Saturday, October 25, 2008

Bourne to fly....on live television?

Evan Bourne must probably feel like he's the luckiest ECW wrestler there is right now. He has gone from starting in the indies, to being neglected by TNA, to having great matches in ROH, to wrestling on MTV, to now being a candidate for the ECW Title at Cyber Sunday, granted he gets the votes for it. How did he do it? He took his high-flying, high-octane wrestling style and adapted it in each and every scenario, with his WWE style being the most impressive, only because he's able to tell a great story at a slowed pace for everyone to comprehend his moves. I'm saying this right now: whatever length of a match you get with Evan Bourne, be it standard time or not, will be worth the price of admission. I guess you can attribute it to his need to fulfill his dream of being a part of the WWE family. But, something big has come on the horizon for Mr. Bourne. Word is going around, and it might become reality. Evan Bourne may take his high-flying skills to Raw.

This kind of exposure could not have come at a better time for Evan. Amidst the sea of ECW stars that fall under either the category of new blood, wily veteran, or new breed of talent with some experience, you can get lost in the shuffle. Since he has come out of the gate, Evan Bourne has been tantalizing the crowd with this moves, skills, and acrobatics the likes of which we have rarely seen. I say rarely because there is another who, like Evan, will take to the sky to do battle. That someone is Rey Mysterio. To answer a question, yes, these two have teamed up on Raw and have had one incredible tag match. But, as Rey gets older, somewhat weaker, and less appealing, someone is going to have to take the reins and keep that spirit alive. That someone is Evan Bourne. In short, Evan Bourne is in line to take the torch from Rey, and it might come sooner than you think.

See, Rey was moved to Raw in an attempt to spark the ratings on Raw from his followers, as well as to bring a new level of excitement to the show with his wrestling style. It had been a long while since Rey was a staple on Monday night television (in fact, it had been close to 7 years, as he was last seen actively on a Monday night on the final WCW Nitro episode). His being on Raw is a gift to the many Raw followers who loved watching his stuff in the past or even present. But, let's face facts. Rey isn't getting any younger. His knee has been surgically re-constructed on a number of occasions. He can't even hit the hurricanrana with ease anymore. In fact, he steers clear of it. When Rey is gone, who can fill that gap of high-flying excitement? Enter Evan Bourne.

Now, this is a wise move for the WWE and for Evan. However, like most wrestling bookers who are afraid of the here and now not producing good ratings, the move may end up coming sooner than most of us expect. Evan has been showing up on Raw a number of times recently to get involved with Rey's feud with Kane. His match against Kane was also great. So, instead of leaving him on a dead-end show like ECW, why not put him on Raw's live stage? Why not place him on the longest running television show in history? Why not place him on the longest running wrestling show in history? His tenacity, electricity, and agility could be perfect for chance rivalries with Chris Jericho, Santino Marella, and the other heels. Also, it wouldn't be a problem if he did battle with some of the faces like C.M. Punk, a wrestler who shares his ECW allegiance, albeit a past one, as well as the fact that they both have traveled to the same indy feds to get themselves over. Let's not rule out HBK who could very well benefit from a wrestler like Bourne, or vice versa. The sky could be and is the limit for young Evan. But, in the sky, there are some dark clouds here and there, and those could settle on Bourne's sunshine in his potential move to Raw.

One of the biggest cons against Bourne is the fact that he's not even 200 pounds. He's legitimately the smallest wrestler on the roster (no, I'm not now nor will I ever count Hornswoggle). Usually, big wrestlers only win titles in the WWE. In that case, Evan better get used to disappearing since he won't win any title matches due to his lack of stature. Another con that will bother me when it comes down to moving is his status on Raw, in general. Why this is a factor boils down to C.M. Punk and Kofi Kingston's current status on Raw, which is now relegated to them being on the low or the mid card. They started off as champs, only to lose them after about 2 months, and now, they remain on Raw, in second gear, idly waiting for another break. Realistically, this could happen to Bourne which will hurt him greatly as well as his momentum. Here's to hoping that the WWE do the right thing when it comes down to high-flying. They've allowed so much of it at this point, so why not?

I'm probably the last person to promote anyone from the WWE. Trust me, I'm not. However, I know talent when I see it, and Bourne is filled with it. Raw would be the perfect compliment to his already off-kilter wrestling style. Live crowds will very well swoon to him as they do Rey, until, it's Evan's turn to set the standard for high flying wrestling in the WWE. But, who's to say that success will come knocking? Who is to say that Bourne won't end up like Punk or Kingston right now? We don't know until it happens. Until then, all we can do is count the days until Evan Bourne's next take-off. If you blink, you'll most likely miss something special. Bourne has proven this a number of times. This may become something of a great novelty to Raw. The question is, can he go beyond the novelty and become a believable reality?

Saturday, October 18, 2008

ECW has some swagger

Swagger. There are many definitions of the word. Verbally, it means to walk with a bold, arrogant, or loudly stride. In other words, it's strutting. It also means to boast, brag, or show off in a loud, superior manner. As a noun, it sort of means having an air of overconfidence, arrogance, and cockiness. Now-a-days, it's just one of the many words in the English language that people wouldn't give two thoughts about, if it had not become a buzz word popularized by celebrities.

In the world of wrestling, there have been many wrestlers who have had quite a swagger to them. Most of these wrestlers were heels, because an honorable wrestler would never be so cocky. As time has passed, wrestlers with swagger were not relegated to just being heels, as faces with swagger started coming out of the woodwork. Either that, or, heels with that much confidence became the objects of the fan's desire. When it comes to a wrestler with incomparable swagger, many names come to mind: Harley Race, Mr. Perfect, "Superstar" Billy Graham, "Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase, Randy Orton, Rob Van Dam, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Edge, and the king of wrestling swagger himself: "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. These guys have had their best matches as they brimmed with confidence, to the point where it was so darn annoying. Now, another wrestler has come onto the scene, brimming with confidence, and he's in ECW. His name is Jack Swagger. With a name like that, you'd be hard pressed to think that he didn't ooze with confidence. You'd also be hard pressed to think that he might not have the makings of being the crown jewel in the ECW superstar initiative. But, who is Jack Swagger, really?

