ECW was a stiff swig of tonic the pro wrestling business at large sorely needed in the mid-90s. The WWF was struggling pre-'Attitude', and WCW hadn't quite stumbled upon the wildly successful nWo money pit. Paul Heyman spotted a gap in the market, and he was keen to exploit it by wheeling and dealing his way into the history books.
There's a reason fans today still reminisce about the original ECW so fondly. It was vibrant, it offered something completely different, and it felt oddly dangerous for young teenagers to sit up and watch Heyman's carny cast of characters. Extreme was rebellious.
The company had an outlaw atmosphere that should've been followed by a chef's kiss once cameras faded to black. Paul E also booked a lot of wrestlers you've probably never heard of. Hell, the WWE Hall Of Famer himself might not remember sending some of them through the curtain.
That could be for the best when you see the ragtag band included here. A few future AEW and TNA stars do up the star power a little bit though, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Time for some extremely forgettable names (and a couple who went on to bigger things)! 10.
Red Dogg Going-nowhere midcarder with a tough look and bald head? Then you were going into Da Baldies - a menacing gang who roamed ECW shows in the 90s/early-2000s and eventually became cannon fodder for New Jack. In 2000, Red Dogg was a short-term member, but he'd only work extreme house shows. Dogg was future WWE star Rodney Mack.
He stared at the c.