Extreme Championship Wrestling Extreme Championship Wrestling ( ECW ) , was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor , Paul Heyman , declared bankruptcy in April 2001 . After subsequently purchasing the assets of ECW , World Wrestling Entertainment relaunched the Extreme Championship Wrestling franchise as a WWE brand from June 2006 until February 2010 to complement their existing Raw and SmackDown brands . The promotion showcased various international styles of professional wrestling , ranging from lucha libre to puroresu to hardcore wrestling . History . Tri - State Wrestling Alliance and Eastern Championship Wrestling . ECW had its origins in 1989 under the banner Tri - State Wrestling Alliance owned by Joel Goodhart . In 1992 , Goodhart sold his share of the company to his partner , Tod Gordon , who in return renamed the promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling . When Eastern Championship Wrestling was founded , it was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) . At the time , " Hot Stuff " Eddie Gilbert was the lead booker of Eastern Championship Wrestling . Gilbert , after a falling out with Tod Gordon , was replaced in September 1993 by Paul Heyman . Heyman , known on television as Paul E . Dangerously , had just left World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) and was looking for a new challenge Secession from the NWA . In 1994 , Jim Crockett ' s non - compete agreement with Ted Turner , who purchased World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) from Crockett in November 1988 , was up and he decided to start promoting with the NWA again . Crockett went to Tod Gordon and asked him to hold a tournament for the NWA ' s top prize , the NWA World Heavyweight Championship , in ECW ' s home area of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania on August 27 , 1994 . NWA President Dennis Coralluzzo alleged that Crockett and Gordon were going to try to monopolize the title ( akin to Crockett ' s actions in the 1980s ) and stated Crockett did not have the NWA board ' s approval , which resulted in Coralluzzo personally overseeing the tournament . Gordon took offense at Coralluzzo for his power plays and began contemplating a plan to secede ECW from the NWA through a controversial and public manner that would attract attention to ECW and insult the NWA organization . Gordon planned to have Shane Douglas , who was scheduled to face 2 Cold Scorpio in the tournament finals , throw down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship upon winning as an act of defiance . The idea of throwing down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship was originally planned by Tod Gordon and Paul Heyman . Heyman persuaded Douglas by noting that the negative would only be that NWA traditionalists would just see them as traitors to tradition . Adding to Douglas ' decision was the animosity between Douglas and NWA President Dennis Coralluzzo , who at the time publicly criticized Douglas and told NWA affiliated bookers not to book Douglas for shows . Coralluzzo believed that Douglas was a " bad risk " and had the tendency to no - show events . Douglas ultimately decided to go through with Gordon and Heyman ' s plan , inspired by his father ' s motto of " doing right by the people that do right by you . " After looking up and saying , " This is it tonight , Dad , " Douglas threw down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship stating that he did not want to be champion of a " dead promotion " that " died seven years ago . " He then raised the Eastern Championship Wrestling title and declared it to be a World Heavyweight Championship — calling it the only real world title left in professional wrestling . When recalling this event years later , Paul Heyman stated the following in a 1998 chat : " The National Wrestling Alliance was old - school when old - school wasn ' t hip anymore . We wanted to set our mark , we wanted to breakaway from the pack , we wanted to let the world know that we weren ' t just some independent promotion . " Coralluzzo was interviewed after the event and declared that Douglas would be the world champion of the NWA " whether he likes it or not " , calling Douglas ' actions a " disgrace " and said he would move to have Douglas stripped of both the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and the Eastern Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Championship , calling him " undeserving " of both titles . After hearing what Carolluzzo had said , Gordon made the following announcement on the next and final edition of NWA - ECW programming after the incident : " I listened with great interest as the representative of the NWA board of directors took it upon himself to inform you that they have the power to force NWA - Eastern Championship Wrestling not to recognize The Franchise , Shane Douglas , as a world heavyweight champion . Well , as of noon today , I have folded NWA - Eastern Championship Wrestling . In its place will be ECW - " Extreme " Championship Wrestling - and we recognize The Franchise , Shane Douglas , as our World Heavyweight Champion . And we encourage any wrestler in the world today to come to the ECW to challenge for that belt . This is the ECW , Extreme Championship Wrestling , changing the face of professional wrestling . " After the secession , the promotion showcased many different styles of professional wrestling , including hardcore wrestling matches as well as lucha libre and Japanese wrestling styles . ECW Arena and television syndication . The bulk of ECW ' s shows remained at the ECW Arena , a former warehouse secluded under a section of Interstate 95 . Seating comprised simple folding chairs and four sets of portable bleachers , and the whole sort of unconventional set up reflected the gritty style of the wrestling itself . Shows were actually broadcast on a Philadelphia local cable sports station ( SportsChannel America ' s local affiliate , SportsChannel Philadelphia ) on Tuesday evenings . After Sports Channel Philadelphia went off the air in 1997 , the show moved toWPPX - TV 61 . It later moved to a former independent broadcast station ( WGTW 48 ) in Philadelphia on either Friday or Saturday night at 1 or 2 a . m . Shows were also aired on the MSG Network in NYC on Friday nights ( Early Saturday morning ) at 2 a . m . Due to the obscurity of the stations and ECW itself , as well as the lack of FCC oversight at that late hour , many times expletives and violence were not edited out of these showings , along with extensive use of copyrighted music and music videos . Paul Heyman and cross promotion . In 1995 , Tod Gordon sold ECW to his head booker , Paul Heyman . Afterward , Gordon remained in ECW as a figurehead commissioner . Years after being the ECW " Commissioner " , Gordon left ECW . His absence was explained on - air that he retired from wrestling due to family . Rumors circulate , however , that Gordon was fired by Heyman after he was suspected as a " locker room mole " for a rival wrestling promotion , helping to lure talent to World Championship Wrestling . Many years later , in an interview , Gordon claims that the " WCW mole " situation was nothing more than a work . Storyline - wise , Vince McMahon first became " aware " of ECW while at the 1995 King of the Ring event in ECW ' s home base of Philadelphia . During the match between Mabel and Savio Vega , the crowd suddenly started to angrily chant , " " ECW ECW ECW ! " " . On September 22 , 1996 , at the In Your House : Mind Games event in Philadelphia , ECW stars The Sandman , Tommy Dreamer , Paul Heyman , and Taz were in the front row with Sandman even interfering in one match ( when he threw beer on Savio Vega during his strap match with Bradshaw ) . McMahon acknowledged ECW ' s status as a local , up and coming promotion on the air . On February 24 , 1997 , ECW " invaded " " Raw " from the Manhattan Center . They advanced a storyline , plugged their first ever pay - per - view and worked three matches in front of the WWF audience while McMahon called the action with both Jerry " The King " Lawler and Paul Heyman . The Manhattan Center in New York was peppered with a large number of ECW fans , who gave the WWF wrestlers " " Boring ! " " chants when they felt it was warranted . Likewise , when the ECW performers arrived , they popped and introduced the WWF Monday night audience to some trademark ECW group chants . This invasion sparked an inter - promotional feud between ECW and Lawler ' s United States Wrestling Association . Lawler disparaged ECW on - camera and convinced wrestlers such as Rob Van Dam and Sabu to join him in an anti - ECW crusade . Throughout 1997 , ECW wrestlers appeared on USWA television programs , and vice versa . As part of the working relationship between ECW and the WWF , a number of WWF - contracted wrestlers were sent to ECW for seasoning in 1997 , including Droz and Brakkus . On April 13 , 1997 ECW broadcast their first pay - per - view ( PPV ) wrestling card Barely Legal , highlighted by Terry Funk defeateding Raven to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship . In June 1997 , the company ' s Wrestlepalooza ' 97 event featured Raven ' s final ECW match before leaving for WCW . In this match , Tommy Dreamer finally beat Raven , his longtime nemesis . Dreamer ' s celebration was short - lived , though , as Jerry Lawler , along with Sabu and Rob Van Dam showed up to attack Dreamer . This set up a match between Dreamer and Lawler at the pay - per - view , 1997 Hardcore Heaven , on August 17 , which was won by Dreamer . ECW continued through 1998 and early 1999 with a string of successful pay - per - views . Mike Awesome controversy and promotional rivalry . In April 2000 , Mike Awesome made a surprise appearance on " WCW Monday Nitro " – making his debut by attacking Kevin Nash – while still reigning as ECW World Heavyweight Champion . Awesome ' s friend Lance Storm has said that Awesome refused to sign a new contract with ECW until Paul Heyman paid him overdue wages . There were rumors that WCW Executive Vice - President Eric Bischoff wanted Awesome to drop the ECW World Championship belt in the trash can on television , as had been done previously with theWWF Women ' s title by Madusa when she jumped from the WWF to WCW . After Paul Heyman filed an injunction , WCW refrained from having Awesome appear on " Nitro " with the belt , but did acknowledge him as the champion . Eventually , a compromise was reached . Awesome ( a WCW employee and the reigning ECW World Heavyweight champion ) appeared at an April 13 , 2000 ECW event in Indianapolis , Indiana , where he lost the title to Tazz ( who was working for the World Wrestling