Every once and a while, everyone relives the glory days of the original ECW run. It was a run that forever changed the wrestling scene and introduced more than a few fan-favorite wrestlers who still make odd appearances here and there today. The thing is, everyone also has a bit of a dark realization when they go back, the realization that ECW wasn’t as amazing as they seem to think.
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It’s a harsh reality that every wrestling fan has to come to understand at some point, that for as influential as ECW was, there is a reason that it was the “C” show and why it didn’t manage to last all that long. Even with some harsh truths, that’ll never change how much fans love the original home of extreme.
10 The Violence Was Gratuitous
An entire group of wrestling fans may have just rolled their eyes, but it still should be said that the violence of ECW was a bit much at times. Obviously, that was a big part of their image at the time so it makes sense, but going back to watch some of those matches, it’s a bit shocking.
An obvious example of this, and many other issues with ECW would be to look at pretty much any New Jack match. The violent displays put on by the company forever altered both the bodies and lives of individual performers on more than a few occasions.
9 The Wrestling Wasn’t Very Good
Yes, there are a few instances of stellar matches in ECW, but more often than not, top-quality matches really weren’t standard. Whenever performers weren’t likely to put on any kind of stellar wrestling match, it was easy to fall back on the extreme violence that the company promoted.
Hiding a lack of incredible in-ring performances was easy when fans were so shocked by the visceral violence that came with weapons, blood, and a whole lot of swearing. Luckily, the fans of the company were so passionate that it's rare to hear anyone complain about the wrestling quality.
8 The Best Matches Were Usually Thanks To Special Performers
When talking about the quality of matches in ECW it is important to acknowledge that the promotion's best matches were often thanks to special performers like Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, and Dean Malenko.
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Those men put on some of the highest-rated ECW matches in the company’s history, but none of them were with the company for all that long. It’s not surprising to hear most classic ECW fans list Mysterio up against either Juventud Guerrera or Psychosis as their favorite wrestling matches from the company.
7 There Weren’t That Many “Stars”
Of course, there were many major players in ECW, but there weren’t many that managed to transition into the wider world of wrestling and make an actual impact. When looking at people like Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, or even Taz, these men never garnered the kind of star power that many others did, even if some had controversial gimmicks.
What few major stars there were either already had massive histories or would become big deals elsewhere. Only the likes of The Dudleys and Rob Van Dam could be classified as true stars of the industry who managed to thrive past the ECW days.
6 What ECW Stars There Were, Weren’t All That Good
Going back to the idea of dedicated ECW stars, many of them really weren’t incredible in the ring. The company had plenty of dedicated deathmatch-style wrestlers, but there weren’t many of them who were able to put on expertly told stories in the ring.
People like Tommy Dreamer and Raven were able to create some magic in specific instances, but even many of their heated clashes weren’t all that exciting to watch. A lot of people viewed ECW as a kind of training ground for wrestlers back in the day, and it’s hard to argue with that.
5 The Commentary Wasn’t Great
While there were some memorable voices on commentary for ECW, that’s about the most that can be said about that commentary. The commentary was usually either standard at best, or forgettable at worst.
There’s something to be said for how much passion could come through when someone like Joey Styles was speaking, but that didn’t always translate into any kind of expert analysis. It might not be fair to hold ECW to the same standards as a massive company like WWE, but even modern independent promotions arguably have better commentary.
4 Promos Were Awful
Once again, it should be said that not every single promo in ECW's existence was bad, but a lot of the time, the promos weren’t worth listening to. Blatantly expletive-filled and occasionally half-drowned-out by the fans in attendance, promos could feel like a chore to watch.
Even some of the more beloved promos from the company aren’t anything spectacular, but instead, offer a different or prototype look at what a performer would ultimately become. Giving credit where it’s due, Paul Heyman and the Dudleys were pretty much always firing on all cylinders.
3 The Camera Work Wasn’t The Best
This critique can extend to a lot of modern independent companies, so it’s worth pointing out that this issue is more one of money than any kind of skill. In reality, it’s actually relatively impressive what ECW was able to do with their camera work for the funds they were dealing with.
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The general quality of the cameras was one thing, but expecting someone to cover the kinds of brutal and dynamic matches that would occur was a tall order. The grungy and guerilla-style camerawork did add some flair to the show, but it was far from a professional setup.
2 The Storylines Just Weren’t There
When most people think of ECW storylines, they might actually struggle to name more than a handful from the company’s history. Some usual suspects that are brought up are the likes of Tommy Dreamer Vs. Raven or Taz and Sabu.
Outside of those, it's hard to name any major storylines from the company that is truly as memorable as what WWE and WCW were doing at the same time. Arguably, ECW’s best storyline came during their time with WWE when the One Night Stand PPV went on.
1 Fans Were Too Full Of Themselves
There is something to be said about the way wrestling fans act when they are attending shows. Some believe that they should be able to say or do anything because they bought a ticket, but that is far from the truth.
Back in ECW, it seemed like fans could literally do anything, and the company egged on that behavior. Thanks to that, the ECW fans in attendance would often steal the spotlight from performers in order to get themselves over and make memorable moments. The company brought it on itself by fostering that kind of fanbase, so it is on ECW.
