ECW remains one of the most popular wrestling company's of all time to this day. Its hardcore fans and passionate roster helped it to stand out from the rest of the competition at the time, and while it wasn't always well run behind the scenes, when it came to the in-ring product, the fans were always left entertained.
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Sadly, the doors to the extreme world shut in 2001 and since that point, nothing has truly filled that void. But in today's wrestling climate, could Paul Heyman's mad creation actually work, or would ECW be unable to thrive in the current world?
10 Would Work: Technical Wrestling Is Popular
One of the ways ECW thrived originally was because of its technical and high-flying wrestling. The likes of RVD and Chris Jericho put on some masterful performances, and it really helped ECW. That would actually be an even greater situation now, because that style of wrestling is incredibly over.
AEW and New Japan have proven that fans want to see this technical style and if ECW was to focus on that, with some of its trademark violence to come along with it, there is no reason that the company couldn't be a hit again.
9 Wouldn't Work: The Market Is Saturated
While people are happy that there is actual competition to WWE for the first time in a while, there is no doubt that the wrestling market is becoming saturated. With WWE, New Japan, AEW, and Impact all thriving, alongside countless indie promotions, MLW, ROH, and the rise of MMA, there is a lot going on right now.
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This wasn't really the case when ECW was last around and while there were two huge promotions at their peak, it would be tough for the company to actually compete nowadays, in order to bring in enough loyal and dedicated fans to just the ECW product.
8 Would Work: Lots Of Wrestlers
The market being saturated could cause a problem in terms of getting attention from fans, but it does provide a benefit when it comes to signing wrestlers. Because there are so many places, there is only so much television time the likes of AEW, WWE, and Impact can offer.
That is why there is so much great free-agent talent around right now which would be great for ECW. Rather than constantly worrying that their stars were being poached from other places, ECW could actually develop a nice roster that could shine.
7 Wouldn't Work: Poor Management
A big problem that ECW had was just how unorganized the entire setup was. It was a complete mess backstage with people having to do multiple jobs and wrestlers often not getting paid, and while they got away with it for a while, nowadays it simply wouldn't be possible.
Wrestlers wouldn't stand for it from a major company, and with social media being an easy place to complain, many wrestlers would take up that offer. This would then turn fans against the product and would ultimately lead to chaos.
6 Would Work: Many Non-TV Options
One of the big problems that ECW had originally was its inability to be picked up by major TV networks. WWE and WCW dominated that marketspace, and ECW's violent product often put networks off when it came to showing the product.
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That problem has not gone away. But, there are now solutions and ways around it. Fite TV is a brilliant example of how ECW would be able to create its own show for fans around the world to access without problems, which is perfect.
5 Wouldn't Work: People Don't Want Something Too Different
One thing that has been proven over the years is that wrestling fans actually don't want something that is wildly different from the standard product. ECW, Lucha Underground, and CZW are all examples of products that were totally opposite to WWE, yet they have never become huge successes or been able to sustain it.
That would likely be the case today. Even AEW, which is proving to be popular is very similar to the standard, it is just executed better in the eyes of many. ECW is wildly different and even though there will always be a hardcore fanbase for that, spreading it wider would be tough.
4 Would Work: Paul Heyman Is A Genius
Whether you like him or loathe him there can be no denying that Paul Heyman is a creative genius. He's someone who has always had his finger on the pulse of the business, and that continues today with the work he puts in for WWE.
Heyman simply knows professional wrestling and if ECW was going to be around in 2021, he would certainly be part of it. He has a great track record of making things work, therefore it wouldn't be a surprise to see ECW thrive again just because of him.
3 Wouldn't Work: Safety Concerns
ECW became so popular because it was a place where huge bumps took place, fans were treated to brutal matches, and the most violent of encounters could be found. However, in 2021, a lot of what ECW did simply wouldn't work due to major safety concerns.
Concussion knowledge has risen and people no longer want to see wrestlers being smashed on the head with a steel chair, and the wrestlers don't want to receive it either, due to injury concerns. Because of that, it would actually be hard for a modern-day ECW to find the magic that people remember.
2 Would Work: There Is A Void
When it comes to the major wrestling market, things have never been less violent than they are now. While that is a good thing in many respects from a safety standpoint, fans have often made it known that the PG WWE product is not something that they enjoy.
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Because of that, the violent product of ECW could be something that could work nowadays, especially if it was booked well enough. As long as it isn't violence for the sake of it, then it is easy to see how ECW could pick up traction.
1 Wouldn't Work: The Culture Has Changed
Even though there is still nothing in the market on that scale when it comes to violence, that doesn't mean ECW could actually fill the void. There's a reason the company didn't stay alive in the first place, and that's because after a while, blood and brutal moments become tiresome.
This is especially true today. As a society, people have changed and that is showcased by the number of complaints AEW gets when they push the envelope. Sure, every now and then a violent match works, but an entire company based around it just doesn't seem to appeal to people anymore.
