ECW Original On WWE’s Version Of ECW: ‘I Thought It Was Absolute Garbage From The Very Beginning’
ECW Original, Jason Knight, who worked in the original incarnation of ECW as well as WWE’s resurrection of the promotion, was the featured guest on the most recent episode of The Hot Tag Podcast (first aired on September 15). The self-proclaimed “World’s Sexiest Man” discussed highlights of his career in the squared circle, including his work in Japan and the indies as well as his feelings regarding the demise of the original ECW. WWE’s impact on the legacy of the storied hardcore promotion was also addressed by Knight who had harsh words for Vince McMahon and his company.
While many longtime fans of ECW expressed cautious optimism when WWE put together a high-profile “reunion show” pay-per-view in 2005, Jason Knight said that he was skeptical from the get-go that ECW would get the treatment it deserved. Knight made a brief appearance at that event.
“I thought it was absolute garbage from the beginning … I thought it was going to go south immediately the moment we had that first One Night Stand and it was actually a good show. Then you see the whole — how they’re booking everything and practicing everything in the ring and I’m like, “Oh my God, this is so f*****g unprofessional when it comes to wrestling. Because the last thing you do is go A to Z. That’s not wrestling to me, that’s circus.”
Knight indicated that he thought Vince’s show of appreciation to the ECW roster at the end of the show was disingenuous at best. He suggested that the WWE incarnation of ECW was basically destined to fail.
“I knew it was going to go nowhere … I knew how it was segregated and they brought a bunch of us to do—to do what? I mean, you had [Justin] Credble who was one of [ECW’s] last world champions doing a run-in after I do a run-in. That’s bullsh*t…And the second show [in 2006] was kind of a piece of s**t.”
Jason recalled that the first television episode of WWE ECW was the final straw for him, stating that he was backstage and ready to work that night but left as soon as he saw the opening segment between Sandman and the ECW Zombie.
“No disrespect for any of the guys, but for the company itself — I p*ss on them for that.”
Knight said that he caught some grief from Paul Heyman as he walked out and acknowledged that it was unprofessional to leave that night but indicated that he left out of passion for his business. He noted that he is still unwelcome in certain circles of the wrestling business to this day because he walked out on that WWE ECW show, recalling a specific incident in which he was asked to leave an event by Tommy Dreamer.
Much of Jason Knight’s 90-minute interview with THT’s Shaheen and Boxman focused on his days in the original ECW, including the one-time TV champion’s recollections of working with the likes of Mikey Whipreck and the Dudley Boyz.
[Image from WWE via YouTube]
