ECW Championship - Who do you think of?

[The Crock]

ECW Championship​

This is the latest thread in this series. Today I will be covering the ECW Championship. The ECW Championship dates back to April 25th, 1992 when it was defended under the ECW-NWA banner. The first ever champion was Jimmy Snuka, he held the title for one day before losing it to Johnny Hotbody, he eventually won it back. The last ECW Champion was under the WWE banner, it was Ezekiel Jackson. He won the belt from Christian on the last ever episode of ECW in an Extreme Rules match. The title has had a rich history, and has been held by many great wrestlers. It is probably going to be viewed as a midcard belt during its time in the WWE, but it was undoubtedly a World Heavyweight Championship while in ECW. The belt is going to go down in history as the most ''hardcore'' belt, even surpassing the Hardcore Championship. Now, out of all the guys who have held the belt, who's ''The Man''? The question is, who do you think of when you see the ECW Championship. For me, it was an easy choice:

Taz​

Taz was a 2-time ECW Champion, his reigns totaled 261 days. Now, that wasn't the most, nor was he champion the most times, but he was the most well known champion in my opinion. He carried the belt on WWE(F) television, thus getting lots of publicity with the belt. Taz was absolutely dominating in the ring, and he, to me, was what ECW was all about. During the Invasion angle he was the voice of ECW, probably another reason as to why I think of him when I see the ECW Championship. Taz always let it be known that he absolutely loved ECW, he stayed loyal to ECW and even in his time in the WWE he always let his ECW colors shine through. Taz takes this easily.

What do you guys think?

 

[Attitude]

When I think of the ECW Championship I think of VINCE MCMAHON. How can you not. Vince was and is everything that ECW represented. He was the FACE of the ECW. He had ECW written all over him. I'm just kidding.

On a more serious note I'm not sure. I want to say Terry Funk but I really don't have a good reason to say him. To me he really did represent ECW.

Other than Terry Funk I would have to say guys like Sabu or Sandman since they were what ECW represented. They took the risks and were extreme.

The Ultimate guy I have to choos is Raven though. I always here the Original ECW fans talking about Raven like he's the greatest thing to ever hit wrestling. So who do I choose Raven.

However there are a couple of choices from the new ECW from 2006. I'm probably going to get bashed but anyway. I also think of the Big Show and Bobby Lashley. I thought they were great as ECW Champions. They made the ECW Champion prestigous and look as good as the WWE and World Heaveyweight Championships. So therefore I choose them too. Feel free to bash me for those choices.

 

[thebrownmenace]

I have to go with Taz as my number one, but Mike Awesome was a very close second just because I thought that he was the only other big man, besides the Undertaker, that could do what he did. This giant could freakin' fly( or at least glide with style) the way only very few can. He had a look that made me believe that he could straight up destroy anyone that was put in front of him and he just oozed intensity during his promos. It was a huge blow to ECW when he left for WCW, but that is what happens when you do not pay your top talent. Heyman may have been a creative genius, but he sure could have used a couple of business courses at his local junior college.

However, as the OP said TaZ was everything that ECW stood for and although he may not have been the most physically imposing guy around, he made up for it with the way he carried himself and made the audience believe he was a bad-ass. His FTW title, in my opinion, started to mean even more than the ECW title for a period of time.

 

[EEPunk]

Shane Douglas. I view his throwing down the NWA Title and declaring himself the ECW HEAVYWEIGHT...CHAMPION...OF THE...WORLD! a watershed moment for that title and ECW as a whole. That was the moment that the ECW Revolution was started and the ECW World Title was the crown jewel of that revolution.

 

[Calderownz]

When it comes to ECW in general, I think of Tommy Dreamer. He was the driving force of the company in many ways and he chased the title for so damn long.

When I think of the championship itself, I think of Taz. Great champion, great loo and gimmick and a quality worker. He was the first man to really push that title into the forefront, in my eyes.

 

[Vendetta487]

Chavo Guerrero of course! Was there a better ECW champion than Chavito? I DON'T THINK SO!!!! Look back at his LEGENDARY TITLE REIGN! He is THE ONLY ECW Champion to have ever defended his title at Wrestlemania. Of course the match only lasted 12 seconds but its much better than anything Tommy Dreamer can lay claim to. Chavo was the greatest ECW Champion EVER. PERIOD!!!

