ECW
Tommy Dreamer
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The man known as the heart and soul of the company, Dreamer was a part of ECW from it’s first show to it’s last, defeating Julio Dinero and EZ Money in the last ever ECW show.
During his time with the company, Dreamer was involved in several memorable angles, over coming the fan’s initial rejection of his baby-face gimmick with his high pain threshold and bravery in the face of defeat, a trait personified in his feud with The Sandman. Dreamer also had memorable feuds with Cactus Jack, Raven, Jerry Lawler, Brian Lee and The Dudley Boyz.
Dreamer finally joined the WWE in 2001, and stayed with the company for nine years, during which time he was a key part in the One Night Stand series of pay-per-views, as well as the ultimately failed resurrection of the ECW brand as a WWE show.
Dreamer is a former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, ECW World Tag Team Champion and WWF Hardcore Champion.
Should Be Inducted By: Mick Foley
Rob Van Dam
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Arguably the company’s most successful product, RVD wrestled as part of ECW from 1996 to 2001, and as part of the WWE from 2001 to 2007, blending hardcore, weapon-based brawling with lucha-influenced high flying and kung-fu athleticism.
In ECW, Van Dam feuded with Sabu, The Eliminators, Tommy Dreamer, The Sandman, Shane Douglas, Bam Bam Bigelow, Chris Candido and The Dudley Boyz, whilst, in WWE, Van Dam’s feud with John Cena was the launch pad for the now legendary One Night Stand II pay-per-view which saw “the whole f*cking show” win his first WWE Championship.
Rob Van Dam is a former WWE Champion, ECW World Champion, ECW World Tag Team Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE World Tag Team Champion, WWE, Intercontinental Champion, WWE European Champion, ECW World Television Champion and WWF Hardcore Champion.
Should Be Inducted By: Paul Heyman
The Dudley Boyz
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Arguably one of the most important tag teams in professional wrestling history, the Dudley Boyz are best known to WWE fans for popularising the use of tables as a weapon, and for their part in the foundation of the TLC match. To ECW fans, they’re remembered as the main part of the huge Dudley Family faction, and as two of the most hated and effective heels in the company.
The Boyz were part of ECW from 1996 to 1999, and part of the WWE from 1999 to 2005, during which time they become ten time WWE Tag Team Champions, and eight time ECW Tag Team Champions.
Briefly known as Team 3-D, they are no longer a team, but still both wrestle in TNA currently in the Aces and Eights faction.
Should Be Inducted By: Whoever the Tag Team Champions are at the time
Taz
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Despite his small stature, Taz, then known as Tazz, was one of the greatest successes of Paul Heyman’s marketing mind, being transformed from a tiny caveman known as The Tazmaniac into the “human suplex machine”.
Taz wrestled for ECW from 1993 to 1999, and wrestled for the WWE from 2000 to 2002, later becoming a commentator until 2009. Famous for his tough attitude and fearsome suplexes, Taz had memorable feuds against the likes of Sabu, Shane Douglas, Rob Van Dam and Bam Bam Bigelow.
Throughout his career, Taz held the ECW World Heavyweight Championship twice, the ECW World Tag Team Championship three times, the ECW World Television Championship twice, the WWF Tag Team Championship once, and the WWF Hardcore Championship three times.
Taz currently commentates for TNA.
Should Be Inducted By: Michael Cole
Paul Heyman
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The man who gave ECW it’s extreme, and the man who gave the Attitude Era it’s attitude, Paul Heyman is possibly the most overlooked man in wrestling history in terms of sheer cultural importance.
Originally a manager and commentator in WCW, Heyman first started working for ECW in 1993, and quickly became the company’s creative driving force. It was Heyman who broke ECW away from the NWA, it was Heyman who turned ECW into a primarily hardcore company, it was Heyman who bought wrestlers from Mexico and Japan to the American north-east for the first time, it was Heyman who created the beautiful simplicity of gimmicks like 911 and Taz. Paul Heyman didn’t run ECW, he WAS ECW.
Bought into the WWF as a commentator in 2001. He would go on to work as a manager and a booker, before being finally released from the company in 2006, unfairly taking the fall for the disaster that was ECW December to Dismember.
Heyman has since triumphantly returned to the WWE, working as a manager for CM Punk and Brock Lesnar.
Should Be Inducted By: Joey Styles
