November to Remember
November to Remember was an annual professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1993 to 2000, serving as the promotion's primary fall showcase and one of its most enduring supercard series with eight installments overall.[1] Initially presented as a live house show at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the event transitioned to pay-per-view format beginning with the 1997 edition, marking the first time November to Remember aired nationally and drew a then-record crowd of 4,634 at the Monaca Golden Dome.[2] This shift highlighted ECW's growing popularity during the late 1990s Attitude Era, positioning the show as a flagship event akin to major spectacles in rival promotions.[3] The series was renowned for embodying ECW's hardcore wrestling ethos, featuring brutal matches with weapons, high-impact spots, and intense rivalries that often involved title defenses and storyline climaxes.[2] Key highlights across the years included the 1994 installment's introduction of cross-promotional elements with wrestlers like Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Ron Simmons, the 1995 culmination of the Tommy Dreamer-Raven feud in a steel cage match, and the 1997 main event where Shane Douglas captured the ECW World Heavyweight Championship from Bam Bam Bigelow.[4] Later editions, such as 1999, showcased grueling bouts like Mike Awesome defending the world title against Masato Tanaka in a no-holds-barred war that exemplified the promotion's extreme style.[5] These events not only advanced ECW's narratives but also contributed to its cult status among fans for pushing the boundaries of professional wrestling violence and athleticism before the promotion's financial collapse in 2001.[2]History
Inception in 1993
Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon, a Philadelphia-based jeweler and wrestling enthusiast, as a regional promotion operating under the banner of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and initially known as NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling.[6] The company emerged from the remnants of the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, which Gordon had co-founded with Joel Goodhart in 1991 before acquiring full control and rebranding to focus on gritty, fan-driven events in the Northeast wrestling scene.[7] This inception marked ECW's entry as a territory-style operation, emphasizing hardcore elements and local talent to differentiate itself amid a competitive landscape dominated by larger national promotions. The inaugural November to Remember event occurred on November 13, 1993, at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving as a live supercard that drew 1,492 attendees and sold out the venue.[8] Promoted as a flagship gathering to showcase ECW's aggressive style and build momentum during the fall season, the show highlighted the promotion's commitment to high-stakes matches and emerging rivalries, positioning it as a key step in establishing ECW's distinct identity within the NWA structure.[9] The card featured a mix of established veterans and rising stars, underscoring Gordon's vision for memorable, boundary-pushing wrestling. Key bouts included Kevin Sullivan defeating Tommy Cairo in a legitimate shoot match lasting 2:10, emphasizing ECW's willingness to incorporate real-fight elements for authenticity.[4] Other notable contests involved Salvatore Bellomo overcoming Rebel in a chairs match and The Public Enemy retaining the NWA ECW Tag Team Championship against Badd Company (Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond) in a South Philly Hood tag team match. The main event pitted ECW Heavyweight Champion Sabu and Road Warrior Hawk against NWA ECW Television Champion Terry Funk and his mystery partner King Kong Bundy in a winner-takes-all tag team match; Sabu secured the victory by pinning Funk after a betrayal by Bundy, thereby claiming the Television Championship and unifying elements of ECW's title scene.[4] This debut solidified November to Remember as an annual cornerstone event for ECW.Growth and changes (1994–2000)
In 1994, Paul Heyman's increasing influence as creative head led to significant shifts in Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW), including its rebranding to Extreme Championship Wrestling to emphasize a hardcore, innovative style distinct from traditional promotions. This transition aligned the promotion with larger storytelling arcs that built fan loyalty through edgy narratives and wrestler autonomy, elevating events like November to Remember from regional spectacles to key pillars of ECW's identity. The 1994 edition, held on November 5 in Philadelphia, drew an attendance of 1,000, reflecting early growth in the promotion's core audience.[10] Heyman solidified his control by purchasing ECW from owner Tod Gordon in 1995, granting him full authority to expand the promotion nationally while maintaining its annual November scheduling. Subsequent events saw rising attendance, peaking at 4,634 for the November 30, 1997, show in Monaca, Pennsylvania, as ECW capitalized on buzz from rising stars and inter-promotional storylines. That year marked the debut of November to Remember as a pay-per-view under Heyman's leadership, introducing cross-promotional angles such as the WWF "invasion" that featured ECW wrestlers disrupting WWF programming to heighten rivalry and draw crossover interest.[10][11][12][13] The 2000 national television deal with TNN further amplified production scale for ECW events, enabling debt repayment and wrestler backpay while providing a broader platform that enhanced the spectacle of shows like the final November to Remember on November 5 at the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, Illinois. However, escalating financial troubles, including mismanagement and the abrupt TNN cancellation in favor of a WWF deal, compounded by intense competition from WWE's expanding roster and media dominance, led to the event's discontinuation after 2000 and ECW's eventual bankruptcy in 2001.[14][15]Event format
