ECW will always have a special spot in the historical significance of professional wrestling, but their overall legacy could be negative. Many of the things that made ECW popular are no longer valued in today's society. The emphasis on violence and edgy content caused the diehard fans all over the East coast to love the promotion in the late 90s. Most of the ECW wrestlers actually lived the gimmick and had a lifestyle that followed their characters. The culture of partying with heavy use of alcohol, drugs and other dangerous factors made them cool to the fans of the era, but it just hurt them in the long run.

Their in-ring style also provided danger to the talent in ECW. Most matches contained dangerous weapons like barbed wire, flaming tables and just about anything you can think of hitting someone over the head with. The combination of past lifestyles, years of damage to the body in the most dangerous form and the aging process have given us a variety of stories for the extreme stars. Some of them changed for the better by getting in better shape and cleaning up their lives. Others let the demons of the past cause them to suffer a downfall. We’ll glance at both sides with eight former ECW wrestlers that still look great and eight others that don’t look as good today.

16 16. Looks Great: Rob Van Dam

via tmz.com
via tmz.com

The most popular ECW legend in their history, Rob Van Dam ended up having one of the longer wrestling careers. Everyone appreciated the amazing matches and calm demeanor of RVD from his iconic ECW career to his tremendous work in WWE. Van Dam was a unique soul and took to doing yoga before it was cool. Many made fun of him for his hobby of staying zen and working out through non-traditional meansm but he’s winning now.

RVD is still in great shape these days at the age of 45. With a part-time schedule, the master of the Five Star Frog Splash still performs infrequently. WWE brings him back every few years for a short run or one-time appearance. Van Dam saved most of his money leading to his life going well these days and his physical form indicates it. RVD doesn’t look too different from his ECW days and the changes just make him appear more dignified.

15 15. Doesn’t Look Great: The Sandman

via chinlock.com
via chinlock.com

One wrestler that looks exactly like you would expect is The Sandman. Paul Heyman pushed Sandman to the top of ECW for years due to his real life persona making his character connect with the rowdy Philadelphia fans. Sandman would accumulate five ECW World Championship reigns as a constant in the main event picture during the company’s most popular days. The years have not been kind to Sandman and you can understand why if you followed his career.

Sandman was known for drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and engaging in many other dangerous activities. The word went around that he never cared much for working out or taking care of his body, as seen with his less than stellar physique. Sandman shows his age these days with his face looking far more damaged that we were used to during the 90s. Promotions still book Sandman to slowly walk through the crowd to the tune of Enter Sandman as he beats up the opponents with a kendo stick.

14 14. Looks Great: Lance Storm

via shitloadsofwrestling.tumblr.com
via shitloadsofwrestling.tumblr.com

Lance Storm was vastly underrated in his time and his work in ECW stands the test of time more than the majority of his peers. Unlike the rest of the roster, Storm was straight laced and only motivated by athletics rather than the partying scene. Storm stands by never using drugs or alcohol and staying faithful to his wife over his entire wrestling career. The tag team reign of The Impact Players with Storm and Justin Credible put Lance on the map.

WWE employed Storm for many years until he decided to retire from full-time competition. You can still find him on rare independent wrestling shows when Storm finds an opponent he wants to work with. Storm mostly spends time today training many stars of the future. Tyler Breeze, Dolph Ziggler and Emma are just some of the more famous names he has helped progress. His in-ring work keeps Storm in shape and he looks great for his age.

13 13. Doesn’t Look Great: Tammy Sytch

via wrestlingnewscenter.blogspot.com
via wrestlingnewscenter.blogspot.com

It feels weird to put Tammy Sytch on the list due to her primary profession these days being an adult worker in the adult films and webcam worlds. Sytch gets by on her reputation and many longtime fans holding on to their childhood crushes. The aging process and an addiction to substances have made the last two decades become a whirlwind for Tammy. A recent stint in rehab has led to Sytch telling fans she’s finally overcome her addiction and we can only hope she’s telling the truth.

The looks of the formerly most-downloaded woman in the world have gone downhill and she has become the wrestling version of “your weird aunt that posts racist things on Facebook.” Sytch found herself in hot water making controversial comments about Muslims and black fans. She claims the addiction issues caused her to post things she didn’t mean.

12 12. Looks Great: Steve Corino

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

Steve Corino was never the most jacked wrestler in the business but he has remained in relatively good shape all these years. The former ECW World Champion continued wrestling after the promotion died in 2001 and added more memorable moments to his legacy as an independent wrestling legend. Corino currently works for Ring of Honor as the primary color commentator but also wrestles occasionally.

