Paul Heyman is not a fan of WWE's ECW.
The Mad Genius of Wrestling recently spoke to VGC's Chris Scullion to promote WWE 2K26. He discussed things such as his place among other great mic workers of wrestling history, which current female star he would like to manage and more.
When asked about ECW's inclusion in the latest WWE video game, Paul Heyman buried the company's 2006 reboot of the brand saying that it was a miserable experience for everyone involved:
I don’t think anybody chanting ECW in 2026 is thinking about the WWE-ized version of 2006, which was one absolutely abhorrent, miserable experience for everybody involved. When people chant ECW, they’re talking about the period from September 1993 to January 2001.
Though later Paul Heyman said that the inclusion of the 1994 Hardcore Heaven PPV in WWE 2K26 is an honor for anyone who worked on the show. According to him, it is a genuine and authentic portrayal of the ECW, which revolutionized the entire industry.
WWE's 2006 relaunch of ECW was originally headed by Heyman and retained many qualities that earned the company its reputation. Though things were slowly smoothed out to bring the brand in line with other WWE shows at the time. It led to the advocate quitting the company altogether in December that year and returning only after the brand became defunct in 2010.
