The August 18, episode of WWE Raw emenated from Philadelphia, PA, a city tied to the legacy and violence of the original ECW. It was therefore only fitting that the show had several nods to ECW during the broadcast.
During an in-ring promo, ECW alum Paul Heyman brought up a number of legends of ECW, including The Sandman, New Jack, Rob Van Dam, and the late, great Sabu. Heyman also referred to “the late, great Tommy Dreamer,” despite the fact that Dreamer is not dead.
Heyman landed a blow on Dreamer, saying “I know he’s not dead yet, but he should be.” When Bron Breakker asked Heyman if Dreamer is still alive, the WWE Hall of Famer said “Yeah, unfortunately.”
Later in the show, Jey Uso was in action in an Extreme Rules match. With a shopping trolley of weapons and a bandana around his head, many fans saw this as a tribute to the late New Jack.
ECW may have gone out of business in 2001, but the legacy of the Extreme promotion remains to this day. These tributes show that the spirit of ECW is alive and well in the hearts of fans and those who appear for WWE.