12 Misconceptions About ECW You Probably Believe
7. ECW Was Only Big In Philadelphia
Yes, the ECW Arena is hallowed ground. Yes, Philadelphia gave ECW its bloodthirsty soul. And yes, if you didn’t bleed in South Philly, did you really wrestle there? But the idea that ECW was just a scrappy little local promotion with a cult following in one zip code? That’s pure fiction.
By the late ‘90s, ECW was packing out venues far beyond the cheesesteak capital. Queens, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Florida — all became regular stomping grounds. The Elks Lodge was a madhouse. The Hammerstein Ballroom? Basically, ECW’s second home. They even made it out to California, with fans screaming themselves hoarse despite ECW barely having national TV at the time.
Long before the TNN deal, Hardcore TV was airing on sketchy late-night slots across the country, building an underground following through tape trading and the early internet wrestling scene. Fans proudly wore ECW merch like it was a battle vest. They weren’t just watching — they were part of the movement. Fans traded tapes, wore the shirts, and treated ECW like a movement — not just Philly’s secret.