We got a good look at Corino still being in peak physical shape during a bloody battle with B.J. Whitmer on the ROH PPV. The years have only helped Corino progress as he looks better now than he did for most of his wrestling career. He even found a way to trade in the blood for the wit as a commentator being his actual job now. Corino is one of the better examples of adjusting to life after ECW by changing his approach to wrestling and reinventing himself.

11 11. Doesn’t Look Great: Dean Malenko

via wrestlingwithmythoughts91.wordpress.com
via wrestlingwithmythoughts91.wordpress.com

Dean Malenko's in-ring work was ahead of its time and second to none in the pro wrestling world. Malenko earned the name of “The Man of One-Thousand Holds” to signify how many maneuvers he could execute in a wrestling match. Most of Malenko’s noteworthy success came in WCW but his short stint in ECW is what gave him his reputation as one of the best in the world. His legendary matches with Eddie Guerrero have allowed Malenko's legacy to live on after his retirement.

Malenko currently works for the WWE as a backstage agent and he looks exactly how you would expect someone retired over a decade to look. Life after wrestling has given Malenko a weight gain and a head of grey hair. Given all the stress that came with his wrestling and still comes in WWE today, you can’t blame Malenko for letting the aging process hit him. Malenko helps matches reach their potential these days using his knowledge and expertise.

10 10. Looks Great: Tommy Dreamer

via cagesideseats.com
via cagesideseats.com

ECW fans collectively have a soft spot in their hearts for most of the popular performers, but their love for Tommy Dreamer is on another level. The fan base associated with the work ethic and determination of Dreamer to give them their money’s worth every single night. Dreamer stuck with the company into their dying days and will always be associated with the letters ECW more than anyone else.

The career of Dreamer went on and so with it came many changes to his physical shape. Dreamer gained a bit of weight during his WWE career, especially during his time as an office employee helping to sign talent. Over the past few years, Dreamer has lost a bit of weight and looks closer to his better days of peak condition as he still wrestles actively on the independent wrestling scene. Dreamer generally looks the same as we all remember him and is improving with a serious commitment to getting in better shape as time moves forward.

9 9. Doesn’t Look Great: Tazz

via youtube.com
via youtube.com

The most impressive feat of Paul Heyman’s work as a creative mind in ECW was convincing the wrestling world that Tazz was the biggest badass in the business. He destroyed his opponents quickly with a variety of suplexes and ended the match with his dreaded Tazmisson submission maneuver. An injury to Tazz in the WWE caused him to retire from the ring at a young age and he transitioned into a broadcaster.

Tazz spent seven years as a lead color commentator for the WWE. Most of his best days came on the SmackDown show with Michael Cole until he was forced to move for the ECW brand rebirth. Along with the career switch, Tazz’s physical form instantly changed with a dramatic weight gain. Broadcaster Tazz looks like a completely different person from the man we came to know as a wrestler. His weight gain and old man goatee has him looking more like a grandfather than The Human Suplex Machine. No offense to grandpas that can still deliver sick suplexes.

8 8. Looks Great: Al Snow

via mindofcarnage.com
via mindofcarnage.com

Al Snow’s time in ECW resurrected and saved his career after multiple failed runs in with the WWE. His character change in ECW saw him play a schizophrenic person taking to his mannequin head and he was charming enough in the role to create a fan base. ECW crowds engaged in creative chants about “Head” and his work was finally getting recognition due to figuring out the character aspect of the business in the smaller environment.

WWE called him back and wanted him to return with Head. The rest is history as Snow became a popular midcarder and later transitioned into a role as a trainer for years in the company. Snow currently works for TNA in both backstage and on-air roles. In a shocking turn of events, Snow has worked harder than ever in the gym to get in the best shape of his life. The former ECW star is jacked and trying to prolong his career by making a return to the wrestling ring in the past year.

7 7. Doesn’t Look Great: Mikey Whipwreck

via wikiwand.com
via wikiwand.com

The improbable rise of Mikey Whipwreck in ECW saw him become one of the most beloved underdogs in wrestling history. Whipwreck was smaller in size but among the most consistent in-ring performers in the business. ECW fans loved him for his ability to take a beating from the bigger stars and still show enough of his skills to get his talent across. Whipwreck would win the ECW World Championship by defeating The Sandman for a huge feel good moment.

The smaller stature would change for Whipwreck through the years as he is now a lot more round than we’re used to. Whipwreck gained weight and shaved his head to completely change his look for the worse. The talented worker does still help train new wrestlers looking to come on the East Coast and stays active that way. Unfortunately, the difference today makes him hard to recognize and one of the worst physical changes for an ECW star.

6 6. Looks Great: Stevie Richards

via stevierichardsonline.com
via stevierichardsonline.com

Stevie Richards looks so great these days that you would assume he never wrestled for ECW. Richards' career will always be most synonymous for his time as the leader of the hilarious Blue World Order faction. Richards always had a great deal of talent and earned himself a WWE tenure following his work in ECW. Richards' conditioning was always impressive, but he has actually found a way to reach a new high.

