ECW

After Vince McMahon went national in the 1980s, pro-wrestling has never been the same. ECW is perhaps one of the most unique and romanticized promotions that has developed. In the Philadelphia area, Tri-State Wrestling later known as Eastern Championship Wrestling, had become a popular independent in the early 90s. Eddie Gilbert and Tod Gordon began using violence that the WWF and WCW would not allow and they developed a reputation in that tough town. Paul Heyman, a friend of Gilbert's, came in and slowly took over and took it to a new level as Extreme Championship Wrestling. Influenced by its contemporary Atsushi Onita's violent FMW as well as classic Southern promotions like the CWA in Tennessee, Mid-South and Continental Wrestling, ECW was an exciting alternative to the cartoonish WWF and unstable WCW. They developed a strong roster of greats from the past, able up-and-comers and colorful characters. Between 1995 and 1998, ECW developed a cult-like following that began influencing the "Big Two." They began running pay-per-views and secured a national TV show, but ECW was slowly destroyed by financial turmoil. In early 2001, they eventually were forced to close and their assets were later bought by the WWF. After a failed lackluster angle, the ECW talent was spread out over the wrestling world until 2005. Renewed interest in the company led to documentaries, reunion shows and even a new ECW brand the following year.