The promotion was known for highlighting a "hardcore wrestling" style, with matches regularly featuring weapons (including the frequent use of tables and fire) and revolving around adult-themed storylines.

HHG folded ECW in 2001 when it was unable to secure a new national television contract, and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. purchased the assets of the company from bankruptcy in January 2003.

It debuted on June 13, 2006, on Sci Fi in the United States and ran for close to four years until it aired its final episode on February 16, 2010, on the rebranded Syfy.

Based in the working-class city of Philadelphia, ECW had its origins in 1989 under the banner Tri-State Wrestling Alliance (TWA) owned by Joel Goodhart.

[9][10] In 1992, Goodhart sold his share of the company to his partner, Tod Gordon, who created his own promotion from TWA's remnants, Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW).

Gilbert,[12] through his position as lead booker of ECW, managed to secure television time on SportsChannel Philadelphia starting in April 1993.

[11] Heyman's creative influence had an immediate impact on ECW, and throughout 1993 and into 1994 the terms "Hardcore" and "Extreme" were increasingly used to characterize both the in-ring style and the general presentation of the promotion.

Instead of relying on former WWF stars such as Jimmy Snuka, Heyman pivoted the promotion to centring around local up-and-coming talents such as Shane Douglas, Sabu, The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer.

Additionally, instead of offering cooperation and mutual support, other member promotions of the NWA were undermining ECW's business with underhanded tactics, something Gordon and Heyman wanted revenge for.

[16] Gordon made the following announcement on the next edition of ECW programming: I listened with great interest as the representative of the NWA board of directors took it upon himself to inform you that they have the power to force NWA-Eastern Championship Wrestling not to recognize The Franchise, Shane Douglas, as a world heavyweight champion.

Seating comprised simple folding chairs and four sets of portable bleachers, with the unconventional scene reflective of the gritty style of the promotion itself.

It later moved to a former independent broadcast station (WGTW 48) in Philadelphia on either Friday or Saturday night, and at 1:00 a.m. or at 2:00 a.m. Shows were also aired on the MSG Network in NYC on Friday nights (early Saturday morning) at 2:00 a.m. Due to the obscurity of the stations and ECW itself, as well as the lack of FCC oversight at that late hour, many times expletives and violence were not edited out of these showings, along with extensive use of copyrighted music and music videos.

[6] In 1995, Tod Gordon sold Extreme Championship Wrestling, to his head booker, Paul Heyman, trading as HHG Corporation.

They advanced a storyline, plugged their first ever pay-per-view and worked three matches in front of the WWF audience while McMahon called the action with both Jerry "The King" Lawler and Paul Heyman.

Lawler disparaged ECW on-camera and convinced wrestlers such as Rob Van Dam and Sabu to join him in an anti-ECW crusade.

[1][2] Heyman, who became color commentator for Raw is War that February (replacing Jerry Lawler, who quit the WWF in protest after his then-wife, Stacy Carter, had been fired by McMahon), had supposedly never told his wrestlers that ECW was on its last legs and was unable to pay them for a while.

Included in that number was $860,000 in accounts receivable owed ECW by In Demand Network (PPV), Acclaim (video games) and Original San Francisco Toy Company (action figures).

The highest amounts owed to talents were Rob Van Dam ($150,000),[11][1] Shane Douglas ($145,000),[27] Tommy Dreamer ($100,000),[1] Joey Styles ($50,480),[11][1] Rhyno ($50,000),[11][1] and Francine Fournier ($47,275).

[30] In June 2005 an unauthorized DVD called Forever Hardcore was written, directed and produced by Jeremy Borash in response to The Rise and Fall of ECW.

[32] Shane McMahon had the idea of an online, low budget show, but they asked television stations and PPV producers and they were interested in ECW.

During the first few months of ECW on Sci Fi, the show operated under the creative direction of Paul Heyman and was supervised by Vince McMahon.

This caused considerable discontent with Heyman, who walked off the project and left WWE entirely in December 2006,[35] beginning a six-year hiatus from professional wrestling.

Because of the success of the initial event, three additional shows were held in Autumn 2005 and later the DVD documentary Forever Hardcore was released by the same production crew as a counterpart to WWE's Rise and Fall of ECW.

Following Tommy Dreamer's June 2010 debut in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), a new stable was formed called EV2.0 consisting of former ECW alumni.

Not only did ECW engage in a wrestling style considered more dangerous than its larger competitors, but it also performed riskier and more controversial angles (storylines) as well.

As part of the attack, a wooden cross was brought from under the ring and the members of Raven's Nest proceeded to "Crucify" Sandman with it, and enforced the use of religious iconography by placing a "crown" made out of barbed wire on his head in a direct allusion to the Crucifixion of Jesus.

Further controversy arose when it came to light that Kulas had lied to ECW owner and booker Paul Heyman about his age and professional wrestling training.

In July 2000, ECW made its West Coast debut, holding its annual summer pay-per-view Heat Wave in Los Angeles, California.

At the time Los Angeles was home to Xtreme Pro Wrestling (XPW), a recently established promotion which imitated the style and presentation of ECW.

[50][51] Prior to the start of the main event, a legitimate out-of-character brawl broke out between the XPW contingent and members of the ECW roster, which spilled out into the parking lot of the venue.