"Big Stevie Cool" Got His RESPECT At ECW's 1st Pay-Per-View
Stevie Richards is one of pro wrestling’s most unappreciated stars.
I have been a fan of Stevie since I used to steal my Dad’s VHS cassettes and watch his taped ECW episodes when I was 11 years old. He and Raven were one of my all-time favorite duos. Raven was the cult leading, enigmatic wordsmith of the Nest, and “Dancin’” Stevie was his clueless, naive lackey with an upbeat attitude, while doing some of the most dastardly things on the planet.
The many incarnations of Stevie over the years have been entertaining in its own way. Whether it be “Superstar” Stevie, the Blonde Bytch Project, the gimmick impersonator, the leader of Right To Censor, Victoria’s valet, Stevie Night Heat, or even Dr. Stevie from TNA, it was always entertaining and, in my opinion, Stevie made the most of every opportunity given, no matter how short of time the segment was.
However, my ultimate favorite character of Stevie was as the de-facto leader of the Blue World Order.
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I know that the majority of pro wrestling fans best remember Stevie, the Blue Meanie, and Nova for spoofing the New World Order in November 1996. However, it was the culmination of a plethora of impersonations that Stevie and the Meanie mainly did.
At the behest of Raven, “Dancin’” Stevie and the Meanie, who was his lackey, began spoofing different acts in wrestling. Whether it be Lord Steven Regal & Sir William, the Public Enemy, or Baron Von Raschke and Goldust, the dastardly duo did it brilliantly to the bloodthirsty ECW fans’ delight.
One of Stevie and the Meanie’s best impressions, bordering on one of the greatest of all time, was, alongside Super Nova, Meanie’s lackey, and “Mr. 500 of the 1994 PWI 500” Donn E. Allen, impersonated KISS. At the behest of Philadelphia and ECW cult favorite JT Smith, the fearsome foursome decided to “rock and roll all night” until having it unceremoniously ended by “the Hardcore Icon” Sandman!
It started to become more obvious that Stevie, Meanie, and Nova were becoming fan favorites, despite being strongly linked to the evil and diabolical Raven, It all came to a head at the November 2 Remember event at the ECW Arena in South Philadelphia, PA on November 16, 1996.
While David Morton Tyler Jericho, the future Kid Kash, waited in the ring for his opponent, a hard rock instrumental hit the PA system. Coming through the crowd was a group of misfits, holding up a plethora of white picket signs with the letters “bWo” in blue. Leading the way was the Meanie and Nova, dressed up in full outlandish gear. From the entranceway and into the ring was Stevie. In mere seconds, the fans picked up on who was who.
This was Da Blue Guy, Hollywood Nova, and Big Stevie Cool. This was the BLUE WORLD ORDER!
From Da Blue Guy flicking a chicken bone from his mouth like Scott Hall did with a toothpick to Hollywood doing his best version of the Hulkster, this was peak ECW hilarity. Then, Stevie, obviously one gloved up like Kevin Nash, grabbed the microphone and uttered one of the greatest lines in wrestling history:
“I’d like to start by saying three simple words…WE’RE TAKING OVER!!!!!”
From that moment on, the life of Stevie Richards began on a different path. The former ECW World Tag Team Champion gained a sense of confidence about himself. After years of being mentally manipulated by Raven, Stevie finally Stevie Kicked Raven and left the Nest in December 1996.
Meanwhile, the rise of the bWo was nothing short of incredible.The Blue World Order t-shirt sales went through the roof. In my opinion, it had to do a lot with the commercial made for it that played during Hardcore TV.
Also, Stevie and the bWo started getting strong ovations from the crowd. The fans were chanting those three letters all over the shows in early 1997. This helped put Stevie higher in the card. One of his biggest matches to date was straight-up defeating Ricky Morton of the Rock-And-Roll Express at Crossing the Line Again on February 1, 1997. Then, later on in the night, he almost helped “Dr. Death” Steve Williams win the ECW World Heavyweight Title from Raven; however, it backfired and Raven overcame and survived with the title intact.
