Yesterday I posted an article about how ECW (both as Eastern Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling) gained national and international audiences by being the first major professional wrestling company to use the new online communication technology of that era. If you are interested then you are welcome to read that post here: @ecwwebsite/how-ecw-used-new-technology-to-gain-its-passionate-wrestling-fan-base
What does all of this 1990's internet history have to do with current new web3 technology?
Actually, it shows that history has the potential to repeat itself! Since pro wrestling fans have high amounts of nostalgia-related emotions tied to ECW, this gives the ECW name another chance to lead the way once again in the new technology environment.
Leveraging new technology to give pro wrestling more exposure nationwide & internationally is nothing new. However, most of the pro wrestling companies at this time (end of March 2025) objectively have not done a great job yet to promote their content to web3 users.
For example, most pro wrestling NFTs are nothing special. WWE's NFT collection didn't gain widespread users nor was it heavily promoted (its WWE Moonsault NFT marketplace) on TV shows nor social media, especially today in 2025:
There isn't much yet seen tied to professional wrestling in the other web3 topics such as:
- Cryptocurrency tokens
- DeFi
- DAO's
- Virtual land / digital real estate
- Metaverses, especially those tied to locations on Earth nor the more-popular Sandbox, Decentraland, and similar metaverse environments
- Augmented Reality, especially on platforms tied to locations on Earth
- Token/coin mining
- Web3 decentralized domains
- Token-gated communities offering NFT holders (tied to wrestling) some kind of exclusive access in an ongoing platform, even if just a "siloed" section of a promotion's website accessible only to owners of the NFTs
- (other web3 topics)
Before listing my topics, let's consider Hive as its own "web3" topic as well. Rewarding users for content and engagement with some form of crypto isn't necessarily "new". Publishers of online content often had ways for people to reward the writer's/creator's efforts, even with the "buy me a coffee" plugin feature. However, web3 and decentralization plus the HIVE token make this smoother and more transparent - including blockchain transparency for all postings, edits, and more.
Mikey Whipwreck's blog (@mikeywhipwreck) is just a great example of a respected, veteran wrestler who connected deeply with the emotions of the die-hard ECW fans. He was able to convey his underdog status, being a veteran singles wrestler, and a respected tag team champion (with Tajiri as part of the Unholy Alliance in ECW's final year) -- and he earned the respect of fans worldwide both in the ring as well as with his promos.
Perry Saturn, a singles wrestler and tag team wrestler in ECW (part of The Eliminators with John Kronus) is involved with the WOO game and other wrestling-related projects tied to Hive. Learn more here: @blitzzzz/how-wrestling-media-is-reacting
A few other efforts are being made to get the memory of ECW to be featured in the first (or among the first) wrestling-related web3 topics. Here are just some of the efforts being made to help ECW, once again (!!), lead the way using new technologies - often led by die-hard wrestling fans:
** 1 - The WOO game
I received this from the founder of Wrestling Organization Online ("WOO"):
"Wrestling Organization Online otherwise known as WOO is a game built on hive that leverages blockchain technology to help wrestlers earn fairly in a transparent way. The inspiration behind Wrestling Organization Online (WOO) came from my love of both professional wrestling and strategic card games. I've been a massive fan of professional wrestling ever since I was a child and I also did a lot of video production work for the WWE and also independent wrestling promotions. As time went on and I became more familiar with the business of professional wrestling from an insiders perspective I began recognizing a deeper issue within the industry. You see wrestlers are classified as independent contractors which means they don't get retirement, health care, and many other perks that employees get, yet they are often treated like employees without the benefits, security, or bargaining power that should come with that classification. This is a workers' rights issue and most people are not aware of this. I believe blockchain can play a role in shifting the power dynamics and help bring awareness to these unique issues wrestlers face.
For decades, wrestlers have been used and discarded by major promotions (Mainly the WWE), with limited control over their careers, likenesses, and financial futures. Many have walked away with broken bodies and little to show for years of dedication. Many also struggle with substance abuse issues that come from the beatings their bodies take over the years. Even though wrestling is scripted the bumps they take in the ring are very real and take a toll on the body. Many wrestlers work 250-300 days a year and there is no off season. The average life expectancy of a pro wrestler is 42 years old, which is crazy to me. With that being said, WOO is about creating a new model—one where wrestlers own a piece of their brand, can earn from their likeness, don't have to put their bodies on the line, and are not at the mercy of a single company dictating their worth.
Blockchain technology makes this possible. Unlike traditional wrestling games, where companies profit off a wrestler’s name while the talent get little or nothing in return, WOO ensures that wrestlers directly benefit by sharing a percentage of the companies profits. They can receive royalties for all NFT's of their likeness sold and they recieve 100% of the marketplace fee these NFTs bring in. They can now be a part of an ecosystem that rewards their contributions in a provably fair and transparent way. They also have the ability to earn off of posting blogs or making videos on Hive and building their Web3 fanbase and community.
For fans, WOO offers a new level of interaction, collecting, and competition. By being built on Hive, we are able to grow our Web3 community and fill the void that is on chain for wrestling fans. For wrestlers, it represents something more: a way to take back control, engage with their audience on their terms, and earn from their work without relying on exploitative contracts.
Professional wrestling has long operated in a gray area when it comes to labor rights. WOO is not just a game—it’s a step toward a future where wrestlers are recognized, respected, and fairly compensated for their contributions to the industry. It's like our slogon says "Building a better wrestling business, block by block."
