4. Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko – ECW TV – 8.26.95
The upstart Philadelphia promotion ECW turned the wrestling business on its head in the mid-90s by featuring wild, hardcore brawls and new levels of violence, coupled with some of the best technical wrestling North American audiences had ever seen at that point.
By importing stars from Japan and Mexico, Paul Heyman was able to introduce numerous in-ring styles to a whole new audience. The one feud that really embodied this movement was Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko. These two masters faced each other countless times on ECW television but possibly their most famous bout was this epic 2/3 Falls match, which went a full half-hour before ending in a draw.
Guerrero and Malenko would soon both be signed by WCW, allowing them to hone their skills in front of prime time TV viewers, and this was just one example of ECW’s lasting influence over the industry.