Federation ) . In 2000 , ECW made its West Coast debut , holding its annual summer pay - per - view " ECW Heat Wave " in Los Angeles . At the time Los Angeles was home to Xtreme Pro Wrestling ( XPW ) , and its owner Rob Black purchased six front row tickets for the show . The tickets were given to a cadre of XPW talent , and their mission was to make it clear that ECW was on enemy turf . This was not a storyline . At the beginning of the main event , the XPW contingent donned shirts emblazoned with the XPW logo , gaining the attention of security and ECW wrestler Tommy Dreamer . Security ejected the XPW group from the building and later , a brawl broke out in the parking lot between members of the XPW ring crew and the ECW locker room . The XPW wrestlers were not involved in the fracas , during which the ECW wrestlers brutalized the XPW ring crew with several of the ring crew members left in pools of their own blood . Initial reports claimed that XPW valet Kristi Myst had somehow touched ECW valet Francine Fournier and that this is what prompted the incident , but Fournier herself has since gone on record as saying that she was never grabbed or in any other way touched by any of the XPW crew , and other eyewitnesses support the story that Fournier never had a hand laid on her . XPW was not acknowledged by ECW announcer Joey Styles during the pay - per - view telecast , however at the November to Remember pay - per - view a few months later , color - commentator Don Callis made a subtle reference to the incident , describing a wild brawl as " looking like a Los Angeles parking lot " . The XPW contingent at ringside consisted of wrestlers The Messiah , Kid Kaos , Supreme , Kristi Myst , Homeless Jimmy and XPW announcer Kris Kloss . " ECW on TNN " . In August 1999 , ECW began to broadcast nationally on TNN ( for what was initially a three - year contract ) . Despite no advertising and a low budget , ECW became TNN ' s highest rated show . " ECW on TNN " was canceled in October 2000 ( with the final episode airing on October 6 , 2000 ) in favor of " WWF Raw " moving to the network . Paul Heyman stated he believed that the inability to land another national television deal was the cause of ECW ' s demise . ECW struggled for months after the cancellation , trying to secure a new national TV deal . Many believe the influence of WWE ( WWF at the time ) and Vince McMahon on networks prevented them from landing a new deal . On December 30 , 2000 , " ECW Hardcore TV " aired for the last time and Guilty as Charged in 2001 was the last PPV aired on January 7 , 2001 . Living Dangerously was scheduled to air on March 11 , 2001 , but because of financial trouble it was canceled in February . Heyman could not get out of financial trouble and closed on April 4 , 2001 . Heyman supposedly had never told his wrestlers that the company was on its dying legs and was unable to pay them for a while . The company was listed as having assets totaling $ 1 , 385 , 500 . Included in that number was $ 860 , 000 in accounts receivable owed the company by In Demand Network ( PPV ) , Acclaim ( video games ) , and Original San Francisco Toy Company ( action figures ) . The balance of the assets were the video tape library ( $ 500 , 000 ) , a 1998 Ford Truck ( $ 19 , 500 ) and the remaining inventory of merchandise ( $ 4 ) . The liabilities of the company totaled $ 8 , 881 , 435 . 17 . Wrestlers and talent were listed , with amounts owed ranging from $ 2 for Sabu and Steve Corino to hundreds , and in some cases , thousands of dollars . The highest amounts owed to talents were Rob Van Dam ( $ 150 , 000 ) , Tommy Dreamer ( $ 100 , 000 ) Joey Styles ( $ 50 , 480 ) , Rhino ( $ 50 , 000 ) , Shane Douglas ( $ 48 , 000 ) , and Francine Fournier ( $ 47 , 275 ) . These assets were eventually purchased by the World Wrestling Federation , now known as WWE . Legacy and resurface . In ECW , there were virtually no rules . The role of referees only included counting pinfalls and acknowledging submissions , and upholding rope breaks . ECW was known for making popular several types of matches , including the 3 - Way Dance , Barbed wire match , Flaming Tables match , Singapore Cane match among others . The " Big Two " ( World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation ) began hiring away their talent . ECW , according to Heyman , was the first victim of the " Monday Night Wars " between " WCW Monday Nitro " and " Monday Night Raw " . The WWF had a working relationship with ECW , going so far as to participate in cross - promotional angles , providing talent on loan in exchange for developed young talent and marketable gimmicks ( Al Snow ' s " head " gimmick among them ) , and even providing financial aid to Heyman for a considerable period of time . WCW on the other hand , refused to even mention ECW by name ( with a few notable exceptions ; including a passing remark by Raven in late 1997 and Kevin Nash and Scott Hall mentioning it as a viable second option in American wrestling in a slight on their main competition , the World Wrestling Federation ) . It was referred to as " barbed wire city " and " a major independent promotion that wrestled in bingo halls " during a segment directed at Diamond Dallas Page . The Alliance . A few months after the promotion ' s 2001 demise , ECW resurfaced as a stable as part of the World Wrestling Federation