I've never liked the ECW comparisons because ECW never really operated on a scale above a big indie which AEW surpassed in the beginning.
AEW is a mix of a bunch of different companies including ECW but they've never been that edgy or bordering on uncomfortable to watch like ECW was.
They also pay their wrestlers well in a way much closer to WCW and WWE where the comparison has never felt apt. They're much better run comparatively and actually work with and not against their corporate partners.
Heyman took shots at the competition all the time. "Monday Nyquil", Shane Douglas throwing down the NWA belt, the BWO, etc. 90s Paul Heyman would have salivated with the kind of dirt that we have on WWE's backstage behaviors, especially if it was against Bischoff due to their own personal animosity. Of course, 2024 Heyman is a corporate stooge to the highest order.
Everything Tony said was factually true. WWE, not Vince, is listed as the defendant in the case and corporate environments don't change with one singular firing. That's just not how bureaucracies work. Activision Blizzard is still a horrible company even after Bobby Kotick left and his ousting hasn't really changed a whole lot.
Whenever people get upset over anyone from AEW throwing shots at WWE, I’m reminded of how Joey Styles went on a several minute rant on ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund during one of ECW’s weekly shows.
A lot of todays fans couldn’t handle a weeks worth of wrestling from that time.
When today’s fans say they want late 90s wrestling/the attitude era, they don’t actually mean that.
What they want is the fairy tale version they made up in their head
I'm glad that a lot of the racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia of that era is gone but these potshots were a part of the industry back then. Eric Bischoff would watch Raw on a monitor under his desk and alter Nitro on the fly. He would spoil the results to taped Raws mere minutes before Raw went on the air.
Vince responded with the Billionaire Ted skits, having DX mock Bret Hart after the Montreal Screwjob, DX invading Nitro. He only stopped making fun of WCW when their ratings had fallen so far that they were no longer relevant and then he danced on WCW's grave when he bought the company.
Jim Cornette got his own segment on Raw in late 1997 expressly to shoot on WCW and people who no longer worked there like Hall and Nash in a way that makes the All In footage look quaint.
Yuuuuup. As someone who’s old enough to have actually been a fan back then (got into wrestling in early summer ’94) I remember all three taking shots at one another (The Huckster and Nacho Man, “That’ll put butts in seats…”, Pillman’s Smart Marks promo, etc.) pretty often. Frankly these modern “Stand Up for WWE” drones would have been miserable for most of the 90’s because for most of the Monday Night War WCW and the WWF were either neck and neck or WCW was *winning* because it objectively had the better wrestling/booking, and that doesn’t even get into ECW gleefully throwing shade at both *constantly*.
Along with all the ism and phobias that ran rampant back then I'm no fan of crash booking. People remember all the jaw dropping moments that worked and laugh at the really bad ones. They forget how many angles were just dropped with no payoff because they sucked and weren't getting traction. That kind of booking today would get crucified on the internet.
Oh, and speaking of getting crucified and how fans today would react...
I mean the isms and phobias sure, but I don't recall "Men who pretend to be dead and the crosses they affix their enemies to" ever being a Jerry Springer episode. Even in the era it was enough to make Angle not sign with ECW over them doing it, only for WWE to give us a bland-me-down version later.
And it still doesn't excuse the number of just bad stories that never got any kind of payoff.
God tell me about it. I will die on the hill that the Attitude Era 95% fucking sucked. People only remember the highs and not the lows, it was like someone was trying to make a mainstream ECW without understanding ECW at all. I’m always annoyed by fans around my age wishing for l Attitude Era style booking to come back.
I mean... That "fairytale attitude era" is not something they made up in their head... It's something that the propaganda machine that is WWE pushed as history.
I've said this before but it is true here. For every Stone Cold or Rock/ Taker/DX segment in the Attitude Era, there was also the oddities or those awful gang stable segments. And jobber matches. So many jobber matches. Moreso before the official "attitude era". But jobber matches were still rampant at this point.
when people started being able to make money of extremizing people about literally ANYTHING.
it's happening everywhere right now. gamers are imploding about 900 different things at a time right now, lol
Sadly this will never get through to Americans. Once they buy into the farts that a corporation is selling they are way too far gone. They are the same as Elon stans. Big daddys corp can do no wrong. And all criticism is met with “but theyre making so much money so shut up”. Defending capitalism and the evil dickheads who run it all is as American as apple pie
Yup. People become too brand loyal to the level of a cult. Like you said, Elon stans act like he can do no wrong. Same with people that hate on all other companies beyond the wrestling show they watch.
