Thoughts on Lashley

Swamps

Recently, ECW has been on a downward spiral so to speak. As we already know Paul Heyman has been dismissed of his duties as the head of ECW. Also the most dominant wrestler in ECW has now walked away possibly for good. Also there are talks that several ECW stars are already wanting to leave; Sabu, Dreamer, and RVD. It seems like the new product needs a new star to be born and carry the brand before it is too late for the brand.

As we already know Bobby Lashley was unhappy on the Smackdown! brand and wanted to move to the ECW brand to work with Paul Heyman. With the moving of Lashley over to ECW the outcome of the elimination chamber was changed in favor of Lashley. The following episode of ECW's TV Taping we saw Lashley earn a clean victory over the former champion Big Show. I have noticed that Lashley has been getting some fan reaction from the WWE fans but, I wonder how the ECW fans of Philly and NYC will react to Lashley if he is ever in front of one of those crowds. I remember the ECW fans in the Hammerstein ballroom didn't take kindly to WWE favorites Big Show, Batista, and John Cena druing the previous shows in front of the rowdy crowds.

Now last weeks ECW show had Lashley finish off Paul Heyman's personal enforcers which more than likely will send them off ECW Television. Now Lashley has defeated the former champion in the rematch and sent out the Enforcers; the next step for The new champion will be a decent fued to build up the man's championship credibility. A champion is made by the fueds he has and it takes great response on both parts to make a feud successful. Sometimes a decent angle can outweight the lack of wrestling ability a wrestler has if played out correctly and the fans by into the story line(Mankind really benefitted from this... he even admits to it in his book Foley is good.). I say if RVD is on his way out turn RVD heel and allow Bobby Lashley to be the man who sends him out of ECW or, possibly Sabu since he seems to be doing nothing storyline wise and also is rumored to want to leave. But I wouldn't throw Test or CM Punk into a fued with Lashley until about Summerslam(the WWE's 2nd biggest PPV) so that way both Test/Punk aswell as Lashley can be built up for a decent championship fued

The Problem Solver

Great post.

I think ECW right now is really struggling. I dont think ECW will be here next year at this time.

As has already been proved the brand is not strong enough to showcase a decent PPV nor a 2 hour weekly broadcast. I was positive about ECW at first but I dont think they will ever manage to re-create ECW in its previous form.

As for Bobby Lashley - I agree he needs decent fueds in order to be a succesful champion. Fact is the roster can not provide this for him!

I think Test will be the next person fed to Lashley. This wont be a good decision and at this stage when your top program is Lashley Vs Test you must know you are scraping the barel!

If RVD and Sabu leave then ECW will recieve another devastating blow and will eventually fold probably quicker than expected.

This will lose many people their jobs! ... TNA on the other hand can expect a healthy harvest when ECW folds and there is no room on Raw and Smackdown for the wrestlers.

aaron

Whilst I definitely agree in that a good title feud will help to lashley over, I think that it would take one of hell of writer to get Lashley over as a champion at this stage. In a thread I started about a week ago, I kinda crapped on lashley basically stating that I don't think he should be champion right now. Whilst an RVD heel turn sounds good, I doubt it will ever materialise and if it does Lashley may end up as the heel in the programme - i.e. the Cena effect.

Anyway, my thought on Lashley is that he shouldn't be champ but should be more of hungry challenger to someone like RVD. I do actually want to see a monster heel lashley though - even this soon after Big Show

WackoJako

Lashley is still way too green to hold any major title. Let's not forget WWE had to pull him from No Mercy, or well add two guys into it because they felt with him main eventing it wouldn't sell well enough. Now, not two months later they had the ECW title and expect him to run with it when honestly he's just not ready. Also goes to show how bad ECW is when a midcard Smackdown guy becomes their main eventer in like two weeks.

Swamps

Well the thing about TNA picking up former ECW stars if/when ECW went under is the WCW effect. You see WCW hired more wrestlers than they needed and ended up paying wrestlers for just sitting at home. TNA already has a surplus of talent and has been having a hard time find TV time for the roster. Also with Russo in creative control we would probably see another New Blood era or something that really wouldn't be all that interesting. Besides the only wrestlers that TNA could possibly use from ECW would be RVD, Sabu, and possibly Davari(who should be on Smackdown! in the CW division... What a waste). Dreamer and Sandman won't be able to help TNA unless they resume their duties as jobbers and on air entertainment skits and, Moore has shot himself in the foot so to speak. WWE would keep CM Punk, Lashley, Elijah Burke, and Terkay. Everyone else would be a waste for TNA to pick up since as I mentioned earlier they already have a surplus of talent(to many cheifs not enough Indians) and only one hour of air time a week.

Yeah, I can totally agree with what you are saying. Lashley is still to green to hold any Main Event title at the moment. He really wasn't getting over as the United States champion on Smackdown! neither. I think the last fued ECW was going to place him in was with Tatanka which wouldn't be all that bad of a fued to be assigned "IF" this were the early 1990s. I guess ECW may be on its last legs unless there are some decent fueds built up soon. The success of a company depends on the success of the fueds within the company.

God

Super Moderator

i think tna could use a lot of the guys like they use zach gowen. bring him in whenever they need another guy for make the numbers, but not someone that they need to build up before hand.

Mr. WikipediaSpamBot

Just a quick point about Shannon Moore, I don't think he shot himself in the foot. TNA knew that since he wasn't under contract that he could sign with WWE at any time. Blame TNA for being stupid enough to put him in a program with AJ Styles while not under contract (it's almost as bad as when WCW gave Meng the Hardcore Title when he wasn't under contract, and then showed up in WWF a week later).

God

Super Moderator

they were negotiation at the time and TNA believed he was ready to sign, so if they put him in a story like they did he would deffinately sign. but he went for the money of wwe instead.

Mr. WikipediaSpamBot

TNA should have signed him to a contract first before putting him in a program. That is the kind of mistakes indy feds make.

God

Super Moderator

TNA thought they had him, so they started early. backfired tho. i wouldent have done it until he signed or at least agreed to the contract.