Why was this show created? I dont get it..

[kenvin100]

I honestly hate this show so much. Its not even ECW anymore for gods sakes. We have a extra large and ugly ECW title, a bunch of undercard wrestlers and absolutely no true bloodbaths on this show, why is it still here? I honestly dont get why ECW was reborn if WWE wanted a PG-13 show. Sorry if Im hating on ECW to all the fans of this 1hr "spectacle" but Im just curious why not just bring back Sunday Night Heat lol..it prolly had the same ratings if not worse...right?

 

[thewrestlinghero]

they brought it back so that develmental talent can be used way more and be good also it made stars to like elljia burk cm punk john morrsion kofi kingston etc. and ecw dose have good matches once in a while and its not that bad of a show but i can see your point on the name thing they could made it a little creative and it almost disgraces that company because ecw oringals were jobbers and did he get any ecw title shot sure sabu and rvd and maybe sandman did but that cause they were over and what about stevie richard balls mahoney and tommy dreamer they are or were jobber thats the only until two of them were relsead that the only thing i hate about this new ecw its disgraceing the name Ecw and wht it really means to hardcore fans

 

[realblackhart]

they brought it back so that develmental talent can be used way more and be good also it made stars to like elljia burk cm punk john morrsion kofi kingston etc. and ecw dose have good matches once in a while and its not that bad of a show but i can see your point on the name thing they could made it a little creative and it almost disgraces that company because ecw oringals were jobbers and did he get any ecw title shot sure sabu and rvd and maybe sandman did but that cause they were over and what about stevie richard balls mahoney and tommy dreamer they are or were jobber thats the only until two of them were relsead that the only thing i hate about this new ecw its disgraceing the name Ecw and wht it really means to hardcore fans

This is stretch but the new WGN show Superstars can be used as the develomental area and for big guys to squash jobbers. When that happens ECW should return to what it was when it was reborn where you had guys like Angle, Big Show, RVD, Sandman, and Sabu. If they use the WGN show wisely, ECW can be revamped if not the hardcore place we want but meet us somewhere in the middle Vince.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

I honestly hate this show so much. Its not even ECW anymore for gods sakes. We have a extra large and ugly ECW title, a bunch of undercard wrestlers and absolutely no true bloodbaths on this show, why is it still here? I honestly dont get why ECW was reborn if WWE wanted a PG-13 show. Sorry if Im hating on ECW to all the fans of this 1hr "spectacle" but Im just curious why not just bring back Sunday Night Heat lol..it prolly had the same ratings if not worse...right?

Well, I'm sure if you actually thought this out clearly enough instead of merely tried finding new ways to bad mouth a program, you'd have your own answer.

E.C.W. is drawing it's money from it's name. Of course its not the same "original" but it still has the same title, and that's going to always gain attention more than "Sunday Night HeAT" ever got.

W.W.E.C.W. isn't and never was meant to be hardcore. I think for the first year they tried going that route, but with a watered down version to attempt using the originals, like Sabu, Balls Mahoney, Sandman, etc. But in the end.. they figured the show has more potential to be an outlet in which to use it for up-and-coming talent, than it does to attempt duplicating and trying to copy what it originally stood for.

If anything, E.C.W. isn't better or worse, because the only thing it'll ever hold, are the same 3 initials. They even went the extra mile to switch out Heavyweight Championships, to jump away from the Extreme version.. and people don't even give that a chance. (granted I'm not a fan of the Super-sized Silver, either, but that's another argument)

The truth is, E.C.W. IS pulling in enough ratings to make Sci-Fi happy. Its one of the most watched programs on their networks line-up, so even if it's a crappy 1.5 or worse, it's still obviously better than anything else they have to offer.. so something's working.

And without this show, you wouldn't have talent like Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, or the beloved C.M. Punk.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

They brought back ECW at first to captalize on the sucess of One Night Stand. They saw a way to make money so they brought it back. I think at first they had the intentions to make it a mix of original ECW and regular WWE. But once Angle left, and RVD left, and then all the originals got fired for bad behaviour and what not they realized that they didn't need to incorperate any of the old ECW.

They made it more of a development show and the ratings stayed the same roughly. I think the only reason why they kept the name is for promotion and for merchandise. People will be more willing to buy a ECW t-shirt than a Velocity or Heat one.

