Wwecw...Will It Ever Get Better! (the Rant Thread)

[markatisu]

That may be the case Brent but I think it would be more interesting if Show defended against some other people besides every heavyweight that has ever stepped foot in a WWE ring.

The glass is half full or half empty approach to WWECW is just going to lead to heartbreak, I could sit here and defend everything Vince and Paul do till I go blue in the face and it would not make the product better.

I dont really think TNA would fold, its a lot more solid then ECW was and there are way too many people in it that hate WWE where they would take less money just to work elsewhere. Where are people like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Ron Killings going to get featured if not TNA?? I mean dont get me wrong I am anything but a hardcore TNA fan but they are just on better footing and if they can take advantage of the purely pathetic and anemic state of TV wrestling in the US at the moment they could make some serious headway.

I mean the production costs are cheap enough (they use the same place over and over its not like they travel much if at all for TV), they have decent views for their PPV and DVD sales can keep them affloat. I would not be surprised at all if they added another hour in the future because they are using the WCW model which ONLY failed because of poor management and HUGE contracts. WCW would have never folded if they werent bleeding from talents paychecks, it is a known fact the only reason Turner got rid of them is because it was losing money and those inside the organization despised it, it was a completely different reason then say ECW which had no money and checks were bouncing.

I mean RVD is great but if they are letting Show slaughter everybody till his return it doesnt make him greater because thats not the type of wrestler he is. RVD has always gotten over with his in-ring skills and when allowed his promos.

The minute he was given the World Title they tried to change his character, we saw some horrible promos mixed in with some great ones and his in-ring skills were dramatically limited against the likes of Cena (I have seen RVD matches against random Mexican wrestlers that were more intense) because he had to tiptoe around wrestling one of WWE's current insurance policies and could not do anything ground breaking.

As for Rhyno, he has never been a massive star and has gone through recent changes like losing his marriage so I highly doubt even if he had remained nice to Vince it would matter, the minute he ever returned to WWE anyway he would have been buried as there are 10 people all the time in WWE doing his squash/gore style gimmick.

They could not actually pull out the ECW belt but you knew it was a belt, as for the real factor I have no doubt in mind its real because when ECW folded it was not like Vince bought it the next day, the belts were made many times and I am sure the one Paul has is every bit as real as the one Rhyno owns. Remember Flair in WCW owned the World Belt and took it with him which is what started all this BS about champs loosing the belt before leaving an org, WCW had to pay him $75,000 to buy it back.

Plus I leave you with one thought...."Extreme Rules"....that in itself is going to destroy the new WWECW lol

[cp32]

Kerry Von Erich on Saturday night's main event? What was with that ?

[WEW3]

I thought last night show was very good until the Smackdown main event. This could turn into the WCW of the mid-90s with the great undercard and the sucky main event. It wasn't surprising as your'e not going to reinvent the wheel with Show vs Taker. Sabu actually wrestling was unusual to see.

[markatisu]

I was surprised to see them change up the format but then as could be expected BOTH the main event with Smackdown stars and a DQ, 2 weeks of DQ's using a promotion that had that many in 10 years, way to care about the history Vince you ***

I was actually thinking it might be turning into something decent but then the ugly head of Vince K McMahon creative team shines through

-Where is CM Punk, tired of him doing promos let him wrestle and allow him to show what made him so great and talented in Ring Of Honor!

-Drop the stupid *** stripper, she will never go far due to FCC so just stop it, allow the wrestlers to showcase the "Extreme" of wrestling

-Tag Teams anyone?? Hello is this thing on?

-3 sub par matches in 1hr?? I am a fan of long matches and not WWE typical 5min squash or hackfests but god make the matches interesting or just crown Test and Knox some kind of champion already, we get it they rule and are going to be Paul E's boys (I woke up in a time warp an its WCW circa 1989-93 ha ha). Paul E should come out to the ring with a big 90's cell phone...I am sure real fans would get the joke.

-For the love of god fire whoever's dumb *** thought up "Extreme Rules".....horrible concept. If they are going to use that then just call it WWE and allow the "Hardcore Title" to be re-used and fought over

[WEW3]

I forget, what were the two DQs in ECW. I remember the one that Francine bit Funk's ear ala Mike Tyson, but don't remember the other one. I'm already resigned to the fact that ECW is just an initial. IMO Raw should be the show with the stupid skits(they're already there), Smackdown should be the wrestling show, and ECW should be a combo type show(since we are not going to get the original). The ECW show really needs to be 2hrs so there can be more depth and use of the talent that they have mixed in with the stuff they want to promote.

[markatisu]

The other one was at ECW Big *** Extreme Bash 3/9/96, Chris Jericho won, via DQ, over Taz

I would not be surprised if they increase WWECW to 2hrs, TNA is about to add another hour and there is nothing on Sci-Fi stopping them.

[markatisu]

I just saw the main event is Big Show vs Kane lol, hopefully it ends in a clean pin not another DQ and that Kane actually does some moves rather than being slow and dead like UT was.

So does anyone but former ECW stars get a title shot?

