10 Greatest Things About ECW’s Final Year

Speaking of Rhino, the Manbeast had a hell of a run in ECW throughout 2000 and into 2001.

While successfully retaining the ECW TV Title against Rob Van Dam, Jerry Lynn, Yoshihiro Tajiri and the insane New Jack was impressive in how it positioned Rhino as an absolute force of nature, the Detroit native managed to go one better than that and capture the ECW World Championship before the promotion was forced to close its doors.

Of course, the caveat here is that Rhino's moment of glory came on the company's final ever PPV and he was only able to defend the ECW World Title at two house shows before ECW folded.

That PPV was Guilty as Charged 2001, with the dominant powerhouse decimating the Sandman in a one-minute squash moments after the Hardcore Icon had defeated Steve Corino and Justin Credible in a Tables, Ladders, Chairs and Canes bout to become the ECW World Champion for a fifth time. In doing so, Rhino simultaneously held the ECW TV Title and ECW World Title, and has the honour of being the final World Champion of Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling.

From being somewhat of a comedy act upon first arriving in ECW in early 1999, Rhino became a terrifying, aggressive brute of a performer by the time of the promotion's final year.