And since they shifted towards a building grown for future stars it has worked. It's getting decent ratings while creating new stars(Kofi, CM, Morrison, Knox, Swagger, ect). I just think fans needed to realize that ECW was never going to be as hardcore and extreme as the original, and once all the regular guys left it was clear the WWE should switch gears. I really enjoy ECW and while it's no Raw or Smackdown it's helping create new stars while helping the older stars become relevant again.

 

[Cpt Charisma]

ECW no longer stands for Extreme Championship Wrestling. It stands for Early Career Warmup. ECW exists as a way for the few vets there (Dreamer, Christian, Finlay) to help out with some of the brand new fresh talent. It won't, and can't, ever be the ECW we knew and loved back in the day. Why? Risk. Especially after the Chris Benoit incident, the risks that wrestlers take are more scrutinized than ever, and more limited. They don't want to absorb the risk of someone getting seriously injured during a stunt, or having someone bleed out too much anymore. And do you really think that the stuff that Raven, Sandman, Sabu, New Jack, and Terry Funk did to each other was safe? The insurance risk that Vince McMahon would have to swallow to run that kind of promotion, or even one close to it, rules out the return of old school ECW, or even of this new ECW producing an instantly classic "Extreme Rules" match. Either watch it because Christian is on it, or don't even change the channel to SciFi.

Actually, it was to push Braden Walker into legend status. That's the real reason

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

E.C.W. is drawing it's money from it's name. Of course its not the same "original" but it still has the same title, and that's going to always gain attention more than "Sunday Night HeAT" ever got.

What good is calling the show "ECW" when none of the original ECW fans, the goal with which the product was designed to originally appeal to, find the show interesting or appealing? These are the fans that most resent the product, more than anyone else.

W.W.E.C.W. isn't and never was meant to be hardcore. I think for the first year they tried going that route, but with a watered down version to attempt using the originals, like Sabu, Balls Mahoney, Sandman, etc. But in the end.. they figured the show has more potential to be an outlet in which to use it for up-and-coming talent, than it does to attempt duplicating and trying to copy what it originally stood for.

I disagree that it wasn't ever meant to be an edgy product. If you take a look at the early few months, ECW was essentially a toned down original ECW. When Vince saw that it wasn't clicking with the fans, the shit hit the fan at December to Dismember. Therefore, Vince said "to Hell with it", got frustrated, and instead of giving the fans what they wanted and what they were willing to pay him for ... thus reducing potential revenue out of his very own pocket ... he decided to completely reverse course with what his original idea of ECW was intended to be.

He essentially screwed himself, because he was too stubborn to listen to people (mainly the fans and Paul Heyman ... that this wasn't going to work), and thus we are stuck with the ECW of today.

The truth is, E.C.W. IS pulling in enough ratings to make Sci-Fi happy. Its one of the most watched programs on their networks line-up, so even if it's a crappy 1.5 or worse, it's still obviously better than anything else they have to offer.. so something's working.

Nobody is denying that. But why is WWE satisfied with a show that produces 1.1 ratings weekly, when they had a show that was actually pulling in higher ratings than Smackdown, when it first started ... and a Brand that people were willing to pay to see on PPV?

And without this show, you wouldn't have talent like Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, or the beloved C.M. Punk.

I find that very hard to believe that it was because of ECW that they were successful. Those same talents could have debuted on Raw and Smackdown, and still have achieved the same success.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

What good is calling the show "ECW" when none of the original ECW fans, the goal with which the product was designed to originally appeal to, find the show interesting or appealing? These are the fans that most resent the product, more than anyone else.

First, I'm an old-school E.C.W. original fan, and I still love the product because I'm smart enough to realize it's not intended to be the same as the extreme version. But that doesn't mean it can't still share in the same name, to continue building off the legacy that began in it's place.

T.N.A. formed out of first calling themselves "N.W.A.-T.N.A.", did they not? And they're thriving. So clearly, they likely got their beginning from a lot of fans remembering the initial N.W.A.

Then, when they got big enough, (and ended up being found out for not paying for the right to use the copyrights) they dropped the N.W.A. title.

SO, think of that concept and issue, then place it onto your question on why Vince would use the old-school E.C.W. title, on a product that is his, yet nothing like it.

Because he's bringing in the fans, and hoping they'll watch the product enough to see.. "Well, it's not the original, but it's not bad either."

