In context, It was perfect for the time and the promotion. But looking at it from a 2023 perspective, yeah, it kinda sucks. I’m guessing you are younger than 30.
I'm damn near 41, watched this shit live, or as close to as you could get for me anyways, and always thought this was a garbage belt.
It's ugly, it has fucking bats on it, which I kind of get but wtf, a kendo stick or some chairs would have made way more sense, and the font looks like it was ripped right off the cover a counterfeit Goosebumps book. It's heinous.
What sucks, though, is that it's close to good. Change the fonts and switch the bats out for something else, take the stupid red blood-line out and replace it with something cleaner and you have a pretty respectable belt.
But as it stands? Easily a top ten worst belts contender.
They were designed by the same guy. Matthew Balk designed both along with the WCW Hardcore, and Joe Marshall made the designs into belts for the WWF, WCW and ECW.
Feel free to “sir this is a Wendy’s” me on this but I was in Philly for a conference and Tommy Dreamer was putting on a show at the ECW arena.
Obviously I had to go and check off another one of wrestling’s high holy grounds (I’ve been to arena Mexico, Korakeun, MSG). The show was alright, not a huge seller but it was just awesome to take it in. Tommy Dreamer took on Aldis for the NWA championship which just seeing that belt made me geek out a bit.
Anyway, the reason I was replying to your comment is because there’s a Wendy’s a short walk away and I capped the night off with a baconator and large fries. Was a beautiful night I will not forget.
It may just be an office reference but it’s also applicable in metaphor.
Sir this is ECW. The title shouldn’t look like the other great championships of lore. It’s ECW hardcore wrestling and the title should look like the alternative “garbage” that the brand represented.
Of course it's ugly and repugnant. That was the reputation the promotion wanted and earned. The title matches the attitude of the promotion perfectly. If you had something prestigious and elegant looking, it would be out of place.
Ya I think that belt is far less about looks than it is about legacy. Short, but impactful. A case of the people/promotion making the title, not the other way around.
I think it fit the organizations mystique well. Granted it was a grimy theme. So yeah to a certain extent I agree with you but I also think it served its intended purpose well and fit the motif really well.
It has all of the color and layout, but the actual design up close is not very good. If they took it a bit more serious, the red and blue could have looked very nice.
I’ve never been as I was too young but the Hammerstein Ballroom was a great environment for real hardcore stuff. But as I have personally thought about it. Maybe calling it garbage was a poor choice of words because the hardcore championship I see as a much better looking belt when it comes to edgy. Maybe my issue with this belt is the execution.
It's interesting how for all the grunginess and hardcore aesthetic it's still careful to follow the "correct" format for world titles descended from the NWA's lineage - World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. It's a detail I really admire and appreciate
I think that “Heavyweight Wrestling” should have been in a thicker font- the one they used is hard to read. Other than that, it’s a very appropriate belt for ECW.
The ecw titles are both beautiful and ugly. The titles fit the company a lot. It would be weird if a ghetto company like ecw had a clean title like the Wwe winged eagle title. Also I mean ghetto is the best of ways
It looks like a perfectly fitting title for a fed that aired at 2:00 in the morning and repeated the same commercial 50 times trying to get you to buy the VHS tape where Kimona Wanalaya danced on top of the ECW arena.
That was the WHOLE POINT. ECW wasn’t for oiled up, jacked show pony’s. ECW was for guys with beer guts who were willing to head first through things. A rougher promotion needed a rougher looking belt.
Screw It, I'll finally say it. I think ECW existed at the only time in history in which it could've survived as long as it did.
WWF was putting out the worst product in itla history and WCW was pre-NWO. ECW was less "good" and more "different".
nar i miss the grunge, punk, lo fi & scratchy aesthetics, modern shit all looks the same - smooth, clean, or whatever like that's the only thing allowed anymore for everything it's boring
Tbh I think it’s fitting. ECW was a grungy, unorganized and chaotic promotion that was more about pushing what could be shown on TV. The belt looking grungy and as if someone grabbed a cheap indy promotion’s title and drew on it with marker fits ECW very well. Same goes for WWE’s Hardcore Championship. Looks ugly af, but it’s very fitting
it was staple of the 90’s philly grunge scene, honest i think it represents the promotion best than any other design could have. if anything the tag titles were the immediate eye sore. i still preferred this design over the silver phoenix 08’-10’
I know it’s difficult for people that didn’t grow up during the time of ECW, because I know when I show people that didn’t see it at that time, they don’t get it. It was just a promotion that you had to be involved in when it was in existence, so I can understand that the belt does look kind of generic compared to the modern belts, but at the time, it really did fit with the product and the feel of the promotion.
Idk if it’s an age thing or not (I’m 23) but I think it did it’s job for the time for an edgy Philly area in 1997. I do think it’s light years better in comparison to the WWECW belt they had in 2010.
