OAO ECW Week 4 on Sci-Fi, July 4th

[Superfly Snuka 0]

First of all, don't do the show live anymore. If you only have an hour, make sure you're mostly just having matches in the 40 minutes you actually have without commercials. ECW on TNN actually worked as a show because it was taped and didn't need "segues" or Kelly stripping to introduce a new wrestler. Granted, ECW had a strong fan-base by the time they went to network TV, but the way it was presented in the 1 hr TNN show, even a newbie could figure who guys were/what factions they were apart quite quicklyand not waste time better used for wrestling or SHORT great promos.

 

Seriously, the major problem I think with Smackdown is that is a 2 hr show that is taped (which is too long and thus needs filler) and ECW is live, which doesn'ty work in an hour show. Show crisp wrestling that is taped/edited if you only have an hour to draw me in, not slow boring stuff like with Test and Knox. Sandman skits, while short, still take too much time in a 1 hr show with 15 minutes of commercials.

 

Now is the time, given RVD's suspension (which, while RVD is my favorite wrestler, just goes to show why you can't give the ball to a pot-head, like when Chapelle was signed to his mega-deal and then freaked out; too much responsibility for a pot-head always ends disastrously), have to push CM PUNK; forget the F*ck about Test and Knox (big slow guys...and Big show) for now.

[The Niggardly King 0]

Best ECW show I've seen in a while.

 

It had it all

[Enigma 0]

Best ECW show I've seen in a while.

 

It had it all

You're right. This show had the one thing missing from the past 3 shows: the fans filling the ring with trash in defiance of how shitty this is turning out.

[The Niggardly King 0]

[Guest Princess Leena]

SLAPS LEG BIG BOOT~!

[benn 0]

Holy shit, Test has gotten huge.

[Slickster 0]

-I'd say replacing ECW referees with WWE referees makes no sense in kayfabe or in business. Why not use the OVW referee crew instead? Fans won't recognize them like they'd recognize the SD! refs.

 

-I'd strongly recommend using ECW as the single-A brand for non-wrestling talents (referees, announcers, etc.) so they can get experience on TV with less pressure.

 

-Quietly dropping the 'ECW matches = no DQ' stipulation is a strictly business decision. As WWE learned five years ago, if you overuse hardcore weapons you devalue them and make them less important. Would the Edge-Foley match at WM22 have been as affecting if Al Snow was still hitting Raven with cookie sheets every week on TV? They make it clear that all of the 'important' matches are no-DQ, which are the only ones in which weapons have played a factor in ECW since 94.

 

-Also, I really think a lot of ECW's 'extreme-ness' can be retained simply by making some directorial touches. Instead of having Paul Heyman be in the generic GM-style office, why can't he have a desk in a bare locker room instead? Why can't all ECW promos be cut in the hallway or in the parking lot? You need to keep that underground image however you can, because a high-gloss ECW is an oxymoron.

[luke-o 0]

 

Can someone explain whats happening in this pic? I dont get it.

 

But Test is a bit beefed i was surprised at that when i saw him in Nu Evelution Wrestling

[BorneAgain 0]

 

Can someone explain whats happening in this pic? I dont get it.

 

But Test is a bit beefed i was surprised at that when i saw him in Nu Evelution Wrestling

Test is punting Head.

[FroGG_NeaL 0]

I thought Al snow got injured in the finish to that match.

 

Just the way he layed there, squeezing his left hand like his arm went numb.

 

But that picture is fucking great.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

-ECW on Tuesday did a 1.5. It did slightly better than I expected, but the decline was significantly greater than the decline in overall TV viewing for the night.

[2GOLD 0]

-ECW on Tuesday did a 1.5. It did slightly better than I expected, but the decline was significantly greater than the decline in overall TV viewing for the night.

 

It was Fourth of July night and many of the fireworks here on the East Coast were delayed because of weather. I think it did surprisingly well.

[Karc 0]

Surprisingly well? Yeah, I guess a drop from a 3.2 to a 1.5 in three weeks is surprisingly well, if you're Vince McMahon. Only took him a month to lose half of his audience this time. That's gotta be a record. Last time I saw a drop of over half the wrestling audience was, let me think....

 

Oh right, the Invasion.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Surprisingly well? Yeah, I guess a drop from a 3.2 to a 1.5 in three weeks is surprisingly well, if you're Vince McMahon. Only took him a month to lose half of his audience this time. That's gotta be a record. Last time I saw a drop of over half the wrestling audience was, let me think....

 

Oh right, the Invasion.

 

You do realize that it was the 4th of July right? Who's at home watching wrestling?

[cabbageboy 0]

I think ECW did a 2.8 the first week, something like that. Anyway let's just see if they get back to the 2.2 or so they were at prior to July 4.

 

And in regard to the Invasion costing WWE half their audience? I took a look at the Raw ratings in 2001 and in May and early June they were hovering in the 4.2-4.5 range and were roughly in that same basic area by the end of the year. In fact the initial Invasion Raw shows spiked the ratings in July/August anywhere from 5.0 to 5.7. It's not like they went from doing a 5.0 to a 2.5 by the end of 2001 (well aside from the obvious Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve shows).