I disagree that it wasn't ever meant to be an edgy product. If you take a look at the early few months, ECW was essentially a toned down original ECW. When Vince saw that it wasn't clicking with the fans, the shit hit the fan at December to Dismember. Therefore, Vince said "to Hell with it", got frustrated, and instead of giving the fans what they wanted and what they were willing to pay him for ... thus reducing potential revenue out of his very own pocket ... he decided to completely reverse course with what his original idea of ECW was intended to be.

Congrats.. you've successfully copied pretty much everything I just said, and reworded it.

Allow me to show you the original...

W.W.E.C.W. isn't and never was meant to be hardcore. I think for the first year they tried going that route, but with a watered down version to attempt using the originals, like Sabu, Balls Mahoney, Sandman, etc. But in the end.. they figured the show has more potential to be an outlet in which to use it for up-and-coming talent, than it does to attempt duplicating and trying to copy what it originally stood for.

He essentially screwed himself, because he was too stubborn to listen to people (mainly the fans and Paul Heyman ... that this wasn't going to work), and thus we are stuck with the ECW of today.

Or, maybe he felt it was his company, and he'd use it how HE saw fit.. not how little whispers of previous owners who ultimately watched the company fall into financial hardships, saw things.

And you say "stuck with" like it's a bad thing. When the fact is, E.C.W. has a top line-up of pure talent that rivals that of anything Raw or Smackdown could give us. Sure, it may not be good for storylines.. but neither was the original E.C.W.

And I'll take watching guy's like Morrison, Miz, Swagger & Christian all wrestle.. over diva's, Mike Knox, Kane, and the crap used to cover up 2 hours on Smackdown that doesn't have to deal with Edge.

Nobody is denying that. But why is WWE satisfied with a show that produces 1.1 ratings weekly, when they had a show that was actually pulling in higher ratings than Smackdown, when it first started ... and a Brand that people were willing to pay to see on PPV?

A.) They had a Once a Year Pay per view event, with the original E.C.W.

B.) Regardless how "low" the ratings are, they're still leading that entire channel's ratings list. So that's a win in my book.

C.) The product they have now, gives us far more than a one-off Pay per view, of remembering what used to be. I can buy "Best of" DVD's for that stuff.

I find that very hard to believe that it was because of ECW that they were successful. Those same talents could have debuted on Raw and Smackdown, and still have achieved the same success.

Uhm, how? Punk would've never amounted to anything beyond the mid-card on Raw or Smackdown, because he didn't have the lesser guys to build up off of. Morrison & Miz would be doomed to Tag team wrestling forever, with Morrison never gaining anything from when he was a Heavyweight Champion at one time.

And guy's like Bourne would've never lasted more than a couple shows, as jobbers, on Raw with the big boys.

E.C.W. is where they began, and built their name through their craft. Then they moved up and out to the bigger brands.

 

[Crush1]

I honestly hate this show so much. Its not even ECW anymore for gods sakes.

If its not ECW then what the hell is it called?

We have a extra large and ugly ECW title, a bunch of undercard wrestlers and absolutely no true bloodbaths on this show, why is it still here?

A bunch of undercard wrestlers? why is it still here? <<< LOL Well maybe because it ENTERTAINS? Dude how in the world can you say that there are ''Undercard'' wrestlers on that show. Do you know how many superstars ECW has created since it's rebirth. The reason ECW is still on the SciFi Channel is because it's their biggest draw. Sure most people don't watch it but the majority of the ones that do actualy like the product. Just because it has nothing to do with stupid form of entertainement called "Extreme Wrestling'' doesn't mean that people dont like it. You shouldn't bash it and stop acting like some smark.

I honestly dont get why ECW was reborn if WWE wanted a PG-13 show. Sorry if Im hating on ECW to all the fans of this 1hr "spectacle" but Im just curious why not just bring back Sunday Night Heat lol..it prolly had the same ratings if not worse...right?

Sunday night heat was a boring clusterfuck. This show has credible entertainers a lot of mid-carders are on this show. The ratings are waaaaay better than SNH.

What good is calling the show "ECW" when none of the original ECW fans, the goal with which the product was designed to originally appeal to, find the show interesting or appealing?

I think that the main reason they use the name ECW is to atract attention from people. I know a lot of old male's in their 20-30's know about the Extreme ECW but do you think that the kids of this generation know anything of it? Probably 90% of all of the marks out there never heard of the name ECW before Vince Mcmahon launched this version.

These are the fans that most resent the product, more than anyone else.

