tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50732104318867346272024-03-12T22:13:31.146-04:00ECW AnalysisSimply put, this is a blog analyzing what is and/or was right or wrong w/ the new ECW in the WWE today. I'll try to have this posted every sunday, and I say was b/c in the event that the new ECW is canceled or I don't have any original ideas, I'll post an old idea I might have had from way back. It will take some remembering but I'll give it a shot. Hope you enjoy what I have to say. Thanks for listening and critique away! By the way, the color scheme was supposed to represent the new ECW.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-11834829553935856192010-02-17T15:51:00.002-05:002010-02-17T16:10:29.926-05:00The end of the roadWell, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ECW</span> is in the books as over and done with. It ended with only two matches, and a lot of useless nonsense. Sounds like a typical <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">WWE</span> television show. Now, where does that leave this blog? It leaves it done and over. I promised myself that I would end it if this version of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ECW</span> ended. So, yea, it's over, and I'm done.<br /><br />I do want to thank everyone who listened to me analyze in person, or read this on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Internet</span>. I was reluctant to do this only because I figured no one would read it. But, based on the response I've received, I would say that I got a lot of great reviews and responses. I just wanted to pretty much say what I felt was from the heart and from my passion as a wrestling fan. I'm glad that everyone had a fun ride and enjoyed what I had to say. I hope that you got something out of this. I know I did: I learned that I'm a pretty decent writer, if not pretty good. I'm glad I got the training. <br /><br />So, what's the next move? Well, I'm going for a much needed hiatus. I don't even think I can write anything new, especially since there really isn't anything I can follow on a short-term basis in hopes that I can get what I want to say out there before it goes kaput. Yes, that's right. I did this knowing that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ECW</span> was coming to an end, sooner or later. You'd have to be a complete fool to think otherwise. Do you honestly think Vince likes to make money with ideas that not only wasn't his, but ideas that hurt his product in the process? No, I don't think so. If it happens, then so be it, but that doesn't mean he has to like it. If he liked this version of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ECW</span>, he wouldn't have paraded around with the original <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ECW</span> title, now would he? <br /><br />So, there really isn't much more I can say, except thanks for everything. Thanks for the readers, the contributors, and anyone else who had the chance to get a glimpse of this blog (except the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">spammers</span>). I guess my next move is to just enjoy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">NXT</span> and other wrestling promotions like a true wrestling fan would. But, I will thank one more thing. I want to thank this version of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ECW</span>. Without it, I wouldn't have much to write about. But, I don't thank it for the negatives. I thank it for the positives. I thank it for helping to rejuvenate Christian's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">WWE</span> career, for helping expose us to great young talent, for giving the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Miz</span> and Morrison a platform to reach excellence, for giving stars like Evan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Bourne</span> and C.M. Punk a place to call home when they could no longer do so elsewhere, or no longer desired to. Thanks for some of the great moments in wrestling that will always be remembered. Lastly, thanks for giving some of us who remember the original <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">ECW</span> a place for some of our favorite stars to call home, if for just a brief moment. <br /><br />Well, I'm not going to cry or anything, especially since you can't see it. I am going to say that it's been a great ride. But, eventually, the train has to stop. It's been almost 3.5 years since the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">WWE</span> decided to introduce <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">ECW</span> under their watchful eye. It was good, it was bad, but it was wrestling. That's what I liked best: the fact that there was wrestling to watch. Near the end, it wasn't the case, but it still was much better than what I was watching on Monday and Friday. Farewell, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ECW</span>. Thanks for the memories, the stars, and everything else in between. And for anyone out there who doesn't think that blogging about something you are passionate about is something you can do, open this blog, and read. I did this for close to two years. I sacrificed a few nights, and Sunday afternoons along with some weekday afternoons to get my thoughts out there. Trust me, it's worth it. If you can get at least one reader, it's worth it. <br /><br />So long, farewell, and enjoy. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Ok</span>, and for one last time: "E-C-W, E-C-W, E-C-W....."The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-33911341414707926872010-02-16T13:03:00.008-05:002010-02-18T09:50:55.099-05:00ECW's final tale of the tape: if you can't beat 'em, join 'emIf you're reading this, you know that as of this week, ECW is no more. The WWE is now cashing in its chips on the new version of ECW, and playing with a new hand called NXT, with a youthful roster, showcasing talent from the indies, from the WWE farm systems, and from generational wrestling families. Here's a bright question: why wait until now to do such a thing? Why hold out on this move, while trickling in a slow build with new talent showing up on ECW in a sparse and miniscule way? Why rest laurels on making ECW a brand where the new can begin and the failed linger onward? Here's a staunch answer: ECW could no longer kill the grass roots. No matter how long ECW lingered, the competition just kept on striving. Within the past few months, ECW could no longer compare or outrate TNA's 2 hour show on Thursday. Also, ROH has finally managed to get itself a t.v. show moved to Mondays, promoting more action, wrestling, youth, and athleticism in its hour than any hour on any WWE show, specifically, ECW. It has come to the point where ECW has become veritably unwatchable. It's a shame, really, because, for the most part, ECW was much more watchable than the other main shows for its energy, athleticism, logic, and connection to an actual wrestling product. There were no guest hosts on ECW, nor were there dumb storylines involving weight issues. ECW was young stars striving, veterans surviving, and vice versa. The problem is, as I've stated many times before, ECW was never going to get the support, respect, or assistance every other WWE show gets on a regular basis, because, well, it's ECW. It's not a "Vince" idea, so it shouldn't matter. Now, WWE NXT will take its place, and the wrestling world couldn't be more excited. Thanks, ECW, for opening the door for this possibility, though. Now, what's up with your battles with these other feds? Also, why the change to NXT? Those answers and more will be analyzed....right now! (I was trying to do Neil Everett while typing when I realized that blogspots and ESPN don't really play on the same level...)<br /><br />Ok, in the past,when I started these analysis topics, I purposely took my ideas of what the new ECW brings to the table and compared it to the 3 biggest forms of competition they would face on their own level. I said that the WWE is using ECW as a way to cripple these forms of competition, by siphoning their talent away, showcasing them on ECW and leaving their respective homes scrambling for answers. ECW could only logistically compete on a comparable level with Wrestling Society X, TNA wrestling, and Ring of Honor (ROH). When I compared them initially, I said that ECW couldn't match ROH or WSX, and was tied with TNA. When I compared them after a few months of existence, I saw that the changes made altered my answers slightly, still giving WSX and ROH the edges they needed, with TNA now better than ECW. However, logistically, only TNA was a winner because ROH didn't have a television deal at the time and WSX was canceled after 9 to 10 episodes. It's 2010, WSX is still canceled, TNA has 2 hours and is moving to Mondays (it had a strong 3 hour show that managed a record high for TNA at a 1.5), and ROH is on Mondays as well with their own t.v. deal. How does it measure up? ECW, once again, doesn't win, except against a defunct WSX. Now, ROH has a place to show these stars, although the WWE is making it a point to take them for themselves , and TNA has more stars to use and more t.v. time to do so, unlike ECW. The ratings for TNA have shown this consistently as their ratings have ballooned from 1.0 to about 1.4 on a regular basis, while ECW can barely make a 1.2 rating. Also, HDNet has expressed great support in ROH and its longevity, despite ratings, while ECW has had many a pundit looking to skewer the show for its lackluster ratings, viewership, and generally forgettable matches. I mean, ECW had been omitted from about 2 to 3 straight PPVs, while the most TNA has done was omit certain stars. ECW was showing its lack of polish, lack of drawing power, and lack of usefulness. What was the WWE to do? The answer is in the title, folks. If you can't beat them, join them. So now, ECW is joining in the new manifesto that ROH, TNA, and now, other upstart federations EVOLVE, CHIKARA, and Dragon Gate USA are now utilizing: preparing for the next generation and evolution of wrestling. The future is now, and it's time for a change.<br /><br />While the WWE used ECW to put over new stars, thinking that new stars mean new direction in wrestling, the other feds used new stars from around the wrestling world to put forth a new wrestling regime. New stars trained in the standard WWE way doesn't guarantee new direction. You still get a formulaic, uninspired, wrestling product with the same old, same old. The difference: the stars that are doing it are woefully unskilled. Meanwhile, in other facets of the wrestling world, you have a new direction with new styles that have yet to break free into the mainstream that the WWE generally controls. We get styles blended from Mexico, Japan, and Europe along with the traditional stuff. Now, that's what I call the next evolution of professional wrestling. In fact, the five organizations I named have done something along those lines for the most of their collective existences.<br /><br />TNA wrestling had become an amalgam of wrestling styles with no definitive brand, up until now. It seems that TNA is taking the WCW approach, blending stars of old with stars of new and stars who never got the break they deserved. You'll get the best of the indies, the kings of the old school, and the castaways of the WWE that were fired or have quit for one reason or another (I'd like to think because they were more talented than the WWE could handle, but I digress). This has worked for the most part if not for the effort, then for the sheer athleticism these guys put on. Since TNA came to television in 2004, they have succinctly outperformed the WWE stars on virtually every PPV the WWE has put out there, with few exceptions (the WWE had made it a point to make sure their big 4 PPVs had something good, but they don't always strike gold). This trend still holds true today, but sadly, the backstage environment overshadows this greatly. Regardless, TNA is making its mark and making its move to change wrestling. If that wasn't the case, then they wouldn't be managing to get something close to a 2.0 on the night they competed directly with the WWE. People support TNA for one single solitary reason: as bad as it looks or seems, it's an alternative, and anything's better than watching a guest host or a midget goof off on t.v., let alone the same guys getting the same push every now and again (Cena/HHH, round 100, anyone?)<br /><br />ROH has scratched and clawed its way into the mainstream, spending countless amounts of dollars on DVD sales, tickets, at least 3 events a month, and now, television on a high-definition network. 8 years ago, the remnants of ECW in the forms of Rob Feinstein, Doug Gentry, and Gabe Sapolsky came together to help bring about a legitimate alternative to the wrestling scene in 2002. It's been 8 years, and ROH has gone from wrestling's best kept secret to wrestling's #3 organization, giving the fans the athleticism and entertainment they have longed for since the demise of ECW and WCW. It was through Doug and Rob that ROH became that #3 organization, but due to circumstances beyond their control (Rob's legal troubles and, I believe, Doug's subsequent departure because of Rob, and later, Doug's death), ROH hit a terrible snag in their longevity. It was through Gabe's booking knowledge and now, Cary Silkin's presidency, that ROH returned to its rightful place as a top organization, with amazing battles involving many of the top stars you see today. As of late 2008, Gabe was released from his ROH contract and a new booking crew was made, with Adam Pearce at the helm. Despite the changes and shifts, the ROH support had remained remotely strong, and the accolades that the organization had received by its peers. In fact, to this day, two things can be said about this company. ROH has produced some of the top stars that not only made TNA a household name, but it also added to the roster depth and continued success of the WWE, so they have had a hand in setting up the next generation of professional wrestling with the stars they create. Also, as of March of 2010, ROH will be the longest-running independently owned and independently-run organization to have survived relatively on a national level. No big companies to give them money. No stock options. Just money from the ground up to go on. The record for longevity was held by ECW with a scant 7 years to their name. That's quite a feat, and as long as they continue their run with hard-hitting action, high-flying feats, and the most concise form of professional wrestling, they will continue to grow as an organization.<br /><br />But, wait! TNA and ROH aren't the only game in town. In fact, Gabe's loss in ROH is the gain of three other organizations, and these three organizations have formed something of a partnership to help usher in the next generation of wrestling on the independent scene. Now, when there is mention of a new type of wrestling style, and an evolution in the game, these organizations might very well have their compasses pointing in the right direction. The organizations in question are EVOLVE, CHIKARA, and Dragon Gate USA.<br /><br />First off, Dragon Gate USA became a reality when the fabled Dragon Gate organization in Japan decided to co-brand its existence with Ring of Honor. This led to a few shows where ROH showcased Dragon Gate and their stars to amazing fanfare. However, due to some monetary issues and Gabe Sapolsky's release, Dragon Gate and ROH disbanded their partnership. When the decision was made to give the U.S. a brand of Dragon Gate wrestling where its top stars among others on the independent wrestling scene could come together to showcase the Dragon Gate style of wrestling (Japanese wrestling mixed with Lucha Libre, courtesy of Ultimo Dragon and Skayde) to those of us on the western hemisphere. It was only fair to bring in Gabe Sapolsky as the man in charge of DGUSA, since it was he who helped orchestrate the relationship between ROH and Dragon Gate. Since its inception, DGUSA has earned the right to be the organization that has had the best show of 2009, with more on the way, along with a brand new title being introduced, the "Open the Freedom Gate" title, which is currently held by Dragon Gate's BxB Hulk. If Gabe helped ROH reach the level of excellence it has today, the possibilities are endless for DGUSA.<br /><br />However, Gabe's need for a new evolution wasn't limited to an established brand like Dragon Gate. One day, he got together with Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan in the WWE) and suggested to bring a new organization about, just like ROH, but new and different, focusing more on the wrestler's lives and on a more professional form of wrestling, utilizing win/loss records, and disciplinary action towards anyone looking to break the rules. This organization would be called EVOLVE and it would focus on not just the evolution of wrestling, but the evolution of the wrestlers involved, taking them from breakout stars to breakthrough ones on the wrestling scene. Due to Danielson's newly-acquired WWE contract, Gabe had to rely on another top star to help him. Enter Davey Richards. Richards is a professional wrestling dynamo, cut from Danielson's ilk, who masters in powerful kicks, concise scientific wrestling, and amazing precision. Danielson openly considers Davey as the next to be considered, like himself, the "best wrestler in the world". So Gabe, Davey, and former FIP owner, Sal Hamoui, began the EVOLVE organization. The first show, which showcased the many stars of the Jeff Peterson Tournament, earned the respect, attention, and adulation of wrestling fans. In fact, both EVOLVE and DGUSA have been considered much more entertaining than ROH, either due to their respect and support for Gabe, or due to the fact that their organizations still remain true to bringing more of an alternative to the wrestling world. As soon as this was the case, ROH decided to sign Davey Richards, among other stars to contracts, in an attempt to keep them from straying from ROH. While doing so, they have been pulled from any and all other shows from other organizations. This might very well be proof that EVOLVE is the true evolution of professional wrestling that ROH couldn't be, or can no longer be.<br /><br />Where does this leave CHIKARA? Well, CHIKARA is a wrestling organization built on the styles of Skayde, as it revolves around Lucha Libre. It can be said that it is the first legitimate American Lucha Libre organization, even though other wrestling styles are allowed and showcased. Other than that, this organization promotes a very diverse way of professional wrestling, being somewhat comical in its approach. It definitely caters to the fans that come from both Generation X and from the Millenium Generation (that would be those born between the late 70s and the late 80s), with its comical references, surreal mentality, and innovative aspects. CHIKARA's stylings have allowed them to work side by side with organizations like EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA, as all three organizations look to promote a different look at the wrestling world. In fact, CHIKARA has been voted the "wrestling promotion of the year" for 2009, if not for its aforementioned attributes, then for its complex, well-thought, inviting, and compelling storylines and angles. CHIKARA's blend of what we know and love may very well make it a forerunner for the next evolution of professional wrestling.<br /><br />So, what does this have to do with the WWE? Well, other than their need to steal stars from CHIKARA (see Colin Delaney), they have virtually ignored the attempts of these organizations to make way for the next level of wrestling.....until now. It's not enough that they have to steal stars, compete at an indy level, and showcase this on ECW. Now, they have decided to join up with these companies by casting off ECW and now taking a chance at promoting their new stars through NXT. Since ECW couldn't beat them, or stop them, the WWE will join them through NXT. Next week, when NXT starts, we will see 8 of their top stars being mentored by top stars in the WWE, through a more reality-based television program. Think "The Ultimate Fighter", only with WWE. Is this a good idea? Well, to get over new stars, yes. The WWE has the television time and production value to do it. But, I just find it funny that the WWE chooses to focus on the new stars fully now that every one else is. Sometimes the best way to beat your opponents is to do what they are doing....only better. Then again, the best way can also be to not do what your opponents are doing. This is probably why TNA still survived on a stacked Monday night against WWE. They may not act like it, but the WWE is concerned. This is why ECW can't go on anymore. It's not pulling weight. so, it has to go.<br /><br />ECW will just about a memory by the time this will be published. In its place, NXT will come to life, breeding the next level of WWE wrestlers to help usher in the new level of WWE and the new wave of wrestling and sports entertainment. This comes about because ECW couldn't kill the grass roots of independent wrestling and national wrestling looking to change the face of professional wrestling. So, if you can't beat them, join them. Good luck, NXT. But, I'm warning you, right now. If you botch this up, fail, falter, or slip up, your competitors will take advantage, and they will run with it, properly. It might not be shown on t.v., like NXT will be, and it might, but it will happen. If I'm wrong, then if I see any of their stars on NXT, I'll know why: because you couldn't beat them, so you coerced them to join you. If I'm wrong, then where did Kaval and Daniel Bryan come from? Certainly not from under the wings of Steve Keirn or Johnny Ace...The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-67314076285572554732010-02-08T07:59:00.008-05:002010-02-10T09:41:51.125-05:00Pushing new talent: the ECW wayAs the new ECW draws to a close, one has to wonder about all the good things the brand did. Let's see, they downplayed Dreamer's Title run...no, that's not good. They crapped on CHIKARA star Colin Delaney...no, that's not good, either. Hiring Mike Adamle? Removing Joey Styles? Firing ECW Originals? Allowing ECW originals to quit? Bringing us the Abraham Washington show? Abject failures like DJ Gabriel, Ricky Ortiz, and Tyler Reks? De-valuing Katie Lea and Paul Burchill even further? Vince McMahon as ECW champion? Ok, yes, the point is that there are more bad points on ECW than good ones. But, I will say this: the new ECW did something the original ECW did very well. For that, I have to commend this new version. What did both versions do? They pushed new talent, and the wrestling world has been thankful for ECW to this very day, even when some don't admit to it.<br /><br />When ECW came into fruition about 15 years ago, the common conception about the wrestlers involved were that they were not quite good enough to be in WCW or the WWE. To quote Taz, ECW was the "Land of the misfit toys" (just like in the Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer animated film). It was a collection of stars past their prime, stars that never got a chance, stars that weren't even on the radar, and stars who never started wrestling until just recently. There was Raven, Taz, the Sandman, Public Enemy, the Pit Bulls, Stevie Richards, The Blue Meanie, the "Franchise" Shane Douglas,"Superstar" Steve Austin, Cactus Jack, Terry Funk, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, 2 Cold Scorpio, Ron Simmons, Al Snow, Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Axl Rotten, Mahoney, the Dudley Boys, the Gangstas, the Eliminators, Justin Credible, Lance Storm, Mike Awesome, Chris Candido, the Baldies, C.W. Anderson, Steve Corino, Rhino, Tajiri, Jack Victory, Cyrus, Joey Styles, Joel Gertner, Sid Vicious, Bam Bam Bigelow, the One Man Gang, Jason, Jazz, Nicole Bass, Chastity, Dawn Marie, Francine, Beulah McGuillicuty, Super Crazy, Little Guido, Big Guido, Tommy Rich, Tracey Smothers, Kid Kash, Louie Spiccoli, and, one of the most notable stars along with these people, Tommy Dreamer, just to name a few. You bring up any of these names circa 1993, and the common consensus would have been that either no one knows them, or no one cares to know or remember them. This is where ECW starts to flourish. Instead of treating them all like 2nd class citizens, or no-talent chumps, ECW took their positives, accentuated them, and exhibited them for all of us to see. Soon, the select few of us that marveled at them became a general mainstream. Thankfully, 85 to 95% of the people I mentioned ended up in WCW or WWE for at least longer than a cup of coffee and we were all taken by it: those of us who didn't know their talents, and those of us who knew all along. Now, did this version of ECW follow this mindset fully? In all likelihood, no, but they did a great job in sticking with the basics: find a new talent to utilize, give them a platform to get over, promote them to a better brand, and give the main show talent someone new to deal with, creating more opportunities, more matches, and more challengers for the top. So, with all of that said, I'd like to point out 7 key instances where ECW pushed new talent that got over on new brands, by a large or small margin, but big enough to leave an effect on us. Ironically, each of these instances fall into different categories when it comes to experience. 2 of these instances were from wrestlers who wrestled independently for the majority of their lives before being discovered by the WWE. 1 of these instances didn't enter a wrestling ring until after college, leaving his experience to be limited to the shortest amount. 2 of these instances found wrestling to be the ticket for them after seeing what the other forms of life have in store and jumped in with limited experience, but enough to get by before coming to the WWE. Lastly, 2 of these instances probably have the least amount of wrestling in their backgrounds as they received crash courses, but have excelled greatly due to their boundless passion. If you have any idea who I'm talking about, then you know who I think are the biggest success stories to come out of this version of ECW by what we've seen them do and what they've been through.<br /><br />When talking about someone with little to no knowledge of the squared circle in his experience, be it independently or not, one has to imagine just how far a guy like that can go. Well, Brock Lesnar proved to us that you can go very far in a short amount of time with the right amount of determination, precision, and passion. Now the guy I'm talking about isn't Lesnar, but like Lesnar, has experience as an amateur wrestler and has proven to be a great commodity for the future if not the present. Yes, I'm talking about Jack Swagger. Love him or hate him, Swagger has all the tools needed to be a big name in the WWE, be it sooner or later. He's a two time ECW champion and has recently had two incredible outings with John Cena and Triple H. No, he hasn't won, but he is still making his play at being a big deal in wrestling. He has the wrestling chops to hang with virtually anyone in the ring, as did Lesnar and even Kurt Angle. He has a unique look that can or has garnered him attention to the point where he would go from tuesdays at 10 to Mondays at 9, on live television. If it seems like Swagger won't go anywhere as of right now, due to his win/loss record on Raw and who's he's lost to, I only have two estimations to give on that: 1) They are waiting for the right time to make him a big deal as a top heel, or 2) they've just about given up on him. Regardless, he's made an impact as a wrestler and as a character for the short amount of time he's been here. His skill on the mic has improved, his look has been exactly what the WWE needs, and his persona does speak volumes. All he needed was a place to get his feet wet, and ECW proved to be the best place for that.<br /><br />This next wrestler actually got an office job first. Upon losing interest, he looked into wrestling, wrestled the indies for a bit, then joined up with the WWE. Now, he's on the cusp of becoming the next top star on Raw. He's Kofi Kingston, and boy, has he made an impact. He was given some vignettes on ECW, showcasing his need to scope out "trouble in paradise". That soon became the name of his amazing finisher, a 360-degree spin kick to the face. You'd say that just looks and sounds flashy, but that's what has been securing him victories left and right in the WWE, along with his very unorthodox, athletically sound wrestling style. Since coming to ECW, here are Kofi's accolades: a long-standing unbeaten streak, a tremendous outing in the 2009 Money in the Bank match, a U.S. title run, an I.C. title run, a World tag team title run, and just recently, a very noteworthy rivalry with Randy Orton that placed Kofi in the WWE title picture on Raw. He has also revealed his true roots as a Ghanaian wrestler with a profound respect for Jamaica after living there (hence the name, through kayfabe). His upbeat mentality, amazing athletics, and unorthodox style has the wrestling world on fire, and there's no reason to put it out anytime soon.