5 ECW legends who deserve to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024
With WrestleMania 40 taking place in Philadelphia, it only makes sense that WWE shows some love to ECW during this year's Hall of Fame ceremony.
Between the mid and late 90s, ECW rose to prominence as the third biggest professional wrestling brand in the US. The promotion gave fans an opportunity to see wrestlers in their most unfiltered forms, participating in beyond-audacious angles and matches. The promotion was ultimately acquired by WWE in the early 2000s.
So, it's no surprise that modern wrestling fans and critics hail several ECW legends as revolutionaries in this sport. Thus, it's high time that these revolutionaries take their rightful places in the WWE Hall of Fame. The Class of 2024 seems like the perfect opportunity to do so!
That said, here are five ECW legends who deserve to enter the upcoming class of the WWE Hall of Fame and head to The Grandest Stage of Them All to wave at over 40,000 fans in Philadelphia.
#5. WWE & ECW Legend Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman has had more success as an on-screen manager in WWE than he did as the promoter of ECW.
However, just because he couldn't keep the iconic company afloat past 2001 doesn't negate the fact he was the brains behind most of the memorable stuff that fans of ECW cherish to this day. He saw the potential in names who might not have thrived in WWF or WCW back in the day.
Additionally, he knew how to perfectly balance different styles of wrestling. Yes, ECW became as big as it did, mainly due to its reliance on unsanctioned-esque matches. Yet, people who came to see mat-based wrestling or high-octane aerial bouts got their fills, too.
So, with Philly, the home of ECW, hosting WrestleMania 40, WWE should ask The Wiseman to start working on his HOF speech.
#4. Raven
After underwhelming stints in WCW and then the WWF, Raven found ECW to be his landing spot. From there, his career took a monumental flight.
The way he became a lingering obstacle in Tommy Dreamer's path was nothing short of masterful heel work. Paul Heyman trusted in his creativity and The Palm Beach Heartthrob repaid the favor by changing the trajectory of the former's wrestling company for the better.
So, if WWE plans on celebrating ECW in some fashion on their way to Philadelphia, introducing Raven to its illustrious Hall of Fame is the move Until
Until last year, Raven wasn't confident about getting a call from the Stamford-based promotion. However, under the new regime, there's a better chance that his tremendous work in the hardcore wrestling league will highlighted on the big stage.
#3. Tommy Dreamer
While modern, and even casual, wrestling fans may associate the iconic extreme brand with names like Rob Van Dam and Paul Heyman, the avid watchers from the 90s know that Tommy Dreamer was the ultimate 'Heart and Soul of ECW.'
He was a part of numerous integral stories in the company's history and never backed down from taking risks to stay over with the rowdy ECW crowd. As a result, he got to share the ring with future legends in the business, such as RVD and Cactus Jack.
In fact, The Innovator of Violence was the last remaining ECW original in WWE's reimagining of the Extreme brand. He poured his 'heart and soul' into recapturing the feel of the ECW of the 90s, up until his release in early 2010.
So, with the 40th anniversary of WrestleMania on the horizon, Dreamer would be more than an ideal fit to represent the now-defunct promotion in the upcoming Hall of Fame ceremony.
#2. Sandman
If Ric Flair and John Cena are mainstays in the 'wrestling G.O.A.T' conversations owing to their 16 world title reigns each, then The Sandman must have a spot on that list, too, since he has the most reigns as the ECW World Heavyweight Champion.
Never once in his career did The Sandman embrace the role of a technical in-ring performer. He was also never a gravity-defying specimen such as Sabu or Rob Van Dam. What he did have, though, was a magnetic personality that ensured fans always had their eyes on him.
The modern wrestling fans would've loved nothing more than singing 'Enter Sandman' at the top of their lungs as the Singapore-Cane-wielding sensation entered through the crowd in his prime. That's not discounting the fact that he was a part of multiple important angles that put ECW on the map.
So, The Hardcore Icon deserves his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. After all, WWE is where it is today due to larger-than-life personalities. The Sandman was more than an influential persona on the Philly side of the wrestling industry.
#1. Taz
The word 'intimidating' has a lot of synonyms. In a professional wrestling context, 'Taz' is what comes closest to it.
The two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion proved that the Extreme brand was more than about whacking people with Singapore Canes or sending them crashing through tables. After all, he wouldn't have gotten the moniker of the 'Human Suplex Machine' if he wasn't a proficient technical wrestler.
Throughout his time in ECW, The Red Hook native had no trouble staying at or near the top of the card. His intense matches against the likes of Bam Bam Bigelow and Sabu proved that the Paul Heyman-led promotion was the place to be for experiencing unrestrained aggression.
Therefore, Taz's WWE Hall of Fame Induction is long overdue. If WWE could cut a deal with AEW ahead of WrestleMania 40, fans could witness the trailblazing submission specialist finally receive his flowers.