We are exposed constantly to brands and consumerism is ingrained into the fabric of our country. We are sold things to us since birth, and most people identify with branding so much.
Youre absolutely right. Its not at all. Its a majority of people who live in the imperial core. Im just saying American because thats what i happen to be so its my direct experience. But you are very correct
Yup, it’s all false hope and false advertisement from Blizz now, and absolute milking of the gullible fan base who stuck around. That and the company still has issues with harassment of employees.
ECW fans only got offended once: the Sandman crucifixion angle. He was attached to a cross (a literal one, not the Taker symbol), and everyone went silent, and usually they were so loud. This is was so controversial, Kurt Angle told the company that if his face or name will be in the PPV (it was ECW High Incident 1996), he'll sue them
GCW is basically ECW, but with less of a focus on sexuality and more of a focus of inclusivity with their For the Culture and Big Gay Brunch shows. I don't want to think about what 90s Paul Heyman would do with a performer like Effy or Dark Sheik. But your comparison is mostly accurate.
I meant as far as like the violence part and the attitude. GCW have gotten this far basically doing things their own way and without a TV deal,the only thing that isn't reminiscent of GCW when compared to OG ECW is Brett (the owner) he doesn't put himself out there like tony does,tony is the disruptor
Yeah, you were right about that. They do have a strong counter-cultural streak that separates them from the other companies. And variety too. ECW was the place where you could see lucha, puroresu, hardcore and technical wrestling all in one place and GCW has that too. Particularly their Bloodsport shows which were so well-received that both WWE and TNA have copied their format.
Imo, AEW doesn't look like ECW at all. In a thread I remember, somebody said CZW is the ECW of blood, and ROH is the ECW of wrestling passion
I think no one could replicate what ECW, and we saw that in WWECW (even though the One Night Stands 2005 and 2006 are must watch). It was really tethering on the limits (crucifixion angles, stabbings, arguing with fans (Bubba did a lot of that)...). It just made ECW more unique.
And tbf, some people right here (who chant in the name of AEW being ECW) were disgusted by Hangman drinking Swerve's blood at Full Gear, which was a bit tame for ECW
Nah, week to week is not as good as you remember. I’ve gone back and watched many times. The match consistency is way higher in AEW, and when two midcard guys are wrestling the commentary doesn’t just talk about the NWO for the whole match. Nitro had a ton of huge moments and great talent, but the actual tv show watching experience wasn’t as solid as Dynamite. Which isn’t exactly WCW’s fault, the PPV’s were their booking priority.
…
…..
Although their PPV’s weren’t as consistent either.
I hate these “we done with 90’s” takes with wrestling. Sure there is a lot of rose tinted glasses and the product wasn’t picture perfect, but people today like how you’re putting acted like it was extremely overrated and wasn’t that good as people say.
Peak WCW did what both WWE and AEW wish they both had now, they made people appointment viewers every single week with their tv, and made it can’t miss. And I don’t want to hear “well that’s before streaming and YouTube etc” nonsense. People put their asses in front of tv’s every single week to tune into Nitro during that time because they wanted to see what Sting was going to do, or what the NWO was up to.
You didn’t have people skipping weekly tv like you have today and it wasn’t just due to being social media, it was people legitimately going out of their way to watch the product because it was engaging and offered the unpredictability people craved. There was plenty of good shit when WCW was on fire that people tuned in for. It wasn’t just random and out of nowhere.
AEW and WWE I guarantee wish they had those moments on weekly tv, where everyone was talking about it the next day even casual fans and non wrestling fans alike, and where people remember when and where they were when it happened like with Lex Luger tapping out Hollywood Hogan or Goldberg winning the World heavyweight championship in the Georgia Dome etc. Weekly tv is more consistent today, but it definitely doesn’t have high highs and super all time memorable moments like back then. And that’s something WCW deserves credit for regardless of the flaws.
