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- Extreme Championship Wrestling made its name known as the hardcore and violent promotion competition against the big dogs like WWE and WCW at a time when wrestling was very cartoonish and child-friendly. Names like Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, and Raven were putting their bodies on the line and risking serious injury for the audiences' enjoyment (everyone knows they weren't getting paid much). So over the short span of time ECW was around, they had countless matches that featured wrestlers dripping in blood, hitting each other over the head with steel chairs, and the occasional fire here and there. So let's look at some of the most bloody and hardcore matches that ECW ever gave to the fans.
It was called Extreme Championship Wrestling for a reason—the clue is in the title. This wasn't some fake branding to try and attract fans' attention, ECW really was incredibly bloody and violent, often walking the fine line between entertaining and going too far. Whilst there was also some fantastic wrestling and great storytelling, the most memorable takeaway from Paul Heyman's crazy company was the violence and the extreme matches that took place. With some incredibly risky spots, that wouldn't happen on a major company anymore taking place, the matches sometimes were incredibly violent, and, within this list, we will rank the more violent and bloody matches in the history of ECW.
UPDATE: 2023/10/03 16:30 EST BY ETHAN SCHLABAUGH
Extreme Championship Wrestling made its name known as the hardcore and violent promotion competition against the big dogs like WWE and WCW at a time when wrestling was very cartoonish and child-friendly. Names like Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, and Raven were putting their bodies on the line and risking serious injury for the audiences' enjoyment (everyone knows they weren't getting paid much). So over the short span of time ECW was around, they had countless matches that featured wrestlers dripping in blood, hitting each other over the head with steel chairs, and the occasional fire here and there. So let's look at some of the most bloody and hardcore matches that ECW ever gave to the fans.
20 Steve Corino Vs. Tajiri (Hardcore Heaven, 2000)
This incredibly violent match from the 2000 PPV, Hardcore Heaven, saw Tajiri and Steve Corino beat the hell out of each other in what felt more like a fight than a wrestling match. Corino controversially cut a very racist promo just prior to the match, which is one of the reasons that the match got so heated, with Tajiri clearly having a point to prove as he attacked him right from the bell.
In a brilliant and brutal moment, Tajiri slid into Corino with a kick in the corner, which led to him splattering blood from Corino's head onto the camera, showing the signs of this war.
19 Beulah McGuillicutty & Tommy Dreamer Vs. Bill Alfonso & Rob Van Dam (As Good As It Gets, 1997)
This one is far from a classic, but it was certainly a bloody match as Beulah McGuillicutty, on her ECW debut, took on a former referee, Bill Alfonso, in an impromptu match that saw Bill turn into a crimson mess. If you're looking for a good wrestling match, then this really isn't the one for you, as it is simply more like a brawl from start to finish, with McGuillicutty getting a metal tin and smashing it around Alfonso's head to bust him open right from the start.
Even though it isn't a great match, it instantly made a star out of Beulah, with the rabid crowd buying into the entire thing and being massively behind her, with a huge pop for the finish.
18 Steve Corino Vs. Jerry Lynn (Heatwave, 2000)
What first seemed like it was just going to be a decent match between two good workers at the time, Steve Corino and Jerry Lynn ended up being one of the more bloody matches in ECW history. Lynn busted Corino open at one point, which covered his blonde hair and turned it red/pink, while Lynn proceeded to wipe Corino's blood all over his stomach and chest.
Lynn got the victory and was declared the number one contender for Justin Credible's ECW World Heavyweight Championship afterward.
17 Shane Douglas & Cactus Jack Vs. Terry Funk & The Sandman (ECW Live Event, 1995)
The odd pairings of Shane Douglas and Cactus Jack took on The Sandman and Terry Funk in a tag team match during a live event in 1995. The match saw it's fair share of weapons such as a tool box and a Singapore cane.
The finish saw the most extreme moment come when Terry Funk had a flaming branding iron and proceeded to piledriver Cactus Jack on top of it for the pinfall victory. This was one of many violent classics from Funk's legendary career.
16 Mike Awesome Vs. Masato Tanaka (November To Remember, 1999)
Masata Tanaka and Mike Awesome famously went to wars with each other during their matches under the ECW umbrella. The duo wrestled around nine times with each match seemingly like a step up from the other on what the two could do to each other. Most fans argue between this match, Heatwave 1998, and their final match together before Awesome's untimely passing at ECW One Night Stand 2005, which is the better.
