Old ECW And WCW Compared To WWF/WWE

[ringthebell]

I have recently gotten on a old wrestling kick and have been watching the hell out of old ECW and WCW regular shows and pay per views. Ranging from 1994 to the end of the two companies and not until the end of WWE ECW but just regular ole ECW. I have watched countless Nitro's, Thunder's, ECW house shows and of course the over the top ECW pay per views.

I have recently did a little home research also and watched some old WWF and present day WWE pay per views and some Raw's as well. I am a current viewer of present day WWE basically because TNA really sucks.

There were two things I could not help but notice.

1. Crowd pop- In the older ECW and WCW shows rather it being regular television or pay per view, these crowds were freaking amazing. They were constantly into it with chants or just loud ass pops that could have blown the roofs off of the arenas they were in. The crowds were into it and were constantly wanting more in which they received. I still got chills running up and down my spine even though I have saw these old WCW and ECW events before, it still got me, really, because the crowd was in it and they made you feel it at home.

2. The creativity- In the older ECW and WCW shows, the creativity was amazing. Both companies always had that edge side to them. I remember them putting you on edge every week, I remember being almost pissed at the end of a WCW or ECW show because I was on the edge itching for more and wanting time to pass like no other so I could see what happened the next week.

My conclusion- After watching these old shows, the memories that were brought back really brought on a simple sadness.

My questions to you all- Were creative teams in the past for WCW and ECW just simply that much better than WWF and present day WWE's team?

Is that edge not really there for any of us anymore because we are much older and just don't see the creativity?

Were ECW and WCW just a breed of their own that died forever when the companies became deceased?

Will WWE ever take the gamble that ECW and WCW did by letting titles change hands on regular shows or putting big matches on cable before a ppv?

Last but not least,
Do you all love the older products by ECW and WCW forever over what we get today?

 

[Bossblood]

I think that when the WWE Network starts up they are going to have a lot more freedom to bring back the "Attitude Era". They are also going to have a lot more incentive to drive ratings as high as possible 24/7.

The WWE Network is make or break for the company, if we don't see things change back to old style of wrestling shows we loved then I doubt we ever will again. I long for the days of the "Attitude Era" and ECW style shows to return.

 

[Saeros]

I think that when the WWE Network starts up they are going to have a lot more freedom to bring back the "Attitude Era". They are also going to have a lot more incentive to drive ratings as high as possible 24/7.

The WWE Network is make or break for the company, if we don't see things change back to old style of wrestling shows we loved then I doubt we ever will again. I long for the days of the "Attitude Era" and ECW style shows to return.

Can you explain how exactly its make or break for the wwe? im puzzled by what you mean by that.

If you mean it as it will make or break the company, i dont see how you got to that conclusion, as it wont break them at all. If it fails, then it fails, they will still be around on tv and making ppv's. They would just of lost money. It isn't like they havent done other stuff thats lost them money (XFL and WWE Films)

 

[ShinobiMusashi]

Were creative teams in the past for WCW and ECW just simply that much better than WWF and present day WWE's team?

Paul Heyman, and his ECW was years ahead of the WWF, and WCW in late 95, and through 96. ECW was wrestling for adults. Put the wife, and kids to bed, and enjoy it. Heymans style of booking, and his character building was superior then, and superior to what is going on now(unless you are 13 years old). The Taz mma character, Ravens group of grunge lackeys, The east coast Public Enemy vs the west coast Gangstas, Al Snow's original head gimmick, and the way Paul would book the matches was very entertaining for adults to watch. Especially the adults who know it is all predetermined, and staged, and don't think it is a bad thing. In other words, the people who appreciate Pro Wrestling as an art form.

Were ECW and WCW just a breed of their own that died forever when the companies became deceased?

Yes. Pro wrestling lost it's charm when the ECW, and WCW died. It was a tripod of awesomeness, and if you missed one of the 3, you missed a big part of the best era in pro wrestling history in my opinion. The E will never be able to recreate that atmosphere again, no matter how they split, or who they ressurect(or rape as in the case of the WWECW).

Last but not least,
Do you all love the older products by ECW and WCW forever over what we get today?

Absolutely. As I've said elsewhere, from early 96 to summer of 98 pro wrestling was kicking ass, and taking names, and it was because of all 3 companies co existing, and competing with each other. By the end of 98 it all started to get oversaturated with monthly ppv's, and 6 hours of programming a week. I'm not a big fan of what the WCW was doing from the last half of 98 through to when they closed, but from 96 to the first half of 98 all 3 companies were running on all cylinders.