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The Rise & Fall of ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling
Independent wrestling promotions were once the norm all across the country. However, with the rise of World Wrestling Entertainment and the creation of World Championship Wrestling -- out of three Southern promotions -- the possibility of an independent succeeding grew fainter and fainter. As the nineties began, independents were looking for creative ways to survive. In the East, several banded together to share cost and talent; they were known as Eastern Championship Wrestling. Based out of a warehouse in Philadelphia that stored parade floats and hosted bingo, this promotion seemed doomed to be just one more ninety-day wonder. When they hired a brash New Yorker, Paul Heyman, he warned Eastern Championship Wrestling that the job was just temporary. He would come in, shake up a lot of the wrestlers, and then leave. But what Heyman did redefined professional wrestling in the nineties. What he created was a company that dared to push the boundaries of sports entertainment. What he created became Extreme Championship Wrestling.
As the person responsible for booking -- who was going to wrestle and who was going to win -- Heyman dared to break with tradition. Rather than relying on local talent and down-and-out veterans to draw in crowds, he created new characters and story lines that would appeal to the core wrestling fans: eighteen- to twenty-four- year-old men. Paul also realized that to persuade them to come, you had to get their interest and keep it. You had to offer the fans more than just the match. ECW became known for the interview, the shoot. Heyman got to know each wrestler's style, and in their interviews he would encourage them to speak from their hearts. When it came to the matches, ECW broke even farther from the mainstream. Tables, ladders, chairs, barbed wire, and even frying pans were used with abandon. Wrestlers not wanting to be topped put their bodies on the line, taking ever greater risks, daring to jump, leap, and fall from places never tried before. ECW matches became the stuff of legend.
Word spread as savvy wrestling fans began talking about the promotion and exchanging tapes. To keep the buzz building, wrestlers used the age-old trick of taunting the fans, and ECW fans responded in kind. By including the fans in the shows, ECW attracted a rabid, cult-like following that is still going strong today.
For nearly a decade, ECW redefined professional wrestling with a reckless, brutal, death-defying, and often bloody style that became synonymous with "hardcore." Through extensive interviews with former ECW talent and management -- Paul Heyman, Mick Foley, Tazz, Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam, and many more -- The Rise & Fall of ECW reveals what made this upstart company from Philadelphia great -- and what ultimately led to its demise.
As the person responsible for booking -- who was going to wrestle and who was going to win -- Heyman dared to break with tradition. Rather than relying on local talent and down-and-out veterans to draw in crowds, he created new characters and story lines that would appeal to the core wrestling fans: eighteen- to twenty-four- year-old men. Paul also realized that to persuade them to come, you had to get their interest and keep it. You had to offer the fans more than just the match. ECW became known for the interview, the shoot. Heyman got to know each wrestler's style, and in their interviews he would encourage them to speak from their hearts. When it came to the matches, ECW broke even farther from the mainstream. Tables, ladders, chairs, barbed wire, and even frying pans were used with abandon. Wrestlers not wanting to be topped put their bodies on the line, taking ever greater risks, daring to jump, leap, and fall from places never tried before. ECW matches became the stuff of legend.
Word spread as savvy wrestling fans began talking about the promotion and exchanging tapes. To keep the buzz building, wrestlers used the age-old trick of taunting the fans, and ECW fans responded in kind. By including the fans in the shows, ECW attracted a rabid, cult-like following that is still going strong today.
For nearly a decade, ECW redefined professional wrestling with a reckless, brutal, death-defying, and often bloody style that became synonymous with "hardcore." Through extensive interviews with former ECW talent and management -- Paul Heyman, Mick Foley, Tazz, Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam, and many more -- The Rise & Fall of ECW reveals what made this upstart company from Philadelphia great -- and what ultimately led to its demise.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2006
38 people are currently reading
545 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 1, 2023
One of the reviews I did on this account was an ECW retrospective called Hardcore History. It wasn't very good. It had just about everything you could find on Wikipedia with typos and mistakes galore. If Hardcore History's main message was "WWE ruined ECW", this one is "ECW should be thanking WWE". The Rise and Fall of ECW, coinciding with a DVD release of the same name, is another light ECW retrospective that covers all the basics and not in extreme detail, but makes up for it a little more with quotes and interviews from Heyman, Dreamer, Tazz, etc. This was brisk and fast, and you're kind of left thinking "that's it?" by the end. They leave out a lot of the actual fall of the company and only touch upon the barest of details on why the company died out, with no definitive answer because what Heyman says is totally different than what any of the wrestlers say. The Rise and Fall of ECW is a nostalgia-based read that holds back a lot of the fire it could provide with the name power involved - it's formatted and detailed much better than other ECW-centric books, but if it were even 50 pages longer it'd leave much more of an impact.
