A Thank You To CW Anderson And The Last ECW Hardcore TV Episode

We want to give a thank you to ECW alum CW Anderson for his help on content pertaining to the last ECW Hardcore TV episode. Please follow his Twitter/X profile here to learn about his upcoming wrestling related appearances (or his Instagram): https://x.com/ECWAnderson

He was kind enough to answer a question regarding his promos and backstage segments in what became the final episode of ECW Hardcore TV. That was episode #401 and it aired on December 30, 2000. During the show, including the final seconds of that episode (the last public content from the Hardcore TV series), he and other ECW alumni did various promos and backstage (or outside) segments.

This website gave a solid recap of the show and its segments:

https://www.blogofdoom.com/2020/12/30/mike-reviews-ecw-hardcore-tv-401-30-12-2000-last-ever-episode

The matches shown on that final episode were from the December 15, 2000 Elks Lodge show in Queens, New York. The final match saw Jerry Lynn (with Cyrus) defeated Christian York (with Joey Matthews) (confirmation here) and the referee was Jon Finegan (confirmation here).

After that last match on the TV episode there were two more segments. According to the show recap mentioned above:

We get clips of Simon, Swinger and CW taking on The Dudley Boyz and Tommy Dreamer from the same Queens taping. More footage is available on the ECW website, which was probably at the request of the WWF as they didn’t want some of their contracted guys working on another company’s TV show. The clips make it look more like a proper House Show Special, with lots of comedy and whatnot.

Tommy Dreamer mocks CW Anderson’s earlier promo, saying it’s not about winning but surviving, and he’s survived them all. This was a great promo from Dreamer and I’ve really enjoyed this feud. CW attacks him as the show fades out.

In between the December 15, 2000 Elks Lodge Queens NY show and the last pay per view in Manhattan (Guilty As Charged 2001 on January 7, 2001) was the final ECW Arena show on December 23, 2000. Video footage from that night has Joey Styles and Joel Gertner confirming that the Arena show was being filmed for ECW Hardcore TV. This, presumably, would have been for an upcoming episode, possibly as early as January 6, 2000 (the Saturday night before the Sunday Jan 7, 2001 PPV). However, no matches from the final ECW Arena show (Dec 23, 2000) ever aired on ECW television as the company’s last show was 3 weeks later on January 13, 2001 in Arkansas.

Therefore, for years, most ECW fans assumed that no footage of any kind from the night of the last ECW Arena show ever was aired during the company’s original run. However, CW Anderson confirmed that his promos that night and his final segment seen on that episode (attacking Dreamer to end the TV show) were filmed in a room at the ECW Arena. Most fans assumed that this footage was filmed, along with the matches shown on the last Hardcore TV episode, at the Elks Lodge on December 15, 2000.

Going back to watch the video of the main event at the ECW Arena, fans can see that the outfit Francine was wearing in her segment seen with Justin Credible and Da Blue Boy (Blue Meanie) actually matches her outfit shown during the last Hardcore TV backstage segment:

Francine is still bitching at Credible, but Blue Boy comes over to check in that he’s been enjoying his time with Jasmine. Credible kizfaybes it because Franny is there in a funny moment.

An earlier outdoor backstage segment on the TV episode shows Francine yelling at Justin Credible (with Jasmin St. Claire later to be revealed in the car next to him) looks like it was filmed outside the Arena; but that is not yet confirmed at this time.

Assuming that the same room used for the final segment of Dreamer’s promo and being attacked by CW Anderson also was used for the other promos in the final episode, then the first backstage segment shows Jerry Lynn & Cyrus having a promo with a kid, who is paid off by Cyrus to say that RVD is the kid’s favorite wrestler. If correct, then the ECW alumni who appeared on the final ECW Hardcore TV episode (#401) on December 30, 2000 had their backstage segments filmed at the final ECW Arena show on December 23, 2000:

• Blue Boy
• CW Anderson
• Cyrus
• Francine
• Jasmin St. Claire (assuming here for the outdoor backstage segment)
• Justin Credible
• Tommy Dreamer
• Unknown kid (in the first backstage segment with Cyrus & Jerry Lynn)

If any ECW historians or ECW alumni can verify this information, or if that person(s) can help improve the accuracy of this information, then please contact this website through the contact form or via Twitter/X (click here) or the Reddit post which is chronicling the final known original video footage from ECW:

Thanks to:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14