Episode one of ECW on Sci-Fi was a complete failure. In an article I wrote last week, I stated why I thought the new ECW was doomed for the start. After an oustanding One Night Stand ppv, I thought that perhaps I had misjudged the WWE, and went so far as to admit I was wrong about this new brand. Now I am here to retract my last sentiment and flip flop right back to my original gut feeling. One Night Stand was awesome, but the ECW brand has so many fundamental flaws, (some of which have already reared their ugly heads on Sci-Fi) that it will most definately fail. First off, the event was run in a Smackdown arena. Not an ECW venue. That may sound like an inconsequential thing, but it makes all the difference in the world to the crowd, which is such a vital and integral piece of the ECW magic. WWE arenas equate to WWE fans. WWE arenas equate to large cavernous buildings that make it much harder for every single voice to be heard. The small intimate buildings that ECW has traditionally run in help foster the electricity you get in an ECW match.
Last night RVD was awarded a new ECW World Title and held onto the WWE Champisonship as well. He is apparently going to put the spinner on the line against Edge at Vengeance. WHY? He is the ECW champion now, not the RAW champion. Why does the storyline allow this? How can ECW recognize a RAW wrestler as it’s number one contender. One thing that the WWE has educated us to is that sperate WWE brands are NOT supposed to interact, except on very special occassions. Does Vengeance qualify as a very special event? I really don't think so. They never should have had RVD take the RAW belt away from RAW unless they were planning to LEAVE IT in Extreme Championship Wrestling's posession.
Last night we also had a big Cena and Edge brawl. Didn’t we just get that on RAW? Two RAW guys taking time away from ECW talent on an ECW broadcast to supplement their feud?
The Sandman picked up a brutal 19 second squash victory. For a guy who takes 20 minutes to get in the ring, I'd like to see a little more.
Kurt Angle going to ECW might be great for his character, but it’s terrible for ECW talent. Justin Credible was the first of many to be destroyed by the former Olympian. Other than guys like RVD, Big Show or possibly Sabu, who on the ECW roster will fans accept as a legitmate threat to Angle? No one. The story should be that Angle is struggling to adjust to the ECW style of matches and picks up a few losses early on. This puts over other guys on the roster, without hurting Kurt and gives him a chance to play comeback kid once he has been properly acclimatized to the environment.
The Kelly segment was the same kind of cheesecake you get on RAW with their Divas. If they were trying to recreate the spontaneity of Kimona Wannalaya, they failed. Miserably. Here's an original idea: why not throw some water balloons at her and fill her up with a super soaker. In case you can't tell, I'm rolling my eyes.
A battle royal was held among ECW stars where the winner would get a shot at Cena at Vengeance. What? A shot at Cena? A guy who holds no title, but that the ECW fans hate? What? A RAW guy. You win an ECW match and your prize is you get to face a RAW guy on a RAW pay per view. Anyone else see a major fundamental problem here?
This goes back to the whole vibe of trying to "make it" to the WWE – the big time. Why is facing John Cena such a prize for ECW stars? Because they hate him so much? Please. So what? It's because the creative team has no confidence in the feuds that could be developed within ECW because they truly believe that the audience doesn't know who guys like CW Anderson and Balls Mahoney are. Either add Cena to the ECW roster or stop going back and forth. The winner of that battle royal was Sabu. Didn’t we just get Cena versus Sabu last week? Do we really need to see it again? Cena doesn’t have a history of putting on better matches the more he works with someone. His matches don’t show any logical progression in terms of the story in the ring or the psychology. At least give us a fresh match.
Sorry kids, but this first episode smacks of Vinne Mac involvement. Unless the WWE hands total creative control to Paul Heyman and Tommy Dreamer, ECW on Sci-Fi will be a very short lived experiment.
8 comments: on "ECW on Sci-Fi was a bust"
I am EXTREMELY disappointed with the first ECW show. I can't even begin to tell you how upset it made me. This is supposed to be ECW, not Sunday Night Heat! It's ridiculous. But I will cross my fingers and hope for the best. Really, can it get any worse? Crap, I better go knock on wood...damn Vince McMahon...
as a long time ecw fan it will get better i hope a lot of ecw guys are excited so maybe with the new found money thell train hardder
I apologize about saying this, but I see a huge downhill swoop happeneing, where everybody fails and the territory days are born again... (hopefully)
O' MY GOD!!! A Zombie!?! A Vampire!?! If they introduce Allen the Alien at some point, I'm gonna be in Heaven!
