Am I the only one?
Am I the only one left who remembers the golden years of ECW? You know, back when extreme meant gluing shards of glass to your fists and replacing the ring ropes with barbed wire? <Sigh> Those were the days, weren't they?
Now when I watch ECW, instead of the old familiar rush I used to get, all I feel is sadness. Today, because ECW was bought out by WWE and became syndicated, the show is ruined. Now, the most extreme you get is maybe a chair, or perhaps a Kendo stick.
Blood? Oh God, no. That would scare the kids.
It wasn't all that long ago that you could watch ECW, and every match, someone would bleed profusely. Whether it was on purpose or not, someone bled. And the fans loved it! Hell, they even brought weapons for the performers to use on each other.
Now, the days of glory are gone. Nothing's left but ashes and regrets.
I could see the end coming for a long time. Once Big Show became ECW champion, I knew that it wouldn't be long until ECW gave its last breath and died.
Then Paul Heyman left, and for some reason, ECW lived on. Why? There's no such thing as ECW without Paul Heyman. ECW without Paul Heyman is WWE Raw Part II. Don't believe me? Tune in one day and watch.
All the old ECW mainstays are gone. Sabu, Sandman, RvD et al. Tommy Dreamer's still around, but for some reason, the WWE writers have turned him into a laughingstock. My heart cries when I watch him wrestle.
Now who do we have representing ECW?
Matt Hardy? Mark Henry? The Miz? John Morrison?
None of those guys, as talented as they are, belong in ECW. Why not? Well, because none of those guys have what it takes to make ECW extreme again. Those guys would do so much better on one of the other brands.
And don't get me started on brands and drafts. Sandman drafted to Raw? Bull.
So, why can't we bring ECW back? Because Vince McMahon wants his programs to appeal to the largest audience possible. And that means he has to make his programs available to everyone, on network television. And that also means, that he's going to make ECW just like his flagship, and most popular program, Raw.
Why? Because all wrestling fans want now is wrestling. They don't want to watch two guys beat each other half to death with lead pipes, they want to watch the "sexual tension" between Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix.
So, ECW is Raw. Raw is ECW. They're so alike that the only way I can tell a difference is time slot.
I miss old school ECW. I miss the men and women who made ECW a legend.
Maybe, just maybe, ECW will come back someday. If it does, you'll find me in the front row, holding a frying pan and chanting:
E-C-Dub! E-C-Dub! E-C-Dub!
7 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment
Ryan 10 months ago
Not a terrible article but it seems like you're just one of many who don't seem to understand. Vince isn't trying to bring back ECW. As a matter of fact, he's only using the name because he knows it has drawing power. That's it.
And honestly? I'm fine with it!
Trying to re-create what ECW was destined to fail, especially without Paul Heyman. So why not try something different? ECW is now the home for rising, young talent who deserve to be show-cased. Without ECW, they don't get the shot.
ECW also wasn't revered for it's "Hardcore" wrestling nearly as much as some think. It was revered because it featured tremendous stories, great technical wrestling and something DIFFERENT than what was going on in major North American promotions at the time. And yes, there was a bit of blood and violence. Unfortunately, companies like CZW have tried to emulate the extreme only, resulting in nothing but garbage wrestling.
ECW is dead and buried, the way it should be. Let it rest.
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Tim List 10 months ago
Vince's biggest mistake was two-fold. First, bringing back ECW was doomed from the start, the expectation was too high and WWE was in no position to be any type of promotion ECW was. It was, as I read in an article that quoted a former WWE executive, "urban myth."
Secondly, Heyman is the most innovative character creator and character maker in pro wrestling,
and putting him as the public figure to endorse this shitty brand is the same as someone buying The Trump Organization, building a bunch of low rent rat infested roach motels in the hood, and making The Donald do the commercials for them. It was unfair to Heyman, seriously the most creative writer or producer in wrestling of this past generation.
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Joe Burgett 10 months ago
Ya Vince knew that, thats the reason Heyman is not on ECW anymore dude, he is not even on the cretive team, he handles HR for ECW thats it. Have you not seen ECW lately dude? They have gone through like 2 GMs already
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Joe Burgett 10 months ago
Dude like what was stated before good article, and I agree with you WWE has made ECW better, at first it wasn't that great, but now with all the new stars like Bourne, Ortiz, Kingston, and it even spawed CM Punk, ECW looks good, I think they could be really really good by years end, up there with Smackdown and RAW, but I think they should do more extremem matches however, like with the new guys like Bourne in a ladder match, I'd love to see him in one of those. The one and only beef I have with this article, is that you have a TNA picture.LOL you couldn't find a good ECW pic man.LOL
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Shane H. 10 months ago
heyman does HR work for ECW? really now. Last time I checked, he does a column for The Sun and is busy with other ventures outside of Vince's empire.
Like Ryan said, ECW was extreme and many can remember the hardcore image of it, but it gained popularity and prestige because of the different kind of product it showed. The technical side with Jericho, Benoit, Storm and then there were the cruiserweights. That's what made ECW different and popular. The blood was the icing.
I like the new ECW but I'm always up for a well-done hardcore match and if lucky, one more title reign for Tommy Dreamer b4 he leaves.
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Joe Burgett 9 months ago
he still works with the HR in ECW aswell, trust me, alot of people talk to him about the signings, especially now with the new superstar thing going on, he speads alot of time in FCW
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matthew wallace 9 months ago
I am with you man I miss going down to Philly to the ECW arena watching guys like Dreamer, Sabu, Sandman and RVD do things to their body that no human being should. Sometimes they had little story lines for TV but for the most part it was just straight up true hardcore wrestling. forget the E C Dub chant WWE doesn't have a Holi Sh!t holy sh!t chant. Hot hardcore chicks not fake Barbie bimbo's true hardcore chicks getting in the ring. Nothing better then having a few beers heading out to the Arena and watching some hotties and two dudes absolutly beat the tar out of each other with tables, chairs, clubs what ever, the first time I saw " ECW" on WWE and they said " this is a hardcore rules match" I was like dude aren't all ECW matches hardcore rules?
Well I guess it is good night Komona Iwanalaya, good night RVD where ever you are.
and quoth the Raven " Never more!"
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