ECW: Failure or Major Success?

XxSmilexX

As an additional show I'd call it success. I don't know about major success, but it's been a success.

As a reborn ECW it fails hard. I was never a fan of the original (not because I didn't like it, I just didn't watch it), but I once spent the day watching their old videos and what we have now is nothing like that.

rockbottom

IMO i think for business it does well it almsot selles out every time it is also the only show which gives youngstars time to make a name e.g cm punk.

but there is no point calling it extreme when it isnt the only thing which is extreme is Armanda Estrada's glasses! LOL

Say Hello To My Little FRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ric Flair

It's in between a failure and a success. It's neither failure or success, it's just kinda there and that's it.

And to the person above me, it only sells out because those fans go to see Smackdown, not ECW. Since Smackdown and ECW are taped in the same arena on the same night. So it only sells out because a majority of those people go to see Smackdown and not ECW.

mstew2517

It's the highest rated show on SciFi isn't it? I'd say it's a success for WWE, but fans would call it a failure. Bottom line? It's not really ECW.

Burzudeath

ECW's been successful to a degree. It's reinvented a few superstars (Johnny Nitro, Viscera, etc.) and made a few superstars (CM Punk, Elijah Burke, etc.). Sure, it's been a complete failure in bringing the original ECW back, but that never should have been expected in the first place. But it's given people that usually wouldn't make it on WWE TV (Kofi Kingston, Colin Delaney, etc.) a chance to shine as well as give us some great matches we never would've seen without it (Punk/Miz, Punk/Stevie, Morrison/Dreamer, RVD/Burke, etc.).

If Benoit hadn't died, we'd probably see ECW in a much different light now. It's a good show ATM don't get me wrong, but Punk would be a much bigger star and the ECW roster would be much deeper if Benoit was still around. Still, I think ECW has helped WWE much more then it's hurt it so in that respect it's a success.

16-0

The only reason it's not a success is because it doesn't have an ECW feel to it. And Mike Adamle is announcing.

bubba-ray

ECW is a joke! I will always say bring back Paul and let him run it. Vince just churched it up. Just to say he didn't let it die.

Tyler Durden

It's failed epically if they -

Created this brand to have an addtional PPV stream.

Created it to have a ratings winner (albeit by Sci Fi standards...maybe!)

Created it have extra house show revenue

I would suspect they would have wanted all of the above to have happened.

However, in terms of creating new stars, we're still at the wait and see stage (but only just). CMPunk seems to be their only performer that gets pops like a star, and he (I don't think) gets them because of his ECW work, so I don't think it could be argued that ECW even helped much in his development....maybe it even hindered.

They do have guys like Elijah, John Morrison and Kofi that all entertain me a lot. Will those guys go on and become main eventers? Doubtful, maybe Morrison has a chance.

So in terms of ECW being the C show that develops stars, it seems to have failed also.

The single only aspect of the ECW that may have created "money" and succeeded is just in keeping the brand name alive for the quantity of retro ECW DVD's that have been released in recent years. And that doesn't say a lot.

So no, I can't really see how this brand has succeeded at all. It's (as we have said many times) The Velocity Show and when WWE make it seem as singularly unimportant as they do, why the hell should fans care.