OAO ECW on Sci-Fi Thread for 7/11 (Week 5)

[Human Fly 0]

Well, aside from there being a DQ in an ECW show I think tonight was possibly the best show yet. The only ECW DQ I remember was when Francine was biting Terry Funk's ear.

 

I am sorry but the main even tonight felt like an ECW main event. Flair got his spots in and when you start to believe that there is a chance he will be able to pull it out the heel comes back and ends up winning clean. If this was a traditionally booked WWE match Foley would have come down and cost Flair the match. Instead the right man wins and still puts over the Flair v. Foley storyline. The final shot with Flair being helped to the back and Styles saying "Can anyone stop the Big Show?" when the copyright came up was classic ECW too.

[Downhome 0]

The Sabu/Credible deal was more than likely done for two reasons, neither of which had anything to do with punishing Sabu:

 

-To put over the "ECW Rules" point once and for all, telling us that when a match isn't under those rules, it's just a straight up normal match.

 

-To show that Sabu is a monster, and he doesn't give a shit about the entire "ECW Rules" thing anyway.

[AmazingRen 0]

I also have to give credit to tonight's crowd (the PG-13 version of ECW crowds). They played there part in everything in tonight's show from Paul's promo, Sandman attacking Knox, and the matches (even starting a "Tommy Dreamer" chant and a "Thank you Flair" chant).

[Downhome 0]

I think that it's possible that the sheep will catch on over time, but I still want to see ECW have separate tapings though.

[Guest JustPassinBy]

Flair-TBS was entertaining match.

Everything else kinda sucked or was inconequential.

 

I thought Kelly-Candice little promo before their dance was hotter than their actual dance.

 

Test sucks.

CM Punk...all I remember from him is he has "drug free" tattoo'ed on his fingers. meh.

 

I didnt like Heyman's promo. My word. Cant they just do a legit promo that mixes real life with wrestling? All Heyman had to do was talk about how much he helped RVD over the years, and then talk about what a scum bag doper he was to throw all of Heyman's hard work down the drain. Just freaking tell the truth about the situation.

[Angle-plex 0]

This show was better than the others, but it still wasn't good. I'm certain that this is the best they have to offer though. The main event was entertaining and a bleeding Flair standing over a bleeding Big Show with a barbwire baseball bat while the crowd chanted "ECW" was one of the most bizzare images I've seen in a while. The rest was blah, with Heyman's promo being incredibly stupid. I was almost excited to see Dreamer wrestle in a competitive ECW match but then I remembered that his opponent was Test. I don't care about Knox and don't want to see him in any segment and Justin Credible is awful.

 

The promos were good but it's hard to care when ECW's "New Talents" consist of CM Punk, the Vampire, and the tarot card lady.

[Zack Malibu 0]

I only caught bits and pieces, so I've gotta watch the tape. I'll comment on what I can.

 

-Developing both new and old characters tonight is a definite, obvious plus. I love the insertion of Punk. Shelley Martinez (aka the tarot card lady) I missed, but she was gold in OVW. Sadly, this whole bit is just another way to appease Sci-Fi.

 

-Shannon Moore. It's pretty obvious he was taken from TNA just so WWE could say "Hey, we took this guy from you", because it's been how long since he resigned and he just shows up tonight? At least in ECW he might get a chance to put himself out there and do something other than be Smackdown fodder.

 

-Sort of off-topic, but not really...they dropped Gunner Scott (Brent Albright) from Smackdown, feeling that he needed to continue in OVW. Heyman was (no pun intended) extremely high on him in OVW and had wanted him for ECW previously...ECW is a show in need of good hands in the ring and despite what management might think, Albright is one. It'd be nice to see him put on the show. Punk/Albright in ECW could be the new Malenko/Guerrero, as it'd be fresh for those who didn't witness any of the OVW feud.

[NoCalMike 0]

Just a hunch, but it kind of seems like they are planting the seeds for the Foley/Flair match to take place in ECW. Part of me thinks that the match is "too big" for Vince to put in ECW, but another part of me thinks that Vince also thinks sticking it on an ECW show/PPV would be an automatic draw for that show considering how ECW fans would love to see Foley back as Cactus Jack and "defending the ECW name"

 

This week was a definate improvement over last week, and by gosh I actually enjoyed a Big Show match.

 

Oh and I think Sabu's character is supposed to be that he is so "extreme" that he doesn't care to follow the rules. Plus, in the ECW fans' eyes, Sabu is basically immortalized so there is no loss that would really hurt him.

 

You also have to like the way Big Show is being booked, because they are playing it up like whoever beats him, is going to have to do the unthinkable to pull it off.

