The ECW discussion thread

[boykrazee_201]

ECW will premiere on SCI-FI Channel tomorrow night at 10 p.m. EST!! When did ECW go off the air?

[Stopanimalabuse]

Why would John Cena appear on it? Every review of the show that I have read has been horrible. It did well in the ratings in the first show, but I have doubts whether it will last. They need to bring it into a live environment where ECW fans will be watching it live rather than WWE fans following the Smackdown! taping.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I have heard that the WBF was also owned by Vince, and it failed as well. He's considered as a "genius" by some people, but he's had more failures than successes. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the ratings over the next several weeks, but I'm almost afraid to look. I guess if its ratings are low enough, the league may fold.

[suzanne]

The ratings are great. He has only failed with companies that had nothing to do with wrestling.

[Stopanimalabuse]

This week's show has had much better reviews. The only people who have complained are those that expect ECW to be almost exactly like it was the first time around. It is great to see Van Dam receiving a big push.

[Stopanimalabuse]

The ratings are great. He has only failed with companies that had nothing to do with wrestling.
I guess you're right, but the only success story he has had was with one wrestling league. Even the invasion angle several years ago was considered sub-par.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I guess the second show dropped a little bit in ratings, but, especially with game 6 of the NBA finals on the same night, it's a good sign for the show.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I wish they had kept it to an ECW show with only ECW wrestlers by now. If it is able to get its own show, I have a feeling that will happen and people like Edge won't be interfering. It is good to see one match at the end which is given a decent amount of time. They're putting more emphasis on the wrestling.

[suzanne]

The roster is too thin right now to get rid of the WWE guys right now but I think they will all be gone after RVD drops his WWE title to EDGE at Saturday Night's Main Event on the 15th.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Ratings stayed pretty steady so that's a good sign. Are they planning to make it a two-hour show come September?

[suzanne]

I am sure that they would like to but if it will happen your gues is as good as mine.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Sabu and Rob Van Dam were caught taking marijuana(sp?). I wonder if that will have any impact on ECW in the future.

[suzanne]

NO not taking it, in possesion of it. I don't know about ECW but it will have a major impact on them.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It's good to see CM Punk on the show but I think they could have had better champions to give the belt to than the Big Show. I guess Van Dam has been suspended for 30 days;any action taken against Sabu?

[suzanne]

They really didn't have anyone else to give the belt to. Big SHOW is the only major heel they have right now and he is also the only one in a major fued. I would suspect that Tommy will come out of the feud with the title.

SABU was fined $1000.

[Stopanimalabuse]

SABU was fined $1000.
So they gave him a $1,000 fine while RVD got a 30-day suspension for the same act? That's a bit inconsistent.

The ratings were a bit down. Though it was a holiday so that's expected.

[suzanne]

It wasn't the same act.

RVD had pot and SABU had perscription drugs.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It wasn't the same act.

RVD had pot and SABU had perscription drugs.
I thought I had read something differently but I could be wrong. Anyways, what is Kurt Angle serving a suspension for?

[suzanne]

Thats a rumor floating around I don't think its true.

[Stopanimalabuse]

ECW had higher ratings and better reviews this week than any I've seen, so I hope that's a good sign. I just think it's disappointing that a wrestler like Balls Mahoney doesn't appear on the show very often while people like Candice and Ric Flair have made appearances.

[suzanne]

Balls Mahoney was on the show this week he just didn't wrestle.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I wish the early matches were a little longer. Is Shannon Moore coming into ECW?

[suzanne]

YES they have been showing promos for him the last 2 weeks.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I don't see how he fits in with ECW. I do enjoy watching him, so I do hope they push him this time around.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I'm sorry but Kane doesn't belong in the main event. I also think disqualifications don't belong anywhere in ECW. Other than that, I think they're making a lot of good decisions. The next ECW PPV's should be interesting to watch.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It's good to see ECW shows done with an ECW audience, and CM Punk could be one of their future champions. Those "Change the Channel" chants are hilarious. There's nothing like an ECW audience.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I guess ratings stayed the same. With Angle's return and Batista's appearance, that can't be a good sign. I think there may be some fans who don't watch the main event just because of that, so maybe it's not a bad sign after all.

