The rivalry between Tommy Dreamer and Raven helped define the successful tenure of ECW. Both wrestlers were trying to make their names when Paul Heyman took a chance on them both. A long storyline with complicated layers and a fascinating backstory made it one of the most compelling feuds in wrestling. Heyman gave both wrestlers the chance to show their storytelling abilities.
Raven was the best heel in the company winning the ECW Championship and always playing mind games with his opponents, especially Dreamer. The fans fell in love with Dreamer as "their guy" when playing the face in this feud and putting his body on the line every night. ECW witnessed many great matches and moments thanks to the fascinating rivalry between Raven and Dreamer.
The Feud Had An Intricate Backstory
The use of a childhood background for fiction helped Raven and Tommy Dreamer set up their big feud. Raven and Paul Heyman came up with the story of Raven and Dreamer being enemies at a childhood summer camp. Dreamer was the popular kid who bullied Raven for being an outcast. Even the addition of Beulah McGillicutty played into the background as an overweight girl bullied by Dreamer when she had a crush on him.
Raven was now the top dog in ECW and Beulah had blossomed into a model. Dreamer would feel their wrath by Raven’s desire for revenge. The background made fans believe in the hatred for their matches as it grew with Raven’s torment of Dreamer. ECW giving Raven his own faction of Raven’s Nest gave him the heaters of The Blue Meanie and Stevie Richards always getting involved.
Dreamer didn’t win any of the matches in the feud as it continued and found its groove. The story of Raven always coming out on top and having Dreamer’s number showed the opposite story of their childhood. Raven had a point that made fans understand him, but his manipulative and vindictive ways sold the heel character to gain support for Dreamer.
Dreamer & Raven Added Layers To The Feud
ECW continued to add layers to Tommy Dreamer vs Raven to make fans continue wanting more. The overall story was that Dreamer couldn’t ever pin Dreamer, but he did score some other positive moments. Beulah McGillicutty turned face against Raven to enter a new romance with Dreamer. The old wounds were healed as Beulah did better in the face role having more chemistry with Dreamer.
Raven’s ECW Championship reigns were quite dominant, and fans badly wanted to see Dreamer end one of them. The Sandman ending Raven’s first reign made more sense to pay off their long storyline. Dreamer seemed like the favorite to end Raven’s second title run, but the first ECW PPV created the right scenario for Terry Funk to win the belt in a huge moment instead.
ECW continued the rivalry between Dreamer and Raven throughout these title reigns and other programs. Beulah leaving Raven for Dreamer added more to the face character of Dreamer often standing up for her. The biggest constant was that Dreamer couldn’t pin Raven no matter how many times he looked like the better man.
The Feud Had An Epic Ending & Reunion
The news of Raven making the decision to leave ECW for WCW shocked Paul Heyman and forced him to end the rivalry with Tommy Dreamer. Reports indicate that Dreamer was adamantly against ever beating Raven and wanted to go the entire feud without winning any singles matches. However, a victory was needed to give the diehard ECW audience what they truly wanted for the feel-good ending.
Heyman stayed true to Dreamer’s desire to always come out as the loser, even with the biggest victory of his ECW career. The emotions of Dreamer were shown when he finally defeated Raven in the star’s final outing before going to WCW. Unfortunately for Dreamer, the celebration only ended a few seconds before WWE’s Jerry Lawler invaded to attack him in selling the feud that started when ECW stars appeared on Raw.
Raven holding Beulah back as Dreamer received a beat down from Lawler, Rob Van Dam, and Sabu showed him still despising his enemy on the way out. ECW would see Raven return a few years later after he received his WCW release. Heyman booked a brilliant moment of Raven showing up as Dreamer’s surprise opponent to defeat the Dudley Boyz before they could take the ECW Tag Team Championship to WWE. The two feuded once more with strong nostalgia as fans viewed it as the peak rivalry in ECW history.