First off, his true name is Jake Hager. The story about Hager is that he was recruited to the University of Oklahoma as a two-sport athlete, playing as a defensive tackle in football and a heavyweight wrestler. In 2006, as an All-American wrestler, he set the single season record of 30 pins/victories in a row. After this, he reported to WWE and its farm systems, where he spent 2 years developing into a star for one of the main shows. He would win major matches their for an amount of time with his amazing ability. The rest is history. Now, this story is abridged, so feel free to check on its validity. In the end, that's how he maintained the moniker, "The All-American American". He's a red-blooded American wrestler who is an All-American as an athlete.

So, that's who he is in a nutshell. He's a big man, about 6'6" with a wrestling prowess that some people wish they had, and an ego the size of his homestate of Oklahoma, maybe larger. Every week, he comes out putting on an impressive showing in the ring against other superstars on ECW. Not to mention the fact that he's undefeated. Why is he the crown jewel in the superstar initiative: he's just what the WWE is looking for. The WWE will always perennially be a big man's organization. Big wrestlers will always have a place in the heart of Vince McMahon, no doubt. He loves watching big, powerful men run over their opponents. Jack Swagger is a big man, who can wrestle, and has moderate to good mic skills. Not to steal a phrase, but he's the total package of what an upcoming wrestler should be. He's "the next big thing" in pro wrestling.

Now, here's why this is a crucial time for the WWE. They have already lost two other big men who could wrestle excellently. Bobby Lashley had an impressive set of tools that he could use as accolades for his wrestling future. However, it took some backstage politics to chase him out of the WWE and a malaise for the wrestling industry as well. Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar had the same credentials as both, and only stayed until 2004. He was given the impression that he had done just about everything there is to do in wrestling. So, why not move on? In short, Lesnar was pushed to the moon rather early, costing the WWE a top talent for the future. If the swagger of Jack Swagger has to stay alive, the WWE has to make sure they do not give him the impression that leaving is appropriate. He has to be tested with decent challenges and pushed moderately. On the other side of the coin, Swagger can't get ahead of himself and should keep himself in the best graces of anyone backstage. It's great that Swagger is tops as a wrestler, but one wrong word and he's finished, but good.

For once ECW has some swagger: Jack Swagger. For it to stay, the necessary precautions have to be made and considered as to whether or not Jack is or isn't leaning towards departure. If he stays, the WWE will once again have a complete package they can utilize for the future as a top talent like know other, with title shots coming left and right. Now, that's something to smile about, eh, Jack?

Monday, October 13, 2008

Analysis revisited: Tale of the Tape, Part 3: The new ECW vs ROH (Ring of Honor)

Here it is: the final tale of the tape. Once again, there's cutting and pasting, but that's because the ideas haven' t changed. Enjoy:

I have spent the last few months watching both ROH and the new ECW. Both shows give a different look or have been trying to give the wrestling fan a different look at the world of professional wrestling.

ECW was once an upstart wrestling organization situated in Philadelphia. For seven years (1993 – early 2001), they have been a source of some of the most violent, innovative, and cutting edge forms of professional wrestling to date. ECW provided fans with a different style of wrestling as well as a different batch of wrestlers that some said were not ready for the major organizations. However, due to monetary problems, the organization had to fold and sell its wares to their competitor, the WWE. However, as of June 13th 2006, the ECW brand of wrestling has returned to television under the auspices of Vincent K. McMahon, owner of the WWE. ECW can be now found on prime time television for one hour on Tuesday nights. It is billed as "a new breed unleashed", touting a new generation of ECW wrestlers for the new generation of fans.

ROH (Ring of Honor) is a 6-year old wrestling organization formed in February of 2002 by former ECW employee, Rob Feinstein. In an attempt to capitalize off of the void left by ECW as well as the complete distaste for the WWE from some wrestling fans after the wrestling wars, he created this organization for the "smart" wrestling fan. That is, the fan that wasn't going to be swayed by bad booking, stupid gimmicks, bad finishes, and many other ideas that the WWE flaunted on a nightly basis. There was going to be more realistic finishes, good wrestling, great stories told by such, and no one would have their intelligence insulted. Time had passed since its inception and many things have changed and remained the same in ROH. Rob Feinstein was forced to leave due to a scandal of a sexual nature and the company was later handled by Cary Silkin, the president of ROH, and Gabe Sapolsky, former protege of Paul Heyman during the ECW days. Also, the matches were changed to give off more of a standard wrestling feel to make it more accessible to those who are not quite high on the match or story stylings that don't resemble that of what you might have seen during the years of wrestling's peak. The match quality of this organization has received many rave reviews as many organizations seeked to copy or at least benefit from some of the talent in ROH. To this day, some of the five-star matches amongst wrestling pundits through the past few years have come from ROH. Basically, if you can impress a wrestling mind like Dave Meltzer, you've got potential. In that case, ROH has lots of it. From talented superstars, to logical booking, to excellent matches, ROH is one of wrestling's best kept secrets, just waiting for a full discovery.

Now, since ROH and ECW have co-existed, a few questions have come up. Which has a better showing as an television show? Who would win if they were put head-to-head against each other? To date, ROH does not have a television show, but they do have pay-per-view. Also, they have had a handful of their stars come to this new ECW in some ways. Still, a question or two can be brought up as to who has the edge if they were to be placed head-to-head, or if they were just compared? Is the new ECW better? Is ROH better?

I decided that in order to make this fair, I broke down the competitive analysis into 4 categories: Presentation, Ratings, Talent, and Wrestling Ability. It will be along these lines that the two groups will be compared and contrasted. So, with all that said, here we go!

