Sunday, November 16, 2008

ECW: The killer of the grass roots

Many of you might not know this, but ECW actually has an unseen purpose or two. It's more than just a brand to get new superstars over (no, I won't say entertainers like the WWE asks to), and it's more than a third-string brand for superstars who can't go anywhere past the middle of the wrestling card. In truth, it's actually WWE's secret weapon. The target: WWE's competition. The mission: destroy them. The reasoning: do it at their pace. You see, my friends, ECW is the WWE's weapon against their wrestling competition. The approach is to attack their competition at their own level: at the roots!

This little blog today is a follow-up and a resolution to my "Tale of the Tape" series where I compared the new ECW to TNA wrestling, Ring of Honor, and Wrestling Society X. In those blogs, I compared them to ECW on the presentation level, ratings level, wrestling ability level, and wrestling talent level. Based on the assessments I've made, the results are as follows. First, I stated that TNA and the new ECW are on par with each other. Then, I stated that the new ECW couldn't compete with ROH. Lastly, I stated that the new ECW would be surmounted by WSX. However, that was all on paper, or in this case, on screen. In reality, the new ECW outlasted WSX, can't be bothered with ROH since ROH is not on par with it, and has toppled TNA in the ratings even though TNA has two hours to work with and ECW has one. It seems that ECW is succeeding in the WWE's ultimate plan to squeeze the life out of its competition. Does that sound too far-fetched? Maybe. But, here are some rather interesting things I noticed.

When it comes to ROH, the new ECW can't compare with the talent, wrestling ability, or the presentation. Basically, ROH is everything the new ECW used to be, and more. It's been around for 6 years and has been the talk of most inner circles of wrestling. There's just a few problems. ROH has dvd distribution on a personal scale through their internet sites, and quasi-nationally with 4 dvds in retail. ROH even has some pay-per-view events every two months. However, the one thing ROH could use is a television deal. The problem there is that it takes money to do that. ROH doesn't have that much money to go around as they are spending themselves to the ground on dvd creation, venue setups, and their ppv deal. They would need a very large sum of money to get themselves noticed on television. That's just part of the television problem as they would also have to find a channel to utilize their talents on a national scale. That is not very likely, as the WWE has a stranglehold, or in this case, sleeper hold, on the television market as they are working with two key distributors in MyNetwork and Universal.

Sadly, another problem against ROH is their talent. Don't get me wrong. Their talent is top notch and comprise of some of the most athletically sound wrestlers in the world today. The problem is that they can't hold onto them. When a better deal comes knocking for these stars to showcase their talent, they would be remiss to pass it up. This is something that WWE has taken advantage of, more specifically, ECW. I can sum it up in two names: C.M. Punk and Evan Bourne. Punk went from impressive ROH talent to controversial ROH champion to undefeated new sensation on ECW to ECW champion to RAW draft pick to 2-month World champion in a span of almost 2 years. He's become a mega star by opportunity, chance, and discovery. I'm sure someone has known exactly what Punk could do (either William Regal, RAW writer Brian Gewirtz, or Jamie Noble), and relayed it to someone for his opportunity in the WWE. From there, his straight-edge lifestyle, punk-rock look, and in-ring ability got him on the radar for a title shot as well as good merchandise sales with a somewhat strong fanbase. He's about as popular as Matt Hardy at this point, which speaks volumes. Currently, he's on live television as a tag team champion feuding with Randy Orton, a former world champion and WWE champion. Tell me that's not huge. As for Evan Bourne, well, he was called Matt Sydal in ROH and had merited some tag team victories as well as some excellent matches to the point where he was considered one of the best opening match guys around. However, his dream of becoming a WWE superstar had grown to the point that he had to search for greener pastures. Ironically, he did end up on WSX for a spell before the WWE discovered him, put him in a farm system, sent him to ECW, changed his name, and gave him the chance to wrestle with high-flying offense, which didn't come sparingly as he had to earn the trust of his bosses to do what he does now. Since his official start, Evan Bourne has wowed the crowds with this gravity-defying wrestling ability to the point where it earned him an ECW title shot on a ppv, and a possible spot on RAW in the near future. In one word: impressive. Too bad ROH couldn't give these guys that. If they did, it wasn't on a grand scale like on national television or on PPV with high buyrates. This was the message the WWE sent through Punk and Bourne's rise in the WWE, which was more than enough for some of ROH's wrestlers to get to thinking. If I'm wrong, then loyalists like Takeshi Morishima and Bryan Danielson wouldn't be wrestling in dark matches for the WWE or any type of match. That doesn't sound like a loyal ROH wrestler. It sounds like an ROH wrestler who will take an opportunity if it comes along. I'm sure there's more to their stories as to why they did it, but doing something like wrestling for the competition just doesn't sit well on even the most infinitesimal level for your fans or even your peers.