January 11, 2025
A good 'matter of fact' book to me.
June 15, 2012
Just recently finished reading The Rise & Fall of ECW, a WWE publication. So it shown the history of ECW from those who participated and at the time was also serving tenure in WWE after their takeover in 2002. I could get into more indepth information in the review here, but I've already done that on my blog post here. I advised you to check it out now.
April 23, 2017
Rating - 8.1
Not the most comprehensive read & you can sense the WWE spin machine (not being too harsh on Heyman & the vitriol towards WCW) yet an enjoyable exploration behind the scenes of Extreme
The wrestler interviews are what standout & reliving the feuds in the glory days also make for a good read; Constant match results could have been replaced w more backstage wrestler comments
Not the most comprehensive read & you can sense the WWE spin machine (not being too harsh on Heyman & the vitriol towards WCW) yet an enjoyable exploration behind the scenes of Extreme
The wrestler interviews are what standout & reliving the feuds in the glory days also make for a good read; Constant match results could have been replaced w more backstage wrestler comments
July 25, 2011
This was an enjoyable read but not really in depth enough to make it an excellent read. It was very much a whistle-stop account of how ECW came to be, was built up and then how it fell. While entertaining a fan of this genre might feel a tad disappointed that major issues and stories don't get the amount of space they require and that the history of the federation is very much watered down.
April 20, 2012
Still on my wrestling kick I picked this one up giving some of the history of the wrestling promotion that really changed the scene of wrestling back in the 90’s. I enjoyed this one because I am a wrestling geek. This book even reviewed some of the storylines from the promotion. This filled in some of the back story to some of the wrestlers that I saw when I was watching WWE.
February 8, 2008
This was the best wrestling book in years. It brought the ECW history to a reality and used most members of the group and how they worked in this fledging wrestling organization. Maybe the The Franchise was missing but testimony was great, including Paul E.'s stuff was great.
EC dub! EC dub!
EC dub! EC dub!
May 1, 2012
For any former ECW fan this book is a must read. I loved ECW and was sad when it folded. I know they made a DVD before this book was made but they could only fit so much of the story of ECW into a 90 minute DVD. They book filled in a lot of holes. If you loved ECW like I did you should read this.
January 17, 2013
It's a good read for people who like ECW, but not for people who like well-written books. It's a disjointed but informative book with some interesting interviews and some new insights into the company. It's nothing ground-breaking but a good summary of ECW.
September 30, 2012
Excellent book that explains the history of ECW. Includes interviews from Paul Heyman and wrestlers from ECW.
January 24, 2019
While watching the original 3 hour WWE documentary of the same name at the same time I was reading this book, I feel that “The Rise and Fall of ECW” provides a fantastic overview featuring select storylines and numerous interviews with key subjects into one of the greatest wrestling promotions of all time, Extreme Championship Wrestling.
As a wrestling fan who grew up in the early 2000s era of WWF Smackdown, I was always curious into the now-defunct promotion known as ECW. This company’s history wasn’t as widely told or featured as WWE or WCW, while only quick highlights involving true hardcore moments ever came across my TV screen when referring to ECW. Now, my thirst for knowledge has been satisfied (though I am thirsty for more) after reading and watching this book and documentary, respectively. Here I learned how special this wrestling company and its talent were and how important Paul Heyman and his philosophy were in making ECW successful for so long. I also sympathize with Heyman’s rationale for the death of ECW and how truly close they were to ensuring ECW would still be running strong today.