I wonder who Big Show will face next week? I mean who in the WWE has not been big for a while ha ha ha ha ha

[WEW3]

I think they said in the promo it was No CO and No DQ. I think there's going to be a lot of shuffling soon with all the brands, since the health/drug testing they've been doing has been leaving Smackdown depleted of talent. Not to mention injuries and mystery suspensions haven't helped.

[cp32]

I recorded it. didnt watch it yet.. Just suck so hard anymore. Hard to sit through an entire episode. Which is sad. I m watching ECW 95 then watching now.. Sad Just sad.

I was telling mark. I completely forgot about the Ultimate Weeny Being in ECW. The Warrior is just plain scary nuts lol He believes he is the character. lol Visit his website sometime lol

Anywho, Jungle JIM AKA UMW got the crap kicked out of him by 911 .. Too funny .

Original Pittbulls. Not these bunch of knuckle heads you see now. ECW standards sure has dropped in value. It's depressing & predictable as any other WWE show.

It's like a bad car wreck. You know it's bad. Yet, you have to look anyways.

[WEW3]

Yesterday's show wasn't that bad. Big Show is getting good at bleeding. Must be getting tips from Dusty. I'm amazed that they're booking the last 20 minutes for Big Show's matches. I'd rather see him slaughter someone in 5 min then watch one of his plodding giant matches.

Next week is gonna be really interesting coming from the Hammerstein Ballroom. Those fans will reject WWECW with a passion if it's on the roll it's on.

[markatisu]

well CM Punk debuts next week and I have a feeling that WWE is going to step it up a notch since TNA is pitting Somoa Joe vs Rhino this Thursday no doubt to lead to Somoa Joes push to the NWA Belt.

I know WWE does not consider TNA much competition but with all the stars in RAW sucking, Smackdown getting suspended or fired (this week alone 4 Smackdown stars are either out with injury or suspended), ECW could really get over.

I have said all along that WWECW needed only a few changes, we saw last night the Test and Knox team up which WEW and I both said like 13 replies ago would be the only way to get them over especially using Kelly Kelly as their manager.

I just "hope" that they dont water down CM Punk, he is great in ROH but I have read they are limiting him in house shows (most likely to keep him from injury)..so it will be interesting to see what we get

I have already given up on WWECW but I tune in every week I think like everyone else to see if Vince finally gets it and makes the changes he needs to make, it is interesting though that when Vince and HHH are removed from the situtaion WWE programming is better all around. RAW was actually tolerable if not somewhat decent this past Monday when Vince was out

[WEW3]

I like Samoa Joe. He stands out. He doesn't have a great build, but he looks like he could mess you up. I think WWE should make like the 80s and start stealing people who don't have contracts. I think Monty Brown's is up next month and I think Joe is getting paid per appearances and doesn't have a contract.

WWE is really health conscious now. I think Matt Hardy still had a touch of a staph infection and he is getting pulled off for a little while. I guess it's a good thing, but I like it when the wrestlers throw caution to the wind at times, especially the cruisers.

Yeah taking a break from the McMahons and HHH for a week was definitely a good thing. I'm surprised that I'm actually looking forward to HBK vs Umaga.

Who would have thought seven weeks and counting without a tag match? That's got to be some kind of record for a wrestling show.

[MOTUfan]

HEYMAN COMMENTS ON NEW ECW

The Lilsboys of the UK Sun interviewed Paul Heyman in the latest edition of the newsletter. The following are key highlights:

-Regarding the creative process of ECW: "In this company the buck stops with Vince McMahon. You could have one person pitching to Vince or 100 people pitching to Vince... it all stops with him... I don't mind if I'm putting my ideas up against 50 other people, because I understand the audience better than anybody else so my pitches should be better than all of theirs. And if they're not then we'll go in that other direction. The way things work with ECW is that I have a staff, but I am the person responsible for presenting the ideas - whether they're mine or not - in a concise form to Vince McMahon. Then we discuss the show and take it from there."

-On the panning to the first ECW TV show: "We were all disappointed with how the first TV show went. But that was to be expected going in. We were taking a concept that revolutionized the entire industry in the 1990s and had achieved the status of urban myth. Now you're bringing ECW fast-forward into 2006, with only two shows since its collapse at the beginning of 2001 and the rebirth in June 2006. So that's five and a half years with only two shows and not enough time for anyone to adjust to the new concepts and direction of ECW. This is beyond the old expressions of "growing pains" or "a work in progress", this was a dramatically different concept. Of course coming out of the gate we were going to stumble on that first night, because even those with a clear vision of it had so much baggage attached it makes things very difficult. Any other television show would take a year just to put a pilot on the air. And we went from being an Internet concept to a big television show in under two months. So we lacked that time to adjust."