Presentation
ECW
The new ECW is, without a doubt, not the original ECW. There is no question about that. However, in the presentation aspect, those in charge have taken it upon themselves to make it completely different from the original ECW. This not only alienates the real, die-hard ECW fans, but it also kills the credibility of the product. When people hear "ECW", they look forward to what the original brand offers: professional wrestling, cutting edge promos, hardcore matches, and innovative moves and wrestlers. The new ECW has veritably none of that. Instead, we are given one hour of WWE style matches, where the ECW originals (RVD, Sabu, etc.), lose to wrestlers that they would never lose to in the original ECW. Also, we get silly gimmicks and happenings like Kelly's Striptease, Macho Libre, and, of course, interpromotional matches with wrestlers that have no business being in an ECW ring. As for hardcore matches, don't bother. They aren't implied, they are stipulated. This means that all matches aren't hardcore. For the first time in ECW history, there are disqualifications. If you were looking for anything close to the original ECW, look elsewhere. This is WWECW. Since its inception, things have changed. Now, instead of just getting what I mentioned earlier, we get one original losing to everyone in Tommy Dreamer, no more stupid gimmicks or strip-teases, interpromotional matches with Raw and SD, to the point where they just have Raw or SD stars wrestle on the show to take up time, veterans trying to retain some semblance of importance wrestling on the show, and a great place for the young and new talents of the WWE to showcase their skills. The last point made seems to be the major selling point for ECW at this point in time, and is now the major focus.
ROH
ROH's presentation is simple: ROH is wrestling. Day in, day out, week in, week out, match in, match out, ROH strives to tell its fans and those looking to be fans that they are a wrestling organization first, and a form of "sports entertainment" second. The entertainment is not found in long promos, silly gimmicks, nonsensical booking, or predictable matches. The entertainment is found is hard-fought matches by each and every wrestler on the card, as they are given carte-blanche to exercise their wrestling prowess to the fullest. There are no boundaries preventing good talent from executing other moves that make other wrestlers look bad or lazy. If there are politics, it's not as glaring as what you see in other places. Compared to ECW, it doesn't strive to be what it is not. It is what it is: wrestling at its finest.


Winner: ROH for the simple fact that the organization is not trying to be a re-tread of a dead organization. It tries to be the new face and the new flame of the sport of professional wrestling.



Ratings
ECW
ECW is on Tuesday nights at 10 P.M. That's just 24 hours from the second hour of WWE RAW. Smart move. ECW gives a back-to-back wrestling feel with the timeslot choice, allowing WWE fans to keep watching wrestling twice in a row. Also, that's the main part of ECW's ratings. The WWE fans are watching the show, knowing full well that a former WWE star they liked, a current WWE star they like, or an ECW star that made a killing in the WWE is on ECW. So, when the ratings come in, you know who's been watching: the WWE fan or mark, not the die-hard ECW fan. Currently, the die-hard ECW fans are few and far between, while the WWE marks are in full effect. ECW will be moving to 9 P.M. on 9/30/08. Since its inception, ECW went from a high of 2.7 to a low of 1.2, just recently. As for the new timeslot, it still got a 1.2.
ROH
It's simple: ROH is not on television. There is no t.v. show for ROH in the U.S. at least, nor are there any conclusive ways to measure the ratings to compare it to ECW. No, not even with PPV.


Winner: ECW by a landslide



Talent
ECW
The talent roster of ECW is a slim one. Not only are they short many wrestlers, but the wrestlers they do showcase probably have no place in any ECW-related program. The Big Show is the best example, as he has always had the WWE or WCW feel to him. He just doesn't fit in with the ECW feel. It takes away from the product. He is not the only one, either. Wrestlers that have failed to excel on Raw or SD! have found solace here. These include Rene Dupree, Matt Striker, and Hardcore Holly. Test and Shannon Moore are just examples of wrestlers that were recently re-hired but won't be overly utilized on a Raw or SD! event b/c of their bad track record on Raw or SD! Mike Knox is a new blood from the WWE farm systems that looks more like a Raw/SD! guy than an ECW guy. As for the ECW originals, only the ones that matter (Sandman, Dreamer, Sabu, Mahoney, RVD) are utilized, and job out at times to the new guys. The others (FBI, Stevie Richards, C.W. Anderson, Jazz) are not even necessary, so, they are kept home. The only exception to the new talent rule is CM Punk, who fits in on any show and can give a great showing as a wrestling talent. He's just in ECW so the RAW/SD! guys don't look bad compared to him. Currently, a lot of changes have been made. Most, if not all of the aforementioned wrestlers were either fired, died, moved to another brand, or even downgraded to announcing (That's you, Striker). The talent roster once again slimmed down, but, the quality has improved. Apparently, they took the example of C.M. Punk and started to add talent that was either in need of retooling or new to the game with a lot of potential. The Miz and John Morrison make up two very entertaining and talented heels after some stints on Raw and SD. Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, and Finlay, and Chavo Guerrero are some veterans added to bring some depth to the young roster as well as help them work a little better in the ring. Mike Knox has re-surfaced as a top talent and a threat. Lastly, the new stars that are coming through make up the best and brightest from WWE's farm systems, or at least those that have been around and ready to go. Evan Bourne, Gavin Spears, Ricky Ortiz, and Jack Swagger are the talents, and they bring a lot to the table.
ROH
The talent pool of ROH is full to the brim with the wrestlers of the future, and the wrestlers who have made the independent wrestling scene something to talk about. Why is this so? It's so because a number of talents from ROH have moonlighted on TNA to the point where they got full contracts. Others have been in WWE dark matches, while some ROH alumni are currently tops in the wrestling world, including in the new ECW. Evan Bourne, Scotty Goldman, and C.M. Punk are three fine examples. Other than these guys, ROH is full of wrestlers who would, if they could, set the wrestling world on fire with what they bring to the table. Wrestlers like Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, Davey Richards, Delirious, Kevin Steen, El Generico, Roderick Strong, and even international stars like Takeshi Morishima, Naomichi Marufuji, Go Shiozaki, and more. Heck, even the women can wrestle pretty darn good. It all comes from years of experience, good teaching, positive reinforcement, and artistic freedom. Something the stars of the new ECW might not have


Winner: ROH by a lot. As I said, Evan Bourne came from ROH to be in ECW. If one Evan Bourne match for about ten minutes can get people to stand up and cheer, can you imagine what the matches that current ROH stars can do?