[The Niggardly King 0]

Big Show vs Flair..this feels like WCW 1996/97 or so.

 

Did Show get a cup of coffee thrown in his face?

[cabbageboy 0]

It is tough to build Show as an impossible to beat monster when RVD basically had him owned last week before Heyman refused to count. Anyway if he is dominant for a period they can pay this off big time. This is where ECW is hurt somewhat by not having a PPV till December, since I don't think anyone wants Show on top that long.

 

I enjoyed this show tonight aside from the Sabu DQ. What the fuck? I think what pissed me off the most was that it was against Justin Credible. Once Justin came out I was like "Yes! Sabu finally gets to murder Justin and get that job back from Anarchy Rulz 99!" And then a DQ. He better fucking squash him if that's the SNME match.

 

You know what's hilarious? Little stuff Sabu does that is insane. Like coming out and throwing a chair at the ring. No reason really. Just because he's SABU.

 

I do agree that Heyman's promo was not enough to the point. They didn't necessarily have to mention the pot arrest stuff, but how about Heyman saying "I kept telling Rob he didn't have to defend on Raw so much but did he listen? No! He went against my orders, he embarrassed me, he embarrassed ECW, so the hell with him. I used Rob to get ECW back and to get a title on the show. After that, who needs him?"

 

Instead we get this goofy "Blame the fans" heel promo which never ends up working. It was way too similar to stuff like Austin's heel turn in April 2001 or Vince last year saying the fans were fired.

[Hasbeen1 0]

Good show, I was a little down on it myself going in, but really enjoyed it. I think it's been proven a roster of around 15 can do good things, but it takes a plan.

[Guest Overworked]

Why not use Ric Flair as a transitional champ to Mick Foley? I know that would devalue the belt quite a bit to have three title changes in a short time frame, but keeping it on Big Show long-term probably won't do a lot for it either.

 

The title changes wouldn't devalue the belt, the title holders you proposed would do the job.

 

Why? ECW was a company that put the belt on 50-something-year-old Terry Funk at the most important show in company history. And Mick Foley is one of the company's most famous alums. Having Foley as champ would allow you to do Foley/Sabu and Foley/Van Dam. Those two matches would probably draw better than anything else they could do at this point. It may not be a great idea, but there aren't many great things about ECW right now.

 

 

Its not a question of age. Terry Funk as ECW champion made sense because he never had quams on wrestling Hardcore as he have done even before hardcore was a phrase used in wrestling. Why the ECW championship would be devalued with Ric Flair as its champion simply because Ric Flair is not, never was the type of wrestler you would ever imagine wrestle ECW style. And im not simply talking about the garbage hardcore stuff. Ric Flair was always a main front line wrestler better suited for places like old NWA WCW WWF/E. Flair is too main stream for ECW. Big Show is as well, but again this is why the WWE/ecw franchise is soiling the Fringe element that was ECW.

 

Its like buying the Superman comic book Franchise and spend the time drawing comics of Superman playing checkers or getting beaten up by the Tick, its just Wrong.

[Hasbeen1 0]

This is a quote from Stevie Richards on WWE.com, even if it's not by him actually I agree with it, hope the viewers have patience.

 

“ECW now is not the ECW it was eight or ten years ago; right now it’s in a transition period and getting introduced to the casual viewers,” Richards said. “It’s trying to retain the fans that knew it all along while trying to get new viewers as well. We’re trying to please so many people and still stay true to the product. It’s a very difficult place for everyone on the roster to be in, but we’re up to the challenge and we’re going to make it the best brand in WWE.”

[Angle-plex 0]

“ECW now is not the ECW it was eight or ten years ago; right now it’s in a transition period and getting introduced to the casual viewers,” Richards said. “It’s trying to retain the fans that knew it all along while trying to get new viewers as well. We’re trying to please so many people and still stay true to the product. It’s a very difficult place for everyone on the roster to be in, but we’re up to the challenge and we’re going to make it the best brand in WWE.”

 

"It sucks now, but...."

[Hasbeen1 0]

Did you think tonight's show "sucked?"

[RedJed 0]

Even though alot of people around me at the show live and myself wanted more from an ECW show than what we got (and there was ALOT of old ECW fans in the arena, more than I expected) I think with all things considering, that wasnt that bad of a show at all and by the end of it, it worked more than probably any week has for me personally. It was nice to be in the crowd that was a pretty vocal oldschool ECW one too, that surprised me. Test showing up was a groaner, and the Heyman promo was kind of transparent, but otherwise overall it was alright. Test-Dreamer was kind of shit though. Sabu/Credible left people scratching their heads....again WWE trying to make a point on their "new rules for ECW" which just confuses most of the fans more than anything, as they expect every match in an ECW environment to be no DQ, etc. They can insist on doing it the "WWE way" but the casual fans will always question that and/or piss on it.