What about WSX? Well, to be honest, WSX had something ECW didn't have when it was competing against it: hardcore action. There were weapons, explosions, innovative moves, and it was all done in a fast-paced, non-stop style. This was more than enough to get people buzzing about it. Throw in some musical guests and you might have something. What did ECW do to compete? They just threw on their top stars in matches that ran at the same time WSX started, in an attempt to keep fans from flipping the channels. Another move was to have their ECW originals do some extreme stuff to their then-rivals: the New Breed. If that wasn't enough, they would show some crazy finishes like Lashley jumping into the side of a cage. Why? To have it break off the hinges, and fall on Umaga, Lashley's rival, while Lashley was still on the cage. I had to admit that it was a sight to see, and I was impressed. In the end, WSX had suffered numerous setbacks. Its ratings plummeted because either the audience they shot for walked away from the show or the audience they wanted never came on board because of the show's over-the-top nature. Also, MTV began to curtail the show due to its violence, a problem that MTV should have addressed well before the show came on. Instead, they preempted their fourth episode due to a fireball incident that they practically green-lighted. After that, they preempted the show a few more times, until deciding to air the next five episodes in a marathon to get the show off the air and let the wrestler contracts run out. The last episode never aired, and the show was forgotten subsequently. As for the show's stars, they appeared on WWE television, to either lose as jobbers or become superstars that either job or succeed (see Matt Classic, a.k.a. Colt Cabana, a.k.a. Scotty Goldman and Matt Sydal, a.k.a. Evan Bourne, who appears on ECW). All ECW did was step up a thing or two, wait for the ratings to drop, and then, if need be, shop around for the better stars on the show to use.

Now, in TNA's case, they are still around. They have been around for 6 years being the unspoken thorn in the side of the WWE. Sadly, its ratings don't speak otherwise. The most they have ever done as a television show was maintain a 1.2 in the ratings, which is something the new ECW has surmounted a number of times before. So, what's the big deal? The big deal is that ECW has already taken two top TNA stars and used them for their bidding. First, there was Marcus Cor Von (real name: Monty Brown). He was lured to the WWE thinking he'd get a great deal at being a main-event player. Instead, he gets sent to ECW, goes undefeated, gets a monster push of sorts like Mark Henry did, and never receives one title shot. He was involved in the New Breed/ECW Originals war as a major player, but like most of the people involved, he was released. The reason was because of personal issues, but it doesn't correct the fact that he didn't get anything for his time in ECW. Braden Walker (real name: Chris Harris) is another example. Like Cor Von, he was lured to the WWE to be sent to ECW. Unlike Cor Von, he never made it out of his first month of action. His matches were boring, he looked sloppy in the ring, and his ring name was atrocious to many. He was fired almost instantly. What does this prove? That there's not always gold at the end of the rainbow for one. But, it also proves that the homegrown talent in TNA doesn't stand a chance in the WWE. This is what the WWE sought to prove as well as rest on especially since these guys were only in the lowest of the three WWE brands. Now, if you were an ex-WWE star coming back from TNA, maybe things would be different...