[suzanne]

Its not a good or bad sign.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Rene Dupree? I don't see him fitting in with ECW at all. I guess he has far less confidence today than he had previously, so that certainly can't help him.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It is a bit disappointing that FBI would be squashed. Nunzio was squashed for so long in WWE that I almost expect that to happen. I'm also a bit surprised that Van Dam didn't win his match.

[suzanne]

They have been pushing a SABU/Big SHOW fued since the Big SHOW won the title so it would have been stupid to switch it now.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I don't know if Hardcore Holly is a good choice for ECW. You obviously need to add new wrestlers to ECW rather than having all of the older ones, but I just don't see some of them appealing to the old ECW crowd.

[suzanne]

Actually other then CM PUNK Hardcore Holly is the guy that fits in the best in EC of the new guys.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Actually other then CM PUNK Hardcore Holly is the guy that fits in the best in EC of the new guys.
I wouldn't agree with that. He's been in the league for the most part since 1993 and never went anywhere else, so I feel he should have come back to the WWE.

[suzanne]

In ECW he has a chance to become a bigger star then he ever did in the WWE.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I'm very surprised to see Kurt Angle released. It is understandable given the reason, but I didn't realize he was having too many problems. I heard he wasn't too happy being in ECW, so I wonder if that played a role.

[suzanne]

He is injured and going thru a divorce.

[Stopanimalabuse]

He is injured and going thru a divorce.
I had heard about the first part but not the second. That's a shame. I had read from a wrestling fan who said wrestlers should be given 2 months off every year so that things like this don't happen. I'd have to agree. That would be enough time for their bodies to heal.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I didn't even realize Stevie Richards was a member of the league until he wrestled. I hope they can make it a two-hour show. Then wrestlers like him would be on far more often.

[Stopanimalabuse]

The ratings slipped a bit. Officials claim they were expecting that, but I don't understand why.

[suzanne]

Because RAW this last week was on the SCI FI channel live and taped on the USA network and aired at almost 1 A.M. so ECW didn't get the plug for there show like they usually get.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Because RAW this last week was on the SCI FI channel live and taped on the USA network and aired at almost 1 A.M. so ECW didn't get the plug for there show like they usually get.
I guess there was a similar drop in ratings for Raw and ECW, so that likely had a big impact. It's weird to think that some people have to be told a show is on or they won't watch it.

[suzanne]

Some fans are more into it then others and they need something to remined them.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I'm confused about one issue. I thought ECW would go to the USA network in the Fall, yet I've heard they signed with Sci-Fi through the end of 2007. What's the plan?

[suzanne]

Sci Fi wanted to keep them.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I've seen other people say this as well, but Matt Striker's comment about the stingray was uncalled for. I believe Vince is the one who ensures that statements like those aren't made, but I wonder what could be going on in his head sometimes to agree to something like that.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I almost feel like they need to push another main event. I had thought I had read that Sabu vs. Big Show will be going through December. It would be nice if they added one or two wrestlers in there as well.

[suzanne]

That is what people are assuming because thats when the PPV is but no one knows that for sure.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Balls Mahoney reportedly failed a drug test. I was really thinking they were going to push him soon, so that's a bit surprising to me.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Justin Credible has been officially released. That was certainly not expected.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I'm hoping they push Punk in the main events soon. Obviously they can't continue to push Big Show, Sabu, and Van Dam before it becomes stale. I had thought he'd be in the main events by now.

[suzanne]

You won't see CM PUNK anywhere near the Main Event until atleast the Royal Rumble.