<br /><br />Kofi isn't the only superstar to have considered the life outside of wrestling before becoming a wrestler, nor is he the only wrestler to find instant success as well while doing this. Just ask Sheamus (for more in-depth info on Sheamus, check out my 8/2/09 blog). He went from children's television, some sports, some film, and even education to wrestle in Europe. Since being brought here to the U.S. by the WWE, he has practiced and toiled in the WWE's training camps looking to become a top star. How did he do? Well, after boasting an impressive win/loss record on ECW in a few short months, he was picked up by Raw, he ran through and retired Jamie Noble, and has antagonized both John Cena and Randy Orton in his quest to become the WWE champion and Raw's conqueror. In no more than a month, he became the current WWE champion, defeating John Cena in a tables match. Now, a lot of people have problems with this, let alone the personal relationships Sheamus has backstage (if you don't know by now, he's HHH's workout partner. Do the math). Quite honestly, I can look past all that and see a valuable commodity and prospect in Sheamus. He's an accomplished wrestler in Europe, blending power, technique, and a very unique look together to create the Celtic warrior we see today. Was he pushed too fast? Perhaps, but I feel it was all an eventuality, if not something that should have happened already. Plus, you'd be a fool to not see it as a veritable success on ECW's part in producing a future WWE champion. It would be a shame if you did.<br /><br />But wait! Not all stars had the veritable look and feel that the WWE was looking for. Some guys had to try out for this role, via the WWE's reality show and competition, Tough Enough (2000-2004). During the inclusion of this, wrestling fans were given a chance to try out for the dream job of wrestling for the WWE. The verdict: a few minor successes, and some rather abject failures, with the exception of two. Only two have done the Tough Enough franchise justice. One man won the competition, while another was a runner-up, whose passion for wrestling gave him the chance to wrestle for the WWE on a trial basis until he reached his goal of making it to the main shows. Those two men, as you have probably heard of, are John Morrison and the Miz. What else can I possibly say by these two success stories that I haven't done before? Heck, I spent 3 blogs on these guys as a team. I could not have been any more impressed with their abilities.<br /><br />Morrison wanted a chance to promote his athleticism to the WWE, and after failing to meet the challenge in TE2, he made it and won TE3. He then went on to do a plethora of things: learn his craft on the indies scene for a spell, train to perfection in the WWE farm system, act as Eric Bischoff's apprentice, team up with wrestler Joey Mercury to obtain tag team excellence, and went on to start a semi-successful singles career as Johnny Nitro, until the night he won the ECW title. Then, John Morrison was born, no longer a wanna-be movie star boy toy, but now a pseudo-rock star of a man. He would hold the ECW title a few times, then reclaim the I.C. title, along with win the WWE and World tag titles for lengthy amounts of time. How did he accomplish this? He did it by disparaging his opponents with a very obscure yet interesting point of view on life, showcasing his intellect, confidence, and charm. He also had help with the tag belts with the other TE success story: the Miz. With the Miz, he became a very proven commodity in the WWE, on the verge of becoming the next World champion, but after the breakup with the Miz, he is no longer on the verge. He might very well be on track to doing it before 2010 is through. Through tremendous fan support, a natural charisma, a chiseled body, and a knack for internet television (be it the Dirt Sheet with the Miz, or the Palace of Wisdom, by himself), Morrison has been quite the success story to say the least.<br /><br />Let's not forget, however, the emergence of the Miz. He started out using his full name, Mike Mizanin, on reality shows, like the Real World, showcasing his love and interest in wrestling, emulating stars like the Rock. So, he took the plunge, jumped into Tough Enough, and was the runner-up. But, he was given two great consolation prizes: a chance to hone his craft in other federations, and a spot in the WWE farm system. Once brought up to the main show, he was the subject of everyone's ridicule, seen as a t.v. star trying to be a wrestler. Little did they know that Mike's passion would outlast the criticism. He formed an allegiance with John Morrison to create one of the most successful and entertaining tag teams in recent history. After winning tag team gold and starring in some very entertaining programming (the Dirt Sheet was the calling card the Miz needed), he decided to not be overlooked as his partner, John Morrison, was starting to come into his own as a star. So, the Miz bid his partner farewell, in a very violent way. After which, he broke out on his own to do the unthinkable: call out John Cena. It was a brave, but foolish move, but it did get him his notoriety as he went on to secure the U.S. title and have some of the most impressive outings in his short career. He is now currently taking Chris Jericho's place, if you would say, as one half of the Unified WWE tag champions along with the Big Show. On a final Miz note, he's been saying a whole new catchphrase: "I'm the Miz...and I'm awesome." He could not have been more correct as he, like Morrison, got his taste at a big break on ECW, after both of them tried and failed at making impacts on other shows initially.<br /><br />But, what about the stars that have toiled long and hard on the indies scene or overseas before getting to the big dance, like Benoit, Guerrero and Malenko? Can they be pushed? Ask Evan Bourne and see for yourself. He went from wrestling in some of the most action-packed matches all over the U.S. and even in Japan before being discovered on national television. From the IWA to NWA, and from Dragon Gate to ROH, Bourne defied gravity with some of the most incredible aerial moves I've ever seen. Then, he was scooped up by MTV to wrestle for Wrestling Society X under his indies alias, Matt Sydal. The WWE found him, shipped him to the farm systems, brought him up to ECW and he became the most talked about high flier in the WWE this side of Rey Mysterio. In fact, it was because of this that the fans voted for his first ECW title match which involved Matt Hardy. Although on the losing end, Bourne found himself on a new brand, Raw, defying gravity and making highlights whenever he can, against many different stars. Now, he might not be doing very well at the moment, but you can't deny that his ability earned him a spot on the most prominent show in wrestling, Monday Night Raw. That's quite a feat.<br /><br />Bourne isn't the only one to have done this, as the final instance is the most prominent ECW personality to make a wave in the WWE. He's innovative, ground-breaking, and at times, controversial. He's C.M. Punk. After toiling in the indies, he won his first major title in ROH before signing a contract with the WWE. Under the tutelage of Paul Heyman, Punk excelled in the farm systems of the WWE before being brought up to ECW. Upon doing so, he maintained an excellent win/loss record and a very diverse manifesto: Punk is one of the first ever straight-edge WWE wrestlers and is addicted to competition. He doesn't do drugs, drink, or smoke. He's 100% substance free, and bred to compete. This helped him garner much needed attention and victory, as he maintained some interesting rivalries in ECW, with old and new stars alike (including RVD, Elijah Burke, John Morrison, Hardcore Holly, Shannon Moore, and even Big Daddy V). It wasn't until 2008 that Punk made his play for excellence as he won the 2008 MITB (Money in the Bank) match at Wrestlemania 24. He cashed it in against Edge after Summerslam of that year to win the World title. This would mark his first of two consecutive MITB victories, and one of 3 World title wins. He also became the fastest to win the Triple Crown in the WWE, beating Diesel, as he won the I.C. and World tag titles within a given year. However, as time passed, his demeanor had changed upon using the second MITB briefcase on Jeff Hardy. As he cashed it in on a tired and virtually defenseless Jeff Hardy, the fans cried foul and he fell out of favor with the wrestling public. It was soon after this that Punk's true colors came to fruition as he started to use his straight-edge lifestyle as a ploy to discredit Hardy and his personal demons and troubles. He made it clear that straight-edge means he's better than all those who aren't. Now, he takes it upon himself to try and save those who aren't and make them converts to a straight-edge lifestyle, which is taking on a very cult mentality. He's not alone as he is employing the help of Luke Gallows (formerly Festus, who was in that state as Festus due to the medications he received over the years) and Serena, an obsessed fan of Punk, looking to follow him anywhere. Despite the turn, Punk has shown his ability to be a veritable success, and has played his part in helping to usher in a new generation of wrestlers looking to make their way to the top of the WWE. Thanks to Punk, the new and next generation can now rest easy in knowing that even they have a chance at greatness.<br /><br />You might not agree with it, might very well hate it, and truly despise it, but ECW has done its best to push new talent and start a new generation and new wave of talent in the world of wrestling. Punk, Sheamus, Bourne, Miz, Morrison, Kingston, and Swagger are all key elements in the longevity of the WWE, as they will be talked about well into the next decade. For this to be true, you have to credit the new version of ECW. You might not like it, but it did exactly what the first and original did: it pushed new talent. It's too bad that they couldn't do everything else like the original. Well, it's coming to an end and opening the door for the new, so no big loss, right? Nope, not at all. In this blogger's opinion, as bad as ECW was, this was one positive I stood for. So, no regrets in watching, and no regrets in blogging. Thanks, WWECW. You've made the wrestling world brighter in seven new and different ways.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-50066415436996137702010-02-03T15:26:00.002-05:002010-02-03T15:45:33.452-05:00Breaking news: ECW's new direction: the next generation of the WWE, in 3 weeks timeWe interrupt all scheduled analysis ideas and posts for a special announcement: the future of ECW on SyFy has been revealed. It was revealed yesterday by a rather boisterous, confident, and somewhat reserved Mr. McMahon on the ECW broadcast (he probably felt that way because he just finished embarrassing Bret Hart one day prior on RAW). Anyhoo, Vince clearly stated that in 3 weeks time, ECW will be no more. In its place will be the next generation of the WWE through its superstars and its direction. McMahon stated that it would be an evolution of the WWE in many ways and that it will of course change the landscape of the WWE in one way or another. Then, he just left, no further questions. Ironically, that might have been the only interesting thing on ECW. I say "might" because the matches they had that night were visibly great. The problem is, well, they've happened already on one show or another. Still, the matches were good. Oh, and yes, I found the segment with Gregory Helms to be very interesting. It's funny how the WWE takes it to task to blend reality with kayfabe. Isn't this supposed to be a PG show? If that's the case, then maybe C.M. Punk should pay Helms and even Chris Jericho a visit (I mean, he already did in a way, when he posted their bail).<br /><br />In any case, this was the big announcement that we have all been waiting for since the rumors dropped that ECW was getting the old "Heave Ho". I thought the WWE wouldn't bother trying to change it until after Wrestlemania, if not later this year. Instead, the changes will come either on the week of the Elimination Chamber PPV or the week after leading into Wrestlemania and onward. This is huge news. It's so huge that any ideas I had for analysis (the hurricane/Ryder feud, ECW's involvement in the big ppvs), have been put on complete and total hiatus. In fact, I'm not even going to reference them, since they aren't relevant anymore. I mean, they aren't going to even bother to continue with the Hurricane battle with his troubles. Also, since ECW won't really be around very long, why mention their existence? I said that ECW shouldn't be considered ECW now that Tommy Dreamer is gone. Strangely enough, he Twittered that his departure had something to do with this new direction. As expected, predicted, and acknowledged, there can be no ECW without a link to the past. Tommy was that link, and now he's gone, so there should be no ECW. I guess I was wrong. Someone in the WWE does have logic in mind when it comes to continuity and storylines.<br /><br />So, where does that leave this wonderful blog? Well, it leaves me with the rest of the month to come up with analysis ideas that will sort of send off this wonderful blog and ECW together. The very last blog will either come on the Sunday of the final ECW or the night of or after the final ECW. So, what can you expect? Well, here's a breakdown:<br /><br />-a full analysis on how this version of ECW did for the world of wrestling what the original did: push new stars, either successfully or unsuccessfully<br /><br />-an analysis on how the WWE is now cashing in on this "evolution" of wrestling craze that has other federations (TNA, ROH, CHIKARA, Dragon Gate USA, and EVOLVE) chomping at the bit, waiting for the WWE to slip up<br /><br />-a final analysis on this version of ECW and its tales of the tape against the current iterations of its potential competition (TNA and ROH)<br /><br />-a farewell blog, for ECW, for myself, and for all those who listened, read, and supported ECW and this blog. <br /><br /><br />So, that's all for this week. Tune in the next 4 weeks for hopefully some of my best work, since, after all, it's my last work. It should be interesting, fun, and hopefully....extreme. <br /><br />Take care now. Bye bye, then.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-46591077815976428172010-01-25T12:34:00.003-05:002010-01-27T15:41:06.208-05:00ECW Progress report: Endings and BeginningsAs a fan of nostalgia, I find it difficult to let things go. I loved the cartoons of my past, I adored the video games of my childhood, and I miss the feeling of actually having no responsibilities on a Saturday. However, all good things have to come to an end, and it's never until it's gone until you realize what you've lost. It's the memories that remain. With that said, I am not surprised with the latest moves the ECW brand has made to make things interesting. If anything, they are coercing me to accept the fact that times have truly changed. I have to come to terms with the fact that as one era ends, another begins.<br /><br />Zack Ryder has made it a point to say that he's the new heart and soul of ECW, now that he has defeated Tommy Dreamer and sent him packing. As expected, he's been bragging up a storm about it, without fail or scruples. Someone should make it a point to silence him. Who is that someone? How about the person that has no choice but to step up and take Dreamer's role as the defender of ECW's honor? The one man who knows heroism like no other? I'm talking about the Hurricane (he could definitely use Bob Dylan's cool song, but this Hurricane isn't a boxer, but I digress). The Hurricane has made it a point to try and get at Zack Ryder every time Zack makes his claims. Now, since the Hurricane is not only good friends with Dreamer but also someone who has been around to know of Dreamer's career, it would behoove him to not step in and take a shot at Ryder. So far, the Hurricane hasn't been too successful as Ryder had beaten him in the ring and evaded his every attack. Still, persistence on both ends remains rather evident. I'll get into this in more detail next week, based on what I know, read, and care to ignore.<br /><br />The next piece of info has to deal with Ezekiel Jackson becoming the new #1 Contender for the ECW title. In fact, it has less to do with that as it mostly deals with Christian being the longest-reigning ECW champion since the rebirth of ECW in 2006. It seems that no matter who they put in front of him, Christian is able to outsmart, outwit, and outwrestle his opponents, allowing him to regain or retain the ECW title. They've tried veterans as well as rookies, and Christian has dominated, regardless. Does Ezekiel chances fare better? Well, if Kozlov could lose to Christian, I'm guessing...no. But, anything is possible in the WWE so, who knows? I do. This is because the WWE is so redundant, so stagnant, and so unoriginal with their ideas as of late, that you'd swear you were watching a rerun of some bad wrestling show....or bad sitcom. You could also factor in the fact that Christian is one of ECW's best workers, so having him lose to anybody is defeating to his credibility. But, Christian's work rate has been well-documented. So, why is he king of a mountain like ECW? Ask Vince McMahon since he has a great idea as to why .<br /><br />Upon seeing these two developments, I came to the stark and harsh revelation that what I feared would happen has finally happened. It is now official. The era of the original in this new ECW is over and the era of the new blood has finally taken shape and is officially a reality. From 2006 to early January 2010, ECW had a hint of the original to it with whomever was involved and whatever has went down. Now, it has been purged from the very letters that made it what it was. It seems former ECW brand member Elijah Burke prophesied the truth about a new age coming. He was just wrong about he being the one to usher it in. Turns out it's Zack Ryder who's the one to bring it forth. Just like Burke, it's through words that they make this claim. However, it is through subsequent actions from these two that the truth has come to light. This is a new beginning for ECW. Gone are the memories of the original in the ECW arena. Gone are the days of the hardcore revolution. Gone are the leaders of the new dawn in professional wrestling through violence, innovation, and toughness. Now, we say hello to a new age. Just like the old school, new stars are put forth, but not to innovate, but lamentably regurgitate what is being seen Mondays and Fridays. Sure, there's more action per se, but it's to serve one purpose: to create new stars for the other shows, not to change the way we look at wrestling. To be honest, there is still a level of interest to be had in this version of ECW, but, it's starting to fade out with all the extra nonsense we are familiar with when we turn to USA on Monday or MyNetwork TV on Friday. There's no room for true innovation, just room for complete regurgitation.<br /><br />I hope I'm wrong. I hope that somehow ECW can be more than just a filler show, echoing the sentiments of the WWE. Maybe there is still hope, but after Dreamer's departure, and the aforementioned facts and happenings of recent times, I'm doubtful. Can ECW truly be the place to find true innovation as it once was before? Can it rebuild my interest in mainstream wrestling once again? There's only two options they can take: shut down or find an answer. The answer, in my view, is a star that can make the show whole and viewable in a different light. A star that brings back a style reminiscent to that of technical wrestlers of old. The star in question, is Bryan Danielson. He can be the superstar to improve on the way business is done. He can be the beacon of hope when all is lost. Then again, there might not be an ECW to save when he debuts as the lingering possibility of ECW's demise still hangs in the balance. One way or another, the era of the original that started in 2006 is over, and I have to come to terms with that. That doesn't mean I have to like it. But, that doesn't mean that ECW can be all bad, right? Well, let's see. Santino Marella was just hosting the Abraham Washington Show in his place, doing Ivan Drago impressions to insult Vladimir Kozlov as a stab at the Conan O'Brien/NBC/Jay Leno situation. Yea....where's that remote?The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-84205776816734991562010-01-18T17:38:00.004-05:002010-01-20T15:40:14.207-05:00ECW Homecoming: why a good idea can be a waste of timeIf you don't know by now, the newest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ECW</span> #1 contender is Ezekiel Jackson after winning the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ECW</span> Homecoming battle royal. Yes, that same Ezekiel Jackson that just received a crash course in character development after languishing as Brian Kendrick's bodyguard saying nothing, doing nothing, and meaning nothing. All of a sudden, he's a contender for a title after...well, being a bodyguard for William Regal. Is this a slam against Jackson? No. Is this a slam against his ability? No. It's a slam against the people in charge of creative development and writing. Is it too much to ask for a little attention to detail for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ECW</span>? Yea, you don't care, but some of us actually do. That said, I'm going to point out why I didn't bother to watch this, and why I think this idea didn't come off too well. Well, other reasons than just the fact that, this shouldn't be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ECW</span> (by the way, Tommy Dreamer was at an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">indy</span> wrestling show this past weekend. Look into EVOLVE WRESTLING. Might do you some good)<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Ok</span>, problem number one lies with specific details. The first thing that was mentioned when it came to this idea, was that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ECW's</span> esteemed G.M., Tiffany, mentioned that former <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">ECW</span> stars would be invited back for a competition to see who would qualify for a battle royal to get <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">contendership</span> for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ECW</span> title. You're having matches to qualify for a battle royal to become a contender for the title? Convolution aside, here's the problem: as soon as this was mentioned, we see two current stars fighting for contention, in Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Kozlov</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ok</span>, now you're not being clear about your stipulations. If it's for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">ECW</span> stars making a homecoming, then maybe it should just be those stars making a homecoming. If you wanted all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">ECW</span> stars, past and present, you should have just said that. Instead, the writers decided to be vague with the delivery, hoping people wouldn't care about the stipulations since they already don't care about the brand. Ironically enough, this didn't garner new ratings and no, nobody cared. However, since the title match will be on a pay-per-view event (Royal Rumble 2010, to be honest), don't you think you should put some effort into creating a good back-story so people won't be confused as to why this match is happening? Consistency is key when it comes to stories and plans, folks. This is why <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">TNA</span> isn't treated very fairly. Well, that, and for the dumb ideas they put forth.<br /><br />Another point to consider is the very fact that in order to decide a new #1 contender, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">WWE</span> had to use stars from other brands to fill in the gaps. Way to make the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ECW</span> brand look weak, guys. The very idea of a "homecoming" shows that you don't have the talent to come up with wrestlers on the very show you have that are up to snuff for the challenge. In fact, they did have challengers. The problem is, they all challenged for the title and lost, except the Hurricane and Vance Archer. How are they doing? Well, Archer already lost his first match, and Hurricane is fighting for the honor of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">ECW</span>, and looking pathetic doing so. Why? Is it because the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">WWE</span> has no other main face to job out in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">ECW</span> with Tommy Dreamer gone? Maybe it's because he's friends with Jeff Hardy, who quit the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">WWE</span> while maintaining all types of stardom, got convicted for drug smuggling and dealing, and is now on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">TNA</span> for a short amount of time? Who knows? So, any and all future challengers were burnt out before they even got started. Some drawn out feuds would be helpful, right? No, that's too much work. Let's just give everyone a title shot or two, have them lose, and not bother trying to build some good angles and feuds. Oh, and while we're at it, let's call upon stars that aren't going anywhere but could be going somewhere from other shows to help us with our contender problems. In the end, we get Matt Hardy, Evan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Bourne</span> and C.M. Punk wrestling for a title they don't need or could have used on their first run in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">ECW</span> when they could have been wrestling on their respective brands, making strides to be important again. And, when looking at this, it can be easy to say that, sadly, this devalues them as much because it takes away from their time on their own shows.<br /><br />My final point lies with the general concept and what it lacks. If this is an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">ECW</span> homecoming for wrestlers to battle for a shot at the belt, wouldn't it be more fitting to say, involve the stars from the past? As a fan of what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">ECW</span> stands for, I know I would. Yes, this might be my weakest point, but let me tell you: people still long for the original <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">ECW</span> and some of its stars. Specifically, they long for one man who would have made this homecoming awesome: Rob Van Dam. If you hear something like a homecoming for wrestling, specifically for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">ECW</span>, then you would hope that some stars from the past would show up. If there was anyone most competent to handle this current <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">ECW</span> roster, it would be him. He has the charisma, the talent, and the credentials to back it up. But, we all know that this is virtually impossible due to many, many factors, including Vince's need to control the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">ECW</span> product, Paul <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Heyman's</span> release, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">RVD's</span> lack of interest in wrestling full-time, etc. Now, some would say that asking for old stars to return would also be counteractive to the youth movement in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">ECW</span>. The thing is, you can't play up a homecoming angle of sorts with an entity like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">ECW</span> and not include all aspects of its past. You just finished getting rid of Tommy Dreamer, a card-carrying old school <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">ECW</span> member. Now, you want to talk about a homecoming? Let's not forget the fact that great strides were made to make people forget that these guys were on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">ECW</span> brand. Come on.