00:00After being released from WCW in late 1999, Eric Watts drove up to an ECW arena show in January 2000
00:06alongside Dusty Rhodes, who he was helping as a trainer at the Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling School.
00:12Eric's buddy Raven, who lived near him in Atlanta, vouched for Watts to Paul Heyman, who tested his ego by
00:17having Watts lose to little Spike Dudley in just nine seconds that night.
00:21Heyman was allegedly impressed by Watts' ability to get heat during a pre-match promo with Louie Dangerously, a duo
00:28based on well-known heat between Paul and Eric's dad, Cowboy Bill Watts.
00:33Paul offered Watts a full-time gig, which they negotiated terms on while Watts worked house shows for a few
00:38weeks, in which he wore his father's Mid-South Heavyweight title belt.
00:42According to Watts' High Spot Shoot interview, he asked Paul for guaranteed money and first-class airfare, since he knew
00:48the stories of Paul being bad with pay.
00:51Heyman agreed, and then immediately stiffed Eric on the next booking.
00:55Watts claimed that he said he'd overlook it as long as Paul sent him his next check up front with
01:00airfare.
01:00As Eric tells it, Paul did just that, and then Watts cashed the check, blocked all contact with Heyman, and
01:06never went back to ECW.
