‘Fancy’ Ryan Clancy Enters 2022 ECWA Super 8
The longest-running pro wrestling tournament in the United States takes place March 26.
At ECWA Super Clash in November, “Fancy” Ryan Clancy was announced as the first entrant in the 2022 Super 8. The young grappler earned that honor due to his performance in the Ultimate Rumble, lasting from No. 2 until the final two with eventual winner Joey Ace.
“Being a part of the 2022 ECWA Super 8 is something that is extremely important to me and was one of my foremost goals since I’ve started with ECWA,” “Fancy” Ryan Clancy told The Wrestling Estate. “The rich history behind the ECWA and the Super 8 in specific speaks for itself. You have competitors like Bryan Danielson, AJ Styles, Tony Nese, along with countless others who have made a name for themselves and been given such a beautiful opportunity with this tournament. I’m incredibly grateful to take part in the 2022 iteration and I’ve worked incredibly hard to get here.”
A trainee of both the Storm Wrestling Academy, as well as Team Adams, the aristocrat is quickly making a name for himself on the independent scene. In addition to winning numerous titles in the World Wide Wrestling Alliance, Ryan Clancy has competed throughout the Northeast. In February, he’ll embark on his first tour in the United Kingdom.
“The nickname ‘Fancy’ was given to me not due to my lifestyle outside the ring, but because of my incredible acumen, poise and precision inside of the ring,” he says. “Not only is my name being added to the list of competitors I mentioned prior, but I look ahead to seeing ‘Fancy’ Ryan Clancy going down on that list of Super 8 winners.”
The 26th edition of the one-night tournament takes place March 26 at The Jersey Dugout in Morganville, NJ.
For a quarter century, the ECWA Super 8 Tournament has become a launching pad for undiscovered, up-and-coming talents to get noticed throughout the industry. Previous winners include former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, former MLW World Heavyweight Champion Low Ki, former ROH World Champion Christopher Daniels, seven-time WWE Tag Team Champion Xavier Woods and many other notable names.
In recent years, the Super 8 has propelled participants into MLW. Richard Holliday won the 2018 tourney and the Von Erichs competed in the Legacy tourney, which featured all second and third-generation wrestler. Even if you don’t take home the trophy, an impressive showing in the tournament can raise your stock. A who’s who of wrestling luminaries have competed in the event, such as Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, the Hardy Boyz, and Sami Callihan.
“In the tumultuous world of professional wrestling and the ever-changing landscape, the Super 8 remains,” says ECWA figurehead Joe Zanolle. “It’s the oldest and longest-running tournament in pro wrestling in the United States, period. Times have changed and there have been tweaks here and there, but at the core the Super 8 has always been about excellence in professional wrestling.
Now it’s about history and tradition. Current talent grew up on the tournament, reading about it in the pages of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, hoping one day to compete in it. The Super 8 didn’t invent the pro wrestling tournament, but it’s safe to say it popularized it and set the standard. The greatest compliment is that other wrestling promotions across the country have hosted and patterned their own tournaments after the Super 8. It’s this impact that is the ultimate legacy of the Super 8 in the wrestling business.”
The Wrestling Estate has been the go-to media source for ECWA Super 8 coverage for the past four years. In addition to live event reports, we’ve broken the news on the participants, as we will this year, too. In 2021, we published a comprehensive history of the tournament, featuring comments and memories from many past participants and ECWA founder Jim Kettner.
The 26th Annual Super 8 takes place Saturday, March 26, at The Jersey Dugout in Morganville, NJ.
For tickets and more information, visit ecwaprowrestling.com.
You can also join the ECWA Pro Wrestling Facebook group for the latest news, match announcements, promos and more.
Check back with The Wrestling Estate for live coverage of the 26th annual ECWA Super 8.
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