Although ECW ceased to exist many years ago, and even more so its iconic original version Created by Paul Heyman, the stories of what happened inside the ring and behind the scenes will forever remain in the memory of fans.
► Could there be another Joey Styles in the world of wrestling?
Now a new controversy has arisen: radio personality Craig Carton has decided to tell that once came close to belonging to the world of wrestling. It was in the mid-90’s, when he said that he was contacted by a company whose name he could not remember at first, but then he remembered it was ECW.
According to his story, in his youth, when he was living in Philadelphia and working at WIP Radio, someone came up to him and told him that it came from ECW and said: ‘You would love to be our ring announcer, and you gon ‘have the name of Joey Styles‘.
According to Carton, he wasn’t against it because he wasn’t making a lot of money on the radio, but his calendar did not allow him to accept the offer “or something like that”.
Finally said that he will never forget that it was going to be Joey Styles because “he is a tremendously cool name”. However, the story was quickly debunked by Paul Heyman through his official Twitter account:
Sorry, @craigcartonlive. I’m calling bullshit on this one. #JoeBonsignore was @JoeyStyles even before I hired him in 1993.
In ’94, we needed a replacement that summer.
There were a few considerations.
None of them were to be named #JoeyStyles. #ECW @EvanRobertsWFAN https://t.co/9Cs6Y7ijeQ
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) February 25, 2021
Sorry, Craig Carton. I’m saying what you’re saying is shit. Joe Bonsignore was Joey Styles even before I hired him in 1993. In ’94, we needed a replacement that summer. There were some considerations. None of them were to be named Joey Styles«.
Styles, making use of his characteristic humor, stated the following:
Everyone is texting me with this. I resigned from ECW in the summer of 1994 after a fight with Paul. Maybe he tried to hire Craig Carton and give him my name to screw me. I’d bet with Craig his story is false but if he accepts the bet it would violate his supervision that has him out of jail«.
Styles was only out of ECW for a few months, but came back quickly and was until the end of the company in 2001. David Bixenspan has a theory:
(His replacement ended up being a Black guy who they named Willie Watts as a play on racist comments that a promoter named Bill Watts had made in the past, so they did go with a wink and a nod joke at that time, regardless.)
— David Bixenspan (@davidbix) February 25, 2021
“Joe Bonsignore was already working as Joey Styles before ECW, so I doubt they would have just given you the name… but he left ECW briefly in the spring of 1994 or so. Is it possible that they wanted to bring you as ‘The New Joey Styles’ as a joke and something to annoy about?
His replacement ended up being a black guy who was called Willie Watts as a way to play on some racist comments that a promoter named Bill Watts I had done it in the past, so at that time they did it as a joke with this one.
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There are few days so you can support with any amount to the wrestler and collaborator of SUPER LUCHAS, Heavy Boy, who is raising funds for a delicate surgery.
