Smith returned to ECW after recovering from an injury at Wrestlepalooza on August 5, 1995, where he faced Hack Meyers in a match. Smith achieved his greatest success and biggest highlight of his ECW career in that match as a result of a legitimate mistake, as he attempted a suicide dive to the outside on Meyers, but failed to get enough elevation; his knee pads caught on the ropes and he landed head-first on the arena floor. This resulted in a large, softball-sized swelling on his head, but Smith was able to defeat Meyers with the help of Italian wrestler Val Puccio. Paul Heyman turned this into a comedic storyline where Smith's injury and resulting concussion gave him mild brain damage, and he began believing he was Italian, even talking with an Italian accent. Smith befriended Puccio, thus turning into a villain for the first time in his ECW career. The ECW fans jeered Smith when he attempted a move and failed, but this time with a degree of affection. At Gangstas Paradise, Smith faced Hack Meyers in a rematch, in which he got counted-out after missing a moonsault and crashing through a table outside the ring. At Holiday Hell, Smith botched a split-legged moonsault against Meyers, which led to Meyers winning the match.