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Post by bluedevil71 on Apr 23, 2006 16:55:40 GMT -5
WrestlingInc.com, Dave Meltzer and 1Wrestling.com all have reports on WWE's plan to relaunch ECW starting in September.
Paul Heyman and Tommy Dreamer will start out as the bookers behind the process.
Questions are as follows:
1) How many current WWE wrestlers who used to work in ECW will move over, if any?
2) How long will it take before McMahon moves somebody else in to replace Heyman and Dreamer as the bookers?
3) Will they get TV on USA sooner rather than later, if at all?
4) How watered down will it be from where it was prior to the WWE buyout?
Be interesting to see.
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Post by The Hammer on Apr 23, 2006 17:21:55 GMT -5
Its also being reported on PWinsider.com.
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Post by GarvinStomp on Apr 23, 2006 17:41:34 GMT -5
It sounds like all this will do is dilute the WWE product. Not that it is any good right now, but with WWE operating under 2 brands, Smackdown already is chocked full of jobbers and green wrestlers. This idea doesn't sound too good.
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Post by dogthuhoops2k on Apr 23, 2006 17:50:40 GMT -5
It might work... it could be in response to the MTV thingy they are trying in California.
I dont think the WWE will have trouble finding someone to air the "new" ECW. WWE's pockets are pretty deep... the target audience age group is teens to 34 -- which is the prime demo for tv. It'll be gritty and "cutting edge" which is the tradition of most network programming.
As far as who's going over....thats anyone's guess. I wager to say anyone not in a major push right now could be over there. Edge and Lita fit perfectly cosmetically into the picture. And I guess they can find wrestlers to have, as Jim Cornette says, "Flaming Dung Matches" .
It can't be anymore violent than some of the current network programming.
I'd say it stands a pretty good chance.
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Post by acezappa on Apr 23, 2006 21:41:56 GMT -5
Not to mention the fact that there are some rabid ECW fans out there chomping at the bit for this, too. I dunno what to think about it, myself. I'm not super familiar with it, but have seen soem stuff on it. It's definitely a lot more violent, and tends to veer further away from the wrestling, BUT it has also produced some great wrestlers (Eddie and Benoit and Jericho and RVD.) And with Heyman in control, it shold help it out. I'll check it out, but I'm not super pumped as some others about it. And I would wager there's a lot more people on this board that hated it than loved it, lol.
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Post by HardcoreHeroes on Apr 23, 2006 22:54:47 GMT -5
Not to mention the fact that there are some rabid ECW fans out there chomping at the bit for this, too. Yes, I am an ECW addict but, moreso, I think I'm just looking for ANY alternative to the crap that's on TV nowadays. |
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Post by WarToad on Apr 23, 2006 23:43:38 GMT -5
During the time I've been reading this board, I've noticed ECW getting a lot of heat for one reason or another. And understandably it wasn't or isn't for everyone. I was a loyal fan from pretty much the start. I've seen many video tapes from all over, been to many Indy shows here in the Northeast and plenty of NWA shows circa 86-87. I grew up watching late 70s early 80s WWF, fell in love with NWA (thanks for taking me to the shows mom)and also watched many AWA, World Class, UWF shows broadcast on TV. But there was something about attending a live ECW show, especially at the ECW Arena. There was nothing at all like it. It was an insane atmosphere. It seems like just yesterday going to the Arena for the monthly shows. I've seen many other ECW house shows at various places up here and it just wasn't the same as "The Arena". Sure there were solid matches, but the talent wasn't as into it. There was something about waiting in line for hours in the 20 degree weather for a show, or in the 90 degree Philly heat with people in line since 2pm with lawn chairs and coolers full of beer waiting for the doors to open at 7:30. Seeing the guys pull up to the Arena in the back parking lot, getting excited about who was on tap for that night, or seeing Sabu pull up in a cab with shorts, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat trying to figure out how to get in the building lol, priceless. Or seeing some poor drunk sap throw a cup full of beer in the ring and seeing the ex-football security guards pounce on the guy, beat his ass, then drag him out by his ear and get the Arena chant..."you dumb fuck..you dumb fuck"..haha God forbid you'd throw chair...eeek. The night Funk got buried with them wasn't fun.
Believe me, not all of the matches were these gimmick matches which made ECW famous or infamous? There was plenty of solid, very solid wrestling. Not all of it made it on TV, unfortunately. There were some great storylines. That building was electric, you just had to be there. There is NO way to understand it from a video tape or dvd. It was crazy being in a 1500 person capacity building with 2000 people elbow to elbow, and then hearing the opening notes of the theme song literally thumping through your body. I've seen sooo many awesome matches there. Not to mention some of the old school guys like Tully or Jack Victory or Funk or Bobby Eaton or some good bull rope matches with Dusty and Corino..with the action spilling into the bleachers and having Dusty blade at my feet (never did get the blood off my sneakers lol)..ah...the memories.
