Early number of ONS buys in

[Guest JMA]

If ECW ever did return to being a full-time brand, I think it would be a good idea to use Dreamer and/or Sandman in the 9-11 type role. That way you can still have them be a part of the show without having them go over the new guys.

 

Man, I'd love to see what Heyman could do with CM Punk.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Just wondering but does anyone know who in the cable industry tossed out the 800,000 number and why?

 

This could start a new trend:  PPVs with no matches announced on TV!  Ironically enough it was tough to be too angry about that since ECW never bothered to announce shit anyway.  Or changed the entire card the day of the show.  Rarely did I ever get an ECW PPV and have it be the exact show I thought it'd be.

 

I think as long as you beep stuff out you're good to go.  I mean hell ECW was on TNN back when it was hicks and yokels, and I'd say UPN is edgier than that.  It's a matter of perception.  If a proposed ECW show is treated as the equal of Raw then people will buy into it. 

 

You have to admit there is some delicious irony in this idea though.  ECW once again being relegated to Friday nights on a network that doesn't give a shit about them.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The selling point of the PPV was that it was an ECW Reunion show, not who was wrestling who. And while they never did reveal the PPV lineup on TV, it had been on the internet for at least a month, which pretty much allowed like 90% of ECW's fanbase to find out about it.

 

There is NO WAY an ECW branded show will be on UPN without it being severely toned down to the point where ECW fans would shit all over it and everyone else would be "Why is this so different from WWE?" It would need to be on a cable network like FX I think.

 

And while signing all the new talent to work in ECW sounds like a good idea, if any of them did manage to do well, you know they would be moved to RAW (Im guessing no Smackdown..) in a heartbeat..

 

But Im totally for them ending the whole brand extension and just going with RAW and ECW as completely seperate shows. They could run all the PPVs for RAW and just throw in like 4 ECW PPVs every like 3-4 months.

[Guest Ransome]

If ECW came back, I'd watch it, but it wouldn't live up to the markout city that was One Night Stand.

 

I can never see them doing an weekly show true to ECW's legacy given how badly it expose Raw by comparison. As it was, One Night Stand was a depressing reminder of how great ECW could be, and how dull and uninteresting WWE is now.

[Promoter 0]

I wouldn't mind RAW and ECW being the brand extension either. They already have HHH calling smackdown the minor leagues as it is. Of course, there are pitfalls of trying to live up to ECW's legacy on a weekly basis with monthly ppv shows. The fans may turn on it like they have on the brand extension crap(and yes the fans have turned on this idea imo comparing business prior to 2002 and after although I think the brand extension is needed to a degree).

[iliketurtles 0]

Bye-Bye Smackdown. ECW returns this Fall on UPN on Friday Nights. Bank on it.

 

ECW on UPN?!? Are you insane?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No.

[cabbageboy 0]

The only thing you'd really have to cut down on UPN would be the ultra profane interviews, and as I said that stuff can be beeped anyway since they already beep SMDN to some extent. Besides, it's not like the show would be on UPN for much longer anyway.

 

I almost think they should use this to show the gradual decline of SMDN as a show...it being moved to Fridays shows it is past its prime and change is needed. Maybe add it a heel GM to replace Long and run the show into the ground, screw over the faces, etc. All this time the roster becomes more and more subtly ECW oriented.

 

By the time Smackdown's contract expires with UPN you can have some epic match with a Smackdown loyalist (JBL or someone) and an ECW guy like RVD to determine the fate of the show on its new network, which I assume is USA or something. RVD of course wins and then the show that debuts on the new network would be the ECW show.

 

I think that makes sense and would be a fun way to do it, rather than have a watered down ECW on UPN that was once again on Friday nights.

[iliketurtles 0]

Okay.

 

Isn't a CHRIS ROCK SHOW taking the time slot of Smackdown on Thursday Nights?

 

Like THAT will be any better. As far as what's appropriate for UPN.

 

Here's the deal. WWE's got basically a one year contract saying they have to produce a TV show on Friday Nights at 8:00 PM EST starting in the Fall of 2005. And I doubt they can get out of it. So the point of bitching about this is pretty much useless. It's not going to change.

 

So either USA gives them more TV time (which I doubt them doing for the Fall...maybe the Winter of this year, or they just do whatever on UPN.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

And like I said, My UPN affiliate is going to be showing South Park starting this fall, so ECW won't be THAT bad, I don't think.

[bob_barron 0]

Okay.

 

Isn't a CHRIS ROCK SHOW taking the time slot of Smackdown on Thursday Nights?

 

Like THAT will be any better. As far as what's appropriate for UPN.

 

Here's the deal. WWE's got basically a one year contract saying they have to produce a TV show on Friday Nights at 8:00 PM EST starting in the Fall of 2005. And I doubt they can get out of it.

 

So either USA gives them more TV time (which I doubt them doing for the Fall...maybe the Winter of this year, or they just do whatever on UPN.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's not a Chris Rock Show. It's a show based on Rock's childhood, narrated by Rock.

 

And like I said, My UPN affiliate is going to be showing South Park starting this fall, so ECW won't be THAT bad, I don't think.

 

Will they be showing it after 10?

[iliketurtles 0]

t's not a Chris Rock Show. It's a show based on Rock's childhood, narrated by Rock.

 

...

 

If it's a childhood show based on Chris Rock...wouldn't that be a Chris Rock Show?

 

And if the time thing is a problem (too early on Friday Nights), I'm sure UPN won't have a problem moving the programming even more to a lousy time frame, so that's not really an issue.

 

The most safest way to do it...for the next year, run an ECW tour (Heyman's idea). Run LA, Chicago, Philly (maybe), Detriot, etc...the big ECW cities. Do...maybe 5 or 6 shows, PPVs. If they all draw well and stuff, then once Smackdown's contract expires...maybe they can get a deal with USA for more time. But at the same time, they should strike while the iron is hot now that they know (assuming buyrates are above 500,000) and the ECW DVD being one of the most popular wrestling DVDs ever.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

And like I said, My UPN affiliate is going to be showing South Park starting this fall, so ECW won't be THAT bad, I don't think.

 

Will they be showing it after 10?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They haven't said yet.

 

If it is, it will be replacing Dr. Phil.

[Carnival 0]

There is no chance in hell of ECW coming back full time.

 

The best we can home for is another One Night Stand somewhere down the road, and think even that is unlikely.

[cabbageboy 0]

Dude, if this PPV brings in the money like we have heard thus far you can certainly count on there being more ECW events. Vince might be blind in some ways but not to $$$.