The Sandman is a cult favorite and one of the toughest wrestlers in the business.  Through
the names “Mr. Sandman, Sandman and Hardcore Hak,” he has gained a nationwide
following and four ECW World Heavyweight Titles.  He was the person to originate beer
drinking in and around the squared circle.  Sandman also is often seen carrying a Singapore
Cane and is the only man to ever hold the ECW Title five-times.

 The Sandman made his professional debut in 1989 and competed in several regional
promotions in the northeast.  NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling began in 1992 by Tod
Gordon and on November 16th in Philadelphia, Mr. Sandman appeared as a challenger to
Don Muraco’s Heavyweight Title.  It was a classic battle between a young upstart against one
of the sport’s most experienced brawlers.  Sandman beat Muraco and took his first major
championship.  He remained champ until April 3, 1993 when he was dethroned in Randor at
the Cobrini College Gym by Muraco.  Sandman lost a special street fight to Rockin’ Rebel in
Philly on June 19, 1993.  The match did seem like it favored him, but in time, he would be
known for his brawling abilities.

 He received a shot at Shane Douglas’ ECW Heavyweight Title on September 18th during
the Ultra Clash show in Philadelphia.  Douglas beat Sandman in more than eight-minutes.  
Woman, a former Horsemen manager in the NWA, began to accompany him to the ring.  On
May 14, 1994, Sandman and Woman wrestled Tommy Cairo and Peaches in a dangerous
“Singapore Caning” Match.  Peaches pinned Sandman to win the encounter in 4:55.

 Sandman faced Tommy Dreamer in an “I Quit” match on October 1, 1994 in South
Philadelphia.  A lit cigarette he was holding mistakenly went into his eye.  Dreamer landed a
cane shot, and blood was visibly seen.  Sandman was out and carried from the ring.  
Concern from Woman, ECW Staff and even Dreamer brought worry to the eyes of the fans
that had witnessed the exchange.  Officials stated that the Sandman’s career in the ring was
over and that he would be forever blind.  Sandman returned at November to Remember on
November 5th in Philadelphia.  With bandages on his eyes, he met Tod Gordon for an in-ring
interview.  Peaches went out and threatened to do some damage, but ended up kissing him.  
Woman followed with a cane.  Peaches was canned and Woman began to go after
Sandman.  Tommy Dreamer ran out and got in the middle.  While Dreamer was engaged with
Woman, Sandman removed his bandages and canned him.  A belt followed.  The Sandman
and Woman were back together and all of ECW had been duped.  His eyes were fine.  

 The Sandman-Dreamer feud had exploded.  Sandman lost to 2 Cold Scorpio on January 7,
1995 in Philly.  He wrestled Cactus Jack on February 4th and lost in a special death match.  
Sandman and Terry Funk teamed in Philadelphia on March 18th to beat Shane Douglas and
Cactus.  Sandman captured his first ECW World Title, second ECW Title, from Douglas on
April 15th in Philadelphia at the Hostile City Showdown show.  Douglas was accompanied by
Woman, but she walked out with the new champ once again.  He won a barbed wire match
over Cactus Jack on June 17, 1995 to retain the ECW Title.

 On August 26th, Sandman teamed with the Gangstas over Public Enemy and Mikey
Whipwreck.  He gave Whipwreck a title shot on October 7th in Philadelphia and successfully
beat his opponent.  Several weeks later, he lost a special ladder match to Whipwreck in
Philadelphia on October 28th and dropped the ECW World Belt.  Despite losing the title,
Sandman did not go home without a championship.  Later in the night, 2 Cold Scorpio won a
singles match over one-half of the World Tag Team Champions, Public Enemy.  Scorpio’s
victory over Rocco Rock gave him both of the tag belts and afterwards, he picked Sandman
to be his new partner.  On December 9th, Sandman beat Steve Austin in the finals of a
special three-way dance in Philadelphia.  The pinfall victory gave him Mikey Whipwreck’s
ECW World Title, his third. Scorpio lost a singles match to none other than Whipwreck late in
December and dropped the tag title for both men.  Raven, formerly known as Johnny Polo in
the WWF, had become a top challenger.

 On January 27, 1996, Sandman lost the ECW World Title to Raven in Philadelphia.  He
teamed with Tommy Dreamer and Shane Douglas on March 30th at the ECW Arena to beat
Raven and the Bruise Brothers.  On May 11th, Sandman wrestled Pitbull II and Raven for the
latter’s ECW World Title in a three-way dance.  He was the last man eliminated, by Raven.  
Sandman received to be what seemed, for many who had heard the news, to be an
opportune time to regain the ECW World Title on August 3rd in Philadelphia when Stevie
Richards defended the title for Raven.  The match was not an easy one.  Richards pinned
Sandman after Raven added his two cents.