Easily the most violent though was November to Remember 1999 where the two went to battle for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Awesome came out the victor after an Awesome Bomb from the top rope to retain his belt.
15 New Jack Vs. Vic Grimes (Living Dangerously, 2000)
While being a short one, this match between New Jack and Vic Grimes was still very brutal with permanent damage being done. The match started after a short bout between Kintaro Kanemura and Balls Mahooney was interfered with by Da Baldies tag team and New Jack himself. The two men brawled around for a bit before making their way up a scaffolding in the arena.
They both fell onto two tables below them while Grimes fell right on New Jack's head. The injury left New Jack with some amount of brain damage, a wound on his forehead, a skull fracture, and permanent blindness in his right eye.
14 Cactus Jack Vs. Mikey Whipwreck (Big Ass Extreme Bash, 1996)
Speaking of Mick Foley, here is another example of his craziness that helped him earn the title of Hardcore Legend, with him and Mikey Whipwreck battling in a match that served as ECW's goodbye to Jack. This was another all-out brawl, with each man showing how desperate they were to get the victory. Mikey, the protégé of Foley, tried his best to beat his mentor at his own hardcore game.
However, that wasn't to be, as Foley picked up the win with a piledriver. This bloody match saw an array of weapons, whilst they brawled out into the crowd to give everyone a closer look at the action.
13 Terry Funk Vs. The Sandman Vs. Stevie Richards/Terry Funk Vs. Raven (Barely Legal, 1997)
These two matches sort of go together as Terry Funk beat both The Sandman and Stevie Richards at the first ever ECW PPV, Barely Legal, to become the number-one contender of Raven's ECW World Heavyweight Championship. The match saw Funk get busted open and plenty of weapons being used like garbage cans.
After Funk's win, Raven came out and immediately started the title match against Funk and did things like put him through a table and had members of his Flock beat Funk. Things outside the match included Dreamer putting a member of the Dudley family through a table as well and Raven insulting Dreamer before attacking him.
12 Tommy Dreamer Vs. C.W. Anderson (Guilty As Charged, 2001)
The final ever ECW PPV saw a match between Tommy Dreamer and CW Anderson finishing up a feud that started not long before this show. The two men wrestled in an "I Quit" match in which Dreamer and Anderson both used countless weapons to hurt each other and get the other to quit.
ECW alumni Towel Boy also got in on the action and helped Dreamer attack Anderson multiple times and even got beat up a little for his actions as well.
11 Edge, Mick Foley, & Lita Vs. Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, and Beulah McGillicutty (ECW One Night Stand, 2006)
The second edition of One Night Stand in the WWE didn't take off as well as the first minus the beloved main event which saw Rob Van Dam successfully cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase against John Cena. While the match wasn't the bloodiest most ECW-like match on the card, those honors go to the six-person tag earlier in the night.
The team of Mick Foley, Edge, & Lita faced off against Tommy Dreamer, Terry Funk, and Beulah McGillicutty in a 19-minute hardcore match that saw Terry Funk covered in blood, typical Funk fashion of course, a fair bit of barbed wire across the face, and fire. The finish came as Edge pinned Beulah in a sexually suggestive position, very befitting of a Rated-R Superstar.
10 Sabu Vs. Terry Funk (Born To Be Wired, 1997)
When the ring ropes are replaced with barbed wire, you know that things are going to get a little bit crazy, and that is exactly what happened when two of ECW's most extreme wrestlers locked up in a battle for the ECW World Championship. Even though the ring was surrounded by an incredibly dangerous weapon that caused cuts and scars to both Sabu and Terry Funk, that wasn't enough for them, as they both introduced plenty of foreign objects throughout the match.
Both men have spent their entire lives putting their bodies through the wringer, and this is one of the biggest examples of that in a very violent match.
9 The Sandman Vs. Sabu (House Party, 1998)
The main event of ECW's House Party event in 1998 saw The Sandman and Sabu face each other in a brutal match they called "The Stairway to Hell". The concept was to climb a ladder and retrieve some barbed wire, using it to beat your opponent, and then win via pinfall or submission.
Sandman received the barbed wire, he was already bloody by this point, proceeded to use it on Sabu, and then pinned him after beating him with a Singapore cane. Sabu got bloodied up when he went for a plancha and hit his jaw on the guard rail. Bill Alfonso attempted to duct tape his jaw to stop the massive amounts of blood. After the match, it was realized that Sabu had broken his jaw.