Wrestling Ability
ECW
There are only very few ECW stars with wrestling ability. This is the ability to make a match interesting along the lines of pro-wrestling. The ECW originals that do have this ability are not very polished at it (except RVD). This is mostly due to the fact that they specialize in hardcore matches that has degenerated their bodies and their wrestling efficiency. As for the new blood, only CM Punk and Matt Striker fit the bill when it comes to wrestling. The others are too cliched from the WWE style of things. Their matches look clunky, rushed, and sometimes silly. This, of course, is all in good fortune for "sports entertainment", which is something that ECW hasn't majored in since its inception. Currently, ECW has improved in the wrestling ability aspect and dramatically. Finlay, Matt Hardy, and Chavo are excellent wrestlers. Morrison and Miz also have some severe credibility. Evan Bourne and Jack Swagger are also great talents to have as wrestlers with their great skill along with a better utilized Bam Neely and Mike Knox. So, the overall wrestling ability has improved, albeit slightly.
ROH
These guys have all the wrestling ability that's fit to print. They can execute moves well, they can tell stories well with their matches, and they can show you some moves you've never even seen before. There's little or no limit to what they can do in the ring because they are allowed to show you what you want to see: wrestling at its finest. Compared to the wrestlers on the scene in the new ECW, ROH beats it by leaps and bounds. ROH's wrestlers aren't wet behind the ears at all. They are accomplished wrestlers with a vast library of wrestling know-how that they bring to the table. While some of the new guys in ECW have promise, these guys have all the potential needed to give their fans what they want: wrestling at its finest

Winner: ROH

In truth, ROH is better than the new ECW in many of the ideas and facets I mentioned here. In fact, Paul Heyman was using ROH as an example as to how he wanted the new ECW patterned. It was too bad that Heyman was relieved of his duties in late 2006 before we could get a good feel of that. This was due to various creative differences. Still, on paper, ROH is better than the new ECW. But, that's just it. It's on paper, or in this case, on computer. Only time will tell as to whether or not ROH can hang with this version of ECW. Only time will tell. Until then, if you haven't done so already, look into ROH and see for yourself.


That's what I think. What do you think?

Matt Hardy: ECW Champion - The best he'll ever do?

For the first time in his career, Matt Hardy is an owner of major singles gold. When I say major singles gold in this sense, I mean that he is one of the three main title holders amidst the Raw-SD-ECW crowd. Yes, dispute it if you must, the ECW title is major singles gold. It can be considered a piece of trash since it has no resemblance to what the original ECW stands for, but it is a major singles title in the eyes of the WWE, and since they are the biggest show in town, they can do whatever they want along those lines. So, inherently, this is a big plus for Matt Hardy, and sadly, a big minus as well. Now, why would I say that? Easy. When you compare the World Title to the WWE Title to the ECW title, one thing remains clear: the ECW title, as major as it is, is still a third string title for a third string show in the shadow of two major wrestling brand juggernauts. You're comparing the ECW title that you see now to the WWE title on SD, which has a lineage back to the late 1960s, and has been the #1 title in the world of wrestling for a good amount of time during the wrestling wars. You're also comparing the ECW title to the World Title on Raw, which might not have the same lineage as that of the WWE title (the World Title is only 6 years old), it still has the same symbolic importance. It's the belt or a replica of the belt vied for in WCW and in the NWA. That's important. Now, this ECW title might or might not be considered the same belt that was fought over in Philly, but when you're the WWE, you know where the belt belongs: below the radar and in the shadow of the other two belts. Matt Hardy has been in the shadow of many people and below the radar as well, but because of his loyalty, passion, and great fan following, he deserves to be rewarded. So, the WWE threw him a bone and gave him the ECW title. Sadly, this bone will most likely be Matt Hardy's greatest accomplishment.

Now, let me continue by saying that I'm not blogging this to trash the ECW title of old, or the ECW title of new. I'm just telling you how it is in the eyes of the WWE hierarchy. You'd be a fool to think that the ECW title means something now or that it meant something if you work for the WWE as a staunch WWE loyalist. I could go into how the WWE sees ECW, but that's just about evident today and it would take a long time to put it all out there. This blog is just to tell you that no matter how hard Matt Hardy works, no matter how much of a pop he gets, the best singles title he'll amount to in the WWE is the ECW title. This isn't because Matt Hardy isn't a good wrestler, great worker, or charismatic entertainer, because in my opinion, he is. This is because the WWE doesn't think that Matt Hardy can amount to more than a title like the ECW title.

See, the ECW title's purpose has many folds and meanings, just like ECW's existence (I'll share that mindset with you on 11/16, to follow up on the Tales of the Tape). Its two main purposes are to give the ECW brand something of value and to give the wrestlers on ECW something to work for. Basically, if you are on ECW at this point in time or ever, it's because you're new and need to start small, or you're a veteran and were never considered good enough to cut it on the two main shows of Raw and Smackdown. Sure, you're a great worker, but, you aren't major title material on those shows. So, stay on ECW and amount to a title that will guarantee you a PPV spot, since it's the only ECW match on any PPV. Matt Hardy has a guaranteed spot on PPVs with this belt, but if you notice, it's always at the beginning of the show, in the under-card. Wow! The WWE must really care about the ECW champion to have him on that early, while Raw and SD are on later.

