So after Joey's rant on Raw *Spoilers*

[KingofOldSchool]

It looks like "ECW" will be a heel faction to "WWE" fans. So I ask this...how would it work? If RVD is supposedly going to cash in the money in the bank contract at One Night Stand 2...how the fuck would even the die hard WWE marks boo him in the weeks leading up?

Him facing John Cena? Fans will be 100% behind RVD.
Him facing Triple H? Fans will probably be 90-95% behind RVD.
Him facing Edge? Fans will be 200% behind RVD (new fans will come in just to boo Edge).
Him facing JBL? Fans will be 100% behind RVD.

The only people that could remotely get the fans behind them more than RVD are...Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan, Mick Foley, and maybe HBK.

So how would you book this whole thing? I just don't see ECW being a real heel faction even on WWE TV.

[Ben Rodrigues]

I don't think they have the key ECW stars to come across as full fledged heels. Guys like Raven, old school Taz, Steve Corino, The Dudleys, etc. Like many are aware - RVD's heel run in ECW didn't work as planned. And with the upcoming title shot - looks like he's going to be the top guy in the faction. So he'll basicaly be getting face pops while trying to come across as a super heel.

[Dorkchop]

I honestly think RVD would get cheered over guys like Stone Cold, Hogan, and HBK. The fans cheered him over the Rock during a match on Raw in 2001 (I was there live). I think if he went against Foley, it would be 50/50.

I don't even see ECW being a heel faction. I think the WWE are truly trying to bring back ECW properly. ECW always thought they were better than every other promotion.

Remember RVD during the Invasion? He was suppose to be a heel, but the fans went completely nuts over him (See match against Rock on Raw). I don't even think it's possible for him to be a heel. He cold crap all over the fans, making sure to say things about all types of fans, and we'd still cheer him.

I think the only way for RVD to be booed would be for him to be a "sports entertainer." Take away his fun kick moves, flips, spins, jumps, and replace them with body slams, suplexes, arm drags.

[tucsonspeed6]

Maybe if those rumors of Eddie Guerrero not being dead were true....

[HeartBreakMan2k]

If the WWE does go with the idea of ECW being heels, this may also be the primary reason for the Degeneration X tease. They have to know that if anyone's going to get pops over Van Dam, a DX team would be pretty much the only chance. And Van Dam most likely would get pops over them as well.

[McLegend]

Am ECW Van Damn would get pops over anyone, but not Van Damn we see now.

[St. Jimmy]

*watches Heatwave 98*
god, i miss RVD, Fonzie, and SABU. good times.

[Kane Knight]

Aren't they trying to establish Cena as heel?

[Corkscrewed]

ECW will be heel to mainstream fans, face to smarks. WWE will be the opposite. They've been playing with this whole schizo characterization thing for months now (Cena), so I don't see why they won't use it on ECW.

[KingofOldSchool]

But even the casual fans get behind ECW, even though a lot don't really understand what ECW really was. They would really have to get a good job getting them over as hateable heels.

[Pinnacle Charisma]

I dont know if the wwe want the ecw faction to be face or heel I think they are trying to estblish a stone cold rebelling agasnt the man culture for this new ecw brand

[Mr. Nerfect]

It kind of made sense Joey Styles ripped into the fans. I'd love to see ECW rip into the fans that never watched ECW, but still claim to be fans of it.

Putting them over as a bitter entity out for blood seems like the thing to do, in my opinion. Next week, I'd have Tommy Dreamer run in during the main event (Edge vs. Mick Foley in a Hardcore Rematch from WrestleMania 22), caning the fuck out of Edge, then caning the fuck out of Jerry Lawler. Good Ol' JL is pretty much an icon for what the WWE stands for currently. Their whole sports entertainment shtick. Dreamer caning the fuck out of King at ringside would either be cheered because it is an extreme act (which means ECW have no chance what-so-ever of getting over as heels), or it will be booed by casual fans, meaning it has a chance.

Am I the only one who would mark out if Tommy Dreamer came out to do colour commentary in place of King (since Dreamer often replaces Jonathan Coachman on Heat) and he leaves JR high and dry out there just to show JR how he's not even in Joey Styles' ballpark?

Vince McMahon could then come out, fire Tommy Dreamer for his conduct the previous week, and for ignoring every single demand made over the headset for him to do his job. Dreamer rises from his chair with a kendo stick. Edge comes out and says he doesn't want Vince to fire Tommy Dreamer until he's had his way with him. Vince fires Tommy because he doesn't want to sign his paychecks anymore, but offers Tommy Dreamer the chance to face Edge at the WWE vs. ECW Special. He also gives Joey Styles the chance to come back and do commentary with JR to see who really is the greatest commentator of all-time. :drool:

Knowing the WWE, Shane McMahon will be angry at Vince for not being there when his son was born, or he catches Vince and Marissa in the act, so he "buys" ECW somehow and somehow convinces all the former ECW superstars to come back and fight against Vince and the WWE guys who "love their jobs" and forget that they hate each other. I honestly expect to see Edge & Kane win the ECW Tag Team Championship during this time. :roll:

[Kane Knight]

It kind of made sense Joey Styles ripped into the fans. I'd love to see ECW rip into the fans that never watched ECW, but still claim to be fans of it.

Too bad they'd probably pop for it.

[Anybody Thrilla]

If you took RVD out of the ring and just let him work the mic every week, I bet people would start booing him.

[The Heat]

That promo Styles did on RAW kicked ass. It was truthful. That's what got over the most. Of course, having some truth in it didn't hurt.

Having ECW as the heel stable is a mistake, IMO. ECW One Night Stand sold out in minutes. Meaning ECW is "popular". Wouldn't it make more sense to have WWE as the heel group? WWE programming rarely makes much logical sense.

[94 SVT Cobra]

That promo Styles did on RAW kicked ass. It was truthful. That's what got over the most. Of course, having some truth in it didn't hurt.

Having ECW as the heel stable is a mistake, IMO. ECW One Night Stand sold out in minutes. Meaning ECW is "popular". Wouldn't it make more sense to have WWE as the heel group? WWE programming rarely makes much logical sense.


How about not having a heel gtroup...and letting ECW be ECW