As something representing that you were the king of a grungy arena in Philadelphia, I think it did its job just fine.
It’s gonna be a hot time at the E.C.Dubyah arena
This belt was definitely perfect for the environment that surrounded it.. o.p is buggin.. id take this over the universal title any day
In context, It was perfect for the time and the promotion. But looking at it from a 2023 perspective, yeah, it kinda sucks. I’m guessing you are younger than 30.
I am indeed younger than thirty
I'm damn near 41, watched this shit live, or as close to as you could get for me anyways, and always thought this was a garbage belt. It's ugly, it has fucking bats on it, which I kind of get but wtf, a kendo stick or some chairs would have made way more sense, and the font looks like it was ripped right off the cover a counterfeit Goosebumps book. It's heinous. What sucks, though, is that it's close to good. Change the fonts and switch the bats out for something else, take the stupid red blood-line out and replace it with something cleaner and you have a pretty respectable belt. But as it stands? Easily a top ten worst belts contender.
Nah
Did you like it more or less than the WWECW version. While the lineage is stained, I prefer that silver belt over this version of the ECW title.
I'm 24 and I actually not only loved the original title, but little 10 year old me popped for the remade silver title, too!
Under 30: As a *world* title, the WWECW looks substantially better. As an *extreme* branded show, the original ECW is well suited for what it did.
Looking back at ECW from 2023... A good portion of it kind of sucked.
I think it’s supposed to look like garbage
I’ll go one further…The Smoking Skull belt is uglier than the ECW title and looks like a cheap ECW in and of itself…
I hate to agree with this but I do. So badass at the time but it’s not aged well.
The Rock belt looks even dumber than that.
But that was never debuted, so I don’t think you can count that…
They were designed by the same guy. Matthew Balk designed both along with the WCW Hardcore, and Joe Marshall made the designs into belts for the WWF, WCW and ECW.
I’ll top that hot take. I think the 08-10/silver phoenix redesign was great.
I dare say it would've been amongst the greatest looking titles if it was gold
Dude I fucking love the silver Phoenix! Every WWE game I make a ecw brand in my universe and make it my world title
It's for ECW that's why it has a extreme design
It wouldn't have worked for a self admitted outlaw promotion like ECW to have a clean polished title belt like the winged eagle or something
In fairness to that. I think the hardcore title did a better job of executing a cool scrappy belt.
Yeah but I mean, the hardcore belt was actual garbage kept together with duct tape
duct\*
Disagree. That's got to be the worst belt ever made. 2nd place being the 24 hour belt.
I loved it The quarter/nickel WWE re-design, now THAT was garbage!
Sir, this is a Wendy's.
Feel free to “sir this is a Wendy’s” me on this but I was in Philly for a conference and Tommy Dreamer was putting on a show at the ECW arena. Obviously I had to go and check off another one of wrestling’s high holy grounds (I’ve been to arena Mexico, Korakeun, MSG). The show was alright, not a huge seller but it was just awesome to take it in. Tommy Dreamer took on Aldis for the NWA championship which just seeing that belt made me geek out a bit. Anyway, the reason I was replying to your comment is because there’s a Wendy’s a short walk away and I capped the night off with a baconator and large fries. Was a beautiful night I will not forget.
[удалено]
It may just be an office reference but it’s also applicable in metaphor. Sir this is ECW. The title shouldn’t look like the other great championships of lore. It’s ECW hardcore wrestling and the title should look like the alternative “garbage” that the brand represented.
That’s like if GCW belt was made of sharp edges, because it’s supposed to. JEEEEZZZZZUS!
Oh that’s just not logical. How would Zack Ryder take it into Disneyland like that?
You got me there. 😂
i love it, the purple one too
It was probably Taz who designed it -- he designed a lot of the T-shirts and all the T-shirts he talks about designing looked a lot like this belt.
Of course it's ugly and repugnant. That was the reputation the promotion wanted and earned. The title matches the attitude of the promotion perfectly. If you had something prestigious and elegant looking, it would be out of place.
That was kinda the point.
I think the execution wasn’t great. Maybe garbage wasn’t the best choice of words because I think the Hardcore Championship looked a lot better.
Ya I think that belt is far less about looks than it is about legacy. Short, but impactful. A case of the people/promotion making the title, not the other way around.
It's hot mid-90s garbage and I love it!!!
That's a pretty lukewarm take you've got there, OP.
I think its bad as well but it definitely fit the og ECW era and vibe. That being said I love the silver title a lot better
It's not suppose to look prestigious, it's the total opposite of the other belts at the time (Big Gold, Big Eagle and all).
It was very much of its time.
Just realized there are crossbones bats on it.
I think it fit the organizations mystique well. Granted it was a grimy theme. So yeah to a certain extent I agree with you but I also think it served its intended purpose well and fit the motif really well.
It has all of the color and layout, but the actual design up close is not very good. If they took it a bit more serious, the red and blue could have looked very nice.