Not Excactly if that were true then the WWE would be out of business years ago. Most people grow up and get tired of wrestling after a while the WWE is constantly trying to gather a new audience that will love their three shows. Or else who is going to watch Raw, Smackdown and ECW?

I disagree that it wasn't ever meant to be an edgy product. If you take a look at the early few months, ECW was essentially a toned down original ECW.

Dude Big Will is right Vince never wanted this product to be the same thing it used to be in the 90's, because that type of wrestling would NEVER fit into the ideal picture of the 21st century wrestling style.


When Vince saw that it wasn't clicking with the fans, the shit hit the fan at December to Dismember. Therefore, Vince said "to Hell with it", got frustrated, and instead of giving the fans what they wanted and what they were willing to pay him for ... thus reducing potential revenue out of his very own pocket ... he decided to completely reverse course with what his original idea of ECW was intended to be[/QUOTE].

No I think you're wrong.Vince wanted to slowly remove every single thing of the old ECW and turn it into a new one. Of course the OLD fans were still clinging on to it but after a while they dissapeared as well.

He essentially screwed himself, because he was too stubborn to listen to people (mainly the fans and Paul Heyman ... that this wasn't going to work),

I agree that Vince was very stupid to not listen to Heyman but hey the man owns it so he can do whatever he wants.

and thus we are stuck with the ECW of today.

Stuck? I don't think so. I can't speak for you but for the 1.6 milion people that watch the new ECW I think that they like it. This version of ECW is a lot better than the old one because it's producing better quality superstars. Actualy this new ECW is doing excactly what the old was doing creating NEW superstars but this one is a toned down better version.

Nobody is denying that. But why is WWE satisfied with a show that produces 1.1 ratings weekly, when they had a show that was actually pulling in higher ratings than Smackdown, when it first started ... and a Brand that people were willing to pay to see on PPV?

Now dude read this closely i'm going to explain to you why. The reason the WWE is satisfied with this show is because it's a training ground for new, old, and has been wrestlers. This place has done excactly what the WWE wanted from it. It's created new superstars, revived the careers of the old ones, producing quality wrestling, and it's a place for the young rookies from tampa to debut upon entering the WWE. I mean you can't play CounterStrike before knowing the controlls right? or at least practicing a little bit. So ECW allows the young and old to (re)learn those skills.

I find that very hard to believe that it was because of ECW that they were successful. Those same talents could have debuted on Raw and Smackdown, and still have achieved the same success.

No chance in hell. Because ECW is PERFECT for a midcarder. On Raw they don't even pay attention to the midcard and on Smackdown it's too crowded. So where do you go? ECW.



Don't get me wrong I respect you're opinion and all. But PLEASE PEOPLE, dont bash ECW just because YOU cant let go of the past.

 

[eXtremely-Priceless2K9]

Have any of you noticed that it is referred to WWECW? oh yes you have, woops heheh... sorry. WWECW stands for world wrestling ENTERTAINMENT championship wrestling, even though they say its eXtreme champ wrestling
in my opinion of course not sayin im rite im just geussin


I personally like WWECW bbbuuuttt it should be longer then 1 hr, they only fit in about 3 matches and 1 promo, hmmmm i wonder what goes on at the sci-fi building?
Boss: What is our highest rated show? YOU newbie tell me
Newbie: eh...eh....its um...(looks at paper) WWE's ECW....(which is correct)
Boss: im not big fan of wrestlin... Give em 1hr...Tops....
Newbie: do you think thats wise...
Boss: SHADUP!
newb: No sir, i mean yessir 3 bags full sir.

OT:for The1bigwill how long does it take for you to write a post?

 

[Phoenix]

I personally like WWECW bbbuuuttt it should be longer then 1 hr, they only fit in about 3 matches and 1 promo, hmmmm i wonder what goes on at the sci-fi building?

I think they have more match time than Raw does each week! I think there was only less than 15 minutes of wrestling last night!

I think if ECW was 2 hours, people would only watch one hour or the other. Because ECW doesn't get enough coverage on PPV and also with the talent exchange between Raw and Smackdown, they make the most for ECW with just an hour, I accept that ECW will only have one match (or the rare two) on PPV, there's little they can do except build rivalries for the title and which newbie has a winning or losing streak.

