Eastern Championship Wrestling

Eastern Championship Wrestling
Promotion information
Acronym	ECW
Established	1996
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Product style	Hardcore
Management information
Owner	Paul Heyman
Booker	Tommy Dreamer

History

When asked where the most vicious wrestling fans in the world preside, don't be surprised by the unanimous answer you'll get, Philadelphia. The Philly fans know what they want and when they don't get it they will let you know. It's this very reason so many promotions have struggled to run shows in the historic city. However, over the last decade one man has been able to please the 'mutant' fan base, Paul Heyman and his Eastern Championship Wrestling.

ECW was created in 1996 by Todd Gordon and was not affiliated with the NWA at that stage. Gordon, having come from MCW as a successful manager, booked very similar to Memphis style shows and it wasn't what the crowd wanted. Towards the end of 1998 ECW was averaging only 100 people to their shows and was on the verge of going broke until Paul Heyman stepped in and took the remains. Heyman, having left WCCW after a dispute with management (and a load of up cash) bought Eastern Championship Wrestling and quickly brought a new vision to the booking table.

ECW started delivered hardcore, cutting edge wrestling that wasn't being seen in America at the time and the fans (unlike the NWA Board) ate it up. All of a sudden they where seeing weapons, scantily clad women, and blood in excess. With wrestlers like Taz, Raven and The Sandman, ECW quickly turned the corner and started gaining popularity to a point in which the Viking Hall (dubbed the ECW Arena) was booked out by fans months in advance.

Through out the years 1999 to 2003, ECW featured some of the best brawling that has ever been seen in the NWA. Feuds between Raven and The Sandman, Raven and Tommy Dreamer and Taz and Shane Douglas along with the Dudley Boyz causing riots in the crowd mixed with a talented undercard those 4 years where majestic in ECW history.

By 2004 things started looking downhill for ECW. Raven, their biggest draw card had a falling out with owner Paul Heyman and headed down to Motor City. Shane Douglas was forced to retire due to nagging injuries, and their Main Event scene had become stale. Heyman knew it was time for a change, and in turn undercard workers like Joey Malibu (formerly Matthews), and Kanyon received huge pushes that launched them into the Main Event scene along with the arrival of 'The Monster' Abyss and Baldo The Destroyer (formally just Baldo in TWE) had ECW looking fresh again.

Today, ECW can be seen weekly on Hardcore Television where Joey Styles and former ECW Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas call all the action as well as on Pay Per View where ECW presents three showings a year with the biggest being 'November 2 Remember.'

Championships

Championship	Champion(s)	Defeated	Date Won	Location	Event
ECW Heavyweight	Taz	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
ECW Television	Matt Sydal	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
ECW Tag Team	Dudley Boyz	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

See also

• National Wrestling Alliance