Educate me on ECW

[randomguy 0]

I've never seen any ECW before. Can someone explain what really made it different?

 

I understand it was shot with a smaller, more rabid crowd that got into it a lot, and was shot in a more grainy, documentary style. Beyond that though, what made it extreme? I've seen people make comments about the battle royale being a WWE hardcore match instead of an ECW one, what does that mean?

 

ECW had more technical wrestling? More brawling? More dangerous moves? More blood? More barbed wire? I'm having a hard time understanding how the overall feel was different from WWE or WCW.

[bob_barron 0]

It had a zombie.

 

That's what made ECW special

[2GOLD 0]

It had a zombie.

 

That's what made ECW special

 

The fact someone thought that what they put on the air was a good idea shows you just how "special" the new ECW is.

 

As for the OLD ECW, it had much edgy angles well before the WWE and incorporated some parts of the japanese and luchador style into American wrestling. Mixing in violent conflict with solid wrestling (in some of the matches, not all), ECW basically put on tv what would start the WWF Attitude Era. It wasn't perfect, it had a lot of really bad wrestlers, but it also helped push forward some of the biggest names in the wrestling industry. Not discover them, just give them the chance to shine on a televised show and allowed them the freedom to show what they had.

 

It was basically, "ok, you got a character? So, make it work".

 

The difference between an ECW battle royal and what we saw last night is the weapons in ECW were actually treated as weapons. You didn't see guys get hit with a sheet and just be like "ow, that kinda hurt", no you watched them go down.

[Ravenbomb 0]

I <3 The Zombie

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Lots of swearing, lots of blood, lots of interaction with the fans, also really vocal fans. Basically, ECW did the shit people wanted to see that the WWF and WCW were too pussified to do.

[NoCalMike 0]

Dude, go buy some ECW DVDs or find a tape trading site and buy some shows from 1995 - 1997.

[Maztinho 0]

It had a zombie.

 

That's what made ECW special

 

The fact someone thought that what they put on the air was a good idea shows you just how "special" the new ECW is.

 

As for the OLD ECW, it had much edgy angles well before the WWE and incorporated some parts of the japanese and luchador style into American wrestling. Mixing in violent conflict with solid wrestling (in some of the matches, not all), ECW basically put on tv what would start the WWF Attitude Era. It wasn't perfect, it had a lot of really bad wrestlers, but it also helped push forward some of the biggest names in the wrestling industry. Not discover them, just give them the chance to shine on a televised show and allowed them the freedom to show what they had.

 

It was basically, "ok, you got a character? So, make it work".

 

The difference between an ECW battle royal and what we saw last night is the weapons in ECW were actually treated as weapons. You didn't see guys get hit with a sheet and just be like "ow, that kinda hurt", no you watched them go down.

 

ECW was also notorious for "Shoot style" promos. Shane Douglas calling out Ric Flair, Steve Austin ripping his shirt off, and dropping the legdrop ala Hogan after getting fired from WCW.

 

Letting the wrestlers be whatever character they wanted was also a plus. They put more heart into it and came off more comfortable than if they where placed into a mold.

 

Old ECW Masato Tanaka taking chair shots until the chair breaks, New ECW... cookie sheets.

[BruiserKC 0]

ECW was completely different from WWF and WCW for the way they had many different wrestling styles all at once on their shows. The Nitro era notwithstanding...WWF and WCW basically had one style of wrestling...in ECW the many different styles stood out.

 

Luchadores...Psicosis, Super Crazy

Japanese...Masato Tanaka, Hayabusa

Scientific Wrestling...Benoit, Malenko, Al Snow

Brawling...Sandman, Raven, Tommy Dreamer

Shoot Style...Saturn, Kronus

 

And somehow they found a way to make all those styles work.

[Guest Coffey]

It was a feel. I could make a shitty analogy right now but I don't think anything else can sum it up better than that. It was just a feel.

[Astro7x 0]

ECW was completely different from WWF and WCW for the way they had many different wrestling styles all at once on their shows. The Nitro era notwithstanding...WWF and WCW basically had one style of wrestling...in ECW the many different styles stood out.

