Extreme Championship Wrestling (WWE)

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

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the former stand alone wrestling promotion, returned as a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) brand 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 and SKY 1 in New Zealand. A Canadian TV deal is currently being worked on. FOX 8, Australia's carrier of Velocity and Heat, has decided not to air ECW, and there are currently no plans for ECW to be picked up by another Australian carrier.

History

WWE, who acquired the Extreme Championship Wrestling name and video library in 2003, began reintroducing ECW through a series of DVDs and books, most notably The Rise and Fall of ECW, a documentary (and later a book) of the promotion's history. The enormous popularity of this and other ECW merchandise prompted WWE to organize an ECW "reunion show" pay-per-view in 2005 dubbed ECW One Night Stand. The financial and critical success of the show motivated WWE to organize a second One Night Stand the following year. With rejuvenated interest in ECW, WWE began exploring the possibility of reviving the promotion full time.

On May 26, 2006, WWE announced the relaunch of ECW as a stand-alone brand that would complement WWE's RAW and SmackDown! brands and emanate on the Sci Fi Channel. ^* 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 new brand, ECW was cross-promoted on WWE programming in the weeks leading up to the 2006 One Night Stand. A prime time WWE vs. ECW Head to Head special was aired to promote the event as well.

The ECW brand was initially headlined by such long-time ECW performers as Rob Van Dam, Sabu, and The Sandman with former ECW owner Paul Heyman initially entrusted with operating the brand. However, following the second episode, his role was reduced to that of a staff writer. Heyman now writes the weekly scripts, which are then submitted to and altered by the main staff of WWE writers.

ECW's male performers are referred to as "Extremists", (previously having been called "Wrestlers", then "Rebels") as opposed to the WWE term, "Superstars". In addition, ECW's female performers are referred to as "Vixens", as opposed to WWE's "Divas".

ECW on Sci Fi

ECW's weekly series has been granted a run of thirteen episodes by Sci Fi Channel. After those episodes have aired, the network will decide whether or not to continue the series.

The premiere of ECW's weekly series on Sci Fi Channel received a 2.79 rating, which made it the highest rated show on cable in its timeslot.

Coupled with the Sci Fi show were a number of ECW-exclusive live events booked for the duration of the channel's contract, including a return to New Alhambra Arena (formerly known as ECW Arena) on June 24, 2006, with a television taping at the Wachovia Center on July 4, 2006. ECW has also been scheduled to return to Hammerstein Ballroom on August 1, 2006 for a television taping.

WWE introduced an online streaming video site called Hardcore Hangover,the concept being that fans vote for their favorite part of Tuesday's show and able to stream and view the video matches/interviews/promos out through the week.

References

External links

2000s TV shows in the United States | Extreme Championship Wrestling | Extreme Championship Wrestling shows | Sci Fi Channel shows | World Wrestling Entertainment

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History

ECW on Sci Fi

Current champions

Representative

Commentators

References

See also

External links