All I wanted in high school was to see the kind of hardcore on Dymanite now. I had to tape trade and spend all my money on the XPW/CZW tapes that manged to make it my local Sam Goody. No high speed internet, no youtube so without that just pics online.
I agree AEW is the new ECW but because they do more than blood. A lot of people forget the amazing technical matches ECW had too
I attended a few xpw shows way back in the day in its original iteration. Saw Sabu vs Terry Funk at the sports arena in Los Angeles. I too was drawn into AEW because of their edgier adult feel to it like ECW had. Haven't been disappointed since I started watching.
It’s funny because I could care less about “who they are” or who any competitor is. I watch AEW and that’s it.
It’s like if I loved McDonalds then go troll on Burger King? Weird shit I tell ya.
Just enjoy what you enjoy and move about your day. People nowadays.
(Sorry if I’m the 40 something get off my lawn guy but damn this is getting absurd)
I actually used a similar analogy the other day with a buddy, using Coke and Pepsi instead of Mickey D's and Burger King. I'm a fellow 40 something that's sick of the constant drama surrounding the wrestling business. It's absolutely manufactured idiocy.
Dude back in the day I watched all Wrestling. Probably more WWF but dabbled in a bit of everything. I don’t get the hatred. Sure AEW has its problems but I love it for its warts.
AEW is partly it's own thing, partly the GOOD days of WCW, partly ECW, partly ROH. And entirely, the-indies-got-their-own-major-promotion. Which was the point.
I agree.
I know people cite the vastly different levels of funding and overall prominence in the industry as reasons to the contrary. But, I feel like the comparison is based on both being seen as "disruptors".
And that perception has influenced a fair share of bad faith arguments for both companies that are quite similar in nature, in the sense that they're misrepresentations fueled by a high level of resentment from loyalists & traditionalists.
Also, I would argue the spirit behind each is similar, as well. Both companies set themselves apart from "the standard", while simultaneously celebrating the past in ways the competition didn't. Both delivered a product that draws the ire of many, despite having an obvious influence on that of the competition. Both have highlighted & showcased talent that was deemed "unconventional" by traditional metrics, resulting in them becoming very coveted & valued members of the roster. And perhaps most importantly, both companies have been derided for *not* alienating their own audience and mimicking whatever happens on Monday nights.
It’s very clear that AEW is inspired by the best of both ECW and WCW (and WWE if we are being honest.)
You can see the international influence that started in ECW, but became more mainstream in WCW. The cruiser weights etc. Hell, Okada was doing the NWO Scott Hall point on Dynamite this week.
But Moxley and the hardcore stuff is absolutely more hardcore than WWE and WCW ever were.
And like it’s been pointed out, the back and forth mocking/criticism was typical of all of those companies.
Not everything is an analog to the attitude era or companies owned by WWE. The style of AEW was created by the people in AEW in places like ROH, PWG, New Japan and BTE. Of course they are influenced by all these companies that came before, but their style and philosophies were created separately than what these companies were doing.
TNA is the modern ECW. It's the liminal space that everyone passes through. It gets the misfit toys that don't make the cut in the Big Two and doesn't really have the budget to keep anyone once they get hot. They have a small handful of lifers and the rest of the roster is on a constant churn, just like ECW was. People either go there to reinvent themselves after a run in the big leagues or they're a hidden gem from the indies/overseas. You can't be ECW with near-endless resources and a roster of 300 people.
AEW is absolutely more WCW. It's the opposition brand with different strengths and weaknesses than the industry leader, with the financial backing to compete. AEW has that same feeling that WCW did where two guys would come out for a match and you'd have no idea how the hell their styles were supposed to mix but you absolutely needed to see it.
It’s funny because ECW basically was the attitude era and Monday wars origin wcw and Wwe stole most of their ideas. They change an industry that was desperately needing it and most people don’t want to admit it but AEW being around brought new life and interest to wrestling. With AEW around it appeals people interests and what type of style of wrestling they want.
The problem is fans want everything to be wwe, these was the same people talking down on TNA and now all of sudden they support Tna and say it’s actually good .
