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Archives for April 2025

ECW’s International Exposure

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There are many wrestling fans who claim that ECW, especially by the end of the company’s running shows, “never was the third-biggest promotion” in professional wrestling at the time. This post gives a quick glimpse as to why that is false based mainly on the company’s international exposure.

While there are arguments about revenues, level of talent, etc., what cannot be denied is that ECW had multiple levels of exposure outside the United States. The topics include:

  • Shows run outside of the U.S.
  • Video game distribution, including European versions of games
  • TV and Pay Per View distribution outside of the U.S.
  • Magazine distribution outside the U.S.
  • International talents brought in for TV tapings and Pay Per View events
  • European version of its first music CD/album
  • Other topics such as action figure distribution and more

A more in-depth breakdown of these levels of international exposure can be found here:

https://peakd.com/hive-191258/@ecwwebsite/ecws-international-exposure-made-it-the-third-wrestling-promotion-in-the-late-1990s-and-2000

If you believe that there are additional ways in which ECW was seen in Canada, Mexico, Japan, the U.K., the rest of Europe, and elsewhere then please contact us.

Thanks to:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The Final New Video Footage From The Original ECW

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Amendment To Original Post

Thank you to the r/ECWwrestling sub-reddit group for their help in checking the accuracy of data regarding the original post. The goal is to give a “benchmark” of the last “new” (never seen by the public) video content from the original ECW. The original post showed a breakdown that the “final new” video content could have been the “Balls To The Wall” music video which came with the 2nd ECW music CD: Anarchy Rocks. It featured clips of ECW wrestlers and managers/valet in the music studio mixed in with clips from ECW matches. That music video would have been seen as early as March 20, 2001 — two months after ECW’s final show on January 13, 2001.

However, the Reddit group indicated a few possible pieces of video content which also would have been “new” (to the public fan base) which also came out after January 13, 2001. These include:

  • Joey Styles’ welcome intro segments on various Pioneer Entertainment ECW DVDs, such as the Best of The Dudley Boyz CD, which came out as late as mid-2002
    • Even if none of the video content was “new”, the DVD intro selection menus would have been “new” to die-hard ECW fans
  • One Reddit member indicated that there could have been a possible promo TV commercial (for Upstate New York cable stations) which mentioned what would have been the then-upcoming Living Dangerously 2001 PPV. That event was announced for March 11, 2001
  • Another Reddit member mentioned there may have been some kind of “master” tape for what would have been ECW Hardcore TV episode #402 – or a similar kind of TV show episode
    • The final aired ECW Hardcore TV episode was #401, which aired on December 30, 2000 — one week before the last pay per view (Guilty As Charged) on January 7, 2001

This topic is still ongoing, so thank you to the Reddit members who contributed their thoughts on what could constitute the final “original” ECW video content. Please see the Reddit discussion here:

The Final Piece Of New Video Content From ECW – Help Requested
byu/ecwwebsite inECWWrestling

{BELOW IS THE ORIGINAL POST ON APRIL 23, 2025}

ECW’s last show was January 13, 2001 in Pine Bluff Arkansas. However, ECW’s second music album “Anarchy Rocks” wasn’t released until two months after the final event on March 20, 2001.

Here is more about that album:

ECW Anarchy Rocks Extreme Music Volume 2

The CD not only had the music tracks, but it also contained a music video featuring clips of ECW matches as well as footage of ECW wrestlers & managers/valets in the music studio for the “Balls To The Wall” song (by Chimaira). Since the music video wasn’t featured on ECW Hardcore TV (last episode aired on December 30, 2000) nor on the final pay per view (Guilty As Charged, January 7, 2001) nor on the video footage from the final two shows (January 12 and January 13, 2001), then the clips of ECW talent in the music studio are considered (for now) to be the last “new content” video of the original ECW.

This music video would have been seen first by the public on the release date of March 20, 2001. No other new episodes of Hardcore TV nor any new video content from the original company was seen by the general public after the album’s release.

For timeline purposes, Paul Heyman appeared on Monday Night Raw to do commentary with Jim Ross on March 5, 2001 wearing his ECW baseball cap. The announced Living Dangerously 2001 pay per view was supposed to have taken place later that week on March 11, 2001; but the event never took place.

The “Balls To The Wall” music video is on the official Concrete Planet YouTube channel. The quality isn’t great, but at least you can see the entire video which was promoted by Concrete Marketing:

(Note that this video is embedded from the official YouTube channel. If the owners of this video want it removed then please contact this site and it will be removed. It was uploaded for historical purposes only.)

Here is more information about the album and Concrete Marketing/Concrete Planet:

Thanks:

a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l

ECW Heavyweight Title Changes At The Sports Bar In Philadelphia

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ECW Trivia

In the early days of Eastern Championship Wrestling (1992), the company ran seven shows at the Original Sports Bar (aka “Mike Schmidt’s Sports Bar”) in Philadelphia. During those seven shows, the ECW Heavyweight Championship changed hands twice.

Which wrestlers were in those two title changes?

Answer:

  • Johnny Hot Body defeated Jimmy Snuka on April 26, 1992 for the title
  • Jimmy Snuka won it back from Johnny Hot Body on July 14, 1992.
    • This was the last time ECW ran a show at the Sports Bar

Confirmation:

ECW Results: 1992

https://thehistoryofwwe.com/ecw-results-1992

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ECW_World_Heavyweight_Champions

Thanks to:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

ECW Alumni Who Played Professional Football

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On the associated HIVE Blog (also on Peakd.com), we posted an in-depth list of ECW alumni who played professional football in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Leagues include the NFL, CFL, USFL, XFL, and others.

ECW was known for wrestlers who brought a legitimate degree of toughness to the ring. Backgrounds ranged from the U.S. Army Rangers (Perry Saturn) to bounty hunters (New Jack and Bam Bam Bigelow) to second generation wrestlers (like Terry Funk). What many wrestling fans don’t know is the number of ECW alumni who also had professional football backgrounds.

Here are some of the ECW alumni who played in the NFL, USFL (1980’s version), CFL, XFL, and other professional football leagues:

— Read the full list on the post here: https://peakd.com/hive-191258/@ecwwebsite/ecw-wrestlers-who-played-professional-football

Photo credit is from eBay. It is a fan-made card based on the original Topps 1984 USFL football card design. It was not an actual card in the 1984 set, but made for autograph collections & related reasons.

Thanks to:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

1992 Wrestlemania Participants Who Later Appeared In ECW

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ECW Trivia

Eastern Championship Wrestling’s first show was February 25, 1992. Wrestlemania VIII happened a few weeks later on April 5, 1992. Which Wrestlemania VIII participants later appeared in ECW?

Answer: Luke & Butch (then as the Bushwackers tag team) later appeared as part of the Dudley Boyz family on an ECW show in Florida. Sherri Martel wrestled (and managed Shane Douglas), Tito Santana became ECW heavyweight champion, and Jake Roberts appeared on two ECW PPV events. Sid Justice appeared later in ECW as “Sid“.

** Amendment to the original published post: Thanks to Reddit member Dave2KMA for the reminder that Road Warrior Hawk appeared on that Wrestlemania in a promo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WrestleMania_VIII

Thanks to:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9