<br /><br />Yea, this might not be my best analysis, as it seems I'm slowly signing off on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">ECW</span>, but I'll try to be much more analytical about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">ECW</span>. However, it's hard when those involved don't have the foresight to make the show watchable. It's also hard when you have the spoilers in your face already. All I'm saying is the thought of an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">ECW</span> homecoming could have been done much better. You don't have to throw random ideas on the screen and see what happens. Some planning helps. Also, foresight and preparation are good. I'm not asking for Shakespeare, just some planning. Then again, it is asking much. Why should I care about a writing team that doesn't care about a brand that's not worth caring about? Where's that plug to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">ECW</span>? Why hasn't anyone pulled it yet? Oh, that's right. It's still precious enough to merit some sort of homecoming....for stars and people other than those connected with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">ECW</span>. That makes sense.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-81314215655904634862010-01-10T16:05:00.010-05:002010-01-12T15:03:21.545-05:00Trent Barretta and Caylen Croft: Miz and Morrison 2.0?<div>Don't you just love buddy movies? Who doesn't? Two guys or two gals or what have you, joining together to get in all types of trouble trying to get from point A to point B, while we either have a laugh, shed a tear, gasp in fear, or stand up and cheer. It's like the ultimate guilty pleasure. The funny thing about these movies is how these buddies get together. Some times it's by chance or circumstance, while most of the time the buddies have been life-long or long-time friends. You know the type: the type of people that hang out every day, if not every weekend, shooting the breeze, go to clubs on a Friday night trading off on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">wingman</span> status, playing video games all day if need be, and comparing their lives to each other to see who has it worse, or better. You'd think that this was a case that would never be found in pro wrestling or sports entertainment. Interestingly enough, these types can be found in wrestling. Enter Trent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Barretta</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Caylen</span> Croft.<br /><br />This duo of bosom buddies have found their way to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ECW</span> and are sharing their excellent adventures through tag team wrestling with the masses who will watch them. They are incredibly cocky, incessantly garish, and virtually joined at the hip. When it comes to tag team wrestling, they work in a synergy that's reminiscent to the olden days of the 1980s (even though they look like jobbers). It's actually quite refreshing to see this, as tag team wrestling has been rather uninteresting and lacking. So, who are these two fellas that we are getting to know and, well, hate? Let's find out! Thanks, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Wikipedia</span><br /><br />Trent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Barreta's</span> real name is Greg <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Marasciulo</span>. He made his professional debut in 2004 as part of the New York Wrestling Connection (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">NYWC</span>). He debuted under the ring name, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Plazma</span>, and lost his first match to Dan Barry. He would later team with Dan Barry and start a regular tag team with him as they made their way to various wrestling promotions, including Jersey All Pro Wrestling, where they were literally beaten down by teams like the Hit Squad. I can still remember seeing them get thrown into the wall of the arena. He would then be welcomed into the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">WWE</span> training facility of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">FCW</span>, where he would meet up with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Caylen</span> Croft after a failed stint at becoming the "queen of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">FCW</span>". Yes, that's what happened. They then found their way to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">ECW</span> as a tag team and have been their since.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Caylen</span> Croft's real name is Kris <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Pavone</span>. After leaving Youngstown State University as an art major, he studied under Danny Davis and Nick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Dinsmore</span>, learned his craft as a wrestler, took part in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">ECWA</span> Super 8 tournament in April 2003, and later joined Ohio Valley Wrestling as part of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">WWE's</span> original training facility. In <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">OVW</span>, he wrestled under the name, "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Hitman</span>" Chris Cage, and was involved in many a feud in the promotion. After teaming with Nova, he teamed with Tank <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Toland</span> to become the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">OVW</span> tag champions with him in 2003 and 2004. He then won the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">OVW</span> World championship from Matt Morgan, before losing the belt to Chad <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Tolad</span>, Tank's cousin. To obtain retribution, Cage teamed with Mike <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Mizanin</span> (the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Miz</span>) to beat the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Tolands</span> for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">OVW</span> tag titles. He was later released from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">OVW</span> and his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">WWE</span> developmental contract for behavior problems, allowing him to tour other promotions, including Ring of Honor and Cleveland All-Pro wrestling to hone his craft. He made a few appearances in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">OVW</span>, despite not having a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">WWE</span> contract during that time period. He was given another <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">WWE</span> contract, but this time with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">FCW</span>. That's where he met Trent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Barreta</span>. They became a team and went on to win the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">FCW</span> tag titles. After this, they found their way to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">ECW</span>, and the rest is recent history.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Now, these two have already shown decent chemistry as a team, along with a rather boisterous attitude. I initially stated that they could be the next "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Miz</span> and Morrison", resembling a team that not only uses <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">ECW</span> to break out and become big stars, but also become overnight sensations as a tag team. However, this possibility is hampered heavily by a few factors. See, it's going to be hard for Croft and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Barreta</span> to reach the top if the top of the mountain is heavily safeguarded. Also, one would say that their ability as a team might not seem as, intriguing, as that of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Miz</span> and Morrison. Lastly, if say, they do reach the top, is it really going to matter? Here's a better question: does anyone really care if they can make it to the top, or if any other team could?</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>To start, let's look at the team of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Barreta</span> and Croft on a multi-dimensional level. Yes, they have a "throwback" appeal to them, reminding us of the teams of yesteryear. One look at the way they are dressed and the way they are acting reminds me of the many jobber tag teams of the past like Mike Bell and Buck <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Quartermaine</span>, Barry Horowitz and Reno <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Riggins</span>, and even Duane Gill and Barry Hardy. However, this team is to be taken seriously. In that essence, they could be reminiscent to makeshift and non-makeshift teams like the Beverly Brothers, Power and Glory, The Young Stallions, Well Dunn, and to the least extent (because to compare them directly as equals would be truly insulting), the Midnight Express. However, the problem with this team is that their aura and delivery seems rather one-dimensional. Sure, they're a great team, but what else is there? Should we take them seriously if all we know is that they're a duo of cocky "bros"? One would also elude to the fact that you could take advantage of this team idea, but the creative teams of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">FCW</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">WWE</span> are so vastly different that what caught one in the training facility won't catch on in front of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">WWE</span> audience. Some examples of this happening include the Heart Throbs, the Highlanders, and KC James and Idol Stevens. This, I feel, mostly lies on the creative team's lack of interest in doing research on the characters that come up from the training camps. Either that, or, they do the research, send their ideas to the creative heads, and have their ideas shot down. It's kind of tough to reach the top when you have no help from those who can. Looks like these two have to handle their character development on their own.<br /><br />Now, say they get past this creative development problem. Now, they have to contend with the tag division stars. This brings us to their biggest problem: the tag team champions are D-Generation X. They wouldn't put anyone over if their careers depended on it. Sadly, their careers never do. If they can, they'll bury any tag team they choose. If it means to make the team look virtually incompetent in the ring or outside, they'll do it, simply by not giving them the proper credit or even the attention the team is looking to get. Triple H loves squashing and discrediting stars he doesn't see as a big deal, or does see as a threat, while <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">HBK</span> loves to do what Triple H is doing as long as their friendship is intact. Throw in their midget mascot, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">Hornswoggle</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">Barreta</span> and Croft have a better chance of winning the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">Powerball</span>. All <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">Hornswoggle</span> is good at doing is making wrestlers look like incompetent fools, as he is, for some reason, impossible to beat up, even though he's half the size of the wrestlers, and very slow. People have to suspend logic and give this a level of believability. If that's the case, then on wrestling standards, most of the wrestlers that have lost to, or have been befuddled by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">Hornswoggle</span> aren't capable of being top stars. Interesting enough, that's what is the adopted mindset by everyone who sees this happening. Trent, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54">Caylen</span>: if you want the tag belts, you better kiss some serious butt, otherwise, you'll be lucky to win even a staring contest against D-X. If it works for them, then sucking up should work for you. <br /><br />Now, say that the first conditions are not an issue. Say that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_55">Barreta</span> and Croft become tag champions. The question is this: who cares? Thanks to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_56">WWE</span>, tag team wrestling means as much to anyone these days as paint drying. Every legitimate tag team has been split up, every upcoming tag team is discredited, and every major tag match involves 4 main <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_57">eventers</span> instead of actual teams. Gone are the days of the Hart Foundation, the Rockers, Demolition, and even the Legion of Doom. Instead, we get cookie cutter and cop out tag teams put together for the sake of furthering feuds, and putting over singles champions. Whatever happened to having the best matches on the cards being tag matches? I'll tell you what happened: wrestling changed in 2002 and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_58">WWE</span> couldn't afford to or didn't want to put over any more tag teams. Every major team of that era was split, and tag wrestling was lost to the foolishness of the creative teams of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_59">WWE</span>. I kind of mentioned something along these lines about a year ago (see the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_60">ECW</span> analysis on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_61">Miz</span> and Morrison: best team of the 21st Century. Sure, I like these guys, but they aren't as great as the stuff I've seen). Being a top tag team is equivalent to, well, winning a carnival game or the crane game or receiving a cardboard crown from a fast food restaurant. If Trent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_62">Barreta</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_63">Caylen</span> Croft do the unthinkable, the first question on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_64">everyone's</span> minds won't be "Where will these two go from here?". It will be "Who are these guys and why should I care?" If you're a budding tag team in this industry, steer clear of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_65">WWE</span>. <br /><br />Be all of this as it may, Trent <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_66">Barreta</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_67">Caylen</span> Croft have a ways to go before becoming as good as their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_68">ECW</span> predecessors, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_69">Miz</span> and John Morrison. However, if they want to be big, they have to want it. They have to take the steps to get noticed. They have to work on their delivery, perfect their move execution, and become the best at what they do in and out of the ring. No, that won't be easy on a dead-end show like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_70">ECW</span> (which shouldn't be called that, quite honestly), but if any team can do it, I'm sure they could. In a world where tag team wrestling is non-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_71">existent</span>, these two can breathe life back into it, along with other teams on other brands. They've got ego, chemistry, and a life-long "brotherhood" that few teams can say they have. They have all the keys needed to be a top tag team. All they have to do is get the ball rolling in their favor and make some noise in a quiet environment like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_72">ECW</span>. Perhaps a few rounds of Guitar Hero can prepare them for that. I'd suggest some Quiet Riot or Twisted Sister.<br /></div>The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-58726611338792883112010-01-03T18:34:00.005-05:002010-01-04T11:42:01.236-05:00ECW's place in the WWE's ever-changing worldHappy New Year to everyone reading. I hope everyone had a great holiday season, but now, it's back to business.<br /><br />The WWE is heading in a very interesting creative direction when it comes to booking talent, establishing matches, preparing for pay-per-view events, and maintaining their spot at the top of the food chain. On Raw, the plan is to fully maximize the potential of the "guest host" position. While doing so, the move is to place two polarizing entities, D-X and Hornswoggle, together to maintain entertainment from the general masses. Also, moves have been made to promote new talent that either the fans would want to see on top (Kofi Kingston) or talent that gets great reviews with the pundits (Sheamus). All that, plus the WWE is taking interesting measure to keep John Cena in certain situations where he won't do anything to affect the buyrates or ratings negatively, like battling in the middle of the card or not even doing anything on a show. On Smackdown, the plan is to try and maximize the amount of wrestling done on the show with various stars making their plays at being top stars. Some of the things you see on Raw are being seen on SD (talent being liked by the pundits getting over). There has been some talk about making SD as interesting as Raw with something like a guest host. Also, a lot of stars that were big in early to mid 2009 are not so much anymore, while stars that weren't are (see C.M. Punk's fall to the mid-card, and Rey's rise to the main event...again...as long as Batista is there). Throw in the Undertaker's reign of terror and that's SD in a nutshell. So, where does this leave ECW? That part is fairly easy. See, ECW's place is on the chopping block. ECW's plan is to die....or at least take a severe blow so irreparable that it enters a virtual coma.<br /><br />The writing was on the wall for quite some time now. In fact, the rumor mill had been working hard to dig up this dirt and let the world know ECW's fate. Due to its middling ratings, its lack of support from WWE officials, and now, its non-existent connection to the original ECW, ECW has to go. It has to be done away with, once and for all. The evidence of this being the case has never been more evident than what took place on December 29, 2009 at approximately 11:00 P.M. It was at that moment that the ECW we see on Tuesdays can no longer be considered a part of ECW's actual legacy. It was the moment when Tommy Dreamer's WWE career had ended.<br /><br />Along the lines of kayfabe, Tommy Dreamer had been challenged by Zack Ryder to a match. If Dreamer couldn't win the match, he'd leave ECW and the WWE for good. Dreamer failed to win, and his career was over at the aforementioned time. In reality, Dreamer had admitted to stating that he asked for his release from the WWE. In other words, he was quitting the WWE. This was the same Tommy Dreamer that had already signed a new contract with the WWE last year after declaring that if he couldn't win the ECW title, he'd be finished with wrestling. In truth, he pulled this little creative coup in order to salvage what was left of his WWE/ECW career and instill some value it. He thought he could get Vince's attention and make himself an important and precious commodity once again. Did he succeed? Well, he won the ECW title, defended it a few times, and ultimately lost it to Christian. After this, Dreamer was virtually absent from anything ECW-related. Sure, he'd pop up on WWE superstars, but that wasn't the ECW brand, that was the Superstars show for all brands. It finally dawned on Dreamer that, despite his best efforts, there was little the WWE was going to do to push him, so, the decision came to leave while anyone still cared. So, Tommy Dreamer said his heartfelt goodbyes, with his wife and kids in the arena sharing his feelings. He left his ECW t-shirt in the ring, and departed to the back with his kids to most likely introduce them to the locker room. Thus, the last remaining piece of ECW's original legacy had departed, leaving the ECW brand an even emptier, hollower, shell and a fading shadow of the original upstart organization that promoted and ushered change into the wrestling world. <br /><br />What made this version of ECW still remotely logical and even palpable to a point was that it still had three main proponents of the original ECW, albeit altered by the WWE and its officials. This version had ECW's mind, body, and soul. Its mind was Paul Heyman, its body was the ECW originals that went with the flow just to keep the soul of ECW alive, and its soul was the resilience the ECW originals had despite all adversity against it. This ECW lost the mind when Paul Heyman was relieved of his duties and subsequently fired. It lost most of its body when virtually every original from RVD to Joey Styles had quit, was fired, or was promoted to another branch of the WWE, with the exception of Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer became the embodiment and the soul of ECW when he was the last man standing. When Dreamer left, gone was the body and the soul. Now, the ECW you see before you as of Jan. 5th, 2010, is no more than a pale, lifeless, imitation that one wouldn't dare hawk at a trade show. With that in mind, and trust me, the WWE has this in mind, there's no better time than now to put an end to ECW, once and for all. As for Dreamer's departure, well, that's just the beginning.<br /><br />The next move is to somehow devalue the ECW title. Enter the ECW homecoming (I'll talk more about this in 2 weeks on 1/17). Apparently, it has become a novel idea to involve former ECW brand members from Raw and Smackdown in qualifying matches for a battle royal to see who gets a shot at the ECW champion, Christian, at WWE Royal Rumble 2010. Now, I could go on and on about why this idea has no merit (again, see me in 2 weeks), but I think the most obvious element of surprise to consider here is the possibility of a star from another brand winning the ECW title. All they need to do after that, other than beating the former champ again in his rematch, is either fight another champ in a unification match on that brand, or somehow devalue the ECW title in one of various ways (throwing it in the trash, retiring it, or whatever non-canonical idea the WWE can come up with to eliminate the belts value)<br /><br />The final move, although it's avoidable, but it would be useful, is the usurping of the ECW GM position. If not that, then somehow, ECW G.M. Tiffany loses power (maybe due to a Vince McMahon crazed power trip) and someone else comes in to fill the spot. Then again, that would be counter-productive to WWE's plan to destroy ECW, so just have her lose power, have some sort of martial law declared, and watch ECW dwindle into obscurity, either through a series of matches with other brands for supremacy, in which ECW loses, or a series of farewell matches in a retrospective form or matches where the winner or winners get to go to any brands of their choice. It seems convoluted, I know, but it's something to help tie up loose ends. However, knowing the WWE and its writers and officials, they will probably just cut off ECW as if nothing happened, start a new brand of sorts with the same mentality of putting over new stars, and go about their business, as if ECW was just a footnote.<br /><br />The WWE is making preparations to change the landscape once again. However, the changes made are different per brand, while there are some similarities. Raw's motive is to maximize the guest host position, while putting over new stars by having them battle old, established stars, while somehow balancing the main event with both the old and the new. Smackdown's motive is to employ a more wrestling-based approach to the latter part of Raw's motive, instead of incorporating various forms of entertainment like a guest host, although the idea is still on the table. ECW's motive is simple: to cease existence. The WWE can't use it, Vince McMahon never wanted it, and the value of it has plummeted to nothing. There's no connection to the old and original. There's no reason why the show should even be called ECW anymore. The ratings are poor, the writing is sub-par, and the matches, although well-wrestled at times, are glossed over due to the public's general malaise towards the brand either because no major stars they know are on it, or because they know how much of a mockery it is to consider this as ECW. This show is slightly better, ratings-wise, than Superstars, and is now barely comparable to other wrestling shows that can compare to it. The first shot was fired through Tommy Dreamer's retirement. The next moves may very well be in place. Don't be surprised if, by Wrestlemania's return, ECW is as extinct as....well.....good character development.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-78965405213189184932009-12-27T16:09:00.004-05:002009-12-27T17:27:09.111-05:00ECW predictions for 2010It's time once again to gaze into the crystal ball and see what the future holds for ECW in the year 2010. It's quite funny that as I tried this last year, most of what I said came true. Is the WWE listening to me, copying me, or is it just that predictable? Whatever the case may be, it's time to tell you what I think is going to happen to ECW in 2010. So you know, these predictions are based on what is happening on-screen, backstage, and what would make logical sense based on the information we know from both or separately. Confused yet? I hope not. If you think about it, it would make sense. So anyway, here we go:<br /><br />Abraham Washington and Tony Atlas<br />-They will continue to hold their hackneyed show, in a failing attempt to garter ratings, until they start inviting more prominent stars to the show, like D-X, Cena, and Batista. Once they expose the show for how bad it is, the show will most likely get canceled, coercing Washington to change his approach on the ECW brand. His next move? Something political, as he becomes a ridiculous version of Barack Obama with Tony Atlas as his "vice president", as he makes his play to become...the ECW general manager.<br /><br />Byron Saxton and Josh Matthews<br />-The ECW announce team will continue to burn our ears off with their terrible excuse for commentary. When Matt Striker returns, Byron will become ECW's newest backstage interviewer. This might or might not lead Byron to become the new official announcer of Superstars with the WWE's newest hire or hires for their announce crew. <br /><br />Caylen Croft and Trent Barretta<br />-These two will continue their winning ways against jobbers until they encounter a tag team combination that will give them more trouble then they need (most likely involving Goldust, the Hurricane, Yoshi Tatsu, and/or Shelton Benjamin). Once this happens, Croft and Barretta will find their way to the Unified Tag Titles and challenge for them, only to lose. But, this won't come without a relocation onto another brand. My prediction: they will call Smackdown their new home when they challenge for the titles<br /><br />Christian<br />-Christian will lose the ECW title before, during, or after the ECW Homecoming event where a bunch of ECW stars will take part in a challenge to get a shot at the ECW title. Christian's loss of the ECW title will have something to do with the possible destruction of ECW. If the title leaves Christian, it might very well go to a former ECW member and they will attempt to unify that title with another brand's title. Either way, expect Christian to be doing battle for ECW's honor in a last ditch effort to ferret the brand some respect. He won't be alone in this battle, though.<br /><br />Ezekiel Jackson<br />-Jackson, with William Regal's tutelage, will make a play for the ECW title, in which he might very well win it. However, it looks more as if he will not. Once this is the case, his teaming with Regal will end brutally, with Jackson on the receiving end on a beatdown by Regal and his new Ruthless Roundtable that will involve wrestlers directly from the U.K. After which, Jackson might either end up working with Abraham Washington, or continuing his war with Regal<br /><br />Goldust<br />-The golden one won't be doing anything big for the next year. I can only see him getting embroiled in feuds where he will be making new stars out of the heels he's facing. But, don't be surprised if he plays a major role in ECW, pertaining to its demise...<br /><br />Gregory Helms/The Hurricane<br />-After stifling Paul Burchill's chances to make his way back to ECW, Helms will make a new arch-nemesis in the form of Vance Archer who won't care if Helms is or isn't the Hurricane. He'll be pretty sure as to who is who, and still brutalize whomever he sees. Helms will find solace in the form of Vladimir Kozlov as Kozlov will take on Archer, allowing the Hurricane to focus on more important things.