The New Breed Unhinged

10 Thoughts on ECW - 05.06.08

2008-05-08T00:52:00.003-04:00

It’s the 100th episode of the NEW ECW, and boy does June 13, 2006, seem like ages ago. Time for this week's 10 Thoughts, cross-posted over at Pulse Wrestling…

1. Mike Adamle’s speech was fine, but what was the point to the whole thing? Getting the IWC to talk about it the next day? Driving traffic to WWE.com? Who knows, maybe Vince was just cranky and legit pissed at Adamle, then changed his mind because he realized Coach was on his way out, Styles was already taken off of TV and… I donno, Josh Mathews must have pissed someone off over the years, ‘cause he’s actually not half bad on Heat (and Velocity before that).

2. I liked the Dreamer/Knox match, and think ALL ECW title matches should be held with Extreme Rules. If done right, it can make the division seem different enough (without making it the joke the “hardcore” division ended up back when that title still existed) and when plunder is allowed, random people like Chavo holding the belt is more believable.

3. By the way, if they’re not going to push Stevie Richards, they have to make this guy a full-time announcer or manager. He’s so underrated on the stick. RTC anyone?

4. I miss The Zombie :(

5. I wonder where they’re going with this Shelton Benjamin/Kofi Kingston feud. I like both guys, and would rather see Shelton challenge for the U.S. strap and Kofi moved over to Raw to form an improbable stable with Carlito and Santino… (and if Monty was still around, how awesome would THOSE promos be?)

6. I know I’m not the first person to say this but (a) Kelly Kelly can’t can’t dance dance… BUT her body is smoking. Am I naïve to be surprised that WWE’s never had her ACTALLY strip on ECW or PPV yet?

7. Speaking of bodies, Armando Alejandro Estrada’s more surprisingly-ripped than anyone since… Michael Cole.

8. I still think ECW could have really gotten back on track after the December 2 Dismember debacle if they moved the Hardyz over to the brand and put the tag belts on the show back then.

9. Although, between RVD totally screwing up his push when he got arrested, Kurt Angle being released, Big Show taking a year off and the Benoit tragedy, it’s amazing ECW’s still on the air.

10. To wrap this one up, as much as I hated ECW during the Lashley and McMahon title runs, I liked it at the beginning as a nostalgia act/venue for the ECW Originals to show their stuff, and I think it has potential today as an hour of television each week for hardcore WWE fans to see up-and-coming stars get experience and hopefully grow. In fact, I’d like to see veterans on ECW used primarily to work with and put over the younger guys, and a nice championship division built around the Punks, Benjamins, Dykstras, Bulldogs and maybe even Londons and Kendricks that can make the most out of the opportunity.

As always, hit BLATT up and I’ll see you next week…

10 Thoughts on ECW - 04.29.08

2008-04-30T00:19:00.004-04:00

Welcome to the first “10 Thoughts on ECW” -- thanks to Daniels for the concept, which we are extending to ECW and, yes, even TNA beginning this week -- and the first episode of WWE’s third brand that I’ve watched in full since the beginning of the Mike Adamle Experiment. I'll be cross-posting this over at Pulse Wrestling. Let’s go…

1) The Wrestling Observer Newsletter a week ago said that Kofi Kingston got called up to ECW due to a company-wide directive to add more African Americans to the roster (particularly with Cor Von, Booker, Lashley, Kristal and others no longer with the company), and he’s turned into one of my favorite parts of ECW. Not sure if it’s the song, the flashy style, the magic of WWE pushing him as undefeated, or a combination of the three, but I’m definitely a fan and can watch Kofi/Shelton every week.

2) Speaking of Shelton, you know what he needs? Yeah, a manager to talk for him. But I guess we’ve known that for quite some time, haven’t we? I hear Jonathan Coachman might need a role…

3) Two title matches on Smackdown eh? Colin Delaney again competes for a contract, and Knox vs. Dreamer in an Extreme Rules match next week on ECW? Those, along with an awesome-as-usual “Raw Rewind” video package = really solid promotion of the next three shows by WWE. Good stuff.

4) First Trevor Murdoch sings Garth Brooks, then Mike Adamle covers The Drifters? Really?

5) Ya know, I’ve always liked Mike Knox, and – assuming the drug issue from a few weeks ago is cleared up – hope his push continues. He has a unique look, does some smart little things (™ Haley) like the slap to Colin Delaney as he tended to Dreamer, and his stiff offense looks good, despite the rather generic finisher. (Seriously, don’t five or six WWE superstars use that spinning neckbreaker/roll-the-dice-like finishing move?)

6) The return of The Classroom… not a bad role for Striker with Viscera out, although like Coachman, I think he can better be used as a smarmy heel manager. “Begin the day with a friendly voice a companion unobtrusive.” Now they’re quoting Rush? Really?? That said, he threw in a nice jab at Adamle, used the word “uvula,” referenced Gore Vidal (twice?!) and… well, any excuse to give Mick Foley mic time is fine by me.

7) I always liked Sean O’Haire better, but Chuck’s been decent since coming back to WWE… yet, after an interesting program with Jamie Noble and Michelle McCool, what happened? He’s pretty much just a Jobber To The Stars I guess. That said, Punk needed the win and I saw this match more as a placeholder than the start of any big feud, so what do we get? The beginning of a completely random feud that does nothing for your Money in the Bank winner. It’s just the beginning, so I’ll hold judgment, but that’s my initial reaction.

8) Not that Tazz can’t call the show on his own -- he pretty much seemed to be doing just that for most of the hour -- but Adamle just up and leaving before the main event was quite… bizarre. And no, not as bizarre as Bam Neely wrestling in a suit. Wait, and now Tazz is leaving the announce table? Is King Regal screwing around again? Um… the match actually has an interesting dynamic with no announcers talking over the action. I wonder if TNA’s Tenay and West are watching.

9) So the Chavo/Kane feud continues… Ya know, I had no problem with Chavo as ECW Champion, figuring the brand would benefit from a more athletic, “cruiserweight/X division” style, but the feud with Kane did nothing for me.

10) Another WWE show, another odd ending. Really???

Looks like that's it. Don't forget to check out Blatt's Live ECW Report and I'll see you next week for the “historic” 100th episode of ECW!

Punk's Next Challenger

2007-10-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

Big Daddy V, The Miz or John Morrison

.:: Voting Page ::.

Big ECW News

2007-10-23T21:16:00.000-04:00

So, ECW has been renewed and seems safe, at least as far as U.S. TV is concerned, through 2008.

Plus, we've got a new "talent exchange" in place, allowing Smackdown and ECW rosters to mingle.

And the show (tonight's features Kane vs. Big Daddy V) is now available free on WWE.com every Wednesday.

Blatt asked me to fill in...

2007-10-16T22:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my worst impersonation of BLATT, as ECW comes to us LIVE YET TAPED from the UK, with rumors of an alliance between ECW and Smackdown in the air...

We're in the UK, so we open the show with a shot of a trolly, the subway, and a nice, warm plate of haggis! Wait...

John Morrison, the Shaman of Sexy, comes out to SLOW-MOTION HEAT~! Okay that's a cool entrance. Joey and Tazz encourage fans to vote on WWE.com for who ECW Champion CM Punk's opponent will be at Cyber Sunday: John Morrison, Big Daddy V or Mike Mizanin.

"Shhh. Do you hear that? That is the buzz. At Cyber Sunday, you the WWE fans make the matches. And that sound is everybody rushing to WWE.com to choose me to take on CM Punk at Cyber Sunday. My time has come, so dream, love, scream: MORRISON! And if you need any more of a reason than this (shows body), then vote for me, check out what I did to CM Punk last week (shows video of last week's pretty awesome match). I beat CM Punk last week because I am the Tuesday Night Delight, the New Face of Extreme, the Shaman of Sexy. So go vote for me, John Morrison."

The Miz comes out, sans Extreme Expose, to rebut!

"Whoa, hold on one second. Morrison we get it, you're a former ECW Champion and that's why people will vote for you. But, the Shaman of Sexy? Morrison, I get more girls in one night than you get in a year, two years, five years, a lifetime. I get so many girls, I'm bored with them. I'm a chick magnet. You see Morrison, chicks dig me, and their men - including you - fear me, and that's why the WWE fans are gonna choose The Miz."

Morrison replies!

"Hahahaha, wow, and I thought I was vain. Actually, Miz, I'm a bigger star than you can actually be. I'm bigger than sports entertainment, I'm bigger than the Beatles, and I'm bigger than anyone in ECW."

BUT WAIT! It's Viscera and Striker, and Styles even calls him a mastodon. He must be big.

"No superstar bigger than you? Yeah, huh? How about the fact that this man is bigger than both of you combined? You seem to have forgotten that this is the third choice to face CM Punk at Cyber Sunday. This is the most dominant force in the history of ECW gentlemen. This behemoth crushed CM Punk's ribs, and not for nothin, neither of you will ever beat him. The WWE fans have no choice but to pick this mastodon, Big Daddy V."

Wait, did Striker just call him a mastodon, too? Uh. Wait, he's gonna speak!

"THE ECW CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE MINE!"

Oh, that wasn't much.

"Gentlemen, and I use the term loosely, you all make extremely valid points as to why you should be chosen at Cyber Sunday, but remember, every last vote counts, even mine. So if I was me, who would I pick to face at Cyber Sunday? Big Daddy V, you did crush my ribs last week, you injured me. But on the other hand, John Morrison capitalized on that injury and he beat me last week. Good job buddy. Miz, as far as you go, man, nobody likes you. But I digress. Cyber Sunday is in two weeks, but tonight it is you three against myself and a tag team partner of my choosing. General Manager Armando Estrada said I could pick anybody I want, however he didn't say it had to be anybody from ECW. So I hope you're ready 'cause i know i am, boys meet my tag team partner..."

And it's...

it's...

THROUGH HELLFIRE AND BRIMSTONE, IT'S KANE!

[commercials]

Match 1: Smackdown's Kane and ECW's CM Punk vs. ECW's Big Daddy V, The Miz and John Morrison
- Reminder - I don't do play-by-play. Your ref is Scott Armstrong.
- And the crowd loves Punk, taped ribs and all.
- Match starts with Morrison attacking the ribs, but Punk turns the tables and flips Morrison like a monkey out of the corner -- a pretty cool spot that flips Morrison all the way over into a belly-flop rather than a back-bump.
- Kane and Punk tag in and out and beat on Nitro, but Miz gets tagged in and gets pretty insane crowd heat as he rips Punk's rib tape off.
- V tags in while a bumper along the bottom of the screen pimps a free replay of ECW, "uninterupted," tomorrow at 4pm ET on WWE.com.
- Morrison in, working the ribs some more, reversed into a boston crab, but the heels again get the advantage.
- Punk hiptosses out of the abdominal stretch for a minor comeback, but hiptoss = torn pec, so Miz again gets the advantage and dumps Punk to the floor as we go to commercial...
- We're back, and I guess Punk didn't get counted out, 'cause Punk and Morrison are in the ring, with the heels maintaining control and keeping the champ away from Kane.
- HOT TAG to Kane, as Miz tags in Nitro, and it's a house of fire?
- Apparently Kane is a power tool, as Tazz explains that "Morrison is getting drilled by the Big Red Machine."
- AND V is in, giving us a teased dream match of BIG DADDY/KANE!!!!
- Miz tags himself in, but gets caught on the wrong end of a chokeslam, and that's all she wrote. 1-2-3!
Winners - Kane and CM Punk (pinfall, Kane pins Miz after chokeslam)

Styles and Tazz go over the Cyber Sunday main events:
- CM Punk vs. either Big Daddy V, John Morrison or The Miz
- Randy Orton vs. either HBK, Ken Kennedy or Jeff Hardy
- Batista vs. The Undertaker with special guest ref Mick Foley, JBL or Steve Austin

Punk and Kane pose in the ring and set the posts on fire as we head to...

[commercials]

Apparently the new Undertaker 15-0 DVD is available exclusively at Wal-Mart.

We get shots of a pub, then a replay of the end of the match, and Miz and Morrison backstage arguing about the loss. Morrison challenges Miz to a match later tonight so he can prove to the fans that he deserves the title shot at Cyber Sunday, but Miz says, "I just got chokeslammed by Kane, screw that" then DECKS Morrison with a sweet left. Ha!

Styles and Tazz recap the Miz/Balls Mahoney/Kelly storyline, reminding us that Miz owns Kelly's contract, showing footage from last week when Miz tossed Balls into the announce table and punted Kelly's teddy bear into the crowd.

Balls cuts a promo backstage in front of the Union Jack, leading to Kelly Kelly asking asking Balls Balls out out. YES!

Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero and ECW GM Armando Estrada are backstage. Armando: "Pleasure doing business with you, mucho gusto, and thank you for bringing Kane to ECW, muchas gracias." Vickie wants Armando to bring ECW talent to Smackdown, and also brought Jesse and Festus Dalton to ECW! Armando wants to know what's wrong with Festus' face, Vickie answers him in Spanish, then they exchange pleasantries in English and talk a little bit of nonsense.

Brooke, Eve and Lena are the only three left in the Diva Search, and we're reminded to vote now!

[commercials]

Randy Orton and Mr. Kennedy vs. Jeff Hardy and Shawn Michaels is the RAW main event next week.

Match 2: Smackdown's The Daltons vs. ECW's Elijah Burke and Nunzio
- Styles confirms that there's "some sort of talent exchange" between Smackdown and ECW, and we'll now see Smackdown superstars on ECW and vice versa.
- Your ref is some guy.
- Ray Gordy's pretty good on the mic, saying they're happy to be on ECW, in the UK, and just watch to see what happens when the bell rings, and then when the match is over.
- The bell rings and Festus turns into Angry Festus.
- He beats on Burke who tags out so Nunzio can take a bit of a beating.
- Nunzio tags out, then goes to interfere, but Jesse clotheslines him off the apron, and he takes a nasty bump to the floor.
- Nice crowd pop when Festus tags in, and the fans seem to love his insanely awkward offense.
- Rocket launcher into a shoulder block on Nunzio, 1-2-3, the bell rings, and Festus is back to... uh... "somewhat docile" says Styles.
Winners - The Daltons (pinfall, Jesse pins Nunzio after a double-team shoulder block move)

We get a replay of the finish from the first match of the night, and Morrison vs. The Miz is next.

[commercials]

RAW Rebound shows Vince announcing the HHH vs. Umaga Cyber Sunday stipulation choices (street fight, first blood or steel cage match), and Umaga's three squashes. Tazz and Joey show us how to vote -- you're in control!

Match 3: John Morrison vs. The Miz
- Miz comes out first, then Morrison, and ref Scott Armstrong calls for the bell.
- "You both suck!" chants! Nice!
- Morrison takes control early. Joey puts over the storyline that a miscommunication between the two led to Kane's chokeslam and pin on Miz earlier in the night.
- Both men come off the top rope and are in pain on the mat when Big Daddy V comes out with Striker to give the Black Hole Slam to Miz, followed by a Samoan Drop on Morrison. It looks like the ref threw the match out before V touched anyone, so we have a no contest as V stands tall.
Winner - No Contest

Thanks for joining me for a decent show. Pacing was good, and as long as the Smackdown talent gets sprinkled in here and there (and vice versa) this can be a good idea to keep things fresh on two rosters that have been hurt lately by injuries, suspensions, etc. BLATT will be back next week, so we'll see you in seven days, same Blatt time, same Blatt chann-- eh, you know what I mean.

Extreme Punk

2007-09-05T00:52:00.000-04:00

Finally...

Seriously, this had me marking out like a little straightedge girl.

Indefinite Hiatus

2007-07-25T00:05:00.000-04:00

No energy to write about ECW, especially since the Chris Benoit (alleged) double-murder/suicide, so just a note that I'm done with this for now. For updates, check out Pulse Wrestling and The Wrestling Blog. Otherwise, enjoy the E-C-Dubb.

We LIKED This Vampire!

