WWE Could Add Third ECW-Type Brand

[NoCalMike 0]

If it is a watered down ECW then count me out, if it is a no-nonsense, no bullshit taking, no holds barred truly hardcore ECW then i will give it a chance and watch it.WWE could use it to replace Velocity and Confidential on Saturdays and have RVD be their first world champion.

Great. RVD stalling ad nauseum. Man, did I miss THAT!

-=Mike

Well, out of 2 choices:

 

A) RVD being the ECW Heavyweight champion, yet stalling a little more

 

or

 

B) Being shoved onto Heat, without a mention on the main show Raw, like he was this week....

 

I would surely pick A.

I'd take B.

 

But I don't see much special about RVD.

-=Mike

well considering RVD is popular and over and in good health, I'd say most people would rather go with A.

[haVoc 0]

Update on potential third brand...

 

As reported last week, a lot of rumors are going around that WWE may create a third ECW-type brand, possibly even naming it ECW. At this point, if the brand gets created it would like have a show in what is currently the Confidential timeslot. WWE is now going away from "shoot" type things and thus Confidential has become a "fluff" show which has reflected in declining ratings. WWE also may use the third brand to finally increase their total yearly PPVs from 12 to 16.

 

Credit: PWTorch Newsletter/411

[JJMc 0]

I agree about Confidential. I knew the whole "shoot TV" thing wouldn't last. There's only so many topics you can cover. They just happened to (excuse my insensitivity) strike it rich w/ Davey dying right before the second week.

[Human Fly 0]

WWE also may use the third brand to finally increase their total yearly PPVs from 12 to 16.

Once again if they do this right it could work. If they charged $15.00 for the "ECW" PPVs they would probably sell pretty well.

 

I just cannot see a brand with a Saturday night only timeslot and a (likely) roster with less star power than the other two shows selling well at $34.95 a pop.

[haVoc 0]

Heh, Vince could be a real prick and put the "ECW" PPV on Wednesday night once a month for $10.

[humongous2002 0]

Update on potential third brand...

 

As reported last week, a lot of rumors are going around that WWE may create a third ECW-type brand, possibly even naming it ECW. At this point, if the brand gets created it would like have a show in what is currently the Confidential timeslot. WWE is now going away from "shoot" type things and thus Confidential has become a "fluff" show which has reflected in declining ratings. WWE also may use the third brand to finally increase their total yearly PPVs from 12 to 16.

 

Credit: PWTorch Newsletter/411

Are they just giving an hour for this "ECW" brand or is Velocity getting canned like Confidential?

[NoCalMike 0]

if they were smart they would run the "third ECW-brand" @ ECW arena and actually try to make it come off looking and feeling like something different, but that would require comittment.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

if they were smart they would run the "third ECW-brand" @ ECW arena and actually try to make it come off looking and feeling like something different, but that would require comittment.

Which they only devote to total suckbags and waste's of time.

[Guest Goodear]

I think running from just one site would be a mistake NoCal especially at the ECW Arena simply due to 1) the increased chance of the base there getting jaded like the TNA fans 2) ECW Arena is a pit in a bad neighborhood and 3) Philly is chuck full of indys, some of which (CZW) who try to work the ECW model to the *sigh* extreme and do more hardcore stuff than ECW did.

 

But the idea of touring around to smaller arenas is a good one, especially if they're trying to run this thing with an absense of huge stars to begin with and want to create most of them with this brand. Use the ROH model and try to get buildings you can sell out reasonably well before branching out further and further. In the end, if you can draw 20,000 people there... shit... do that.

[humongous2002 0]

if they were smart they would run the "third ECW-brand" @ ECW arena and actually try to make it come off looking and feeling like something different, but that would require comittment.

Which they only devote to total suckbags and waste's of time.

Sad but true, if WWE puts the same committment with this new brand as they do with shitbags like Orton and Batista, then we would have a winner just let Heyman book the whole show.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

if they were smart they would run the "third ECW-brand" @ ECW arena and actually try to make it come off looking and feeling like something different, but that would require comittment.

Which they only devote to total suckbags and waste's of time.

Sad but true, if WWE puts the same committment with this new brand as they do with shitbags like Orton and Batista, then we would have a winner just let Heyman book the whole show.

I'm not the biggest Heyman mark out there, but I would still like to see that.

[1234-5678 0]

But the minute this third league outshined Raw or Smackdown, they wold tone it down or change bookers.

[NoCalMike 0]

well the question is. Does Vince want to run an ECW-brand show, or does he just want a 3rd show for WWE projects and think somehow calling it "ECW" will make people watch it rather then calling it whatever they currently do. I mean correct me if I'm wrong, but ECW did do the majority of it's shows from ECW Arena and that is one of the biggest aspects that made people either love or hate ECW. There is NO OTHER place like ECW Arena and/or it's fans. The only problem I see is their habit of liking to chant smarkish things, including a lot that Vince wouldn't like to hear, but I am sure his feelings would be subdued if this was a money maker.

