10 Things Only 90s Wrestling Fans Will Understand

3. The Edginess Of ECW

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WWE

There's a ton of talk right now about how AEW must produce a product that gives wrestling fans something WWE doesn't. It's the truth; if All Elite becomes WWE-lite, it's pointless. Thankfully, there's little chance of that happening anyway. It was the same with Paul Heyman's glorious rag-tag promotion 25 years ago.

He and a band of misfits characters made history by being genuinely edgy, intense and everything the twin-pronged WWF and WCW corporate machine wasn't. This fostered an environment of thrill seeking amongst fans who wanted something new, and it made young teenagers feel like they were sneaking off to watch porn previews or something whenever Hardcore TV came on.

Tape traders lapped up the desire for ECW content because it was borderline taboo, and it all felt so thrilling.

AEW have a chance to match ECW's exhilaration for something outside Vince McMahon's control, but they'll have to work damn hard. These are early days, and nothing is certain quite yet. That Heyman-led revolution from the '90s may never be replicated.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.