Extreme Championship Wrestling

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was a groundbreaking and influential professional wrestling promotion. The company became known for its rabidly loyal fanbase as well as its tendency to push the envelope with several extreme storylines. ECW, for instance, featured the first ever lesbian storyline in professional wrestling between Kimona Wana-Laya and Beulah McGillicutty. The group would showcase many different styles of professional wrestling, popularizing bloody hardcore wrestling and the three way dance. It was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon, and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001.

Trademarks

There were three distinctive fans that were always in the front row at ECW shows. They were commonly known as Sign Guy, Hat Guy, and Faith No More Guy. They gained their respective nicknames because Sign Guy always had signs with him, Hat Guy always wore a straw hat and a Hawaiian shirt , and Faith No More Guy looked a lot like "Big" Jim Martin, the former guitarist for rock band Faith No More. Hat Guy and Faith No More Guy were also in the front row of Shane Douglas's recent ECW nostalgia event, Hardcore Homecoming. Numerous other fans were regular staples of the shows in Philadelphia, as well as those in New York, New Jersey and Florida.

Related Topics:
Nicknames - Hawaii - "Big" Jim Martin - Guitarist - Faith No More - Shane Douglas - Hardcore Homecoming - Philadelphia - New York - New Jersey - Florida

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In ECW, there were virtually no rules at all. Weapons were abundant, and much blood was spilled. There were referees, but their role was normally limited to counting pinfalls and acknowledging submissions. In addition, strong language and nudity were also used. Strong languages were used by everybody who participated in ECW, including its owner, Paul Heyman, and the fans as well. Strong nudity was used by female wrestlers, who were called "vixens" (ECW counterparts of the WWE Divas).

Related Topics:
Paul Heyman - WWE Divas

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ECW was known for several types of matches:

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• Barbwire Rope Match
• Flaming Tables Match
• Tables, Ladders, Chairs, and Canes
• Singapore Cane Match
• Stairway to Hell Match
• Three-Way Dance
• Hardcore Rules Match (Also called ECW Rules Match)
• Dog Collar Match (A common staple used by The Pitbulls)

The matches also featured an unusual array of weapons including:

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• Baseball bats wrapped in barbed wire
• Barbed wire (Stairway to Hell Match)
• Blueberry Pie
• Boating paddles
• Broomsticks
• Cheese graters (Recently used by Bubba Ray Dudley and Tommy Dreamer in ECW's One Night Stand)
• Cookie Sheets
• Fluorescent light tubes
• Guitars
• Glass
• Ladders
• Singapore canes
• Steel chairs
• Stop Signs (any type of road signs)
• Street signs
• Tables (sometimes set on fire)
• Thumbtacks
• Toilet seats
• Trashcans and lid
• Toy Dinosaur
• VCR
• Eggs
• Nintendo (Joey Styles' classic line: "he just hit him with... Nintendo?!?)
• Frying Pans/Skillets