Top 5 best ECW World Heavyweight Champions of all time

The lineage of the ECW World Heavyweight Championship is rich in history.
The lineage of the ECW World Heavyweight Championship is rich in history.

The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was the top prize in Extreme Championship Wrestling. The title, which dates back to 1992, went through various changes throughout the years. There have been first-ballot Hall of Famers like Jimmy Snuka, Don Muraco, and Tito Santana who've held the gold in the past.

32 different men have held the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Historic runs have defined the legacy of this prestigious title. Its booking is one of the main reasons why ECW rose to prominence.

11 years since the title was deactivated, with Ezekiel Jackson being the final champion, it's an ideal time to remember the most memorable champions.

In this article, we take a look at the five best ECW World Heavyweight Champions of all time.


5) Terry Funk: 2-Time ECW World Heavyweight Champion

Terry Funk holds the honor of being the oldest ECW World Heavyweight Champion. He won the title on two occasions.

At 48 years old, Funk came to ECW and promised to help the fledging Eastern Championship Wrestling with his talent and experience.

It started with Terry Funk defeating Sabu to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. His first reign isn't recognized by WWE due to it being before the introduction of Extreme Championship Wrestling. He then lost the title to Shane Douglas.

Terry Funk's second reign is remembered more fondly due to its lead-up. During the buildup to ECW's first pay-per-view Barely Legal, Tommy Dreamer was scheduled for a match with Sandman and Stevie Richards to determine who faced Raven for the gold.

Dreamer gave his opportunity to his mentor Funk for one last shot at becoming world champion. Funk accepted and went on to win the match. One of the most emotional main events in the promotion's history, Funk rolled up Raven to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.

4) Sandman: 5-Time ECW World Heavyweight Champion

Sandman is one of the most legendary characters in ECW history. The beer-drinking, cane swinging star gained popularity for his ruthless style and iconic entrance to Enter Sandman by Metallica. He was introduced in Eastern Championship Wrestling where he defeated Don Muraco to become the fourth man to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.

His second reign with the ECW World Heavyweight Championship came in Extreme Championship Wrestling after Shane Douglas introduced the renamed title. He was managed by Woman, who double-crossed Douglas to help Sandman win the gold. This reign saw famous rivalries with Cactus Jack and Terry Funk.

Sandman lost the ECW World Heavyweight Championship to Mikey Whipwreck in a ladder match but soon won it back in a three-way dance against Whipwreck and Steve Austin. This third reign featured one of the most iconic feuds in ECW history with Raven. He traded the title with his rival at the end of 1996 and dominated the main event scene.

Sandman was a consistent mainstay at the top of the card for years. However, he wouldn't win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship again until the final pay-per-view, Guilty As Charged 2001, when Sandman defeated Steve Corino. This reign didn't last more than ten minutes though. Rhino beat Sandman to win the title immediately after.

Sandman is a name synonymous with Extreme Championship Wrestling. His ECW Title reigns had the best rivalries in company history and the greatest matches as well. He will forever be connected to the legacy of ECW, and a lot of it is down to his runs with the top prize.

3) Taz: 1-Time ECW World Heavyweight Champion

When it comes to the greatest single reign as ECW World Heavyweight Champion, the top of the list will include Taz. The Human Suplex Machine had a steady build-up after being introduced in Eastern Championship Wrestling in 1993.

Taz was part of a great tag team with Sabu, which led to an even better feud between the two men. The lead-up was a featured storyline heading into ECW's first pay-per-view Barely Legal in 1997. Taz defeated Sabu but suffered his first loss in two years to Sabu two months later. On the same night, Taz beat Shane Douglas to win the ECW World Television Championship.

This victory started a feud that would give Taz the biggest win of his career. Following his loss to Bam Bam Bigelow for the TV Title, Taz set his sights on Shane Douglas and the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Douglas was injured and ducked Taz so he made his title, the FTW Championship.

Taz defended the title as an unsanctioned world title until he lost to Sabu. However, he then beat Shane Douglas at Guilty As Charged 1999 to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. His reign was a dominant one where he took on all challengers.

Taz successfully retained the ECW World Heavyweight Championship against Shane Douglas, Buh Buh Ray Dudley, and beat Sabu to unify the ECW and FTW Titles. After signing with WWF, Taz's 252-day reign ended at Anarchy Rulez 1999 in a three-way dance against Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka.

In a historic match, WWF Superstar Taz won the ECW Title one more time against WCW-signed Mike Awesome. About a week later, Taz lost the gold to his best friend Tommy Dreamer. Taz's second reign didn't amount to much, but his first reign was one of the most dominant reigns in the history of the title.

2) Raven: 2-Time ECW World Heavyweight Champion

Raven might just be the most influential character to ever be devised in ECW. He was a masterful persona who had a gift for gab and captivated the Extreme Championship Wrestling fanbase. Raven was depressed and sociopathic. His famous "Quote The Raven, Nevermore" catchphrase is fondly remembered by fans to this day.

Stevie Richards introduced Raven as a man from Tommy Dreamer's past. The two characters went to summer camp together where Dreamer was a popular jock and Raven was a loner who developed a vendetta against Tommy. Raven formed the Raven's Nest stable with a band of lackeys to help him make Dreamer's life a living hell.

After a series of wins against Tommy Dreamer, Raven went into a bitter feud with ECW World Heavyweight Champion The Sandman. Raven defeated The Sandman to win the title for the first time on Hardcore TV in January 1996. Raven went on an incredible run of title defenses against Shane Douglas, Chris Jericho, 2 Cold Scorpio, and others.

His fantastic feud with The Sandman saw Raven play mind games and brainwash the ex-wife and son against his rival. Eventually, The Sandman won back the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, but Raven regained the title two months later in a Barbwire Match. Between the two reigns, Raven held the gold for 379 days.

1) Shane Douglas: 4-Time ECW World Heavyweight Champion

Shane Douglas is an integral part of the formation of ECW. He came to the promotion when it was known as Eastern Championship Wrestling. Douglas defeated Tito Santana to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in September of 1993.

The first reign lasted less than a month before he lost to Sabu. However, his next run turned out to be significantly more important. He won Ultimate Jeopardy to become the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. However, he threw down the NWA's title and proclaimed the ECW Title to be the most important championship in wrestling.

ECW officially left the NWA and became known as Extreme Championship Wrestling after Douglas's infamous promo. The title reign lasted 385 days and cemented it as a prestigious title that meant something. He eventually lost the championship to The Sandman.

Shane Douglas didn't hold the title until three years later when he defeated Sabu and Terry Funk in a three-way dance on August 1997. However, Bam Bam Bigelow turned babyface against his fellow Triple Threat member to win the title in New York City.

Shane Douglas regained the ECW World Heavyweight Championship over Bigelow in his home state of Pennsylvania in November To Remember 1997. This reign went on to become his landmark run. Douglas held the title for 406 days and ran roughshod over Extreme Championship Wrestling with the Triple Threat stable in his corner.

Shane Douglas, Chris Candido, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Francine made up the Triple Threat faction and were ECW's version of the Four Horsemen. The group helped Douglas retain his title and ran interference for Shane against his rivals. The feud between Shane Douglas and Taz was at the center of the main event storylines in ECW.

Douglas eventually lost to Taz at Guilty As Charged 1999. Despite injuries preventing him from defending the gold in that final run, it etched his name in the history books.

Shane Douglas held the ECW World Heavyweight Championship longer than anyone in history – for 862 total days. This is why Shane Douglas is the best ECW World Heavyweight Champion of all time.

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