ECW Founder Tod Gordon tells the ‘real’ story of a famous hardcore wrestling promotion
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Managing Editor
In the 1990’s, there were two big names in town when it came to professional wrestling: the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling. But just on the outskirts of that town sat Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), an alternative, hardcore promotion made famous by the antics and creativity of its longtime figurehead, Paul Heyman.
Today, almost two and a half decades after ECW’s whimper of a demise, Heyman remains more relevant in the industry than ever as the on-screen adviser to the popular “Bloodline” faction in the WWE, appearing almost every single week.
But while Heyman helped lead ECW to some of its highest highs (and eventually its lowest lows), it’s important to remember one thing that’s been lost to history: he didn’t actually start the darn thing. He just was along for the ride, and after some shenanigans, he took control of the wheel.
ECW was founded by Tod Gordon, and for almost two decades after his ouster in 1997, he’s kept silent about the real reasons he left.
“Tod Is God” doesn’t shy away from the gross and messed up atmosphere that ECW fostered. Throughout the pages, Gordon recounts some fairly explicit and raunchy exploits that his roster and himself facilitated, and recounting them in detail isn’t something that this particular publication can do. It’s by no-means a family friendly story, but it does give incredible insight to what went into ECW’s rise to prominence.
A large part of the book’s final chapters focus on the deterioration of the working relationship and friendship between Gordon and Heyman. Heyman is portrayed as an opportunist, and Gordon as the level-headed one, and Heyman’s state of mind and business decisions especially near the end of the promotion are well documented elsewhere, even by Heyman himself. But it is depressing that Heyman and Gordon have not spoken since 2014, as “Tod Is God” reveals.
But while Heyman continues to enjoy unparalleled success in the wrestling world long after ECW’s expiration, Gordon faded back into the real world, as he continues to run his family’s jewelry business in Philadelphia. Gordon may not have reached the heights that Heyman did, but “Tod Is God” is his opportunity to tell his story on his terms. And that in itself is a triumph.