 

Luchadores...Psicosis, Super Crazy

Japanese...Masato Tanaka, Hayabusa

Scientific Wrestling...Benoit, Malenko, Al Snow

Brawling...Sandman, Raven, Tommy Dreamer

Shoot Style...Saturn, Kronus

 

And somehow they found a way to make all those styles work.

 

Well right now ECW seems ot have two styles. Garbage Wrestling and Technical. The Garbage wrestling is much like the WWF Hardcore Title matches than a real hardcore match, and the technical wrestling is too technical for ECW, with Angle/Orton boring me to death. I don't want to see Kurt Angle do technical wrestling, I want to see him be an unstopable machine that has no problem with taking a steel chair and bashing someone in the head with it.

[chaosrage 0]

Watch this. It'll explain everything. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3...226967046&q=ECW

 

After you see that, click on some of the links in this thread. http://forums.thesmartmarks.com/index.php?showtopic=80139

[razazteca 0]

The problem with Angle working the technical style is that he is the only person in ECW that can work that style while everybody else are garbage or WWE style wrestlers. They are going to have to bring in at least 2 more technical wrestlers from ROH or OVW for Kurt Angle matches to look good. Even if they go with the clash of styles booking they still have to find decent to credible luchadors or japanese wrestlers to challenge Angle. Right now Kurt Angle vs guy with cane or cookie sheet is'nt going to cut it.

[Fro 0]

- Garbage Wrestling/Brawling (with "extreme" or strange weapons, tables, and occasionally, barbed wire/fire)

- Crazy highspot based matches (see Sabu or RVD)

- Hardcore, cult-like fans, who interacted with the wrestlers during matches by giving them weapons

- Technical wrestling at times (when WWF/WCW weren't doing it to this level, particularly WWF)

- Some MMA-influenced guys like Taz

- All the wrestlers generally worked real hard

- Big role in bringing Japanese/Lucha guys like Benoit, Rey, Eddie over

- Adult storylines and edgy angles that didn't insult your intelligence (lesbian kiss, lots of F-Bombs, etc), at the time WWF was marketing to little kids and WCW was as well with Hogan

- Used real, hip music

- Heyman's gritty production of the show and style of shooting backstage segments, etc

- Booking built characters, emphasized strengths, hid weaknesses

 

So basically it was something totally different than the Big Two at the time, while WCW and WWF were still trying to recreate the late 1980s WWF in 1994/1995.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I only ever got to watch the ECW TV show that was on late night Saturdays, but it was cool because there would be a technical match and then there could be a flat out brawl with weapons and the like on the same show.

 

I remember Styles shilling he ECW Hotline too...that was usually the a highlight. The production values stunk (even in so much as they would show fan cam footage which was even worse than their normal) but it didnt really matter. The fans were always involved in matches too which gave everything an added level of excitement. I remember clearly that ECW was sending out the luchadores at the same time WCW was, and the WCW fans sat there in silence for the most part whereas the ECW Fans would go nuts whenever one of them did anything remotely crazy.

[Jericho2000Mark 0]

ECW was completely different from WWF and WCW for the way they had many different wrestling styles all at once on their shows. The Nitro era notwithstanding...WWF and WCW basically had one style of wrestling...in ECW the many different styles stood out.

 

Luchadores...Psicosis, Super Crazy

Japanese...Masato Tanaka, Hayabusa

Scientific Wrestling...Benoit, Malenko, Al Snow

Brawling...Sandman, Raven, Tommy Dreamer

Shoot Style...Saturn, Kronus

 

And somehow they found a way to make all those styles work.

 

Wasn't Kronus a high flying/spotty wrestler?

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Each show had basically something for evryone:

 

-Some techincal matches

- Some lucha matches

- Some garbage matches

 

A GREAT cast of charcters. No one in ECW ever took a night off....everyone showed up to work.

[NoCalMike 0]

You CAN'T explain ECW to someone who hasn't seen it in their glory years because you could still point to WWE and WCW and say "well they have that kind of stuff to" for most things.

 

Even the DVDs themselves don't do the trick because they just offer matches without the storylines/emotions, sure you can treat yourself to some good matches, but it isn't the same without following the storylines at the time.

 

If you can find a tape trading site that sells ECW TV, try to pick out maybe 5-10 weeks of ECW TV leading up to November to Remember 1995 or the same leading up to November to Remember '96.