However, the true insult, is the fact that Matt Hardy is the ECW champion and will never see gold better than this. Some people will say that it's only a matter of time. Others will say that he's just not quite there yet as a big time player to merit a title like the WWE or World titles. Oh, I'm sorry, I should have seen it that way. Oh wait? C.M. Punk has been here for 2 years, and he walks out a world champion because of a guaranteed contract for an anyplace, anytime title shot that was supposed to be given to Jeff Hardy had he not been so foolish. All the while, Jeff is back, receiving WWE title matches left and right, despite the fact that he's one strike away from unemployment, his wrestling technique is very sloppy, and his promos come off rather weak at times. He's the exact opposite of his brother, Matt, in those areas, and he gets more pop and flair than him. Is it his hair color, his body paint, his ability to take sick bumps and crazy stunts to get the girls swooning and the dudes cheering for more? Sadly, all of those qualities are the reasons we see Jeff over Matt. All the while, new guys like Vladimir Kozlov, Brian Kendrick, and MVP are also in line for title shots. Now, don't get me wrong. I like the aforementioned new guys, including C.M. Punk. However, Matt has been in the WWE for 10 years already. He's given up a heel push for his girl, who cheated on him, and lost his job over the whole situation. The fans clamored for his return. The WWE responded. And what did he get for his trouble? 2 years of mid-card redundancies where he would come out on the short end of the stick more times than needed. Matt Hardy and these new guys have a lot in common when it comes to work ethic and technique. So, why them over Matt, who is a veteran now? The answer is this: he's Matt Hardy, the overly passionate wrestler/wrestling fan who wants to fulfill and maintain his dream of being a wrestler. The only thing is, that's it. No bling, no accent, no Hollywood bad boy mentality. He's just Matt Hardy. Politically speaking, in the wrestling biz, that's a big no-no.

Remember, this is the WWE thinking this, not me. If the world were perfect, Matt Hardy would have become the world champion by defeating Edge at Wrestlemania 24 as the ultimate revenge for taking Lita away from him. That would be good booking, in my view. However, the WWE doesn't want this, because Matt Hardy doesn't have "it". His promos aren't perfect, his look does come off as sort of plain, and superficially speaking, his hair isn't blond. He's a plain Jane with a heart of a lion for this business and the fan support to keep him going. The only thing is, the fans don't decide if he does or doesn't reach that historical brass ring, that Jeff, his brother, is being offered almost all the time, despite his flaws and problems. So, Matt has to be content with being ECW champion, filling in the void that C.M. Punk left when he was drafted to Raw, and later, when he became world champion. If Matt Hardy is on a card, it will be in the middle of it. If he's at the top of it, it will be because he is holding a major title, despite it being #3.

Now, I'm about to try and refute the point that a plain Jane can't be a champion with one very great example from some recent memory. I was going to use Chris Benoit, but I'm pretty sure that would raise a lot of eyebrows in negativity, so my example: Bret Hart. No, Bret wasn't the Rock on the mic. He wasn't Hogan in build. He was about 240 pounds, spoke eloquently enough with some nervousness on the mic, and his signature color was the non-manly color of pink. So, how did he become a five time champion? His "it" factor was his technical prowess. He could legitimately out-wrestle any of his opponents, with very few exceptions. He didn't let his size be a factor at all. He found ways to utilize his skill to win matches against just about anyone. He did get pounded in the ring for it, but he hung on till the end and found a way to win. Plus, he was a tough guy, without question. He knew how to hurt you and his fists were, for the most part, closed when he punched you. This is what fans were clamoring to: a pure wrestling style as a change of pace. Now, Matt Hardy is no Bret Hart in the ring, but he is in his demeanor. He has heart, determination, ingenuity, and toughness. So, why not give Matt what you gave Bret? Simple. When Bret left, and with Shawn Michaels becoming less effective in the ring, there was no one to fill those huge shoes. If there was, the WWE didn't want it. It's still a world where big and powerful men will flourish over technical ones, thanks to Vince's love for strong men. Matt just doesn't have it. Did Punk have it? According to the pundits, not really. He and Matt are in the same boat. Punk was just a good choice as a transitional champion, due to his popularity and ability to sell merchandise. Matt, probably not so much.

This might not be a very good piece of work as an analysis due to the fact that I have some trouble writing about a wrestler I like not getting what he deserves. It touches base with me because I know that feeling. Perhaps, I should take a page out of Matt's book and just deal with it. I'm sure he's not whining backstage about being underutilized, or being squashed. The reason: he's a model worker and knows that this is his dream. As long as he has a place somewhere he can showcase his talents in the ring, with the preference being the WWE, he'll be content. It's his dream to be a wrestler and the WWE is his home first and foremost for helping him discover that dream, and for giving him a chance to keep his dream alive there. We all know he'd be on TNA or ROH right now had Vince not decided to hire him back due to the fallout in 2005 over his breakup with Lita. It's good business in Vince's eyes because of all the fans who have supported Matt all these years. Now, Matt had to pay some dues for that incident, but he was well aware of that and mindful of it. He didn't care as long as he got a chance to keep the job he never should have lost. Now that he has it, he can't complain. He can just make the most of it, and hope that another big opportunity comes along within a span of 10 years as he continues to be a model employee.

The sad truth is that his being ECW champion is the best opportunity he will ever have in the WWE, despite his ex-friend Edge's rise to the top, his brother Jeff's endless chances, or even C.M. Punk's being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, I have a feeling he knows that this is the best he can do. All he can do now, is do what the title of his theme song says: live for the moment.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Analysis revisited: Tale of the Tape - Part 2: The new ECW vs. WSX (Wrestling Society X)

This is a tale of the tape I haven't really written down...until now. Once again, it has to be revised due to the revised nature of ECW. I did some serious cutting and pasting, as well since not much as changed. Other than that, it should be good. Enjoy!

