What were Vince's real intentions for ECW?

[Ambiguous Turd]

This was a topic I got in a heated debate with a Moderator over some time ago.

With ECW's time coming to an end, looking back in retrospect, what do you think Vince's real intentions were with ECW?

1) Do you think he wanted a watered-down version of ECW to succeed, that would have ALSO been used to feature occasional newer talent?

or

2) Do you think he had intended to bait and switch his audience from the get-go .. tricking the ECW fans into thinking he was giving them the ECW of old ... only to turn it around into the Developmental Show we have today?


Some other questions to consider:

Did he intend for ECW to be a true third viable stand-alone Brand from the start?

Was calling the show "ECW" really worth it? Was there a payoff, all things considered? Or do you think he could have just as easily got the show to where it is today, without having have had to call the show "ECW"?

Lastly ... do you agree with making the show a Developmental Show or do you think it SHOULD HAVE been a true third viable Brand.


Who knows what the answer to what Vince's intentions are? The best we can do is form our own opinions.

I will say that I think Vince truly wanted the watered-down version of ECW to succeed. It did not succeed, and Vince had personality conflicts with Paul Heyman backstage. As a result of this, Vince wanted to force Heyman out of the company, just to set an example to Paul. The straw that broke the camel's back was when Vince McMahon blamed Paul Heymand for the December to Dismember PPV, when Heyman was only doing his best to enact Vince's vision of the ECW product (something Heyman was not in favor of).

Despite Stephanie McMahon, of all people, coming to Heyman's defense, Vince McMahon made Paul Heyman the scapegoat, and got rid of him.

Knowing full well that Heyman would be furious, and that a watered down version of ECW was not going to be accepted by the ECW fans ... Vince then decided to take the show in a different direction, and made it into a training and developmental show. He kept the ECW name for the purpose of Brand familiarity to lure fans into the show ...while occasionally giving them a rare Extreme Rules match, as a way to throw a bone to them. And as this version of ECW came to light, ratings dropped every year.

It is important to note that the original version of WWECW actually produced ratings higher than what Smackdown was currently doing at the time ... basically proving to Vince that fans WANTED the original ECW back. But he disappointed them, and it became a disaster.

The show is really no different today than your average C Show ... simply with assigned wrestlers.

Looking at the end result at what ECW is today, no I don't think it was worth going through what Vince did with calling this show "ECW" because he could have very easily got a third show to the point it is today without calling it that.

I feel he did want ECW to truly be a third viable stand-alone Brand because he was running ECW stand-alone cards on House Shows. But when Vince decided he couldn't give the fans the original ECW, attendance languished at these shows, many drawing less than 1,000 people.

Eventually, after December to Dismember and likely furious that fans were NOT accepting Bobby Lashley as champion, getting rid of Paul Heyman, and so forth, he essentially gave up on making the Brand a true third Brand.

As for today, I don't favor a developmental brand on WWE television. I feel that is what FCW, House Shows, and dark matches at TV are for. I'd rather see them make the two minor shows into "B" shows, one for each of the main brands. And they can still use these shows to feature new talent when they debut.

Now, what do you think Vince's real intentions for ECW were, from the get-go?

 

[tornadof86]

all vince cares about is money now-a-days so i think he brought back ecw just to trick the fans into thinking it was going to be just like the old ecw and when he earned their trust, he screwed them over by turning it into a developmental show. by doing that ecw went from extreme championship wrestling --->ecw--->extremely crappy wrestling. vince doesn't care about ecw or it's fans which is why he did it that way.

 

[Tenta]

Hmm.... Sid, I'm not sure if you're a history major, but this is definitely more a question that arises between functionalists and intentionalists. I think what this question boils down to is simple; you’re questioning whether or not Vince wanted ECW to succeed or fail.

And let me say exactly why I feel this way. I hope you don't take it as an accusation sir, as I don't think you're accusing Vince of sabotaging ECW. However, you're offering up two theories for us to ponder.

A. Either Vince did intend to water down ECW, though not to the level it’s reached now. While Vince wanted to keep some remnants of ECW alive, he also had an agenda to build rising stars on ECW. This would imply that, at least, Vince wanted ECW to succeed, though under the policies in which he had created

Or.

B. Vince knew that ECW was going to fail, and in knowing such a thing, he planned to bait his viewers in with the promise of a resurrected ECW, knowing full well he was only planning to highlight his wrestler’s that had difficulty getting over.