 

That should do the trick.

[Enigma 0]

This may sound like a cop-out, but it can't be explained.

 

Go get some tapes, mainly from around 1995 to mid-1997.

[Guest whizzo]

This may sound like a cop-out, but it can't be explained.

 

Go get some tapes, mainly from around 1995 to mid-1997.

 

 

That wont do it unless you get some tapes from WWE and WCW from 95 and you understand exactly how far ahead ECW was

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

ECW was fucking emotion. That's how I'd describe it. Because the wrestlers were presented as real people and not huge superheroes or demons from beyond, you felt for them. You could touch base with a lot of what was going on. Raven/Dreamer had the whole outcast vs. jock feel to it that so many people could identify with. Raven/Sandman with Raven turning Sandman's own son against him actually made ECW fans cry (and ECW fans back then were notorious for being heartless bastards). Dreamer/Dudley Boyz in '98 based on Buh Buh Ray and D-Von breaking Beulah's neck (Beulah McGillicutty was Dreamer's valet towards the end of the feud with Raven in '97 until she left in the summer of '98 to go back to college, and is Dreamer's real-life wife) was something everybody could feel: a man's love was stolen from him while he was powerless to do anything about it.

 

If you went to an ECW show you left knowing that the wrestlers worked their hardest to make sure you were entertained. They didn't have huge corporate sponsors and shareholders to fall back on if they needed money. They needed to work for it. And all they really wanted from you while you were there was your respect. Knowing that they made you sit there and enjoy yourself and then want to come back again was their payment (which is a funny statement because it's especially true regarding ECW's end).

 

It was professional wrestling for the people and by the people. If you went to an ECW show, you were a part of the show. It had that feel to it. ECW did more for their fans than any other company did at the time. CyberSlam was an annual show where the wrestlers would chat with the fans and put on a show. Think about that: an annual event where fans could meet the wrestlers and shake their hands before and after they worked.

 

ECW was your corner deli. Sure, the food may not be as delicious as the meat down at the Stop & Shop, but the people there were nicer to you and didn't throw a sandwich together without any care for what you actually wanted. ECW was a fucking revolution in the wrestling industry, and without it Steve Austin would have been Chilly McFreeze, The Rock would have been happy-go-lucky Rocky Maivia, and Mick Foley...well, okay, Foley would still have been fucking weird and quirky.

[hyperchord24 0]

If you went to an ECW show you left knowing that the wrestlers worked their hardest to make sure you were entertained. They didn't have huge corporate sponsors and shareholders to fall back on if they needed money. They needed to work for it. And all they really wanted from you while you were there was your respect. Knowing that they made you sit there and enjoy yourself and then want to come back again was their payment (which is a funny statement because it's especially true regarding ECW's end).

 

It was professional wrestling for the people and by the people. If you went to an ECW show, you were a part of the show. It had that feel to it. ECW did more for their fans than any other company did at the time. CyberSlam was an annual show where the wrestlers would chat with the fans and put on a show. Think about that: an annual event where fans could meet the wrestlers and shake their hands before and after they worked.

 

ECW was your corner deli. Sure, the food may not be as delicious as the meat down at the Stop & Shop, but the people there were nicer to you and didn't throw a sandwich together without any care for what you actually wanted. ECW was a fucking revolution in the wrestling industry, and without it Steve Austin would have been Chilly McFreeze, The Rock would have been happy-go-lucky Rocky Maivia, and Mick Foley...well, okay, Foley would still have been fucking weird and quirky.

A lot of these things could be said about TNA and ROH. I know I'll get blasted by a lot of the people here by comparing the three, but it's true. Same small venues, wrestlers that worked their ass off and no mention of politics (save JJ). Just great wrestling. That's it. None of the crap that goes along with it in WWE.

[Enigma 0]

Whatever. TNA is absolute garbage. It's just former WCW people with WWE booking. It has done nothing to seperate themselves from the WWE formula. Other than the X Division, TNA has no appeal at all to me.