 

[MancMark]

Mike Awesome. I was never a huge fan of ECW as such, but I remember the shock of Awesome turning up on WCW. Sure, he never had the belt, but he was the ECW champ. I was a big admirer of Awesome and he was one of the only big men who could claim to "fly" and not look stupid doing it. He was later humiliated with the Fat Chick and 70's Guy crap, but while he was in ECW mode, he was a fantastic big man. And his match at the One Night Stand thing proved how good he was, and probably how much he meant to the ECW legacy.

 

[jh715]

I'm going to give two answers to this one. One under the original ECW banner and the other when the ECW World Heavyweight Championship became a WWE title.

ECW: I would pick Sandman or Sabu because they embodied what ECW was. Hardcore, counter culture and bloody. As someone before me mentioned, they took risks that some wrestlers wouldn't. Another one to pick is Terry Funk. Funk helped build and put over so many wrestlers in the original ECW and when he won the title at Barely Legal in 1997 was a monumental moment not just for him, but it really started to put ECW on the map. Another choice, Shane Douglas. He held the title longer than anyone else and when he threw the NWA Championship on the floor and proclaimed that he was the ECW Heavyweight Champion of the World... man what a moment and that's when ECW really picked up momentum and started to come in to its own in my opinion. But enough of who I would choose and who I do think of and that's Raven. To me, Raven had such a unique character that Paul Heyman loved and Raven was one of the most hated heels in ECW and his rivalries over the belt... they were just fantastic! He was controversial, hardcore, unique and a great psychological wrestler.

WWE: For WWE, I have few choices such as RVD, Bobby Lashley, Big Show because no one under the WWE banner won the ECW Championship twice besides Bobby Lashley and Christian. The Big Show is a good choice because for 4 or 5 months, The Big Show carried the belt and made it look legit. He had some good matches with RVD, Sabu and in some respects, the Extreme Elimination Chamber (I know that match could have been so much better but it was entertaining). So for the revival of the ECW World Heavyweight Championship I would pick Big Show. Towards the end of ECW in WWE, I would have to pick Christian. He held the title longer than any wrestler under the WWE banner at around 249 days I think and he carried that belt and the ECW brand by himself from his return until the brands demise, so roughly 1 year he carried it. But out of Big Show and Christian, I'm going with Big Show.

 

[TheKarmaEffect]

To me the man who represented the ECW Championship and ECW itself was Shane Douglas. Taz is a close second and will always be the sentimental choice. But Shane Douglas listing every great NWA champion and seeming like he was being humble in hi title win and then throwing down the title and proclaiming the Eastern Championship Wrestling belt as the Extreme Championship WORLD title was seriously one of if not THE best promo of the 90's.

Then from there, Douglas walked a walk that only men such as Ric Flair could have. He went through city after city where him and Francine had to literally be escorted out of arenas because the crowds wanted their heads so rabidly that their real lives were at times in danger. That's how much heat the man had on him. And the angle such as breaking Gary Wolfe's neck and the creation of the Triple Threat stable made Douglas THE man for so long. Men like Taz and Mike Awesome got more exposure to the regular populace, but to anyone who watched it from day 1, from trying to catch it bouncing around tv from 1-3 am, to finally getting PPV, Shane Douglas embodied the spirit of extreme and was an iconic heel that only men like Ric Flair and Ted DiBiase Sr. deserve to be spoken of in the same regards. Most people don't live up to their nickname, but "The Franchise" of ECW did and that's who I think of when I think of the ECW Champion standard bearer.

 

[MrHashasheen]

I'm going to give two answers to this one. One under the original ECW banner and the other when the ECW World Heavyweight Championship became a WWE title.

Like jh715, I'm going to give two answers because of the different eras:

Original ECW:

This was by far, the harder choice. Between the Sandman, Sabu, Terry Funk, Raven, Mike Awesome and Shane Douglas, I'm spoiled for choice here, far more than in the WWE Era. But I'd have to go with Shane Douglas. He set the standard for ECW when they went Extreme, and continued to set the standard in his feuds and his defenses of the title. He was, to quote Ric Flair, The Man.

