Remember When Wrestling Was Engaging And Must See TV? I Do...

It's great to be back after a short time off due to moving as well as some computer issues in general. I am ready to dive right back in with a little history lesson.

This article will focus on the explosion of ECW onto the wrestling scene and the impact that it had on the wrestling industry in general. I will also preface this by saying that if all you know of the REAL ECW is what WWE has edited and put onto a DVD, you may not enjoy this article very much. Without further ado, let's look at the areas in which Extreme Championship Wrestling changed the business as we knew it.

Cutting Edge Storylines

Nobody was better than Paul Heyman at coming up with cutting edge storylines and television ideas. At least, that is what the trendy fan wants you to think. The truth is Paul surrounded himself with excellent minds for the business and gleaned many of his ideas off of those people around him. The faces on TV were given complete creative freedom to do as they wish from week to week.

One man who has since come out and told many of his stories is Scott Levy or Raven. Raven is an absolute genius with a mind for the business. One of the greatest storylines in the history of wrestling is that of the Raven/Tommy Dreamer feud. Tommy Dreamer and Raven fought week in and week out in a bitter and personal feud. It was so well written and presented that you actually felt like you were in the middle of this feud. Very few fans of ECW could look at Raven without feeling sick to their stomach and filled with hatred for him. ECW had a way of doing this. They made things personal and on a level that the average fan could associate with. They didn't come off as stretching to piece together stories. Nowadays wrestling companies tend to make you feel less involved and more like you are simply watching a show.

Tommy and Raven fought for the better part of three and a half years with Tommy never once picking up a victory in a one on one setting. Yet every week, you tuned in to see if he would finally get the job done. Raven and Paul threw every great roadblock in the way they possibly could. Stevie Richards, The Blue Meanie, Brian Lee, Cactus Jack, and countless other "followers" of Raven interceded and yet all you could feel was sympathy and passion for Dreamer. You rallied around him and truly felt one in the same with Tommy.

Countless other storylines and events kept you tuning in each and every week to SportsChannel or MSG to watch it play out. Waiting for 911 to chokeslam Bill Alphonso, watching the out of this world wrestling and ringwork of Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero, the first American introduction to Lucha Libre with Rey Mysterio and Psychosis, as well as innovative match types kept you on the edge of your seat. While they might not have had the greatest TV deal of all time, ECW gave you one hour a week of their absolute best in-ring work. In addition, you got unbelievable promos and event hype (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ8AtL5_LRw&feature=related.) Anytime ECW presented a card for a show that was coming up or did a video release, you had to have it at any cost.

The Atmosphere

I had the pleasure of seeing countless events and cards at the ECW Arena in South Philadelphia. I will flat out say it...nothing beats the ECW Arena. You felt like you were in an exclusive club and only super intelligent wrestling fans and world-class wrestlers were invited. It was hot, sticky, smelly, and only had one working bathroom, but not a single person cared.

The crowd was hot for every single show. No matter where ECW went, the fans were in it from the worst match on the card to the main event. The chants and sayings that the fans had were thought of off the top of their heads most of the time and they were so good and new that they caught on like wildfire. ECW fans had a poor image as being bloodthirsty, but what few people remember is how much they appreciated pure catch as catch can wrestling that went on within the walls. Fans understood and appreciated the psychology of two wrestlers and the move to move style they tried to rattle off.

What other promotion had a following of fans that were nationally known amongst tape traders and cult followers? Whether it was sign guy (with new and innovative signs every show), straw hat guy, Faith No More guy, or Kato the fans were as unique as the wrestling product that was presented every night. The fans made ECW the hottest ticket around and a favorite place for many eventual top stars to wrestle.

The Controversy

ECW had a way of gaining national recognition for the unbelievable and controversial things that took place on their cards. Whether it was Raven legitimately crucifying The Sandman, Beulah and Kimona's lesbian love affair, or the fact that ECW wasn't afraid to shoot on other promotions and do so revealing much of the business to their fans, ECW was always getting your attention.

One such incident almost cost them their shot at PPV. Axl Rotten was substituted for during a match by a 17-year-old kid who presented counterfeit and fake documents saying he was of age. During his match against The Gangsta's he was cut open and beaten with weapons causing him to gush blood uncontrollably. Authorities found out later that he was only 17 and ECW's PPV provider pulled their contract for Barely Legal.

Fortunately ECW was still able to go on PPV a short time later. Many of these controversial incidents forced the hand of WWE and WCW to go with a more adult oriented and shocking television product. Many blame ECW for the "raunchy" direction that wrestling took in the late 1990's, but in reality it should be mostly attributed to the lack of good ideas and direction that the big two companies had in their writing. ECW had you begging for more, while the big companies went for the most shocking and raunchy stuff they could to get you to watch their show.

The Wrestling and Rivalries

If you have never seen ECW in its purest form, please find a way to do so. The wrestling was out of this world. Most people only remember the violence, but Paul Heyman knew great pure wrestling when he saw it. After all, he did try to sign Kurt Angle long before the WWE got to him.

Some of the greatest stars in wrestling history including Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Rey Mysterio, and Chris Jericho broke into the American mainstream and recrafted their talents in an ECW ring. The freedom of expression and to do as you wish with your character helped Austin and Foley to reinvent themselves just be BEING themselves on television.

The feuds can never be duplicated. They were personal, related to you, and featured the greatest displays of athleticism you could imagine. A list below shows just a few of the great feuds that I IMPLORE you to watch and look into.

Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn

Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka

Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven

The Sandman vs. Raven

Taz (with one freakin Z) vs. Sabu

Rey Mysterio vs. Psychosis

Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko

I hope that by reading this article and seeing some of these matches online that you can appreciate wrestling once again. I don't know how others feel, but I tend to think WWE and TNA put a "leash" on wrestlers. Watching these men in their glory doing what they do best without the stupid gimmicks and watered down in ring content might truly make fans hungry for change...

...Change that one company brought about and revolutionized the business with a few short years ago.