[NoCalMike 0]

 

If you went to an ECW show you left knowing that the wrestlers worked their hardest to make sure you were entertained. They didn't have huge corporate sponsors and shareholders to fall back on if they needed money. They needed to work for it. And all they really wanted from you while you were there was your respect. Knowing that they made you sit there and enjoy yourself and then want to come back again was their payment (which is a funny statement because it's especially true regarding ECW's end).

 

It was professional wrestling for the people and by the people. If you went to an ECW show, you were a part of the show. It had that feel to it. ECW did more for their fans than any other company did at the time. CyberSlam was an annual show where the wrestlers would chat with the fans and put on a show. Think about that: an annual event where fans could meet the wrestlers and shake their hands before and after they worked.

 

ECW was your corner deli. Sure, the food may not be as delicious as the meat down at the Stop & Shop, but the people there were nicer to you and didn't throw a sandwich together without any care for what you actually wanted. ECW was a fucking revolution in the wrestling industry, and without it Steve Austin would have been Chilly McFreeze, The Rock would have been happy-go-lucky Rocky Maivia, and Mick Foley...well, okay, Foley would still have been fucking weird and quirky.

A lot of these things could be said about TNA and ROH. I know I'll get blasted by a lot of the people here by comparing the three, but it's true. Same small venues, wrestlers that worked their ass off and no mention of politics (save JJ). Just great wrestling. That's it. None of the crap that goes along with it in WWE.

 

Right, but you never saw those kinds of crowds before ECW. Hell, when ROH first started, they basically paid homage to ECW and gave credit to them for starting the revolution in the industry and vowed to pick up where they left off.

 

I think the point being made was, the crowd at TNA and the workrate and no-nonsense style of ROH are basically stamps that ECW imprinted on the Industry in the Mid and Late 90's.

[Frosty 0]

 

If you went to an ECW show you left knowing that the wrestlers worked their hardest to make sure you were entertained. They didn't have huge corporate sponsors and shareholders to fall back on if they needed money. They needed to work for it. And all they really wanted from you while you were there was your respect. Knowing that they made you sit there and enjoy yourself and then want to come back again was their payment (which is a funny statement because it's especially true regarding ECW's end).

 

It was professional wrestling for the people and by the people. If you went to an ECW show, you were a part of the show. It had that feel to it. ECW did more for their fans than any other company did at the time. CyberSlam was an annual show where the wrestlers would chat with the fans and put on a show. Think about that: an annual event where fans could meet the wrestlers and shake their hands before and after they worked.

 

ECW was your corner deli. Sure, the food may not be as delicious as the meat down at the Stop & Shop, but the people there were nicer to you and didn't throw a sandwich together without any care for what you actually wanted. ECW was a fucking revolution in the wrestling industry, and without it Steve Austin would have been Chilly McFreeze, The Rock would have been happy-go-lucky Rocky Maivia, and Mick Foley...well, okay, Foley would still have been fucking weird and quirky.

A lot of these things could be said about TNA and ROH. I know I'll get blasted by a lot of the people here by comparing the three, but it's true. Same small venues, wrestlers that worked their ass off and no mention of politics (save JJ). Just great wrestling. That's it. None of the crap that goes along with it in WWE.

 

 

You can say it about ROH and TNA, except that ECW was doing it 10 years ago.

[skullman80 0]

 

If you went to an ECW show you left knowing that the wrestlers worked their hardest to make sure you were entertained. They didn't have huge corporate sponsors and shareholders to fall back on if they needed money. They needed to work for it. And all they really wanted from you while you were there was your respect. Knowing that they made you sit there and enjoy yourself and then want to come back again was their payment (which is a funny statement because it's especially true regarding ECW's end).

 

It was professional wrestling for the people and by the people. If you went to an ECW show, you were a part of the show. It had that feel to it. ECW did more for their fans than any other company did at the time. CyberSlam was an annual show where the wrestlers would chat with the fans and put on a show. Think about that: an annual event where fans could meet the wrestlers and shake their hands before and after they worked.

 

ECW was your corner deli. Sure, the food may not be as delicious as the meat down at the Stop & Shop, but the people there were nicer to you and didn't throw a sandwich together without any care for what you actually wanted. ECW was a fucking revolution in the wrestling industry, and without it Steve Austin would have been Chilly McFreeze, The Rock would have been happy-go-lucky Rocky Maivia, and Mick Foley...well, okay, Foley would still have been fucking weird and quirky.