Big Stevie Cool continued on his winning streak, defeating Balls Mahoney at Cyberslam ‘97: Night 2 on February 22, 1997, and then actually causing Raven a big tag team match, losing alongside “Prime Time” Brian Lee to Tommy Dreamer and the Sandman after Stevie reunited Sandman with his estranged wife Lori and son Tyler. Raven was infuriated.
The following month at Hostile City Showdown on March 15 at the Arena, it was originally scheduled to be Dreamer and Stevie against Raven and a mystery partner drawn at random via a raffle. When Stevie’s name was drawn from the raffle, ECW founder and Commissioner Tod Gordon decided to instead make the match a three-way-dance for the ECW World Heavyweight Title. Stevie gave it his all in this impromptu opportunity for the gold, but fell short when Raven pinned him to eliminate him from the match.
ECW management, impressed with Stevie’s new gumption and ability to stand up to the diabolical Raven, decided to give him the ultimate honor.
In the main event of Barely Legal, ECW’s first ever pay-per-view on April 13, 1997, Big Stevie Cool would be a part of the #1 contender three-way-dance with the Sandman and Terry Funk, who Dreamer gave his spot in the match to, and the winner would automatically receive a title shot against Raven once the match was completed.
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During the pay-per-view telecast, there were video packages hyping up each man in the three-way-dance. First, the blue-collar Sandman was showcased being ECW’s “Hardcore Icon”, all the while drinking a beer and smoking a Marlboro Red. Then, a recap of Terry Funk’s last stand, dedicating his match to his late father Dory Funk, Sr and his family, while hoping to touch the top of the mountain one last time.
To me, no one’s promo meant more than Big Stevie Cool. With a black-and-white filter, Clerks style, Stevie started discussing his career and how all he wanted was his RESPECT.
It was great. A literal career retrospective within three minutes and thirty seconds, with Stevie as serious as we’ve ever seen him. Finally, after Stevie spoke, closing it with “He will leave that ring tonight with his RESPECT”, Da Blue Guy came from the background, saying that Sandman and Terry “were going to dance, but Stevie was going to LEAVE.”
Honestly, from my perspective, it was a career-defining promo. For twenty-five year old Stevie Richards, he had officially ARRIVED as a big-time player for ECW.
Of course, Stevie took an absolute ass-whipping from both men. But he didn’t stay down. He kept getting back up. From shots of the Singapore cane and chairs to being absolutely obliterated by a ladder, Big Stevie Cool kept on going. However, after a power bomb from Funk, both Sandman and Funk pinned Richards to finally eliminate him.
Yet, Stevie got his revenge. After climbing on the apron, Sandman bumped him off, but following a trash can being placed on top of him by Funk, Stevie leveled him with a Stevie Kick, which led to a 53 year old Funker delivering a moonsault for the three-count.
Minutes later, after shenanigans from the Nest and Tommy Dreamer, a bloody “Hardcore Legend” small packaged Raven for the win and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship!
Although Stevie lost, he finally had his RESPECT. Not just from the fans, who loved his bWo antics, but the wrestlers he shared the ring with and in the locker room.
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This was the peak of Stevie Richards and the bWo in ECW. Due to injuries, leaving for WCW and subsequently returning to the company months later, and injuries again, Stevie never reached the peak that he once did, at least in the promotion. Thankfully, he was able to make an impact in the WWE with a near decade run, and never losing his positivity, in spite of the drama and treatment he received while in multiple locker rooms.
As someone who has issues with his own self-esteem, seeing Stevie’s positive yet harsh criticism of himself sometimes bothers me as a fan. Hopefully, he will know how respected he truly is.
Also, I hope he goes back to the peak of the Blue World Order in 1997 on April 13, 1997, and realizes that his RESPECT was there from that night on. Thank YOU, Stevie Richards, for what you were able to do in-between the ropes and in the wrestling industry as a whole.
Bankie Bruce
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