WWE ECW

This article is about the WWE brand. For the promotion that operated from 1992–2001, see Extreme Championship Wrestling.

WWE ECW
File:ExtremeChampionshipWrestling.png
Created by	Paul Heyman Vince McMahon
Starring	ECW Brand
Opening theme	"Don't Question My Heart" sung by Kyle Morrison
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	80 (as of December 11 2007)
Production
Camera setup	Multicamera setup
Running time	Approximately 1 hours and 5 minutes per episode (45 minutes and commercials)
Original release
Network	Sci Fi Channel
Release	June 13, 2006 – Present

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) is a professional wrestling brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), based on the independent Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion that lasted from 1992 to 2001. It debuted on June 13, 2006 with a weekly television series. The ECW brand is one of WWE's three brands, the other two being RAW and SmackDown!.

ECW can be seen on Sci Fi Channel in the United States, X-Treme Sports and Global in Canada, Sky Sports 3 in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, SKY Sport 2 in Italy, Premiere in Germany, FX in Latin America, Ten Sports in India, Astro Supersport in Malaysia, Solar Sports and Jack TV in the Philippines, FOX8 in Australia, SKY 1 in New Zealand, e.tv in South Africa, SIC Radical in Portugal and AFN Xtra and in Saudi Arabia and Middle East on Showtime Arabia ShowSports 4.

Show history

Original format

WWE acquired Extreme Championship Wrestling and its video library in 2003 and later began reintroducing ECW through a series of DVDs and books. The enormous popularity of ECW merchandise prompted WWE to organize ECW One Night Stand, an ECW reunion pay-per-view in 2005. The financial and critical success of the event motivated WWE to organize a second One Night Stand the following year. With rejuvenated interest in the ECW product, WWE began exploring the possibility of reviving the promotion full time. On May 26, 2006, WWE announced the launch of ECW as a stand-alone brand, congruous to RAW and SmackDown!, with its own show on the Sci Fi Channel. Despite initial concerns that professional wrestling would not be accepted by the Sci Fi Channel's demographic, network President Bonnie Hammer stated that she believed ECW would fit the channel's theme of "stretching the imagination". Sci Fi Channel is owned by NBC Universal, parent company of USA Network and exclusive cable broadcaster of WWE programming.

The ECW brand initially attempted to differentiate itself from WWE's other brands. The hard cameras were placed in a different location and the ring mat had an ECW logo on it. The male performers were also referred to as "Wrestlers", and later, "Extremists" as opposed to Superstars, and female performers were called "Vixens" instead of Divas. It also featured original ECW talent. Later however, changes were made to differentiate it from the original ECW promotion, including changing the original promotion's rules where weapons were legal in all matches and there were rarely any count outs or disqualifications. WWE now classifies such matches as having "Extreme Rules", and are only fought when specified. The only pay-per-view event hosted exclusively by the ECW brand since its launch was December to Dismember in December 2006. On March 14 2007, before another one could be scheduled, WWE announced that all future pay-per-views would feature all three brands.

Former ECW owner Paul Heyman served as the on air "ECW Representative". According to an interview in the UK newspaper The Sun, Heyman wrote the brand's weekly scripts and submitted them to writers for possible changes, and then Vince McMahon for final approval. Following the 2006 December to Dismember pay-per-view event Heyman was relieved from both his on and off air duties with World Wrestling Entertainment. After Heyman left, there was no ECW authority figure until August 14 2007, when Armando Estrada was announced as the General Manager.

ECW on Sci Fi

The ECW set used from October 31, 2006 - present

ECW's weekly series was originally given a thirteen episode run as a "summer series" on the Sci Fi Channel. The premiere received a 2.79 rating, making it the highest rated show on cable in its time slot. Because of its good ratings it was granted an extended run through the end of 2007. On October 23 2007, the network renewed the series through 2008.

While the show started out a ratings success, it began drawing criticism from fans of the original ECW early on. This was most evident by the negative crowd reaction "old school" fans gave the main event of Batista vs. the Big Show at the August 1 2006 show from Hammerstein Ballroom.

On October 16 2007 a "talent exchange" was started between the SmackDown! and ECW brands, allowing their respective talent to appear on either brand.

Online presence

At ECW's launch, WWE.com introduced Hardcore Hangover, a video feature which allowed fans only in the United States to stream or download video footage from the weekly show. On October 16, 2007 it was replaced by a new feature which made full episodes of the show available for streaming on WWE.com the day after they aired. After gathering a list of names from fans and conducting an online poll, the feature was named ECW X-Stream on October 31 2007.

Production

ECW brand shows are held in large arenas as a part of the SmackDown! brand's Tuesday taping schedule. This is in sharp contrast to the original Extreme Championship Wrestling which ran most of its events in smaller venues. The show generally airs live on Tuesdays directly before — when touring the west coast — or after SmackDown! has taped, though it has been recorded and placed on a broadcast delay until later in the night depending on what circumstances dictate.

ECW's initial theme song was "Bodies" by Drowning Pool, which had been used by WWE for Extreme Championship Wrestling since before the brand was established. Currently however, the theme song for the ECW brand is "Don't Question My Heart" sung by Kyle Morrison of the band Shattersphere.

On-air personalities

Champion

Championship	Current champion	Date won	Date aired
ECW Champion	CM Punk	September 1 2007	September 4 2007

General Managers

General Manager	Date Started	Date Finished
Paul Heyman1	June 7 2006	December 4 2006
Armando Estrada2	August 14 2007	Present

¹ ^ Served as "ECW Representative".

² ^ Announced by Jonathan Coachman as an order from Mr. McMahon.

Commentators

Commentators	Year(s)
Joey Styles and Tazz	June 2006-Present

Ring announcers

Ring announcer	Year(s)
Justin Roberts	June 2006-September 2007
Tony Chimel	September 2007-Present

Recurring segments

Segment	Segment Type	Host	Years Active	Notes
Kelly's Exposé	Strip Tease	Kelly Kelly	2006	The first segment in ECW, featuring Kelly Kelly performing a short striptease for the crowd.
Extreme Exposé	Dance Performance	Kelly Kelly Layla Brooke	2007	When Kelly Kelly returned in January, she was joined by fellow divas Layla, and Brooke, forming a three woman dance troupe. The new group took over the Kelly's Exposé spot, dancing in costume to a different song nearly every week. Brooke was released from the company on November 1 2007 dissolving the team.
Striker's Classroom	Interview/Other	Matt Striker	2006-present	A segment where Matt Striker, acts as a pompous teacher (his former real-life profession) and insults the audience and his fellow wrestlers' intellectual capacity. The segment is used as a promo or an interview segment.
15 Minutes Of Fame	Wrestling Challenge	John Morrison	2007	While Morrison was ECW Champion, if a challenger—either a "hometown wrestler" or someone from the roster—could defeat him, or last a full 15 minutes without being defeated by him, they would earn a future championship match.

See also

• World Wrestling Entertainment roster (ECW brand)
• Extreme Championship Wrestling
• WWE Raw
• WWE Friday Night SmackDown!

External links

• ECW at SciFi.com