NOW THIS IS EFFIN' WRESTLING!
They should bring Kane over to Sci Fi, only turn him into his character from See No Evil, give him that chain thingie with the spike (which is totally legal in ECW might I add) and let him eviscerate Sabu (who would totally take it) on a weekly basis.
DUDE!!! KELLY GOT NEKKID! (and by nekkid I mean she took off her clothes and was down to UNDIES!!! WOO HOOO!!!). Let me say that slowly (or write it with lots of spaces):
Kelly
Got
(almost)
Naked!
This new ECW is so awesome. The only thing better than the new ECW is the fact that they're using the most played out song in the universe as their theme song.
EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W! EC'Fn'W!
I sadly agree! I was hoping they would have let them stay in smaller venues around the east coast and film there...nothing bigger than the Hammerstein though to keep that small cultish following. You can tell Vince still has his claws in it which sucks......It may fall flat on its face if he doesnt let Heyman take complete control!
I think that we're jumping the gun here. I mean, seriously, what did you expect from another WWE product? I must admit that "The Zombie" threw me for a loop, but anyone who knows anything about this business has to know that shock value can go a long way. That being said, I have to agree that last night's show was a failure. It failed to establish anything other than matches for a WWE ppv. Furthermore, I honestly believe that once the WWE guys (with the exception of Angle and Show) are no longer on the program, it will have a chance to materialize..it's just a matter of whether or not fans will give this brand a chance. And besides, what would it hurt to be patient anyway? As someone who watches every brand on TV (as well as 75% of the indy shows that come to town), I can honestly say that I've seen worse than the new ECW. And though I still mourn and celebrate the loss of the real ECW, I figure that if RAW could use this opportunity to get back on its feet, maybe it will open the door for the talent that has been waiting in the wings to apply their craft. Let's be honest, other than the reunion of DX (which we've seen coming for weeks), the ECW angle is all that RAW has got. This ECW has the potential to be great, but I don't think that it will be unless real wrestling fans get over being "smart marks" and give it a chance.
"I mean, seriously, what did you expect from another WWE product?"
In response to this guy.........
We expected / wanted SOMETHING similar to the WWE produced One Night Stand. Instead, we got an episode of Velocity.
This isn't about being a "smart mark" - it's about not wanting to be insulted by Vince as he waves the ECW logo in our faces and tries to get us hook, line and sinker.
As far as the TV and Tag titles go, it would be a futile effort... Just look at the roster. This isnt the ECW of the first one night stand. There's less than a dozen guys here, and lets face it, not all of them can be in a title hunt.
ECW is trying to play a very nuanced game with the WWE. They'll take their support, their money, and as you've noted, a rather costly amount of interference. At the same time they realize the need to distance themselves from that product, (not far enough as many of you have posted). That's why they've been playing up the wrestling vs. sports entertainment angle, and as such pitting ECW vs. Raw.
This is also why they brought in the "zombie." (notice how fast he was beaten, is a metaphor of wrestling's superiority over sports entertainment).
ECW needs a foe and theyre picking fights with WWE and SCI FI, using THE ZOMBIE like they did Cyrus, and I suspect we'll see this angle take shape if you give ECW more than 1 episode before you condemn it to failure. Not only does this seem premature, but it seems particularly IMMATURE, from our standpoint.
I realize the ECW fan is choosy, and that Vince will drive it into the ground if he can, but 1 lame episode after 2 VERY SOLID ECW ppvs? That's just silly. ECW like any business is going to stumble and have growing pains,and yes even BAD EPISODES, but to condemn it from the PILOT? Very few successful tv shows have what i'd consider GOOD first episodes. The Simpson's original episodes were terrible by the standards they set later on... over the next few DECADES of airing.
ECW needs our support NOW when facing WWE corruption, SCI FI incluence, and a bunch of other problems. If we give it that, it will GROW into a better product, but only through time and our support will it be able to do that.
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