WWECW:

This era has had a lot less options. Rob Van Dam, Christian, Tommy Dreamer, and CM Punk were my only real choices. Tommy Dreamer really didn't do as much for the belt and the renewed ECW in terms of vision, purpose and defining it. And Rob was too much a hold-over from the old ECW to really help make a new identity for WWECW. Christian came in the final year, and despite his efforts as champion, he never really set it straight either. To me, CM Punk represents the ECW of his time: A home for the newer wrestlers and re-invented ones, guys like Sheamus, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston, Yoshi Tatsu, John Morrison, etc... He didn't hold it the longest, but he did so rather well for the most part.

 

[DxArmy]

I would have to say
Tommy Dreamer. He was the man you would think of when you thought of ECW and he was the life and soul of ECW and when he was Champion things were good

 

[nbrew2119]

For me, I am going to post a couple of answers.

#1. Taz--He was the reason I watched ECW before he left, and continued to watch it, even after he left. As dominant of a champion as he was, there havent been too many as dominant of champions since his first reign. I know he beat Shane Douglas for his first title, and at the time, Douglas was the face of ECW, and as soon as he won the title, Taz became the face of ECW, and ran with it.

#2. Raven--His feud with the Sandman, made ECW back in the day before Shane Douglas, before Taz, before the Innovator of Violence Tommy Dreamer. Before the others, he carried ECW, making it what it became. To be honest, if it wasnt for ECW, Raven wouldve never had a career(anybody remember Johnny Polo that managed the Quebecers from back in the day?)

 

[PEP3]

Not to rehash what everyone else has already said, but the first person to come to mind was Shane Douglas. Now, before I go further, let me say that Raven, Taz, Sandman and Mike Awesome did a tremendous amount for the promotion during their title reigns. They built on the company's legacy, giving fans some of the best heroes and villains of the era.

However, without Douglas, none of those men would have had much to work with, honestly. Shane Douglas winning the "NWA World title" and then trashing it to begin the "extreme revolution" was what inspired the entire mindset of ECW's rabid following. It also sent shockwaves through the wrestling industry, because it was so brash and unexpected.

Here was Douglas, loved by many for his days in the popular Dynamic Dudes tag team (fun to watch, but a horrible team name!) and fledgling solo career after. He carved a niche for himself as a solo wrestler, and seemed on a path to greatness when he popped in (then out of) WWF. But he finally achieved a big win, becoming what looked to be the cornerstone for a re-invigorated NWA -- but he literally threw it in the trash to take a chance on the upstart Extreme Championship Wrestling... And even declared himself its first WORLD Champion!

People were outraged. People were appalled. And people talked, which was exactly what that organization needed.

To me, "The Franchise" wasn't just Shane Douglas' nickname, it was an accurate description. Almost 20 years later, it's just as true as ever.

 

[King Patrick Star]

When I think of the ECW Championship, the Superstars that come to mind are Shane Douglas for being the first “Extreme” Championship Wrestling Champion and for holding the Title for a combined 874 days, and The Sandman for winning the Title 5 times.

When I think of the WWECW Championship, the Superstars that come to mind are Rob Van Dam for being the first “Entertainment” Championship Wrestling Champion, Bobby Lashley for winning the Title two times, and Christian, who not only won the Title twice, but for holding the Title for a combined 247 days.

Tommy Dreamer also comes to mind for being the only Superstar to win both Paul’s ECW Title and Vince’s WWECW Title.

 

[matman8540]

It is a difficult choice between Raven and Shane Douglas, but I have to go with Raven. Shane Douglas, as ECW Heavyweight Champion, was vicious and brutal. Also, he was the initial heel champion the fans loved to despise. But he didn't sink to the depths of depravity that Raven was already wallowing in until he became the TV Champion. The storyline actually had him take the Sandman's son to side against the Sandman. He brought the exclamation point and underlines to being HARDCORE!

 

[fenfool]

Probably Taz or Sandman. If I had to pick one, it would be Taz. He was on another level while he was with the company.

I couldn't even tell you most of the WWECW title holders, to be honest, and I watched most of that run. I'd probably pick RVD. He's the only one who I can clearly remember holding the title.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

To me the man who represented the ECW Championship and ECW itself was Shane Douglas. Taz is a close second and will always be the sentimental choice. But Shane Douglas listing every great NWA champion and seeming like he was being humble in hi title win and then throwing down the title and proclaiming the Eastern Championship Wrestling belt as the Extreme Championship WORLD title was seriously one of if not THE best promo of the 90's.

