Top 5 ECW Champions

3. Taz – 2 reigns – 261 days as champion

Taz has a special place on this list and in the hearts of ECW fans as the guy who rescued the wayward title from Mike Awesome. Like Alundra Blaze and Bret Hart, Awesome had heard Eric Bischoff’s siren song and joined Ol’ Uncle Ted’s “wrasslin'” federation while being the champ. Would Awesome besmirch the ECW title like Blaze had done the WWF Women’s Championship? Let’s back up a bit first.

Taz joined when it was still Eastern Championship Wrestling in 1993. He kicked around the tag team division, winning the doubles titles and even the TV Championship. Taz severely injured his neck during his first run, but Heyman continued to pay him. This show of loyalty bonded the men and would come into play later when Paul needed a champion to retrieve his title back from Awesome.

Taz would return to the ring in December of 1995 sporting his signature black and orange singlet and debuted his new suplex heavy offense, and the Tazmission. Taz would spend the next few years in the TV Title picture and feuding with his former partner Sabu. Eventually, he lost the gold to the ‘Beast from the East,’ Bam Bam Bigelow in March of 1998.

After, Taz was put in the hunt for the ECW Championship, and eventually beat Shane Douglas for his first heavyweight title run. The ‘Human Suplex Machine’ held the title for 252 days and cemented his status as an ECW legend. Toward the end of this run, he signed with the WWE and eventually lost the title to Mike Awesome.

Mike would go on to have some amazing matches with Masato Tanaka as they feuded over the belt. This is when the real drama started.

Mike signed with WCW but Paul Heyman was able to legally bind him from taking the title to WCW television. So, in an event that hasn’t been seen since. Two wrestlers from the rival organizations met in a separate promotions ring to fight for their title. This was the first and only time a WCW contracted talent a WWE contracted talent met in the squared circle.

Taz defeated the Benedict Arnold of ECW and brought the belt back home to Paul, losing the belt to Tommy Dreamer 10 days later. The weight of such a victory cannot be overstated. It wasn’t RVD or Sabu representing ECW, it was the ‘Human Suplex Machine,’ Taz. His importance to the company cannot be overstated.

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