** 2 - Virtual lands/digital real estate tied to the ECW Arena
There are several Earth-based virtual worlds which sell plots of land tied to specific locations. The ECW Arena has been purchased in roughly half a dozen of these, and each offers unique aspects including:
- Pinning images of fans having a good time back at original ECW shows, with memories and links to provide more information. Here is just one of these:
https://metablox.co/blox/global/342
Wait a few seconds and then you should see a handful of fan photos including those taken at the end of what became the final ECW Arena show (although its last show was unknown at the time). Click on those to see the pinned memories, and some are now pinned permanently in the IPFS/Web3 ecosystem.
- Some virtual worlds are digital twins of Earth. These "open worlds" are like a video game, except there are no quests or challenges or fights to be had. These, instead, are more for exploration. However, a 3D building can be placed on top of a location - such as the ECW Arena - with AI agents answering questions. This leads to the possibility of the first-ever "Hardcore Hall of Fame", depending on the legality of doing so. If it can be accomplished, then you and your friends could download the software file (like downloading a video game online), create a login/password, create an avatar (character), and then meet your friends at a designated time to walk around the ECW Arena's 3D building (hall of fame) and communicate with each other.
Fans also could vote on "unfinished business" such as the 2001 ECW Wrestler of the Year and similar topics which never got resolved once ECW stopped running shows.
** Side note, legally "Extreme Championship Wrestling" isn't a dead entity. The entity does exist still as a "live" corporation in Pennsylvania. Yes, this means that ECW legally still has some kind of "heartbeat" - although it likely is an entity being used for Tod Gordon's wrestling-related interests only. This last part is pure speculation but likely.
** 3 - Augmented Reality
Currently there are two virtual worlds which permit uploading regular images or GLB files (3D image files) at hyper-specific locations on Earth. They can be viewed through your phone's camera if you have the link, and you even can take a photo/video of yourself or someone else standing next to the image.
This has been tested and is awaiting some tech/coding changes for content uploaded to the ECW Arena location in Philadelphia. This can be extrapolated to give fans content such as honoring deceased ECW wrestlers outside the Arena in case you ever visit the building. Of course there are legality and "appropriateness" topics to address; but this is just one way to honor ECW's memory in high-emotion locations tied to the company. For example, if you were a Chris Candido fan then you may wish to see a 3D image of him outside the building and take a photo of that on your phone. Again, this may not be "appropriate" for all audiences (hey, neither was ECW!!!) - so the technology may be used a different way.
Some other ideas include a "wrestling scavenger hunt" where you have to take photos and "collect" all the images outside an arena in order to win a prize, taking a photo with an active wrestler's 3D image inside the building (meaning you paid for a ticket!) in order to enter a drawing for a free t-shirt, etc. I am open to your thoughts on how to use this new technology, including an "augemnted reality hall of fame" rather than the metaverse-based "hall of fame" concept mentioned earlier.
** 4 - Web3 Decentralized Domains Combined With Token-Gated Content
Web3 domains are marketed mainly for two things: 1) Digital identity access to decentralized games & social media apps; and 2) Used as an easy-to-remember domain name to send/receive crypto payments instead of the long, high-risk-of-mistakes crypto wallet addresses.
However, web3 domains have other uses as well. One of these is that they become NFTs if minted in one's wallet such as Metamask or Coinbase. The smart contract tied to those NFT's could allow for token-gated access to exclusive areas of websites, exclusive Discord servers, and other exclusive content on dApps like Warpcast/Farcaster and more.
One of the web3 domains which may soon allow web3 domain owners (once minted in digital wallets) some kind of ECW-related token-gated access is Freename's .prowrestling domain owners.
While the domains can be used for digital identity & crypto paying/receiving, as mentioned earlier, the ECW-related exclusive content for holders of those domains is not yet ready. Nonetheless, this is just to show that other wrestling companies have not yet taken action on the new frontier of web3 decentralized domains -- either for sending/receiving crypto, token-gated content access, nor any other use case which exists for web3 domains.
I am open to discussing this more in the future depending on your interest in web3 topics. This post didn't even cover the potential uses for:
- DAO's in wrestling, such as micro-ownership of a promotion or an event
- Creating a new crypto token specific to wrestling and what would back up the value + create secondary demand in the marketplace to reward early investors in the coin/token
- DeFi options for those working in the industry to raise capital in order to expand & gain market share
- Helping fans monetize their passion for the company leveraging web3 technology beyond traditional affiliate marketing
- POAP uses and rewards for web3 fans who attend live events, For example, there does not yet appear to be an official WWE POAP for attending either night of Wrestlemania. Should there be an official POAP then the question becomes what benefit would displaying that NFT/badge give the owner of the digital asset
- Augmented Reality advertising such as hologram ads on buildings around town promoting an upcoming show
- "SocialFi" where fans get rewarded for sharing information about upcoming events and/or sponsored content from the promotion
- Real World Asset (RWA) allowing fans to have micro-ownership of a building where shows are run, choosing to invest based on the potential revenue-generation & real estate appreciation of the property
- Decentralized blockchain surveys/questionnaires to determine market demand for an event, a new piece of merchandise, match stipulations, etc.
In time I will post more on my own ECW-specific efforts in these web3 technologies; and I look forward to learning about your projects & previous efforts to help make pro wrestling a frontrunner in the new web3 technology with value-adding use cases!