 

[truk24]

At this point I don't see why, or how anyone would expect the WWE to have ECW the same as it was when it pioneered so many great things in the world of professional wrestling. I don't expect them to have bloodfes matches every week. No one needs to jump off of 20 ft balconies through tables. It was exciting, but the WWE won't take that many risks with it's investments. They are worth more in the ring than out.

However I do feel that the WWE could have kept ECW's attitude. ECW used to be the show out of the three back in the 90's that as the anit-WWE/WCW show. Nothing good came from ECW about either WWE or WCW back then. Many of the stars stood a firm ground on respecting where they are from. Many of those stars also took fat paychecks later in those years for WCW/WWE.

In any case there was a certain difference between ECW and the other two. Today it is no different other than that WCW isn't around. You have ECW as the third show. ECW truly is it own brand, but the WWE has you thinking that it is just a third show. Yes, ECW is owned by Titan, but that doesn't mean from a storyline perspecitive it can play as a seperate entity, or entirely independent wrestling company.

Turn Tommy Dreamer heel, and have him retire as a heel and take over all rights to ECW. Possibly by out the company. Maybe even air the show twice a week Tuesday, and Saturday nights. One hour shows twice a week on Sci-Fi. ECW needs to get back to being its own show, and resume its own identity. Perhaps create the Monday Nite wars all over again, but this time with TNA/ECW. Make that the cometition. Possibly Christian start talking trash on TNA.

TNA v.s ECW feud would be sweet. It could give ECW the mainstream tap that it needs, possibly drawing TNA fans, and larger wrestling markets. Right now the show is just a "C" based show because that is the way it is booked. Get rid of that horrible title as well. Allow ECW to become the show it could be.

 

[wiKid hoRse]

i'm not sure exactly what sort of channel the sci-fi channel is (beinging an aussie) but with raw and smackdown becoming more pg orientated shows there is no reason ECW couldn't regain some of it's edge. sure it could never be the ecw of old but atleast allow someone to push the envelope a bit. just as it is a breeding ground for new wrestlers why can't it be a place for writers to develop?

 

[Ballin247]

However I do feel that the WWE could have kept ECW's attitude. ECW used to be the show out of the three back in the 90's that as the anit-WWE/WCW show. Nothing good came from ECW about either WWE or WCW back then. Many of the stars stood a firm ground on respecting where they are from. Many of those stars also took fat paychecks later in those years for WCW/WWE.

Yo thats the same shit I was thinking. I don't think it would be smart to have all the garbage wrestling and blood baths like the old ECW had, but I do thing the storylines should be more edgy. Have some shit on ECW that you would NEVER do on Smackdown. They could finally do that Paul Burchill incest angle or something like that. I think the show should be aimed at young adults and be an edgy, more adult oriented show. Think of it like Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. Smackdown can be like all the kid shows and shit thats shown most of the day while ECW on the other hand can be like the Adult cartoons like Family Guy and shit. I think this would help them attract a different audience than the other two shows.

Instead of trying to have the same fans watch all three shows, they should make each show target a different demographic. Smackdown could be the more family oriented show aimed at younger ages, something for the family to enjoy. Raw could be a little more edgy, aimed at a slightly older demographic, teenagers maybe but still somewhat family friendly, while ECW could be aimed at all the young adult, beer drinkers and shit. ECW should be aimed at the type of people who want something a little edgier and lewd. I think this is the smartest way WWE could aim to attract viewers. What I'm sayin is that the three shows are all basically the same product except with different wrestlers. They could instead be three completely different products. Idk, whateva. lol.

 

[RawIsRamsey]

Honestly ECW has become one of the best booked hours of wrestling out there right now. With the limited roster, it allows a lot of the newer and up-and-coming talent to have their characters fleshed out, build a relationship with the audience, learn to work WWE style, etc. The matches are normally good to great and there isn't much silliness as there was when it was first brought back. People just need to get over the hardcore ECW roots...that kind of garbage wrestling isn't over anymore because it's been done to death. That's why CZW isn't anything more than a regional promotion.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I honestly hate this show so much.

Then it must be terrible being duct taped to a chair with your eyelids pinned open every week. Oh wait, that doesnt happen?? so then why do you watch it?? If I was slamming my fingers in a piano lid, I would hate it, thus, I would stop doing it. Jus sayin

Its not even ECW anymore for gods sakes.

then what is it?? I couldve sworn the name of the program was "ECW" last week, when I watched it...did something change??