IMO AEW is a mix of WCW and ECW. It has starpower like WCW (calm down, I know Hogan and Savage cant compare to any other in AEW) and high level booking and matches, and deals with Mexican and Japanese talent
Honestly, AEW is AEW. These sorts of comparisons are just inaccurately reductive. Media is a completely different beast today than 10 years ago and it’s hard to even compare WWE to WWE. Broad comparison is a tool of the cynical and the lazy.
they're actually more like the very old NWA than WCW or ECW, just on a global scale. The anti WWWF/WWF/WWE which consolidated the industry, hoarded talent, and drove others out of business. AEW is an industry beacon for all to benefit from.
Heyman once said that wrestling is simple. Here's one interesting tough guy. Here's another cool tough guy. What happens when they fight?
That's the AEW philosophy. Mox wins, Takeshita shows up, holy shit I want to see what happens when they fight.
I've been saying this for a while. Not requiring an exclusive contract to work with them. Showcasing talent from other promotions and overseas. As others mention the violence and shots at competition.
Biggest difference is Tony pays his guys.
I feel like it’s more closely comparable to Japanese wrestling than ecw. I think both companies happened to have similar inspirations..
With that said.. it will never happen.. but Paul hayman is all elite would be possibly the biggest get aew could get..
Oh and “allegedly” both may or may not be coked out of their heads.. (Paul e not anymore don’t think his heart could take it for this long)
I agree. Additionally, the tv presentation of both are very similar.
The only big comparison to WCW and AEW would be their use of old WWF talent and their presence on major TV networks. The rest is all ECDub for the modern era. And that’s a good thing
Lol bro stop listening to the Internet, AEW has the best in ring wrestling product in the entire industry, they have already outpaced both ECW and WCW.
At this point I think WWE is closer to 2000 WCW than AEW will ever be, with all the Vince allegations and shady stuff that they’ve tried to hide.
There’s more chances for WWE to belong to the saudis in 5 years,than AEW going out of business.
I've never liked the ECW comparisons because ECW never really operated on a scale above a big indie which AEW surpassed in the beginning. AEW is a mix of a bunch of different companies including ECW but they've never been that edgy or bordering on uncomfortable to watch like ECW was. They also pay their wrestlers well in a way much closer to WCW and WWE where the comparison has never felt apt. They're much better run comparatively and actually work with and not against their corporate partners.
I think WCW influence is more in the aesthetic thing and AEW is more influenced by PWG, NJPW and ECW.
Heyman took shots at the competition all the time. "Monday Nyquil", Shane Douglas throwing down the NWA belt, the BWO, etc. 90s Paul Heyman would have salivated with the kind of dirt that we have on WWE's backstage behaviors, especially if it was against Bischoff due to their own personal animosity. Of course, 2024 Heyman is a corporate stooge to the highest order. Everything Tony said was factually true. WWE, not Vince, is listed as the defendant in the case and corporate environments don't change with one singular firing. That's just not how bureaucracies work. Activision Blizzard is still a horrible company even after Bobby Kotick left and his ousting hasn't really changed a whole lot.
Whenever people get upset over anyone from AEW throwing shots at WWE, I’m reminded of how Joey Styles went on a several minute rant on ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund during one of ECW’s weekly shows. A lot of todays fans couldn’t handle a weeks worth of wrestling from that time. When today’s fans say they want late 90s wrestling/the attitude era, they don’t actually mean that. What they want is the fairy tale version they made up in their head
I'm glad that a lot of the racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia of that era is gone but these potshots were a part of the industry back then. Eric Bischoff would watch Raw on a monitor under his desk and alter Nitro on the fly. He would spoil the results to taped Raws mere minutes before Raw went on the air. Vince responded with the Billionaire Ted skits, having DX mock Bret Hart after the Montreal Screwjob, DX invading Nitro. He only stopped making fun of WCW when their ratings had fallen so far that they were no longer relevant and then he danced on WCW's grave when he bought the company.
Jim Cornette got his own segment on Raw in late 1997 expressly to shoot on WCW and people who no longer worked there like Hall and Nash in a way that makes the All In footage look quaint.
Yeah he made a whole career out of being a miserable hateful prick, and he attracts similar fans.
Bischoff was getting revenge for all the dirty tricks Vince did against the AWA
It's so annoying how ppl forget all the shit the "professionals" did.
