Did the alliance ever die?

[Luten]

Did the WCW/ECW alliance storyline used way back in 2001 ever die? Well yes, on an obvious storyline level it did but I've been looking at todays WWE product and I can't help but notice the more things change the more they stay the same. It's like Raw is team WWF(E) Smackdown is WCW, and ECW is...well, ECW.

Here's why...over on Raw you have the WWE Title, IC Title, World Tag Team Titles and Woman's Title - all of which are original WWF(E) Championships.

Over on SD you have the World Heavyweight Title (which resembles the old WCW Title) the United States Title (An old WCW Title) the WWE Tag Team Titles (an alternative to the World Tag Team Titles-like the WCW Tag Titles used to be) and the recently defunct Cruiserweight Title (also an original WCW Title)

And over on ECW you have...well, the ECW Title....from ECW funny enough.

Now, where am I going with this? - it is my opinion that Vince McMahon truly believes in his warped mind that he has control of all of the 3 top former wrestling companies. Just last year when King Booker was World Heavyweight Champ McMahon addressed him as the WCW Champion-anyone remember that? Strange isn't it?

Fans are given the idea that all 3 brands are at constant war with each other like it was when WWE, WCW and ECW were legitimate seperate companies. This is only confirmed by WWE's gaming franchise with THQ "Smackdown vs Raw-featuring ECW"

Back in 2001 McMahon wasn't allowed to own 2 wrestling companies and run them at the same time which is where the draft split idea came from in my opinion. Obviously McMahon found himself with a huge roster after buying out all the direct competition and so it seemed the draft was the only option. ECW was always in the background and it wasn't until 2003 that McMahon finally owned all the rights to the company. I think on some level he always wanted to bring it back and was envious of the constant chant of "EC-Dub, EC-Dub, EC-Dub" at all his shows whenever a high spot took place. Which is maybe why he's squashed the name of ECW now?

You also have the arrival of Eric Bischoff on Raw which I hate to say it gave Raw a Nitro feel, the announcers table was even moved to the titantron like it used to be on Nito and who had the introduction of the World heavyweight (WCW) Title.

So what's your opinion on all this? Do you think the orignal WCW/ECW Alliance angle was a good storyline? for what it was worth - I enjoyed it but understand how most fans think it sucked. Do you see any similarities in todays product than what it was back then?

In McMahon world I truly believe he couldn't be more smug, unfortuantely from my perspective he just doesn't know what to do next with all 3 brands which is quite evident with the constant appearance of superstars on every show without any attempt by security to being escort them from the building...aren't they on the wrong show? it's like they just walk on whenever they want.

 

[Zander]

The biggest problem with the wwe is they have no direct competition anymore so that's how the 3 brands basically where born, to get that competition going again which obviously it never really has.

The biggest problem i had with the alliance coming into the WWE (wwf at the time) was there where no big names that everyone wanted to see. Where was Hogan, Nash, Hall, Goldberg, Sting? If these guys had came over to the wwe at that time it would have been the greatest storyline angle of all time in my mind but they missed the boat with & sadly it'll never get the chance to happen again.

I mean Goldberg/Stone Cold confrontation at that point in time would have been excellent as they where both on fire & i'm just sad it didn't happen.

 

[ExtremeIronChef]

Indeed, the alliance angle was a missed opporitunity. You had a bunch of mid card guys that no one really gave a damn about (minus RVD, Dreamer, Booker T etc) instead of the guys who should have been a part of the angle. If they would have had at least one big name, like Sting or Hogan come into the picture then I think people would have been more interested, but they missed the boat with it and it ended up dying much sooner than perhaps they had intended. It's just like if WCW would have beaten WWF in 97 and had an invasion angle, but without Austin, HBK, Undertaker, Foley etc, no one would have cared.

 

[bucwild]

Yes you are kinda right.The titles on Smackdown are WCWs.He bought the companies so he can do whateva he wants,he did not wanna have 3 brands I think he thinks WWE is the shit,he dont wanna give them their props but has given their props in a way.Yeah it was til I notice they were not goin to sign all the former WCW n ECW peeps like Sting.Sting shoulda came as heel to fight Taker,we wont see that now.The simularities are way different now cause they well we are seeing guys from different brands only for ratings I think.Not to build no1 up unless the HHH and Hbk they get all the pushes mostly.I still love WWE but they need more maineventers.They will put Rey or Hardy for one shot maineventer.Why do all most everyone thinks just cuz Joey Styles n Tazz,Stevie Richards,n the 1st One Night Stand think that WWE will produce the old ECW?Vince had no respect for it because he a old school.He knows that he has Pure wrestlers that can wrestle,Paul Heyman went with weapons because he said this to cover up cause most couldnt wrestle.It hard enough to just wrestle but using weapons is harder.

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

Vince believes the following:

Raw is the A show
Smackdown is the B show
ECW is the C show

As such, the best writers and superstars will be on RAW, with some exceptions of course as they will always need to shuffle things up a little. Don't expect to see Cena head back to Smackdown permanently unless something terrible happens to him.

ECW is filler for more money and advertising and where they throw extra guys and allow other guys to develop fan bases. I fully expect Punk to switch over to RAW or Smackdown soon, and you can even see this now as they Smackdown and ECW always swap wrestlers (though of course they are on tour with each other).

He'll never let guys that are perceived to be "WCW" or "ECW" to be a top guy in WWE for very long.

 

[MattMoses]

Yes you are kinda right.The titles on Smackdown are WCWs.

No they aren't. They are the WWE's titles. What's hard to understand about that?

I think he thinks WWE is the shit

Wouldn't you think your company was 'the shit' having attained the success Vince has?

he dont wanna give them their props

What?

Yeah it was til I notice they were not goin to sign all the former WCW n ECW peeps like Sting.

The main eventers from WCW were still under contract to Time Warner. The WWE didn't choose to buy most of them out, most likely due to how costy it would be. Thus, people like Sting, Goldberg etc. either waited their contracts out or agreed on a contract buyout.

Sting shoulda came as heel to fight Taker

Im pretty sure Sting has claimed he never wanted to join WWE. So you can't blame any of that on Vince or the WWE.

The simularities are way different now cause they well we are seeing guys from different brands only for ratings I think.

Care to make sense?

Not to build no1 up unless the HHH and Hbk they get all the pushes mostly.

So Mr.Kennedy, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, John Cena etc. don't get pushes?

I still love WWE but they need more maineventers.

Why do they? They have more than enough at the moment.

It hard enough to just wrestle but using weapons is harder.

Funniest thing I read today.