<br /><br />Rosa Mendes and Zack Ryder<br />-This power couple will prove to be problematic for Tommy Dreamer as the war between Yonkers and Long Island will continue with Ryder embarrassing Dreamer almost every step of the way. This will coerce Dreamer to bring his "ace" out of his sleeve in the form of Beulah McGuillicuty as a battle between the old and new school continues. Despite the result, Ryder and Mendes will find themselves warring with another new couple on the horizon. Whom, you ask? Well, let's just say that Eve Torres will be showing us more of her skills in the ring, while the "Masterpecs" dance in all jolliness. <br /><br />Shelton Benjamin<br />-Shelton will make his play for the ECW title, just like Ezekiel Jackson, but will most likely secure it. Come to think of it, Jackson and Benjamin might find common enemies in Regal and his new allies. As for how long Benjamin has the belt, well, that's not very clear. However, it is seeming more likely that if another brand does end up with the ECW title, it will be after someone beats Benjamin. This will put Benjamin on the front lines fighting for ECW.<br /><br />Tiffany<br />-She will have her job in question, to the point of where she will end up losing it. She will be challenged by Abraham Washington and William Regal within ECW, and outside of ECW by Vickie Guerrero. She will make a play at being the only female capable of running a brand, sending wrestlers like the Hart Dynasty, Dolph Ziggler, Mike Knox, C.M. Punk, and Luke Gallows to cause unrest for the ECW brand. This will most likely cost ECW its title, and Tiffany will lose her job. Will she reclaim it? Most likely not. I can see her becoming another standard diva, as she will be seen as someone who isn't capable of being in charge of a show. <br /><br />Tommy Dreamer<br />-It's been made known that Dreamer will be leaving the WWE. Having known this, I can predict that ECW will most likely leave along with him as he is the only thing connected to ECW's past. That said, Dreamer will be taking part in a slew of random battles hoping not to die as hard as John McClaine. These battles will include Zack Ryder, Christian, William Regal, and...Bryan Danielson? Expect Dreamer to be there making his last stand with and for ECW<br /><br />Tyler Reks<br />-He will re-establish himself as a heel, showing his jealousy toward stars that are furthering themselves. One such star is Yoshi Tatsu. As he will continue to take shots at Yoshi for his inability to speak English, Yoshi will have some help from someone who does understand Japanese, and that someone will be the bane of Tyler's existence. Who do I mean? Well, let's just say that this guy has had his experiences with a "Tyler" or two. After this, Tyler might not last long enough to see his career succeed. Can you say, Ricky Ortiz, because I can see "future endeavors".<br /><br />Vance Archer<br />-Archer will continue his path of destruction, involving the Hurricane. Upon doing intense damage, he'll come face to face with the Moscow Mauler, Vladimir Kozlov in a brutal battle that will see only the strongest survive. Will this be the last time they do battle? Doubtful. The ECW title might be involved with their battles as one of them might be holding it.<br /><br />Vladimir Kozlov<br />-See Vance Archer. After Archer, the ECW title might very well be in his future. Otherwise, both Kozlov and Regal will cross paths again and a few times more before Archer. Don't be surprised if Jackson is involved as well...on Kozlov's side.<br /><br />William Regal<br />-I've mentioned him a few times, so here's Regal's story: a new round table will be formed of Regal and his fellow countrymen. These stars will include the M.I.A. D.J. Gabriel, Wade Barrett (a.k.a. Stu Sanders), Paul Burchill and Katie Lea. Now, you're wondering how this is going to happen with the final two names. Well, Regal will hold a prominent place of power in ECW that will see those two re-hired and supporting him. Also, Regal will find a way to get the title from Christian. Once he fails to keep it for himself, he will put ECW in a compromising spot, coercing its slow downfall<br /><br />Yoshi Tatsu<br />-Yoshi will continue his rise to power, and like his international counterpart, Kofi Kingston, he will make a big splash on ECW, which may involve Bryan Danielson. Once they establish their foothold as a competent tag team, Danielson will make his play at being the savior of ECW by assisting in the battle for ECW's honor, while Yoshi will do more interpromotional work. This type of work will land him a cushy spot on Raw, allowing Yoshi a spot on Monday nights to form a new rivalry...with the Miz<br /><br />and now the finale:<br /><br /><br />ECW<br />-the ECW brand will meet its untimely demise in one of or a combination of 3 things:<br />1) the ECW title will end up in the hands of another brand<br />2) Tiffany will lose her power as ECW G.M.<br />3) a battle will take place between ECW stars and stars of another brand or brands, where ECW will lose<br /><br />Regardless, the ECW brand will have one last hurrah at survival before it ultimately becomes a new entity. An entity in which the new stars and rookies reign supreme. This entity will be showcasing Bryan Danielson as its premiere star, most likely, along with a slew of the remaining stars that aren't quite ready for the other brands yet. As for those that remain, they will either stay, or be disseminated between Raw and Smackdown, either losing their jobs later, or surviving. <br /><br /><br />Those are my predictions for 2010. Now, they're just predictions, so don't get all uptight about it. Just comment away. <br /><br />Have a happy new year!The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-50645941552562181482009-12-26T19:35:00.003-05:002009-12-26T20:43:20.781-05:00ECW 2009 Christmas wish listYes, folks, I know it's late, but bear with me. I was wrapped up in work, school, present shopping, and whatnot, and virtually forgot about all my faithful readers. Well, you're lucky I have a lot less time on my hands...again, and I have a good memory otherwise, I would have to have made two posts on one day. I wasn't looking forward to it, thank you. So, here's the post of the week that you were waiting for.<br /><br />So, anyway, here's the premise: I celebrate Christmas (not to insult any other non-celebraters), and as a form of analysis, I act as the general manager of ECW and make a slew of wishes to Santa to see if he listens. So, here's me doing my best Tiffany impression asking Santa for gifts for Christmas. The catch: it's all ECW-brand related, so, no material stuff. That said, here's my wish list:<br /><br />-the cancellation of the Abraham Washington show: this show doesn't help in any way to get any ECW stars over...anymore. I used to think that Abraham had some quality, but now, it's no longer the case. I can't take Tony Atlas' laughter, the horrible jokes, the lack of topical humor, and the incessant need to take non-ECW stars and place them on this show as filler. Cut if off.......now!<br /><br />-a better ECW announce team: ever since the departure of Matt Striker to SD! to cover for Jim Ross and the debacle of the Mike Adamle experiment, the ECW announce team has been atrocious. This is what happens when you deal with an organization that feels it's better to make changes due to spite instead of due to quality. Why has commentary taken such a terrible hit in 2009 across the wrestling world?<br /><br />-more competent tag teams on ECW: Trent Barretta and Caylen Croft are a start, but clearly not strong enough to topple a tag team like DX or Big Show. No, neither were Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson...despite the pending break-up. If you're going to taut a tag division or something like it across the brands, at least make it believable. Then again, this might counteract my next wish:<br /><br />-No D-X of any kind on ECW: please grant this one. They put themselves over. They don't put over young talent. They aren't funny. Their merchandise is terrible. And now, they have Hornswoggle, the human logic killer as their friend? To quote Owen Hart: Enough is enough and it's time for a change.<br /><br />-Christian, ECW champion, on a DIFFERENT BRAND: Yes, it's nice to see Christian as a champion, but, really, he can do much better than this. He has charisma, talent, and he has appeal, even years after his first departure. Give him to Smackdown. Give him to Raw. Most importantly, give him a competent push. ECW can do well without him.<br /><br />-Shelton Benjamin, in Christian's current spot: Has the boat really sailed on Shelton? Not entirely. If you're going to put a star as an ECW champion, make the Shelton fans happy and just hook him up already. He's got the talent to have great matches. Haven't you seen the ladder match with him Christian? He's making it.<br /><br />-No more fluff: I'm seeing way too much nonsense on ECW. Too much clips, foolishness, goofiness, and whatever has been making ECW look and feel like the failure of that which is RAW. Let's keep it nice and plentiful with the wrestling, folks.<br /><br />-William Regal, in Christian's current spot: refer to Shelton Benjamin, sans the ladder match reference<br /><br />-a new GM: sorry, I find it hard to take Tiffany seriously if she's been showcased as a rather robotic diva who looks good, and at times is showcased as a piece of eye candy on WWE.com. Here's a hint: if you aren't going to make Regal a champ, make him a G.M...again. <br /><br />-Better pushes for certain new stars: it seems they've pulled the plug on Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder, Tyler Reks, and soon enough, Vance Archer. I don't know about you, but if you're going to make new stars, how about some consistency? This wasn't a problem with C.M. Punk, and if it was, it came after Heyman left. I don't know. I guess more talent would be needed and better storylines, too, instead of copying popular movies for their ideas.<br /><br />-Another hour and/or a secondary title: ECW needs depth. If it makes any sense to make changes due to ratings, then get rid of Superstars and give the second hour to ECW. If it means scripting ECW twice a week on two different shows, then move it to Thursday and have it compete with TNA, like it's expected to. <br /><br />And my final wish<br /><br />Either a complete overhaul to the original days or a complete cancellation of ECW:<br /><br />There's only two ways about this, here. If this new way isn't working ratings-wise, take a page from Heyman's book and go that route or get rid of the show as planned, rumored, and expected by next year. If it isn't working anymore, it's time to pull the plug. Don't worry about finding a place for stars you want to use. Eventually, they'll end up replacing stars on other brands anyway. As for stars on the rise, well, you haven't used Bryan Danielson yet, so why expect him?<br /><br /><br />That's my Christmas list, abridged albeit, but it's what I want. Comment away, if you can pry yourselves away from your presents.<br /><br />That said, have a happy holiday season.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-65161517472291882772009-12-13T17:02:00.004-05:002009-12-14T08:12:39.715-05:00Breaking news; The American Dragon, Bryan Danielson, descends on ECW?Don't you just love rumors? It's always something to think about and follow, you know? It's always fun to follow the buzz behind it. The reactions from people are interesting. I think my favorite part of rumors are the level of truth to them, usually because it happens to be right. So, where does this place our main idea and thesis for this week? Well, I only hypothesized that Bryan Danielson could severely help out ECW if he was drafted there. Now, it's turning out to be the truth. It's been confirmed that Danielson may very well debut on ECW, and with the WWE's way of operation, I can see that being 90% true. What's my take on all this? I'm glad you wondered.<br /><br />Bryan Danielson's addition to the ECW brand is perfect for his career to blossom and bloom, to be honest. He won't be overshadowed by the likes of Cena, HHH, Batista, the Undertaker, HBK, or even Orton while on ECW. He also gets a place to showcase his talents without hindrance. Yes, I made this point a few times before, if not once. So, it's old news. Now, it might very well be official.<br /><br />To continue with old news, Danielson's time on ECW can prevent him from getting any exposure since no one really watches the brand. Also, it might typecast him to being a C-grade level wrestler since he is on that type of brand. It could be exactly what some of the WWE pundits who detest people like Danielson and other castaways from wrestling organizations that are competing with the WWE are looking for. Why not stifle the "best in the world" by placing him on the worst brand in the world? Well, technically, it's the worst due to ratings, but if you want to say Monday Night Raw is the worst, you have a good point.<br /><br />One key element I'm not bringing up here, interestingly, is the longevity of the ECW brand, on the whole. So far, it's week two in the countdown to the imminent departure of ECW, seemingly. If ECW does get repackaged, where does this leave Danielson? Quite honestly, I think it puts him in position to be the top star of this new brand or show. Yes, Christian and William Regal are great hands and workers. However, if you throw Danielson in the mix, you have three great workers with great charisma that can make new stars as well as have great matches with each other. They can be your main focus group for main events. Also, Danielson can draw out the best in any wrestler, no questions asked. If ECW re-brands, then Danielson has to be the main star.<br /><br />Ok, so, technically, I can't really add to this since I've added more to this already with my pros and cons blog. Basically, Bryan Danielson will most likely be one of the main focal points of this show, if not for his skill, but for his connection with HBK. His involvement on ECW might very well help ECW in the quality department, as more people will most likely watch now. However, the general possibilities are endless. Only thing that can be done is to let the "Dragon" descend onto ECW and see where it goes. <br /><br />[UPDATE] Want to know if Danielson can survive in the WWE? Well at the TLC PPV, Sheamus became the WWE champion beating John Cena, while Drew Mcintyre became the IC champion after defeating John Morrison. They are two stars highly regarded by HHH, HBK, and now, Vince McMahon. Also, they are new stars ready to start a tidal wave of new talent crowding up the main event to mid-card scene. If this is any indication of things to come, I expect Bryan Danielson to have gold within the first 3 to 6 months on television. The difference: he could probably outwrestle both Sheamus and Drew, and it wouldn't be a bad thing, either.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-48465663697106004912009-12-06T18:43:00.006-05:002009-12-06T22:12:00.945-05:00The Hurricane/Burchill conflict: endings and beginnings*Editor's note: I'm well aware of the possibility of ECW being re-branded and disappearing for good. That said, I will honor my vow to end my ECW analysis blog. So, the countdown is on. I will, however, continue to blog as if ECW will still exist until said expiration date is given. So, enjoy to the fullest. If I have to, and if there's a lot of demand for such, I will immortalize these blogs elsewhere for your reading and viewing pleasure. That said, enjoy the ride while it lasts.*<br /><br /><br />Once upon a time, a wrestler named Paul Burchill was drafted to the ECW brand with this sister, Katie Lea. His plan was to make a new name for himself and be the brute of a Brit that he has always been. He wasn't very successful at that, as he started losing more matches than he won. At the same time, another wrestler was struggling like Burchill, but not to win matches. He struggled to make due on ECW while he could not wrestle due to injuries, ring rust, and a lack of confidence in his health from his superiors. It was Gregory Helms, and his only solace was to be a broadcast journalist, interviewing people backstage. One day, while interviewing Mark Henry, someone was in peril backstage. All of a sudden, Helms disappeared. Then, a mysterious yet familiar figure saved this person. It was a masked man wearing green and black, with dark ominous hair. Then, as this figure disappeared, Helms returned to interview Henry. Who was this masked man? It was the Hurricane and he was slowly making his return to wrestling. As his heroic exploits were making waves, Burchill couldn't help but notice along with others. However, it was Burchill who jealously demanded Helms admit that it was he who was the Hurricane. Burchill didn't like the fact that everyone was falling for this obvious ruse and wanted Helms to admit that he was insulting the people's intelligence. Burchill even threatened Helms with physical force, until finally, the Hurricane confronted Burchill, and the war ensued.<br /><br />What followed were a string of matches between Helms and Burchill, along with various skirmishes between the two with the Hurricane winning more battles against Burchill. Discontent with the situation he was in, Burchill challenged the Hurricane to a "Mask vs. Career" match where if the Hurricane lost, he'd remove his mask and reveal his identity, but if Burchill lost, he and his sister would leave ECW forever. Burchill lost the match and his place on ECW. Now, the move was made for one, if not various reasons. First off, the WWE liked Helms as a wrestler, but knew he wouldn't survive on any other show besides ECW. So, the decision was made and given that he wouldn't go anywhere. As for Burchill, the early decision was to move he and his sister back to Raw. As for the reason, well, I can only assume that it was to get Katie in the mix for the Divas title. However, that idea was nixed, and now we see Burchill and Lea begging for their jobs on ECW, while elsewhere, a masked individual is attacking the Hurricane. His mask is reminiscent to that of The Scarecrow on Batman Begins and his frame looks rather hulking as if it were....wait for it....Burchill under the mask. Yes, we're taking that road, folks. Paul Burchill is now attacking the Hurricane while under a mask, as a masked super-villain. And that, in a nutshell, is the Paul Burchill/Hurricane conflict with the fallout as mentioned weeks ago by yours truly. The end.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />What? I'm supposed to analyze this? Great. I couldn't just go out like the Game Overthinker and just walk away with a short day. Ok. So I really have to analyze this? You know what? I'm not going to. I'm just going to leave it as is. That's all. See you next week.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Still here? Looks like you are. Ok, here's my take on this situation. How many times are they going to repackage, shift around, mess with, abuse, and downright screw with Paul Burchill's career? I mean, come on already. He started out as a British brute teamed with Regal as a mentor, and was looking to do some damage. Then, just like that, he's got the plug pulled on him. The next time he shows up, he is dressed like a pirate, pushing the fact that his great ancestors were pirates. This was his own doing, mind you. He was so adamant in making something of his career that he came up with this idea about him portraying a pirate. He was also cashing in on the fame and success of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. Heck, he made William Regal dress up like a woman while with him. Then, around the time that he got a real female valet (Shelly Martinez, if you recall, who became Ariel to Kevin Thorn), the WWE pulled the plug on this idea only because the always innovative Vince McMahon didn't get the pirate idea because he never saw or even heard about the "Pirates" franchise. This is the same Vince McMahon who thinks it's relevant to have Verne Troyer host Raw and make a bunch of Austin Powers jokes, which are, to date, 10 years out of reference. Meanwhile, the "Pirates" stuff was still fresh and actually current. So, Burchill gets written off of television selling an injury by Mark Henry, and is back to square one. He disappears from the WWE for months on end to return to this current gimmick only to receive more static from the WWE. Initially, this gimmick was to have an incest-based relationship between Paul and Katie, but the WWE put the kibosh on it as soon as it started. This was because the WWE decided to become more kid-friendly at that exact time. So, Burchill was curtailed, and sadly, lost more matches because of it. Now, he's doing the same thing he was doing when he was curtailed, only now, after losing this war with the Hurricane, he's now donning a mask. Sadly, the WWE commentators took it upon themselves to make a bunch of references to "The Dark Knight" and "Batman Begins", while doing it. Ok, so now, it's good to make a bunch of references to movies, since we have a major blockbuster like Batman on our hands, but if it's Pirates of the Caribbean, it doesn't work? I get this sinking feeling that it's Triple H in Vince's ear, making mention to the movies that are worth joking about. It's gotta be fart jokes, midget jokes, toilet humor, and lots of testosterone-driven action, not silly, frilly pirates or something. What's even worse is that Burchill has probably gone through 5 or so different finishers which have all failed to catch on. Traversing through gimmicks can do that to someone.<br /><br />Why am I neglecting the Hurricane? What should I say about him? He won, remember? He's going to keep his spot. Now, he's the barometer for Burchill's career as they are involved in this pseudo-comic war that the knucklehead hacks of the creative team could come up with. All we know about the Hurricane is that he's about a few losses away from becoming virtually irrelevant as Tommy Dreamer. Sadly, he and Burchill are in this mess together. But, I guess the real reason I'm neglecting the Hurricane is because he was a success, more than Burchill has been. You'd be remiss to neglect the titles he's won, owned, and defended. Burchill, on the other hand, hasn't had that success.<br /><br />Hold on a minute! I'm getting an interesting piece of news. It turns out that fellow British ECW star, D.J. Gabriel, is now working a mask gimmick in FCW as a way to retool his failing career in the WWE. Perhaps, maybe, it would be wise to team Gabriel and Burchill together as some sort of masked super-villain team? Both are British, both have to hide their faces behind masks to hide their ECW shame, and both are suffering from being re-tooled for their own good, one more so than the other. It works if you think about it. But, thinking and the WWE don't really go hand in hand.<br /><br />What is it going to take for the WWE to finally get behind Paul Burchill? If it's nothing, then fire the guy, stop squandering his talents, and be done with it. Otherwise, just commit to something and make it work. He's a great wrestler and a fine hand in the ring. If he doesn't seem as such anymore, it's due to all that time off he's been getting for, well, not wrestling. Make the move already! Give him something to work with. So far, he has something to work with, but how long will it last? It's through the whims of a creative madman in Vince that keeps Burchill from ascending up the ladder, let alone existing in good favor in the WWE. He's like a weekend hobby that a person never gets around to, but always promises to. In my case, he's my guitar, which hasn't been touched in months, despite my incessant need to learn.<br /><br />Poor Paul Burchill, what are you going to do? You lost on ECW, now your career is through. You're wearing a mask to fight your way on t.v., because the writers don't have a clue. Now, it's only a matter of time before they make you the next "Who?" (Jim Neidhart's masked gimmick that was a failure from the start). So, there's the fallout of the war between Burchill and the Hurricane. It's not even over yet. It's still going. It's now entered the "ran out of ideas, so let's steal from pop culture" phase. This usually has pretty bad results, so time will tell where this goes. In my opinion, it will go down the toilet, like the rest of Burchill's gimmicks. But, hey, it's not like he doesn't have a job, right? Getting paid to not know your future is still getting paid, when you think about it. And if they can pay a slew of wrestlers in the WWE without having creative direction for them, there shouldn't be anything wrong with this. Well, there is one thing. See, you have two solid hands at wrestling stuck working an angle that not even the most jaded of young fans will hope to get, let alone care about. Instead of putting them in better position to move their careers, they are placed in a position to fail or be forgotten. Trust me when I say this: when you are on this version of ECW, you will be forgotten. If I'm wrong, explain why ECW was missing from close to three straight PPVs.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-33257307220824545222009-11-29T16:50:00.009-05:002009-11-30T09:44:35.987-05:00An "intense" look at Vance ArcherIntensity. It is defined colloquially referring to strength, level, amplitude, or magnitude. Usually, when this term is used on someone or about someone, it refers to the person's attitude. It's very strong, very direct, very powerful. It refers to how a person approaches every aspect of their life, if not a certain part of their life. This is usually head-on, full-on, immersion with some extra energy. In wrestling, an intense wrestler is usually a brute of a man or a woman. Some intense wrestlers include Snitsky, Test, Mike Knox, Umaga, Psycho Sid, Bruiser Brody, Buzz Sawyer, Cactus Jack, the Necro Butcher, Homicide, Abyss, Kane, Batista and the Sheik. Those wrestlers are intense for their strength and their unpredictable hardcore nature. Then there's Raven, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, Eddie Kingston, Jimmy Jacobs, Kevin Sullivan, Edge, and even Rowdy Roddy Piper and Chris Jericho. They are considered psychologically intense using their vast intellects, pure cunning, or underhanded diabolical nature to get their points across. Where does Vance Archer fit into all of this? Well, they say he's intense, and although it seems he'd fall into the first category, his silent, stoic, half smirk may prove otherwise. Then again, he might not fall in either category. One thing is for sure, though: his arrival on ECW came rather conveniently, and he has to make due with it or he may never be seen as an intense wrestler again.<br /><br />Thanks to wikipedia, I can give you all an in-depth look at Mr. Archer and what he's made of. His real name is Lance Hoyt. In the year 2000, he began his training under Solo Faitala and debuted in July of that year against Tarzan Taylor. He worked the Texas independent circuit until 2005, under many aliases, such as Lance Steel, Breakdown (a name he chose when he had to wrestle in his street clothes upon forgetting his ring gear), and Shadow, a dark villianous character. He maintained his Shadow persona for all 9 years of his time with Professional Championship Wrestling (2000-2009), fighting stars like Ahmed Johnson and Paul London and starting a faction called "The Dark Circle". He held the PCW Tag Team Championships with Wally Darkmon in 2006. In 2007, he was the first AMW Heavyweight Champion after beating Shawn Stasiak (former WWE superstar). He lost the title in a three-way dance match involving Action Jackson and Mike Foxx. After which, he was "released" from his contract only to have signed a PCW "legends contract". He was commisioner of the organization for a brief stint until his imminent departure.<br /><br />While working in PCW, Hoyt maintained a steady position wrestling for TNA: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He was hired to work there in March of 2004, acting as a bodyguard/relative named Dallas for the then-TNA X Division star Kid Kash. On April 7th of that year, Kid Kash and Dallas won the vacant NWA World Tag Team titles in a tournament, defeating Low Ki and Christopher Daniels of Triple-X in the finals. One week later, they dropped the tag belts to D'Lo Brown and Apolo, only to win the belts back the subsequent week. They then lost the belts to America's Most Wanted on June 4th. Hoyt lost some exposure when Kid Kash was suspended from TNA in June, but regained some of it, helping Kid Kash in his feud with A.J. Styles. In January of 2005, he chose to wrestle under his actual name of Lance Hoyt, as instructed by then-booker Dusty Rhodes, to avoid confusion between himself and Diamond Dallas Page, who was wrestling for TNA at the time. Hoyt and Kash competed as a tag team until Kash was fired from TNA on April of 2005. Hoyt then took part in the TNA Lockdown Pay-per-view event on April 19, 2005, teaming with Chris Candido to fight Sonny Siaki and Apolo in a cage match. During the match, Candido suffered a severe leg injury, Hoyt was pinned, and then Hoyt was attacked by the Naturals, Candido's associates, turning Hoyt into a fan favorite. On a side note, the injury Candido suffered would ultimately lead to his tragic death afterward.