A lot of these things could be said about TNA and ROH. I know I'll get blasted by a lot of the people here by comparing the three, but it's true. Same small venues, wrestlers that worked their ass off and no mention of politics (save JJ). Just great wrestling. That's it. None of the crap that goes along with it in WWE.

 

 

Only ECW did it about 10 years ago. They were the orginators.

[Fro 0]

 

If you went to an ECW show you left knowing that the wrestlers worked their hardest to make sure you were entertained. They didn't have huge corporate sponsors and shareholders to fall back on if they needed money. They needed to work for it. And all they really wanted from you while you were there was your respect. Knowing that they made you sit there and enjoy yourself and then want to come back again was their payment (which is a funny statement because it's especially true regarding ECW's end).

 

It was professional wrestling for the people and by the people. If you went to an ECW show, you were a part of the show. It had that feel to it. ECW did more for their fans than any other company did at the time. CyberSlam was an annual show where the wrestlers would chat with the fans and put on a show. Think about that: an annual event where fans could meet the wrestlers and shake their hands before and after they worked.

 

ECW was your corner deli. Sure, the food may not be as delicious as the meat down at the Stop & Shop, but the people there were nicer to you and didn't throw a sandwich together without any care for what you actually wanted. ECW was a fucking revolution in the wrestling industry, and without it Steve Austin would have been Chilly McFreeze, The Rock would have been happy-go-lucky Rocky Maivia, and Mick Foley...well, okay, Foley would still have been fucking weird and quirky.

A lot of these things could be said about TNA and ROH. I know I'll get blasted by a lot of the people here by comparing the three, but it's true. Same small venues, wrestlers that worked their ass off and no mention of politics (save JJ). Just great wrestling. That's it. None of the crap that goes along with it in WWE.

 

 

Only ECW did it about 10 years ago. They were the orginators.

 

Never heard of Joel Goodhart's TWA promotion in Philly? They originated a lot but not as much as they get credit for. A lot of the concepts were from the FMW promotion in Japan, or stuff from Memphis wrestling.

[hyperchord24 0]

 

If you went to an ECW show you left knowing that the wrestlers worked their hardest to make sure you were entertained. They didn't have huge corporate sponsors and shareholders to fall back on if they needed money. They needed to work for it. And all they really wanted from you while you were there was your respect. Knowing that they made you sit there and enjoy yourself and then want to come back again was their payment (which is a funny statement because it's especially true regarding ECW's end).

 

It was professional wrestling for the people and by the people. If you went to an ECW show, you were a part of the show. It had that feel to it. ECW did more for their fans than any other company did at the time. CyberSlam was an annual show where the wrestlers would chat with the fans and put on a show. Think about that: an annual event where fans could meet the wrestlers and shake their hands before and after they worked.

 

ECW was your corner deli. Sure, the food may not be as delicious as the meat down at the Stop & Shop, but the people there were nicer to you and didn't throw a sandwich together without any care for what you actually wanted. ECW was a fucking revolution in the wrestling industry, and without it Steve Austin would have been Chilly McFreeze, The Rock would have been happy-go-lucky Rocky Maivia, and Mick Foley...well, okay, Foley would still have been fucking weird and quirky.

A lot of these things could be said about TNA and ROH. I know I'll get blasted by a lot of the people here by comparing the three, but it's true. Same small venues, wrestlers that worked their ass off and no mention of politics (save JJ). Just great wrestling. That's it. None of the crap that goes along with it in WWE.

 

 

Only ECW did it about 10 years ago. They were the orginators.

No argument there. I just figured the OP maybe followed those promotions and could relate to it and understand ECW as it was.

[Bruce Blank 0]

If you went to an ECW show you left knowing that the wrestlers worked their hardest to make sure you were entertained. They didn't have huge corporate sponsors and shareholders to fall back on if they needed money. They needed to work for it. And all they really wanted from you while you were there was your respect. Knowing that they made you sit there and enjoy yourself and then want to come back again was their payment (which is a funny statement because it's especially true regarding ECW's end).

