ECW One Night Stand 2006

This little rant was written back in June. I'm sorry to say I never got passed a third week of the new ECW. It has just been unbearable for me. I will check in every once in a while but nothing happens to keep me past 5 minutes. Even with my newly aquired DVR I still can't bring my self to suffer through it.



Let me say first as a wrestling fan I am 100% all for ECW's return. Not because I am a former ECW fan but because I know that Paul E. and Tommy Dreamer and many of the other folks involved can once again bring back to wrestling something that has been missing for a long time. Something that TNA had for about 10 minutes but then lost grasp of. What is it? I don't know it's just something that is not there. I at first was worried we where going to see what would amount to a Sex Pistols reunion but in a wrestling arena but what some people may have missed was when Paul announced his drafting of Kurt Angle he mentioned there was a new direction to be had and I think over the last two weeks or so I kind of see the evil little glimmer he is talking about. I don't think it is just about "hardcore". I think Paul is ready to take ECW in a direction that he was not able to the first time around due to constraints that he had. Using these matches as examples take them all and roll them up into a concept Dreamer/Raven , Mysterio/Pyscosis, Awesome/Tanaka, Lynn/RVD, Lynn/Credible and Gurrero/Malenko, Funk/Sabu. It's not about the people in the matches it's about the type of matches they where. It's about taking every wonderful thing about Paul's brain and putting it under the million dollar microscope of Vinny Mac's, but also taking away the issues that Paul could not handle as many many people have admitted. It's about taking wrestling back, way back but having it exist in a modern age. Paul is a guy that understands the basic formula but knows how to use that formula for today's audience.

I think Vince has a pretty good handle on ECW and has for a long time. If he didn't he would have flexed much more muscle while the company was in existence.

There are a couple of rules that Vince has to follow.
1. Don't use ECW to replace the failing Smackdown. I know you want to use it as another "brand" but understand you must let this organization stand on it's own. There is nothing wrong with crossover, but to much and you will see backlash. Playing in each others sandbox is one thing. Start crapping in it and the kids will go somewhere else.
2. For every Mick Foley that came out of ole skool ECW and went on to be a 2 time World Champ and make you millions and millions of dollars there is an Al Snow, Justin Credible, Lance Storm and Public Enemy. It must be understood that what works in the bingo hall sometimes must stay in the bingo hall. One of the things that I loved about ECW was that it reminded me of my favorite fed growing up which was WCCW for Christ sakes the 'arena" had dirt floors you could tell they had just relocated all of the swap meet tables to make room for the ring.

ECW is the punk rock of wrestling and not just for it's grit and grime. It was for it's heart and it's passion. It's we will do things with out the frills. Smoke and lights and music are nice cause hey this is still a show, but we don't need the full fireworks display. We don't need Shawn to fly in on a belay line. I have nothing against that but there is a time and a place for it. ECW is not the time or the place and I think Vince has realized that. There are some of us out here who love a good promo as much as the next guy but sometimes we just want you to shut up and get in the ring. We want story lines for the sake of matches not matches for the sake of storyline.

If nothing else the existence of ECW might very well quell some of the backlash against WWE. It will finally give those with a certain love for wrestling the opportunity to have it with out all of the other stuff that goes with an episode of RAW.