It might seem like I'm rambling here, but this is a lot of info I feel that needs to get out there for the point to get across. The WWE is so confident in their success and so determined to be successful that they would even stoop to the level of their competition and compete with them there. Each organization was and is looking to make some sort of grass roots movement to the top of the wrestling world as a stable and competent alternative to the WWE. When ECW was created, Paul Heyman wanted it to be just like these organizations with less talk and more action. As Heyman was released, his work fell into the hands of other WWE loyalists and they began to orchestrate a different approach to the movement. Instead of beating the competition at their own game with this brand, they beat them or are beating them at the WWE level with some remnants of the original idea, by still having more action, but usurping the stars and doing what they do when the time comes. Nothing hurts more than to have an idea that you came up with showcased by someone else as if it was their own but on a larger scale. Right, Microsoft? (Publisher's note: although I know this is what Bill Gates did, I still fully support Microsoft and PCs. Apple is crapple. lol)

Through ECW's existence and approach, the WWE is giving these organizations a run for their money on their own level, and making bank while doing it. Sure, the show is lackluster compared to the original ECW, but the ratings are still good enough for the Sci-Fi channel to keep it on. Sure, it's nothing compared to Raw or SD, but it is still a breeding ground for the future stars of Raw and SD and, so far, it's doing a good job of that. Through ECW, the WWE is telling their competition some advice or threats they should start listening to, or else. If anything the WWE is telling their competition one, if not, two key things.

1) Anything you can do, we can do better. Push new talent? ECW has put new talent on the map within the past two years in the forms of C.M. Punk, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston, and even the Miz and John Morrison. Currently, they finished prepping Mike Knox for his move to Raw, and are in the process of making Ricky Ortiz and Jack Swagger two pieces of top new talent to keep an eye on. Use hardcore action? ECW was the breeding ground of the extreme in the past. It can still be if the WWE wills it to be. Have less talk and more action? For the most part of two years, that's what the new ECW was all about. In fact, that's why most pundits took to the new ECW. It was hard-hitting, fast-paced at times, and in-your-face as well. This was something Raw and SD didn't do for the most part until about a year or so after ECW's resurrection. These other organizations are living on being the place to find these things, but only ECW is succeeding at it consistently. If not that, then they are succeeding in getting the message out there.

2) If you want to survive, just sell out. Plain and simple. Harsh and to the point. ECW existed as its own entity from 1993 to about 2001. It was the catalyst for a change of pace in the wrestling world. It helped bring about a more cutting-edge approach to the business. This was not lost on its competitors who were quick to steal their style and lampoon it on television, when ECW could barely distribute it. In the end, the rising debts, bounced checks, and failed television deal was more than enough for ECW to fold. Paul Heyman, in a desperate move, sold ECW and its properties to the WWE to cover those debts. Now, if ECW wants to exist in any way, shape, or form, it has to fly the WWE colors while doing so. It's something Heyman didn't want to do, but he had no choice. Even as he saw his brainchild, ECW, taken from him by the WWE and showcased as the new ECW today, he felt it was inevitable and the wise move to make. Currently, WSX is dead, ROH is dying, and TNA is deeply entrenched in battle with the WWE, as ECW is on the front line. The problem with TNA is that their stars are slowly walking away when they realize that TNA can't give them what they want. However, ECW was brought back to life two years ago. It's not the exact same thing as the past, but its remnants and memories remain. This might not be in the future of TNA, ROH, or WSX.

ECW is the WWE's secret weapon against these organizations. Some would say it's a far-fetched idea, while others would not be the least bit surprised. It's not an all-out assault either. It's a subtle, calculated one that ECW is making. At this rate, ROH will fold up soon, with most of its stars splintering into the WWE, most likely onto the ECW brand. If TNA loses another star and he or she ends up on ECW and succeeds to any effect, how bad will TNA look? Sadly, the WWE loves to squeeze the life out of their competitors any way they can, even if it means using a former competitor like ECW to do it. Call it cruel, but it's good business. I guess this is why some people consider the WWE to be the "biggest heel in professional wrestling" right now. However, the heel ultimately gets his or her comeuppance in the end. With the three -pronged attack of Raw's longevity as the flagship of wrestling, SmackDown's quality as the new generation of WWE television, and ECW's existence to assault on the grass roots level, that might not happen to the WWE soon.....or ever...

No comments: