One advantage smaller promotions have over WWE is that because they're so much smaller, they can ultimately do and get away with things that WWE would be and, and have been in the past, crucified for in the media. That isn't necessarily a good thing, however, when you look at things.
CZW has found itself a niche market as essentially being ECW's heir apparent. However, because of its emphasis on hardcore wrestling, it's never going to progress to being a bigger promotion. I know that CZW does have more than the hardcore stuff going on but, just as ECW did before it, the hardcore stuff is what it emphasizes when it comes to putting together highlight packages. Back in the late 90s, whenever I'd see an advertisement for an ECW ppv, the same sorts of stuff were shown: guys being put through half a dozen stacked tables, guys being suplexed onto beds of thumbtacks, doing crazing spots like moonsaults from the top of balconies, wrestlers being put through flaming tables, etc. As I said, I know that they do have more than that, just like ECW did, but they have only themselves to blame if they insist that people mistakenly believe that hardcore stuff is bedrock of their company. As I said, just like ECW before them, they emphasize the hardcore and over the top spots in advertising and highlights, so, again, like with ECW, CZW alumni have only themselves to blame when/if someone attacks them for the over the top violence and they try to defend themselves by saying there's more to it than that.
As far as hardcore wrestling goes, it's not my thing really. I enjoy a nice brawl/hardcore match every so often, but once I saw that ECW was essentially a one trick pony that had just the crazy spots and wild blood baths, I lost interest. It's the same with CZW, more so even because I'm older now and have a greater understanding of what this style of wrestling does to the wrestlers doing it than I did when I was 17 or 18. You also don't have to be a particularly good pro wrestler to be a hardcore pro wrestler because it's all about the over the top spots, it's all about the over the top violence without any real degree of storytelling, psychology or characters so much that all the wrestlers start to come off as the same to me.
I think a lot of hardcore wrestlers see it as an example of their heart and dedication, which is all well and good. It's true that it does take a great deal of determination in order to willingly go through some of that. At the same time, look at how many of those wrestlers burn their bodies out in such a short time with little or nothing to show for it except a few moments of glory and a body full of scars. I think some of them are hungry to prove themselves and think that this is a way to do it. I also think that some of them see it as their way to be different because they're not all that skilled and I also think that some of them are just plain crazy and reckless.
