10 WWE ECW Stars You Probably Don't Remember
The extremely forgettable...
June 13 marks the debut of the relaunched ECW, a show which (somewhat bizarrely) premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel fifteen years ago today.
There had been much hope that the rebooted brand would not only revive and make careers, but also capture the spirit of the original Paul Heyman-led promotion.
Expectations were high, especially coming off the back of two very well-received One Night Stand pay-per-views.
Regrettably, WWECW was simply a third WWE brand - with tables!
Some of the old faces were there, sure, and other new faces were a welcome sight, but the booking and presentation left a lot be to desired.
It didn't take long for WWE to abandon any pretence and start using it as a testing ground to get would-be superstars ready for the bright lights of Raw or SmackDown, while simultaneously giving established performers on the back burner something to do.
By the end of its run, ECW was was essentially a glorified developmental league, buoyed by one or two hardworking veterans like Christian or Tommy Dreamer but, ultimately, a way to give hopefuls some important TV time.
Throughout its various forms, many wrestlers, as well as managers, announcers and authority figures, came and went with varying degrees of success. Some went on to become megastars, some failed to live up to their potential and some you'd have a hard time picking out of a line-up.
Often a dumping ground for obscure castoffs, WWE's version of ECW gave a stage to some truly forgettable faces, something which no doubt helped erode its legacy and had hardcore fans of the original crying into their Slayer t-shirts.
10. Ryan Braddock
Braddock was one of the many long-term prospects that WWE saw fit to give a chance on the 'C' show.
Well, he had the one match there, anyway.
He had been in the developmental system for an age, signing in 2005 and going from Deep South, to Ohio Valley, to Florida Championship Wrestling, before finally earning his call up.
Despite having good size and a half-decent look and having been on their books for years, WWE apparently saw nothing in Braddock, as he was instantly jobbed out when he made his debut, which actually took place on SmackDown.
He lost to Big Show, Super Crazy and Jesse & Festus on the blue brand and, in his sole ECW appearance, did the honours for Ricky Ortiz, another 'remember him' who likewise flamed out.
From there, he was relegated to dark match and house show duty, before being released. He's since (as Jay Bradley) had a commendable career, working for IMPACT, Pro Wrestling NOAH and a host of other organisations around the world.
Written by Lewis Howse
Features journalist for Cultaholic.com and script writer for the Cultaholic YouTube Channel.
