The following article was submitted by long time O-ster, D.J.B. Tha O Show thanks him for his contribution. Enjoy.On Tha O Show, we have bantered back and forth several times about the fact that TNA may have been at a disadvantage for only a one hour time slot. Actually 42 minutes worth of broadcast time isn’t a lot of time, BUT it has been utilized very well by ECW, or as several of us like to refer to it: Tuesday Night Extreme.
ECW has utilized their time span in ways that TNA would like to I’m sure, but isn’t really able to. That is not what I’d like to speakto however, I’d like to speak to what it does take to use 42 minutes to your advantage. ECW has based their show around a major feud, a champion, and has filler that most people can enjoy.
ECW has utilized the ECW Originals against the New Breed to be its top draw, and push talent to the moon. The ECW Originals are over to the mainstream audience, and by association, Kevin Thorn, Marcus Cor Von, Elijah Burke and your teacher Matt Striker (not Stryker) are either over, or getting over.
They also have a very mark friendly and somewhat smart mark friendly champion. Bobby Lashley, however, may end up being the focal point for all three shows, or at least a factor in the major storylines of both "Raw" and "SmackDown!". Either way, he is the ECW World Heavyweight Champion, and does represent that brand.
ECW also incorporates the Extreme Expose, and whether or not you like the T&A factor, you’ve got to pop for seeing Layla El used to her strong suits. She is not a wrestler, and is not used as one, therefore it makes her more believable.
ECW is using all assets at its disposal to their advantage. Whether you chalk it up to superior booking, superior talent, or being a part of a superior company, it’s hard to disagree that ECW uses its time wisely.In some way, shape or form, ECW utilizes every bit of its talent to his or her fullest. Good workers go against good workers, and get television time. Good talkers also get to showcase their skills when needed.
Onto utilizing the 42 minutes to their advantage, which ECW does quite nicely. They have eight superstars that are used every week even if they wrestle or not. Sandman, Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam, Kevin Thorn, Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von and Matt Striker don’t have to work every week. They are highlighted and showcased no matter how many of the eight men are used weekly. CM Punk is so over its ridiculous.
CM Punk is now a member of the New Breed, but it remains to be seen if that is utilized to its fullest by having either Big Stevie Cool or Balls Mahoney added to the ECW Originals to even out the teams. Either way, it is now nine men who will be used weekly.
Bobby Lashley is referenced on every show whether he is appearing or not. Gene Snitsky, or Snitsky, is being pushed as a monster, and being pushed properly. Whether or not the smart mark population likes it or not, and I personally don’t, Snitsky is perceived as a monster by most fans. I'm not sure whether it’s because he’s an ugly bastard, or because he is an imposing presence with a hard hitting style.ECW has under card talent that is still used, and known by the fanbase. Balls Mahoney is probably the key example, and he is fit onto most every show. Although Stevie Richards is being used sparingly, he is still used enough to be remembered by fans.
ECW also has proved that while it would be nice to have one, they need no other championship to keep the show interesting. This may change as feuds or wrestlers lose steam, but as of right now with the product being this hot, they simply do not need a secondary championship, or really even a tag team championship.
The return of the ECW Television Championship would be an instant hit with most smart marks, and even some marks, but with the current direction, and use of the 42 given minutes, it may get lost in the shuffle, and prove to actually do nothing for the product.
When and if the product needs heating up would be the most opportune time to bring in and push a secondary title belt.
9 comments: on "Tha Key To A One Hour Show"
I personally am excited about the CM Punk angle. On the website, they teased that he's either going to start his own faction, join the Originals, or defect to another show. I'm gonna pop like a motherfucker for any of those three. Moving to RAW or SmackDown! would mean that he's gonna be given a title.
The smartest thing that TNE is doing is this-
They have a champion that is barely, if at all, over. The man they are trying to push as their big badass isn't that over yet (I still say he's never gonna live down that "It wasn't my fault" gimmick). These guys get put on the undercard and see just enough TV time to get exposure to the crowd.
On the other hand, the hot feud with the over superstars is what's main eventing every week. If your champ is not hot, he does not main event. A concept as simple as that is helping this show get over.
I think half of the O-sters have already said it, but Goddamn, Snitsky is the ugliest bastard I have ever seen, bar none. JR says this kayfabed a lot, but it's a shoot in this case-he fell from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.
One other thing about the lack of belts-if there are no belts, they can't put titles on guys who don't deserve them. I'd rather have no Television title than have one and have it held by somebody like, oh, say...Matt Striker. If I want to deal with some pain in the ass scholar with a big belt around his waist, I'll go to an Open House at King's Mountain High School. Honestly, how many of us would rather there NOT be a WWE Championship right now simply because John Cena has held the thing for so damn long?
Yo Brian, where in the blue hell will you find a scholar at Kings Mountain High School?
Snitsky is the ugliest cocksucker in the world, but please, somebody, tell me that the yellow on his teeth is fake. I noticed that on the latest edition of ECW(which it would have been better for me to have seen before emailing this article but oh well)His teeth have a damn brown tint to them they are so yellow, that has to be some kind of makeup effect. If not Snitsky deserves to be the WWE Champion, because he's that dedicated to his gimmick.
Punk last night stepped up in his quest to get over with the fans. Oh wait, he is over with the fans, I meant getting the fans to help get him over with the locker room. Well I'm not going to comment all about my own article.
Wow...even the south makes fun of themselves.
All he would have to do is stop brushing his teeth and they would turn that color. I'm going to give you a patented Buffalo Bitchslap now, because Snitsky should never even be able to be in the same room as the WWE Championship, much less be the guy that holds it. Transitional ECW champ, or given a few week token run before putting it back on Lashley, maybe, but not WWE Champion.
After your comment, I wonder how many people are going to get the unfortunate mental image of Snitsky sucking some guy off. Enjoy, O-sters!
Cocksucking, and sucking someone off. Wow, we've payed too much attention to Donnie and Kanyon.
ECW does a very good job in a hour and like I said before some indy promotions I watch also do a good job in a hour getting their main feuds and wrestlers over.
DJB good artcile by the way.
Thanks Shooter, I just wonder what it is that Mantel, Russo and Jarrett are missing, it isn't talent rosterwise, maybe it's brain power.
Yeah, great article dude. I gotta say even though I GREATLY resent TNE because of what they did to the ECW name, I can't help but to like it. It's charming lol. After watching Raw and TNE this week, I realized how much less bored and how much more I popped for TNE. I love it.
Yeah, I dont know who remembers it, but there was about a 6 week span where I DID NOT watch ECW. I hated it, hell I loathed it, for the same reason, I couldn't stand what it did to the name of ECW, or the names of the guys who damn near died to make it what it was. Lashley doesn't do that much to bother me any longer, he's growing on me. The Extreme Expose wasnt used this week, and I'm kind of happy, it should be a sporadic thing, or a thing that has importance. Well, no, not important, but when we want to see Layla and Kelly. Brooke is there too, and I like her, but Layla and Kelly are a little more to my liking. Anyway, glad yall liked my article.
The yall was for you Brian.
I guess TNE is easier to stand if you don't think about it formly being ECW and judge it on it's own.
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