KayfabeMan
06-09-2005, 10:40 AM
The internet fans / writers have officially dubbed the 10th through the 12th "ECW Weekend". Shane Douglas runs Friday, CZW / IWA Mid South run Saturday [with appearances by ECW talents], Sunday is ROH [with Shane Douglas], and of course the WWE PPV.
I say WWE pay-per-view, because at the rate that they're going, there will be very little ECW about it - apart from the name. I am not going to jump and say that the show will suck, etc. - but I will say this is now turning into what it truly is: yet ANOTHER desperate attempt by McMahon to cling to the past and make money, while ignoring the fact that the present needs some fixing.
I will say that maybe .1 of the people purchasing the PPV will be buying it to see the WWE RAW/SD! led 'invasion' of the PPV. Everyone else is either a die-hard ECW fan from whatever time period they started watching, or a schmo who just learned about ECW through the DVD and/or this angle, and now is chanting 'E-C-Double U' [which is incorrect and annoying :mad: ] like they've been watching the promotion for years. Talk about jumping on bandwagons; I bet they all cheered the Florida Marlins at their last World Series win too.
Anyhow, all I want to convey here is my point of view on this situation. I will be watching the PPV Sunday at a friend's house. I will also order the DVD of the 'Hardcore Homecoming' show; which is where I believe it will all be at this weekend. In reality, I hope they are both MAJOR successes - not for WWE's wallet, or for Vince's ego in the WWE case, but for Paul Heyman - who would get to shove it in their faces that he outdid them. For Douglas, I hope it's big so that the boys walk away with a nice payday, and some good promotion.
In either event - while it will be fun to see the guys together again, NEITHER of the shows are ECW - and there never will be an ECW again. I don't care if this PPV and the invasion of this leads to a smaller ECW / WWE feud or whatever. Or if "ECW" were given a timeslot on WWE TV. It's bullshit. All of you brand-new ECW marks who think you're part of the promotion's success, or that you actually support it - get the fuck off it. You're watching WWE.
There's a chance that there can never be another time that I'll be able to go out like I used to, and pay $15 to sit in the third row ringside, and watch The Malenkos [both Dean and Joe], Hack Meyers, Taz, Foley, The Sandman, Benoit, Shane Douglas & Whipwreck. Where you could walk right up to the wrestlers and they'd spend time talking with you, like average Joes.
There's a possibility that there will never be another time that I can get invited into the locker room by 911, and hang out with Stevie Richards, Public Enemy & Too Cold Scorpio. Or get Cactus Jack's autograph and his 8x10 for $5 - all while he's bleeding all over the place.
There's also a chance that I'll never get to go to a show where for under $20, I get to see Axl and Ian Rotten, Norman Smiley, Raven, Tommy Dreamer, The Pitbulls, Marty Jannetty, Gangrel & Luna, Eddie Guerrero, and others.
There's a possibility that they'll never duplicate the later shows I went to, where hundreds of people would wait outside for a few hours complaining that it was too hot - just to get inside and spend 3 hours in the venue, where it was even hotter. Where you spent $50 at the gimmick tables, and got more than your money's worth. Where the intermission went 35 minutes, and no one cared because they were all out at said tables, getting autographs from the talents.
There's a chance that you can never remember when people would spend a few dollars on a [sometimes poorly] photocopied program that was stapled together. When upon entering the venue, there was Balls Mahoney with a Sharpie - signing autographs and taking photos. When the guy sitting in front of me got beer spilled all over him by Sandman during his entrance, and turns to me and says, "How the hell am I supposed to explain the smell to the cops if I get stopped going home?". When you didn't even get home until 2 am, because the goddamn show ran longer than you expected - and more matches were added. When you got every bit of the ticket price back, and more, in entertainment - and it didn't cost $400.
There's a possibility that you're not familiar with a time when everyone knew just about everyone else at the show, and became the regulars at all the events. Where Atlas security would pat you down and toss your pens / pencils in the giant bin next to the door. When waiting to claim your tickets on the VIP list, Tajiri will walk through the lobby and stop to say hello to everyone. It's possible there won't be another time when a big black lady asks Nova if he's HHH - and he tells her yes. There's a chance that you won't get to stand right at the exit door - and meet the talents when they leave the building. There's a possibility that you'll never give Chris Benoit directions to a local restaurant.
