Wrestlers Who You Likely Didn't Know or Forgot Held A Title In A Promotion (Extreme Championship Wrestling)

Wrestlers Who You Likely Didn't Know or Forgot Held A Title In A Promotion (Extreme Championship Wrestling)

April 27, 2022

By Ryan Porzl

As I've mentioned, 2022 is a big year for wrestling as we've seen as I covered how this year is the 20th Anniversary of Ring of Honor and the 50th Anniversary of New Japan Pro Wrestling. The celebration is far from over as we now look at ECW. One of the most innovative and groundbreaking promotions in wrestling history, ECW opened in 1992 and despite only lasting nine years, continues to be fondly remembered and beloved. This April marks what would've been the 30th Anniversary and now, we'll look at the land of Extreme. As is the case, we'll start with wrestlers who you likely know of but may have forgotten or had no idea was a champion there. I should point out that I will only cover the original ECW from April 1992 to April 2001 and none of WWECW.

Note: I don't own the pictures, I googled them though most have come from prowrestling.fandom.com

Eddie Gilbert

Title(s) Held: ECW World Tag Team Championship

Like many on this list, we'll start with a well traveled journeyman. A second generation wrestler, "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert is mostly a legend for his time in the business during the 1980s to his untimely death in 1995 mostly for southern wrestling promotions like NWA/WCW, Mid-South/UWF, Continental, and most notably in Memphis wrestling where he enjoyed success and praise as both a wrestler and booker. I think most fans, especially hardcore fans or hardcore ECW fans know most about Gilbert's story in ECW where he served as one of their first bookers during the spring and summer of 1993 and he seemed to have a desire of making the Philadelphia based promotion into the Memphis style wrestling he grew up with and making himself "The King of Philadelphia" (an ode to his idol Jerry "The King" Lawler). He also was responsible for bringing in Paul Heyman and Shane Douglas to ECW, with both being two important cogs in the ECW machine later. However, along with being a booker and wrestler, Gilbert was also a champion in ECW as well. In August 1993, the ECW World Tag Team Championship was vacant and a tournament was done in order to crown new champions. Gilbert would enter the tournament, teaming with the Dark Patriot (his brother Doug) and they would go on to defeat JT Smith and Tommy Cairo in the first round and then The Super Destroyers in the semi finals. Finally, on August 8, 1993 (shown September 7th), Gilbert and Patriot defeated Salvatore Bellomo and The Sandman in the finals to win the belts. In the end, Gilbert and Patriot would hold the belts for a month and a half and made one title defense in a dark match against Miguel Perez, Jr. and Mr. Danger in what turned out to be Gilbert's last match for ECW. By September 1993, Gilbert would decide to leave ECW but not before making one final appearance at UltraClash on September 18th giving a farewell speech before leaving, never to return. The titles would officially be declared vacant on October.

Super Crazy

Title(s) Held: ECW World Television Championship

Super Crazy is a long traveled journeyman having competed just about everywhere from the WWE on down but he'll forever be known mostly for his run ECW as it put his career on the map and he was one of their last created stars during the last years of the promotion as he mostly became known for his series of matches with Yoshihiro Tajiri. A mainstay of ECW during it's last two years, Crazy excited fans with his high flying and on more than one occasion, would steal a PPV with Tajiri. However, despite mostly being typecast, Crazy was able to sneak in a brief title reign that might have been forgotten as it came immediately after arguably the most famous reign in ECW history. In March 2000, Rob Van Dam would go down with a leg injury which put him on the shelf and resulted in ECW being forced to strip him of the title. Van Dam's title reign is both the longest and probably more famous reign in ECW history having won the championship in April 1998 and holding it for nearly two years. With Van Dam out, a new champion was needed and a tournament was established to crown a new champion. Crazy entered the tournament first defeating CW Anderson on an episode of Hardcore TV. Then on March 12, 2000, at Living Dangerously 2000, Crazy defeated Little Guido in the semifinals before defeating Rhino in the finals to win the vacant Television Championship. Crazy would hold the championship for under a month fending off challenges from Rhino, Tajiri, Little Guido, Lance Storm, and Mikey Whipwreck before losing the championship on April 8th to Tajiri in a three way dance also involving Little Guido during an ECW on TNN taping (shown April 14th).