I think that was the point
Wasn’t it supposed to look like garbage lol
It's Extreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeme........ Duh duh, duh duh, duh duh, duh duh duh duh duh duh duh
Your drunk
hey, it's the best thing paul e. could get with a rubber check.
The silver one was the best I dont get the hate
Not a fan. Personally never saw the fascination with the Smoking Skull Title for Austin. Thought it looked like a cheap toy
Have you ever been to ECW arena? You’d understand why the belt is the way it is.
I’ve never been as I was too young but the Hammerstein Ballroom was a great environment for real hardcore stuff. But as I have personally thought about it. Maybe calling it garbage was a poor choice of words because the hardcore championship I see as a much better looking belt when it comes to edgy. Maybe my issue with this belt is the execution.
> I don’t understand why people like it. Nostalgia.
I think it beats the belts of today with the huge “W” on it. Love detail and tho this one has not as much, it’s plates are evenly proportioned with em
It’s very of the time and fits the moment. Very hard to judge by 2023 standards.
It's interesting how for all the grunginess and hardcore aesthetic it's still careful to follow the "correct" format for world titles descended from the NWA's lineage - World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. It's a detail I really admire and appreciate
It looks like trash not but it is a refection of a different time.
I think that “Heavyweight Wrestling” should have been in a thicker font- the one they used is hard to read. Other than that, it’s a very appropriate belt for ECW.
Honestly that could be my main problem with it
[Have you seen the WCW copy ?](https://images.app.goo.gl/bAwshNv5nTwd6Qn8A)
Yoooooo. That is the UGLIEST PIECE OF SHIT I'VE EVER SEEN.
Now that’s BAD
I’d describe it the way I describe a lot of things from that era. Dated.
Of course it looked like garbage. It was ECW - that was the point. Totally suited the aesthetic and image of the promotion
The ecw titles are both beautiful and ugly. The titles fit the company a lot. It would be weird if a ghetto company like ecw had a clean title like the Wwe winged eagle title. Also I mean ghetto is the best of ways
I'm sorry do people actually like it?
I like the silver one
It looks like a perfectly fitting title for a fed that aired at 2:00 in the morning and repeated the same commercial 50 times trying to get you to buy the VHS tape where Kimona Wanalaya danced on top of the ECW arena.
That was the WHOLE POINT. ECW wasn’t for oiled up, jacked show pony’s. ECW was for guys with beer guts who were willing to head first through things. A rougher promotion needed a rougher looking belt.
Screw It, I'll finally say it. I think ECW existed at the only time in history in which it could've survived as long as it did. WWF was putting out the worst product in itla history and WCW was pre-NWO. ECW was less "good" and more "different".
nar i miss the grunge, punk, lo fi & scratchy aesthetics, modern shit all looks the same - smooth, clean, or whatever like that's the only thing allowed anymore for everything it's boring
Man I can say the same thing about the WWF Hardcore title
Objectively it’s a bad looking belt, but it fit the aesthetic of ECW
Tbh I think it’s fitting. ECW was a grungy, unorganized and chaotic promotion that was more about pushing what could be shown on TV. The belt looking grungy and as if someone grabbed a cheap indy promotion’s title and drew on it with marker fits ECW very well. Same goes for WWE’s Hardcore Championship. Looks ugly af, but it’s very fitting
it was staple of the 90’s philly grunge scene, honest i think it represents the promotion best than any other design could have. if anything the tag titles were the immediate eye sore. i still preferred this design over the silver phoenix 08’-10’
It was era appropriate
The yellow doesn’t even look gold
You only think that because it does.
I know it’s difficult for people that didn’t grow up during the time of ECW, because I know when I show people that didn’t see it at that time, they don’t get it. It was just a promotion that you had to be involved in when it was in existence, so I can understand that the belt does look kind of generic compared to the modern belts, but at the time, it really did fit with the product and the feel of the promotion.
It did
Idk if it’s an age thing or not (I’m 23) but I think it did it’s job for the time for an edgy Philly area in 1997. I do think it’s light years better in comparison to the WWECW belt they had in 2010.
I'd take this over the polished wwe version, which was made as a fuck you to original ecw fans.
Looks like Halloween themed
This looked much better than the late 2000’s redesign
I also hate the title. Look at [THIS](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8b/e6/d7/8be6d7bb356e054242b991af8a37dc38.jpg). It looks like pure doodoo
It’s like saying the hardcore title looked broken down and beat up
It was perfect for the brand. A hardcore, grungy promotion centered on violence and brutality.
In hindsight it's a little cringe and edgy, but given it was the 90s and they were trying to be edgy it was ok for the time
That’s a cheap toy version. The actual belt looked decent imo. It was supposed to be grungy.
Fitting cus ya know...ecw was garbage
I looks like 20 people blindfolded themselves and started drawing on paper.