Hmm, interesting perspective, and a very valid one. Perhaps it's just the optimist in me, but I'd like to think Tommy Dreamer isn't as bad a guy as he has come off as.
He left the WWE after saying that WWE had basically destroyed the ECW name and that it was wrong to dig it up and mere months later what's he doing?
In all fairness, ECW has been successful with one night deals. The first ECW One Night Stand was a huge success, absolutely huge, and he was a huge part of it. The WWE could have left it there, but they decided to milk the ECW brand until it was dried out. You can't blame the WWE, it's a business, but that doesn't make it hurt any less for Dreamer. Perhaps when he went to TNA he was hoping that he could recapture the ECW magic that the WWE did in June of 05. It failed of courseit
is TNAbut it was worth a shot.
Being a career underdog isn't a bad thing (look at Rey Mysterio) but it's the wayt Dreamer does is it. He cries and attempts to milk sympathy out of the fans, going so far as to get bloodied up with his family at ring-side. That's cheap and low.
This I don't have a problem with. Mysterio brought his daughter to the ring and let CM Punk get all creepy on her. Mick Foley took repeated unprotected chairshots to the head with his wife and kids at ringside. I don't think it's cheap and low as they're never in any horrible danger... at least any more danger than they usually are in a wrestling ring.[/QUOTE]
The Jack-Hammer post was on point in that Tommy Dreamer can't have his cake and eat it too. He criticized Vince McMahon for milking ECW for all it's worth before dumping it on the curb like yesterday's trash (Oh hey everybody! ECW is going to end in three weeks, but don't worry, I'll bring you NXT, where unknowns will cut promos about mustaches!), but didn't take any responsibility himself. It's difficult to defend him by saying that he did it for the money, because I'm sure he had already made enough money to retire from wrestling, and because ECW was never about the money, ESPECIALLY to the hardcore ECW guys like Dreamer, Sandman, Taz, etc.
But at the same time Dreamer and Vince McMahon aren't the same. Vince McMahon could have tried to keep ECW unique and marketable instead of forcing it to become something it wasn't. Furthermore, Vince McMahon's wallet was already fat, and Tommy Dreamer probably didn't see much money until he started getting used consistently in the WWE, which really started when ECW became its own brand. You can't really blame Tommy for doing it for the money, but he can't blame the sacrifice of the art solely on McMahon as it was some of his doing.
All that said, people say stupid and selfish things, and it's no surprise. I wouldn't be surprised if he looks at that speech and cringes at some of the things he says. He probably just let his emotions out, and it's totally normal to be irrational and selfish in the heat of the moment. I know I've said and done my fair share of dumb things that I wish I could take back, I'm only human, and so is Tommy Dreamer.