[Stopanimalabuse]

You won't see CM PUNK anywhere near the Main Event until atleast the Royal Rumble.
I wouldn't mind that too much but I hope within the next year he's become a regular main eventer. I would like to see them push a Benoit-Regal feud, then move Benoit to ECW. A feud between Punk and Benoit could really elevate him.

[suzanne]

It looks like Regal is going to stick to tag team wrestling. Benoit should stay on SMACKDOWN, they have enough vets to elevate CM PUNK.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It looks like Regal is going to stick to tag team wrestling. Benoit should stay on SMACKDOWN, they have enough vets to elevate CM PUNK.
Sabu or Van Dam vs. Punk would be good matches but I just don't see it elevating him the way Benoit vs. Punk would. WWE has been lacking their Match of the Year candidates, and a feud between those two definitely has that kind of potential.

[suzanne]

Chris isn't reliable enough, he is as injury prone as Kurt was. ECW has more talent then just 2 guys.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to the December To Dismember main event of Van Dam vs. Big Show. I'm hoping Van Dam wins and can wrestle Sabu or Punk as his next challenger. It looks like the ratings have dropped over time. I don't see the league lasting more than 1 or 2 years as I think the ratings will slowly continue to drop.

[suzanne]

It won't be SABU because he is a ORIGINAL and a face like SABU.

The people who RVD will be fueding with be the NEW BREED but again probably not CM PUNK because he is a face.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It won't be SABU because he is a ORIGINAL and a face like SABU.

The people who RVD will be fueding with be the NEW BREED but again probably not CM PUNK because he is a face.
I remember in the old ECW, Van Dam and Sabu wrestled frequently. They could always turn one of them. Are they thinking about giving Van Dam the title? There was a match that I thought the ECW fans were booing the Big Show's match(not just him, but the match itself). I believe it was against Batista. I would assume that would be enough reason to give the title to another wrestler.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I'm amazed they would put Kalhi in WWE and squash Shannon Moore like that. It's looking like the WWE under the ECW banner. They'd be much better off putting Heyman in charge.

[suzanne]

YES the most likely person to win the belt would be RVD.

I believe for awhile after he wins it that RVD will defend it against the NEW BREED guys just like the BIG SHOW did with the ORIGINALS.

Kalhi is just a body guard now so I don't see a problem with him in ECW. Shannon Moore was never going to be heavily pushed.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I don't see a point in them bringing MVP in as the announcer. Styles used to announce by himself, so I don't see any reason why he can't do that by himself again.

[suzanne]

That wasn't MVP that was Elijah Burke and it was only for this week.

[Stopanimalabuse]

That wasn't MVP that was Elijah Burke and it was only for this week.
Oops, I got the two mixed up. Anyways, the WWE is reportedly offering the Big Show $1 million per year contract to stay. I didn't realize that wrestlers are payed that much. I had read that the champion makes $1 million per year. The Big Show is the current champion, but likely won't be within a few months, so I would have thought they would offer him $400-$600,000 yearly. A million is just too much.

[Stopanimalabuse]

They reportedly have gotten rid of house shows, so it looks like those on the undercard won't be wrestling much. That reminds me. What happened with Little Guido(Nunzio)? I don't recall seeing him in a while.

[suzanne]

The FBI wrestled just this past Tuesday.

[Stopanimalabuse]

The FBI wrestled just this past Tuesday.
I wasn't able to watch last week's show.

[Stopanimalabuse]

The upcoming pay-per-view is on Sunday, yet WWE only lists two matches as the card. There must be others. I would like to see Punk win the title, but I have a feeling Sabu or Van Dam will win the match. I'm almost positive the Big Show won't have the title any longer.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Ouch. When fans are chanting "TNA" in one of the matches that's a bad sign, and them giving Lashley the title is the worst decision they could have made in that match. They should either let Hayman book the matches and the shows, or I'm afraid that ECW won't be a league for very much longer.

[suzanne]

NO the worst would have been letting the BIG SHOW keep it.