I have spent the last few months watching both WSX and the new ECW. Both shows give a different look or have been trying to give the wrestling fan a different look at the world of professional wrestling.

ECW was once an upstart wrestling organization situated in Philadelphia. For seven years (1993 – early 2001), they have been a source of some of the most violent, innovative, and cutting edge forms of professional wrestling to date. ECW provided fans with a different style of wrestling as well as a different batch of wrestlers that some said were not ready for the major organizations. However, due to monetary problems, the organization had to fold and sell its wares to their competitor, the WWE. However, as of June 13th 2006, the ECW brand of wrestling has returned to television under the auspices of Vincent K. McMahon, owner of the WWE. ECW can be now found on prime time television for one hour on Tuesday nights. It is billed as "a new breed unleashed", touting a new generation of ECW wrestlers for the new generation of fans.

Wrestling Society X is an upstart wrestling promotion put together by Keith Lipinski and Kevin Kleinrock, two former promoters who have ties with indy feds PWG (Pro Wrestling Guerrillas) and XPW (Xtreme Pro Wrestling). As writer and head booker, respectively, their mission was to provide wrestling fans with a more underground, hard-hitting, and somewhat over-the-top 30 minute wrestling show for the casual wrestling fan. How casual? The show was on MTV. The show had musicians play a set in the beginning of the show. They were going super casual here, as in people who know wrestling is there, but probably watch it once a month. Other than that, the show pretty much had some of the best high-fliers and hardcore indy wrestlers around. It had high spots, fast-paced wrestling, and crazy hardcore matches.

Now, since WSX and ECW have co-existed, a few questions have come up. Which has a better showing as an television show? Who would win if they were put head-to-head against each other? It was more than obvious that WSX was placed in the timeslot it was in on the night it was given for a reason. That reason was to cut into the path of ECW and try to pick up its fans. Did it work? Was ECW deterred?

I decided that in order to make this fair, I broke down the competitive analysis into 4 categories: Presentation, Ratings, Talent, and Wrestling Ability. It will be along these lines that the two groups will be compared and contrasted. So, with all that said, here we go!


Presentation

ECW
The new ECW is, without a doubt, not the original ECW. There is no question about that. However, in the presentation aspect, those in charge have taken it upon themselves to make it completely different from the original ECW. This not only alienates the real, die-hard ECW fans, but it also kills the credibility of the product. When people hear "ECW", they look forward to what the original brand offers: professional wrestling, cutting edge promos, hardcore matches, and innovative moves and wrestlers. The new ECW has veritably none of that. Instead, we are given one hour of WWE style matches, where the ECW originals (RVD, Sabu, etc.), lose to wrestlers that they would never lose to in the original ECW. Also, we get silly gimmicks and happenings like Kelly's Striptease, Macho Libre, and, of course, interpromotional matches with wrestlers that have no business being in an ECW ring. As for hardcore matches, don't bother. They aren't implied, they are stipulated. This means that all matches aren't hardcore. For the first time in ECW history, there are disqualifications. If you were looking for anything close to the original ECW, look elsewhere. This is WWECW. Since its inception, things have changed. Now, instead of just getting what I mentioned earlier, we get one original losing to everyone in Tommy Dreamer, no more stupid gimmicks or strip-teases, interpromotional matches with Raw and SD, to the point where they just have Raw or SD stars wrestle on the show to take up time, veterans trying to retain some semblance of importance wrestling on the show, and a great place for the young and new talents of the WWE to showcase their skills. The last point made seems to be the major selling point for ECW at this point in time, and is now the major focus.
WSX
Wrestling Society X is sort of the flipside of professional wrestling. It is held in a bunker, chock full of explosions, pyrotechnics, and very adverse wrestling personalities that you might or might not see anywhere else. The show is highlighted with a musician or music group playing a set in the beginning then jumping in on commentary with Kris Kloss from XPW and Bret Ernst from whatever comedy club he was performing at before this show started. Not the best idea as none of them knew what they were talking about on a regular basis. There was also a ring announcer that got more obscure every week named Fabian Kaylin (Kayfabe?) who screamed so much that he killed his voice in the first episode. According to lore, he was the reason people stopped watching. Throw in Lacey, the very attractive backstage interviewer and you had your journalism team. Now, for the show itself, it was 30 minutes of non-stop action. This was something that TNA had progressively started to lose to this day. There were weapons, explosions, high spots, and hard-rocking music. At some points, the hardcore wrestling action was a bit 0ver the top with special effects that were somewhat cheesy at times. The only problem: the show was taped well in advance, and the matches were edited heavily to the point where all you saw were the high spots at times and the editing was starting to show. That was a sure sign of bad production value. Still, the action was worth writing home about. Plus, they had an online show right after the broadcast on their website that showcased a recap, extra footage, and about 2 full matches that were full and un-edited. Pretty good, but it would have been nice if it was on with the actual show.


Winner: Tie. On one hand, ECW is more action with less talk and it's one hour, but WSX is also all about action with the action being much better than what you see on ECW, although somewhat predictable at times. Plus, it's 30 minutes of it. If you think about it, they tend to cancel out at times: good wrestling spots for 30 minutes versus 1 hour of action, albeit not so good at times. This can only be seen if you don't take ECW or WSX too seriously. Also, WSX was much better than ECW during its original run based on its action.


