Pro Pain Pro Wrestling (3PW)

[5.0] "3PW always felt like a promotion caught between nostalgia and trying to find relevance, and unfortunately, it never fully carved out its own identity. While the shows occasionally delivered solid in-ring work; seeing talents like Chris Hero, Colt Cabana, CM Punk, and Ron Killings was definitely a draw--and there were fun, memorable moments (like Matt Striker's impersonations), it lacked a coherent vision. The reliance on ECW nostalgia gave it a certain appeal, but it also limited the promotion's ability to stand apart in an already crowded indie scene. Bringing in big names like Jerry Lawler, Curt Hennig, Kevin Sullivan, and Abdullah The Butcher may have seemed like a coup at the time, but it came at a financial cost and didn't translate into long-term sustainability. In hindsight, it's not surprising that 3PW ultimately struggled to maintain viability; it never truly found its own footing, and in the competitive wrestling landscape, that's a fatal flaw."

[1.0] "Poor production and poor match quality. I had one of their shows on DVD and at the time I loved everything ECW, everything hardcore but nah 3PW was boring and poor with talentless guys like New Jack main eventing."

[3.0] "3PW didn't really have it's own identity as a promotion, which made it very difficult for it to stand out in an already crowded wrestling market. There was some good wrestling on the shows occasionally, with the likes of Chris Hero, Colt Cabana, CM Punk and Ron Killings all showing up at different points, and there were also some fun gimmicks such as Matt Striker impersonating other wrestlers. However, the promotion just never found it's own voice and was mostly focused on ECW nostalgia, which meant it never really came close to troubling other companies in the area such as CZW and ROH, who did have their own flavour and niches that allowed them to foster a loyal fan base. 3PW was just never able to do that and it's not really surprising that it wasn't financially viable and ultimately didn't last, especially when you consider they were booking guys like Jerry Lawler, Curt Hennig, Kevin Sullivan, Abdullah The Butcher etc, who couldn't have come cheap"

[4.0] "Ah, yes. 3PW. The delightfully awkward, red-headed stepchild of ECW. Owned by the Blue Meanie & Jasmine St Clair. Need I say more?"

[2.0] "A promotion that sprung up in hopes of being the next big hardcore promotion to fill the hole, left by ECW's closure. 3PW happened to book many former ECW stars who weren't signed to WWE or elsewhere, but they also copied/tributed? many of ECW's famous spots, and it just comes off rather tacky. Some none-ECW Indy stars also wrestled there for a time, most notably AJ Styles. But for the most part it was a continuation of former feuds from ECW, with the 3PW belt getting passed around quite often. The TV show and presentation itself was rather poor, and the owners made sure they got airtime aswell."

[4.0] "The Blue Meanie's 3PW occupied a sort of half-way point of the post-2001 wrestling world, with one foot in the realm of ECW nostalgia and one in the burgeoning modern independent scene. It wasn't entirely successful, but alongside out-of-work ex-ECWers and legends there for a paycheck, some soon-to-be (or starting-to-be) notable names passed through its doors, including the likes of AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, CM Punk, Colt Cabana, Homicide, Matt Striker, Joey Matthews/Mercury and others. The overall quality of the shows was generally middling at best but it did feature the odd match worth seeking out, and it serves today as a somewhat interesting look at the wrestling world's attempts to move on from the losses of WCW and ECW."

[4.0] "3PW was a mish-mash Post-ECW Hardcore wrestling promotion that helped elevate both Joey Matthews (Joey Mercury) and Matt Striker before they joined WWE, but struggled to find its own identity or create its own stars. It more or less relied on ECW alumi who needed the work (elevating Gary "Pitbull#1" Wolfe to main event), Old-timers who were doing this either for the money or just for fun (Kevin Sullivan, Abdullah, Snuka, Funk & Lawler), CZW and JAPW wrestlers who wanted extra dates, WWE Tough Enough rejects (Greg Matthews from the original season), and some TNA guys who were under contract but still had the freedom to work the Indies. By far the best matches were done by the TNA guys - in particular AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels - who were performing like they were doing a Ring Of Honor show. The shows themselves were mostly below average. But when it had something good, it deserved to be seen."