ECW Report - Part Three
Posted by TWV Guest Columnists
on 02/01/2007
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Guest Column By Derrick Cannon
The new ECW never really had a chance in so many ways; their original foundation either left or got in serious trouble. Many stars could have saved this brand from imminent disaster. The show itself could have been a huge draw, but who could lead the WWECW or the new ECW to the days of the old ECW. What could have been the key storyline to save this brand? Would any newcomers have an impact or any kind of say for the future of the brand? These questions and so many more still need to be answered. Why wouldn't a new ECW be a huge attraction? Fans had been clamoring for the resurrection of it for years. Was it really the longing for the old ECW to comeback or was it to save the memory of a great federation that went bankrupt before it's time? Since March of 2001, we had no alternative, we had no other options; all we had was the WWE and from that point it ruled in total dominance. The days of ECW and WCW were over. Vince tried with the Alliance angle to bring both back. Paul Heyman even gave one of his most passionate speeches in the resurrection of ECW, just like he would do at the first two One Night Stand PPVs. As soon as we heard who the leader of the ECW (half of the Alliance) would be, we knew we were in trouble. That person would be Paul Heyman's biggest backstage enemy for the next few years and one of the key reasons for his removal from SmackDown!, Stephanie McMahon. How could this happen? It seemed Vince would do anything and everything to kill both legacies of WCW & ECW off and not just on stage; I feel Vince really wanted to do that. ECW was nothing more to Vince than something he could tear apart. He wanted WWE to look like the only credible brand and at Survivor Series 2001, Vince may have partially succeeded. He may have succeeded in killing off both brands, but by owning the video library, he kept both companies legacies alive & well and one of those brands would rise like a phoenix from the ashes.
That brand was ECW. Vince did the right thing originally by giving Paul Heyman most of the say in the company. All the brand needed was a leader. What extremist could carry the next generation of ECW? Many tried but all came up short. Rob Van Dam could have been the man to carry this brand. He was on the hottest streak we've seen in along time. His match with Cena made many, including myself, feel that his time was now. Rob Van Dam ran into serious trouble on July 1st, a day that will forever live in infamy for the drug bust of RVD. It was the end of RVD's push and a start of the self destruction of WWECW. Sabu could have also been the key star; he was going into SummerSlam with a title shot and many shows focused around him getting the title. SummerSlam 2006 could have been his day, but strike number two - the Big Show beat Sabu and it was pretty much the end of Sabu's momentum. He was scheduled for the Elimination Chamber, but for some reason (possibly being with RVD during the drug bust) he wasn't.
Kurt Angle may have been the savior. He had been many times before; the only difference this time was he was a shell of his former self. Kurt Angle pretty much viewed ECW as a demotion and on top of that he was an addict to pain medication. He was first addicted when he started with the company and had been ever since. Kurt Angle had a tense argument with Vince which led to his firing. There are many sides of the story. Vince's side was that Kurt was becoming too much of a liability and Kurt's bogus story of never getting a fair chance and that Vince feels a gold medal & a cup of coffee don't mean shit. If either of these is accurate, it doesn't matter. Kurt signed with TNA on September 24th, 2006 and has since gone on to feud with Christian Cage & Samoa Joe. Kurt's days with the WWE and the WWECW may be over, but they should not be tarnished.
CM Punk was the next wrestler of a chance of glory he was on an undefeated streak since he debuted. CM Punk had gone over several stars, only to have his streak come to a halt by a decisive victory to Hardcore Holly. CM Punk may once again be getting momentum, especially if his feud with Matt Striker goes according to plan. Is it too late? In June, when they first started the new brand, many people were going nuts. Many thought it would be a resurrection or at least a fun way to celebrate the legacy of the old ECW. One Night Stand II started the brand off with a bang. The announcement that was made of ECW starting on Sci-Fi gave ECW fans a glorious sense of sensation. It's safe to assume that things did not go according to plan. Is this week going to be the night where the shot is fired that ends the new ECW? At this point all directions lead to yes. Vince seems to be pissed at just about every show he has witnessed, most notably December To Dismember which lead to the firing of the creator Paul Heyman. Is this a lost cause? Who knows? Will WWE even have a show on Sci-Fi next month or even in two or three weeks; that also needs to be answered. Whatever happens next, I'll be listening intently.
This wraps up my three part report of ECW. I hope you've enjoyed reading. Before I go, I believe I need to do something that I should have done in part one and that is an introduction. My name is Derrick Cannon and I live in Newton, Iowa. I'm currently attending DMACC Community College where I'm majoring in the liberal arts program. It's been pretty interesting so far. I'm currently taking a composition course which I hope will help me become a better writer. I've learned so much from that course as well as writing for this great website. I've been writing since high school and I can tell you now the first thing you'll learn is there are several different writing styles. The major issue is finding your own. I'm still trying to figure out mine and I know I will very soon. One thing that e-feders at the TWA are probably aware of is my fascination of religion. It's one of the most important things you need to have in your life as it can save you from many bad decisions. The last thing I want to talk about is my family: my sister Allicia, and my wonderful parents Holly & Rich. I also have a dog named Jack, who is my very first pet. By now, you're probably tiring of this so until next time...
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