FINDING WAYS TO HELP WWE IMPROVE THEIR VERSION OF ECW
By Doug Brown on 9/27/2007 9:53 AM
Ever since World Wrestling Entertainment decided to re-launch ECW, the brand has been the subject of scrutiny. The view points range from those who feel like it never should have been brought back at all to those who feel like it should have only been brought back if they were going to make it like the original version. What we have is Vince McMahon's vision of ECW, which is very similar to Raw and Smackdown, only with a smaller roster of stars to work with.
In past columns, I have expressed my desire to see the ECW brand scrapped, and for WWE to focus on just the "Big Two." However, over the past few weeks, I have changed my mind. With the contract on the Sci-Fi Channel running out at the end of the year, I think that this is a brand that is worth saving, and could be better if just a little more thought was put into it. This column contains twelve suggestions to help make ECW a better wrestling product, and hopefully more enjoyable for the fans. In coming up with the ideas, we have to keep some things in mind:
1.) Vince has no intention of bringing the original version of ECW back.
2.) Paul Heyman is not coming back.
3.) Rob Van Dam is not coming back.
Mick Foley needs to have a presence on this brand - When it comes to either writing the stories himself, or being an on-air character, Foley has a good knowledge of what the fans want. While his wrestling ability is not what it used to be, he is still one of the best promo cutters in the business. I think Mick would be a great foil for current ECW General Manager Armando Alejandro Estrada.
More Armando - Where the heck was Armando on this week's ECW TV show? Armando is a great character that was generating a ton of heat when he was Umaga's manager on Raw. He moves to ECW, and they have barely used him. On Raw, Jonathan Coachman is crammed down our throats on a regular basis, and we had Teddy Long's ill-fated wedding on Smackdown. What about doing something with the ECW GM? He is more talented than either one of his two counterparts, and gets the least amount of airtime.
ECW needs a clear #2 babyface - With all of the departures from this brand, C.M. Punk is the only babyface on the ECW roster that is capable of main eventing. Raw has John Cena, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, and when they come back from their injuries, Bobby Lashley and Shawn Michaels. Smackdown has Batista, the Undertaker, Kane, Rey Mysterio, Matt Hardy, and Ric Flair. One of the many reasons I am against putting the title back on John Morrison when he returns from his suspension is because after Punk, there is no one else for him to face, because the rest of the babyfaces on the ECW roster (Tommy Dreamer, Stevie Richards, Balls Mahoney, Nunzio, and the Boogeyman) have already been buried so badly.
Give some of the Raw and Smackdown guys test runs at the top of ECW - The Big Two have guys that are near the top of the ladder, but for one reason or another, WWE has not allowed them to get there. Much like they did with Lashley, ECW could be used to test to see if a guy is ready for a top slot. I think Jeff Hardy would be a perfect fit for ECW, because as I mentioned above, when Lashley and Michaels come back, he'll go from being the #3 babyface down to the #5 babyface. With ECW, he could compete with Punk for #1. Another guy that I think would be good for ECW is Rey Mysterio. He has already faced the top guys on Smackdown several times. A move to ECW would give him fresh opponents, and another option as a top babyface rather than a #4 or in some people's eyes #6. It is the same with the heel side. Guys like Carlito, Kenny Dykstra, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, and Chavo Guerrero could all benefit from a change of scenery.
Elevate Tommy Dreamer and Stevie Richards - Being two of only four ECW originals left on the brand, and by default, the #2 and #3 babyfaces, they should not be losing matches as much as they do. During this "Elimination Chase," both guys have proven that they are not only good talkers, but can still get the job done in the ring. When they refer to themselves as "ECW Originals," the name should mean something. They shouldn't be laying down for guys like the Miz.
Bring Super Crazy back to ECW - This would give WWE Creative another ECW Original to work with. They are currently not doing anything with him on Raw right now. He's been reduced to mainly appearing on WWE.com's "Heat" program. Crazy is an exciting performer, and it would be good to see him return to his roots.
Dump the "Morrison" gimmick - Sorry Mr. Lagana, or whatever your name is, but it is not working. When dealing with a younger audience, it would help if you pick a gimmick, where people might actually connect with him or her. For instance, when John Cena used to do his rap gimmick, it was right around the time that Eminem was becoming big. People connected with it, and he had a successful run with it, before moving on to his current gimmick as "the Marine." Most of the audience while they have heard of Jim Morrison, don't get any of the references that the former Johnny Nitro makes in his promos. I'm 31 years old, and I know I don't.
Establish an ECW-OVW-FCW connection - There are guys that are currently down at the two WWE developmental territories that many feel are ready for call ups to the big roster. It has been suggested on this website before, but why not get their feet wet at ECW? It is a smaller audience than Raw or Smackdown, so if they want the talent to later move to one of the bigger brands, they could do it with only about half the audience having seen them before. They could have a regular rotation between the talents, which would help give us some fresh matchups. The wrestlers could also continue to work the developmental territories while at the same time appearing for ECW. Who knows when they might "catch lightning in a bottle?" There are men and women down there that have worked ROH, TNA, and also internationally that could definitely help grow the brand.
Bring back the ECW Tag Team Titles - While I think that the concept of a TV Title is outdated, I do think it would be good for WWE to give the stars on the ECW brand something else to shoot for. Let's be honest, there are guys on the ECW roster that have no chance of ever winning the ECW World Title. However, bringing the tag team titles back, would give them some new options. Personally, I would love to see Nunzio paired up with Santino Morella as a new version of the FBI. This could also be a way to introduce Hart Foundation 2.0 into the company. It would also open up the chance for ECW to get a second match on the pay-per-views.
More "Extreme Rules" matches - While I don't approve of having "Extreme Rules" matches on every show, I think they should definitely be used as feud settlers. When you have guys involved in feuds are not going to make the pay-per-view, such as Balls vs. the Miz or Richards vs. Thorn, an "Extreme Rules" match would be a way to make their feuds more entertaining rather than just doing the same match week after week on TV. It might even help the Boogeyman in his feud against Big Daddy V.
Promote ECW on both shows - They started doing this when they first brought the brand back, however, they do not do it any longer. Raw has a Smackdown Rebound, and Smackdown has a Raw Rebound. Shouldn't there be an ECW Rebound on both shows? Raw does run promos for ECW, but if you don't regularly watch the show, you have no idea what is going on. On Smackdown, there are no mentions ever for ECW, which is surprising considering that they both do their shows on the same night and in the same building.
Leave Joey Styles and Tazz alone - They are the best thing about the whole show. In my opinion, they are the company's best announce team, with JR and Lawler a close second, and Cole and JBL a distant third. The hard part about the transition has been that Joey and Tazz both come from a wrestling mentality, while WWE wants them to think more in terms of "sports entertainment storytelling." They at one point attempted to place Brad Armstrong in the booth with them, but that was a disaster. Joey and Tazz do not need to change, it is the company's mentality that needs to change. With Raw and Smackdown focused so much on "sports entertainment," I think it would be nice if one of the brands focused on wrestling.
While I know these suggestions do not solve every problem with the brand, I think they would help to make it more interesting. This ECW is not what Tod Gordon or Paul Heyman created. It is what it is, WWE's third brand. While it is not what some had hoped it would be, I think the brand can be useful, if just a little more planning was put into it.
