Who should be the first ECW original in the WWE Hall of Fame?

[misanthrope304]

saw something similar to that in a headline or tweet or something today.

 

*and should I have put this in the WWE subforum?

Edited February 8, 2014 by misanthrope304

[cool arrow]

Sabu

[Cobra Commander]

Sabu.

 

Although they'd probably move to induct RVD first since they already inducted the Sheik as a favor to Sabu/RVD fairly recently

[Goodear]

Define 'original' because it may be Mick Foley, Paul Heyman, Eddie Guerrero or someone else depending on your answer.

[odessasteps]

Heyman

[Go2Sleep]

Ignoring Foley who is already in, it probably should be Heyman. Not just for founding ECW, but also his work as a manager in WCW and WWE. 

 

Realistically, it will be RVD. 

 

I'm sure Heyman, RVD, Sabu, and The Dudleys will all get in eventually. Not as sure about Sandman, Dreamer, Richards, and Raven, but they're possible.

[MORELOCK]

If Bam Bam counts he should go in.

[Tromatagon]

"Who the fuck inducted Raven?"

[Zac_Fu]

Sabu

Heyman

RVD

Dreamer

Raven

Richards

Dudleys (including Little Spike)

Sandman

[Web Conn]

I'd say Heyman then RVD. Tommy will eventually get inducted I feel, I know its not "a real" Hall of Fame but I really want to see Tommy in the Hall. Besides the excessive ball shots Im an admitted Tommy Dreamer mark. 

[mco543]

Since I don't think Shane Douglas would count I'll agree and say Sabu or Heyman.

[Petey]

It probably should be Sabu.

[Jingus]

"Original" should probably only count for guys who originally got famous in ECW (and stayed there for a long while).  So I'd say Paul E. Dangerously, Shane Douglas, Johnny Polo, and Cactus Jack definitely don't count; they had WAY too much exposure already on national television and other places.  But at the same time, Robbie V's "who worked where?!" moments on the same programs shouldn't disqualify him from counting.  

 

 

Really, there's only three choices imo: Sabu, Dreamer, and RVD.  Sabu was the trendsetter, the guy who put the promotion on the map.  Dreamer was the workhorse, the eternal soldier who did five thousand different jobs and seemed to be Heyman's right-hand man.  RVD remains the most enduringly popular symbol of ECW and was their only real draw for those last painful couple years of the company's existence.  So, I'd be fine with any of those three.  

 

 

I could see (but wouldn't agree with) arguments being made for Sandman, Joey Styles, and maybe Taz.  

 

-Sandman is probably more popular as a babyface than any of the above save maybe RVD; but to use an 80s metaphor, it's Jake The Snake popularity, not Hulk Hogan popularity.  He's never really been the top guy, and he certainly wasn't doing all the behind-the-scenes work that many others were to help keep the company running.  

-Joey Styles was THE voice of ECW, to an exclusive extent which is practically unheard-of in modern wrestling commentary.  Nobody else was that good or that ballsy to do solo calls for so many shows, and he was so perfect at his job in so many ways that I'll just stop gushing before it becomes downright homoerotic.  That being said, no way a non-wrestler gets inducted first.  

-Taz was the most over gimmick wrestler; which was ironic, since his gimmick was reassuring the fans that he had no gimmick.  But his real ace in the hole is his decade plus of announcing, which technically gets him more screentime than all of the other guys combined.  Still, I wouldn't say he was ever really The Man in ECW, not in a Stone Coldian fashion.  

 

Richards?  Are you guys kidding?  I like Stevie and all, but what did he ever do that Chris Candido or a dozen other guys couldn't do better?  Okay, he might have in certain ways been the biggest heat magnet in the building, but a hell of a lot of that heat tended to boil down to gay-baiting jokes on a depressingly regular occurrence.  

 

Dudleys wouldn't work, probably, just because they don't really induct worked stables like that.  Yeah, there's the Horsemen, but that's different; I'd expect to see the NWO inducted before the ECW Dudleys, and I don't expect the NWO getting in anytime soon.  Which ones would you include, and which would you leave out, and why?  

[Web Conn]

I'd love to see a Sabu induction "speech" consist of him pointing to the sky then walking off the stage

[manzk]

Lance Storm when they hire him as a coach/producer.

 

He was a multi champion on WCW and a player on the Invasion Angle.

[Goodear]

Out of Jingus' set of considerations I would say the Dudleys (Bubbles and Devon) are very likely candidates assuming Bubba Ray isn't so hated by the company at this point.  Clearly they've had the most success out of ECW with tons of tag titles everywhere and a memorable WWE stay with 'Get the Tables' and 'Wasssup' being over parts of the act.  Only Spike is even remotely important in terms of other members of the 'family' and he's not so important to the act that they need him.  I think the Hall of Fame can do without Sign Guy and Dances With...

 

I would also disagree that Johnny Polo/Flamingo disqualifies Raven from ECW Original Consideration just because it was such a rapid departure from his previous character.  He didn't really become a major player until ECW.  Much like I don't think of Undertaker being a WCW original because of Mean Mark.

[Brian Fowler]

Depending on how we are defining "original" I'd argue Terry Funk is already in.

[Fat Spanish Waiter]

This would be a great thread for Vic.

[Hooker]

Welp.  Who from ECW is more important to the industry than Drew Carey?

[Dusty Finish]

Heyman is the only definite, in my mind.  Dudleys should go in eventually, and probably RVD as well, but I can think of dozens of WCW/territory guys I might put in first.

 

Personally, it'd be a long time before I gave much thought to Raven or Dreamer.   

[Greggulator]

In order:

1) SABU. The dude reinvented wrestling. Just telling kids I knew who were into wrestling: "Yo, there's this insane Indian dude who backflips off the ropes onto tables laid out in the crowd..."

2) RAVEN. He's an ECW original. Dude was a mid-card act in Global and a curtain jerker in WCW before he became a star. He really brought 90s pop culture into American pro wrestling with his Dinosaur Jr. T-Shirts and lost poet gimmick.

 

3) SHANE DOUGLAS. He counts as an ECW original. He threw down the belt and hoisted up the new Extreme Championship Wrestling banner and literally introduced the company to the masses. His promos were really ahead of their time. Great work-shoot stuff tucked into his jock snob persona.

 

4) DUDLEYS. One of the best tag teams of the decade. Love those dudes.

 

Also -- Stevie was the man. One of my all-time favorite workers. He was such a great heat magnet as Raven's lackey. He then became a great comedy worker. And he was transitioning into an awesome underdog babyface before he left the promotion. His post-ECW career was also really good. One of wrestling's great what-if questions: What if Stevie didn't leave ECW? He would have had a gigantic babyface run with the belt.

[TimLivingston]

Heyman would go in first. He's the architect.

[twiztor]

Dudleyz, Sabu, and Heyman are the first three inducted. if i was a betting man, i'd say they go in the opposite order than i listed. followed by Tommy Dreamer.

[The Natural]

Heyman would go in first. He's the architect.

 

Yep. Paul Heyman.

[Sky Blue Sam]

Yeah, it surely HAS to be Heyman first. As stated previously, he was the architect of ECW, he's still in with the WWE (which gives him the edge over the Dudley's and "who the fuck hired" Raven) plus he has a history before ECW of being a terrific manager and part of one of the best eras of WCW with the Dangerous Alliance.