NOTE: I do wish to warn the reader that 2/3 of this book reads as a word-for-word transcript of the aforementioned documentary, and though I highly recommend that the video be viewed as well, maybe you should not watch it at the same time as when you read this book. (I committed this sin and was quite irritated by hearing and reading the same interviews being used in each project). As important as the documentary is to telling the story of ECW (and beautifully done, 5 stars), this book should still be given a chance as new details and opinions are shared that have not been featured anywhere else.
As a wrestling fan who grew up in the early 2000s era of WWF Smackdown, I was always curious into the now-defunct promotion known as ECW. This company’s history wasn’t as widely told or featured as WWE or WCW, while only quick highlights involving true hardcore moments ever came across my TV screen when referring to ECW. Now, my thirst for knowledge has been satisfied (though I am thirsty for more) after reading and watching this book and documentary, respectively. Here I learned how special this wrestling company and its talent were and how important Paul Heyman and his philosophy were in making ECW successful for so long. I also sympathize with Heyman’s rationale for the death of ECW and how truly close they were to ensuring ECW would still be running strong today.
NOTE: I do wish to warn the reader that 2/3 of this book reads as a word-for-word transcript of the aforementioned documentary, and though I highly recommend that the video be viewed as well, maybe you should not watch it at the same time as when you read this book. (I committed this sin and was quite irritated by hearing and reading the same interviews being used in each project). As important as the documentary is to telling the story of ECW (and beautifully done, 5 stars), this book should still be given a chance as new details and opinions are shared that have not been featured anywhere else.
December 2, 2021
As a huge fan of ECW when I was younger, I was eager to read this one. I was expecting some interesting behind the scenes tidbits and even a bit of gossip.
What I ended up reading was a book that managed to be both informative but also rather disjointed. Each chapter, as it seemed to get going and becoming interesting, would then come to a halt with endless results listed. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind seeing who beat who but it made the chapters feel disjointed and jerky.
I would have liked to have read more of the interviews with the wrestlers and the other people involved with ECW. Even the short bits here were some of the most interesting parts for me, as a fan. They had some of the most unique insights due to having been there.
All in all, an interesting but rather hit and miss book. Still worth picking up, even just for the short interview parts.
What I ended up reading was a book that managed to be both informative but also rather disjointed. Each chapter, as it seemed to get going and becoming interesting, would then come to a halt with endless results listed. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind seeing who beat who but it made the chapters feel disjointed and jerky.
I would have liked to have read more of the interviews with the wrestlers and the other people involved with ECW. Even the short bits here were some of the most interesting parts for me, as a fan. They had some of the most unique insights due to having been there.
All in all, an interesting but rather hit and miss book. Still worth picking up, even just for the short interview parts.
April 12, 2021
I'd say 3.5/5, but doesn't reach 4.
An interesting report on the the history of one of the most peculiar wrestling promotions and its most topical anecdotes.
The book is very factual and systematic in covering the history step by step and through the words of its people. However, it's easy to see, even from someone who's not particularly knowledgeable about this topic (like myself), how the story is told from someone partial and keen to highlight the good, while not marking the hand on the bad.
Overall, I wasn't too enamoured of some style choices, too, with end of chapter cliffhangers constructed in a way that fits a TV show than a book and the typical use of dialogues from decades ago, quoted word-by-word (something I'm not a fan of generally and not only specifically for this book).
An interesting report on the the history of one of the most peculiar wrestling promotions and its most topical anecdotes.
The book is very factual and systematic in covering the history step by step and through the words of its people. However, it's easy to see, even from someone who's not particularly knowledgeable about this topic (like myself), how the story is told from someone partial and keen to highlight the good, while not marking the hand on the bad.
Overall, I wasn't too enamoured of some style choices, too, with end of chapter cliffhangers constructed in a way that fits a TV show than a book and the typical use of dialogues from decades ago, quoted word-by-word (something I'm not a fan of generally and not only specifically for this book).
July 25, 2025
I don’t know what I was expecting but perhaps something more? Very by the numbers, very straightforward but needs someone to properly edit out the mistakes and the repetitive phrases.
