ECW Menories

**Blue Demon** · 11-22-2004, 11:06 AM

Credit: www.pwbts.com

As many others seem to be doing, given the initial sale by WWE of the "Rise and Fall of ECW" DVD this week...I'm reminiscing about the experience that was ECW.

But I'm not thinking about anything to do with Vince McMahon's version of ECW history. I'm thinking about our ECW...the ECW that the fans and wrestlers experienced.

It began in Philadelphia's Original Sports Bar on February 22, 1992 in front of over 100 people.

It ended on March 5, 2001....with far more with a whimper than a bang.

But during those nine years...it changed the artform known as professional wrestling forever.

At its best, it was a wrestling promotion that had the smartest fans in North America... educated to the various types of wrestling that existed... North American, various Japanese styles, and lucha libre.

The ECW Arena had an atmosphere like no other within wrestling....one that will never, ever, be duplicated. The crowds at the ECW Arena appreciated of the product that was being offered to them, and appreciated the talent roster from around the world that was second to no other.

The fans respected the considerable effort being put out on their behalf by those working for ECW; so much so that from 1994-1996, ECW and its fans were described as "Team ECW" by the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer to reflect the unique relationship that the company had with its fans. "Team ECW" was a group of hardworking people behind the scenes and a fan base who BELIEVED, and would do nearly anything for the company.

This was ECW.

ECW first debuted in February 1992 and ran as a local once-a-month indy promotion, founded and backed by Tod Gordon; then aired its first TV show aired in March 1993, when 60 people gathered at Cabrini College in suburban Philadelphia on the night before a snowstorm that left three feet of snow in Philadelphia.

From March to September 1993, Eddie Gilbert brought Paul Heyman, Terry Funk, and a product with Memphis and Japanese influences, which began to catch the notice of people outside the Philadelphia area.

Then, in September, 1993, Paul Heyman took over booking ECW.

That night began a period where ECW became THE promotion in the United States if you wanted creative, unpredictable angles; an exciting in ring product, with talent yet unseen by most American audiences. It was a time when a fan could come to an ECW show, and realize that (unlike the overly predictable WCW and WWF of the time) they didn�t know what was going to happen at a show that night. But they knew the odds were good they'd be talking about it the next day.

ECW's reputation spread far beyond the fans who attended the first bar shows, as the promotion's television first aired in the Philadelphia area on SportsChannel Philadelphia beginning in 1993, first available locally (and on satellite) for five years until SportsChannel Philadelphia went out of business, when Philadelphia's Comcast SportsNet went on the air. ECW TV then moved locally to WPPX Channel 61, before all Paxson stations changed to the "family-oriented" PAX TV.

ECW's Philadelphia TV then moved to its last Philadelphia home, WGTW, Channel 48....which sadly, no longer shows wrestling...or anything except 24 hours a day of programming dedicated to a right-wing version of evangelical Christianity.

In a way unique at the time, people actively promoted ECW online and by word of mouth, with TV expanding to New York's MSG, then Florida's Sunshine Network, then many of the PRIME affiliates (most of which eventually morphed into the Fox Sports Network that broadcasts TNA today). Along with PRIME's national feed, ECW's TV was syndicated nationwide on the America One Network, as well as on numerous other independent stations.

ECW then was picked up by TNN in August 1999, in a move that initially looked so promising...but may have helped speed up the demise of the company, which had already been going through major financial problems including bouncing checks to everyone from wrestlers to broadcast affiliates.

I have a lot of personal memories coming from ECW...

11-22-2004, 11:06 AM	#1
Blue Demon WOOOOOOOOO! Posts: 12,237	ECW Menories Credit: www.pwbts.com As many others seem to be doing, given the initial sale by WWE of the "Rise and Fall of ECW" DVD this week...I'm reminiscing about the experience that was ECW. But I'm not thinking about anything to do with Vince McMahon's version of ECW history. I'm thinking about our ECW...the ECW that the fans and wrestlers experienced. It began in Philadelphia's Original Sports Bar on February 22, 1992 in front of over 100 people. It ended on March 5, 2001....with far more with a whimper than a bang. But during those nine years...it changed the artform known as professional wrestling forever. At its best, it was a wrestling promotion that had the smartest fans in North America... educated to the various types of wrestling that existed... North American, various Japanese styles, and lucha libre. The ECW Arena had an atmosphere like no other within wrestling....one that will never, ever, be duplicated. The crowds at the ECW Arena appreciated of the product that was being offered to them, and appreciated the talent roster from around the world that was second to no other. The fans respected the considerable effort being put out on their behalf by those working for ECW; so much so that from 1994-1996, ECW and its fans were described as "Team ECW" by the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer to reflect the unique relationship that the company had with its fans. "Team ECW" was a group of hardworking people behind the scenes and a fan base who BELIEVED, and would do nearly anything for the company. This was ECW. ECW first debuted in February 1992 and ran as a local once-a-month indy promotion, founded and backed by Tod Gordon; then aired its first TV show aired in March 1993, when 60 people gathered at Cabrini College in suburban Philadelphia on the night before a snowstorm that left three feet of snow in Philadelphia. From March to September 1993, Eddie Gilbert brought Paul Heyman, Terry Funk, and a product with Memphis and Japanese influences, which began to catch the notice of people outside the Philadelphia area. Then, in September, 1993, Paul Heyman took over booking ECW. That night began a period where ECW became THE promotion in the United States if you wanted creative, unpredictable angles; an exciting in ring product, with talent yet unseen by most American audiences. It was a time when a fan could come to an ECW show, and realize that (unlike the overly predictable WCW and WWF of the time) they didn�t know what was going to happen at a show that night. But they knew the odds were good they'd be talking about it the next day. ECW's reputation spread far beyond the fans who attended the first bar shows, as the promotion's television first aired in the Philadelphia area on SportsChannel Philadelphia beginning in 1993, first available locally (and on satellite) for five years until SportsChannel Philadelphia went out of business, when Philadelphia's Comcast SportsNet went on the air. ECW TV then moved locally to WPPX Channel 61, before all Paxson stations changed to the "family-oriented" PAX TV. ECW's Philadelphia TV then moved to its last Philadelphia home, WGTW, Channel 48....which sadly, no longer shows wrestling...or anything except 24 hours a day of programming dedicated to a right-wing version of evangelical Christianity. In a way unique at the time, people actively promoted ECW online and by word of mouth, with TV expanding to New York's MSG, then Florida's Sunshine Network, then many of the PRIME affiliates (most of which eventually morphed into the Fox Sports Network that broadcasts TNA today). Along with PRIME's national feed, ECW's TV was syndicated nationwide on the America One Network, as well as on numerous other independent stations. ECW then was picked up by TNN in August 1999, in a move that initially looked so promising...but may have helped speed up the demise of the company, which had already been going through major financial problems including bouncing checks to everyone from wrestlers to broadcast affiliates. I have a lot of personal memories coming from ECW...