At a ECW show in Revere, Massachusetts on November 23, 1996, an incident took place that has been talked about years later. It is referred to as the Mass Transit Incident.

The Mass Transit was a 350 pound teenager named Eric Kulas. Eric Kulas had a dream of being a professional wrestler. Eric had claimed that Killer Kowalski had trained him and he was age 19, which later both statements proved to be false. In reality, Eric had little to no previous training. Eric Kulas convinced Paul Heyman to allow him to fill in for Axl Rotten. Axl was schedule to work a tag team match with D-Von Dudley against The Gangstas (New Jack & Mustapha Saed). Eric Kulas replaced Axl in the match.

During the match, D-Von & Mustapha brawled outside of the ring. New Jack & Mass Transit fought inside the ring. The match was a squash match as New Jack severely beat Eric with foreign objects such as chairs and toasters. Eric was informed before the match that he would have to blade. Eric Kulas asked New Jack to blade him since he had never done it himself. New Jack agreed. After Eric had taken some brutal weapon shots from New Jack. New Jack ended up cutting Eric's forehead to deeply with an exacto knife and severed two arteries in Eric's forehead. The footage of the event showed Eric screaming immediately after being cut. Following the blading, Eric was hit with several more weapon shots before New Jack pinned him. As the camera zoomed in on the blood pouring out of Eric's forehead, a medical worker rushed into th ring to help Eric. New Jack grabbed the microphone and with one foot on the unconscious teenager's chest stated, "McMahon, Bischoff, look at this mother******.....As far as I'm concerned, that fat piece of s*** can bleed to f****** death, because I don't give a f***."

During this incident, Eric's father was at ringside. His father was yelling at The Gangstas to "Take it easy on him, he's just a kid."

The incident led In Demand to cancel the Barely Legal pay-per-view. Paul Heyman pleaded with In Demand, and was finally able to convince the company that they had been misguided, and were placed back on the schedule some time later.

New Jack was tried on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon three years later. New Jack was later sued by the Kulas Family. The Jury discharged New Jack in the criminal trial, and he was later declared not liable in the civil trial.

The Rise and Fall of ECW book stated that as the medical crew carried Eric Kulas out, he was escorted by Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer held his hand to comfort him.

New Jack later stated in interviews that after he found out about Eric's fraud, he didn't have any remorse for what he had done.

Sadly On May 12, 2002, Eric Kulas passed away at the age of 22 due to complications from gastric bypass surgery.


Here is a video of the incident.