And to be quite honest, I find it hard to believe that Vince would go into something knowing it was going to fail. I may have a lot of personal feelings that Vince is a prick, and egomaniacal, but one thing I’d never question is that the guy is a good businessman. The guy wouldn’t put his backing into something he knew he would fail, and deep down in his heart, there had to be some type of reasoning in his mind that ECW was going to succeed. Now, it may have been watered down, but I don’t actually think that comes from any fault of Vince. I personally feel that Vince was smart, and realized something that true ECW fans realize; that there will never be another ECW, and that Vince could only hope to rebrand ECW, mainly to offer his audience something different from Raw and Smackdown. And for a good portion of time, I legitimately believe Vince tried that. Giving the ball to RVD, to me, shows that Vince had intentions of at least trying to keep loyal to ECW, without trying too hard to recreate the feel of ECW. Even in the Big Show’s reign, I can’t help but feel as though Vince really did try to separate the brand from other shows. Now, when Paul left, as you alluded to, that was the last blow on Vince’s belief that he could stay at least relatively loyal to ECW. And when that happened, Vince changed his mind on what he wanted to do with ECW.

Now, the argument is going to be, “why did Vince run Paul out then?” Well, it’s simple; Vince has a huge ego, and doesn’t like when his employees conflict with his opinions. And when that happens, Vince acts upon petty emotion, and acts irrationally. That, I feel, was the case here, and I can see that exactly being why Vince kicked Paul out.


In short, I’d have to state that I side with a Functionalist here, and say this wasn’t Vince’s intention at all. This all came about through sheer misfortune, that otherwise caused Vince to turn down this road.

 

[johnbragg]

Did he intend for ECW to be a true third viable stand-alone Brand from the start?

Sure. He saw the money that the Rise and Fall of ECW DVD made, the ECW One Night Stand PPVs did. He had picked up the ECW tape library and trademarks. He had Paul Heyman under contract.

If he didn't want ECW to succeed, he didn't have to revive ECW. He could have run One Night Stand once and called it a great farewell to ECW. He didn't revive WCW, World Class, AWA, Bill Watts' UWF, or a half-dozen territories whose names and tape libraries he owns.

It didn't work, because I don't think Vince McMahon is capable of delegating effectively, and so ECW couldn't be an alternative to Raw and Smackdown, just as Smackdown couldn't be left to be successful under Heyman and had to be made more like Raw. (My Opinion)

Was calling the show "ECW" really worth it? Was there a payoff, all things considered? Or do you think he could have just as easily got the show to where it is today, without having have had to call the show "ECW"?

No, it wasn't. I think everyone realized that the experiment was failing/had failed when December To Dismember was an artistic, financial and organizational failure, with Heyman walking out and Lashley getting the belt.

WWE easily could have had a developmental show as successful as ECW is. Hell, they could have taken OVW TV national with a late Saturday night timeslot and gotten 1.0 ratings and given Cena, Batista, Orton, Nick Dinsmore, the Bashams etc. a little boost coming in to the main shows.

I remember people talking on message boards about taking Sunday Night Heat, which had started with solid ratings and faded, and handing it over for twelve weeks at a time to different guys to see what they came up with--Raven, Foley, Arn Anderson, whoever. That wouldn't have been developmental TV so much as experimental TV, but it's a related idea.

Lastly ... do you agree with making the show a Developmental Show or do you think it SHOULD HAVE been a true third viable Brand.

Plan A was for (WW)ECW to succeed. Succeeding is always better than failing.

Vince should have given Heyman a budget, worked out what resources and support Heyman needed from WWE Corporate (cable access, PPV spots, production crews, venue contracts, I don't know what) and then given Heyman autonomy, renewable at set periods. To succeed, ECW would have had to have felt different than Raw or Smackdown.

It should have had its own tapings, even if they were in small venues, even if you had one taping every two or three weeks. That way you would have a chance at having an "ECW crowd."

But by the beginning of 2007, it was clear to everyone that the WWECW experiment was a failure. Heyman, Angle and Big Show were gone. (I thought RVD and Sabu were already gone by then, but wikipedia says they were still there until May-June 2007) The ECW magic had not made Test and Hardcore Holly anything but steppingstones for rookies on the way up. Ratings had dropped below the 2.0 mark after the first week of September and never got there again.

Left amidst the wreckage was a roster of a handful of rookies, a handful of ECW Originals and a few stray midcarders-for-life, enough for a one-hour show, and either a binding contract with SciFi and USA Networks or at the very least a valuable business relationship.