Tito Santana

Title(s) Held: ECW World Heavyweight Championship

Hard to believe a guy as clean cut as Santana made it to ECW but it was for a cup of coffee and it was during the Eastern period of the promotion before the Extreme. Santana made his mark in wrestling during the 1970s to early 1990s where he worked several promotions during the territory days and is mostly best known for his on again/off again WWF which went 14 years of 1979-1993 where he captured the Intercontinental Championship and the World Tag Team Championship twice each and the 1989 King of the Ring tournament. However, all good things must end and as Santana got older, his stock dropped going into the 90s before he left in 1993 as part of the big turnover WWF did that year. Towards the end of his WWF run, Santana made an appearance for ECW during their August 8th Hardcore TV taping and while he only made one taping, he made it count. On August 8, 1993, Santana challenged his old rival Don Muraco for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship (yeah, I know ECW was regional at the time) and it was 1984 all over again with Santana defeating Muraco to win the championship. Santana's reign only lasted a month as he made one successful title defense against Vladimir Koloff in a dark match during the taping before forfeiting the championship to Shane Douglas on September 9th and left ECW.

Sullivan (right) with Tazmaniac and Woman

Kevin Sullivan

Title(s) Held: ECW World Tag Team Championship (2x)

Kevin Sullivan in some ways is similar to Eddie Gilbert as he also made a name for himself in the southern United States competing in promotions like Championship Wrestling from Florida, Southeastern Championship Wrestling, and NWA/WCW. Also, like Gilbert, Sullivan later became a booker as he became part of WCW's creative team in the late 1990s during the height of the Monday Night Wars. During his stay in WCW, Sullivan made trips to ECW around 1993/1994 where he excelled in the tag team division forming a team with the Tazmaniac (later Taz) and managed by then wife Woman. On December 4, 1993, Sullivan and Tazmaniac would team up to challenge Tommy Dreamer and Shane Douglas (filling in for Johnny Gunn) for the ECW World Tag Team Championship at a Hardcore TV taping (shown December 14th). In the end, Sullivan and Tazmaniac would emerge victorious and walk away with the championships. Sullivan and Tazmaniac would hold the belts for two months fending off challenges against JT Smith and Tommy Cairo at Holiday Hell 1993 as well as Mikey Wellbody (the future Mikey Whipwreck) and Keith Scherer on Hardcore TV before the titles were held up following a match against The Bruise Brothers that went to a No Contest on February 4, 1994 during an episode of Hardcore TV.

To no surprise, ECW would book a rematch the following month at an ECW live event on March 5th. Sullivan and Tazmaniac would settle the score with The Bruise Brothers and walk away as two time tag team champions. Unfortunately, their second reign proved much shorter as they lost the belts 24 hours later at a Hardcore TV taping (aired March 8th) to The Public Enemy. 

Jason

Title(s) Held: ECW World Television Championship

The self-proclaimed "Sexiest Man on Earth" is someone longtime ECW fans know mostly as a manager, first for The Eliminators and later for Justin Credible where he achieved his biggest notoriety. However, before become known as a manager, Jason was a regular professional wrestler and not only did he lead wrestlers to championships but he was one before that. On August 13, 1994, Jason challenged Mikey Whipwreck for the ECW World Television Championship at Hardcore Heaven 1994 and he would emerge victorious to win the title. Jason would hold the title for three months during which time he successfully defended against Whipwreck, Rockin' Rebel, JT Smith, and Hack Myers at various ECW house shows and Hardcore TV before losing the championship to Too Cold Scorpio on November 4th during a Hardcore TV taping (shown November 22nd).

Doug Furnas (left) and Phil LaFon (right)

Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon

Title(s) Held: ECW World Tag Team Championship

Probably one of the more underrated and underappreciated tag teams of the 1990s, Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon were a true workhorse team. The American Furnas and the Canadian LaFon (sometimes using the name Dan Kroffat) began teaming in 1989 where they made their biggest splash in All Japan Pro Wrestling where they won the All Asia Tag Team Championship five times though they also appeared for UWA in Mexico, winning their tag team championships two times. For American fans, they became known for their cup of coffee run in the WWF from 1996-1997 which was sandwiched between runs in ECW. After their WWF run ended in late 1997, Furnas and LaFon were sent back in ECW as part of the Team Titan stable of WWF Invaders and it was there where they captured their last major title. On December 5, 1997, Furnas and LaFon would go on to defeat Little Guido and Tracy Smothers of the Full Blooded Italians to win the ECW World Tag Team Championship. Furnas and LaFon made no successful defenses as their title reign lasted only a day before dropping the belts to Chris Candido and Lance Storm at Better Than Ever on December 6th in a three way dance also involving Ballz Mahoney and Axl Rotten.