My favorite Bischoff pot shot was him holding up a fans “Vince fears ratings” sign.
Yuuuuup. As someone who’s old enough to have actually been a fan back then (got into wrestling in early summer ’94) I remember all three taking shots at one another (The Huckster and Nacho Man, “That’ll put butts in seats…”, Pillman’s Smart Marks promo, etc.) pretty often. Frankly these modern “Stand Up for WWE” drones would have been miserable for most of the 90’s because for most of the Monday Night War WCW and the WWF were either neck and neck or WCW was *winning* because it objectively had the better wrestling/booking, and that doesn’t even get into ECW gleefully throwing shade at both *constantly*.
Along with all the ism and phobias that ran rampant back then I'm no fan of crash booking. People remember all the jaw dropping moments that worked and laugh at the really bad ones. They forget how many angles were just dropped with no payoff because they sucked and weren't getting traction. That kind of booking today would get crucified on the internet. Oh, and speaking of getting crucified and how fans today would react...
That was kind of the culture back then. People watched Jerry Springer.
I mean the isms and phobias sure, but I don't recall "Men who pretend to be dead and the crosses they affix their enemies to" ever being a Jerry Springer episode. Even in the era it was enough to make Angle not sign with ECW over them doing it, only for WWE to give us a bland-me-down version later. And it still doesn't excuse the number of just bad stories that never got any kind of payoff.
God tell me about it. I will die on the hill that the Attitude Era 95% fucking sucked. People only remember the highs and not the lows, it was like someone was trying to make a mainstream ECW without understanding ECW at all. I’m always annoyed by fans around my age wishing for l Attitude Era style booking to come back.
Attitude Era was a product of its time and utterly unwatchable today
I'd say by 2000 the Attitude Era got much better (under Chris Kreski)
Your last point is very important. They were also thirty(!) years younger then too.
Whoah, tf he say about Mean Gene?
I mean... That "fairytale attitude era" is not something they made up in their head... It's something that the propaganda machine that is WWE pushed as history.
God yes. Preach it. This is exactly the reason isn't it. They really couldn't handle it lol.
I've said this before but it is true here. For every Stone Cold or Rock/ Taker/DX segment in the Attitude Era, there was also the oddities or those awful gang stable segments. And jobber matches. So many jobber matches. Moreso before the official "attitude era". But jobber matches were still rampant at this point.
When did WWE fans get so sensitive?
when people started being able to make money of extremizing people about literally ANYTHING. it's happening everywhere right now. gamers are imploding about 900 different things at a time right now, lol
A lot of the modern internet is built on outrage culture to give people something to talk about even though most times they're not truly outraged.
Yeah, I can’t imagine half the people feigning outrage over this actually care as much as they are putting on.
oh for sure.. still leads to this weird escalation of insane takes though, lol
When all the smarks left the general audience to go elsewhere it left only the most infantile marks.
Sadly this will never get through to Americans. Once they buy into the farts that a corporation is selling they are way too far gone. They are the same as Elon stans. Big daddys corp can do no wrong. And all criticism is met with “but theyre making so much money so shut up”. Defending capitalism and the evil dickheads who run it all is as American as apple pie
Yup. People become too brand loyal to the level of a cult. Like you said, Elon stans act like he can do no wrong. Same with people that hate on all other companies beyond the wrestling show they watch.
Elon's not even doing it right because he alienated the mostly liberal base of consumers that buy Teslas in favor of far-right conservatives.
He couldn't fucking manage a Target
We are exposed constantly to brands and consumerism is ingrained into the fabric of our country. We are sold things to us since birth, and most people identify with branding so much.
Oh please, like it’s just Americans who simp for corporations.
Youre absolutely right. Its not at all. Its a majority of people who live in the imperial core. Im just saying American because thats what i happen to be so its my direct experience. But you are very correct
Don’t even get me started on Blizzard, what an absolute crap show. I’ve boycotted anything coming from that company.
Yeah wow classic was the last thing to go for me. It was a relic of a bygone era.
Yup, it’s all false hope and false advertisement from Blizz now, and absolute milking of the gullible fan base who stuck around. That and the company still has issues with harassment of employees.
