ECW emerged on the wrestling map at a time when WWE and WCW dominated the industry. The promotion would establish itself as NWA-affiliate Eastern Championship Wrestling before dropping “Eastern” for “Extreme.”
At a time when ridiculous gimmicks and storylines was the norm, ECW felt like a breath of fresh air with its ring-based booking. The Philadelphia-based promotion also gave fans some of the best gimmick names and in-ring personas.
New Jack
Jerome Young originally adopted the New Jack moniker at the United States Wrestling Association. However, New Jack would become a household name in Paul Heyman’ ECW as one-half of The Gangstas.
The Gangstas would engage in a lengthy feud with The Public Enemy with both team trading wins throughout the year. Jack would eventually transition to singles competition in 1999, remaining with the promotion till its closure in 2001.
Rob Van Dam broke barriers in ECW
Did you know that the man with one of the coolest ECW gimmick names used to wrestle for WCW as Robbie V? Robert Alexander Szatkowski (yes, that’s RVD’s real name) arrived in Paul Heyman’s promotion in 1996 and immediately gained recognition for his unorthodox style.
RVD’s consistent growth in popularity eventually lead him to the ECW World Television Championship. Van Dam would hold the title for 700 days, making him the longest-reigning singles champion in company history.
Mike Awesome
Few were able to translate their big man aura as convincingly as Mike Awesome. Michael Lee Alfonso adopted the ring name during his initial brief sting with ECW. The former Gladiator solidified himself as a monster heel through his feuds with Masato Tanaka and Spike Dudley.
Mike Awesome doesn’t just sound like a cool gimmick name. Alfonso’s in-ring work made him an overall awesome performer inside the squared circle. He reigned as ECW World Heavyweight Champion on two separate occasions.
Raven
Scott Levy had many ridiculous gimmick names during his time in WWE and WCW. He was “Scotty the Body” in CWA, “Scott Flamingo” in WCW, and Johnny Polo in WWE. After all these underwhelming stings, Levy debuted one of the greatest gimmick names in ECW, if not pro wrestling, called Raven.
Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” and Patrick Swayze’s character in “Point Break” served as the inspiration for Levy’s gimmick. Raven’s portrayal of the gimmick won him praise from fans and peers alike. The influence is still relevant to this day, proving that some gimmicks and in-ring personas can be timeless.
The Sandman is one of the best ECW gimmick names
The Sandman is arguably one of the greatest ECW gimmick names for a wrestler. James Fullington used to wrestle as “Mr. Sandman” for Tri-State Wrestling before changing his name to The Sandman in ECW during the early-nineties.
The Sandman is often cited as one of the greatest gimmicks in company history. His feud with Raven served as an inspiration for various emotionally-driven storylines during the Attitude Era. He also introduce the beer-drinking gimmick before “Stone Cold” Steve Austin took it to new heights in WWE.
Honorable Mentions
- Taz
- The Public Enemy
- Rhino
- The Eliminators
- The Sinister Minister
Also read: Best WCW Gimmick Names Of All Time
