ECW PPV???

[Dead Crow 370]

From the UKFF - apparently taken from the Observer

 

The idea of doing an ECW PPV show dated back a few months. It was first suggested by Rob Van Dam, and when taken under consideration, coincides with Van Dam's publicly doing minor knocks against the company, in as far as saying ECW used him better and that ECW was the best period of his career. It also makes sense of the recent Byte This show where Heyman, Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer and Rey Mysterio were less than complimentary to aspects of WWE booking and pushing that ECW made better use of their talents, make a lot more sense.

 

Dreamer even knocked David Lagana, the head writer of Smackdown, noting that he was a big ECW fan, yet couldn’t find anything to keep him (Dreamer), one of ECW’s biggest stars, on the active roster. Since Dreamer's role is in John Laurinaitis' new talent relations departments, if s almost impossible to believe he'd speak out against the company, considering his role, if it wasn’t for pushing of an angle.

 

In fact, if not for the leaving of Chhibber, one could be easily think it possible Heyman's demotion could be an angle to set up him rebelliously starting ECW. That is almost assuredly not true, being that WWE, with hours of television, is not about to shoot a major angle like this, particularly working their own front office to the point where Stephanie was very upset the word about Heyman being off became internet knowledge. Wrestlers normally are strongly discouraged from saying anything against the company mindset in public, let alone comparing the company unfavorably to a different modern company.

 

The writing team has been vindictive enough that when Steve Austin publicly complained about them in the summer of 2002, he was immediately booked to job on television to Brock Lesnar in a match that made no sense to happen at that time. They also made Mick Foley so miserable that Foley broke ties with the company temporarily when they had a match idea for a PPV and there was a spot open in a six-man tag, wanted Foley to do it, and Foley turned it down, not wanting to trivialize his comeback by being simply thrown into a match because there was an open spot, and without a strong storyline build.

 

Van Dam reportedly told McMahon about all the talent under contract that had worked for ECW, with the idea of reviving it for one night. McMahon, and everyone, thought feat it was Heyman's idea, but Heyman was using Van Dam as the messenger.

 

In meetings, Heyman always denied it being his idea, even though others on the inside termed it "Heyman's crusade." Vince was positive about the idea, as was, reportedly, Jim Ross, and particularly, the Dudley’s. Stephanie kept avoiding putting the idea on her to be discussed docket, so nothing had been done on it. Then, when the DVD did so well (it is currently No. 3 on the sports chart and No. 183 overall), Heyman brought it up again, in front of Vince, forcing Stephanie to deal with it.

 

Stephanie was said to be against it, and nobody knows if it will be done at this point or not. Another source said Stephanie had never publicly said anything against it, but when she privately asked the writing staff their opinions, their belief in how it was brought up was feat she was against it, and thus they should be. When word of that got to the wrestlers, there were ex-ECW wrestlers who were led to believe she was the hold-up.

 

One of the big questions originally was whether the show would be handled like a normal WWE show with the agent involvement, the same type of production, as opposed to a different feel, and really be Heyman's own man creative show. But if it is done, at this point, Heyman will have very little if anything to do with the creative end, as it would be put together by the WWE creative team and the WWE agents, just using former ECW talent currently on the active roster and probably Tommy Dreamer, since he works for the company, and possibly one or two outsiders.

 

It will be like the gimmick a few years back of Extreme Smackdown during a ratings sweep, where people expected an ECW-like show, but it was nothing like it, and in reality, the Extreme moniker only seemed to mean something on the internet as ratings were the same as they had been even wife it being hyped as something special. The idea was just to do one show, but as is natural once the door is opened, several former ECW types, many of whom were frustrated with their lack of push, were hoping it could become an annual thing where they could play a major role on a big show.

[Evil Gringo 279]

Well it won't happen, Stephanie won't let it at all and I reckon going of that she had a hand in Heyman being moved from a creative position near Vince's ear...

 

If they do it the proposed way it's not gonna be ECW, its gonna be WWE presents a ECW apriciation night starring some stale wrestlers....

 

They'll work the WWE style, they'll hit a few highspots, the maeks will chant E-C-W and that will be it...

 

Only way that it could work is if the Heyman firing is an angle (which it won't be) and he does start a rebel group that invades both shows and includes Dreamer, RVD, Dudleys, Rey, Benoit, Jericho and Eddie all going back to their ECW roots.

 

That could work, but its still won't be the same.

[Fletch 204]

Im glad someone mentioned SmackDown Extreme. I thought i just dreamt that up since they never had one again.

[Paul 584]

Yeah, got to wonder what the point of THAT was.

 

I like the ECW PPV idea, but only if Vince stepped back and let Heyman take care of it, which we know wont happen!

[Guest Mr Dragon]

a Edited December 17, 2006 by Mr Dragon

[Guest Clarkey]

The point would be if they were to do it that it would be a easy money winner. Whether it would make the money on the whole I'm unsure of, but if the WWE can smell a ickle bit they will go for it no matter how they do it. The ECW DVD sales have probably helped this PPV's cause. Possibly a WCW ppv too?

[Dead Crow 370]

If they brought Joey Styles in for one night to do PBP with Heyman, had Heyman booking the show, and used anyone formerly in ECW (and we're talking Spike, Dudleys, Dreamer, Richards, hell even Mysterio, Benoit, and even get Tazz out for a night), and brought in at least one or two old names just for one nights sake (maybe Sandman or Terry Funk since he did a house show not too long ago - even Danny Doring and Roadkill are usually used on dark matches every so often), then I'd be up for a one night thing. Plus, I think if it went ahead and Steph decided she was going to book it, Heyman and the ECW superstars would more than likely flip the everloving f**k out.

[Guest Jericho]

An ECW brand PPV does sound like a good idea but I don't think it would ever take off unless it was a totally separate entity from WWE because the matches would just follow a WWE style no DQ formula.

 

I'd love to see it happen though :devil

[wyndorf 389]

Wasn't Vince paying for the ECW ppv's when they were in buisness?

[Dead Crow 370]

Heyman got money from a lot of sources. The WWF was one of those.

[Guest Anime Otaku]

i'd say if it were truely run as an ECW show and likewise with a WCW show it would be good, but if it was just all the ecw guys in a WWE style PPV then it will suck

[Guest Brad]

I would love it, and if they do it, and it became popular wiv everyone then they have to do it again, bring in another brand show and separate more out. Think about it, rhyno,spike,dudleyz,rvd,dreamer,al snow,steven richards, tazz won't coz of injury, nunzio/little guido. We might even see old stars such as justin credible, steve corino, jerry lynn, and maybe nova might leave out the simonj dean gimmick for the night, we could even see Whipwreck and tajiri again. I think it will happen, and I think Heyman has wanted to do it for some time, I think thats what he wanted the dudleyz and heyamn stroyline to turn out like. But if it's wwe booking it won't b any gd but it still would be worth doing. But the wwe has a lower risk level then ecw ever had so will they have to go by wwe risk level, which prob means no fire, no balcony jumps and no head landing moves such as piledrivers and dangerous ddts.

[Dead Crow 370]

I hope ECW is never revived for more than one night. It would just destroy the legacy and in my opinion would be the downfall of what people remember it to be.

[Guest Brad]

Yea, maybe, but I think it could be better with the old ecw being used with a bit of wwe in it as well. I dunno, i def want to see at least one ppv.

[Guest Shady]

I think it will happen, but it won't come back in full swing like it used too.