Extreme Championship Wrestling was once dubbed 'the little promotion that could', because of the never-say-die attitude that seemed to exist in the company. Never really the most profitable of outfits, Paul Heyman and his wacky cast of characters nonetheless put literal blood, sweat and tears into making ECW a cult phenomenon. It's hard to explain to younger grappling fans now exactly what ECW meant to the pro wrestling industry back in the 1990's. The land of Extreme represented a true alternative for those who were bored of both the then-WWF and WCW during the middle portion of the decade, and really looked like it could become a major player towards the end of the 90's. Sadly, ECW was never really in the running to be anything other than a third wheel, but oh what a third wheel it was. For many, the company still holds a special place in their hearts, and rightfully so - the creative achievements and awesome moment which can be found in the back catalogue of ECW events are timeless. Who will ever forget characters such as The Sandman, Raven or The Dudley Boys? Others, such as Rob Van Dam, Sabu and even announcer Joey Styles helped make history, but the promotion was no stranger to controversy. That kind of controversy, along with a whole load of intriguing tidbits, can be found in this article, honouring the Extreme revolution that once was.
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.