2007-05-19T16:04:00.001-04:00

If you haven't heard by now, Shelly "Ariel" Martinez was just released by WWE. I created this blog, calling it "wrestlers not vampires" with my tongue firmly implanted in cheek (beside my fangs?), but quite frankly I was finding the Kevin Thorn and Ariel characters pretty entertaining. Hopefully Fertig sticks around (PWInsiderElite.com is reporting he'll be getting some sort of makeover) and Shelly pops up somewhere (maybe in TNA to reprise her catfights with So Cal Val?) soon.

Of course, being a man, it would be unnatural to NOT link to some photos that have been circulating the 'Net since her release, but beware that most of these aren't work-safe...

- Shelly's official Web site
- Ariel compilation post at TwentyEyes.com

Best of luck, Shelly... we'll miss you!

London & Kendrick, ECW Tag Champions?

2007-03-16T22:48:00.000-04:00

If you saw my latest Till My Head Falls Off over at Pulse Wrestling, along with the news from Dave Meltzer that Dusty Rhodes pushed for ECW to add a tag team division, you shouldn't have been surprised by the title of this blog entry. I still feel that WWE should unify the two current (RAW's "World" and Smackdown's "WWE") Tag Team Championships into one set of straps, and I haven't given up on a possible MNM/Hardyz feud eventually happening on Tuesday nights. But Aaron Glazer made a great point: Paul London and Brian Kendrick are a perfect fit for ECW, and just the tag team that can breath some needed life into the brand.

After tonight's Smackdown it's even more apparent that Joey Mercury, Johnny Nitro, Melina Perez, Paul London, Brian Kendrick and Ashley Massaro are at their most exciting when in the ring against each other. London & Kendrick haven't lost a title match since beating MNM almost a year ago -- in fact, they're in the top four WWE tag teams of ALL TIME when it comes to length of their championship reign. MNM, on the other hand, have more of a "star aura" than the HooliganZ, yet seem to be mired in the mid-card until WWE has a workable plan to get at least Nitro into a spot further up on the card.

So why not just pull the trigger and put John Cena and Shawn Michaels' titles on MNM, and then let the new RAW champs go up against the HooliganZ Mania? If they want to include other teams in the mix, I'm fine with it. But there's no reason these four talented workers should be left off the card... and unfortunately right now they absolutely are.

If they DO go forward with 'my plan,' they should put the straps on MNM, have them jump to ECW to stir shit up and feud with the HooliganZ (who would also have to make the jump -- something WWE can easily do within the storylines). At some point, you get Mick Foley involved, playing off of his history with Mercury and Melina, and use Foley as a distraction that causes MNM to drop the belts back to their rivals, break up, and go their separate ways. I donno, it just makes sense to me to have Mercury head over to Smackdown to be in the cruiserweight division or stay in ECW as a midcarder, and Nitro can go over Foley in a big match before either challenging Lashley in ECW or heading back to RAW. But what do I know? Can't hurt to try.

This entry was cross-posted on TheWrestlingBlog.com.

Long Time, No Post ... Oh, and HUGE News

2006-12-04T19:03:00.000-05:00

Last night's PPV stunk, and this blog's suffering as a result of our apathy towards ECW2k6 (although we've TRIED to be optimistic!). That being said, here's some huge news I just posted on www.pulsewrestling.com --

Mike Johnson of PWInsider broke the following story:

Paul Heyman was sent home from today's Monday Night Raw/ECW taping in North Carolina following a meeting with Vince McMahon. We are still working on the story, but the word going around is that Heyman has been removed from the WWE's ECW creative team and looks to be entirely done with WWE at this point and time, although he's not (yet) been released from his contractual obligations.

Johnson reports that his sources tell him Heyman and Vince had a meeting, Paul was then escorted out of the arena, and the ECW talent is meeting with management about the situation. WrestlingObserver.com's Dave Meltzer hasn't said anything more than reporting on the below post by WWE.com:

Distraught by the results of December to Dismember, ECW Representative Paul Heyman appeared to be distant and depressed this afternoon at the North Charleston Coliseum hours before an ECW live event.

This condition was further exasperated by Mr. McMahon, who decided to send Heyman home. The WWE Chairman cited slumping television ratings and a disgruntled talent roster as causes for Mr. Heyman’s dismissal.

Check back with ECW.com for updates on the status on Paul Heyman and ECW.

UPDATE: Dave Scherer at PWInsider, in verifying Johnson's above story, has stated that "The word going around from everyone I talked to is that this is not a storyline in any way and he is legitimately done with the company." According to Scherer, after a 2pm meeting today with Vince and Stephanie, Heyman was seen leaving the meeting as if nothing out of the ordinary took place, and went about packing up and leaving the building. This all supposedly came to a head because Vince was angry about how bad last night's PPV was, and blamed Heyman due to being "stuck in the past" with regards to the brand; Heyman was also reportedly upset with the way the show was booked, saying as much both before and after the show.

ANOTHER UPDATE: PWTorch.com's Wade Keller's saying that "This is not an angle. Heyman is already on a plane on his way home." Keller goes on to say that "Heyman had a meeting today that included Vince McMahon in which he apparently expressed disappointment with the product. The product that aired on PPV was different than that which was originally booked by Heyman and submitted to McMahon. There were last second changes in the show that frustrated Heyman."