<br /><br />Hoyt's career started receiving a strong fan following, leading to his becoming a character called Hoytamania, referencing the "Hulkamania" movement surrounding Hulk Hogan. His career led him to feud with Team Canada, lose to fellow big men Abyss and Monty Brown, and get eliminated in a 10-man Gauntlet Match at TNA Bound for Glory of that year. The match was to determine the new #1 contender for Jeff Jarrett's NWA World Championship. What followed was a tag team formed by Hoyt and Matt Bentley, that ended in a violent feud that ended at Destination X. After many months off, Hoyt returned to TNA to team up with Ron "the Truth" Killings, in a tag team battle royal which they lost, and in a winning effort against Bentley and Frankie Kazarian. Hoyt would take part in the Fight for the Right Tournament where he lost to Abyss upon being one of the last two men in the match. When that failed, he continued his teaming with Killings to win some matches. Hoyt then started acting as a bodyguard of sorts with the Voodoo Kin Mafia of BG James and Kip James, which ended with Hoyt turning on them and becoming a heel when he saved Christy Hemme from Kip James after the VKM won their tag match at Slammiversary. After Hoyt failed to defeat Abyss and even Kip James on TNA Impact!, he and Christy joined up with new TNA hire Jimmy Rave, a notable independent wrestler from such organizations like Ring of Honor, to form the Rock 'n Rave Infection. They became a comedy rock trio, complete with Guitar Hero controllers, Hemme screaming on a microphone, and Hoyt and Rave impersonating Slash of Guns N' Roses, and Vince Gill of Motley Crue, respectively.<br /><br />As part of this new faction, Hoyt took part in and lost the "Cuffed in the Cage" match against "Super" Eric, changed his name to Lance Rock, and lost to Matt Morgan on that same day after Morgan beat Jimmy Rave. Since then, the team lost against virtually every tag team in TNA until Hoyt was released from TNA on February 10, 2009. Hoyt then wrestled in All Japan Pro Wrestling for a short while until signing with the WWE on April 26, 2009. He went to the WWE farm system organization, FCW, under the name Lance Archer. He changed his name to Vance Archer and later debuted on ECW in November of this year. On a more personal note, Hoyt appeared on such shows as the Jenny Jones Show, elimiDate, Scrubs, and Room Raiders. Hoyt also played basketball, football, and baseball, attended Texas State University and played there as a quarterback, has a degree in English, and worked in a nightclub, where he met his wrestling teacher.<br /><br />That's quite a short resume, but a rather intense one if you look at it from a certain standpoint. Now, he's Vance Archer, and he has intensely ran through whomever has gotten in his way. As I stated before, it was a rather convenient debut for Archer, with all types of implications to it. Here's 3 such implications that I figured I'd share with you all that may very well determine his future.<br /><br />First off, he debuted one week after another intense individual made his departure from the ECW brand. That wrestler was Sheamus. He was Irish, pale, red-headed, and brutish. He put the hurt on whomever got in his way and dominated virtually every match he was in. Then, when word got out that he was gaining some support from Triple H backstage, he was sent to Raw, depriving ECW of at least one stand-out dominator of a heel. Enter Vance Archer. Are those some big shoes to fill if you're Archer? Well, let's see: Sheamus left to Raw and "retired" Jamie Noble (kayfabe), decimated the competition in his Survivor Series match, and is now the #1 Contender for the WWE title. Yea, I think it's safe to say that Archer has a lot to match, don't you? Sheamus would have to be seen as a pretty big deal for this to happen. Archer, well, is not quite there yet.<br /><br />Secondly, Archer's debut and subsequent success will mirror the veritable success of his fellow TNA expatriates that now call the WWE home. So far, those who have come to the WWE from TNA have either done it as a return of sorts or as a chance to continue their careers away from TNA. What's the verdict on their careers? R-Truth returned to some pretty decent fanfare. Too bad his match record couldn't match it. He's lost to a number of many important talents, curtailing whatever chances of his becoming a big star. He even cleanly lost to a star the WWE clearly demoted in C.M. Punk so he can prepare R-Truth for the main event scene. Throw in a failed attempt at reinventing his character, and that's R-Truth, a wrestler who is paying his dues at great lengths for being with the "enemy". Gail Kim returned to losses, losses, and more losses to the worst in the Women's and Diva's divisions as well as decisive losses to the best. That's what she gets for joining the "enemy" and establishing their women's division. Christian was supposed to be the person responsible for Jeff Hardy's attacks. However, due to an internet leak and Vince McMahon's general disdain toward Christian, he is now relegated to wrestling on ECW and is now the current owner of the ECW championship. That's not so bad or wouldn't be if, say, Christian was involved on pay-per-view events to a much greater capacity. Then again, can you expect much from a guy who went to the "enemy" afer being spurned by the WWE? I'll sum up Braden Walker in an equation, since the story is just too annoying to hear: former TNA star + big mouth about accomplishments + bad gimmick = instant failure. Do the math! Now, Archer wasn't anyone to bury the WWE while in TNA, but that doesn't put him in the clear at all. This brings me to my third and final implication.<br /><br />Lastly, Archer is yet another powerhouse of a big man who has debuted in the WWE that...for lack of a better term, has no dimensions to him. Then again, he's another wrestler who, for lack of a better term, has no dimensions to him. Mike Knox is a brute who just developed a need to destroy the human body. Snitsky became a bald brute with bad teeth. Tyler Reks is a surfer from California. D.J. Gabriel is a party animal from England. Vance Archer is intense. The big question is this: and? What else do or did they bring to the table? Why not spend the time to flesh out these guys with better backstories? When you just shoot these guys out there with nothing to go on, no one reacts to it, and in turn, no one cares about it. Sure, Vance Archer is an intense wrestler, but so is Batista, and we already know why he is intense, what he brings to the table, and why he should be watched. Shoot, even Sheamus is branching out using his Celtic roots and his unique look as extra flavor to his blatant disregard for others. What's so special about Vance Archer? Just because someone mentions the intensity of another, doesn't guarantee abject success. So, Archer has his work cut out for him.<br /><br />Vance Archer is an intense wrestler. However, his intensity should be focused on being seen as something other than a cheap replacement for a far more valuable wrestler, along with his need to be more than just a useless TNA castaway as well as a bland, one-dimensional character. He has to step away from those schemas and be more than just that. I have an idea. Why not have the intense Vance Archer do some research? Study the tapes. Watch the promos. Be bigger and better than those around you by learning from the best. Find out what intensity is by observing the intense. If you can do that, and can become a truly intense wrestler, then the world will take you seriously. Being intense is more than just a smirking scowl and an endorsement from some general manager. If you work on it, it can be a belief, a mindset, or even a lifestyle. In Archer's case, it's a wrestling style. That's great for you, Vance, granted you were the first to do it. Sadly, you weren't, so you have a long way to go. To your credit though, you're doing a prety decent job, which is more than I can say for some guys with gimmick issues..The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-38755517241921989282009-11-22T17:10:00.003-05:002009-11-28T17:42:38.107-05:00Fan Appreciation Week: The failures and successes of the new ECWFor this year's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ECW</span> analysis, we have <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Vafa</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Behnam</span> giving his insight on the failure of the new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ECW</span>. Check he and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Nic</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Steenburg</span> out at the website below:<br /><br /><a href="http://aca-creative.blogspot.com/" onmousedown="'UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this)," target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://aca-creative.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />Creatively speaking, it's their way of booking the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">WWE</span> in a fantasy format.<br /><br />Now, can <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">ECW</span> be seen as a failure? Well, let's see: it's the rebirth of the 7-year old revolution, coerced by Paul <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Heyman</span> and Tod Gordon, and is lived vicariously through many different means. Compared to what we saw then, what we learned then, and what we encountered, it's not exactly a very good comparison. I could go on and on as to why that's the case, but this time, it's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Vafa's</span> turn. So, here we go. Feel free to comment on such:<br /><br /><br />What I would like to talk about in this post is how the new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ECW</span> completely embarrasses the original <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">ECW</span>. Its very essence does no justice to its past, whatsoever. What I would also like to mention is how <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">ECW</span> could not be listed as the C show. As bad as it sounds or seems, it's actually still pretty promising.<br /><br />How does the new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">ECW</span> embarrass its predecessor? For one, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ECW</span> stands for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Extreme</span> Championship Wrestling (notice the emphasis on the first word). Nowadays, if you switch on the channel, one bloody chair-shot is really asking for it. Even if in the old <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">ECW</span>, there was no hardcore action(which was rare), there would surely be explosive high-flying, terrific technical maneuvers, or extreme strength as a fine, blood-pumping substitute. If you need some evidence, search up any <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">pre</span>-2001 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">ECW</span> video. I've even done the liberty of selecting a video right here:<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/L9os-9r8mBI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/L9os-9r8mBI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Notice that at ringside in the video, you see tables, chairs, trash cans and tons of other hardcore weapons. Now, one part of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">ECW's</span> failure has just been proven. However, three to four years ago, it wasn't the C show because of its wrestling talent. See, back then, it was real entertaining or at least remotely entertaining. Nowadays, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">ECW</span> is neither. It's a place for youngsters to job while looking to make an impact, or washed-up has-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">beens</span> who are looking to restart their careers. Even if they get the occasional wrestler who has talent, they instantly export him or her to some other brand, and in exchange, they get even more youngsters and has-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">beens</span>.<br /><br />Back in the day, heck, back three to four years ago, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">ECW</span> would have some of the top talent in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">WWE</span> on the roster, such as the first and only <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">ECW</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">WWE</span> champion at the same time, six time <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">IC</span> champion, Mr. Money in the bank for the year of 2006 and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">grand slam</span> champion, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">RVD</span>, the world's largest athlete, the only wrestler to have held the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">WWE</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">WCW</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">ECW</span> titles, and highly decorated wrestling titlist, The Big Show and even the owner of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">WWE</span>, Vinny Mac was on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">ECW</span>. So, what disappoints me the most is how <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">ECW</span> let itself go, dropping in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">entertainment</span>, and most importantly, letting down its fans. Sadly, this problem has spread like a virus, and all over the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">WWE</span>, brand by brand. I hope that one day, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">WWE</span> would reconstruct <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">ECW</span>, and make it a real brand, not some sort of a joke. What is good about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">ECW</span> is that it is a place to revive old-timers, and test out new talent in the main event. If <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">ECW</span> wants to continue as the C show and wants the training ground for has-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">beens</span> and youngsters, then they are on the right track. If <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">ECW</span> wants to become an entertaining, blood-pumping A show, then there's lots of work to do...<br /><br /><br />My opinion: a well-thought analysis by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Vafa</span>. Good job on your submission, my friend. I have basically echoed what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Vafa</span> wrote in as many posts as I could. It's up to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">WWE</span> to see the err of their ways and make <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">ECW</span> what it could be, what it should be, and what is what meant to be: a revolutionary entity here to change the face of professional wrestling, on par with that of Raw or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">Smackdown</span>. You don't have to like it, but darn it if you don't respect it.<br /><br />Next week: we take an "intense" look at Vance Archer. In the weeks to come, we look at the fallout of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">Burchill</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">Hurricane</span> war, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">ECW's</span> existence at Survivor Series, the returns of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">ECW</span> Christmas Wish List and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">ECW</span> predictions for year 2010, and to start off the new year, we look at how the new creative direction for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">WWE</span> might affect <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54">ECW</span>. <br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-56873409169646899432009-11-15T23:57:00.010-05:002009-11-17T09:05:11.999-05:00Old habits die hard, and old wounds still tear easyDue to circumstances beyond my control, the proposed Hurricane/Burchill analysis will wait until the week of December 13. Don't blame me. The WWE didn't want to book a match they talked about just a week ago for whatever reason, so, yea, can't help that. <div><br /></div><div>As I was making my rounds through the internet, I came across an interview from Rob Van Dam for the UK Sun newspaper and website. As it turned out, he still had a lot to say about the new ECW, his final months in the WWE, and how Vince really did his work at trying to destroy ECW. He recounts how he never expected ECW One Night Stand 2005 to be a continued tradition, but its success produced a return engagement one year later. He spoke about how it was going to be difficult to get the same feel for the next One Night Stand PPV, as wrestlers would decline due to death, commitment to other feds, or just distaste for the WWE. He also stated that his victory over John Cena at One Night Stand 2006 was the crowning achievement of his career. And, why shouldn't it be? He broke the glass ceiling in front of the fans that made his career and captured the WWE title, meriting his use and values as a wrestler. It also gave ECW value and gave Rob a chance to celebrate among his real fans (like his loving wife). However, his breaking the ceiling of glass didn't come without a price, as he makes mention to a few scathing stories of how it all came about, flaring up his old wounds. I can't make mention of them all as I don't fully remember them, but I do remember a few things that stand out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Before I go on, here's a link to an excerpt to that interview: <a href="http://heymanhustle.craveonline.com/articles/news/22626-rob-van-dissed">http://heymanhustle.craveonline.com/articles/news/22626-rob-van-dissed</a></div><div><br /></div><div>If my facts are wrong, look this up and feel free to correct me. </div><div><br /></div><div>RVD made mention of how the ECW originals in 2006 were made to look like bad guys when they were featured on the ECW vs. Raw: Head to Head television special as they battled perennial good guy, John Cena, as well as when they welcomed two current heels into the fold in the forms of Kurt Angle and the Big Show. It didn't help ECW's cause when they were grossly outnumbered on that event by Raw's faces and heels, and beaten in the final moments of the show in a brawl. RVD also mentioned how Vince McMahon would go out of his way to curtail RVD, Paul Heyman, and even Tommy Dreamer's attempts to legitimize ECW as a brand when it was created. Vince would tell Paul that he would have to appeal to the casual fan or new ECW follower by making many changes to the product, which included adding failing WWE stars, disqualifications, silly gimmicks, and setting up the ECW style as a stipulation instead of as an unwritten rule. Paul, Tommy, and Rob would agree, knowing that this was going to happen in all eventuality as it has in all wrestling organizations. They just weren't aware of the lengths Vince would go to in order for it to happen. Sure, Vince would not allow RVD to win the title after his arrest, but the pending moves after such were virtually incredible. RVD made mention as to how Vince told him that the people chant "ECW" because it was he who got them to for the past set of years. At that point, Rob knew that talking to Vince was a big waste of time and that any arguments they had would always end up with Vince winning out. You can only talk to a wall before you grow tired and try to lead a horse to water. Rob then made mention of the December to Dismember PPV, one of the worst PPVs in ECW history, WWE history, and even wrestling history. He mentioned that this would be the place where ECW was officially dead and for good reason. The whole PPV was littered with bad moments that could not be fully equated with the original ECW feel. However, Rob said it was the main event that sealed the deal of ECW's death. It was an elimination chamber match that was going to showcase the changeover of the old ECW to the new ECW. How was this done? Simply put, RVD was defeated in this Elimination Chamber match, and Lashley won the ECW title instead. It didn't help that RVD was one of the first eliminated from the match. But, it was at that moment that the originals of ECW admitted the death of any trace of the original ECW in this new entity. RVD went on further to mention how Vince rubbed it in their faces when he won the ECW title for himself in the following year. It was a destructive move, to say the least, not to mention a very disrespectful one. Then again, can we really be surprised when it comes to Vince and his ego? No, not really, but it still hurts and is still obscenely difficult to accept. </div><div><br /></div><div>To be honest, the fact that Rob Van Dam can still talk about this and not seem bitter is surprising. He's actually pretty mellow about the situation, as he is about many other things in life. However, the fact that he is mentioning all this beyond the fact that it all happened about 2 to 3 years ago, coercing his departure in late 2007, still rings true and damagingly loud in our ears, hearts, and minds. Now, some people will say that RVD and any originals who still talk about this should really just get over it and accept the fact that it happened and they should move on. However, you'd be a fool to say that they should, especially if they spent the best years of their life trying to define ECW as its own entity. They shed blood, sweat, and tears to maintain a living while wrestling in ECW. It was their lives. It was what defined them in the world of wrestling. It was who they were. So, when they see their very lives paraded around like a lifeless marionette by a power-mad puppeteer to fit his own whims and ego, they can't help but mention how sick they get or how disappointed they get. It really hits home with them, and you can't blame them for being bitter. I mean, sure, the WCW guys who are now in the WWE might have their reservations about how WCW was a success in certain areas and a failure in most others, but still deserves a level of respect. Yet, when the company is trashed, they take it upon themselves to harp the negatives, and they should, for good reason, because the horrible mismanagement of a successful company that made up their livelihood should not be forgotten, or brushed aside. ECW, despite its mismanagements, was not gentrified to the point where even the stars didn't want to be there. While it was tough to be in ECW due to the lack of pay at times, the dangerous conditions in matches, and even the lack of stars due to competition, it paled in comparison to working in WCW, where although you were guaranteed more money, you weren't guaranteed a good piece of mind. If anything, it came down to the money, but if it came down to raw ability and just having fun showing it, ECW was the better fit.</div><div><br /></div><div>See, RVD has every right to be bitter at this point in life, as does Paul Heyman, and others. Paul Heyman, to his credit, did everything to kowtow to his bosses with the December to Dismember PPV, but no matter how well he did, he would have been looked at as a failure. Never mind the fact that the WWE did everything to make sure the PPV was atrocious in one way or another. It was Paul's fault because he was creatively in charge of it all. So, he took the fall for it, and was relieved of his duties creatively, until his contract expired. For the second time in his life, he saw his baby or his stepchild taken in by nasty foster parents against his will or his volition. The first time, he openly gave it up to save himself from debt. This time, he had joint custody of this child, and it was swiftly taken from him when he was labeled unfit to raise it by its other foster parents (Note: I really hope I'm not offending anyone with this choice of an analogy. If I do, I humbly apologize as it might hit home with whomever is reading). I mean, the former WCW wrestlers liked WCW, but when it was taken by the WWE and turned into a joke during the Invasion angle, they probably hurt over it, but not to the point where they could fully defend WCW, as it was hard to do it with what went down near its end. It's safe to say that virtually everyone involved with WCW was hurt by WCW's infrastructure one way or another. I say virtually because there were most likely some that didn't feel the effects at all as opposed to those who felt it to the fullest. However, you'd be remiss to think that there are or were any ECW originals that wouldn't defend ECW if it were being treated like trash. It was the place for stars to get their big break, the place for stars to wrestle without limits, and the place to help change the face of professional wrestling. Now, it's just a name in name only, as nothing, save for Tommy Dreamer represents ECW in any way, shape, or form in the current iteration.</div><div><br /></div><div>If any of you get a chance, read that article and its follow-up. Take stock in the words from the only ECW star, virtually homegrown from ECW, that actually broke the glass ceiling and reached the top of professional wrestling, when others would have never been given the chance. Sure, you can mention Benoit, Jericho, and even Guerrero, but we all know they got their real training and notoriety from their respective countries. Maybe I'm tooting the wrong horn here saying what I said, so feel free to disagree. I just think that RVD is worth listening to, if not for the reason I mentioned, but for the reason that, to this day, he is still considered one of the most popular stars to come out of ECW, to the point where he is still cheered, revered, and even demanded in wrestling to this day. He got over being Rob Van Dam, despite what organization he was in, and that was mostly attributed to ECW.</div><div><br /></div><div>Old habits do die hard and at times, old wounds still do tear easy. In RVD's case, the habit to talk about ECW, defend it, and discuss what it has become is still very fresh in his life and even unavoidable. ECW was RVD's life, and you'd be remiss to discredit any portion of your life that was considered a great era or time period. However, the wounds RVD received or already had upon being associated with the letters ECW at its re-edification in 2006 have never healed or may never heal because of his association with ECW. All he wanted was to relive the glory days, if not for one night, for a little while. Instead, he got a full-fledged return that was less than stellar as time went on. It was hard to deal with, but RVD knew or had to know what to expect out of Vince, based on his track record. That, however, didn't mean that he should be the least bit depressed, outraged, or bitter about the outcome. You wouldn't want pieces of your life left in the hands of a bad storyteller. </div><div><br /></div><div>I will say this: Rob's interview does shed some light on two distinct truths that I have come to contemplate. I remember a promo RVD had at ECW Barely Legal 1997 about how he was worth more money in ECW and not worth more money elsewhere. In truth, ECW is the same way, but instead of money, it's worth more respect and honor on its own than it does under someone's watchful eye and control. Another truth comes from Vince and RVD's conversation about ECW fans chanting "ECW" and how it was Vince who taught them that. Well, Vince, you might not have taught them to chant "ECW", but, based on your actions, you sure as heck taught them not to. </div><div><br /></div><div>Reader appreciation week is next week for the Thanksgiving week. If you're interested in blogging about anything concerning the new ECW (2006 to present), let me know and I'll post it for next week. Otherwise, I'm off next week. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div>The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-69098992324213025922009-11-09T00:36:00.005-05:002009-11-09T12:12:08.785-05:00Yoshi Tatsu: reaching new horizonsI just finished watching the Ricky Steamboat/Randy Savage Intercontinental title match at Wrestlemania 3 and was once again, amazed at the talent of both men. What caught my attention, however, was Steamboat's promo before the match. He expressed great rage towards Randy Savage for his attack to Steamboat's throat. He made it clear that he would get revenge, win the title and reach new horizons. A few days later, before writing this blog, I thought of a person, who, like Steamboat, is from the Pacific, is an athletically sound wrestler with great aerial tactics, scientific prowess, and raw energy that makes him a very popular wrestler. Like Steamboat, he may very well remain a face for the majority of his career, entertaining the crowd for the majority of, if not, the rest of his career. Like Steamboat, he had a chance to reach new horizons by capturing gold. However, he failed to do so, as he lost to Christian for the ECW title. Quite obviously, I'm talking about Yoshi Tatsu. However, unlike Steamboat, Yoshi can still reach new horizons without the need to win a title. Yet, just like Steamboat, he may never fully get to relish in that opportunity.<br /><br /><div>Yoshi Tatsu has finally started to turn heads in ECW, with his ability in the ring. His rise to the top is rather reminiscent to Kofi Kingston, only without the undefeated streak. I would say that about 4 to 6 months from now, he will be seeing greener pastures on Raw or Smackdown. In my opinion, it could go either way as to where he ends up. Whatever the case may be, he can make a serious push for the Intercontinental or U.S. Title and probably walk off with it, but maybe in a few tries. In fact, I'd say that with the right marketing, he could even be very approachable and acceptable to many fans alike. However, it is in this air that Yoshi faces true danger. See, Yoshi Tatsu is from Japan. He doesn't speak English, he's already being portrayed in a comedic light with his incessant need to say "Thank you" (Tajiri did the something like this when he first showed up), and he's got the wrestling chops to outshine the majority of the lower and middle card. Throw in the fact that he's a cruiserweight and you have enough key reasons as to why he'll never see true success. Then again, as mentioned, neither did Steamboat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ricky Steamboat's most notable feud in his WWE time included his battle with Randy Savage after getting assaulted to his throat and larynx. The feud culminated at the Wrestlemania, as mentioned with Steamboat winning the IC title. However, no more than a few months later, he dropped the title to the Honky Tonk Man. All that hard work, and only 4 months of success. He never got the IC title back since then. In fact, he disappeared from the WWE shortly after the title loss. He showed up in the NWA to battle Ric Flair on a number of occasions. He returned to the WWE on a short-term basis, then he disappeared to WCW for a possible push there. Why didn't Steamboat go places? Well, he spoke English, his gimmick was very much like the "Karate Kid" or "Bruce Lee", in a sense (which could be seen as a positive or negative, based on your opinion), and he was very over with the crowd. Plus, his ability in the ring was virtually flawless. My guess: he wasn't big enough, size-wise, to make any waves since Vincent K. McMahon liked bigger stars, and also, his gimmick wasn't as flamboyant as the Honky Tonk Man's or others. Tough break, but he made some strides at least to make himself notable.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yoshi Tatsu, albeit in a similar situation, or could be in a similar situation, will have it much worse for himself. His lack of comprehensive English-speaking skills can put him at a definitive disadvantage, when it comes to giving promos or interviews. He's probably one backstage segment away from embodying a negative stereotype (I can see the anime-references coming a mile away. Shoot, someone had a sign talking about him with the Yoshi character from Nintendo on it). He's a cruiserweight, which means he'll be shuffled towards the lower card, possibly on the losing end of things. Lastly, he's received good training from his former organization, New Japan Pro Wrestling, which may put him at odds with many wrestling politicians backstage that don't want to be shown up by his ability to execute maneuvers better than others. Truth be told, it looks like he's behind the 8-ball on this one. Don't believe me? It's happened before, in fact on 4 occasions. </div><div><br /></div><div>Taka Michinoku came in as the answer to WCW's rising cruiserweight division, winning the Light Heavyweight title, and embroiling himself in different feuds, including with his fellow stars in Kaientai, Brian Christopher, and the Oddities (which was when he teamed with Kaientai). How did his career pan out? He literally destroyed his shoulder in 2000, watched everyone but himself and Funaki get fired, got relegated to an idiotic tag team gimmick with Funaki in Kaientai as they were voiced-over like a bad martial arts film (in case you were wondering, it was Shane McMahon doing the VOs, I'm sure of it), then was fired. Funaki remained in the WWE, only to become a backstage interviewer speaking in broken English, then later became Cruiserweight champion for a short time, only to linger on as a jobber, and is now called Kung Fu Naki, with a martial arts gi, a red headband, and a crane kick as a finisher. Yea, idiotic, I know. Jimmy Wang Yang was originally a dangerously skilled Japanese wrestler in WCW with Kaz Hayashi and Jamie Noble, before getting signed on to the WWE as a member of the Japanese mafia, supporting Tajiri. When that fell through, he was just another martial artist, teaming with Billy Kidman until he was transformed into Jimmy Wang Yang, your stereotypical Asian person trying to be a Southerner. Where did that take him? It got him a few choice victories in tag team and singles wrestling, but never any titles, and then, out of nowhere, he was suspended for a wellness policy violation and hasn't been on the winning end of any matches since then. It's bad enough he had a gimmick that was already wearing thin since its beginning, despite his tremendous ability. The suspension just made things worse. Lastly, we have Tajiri. After appearing briefly on WWE television, he joined ECW and was embroiled in a long-time feud with Super Crazy. It was enough to get him an ECW Television Title and a few ECW World Title shots. Upon coming to the WWE, he was already a flunky for William Regal. He then became Torrie Wilson's love interest, and then he became a heel, but not before winning the Cruiserweight championship, I believe, along with some other titles, if I'm not mistaken. After many stellar runs as Cruiserweight champion, he departed from the WWE in 2005. This was attributed to his grief of the loss of Eddie Guerrero as well as his travels straining on his marriage. However, as respected and as cheered as Tajiri got, he never received any forward movement, even when Rey Mysterio was getting it, and he was smaller than Tajiri, too.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some of these examples might not seem very prevalent, but they all share one thing in common: they, like Yoshi Tatsu, all have had the same problems coming into the forefront of their careers. Be it a language barrier, size differentials, bad stereotypes or even just general talent, it wasn't enough for them to go anywhere near a major singles title, let alone a major mid-card title, if not for a long period of time. It could have even been just general backstage politics, but the outcome remains the same. Yoshi Tatsu had better be ready to expect this for his career. It's just a bit depressing and saddening only because the WWE can choose to be progressive and allow for a change by allowing for a foreign star to succeed, let alone one of a different nationality. Like it or not, you won't be seeing many foreign stars as champions in major wrestling organizations in the U.S. We got that chance with Yokozuna (even though he was Samoan, in reality, but he still wasn't American). We even got that with various Canadian stars (but they spoke English, so there was no language barrier). Simply put, the possibilities are too few and far between to consider it progress. That said, Yoshi Tatsu might not see anything more out of his career but a possible IC or U.S. Title run....that could end in a blink of an eye.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yoshi Tatsu is slowly but surely reaching new horizons as a superstar in ECW and in the WWE, as a whole. It doesn't look like he'll go very far, as based on past examples, but there is always hope. Rey Mysterio could barely speak English, and sadly, he still barely can in some instances, but he was still given the World Title for his merit, his ability, his heart, and his connection with Eddie Guerrero (a connection that would make him a key culprit in the exploitation of Eddie's life...after his death). Kofi Kingston spoke English, despite a forced and labored Jamaican accent, and he has won the U.S., IC, and World Tag titles within the first year and a half of being on Monday Night Raw. He did have his fair share of losses, but now he's embroiled in a feud with a top main eventer in Randy Orton. Does this show promise for Yoshi? You could say so, but with all the things against him for possible forward progression, it's very hard to say. Regardless, you'd be a fool to discredit his amazing ability, which is his biggest selling point in ECW. If it got him a title shot, it can get him a spot on a better or bigger brand. </div><div><br /></div><div>Yoshi Tatsu has his career right in front of him and has to do his best to make the best of the situation that he's in. In fact, all superstars who find themselves in limbo, jobbing here and there, or not even showing up on t.v. should do the best with the situation they are in. Showing initiative, despite the negatives is always a good sign for upward movement. Although it might be too late for some, it isn't for Yoshi Tatsu. Who knows? He might actually reach those "new horizons" that so many of his brethren from Japan have missed. Or, he could just be relegated to some Japanese Anime-related gimmick/stereotype....which just screams of creativity.....</div><div><br /><br /></div>The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-63402805994667805902009-11-03T18:45:00.004-05:002009-11-04T08:00:30.745-05:00ECW: love it or leave it...Sheamus, formerly of ECW fame, has made his debut on Monday Night Raw, 2 weeks ago by destroying Jamie Noble in a match. He did it again this week while during the match and even after the match, proving his dominance once again. Between those two matches, he got even with Shelton Benjamin and defeated him on his last ECW match before completely going to Raw. However, on the ECW side of things, what really mattered was the internal feelings about the move. When asked by Abraham Washington on his show, ECW G.M. Tiffany made it clear that if a person did not want to be in ECW, they could leave. No questions. No fuss. Just leave. Now, where have I seen this type of bravado before, when dealing with ECW? Oh yes, from Paul Heyman. Funny how things remain the same, the more things change.<br /><br />Paul Heyman controlled ECW from 1993 until its last show in 2001, putting together at most 7 years of incredible, ground-breaking wrestling. There were compelling storylines, well-wrestled scientific matches, incredible promos, innovative characters, and some of the most violent wrestling you would see in the United States since the days of the Shiek and "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Paul had no problem taking in stars who needed exposure, experience, and just a place to work, but when the topic of leaving ECW ever came up in a convo, Paul made it clear that he wasn't going to try to compete with WCW or WWE's money or offers. If you wanted out, then go. Apparently, it holds true for this iteration of ECW as well. I just never thought it would be said, mentioned, or even considered. Also, instead of jumping to different companies, it's about jumping to different brands. So, I guess Sheamus figured that there wasn't enough on ECW to conquer that was worth conquering. The ECW title wasn't enough. The remaining competition wasn't enough. It had to be the greener pastures of Raw that would be enough to satiate the needs of the Celtic warrior. Either that, or Triple H's influence, but that's another story...<br /><br />So, if ECW isn't enough for certain stars, why is it that certain stars we would love to see succeed on other shows like they would deserve to, don't consider the same thing? Why is it that some of the most skilled stars and veterans on ECW don't take it upon themselves to do so? The easy answer of course, is backstage politics. But, if that wasn't even a factor, why not have some stars just up and leave? Is it because they stretched out their chances on the other brands? Is it because they are biding their time until they are ready to burst onto the scene elsewhere? Whatever the reason may be, I have a few stars in mind that should just up and leave ECW with the talent they have and try to make a run on Raw or SmackDown. In fact, I only know three stars.<br /><br />First, there's the Hurricane. The Hurricane has the wrestling credibility to be a big time high-flyer on SmackDown, let alone a great singles wrestler who utilizes ground-based moves. If this hasn't been proven, just look back to his singles matches with Matt Hardy when he used his alter ego, Gregory Helms (or so it's believed to be his alter ego...wink wink). They had some of the best midcard matches on SmackDown at that time. Helms proved he could hang with bigger stars, and had some crucial maneuvers that could secure him victory against bigger stars, be it bigger in star value, or bigger in size. I remember Helms defeating Rosey, a 300+ lb Samoan superhero sidekick, with a well-place "Shining Wizard" to the side of his head. It's the wrestling knowledge that Helms acquired through his tours of Japan and such that has polished his wrestling style extensively. As it turns out, the Hurricane has the exact same skill set and expertise. If we are seeing stars like Morrison, the Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Evan Bourne, and even Kofi Kingston who have comparably the same size as the Hurricane along with the charisma (if not somewhat lacking for some of them), utilize their skills against stars their size and caliber as well as stars beyond those limits, why not the Hurricane? Is it because he's a tired act? Is it because he's not as sharp as they are? Or is it because he never had that opportunity nor deserved it?<br /><br />Second, there's Shelton Benjamin. Say what you will about his expertise, his style, his attitude, or whatever, but you can't take away the fact that he is the best pure athlete in the WWE today. He has the speed, the agility, and the athleticism to go very far in the WWE. He is cut in the same mold as that of the aforementioned stars, but has the ring experience they do not in the WWE (with the exception of the Hurricane). He would and should be a star looking to leave for greener pastures and ply his trade on another brand. However, with his track record looking less than stellar on those shows, due to his rather stagnant title runs, his go-nowhere storylines, and even his lack of....well, whatever he was told he was lacking, it wouldn't be prudent to take another risk like that. Regardless, if anyone should be taking that risk on ECW, it's definitely Shelton.<br /><br />Last and definitely not least is Christian. About 11 years ago, he debuted in the WWE. He went from promising cruiserweight, to Gothic sensation, to incredible tag team wrestler, to charismatic new sensation, to midcard star, to proven commodity, to big fish in another organization to returning veteran looking for a big run to ECW champion. The biggest question on everybody's mind was this: why didn't he return to a more prominent brand? Yes, we might know the answers. However, if you take out that part, you get to thinking about the true answer. Christian stated he wanted to become ECW champion. Ok, well you've done that. Isn't it time to step up your game, or is being a big deal in a small place enough for you? Christian should and would be that upcoming star in whatever title pictures you consider on Raw or Smackdown. Would it have been he battling the Undertaker instead of C.M. Punk? Would it have been he doing battle against Punk or Jeff Hardy? Would it be he that is next in line for a shot at the WWE title? We may never know at this point. Or at least, we won't know as long as he is content to be on ECW.<br /><br />Tiffany made it short and sweet: if you don't want to be on ECW, then leave. Guess what? There are at least three stars that we would love to see leave ECW and continue their runs or success elsewhere. Christian, Shelton, and the Hurricane are all capable enough to gain some ground on whatever show they go to. In fact, they probably have. However, numerous setbacks prevented them from ascending. It ranged from general malaise towards the job, forcing them to look elsewhere, or even a general lack of interest in doing more with one's career. How did they find solace? By heading to ECW and re-focusing their careers. I say, the time for re-focusing is done. They've gained their focus. They have the tools necessary to be more than they were before. They can make the jump and it wouldn't be a problem. However, the WWE doesn't see it that way. Sadly, they don't either, so leaving ECW isn't in the cards now or maybe forever.<br /><br />It's the new version of ECW. Like the original ECW, you either love it or leave it. Christian, Shelton, and the Hurricane might not love it, would probably love to leave it, but can't due to the same problems they had before coming there. Since this is the case, they have no choice to stop "loving to leave" ECW and start loving ECW as it is. However, since the quality of ECW has been better than Raw's or Smackdown's, despite terrible ratings, I wouldn't consider leaving ECW either. Sometimes, it's good to be with that growing expansion team for a while, then that high-priced team that doesn't go anywhere for the most part.The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-42911038239564595602009-10-25T17:43:00.004-04:002009-10-25T18:43:00.433-04:00ECW Progress Report: Quality vs. QuantityI'll try to be brief with this one, but, you know how it gets when you're in front of a computer and you have a lot to talk about, with little or no interruption. So, here we go.<br /><br />Lately, after much talk with fellow wrestling fans and even some other reviews here and there, I've come to see that ECW has become quite a quality show. Despite Raw's endless cavalcades of clownish entertainment, and SmackDown's slow descent into the same spiral as its sister brand, ECW remains the way it was, virtually untouched, and on the same path: creating new stars, re-focusing old stars, and remaining more on the action side of things, with little-to-no extra exposition. This isn't always the case, though, as we do see a lot of recap footage on this show, mostly to push the upcoming PPV event. However, when that's not the case, we can see ECW shine with the talent it brings to the table.<br /><br />For the month of October, we've seen Yoshi Tatsu establish himself as a growing sensation, Zack Ryder maintain his standing as an increasingly adaptive heel, Sheamus become the big deal of a big man that he is, William Regal remain the dirty, rotten, scoundrel he has always been, Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson dominating as a tandem of tough brutes, veterans like Goldust, the Hurricane, and Tommy Dreamer fulfilling their roles to the best of their abilities, and Christian being as entertaining, charismatic, and athletically sound as possible. It's been a pretty solid effort on all their parts, hence, making ECW a very watchable and entertaining show. And yet, I wasn't shocked to learn that last week's ratings were at a .95, which I believe was ECW's lowest ratings to date. Why the lack of shock? Well, sadly, ECW's quality, as good as it can get, is still not enough to merit new or continuing viewers. This can be pretty disappointing, since ECW is the only quality show that's on WWE television now that hasn't been fully gentrified with "too much entertainment". So, one would say that it is the only show worth watching that is within the WWE programming schedule. However, some, if not most people don't think so.<br /><br />If you don't know by now, ECW has been completely forgotten on the October PPV schedule, being frozen out of any and all matches on Bragging Rights or Hell in a Cell, when it's obvious that they would have fit in well for either PPV. However, the WWE's booking schemes have virtually proven to be very shoddy in some instances, whether it is in overbooking matches, or overplaying certain gimmicks. If that's not the case, then the match logic has been rather off when it comes to stipulations. In either case, someone must have gotten the message across that ECW wasn't worthy of being on PPV for the month of October. Also, it has been confirmed that the WWE wanted to shift the Smackdown team for Bragging Rights around to a team with more notable wrestlers instead of young and hungry wrestlers that could use the rub for a good push to the top. Instead of making new stars, they went with old ones only because the new guys looked weak against team Raw. Perhaps, they looked weak because everybody's favorite duo of "push killers", DX, made them look like a bunch of nobodys. Since DX keeps on talking, and is consisted of Vince McMahon's favorite "son" and his actual son-in-law, everyone has to listen. How much do you want to bet they had something to do with freezing ECW out of October's events? Well, they probably didn't, but someone obviously did. <br /><br />I just find it very disappointing that the WWE's only quality show with little or no spots to make you change the channel isn't even an idea of their own, let alone a 2-hour show or wrought with top stars. If you haven't been watching ECW lately, I suggest that you do. Get an inside look at the stars of tomorrow on WWE television. Instead of breaking your brain on nonsensical booking, lousy announcing, re-hashed storylines, dreadful celebrity guests, and the same old main event you've seen a hundred times, go with ECW. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.<br /><br />Yea, this is starting to sound like an ECW infomercial, but it has its merits, and I just wanted to let everyone know what they are missing. When the WWE was floundering around, looking for new stars to put on Raw, they completely forgot they had a place that was making new stars almost often. ECW continues to make new stars by having great matches with these new stars every Tuesday night, while Raw continues to spiral downward in quality every Monday, and Smackdown follows right after it. The problem is: no one really cares. When these new stars find a new place to go, be it Raw or Smackdown, ECW gets forgotten completely as if it never existed and the new stars just appeared out of nowhere. Can something be done to laud ECW's quality? Only time will tell, quite honestly. But, I will say this: ECW has been doing a better job at entertaining than Raw or Smackdown has, to be quite honest. It has also done a better job with athleticism and action. If you look at any match that has occurred this week, you'd be hard-pressed to say that ECW didn't deliver. ECW delivered, and in spades. It might not seem like a problem, but it is. It is reflecting the quality of Raw and Smackdown, on a whole. When you have people saying that the best rematch of the week was ECW's Christian vs. Chris Jericho over Raw's Cena/HHH battle #1000 or Smackdown's attempt at revisiting the C.M. Punk/Undertaker controversy, which was based on another controversy, you know you have a problem.<br /><br />I'm just saying........that you can stand to do much better for certain shows that have been around for 10 years or more. Why is it that a show that is reborn from the ashes of an organization that died 8 years ago is doing your jobs for you?<br /><br />Special note: if you have what it takes to blog about this version of ECW, get in touch with me by<br />Thanksgiving weekend. That Sunday is Fan Appreciation Day!The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-60310426316403397652009-10-18T23:23:00.011-04:002009-10-21T10:11:43.553-04:00How ECW can reclaim its "Bragging Rights"So, it looks like Cyber Sunday, which was formerly Taboo Tuesday, is now a memory, as the WWE has changed this PPV event to WWE Bragging Rights. The theme: a slew of Raw and Smackdown superstars square off against each other in a "Raw vs. SD" showdown of sorts. The point: well, not just to get over yet another themed PPV, but to also plug and support the upcoming Smackdown vs. Raw videogame, aptly named Smackdown vs. Raw 2010, as if it were a John Madden football game. This seems like a great idea to push new stars, see some stars from each show in dream matches against each other, and generally show some pride for each brand. I can think of at least 2 things wrong with this motif. One: no one really cares which show is better. It's safe to say that active Raw viewers watch Smackdown when they can, and vice versa. So, why would they care which show is better? In fact, by doing this, your forcing the fans to decide which show is worth watching, which can cause the fans to ultimately stop watching the alternative. Problem two is this: why is this just subject to Raw and Smackdown? Where's ECW? Yea, you can use the video game's title as an excuse to leave ECW out, but even ECW is represented in that game. It's almost as if ECW is a "dirty little secret" that the WWE doesn't want to share with anyone. Yet, it deserves to be shared, honored, and at least respected on some levels.<br /><div><br /></div><div>ECW was, without a doubt, one of the most controversial, unorthodox, and generally, ground-breaking organizations in the U.S. I could go on and on about what was done there and how it changed wrestling, but odds are, if you're reading this, you are like me, and you know that story already. When it was re-introduced by the WWE in 2006 as a brand, it was treated as if it was an infected sore that needed to be treated the WWE way, but was still infecting thanks to Paul Heyman's involvement. Once Heyman was gone, it was treated, but then its value was non-existent. Who would care about a 1-hour show that had as much to do with the original ECW as Vince McMahon had to do with changing professional football? The ECW originals didn't care, the original fans didn't care, the new fans didn't care, the pundits didn't care, no one cared. So, ECW existed as a place to hold matches with stars that couldn't hack it on the other brands, as well as new stars that couldn't find a place on those brands to start without getting lost in the shuffle. It was in this light that ECW found its niche and deserves to be respected. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ever since the word went out that ECW was to become the haven for new stars that weren't quite ready for Raw or Smackdown, amazing things happened. We were treated to stars that re-focused their energy on re-inventing themselves, and new stars that were focused on becoming the new generation of wrestling stars that we see today. The results: six superstars have emerged from this version of ECW and have become the stars that we have always seen them to be, with accolades that are very noteworthy. John Morrison became John Morrison after securing the ECW title for the first time as Johnny Nitro. He then became the charismatic, somewhat obscure, "Shaman of Sexy" and "Weekday Night Delight", walking away with about 3 Intercontinental title reigns, a long standing WWE Tag Title reign with the Miz, a World Tag Title reign with the Miz, two Slammy Awards for his tag work and his web show, "The Dirt Sheet", and he's poised to become a top star on SmackDown. Speaking of the Miz, he pretty much did exactly what Morrison did, except for win the ECW title and instead of the IC title, he won the U.S. title once. He is also poised to be a star, but on Raw. Evan Bourne electrified crowds all over the world on ECW with his high-flying abilities. Because of this, he made his way to Raw and forged a great following there. Kofi Kingston had an amazing undefeated streak on ECW before being added to the Raw roster where he would become a World Tag Champion, an IC champ, and a U.S. champ, to say the least. His amazing wrestling style makes him an instant hit with the fans. Jack Swagger established excellence and dominance with an decent streak going on ECW as well as 2 ECW title reigns. This was enough to merit him a spot on Raw in the U.S. title hunt. Lastly, the biggest success story out of ECW has to be C.M. Punk, who went undefeated for the rest of 2006, captured the ECW title on a number of occasions, then became a 3 time World Champion, an IC champion, and a World Tag champion while on Raw and then Smackdown, becoming the fastest superstar to the fabled "Triple Crown". These 6 superstars are living proof of the effectiveness of ECW. That's plenty to be arrogant about. And yet, ECW is still given the shaft, but not to the extreme that I've seen recently.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>ECW has given Raw and Smackdown six excellent superstars in the Miz, John Morrison, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne and C.M. Punk. These men have made Raw and Smackdown a haven for new and different wrestling for new and old fans alike. So, you'd think for a PPV like Bragging Rights that every group would have something to fight for. Instead, ECW gets frozen out of this PPV. In fact, ECW got frozen out of the Hell in a Cell PPV as well. In other words, ECW has been completely neglected for the month of October. Does that stink or what? ECW doesn't get a chance to brag, get involved in any inter-brand battles, or even have matches of their own. Also, and I have noticed this, when it comes to mentioning the history of those aforementioned six stars, there's barely any mention of their success in ECW. It's like, the WWE doesn't even want to acknowledge their history before the brands they are on. So much for ECW's bragging rights. I guess my "dirty little secret" theory is proving to be right.</div><div><br /></div><div>Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that this iteration of ECW is great. It is missing a lot of things that can make it great. One major thing is the fact that it has little or no connection to the original ECW at all, in its matches, promos, etc. It doesn't have that feel in almost any way. But, you know something? Despite all that, it has done some things right. It gave us those stars I mentioned. It's going to give us more stars in Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder, Sheamus, Paul Burchill and even veterans re-focused and rejuveneated like William Regal and Christian. It's still very qualitative in those sorts and cases. Still, the schema of ECW being a low-level brand and an "unwelcome guest" in the eyes of the WWE through many facets still exists and it's stronger than ever. However, I think ECW could have made a bit of an impact in this case, even with only a few weeks removed from the PPV at hand. The move to make: do what ECW is good at doing in the WWE: INVADE!</div><div><br /></div><div>You want to make an impact? Have seven of ECW's stars, despite what they are doing, show up on Raw or SD, and attack one of, if not a few of, the qualified stars for the Raw/SD match. They can start on the week of the Hell in a Cell PPV, and then have it escalate the next week. When ECW's GM, Tiffany, is confronted about this, she states that it was Regal's idea while she was out of the picture with her injury. But, after looking at the big picture, she feels that it was a smart move because ECW has just as much to brag about as does Raw and Smackdown. After conferring with the necessary people, ECW finally gets involved. As for ECW's involvement, it would be limited to just two matches.</div><div><br /></div><div>Match one is obviously the tag match. Instead of 14, it would be 21, in this case. However, with this many people, it could be rather packed in the ring, so lower the number to 5 guys a team or something. If not, just leave it at 7 and see what happens. As for the teams, well, just assemble the top guys on ECW right now that's not the champion. This would be William Regal (the captain), Vladimir Kozlov, Ezekiel Jackson, Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder, Tommy Dreamer (Co-captain), and either Sheamus or Shelton Benjamin. This would be a great way of showing how viable ECW is as a brand. If not, it would at least give them a spot for showcasing their talent. Also, you can leave that possibility that ECW can actually win with stars like Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder, and even Shelton or Sheamus doing a great job as athletes on their show.</div><div><br /></div><div>Match two is my main thesis point in this analysis. Forget a Raw-only main event. Forget a Smackdown-only main event. Instead, bring back the "Champion of Champions" triple threat match. Instead of putting the title or titles on the line, since that has proven to be a bad move only due to the fact that the fans will only vote to one side, just make it a non-title affair, and not make the threat of letting the title change hands, since the titles have been changing hands a lot. This would give Christian the main event importance that he not only deserves, but that ECW can use. However, the idea isn't as solid as one would think it to be.</div><div><br /></div><div>The possibility of a "Champion of Champions" triple threat would have only worked if we had a certain set of champions in place, instead of the ones we see now. I had hoped that if Christian was to be in this match, the champions would or should be John Cena and C.M. Punk. See, if you put Christian in this match with Randy Orton and Undertaker as the champions of their respective brands, the possibility of Christian winning goes square out the window. No one is expecting him to get the pinfall on Orton or Taker, let alone a submission. It just wouldn't make sense, nor would it seem believable. Now, if it were Cena and C.M. Punk, then you have a level of believability. You can see Punk taking Cena out, but falling to the "Unprettier" (Killswitch Engage? Sorry, that's a rock group, not a finishing move. Try again!) and Christian winning. It would be a good combination of a veteran, a star on the rise, and an established star working as you can see three styles combined to make a good show, with three stars that can hang with big and small guys alike. Truth be told, it would be a decent match to watch. It would keep Raw and Smackdown on the top, and it would validate ECW as a brand with a star that can hang with the best. Believe me, I'd pay to see Christian/Cena/C.M. Punk because it has a chance of being good logically, than Christian/Orton/Undertaker which has a strong chance of being horrible due to its bad logic.</div><div><br /></div><div>There you have it. ECW can get its bragging rights by taking part in the two Bragging Rights main events. Quite honestly, ECW can use it, and is due for it. They've made six great stars on the rise. They've given us the best of the new when we needed it and the re-focused potential of the old when it counted. They have given a haven to stars who couldn't find a place on Raw or Smackdown to get over. They even prove to be a starting point for new stars from other companies to start their quest to the top of the WWE (not so much for Braden Walker, but very much for C.M. Punk). I think they have just as much a stake in this PPV than the others do. Sure, they won't trump Raw or SD, especially since their best stars are on those shows, nor would they have a great chance of winning in their battles. But, you can't ignore something that has actually done some good for the WWE. If you just want to talk about Raw and SD and who's better, then just use those brands. Get rid of ECW! Destroy it. Do away with it. Just utilize the stars on the shows you have and push them properly instead of throwing them on some extra show that you don't even care about and in truth, which no one will watch. If you want to brag that you have two shows that might have had more episodes than most television shows, that's fine. If you want to brag that you won the big battle of wrestling feds of the 1990s and 2000s with the acquisition of ECW, go ahead as you've done so already. Why not brag about one of those acquisitions actually having the potential to do good stuff for you with creating stars and having quality matches at times?</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh...that's right.....ECW wasn't Vince's idea, but it succeeded in changing the world of wrestling. You have weight-lifting organizations that do nothing but sell bad supplements, and lousy football leagues that don't do more than stink up the place this side of horrible arena football. I guess it's better to brag about bad ideas and laugh about it later than brag about good ideas that you didn't have, stole from, and can help you even though you don't want it to, since you didn't think of it yourself. Good to see the right priorities intact...<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div>The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-50563819903050365572009-10-12T04:55:00.005-04:002009-10-13T23:56:24.770-04:00ECW Talent Search: so you think you can wrestle....for the ECW brand?I've been harping on this for the past several weeks, quite honestly. I had hoped that ECW would have fixed this problem, but sadly, that would be asking too much. The problem in question deals with the ECW roster. No, it's not the fact that there is no talent, because there is. It's not the fact that some of the stars there belong on more qualified brands, because we all know they do. The problem is this: the talent roster is too thin. There aren't enough stars to go around, coercing us to either watch favored stars look bad, not-so-favorite stars get all types of face time, and the same matches with the same people over and over again. Don't get me wrong. Sometimes it's good to have a feud with the same person to establish that wrestler's cred. However, when there is no one to transition to afterward, be it after a long or short-term feud, you have no choice but to watch the same old story, with most likely the same result (the greater of the two wrestlers wins). If you see anything different along those lines, then people see it as an attack against the greater's cred, or worse, a chance to elevate the lesser, even though the lesser might not deserve it or can't do anything with it. Another key problem I have with this whole situation is that there are a plethora of stars that either are or aren't used on television in a way that could stand to be on ECW and flourish due to their talent alone. This would be great for them to somehow get themselves re-discovered and relied upon for bigger things the second time around. Having said all of that, let's look at the talent pools of both Raw and Smackdown and see who can benefit from making the move to ECW, in a sense (note: I will even be including stars that have been on ECW before):<br /><br />-Charlie Haas<br />This has to be the most forgettable wrestler that I can think of that has all the talent in the world to be a big deal as a wrestler. Even while on SD, he was wrestling stiff and concise and, well, that's just not enough. This guy has talent, without question. However, Vince McMahon would rather watch paint dry than watch him wrestle. Sadly, everyone now thinks this. This didn't help matters even when he started impersonating wrestlers. Does this mean he sucks, completely? I don't think so. ECW can be a fresh start for him as a singles wrestler. No, scratch that. It seems that Charlie's best success, despite having some concise submissions, is in tag wrestling. So, how do you save his career? Put him on ECW with a running buddy or as a running buddy and make him a perennial tag team wrestler. Hands down. Who do you tag him with? Look ahead.<br /><br />-Curt Hawkins<br />Curt has the skill to be a great wrestler on the singles' scene. He has good maneuvers and skill as well, but lacks the charisma to match Zack Ryder....sadly. So, what do you do with him? Easy! Find where his true success was (tag team wrestling), and stick him with a perennial partner that can't possibly overshadow him to be split away from him. Enter Charlie Haas. They wear similar tights, and similar colors. Also, they are similar in..well...charismatic delivery. So, here's an approach: They are the C.H. Athletics Club, whose main purpose is to show that they are the best wrestlers in the WWE. To build on this: they attack anyone who is all about stupid gimmicks, ideas, or personalities. Where would be a good place to try this, while allowing them to wrestle virtually uninhibited? ECW.<br /><br />-The Hart Dynasty<br />Don't get me wrong. I love this team. I love virtually anyone connected to the Hart family that has made something of themselves positively, one way or another. I just hate the fact that they are on a major show, like SmackDown, and getting trashed by tag teams that don't appeal anymore (Cryme Tyme) or just against stars that don't need to be pushed over them (Great Khali). Heck, they put John Morrison and Matt Hardy together in some makeshift tag match to get them both over as they were both involved in something major at the time. How did they do it? They ended up beating the Hart Dynasty. Instead of putting them out there so soon, why not let them build up on ECW and then become a big deal? Unfortunately, that didn't work too well, either as they were being buried on that show by the likes of Finlay. Still, with the show now focusing more on wrestling, they belong back on that show.<br /><br />-Mike Knox<br />This guy has been looking bad as a wrestler ever since ECW and his name were connected. However, when he was on ECW, he at least had something of a push before he was traded to Raw...and then to SmackDown. How did those trades go down? Horribly! He took Snitsky's place as a jobber on Raw, and once again, as a jobber on S.D. This time, he's probably replacing Chuck Palumbo or something as a jobber on S.D. He's not chiseled. He doesn't have boyish or mannish good looks. But, I'll tell you what: he's a heck of a hand as a brawler and a powerhouse. Give him one break for once and let it be somewhere good, like ECW. Heck, they've got hard hitters in Ezekiel Jackson, Vladimir Kozlov, Sheamus, and Paul Burchill. Throw Knox in the mix, why don't ya?<br /><br />-Jimmy Wang Yang<br />Here's how this works: drop the stupid cowboy gimmick. Give him something different. Make him a standard Japanese wrestler, like Yoshi Tatsu. Or..go back to the whole Japanese Mafia idea with Sakoda. Or better yet, look to Dragon Gate or CHIKARA or something for some ideas and do something with him. I know Jimmy has the talent and is a great athlete. I just think that ECW would be a great place to see that if he a) drops the gimmick, b) gets out of the WWE doghouse fully by not violating anymore policies, and c) adopts one of his better finishers.<br /><br />-Carlito<br />I know a lot of you will disagree with this. I'm only saying this to give him some direction. Now, yes, this is a demotion, but it gives Carlito a chance to once again, spread his wings as a wrestler and fly. This is also a chance for him to re-focus himself as Shelton Benjamin is doing. He's a great wrestler who needs a platform to show how great he is, but there's too many things keeping him from doing this, be it backstage attitude, no space on Raw for his talent, jobbing ridiculously, or being saddled with his rather generic brother. I can see great matches between Carlito and Christian. However, Carlito going to ECW isn't a definite. It's only definite if the next person doesn't go there.<br /><br />-Primo<br />I would more prefer that Primo goes to ECW to at least polish his game a little as a singles wrestler. He really doesn't have a signature maneuver, which I think really hinders his upward mobility. He is athletic, to say the least. However, with the pecking order on Raw being limited to big players like Cena and DX, how does a face like Primo spring out of the shadows behind more capable stars like the Miz, Jack Swagger, and especially Kofi Kingston, not to mention MVP and Mark Henry, to say the least? My answer is that he goes to ECW and slowly makes a name for himself that way.<br /><br />-Evan Bourne<br />To be honest, he never should have left. In fact, if he was going to, he should have left to SmackDown. He could have been the next Rey Mysterio. Instead, he's become the target for all types of abuse and beatdowns on Raw, by....virtually everyone. He's an extremely talented wrestler who is getting the shaft for being smaller than everyone on Raw. Instead of touting his skills, like they did in his ECW title match with Matt Hardy, he's now relegated to make others look good, if not better. How about we do Evan a favor and put him back on ECW where he can mean something again...if not on a lower scale? If this doesn't float your boat, put him on Smackdown.<br /><br />-Jamie Noble<br />Is he a goof? Yes. Does he do silly things? Yes. Is he an accomplished wrestler? 100% yes! That's why he belongs on ECW. He can have great matches, put good stars over, help bad stars look good, and at least have a purpose. I'd rather watch Jamie Noble wrestle well, than fail miserably every night.<br /><br />I changed my mind in wanting to get outside talent to be on ECW since essentially, that was or is going to happen anyway. If you're wondering why the other seemingly perennial jobbers of each show haven't been considered for this is because a) they really don't have any standout qualities to be a big deal, even on ECW and b) they are better off serving their purposes on Raw and Smackdown, specifically, with what they do (sorry, but Santino doesn't really do anything for me anymore).<br /><br />All that said, I think that ECW is in need of some talent. I figure that if you have talent lying around that you aren't using that can be used, then use them on a show that can use them. ECW can use some fresh rivalries, with stars that actually look or wrestle competently. So, fish for them. We know they aren't using them on Raw and Smackdown. So, use them on ECW.<br /><br />Every day, a halfway decent wrestler gets neglected on WWE television. Every day, a wrestler is considered not good enough to be hired. But, as days go by, Raw is losing its quality in certain ways, and Smackdown isn't far behind. But, ECW is still doing its job right, creating new stars, making some decent moments in wrestling, and acting as the jumping point for new stars on the rise and continuing stars who need to be re-focused. There are a slew of stars that can take that focus and make waves with it. If ECW can give direction for stars who are going to start it out, as well as some direction to present stars that can use it, don't you think it's time they raid Raw or SmackDown for the stars that can use this opportunity? I'm sure it would be a little better than, say....watching paint dry. But, that's just my opinion. Let's hear some of yours!The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-2595363971050031122009-10-05T00:35:00.003-04:002009-10-05T02:16:37.965-04:00Zack Ryder: Beating the odds, one "woo woo woo" at a time.I'm not going to lie. I have always thought that Zack Ryder was a talented individual. I knew he was an accomplished wrestler. I just didn't put my faith in him with this new look of his. I mean, being the quintessential "Era guy" from the 80s, 90s, and even 2000s, sounds like a pretty lame idea. In fact, only the older fans would get it since most of the young fans never lived through it. It's the older fans who can't stand him because they have lived through those eras, they do know what he's doing, and they see how corny and one-dimensional the idea is. Yet, something strange has happened along the way. Somehow, someway, Zack Ryder has won the respect of some of these fans, if not most of them. Despite the annoying attitude, Ryder has shown the world that he is competent enough to be a top star, if not that, a star on the rise. And, I for one, like some others, am buying into it.<br /><br />Ryder started his run on ECW stomping out jobbers, then getting some key victories against some stars like Yoshi Tatsu and Tommy Dreamer. Then, he found himself doing two things: warring with Shelton Benjamin and vying for Christian's ECW title. His feud with Benjamin involved them tagging up together with failed results, battling each other talent-wise with singing, and doing battle in the ring with Shelton remaining undefeated against him. However, that slowly became an afterthought when Ryder started challenging Christian. They traded barbs and quips, leading to a non-title main event with the two. Ryder proved he could hang with Christian as well as prove that he could be a #1 contender by winning a battle royal. So, he managed to fight Christian twice and lost, non-title and for the title. He was impressive and has turned heads, to say the least. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a star on another brand within a year from now....or at least something like that.<br /><br />See, this is an example of when the WWE uses its new booking style and it actually helps them. This is one of a number of times where the WWE creates an idea so boisterous, so foolish, so nonsensical that, if put over enough times and if it is "over-the-top" enough, people may actually start to like it, or like to hate it. The Boogeyman was so ridiculous, that it was actually funny. Cryme Tyme is so stereotypically silly, that sometimes, it's actually entertaining. Zack Ryder falls into this category in this case. For those of us who get how goofy he is, we can look past his gimmick and see his ability for what it is. With his gimmick, it's actually a plus, as it brings character to him. So, he's completing the package that he actually is.<br /><br />There is one problem with Zack Ryder. See, his character might have some flair to it, but it still doesn't have much dimension to it. Sure, the idea is there, but what else is there to the "woo woo woo"? Perhaps he needs more work on the mic skills? Perhaps a new set of moves are needed? Who knows? I just feel that if he were to leave and head to somewhere like Raw or Smackdown, he could get lost in the shuffle. I can see him teaming up with Dolph Ziggler and becoming a tag champ with him. The problem: both do lack dimension in their characters. However, they'd be uneven, in a sense. While Ziggler has more ability and less character, Ryder has more character and less ability. Then again, it's hard to say since Ryder hasn't had many matches with many people, as ECW is limiting with its talent. There isn't enough to go around.<br /><br />Truth be told, Zack Ryder is proving his worth as an athlete, just as Dolph Ziggler is doing, or as the Miz has done, as Morrison has done, and many have while working their way up through the rigors of the WWE. Sure, his character is grating at times, but there is room for improvement. His ability speaks volumes as he is holding his own, but he has yet to be fully tested. The sky is still the limit for the wonder boy from eras past. If Ryder wants it, he has to work for it, reach for it, and then take it. All we can do is sit back and see if he's got the talent to have it. But if you asked him if he has it, you know what he'd say: You know it! Woo Woo Woo! (man that can get annoying........)The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-18463147754275297432009-09-28T07:50:00.003-04:002009-09-28T10:24:56.020-04:00Nigel McGuinness acquired by ECW: are they in it to win it?Last week, I spoke about the actual possibility of ECW acquiring arguably the "Best Wrestler in the World" in Bryan Danielson. No more than 2 weeks later, it was made official that Nigel McGuinness, Danielson's biggest rival, 2nd-longest reigning ROH world champion, and longest-reigning ROH Pure Champion agreed to a WWE contract, in principle. Just like Danielson, McGuinness was coming to wrestle for the largest wrestling company in the world, in principle. With the credentials of Nigel, it would be a great coup for ECW to pick him up, as both he and Danielson are skipping the training in the WWE farm systems and coming in to the big leagues (probably because they have trained there already). So, will ECW prove to be a great place for Nigel to hang his hat? Let's take a look and see, shall we?<div><br /></div><div>Before looking, let's get through the track record of Nigel McGuinness. He was trained in his native continent of Europe, mostly in England, I presume, gaining a staunch European style of wrestling. As he traveled the world, he gained some elements of Japanese wrestling among other things, before coming to America. It was here that he learned how to wrestle under the tutelage of Les Thatcher as well as Danny Davis in the WWE farm systems. He would go on to win some serious gold in ROH as its longest-reigning Pure Champion and its second longest-reigning ROH champion. His style is an amazing blend of power, technique and charisma, utilizing a very European style of wrestling to secure victory, with some American and Japanese elements to it. Like Danielson, one can say that Nigel is finalizing his career heading to the WWE as he has been just about everywhere else and has done just about everything. Like Danielson, he was released from his developmental contract from the WWE. So, he spent his years fine-tuning his craft in ROH, and is now ready to make the transition to the WWE, as they are ready to pick him up. He could end up on Raw, Smackdown, or ECW, based on what the company wants for him. If ECW is his home, what could the consequences be?</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's look at some positives. Nigel would be a welcome boost to ECW's talent roster. His style would be welcome to an ECW audience, as it is very diverse. Also, the European contingent of wrestlers on this brand could use another fellow member to jive with. The glaring signs would be that Nigel would join with William Regal and most likely, Paul Burchill. This would be like a mock-up of TNA's British Invasion of Brutus Magnus, Rob Terry, and Doug Williams, but when it comes to experience, face time, charisma and style, McGuinness, Burchill and Regal have the advantage. I wouldn't mind Sheamus joining them along with Kozlov and Jackson, forming a larger United Nations of Pain (refer to my previous analysis on them). However, I think just limiting the group to 3 Englishmen would be much more poignant, leaving the others to fend for themselves or team up themselves. The possibilities are endless. Also, I would love to see him tangle with Christian for the ECW title. Both tend to have a very sarcastic mentality so trading insults would be great. As for wrestling, they could and would put on the best show of the night, if at all possible. I think it would be a great idea. Lastly, while on ECW, he'll have more freedom to do more with his approach without worry about too much criticism since most pundits don't care much about ECW.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now the negatives. Once again, putting Nigel here would be taking his possible star potential and downsizing it to the lower-ranking brand of that which is ECW. I would think that Nigel would do wonders debuting on Smackdown first as he does come off a lot like Edge at times. To some, he might very well have the skill to be a big name player early, not to say that Danielson doesn't, but I'm thinking like the pundits are. The edge on charisma may belong to Nigel, putting him on a better show than ECW. Another negative is to make him just a lackey of Regal or just part of a group. Remember, the key reason Regal has a faction now is to get himself over while keeping Kozlov and Jackson together to get them over as a team since their attempts to succeed as singles wrestlers have failed. This doesn't have to be Nigel's fate so early since he can be a great singles wrestler. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, I have to mention that the real question has to deal with how the WWE will utilize them. As always, the WWE has a way of taking great wrestlers and destroying them with bad gimmicks, squash matches against established stars they protect, and a general hindrance on their wrestling style. If it's not the creative team that's to blame, it's the higher-up officials that have the final say on everything. It's a dirty practice, but it happens. Wrestling organizations have a tendency of unmaking top stars from other organizations and destroying their cred in their organization because they can and because they competed against them. So, we have to be wary of what happens to Nigel upon arrival.</div><div><br /></div><div>We can only watch, wait, and hope all goes well with the hiring of Nigel McGuinness. Perhaps ECW is the best place for him and perhaps it's not. Since the future can't truly be told, we have to keep our eyes open for what happens next. However, ECW acquiring a fine talent like Nigel would be great for the show in spades as they will have gotten a top talent worth using one-hundred fold. If they want this to happen, though, ECW has to be raise its stakes in the Nigel lottery. They're going to have to be "in it to win it", as Nigel is in every match he wrestles.