Structure of the shows
November to Remember events typically featured 8 to 10 matches per card, blending singles, tag team, and multi-man bouts to showcase a variety of competitors and storytelling elements.[16][17][18] Early iterations, such as the 1993 inaugural show, included around 10 contests with a heavy emphasis on tag team title defenses and singles encounters, while later events streamlined to 7-8 matches focused on high-stakes action.[9] This structure allowed for a progression from opener bouts involving up-and-coming talent to escalating main events, often incorporating weapons like chairs and tables to align with ECW's hardcore ethos.[19] Recurring themes centered on grudge matches that resolved year-long feuds, such as the intense rivalry between Raven and Tommy Dreamer, which culminated in tag team clashes like the 1995 bout where Dreamer teamed with Terry Funk against Raven and Cactus Jack. Title defenses were a staple, frequently shifting championships and heightening drama through surprise appearances or interference, as seen in multi-way tag team scrambles for the ECW World Tag Team Championship.[16] These elements built emotional investment, with undercard matches providing opportunities for mid-card acts like the Dudley Boyz to gain prominence through hardcore brawls and stipulation wins.[20] Signature stipulations embodied ECW's no-holds-barred style, including steel cage matches to contain chaotic rivalries, tables and ladders bouts for high-risk spots, and extreme rules encounters permitting weapons and unrestricted violence. For instance, the 1997 Tables & Ladders match between Sabu and The Sandman exemplified the promotion's emphasis on innovative, destructive formats that prioritized spectacle and injury potential. Positioned as ECW's "fall classic," November to Remember served as a pivotal mid-to-late-year event, generating momentum toward December storylines and often crowning new champions to cap seasonal arcs.[21] Over time, the focus evolved from lengthy undercards highlighting territorial talent in the mid-1990s to more polished main events in the late 1990s, where established mid-carders like the Dudleys transitioned to key roles in title contention and faction warfare.[16][17]Broadcasting and production
In the early years from 1993 to 1996, November to Remember events were produced as live tapings by Paul Heyman's team with a minimal crew, emphasizing a gritty, low-budget aesthetic that aligned with ECW's hardcore style. These shows were syndicated on local television stations, such as SportsChannel Philadelphia, to distribute highlights and matches to regional audiences in the Northeast. Additionally, full event footage was released on VHS tapes, providing fans outside the live attendance area with access to the complete cards.[22] The 1997 edition marked the pay-per-view debut of November to Remember, broadcast nationally through major PPV platforms for the first time in ECW history. This event achieved over 72,000 buys, a significant milestone for the promotion. Subsequent installments were distributed via In Demand, ECW's primary PPV provider, with production enhancements including improved lighting to better capture the action and crowd energy compared to prior shows. Commentary was handled by Joey Styles, often joined by Paul Heyman for key segments, delivering the high-energy narration that became a hallmark of ECW broadcasts.[11][23] To facilitate these upgrades, venues shifted from the intimate confines of the ECW Arena, which limited camera positioning, to larger facilities like the Golden Dome in Monaca, Pennsylvania, for the 1997 event, allowing for broader angles and enhanced visual production. Buy rates peaked at approximately 85,000 for the 1998 show before declining to around 70,000 by 2000, amid increasing competition and market saturation in professional wrestling.[16][24] Post-event content distribution played a crucial role in extending the events' reach, with RF Video handling home video releases of full matches and highlights on VHS, which sustained fan engagement and revenue in the pre-streaming era.List of events
Event table
| Year | Date | Venue | City | Attendance | Buy rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | November 13, 1993 | ECW Arena | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,492 | N/A | Sold out. Capacity approximately 1,500.[9] |
| 1994 | November 5, 1994 | ECW Arena | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,000 | N/A | Near capacity. Capacity approximately 1,200.[19] |
| 1995 | November 18, 1995 | ECW Arena | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,150 | N/A | Sold out. Capacity approximately 1,200.[20] |
| 1996 | November 16, 1996 | ECW Arena | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,250 | N/A | Sold out. Capacity approximately 1,200.[25] |
| 1997 | November 30, 1997 | Golden Dome | Monaca, Pennsylvania | 4,634 | 0.20 (approx. 120,000 buys) | First PPV event; sold out. Capacity 5,500.[11] |
| 1998 | November 1, 1998 | Lakefront Arena | New Orleans, Louisiana | 5,800 | 0.21 | Sold out. Capacity 10,000.[26] |
| 1999 | November 7, 1999 | Burt Flickinger Center | Buffalo, New York | 3,000 | 0.20 | Capacity 7,000.[27][28] |
| 2000 | November 5, 2000 | Odeum Expo Center | Villa Park, Illinois | 4,600 | N/A | Final event; sold out. Capacity 5,400.[29] |