8 Axl Rotten Vs. Ian Rotten (Hardcore Heaven, 1995)
The entire idea of this match is insane, and that is likely why most people haven't heard of the stipulation before, but a Taipei Death Match sees the competitors tape their hands, superglue them, and then attach as many crystals to them as possible. From then on, the two men are expected to use their 'crystal' hands as weapons to smash and cut their opponent until they are no longer able to answer the count of three, which is what Axl and Ian Rotten did in 1995.
It is a bonkers stipulation, and it wasn't surprising to see both men busted open as they used the glass to scrape across each other's foreheads in a match that isn't for the fainthearted.
7 Cactus Jack Vs. Terry Funk (Hostile City Showdown, 1995)
ECW hosted their second Hostile City Showdown event in 1995 and the main event featured two legends of the business, Cactus Jack and Terry Funk going one-on-one. Jack got the victory after The Sandman tried to interfere on behalf of Funk.
After the match, Funk took a flaming branding iron, poked Cactus a few times while in the ring, and even attempted to swing it at him before getting it knocked away.
6 Rob Van Dam Vs. Sabu (The Doctor Is In, 1996)
Sabu and Rob Van Dam's history together in ECW spans from being partners and friends to one of the most bitter rivalries in the promotion. 1996's The Doctor Is In saw both men face each other in the main event with the stipulation being a stretcher match.
Sabu and RVD beat the hell out of each other doing insane maneuvers to try and keep the other man down. Sabu was on a stretcher when Van Dam attempted to hit Sabu with a somersault senton before Sabu moved out of the way.
5 Rey Misterio Jr. Vs. Psicosis (November To Remember, 1995)
It might be hard to picture Rey Misterio Jr. (now Rey Mysterio) in an extreme, deathmatch scenario due to how he has been portrayed over the majority of his career, but his match with Psicosis, who was his long-time nemesis, remains an incredibly fun one. The two men blended together with an incredible match that saw Lucha libre going alongside extreme wrestling, with some incredible aerial moves, such as a one-and-a-half inverted moonsault, as well as some equally dangerous spots that you would expect from ECW.
It is a totally different style of match in comparison to others on this list and is told at a much faster pace due to the nature of both men, making it one that is certainly worth watching.
4 Raven & Cactus Jack vs Tommy Dreamer & Terry Funk (November 2 Remember)
This was one of ECW's finest moments, and certainly one of the companies biggest ever shows, and therefore placing a major match like this to end the show was only fitting of the occasion.
Of course, it wouldn't be a major ECW PPV main event without some bloodshed, and this match had it in the gallons, with all four men providing a violent classic that is still talked about to this day.
The live crowd clearly appreciated what they saw that day, though, respecting the sacrifice of the talent as huge "ECW! ECW!" chants rang around the arena as the show went off the air, making the company look fantastic.
3 Tommy Dreamer Vs. Brian Lee (High Incident, 1996)
Tommy Dreamer and Brian Lee were in the midst of an intense feud when the two faced off against each other in a scaffold match at ECW's High Incident show in 1996. The makeshift platform looked awful and made fans fearful that either man was going to fall at any minute.
The end result saw Brian Lee fall down through multiple tables that were propped up below while doctors and other medical staff ran out to check on him after the fall.
2 Dudley Boyz Vs. Sandman & Tommy Dreamer (ECW One Night Stand, 2005)
This tag team match took place at the original One Night Stand PPV, which is beloved by ECW fans and actually closed the show. What a brilliant main event it was, as well, with all four men leaving everything they had in the ring. All four men showed the world what ECW was all about, with plenty of carnage as many ECW alumni who hadn't been part of the PPV ended up getting involved as all hell broke loose and blood started being shed.
Sandman was busted open before the bell had even rung, and that pretty much set the pace for the entire match as the four friends beat the hell out of each other.
1 Mass Transit & D-Von Dudley Vs. The Gangstas (ECW House Show, 1996)
Even though this took place on a house show and wasn't televised, this match became one of the most infamous, not just in company history, but in wrestling history. Unfortunately for Paul Heyman, it provided nothing but major negative publicity. Eric Kulas was only 17 years old when he stepped into the ring at ECW after convincing Heyman he was actually 23 and had been trained by wrestling legend Killer Kowalski, which was also untrue.
Kulas, who worked as Mass Transit, replaced Axl Rotten for the night and ended up being bladed too deeply by New Jack, which cut through two arteries and saw him bleed tons as he passed out in the ring. Not only was this an incredibly violent and bloody match, but it ended up forcing ECW to cancel a PPV and led to lawsuits against the company.