So what the hell do you do with that one hour on TV?

Plan B made ECW a pure developmental show.

Now, that worked. Morrison, Miz, Punk, Kofi, Swagger have all benefited from ECW. I think MAtt Hardy benefited from his run as ECW Champion. Mark Henry and Kane didn't really benefit, but maybe that proves something about them at this stage of their careers.

I'd rather see them make the two minor shows into "B" shows, one for each of the main brands.

How would a new Heat or Velocity show be better than this?

As for today, I don't favor a developmental brand on WWE television. I feel that is what FCW, House Shows, and dark matches at TV are for.

How can you learn to have a feud on major WWE television at house shows, on dark matches or in front of a few dozen fans in Florida? It's not just about how to work a match, is it? It's about developing a story over the course of weeks or even months of repeated interactions in front of the fans.

Someone asked if I was a Sidious alt on another thread. I'm asking if Sidious is a closet ROHbot?

 

[chrisjeric0]

I do not believe it was ever Vince's intent to give the true ECW fans what they wanted. In the beginning when Heyman was still around it seemed like Heyman had Vince's ear enough to push what ECW really was through. It was obvious from the beginning that Vince wanted to lure the old fans in beginning with having an event at one of ECW's greatest venues, the Hammerstein Ball Room. He still had "harcore" matches with current and new talent, however he never was going to give the true ECW fans something to be happy about. Maybe if Vince held ECW every week at the Hammerstein Ball Room with the 1,500-2,000 fans it holds and provided them with at least half a show of "old" ECW matches and talent and the other half pushing newer younger talent through, maybe it would have been a success. I know I would have enjoyed it and also would have attended many events being close to Hammerstein.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

Hmm.... Sid, I'm not sure if you're a history major, but this is definitely more a question that arises between functionalists and intentionalists. I think what this question boils down to is simple; you’re questioning whether or not Vince wanted ECW to succeed or fail.

And let me say exactly why I feel this way. I hope you don't take it as an accusation sir, as I don't think you're accusing Vince of sabotaging ECW. However, you're offering up two theories for us to ponder.

A. Either Vince did intend to water down ECW, though not to the level it’s reached now. While Vince wanted to keep some remnants of ECW alive, he also had an agenda to build rising stars on ECW. This would imply that, at least, Vince wanted ECW to succeed, though under the policies in which he had created

Or.

B. Vince knew that ECW was going to fail, and in knowing such a thing, he planned to bait his viewers in with the promise of a resurrected ECW, knowing full well he was only planning to highlight his wrestler’s that had difficulty getting over.

And to be quite honest, I find it hard to believe that Vince would go into something knowing it was going to fail. I may have a lot of personal feelings that Vince is a prick, and egomaniacal, but one thing I’d never question is that the guy is a good businessman. The guy wouldn’t put his backing into something he knew he would fail, and deep down in his heart, there had to be some type of reasoning in his mind that ECW was going to succeed. Now, it may have been watered down, but I don’t actually think that comes from any fault of Vince. I personally feel that Vince was smart, and realized something that true ECW fans realize; that there will never be another ECW, and that Vince could only hope to rebrand ECW, mainly to offer his audience something different from Raw and Smackdown. And for a good portion of time, I legitimately believe Vince tried that. Giving the ball to RVD, to me, shows that Vince had intentions of at least trying to keep loyal to ECW, without trying too hard to recreate the feel of ECW. Even in the Big Show’s reign, I can’t help but feel as though Vince really did try to separate the brand from other shows. Now, when Paul left, as you alluded to, that was the last blow on Vince’s belief that he could stay at least relatively loyal to ECW. And when that happened, Vince changed his mind on what he wanted to do with ECW.

Now, the argument is going to be, “why did Vince run Paul out then?” Well, it’s simple; Vince has a huge ego, and doesn’t like when his employees conflict with his opinions. And when that happens, Vince acts upon petty emotion, and acts irrationally. That, I feel, was the case here, and I can see that exactly being why Vince kicked Paul out.


In short, I’d have to state that I side with a Functionalist here, and say this wasn’t Vince’s intention at all. This all came about through sheer misfortune, that otherwise caused Vince to turn down this road.

I just want to make a correction.

Nowhere did I state that "it was Vince's intention for ECW to fail from the start". I'm not sure how you are getting that from my post.

He offered two distinctly different products from the time WWECW was in existence.