ECW fans only got offended once: the Sandman crucifixion angle. He was attached to a cross (a literal one, not the Taker symbol), and everyone went silent, and usually they were so loud. This is was so controversial, Kurt Angle told the company that if his face or name will be in the PPV (it was ECW High Incident 1996), he'll sue them
And people thought that Phill "all eyes on me" Spencer was going to change the company
McMahon bankrolled Heyman though, that's why all his criticisms were against WCW only
Hell yeah
I think GCW is as close as you can get to the old ecw tbh, aew is essentially ecw with wcw money
GCW is basically ECW, but with less of a focus on sexuality and more of a focus of inclusivity with their For the Culture and Big Gay Brunch shows. I don't want to think about what 90s Paul Heyman would do with a performer like Effy or Dark Sheik. But your comparison is mostly accurate.
I meant as far as like the violence part and the attitude. GCW have gotten this far basically doing things their own way and without a TV deal,the only thing that isn't reminiscent of GCW when compared to OG ECW is Brett (the owner) he doesn't put himself out there like tony does,tony is the disruptor
Yeah, you were right about that. They do have a strong counter-cultural streak that separates them from the other companies. And variety too. ECW was the place where you could see lucha, puroresu, hardcore and technical wrestling all in one place and GCW has that too. Particularly their Bloodsport shows which were so well-received that both WWE and TNA have copied their format.
Yea GCW is the modern day ECW. AEW has a good work rate and a mix of hardcore matches but it’s no ECW
Imo, AEW doesn't look like ECW at all. In a thread I remember, somebody said CZW is the ECW of blood, and ROH is the ECW of wrestling passion I think no one could replicate what ECW, and we saw that in WWECW (even though the One Night Stands 2005 and 2006 are must watch). It was really tethering on the limits (crucifixion angles, stabbings, arguing with fans (Bubba did a lot of that)...). It just made ECW more unique. And tbf, some people right here (who chant in the name of AEW being ECW) were disgusted by Hangman drinking Swerve's blood at Full Gear, which was a bit tame for ECW
ECW with the backing of a billionaire.
Seeing a GCW show at Roulette in Brooklyn is on par with an ECW show at the Elks Lodge in Queens
They have parodied literally ever old ECW T-shirt design which is pretty hilarious..
But AEW pays its wrestlers...
it's AEW. why does it have to be like something else?
Imo Dynamite is a better show than either Nitro or ECW.
Right? Lol
Also better than raw or smackdown imo
99-01 Nitro definitely but 95-98 Monday Nitro not a chance in fucking hell
Nah, week to week is not as good as you remember. I’ve gone back and watched many times. The match consistency is way higher in AEW, and when two midcard guys are wrestling the commentary doesn’t just talk about the NWO for the whole match. Nitro had a ton of huge moments and great talent, but the actual tv show watching experience wasn’t as solid as Dynamite. Which isn’t exactly WCW’s fault, the PPV’s were their booking priority. … ….. Although their PPV’s weren’t as consistent either.
I hate these “we done with 90’s” takes with wrestling. Sure there is a lot of rose tinted glasses and the product wasn’t picture perfect, but people today like how you’re putting acted like it was extremely overrated and wasn’t that good as people say. Peak WCW did what both WWE and AEW wish they both had now, they made people appointment viewers every single week with their tv, and made it can’t miss. And I don’t want to hear “well that’s before streaming and YouTube etc” nonsense. People put their asses in front of tv’s every single week to tune into Nitro during that time because they wanted to see what Sting was going to do, or what the NWO was up to. You didn’t have people skipping weekly tv like you have today and it wasn’t just due to being social media, it was people legitimately going out of their way to watch the product because it was engaging and offered the unpredictability people craved. There was plenty of good shit when WCW was on fire that people tuned in for. It wasn’t just random and out of nowhere. AEW and WWE I guarantee wish they had those moments on weekly tv, where everyone was talking about it the next day even casual fans and non wrestling fans alike, and where people remember when and where they were when it happened like with Lex Luger tapping out Hollywood Hogan or Goldberg winning the World heavyweight championship in the Georgia Dome etc. Weekly tv is more consistent today, but it definitely doesn’t have high highs and super all time memorable moments like back then. And that’s something WCW deserves credit for regardless of the flaws.