Diamond Dallas Page’s project of DDP Yoga has helped many former wrestlers get back in shape or just improve their already good conditioning. Richards is more shredded than ever and has been able to compete in Ring of Honor recently due to looking the part to match his name value. The rest of his days are spent being a part of the DDP Yoga world, by helping others get in shape with him. Stevie looks better at 44 years old than he did in his prime and can work just as well too.

5 5. Doesn’t Look Great: Shane Douglas

via twitter.com
via twitter.com

No one held the ECW World Championship longer than Shane Douglas and that wasn’t a coincidence. Douglas represented what Paul Heyman wanted out of his performers. Following failed stints in the WWE and WCW, Douglas had a fire lit under him to prove his worth to the rest of the industry and talked trash to everyone that doubted him. His character change to “The Franchise” made Douglas one of the top heels in pro wrestling for years.

Unfortunately, the same thing that helped propel him into the top heel spot of ECW hurt him years later. Douglas trashed all the powerful people in the business and found himself blackballed when the WWE purchased ECW and WCW. A failed stint in TNA and trying to stay relevant on the independent wrestling scene forced Douglas out of the wrestling world into other normal jobs. Douglas looks to be in rough shape now with a regression of old age along with the wear and tear of his past catching up to him.

4 4. Looks Great: The Dudley Boyz

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via youtube.com

The Dudley Boyz were actually among the rare successful performers of the 90s to never be in great shape. Both men were rarely jacked and often were a bit overweight, but made it work to their advantage. Bubba Ray and D-Von dominated the ECW tag team division with incredible promos and brutal matches. It led to the WWE signing the duo and becoming the most decorated team in the history of the business with title wins everywhere.

WWE made the decision to bring The Dudley Boyz back in 2015 as a pair of veterans helping to get the younger talent over. Wrestlers with experience adding depth to a roster will always be a good thing as new performers can only learn by working with more seasoned professionals. D-Von has been in good shape for a few years and is quite muscular despite his older age. Bubba has completely reinvented himself over the past five years with a dramatic weight loss. This led to him having a successful singles run in TNA as Bully Ray and he’s currently in his peak physical state.

3 3. Doesn’t Look Great: Sabu

via wrestlingwithmythoughts91.wordpress.com
via wrestlingwithmythoughts91.wordpress.com

No one damaged their body more for the betterment of ECW than Sabu. His unique style of original offense done was as important to ECW developing its own niche as anything else in the company. Fans appreciated Sabu leaving it all out there and showing his daredevil attitude for the sake of helping the promotion grow. The dangerous moves and array of weapons used in matches sadly caught up to him.

You can still see the terrifying barbed wire scars on Sabu’s body and they’ll be there for the rest of his life. Sabu still tries to wrestle today, but is severely limited with the effects of his past work slowing him down. His unfortunate tale of drug abuse also has hurt Sabu’s life and you can see it has contributed to his physical state hitting rock bottom. Watching Sabu perform these days is downright uncomfortable and his visual decline is a huge reason why.

2 2. Looks Great: Rhyno

via wwe.com
via wwe.com

The final true ECW World Champion also happens to be the last one still in peak 2001 shape. Rhyno dominated the last year of ECW as Paul Heyman’s final successful creation before the company went out of business. WWE picked up Rhyno and helped give him the name value to continue a very long career. Rhyno still wrestles on the independent wrestling scene today and makes occasional appearances for WWE on NXT television.

The Man Beast is absolutely jacked and looks to be in better shape than most of the young wrestlers today. Rhyno has to be considered one of the best conditioned 40 year olds in the business. It looks like he found a time machine or created a way to prevent the aging process from hitting him. Rhyno is actually running for office this year too in Dearborn, Michigan as a state representative option. Between wrestling full time, staying in shape and trying to start a political career, life is great for Rhyno in 2016.

1 1. Doesn’t Look Great: Raven

via twitter.com
via twitter.com

Raven could have been one of the biggest stars in wrestling but instead peaked during his time in ECW. Paul Heyman gave him the creative freedom and tremendous gimmick to appeal to the grunge society of fans at the time. Most would select Raven as having the best ECW World Championship reign due to epic feuds with Tommy Dreamer, The Sandman and others. WWE and WCW could never capture the magic of the Raven character and their visions of it didn’t deliver the same results.

Following his WWE release into the free agent market, Raven has physically declined over the past decade. The years have not been kind to Raven losing some of his hair, the rest of it turning grey and an overall weight gain. It is almost impossible to recognize him these days unless you are at a wrestling convention with his name plate besides him. Raven is definitely the worst story of an ECW wrestler’s look declining into depressing fashion.