WWE ECW

This article is about World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW brand. For the original promotion that existed from 1992–2001, see Extreme Championship Wrestling.

WWE ECW
ECW logo
Created by	Paul Heyman Vince McMahon
Starring	ECW Brand
Country of origin	United States
Production
Camera setup	Multicamera setup
Running time	60 minutes (with commercials)
Original release
Network	Sci Fi Channel
Release	June 13, 2006

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) is the return of Extreme Championship Wrestling as a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) brand. It is currently scheduled to commence in a full-time fashion on June 13, 2006 with a weekly television series. This series can be seen on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States, Sky Sports 3 in the United Kingdom, FOX8 in Australia, and SKY 1 in New Zealand . A Canadian TV deal is currently being worked on.

Originally founded in 1992 as Eastern Championship Wrestling by Tod Gordon, ECW was a professional wrestling promotion under the ownership of Paul Heyman. The company was known for its loyal fanbase as well as its tendency to push the envelope with both their storylines and in-ring work. The group showcased many different styles of professional wrestling, ranging from lucha libre to hardcore wrestling. The company ceased operations in January 2001 and all of ECW's assets were acquired by the WWE in 2003.

History

Invasion storyline

Further information: The Invasion

A few months after the promotion's 2001 demise, ECW resurfaced as a part of the World Wrestling Federation Invasion storyline. As a participant in the inter-promotional feud between Shane McMahon's WCW and Vince McMahon's WWF, ECW was initially owned by Paul Heyman and harbored no loyalty to either promotion. Soon after, it was revealed Stephanie McMahon was ECW's new owner, and she would soon conspire with her brother Shane to oust their father from his leadership position in the World Wrestling Federation. With the creation of The Alliance, the inter-promotional feud shifted into an internal power struggle among the McMahon family. The defection of WWF superstars to The Alliance continued the shift as less focus was placed on WCW and ECW performers. The feud lasted six months and concluded with WWF defeating The Alliance at the 2001 Survivor Series. The WWF's victory also marked the end of the Invasion storyline, and WCW and ECW wrestlers were reintegrated into the WWF.

ECW in WWE

WWE began reintroducing ECW through a series of DVDs and books following its 2003 acquisition of the company's tape library, most notably The Rise and Fall of ECW, a documentary of the promotion's history.The enormous popularity of ECW merchandise prompted WWE to organize an ECW reunion show in 2005 dubbed ECW One Night Stand. The financial and critical success of the pay-per-view motivated WWE to organize a second One Night Stand the following year. With rejuventated interest in ECW, WWE explored the possibility of reviving the promotion.

Relaunch

On May 26, 2006, WWE announced the relaunch of ECW as a stand-alone franchise that would complement WWE's RAW and SmackDown! brands. The promotion would emanate on Sci Fi Channel. [1] Although a puzzling decision, Sci Fi Channel's President Bonnie Hammer believed that ECW would fit the channel's theme of stretching the imagination. Sci Fi Channel is owned by NBC Universal, parent company of USA Network, the exclusive cable broadcaster of WWE programming.

To boost the success of the brand, ECW was cross-promoted on WWE programming. This began in the weeks leading up to the 2006 One Night Stand pay-per-view. A primetime WWE vs. ECW Head to Head special was aired to promote the pay-per-view as well.

Former ECW owner Paul Heyman and wrestler Tommy Dreamer have been entrusted with operating the brand. Furthermore, long-time WWE Superstars Kurt Angle and the Big Show will join former ECW performers such as Rob Van Dam, Sabu, and The Sandman to headline the promotion. Joey Styles will return to his former role as ECW play-by-play announcer, with Tazz joining him as a color commentator.

The promotion will resume on June 13 and broadcast tape delayed on Sci-Fi Channel following SmackDown! tapings. There are also a number of ECW-exclusive live events booked for the duration of Sci Fi Channel's contract, including a return to ECW Arena on June 23.[2]

ECW on Sci Fi

Aside from those currently on the ECW roster, WWE Superstars Edge, Lita, and John Cena have announced that they will appear on the debut of ECW on Sci Fi Channel. The first ever show was tape delayed because Sci-Fi channel didn't like some of the chants that the fans said.

Current champions

• WWE / ECW Champion: Rob Van Dam

Commentators

• Joey Styles (June 7, 2006 - present)
• Tazz (June 7, 2006 - present)

See also

• World Wrestling Entertainment roster (ECW brand)

External links

• ECW.com - Official website of Exteme Championship Wrestling (2006-present)