 

Flair/Show was weird at first as it started REALLY fucked up, like neither was cooperating with each other for about a minute, were talking to each other vocally ALOT between each other and the ref, they seperate for a while and aimlessly circle the ring while communicating with the referee, then Show tells Flair to get out of the ring or else he'll "hurt him", Flair doesnt, and then Show up and leaves for no good reason. Flair then stands in the ring dumbfounded, again talking en masse to the ref, cuts a brief promo on Show to get back out, and then Show appears back again a minute later (this may have been during a commercial, havent seen the tape yet) and they work the match. I was blown away that this match was done as is as both of them took ppv beatings in a sense. But it made for a memorable main event.

[Omar20003000 0]

Did you think tonight's show "sucked?"

 

It depends on who you ask. Many people will not get over the fact that Ric Flair was attempting to win the ECW Championship against TBS. As someone said the image of Ric Flair holding a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire standing over a bloody TBS was very very very odd. Many of the fans of how ECW use to be will never be able to swallow that. The main event wasn't that bad, I hated how it finished but it was entertaining none the less. The rest of the show was just blah... Yes, they are building characters, yet I rather not still waste five minutes on an "expose". And Knox almost reminded me of the Right to Censor gimmick. This week was an improvement, just an improvement.

[Hasbeen1 0]

I still think after a while, you'll have less crossover from the established WWE stars. Right now they have Snow, Mahoney, Big Show, Anderson, Doring, Credible, Guido, Knox, Roadkill, Sabu, Sandman, Test, Richards, Dreamer, Punk, Mamaluke, Shannon Moore, as regulars, Van Dam and Angle out for hopefully just a while. Foley could be an every now and then guy. I don't know if the average viewer would have gone for main events of Justin Credible vs Sandman at the start, even if the ECW talent had not been squashed, but I think some of those guys will be built up better. Knox and Test are not as bad as they've called, don't think Test is the future of the promotion but as a normal muscled heel, he works for me. I've said this before, but too many it seemed were hoping of a total reunion of the ex-ECW guys, with everyone from New Jack, Dudleys, Lance Storm, Benoit, mentioned, it's not going to happen, but if tonight's an indication the product will be okay.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

This is a quote from Stevie Richards on WWE.com, even if it's not by him actually I agree with it, hope the viewers have patience.

 

“ECW now is not the ECW it was eight or ten years ago; right now it’s in a transition period and getting introduced to the casual viewers,” Richards said. “It’s trying to retain the fans that knew it all along while trying to get new viewers as well. We’re trying to please so many people and still stay true to the product. It’s a very difficult place for everyone on the roster to be in, but we’re up to the challenge and we’re going to make it the best brand in WWE.”

 

That's actually a reasonable quote by Stevie Richards, and I kind of sort of agree with him. Let's face the facts: ECW died 5 years ago. It can't just up and start out of nowhere and be what it once was. Vince McMahon has a vision of the way things should be. Paul has his. So does Kevin Dunn. There are a lot of people that have power in that company who are trying to make this thing work. No one wants to outright bury ECW, and it's unrealistic to think Vince would just let Heyman do his own thing with McMahon money. It's going to take time to get everyone on the same page. Will it work? Maybe. Will it be a representative of ECW should be? It's hard to tell.

 

Tonight's show was well done. Anyone who doesn't think that the Flair-Show match would have been eaten up by an old ECW crowd is kidding themselves and you're missing the point of what ECW offered. The internet has romanticized the old ECW into a promotion full of the world's best workers and hour long Malenko-Benoit matches. The old ECW got by with WCW/WWF castoffs, former stars and eastern independent nobodies and they did it by booking to individual strengths and creating characters and angles that people could invest in. It was a product that embodied something different than the big two. Heyman would have loved the opportunity to book Flair or the Big Show.

 

Do I love the new ECW? No, not really. Does it have potential? Sure. They have one hour of television a week to build a product from nothing. Give it six months to find a niche, establish the new stars and build its first angles and then let's see where things are.

[Hawk 34 0]

I wonder how long they intend to stretch out the CM Punk in-ring debut. Next week, I'm sure he'll explain why he has a lip ring. They are really taking an odd approach to a guy that has been getting over big time at house shows.

 

I do like how it appears they will make the in-ring debut a big deal.

[Scroby 0]

Tonights ECW show was great. In one hour, whoever booked tonights show actually booked a good one hour show! I'm amazed that someone from WWE (unless it was Heyman who booked tonight) was able to book a good hour show.

