ECW World Heavyweight Championship



In the Classic Era, the ECW World Heavyweight Championship was the top title in Extreme Championship Wrestling.

History
As is the case with several other World Heavyweight Championships, the ECW World Heavyweight title formed from a dispute with the National Wrestling Alliance. Unlike the other titles however, ECW's came from a tournament victory and its winner publicly rejecting the title afterwards.

In 1994, the NWA held a tournament that was hosted by its strongest member at the time, Eastern Championship Wrestling. Its Heavyweight Champion, Shane Douglas defeated 2 Cold Scorpio in the Championship Round to win the title, but then decided to outright reject the title in favor of his Eastern Heavyweight Championship instead.

The next day, the NWA's ECW folded in favor of a new ECW, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Douglas was recognized as its first World Heavyweight Champion. The title would exist in the Classic Era until 2001 when ECW stopped promoting events and its Champion, Rhino signed with the World Wrestling Federation.

List of Champions

 * Shane Douglas (1994-95)(1997-99)
 * The Sandman (1995)(1995-96)(1996)(1997-99)(2001)
 * Mikey Whipwreck (1995)
 * Raven (1996)(1996-97)
 * Terry Funk (1997)
 * Sabu (1997)
 * Bam Bam Bigelow (1997)
 * Taz/Tazz (1999)(2000)
 * Mike Awesome (1999)(1999-2000)
 * Masato Tanaka (1999)
 * Tommy Dreamer (2000)
 * Justin Credible (2000)
 * Jerry Lynn (2000)
 * Steve Corino (2000-01)
 * Rhino (2001)