We had "Watered-down" Hardcore ECW as Version #1.

Then, we had "Developmental ECW as Version #2.

I think Vince wanted WWECW Version #1 to succeed. But because he didn't succeed, and fans rejected his vision of a watered-down ECW, that is why he scrapped the idea and went with Version #2.

What fans need to ponder is whether or not he truly wanted Version #2 from the get-go, yet simply used fans to bait them in with Version #1 to build an audience, with the intention of gradually changing it as time went on to mold it into a Developmental Group.

Either way, at the end of the day, whatever his Vision was, it failed. And hence ECW is closing up shop. Chalk up another one for the Truth-Tellers and Minus 1 for the "WWE Shareholders" who defended Vince on this BS.

 

[Tenta]

I just want to make a correction.

Nowhere did I state that "it was Vince's intention for ECW to fail from the start". I'm not sure how you are getting that from my post.

He offered two distinctly different products from the time WWECW was in existence.

We had "Watered-down" Hardcore ECW as Version #1.
Then, we had "Developmental ECW as Version #2.

I think Vince wanted WWECW Version #1 to succeed. But because he didn't succeed, and fans rejected his vision of a watered-down ECW, that is why he scrapped the idea and went with Version #2.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't believe that you said Vince felt ECW was going to fail. I saw that you sided with the first option, as well. However, it seems as though the second argument would give creedance to the idea that Vince meant for ECW to fail. Here's where I get my rationale.

The mentioning that he was going to make ECW a developmental show is sort of a reason to state that Vince didn't ECW to succeed. If Vince was going to air developmental shows, and make ECW a developmental territory, one would have to assume that he wanted ECW to struggle, if not fail. He already has a developmental program, and there's a reason Vince won't let it on television. Namely, because he knows it would flounder in the national spotlight, and that it's better for his wrestler's to work in front of house shows, before going to live television.

Thus, the question arises; why would Vince have developmental show on cable, when he's aware that the odds are likely it'll fail. Again, I suppose it's all a matter of semantics. You chose A, so I don't think you insiunated Vince wanted ECW to fail. But the second option, I feel, is some way to say Vince knew that ECW wasn't going to go well.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't believe that you said Vince felt ECW was going to fail. I saw that you sided with the first option, as well. However, it seems as though the second argument would give creedance to the idea that Vince meant for ECW to fail. Here's where I get my rationale.

The mentioning that he was going to make ECW a developmental show is sort of a reason to state that Vince didn't ECW to succeed. If Vince was going to air developmental shows, and make ECW a developmental territory, one would have to assume that he wanted ECW to struggle, if not fail. He already has a developmental program, and there's a reason Vince won't let it on television. Namely, because he knows it would flounder in the national spotlight, and that it's better for his wrestler's to work in front of house shows, before going to live television.

Thus, the question arises; why would Vince have developmental show on cable, when he's aware that the odds are likely it'll fail. Again, I suppose it's all a matter of semantics. You chose A, so I don't think you insiunated Vince wanted ECW to fail. But the second option, I feel, is some way to say Vince knew that ECW wasn't going to go well.

Vince McMahon is a very arrogant, man ... and I know that many fans who follow the business feel that way.

IF ... and I say IF Vince's intentions were to make ECW the second option right from the get-go, I truly believe Vince felt it would succeed and he would retain fans, as long as he baited and switched them in.

Truth be told, it's conceivable he never intended to make ECW #1 work simply because he didn't like the product. Plus, him getting into arguments with Heyman, who had a different vision, only made it worse.

Therefore, I do believe his thought process could have conceivably been:

"I'm going to restart ECW, as try to give the fans a watered-down ECW to build a base of fans for the Brand. I can't give them original ECW because I would never get away with putting a product like that on TV.

Secondly, after I build my base, then I am going to gradually make very slow changes to the product. After the show has already been established, the fans will be hooked anyway, so they won't really care .... AS LONG as I make the changes gradually and slow.

Then, eventually it will be the Developmental Show 100% the way I intended, and the fans will have accepted my vision for the Brand. I know what's better for them then they do. But sometimes you have to guide a fanbase along to embrace my vision."

Vince is arrogant enough to think along those lines.

But no, I don't think that was his intention from the get-go. I think he wanted Version #1 to succeed, but because it didn't and fans rejected his vision, he scrapped his plans and went with Version #2.

The ironic thing is that even IF he perceived Version #1 as failing, it was still more successful then WWECW Version #2.

