Monday, April 30, 2012

ECW: Let it go and let it die

Paul Heyman, former ECW owner, may not be dead yet, but after the trainwreck Extreme Reunion show Saturday, a roll over may due upon eventual burial. Last Saturday's show was another attempt to rekindle the spirit of ECW by bringing back the stars of yesteryear; it was also a show designed to start a new promotion that would be a spinoff of the Philadelphia-based promotion. Instead of ushering a new era, it became a wake for a promotion that died 11 years ago. Advertised talents didn't make the show, those that did show didn't perform, and the booking of the show was horrendous. Sabu, one of ECW's biggest stars, was found unresponsive in his hotel room the day before the show and was in the hospital for evaluation. Justin Credible, former ECW champion, was found slumped over and asleep. Those who found him believed he was in bad shape and asked him to leave the building. An advertised match between Raven and Pitbull Gary Wolfe didn't exactly take place, as a new group of Raven's minions attacked Wolfe and Raven did absolutely nothing. Not even Sandman's entrance with the famed "Enter Sandman" theme could save the treck of a show. Fans were chanting "refund" and "please save this show" during the Jerry Lynn vs Devon Storm match, which was orginally advertised as Lynn vs Credible. That match saved what was little of the show before then. What was orginally advertised as Sabu vs Shane Douglas turned into 2 Cold Scorpio vs Douglas. Fans who paid to see Sabu were not pleased that they didn't get what they paid for walked out during the match. Before the match, when fans were chanting "f**k you Shane" during his promo, Douglas told the fans "You don't work me, I work you." Meaning I don't give a damn what you want because I have your money already. That was a slap to the face of every ECW fan that supported the promotion through its seven-year existence from 1994-2001. Last Saturday's train wreck was proof that the ECW legacy needs to be buried. No more reunion shows, tribute shows, what have you because the promotion is dead and gone. It's not 1995 anymore, and the wrestling business, whether good or bad since, has moved on. The wrestlers that made ECW what it was have either have gone on to WWE or TNA, have retired or sadly have passed. While ECW revolutionized wrestling with its hardcore, grit style of wrestling and its introduction of talent that went on to fame elsewhere, its legacy just needs to let be. As much as WWE, and recently TNA have been criticized for bastardizing the name of ECW, this past Saturday's show went to the 'Extreme', pun intended, of further destroying it. For the sake of the future of the wrestling business, please I ask anybody who's thinkin of the next ECW reunion show to move on, let it go, and find the next promotion that could revolutionize the business. If there's one out there.

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