Also, PWInsider is saying that tonight will be the end of Big Show's tenure with WWE. Of course plans can always change, but Show has been working hurt and it is unlikely he'll stick around after tonight's match (taped for Tuesday) with Bobby Lashley. No word yet on whether or not he'll come back after his contract is up to participate in the rumored Wrestlemania match with Hulk Hogan, but the language PWInsider uses is that Show is "expected to finish up his WWE commitments tonight," so time will tell.

ECW Gets Extension!

2006-08-30T22:47:00.000-04:00

Okay, now let's get this thing rolling...
ECW re-upps with Sci Fi

^^^^^

On Kurt Angle, I'm just glad that he's gonna HAVE to get his shit straightened out now, and hopefully he won't be the next Dynamite Kid, or worse, Eddy Guerrero.

^^^^^

Good show last night. I think they panicked a little and went over the top where they didn't need to -- and I think Shannon Moore's either being intentionally corny or needs some new lines -- but another solid hour of wrestling TV...

On the 'New' Additions

2006-08-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted here -- what can I say, life's busy! -- but I thought I'd chime in with some quick-n-dirty thoughts on some of the "new breed" Paul Heyman & Co. has introduced to ECW, providing a pretty good mix of newbies and "ECW Originals" to round out the roster...

Ariel - The Tarot Card reader gimmick was short-lived, but she's got a sexy look to her that can definitely be classified as 'extreme' as far as I'm concerned. I like the gimmick of her and Thorn, so now it's just a matter at seeing what she can bring to the table as his valet, or if she's just around to be eye-candy.

Basham Brothers - As the anonymous and mute elite guard charged with protecting Paul Heyman (and beating down anyone who gets in his way), they seem to be working out just fine. One thing I've noticed, however, is how much the masks/helmets are getting in their way each week. In fact, during the latest beat-down (was it Angle?), I kept focusing on one of them holding his helmet on with one hand while beating up Heyman's opponent with the other. It's better to keep them masked for now -- if it's revealed that they are indeed Doug and Danny, fans will just think they are just another set of WWE jobbers being pushed down our throats -- but eventually the masks have to go or become less cumbersome, and I'm hoping we start seeing some tag action from them again (FBI, Dreamer & Sandman and Roadkill & Doring are three teams of "ECW Originals" that make sense off the top of my head) soon.

Big Show - I give this guy an A+ for stepping in, being The Giant that he knows he has to be, and not being afraid to go up against quite a few mis-matches in the ring. Would I prefer seeing RVD and Sabu battling it out on top? Sure. But those guys made their own bed by getting arrested, and ECW seems to have stumbled into a great storyline here. Whoever beats the unstoppable monster will surely get over huge with the ECW faithful.

CM Punk - And no, it shouldn't be Punk to be the one to topple the giant. Too bad Sci Fi is only giving them an hour a week* (although really, there's only so much wrestling the market can handle, and I think this week alone there will be 10 hours of WWE wrestling on TV and PPV, including the two hours on MSG Network), because Punk should be TV Champion by now. The kid gets a star reaction whenever he makes his ring entrance, he has a great look, indie & Internet credibility, and cuts a pretty good promo. I can't wait to see what he can do with the Angles, RVDs and Sabus on the roster. I'm turning into a huge mark for this guy.

Hardcore Holly - Consider me on the bandwagon: this is the perfect spot for Bob Holly. He's been gone for around a year. He just recovered from a life-threatening injury. He has a reputation of being tough. He's a veteran who can really help these young guys learn how to work. And the fans REACT to him, face or heel. Him and RVD are gonna beat the CRAP out of each other in this feud.

Kelly Kelly - I don't wanna kill her, 'cause she's only 19 and really been thrown to the wolves, but as hot as she is to look at, she just doesn't seem to have 'it' yet. Plus, if she doesn't get completely naked on the next ECW PPV, what really is the pay-off here?

Kevin Thorn - As I said above about Ariel, I like this pairing, and Fertig seems to have really improved since his short stint as Mordecai on Smackdown. I really like his finishing move, and their ring entrance is going to turn these two into babyfaces very quickly. I wouldn't have put him over Mahoney yet (while I have NO PROBLEM using Richards, Snow, Credible, Doring, Anderson or Roadkill as jobbers, it seemed like they were protecting Balls, but c'est la vie), but can you say Sandman vs. Thorn at December to Dismember?

Kurt Angle - Getting very close to becoming my favorite wrestler of all time, but the man's insane. I'm glad he injured his groin, because really there's no way the previous 30 days off was enough to give this man's battered body the rest it really needs. That being said, they're using him well, and have interestingly alligned him on the side of the "ECW Originals" in the Paul Heyman feud. Or is that just a swerve?

Matt Striker - Too soon to tell, but I liked his work in his mini-feud with Angle back before the teacher gimmick, and he's probably the most under-rated/under-utilized talker on any of the WWE rosters right now. He gets an "incomplete" on this report card.

Mike Knox - Another one where I think it's too early to tell. Yes, he's a big man, but I don't hold that against him. Heyman must have seen something in him, no? If he can work, then I'm 100% for him being part of ECW. If not, then at least he's getting huge crowd heat ... for now.

Rene Dupree - Repeating something I read elsewhere in the IWC, unless they let him do his little French dance, I'm completely ignoring him.

Shannon Moore - This gimmick can be good or really, really corny. Right now I'm on the fence, leaning toward the latter, but I'm curious to see how the crowd reacts to him once he finally debuts.

Test - This guy has been INTENSE and I love him as one of Heyman's goons. Once that angle is over, though...