We have a extra large and ugly ECW title,

Have to agree the belt is abysmal looking. A shame it carries more legitimacy and prestige than the old ECW title, which was the top belt of the bingo hall league for so many years. Trained WWE superstars were disgraced by carrying that shit around, so anything is better, really.

a bunch of undercard wrestlers

do you have a problem with undercard wrestlers??? Any WWE midcarder has drawn tons more money and ratings than any of the no talent hacks that used to hit each other with VCRs and cheese graters for the old bingo hall title league.

I honestly dont get why ECW was reborn if WWE wanted a PG-13 show.

Likely becuase all WWE programming is that rating. Im presuming that has something to do with it...

why not just bring back Sunday Night Heat lol..it prolly had the same ratings if not worse...right?

ECW gets far better ratings than TNA Impact, and is the highest rated show on Sci Fi. its also usually the highest rated program in its time slot. Just sayin.

To answer your first question, it was created to introduce new superstars to the television audience, and to give the future stars of the company training in ring with the most technically sound veterans, and get them used to preforming on TV, and in front of large crowds. Its an excellent show, and they are running it in a fantastic way. ECW has never even come CLOSE to drawing the amount of interest, ratings, and money, as it does now.

 

[klunderbunker]

Why was this show created? It was created because WWE draws good ratings. Sci-fi isn't exactly a hot bed for ratings. Their big draws are ECW and Twilight Zone reruns. ECW is on their network because people will watch it. Sure there's a lot of midcard guys, but there's also a lot of veterans. People need to get over the idea that this is the old ECW. The organization closed in 2001 and had one night where it was around again. WWE defeated ECW and now it's gone. ECW is the minor league now that it was always destined to be.

 

[Joker ' Ferreira]

The same old and lame conversation about today's ECW not being the old ECW.

Well, it's not! First it isn't because its not bankrupted, secondly its not old ECW because it draws ratings! Why, would WWE turn today's ECW in that piece of garbage again?

Would they be inteligent to do it? Hell no. It wouldn't draw ratings and wouldn't accomplish anything with a bunch of washed up has beens. Guess what, didn't the all ECW Originals but Dreamer get fired or wished "the best on future endeavours"? Is Vince really that stupid to fire someone with so much talent?

I guess not. And he and his team definitely have done a great job with all the new talent that arrived at ECW since the "rebirth". Morrison, Punk, The Miz (yes, the guy that "didn't" have the talent to be a wrestler), Evan Bourne (if he was on RAW or SmackDown! he would be one more of the cruiserweights doing nothing at all), Matt Hardy (he was pretty much over with the crowd but he wasn't Main-Event caliber, so they made him ECW champion and after that he looks like someone who could pull it off), even Mark Henry that didn't have no one to challenge made a good ECW Champion.

So for crying out lod, stop comparing old ECW with todays ECW, because, todays ECW draws ratings, create new superstars by showing their talents not by putting them on matches with tables, barbies and the list goes on and on.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

they brought it back so that develmental talent can be used way more and be good also it made stars to like elljia burk cm punk john morrsion kofi kingston etc. and ecw dose have good matches once in a while and its not that bad of a show but i can see your point on the name thing they could made it a little creative and it almost disgraces that company because ecw oringals were jobbers and did he get any ecw title shot sure sabu and rvd and maybe sandman did but that cause they were over and what about stevie richard balls mahoney and tommy dreamer they are or were jobber thats the only until two of them were relsead that the only thing i hate about this new ecw its disgraceing the name Ecw and wht it really means to hardcore fans

I'm not convinced that it was brought back necessarily for Developmental Talent. The ECW of today is completely different from the ECW that first debuted under the WWE banner.

I think Vince was trying to create his own, watered down version of ECW and hoping it would be successful. When fans weren't buying "his vision of ECW" (which came to a head at December to Dismember), I think he threw his arms in the air, said "To Hell with it!" ... and the result is the ECW we see on the screen today.

Surely one has to admit that even Vince's original WWECW was more adult-oriented than it is today.

My biggest gripe is them calling this product ECW. It's not ECW. It's not even "Extreme" in any single way. Why bother calling the show "ECW"? It makes not a single shred of sense, whatsoever. And I get it that they aren't emphasizing the "Extreme Championship Wrestling" name, but still ... obviously the ECW stands for something. If they don't want to call it "Extreme Championship Wrestling", then they need to think of something else that the initials "ECW" stands for.

