Paul Heyman has no love lost for WWE’s version of ECW.
During a recent interview with VGC‘s Chris Scullion, Heyman was asked how important it is to him that today’s generation of fans gets to see the early years of ECW. Scallion mentioned 1994’s ECW Hardcore Heaven was part of CM Punk’s 2K Showcase mode. Heyman said that ‘ECW’ chants are certainly not popular because fans were nostalgic about WWE’s version of the brand.
“I don’t think anybody that chants ‘ECW’ in 2026 ever is thinking about the WWE-ized version of 2006,” Paul Heyman said. “Which was one absolutely abhorrent, miserable experience for everybody involved. When people chant ‘ECW,’ they chant from the period of September 1993 to January 2001.
“And to have Hardcore Heaven 1994 as part of the WWE 2K26 video game, is an honor that anyone who was involved in that. And I certainly was. [It was an honor to] anybody that was there—and there are many who were—and anyone who wants a genuine or authentic portrayal of ECW when it was revolutionizing and de-evolutionizing the entire industry.”
WWE’s version of ECW was a shell of the original brand
WWE promoted ECW as its third brand from June 2006 to February 2010. The show did feature some ECW Originals and helped launch the WWE careers of wrestlers like CM Punk. However, it was largely criticized for being ECW in name only and a heavy departure from the original brand.
Heyman was part of WWE’s ECW initial launch. However, he was reportedly sent home due to creative disagreements with Vince McMahon. WWE issued a statement claiming Heyman’s absence was due to declining ratings, and he left the company in December 2006. Heyman did not return to WWE until 2012, when he debuted as the on-air advocate for Brock Lesnar.
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