Paul was the Head Writter.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Paul was the Head Writter.
He was the head writer, but it looks like he has left. If they had known he was upset with the product, they probably should have let him do all of the writing, but it doesn't look like he'll come back again. Vince is the one who has the ultimate decision and this obviously doesn't appear to be Heyman's product. The Big Show is also supposed to be leaving. I have a feeling there won't be too many months of ECW left.

[suzanne]

ECW will be around until atleast this time next year.

The Paul stuff may or may not be a storyline.

[Stopanimalabuse]

The Paul stuff may or may not be a storyline.
I've read that they've changed his writing around frequently at the last minute, and I know the last pay-per-view got poor reviews, so I would assume it's not a storyline. Vince should make him a good offer to come back.

[suzanne]

Their are conflicting reports on this whole situation.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Their are conflicting reports on this whole situation.
The story regarding the Big Show is true, right? I don't care for him as a wrestler too much, and he's supposed to be trying to get his weight down, so I think he's better off this way.

[suzanne]

He is still under contract until the end of Febuary so they could use him at the Royal Rumble and there are reports that they would like him to wrestle his final match at WrestleMania in April so he may or may not be completely gone but he will be gone for awhile for sure.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Now I'm hearing that Dreamer and Van Dam are very unhappy with the product, and Sabu will be leaving. Is that true? It seems that half of the wrestlers in that league are angry with the company. I think it will last throughout December 2007(they're signed through then according to what I have read). I think CM Punk will be pushed greatly in Smackdown! after that, and they may keep a few wrestlers from ECW, but I have a feeling a lot of stars will be leaving by then, including some on Smackdown! and Raw. I just can't imagine ECW lasting too much longer.

[suzanne]

There are rumors that say that but who knows if they are true or not.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I haven't been able to see it in a while, but it's a shame that CW Anderson and Al Snow were both released.

[suzanne]

Al wasn't really released, he just isn't going to be a active wrestler anymore.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I think fans can only take so much of Test vs. Bobby Lashley, but I would assume that's the end. CM Punk losing is not a good sign. I was really hoping they'd push him.

[suzanne]

They are pushing him, it was 1 loss to a guy he's fueding with,

[Stopanimalabuse]

They are pushing him, it was 1 loss to a guy he's fueding with,
He's on almost every week so they're obviously pushing him to some degree, but I still think a match against Benoit at Wrestlemania could be the best on the card. Punk should have the belt by the end of the year.

[suzanne]

I doubt they would book that match because they are both faces and on different show.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It's good to see Snitsky on ECW. I had thought he'd be put on Sunday Night Heat matches for the rest of his WWE career, but he should fit in very well in that league.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I guess the ECW PPV only drew around 90,000 buys. That's much worse than the typical PPV draws so it can't be a good sign. With life becoming much harder and the shows not receiving the best reviews, I'm surprised they still draw a 200,000-500,000 buy rate.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It's sad to see them pushing Umaga on every single show. I have said that Raw lacks the heels so it does make sense to push him, but not on all of the other shows like this. Van Dam is reportedly not happy, Test was just released, and they drew average ratings even with hype, so I'm still not sure about the future of the league.

[Stopanimalabuse]

When is the last match that Balls Mahoney won? It seems like he hasn't won in months, and I had heard that they planned to push him. They're using more Raw and Smackdown! wrestlers than previously, but I would assume this is to promote Wrestlemania and they stop this after that event.

[Stopanimalabuse]

The Lashley-Orton match should have been much shorter. Maybe about 10 minutes shorter. And what's the point of Vince coming in at the end? It seemed so pointless.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Balls Mahoney continues to lose. I don't necessarily think he'd be a great main eventer, but he's certainly worthy of a bigger push than he has received. It's nice to see an 8-man tag match involve only one ECW wrestler. It's not likely to end anytime soon though.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It was awful with Snitsky squashing Nunzio like that, but it's great to see CM Punk being pushed the way he is. I'm still expecting him to be the Champion by the end of the year, hopefully including a feud against Benoit.

