Extreme Championship Wrestling is back in the ring and on Sci Fi Channel.
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. officially launched ECW as a brand extension to its RAW and SmackDown franchises.
And Sci Fi announced that it will start airing one-hour episodes of a new ECW live show, set to debut June 13 at 10 p.m. (EST).
WWE originally acquired the ECW assets in 2003. It has released three ECW DVDs, produced an ECW pay-per-view event in June 2005 and scheduled another ECW PPV event for June 11.
WWE said it will produce, market and promote a full line of ECW products, including television programs, PPV events, live events and licensed consumer goods.
“After keeping the ECW concept alive and creating an enormous cult-like following for all things ECW from DVDs to PPV [events] to books, we feel that now the time is right to officially launch ECW as its own stand-alone franchise," WWE chairman Vince McMahon said in a prepared statement.
