Breaking News: ECW Returning Full-Time This September

Hmm.... suspicion is arising in Darren and I don't like it.  I think the only reason the WWE is doing this is so that a) they'll have a reason to do ECW: ONS each year (hopefully they'll finally change the name) and b) so they can put Joey Styles on the show in order to bring back J.R.DirtyDarren

I don't think Vince would go this far just to bring JR back.  Vince probably sees the amount of money the ECW DVDs make and what ONS did in PPV buys and DVD sales and realized he was sitting on a gold mine.  I wonder how this will effect TNA.  Sabu and Rhyno would have to be interested in getting into an ECW type product with Vince McMahon size paychecks.  I dunno, I just hope this works out, as I was a huge ECW fan, and think the best PPV in years was ONS last year.

This also opens up RVDs Money in the Bank...They could re-do the Shane Douglas thing to a degree, have him throw the title down, and declare himself the ECW champ.  With Heyman and Dreamer booking, one can only hope Vince gives them creative freedom and doesn't hand cuff them.

[QUOTE="DirtyDarren"]Hmm.... suspicion is arising in Darren and I don't like it. I think the only reason the WWE is doing this is so that a) they'll have a reason to do ECW: ONS each year (hopefully they'll finally change the name) and b) so they can put Joey Styles on the show in order to bring back J.R.BoNeZ511

I don't think Vince would go this far just to bring JR back. Vince probably sees the amount of money the ECW DVDs make and what ONS did in PPV buys and DVD sales and realized he was sitting on a gold mine.

I wouldn't get to confident in what Vince will and won't do.  He has in recent weeks made his own religion and booked "God" in a match.  Doing this to bring back J.R. isn't that far of a stretch for him, especially since they signed Styles to a long-term deal and they don't want him to not be doing anything.

I seriously doubt that is true... even if it is, this idea is doomed for failure... WWE has enough trouble trying simply operate one wrestling company... how in the world could they possibly operate two of them?

Also, the main reason recent ECW DVDs and pay-per-views have been successful, is because people are feeling nostalgia... that feeling will probably ware-off, if it were to become full-time business again.

In addition, this would not be ECW people knew and love of the late '90s... this would be ECW owned by WWE... I seriously doubt they would be able to capture same (or similar) feeling/vibe that gained ECW the cult following it had, in the first place.

Furthermore, even if WWE is able to gain some of the former ECW workers... most of those guys are out of their prime these days... Personally, I think the audience would realize this fact, sooner rather than later.

I don't like the concept at all.

As soon as I read that WWE was properly involved with the full-time return, I am even less optimistic about it.

It wouldn't be ECW -- just some watered down-product formatted by the WWE. Dreamer and Heyman would be running town? No. It'll have to pass through Vince McMahon first.

Whatever though, I see the news getting officially announced at the end of ECW: One Night Stand II.

I agree with everyone else. ECW is dead. Let it rest. Don't tarnish its legacy with some half-assed, watered down attempt at a revival.

ECW simply wouldn't hold up. Seriously, considering how badly Sandman, Mahoney, Dreamer, and all the other garbagey wrestlers have always sucked, one can only imagine how awful they'll be nearly 10 years later. The ECW product was always overrated. The overall concept, heart, cult, and ethos is what made ECW. Without it, ECW is merely a lightbulb without light.

1Wrestling.com has some more updates on the new ECW including news on Sabu signing on.  So I guess he's officially done with TNA.

Here's the report:

News is circulating today through various online reports that WWE has made the decision to bring back ECW later this year.

Over the past couple of weeks, several former ECW stars have been contacted about the possibility of signing three year agreements that would include appearances on ECW pay-per-view events as well as working in the relaunched promotion.

A report on PWInsider says Paul Heyman and Tommy Dreamer will head up the promotion and that contracts have been offered to Sandman, Balls Mahoney, and Axl Rotten.

Add Sabu to the list. He has either signed, or will sign soon, a three year deal.

Reports we are getting say the idea currently being discussed is to launch initially as an internet based show until WWE is able to secure a slot on USA. One option is to move RAW AM to a late night slot and replace the format with an ECW show.

Even More On The Return of the ECW Brand

Incase you missed it over the weekend, news broke that WWE plans to revive the ECW brand. The likely plan at this point is to transform OVW into ECW sometime around September. The roster will be a mix of former ECW stars and current OVW developmental talents. Paul Heyman and Tommy Dreamer will be heading up the ECW brand and booking it. Below are some new notes to add to the story.

- In addition to The Sandman, Balls Mahoney, and Francine, it appears that Lance Storm, Justin Credible, and Sabu have also been contacted by WWE to be part of the new ECW. Al Snow, Rob Van Dam, Kid Kash, Super Crazy, and Johnny Swinger are all also expected to be part of the brand.

- Joey Styles could be pulled from RAW and shifted to ECW while Jim Ross returns on RAW.