 

The only negitive I saw in tonights show was the Sabu vs Justin Credible match being to short, which led to that finish but I'm hoping at SNME there's a rematch between the two, a match with more time and with the "extreme rules" stipulation could really steal the show, but I also think that depends on whose calling the match.

 

Everything else was a positive.

 

- The Heyman promo was good and the fact he's going to become a actual cult leader type of guy can be enjoyable.

 

- The Kelly expose (sp?) is getting shorter every week, and now since Mike Knox and The Sandman are going to feud, that ends two pointless squashing for a little bit.

 

- Dreamer vs Test, could have been better but for what it was, it was decent. It was a real slow pace match but there's only so much Test can really do, I understand why it was slow paced. The two need to have a rematch with extreme rules stip in place. I also do like the fact that Dreamer is going back to the babyface everyone can get behind as he's getting his ass whipped gimmick again. It really helped him get over in ECW and it looks like it can help him get over once again using the same gimmick.

 

- Vampire with tarot card reader......it makes sense......sorta.........ITS TO PLEASE THE SCI-FI PEOPLE!

 

- C.M. Punk promo explain his gimmick. Someone here said that they don't remember what Punk excatly said, they just remember "drug free" tattooed on his knuckles. The point of C.M. Punk's gimmick/ tonight's promo got placed in your head.

 

-BALLS!

 

-Flair vs Big Show: At first, I thought this match was going to be a let down, but I was wrong. Both guys put on a good match and I was into it. The finish was a bit...unexpected and after thinking about it, I can understand why the finish happened. Big Show NEEDS to be put over as a monster champion, the finish helped make him look like a monster champion. Oh and I never thought I would EVER hear a ECW chant directed towards Ric Flair.

 

Question: I wonder if Shannon Moore will be doing the "Prince of Punk" gimmick or if he'll just look like a fruit without any reason? I would be surprised if Shannon Moore ends up doing the Prince of Punk gimmick since we have C.M. Punk on the same show.

[Hank Kingsley 0]

They also need to stop cutting to kids and women in the crowd during matches. What the hell.

[EricMM 0]

No way dude, the shocked crowd is a wrestling *staple*

[MillenniumMan831 0]

Was anyone else nervous that Knoxx was going to kick Sandman's ass?

[cd213 0]

I still think after a while, you'll have less crossover from the established WWE stars. Right now they have Snow, Mahoney, Big Show, Anderson, Doring, Credible, Guido, Knox, Roadkill, Sabu, Sandman, Test, Richards, Dreamer, Punk, Mamaluke, Shannon Moore, as regulars, Van Dam and Angle out for hopefully just a while. Foley could be an every now and then guy. I don't know if the average viewer would have gone for main events of Justin Credible vs Sandman at the start, even if the ECW talent had not been squashed, but I think some of those guys will be built up better. Knox and Test are not as bad as they've called, don't think Test is the future of the promotion but as a normal muscled heel, he works for me. I've said this before, but too many it seemed were hoping of a total reunion of the ex-ECW guys, with everyone from New Jack, Dudleys, Lance Storm, Benoit, mentioned, it's not going to happen, but if tonight's an indication the product will be okay.

 

 

A couple of years ago I told people that Vince should start up ECW again. The way I said it should be done is used a few established ECW names and since they are getting older bring in a few OVW or indy guys. I didn't think aboutbringing in the WWE guys, but they did that for name value. They went with that approach, which for me is fine. You can't live on Sandman and Balls all the time. As much as I love the old guys, they are becoming too old and you needed younger guys to help build a promotion.

[Enigma 0]

I quit watching the show when Sabu got DISQUALIFIED in an ECW MATCH.

 

Fuck this.

[CBright7831 0]

I hope the Flair/Show match shows up on YouTube.

 

Sounds great and bizarre.

[dubq 0]

I wonder how long they intend to stretch out the CM Punk in-ring debut. Next week, I'm sure he'll explain why he has a lip ring. They are really taking an odd approach to a guy that has been getting over big time at house shows.

 

I do like how it appears they will make the in-ring debut a big deal.

 

Then after that he will explain why he's okay with caffiene and why he likes Pepsi over Coca-Cola.

[Cartman 0]

Not saying much here but ECW completely blew away RAW this week in every way. Kudos!

[razazteca 0]

I wonder how long they intend to stretch out the CM Punk in-ring debut. Next week, I'm sure he'll explain why he has a lip ring. They are really taking an odd approach to a guy that has been getting over big time at house shows.

 

I do like how it appears they will make the in-ring debut a big deal.

 

Then after that he will explain why he's okay with caffiene and why he likes Pepsi over Coca-Cola.

Sodas rule!

 

Pepsi the beverage of the straight edge!