 Sandman regained the World Belt in a tag match with a pin on Richards in Philadelphia on
October 5th.  He retained his World Title in a match against 2 Cold Scorpio on October 26,
1996 in Philadelphia.  Sandman lost to Raven at Holiday Hell in Philly on December 7th and
the title again switched hands.  He formed an alliance with Tommy Dreamer in 1997.  On
June 28, 1997 in Philadelphia, Sandman and Dreamer lost a match to Sabu and Rob Van
Dam at the ECW Arena.  Sandman and Sabu wrestled on September 20th in Philadelphia
and the wild finish earned a no contest.  He dropped a match to the ECW World TV Champ,
Bam Bam Bigelow on March 21, 1998 in Philadelphia.  Sandman, Dreamer, New Jack and
Spike Dudley met D-Von, Big Dick and Buh Buh Ray Dudley and Jack Victory in a cage match
on June 6, 1998 at the ECW Arena.  Victory pinned New Jack, giving their opponents a win.

 Sandman and Dreamer formed a six-man tag team with one of the most violent men in
Japanese History, Atsushi Onita on June 27, 1998.  They met the Dudleys at the ECW Arena
before an estimated 1,250 fans.  Sandman, Dreamer and Onita were surprisingly beaten.  He
won over D-Von Dudley on July 18th in Philadelphia and dropped a match to Justin Credible
on August 8th.

 In 1999, Sandman signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling.  Upon arrival, he
became known as “Hardcore” Hak.  The Hardcore Division in WCW seemed to elevate to
another level, but had already been quite stocked with some of the best wrestlers in the
world.  Among them were Raven, Bam Bam Bigelow, Former Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs and
Meng.  Hak beat Raven in a three-way, falls-count-anywhere contest on March 14th in
Louisville. Before 17,000 fans in Tacoma, Washington, Hak lost to Bigelow on April 11th
during the Spring Stampede show.  He beat Knobbs on June 13, 1999 in Baltimore also on
pay-per-view.  It seemed that there was no where to go but up.

 In a stunning turn of events, Hak left WCW and returned to his homeland of South
Philadelphia and ECW.  The Sandman impact on WCW hadn’t been a major one.  Fans
welcomed him back to the ECW Arena.  He teamed with Tommy Dreamer and Raven, who
had also returned, in a six-man tag affair at the ’99 November to Remember in Buffalo.  The
three wrestled the Impact Players and Rhino.  Justin Credible pinned Sandman for the win.

 He entered the vacant ECW TV Title Tournament and was scheduled to wrestle Rhino in the
semi-finals on PPV in Danbury, Connecticut on March 12th.  He lost by forfeit when he had to
leave the arena with his injured wife.  She had been put through a table earlier during the
same event.  Sandman returned to attack Rhino after his finals loss to Super Crazy.  With
Tommy Dreamer as the special referee, Sandman beat Raven by pinfall on November 27th in
South Philly.  He challenged Rhino for the ECW TV Title on May 14th at Hardcore Heaven.  
He lost by pin.  Sandman lost to Rhino again at Heat Wave ’00 in Los Angeles.  Sandman
and Whipwreck teamed in Ypsilanti on October 21, 2000 at the EMU Convocation Center.  
They were victorious over Chris Chetti and Justin Credible.  He competed in a three-way
ECW Title Match at November to Remember on November 5th in Villa Park, Illinois.  Sandman
lost to the “King of Old School” Steve Corino and was eliminated.  Corino would go on to win
the World Championship over Credible.  He lost to Corino on December 15, 2000 in Queens,
New York.  Sandman attacked Corino after his successful three-way match victory at
Massacre on 34th Street in Manhattan, New York.  He took the ECW Title Belt.

 Sandman officially won the championship in New York City at the Hammerstein Ballroom in
the main event of Guilty as Charged 2001.  He won a three-way match over Corino and
Credible.  Sandman was immediately challenged by Rhino, who threatened to attack the
Sandman’s family if he didn’t wrestle him.  The match began.  He lost by pinfall and dropped
the World Title to the ECW Television Champ.  Sandman’s fifth reign was his shortest.  In the
weeks that followed, Extreme Championship Wrestling folded.

 Paul Heyman reformed an ECW Faction within the World Wrestling Federation known as the
“Alliance.” Where many believed the Sandman could have played an instrumental part in the
group, he continued to awe fans across the United States on the indy scene.

[Updated through 2001]


TITLE HISTORY:
 -NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title (1992-’93) defeated Don
         Muraco
 -A four-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion
         -Defeated Shane Douglas (1995)
         -Defeated Steve Austin and Mikey Whipwreck (1995)
         -Defeated Stevie Richards (1996)
         -Defeated Steve Corino and Justin Credible (2001)
 -Co-holder of the ECW World Tag Team Title (1995) w/ 2 Cold Scorpio





Research by Tim Hornbaker
The Sandman Wrestling History
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