Then after the matches, going out into the south Philly night, hoping your car was still there or in one piece lol. Going to the 24hr diner or for a cheese steak. Do I think this new version will succeed? maybe. Do I think it will be any good? probably not. It will be a shell of it's former self or they will try too hard to make it something it's not or never was. It will NEVER be like it once was. If they TRY too hard, it will fail even quicker. Could it be a ploy to lure some of the old ECW guys back that are now in other federations? like TNA...who knows. Ok, rant over.
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Post by HardcoreHeroes on Apr 24, 2006 4:00:14 GMT -5
Then after the matches, going out into the south Philly night, hoping your car was still there or in one piece lol. Going to the 24hr diner or for a cheese steak. Ahh, Tony Luke's......nothing like it. I'll never forget my first trip to Philly for ECW, a year before the first PPV. I was hooked from the moment I walked into the Travelodge and there were wall-to-wall wrestling fans from all over. You're absolutely right about the atmosphere at the ECW Arena. I've never seen anything like that before, although I did have an opportunity to do some travelling and ECW had some of the most loyal fans all over the country. Allentown, Buffalo, Fort Lauderdale and Danbury come to mind as some of the more raucous and, for one show, Raleigh NC was absolutely WILD for ECW. The first ECW show near Charlotte was actually in Concord. About 1800 people packed into a gym where the fire marshal told us we could only sell 750 tickets. Don't ask me to incriminate myself, but thank heaven nothing happened that night. Those folks would never rent the building to ECW again but, for one night, it was magic. |
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Post by The Hammer on Apr 24, 2006 6:31:00 GMT -5
Then after the matches, going out into the south Philly night, hoping your car was still there or in one piece lol. Going to the 24hr diner or for a cheese steak. Don't ask me to incriminate myself, but thank heaven nothing happened that night. Those folks would never rent the building to ECW again but, for one night, it was magic. Ah, show some testicular fortitude and incriminate yourself Mr. bookerman. We are all family here. |
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Post by fredatl on Apr 24, 2006 15:43:47 GMT -5
I, too, am one of those rabid ECW fans. At the time, I was living in Tampa and I traveled all over to see the live shows including several cities in Florida (the PPVs in Ft.Lauderdale,) then off to Atlanta and even New Orleans!
Longing for are return to the old days, I even flew up to The Bingo Hall last year for the "Hardcore Reunion" show, and had a blast.
Will the new version capture the audience as they did in the 90's?? Naaa...but it will still be great to try and capture some of that excitement and magic.
Now, if they can get Kimona back (Kristina Laum aka Kimona Wanalaya (ECW) aka Leia Meow (WCW)), ...i'll die a happy man.
Fred, Atlanta now
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Post by POChrisNelson on Apr 26, 2006 11:55:44 GMT -5
Add me to the list of huge ECW fans. I don't know if this is going to work or not, the atmosphere of ECW during the late 90's was something I don't think will ever be matched again.
At least this will make me watch wrestling again, because I haven't seen anything in a long time, well pretty much since the One Night Stand from last year and the programming leading up to that.
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Post by ssteward on Apr 26, 2006 12:47:57 GMT -5
Personally, ECW is one of my favorite feds of all time, so I'm loving this idea. But I think for it to be successful, they have to get away from the WWE stigma. They need to completely seperate the two brands, and give ECW it's own identity. I don't think the idea of taping ECW prior to RAW + SD is a good one. It may save cost, but it would be better to give ECW it's own tv tapings to help re-establish it's identity and also the John Cena fans won't be bored with the likes of Tommy Dreamer. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
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Post by acezappa on Apr 26, 2006 15:22:15 GMT -5
I would expect that if it catches on, then it will eventually get it's own show. If it makes money, then Vince will do it. The only problem I see (and this from my limited exposure to ECW stuff) is that Vince has some pretty strict rules about high risk stuff. Most of the Cruiserweight guys don't get to do a lot of the high-flying spots, so I would be concerned as to just how extreme Vince will allow it to be. To really capture what the fans of this style loved initially, it's going to have to be pretty extreme. I do agree that it might suffer some to begin with with the pre-Raw and SD taping, because most of the "Cena fans" would absolutely hate it, lol. From what I have seen of the ECW era, it looks interesting, but ya gotta be reserved with Vince involved. I hope it does work, as I would love to have yet another night of wrestling to watch, lol!
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Post by The Hammer on Apr 26, 2006 15:32:32 GMT -5
I don't think its going to work, or should I say be allowed to work. Vince isn't going to let it outshine the WWE.
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Post by ozzsmith on Apr 26, 2006 21:44:52 GMT -5
ECW WAS THE ONLY FED WORTH WATCHING. I MISS THEM. THE ONLY WAY IT'LL WORK IS FOR TWO THINGS TO HAPPEN.
GIVE HEYMAN THE BOOK AND LET HIM HIRE TALENT. AND I'M THERE.....ECW ECW ECW
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