- The wrestlers being offered ECW deals are not being told much beyond the fact that WWE would keep them busy and the pay is basically in-line with the typical downside given to regular Raw or Smackdown wrestlers when they first sign with the company.

- There is a chance that ECW could have its own show that would be broadcast via WWE.com like how Velocity and Heat currently are. The most likely option remains that the brand will get airtime on RAW and/or Smackdown.

Credit: PWTorch.com

I dont know how this couldnt be a good idea. I loved ECW but i don't know how the WWE could water it down. ECW was great wrestling with more blood and hardcore action than the WWE. If you saw the Edge/Mick Foley match at WM22 you should have been reminded of what ECW was all about. It was great hardcore wrestling not garbage(CZW, XPW). So if the WWE let Edge and Mick Foley do it at WM then why not let the ECW guys do it everyweek?

Some of you seem to forget the best matches didnt just involve someone going through a flaming table and thumbtacks and bein opened to bleed all over the ring but it they had great technical wrestling. Ex: RVD vs Jerry Lynn, RVD vs Sabu, Shane Douglas vs Chris Jericho vs 2 cold Scorpio vs Pitbull #2, Rey Misterio Jr. vs Psicosis, Taz vs Shane Douglas, Tajiri vs Little Guido vs Super Crazy, Sabu vs 2 Cold Scorpio. Yeah i know some of these matches had chair shots and tables but the it was the wrestling that made these matches great.

As long as the WWE allows Big Guys to take dives(Ex. MIke Awesome, WWE and WCW wouldnt let him wrestle like he did in ECW so everyone saw him as a joke), and anybody win the World Championship as long as theyre a good wrestler and not because theyre big(Ex. Taz, Sabu, Masato Tanaka, Steve Corino, Jerry Lynn, Justin Credible, and Tommy Dreamer)ECW should be fine

I dont know how this couldnt be a good idea. I loved ECW but i don't know how the WWE could water it down. ECW was great wrestling with more blood and hardcore action than the WWE. If you saw the Edge/Mick Foley match at WM22 you should have been reminded of what ECW was all about. It was great hardcore wrestling not garbage(CZW, XPW). So if the WWE let Edge and Mick Foley do it at WM then why not let the ECW guys do it everyweek?

Some of you seem to forget the best matches didnt just involve someone going through a flaming table and thumbtacks and bein opened to bleed all over the ring but it they had great technical wrestling. Ex: RVD vs Jerry Lynn, RVD vs Sabu, Shane Douglas vs Chris Jericho vs 2 cold Scorpio vs Pitbull #2, Rey Misterio Jr. vs Psicosis, Taz vs Shane Douglas, Tajiri vs Little Guido vs Super Crazy, Sabu vs 2 Cold Scorpio. Yeah i know some of these matches had chair shots and tables but the it was the wrestling that made these matches great.

As long as the WWE allows Big Guys to take dives(Ex. MIke Awesome, WWE and WCW wouldnt let him wrestle like he did in ECW so everyone saw him as a joke), and anybody win the World Championship as long as theyre a good wrestler and not because theyre big(Ex. Taz, Sabu, Masato Tanaka, Steve Corino, Jerry Lynn, Justin Credible, and Tommy Dreamer)ECW should be fine

Joelo8112002

Check out the blowoff match of the Raven/Dreamer feud, the Raven/Sandman barbedwire match, or Sabu/RVD @ Wrestlepalooza 98 and tell me those are not garbage matches. None of those matches are downright horrible, but there's no real story or structure to them, just random brawling/chairshots, etc. The difference between a garbage match and a hardcore match is that hardcore matches have SOME semblance of structure. For every good brawl or straight up wrestling match in ECW, you had 3 more mindless clusterf*cks.

To me, the true essence of ECW was living in that moment. It was a revolution. Once that moment and revolution ended, so did ECW. That's why i think an annual show is perfect, since ironically, the concept does exactly what Paul E. always set out to do - hide the weaknesses. Having a full-time ECW brand will crap all over everything ECW ever stood for, simply by exposing weaknesses.

Hopefully everything pans out ok and McMahon lets Heyman & Dreamer call the shots. I think Sabu,Raven & Rhyno might jump from TNA to "WWE ECW"

I'm a huge ECW fan. started watching in 97 when I could, became a Die Hard in 98.

Now this is confusing dammit. ECW coming back is both good and bad.

The Good.

Its brings back a recognizable name to wrestling when wrestling needs it the most.

Gives future talent Like CM Punk, and other OVW regulars time to shine on the National spot light.

SABU!(I'm a Sabu mark please forgive me)

Its ECW with the WWE wallet. So they can buy alot.

We can see "GOOD" matches again.

The Bad.

Soils the name of ECW.

The fact that it is not the real ECW.

Some people will fixated on the "Old" ECW.

The Ugly.

WWE presents ECW.

(Two) of the McMahons will be involved. One has lost his mind, and his daughter don't know **** about wrestling.

Gets rid of OVW.

well this is some news thanks for it