these three were some of the elite workers in ECW in 1999. Lynn and Tajiri had a mini-feud, partly due to Tajiri’s partnership with Steve Corino and Jack Victory. Super Crazy is in the match because ECW loves pairing him with Tajiri (seriously, these guys fought all the time). The match is again elimination-style as all ECW three-way dances are, and all three get time to shine.
Mike Awesome vs Masato Tanaka – ECW World Heavyweight Championship – November to Remember 1999
The ECW Championship didn’t main event the 1999 November to Remember, but it maybe should have. For those keeping score, the main event was a six-man tag where The Sandman returned to team with Raven & Tommy Dreamer against Rhino & The Impact Players. The big title was defended by Mike Awesome against long-time rival Masato Tanaka. These two always have slugfests, and this one is no different. While it may not be as good as their three-way dance at Anarchy Rulz with Taz, it is still a fantastic ECW Title match.
Evan Gomes is a freelance pop culture & sports writer. Follow him on Twitter at @ItsEvanGomes, and check out his two podcasts: Crossbody of Work and The Pop Capsule Podcast.
