Over the decades, WWE has played host to several championships, many of which undergo re-designs as the company wants a fresh look. This week, fans caught their first glimpse at a never-before-seen version of the ECW World Championship, over 14 years after the Extreme brand came to an end.
The reveal was featured on the WWE Vault YouTube channel, showcasing a silver-plated design with a nameplate for CM Punk. The Best in the World held the ECW Championship from September 2007 until January 2008, when he dropped the title to Chavo Guerrero.
Despite its striking look, the design never made it to television as the belt “was not received the same way it wanted to be received.” It’s also possible that the idea of the babyface CM Punk replacing the original ECW title design might have alienated fans nostalgic for the iconic Extreme brand.
Instead, WWE unveiled a revamped ECW Championship design during Mark Henry’s reign in July 2008. This silver-eagle design remained in use until the closure of WWE’s ECW in February 2010, paving the way for the rise of the original WWE NXT.