>Dave Scherer reports that starting soon the ECW brand will no longer be treated as a seperate company but rather as the 3rd brand of the WWE. Little minor changes such as the women swtiching from being called Vixens to Divas and the males from Extremists to Superstars will take place. There has also been some discussion about removing the ECW logo from the screen and replacing it with the WWE logo. Alot of this is Kevin Dunn's doing. He thinks the fans are confused and don't realise that ECW is a part of the WWE and he says thats the reason for the low ratings. Also expect the product to be toned down alot. Vince McMahon is not a fan of hardcore wrestling and he hated the RVD vs Test match.<
Looks like they've given up on the ECW fans and are just going to try and suck in all the RAW/Smackdown fans so they can get RAW-like ratings on Tuesday night.
Was this version of ECW really ever treated as its own company to begin with? Because I never got the feeling it was anything other than another "brand" of WWE. And I'm not sure if it was ever intended to be viewed as a separate company either. The changes that may be undone were pointless anyway. I do think that more needs to be done to make the brands unique (that goes for Raw and Smackdown too). But simply calling the performers "Extremists" instead of "Superstars" or "Vixens" instead of "Divas" is not a meaningful way to accomplish this.
The Bored are already here. Idle hands are the devil's workshop. And no... we won't kill dolphins. But koalas are fair game.
Why do they need to have cheesy names like "superstars" and "extremists" in the first place? Would it really hurt to just call them "wrestlers"? Do they really think people would run away screaming "I'm not a rasslin-lovin' hick!" It's not like people can't figure it out from "World WRESTLING Entertainment" or "Extreme Championship WRESTLING" anyway...
It's also trademarkable. WWE, like any good business, is about owning their property. Anyone can be a wrestler, Big Willie at the truckstop can bill himself as a 'wrestler.' Superstar is a WWE trademarked term, you won't hear TNA call their guys "Superstars." They can't.
It's about market identification.
All right, my response to Scherer's dumb, meaningless story.
"Dave Scherer reports that starting soon the ECW brand will no longer be treated as a seperate company but rather as the 3rd brand of the WWE."
It's never been treated as its own company. Not from day one. There's never been a moment where we're supposed to think Vince McMahon doesn't own it. Paul Heyman doesn't even portray a figurehead owner. It's nonsensical to even write that news item.
The name change is typical E nit-picking. Those that lived through the Invasion remember the "stars"-"Superstars" game they played between the Alliance and the WWF guys.
This is the typical story from the old ECW guard trying to rile up the online fanbase because this isn't "THEIR" ECW. I mean, maybe Dunn is an idiot (albeit from all accounts a talented director,) but to portray as if WWE is 'giving up' on the ECW concept is ridiculous.
I just a lot of the reporting about ECW has been so over-the-top.
"Does the WWE even know that SMACKDOWN is still on the air?"
I'm sure they do. And Smackdown is AWESOME, seriously. Great, great show. Good wrestling, lot of talent, quality stories (the gimmicks are a bit weird). SD is great, CW is HAPPY with the ratings. SD needs a few more big names, but it's been the best wrestling show on TV for like MONTHS now.
Kinda just adds fuel to the "this story is a buncha Scherer crap" theory.
To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
Not to make this a site bashing thread, but Dave Scherer is nothing but a leech on the industry. He makes a living off an industry he adds nothing too. He is a wannabe wrestling entourage star fucker who wants to feel important. He thought he was somebody with 1Bob when the old ECW and WCW were around. But when they folded there was nothing left to leech on, certainly not the WWE which would not even acknowledge his existence. So what to do, there was no indy big enough for him suck up to, and Ryder got the leech gig with TNA, and they could not afford two idiots. So lets just bash WWE constantly to make Scherer remain relevant, even though he would go back on everything he ever said if someone at WWE got drunk enough to hire him. If WWE.com continues to breakdown the lockeroom wall and be honest with its audience, Scherer will be left with no scoops, no news, and be left totally neutered.
Do yourself a favor and get your news elsewhere, don't give that fuckstick a single hit.
I'm the last guy in the world to defend the Scher, but do you really not see any irony in the fact that you're the guy who only starts threads in this forum whenever somebody posts news about a wrestler getting released?
Originally posted by KevintripodAlso expect the product to be toned down alot. Vince McMahon is not a fan of hardcore wrestling and he hated the RVD vs Test match.
The way I heard it (secondhand) is that Scherer said Vince actually liked it, but thought it was over the top and doesn't want fans to start to expect something like that on the show every week 'cause he's big on the "less is more" theory with the hardcore and such.
Originally posted by majikx -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- rant rant rant --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm the last guy in the world to defend the Scher, but do you really not see any irony in the fact that you're the guy who only starts threads in this forum whenever somebody posts news about a wrestler getting released?
Touche, Grandmaster CRZ, Yes, I do cut and paste "newz" from around the web, but I also always credit the source. I like to think people would rather read it here, instead of going to some popup.com or spyware.com.
I would like to think I add a voice about OVW since I actually go to the shows and report what I see. But if no one wants to hear it, I'll just shut up and lurk on the board and read what amuses me.
He's sooo inundated with emails that he's completely backlogged. What with wanting to write back to everybody personally. (And only being able to type with one hand.)