Best way for Vince to get the old ECW fans off his case, and to make them realize this isn't the same ECW anymore, is to do the logical thing and actually not call it "ECW".

 

[klunderbunker]

Sure it was. He was originally trying to make it a real reincarnation of ECW but with his spin on it. Then he realized that the old ECW was indeed dead. Once Van Dam left, there was nothing left to do. After that the biggest ECW star left was Dreamer or Sandman who aren't successful wrestlers in WWE. ECW was an interesting creation in the sense that it could take no name wrestlers and make big stars out of them, but only in their promotion. Once that vision was killed off, the only idea left was to make it the minor league proving ground. It evolved into the ultimate training ground and it's just fine that way.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Well so was all the rest of the programming back then, not just ECW. So that has nothing to do with why its being watered down, as everything else is as well.

and of COURSE you wont immeadiately debut a show as a developmental program. You need the inital surge of interest, and thats pretty much the only reason is was started with the ECW name and more hardcore stuff as it was. Simply to surge initial interest, and secure a future TV deal for them, so it could become what it is now. If you notice, its not like it was over night when it became what is is now, it was slowly over time. It was the plan all along, and you could tell from the start, if you knew what to look for.

You guys dont give vince and the booking team nearly enough creit sometimes. This was the plan from day 1, I am convinced.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

Sure it was. He was originally trying to make it a real reincarnation of ECW but with his spin on it. Then he realized that the old ECW was indeed dead. Once Van Dam left, there was nothing left to do. After that the biggest ECW star left was Dreamer or Sandman who aren't successful wrestlers in WWE. ECW was an interesting creation in the sense that it could take no name wrestlers and make big stars out of them, but only in their promotion. Once that vision was killed off, the only idea left was to make it the minor league proving ground. It evolved into the ultimate training ground and it's just fine that way.

Okay. So like I said ... that wasn't his original intention. Rather, it was a result of certain events unfolding, that got him to change course.

Well so was all the rest of the programming back then, not just ECW. So that has nothing to do with why its being watered down, as everything else is as well.

and of COURSE you wont immeadiately debut a show as a developmental program. You need the inital surge of interest, and thats pretty much the only reason is was started with the ECW name and more hardcore stuff as it was. Simply to surge initial interest, and secure a future TV deal for them, so it could become what it is now. If you notice, its not like it was over night when it became what is is now, it was slowly over time. It was the plan all along, and you could tell from the start, if you knew what to look for.

You guys dont give vince and the booking team nearly enough creit sometimes. This was the plan from day 1, I am convinced.

Hysterical. So you actually think WWE was stupid enough to think they could lure the old ECW fans in by bringing in original talent, gradually phase them out, take the show from being more adult-oriented, to being PG-oriented, change the matches so that disqualifications actually happen with regularity ... and expect the ECW fans to not realize that the whole product changed before their eyes? Give me a break.

Vince never intended this ECW to be what it is today. Clearly did not intend it. What we see today, is a result of frustration that came to a boiling point at December to Dismember ... because fans were not buying Vince's vision for ECW, and they weren't buying Bobby Lashley or Big Show being shoved down their throats as ECW Champion.

 

[truk24]

It appears that some of you don't "get it". Dude, did you even read what I said at all?

The Crazy One said the following- "The same old and lame conversation about today's ECW not being the old ECW.

Well, it's not! First it isn't because its not bankrupted, secondly its not old ECW because it draws ratings! Why, would WWE turn today's ECW in that piece of garbage again?

Would they be inteligent to do it? Hell no. It wouldn't draw ratings and wouldn't accomplish anything with a bunch of washed up has beens. Guess what, didn't the all ECW Originals but Dreamer get fired or wished "the best on future endeavours"? Is Vince really that stupid to fire someone with so much talent?

I guess not. And he and his team definitely have done a great job with all the new talent that arrived at ECW since the "rebirth". Morrison, Punk, The Miz (yes, the guy that "didn't" have the talent to be a wrestler), Evan Bourne (if he was on RAW or SmackDown! he would be one more of the cruiserweights doing nothing at all), Matt Hardy (he was pretty much over with the crowd but he wasn't Main-Event caliber, so they made him ECW champion and after that he looks like someone who could pull it off), even Mark Henry that didn't have no one to challenge made a good ECW Champion.

