Extreme Championship Wrestling

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001. After subsequently purchasing the assets of ECW, World Wrestling Entertainment relaunched the Extreme Championship Wrestling franchise as a WWE brand from June 2006 until February 2010 to complement their existing Raw and SmackDown brands.

The company became known for its loyal fan base as well as its tendency to push the envelope with storylines. The group has showcased many different and international styles of professional wrestling, ranging from lucha libre to puroresu to hardcore wrestling. It was described as a gritty alternative to the highly produced sports entertainment programs that the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling presented at the time. Popular music and pop-culture references made it unique and different from the big two promotions in North America.

History

Tri-State Wrestling Alliance and Eastern Championship Wrestling

ECW had its origins in 1989 under the banner Tri-State Wrestling Alliance owned by Joel Goodhart. In 1992, Goodhart sold his share of the company to his partner, Tod Gordon, who in return renamed the promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling. When Eastern Championship Wrestling was founded, it...
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