It looked like he'd done it. Enduring three weeks of multi-opponent matches and significant doubt, Tommy Dreamer pinned Elijah Burke on ECW on Sci Fi and seemed to win the Elimination Chase to No Mercy. Maybe it was the symbolic bandana, or the spirit of ECW, or simply Dreamer's determination, or all of these elements. In any event, the ECW Original proved he was worthy of an ECW Championship opportunity.

Suddenly, things went awry.

ECW General Manager Armando Estrada dropped an enormous surprise on an exhausted Dreamer this past Tuesday night when he revealed the final entrant in the Chase: Big Daddy V.

Physically worn from a taxing high-stakes encounter with Elijah Burke, Dreamer looked in awe and felt the earth beneath him shake as the 500-pounder made his way to the ring. With a near-empty tank, the ECW Original reached deep, deep inside himself to find the last morsel of strength he had and rose to his feet to meet yet another opponent.

For several minutes (longer than many fully rested men have even lasted with the behemoth), Dreamer fought blow-for-blow with Big Daddy V, exhibiting a rare degree of grit and fortitude in the ring. Ultimately, the undefeated mastodon proved too much for the fatigued Original and Big Daddy V's girth toppled Dreamer.

In the aftermath, a wounded Dreamer struggled to his feet and staggered his way to the locker room area, still somewhat fueled by chants of Die Hard ECW fans who continued to cheer in Tommy's favor. Despite their devastation in what had transpired that evening, our fans continued to support Dreamer after displaying one of the most valiant efforts in ECW history.

Having given everything he had to this competition, the ECW Original is now left without the title opportunity he essentially earned. While any ordinary individual would be left dejected, frustrated and ready to throw in the towel, Dreamer reassured ECW.com that he is "not so ordinary."

"I fought like hell for three weeks," said a fiery Dreamer, "and in three minutes, Big Daddy V came down there [to the ring] and took advantage of the situation. It's not something new for Tommy Dreamer; I get so close, then something comes along and keeps me from getting ahead. I'm not going to cry about it. I gave all I had, but I still have plenty more to give."

Though the ECW Championship is still something the ECW Original is committed to winning, he's now focused on more immediate and much larger matters.

"I haven't trusted Armando Estrada since the first day he stepped in ECW," Dreamer explained. "[Estrada] will have to pay and so will that 500-pound monster, Big Daddy V."

"The next time I see them," he vowed, "I will show both of them ‘no mercy.'"