Then from there, Douglas walked a walk that only men such as Ric Flair could have. He went through city after city where him and Francine had to literally be escorted out of arenas because the crowds wanted their heads so rabidly that their real lives were at times in danger. That's how much heat the man had on him. And the angle such as breaking Gary Wolfe's neck and the creation of the Triple Threat stable made Douglas THE man for so long.

Great post. From the second Douglas threw down the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and proclaimed himself the ECW Heavyweight Champion of the World, he will forever be remembered and linked with that title. Douglas was awesome, he could talk, he could wrestle and in that simple promo epitomised the entire attitude of ECW. He was the rebel who had just spat in the face of wrestling tradition and told the NWA to fuck off. Brilliant.

My other choice would be the man in my sig, Raven.

Raven just had IT. ECW was the gang of rebels who went against the norm and broke conformity. Just from his image, and non-traditional wrestling attire screamed "OUTCAST" and made him different. He just looked like a regular guy who just didnt give a fuck. I have never seen anyone who can captivate me in a promo the way Raven can. He is truly the master of the mind games, and had a great finisher in the Evenflow DDT.

The rivalry with Tommy Dreamer is iconic, and Raven made things more personal than I have ever seen when he took the Sandmans son, Tyler, away and we watched the previously emotionless Sandman break down and cry as Raven infiltrated his family. Awesome, and Raven played his role expertly.

 

[Henhouse]

I think of Tommy Dreamer because he lived and breathed ECW, even though he only held it once for a short period of time.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Original ECW

Shane Douglas. He was ECW's equivalent to Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair (ironic since 90% of his career was spent bashing them both non-stop). He made THE biggest impact that revolutionised hardcore wrestling. He was part of the 3 Way Dance that had no finish with Sabu and Terry Funk, and also won the NWA championship and in an act of total disrespect, threw the NWA championship down and proclaimed himself the ECW champion.

That one act had more impact than the majority of anything else that ever happened in ECW. None of the fans knew, none of the promoters knew, hell even the wrestlers didn't know, only Paul and Shane knew they were going to go in that direction.

And then he spent the majority of the rest of his career simply as THE Franchise. He'd solidified his spot as a 'Legendary' ECW talent, and would stay there forever more.

Most people may not think of him as favourably as Sabu, Sandman, Funk or Raven, but Shane Douglas put ECW on the map with that promo following his NWA title win. Who knows what direction history would have followed if he hadn't?.......

WWECW

Big Show. He was the only one to defend the title under Extreme Rules on a regular basis both on PPV and free TV. I don't really consider anyone else to have been a respectable ECW champion after him. And i don't count RVD because he was champ, what, 2 weeks?

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

WWECW

Big Show. He was the only one to defend the title under Extreme Rules on a regular basis both on PPV and free TV. I don't really consider anyone else to have been a respectable ECW champion after him. And i don't count RVD because he was champ, what, 2 weeks?

Good choice on the Show, I agree that there were very few respectable WWECW champions after him. Christian is the only other I can think of who was a decent champion, and maybe Kane.

Big Show was dominant though, I remember enjoying the match he had with Ric Flair involving drawing pins.

 

[ABMorales787]

The Sandman. He was the equivalent of everything ECW stood for. The rebel attitude, the drinking and smoking, and the damned Singapore cane. He was pure havoc in the ring. Swanton's to ladder's, running jumps over the top rope, the Russian Legsweep with the cane wrapped around the throat. And of course bashing the can of beer over his head. To me he was the most memorable ECW Champion as he embodied everything it ever stood for. Not to mention how often he was champion and the (so what) influence he had over the development of WWE's Stone Cold Steve Austin. Regardless of his lack in-ring skills he was the top face and was synonymous to the ECW title.

 

[Next Jericho]

When I think off the ECW championship and the ECW promotion I think off Taz. The reason I think off Taz is that he carried the belt like a bad ass beating up his oppents like they were nothing. I also think off Taz carrying the ECW championship because he had the belt whilst he was in WWE therefore giving the ECW championship mainstream expose to all of the wrestling fans that followed WWE so that is why I think off Taz with the ECW championship.