JT Smith

Title(s) Held: ECW Maryland Championship and ECW World Television Championship

JT Smith was a regular during the early years of ECW starting out during the Eastern Championship Wrestling days and remaining into the Extreme Championship Wrestling days. He mostly became known as a solid hand during his time and for his storyline of taking a blow to the head and thinking he was Italian which led to the debut of the Full Blooded Italians stable. However, what many ECW fans may have forgotten, Smith was also a championship despite never being one of their bigger stars. His first title was also a belt many may not have known even existed. On October 16, 1993, Smith competed in a battle royal with the winner becoming the inaugural ECW Maryland Champion during a house show which he ended up winning and becoming the first (and only) champion. Smith would hold the belt for around five months until it was abandon in March 1994 upon Smith winning the World Television Championship. He made no title defenses.

Speaking of his second title, Smith would challenge Tazmaniac for the ECW World Television Championship on March 6, 1994 during a Hardcore TV taping (shown March 22nd) and went on to defeat the future Human Suplex Machine for the title. Smith would hold the belt for a little over a month and made one title defense where he retained against Rockin' Rebel at Ultimate Jeopardy 1994 before losing the championship to The Pitbull (Pitbull #1) at a house show on April 16th.

Kid Kash

Title(s) Held: ECW World Television Championship

Kash is another one like Super Crazy and not just because they are former TV Champions but that they worked for years before getting their breaks towards the last years of ECW becoming some of ECW's last created stars. Kash worked appearances for ECW for years before finally becoming a regular around 1999/2000 where he adopted the Kid Kash name and a Kid Rock look due to his resemblance. Kash would work the midcard for most of 2000 though he did get the occasional title shot including a world title shot against Mike Awesome at Living Dangerously 2000 but it wouldn't be until ECW's final months when Kash was able to squeeze in a brief championship run. On August 26, 2000, during ECW's second straight night at the Hammerstein Ballroom, Kash would challenge Rhino for the ECW World Television Championship and to the surprise of many was able to slay the Manbeast to win the gold. Kash would hold the title for two weeks where he successfully defended against Chris Hemrick (ECW House Show), Psicosis (ECW House Show), and Mikey Whipwreck (Hardcore TV) before dropping the championship back to Rhino on September 9th during a Hardcore TV taping (shown September 24th). Kash ultimately became ECW's penultimate TV Champion.

Don Muraco

Title(s) Held: ECW World Heavyweight Championship (2x)

Tito Santana and Jimmy Snuka weren't the only WWF legends to have been ECW Champion. Muraco was a successful wrestler during the 1970s to 1990s mostly traveling around the world and various NWA territories but he'll forever be known for his 80s runs in the WWF where he captured the Intercontinental Championship twice, won the inaugural King of the Ring tournament in 1985, and had a legendary rivalry with "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. However, by the early 90s, Muraco's best days were behind him and like Snuka and Santana made appearances during the early years of ECW largely due to being a star in that part of the country. It would be in ECW where The Magnificent One finally became a world champion (even though ECW was a regional promotion at the time). On September 30, 1992, Muraco would once again battle it out with old rival Jimmy Snuka, this time, for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship and Muraco would defeat Snuka for the championship at an ECW event. Muraco would hold the title for two and a half months where he fended off challenges from Snuka in rematches as well as against another WWF legend in Nikolai Volkoff at ECW house shows before eventually dropping the title to The Sandman at an ECW event on November 16th.

Five months later, on April 3, 1993, Muraco would get a rematch against Sandman and would go on to avenge his loss by regaining the championship during a Hardcore TV taping (shown June 1st). Muraco would enjoy a longer run as he would hold the belt for four months during which time he defended against The Sandman in a rematch as well as Metal Maniac and Tommy Cairo on episodes of Hardcore TV before dropping the belt to another old rival Tito Santana on August 8th during a Hardcore TV taping (shown August 24th).

Chris Jericho

Title(s) Held: ECW World Television Championship

Seems like several lifetimes ago that Jericho was in the land of extreme given all the places he's traveled and all the times he's reinvented himself. Jericho has had a Hall of Fame career having started in the Canadian independents before traveling the world for CMLL in Mexico and WAR in Japan while making his biggest mark in the United States for promotions like WCW, WWF/WWE, and now, with AEW. However, before he appeared in those three promotions, Jericho would have a cup of coffee with ECW during the first half of 1996 and he'd even win gold there. On June 22, 1996, at Hardcore Heaven 1996, Jericho would challenge and defeat Pitbull #2 for the ECW World Television Championship. Jericho would only hold the championship for three weeks as he successfully defended against Pitbull #2 in a rematch as well as going to a draw with Shane Douglas at ECW house shows before losing the championship to Douglas in a Four Way Elimination match on July 13th at Heat Wave 1996 which also involved former champions Pitbull #2 and Too Cold Scorpio.