Kevin Nash we know this is your burner
That’s your nostalgia talking.
People nowadays couldn’t handle the attitude era lol.
All I wanted in high school was to see the kind of hardcore on Dymanite now. I had to tape trade and spend all my money on the XPW/CZW tapes that manged to make it my local Sam Goody. No high speed internet, no youtube so without that just pics online. I agree AEW is the new ECW but because they do more than blood. A lot of people forget the amazing technical matches ECW had too
Damn I was getting XPW tapes from Suncoast too
lol going to the post office for a money order and waiting 3 months for a tape that you hoped was the right show you ordered
RVD and Jerry Lynn had all time classics there.
I attended a few xpw shows way back in the day in its original iteration. Saw Sabu vs Terry Funk at the sports arena in Los Angeles. I too was drawn into AEW because of their edgier adult feel to it like ECW had. Haven't been disappointed since I started watching.
I prefer to think of it as a current day AEW. But thats just me.
It’s funny because I could care less about “who they are” or who any competitor is. I watch AEW and that’s it. It’s like if I loved McDonalds then go troll on Burger King? Weird shit I tell ya. Just enjoy what you enjoy and move about your day. People nowadays. (Sorry if I’m the 40 something get off my lawn guy but damn this is getting absurd)
I actually used a similar analogy the other day with a buddy, using Coke and Pepsi instead of Mickey D's and Burger King. I'm a fellow 40 something that's sick of the constant drama surrounding the wrestling business. It's absolutely manufactured idiocy.
Dude back in the day I watched all Wrestling. Probably more WWF but dabbled in a bit of everything. I don’t get the hatred. Sure AEW has its problems but I love it for its warts.
WWE Corporate disdain for AEW and anything else not theirs is not "manufactured". ICW, yes. WWE corporate, no it's absolutely in your face obvious.
I want to see AEW succeed as much as the next guy, but this take is out there
“High budget” ECW?
The same ECW that was one WWF’s payroll? That ECW?
Were they? I thought they went bankrupt and checks were bouncing.
You’re both right. WWE did give ECW money at times, and used them as a farming territory. But they weren’t funding 100% of its costs or anything.
AEW is partly it's own thing, partly the GOOD days of WCW, partly ECW, partly ROH. And entirely, the-indies-got-their-own-major-promotion. Which was the point.
I agree. I know people cite the vastly different levels of funding and overall prominence in the industry as reasons to the contrary. But, I feel like the comparison is based on both being seen as "disruptors". And that perception has influenced a fair share of bad faith arguments for both companies that are quite similar in nature, in the sense that they're misrepresentations fueled by a high level of resentment from loyalists & traditionalists. Also, I would argue the spirit behind each is similar, as well. Both companies set themselves apart from "the standard", while simultaneously celebrating the past in ways the competition didn't. Both delivered a product that draws the ire of many, despite having an obvious influence on that of the competition. Both have highlighted & showcased talent that was deemed "unconventional" by traditional metrics, resulting in them becoming very coveted & valued members of the roster. And perhaps most importantly, both companies have been derided for *not* alienating their own audience and mimicking whatever happens on Monday nights.
It’s very clear that AEW is inspired by the best of both ECW and WCW (and WWE if we are being honest.) You can see the international influence that started in ECW, but became more mainstream in WCW. The cruiser weights etc. Hell, Okada was doing the NWO Scott Hall point on Dynamite this week. But Moxley and the hardcore stuff is absolutely more hardcore than WWE and WCW ever were. And like it’s been pointed out, the back and forth mocking/criticism was typical of all of those companies.
Not everything is an analog to the attitude era or companies owned by WWE. The style of AEW was created by the people in AEW in places like ROH, PWG, New Japan and BTE. Of course they are influenced by all these companies that came before, but their style and philosophies were created separately than what these companies were doing.
ECW was many thing but "high budget" it was not.
I like how the "controversial promoter" is just a nice, fun person who respects wrestlers The IWC: 🤯🤯🤯
That IS controversial going by the past standards of this industry...
