Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) is a professional wrestling brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The brand is based on the once independent promotion.

When ECW broke ties with the National Wrestling Alliance, it changed its name from Eastern Championship Wrestling to Extreme Championship Wrestling. The wrestling storylines became more controversial while the wrestling became more violent. ECW became known as the "hardcore" wrestling promotion and developed a cult following. Despite its dedicated fanbase, ECW could not compete with larger promotions WCW and WWE and the company folded in 2001.

ECW's assets were purchased by WWE in 2003 and was resurrected as a brand to accompany Raw and SmackDown. The new ECW did not follow the same format as the original and much of the violence was toned down to coincide with other WWE programming.About.com: The History of Extreme Championship Wrestling

• Tod Gordon (1992-1996)
• Paul Heyman (1996-2001)
  • Founder of ECW
• Vince McMahon (2003-present)
  • Owner, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

• Bobby Lashley

• CM Punk

• Elijah Burke

• Rob Van Dam

• Sabu (wrestler)

• Sandman

• 1992: Established as Eastern Championship Wrestling as a member of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)

• 1993: Paul Heyman takes over as head booker

• 1994: Withdraws from the NWA and changes name to Extreme Championship Wrestling

• 1999: ECW begins broadcasting on TNN

• 2000: ECW on TNN is canceled in favor of WWE Raw

• 2001: Heyman files for bankruptcy

• 2003: WWE purchases ECW assets and produces documentary The Rise and Fall of ECW

• 2005: WWE's ECW One Night Stand

• 2006: ECW debuts on the Sci Fi Channel as a WWE brand