Is it possible for ECW to be resurrected from its grave? Maybe. After a long sabbatical from television programming, ECW made its return on June 13th, 2006 on the Sci-Fi Network. The show definitely left a lot to be desired. Granted it scored a 2.7 rating, but can this brand survive without crossover promotion from WWE's flagship program Raw? I guess only time will tell...
Let's face it... ECW will never be what it once was. ECW initially really started making a name for itself after the promotion was taken over by Paul Heyman in 1996. ECW was home to many future stars such as Rob Van Dam, Rey Mysterio, Mick Foley, and others. The promotion became quite popular among fans because of it's rugged, no-nonsense, innovative, hardcore, and unique style of wrestling. It wasn't like the "Sports Entertainment" that was being fed to us by the WWE. It garnered a cult following among many on the internet. The fans of ECW were just as much a part of the show as the wrestlers were. Many had held this brand so close to their hearts. So many were crushed when ECW became defunct in April 2001.
Now the WWE is trying to revive the phenomenon that was ECW. However, there are a few glitches in the test. Some ECW veterans like Sabu, for example, are way past their prime. Sabu is quite broken down now compared to what he used to be. He still does a few spots here and there but with weekly television programming, house shows, and eventually pay-per-views... how much can his deteriorating body take?
Another disadvantage is that ECW is being taped in front of a Smackdown audience for the most part. I guess anyone who buys a ticket for Smackdown gets to see ECW as a bonus, with the exception of Raw and Smackdown supershows. It will be interesting to see how packed the houses will be when it's just an ECW production. The fans were such a big part of ECW's success, and it's what made the promotion so hot. Now the crowd response is very luke-warm which must be very tough on the overall morale of the brand as a whole.
Now that ECW's on the Sci-Fi Network, numerous characters are being made to "appeal" to regular Sci-Fi viewers. However, how well will aliens, vampires, and zombies get over with the crowd? We all saw "The Zombie" who seemed to get no response from the crowd. I don't think it's the best idea in the world to have ridiculous gimmicks in an attempt to appease your typical Sci-Fi viewer.
Is it just me or does The Sandman seem to be old and washed up? He reminds me of Steve Austin when Austin became washed up as a wrestler. The only difference between them is that The Sandman uses a kendo stick to physically assault his opposition. They both love to swig their beer down, and hit someone with one big move. Personally I think it's lame.
Don't get me wrong though their is some real potential for ECW to be around for a long time to come. With wrestlers like Kurt Angle and RVD there's sure to be many classic matches in the future. Plus I really enjoy seeing Barbie Blank aka Kelly on my tv screen, and it will be interesting to see what becomes of Shelly Martinez's character. It will also be interesting to see who will be able to stop the destructive path of The Big Show. So what will happen next? Stay tuned... |
