WWE: 10 Things Today's Wrestling Fans Wouldn't Understand About The 90s

6. When ECW Really Changed The Business For The Better

If you wonder why WWE always seems to mention ECW and fans chant its letters at shows once in a while, it's because they made a difference. It's also because Vince McMahon always had a fondness for the product since he made some financial contributions to the company to try to keep them afloat. ECW came from the mind of the great Paul Heyman, who at the time of ECW's birth in the mid 1990s was just a 30 year old guy that was a very passionate wrestling fan. He had experience in WCW as a manager and it turns out he had a great mind for booking too. What Heyman brought to ECW was an attitude that WWE incorporated when they were on the ropes due to the battle with WCW. ECW wasn't just about blood, violence and hot women having cat fights. They had some great technical wrestling matches too, which is something WCW got from them as they hired away talents like Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho, all of whom were ECW guys before their runs in WCW and WWE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPd_-cJ3Sew There's a lot that has been said about the influence of ECW, but what fans need to know is that without ECW the much loved Attitude Era may not have ever existed. That was the greatest gift that ECW gave to the wrestling business.