Professional wrestler, Orange Cassidy has shared his perspective on how All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is often compared to Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). Both companies are known for their dedicated fan following, and in a recent discussion on the “WrestleBinge” podcast, Cassidy was asked about the similarities and differences between the two.
Orange Cassidy opined, “That’s interesting. I see that. I think what ECW has better than anybody was a passionate fan base. I think they had a dedicated, passionate fan base. They had a love for professional wrestling and wished to see high-level performances from the wrestlers. We often remember the hardcore aspects, but look at stars like Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, etc. that passed through. In their era, you’d find exciting factors such as opening with a Triple Threat involving Super Crazy and Tajiri performing extraordinary stunts. Currently, most of the wrestlers have adopted styles similar to RVD and Jerry Lynn.”
In the continuation of his views he noted, “I get a vibe that AEW fans are genuinely passionate about professional wrestling and I love them for that, but I always want them to make space for those casual viewers who might want to drop in and have fun watching the sport. It’s crucial, especially for someone like me, as I try to attract the more casual viewer and bring them back to professional wrestling. I desire AEW to be a place for both – a fan who enjoys delving into every little detail, and someone who might think, ‘Oh, AEW’s in town, I’m going to the show to enjoy myself.”
At the AEW Full Gear 2024 event, one person who received a massive pop was The Rizzler. During the Zero Hour pre-show, The Rizzler made a striking appearance and got one of the loudest pops of the evening, which led RJ City to query about his popularity on the following week’s episode of Hey! (EW) with the Costco Guys.
Expressing his thoughts on this, Big Justice warmly stated, “Because he’s cute. He’s like a teddy bear. He’s just like, you see Rizzler on the screen and you’re like, oh, I got to watch this kid more. It’s not like someone that you go like yourself and you see him and you’re like, they’re interesting, but I don’t know I want to watch it.”
On a different note, during his guest appearance on the “KQ2” podcast, Darby Allin spoke about his in-ring experiences, particularly mentioning the most painful chops he has taken. Allin highlighted that Brody King’s chops were the most severe, making him feel like his heart might stop. WWE’s GUNTHER also was a memorable inclusion in his list.
Getting candid about this, Darby Allin asserted, “People ask me what’s the worst chop I’ve ever taken in wrestling, I would say his is second, but Brody King’s is first by far. I feel like my heart stopped when Brody chops me. Brody is at the top, followed by Gunther. I don’t have a third place in mind, but those two definitely left a mark.”