Tod Gordon Reveals The Moment He Realized He Had Something Special With ECW

ECW founder Tod Gordon has recalled the exact moment when he and Paul Heyman knew that ECW was going to blossom into something phenomenal. 

In a recent interview with "Fox News" to promote his new book, "Tod is God: The Authorized Story of How I Created Extreme Championship Wrestling," Gordon remembered an incident that happened after an ECW show which is when he realized the special relationship between the promotion and its fans.

"We get out of the car to go the bar and tap the guys on the back, great job, pat on the back, and spilling out into the parking lot were fans, and they all started yelling, 'E-C-W! E-C-W!,' as we were walking out of our car and into the building," said Gordon. "And it was, 'Thank you, Tod, thank you, Paul.' We were sitting, looking at each other, wondering what the heck was going on."

Heyman, who was with Gordon at the time, told him that he had never seen a fan reaction like that, even during the territory days. Gordon praised the loyal and vocal fanbase for making their shows better.

"We realized we had something here. Maybe lightning in a bottle, but whatever it was, we had it. And the fans were a part of the whole thing. They were a major driving force for making the shows better and bigger. And the fans became a major part of the show, like the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show,'" said the ECW founder.

Gordon stated that it felt like a family atmosphere in ECW thanks to the fans' close relationship with the wrestlers. After establishing the promotion in 1992, he sold it to Heyman in 1995 but remained as the on-screen commissioner in the promotion. Gordon eventually left the company in 1997.