Told me a lot of things I didn’t know, and broke down match cards well, which was a nice touch, but there at all times felt like a disconnect from the writer and the people about whom he was writing. Can’t quite put my finger on it, but the passion for ECW that he was trying to convey comes across only when he is quoting people involved, otherwise it’s disappointingly dry.
Loved all the stories about Paul Heyman, and I’m disappointed that there isn’t a book about him. Give the fans what they want, Paul!
Book is fine, reads more like a Wikipedia entry but in book form.
Told me a lot of things I didn’t know, and broke down match cards well, which was a nice touch, but there at all times felt like a disconnect from the writer and the people about whom he was writing. Can’t quite put my finger on it, but the passion for ECW that he was trying to convey comes across only when he is quoting people involved, otherwise it’s disappointingly dry.
Loved all the stories about Paul Heyman, and I’m disappointed that there isn’t a book about him. Give the fans what they want, Paul!
Book is fine, reads more like a Wikipedia entry but in book form.
March 6, 2024
Absolutely tremendous read! Filled to the brim with details and history wrestling moments. ECW has always been one of my favorite promotions to watch and this book was chock full of amazing stories. Also super convenient that I finish this book right after the news of Paul Heyman going into the WWE hall of fame this year!
October 6, 2017
This book is just ok, it doesn´t really go in depth and it seems like most of the quotes from the people involved were all taken from documentaries that were already done on the subject and that I´ve already watched.
October 13, 2021
interesting, but could have focused more on the stores and less on running down the match list of every ecw show ever. Very pro-Paul Heyman biased, none of the stories about wrestlers not getting paid.
July 20, 2024
As a diehard ECW fan, this book doesn’t cover any new ground. It also doesn’t always have its facts in orders either. That being said, it’s a quick and easy read and a fun look back at some ECW nostalgia. It’s a one-time read from the library.
March 26, 2019
The best book about professional wrestling.
February 8, 2020
Best book about the ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) organization!!
August 24, 2020
I love ECW but everything in this book was readily known information to pretty much any ECW fan.
February 12, 2021
The greatest tribute is to founder Paul Heyman!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2021
ECW! ECW! ECW!
November 29, 2023
Apparently just the same as the documentary which I've not seen in years. An enjoyable chronology of ECW though. Learnt a fair bit despite it's clunky writing style!
August 30, 2024
Good history of my favorite pro wrestling organization.
Currently reading
February 16, 2025THE BOOK IS OVER 3,000 pages wish me luck!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2022
Lightwieght and very little, The book pretty much covers the same ground as the DVD does just with a few extra interviews so if you want the definitive story then you are better buying the DVD, however if you have not heard of the story then the book is a must read
October 2, 2013
Very Good. The history of one of the most popular professional wrestling organizations from the men and women who lived it. WWE knew there was money to be made out of this story and definitely knew that this was something that would sell. To this day the three letter chant of ECW brings great joy to fans. The story is well told, but I can't help if its facts and conclusions aren't simply revisionism by WWE. Because like it or not WWE was partially responsible in the company's downfall. ECW started as a small regional promotion that grew from a bingo hall and dance hall that gained an amazing cult like following unlike anything that ever existed before. But because it was a small company with a large following, the company had created a supremely loyal fan base that kept the company alive even when it was suffering.
From super low budgets, wrestlers with low salaries wanting to hit the big time(WWF or WCW), the inability to find sponsorship as well as the content acting as a double-edged sword. From its violent matches(Bring Your Own Weapon, Singapore Cane), unique matches(technical, lucha libre, cruiserweights), as well as moments too controversial for ECW(Sandman Crucifixion, Mass Transit Incident). Many felt ECW was doomed to failure. While WWE attempts to deflect blame by writing of it supporting ECW with plugging some of its shows, wrestlers as well as paying its bills. I believe Vince McMahon believed that ECW could have grown to compete with the company. But because Eric Bischoff was eager to obtain talent and was seen as something as a bully towards ECW, McMahon worked the opposite route in destroying the company by treating ECW as a charity case.
