The company's first design for the belt, won first by Jimmy Snuka and then won the next day by Johnny Hot Body, was a near copy of the old Tri-State Wrestling Alliance (TWA) title belt. This likely is because of the short notice from the time TWA folded (early January 1992) and ECW's first show (February 25, 1992). Tod Gordon, ECW's founder, had been a minority owner (or at least financial backer) of TWA at the time the promotion closed.