It Ain't Seinfeld
ECW supercard held on the night of Seinfeld's finale.
On May 14, 1998, ECW held a supercard called It Ain't Seinfeld at the Elks Lodge #878 in Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. The event’s name was a nod to the fact that it took place the same night the final episode of the sitcom *Seinfeld* aired on NBC. About 1,000 people attended. Joey Styles handled commentary, and John Finnegan served as referee. Highlights aired on ECW Hardcore TV episode #265 on May 20, 1998, and the full show came out on VHS that year, followed by a 2002 DVD with cover art mimicking the *Seinfeld* logo.
The card featured eight matches, all stemming from ongoing storylines. Ten days earlier at Wrestlepalooza, Tommy Dreamer and the Sandman had beaten the Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von), so that feud carried over. At the same previous event, Rob Van Dam and Sabu fought to a time-limit draw over the ECW World Television Championship. Meanwhile, Taz had been feuding with ECW World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas, but Douglas’s injury kept Taz from challenging him.
The opener saw Jerry Lynn pin Justin Credible after reversing Credible’s That’s Incredible move into his own version. Next, Sabu forced Danny Doring to submit with a camel clutch. Chris Candido then beat Jamie Dundee with a diving headbutt. The fourth match, a tag team bout between the Blue World Order and the Full Blooded Italians, got chaotic when referees Jeff Jones and John Finnegan argued, culminating in Finnegan giving Jones a DDT. The Blue World Order won when Super Nova pinned Little Guido after a Novacain. In the fifth match, Lance Storm pinned Balls Mahoney after driving a chair into his face with a springboard dropkick.
After that, Taz came out and cut a promo calling himself the uncrowned ECW World Heavyweight Champion. He introduced his own belt—the ECW FTW Heavyweight Championship—and challenged Shane Douglas to a title-versus-title match. Douglas’s ally Bam Bam Bigelow then confronted Taz, saying he’d have to go through him. Referees tried to separate them, but Bigelow press slammed one into the audience, and a brawl broke out. The sixth match saw Rob Van Dam defend the TV title against Mikey Whipwreck, but it ended in a no contest when Chris Candido and Sabu attacked Van Dam. Lance Storm ran in to help, and the four men brawled until separated. In the seventh bout, Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Axl Rotten after hitting Greetings from Asbury Park.
Quick Facts
- Date Aired
- May 20, 1998
- Promotion
- Extreme Championship Wrestling
- Date
- May 14, 1998
- Attendance
- c. 1,000
- Venue
- Elks Lodge #878
- City
- Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, New York, United States
- Liveevent
- Y
- Lastevent
- CyberSlam
- Nextevent
- A Matter of Respect
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
It Ain't Seinfeld featured eight matches. The main event was a six-man tag team match pitting the Dudley Brothers (Buh Buh Ray, D-Von and Big Dick) against Tommy Dreamer, Spike Dudley and the Sandman. The Dudley Brothers won when Big Dick Dudley pinned Spike Dudley after performing Total Penetration. Following the match, the Dudley Brothers beat down their opponents until New Jack came to the ring and drove them away. Prior to the main event, Buh Buh Ray Dudley's heckling of the crowd led a member of the audience to attempt to enter the ring to attack him; the man was subdued by security guards before entering the ring.
Reader's Guide
It Ain't Seinfeld is significant as a unique crossover event between professional wrestling and popular culture, named after the final episode of Seinfeld. It marked the introduction of the ECW FTW Heavyweight Championship by Taz, a title created due to Taz's inability to challenge for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship after champion Shane Douglas sustained an injury. The event continued several feuds, including the Dudley Brothers versus Tommy Dreamer and the Sandman, and Rob Van Dam versus Sabu. Highlights were shown on ECW Hardcore TV, and the full event was released on VHS in 1998 and on DVD in 2002, with cover art stylized after the Seinfeld logo. The event's legacy includes the ongoing FTW Championship and the continuation of key rivalries into subsequent ECW events.
Did You Know?
- The event was named after the final episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, which premiered on NBC the same evening.
- The ECW FTW Heavyweight Championship was introduced at this event by Taz.
- During the fourth bout, referee John Finnegan gave a DDT to fellow referee Jeff Jones.
More in Characters & Guest Stars
Elsewhere in Seinfeld
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced