The Highest Rated ECW Events in History

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Extreme Championship Wrestling had some memorable pay per view events and supercard shows. Being a true alternative to the WWF and WCW, ECW presented wrestling shows that strictly targetted the young male demographic throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s. Guys like Rob Van Dam, Raven, Sandman, Sabu, The Dudley Boyz and Tommy Dreamer made names for themselves in the land of extreme, while other superstars from big promotions would stop by every now and then to get their hands dirty.
This video looks at the highest rated ECW events according to Cagematch rankings. Both supercards and pay per views are included in our rankings, meaning you'll see events held before 1997.

[@T-Bag13]

ECW for a change, a good change.

[@AzraelDarkness64Gaming]

Agree

[@ericjohnson5462]

@@AzraelDarkness64Gaming yeah give wcw and wwe a rest

[@HARAMBEAKAGEORGEFLOYD]

Busab

[@SuperButcherPete]

I've always loved watching whatever ECW highlights and matches i could find as a kid. There was something about how the camera, catching the action inside the ring, would tremble with every big spot that added to the energy of what was being captured on film. Really unique

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

The Dudley promo still can't be touched.😂 Cursing out the crowd etc

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

The throwing chairs in the ring was The best.

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

Don't get me started on the ring breaking from the crowd.😂

[@rustcohle6149]

I don't like blacks, just sharing my thoughts like you asked

[@McPoshSquatch]

Awesome video! Glad to see ECW get their own time to shine on WB! Brings back a lot of great memories. 😁👍

[@Kas58223]

Finally some ECW content 😊

[@AzraelDarkness64Gaming]

​@@Kas58223agree

[@Machete87]

i loved seein the event where Bam Bam Bigelow brutalized Shane Douglas for the ECW Strap😎🔥 loved that match great times

[@dandymatt]

I grew up near Philly, so I was privileged to watch on local cable channel, back before digital when you could pick up local programs with an antenna. Fond memories. And yes, please put together a RVD vs Jerry Lynn video, those 2 were absolutely amazing together!

[@TheEman590]

I second that. RVD and Lynn were perfect opponents to each other.

[@fergalstackstreams]

I still remember the channel I watched it on in Ohio, WUCT TV-52. It was basically somewhere between cable access an a regional network. They aired a lot of independent wrestling like USWA and SMW.

[@zemox2534]

Bam Bam bigelow vs Taz from heatwave 98 was a great match. The fall through the entrance ramp was so unexpected and shocking. The fact both men still got up afterwards really shows how tough they were. I always wanted to watch ECW in the 90s, but sadly, it was unavailable on British TV. I could not even find an ecw video(I did try).

[@Kenneth-cn8dx]

They used to sell the videos in HMV. That's when I first watched ecw

[@vvstreetfightervv]

Heatwave '98 is the best ECW ppv, ever. No contest. It was also the best card,(ppv or otherwise) that they ever promoted outside of Philly.

[@BridgeTrollForge]

I don't know if it would be as incredibly loved as the RTW series, but I for one would absolutely adore a start to finish look at the life of ECW with your commentary on it, man. Someone that has the knowledge that you do could fill in some of the blanks on who some of the guests that ECW had, to people that at the time were casual viewers, or just younger and uneducated. ECW was different, in an incredible way, and I really wish I had television access to it back in the day.

[@PhenomsServant4]

You know I was kinda hoping he’d cover ECW after RTW too.

[@grizzlo7300]

100%

[@brandonmcmahon8804]

It's refreshing to see you do something ECW, I look forward to more of this especially if you cover specific events in depth

[@KeepDownWitIt]

More ECW please 🙏

[@ericwollam5532]

I know it's also covered to death but ECW One Night Stand 2005 at the very least deserves an honorable mention. I'm well aware it was essentially a WWE ppv, but seeing ECW with WWE production was absolutely incredible and the fact that we still talk about Sandman's entrance to this day and that Masato tanaka and Mike Awesome match, as well as an absolute bloodbath of a main event, like, the whole show from top to bottom was great, made even better by the fans.

[@Gabriel_Cook]

One Night Stand '06 also.

[@That_Guy-]

​@@Gabriel_Cook06 sucked beside the main event

[@ericwollam5532]

ONS 2006 was great also.

[@Ian-Omega]

@@Gabriel_CookNo it wasn’t anywhere near as good as the first one

[@IixAGxiI]

​@@Ian-OmegaRight !! When they cancelled that Rey V Sabu match after the powerbomb kind of spot through a table to the outside then it was obvious this was a wwe show ,they were booking it ,they were controlling it ,etc.

[@OniRokaku]

I almost want to see you review the ECW PPVs. Would be something different like on it's own or as a RTW Sub Series for said PPVs. Call it, Reliving The War: To The Extreme (or something.)

[@1ButtonDash]

it wasn't on your list but for me Living Dangerously 2000 is up there for me. The one where New Jack fell off the scaffolding. I was there. Danbury CT. I still remember it like it was yesterday. That place was so crazy that night, even when I went into the bathroom there was a ton of people in there passing around blunts literally chanting "LIGHT IT UP! LIGHT IT UP!" I will never forget that day lmao

[@TheEman590]

Aw man, if I had known it was in Danbury, (I was 15), I would've been there in a heartbeat.

[@undramartin1914]

Thank you for this video. I was a huge ECW fan during its inception to TNN!! Good memories. Most of the latter PPVs I ordered. It was the opening theme for me!

[@diywrites8703]

I remember when I was a kid some friends of mine and I got a ride across the border to the US to watch November To Remember 99. What a time that was.

[@beaumcguire409]

ECW played such a pivotal role in how matches played out for the next decade!

[@jeffdeming8811]

Seriously can't wait to see what your throw together for RVD vs Jerry Lynn. That's gonna be an epic WB upload. They always had incredible matches

[@mjkaenima]

I ordered Hardcore heaven 97 not really knowing what to expect. It was my introduction to ecw and I had only heard about them through the wwf stuff. One of the first things I remember seeing was bam bam throwing spike all over the ring and then out into the crowd! I was hooked! I rewatched that ppv over and over again

[@firewalker1372]

I remember flicking through my grandparents direct tv channels in the late 90s. Coming across the pay per view preview channel for an ecw event airing that weekend and just stay stuck on it wondering how I can con my folks into buying this ppv for me 😂.

[@WarGhoulKharas]

November To Remember '99. It was my first PPV buy, and the Masato Tanaka Vs Mike Awesome was my favorite match for years. That's all personal, though. Edit: That Heat Wave '96 four way is when Francine turned on The Pitbulls and ate a Super Bomb.

[@Estolcles]

Definitely needs to get mentioned of "Shows Not Listed That Were Awesome ECW Shows": The 2-25-95 show retroactively titled: "Return Of The Funker". The ending of the whole show, from Woman's promo with "The Magic Box", until the show fades to black is like 30 minutes of the best pro wrestling rollercoaster you could ever ride. From the slow start with DC Drake vs. Cactus Jack to how it peaks at the end with Shane Douglas swinging the belt high above his head in a move Seth Rollins totally stole from.

[@HardcoreOreider]

How about "reliving ECW" after you finish RTW?

[@XKTwentyFive]

I'd love for you to make an RVD vs Jerry Lynn rivalry video.

[@maui3551]

During the late 90's I use to watch a lot of ECW and WCW. I did not start watching WWE until early 2001 until 2014

[@carribob1992]

I've owned 3 of the shows on this list on home video (N2R 2000 and Massacre on 34th Street 2000 not being on here) and the one I enjoyed the most was Barely Legal 97, its such a special and damn good show. The 3 Way Dance near the end of the show being my favorite match on the card (The other shows being on this list are Hardcore Heaven 99 and Heatwave 98). Also, the copy of Barely Legal I have doesn't have dubbed music so you can experience the glory of Sandman entering to Metallica's "Enter Sandman" before the 3 Way Dance.

[@SaDTV]

People massively sleep on ECW 2000, would definitely recommend checking out some of those PPVs

[@leonarddillon256]

Man, so many better ECW shows didn't make it on the list. For money for best ECW PPV (that isn't Heatwave '98) is Gangsta's Paradise '95. The whole card, and especially The Pitbulls vs Raven & Stevie Richards match for the ECW tag titles, puts modern wrestling to shame in comparison and the very few cards that I'd never want to change a single thing. Watch it now and be prepared for the most entertaining brawling card ever! But one ECW show that gets seriously overshadowed is Living Dangerously '99. This is the show that best represents ECW and Paul Heyman's BEST booking. The first ever RVD vs Jerry Lynn is still my all-time fav, Tajiri vs Super Crazy's opener is the best here compared to all their bouts, Shane Douglas's last ECW PPV appearance as a babyface is unique for the character, Sid squashing the Dudley Boyz was fun, and Taz vs Sabu for the ECW World Heavyweight & FTW championships unification is a country-mile better than the dissapointing Barely Legal bout. Hope these recommendations that didn't make the list will be worth you time of you missed it out. ECW! ECW! ECW!

[@roccojamison89gooker51]

Hardcore Heaven '94 deserves honorable mention at the end with the fans throwing chairs into the ring to bury Public Enemy. (Please do not throw chairs into the ring! Stop the chairs!)

[@C280S]

I would like more ECW content. I wasnt able to watch it when i was a kid so im completely oblivious to all the storylines

[@maui3551]

I do miss ECW 😢

[@idcwhatuthink4985]

4:05... was in poughkeepsie for this, my only Ecw show, and saw Icp at the chance in poughkeepsie the same weekend... at age 13... wtf thx mom, I love and miss you❤

[@Steeldragon493]

Id be a-ok with a week-by-week or even month-by-month ECW review once Reliving the War is over

[@anthonyturner6399]

Thank you so much for ECW content. I just started watching it and I’m halfway into 1996 and it’s been amazing

[@Austin-Miller85]

I was digging Mick Foley's dungeon of doom custom airbrush shirt at around 2:30

[@borobinson7005]

Sandman's son dressed up as a "Mini Raven" is pretty funny tho 😹

[@BrianBorusNephew]

There's a myth that after a few big stars went to wwf, ECW was diminished to the point of being lame. The amount of talent at their end still made them a must watch for me.

[@mongomongo7664]

ECW 99 was the best year of the company in my opinion 👊

[@unclegreenskatesoda9570]

There was a long while as a kid the only way I could follow ecw was through the magazines.

[@RottenPopReviews]

Shane Douglas, Sabu, Taz, and Mike Awesome were my favorite ECW wrestlers. Cyberslam 99 was one of the first ECW events I watched.

[@stephennichol3620]

RVD was carrying ECW so much that world television title matches got more hype than the heavyweight championships

[@bryanhall1548]

Absolutely. RVD was the man, as his matches were always exciting, and the crowd were always appreciative of his high work rate and unorthodox style. 🤘🏼

[@Summertimeblues28]

Living Dangerously ‘99 is my favourite ECW PPV because it’s the first one I watched live and it featured the fantastic RVD vs Jerry Lynn 2 match

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

R.i.p. new jack and the ECW guys no Longer with us 😢

[@Mujangga]

Ryan never disappoints, as usual ;)

[@michaelcairns8778]

Thank you Wrestling Bio for another great video. You've helped me through another night shift.

[@NLaBar]

I’d love to see some of these shows reviewed fully in long form.

[@gatchywatchyentertainmentb2090]

I’m all here for some, ECW ECW

[@Alkaline87]

Of course nowadays the stuff you'd see on ECW is commonplace, but at the time as a kid, this was cutting edge wrestling. Nothing like this had ever been seen on a large scale. So nostalgic. Long live ECW, in our hearts if nothing else.

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

Remember ECW being featured in The SVR games. Never caught the spirit of it sadly.

[@titan8611]

Gotta do highest rated TNA pay per views ever

[@titan8611]

Wonder if Dvon ever had a problem with bubba wearing a confederate flag bandanna when they we’re together

[@z0m813]

At that point in 99 RVD was on top of the wrestling world that TV title meant more to ECW than their world title IMO which is why he main evented a lot of PPV

[@mizer9510]

God I miss ECW. Watching it at 1am on the Sunshine network. RVD vs Jerry Lynn matches were phenomenal. So greatful I got to grow up in the 90's.

[@joshjohnson6891]

That speech from Paul Heyman was also in Beyond the Mat and it was still amazing back then.

[@zemox2534]

It is still amazing now

[@25kidd]

Here’s the thing Paul was right on the doc that it was terry funk that got them up but at the same time it was the whole locker room that understands that this is important and very crucial that this PPV goes without a hitch. Great video man also 2 cold scropio doesn’t get much credit for how important he was to ecw and wrestling in general to me he could’ve been world champion and so would like to see a video on 2 cold scropio one day in the not so distant future.

[@eja2199]

2 cold scorpio was a Verrrrrry underrated wrestler.

[@ennbee2051]

Bam Bans favorite match was with Bret. Snot Dudley speaks about it on kayfabe commentary. Sabu wrestled Aurelion at house shows in Japan. Earthquakes shoot with 'Taker is legendary. Fred talks about it on a shoot. Steve wanted to stay in ECW, but his old friend Teddy Dibiase called him up. Savio played Kwang in WWF, yes indeed. Haystacks shot on Big Show backstage at a WCW house show. Doink was there too.

[@jaxonedwardson458]

havent seen much ecw so this video will help me checking more out i would also like to see top 30 ecw matches

[@julioflores2649]

Correction,Anarchy Rules in Villa Park Illinois 1999 Was Tazz's last E.C.W. match. I was there, and It was Awesome. R.i.p Mike Awesome, and the Odeum Stadium that was torn down a few months ago.

[@PhenomsServant4]

No it wasn’t N2R 99 took place a month after Anarchy Rules 99

[@Bmoney88x]

Can we get some sort of ECW series? Id say 90% of the IWC doesnt know much about ECW due to how obscure it was back then and now. It would be awesome to learn about!!

[@brian_b_music]

Jerry Lynn was absolutely underrated.

[@coreyhall1150]

Yeah and those clowns in AEW wouldn't listen to him what-so-ever.....

[@brian_b_music]

@@coreyhall1150 What’s sad is out of all of the guys that left ECW for better, Jerry Lynn wasn’t one of them. He absolutely should have been, I’ve always thought he had what it took.

[@coreyhall1150]

@@brian_b_music He would have been a great opening match for Vince.... But being a MAIN star? No. Maybe in the cruiserweight division. But him next to Austin, Rock, Taker, Kane, etc? Heeeelllll no lol.

[@brian_b_music]

@@coreyhall1150 I mean he would have definitely done better than Tazz. But that’s taking into consideration that the WWE used him properly. I wouldn’t compare him to Austin or the Rock, but I still think he could have gotten himself over. But, we’ll never know now.

[@coreyhall1150]

@@brian_b_music BUT.... Vince could have made ANYONE a star if he wanted. So with Lynn's talent and Vince's genius AT ONE TIME. Who knows? Maybe he would have been a major player if used right and booked right. (Shrug)

[@mayomonkey-gen1]

My top 5 ecw shows would be 5. Wrestlepalooza 98 4. N2R 95 3. N2R 99 2. Heatwave 98 1. Wrestlepalooza 97 The fact Wrestlepalooza 97 isn't in the top 10 is ridiculous.

[@pleaseshutup7053]

Love the dreamer vs raven match for wrestlepalooza crazy how none made the list

[@fergalstackstreams]

Heatwave 98 was #1 to me. It was my first time live at an ECW show, and in my opinion its their peak in popularity and product quality.

[@vciotoli2126]

Really liked The Doctor is In, Hardcore Heaven 2000 and Ultimate Jeopardy '96 too.

[@BlackburnBigdragon]

I never got to see ECW on TV. I had friends who would tell me all about it all the time. But at the time, our local cable company stations wouldn't carry it. I think they thought it was too violent to carry and that they would get complaints. There was ONE time that I saw ECW on TV and I was stoked. It was on at 2:30 in the morning. The problem was that the show didn't feature ANY matches. It was just a half hour show of shoot interviews. They showed NO footage of any in-ring action. No match highlights or anything. It was a constant stream of the wrestlers yelling at the camera from a locker room or a bathroom. So I went through all the time when ECW was a thing, never getting the opportunity to see it on TV.

[@RolfWrenWalsh]

Ryan, Do you ever plan on covering TNA at all? Say.... 2002 - 2007/2008 TNA? Just curious that's all. Take your time.

[@TheEman590]

Funny you mention TNA, I've been watching matches in their KZbin channel. The 3 way triple threat between Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe (All of whom I followed from Ring of Honor) was a phenomenal match.

[@Blkfirst]

Francine is still 🔥 🔥🔥😍

[@itsrobert2742]

Ecw was awesome in the 1990s i started watching it in 1995 in 2000 ecw had money problems

[@drunkenmcbastard6374]

Maybe a Jerry Lynn vs Rob Van Dam video??? Sounds like a good idea man.... ANOTHER TIGHT Video

[@imogenaris1697]

Great vid!!! Brings back memories, having lived through the original E.C.W. ( R.I.P. ) from start to sad finish. A lot of great moments here, though A LOT of events from 96-98 were just as good if not better than 99. Born to Be Wired, Natural Born Killaz 96, It Ain't Seinfeld, Guilty as Charged 01, & Terry Funk's ( R.I.P. ) Wrestlefest where he wrestled Bret Hart are both epic events. All Hardcore Heaven's are off the charts. Tommy Dreamer was the O.G. stuntman of pro wrestling. Doesn't get enough credit for his stage dives & scaffold bumps. Hard to match when New Jack ( R.I.P. ) seemingly took dives like it was just another day to him. Tammy back in the day was her hottest in that white/pink number. Shane Douglas was on another level as a heel- always imitated. The Dudleys infamous ppv promo where Bubba tore the crowd apart was the greatest E.C.W. promo, which is saying a lot when The Franchise owned the mic

[@JimmyMidnite]

I’m really surprised Wrestlepalooza 97 wasn’t rated high enough to even appear on the list - Final Battle between Raven and Dreamer, a handicap match with Kronus somehow retaining vs The Dudleys, an incredible Taz vs Sabu follow-up to Barely Legal, and Taz beating Shane Douglas for his first singles belt in ECW. Paul Heyman has said the TV portion of this event was the best hour of TV he’s ever done and I don’t disagree.

[@Germania22]

Thanks for this vid, been watching some on the network. Little Guido vs Tajiri vs Super Crazy is an absolute banger - worth going out of your way to watch!! HIDDEN GEM

[@coryshannon3815]

Personally, I always felt like Hardcore Heaven 97 was a bit of a let down, coming off of Barely Legal. Anarchy Rulz 99 was my favorite ECW PPV they did.

[@spiderboiplays5049]

Broooo the height on that five star splash

[@michaelwilliams2231]

Theres a great event on the network circa 95, i cant remember what event but it includes Brian Pilmans debut promo and the famous Austin Promo where he's backstage dressed like Hogan

[@midnitezero]

This is one of my favorite wrestling bios uploads in quite some time and I'm a big fan of RTW.

[@HereForAStorm]

I'm here for anything ECW

[@yosonimbord]

Do the One Night Stand PPVs not count because they were technically WWE?

[@skunglee2517]

I really wanted to hurt myself today. My life is at its end. This video , and all of bios videos are one of my reasons to keep going.

[@Dr_xD_]

19:33 is that a nip slip o_O ECW ECW 😆

[@ryyanhyyland9020]

Buffalo invasion 97. I was there. First show in buffalo ny

[@RedneckResin]

S*** I forgot Takamichinoku was in ECW B4 WWF

[@Ziki-P]

Whatever show lawyer teamed with rvd and Sabu, only cuz I was there

[@kesov93]

What’s a music at the beginning of this video? I would love to download it

[@PhenomsServant4]

I guess ONS 05 didnt count, that aside, Im not surprised at the top 3.

[@yadielenielbellecolon982]

Thank for the Excelente and Increíble Video 💜🌟🥇🏆

[@pleaseshutup7053]

The talent ecw had is crazy goddam

[@mulldrifterz6469]

I LOVE the total elimination finisher. Always looks so brutal.

[@dalesanteford7432]

My favorite ECW pay-per-view is ECW Heatwave play definitely would have had that on the list but you can only have so many or special mention

[@borobinson7005]

Ecw PPV's and full shows are hard to find on the internet alot of them are crappy fan cams

[@russjohnson4132]

Good work brother Enjoying the content throughly

[@JoshHatfield]

The Hilltop Hoods sampled that Heyman speech on The Thirst

[@complexfellow1844]

Are ECW matches available on the WWE network?

[@GutturalReef]

I'm all in for a RVD/Jerry Lynn video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@SteelyBud]

Jerry Flynn with an L.

[@exeortegarubio]

Without an F

[@AnsonBeeker]

ECW was more than the shows. It was a whole vibe. I was there. I saw at least 10 shows in 2 years. It was like a rock band more than a wrestling promotion in terms of the atmosphere and fan base.

[@ddw1210]

ECW wasn't for the weak at heart that was for sure. I appreciate your fond memories of wrestling.

[@bcbscrooge1431]

As a kid ecw was soo great

[@Large23collectibles]

I know it gets crapped on but Wrestlepollza 98 is in my top 3 because it was my first ECW PPV I purchased to watch live.

[@gumdeo]

Some great talent in ECW back then.

[@gazb2740]

After RTW is finished, you should do ECW on TNN.

[@Darrendrozdoff]

New wrestling bios video? I clicked quicker than bushwacker lukes royal rumble elimination

[@KevinPayton-fq8gd]

😄😄

[@jakehertel6299]

My all time favorite is Guilty as charged 99’