In the end the company in death maintains a great mystique about it that still maintains its popularity. Lets face it do we hear fans scream WCW or WWF/E when a wrestler appears in another company. Nope. They scream ECW. B+
From super low budgets, wrestlers with low salaries wanting to hit the big time(WWF or WCW), the inability to find sponsorship as well as the content acting as a double-edged sword. From its violent matches(Bring Your Own Weapon, Singapore Cane), unique matches(technical, lucha libre, cruiserweights), as well as moments too controversial for ECW(Sandman Crucifixion, Mass Transit Incident). Many felt ECW was doomed to failure. While WWE attempts to deflect blame by writing of it supporting ECW with plugging some of its shows, wrestlers as well as paying its bills. I believe Vince McMahon believed that ECW could have grown to compete with the company. But because Eric Bischoff was eager to obtain talent and was seen as something as a bully towards ECW, McMahon worked the opposite route in destroying the company by treating ECW as a charity case.
In the end the company in death maintains a great mystique about it that still maintains its popularity. Lets face it do we hear fans scream WCW or WWF/E when a wrestler appears in another company. Nope. They scream ECW. B+
July 17, 2015
This book is another one of my thrift shop finds. I was really excited to find this there. The book gives the history of ECW from it's first days in 1993 until it's last in 2001. I loved learning more about the company (How it started and what made them popular), the business side of things (merchandise, setting up shows, pay per views, etc.) and, of course, the wrestlers.
I really like that the author didn't censor the wrestlers when he interviewed them. If you don't like swears, especially the "f word", you might not like that. For me, it made it that much more authentic. There are interviews with a lot of the top stars of the promotion: Paul Heyman, Tazz, Tommy Dreamer, Chris Jericho, Stevie Richards, Spike Dudley and many more.
I watched ECW as a kid, but I didn't understand or appreciate how much freedom the wrestlers had with their characters. They connected with fans on such an intense, personal level because they were your average joes. Nobody was extra good looking, nobody had really flashy stuff. They just went out there and gave it their all night after night. And they were super violent.
I felt bad for them as I read about their missed opportunities and how some of the things they needed to stay open fell through and, in the end, it got to the point where Heyman couldn't even pay the wrestlers. As cocky as he may be on TV, he sounded heartbroken about the way things went.
Reading this book was like reliving my childhood and watching these great matches for a second time. I would recommend this to fans of ECW, fans of pro wrestling and anyone who likes books about sports.
I really like that the author didn't censor the wrestlers when he interviewed them. If you don't like swears, especially the "f word", you might not like that. For me, it made it that much more authentic. There are interviews with a lot of the top stars of the promotion: Paul Heyman, Tazz, Tommy Dreamer, Chris Jericho, Stevie Richards, Spike Dudley and many more.
I watched ECW as a kid, but I didn't understand or appreciate how much freedom the wrestlers had with their characters. They connected with fans on such an intense, personal level because they were your average joes. Nobody was extra good looking, nobody had really flashy stuff. They just went out there and gave it their all night after night. And they were super violent.
I felt bad for them as I read about their missed opportunities and how some of the things they needed to stay open fell through and, in the end, it got to the point where Heyman couldn't even pay the wrestlers. As cocky as he may be on TV, he sounded heartbroken about the way things went.
Reading this book was like reliving my childhood and watching these great matches for a second time. I would recommend this to fans of ECW, fans of pro wrestling and anyone who likes books about sports.
July 15, 2022
Being a huge pro wrestling fan, ECW was something I got into later after they already closed. I went to a show when I was younger on Staten Island but I didn't know anyone back then.
This book had a lot of things that were quoted from the "Rise and Fall"documentary so that was all rehash stuff
There were a few things in the book I didn't know about
All in all it was a good read and I don't have a negative things to say about ECW. I wish it was still around today. The wrestling world needs something like ECW to shake things up again.
This book had a lot of things that were quoted from the "Rise and Fall"documentary so that was all rehash stuff
There were a few things in the book I didn't know about
All in all it was a good read and I don't have a negative things to say about ECW. I wish it was still around today. The wrestling world needs something like ECW to shake things up again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews