WWE InVasion II...

Y2J The King Of The World

OK, here's my brain working overtime, but I have to get this out of there at some point, so why not now?

So, it's no secret that while Raw continues to regain some of its past popularity, Smackdown continues to flounder in sub-mediocrity. I know that a lot of people say recombining the rosters is the answer (myself included at one point), but I have a better idea: bring back ECW permanently.

How, you ask? Here's how I'd book this if I were up in the Titan Towers:

- The ECW One Night Stand PPV does well (an assumption, but I can't see it doing worse than any one-brand PPV WWE has produced in the last 3 years) and the former ECW stars who were on the PPV continue to discuss their nostalgic moment the next week on WWE TV.
- The following week, former ECW stars challenge each other to hardcore (aka ECW-style) matches just to keep it alive. This goes on for a few weeks, with the former ECW guys having "friendly rivalries" in the memory of ECW, and kind of form their own cliques/divisions.
- After a few weeks of this, Eric Bischoff comes out and threatens to pull the plug on hardcore matches, because it's "his" show and he held ECW's funeral already.
- That same week on Smackdown, Theodore Long goes the opposite way and allows the former ECW guys on his brand to continue having hardcore matches against each other.
- The next week, Raw's former ECW guys are MIA, causing Bischoff to be irate.
- On Smackdown, the former ECW guys from Raw show up backstage to form a pact with Smackdown's ECW guys to do what it takes to fight for what they want. Theodore Long comes across the group and demands that they disband.
- The next week on Raw, all of the former ECW guys, now lead by Paul Heyman, show up to Raw in protest. Bischoff ignores them at first, until the ECW guys keep interfering in the matches in the ring by making them hardcore. Bischoff has them removed from the building as a result.
- On Smackdown, they do the same thing with the same result.
- The next week's worth of shows is absent of any of the ECW guys.
- The episode of Smackdown before the next PPV (say, Summerslam), the ECW guys do kind of an nWo-esque takeover of the video feed, making a challenge to WWE for the rights to Smackdown.
- At the PPV, Vince McMahon comes to the ring to address the ECW guys' request and basically tells them that there is no way in hell that's going to happen. At that point, the ECW theme song hits, and all of the ECW guys come from the audience, backstage, under the ring, etc. and abduct VKM.
- The next night on Raw, the ECW guys again highjack the broadcast and show Vince held hostage, again reiterating their demands to the WWE board.
- On Smackdown that week, Linda McMahon addresses the ECW stable and says that she refuses to simply give in to their idle threats.
- The next Raw, the ECW guys counter with a graphic beating of Vince with chairs and other miscellaneous foreign objects.
- On Smackdown, Linda again answers their request by saying that while she won't give up Smackdown to them, she doesn't want to see Vince be tortured any more, so she gives them the opportunity to earn their TV show. She proposes that at Taboo Tuesday, there be a 15-on-15 War Games match. If ECW wins, then they get Smackdown. If WWE wins, the ECW guys must let Vince go and they will all be fired.
- Taboo Tuesday II: InVasion is a huge, one-match PPV (continuing the interactive concept, this time the fans vote on who each team's 15 guys get to be). The ECW guys have Vince held hostage in a cage suspended above the entrance ramp. Ultimately, ECW wins the match and gets rights to Smackdown.

The way I see it, a resurrected ECW would be better and more popular than Smackdown is any more. WWE Raw could be the traditional wrestling show with its combined roster of WWE guys and ECW Smackdown could be the extreme, cutting-edge show. Put Paul Heyman in the spot of head writer/booker for Smackdown and whoever WWE wants as the head booker of Raw.

Thoughts?

Bouchie

Which network would be willing to air ECW's hardcore style? UPN is already ditching Smackdown, and that's not even nearly as risky as ECW's stuff. The only station I could think of that might have it would be Spike TV, but they're losing RAW soon so who knows if they'd even want another wrestling show.

Good idea, though. Smackdown is definitely on its way out.

Necro

That idea has a lot of flaws. First like Bouch said no network would take ecw type matches on, and let them air every week. Secondly wouldnt that make WWE look weak as hell? Just having ECW get their own show, and the WWE's superstars get shitted on, or ignored. Third of all WWE already has a hard enough time focusing on all their superstars, why would they bring on that many more contracts. And last of all WWE is losing money this year after they go to USA so I dont see them taking on more contracts, I actually see them cutting back on them. Not to mention a bunch of the ECW wrestlers are too old, and wouldn't be able to keep up with the schedule. This is for one night for a reason, for a reunin. It just doesnt make sense to have an ECW company run by a global company. It's the same as all these goth kids wearing Hot Topic shit. It's like jesus you want to be unique, yet 2 million other kids have the same clothes...

Dr. Giganto

I like this thread. So much so, in fact, that I made it this week's featured thread...

Here are my two cents:

Like Bouch and Sabac said, finding a network for ECW will be extremely difficult. UPN doesnt even want Smackdown, let alone a "niche" brand

I also like what Sabac said about ECW losing its identity if it becomes part of WWE. The only way I could see it remaining true to form is if, after Y2J's invasion angle is done, Vince says to Heyman, "Here's a monthly budget of x amount of dollars. You hire the workers, you book the shows, you reserve the arenas, you design the t-shirts, etc. I am nothing more than a sponsor" In which case Heyman can bring in some of the smaller TNA and indie guys that Vince either doesnt care for or doesnt know about

I love ECW and all, but I would rather see it go down in dignity (with a one-off show...the company went out with a whimper the first time) then see a watered-down version produced in Stamford

Mr. Kennedy

I agree with Mister D. I think fans feel nostalgic with ECW, towards the end almost nobody was watching it and I think after a few months the same thing would happen now,not to mention it would just feel like the hardcore division instead of ECW.

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Thundercat

I really like the idea but like pretty much everybody has said which network is gonna put the show on. Someone said something about the old ECW guys not being able to keep up but that coudl be fixed easily by bringing some of the younger guys who've never been in ECW or anything like it and have some storyline with them like jumping ship or something. But in the long run, as much as I like ECW and would be very interested to see how something like this would go, i dont think it'd last too long... unless they could have some really good storylines it'd probably get old fast and in the end its probably better just to have the one ppv and have ECW go out with that.

"Drugs are for the weak"

Boz

I'm sorry, but it wouldn't be the same ECW. ECW was what it was because of the fans, the arena, and because they were the little guys in a big wrestling world. After watching One Night Stand, nobody will believe that ECW could make a come back.