Xtreme Championship Wrestling
From Iwe
- For the former IWE brand, see XCW (IWE brand).
- For the TV show of the IWE brand, see XCW (IWE).
| Xtreme Championship Wrestling | |
| Formerly | Eastern Championship Wrestling (1992–1994) Xtreme Championship Wrestling (1994–2001) |
| Former type | Private |
| Industry | Professional wrestling |
| Fate | Assets acquired by IWE |
| Successor | IWE brand |
| Founded | April 25, 1992 |
| Founder | Tod Gordon (Eastern; Chairman) Paul Heyman (Extreme; [[Chief Executive Officer|CEO) |
| Defunct | April 4, 2001 (original) |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Television, Merchandise |
| Website | |
Xtreme Championship Wrestling (XCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon. In 1993, Paul Heyman took over the creative end of the promotion from Eddie Gilbert and rechristened the promotion from Eastern Championship Wrestling to "Xtreme" Championship Wrestling, kicking off a worldwide craze of companies using the tagline "Xtreme" for their products. Heyman's creative direction created new stars, and established the "third" big brand in the United States, competing with the billionaire-backed IWE and WCW promotions. XCW closed in 2001 when it was unable to secure a new national television contract, and IWE purchased the assets of the company from bankruptcy. The promotion showcased various international styles of professional wrestling, ranging from lucha libre to puroresu and hardcore wrestling.
After purchasing the assets of XCW in 2003, International Wrestling Entertainment relaunched the Xtreme Championship Wrestling franchise as a third brand with their existing Raw and SmackDown brands. It debuted on June 13, 2006 on Sci Fi in the United States and ran for close to four years until it aired its final episode on February 16, 2010 on the rebranded Syfy.
[edit] History
[edit] Tri-State Wrestling Alliance and NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling (1989–1994)
[edit] Secession from the NWA (1994)
[edit] XCW Arena and television syndication (1994–2001)
- See also XCW Hardcore TV
[edit] Paul Heyman and cross promotion with the IWF and the USWA (1996–1997)
[edit] Mike Awesome controversy and promotional rivalry (2000)
[edit] ECW on TNN and decline (1999–2001)
- Main article: XCW on TNN
[edit] Legacy and resurface
[edit] The Alliance
- Main article: The Invasion (professional wrestling)
[edit] Documentaries
[edit] Reunions and relaunch
[edit] IWE
- Main article: XCW (IWE brand)
[edit] Other reunions
[edit] Championships and programming
[edit] Championships
| Championship | Notes |
|---|---|
| XCW World Heavyweight Championship | The world title of XCW. It was established in 1992 under XCW and continued to be defended within the promotion until 2001. The title was also defended within International Wrestling Entertainment from 2006 through 2010. |
| XCW World Tag Team Championship | The world tag team title of XCW. It was established in 1992 under XCW and continued to be defended until 2001. |
| XCW World Television Championship | The title was established in 1992 under National Wrestling Alliance affiliate and XCW precursor, Eastern Championship Wrestling, and continued to be defended until 2001. |
| XCW FTW Heavyweight Championship | The unsanctioned title, akin to the Million Dollar Championship, was created for Taz and was defended within XCW from 1998 through 1999. |
| XCW Maryland Championship | The title was established in 1993 under Eastern Championship Wrestling and was defended through the year. |
| XCW Pennsylvania Championship | The title was established in 1993 under Eastern Championship Wrestling and was defended through the year. |
[edit] Programming
| Programming | Notes |
|---|---|
| XCW Hardcore TV | (1993–2000) Syndicated, also broadcast on the MSG Network. |
| XCW on TNN | (1999–2000) Broadcast exclusively on The Nashville Network. |
[edit] See also
- List of former Extreme Championship Wrestling personnel
- List of XCW pay-per-view events
- XCW (IWE)
- The Rise and Fall of XCW
[edit] References
[edit] Further reading
[edit] External links
Template:Xtreme Championship Wrestling
Template:National Wrestling Alliance Template:Professional Wrestling in the United States