-On today's ECW compared to Raw and Smackdown: "I think the new vision of ECW is culturally the same as it used to be. We want to be ahead of the curve. We want to have the most compelling and realistic characters. By way of example, C.M. Punk is someone whose debut is so highly anticipated, based on the fact that the interviews we've aired are so real, articulate and intelligent. They're not over the top, 1980s, "I'm going to kick your ***, brother" kind of promos. Shannon Moore and even The Vampire also represent huge audiences out there that are into those concepts and lifestyles. Another thing is we don't deny the influence of Mixed Martial Arts, which is huge on a worldwide basis but is different to anything on Raw or Smackdown right now. The cruiserweights on Smackdown have been tempered - but in ECW we're going to go all out with them. So the difference in ECW to the 1990s is simply recognizing where that cultural shift is and playing to it."

-On expanding ECW's roster: "I don't think we have enough cruiserweights in ECW and I have been having discussions with cruiserweights around the world about bringing them in. They include some of the best wrestlers people have ever, or never, seen before. We are picking our spot to debut them at the right time and in the right place. I am a huge fan of Dragon Gate in Japan, but I am not limited to just their tapes. I am looking at guys from all over the place. I can't give you any names because I know Raw and Smackdown will steal them away - it's a corporate culture of sharks in that writers' room!"

-He also said they are planning an ECW-only PPV right now, RVD's 30 day suspension isn't much of a sidetrack, and he encouraged fans unhappy with the new ECW to let their voices be heard.

[markatisu]

I read that interview earlier today and at least he admits there are problems. I really hope he can get the Dragon Gate and other cruisers in here, one thing that was incredible about ECW originally was they gave a chance to the Mexican and Japanese wrestlers that would not get over in WWF and WCW because they could not speak english well but their matches were incredible.

ROH just had an event using some Dragon Gate members and it is being hailed as one of the best matches of the year, so good the commentators stopped and just let the action speak for itself.

[MOTUfan]

I mean the guy is trying he seems to be the head booker then has to report everything to Vince to either go with it or veto it. I mean sadly his hands are tied. He has a awesome great paying job, he could no more rebel and quit now that he has a family, many people on other sites have said he just needs to quit WWE altogether and start his own promotion again. BUT Heyman in charge of everything is awesome, well except the bank book that is.

I still have faith after reading these interviews by Paul.

Brent

[cp32]

I like the old saying " Action speaks louder than words."

So here's hoping for a better ECW

[MOTUfan]

Credit: Dave Scherer, PWInsider.com audio update

While it is not official it is almost 100% known behind the scenes that Sci-Fi will be picking up ECW for their full-time schedule. Internally Sci-Fi has agreed to pick up the show. WWE has moved foward with clearances in Canada and Australia and working deals elsewhere and of course the pay-per-view in December so if its not going to be on for good, it will at least be on Sci-Fi for a while. While many fans may disagree with cross promotion with Raw, Sci-Fi and USA love it because they feel it brings in the audience that watches Raw.

[markatisu]

"While many fans may disagree with cross promotion with Raw, Sci-Fi and USA love it because they feel it brings in the audience that watches Raw."

That quote just makes me laugh, of course it brings in the audience that watches RAW there is NOTHING else to watch

I mean no offense but to quote Waiting "its like being the smartest in a class full of down syndrome kids"....when you are the only thing on TV thats not an accomplishment, in fact if you dont get good ratings it just means your product is crap....ECW will almost always pull a 2.0 for the sheer fact nobody has anything better to do lol

[markatisu]

OK now its getting ridiculous

Big Show vs. Batista for the ECW title live on Tuesday from NY

it is going to have to end in DQ or some kind of interference, I just cant see Batista giving Show a clean finish especially since he is just back from injury and being pushed on Smackdown

[MOTUfan]

I definately have to agree this is horrible lol. The fans at the Hammerstein Ballroom are going to crap all over the match.

I think RVD will be the one to intervine in this match as I beileve his 30 days are up at this event

Here is a bit from pwtorch.com on this main event with Wade Kellers reaction:

-During The Score's broadcast of Smackdown tonight in Canada, they announced next week on ECW TV on Sci-Fi, Big Show will defend against Batista. The "guest stars" continue to roll through the new Tuesday show and the ratings continue to be strong as a result. WWE will try to top last week's 2.4 rating, which grew throughout the show (beginning with a 2.2 in Q1 and ending with a 2.5 in Q4, with a 3.0 overrun rating). Also noteworthy, it was the no. 1 ranked show among male teens and total teens among all shows on cable or broadcast TV. It was the no. 2 show overall, behind only FX's "Rescue Me" (although only by 26,000 homes out of 2.8 million homes). [Thanks to PWTorch.com reader Devin Cutting of www.ProWrestlingEvents.tk]

KELLER ANALYSIS: The overrun rating for the first ECW show drew a 3.2, and this week's was no. 2 in the series history with a 3.0. I'd be surprised if Big Show vs. Batista didn't top the 3.2 overrun rating. I'll predict 3.5 (which enters the range of Raw's average viewership). WWE is in the midst of negotiations for a renewal with Sci-Fi, so hot-shotting some big ratings appears to be a potential negotiating move. There is always a risk of overexposing PPV caliber matches on TV, but Big Show was hardly considered a singles wrestler PPV draw until he moved to the top of ECW, where he has had a streak of surprising good matches against a wide variety of opponents over the past month.