 

[johnbragg]

The ironic thing is that even IF he perceived Version #1 as failing, it was still more successful then WWECW Version #2.

But it wasn't just failing in terms of ratings compared to Raw and Smackdown. It had lost key pieces of the machine that really couldn't be replaced--Heyman and Angle. Big Show was a big piece, but could have been replaced. RVD's arrest for driving with pot prevented Vince from using him as the major piece that I think they had planned on.

I don't see any road from, say, December to Dismember to an ECW show that would stand alone as a third brand equal to the other two.

Basically, Tuesday Night Developmental Wrestling was a happy accident.

I think that, as developmental, it's working better than anything since OVW 2002-03. You know the list--Miz, Morrison, Kofi, Punk, etc. Maybe they would have been just fine curtain-jerking on the big shows, but we can't re-run that experiment. ECW lets wrestlers further feuds in front of WWE-sized live crowds, not just work meaningless dark matches or work a feud in front of 100 people at a VFW hall in Tampa.

I think that ECW is succeeding as developmental, and it's not failing as Syfy TV. (What would Syfy run instead, Mansquito: The Series?) I don't see them pulling the plug and making Tuesdays either a second hour of Superstars or making Superstars and ECW into Velocity and Heat.

I think it's much more likely that that meeting between Vince and Bonnie Hammer is about adding an 8pm Monday wrestling show, either on Syfy or on USA. Probably a studio show, maybe with one or two matches a week, in a move to cripple the launch of "TNA Nitro".

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

But it wasn't just failing in terms of ratings compared to Raw and Smackdown. It had lost key pieces of the machine that really couldn't be replaced--Heyman and Angle. Big Show was a big piece, but could have been replaced. RVD's arrest for driving with pot prevented Vince from using him as the major piece that I think they had planned on.

I don't see any road from, say, December to Dismember to an ECW show that would stand alone as a third brand equal to the other two.

Basically, Tuesday Night Developmental Wrestling was a happy accident.

I think that, as developmental, it's working better than anything since OVW 2002-03. You know the list--Miz, Morrison, Kofi, Punk, etc. Maybe they would have been just fine curtain-jerking on the big shows, but we can't re-run that experiment. ECW lets wrestlers further feuds in front of WWE-sized live crowds, not just work meaningless dark matches or work a feud in front of 100 people at a VFW hall in Tampa.

I think that ECW is succeeding as developmental, and it's not failing as Syfy TV. (What would Syfy run instead, Mansquito: The Series?) I don't see them pulling the plug and making Tuesdays either a second hour of Superstars or making Superstars and ECW into Velocity and Heat.

I think it's much more likely that that meeting between Vince and Bonnie Hammer is about adding an 8pm Monday wrestling show, either on Syfy or on USA. Probably a studio show, maybe with one or two matches a week, in a move to cripple the launch of "TNA Nitro".

And that was because Vince was short-changing the fans who were led to believe that the original ECW was coming back. It was dishonesty and classic bait and switch on the part of McMahon. Although, even that wasn't as bad as what he eventually did with the Brand.

I would have still taken that version of WWECW over this one, because at least it had somewhat of an edge to it.

However, how can you actually criticize Version #1 for being "unsuccessful" and "falling ratings behind Raw and Smackdown" when it actually produced HIGHER ratings than both the Version #2 of WWECW AND Superstars?

 

[D-Man]

First off, I just want to say that I would like to avoid being called a "WWE Shareholder" for posting a reply to this thread. I don't think it was his intention, but I would rather not be baited into name-calling by the OP for my views in this thread.

That being said, I felt compelled to post in here because I'm a fan of ECW and I'm unhappy that it's going to be repackaged.

I believe Vince's intentions of the timeline of ECW was a hybrid of Sidious's views from a few of his original posts. I believe he wanted to capitalize on ECW's inability to die with it's hardcore fans (no pun intended) while shifting the direction towards the WWE's version of programming at the time. However, once the ECW originals were unable to adapt to the WWE's style, Vince has to think on the fly and revamp the programming so he wouldn't have another massive failure on his hands (XFL, anyone?). Therefore, he utilized ECW as a middle-ground between OVW (FCW now) and his premier television shows (Raw/Smackdown).

