BIG NEWS: ECW appears to be coming to an end

[And I'm Awesome]

It is most certainly time to rename the brand. ECW made some sense back when the ECW Originals were with the company, even though it was a bastardized and watered down ECW. Change the name, yes. As to making it a 'B' show? Well...there are possibilities there. If they did opt to make ECW a new 'B' show for RAW and Superstars a 'B' show for SmackDown, then I think they need to have a few alterations...Do away with the ECW title or any variation on it. Bring back the European Title and a TV Title to be the titles on each 'B' show, and keep those as the only titles on there...The biggest star to show up on a 'B' show should be the US or IC Champion, and then only to talk smack or wrestle non-title matches. Being able to put more midcarders on TV on 'B' shows would let WWE focuse more on the World/WWE and IC/US titles on the 'A' shows.

I know people will hate these ideas...however, if WWE is going to go this route, then I feel they need to go this way to use it to the max.

 

[jazzua]

I know that the whole concept of ECW is to develope the younger talent. However, often, it's my favorite show of the week. I had never paid much attention to the show before Christian returned but since have tried my best to catch it. I really don't care what they call the show. It doesn't matter. It's surely not the ECW of old. The style is completely WWE and won't change. It reminds me of when people complain about Vince buying WCW and then not attempting to put it on the air as it's own show. I've even caught this in a few interviews of wrestlers from time to time. Problem is, it's Vince we're talking about here. It would eventually become exactly like the current product he is producing. Ask yourself, is it competition if it's the exact same thing? With ECW he tried, kind of, at the start. He had Heyman, and alot of the key players but as stated above it just became another version of everything else he had in place. I say rename it, or don't, who cares.

Personally, I like Lord Sidious' idea of splitting Tuesdays and Thursdays between Raw and Smackdown. The difference is I kind of enjoy the young gun aspect to the show so I would like to see that remain. There is plenty of young talent in WWE and I kind of enjoy them having a show to themselves to perform. Hunger for success vs Hunger for success only means good things. Also, there is evidence that it has it's merit. Punk, Morrison, Miz, Swagger, and Bourne all went through ecw. Minus the latter two, all of their spots are alive and well.

In the end you just have to ask yourself if it's that big of a deal? Anyone who thinks they are hurting the legacy of ECW is wrong. They aren't hurting anything any more. If they actually did any damage it was done a long time ago. Whatever they do now is just another barb on the wire. Any real fan knows that it isn't the same, in fact, Vince does too. It's not "Extreme Championship Wrestling", it's ECW. Do I have a problem with them using the name? Not really. But I also don't care if they don't. I just wonder what they would do with the ECW title? What would the new title be named? I would assume the new name of the show would be something like, "Intensity", or some shit. So would Christian become the champion of intensity?

 

[jazzua]

Assign the new show to Raw.

Assign WWE Superstars to Smackdown.

In essence, we would be re-creating the old concepts of WWF Superstars (for Smackdown) and WWF Wrestling Challenge (for Raw).

That way, each Brand has a second show to work with talent not featured as often on TV. That way, they can ALSO use these shows to debut new talent, as well. But they would not be considered WWE Developmental shows. But they would be the "B" shows for each Brand.
QUOTE]


Don't mean to gripe here, but could you explain the difference here? What's the difference in your mind between a development show and a "B" show for each brand that will focus primarily on new talent and also talent that is not featured on the main shows as often? That is exactly what the current ECW is used for. Not everyone on ECW is brand new. Granted, that is the main use, but you have to wonder if painting the pig black really makes it anything other than a pig, painted black? Whether you call it a development show or a "B" show, it's going to serve the same purpose. You are going to have two shows every week that contain mainly wrestlers who don't see any or barely any time on your main shows for the week. These wrestlers will mostly be younger, newer performers or performers still trying to find their footing. To me it sounds very similar to a development show. Technically, one could argue that all WWE shows are developmental shows.

 

[PEP3]

Once again, I'm going to echo what I've already heard from a (fairly significant) portion of other posters. ECW's weekly Tuesday night broadcast, in my eyes, is one of the more -- if not the single most -- entertaining of the week. I personally really enjoy seeing a weekly one-hour telecast dedicated to only a handful of performers. It allows almost every storyline on the show to be developed each week, gives an opportunity for most of the roster to perform, permits newcomers to get their feet wet, learn the business and build a reputation, and actually puts on match-for-match probably the best wrestling show in WWE.

People haggling over the name is pointless. Even the WWE isn't the same product it was 10 years ago, so why worry whether or not ECW is? Further, I actually really like the fact that the show goes by the three-letter acronym, as is most common in pro wrestling historically. I think it's stupid referring to the Smackdown! World Champion and the RAW! World Champion. The titles have swapped brands so often, I can barely recall which refers to which lineage (one is the former WWF title, the other the former WCW title, but I couldn't tell you which without really sitting down to think of it).

Adding another one hour hodge-podge/recap/overview/filler show isn't going to be prosperous for anyone involve. If I wanted to see a low-rent RAW/Smackdown! run-off show, I'd watch Superstars. Since that shit bores me to tears, I skip it. ECW is actually something unique, new and, in its own way, special. Despite being owned by WWE, it's quite successfully captured some of the feel of a small regional company, yet it plays out on a national stage. I'd hate to see WWE scrap that! Besides, it's the one show where I'm absolutely certain to not get Cena and bad D-X comedy shit forced down my throat. That, in itself, is all the reason I need to hope it lives a nice, long time.

 

[Why Always Me]

The re-named ECW and Superstars need to become the B-show for Raw and Smackdown respectively, like Heat and Velocity used to be.

They should not be used as re-cap shows though, it should be an hour of solid wresting, 4 to 5 matches cud easily be shown per show.

As for the ECW title, it shud be unified with the World Heavyweight title, would love to see Edge return and become World champ and feud with Christian to unify the two titles.

 

[JBK2008]

ECW has done a really nice job so far of getting the new talent exposed and the sink or swim notion and has had some duds, but also has had some success. Veterans have joined the brand from Raw and Smackdown to help polish and train these guys into the future stars of the business and it's coming full circle. CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, The Miz, and Jack Swagger have all come out pretty well. Christian is a solid ECW Champion and is keeping interest in the product along with Regal, Goldust, Shelton and Dreamer.

The current format shouldn't be changed as it has done a fairly well job now that it's in the right direction and shouldn't be changed too drastically.

 

[Avrusha92]

I think the WWE is doing a very stupid, pointless move. Having another similar show like superstars instead of ECW is just really stupid. ECW is a great wrestling show that develops talent, and i think the fans are already used to the three initials E.C.W no matter what it stands for, let it be Entertainment Championship Wrestling who cares? as long as it isn't some pointless show like Superstars.

 

[goodlay]

Yeah, I don't really get the point of another Superstars type show. Hell, I think Superstars by itself is useless. So I can tune in and watch filler matches that couldn't even make it on Raw or Smackdown? No thanks. Plus ECW is unique because it's good to watch to see the up and coming guys in the WWE. I don't care if they rename it, whatever, as long as it isn't another Superstars type show, as I see that is really a waste of time.