8 Ways ECW Shaped Modern Wrestling

As Raw and SmackDown’s ratings swirl downward and WWE Network’s subscriber count drops, it's clear fans are unsatisfied with the biggest pro wrestling entity in the world. You could debate a myriad of factors for the lack of interest in the product, and back in the day, promoters would claim that the business is simply cyclical. They’d argue that it’s just a matter of time before the right performer, match or storyline sparks interest once again.

In the 1990s, Extreme Championship Wrestling was the spark that reignited the industry, providing an alternative to fans burnt out from cartoon characters and hokey drama. Based out of a dingy bingo hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Paul Heyman’s underground cesspool of violence and vulgarity caused a ripple effect throughout the wrestling world. In the years to come, WWE and WCW would adopt elements of ECW such as its adult-oriented content and international talent pool, ultimately propelling the genre back into the mainstream dialogue for the first time since the Rock 'n'Wrestling Era.

It’s been 16 years since Extreme Championship Wrestling ceased operations, but its legacy lives on in the industry.

ECW didn’t invent hardcore wrestling, but it certainly popularized it.

Although the Memphis territory deserves credit for breaking tables and concession stand brawls, and the Texas Death match had been the violent blowoff to many a feud around the country, ECW was the first American company to present pro wrestling without rules and restrictions. There were no disqualifications and no countouts; the action spilled into the crowd as fans were encouraged to bring household items or hand their chairs over to be used as weapons. Interference was commonplace as storylines weaved together to create an unpredictable, yet consistent drama throughout the night.

While WWE maintained traditional rules (as an excuse to advance a storyline or end a match without a bona fide winner), the company injected a dose of ECW’s anarchy into its product. During the Attitude Era, blood often stained the mat, steel chairshots were as frequent as DDTs and an entire division was dedicated to hardcore wrestling. The influence can be seen today through WWE’s themed pay-per-views like TLC, Extreme Rules and Hell in a Cell.