Trinity - Been injured, so it's really hard to say. She's smoking hot in female wrestler terms, and has a history as a stuntwoman, so I have a feeling her, and the FBI, will be getting plenty of airtime once she returns.

So, all-in-all, not a BAD crop of 'new' talent brought into ECW by World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. The show's gotten a lot better over the past few weeks (really, since the awesome Hammerstein event), and seems to be hitting its stride. It seems like Sci Fi will be picking the show up (it's getting huge ratings, so it would be foolish not to in my opinion), so with things continuing, my money's on a Team Heyman vs. Team ECW Originals match-up at Survivor Series, with a lot of these storylines -- particularly "who can beat the Big Show?" -- coming to a head at the December PPV... should be fun!

*My next post will be my thoughts on how ECW can get more time per week without adding another hour on Sci Fi.

2.9 Million viewers can't be wrong...

2006-07-27T00:58:00.000-04:00

Right?

From PWInsider:

ECW on Sci Fi did a 2.4 cable rating. The show did a 4 share. That equated to just over 2 million households and almost 2.9 million viewers. The rating was bumped up a tenth of a point by the overrun. The actual hour from 10 to 11 p.m. did a 2.3 rating, with quarter hours of 2.2, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.5. The overrun shot up to a 3.0, which I believe is the second best quarter hour in the history of the show.

And of course word is that WWE is confident that the show will get picked up after the summer run... so while I still hate that only SOME matches are held under "ECW Rules" (ugh), and am dissappointed that RVD should be the fighting champion rather than the Big Show, this is pretty good news and I'm overall optimistic. I wasn't a few weeks ago (can't you tell by the fact I haven't been posting?), but with CM Punk debuting and Angle returning next week (in NEW YORK - crowd should be very interesting), Shannon Moore, Fertig and The Bashams recently/about to be introduced to the roster, and ECW "originals" like Sandman, Sabu and Balls Mahoney getting legit pushes, I'm actually looking forward to seeing where things are heading. (I even like Test and Knox pairing up as kind of the anti-ECW team on the show... go figure.)

If only The Zombie would come back...

Mike Johnson Comes Around

2006-07-18T14:36:00.000-04:00

PWInsider has been ultra-negative on the new ECW for weeks now, which is why I found the below opinion piece by Mike Johnson so refreshing:

EXTREMELY OVERLOOKED

While many fans still have their arms up in air about the new ECW product (and count me as among those who were disappointed by the brand's direction), I do feel there are fans who are overlooking that some of the same work ethic that was loved by fans of the original company is there...even if it's not on Sci Fi in every match of every broadcast.

Take a moment to read over any of the recent ECW house show reports. While fans are unison in rejecting the likes of Test and The Big Show (and let's face it, those same fans would reject them on a WWE house show), for the most part, all of the ECW reports seem to be that the shows are entertaining and fans are getting their money's worth out of the new ECW.

There are good things coming out of the new ECW so far. Sabu has been awesome in his WWE run, minus Saturday Night's Main Event. There are talents who were languishing on the indy scene with regular paychecks that are no longer worried that their payodds will be there upon arrival at the show. There are the WWE's misfit toys, such as the Bashams and Shannon Moore, who have a place to go and work now. There's even an aura of appreciation for someone like Tommy Dreamer, who gets to be the bridge between the old and the new, sort of a Terry Funk like grizzled veteran who wants to stand up for ECW.

There are more positives on the horizon as well. Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam will be returning soon, providing a chance to see them working in intimate atmospheres that you would never, ever see otherwise from a WWE produced event. If they can remain healthy and free of problems outside the ring, it will be even more of a chance for house shows to feature something special and unique.

ECW as a company has moved forward from the past, good and bad. Some fans are disgusted by that (and I do believe WWE owes the city of Philadelphia one hell of a make good show after the two events Philly has been presented thus far), but for the most part, the new fans ECW has attracted as well as older fans who understand the reality of the situation, have walked out of ECW shows happy.

That's a positive that's been extremely overlooked thus far in this brand's short run. The old ECW is long gone and will never be back. That's a shame, but it would also be a shame to dismiss the quality of the live events, thus far, just based on bitterness of failing to let the past go.

I'm hoping to get to a live ECW show during this run -- and I'm sure the more intimate venues are better for the brand -- but the key point Johnson makes is this: the NEW ECW is giving more pro wrestlers paychecks. Not only are guys like Balls, Sandman, etc., now employed, but they also have a relatively strict "wellness program" to follow, including heart monitoring. It's WWE's game, and you take the good with the bad, but I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons (and really, last week's show, particularly the main event, was pretty good).

The Zombie Speaks!

2006-07-09T01:30:00.000-04:00

This is great, and available all over the net. I took this from Meltzer, but the interview itself can be found at InYourHeadOnline.com. And yes. The Zombie has a MySpace account!

The ECW Zombie from the debut show on Sci-Fi Network Tim Arson was the 2nd guest this week on www.inyourheadonline.com with your hosts Jack, Barbie Richards and OneInchBiceps. IYH can be heard live every Wednesday at 6:00 PM Eastern, and all our archived interviews free at http://www.inyourheadonline.com.

The hosts welcome The Zombie to the show. Tim does the Zombie roar.

