12 Misconceptions About ECW You Probably Believe
Think you know ECW? These extreme myths are about to get powerbombed.
ECW was more than just a wrestling promotion — it was a movement. Born in a bingo hall and raised on blood, barbed wire, and bad attitudes, Extreme Championship Wrestling rewrote the rules of what wrestling could look like in the '90s. But here’s the thing: history hasn’t been kind to it. Or rather, it’s been rewritten by the winners.
With WWE holding the rights to the footage (and the final word), the ECW you think you know is probably more myth than memory. For years, the story’s been sanitised into a greatest hits package of broken furniture, loud fans, and Paul Heyman speeches, stripped of all the nuance that made the revolution matter in the first place.
ECW was chaos, sure — but it was calculated chaos. There were masterclasses in storytelling, technical showcases lost in the shuffle, and genuine creative innovation that changed the game. It was as much about Eddie Guerrero as it was about New Jack. As much about business ambition as it was about broken rules.
So, before you chant “E-C-Dub” one more time, let’s break down the biggest misconceptions — and uncover the real story behind the most misunderstood promotion in wrestling history.
12. Paul Heyman Started The Company
Paul Heyman and ECW go together like steel chairs and concussions, but despite what countless documentaries and promos would have you believe, Heyman didn’t create the company from scratch.
The original ECW — Eastern Championship Wrestling — was launched in 1992 by Philadelphia pawn shop owner Tod Gordon. At the time, it was just another regional indie trying to ride the post-territory wave, running traditional shows and working with the National Wrestling Alliance to give it a bit of legitimacy. Paul E? Nowhere in sight.
Heyman didn’t enter the picture until later, first offering creative input before taking over as head booker. From 1993 onward, that’s when things started getting extreme. Out went the old-school NWA trappings, in came barbed wire, edgy promos, and the kind of chaotic energy that would make a Turner executive sweat.
It all culminated in 1994, when Shane Douglas famously won the NWA Title… then threw it down and cut a scorched-earth promo, unofficially birthing Extreme Championship Wrestling. That’s when Heyman took the reins completely.
So yes, Paul Heyman shaped ECW into the anarchic cult phenomenon we remember — but he didn’t build the house. He just burned it down and built something far crazier on top.