[NoCalMike 0]

Wait a second, wasn't Leena the one asking WWE to hurry up and end ECW? Now she's acting angry over RVD and Sabu "for the inevitable quick demise of "ECW"?

 

Thats beeen the thoughts of 75% of the posters here so far, not just Leena. A lot of people here pretty much want ECW gone in one way or another.

 

I don't want ECW to be dead.

 

But, even you bigger ECW fans must realize this new version of "WWECW" is the drizzling shits.

 

 

It is the drizzling shits compared to the Real ECW,and WCW/WWE from about five or so years ago, but compared to Raw and Smackdown of 2006, I'd say it is on par with those programs, which doesn't mean it is good, but it has it's moments.

[justcoz 0]

I don't mind the fact that they are limiting the amount of tables, chairs, weapons, etc. to just the "Extreme Rules" matches. Why do they have to announce it though? Just have most of the card have traditional wrestling matches and save the gimmick stuff for one or two matches each show. You don't have to announce that this match is "EXTREME". It seems to me that the "Extreme Rules" stuff is more about them having a way to incorporate bullshit finishes like countouts and DQ's rather than protecting the physical well being of the roster.

[Karc 0]

Surprisingly well? Yeah, I guess a drop from a 3.2 to a 1.5 in three weeks is surprisingly well, if you're Vince McMahon. Only took him a month to lose half of his audience this time. That's gotta be a record. Last time I saw a drop of over half the wrestling audience was, let me think....

 

Oh right, the Invasion.

 

You do realize that it was the 4th of July right? Who's at home watching wrestling?

 

Somehow I don't think that's going to matter. It's a valid point, but it's not going to matter. We know RVD's not showing up for the next three shows (and he was the top "star"), and getting busted for pot was a bigger story than jobbing two belts in two nights.

 

Well, if anything, and if you're right, then I guess some wrestling fans do have lives. That's a good thing in the end.

[Slickster 0]

I don't mind the fact that they are limiting the amount of tables, chairs, weapons, etc. to just the "Extreme Rules" matches. Why do they have to announce it though? Just have most of the card have traditional wrestling matches and save the gimmick stuff for one or two matches each show. You don't have to announce that this match is "EXTREME". It seems to me that the "Extreme Rules" stuff is more about them having a way to incorporate bullshit finishes like countouts and DQ's rather than protecting the physical well being of the roster.

 

Well, there haven't been any DQs or CORs since ECW restarted, so I think it's intended to make the main events appear to have more significance for the fans.

[Just John 0]

On ratings:

 

I agree you can't judge yet due the holiday. However, how many people who did watch the show this week will watch again? I still think the ratings drop a solid .5-.7 from the Week 2 rating.

[Scroby 0]

On ratings:

 

I agree you can't judge yet due the holiday. However, how many people who did watch the show this week will watch again? I still think the ratings drop a solid .5-.7 from the Week 2 rating.

 

I'll watch it again, but then again thats just me.

[razazteca 0]

Only if it had a 30 minute main event of Rey Mysterio becoming the new ECW champion.

[The Niggardly King 0]

The best part of this show was RVD whining to Heyman about ECW always being the place where the big guys didn't go over just because they're big and then Knox, Test, and Show all went over guys considerably smaller than them.

[justcoz 0]

I don't mind the fact that they are limiting the amount of tables, chairs, weapons, etc. to just the "Extreme Rules" matches. Why do they have to announce it though? Just have most of the card have traditional wrestling matches and save the gimmick stuff for one or two matches each show. You don't have to announce that this match is "EXTREME". It seems to me that the "Extreme Rules" stuff is more about them having a way to incorporate bullshit finishes like countouts and DQ's rather than protecting the physical well being of the roster.

 

Well, there haven't been any DQs or CORs since ECW restarted, so I think it's intended to make the main events appear to have more significance for the fans.

 

It's only been two weeks since they've started with the whole 'Extreme Rules' bit, I'm sure we'll start seeing some DQ's and COR's on tv, they are happening at house shows. And Sabu matches aren't exactly main events.

[Wrestlefreak 0]

Not even a decent main-event this week. How crap! the show stunk almost as bad as week 1.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

By the way, the WWE suits are pissed that they didn't Snow's "Head" back from the fan in the crowd. The Test punt was totally improved.

 

Not significant, just thought I'd pass it by from a source I ran into.

[razazteca 0]

help me

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

By the way, the WWE suits are pissed that they didn't Snow's "Head" back from the fan in the crowd. The Test punt was totally improved.

 

Not significant, just thought I'd pass it by from a source I ran into.

 

Haha that's hilarious. Did they just expect the fan to throw the head back toward the ring like they were at a Chicago Cubs game? If I would have caught the the Head I would have kept it unless I got proper compensation.

[Slickster 0]

How hard is it to make an identical one? I doubt it was the same Head all these years.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Yeah, I didn't really understand it either. I was just told that they were upset and the fan was asked to give the thing back but refused. I don't think it would cost that much to re-design/create a new one, but maybe it had...some sort of sentimental value to Al or something? Who knows? That may be the most ridiculous hypothetical question ever.