10 Forgotten ECW Wrestlers You Totally Don't Remember
Bet Paul Heyman doesn't even remember booking some of these ECW wrestlers!
ECW was a stiff swig of tonic the pro wrestling business at large sorely needed in the mid-90s. The WWF was struggling pre-'Attitude', and WCW hadn't quite stumbled upon the wildly successful nWo money pit. Paul Heyman spotted a gap in the market, and he was keen to exploit it by wheeling and dealing his way into the history books.
There's a reason fans today still reminisce about the original ECW so fondly. It was vibrant, it offered something completely different, and it felt oddly dangerous for young teenagers to sit up and watch Heyman's carny cast of characters. Extreme was rebellious. The company had an outlaw atmosphere that should've been followed by a chef's kiss once cameras faded to black.
Paul E also booked a lot of wrestlers you've probably never heard of.
Hell, the WWE Hall Of Famer himself might not remember sending some of them through the curtain. That could be for the best when you see the ragtag band included here. A few future AEW and TNA stars do up the star power a little bit though, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Time for some extremely forgettable names (and a couple who went on to bigger things)!
10. Red Dogg
Going-nowhere midcarder with a tough look and bald head? Then you were going into Da Baldies - a menacing gang who roamed ECW shows in the 90s/early-2000s and eventually became cannon fodder for New Jack. In 2000, Red Dogg was a short-term member, but he'd only work extreme house shows.
Dogg was future WWE star Rodney Mack.
He stared at the ceiling on a ton of live events between June-October 2000, then bagged a tryout for the WWF. Later, Vince McMahon offered Mack a contract and he turned into a key part of Teddy Long's Thuggin & Buggin' Enterprises. Some fans barely remember his work in WWE, never mind the original ECW.
Red Dogg tagged along with Angel, Tony DeVito and others in Da Baldies faction. At first, he seemed like a great fit for the hardcore stable, but it wouldn't last. Things came full circle for Rodney after his first failed WWE run. They plonked him onto the upstart ECW brand and tried again in 2006.