Invasion storyline . On the July 9 , 2001 edition of " Raw " Paul Heyman , who had been hired by the WWF while ECW was still in bankruptcy proceedings , joined several former ECW alumni on the WWF roster ( including the debuting Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer ) and claimed that he was bringing ECW back to participate in the Invasion by themselves . ( At the time , however , the ownership of ECW , including its use of its name on - air , was disputed despite Heyman still technically owning the company when he jumped ship to the WWF . In addition , WWF had faced legal action by Harry Slash & The Slashtones for the use of its theme song " This Is Extreme ! " which was then eventually settled ) . Before " Raw " was over that evening Heyman and Shane McMahon , who had ( kayfabe ) purchased World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) , revealed that they were in cahoots with each other and that Heyman had ( also kayfabe ) sold ECW to Stephanie McMahon , forming The Alliance to try and wrest power from Vince McMahon . At that time , the inter - promotional feud shifted into an internal power struggle among the McMahon family . The defection of WWF superstars to The Alliance continued the shift as less focus was placed on WCW and ECW performers — in fact , with rare exceptions such as Van Dam , the ECW alumni in The Alliance were given even less focus than WCW ' s performers . The feud lasted six months and concluded with WWF defeateding The Alliance at the 2001Survivor Series . The WWF ' s victory also marked the end of the Invasion storyline , and WCW and ECW wrestlers were reintegrated into the WWF . Documentaries . In the summer of 2003 , WWE purchased ECW ' s assets in court , acquiring the rights to ECW ' s video library . They used this video library to put together a two - disc DVD titled " The Rise and Fall of ECW " . The set was released in November 2004 . The main feature of the DVD was a three - hour documentary on the company ' s history , with the other disc featuring matches from the promotion . An unauthorized DVD called " Forever Hardcore " was written , directed and produced by former WCW crew member Jeremy Borash in response to " The Rise and Fall of ECW " . The DVD had stories of wrestlers who were not employed by WWE telling their side of ECW ' s history . During the week of November 10 , 2014 , WWE had ECW Week on the WWE Network featuring the " ECW Exposed " special hosted by Joey Styles and Paul Heyman . Reunions and relaunch . By 2005 , WWE began reintroducing ECW through content from the ECW video library and a series of books , which included the release of " The Rise and Fall of ECW " documentary . With heightened and rejuvenated interest in the ECW franchise , WWE organized ECW One Night Stand on June 12 , a reunion event that featured ECW alumni . Shane McMahon had the idea of an online , low budget show , but they asked TV stations and PPV producers and they were interested in ECW . Due to the financial and critical success of the production , WWE produced the second ECW One Night Stand on June 11 , 2006 , which served as the premiere event in the relaunch of the ECW franchise as a WWE brand , complementary to Raw and SmackDown . On June 13 , Paul Heyman , former ECW owner and newly appointed figurehead for the ECW brand , recommissioned the ECW World Heavyweight Championship to be the brand ' s world title and awarded it to Rob Van Dam as a result of winning the WWE Championship at One Night Stand 2006 . The brand would continue to operate until February 16 , 2010 . Under the WWE banner , ECW was presented following the same format of the other brands , with match rules , such as count outs and disqualifications , being standard . Matches featuring the rule set of the ECW promotion were classified as being contested under " Extreme Rules " and were only fought when specified . Other reunions . On the same weekend as the ECW One Night Stand 2005 event another reunion show was held at the ECW Arena . Booked and promoted by Shane Douglas , Cody Michaels and Jeremy Borash , Hardcore Homecoming was held on June 10 , 2005 . Because of the success of the initial event a tour was planned , and later the DVD documentary " Forever Hardcore " was released by the same production crew as a counterpart to WWE ' s " Rise and Fall of ECW . " Following Tommy Dreamer ' s debut in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , a new stable was formed called EV2 . 0 consisting of former ECW alumni . TNA President Dixie Carter agreed to give the stable their own reunion show at TNA ' s annual Hard Justice pay - per - view . Billed as the last ECW reunion show , Hardcore Justice aired on August 8 , 2010 . EV2 . 0 remained on the active roster for the remainder of the year . The Extreme Rising promotion featured many ECW alumni as well as younger talent and embraced the hardcore style of the original ECW . Their first show , Extreme Reunion , took place on April 28 , 2012 . It was result of the team of Shane Douglas , Cody Michaels , Kevin Kleinrock , and Steve and Michael O ' Neil . In 2012 , Tommy Dreamer founded House of Hardcore , a wrestling promotion named after the ECW wrestling school and inspired by the hardcore style of wrestling . Since then , HOH has held numerous wrestling events mainly in areas where ECW was held such as the ECW Arena .