</div>The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-58699189148523773332009-09-20T22:28:00.003-04:002009-09-21T08:30:04.307-04:00Bryan Danielson: best ECW acquisition in the world?When Summerslam 2009 was about to be a memory, I was struck with some of the biggest piece of wrestling news of the year. I saw some of the news only because about 2 weeks later, I read the next piece of big news in the form of Jeff Hardy's arrest for drug possession and possible drug trafficking. This news was huge if you are one of those hardcore fans that have the energy, time, and talent to search the web for any and all inside wrestling news. For those that don't, it hasn't happened yet, and it might not even affect them. I say, for the latter, that this news should. I say this because those fans are and the other fans are about to bear witness to one of the last few excellent wrestlers to not step foot in the WWE as of today....until now. "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson has agreed to a contract to wrestle for the WWE. One of the finest wrestlers in the world today is coming to the WWE. This is a major plus for the WWE, and possibly for ECW. Wrestling may get the much-needed upgrade it needs in the WWE.<br /><br />Danielson's track record speaks for itself. He was trained by Shawn Michaels as well as William Regal. He wrestled in the country of Japan for the majority of his career. He has blended many different wrestling styles together into his repertoire, including from Japan, Mexico, the U.S., and Europe. He is also a very concise striker and martial artist, utilizing stiff strikes whenever possible. Within his career, he has won a number of titles from Pro Wrestling NOAH as well as various other organizations. His biggest success was found in Ring of Honor, the #3 wrestling association in the U.S. today, amassing many singles victories and successful championship runs. Now, to some, he is finalizing his career heading to the last place he has yet to conquer, let alone encounter: the WWE. It couldn't have come at a better time, for 8 years ago, the WWE released him from his developmental contract. Once that happened, he spent those 8 years preparing his career doing everything mentioned earlier. Now, as the WWE has finally reached out to him, he feels he's ready to be part of the organization that initially wanted him but probably felt he wasn't ready...or good enough. Well, he's good enough now. He's coming to achieve his destiny. He's going to be part of the WWE. Why haven't I given an in-depth analysis on Danielson? Well, when he returns, he won't be training in the farm systems. He's going straight to the big leagues. He will either be on Raw, SmackDown or ECW. So, there's no guarantee he'll end up on ECW. But what if he does? Let's weigh that possibility in.<br /><br />Say he goes to ECW. Can someone see that a positive? Sure. On ECW, Bryan has no serious glass ceilings to break. He can stand out above and beyond as a big fish in a small pond. He also has some fine talents to challenge and have great matches with. I can see him battling and tussling with William Regal, his former mentor, Christian, the "hero" of the brand, Shelton Benjamin, the purest athlete on ECW to date, and even Vladimir Kozlov, the combat Sambo specialist from Russia. I can imagine the hard-hitting affairs he can have, as well as the technical shows he can put on with these stars. Also, his being the ECW champion, if and when it happens, could be great for his career, as it can solidify his status as a major player in the making. You can expect stellar matches from him. Lastly, he can give ECW the talent boost it direly needs.<br /><br />Can this be a negative? Sure it can. See, going to ECW, as useful as that can be for one's career on the rise, can be very detrimental to one's star value. It's no secret that ECW isn't exactly the #1 brand to be part of. It's still the "red-headed stepchild". It's not getting any more popular. The ratings have been dropping dramatically. The talent has been depleted severely. If you are a star of a high caliber from another organization or at least seen as such, being put on the worst of the 3 shows is a slap in the face of sorts. This could be punishment for Danielson, as a way of teaching him not to compete with the WWE.<div><br /></div><div>Both ideas seem to hold much weight, to say the least. However, the real question isn't where he'll end up or if ECW is for him. The question is how well will he be utilized. It's no secret. If you come to any organization, badmouthing it prior to your hiring, or at least showing your full support of your previous employer, there's a strong chance you'll be mistreated one way or another. It's almost unavoidable. We've seen in the WWE already with Colt Cabana. Now, Colt might not have said anything bad about the WWE, but he has flown his ROH colors very proudly whenever he could in ROH. All of a sudden, he's brought to the WWE, buried on television with a losing record, and sent off for good because he wasn't getting over. Yet, no one wants to point out how mismanaged he was. He wasn't utilized for his comedy, his wrestling talent, or even his entertainment value. He had no build-up, no solid promos, and a web-show that was virtually forgettable. That's a great way to treat an excellent wrestler like Cabana, eh? Meanwhile, C.M. Punk, who at least had the booking support of Paul Heyman is now being showcased for his talents, but not without being reprogrammed, albeit slightly. Still, he's where he needs to be and deserves to be: at the top of the heap as a major champion. Either one of these could be Danielson's fate. He can get support from the likes of a William Regal or Shawn Michaels, but you have to keep in mind this fact: he's put over ROH on a number of occasions, not to mention has been calling himself by his moniker, "the best wrestler in the world". Do you think that can sit well with wrestlers who operate like politicians? I doubt that. So, Danielson has to be careful.<br /><br />We won't truly know the situation, I'm afraid, until Danielson has his first vignette on WWE television. ECW can severely benefit from his appearance and addition. It could very well make ECW watchable all over again....if he's utilized properly. Once again, the big question is whether or not the WWE is short-sighted enough to use him properly. We have seen the WWE destroy great stars before, and we all hope that Danielson isn't next. Until, more empirical evidence pops up on t.v., Danielson's future with ECW is up in the air. But, you have to admit: if you knew how great a wrestler he was, you'd watch ECW, too, if he was there. He is arguably the best wrestler in the world, right? (I'm still holding out for his gimmick to be very "Chuck Norris-like". It can work!)</div>The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-40416601030978771612009-09-14T03:30:00.006-04:002009-09-15T08:13:12.678-04:00The United Nations of PainIf there's anything in wrestling that I like, it's a faction. It's one of the few wrestling nuances that are lost in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WWE</span>, like legitimate tag wrestling, managers, and even <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cruiserweight</span> wrestling. There are some wrestling factions in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">WWE</span> today. Sadly, when I say some, I actually mean one as Legacy still remains, but even this clique of Randy Orton, Ted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Dibiase</span>, Jr. and Cody Rhodes is on the verge of splitting up. We're seeing the signs everywhere. It's like no one wants good teams to form and thrive as it is always about the wrestler in the singular. Well, in this new faction's case, the fact that they aren't focused on the singular is helping them, in spades. It's the group of William Regal, Vladimir <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Kozlov</span>, and Ezekiel Jackson, three big guys who like to induce pain, destroy opponents, and represent the countries of the U.S., England, and Russia while doing so. It's a pretty domineering faction to say the least. When asking why they exist is an interesting question.<br /><div><br /></div><div>It started with Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Kozlov</span> pretty much destroying their opponents. Then, they started to show up to each other's matches and destroyed the other's opponents. When the time came to put Christian in a tag match against Regal and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Kozlov</span>, Ezekiel Jackson became Christian's partner, only to turn on him and join Regal and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Kozlov</span>, starting this powerful faction in sheer physicality. Their mission was simple: total domination of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ECW</span>, starting with securing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ECW</span> title for Regal. So far, Regal has attempted this twice, and has failed twice, as per both <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">SummerSlam</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">WWE</span> Breaking Point. So, what now? Simple! You just keep on dominating until it works out. </div><div><br /></div><div>This faction actually helps and benefits on a lot of levels. It first helps Regal by establishing him as a top heel on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">ECW</span>, which is what the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">WWE</span> wants since he is a fantastic wrestler that can put on a great match with virtually anyone. It also helps <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Kozlov</span> and Jackson, embellishing their status as heels. This is another thing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">WWE</span> had wanted since they see potential in these two. The problem is that they have no general charisma to get them over with the fans in a sense or so as singles wrestlers. We have already heard the horror stories with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Kozlov</span> on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">SmackDown</span>. Jackson, however, has no horror stories, but is still a far way from being completely established. This trio has the ability to get over as top heels to a full degree on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">ECW</span>, while developing their potential skills to dominate another brand. </div><div><br /></div><div>This faction does have its weak points. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Kozlov</span> and Jackson aren't exactly three-dimensional. They're just big, burly men with bad attitudes and slight <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">tweaks</span> in their wrestling approach. This sounds a lot like Mike Knox, an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">ECW</span> alum of the new version of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">ECW</span>. All he had to his credit was his jealousy of guys staring at his then-girlfriend, Kelly Kelly. However, having been the constant target of losses, and even dumping Kelly Kelly, his value dropped and was rarely seen on television. As he finally returned, he developed a meaner mean streak, and a bigger beard. Still, nothing was done with this character until recently, and it's not gaining steam. Since all three have simple styles, there really isn't any room for decent development. So, they are stuck being bodyguards with no hope for the future, with Knox floundering and losing to various <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">SmackDown</span> stars. As for Regal, he hasn't really been pushed to do anything major in his career in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">WWE</span>. Now that he's straddled with two lumbering oxes with no direction, it can be a hindrance on his movement. However, this possibility isn't as strong only because there is more of a benefit on his part. If it's helping Orton, it can help Regal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still, one could say that the existence of this faction is just a hand at bad booking and writing for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">WWE</span> as they could have at least tried to make some competent feuds or angles with all of them on a singular basis. Since they did not, we have what we have. One also has to question the effectiveness of said group as they have been on the losing end of some key battles of wits with Christian. Maybe it's too early to tell, so, we'll see. I will say this: I would have no problem with added members like Paul <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Burchill</span> and Katie Lea, along with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Sheamus</span>. Who knows, Nigel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">McGuinness</span> could join up, or not (check back on 9/27 for my thoughts on that).</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps more can be said about this group, but I doubt I can find it. Just expect this group to be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">pre</span>-eminently destructive in the future, possibly coercing a gang war in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">ECW</span> involving a few superstars who need the rub. The fact that they are from different countries is very interesting though. This leaves a lot of room for expansion, truly. But, with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">ECW</span> brand already strapped for wrestlers, let alone potential main <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">eventers</span>, one can only wonder what's next. The dirty, rotten scoundrel, William Regal, has the perfect set of brawlers for backup in the Moscow mauler, Vladimir <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Kozlov</span> and the Harlem <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Hitman</span>, Ezekiel Jackson (I thought of the nickname, by the way) and all Regal needed to do was convince them that they can be a unit instead of enemies. This could be perfect for them as a tag team, with the unified titles (the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">WWE</span> World titles, as I call them) looming on the horizon of every brand. If all goes well for this group, prepare yourself for an international incident of epic proportions. If not, just watch for a body count of injured and destroyed wrestlers. Either or, it doesn't make any difference with Regal at the helm. He was "born naughty", after all.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div>The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073210431886734627.post-50225978451261423922009-09-07T18:23:00.003-04:002009-09-08T08:30:09.502-04:00Happy Anniversary!!! (One year of the ECW analysis and still going strong)One year ago, I let some of my web colleagues in on the fact that I took it upon myself to review the current iteration of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ECW</span> to myself for all the things they did right and wrong. I felt that it was something that should have been talked about on the whole because a major occurrence was happening. For the first time ever, a defunct major wrestling organization was being unearthed to be a brand under another major organization. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ECW</span> went from rebel organization to a shell of itself, controlled by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">WWE</span>. There were many things that happened on this version of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ECW</span>, some good and some bad. I felt that the ills had to be discussed, as well as the potentially good. They respectfully stated that I should take my act to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Internet</span> and blog about it. I was skeptical at first because I wasn't sure anyone would want to read what I had to say. It's been one year and I managed to get 3 followers, and some key comments about what I had to say, not even including all the things I thought of prior to this. So, to say I'm satisfied with the support and the feedback is an understatement. So, to all my fans and readers, I want to say "Thank you" for all of your wonderful <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">support</span>. I'm doing it all for you as well as me. I welcome all types of feedback. That said, to all my detractors, if any, thanks for your lack of support. Criticism is a great thing. It helps me to improve my style. On that note, I'm going to take you back down memory lane on what I thought were my favorite pieces of work since my inception. After I let you all know what I liked: feel free to comment away on what you liked, be it here or anywhere else I can see it. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ok</span>, here goes:<br /><br />-The revolving door of releases: This was my very first one. I just found it odd how the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">WWE</span> fired a great amount of superstars that might or might not have been in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ECW</span> for the long run. The sad part was that their firings while appearing on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ECW</span> failed to help <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">ECW</span> on the whole, and it hurts the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">WWE</span> on the whole creatively. It was a solid start, to say the least.<br /><br />-The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Miz</span> and Morrison, part 1: This was the blog I wrote about the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Miz</span> and John Morrison as a tag team and their future. It was the first of many blogs about these two because they, for the most part, were the best <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ECW</span> had to offer. For two guys with little wrestling experience to step up and be major stars is unreal. However, the future has to be considered when you have two wrestlers doing this well (I didn't write the whole title b/c it was too darn long. Lazy, I know).<br /><br />-One was Tommy....who lived by himself: I really put my heart into this one because it was the most evident truth about Tommy Dreamer and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">ECW</span> to this date. Without Tommy, there is no <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ECW</span>. But, without <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">ECW</span>, Tommy has nothing. It's a give-take situation where both the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">WWE</span> and Tommy need each other virtually equally.<br /><br />-The Tales of the Tape: When I came up with these ideas, my central thesis was that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">ECW</span> was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">WWE's</span> weapon to destroy the competition at the grass roots. So, I decided to compare this version of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">ECW</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">WSX</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">TNA</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">ROH</span> on the only manageable areas possible. I still, to this day, stand by what I say, but with every day coming and going, things can and are changing.<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">ECW</span>: The killer of grass roots: This was my final summary of the "tales of the tape". I felt that this had to be said only because it was ringing true, with every move that was made. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">ROH</span> stars making their careers on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">ECW</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">TNA</span> stars making the exodus to this brand, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">WSX</span> was done within a span of a month to two months. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">WWE</span> used <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">ECW</span> to bury <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">TNA</span> stars, promote <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">ROH</span> stars, and outperform <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">WSX</span>, if at all. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">ECW</span> had the leg up on all of them. It's a pretty dirty business.<br /><br />-Matt Hardy, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">ECW</span> champion: the best he'll ever do: Yea, folks. I had to mention Matt Hardy, because as a Matt Hardy fan, it was a sad piece of news to talk about. He has more wrestling ability and even more passion than his brother, Jeff, but never got over. I even mentioned people that, like Matt Hardy, were built on passion and not crazy gimmicks, but great wrestling. If you're a Matt Hardy fan, you have to understand where I'm coming from.<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">ECW</span> has some....swagger: What can I say? I love the big <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">doofus</span>! Swagger was a perfect combination of wrestling and power. He was a big guy that could wrestle. I love to see him wrestle and perform. I did so much that I suggested what to do to keep him in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">WWE</span>. He really can be the future of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">WWE</span>, if not <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">ECW</span>.<br /><br />-Reader Appreciation Day: Marv <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Hermanstyne</span> is one sharp dude when it comes to wrestling. He knows his stuff, and like me, was just too frustrated with what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">ECW</span> brought to the table, if not happy with what it did right. So, I gave him the chance, as well as anyone else who wanted to step up to analyze anything on this version of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">ECW</span> and he did a great job. If anyone is interested, step up this year. Maybe Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">Vardy</span> will have something to say....<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">ECW's</span> Team Extreme: Then and now: This struck me as kind of interesting only because I remembered the shirt, and I thought about this version of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">ECW</span> and asked myself who could stand out as the representatives of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">ECW</span>. Sadly, who was available did raise some questions..<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">ECW</span>: The new breed unleashed...reborn: This blog was a challenge of sorts to the new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">ECW</span> to be better than is and better than it has been. It can make those high ratings if they followed the right path. Did it work? Has the changes been made? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">Hmm</span>....<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">Miz</span> and Morrison: blog 2: I loved this one because there were a lot of people who thought the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">Miz</span> and Morrison were an awesome tag team. I was one of them. But, there were those who honestly thought they were the best in 2008, like the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54">WWE</span> said they were. Quite honestly, I had to question this because, well, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_55">WWE</span> hasn't done decent tag wrestling in years. As to who I chose to help with this questioning is worth reading about.<br /><br />-Rallying for Ricky Ortiz: Why did I post this here, knowing how much I hated the character of Ricky Ortiz? I did because I felt that Ricky could be better than this poorly booked version of himself. I hoped that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_56">WWE</span> could do better things with his character. Sadly, I was wrong, but I still think I made some good points.<br /><br />-The incomplete era of Jack Swagger: I honestly feel and felt that Swagger needs a manager. In fact, I think a handful of decent singles wrestlers who are heels can use managers. Take the pressure off for mic skills, enhance your heel status, and wrestle with someone watching your back. The art of managing doesn't have to be as lost as tag team wrestling...<br /><br />-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_57">Miz</span> and Morrison, blog 3: Yes. 3 blogs about these guys because they were that good. At the time, they appeared on every show. At the time, they were the best stars each show could go to other than their main <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_58">eventers</span>. I found it very amazing that they made up the backbone of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_59">midcard</span>, and still do, even though they are broken up. They are chock full of potential. However, the fact that they are the backbone also show that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_60">WWE</span> hasn't creatively worked on stars to not have to rely on them so much.<br /><br />-Jack <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_61">Swagger's</span> fall from grace: I went on full rant mode here. I could not believe how stupid and short-sighted the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_62">WWE</span> could be to bury its potential star for the future. It's common sense: if you want a star to rise, DON'T PUT THEM IN A POSITION TO BE COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT! Was I right? Well, since this match, Swagger lost all his attempts at the U.S. Title, all of his attempts at regaining the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_63">ECW</span> champion, and has been on the losing end of his feud with MVP, who is also being wasted on the brand that they now share, Monday Night Raw. Yea, I'm pretty much right...<br /><br />-Tommy Dreamer's Zero Hour and Extreme Rules 2008: The greatest night of Tommy's life:<br />This was the coup-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_64">De</span>-grace to my initial blog on Tommy. This was poetic justice for Tommy and quite honestly, I was happy for him. Yea, great things wouldn't have lasted for Tommy, but the fact that he got Vince's attention enough to give him the title again was impressive. Too bad he doesn't have his attention anymore<br /><br />-Christian, blogs 1 and 2: These were my last favorites due to the amount of work I put into them. Christian was now the new face of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_65">ECW</span>. He was a big fish in a small pond that deserved a big fish or two. He was back in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_66">WWE</span>, commanding <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_67">ECW</span>. So, he didn't have much to work with, but he could make it work if need be. Currently, he's seen as a top star who can work with anyone that comes along, like William Regal. So, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_68">ECW</span> has a great star in Christian to rely on, as they did with Matt Hardy, CM Punk, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_69">RVD</span>. Still, he does deserve to be on much more prestigious brand.<br /><br />Those are my favorites. I hope to hear from you readers as to what you liked specifically. So, feel free to comment away about your faves, your thoughts, etc. I'd love to hear from you.<br /><br />Tune in for the next few weeks when I cover the United Nations of Pain (William <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_70">Regal's</span> faction of himself, Vladimir <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_71">Kozlov</span>, and Ezekiel Jackson), and the pros and cons of the possible <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_72">ECW</span> debuts of Bryan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_73">Danielson</span> and Nigel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_74">McGuinness</span>. Until then, happy anniversary!The Prodigyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12419266540976792234noreply@blogger.com0