So for crying out lod, stop comparing old ECW with todays ECW, because, todays ECW draws ratings, create new superstars by showing their talents not by putting them on matches with tables, barbies and the list goes on and on."

It seems as though you may need to read the following instead of just making pointless statements. I said this in a previous posts.

At this point I don't see why, or how anyone would expect the WWE to have ECW the same as it was when it pioneered so many great things in the world of professional wrestling. I don't expect them to have bloodfes matches every week. No one needs to jump off of 20 ft balconies through tables. It was exciting, but the WWE won't take that many risks with it's investments. They are worth more in the ring than out.

However I do feel that the WWE could have kept ECW's attitude. ECW used to be the show out of the three back in the 90's that as the anit-WWE/WCW show. Nothing good came from ECW about either WWE or WCW back then. Many of the stars stood a firm ground on respecting where they are from. Many of those stars also took fat paychecks later in those years for WCW/WWE.

In any case there was a certain difference between ECW and the other two. Today it is no different other than that WCW isn't around. You have ECW as the third show. ECW truly is its own brand, but the WWE has you thinking that it is just a third show. Yes, ECW is owned by Titan, but that doesn't mean from a storyline perspecitive it can play as a seperate entity, or entirely independent wrestling company.

Turn Tommy Dreamer heel, and have him retire as a heel and take over all rights to ECW. Possibly by out the company. Maybe even air the show twice a week Tuesday, and Saturday nights. One hour shows twice a week on Sci-Fi. ECW needs to get back to being its own show, and resume its own identity. Perhaps create the Monday Nite wars all over again, but this time with TNA/ECW. Make that the cometition. Possibly Christian start talking trash on TNA.

TNA v.s ECW feud would be sweet. It could give ECW the mainstream tap that it needs, possibly drawing TNA fans, and larger wrestling markets. Right now the show is just a "C" based show because that is the way it is booked. Get rid of that horrible title as well. Allow ECW to become the show it could be.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

So for crying out lod, stop comparing old ECW with todays ECW, because, todays ECW draws ratings, create new superstars by showing their talents not by putting them on matches with tables, barbies and the list goes on and on."

When ECW first debuted under the WWE banner, it was pulling in higher ratings than Smackdown. It was pulling in 2.8's. Today, Smackdown pulls in 2.1's. So, the first WWECW still drew higher ratings than Smackdown does today. That was because there was a target audience that was clearly expecting ECW to be as they remembered it. So instead of catering to that huge audience, Vince basically said "I don't care about what they want to see", and essentially took a Brand that could be producing those ratings quite regularly ... and a Brand that COULD have sold PPV's on it's own ... and he essentially threw all of his customers' money away.

Today, the show pulls in 1.1's virtually every week. Even the first version of WWECW did better than what today pulls in. So no, it does not pull in the ratings. Not the ratings it could be pulling in had Vince simply catered to the original audience. Instead, he chose not to listen to them ... and they basically told him where he could shove his vision for ECW.

So, in telling it like it is, the show is a failure. Instead of increasing ratings, it decreased ... clearly because fans are not interested in seeing the show that is on the screen today.

However, at the same time, it is sad that TNA has to actually struggle to defeat a Training Show.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Hysterical. So you actually think WWE was stupid enough to think they could lure the old ECW fans in by bringing in original talent, gradually phase them out, take the show from being more adult-oriented, to being PG-oriented, change the matches so that disqualifications actually happen with regularity ... and expect the ECW fans to not realize that the whole product changed before their eyes? Give me a break.

Vince never intended this ECW to be what it is today. Clearly did not intend it. What we see today, is a result of frustration that came to a boiling point at December to Dismember ... because fans were not buying Vince's vision for ECW, and they weren't buying Bobby Lashley or Big Show being shoved down their throats as ECW Champion.

Whats hysterical is that you think Vince Mcmahon gives a flying rats ass about what the fuck old ECW fans think. All 300 or so of them.

Why would he bring back a company who made so little dividens that it couldnt even pay its own wrestlers, and failed miserably??? Does that makes sense to you?? Not at all. Of course he intended it to be what it is, and it begun long ago, with CM Punk, The New Breed, and giving Bobby Lashley a title run. You can be blind to it if you would like, but its the truth. Why do you think they used RVD to usher the title back in, and then had him drop to Big Show, and not another ECW original?? Becuase he knew it was going to be a WWE show, He just had to do it gradually. And it was done. Like I said, you act as if it all changed over night. It didnt.