 

It was professional wrestling for the people and by the people. If you went to an ECW show, you were a part of the show. It had that feel to it. ECW did more for their fans than any other company did at the time. CyberSlam was an annual show where the wrestlers would chat with the fans and put on a show. Think about that: an annual event where fans could meet the wrestlers and shake their hands before and after they worked.

 

ECW was your corner deli. Sure, the food may not be as delicious as the meat down at the Stop & Shop, but the people there were nicer to you and didn't throw a sandwich together without any care for what you actually wanted. ECW was a fucking revolution in the wrestling industry, and without it Steve Austin would have been Chilly McFreeze, The Rock would have been happy-go-lucky Rocky Maivia, and Mick Foley...well, okay, Foley would still have been fucking weird and quirky.

A lot of these things could be said about TNA and ROH. I know I'll get blasted by a lot of the people here by comparing the three, but it's true. Same small venues, wrestlers that worked their ass off and no mention of politics (save JJ). Just great wrestling. That's it. None of the crap that goes along with it in WWE.

 

 

Only ECW did it about 10 years ago. They were the orginators.

 

Never heard of Joel Goodhart's TWA promotion in Philly? They originated a lot but not as much as they get credit for. A lot of the concepts were from the FMW promotion in Japan, or stuff from Memphis wrestling.

Oh they were influenced by the TWA promotion in Philly? Yeah that's not that weird since TWA was basically the forerunner to ECW, they picked up where TWA left off as Eastern Championship Wrestling and then turned it way up (to the extre... nah that's a bad joke )

[Guest The Beta Male]

Go and watch any Joel Gertner promo from back in the day (search youtube.com for joel gertner, there`s a 9 minute "best of") and you`ll see, 90% of his promos would NEVER make it to air on WWE programming.

 

ECW was SUCH an alternative that i honestly don`t feel it would`ve been a thorn in WWF`s side. Even in the attitude era, WWF was far from ECW in terms of content both in the ring and on the mic, if it hadn`t been mismanaged to the point that its talent needed to defect, it could`ve existed as a subversive alternative in pro wrestling. ECW was special because of who, when and what it was... the WWECW so far seems to be a horribly diluted representation.

 

WWECW - the weak lemon drink of pro wrestling

[Guest Overworked]

Go and watch any Joel Gertner promo from back in the day (search youtube.com for joel gertner, there`s a 9 minute "best of") and you`ll see, 90% of his promos would NEVER make it to air on WWE programming.

 

ECW was SUCH an alternative that i honestly don`t feel it would`ve been a thorn in WWF`s side. Even in the attitude era, WWF was far from ECW in terms of content both in the ring and on the mic, if it hadn`t been mismanaged to the point that its talent needed to defect, it could`ve existed as a subversive alternative in pro wrestling. ECW was special because of who, when and what it was... the WWECW so far seems to be a horribly diluted representation.

 

WWECW - the weak lemon drink of pro wrestling

 

 

Keeping in mind that WWF/E did business with ECW for what three years or so before it went under? a number of the wrestlers that left WCW and went into ECW till their contract limitations lapse then went into the WWF, Foley, Austin naming two. ECW invaded Raw in 97, so the WWF was giving ECW Nation/World Wide exposure. Wrestlers that were being shelfed in the WWF because the creative writers couldn't come up with anything for them, were sometimes sent to ECW. (headbangers and Kaientai (After they came over to ECW anyway in 96)

 

But like many here have stated, the ECW of old we probably won't get. If the WWE was at all intelligent they would allow the product to get as Close as they can possibly get, but even if you gave Heyman and Dreamer full creative range, give them the ability to hire any Ex ECW Allums, or even get new Indi Talents that would fit this mold, you would still never see the same product you could have saw in ECW..

 

Things like Al Snow vs Chris Benoit at Double Tables 95, where Benoit would look out of the crowd and shout "IS this the best America has to offer?" Snow and Benoit slugged it out in a brutal but technical match for over twenty minutes. Keep in mind...this was NOT a PPV. This was just your average night at the ECW Arena.

 

In over Commercial over Corporate WWE controlled enviroment you would never, ever, ever, See an ECW match. Doesn't matter if you drag out Axl Rotten and dig up Ian and they have a Taipai death match. All the metal and glass shards would have Rubber on them!