What if #3 what would happen if ECW.....

[Joe Kerr]

still struggled through and then Panda Enegery gave them the money that TNA has now ...

Im on a tight schedule today so this intro will be short. This idea was submited by Dave Youell

Would ECW have passed WWE...Obviously the WWE Invasion Angle wouldnt have taken place or would have been altered. Do you think ECW would still be in small arenas? would ECW star names remain with ECW (RVD , Taz, etc.)

I beleive they would most likely be sued once or twice by now, do to alot of wrestling action going wrecklesly into the crowd. Im sure some one would see it as a golden opportunity to make a few bucks . However I do beleive that ECW would tone it down had they gotten more money to continue. I dont think they would pass WWE but would be a decent contender especially if they got a good time slot. Maybe even enter in the wars with WCW granted WCW was still up and running as well.


Your thoughts.

[Yashamaga]

They wouldn't have been able to compete, like you said.

What happened to them was inevitable.

They either had to remain almost "underground" like they were way back and eventually still go bankrupt or get a GOOD tv deal and feed us a watered down product.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

1. It would depend on how much money they were given
2. They would have needed someone besides Heyman to do the books
3. They would have needed to sign someone BIG, who would also be willing to du a JOB ( because signing a big name to a small fed does nothing if it doesn't get the smaller guys over.)

4. As already mentioned, they would have had to stop going into crowds, and also, they would have had to get original music.

5. One of the best things they would have had going for them was their relationship with Japanese promotions. The constant trade of international talent would have helped ECW greatly.

Could have ECW surpassed WWE? No. COuld they have been competition given the time and money, I believe they could have been. Especially if WCW would have folded, and ECW would have had the money to pick up some talent.

[The CyNick]

Panda can get TNA a decent TV deal, so why would they be able to get a decent TV deal for ECW? The lack of good TV is ultimately what kills these guys from trying to compete wth WWE.

[Innovator]

First off Dreamer wouldn't be so depressed and cynical these days, I would be happy, RVD wouldn't be wasted in WWE, and the WWE cruiserweight division wouldn't exist.

[The One]

...No. I really sometimes wonder about everyone who thinks that ECW would ever be able to compete with WWE. Honestly folks, that was never the goal of ECW. They wern't doing what they were doing to compete with WWF. Hell they had a standing good relationship with them. The money that Panda is giving to TNA is allowing them alot of good oportunities, but are they anywhere near a threat to Vince? No. Plus when you look at it, ECW's pool of talent was jumping ship over to WWF already. The bottomline is this, ECW was a great idea. I loved ECW before it was "cool" to love ECW. I have probably been to more ECW shows then most people on this forum. I have seen more matches, and gotten more pumped over ECW then anyone else I know. I was a huge mutant...I admit it...but that time has gone now. ECW (in Extreme fashion) could never rise against the major two. It was an indy fed. I am sorry to say this, but I will say it again. It was an Indy fed. TNA is an indy fed. Is that bad? NO! Again let's look at TNA. I am the only one on these boards I think who never missed a TNA weekly PPV. I love TNA product where as I can barly stand WWE's...though they are getting better...but it is still an Indy fed.

There was never a big 3, it was a big 2. Don't kid yourself people. ECW, like TNA, will never compete with WWE...not in the way WCW did. WCW had the entire Turner Organisation. Even if ECW had gotten TNA's FSN TV Deal, Panda Energy's money, and had someone come and do the books instead of Paul E...it still wouldn't have put them in a place of threat to the WWE.

Now would they still be around? Maybe. Would they be as extreme? Hard to say as they were starting to tone it down towards the end anyway. RVD would have gone to WWE no matter what by now. Tazz, Raven, Credible and the Dudley's were already there...Rhyno might still be around along with Lynn and Tajiri...but, like it has been throughout of all ECW's history, things always changed. Who knows who would be ECW's biggest star by now...maybe it would have been Guido...you never knew who was gonna get the next big push over there.

[FakeLaser]

There is no way in hell ECW would have ever competed with the WWF or WCW. The talent pool just wasn't there after the mid 90s for a number of reasons including Paul Heyman being a shitty and shady businessman. The market is just too small, they're like a small market sports team, they'd get a guy under contract, develop them into a star then are no longer able to afford them.

The major appeal in ECW was that stuff happened there that wouldn't happen in the big 2 and in order to reach such a large audience they'd have to be on cable and severely tone down their act, hence with a shit talent that is constantly shrinking accompanied by inferior production values, little to no big name talents and removing the one element that people look for in ECW, a more racy product, ECW just never really had the chance to compete.

In the end, it all really just boiled down to money. Unless you're backed by a rich business tycoon like a Ted Turner capable of landing big names, producing big names and then keeping the big names, there is no way in hell you could ever compete with a huge company like WWE.

[BigDaddyCool]

All the "big stars" left ECW before they went under anyhow. RVD, Tazz, Raven, Lance Storm, Jerry Lynn, Mike Awesome, Tajiri, Justin Credible, and the Dudleys were with WCW/WW(F)E way like at least a year, year and a half before ECW finally gave up.

At the time ECW had Rhyno, Sabu, and Sandman, and a handful of other guys that don't draw. Plus Heyman was bouncing checks. So for sake of argument, some jerk comes in with a wad of cash and helps ECW out of their financal woes, it would only be a quick fix. Before too long, they still wouldn't be able to draw that many people outside the Jersey/New York area, they lost their tv spot, and their core talent.

Money would not have solved it. By giving them money, that would be like handing a fisherman a fish when what he really needs is a new fishing rod or something to that exent.

Now, if ECW was able to pick up some bigger names, like Hall or Goldberg or Sting or anyone from WCW dying, then maybe. But ECW problems weren't having money as such, but instead being raped of talent and losing its tv spot and ulitimately ppvs. Plus, Heyman is a bad businessman, as a writer/booker, he is a god, but he sucks at business. There is only one promoter who knows how to book and run a business, and that is the only one still around, Vince.

There are way to many, ifs with this too. What if ECW magically got a good time slot? What if ECW magically started selling out medium size or even big arenas? What if this, what if that? Well, it didn't so it is a moot point. ECW ruled, but something like that shouldn't have lasted forever. Look at it like this, be glad ECW happened. Watch their old matchs with wonder and glory. Be glad they didn't last long enough to embrass theirselves. ECW will remain cool forever because it died young.