The ECWA Super 8 Tournament is the oldest and most prestigious tournament in the world of independent professional wrestling. A lot of today’s stars in WWE, TNA, and ROH got their first big break as unknowns in the single elimination tournament. Even today, just being selected as an entrant is a top honor and on most wrestler’s bucket lists before their career is over. But how much impact has the tournament really had? Here’s a brief history lesson:
The Super 8 Tournament was the pet project of former ECWA owner Jim Kettner back in 1997. It was a revolutionary idea that created a new whole world and style of wrestling. Back in the 1990’s, independent wrestling was still caught in the past of larger than life, slower paced wrestling that was more popular in the 1980’s. Kettner recognized things had to change. And so he went about changing the landscape forever… the wrestlers chosen could fly… really fly around the ring at high speeds and do amazing high flying moves off the top rope. The idea took off big time! Fans loved the fast paced action and Delaware got to see some of the top talent in the country. Names like Billy Kidman, Ace Darling, and Reckless Youth ushered in a future filled with names today’s wrestling fan would know. Names like the Hardy Boys, Christopher Daniels, Brian Kendrick, Austin Aries, and even WWE’s Daniel Bryan all either won or had great showings in the tournament.
The unique hard hitting style was a revolution on the indies on the East Coast. Soon every company copied the style… wrestlers changed their style… and even whole companies were created copying the Super 8’s wrestling… As a matter of fact Ring of Honor was created from the idea of the Super 8. Some of founding fathers were Steve Bradley, Donovan Morgan, and Low Ki —- all former Super 8 competitors.
And so on Saturday April 5, 2014 in Newark, Delaware at the Greater Newark Boys & Girls Club the l8 year legacy of the Super 8 continues. This year is filled with some of the best professional wrestlers in the entire country!