[JJMc 0]

Again, Id absolutely love to see this. To me, though, making it anything BUT a Heat/Velocity clone with the WWE logo in the corner would eventually take viewers away from SD/Raw and lord knows we can't have that..

 

And no FUCKING "INTERPROMOTIONAL" matches on the big PPVs one month after it launches.

[Guest Dids]

Again, Id absolutely love to see this. To me, though, making it anything BUT a Heat/Velocity clone with the WWE logo in the corner would eventually take viewers away from SD/Raw and lord knows we can't have that..

 

And no FUCKING "INTERPROMOTIONAL" matches on the big PPVs one month after it launches.

Why do you care so much about an marketing idea that's only two years old?

[Guest Burning Hammer]

Just a note to somebody who thought that there was no way that this could happen.

 

Currently the WWE has been signing more women. With both shows at the saturation point for women this would lead me to believe that they have plans for those that they have recently been hiring.

 

Also earlier in the year when Linda McMahon mentioned in a stockholders report for 2004 the expanding of the amount of ppv's they run from 12 to 16.

 

Toss into this that they haven't released any talent recently (outside of Dustin Rhodes).

 

Other assorted ramblings that lead me to believe that this is much closer than we all think.

 

The WWE has time slots available to them on Spike TV now more than ever considering the spike tv gimmick. Why not make yourself more valuable to the Viacom network than you already are? Give them a brand new wrestling promotion. Either a 1 or 2 hour show would work just fine and depending on the timeslot odds are you could score a 1.0 rating rather consistently. Outside of this making you more valuable to the company that provides all your necessary tv timeslots this also gives you more money making oportunities, specifically with Playboy magazine, wrestler merchandise sales, and house show revenues.

 

From a coporate stand point starting a third brand makes a ton of sense. Especially since you own a brand name and its trademarks (including the former face of ECW Paul Heyman) that is remembered fondly by fans. Using the ECW brandname instantly gives you a set amount of fans who will tune in to see what the new ECW is all about. Also their is minimal risk to the WWE. They wouldn't have to shell out a lot of money for this new venture and by running smaller venues they could also keep production costs down. Also if they are replacing Confidential with this new brand then the startup cost would be even less.

 

It isn't like they are going out on a limb by trying to create a new wrestling promotion. WWE is the only promotion to ever turn a profit on a consistent basis in the United States over the past 20 years. They clearly have some idea of how to make money on wrestling.

 

To me this third promotion idea seems like a no brainer and an easy win for the WWE. Obviously they will have to create an entirely different product from what they offer and not just offer their audience more of the same for the concept to be wildly successfull. Even if it isn't wildly successful the show will still probably do better in the ratings than Confidential.

 

I think that if they do start a third promotion they will have patience with it since they have showed great patience in the brand extension.

 

Ok I'm done rambling about this.

[geniusMoment 0]

If they return to the Manhattan center and feature a program different from anything they have ever done I will go to church every Sunday. (Not really, church is for suckers)

[JJMc 0]

Again, Id absolutely love to see this. To me, though, making it anything BUT a Heat/Velocity clone with the WWE logo in the corner would eventually take viewers away from SD/Raw and lord knows we can't have that..

 

And no FUCKING "INTERPROMOTIONAL" matches on the big PPVs one month after it launches.

Why do you care so much about an marketing idea that's only two years old?

I'm not sure I understand, bro. Are you referring to interpromotional matches being two years old? If so, that's not my point. The point is, we can't have it if this brand is going to take off. It's needs to be treated like a totally seperate entity. No clips of Raw, Smackdown, etc. on the show and vice versa.

 

The bottom line is that they want two brands, but they consistantly offer us reminders that both brands are essentially the same. Including:

 

-Joint PPVs (I know that having just brand only PPVs would be cheating the paying customer somewhat, but my opinion stands)

 

-Cole/Tazz doing drop ins during Raw promoting PPV matchups. I couldnt say for certain if JR/King do it on SD since I don't watch it.

 

-Raw highlights on SD of Austin/Goldberg. Makes sense for the Lesnar/Goldberg feud, but how about just having them trashtalk eachother the way Goldberg did with "I'm hunting your ass..." He didn't get on the mic and play it up, he just said it. Makes it seem more legit.

 

-When a wrestler jumps to another brand, (take Matt Hardy for example) the brand that he left (SD) has somebody say something like "he went to Raw, his contract was up." Why not just let it go? If it wasn't explained, so what? When someone would leave and show up in WCW, they just let it be. I know I'm going to get a lot of crap for this one, but I think you guys can understand my point.

 

I kind of lost where I was headed, but I think I've made a strong point. -JM

[humongous2002 0]

If they use the Manhattan center, let Heyman handle the booking w/o HHH sticking his big ugly nose in it, bringing in new announcers, also hiring some indie guys like Low-ki,Red,SAT and even try to bring A.J. Styles(which it will be hard to do), let guys like RVD, Dreamer and even the Hurricane wrestle non-WWE style then we might have a winner as long as is different and not another WWE clone.