But with all of those possibilities, there's a definite.
You DEFINITELY cannot duplicate THE REAL ECW - or the real fans.
I say WWE pay-per-view, because at the rate that they're going, there will be very little ECW about it - apart from the name. I am not going to jump and say that the show will suck, etc. - but I will say this is now turning into what it truly is: yet ANOTHER desperate attempt by McMahon to cling to the past and make money, while ignoring the fact that the present needs some fixing.
I will say that maybe .1 of the people purchasing the PPV will be buying it to see the WWE RAW/SD! led 'invasion' of the PPV. Everyone else is either a die-hard ECW fan from whatever time period they started watching, or a schmo who just learned about ECW through the DVD and/or this angle, and now is chanting 'E-C-Double U' [which is incorrect and annoying :mad: ] like they've been watching the promotion for years. Talk about jumping on bandwagons; I bet they all cheered the Florida Marlins at their last World Series win too.
Anyhow, all I want to convey here is my point of view on this situation. I will be watching the PPV Sunday at a friend's house. I will also order the DVD of the 'Hardcore Homecoming' show; which is where I believe it will all be at this weekend. In reality, I hope they are both MAJOR successes - not for WWE's wallet, or for Vince's ego in the WWE case, but for Paul Heyman - who would get to shove it in their faces that he outdid them. For Douglas, I hope it's big so that the boys walk away with a nice payday, and some good promotion.
In either event - while it will be fun to see the guys together again, NEITHER of the shows are ECW - and there never will be an ECW again. I don't care if this PPV and the invasion of this leads to a smaller ECW / WWE feud or whatever. Or if "ECW" were given a timeslot on WWE TV. It's bullshit. All of you brand-new ECW marks who think you're part of the promotion's success, or that you actually support it - get the fuck off it. You're watching WWE.
There's a chance that there can never be another time that I'll be able to go out like I used to, and pay $15 to sit in the third row ringside, and watch The Malenkos [both Dean and Joe], Hack Meyers, Taz, Foley, The Sandman, Benoit, Shane Douglas & Whipwreck. Where you could walk right up to the wrestlers and they'd spend time talking with you, like average Joes.
There's a possibility that there will never be another time that I can get invited into the locker room by 911, and hang out with Stevie Richards, Public Enemy & Too Cold Scorpio. Or get Cactus Jack's autograph and his 8x10 for $5 - all while he's bleeding all over the place.
There's also a chance that I'll never get to go to a show where for under $20, I get to see Axl and Ian Rotten, Norman Smiley, Raven, Tommy Dreamer, The Pitbulls, Marty Jannetty, Gangrel & Luna, Eddie Guerrero, and others.
There's a possibility that they'll never duplicate the later shows I went to, where hundreds of people would wait outside for a few hours complaining that it was too hot - just to get inside and spend 3 hours in the venue, where it was even hotter. Where you spent $50 at the gimmick tables, and got more than your money's worth. Where the intermission went 35 minutes, and no one cared because they were all out at said tables, getting autographs from the talents.
There's a chance that you can never remember when people would spend a few dollars on a [sometimes poorly] photocopied program that was stapled together. When upon entering the venue, there was Balls Mahoney with a Sharpie - signing autographs and taking photos. When the guy sitting in front of me got beer spilled all over him by Sandman during his entrance, and turns to me and says, "How the hell am I supposed to explain the smell to the cops if I get stopped going home?". When you didn't even get home until 2 am, because the goddamn show ran longer than you expected - and more matches were added. When you got every bit of the ticket price back, and more, in entertainment - and it didn't cost $400.
There's a possibility that you're not familiar with a time when everyone knew just about everyone else at the show, and became the regulars at all the events. Where Atlas security would pat you down and toss your pens / pencils in the giant bin next to the door. When waiting to claim your tickets on the VIP list, Tajiri will walk through the lobby and stop to say hello to everyone. It's possible there won't be another time when a big black lady asks Nova if he's HHH - and he tells her yes. There's a chance that you won't get to stand right at the exit door - and meet the talents when they leave the building. There's a possibility that you'll never give Chris Benoit directions to a local restaurant.
But with all of those possibilities, there's a definite.
You DEFINITELY cannot duplicate THE REAL ECW - or the real fans.