Tim talks about how the gimmick came to be. He says Tommy Dreamer and Paul Heyman were backstage looking for the Martian, who was originally going to be used for the Sandman caning angle. They couldn't find the Martian, so Paul said "let's do a Zombie" and asked who they could use for it. Tommy Dreamer suggested Tim Arson, who was there for a Heat match vs Matt Striker. Heyman stood 5 feet from Tim and told him "show me the Zombie". Tim put his arms out to the sides and growled. Paul told him to open his eyes a little more, and gave Tim more of a pep talk to show him the Zombie. Next thing, they had Tim in the make up chair, they cut up his jeans. A guy was sent outside to get real dirt for his pockets and clothes. Tim really puts over the make up girl.

Tim was then taken for final approval. Tim was taken to Vince McMcmahon's office. Tim compares it to the Darren Drozdov "he's going to puke" scene from Beyond the Mat with Vince demanding him to do the Zombie character in front of Vince. So Tim did the Zombie pose and growl, and Vince was hysterical and said "that's f'n brilliant".

Tim says it was really fun. Tim is friends with Sandman, they had wrestled together in Puerto Rico. OIB asks about the cane shots. Tim says they were brutal, Sandman was fired up that night. Tim says Sandman isn't drinking anymore, so it was even worse. Sandman is a better aim while drunk. One of the cane shots caught him right in the nose.

Jack asks if everyone was happy backstage. Tim says everyone was, and Paul Heyman told him he did great for the business. Tim talks about talking with Paul London, who had already came up with 15 story lines for the Zombie.

Jack asks if he will come back as the Zombie. Tim says if he is back as The Zombie that's great, if he comes back to ECW as Tim Arson it's even better. Tim isn't sure about ECW, he thinks it needs some help. Jack mentions Terry Funk earlier on In Your Head, mentioned he thought The Zombie was one of the highlights of the ECW show. Tim feels honored.

Jack asks if Tim can use the Zombie name on Indy's. Tim says yes, he got a poor man's copyright for "The ECW Zombie". Tim will be working for some guys with the gimmick. Jack says he should take advantage of it. Tim is really surprised how many people enjoyed the gimmick.

OIB asks if anyone recognizes Tim as the Zombie. Tim says he has, he thinks it was the most over of the Sandman caning opponents.

Tim mentions he is working Carlos Colon right now for the WWC as one half of the tag team champions with Rico Suave in Puerto Rico. Fro more information please visit www.wwcpro.com. He also asks for his fans to come visit his myspace www.myspace.com/worldchamparson. Where he has some pictures from the latest Bruiser Brody Memorial tournament including him being choked by Abdullah the Butcher with a shovel.

Jack asks if Tim has ever been to Abby's House of Ribs. Tim hasn't, Jack closes the show by inviting the Zombie out for ribs.

We were also joined by the one and only Terry Funk. To hear both the Zombie and the 50 minute Terry Funk interviews please visit http://www.inyourheadonline.com. And join us next week for TNA Knockout So-cal Val at http://www.inyourheadonline.com starting at 6:00 PM Eastern.

The Wrestling Blog on ECW

2006-07-07T01:54:00.000-04:00

http://www.thewrestlingblog.com/index.php?tag=ecw

Some good stuff there recently...

Well, that explains a lot...

2006-07-05T23:56:00.000-04:00

A couple of notes:

Some newsbits have recently come to light which explain quite a bit...

Now that the Big Show is the ONLY person to have ever held the WWE, WCW AND ECW World Heavyweight Championships, do we think that will stick? Or is CB right, and will Jericho come back to ECW to show Show who's the man?

Finally, if you look at the WWE/ECW.com "live events" page, it lists some new wrestlers that will be debuting soon for ECW (at least at house shows): Fertig (the vampire, formerly Seven in OVW and Mordecai on Smackdown), Doug Basham (remember him?), Derrick Neikirk (current Deep South Champion) and Ryan O'Reilly (also in DSW). So that's 11 "new" members of the ECW roster if you include Big Show, Kurt Angle, CM Punk, Test, Mike Knox, Kelly and Trinity. With the jury still out on Test and Knox, I'd still have to say that those aren't BAD additions. I'm still interested anyway...

ECW gets Punk'd

2006-07-04T23:38:00.000-04:00

Listen, RVD "dug his own grave" or "made his own bed" or something like that. The guy's been busting his ass in the ring, and been very entertaining since Mania, but this arrest can't be ignored, and he was punished. Let's hope after a month (my guess at his pretty much necessary suspension) he's back on ECW TV and the new WWE brand hasn't faltered too much due to his and Sabu's arrest/stupidity.

That being said, they did a pretty good job getting the belt(s) off of him, and I'm FINE with Big Show: New ECW Champion. ECW had NO full-fledged heels, and with the hardcore ECW fans are de facto booing all of the "WWE-bred" wrestlers on the show, the best thing they could have done was to figure out a way to add a top "bad guy" to the brand. With Heyman (who really wants to cheer him anyway?) the REASON for RVD's loss, and the awesome visual of Philly fans pelting Paul E. and Show with garbage to close tonight's show, I'm actually fine with the way they took the belt off of Van Dam. (Could they have put the belt on Sandman or a newcomer? I guess...)

Now let's talk a bit about the future. Test is a great heel to add to the list of Big Show and Mike Knox -- all three non-ECW originals, and all three of which play their roles very, very well. We finally get to see if Fertig (the vampire) has improved in the ring next week; Al Snow made an in-ring appearance; and -- oh yeah -- we got the beginning of what very well can end up being the push of a certain former ROH Champ's career...

Photo Credit: CMPunk.com, Mary-Kate Grosso

...as if there was ever a better time to be straightedge.

What to do...