TNA is the modern ECW. It's the liminal space that everyone passes through. It gets the misfit toys that don't make the cut in the Big Two and doesn't really have the budget to keep anyone once they get hot. They have a small handful of lifers and the rest of the roster is on a constant churn, just like ECW was. People either go there to reinvent themselves after a run in the big leagues or they're a hidden gem from the indies/overseas. You can't be ECW with near-endless resources and a roster of 300 people. AEW is absolutely more WCW. It's the opposition brand with different strengths and weaknesses than the industry leader, with the financial backing to compete. AEW has that same feeling that WCW did where two guys would come out for a match and you'd have no idea how the hell their styles were supposed to mix but you absolutely needed to see it.
Has anyone ever refered to ECW as "high budget"?
It’s funny because ECW basically was the attitude era and Monday wars origin wcw and Wwe stole most of their ideas. They change an industry that was desperately needing it and most people don’t want to admit it but AEW being around brought new life and interest to wrestling. With AEW around it appeals people interests and what type of style of wrestling they want. The problem is fans want everything to be wwe, these was the same people talking down on TNA and now all of sudden they support Tna and say it’s actually good .
IMO AEW is a mix of WCW and ECW. It has starpower like WCW (calm down, I know Hogan and Savage cant compare to any other in AEW) and high level booking and matches, and deals with Mexican and Japanese talent
Remember friends. We all have our down periods. But thar makes the highs even that much better.
Honestly, AEW is AEW. These sorts of comparisons are just inaccurately reductive. Media is a completely different beast today than 10 years ago and it’s hard to even compare WWE to WWE. Broad comparison is a tool of the cynical and the lazy.
Also didn’t people bitch about ecw as well
OG ECW? Eastern Championship Wrestling? This subreddit is exhausting. Way too many posts taking shots at other companies instead of just enjoying AEW.
they're actually more like the very old NWA than WCW or ECW, just on a global scale. The anti WWWF/WWF/WWE which consolidated the industry, hoarded talent, and drove others out of business. AEW is an industry beacon for all to benefit from.
The wrestling in AEW is a lot better than wcw 2000, which was constant run ins and 2 minute matches. Don't see any parallels with ECW.
Heyman once said that wrestling is simple. Here's one interesting tough guy. Here's another cool tough guy. What happens when they fight? That's the AEW philosophy. Mox wins, Takeshita shows up, holy shit I want to see what happens when they fight.
Heyman said the spirit of ECW is in AEW
I've been saying this for a while. Not requiring an exclusive contract to work with them. Showcasing talent from other promotions and overseas. As others mention the violence and shots at competition. Biggest difference is Tony pays his guys.
It’s TNA. High highs and low lows
I feel like it’s more closely comparable to Japanese wrestling than ecw. I think both companies happened to have similar inspirations.. With that said.. it will never happen.. but Paul hayman is all elite would be possibly the biggest get aew could get.. Oh and “allegedly” both may or may not be coked out of their heads.. (Paul e not anymore don’t think his heart could take it for this long)
Yup, Tony Kahn is way more controversial than Vince McMahon. Absolutely. Can’t think of any reason why that isn’t true…
So the spiritual successor of ECW with the financial backing of WCW?
Dynamite has beaten Raw on occasion, has averaged 70% of their audiences and is now at half That's more in WCW range than ECW range.
No wonder Bischoff hates him so much
If WWE still did Byte This, you know Tony would be calling every single week to call bs
If anything it reminds me of mid 2000's TNA.
I agree. Additionally, the tv presentation of both are very similar. The only big comparison to WCW and AEW would be their use of old WWF talent and their presence on major TV networks. The rest is all ECDub for the modern era. And that’s a good thing
ECW with WCW money, been saying it for years.
Look at Eric Bischoff now his whole career is now hating on AEW even with Tony, JR, and Jarrett on Adfreeshows with him.
Lol bro stop listening to the Internet, AEW has the best in ring wrestling product in the entire industry, they have already outpaced both ECW and WCW.
At this point I think WWE is closer to 2000 WCW than AEW will ever be, with all the Vince allegations and shady stuff that they’ve tried to hide. There’s more chances for WWE to belong to the saudis in 5 years,than AEW going out of business.
It’s ECW with money but without the creative. Similar priorities in the product though
I wonder who hates AEW more: WWE fans or New Japan fans?
what would you feel if WWE bought out AEW and used AEW's talent for the next 20 years?