[suzanne]

Having Nunzio squashed isn't going to hurt him.

Chris ins't in ECW so they won't be fueding anytime soon. It looks like they are building to a fued with RVD.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I heard that Sabu was released and Van Dam isn't signing again. How are they going to make this league work with those two out?

[suzanne]

Not sure what they are going to do if RVD does leave.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Wow, it's been a while. One of the matches(you could even say two) has a jobber match, and the Miz is one of the wrestlers they've moved. There's no way I can see him fitting in with this league. I just don't see it lasting much longer.

[suzanne]

They have a contract thru the end of the year and it gets good ratings so it won't be going anywhere. It is better to use jobbers to build peoplr up then to squash the other wrestlers on the roster.

[Stopanimalabuse]

They have a contract thru the end of the year and it gets good ratings so it won't be going anywhere. It is better to use jobbers to build peoplr up then to squash the other wrestlers on the roster.
I read that ECW had a 1.24 rating, which is one of its lowest ever. How well do typical sci-fi programming do?

[suzanne]

I don't know the exact numbers off the top of my head but ECW has been either the #1 or 2 show on Cable TV on Tuesday night since it debuted and has been either the #1 or 2 show on the SCI FI Network since it debuted. So while it may be a bad rating for ECW its not for Tuesday or the SCI FI Network.

[Stopanimalabuse]

What's happened with Heyman since he left. I think that with squash matches, the Boogeyman, and the Miz all in ECW, he would despise what the league has become. They should have given Heyman all of the say in the wrestlers and storylines for ECW, and it could have been doing a lot better right now.

[suzanne]

Paul isn't doing anything right now and the ECW show is a good show well except for the Boogyman.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Paul isn't doing anything right now and the ECW show is a good show well except for the Boogyman.
I'm not saying it's a bad show, but it's not a good representation of the old ECW and that should be what they're trying for.

[suzanne]

No they should be looking to the future and I think that they are finally doing the right thing with ECW.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It's great to see Punk with the win, but I still feel that Benoit was one of the few wrestlers who could have elevated him to good main event status. It's such a shame. Their push(or lack of a push) of Balls Mahoney is ridiculous. I was really thinking he'd be pushed to near main event status and I thought I had read that the league looked at him very highly.

[suzanne]

Actually I think giving him the win was a huge mistake. The rules of the match stated that all CM PUNK would have had to do was last the 15 minutes not win the match to get the title shot at SummerSlam so I think it would have been better for the match to end in a time limit draw.

CM PUNK didn't need Benoit to be a star Main Eventer and besides if he was still alive he would be the ECW World Champion right now and CM PUNK wouldn't be getting the ECW World title match at SummerSlam.

BALLS has never been nor should he ever be a Main Eventer.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Wow. Viscera, the Miz, and the Boogeyman all involved in the main event. I don't know what to think about this league anymore. How has it been doing in the ratings?

[suzanne]

It has gone up a little.

[Stopanimalabuse]

It definitely feels different watching a match when you know who will win, but that was definitely one of the best moments in the modern version of ECW's history. Now they have to give CM Punk some great competition and this could be a very exciting time for the league.

[Stopanimalabuse]

ECW was given a 2-minute title match and that was all. That is absolutely ridiculous. Hopefully Tazz and Styles are angry over this and changes are made. They just should not have the league if they're going to treat it like this.

[suzanne]

I agree the match should have been longer. However they shouldn't get rid of ECW and they may have had a reason.

[Stopanimalabuse]

I don't believe he was in ECW by the end, but does anyone why the Sandman was released? He was one of them I just couldn't see that happening to, as he is one of the first wrestlers people think about regarding the old ECW.

[suzanne]

He got drunk on a plane ride comming back to the USA and got into a shouting match with Ricky Steamboat and he apparently asked to be released.

[Stopanimalabuse]

Scorpio was released. I don't recall hearing about this. Was it recent and why did it happen?

[suzanne]

It was months ago and I don't remember.