2006-07-04T14:47:00.000-04:00

As GRUT over at IP reported, the legal ramifications of RVD and Sabu's arrests aren't too bad. It's really more about the wrestling ramifications right now. And the first bit of punishment has happened: RVD jobbed the WWE Title to Edge last night on RAW, and rightfully so.

But now what?

I think WWE has three options, and really with Kurt Angle out and the ECW project NEEDING top stars in order to stay viable, the options are limited:

- Job RVD right away to a "new" face -- i.e., someone like CM Punk (who by the way is straightedge and drug-free by all accounts, and has a huge cult following);

- Bring Edge or another WWE name over to ECW as a mega-heel and give them the ECW Title while you take RVD off of TV for a while as 'punishment' for his legal situation;

- Leave it as it is, post something on WWE.com saying that he's either been fined or is wrestling without pay as punishment, but that there was no proof he DID the drugs, was just in possession of them, and that's a criminal matter not a WWE Wellness Policy one. Of course, the Wellness Policy says that arrest/possession can be cause for immediate termination, but it doesn't say that it WILL result in termination.

Whatever happens, if ECW fails right now, it's all on Rob and Sabu; and no - firing them, especially RVD, isn't an option. Whatever you want to say about Vince, his "vision" or any "glass ceiling" that Van Dam had in his way for the five+ years he's been on the WWE roster, Vince wants to make money - period - and RVD was no doubt given a huge chance here to be the key money-maker of the new ECW brand -- and RVD very well may have blown it. Time will tell...

Breaking news: PWInsider reports RVD and Sabu arrested on drug charges

2006-07-03T15:05:00.000-04:00

So much for what I said about RVD and Sabu gaining momentum.

Dave Scherer over at www.pwinsider.com reported that RVD and Sabu were arrested in Ohio for drug possession.

The full story is here: http://pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=18912&p=1

Ugh.

Will Vince ruin ECW like Stephanie did?

2006-07-03T14:17:00.000-04:00

Rumor has it that Vince wants to have more of a hands-on approach with the new ECW program. I actually thought last week's show took some small but important steps in the right direction, Kelly's Expose notwithstanding. At least they started with an ECW match for once, and Sabu definitely is still fun to watch, since we don't know which spots he'll hit and which spots he'll miss.

I think Heyman's character has been horrendously weak, but RVD is definitely building momentum. And I'd like Sandman to have some matches against actual ECW wrestlers, not members of WWE's Creative Team who are reminiscent of Naked Mideon.

Good show, but...

2006-06-27T22:55:00.000-04:00

PLEASE give ECW their own tapings... and PLEASE ECW FANS sell-out next Tuesday's show in Philly. These "We Want Cena" chants (it's a Smackdown show, of COURSE they'll be there) have to go... Good job of the ECW fans in attendence of drowning them out but it shouldn't even be an issue. (By the way, if the ref counts to five when you're in the ropes, and you don't break the hold, what happens, exactly? Ya know, with no DQs...)

Oh, and no more male asses okay? I think Sandman's opponent was there just to get the fans to LIKE Kelly. Ha!

Poor Doring & Road Kill. Perhaps once things get going, they'll give 'em those ECW Tag Titles back.

Wrestlers not Test!!!

2006-06-26T09:24:00.000-04:00

I'd rather see Roadkill in an Amish Butter-Churning competition than see Test in ECW. I mean, seriously, what's he going to give to the product that they don't already have?

I can only imagine the Test-Big Show storyline arc, which results in multiple broken noses for the former Motley Crue Bodyguard and one-time love interest of Stephanie McMahon.

In all honesty, if you're more of a punchline than X-Pac, then you just don't belong in ECW.

We want wrestlers, NOT Test!!!

"Don't come back! Don't come back!"

2006-06-24T23:37:00.000-04:00

Mike Johnson of PWInsider posted results from tonight's ECW house show in Philly at the old ECW Arena, and he made some interesting observations.

Glad to see CM Punk got a hero's welcome, and I hope we see him on SCI FI sooner than later. Saw him live in a match once - last June in NYC at a Ring of Honor show - and been a fan ever since. Great look, good enough in the ring, and the fan-base can really get behind him.

As for Paul E. getting a good number of boos at the show, I wonder if they shouldn't just make him a heel on TV, 'in bed' with Vince, and position someone like Tommy Dreamer as someone out to 'save' ECW and make it more like it once was... could work.

Really, though, the one thing they need to do, and I'm convinced of this now, is double-up RAW and SD TV tapings every Monday, and give ECW its own show in smaller venues each Tuesday (or maybe every other Tuesday, taping two weeks' worth of shows at a time). I understand that adding a third night of production is expensive, so this solution may just work. (And as for Heat, just tape it before ECW or make it a recap show with one match taped before each supershow.)

And no, I'm not saying WWE should put RAW and SD "back together." First of all, it's impossible with the way the shows are being done now; but secondly, the big stars will end up on both shows, and younger/lower card wrestlers barely making it on TV. But that's another debate for another day...

Another inter-promotional PPV filled with "dream matches" looms ...

2006-06-23T15:47:00.000-04:00

Just as common as interleague play in baseball these days is the idea of the inter-promotional PPV ... Remember when we could only dream about matches like Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan in the 1980s or Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Sandman in the 1990s? Now we get Super-Fantastic encounters like Sabu vs. Cena and Edge vs. RVD!

Man, sometimes I think dreams are better left in our fantastical minds ...

Wake me up, and next time I'll still be The Wrestling Mark.