I think that the whole "bait and switch" view is overthinking things a bit. In the end, Vince is out to make money. He felt that capitalizing on the undying spirit of ECW was a smart way to gain an extra buck. Also, I know we're all so quick to train-wreck Vince and his intentions, but one thing's for sure... whenever Vince decides to copycat something he didn't create, he needs to put his stamp on it in a major way. But, I think enough of that was done when he chose to resurrect ECW using the WWE's format. He took a mildly successful promotion, its superstars, its notoriety, and its mentality and tried to transform it into what he felt was "a better direction." It obviously failed, but instead of cutting his losses he felt that changing its entire format was the answer. Now we know it wasn't.

 

[johnbragg]

However, how can you actually criticize Version #1 for being "unsuccessful" and "falling ratings behind Raw and Smackdown" when it actually produced HIGHER ratings than both the Version #2 of WWECW AND Superstars?

It's not criticism, it's math. By mid-September, ECW was not getting the kind of ratings that Raw and Smackdown were getting. The show was unsuccessful as a brand equal to the other two.

There was initial interest, and a clear demand for an ECW revival, but the show just didn't work and didn't hold the audience. Remember, the plan was to have 2 ECW-exclusive or at least ECW-dominant pay per views, one in June and one in December, compared with four a year for Raw and Smackdown.

It produced good ratings because Version #1 held out the hope of bringing back ECW. You can only do that trick once--if you botch it, there is no second chance for quick success. By the fall, Version #1 was getting the ratings that the unholy love child of ECW and WWE deserved, with Test and Balls Mahoney as major TV players.

Version 2 gets the ratings it does get because of what it is, not because of what the audience hopes it will be. Actually, correction, it gets some interest because of what the audience hopes it will be, but in a future-oriented way--Christian for WWE Champ! Shelton Benjamin, main eventer! Woo woo woo fever, baby!

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

It's not criticism, it's math. By mid-September, ECW was not getting the kind of ratings that Raw and Smackdown were getting. The show was unsuccessful as a brand equal to the other two.

There was initial interest, and a clear demand for an ECW revival, but the show just didn't work and didn't hold the audience. Remember, the plan was to have 2 ECW-exclusive or at least ECW-dominant pay per views, one in June and one in December, compared with four a year for Raw and Smackdown.

It produced good ratings because Version #1 held out the hope of bringing back ECW. You can only do that trick once--if you botch it, there is no second chance for quick success. By the fall, Version #1 was getting the ratings that the unholy love child of ECW and WWE deserved, with Test and Balls Mahoney as major TV players.

Version 2 gets the ratings it does get because of what it is, not because of what the audience hopes it will be. Actually, correction, it gets some interest because of what the audience hopes it will be, but in a future-oriented way--Christian for WWE Champ! Shelton Benjamin, main eventer! Woo woo woo fever, baby!

Blah, blah, blah.

And I hate to dismiss your post as such, but wouldn't you rather have the show that produces the higher ratings? I know I sure would. Higher ratings means more people are tuning in, and the bigger the audience, the more attractive it is to the advertisers, as well as the network.

So in essence, there was no reason Vince had to change Version #1 of WWECW. He could have settled with what he had, because even though it was a watered-down ECW, is still produced higher ratings then it does with Version #2. Absolutely NOTHING needed to be changed about the show.

It may not have produced the ratings the show first did, since fans figured it out that Vince wasn't going to give them the real ECW, but there is no reason to actually change the show's concept. It's called sticking with what you got left, because it's still more than what WWECW has today.

 

[johnbragg]

So in essence, there was no reason Vince had to change Version #1 of WWECW. He could have settled with what he had, because even though it was a watered-down ECW, is still produced higher ratings then it does with Version #2. Absolutely NOTHING needed to be changed about the show.

It may not have produced the ratings the show first did, since fans figured it out that Vince wasn't going to give them the real ECW, but there is no reason to actually change the show's concept. It's called sticking with what you got left, because it's still more than what WWECW has today.

The concept needed to be changed replaced because the original concept blew up. How are you going to have even a watered-down ECW without Paul Heyman? What you had left was Tommy Dreamer and Balls Mahoney, since WWE wasn't going to put any trust in RVD or Sabu again. By the spring of 2007, the stars of the show were Bobby Lashley and CM Punk. Which pretty much makes it Developmental TV. As a wise man said, stick with what you got left.

 

[EliteRiot]

I think he just wanted to create a new 3rd show that was much more bare bones looking and different than the other 2 shows. Things were going well with RVD, Angle, and Big Show but injuries and time off took all the stars off the show and made it pretty bad for a while... I really like what they're doing now tho with the up and comers!