Far from the star power of the World Wrestling Entertainment, behind closed doors, started a movement that changed the course of professional wrestling forever.
The legend Paul Heyman didn’t need big names to make a name for himself, all he needed was a bunch of dedicated folks to give form to his ideas. The linchpin of Extreme Championship Wrestling took the idea of hardcore wrestling all the way to the forefront and assiduously contributed to its success.
ECW gave pro wrestling a new dimension by introducing a legion of Superstars who could go to any lengths, braving chair shots, barbed-wire hits and being put through burning tables to put up good shows, week in and week out.
Here are 5 notable ECW Superstars who would have carried the same mindset in mixed martial arts and would have certainly been lethal inside the cage:
#5 Sabu
The name that undoubtedly deserves the distinction of being the top-draw for this highfalutin list that comprises of some of the toughest SOBs, is none other than Sabu.
Terry Michael Brunk, better known by his ring name ‘Sabu’ was one of the most prominent wrestlers in Paul E. Dangerously’s Extreme Championship Wrestling.
Known for his appetite for depredation and the propensity to endure vile beatings, Sabu was definitely one of ECW’s ‘most valuable’, having featured in some of the most brutal matches in the promotion.
Hailed as one of ‘ECW’s originals’, Sabu, despite not being a “technically gifted” wrestler, knew how to put up a show, having featured in some matches which could rightfully be termed as “acerbic”.
Also read: 5 Craziest moments in ECW history
A notable mention here would be his No-Rope Barbed-Wire match against Terry Funk, a match that created so much hysteria, that it was termed “too extreme even by ECW standards” (that says quite a lot).
During the course of the match, Sabu attempted the ‘Air Sabu’ which badly miscued resulting in Sabu diving straight into the wire, tearing open his biceps. What was really surprising, however, was the fact that Sabu asked his manager for some tape, attempted to tape the 10-inch gap and continued with the match!
Had Sabu been a UFC fighter, he probably would have stood his ground even when most “professional fighters” would have thrown in the towel!
#4 Rob Van Dam
One of a kind! Rob Van Dam is the exemplification of the word “extreme” in its unadulterated sense.
Owing to his background in martial arts, Van Dam is one of the most skilled competitors in the business of professional wrestling, boasting of in-ring technicality and high flying manoeuvres.
He was also one of the hardest working professionals in the Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion, putting up show after show with no signs of slowing down. It was a pity that the WWE merely relegated him as a “mid-carder” and couldn’t cash-in on his in-ring technicality and the ability to entertain.
This tough ‘sonofagun’ had numerous memorable matches in the ECW, most notably one against Jerry Lynn at Hardcore Heaven 1999.
The match wasn’t a typical over-the-top hardcore ECW offering, it pandered more to the technical style of things, yet not withholding on the hardcore-esque quotient. Rob Van Dam’s effort, in particular, made this one of the finest matches to ever take place in the ECW.
Had Van Dam been a mixed martial artist, he would not only have aced the style of fighting, but his work ethic would have enabled him to ascend the ladder of success at a fairly fast rate.
A tough brawler, bestowed with the gift of technical wrestling ability, Van Dam would have surely made for a lethal competitor inside the dreaded 8-sided structure.
#3 Masato Tanaka
A thorough-bred product of Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling in Japan, Masato Tanaka made all the waves when he made his foray into professional wrestling, choosing Extreme Championship Wrestling as his new abode.
He rose to prominence in Paul Heyman’s ECW when he became involved in a rivalry with Mike Awesome. Despite not being a behemoth compared to Mike Awesome (who stood at 6’7), Tanaka attracted attention courtesy of his in-ring skills that spawned out of his ‘Japanese schooling’.
His lack of size did not deter him from locking horns with the beast that Awesome was. Tanaka’s repertoire included using the turnbuckles to his advantage and some of his most devastating moves included the tornado DDT and the Diamond Dust.
Yet the most devastating move in his arsenal was the ‘roaring elbow’, which he used to his advantage in winning matches. His execution of the move was perhaps the best in the business.
Inside the octagon, this Japanese stalwart would have been a lethal combination of hard-knocks and technical ability, allowing him to quickly ascend to the top.
#2 Terry Funk
Terry Funk’s dedication to professional wrestling cannot be questioned and there’s no iota of a doubt as to why his legacy will live on forever.
He is one of the few to have wrestled for over 50 years, overseeing every major development and trend that has graced the business; from old school wrestling to the modern offering of hardcore brawls, the man has seen and done it all!
This is what makes him one of the hardest working professionals and arguably the toughest lad who could brave the extremely harrowing demands of being a professional wrestler for over five damned decades!
As mentioned before, his match against Sabu was one of the most disturbing matches in the history of the ECW. Funk loyals would also remember his match against Bret Hart where he not only showed his gritty, gutsy side but also exhibited sublime skills on the mat.
The match was amazingly worked out and it brought Terry’s grappling side to the foreground, something that had been amiss for a while. A skilled competitor and an all-out toughie, Funk would have made a perfect mixed martial arts fighter.
His tenacity to endure beatings and his never-go-down attitude would have palpably contributed to his success as a swangin’ n’ bangin’ competitor inside the octagon.
#1 Tommy Dreamer
A wrestler who dominated the ‘hardcore’ wrestling circuit and did it so well, that the name ‘Tommy Dreamer’ is now synonymous with ECW!
Tommy Dreamer’s success in the business is largely owing to the mental toughness he showed in addition to being just outright crazy.
From braving barbed wire shots to the head to being involved in some of the most violent matches, Dreamer was definitely the craziest out of the ECW Originals! The “Innovator of Violence” actually went to unthinkable lengths to carve out storylines that would justify his lunacy.
Dreamer, at one point, actually wanted a sniper to shoot him (legitimately) for a storyline in the ECW. Someone who doesn’t fear a bullet ripping through his body should have no fear in facing a human opponent inside a caged structure.
Come to think of it, Dreamer with his ‘hardcore’ schooling would actually have loved the diabolical setting of the UFC.
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