Ratings
ECW
ECW is on Tuesday nights at 10 P.M. That's just 24 hours from the second hour of WWE RAW. Smart move. ECW gives a back-to-back wrestling feel with the timeslot choice, allowing WWE fans to keep watching wrestling twice in a row. Also, that's the main part of ECW's ratings. The WWE fans are watching the show, knowing full well that a former WWE star they liked, a current WWE star they like, or an ECW star that made a killing in the WWE is on ECW. So, when the ratings come in, you know who's been watching: the WWE fan or mark, not the die-hard ECW fan. Currently, the die-hard ECW fans are few and far between, while the WWE marks are in full effect. ECW will be moving to 9 P.M. on 9/30/08. Since its inception, ECW went from a high of 2.7 to a low of 1.2, just recently. As for the new timeslot, it still got a 1.2.
WSX
On its first night, WSX went up against ECW's second half hour. The verdict: 1.00 for the whole. ECW that night did a 1.7 for the whole. The next night, WSX dropped to a .7, then a .5, then a .6 on the night where Vampiro got burned. After that, they had episodes 4 to 9 straight into the night with ratings at .6, 3 straight .4s, and lastly a .3 at 1 in the morning. Why this move? MTV wanted to cut this show loose and a bunch of other shows with it, so they decided to put all the shows on at once to get rid of it without the backlash of fans looking for episodes to pop up on tv. The final episode was never shown in its original run, but might have been later.


Winner: ECW by a landslide. I don't know where all those viewers went. Perhaps it would have been wiser to have this show on, say, a network that didn't pander to people who didn't watch wrestling ever.


Talent
ECW
The talent roster of ECW is a slim one. Not only are they short many wrestlers, but the wrestlers they do showcase probably have no place in any ECW-related program. The Big Show is the best example, as he has always had the WWE or WCW feel to him. He just doesn't fit in with the ECW feel. It takes away from the product. He is not the only one, either. Wrestlers that have failed to excel on Raw or SD! have found solace here. These include Rene Dupree, Matt Striker, and Hardcore Holly. Test and Shannon Moore are just examples of wrestlers that were recently re-hired but won't be overly utilized on a Raw or SD! event b/c of their bad track record on Raw or SD! Mike Knox is a new blood from the WWE farm systems that looks more like a Raw/SD! guy than an ECW guy. As for the ECW originals, only the ones that matter (Sandman, Dreamer, Sabu, Mahoney, RVD) are utilized, and job out at times to the new guys. The others (FBI, Stevie Richards, C.W. Anderson, Jazz) are not even necessary, so, they are kept home. The only exception to the new talent rule is CM Punk, who fits in on any show and can give a great showing as a wrestling talent. He's just in ECW so the RAW/SD! guys don't look bad compared to him. Currently, a lot of changes have been made. Most, if not all of the aforementioned wrestlers were either fired, died, moved to another brand, or even downgraded to announcing (That's you, Striker). The talent roster once again slimmed down, but, the quality has improved. Apparently, they took the example of C.M. Punk and started to add talent that was either in need of retooling or new to the game with a lot of potential. The Miz and John Morrison make up two very entertaining and talented heels after some stints on Raw and SD. Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, and Finlay, and Chavo Guerrero are some veterans added to bring some depth to the young roster as well as help them work a little better in the ring. Mike Knox has re-surfaced as a top talent and a threat. Lastly, the new stars that are coming through make up the best and brightest from WWE's farm systems, or at least those that have been around and ready to go. Evan Bourne, Gavin Spears, Ricky Ortiz, and Jack Swagger are the talents, and they bring a lot to the table.
WSX
Ok, first off: Matt Sydal is Evan Bourne. So, we can leave him out of this convo. As for the others, everyone, and I mean, everyone, even the veterans were oozing with talent. Their best high fliers regulared ROH, PWG, or even JAPW, and had the experience to back it up. Their hardcore talents had the battle scars to show their experience. Their vets, although, washed up to some people, were still pliable in the ring and were still open to teach the newbies how to wrestle for television. The list was a who's-who of wrestlers who were big on the internet, or big on the indy scene with the cred necessary to keep them on t.v. Jack Evans, Teddy Hart, Yoshino and Horiguchi of Dragon Gate, the Human Tornado, Sean Waltman, Vampiro, Ricky Banderas, Ruckus, Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, and even Colt Cabana (A.K.A. Matt Classic, Scotty Goldman) were some of the stars that this show had showcased. How talented were they? The WWE had a handful of them on their shows either jobbing or wrestling for them full-time. That was proof enough that the WWE had some interest in them as well as the show. They can deny it all they want, but can they explain why Sydal and Cabana are on their payroll or why Ruckus has all those giftbaskets they sent?


Winner: WSX, without question. Three reasons: 1) Evan Bourne, 2) Scotty Goldman, 3) WWE's interest in Ruckus


Wrestling Ability
ECW
There are only very few ECW stars with wrestling ability. This is the ability to make a match interesting along the lines of pro-wrestling. The ECW originals that do have this ability are not very polished at it (except RVD). This is mostly due to the fact that they specialize in hardcore matches that has degenerated their bodies and their wrestling efficiency. As for the new blood, only CM Punk and Matt Striker fit the bill when it comes to wrestling. The others are too cliched from the WWE style of things. Their matches look clunky, rushed, and sometimes silly. This, of course, is all in good fortune for "sports entertainment", which is something that ECW hasn't majored in since its inception. Currently, ECW has improved in the wrestling ability aspect and dramatically. Finlay, Matt Hardy, and Chavo are excellent wrestlers. Morrison and Miz also have some severe credibility. Evan Bourne and Jack Swagger are also great talents to have as wrestlers with their great skill along with a better utilized Bam Neely and Mike Knox. So, the overall wrestling ability has improved, albeit slightly.
WSX
These matches were very innovative and well-wrestled when weapons were not involved. The spots were veritably spot on. The matches were well-wrestled. The hardcore stuff? It was something to hold the grit of the show together, but at least it was existant, unlike with ECW for a good amount of time. However, these matches were something to behold. They were entertaining, well-thought out, and logical. It might have been tough to see all that, amidst the editing issues, but they were. This show even had a functioning tag team division, and they didn't even have belts to show for it. That says plenty to me. The wrestling ability of ECW's best wrestlers were in WSX, only multiplied by about 2 or so.


Winner: WSX


Initially, when I thought this up, WSX was way better than ECW. Based on my assessment today, WSX should have and might have smoked ECW, but alas, that was not the case. Why? Many reasons. MTV didn't market it as much as they market just about every show. It was probably because it was a wrestling show, and wrestling is lowbrow to MTV. Yea, and like Viva La Bam isn't? MTV didn't like all the violence that the show was portraying. Ok, if you didn't like it, why show the show in the first place? All the fans pretty much left because of the show's nuances and went back to ECW which was the devil they knew. Perhaps these fans were never there to begin with. Who knows? In the end, my assessment is that WSX might very well be better than the new ECW and could have been if it had the right chances and such, but, unlucky for us fans of WSX, that's not the case. Now, all we have is the dvds and ECW is still on. Let's hope Kleinrock and Lipinski can hit gold with their new show ideas concerning the NWA. But, I doubt it.

That's what I think. What do you think?

The Fallout (shelter?) of the big move...

So, ECW has finally moved. They made it to 9:00 P.M. on Tuesday nights. It was their first outing at the new timeslot. One hour ahead so the kiddies can watch before bedtime. And how did the big move do?


The final ratings: 1.2



1.2???

1.2???!!!

Are you kidding me? This was supposed to be the big move that would perpetuate ratings. This was supposed to grab new type of viewers that the WWE is looking for: young and impressionable. What happened? The same million viewers that watched the week prior watched this episode. Wow! Am I surprised? No. Am I shocked? No way. Do I have an idea as to why this was the case? Probably.

You see, the amount of commercials and advertisement that went into promoting the new time for ECW was....2. When was this on? Raw, the night before. Now, compare this to the amount of times we saw a SmackDown commerical stating the move to MyNetwork TV, and the ratio is astronomical. Why would this be the case, though? Why would the same amount of fans watch? Why would 1.2 be the highest this show did, which, suffice to say was better than a Foley-driven episode of TNA? There's only two reasons I can think of: 1) the fans don't care and 2) the WWE doesn't care. Does this seem too harsh? It might, if it weren't so darn true.

Let's see it from the fan's perspective. Sure, ECW is touting a lot of new stars, like Evan Bourne, that are interesting. Well, actually, Evan Bourne at this time is the only interesting new superstar on ECW. Yes, I said it. If it wasn't the case, then "Air Bourne" wouldn't be landing on Raw permanently in the future (I'll save that for 10/26's analysis). Sure, Evan is there. But, when you have a talent exchange with Raw and SD that allows for Evan to have matches there, why wait for ECW when the better match will most likely be on the better show? The same can be said about Morrison and the Miz against Cryme Tyme. Sadly, they are the only 3 people on ECW worth watching other than the champ, Matt Hardy. Well, that's not to take away from the talent of other ECW stars like Knox and the like, but, really, do people want to see him run through someone week after week? Jack Swagger? Well, he's talented, as I know and will talk about soon (see the 10/19 analysis for that), but have him start something big with some upper-card talent on ECW or something to get him over big, like say, against an undefeated Ricky Ortiz. Perhaps I'm being too harsh, but it does make you think.

Now for the WWE. You know, for a company that is going through so much trouble to keep ECW on the air by renewing its contract, moving it up an hour for more fans to watch, and even putting its talent on other shows so people can catch a glimpse of ECW stars as bait to lure them in, they sure know how to undercut the brand. Don't you think that if you wanted new fans, you'd put more matches on, or at least interesting ones? Instead, we get two squash matches, and a six-man tag match that although stretched over 2 commercial breaks, ended pretty much squashing the likes of Bourne in a matter of seconds. That's what I call protecting your new talent, right? Sure. And what is up with the announcements? Don't you care enough for the new talent you're pushing to at least have more commercials on this? I guess not.

Here's the real truth, unfortunately. I, myself, am not guilty of this, as I am one of the million or so same viewers who will still watch ECW for the new stars that I do support and the current ones as well. However, for the many people who were not watching, the truth is that there is no emotional attachment to ECW. There's no passion for the show, no fire to support it, no real need to watch it. If you're an older fan and are aware of spoilers, you probably saw them already and knew the show might not have been worth watching, although the spoilers this week got the main event finish wrong (Henry, Miz and Morrison won, not the other way around). Even so, they probably still read them knowing that there was no need to watch it on t.v. In fact, the WWE even posts the show in full effect on WWE.com for those of us with the internet. So, why waste a tuesday night, when you can just go on a computer and shave off 45 minutes of your time by watching the show some other time? Throw in the other mishaps on the show during its 2-year, 100+ episode longevity (burial of original stars, Vince as ECW champ), and you've got a slew of fans who just don't care.

On the WWE side of things, they never had an emotional attachment to ECW. They still don't to this day. It's just an extra show to drop off stars with no big future plans elsewhere and a place to springboard some new stars worth springboarding. Why give a crap about a show that they have had no investment in since day one? It's just a gift to all those people begging for a return to the "Extreme". It's not the WWE's property. Yet, the WWE still touts it as their property. It's a misnomer, really. It's really confusing. So confusing that I'm too lazy to try and explain it or delve into its confusing nature, as well as too disgusted.

To sum it up, the new ECW time for the new ECW did not do much for its ratings. I can only imagine what will happen when the real competition starts to kick in, and those same loyal fans start to wander around a bit, channel-wise. Who does the WWE blame then for the drop in ratings? Do they blame the MLB or the NBA for having great games? Do they blame American Idol for having the same old stupidity that's taking away their fans? Maybe they blame themselves...nah! They can't blame themselves. Why? It's because they don't care. Sadly, other fans don't either. So much for moving day. It was veritably unapposed, and, nothing...

Maybe they will do better this week. That's what I keep telling myself. Then again, I keep telling myself it will be canceled soon....