ECW returning full time?!?!

[MizzouBravesFan]

http://www.wrestlezone.com/article.php?articleid=147826382

PWInsider.com is reporting that WWE has made the decision to bring back ECW FULL-TIME.

The plan is to have the promotion return on a full-time basis in September. WWE officials have begun talking to former talent about returning to work for the promotion.

There has been no decision on how the company will be brought back just yet. It's possible that it will take over the present OVW territory, that it will be a promotion that gets matches on the Raw and/or Smackdown promotions or possibly in some other manner.

Paul Heyman and Tommy Dreamer will be booking ECW when it starts up.

WWE is offering talent three year deals which consist of a series of one year contracts with rollover clauses. The Sandman, Francine and Balls Mahoney are all being sent contreacts this week.

If this is true, all I can say is OH...MY...GOD!!!

[JOEdellis]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

I doubt this is Legit, also i dont think it would be the same since it is under wwe now. btw if this is legit then RVD should win the title and go on raw and pull a Franchise by stepping it to the side and bringing back the ECW title, then leaving RAW, all storyline of course.

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

pretty sure this is true if this is on pwinsider.com.....

Should be good if they can get a good tv spot for it.

[JiggidyJames]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

If this news broke last year, I would be jumping up and down, yelling and screaming. Now? I guess I'm out of my ECW hangover phase.

BTW, pwinsider IS reporting this.

WWE has made the decision to bring back Extreme Championship Wrestling as a full time entity and has begun talking with former ECW talent about returning to work for the new version of the legendary promotion. As of right now, WWE is targeting a September return for the promotion. No decision has been made as to exactly how the company will be brought back yet. It's possible that it will take over the present OVW territory, that it will be a promotion that gets matches on the Raw and/or Smackdown promotions or possibly in some other manner. Sources have told us that Paul Heyman and Tommy Dreamer will be booking ECW when it starts up.
WWE has already contacted a number of ECW wrestlers and contracts will be sent out to them this week. The talents are being offered three year deals which consist of a series of one year contracts, with rollover clauses. A number of wrestlers have been contacts so far. We can confirm that WWE has talked with The Sandman, Francine and Balls Mahoney and will be sending contracts out to them this week. We will have more information on this story later today or tomorrow.

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

you know WWE is looking for competition when they are creating other promotions to stir up interest in the wrestling product.

[EWRMETS]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

They should have done this in the first place with WCW. One of the reasons the brand extension hasn't worked as well is because it is all under the WWE banner.

[TheTruth916]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

ECW Is Dead and will always been dead. This is WWECW

[sven]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

They should sign Low Ki.

[TimmeH]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

There's been talk about ECW returning full time ever since they became a part of the Invasion. In other words, I'll believe it when I see it.

However, if they do bring it back, and if they do give full creative control to Heyman and Dreamer, I don't think it'd be all that bad of an idea.

[MizzouBravesFan]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

This could be Vince's way of trying to cripple TNA by bringing back a lot of their ECW guys for this. This will only work if Vince stays the hell out of Heyman's way and gives him FULL and I mean FULL control of everything associated with it. This could be a good way of getting guys like CM Punk or anyone from the developmental feds or from the indys way over on TV before they make the jump to the main roster or sign with the WWE. It could def. work, ONS was pretty ECW authentic and as long as Heyman has a say in it, I'll believe in it.

[ChrisHero]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

This could be Vince's way of trying to cripple TNA by bringing back a lot of their ECW guys for this. This will only work if Vince stays the hell out of Heyman's way and gives him FULL and I mean FULL control of everything associated with it. This could be a good way of getting guys like CM Punk or anyone from the developmental feds or from the indys way over on TV before they make the jump to the main roster or sign with the WWE. It could def. work, ONS was pretty ECW authentic and as long as Heyman has a say in it, I'll believe in it.

Exactly, Heyman needs to be in full control if this comes to life. What I'd like to see is the end of the so-called brands, enough of this Raw and Smackdown stuff. Not very likely though, sadly.

[JOEdellis]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

So using something he never created to help the advance of TNA into giving his WWE competition?. I guess vince would pull something that shady, i personally think this wont work without a TV slot and not that OVW one where not alot can even see it( i never saw it). If they work in a TV deal on USA real late or something then i can see it being a good investment.

[Spear]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

Well this news is pretty much on most major wrestling news sites by now, and sounds pretty good.

If WWE allows their current Smackdown and Raw wrestlers who were in ECW before to go back to that brand then we may be looking at some good old ECW. There are also some other factors to take into effect, will Vince allow them to be Extreme? Will there be restrictions on what they are allowed to do in the ring to protect Vince's "investment"? Will die hard ECW fans accept a new WWE modified ECW? Will WWE truly modify ECW? Would WWE be willing to go out and spend some money to bring in some ECW greats? Would we be seeing ECW in an ECW ring with ECW production values? I sure hope so.

With all those questions being raised in my head, I thought I'd look into some ECW talent that I'd want to see in this "new" brand.

SD!
Joey Mercury (Matthews) - can't really see him going to ECW because of MNM but he would only be worth seeing there if Christian York was brought in.

Nunzio (Little Gudio) - I'd like to see him back in ECW again since he isn't doing that much on Smackdown and the FBI was originally ECW's creation.

Simon Dean (Nova) - Well they tried the bWo last year and that didn't last long, but maybe they will rid Nova of that horrid Simon Dean gimmick and put him back with the bWo or even have him team with Chetti...yet I don't think we'll be seeing Chetti back.

Super Crazy - If Crazy doesn't go to the ECW brand then it wont be ECW at all.

Psicosis - Would be nice for him to go back to ECW, if Crazy goes I'm sure he would as well (no more Mexicools?)

Taz - Well he probably has too bad of a neck to come back but maybe a few apperances like he did in late 2000 w/ Roadkill and Doring as Tag Champs

Raw:

Jerry Lawler - They could always bring him in for a few apperances like they did in 97. He did just recently have a match with Tommy Dreamer at a local Memphis show.

Joey Styles - ECW is not the same w/o him, just watch Hardcore Homecoming November Reign to see what I mean.

RVD - you can pretty much bank on it that he'd be involved in this ECW brand, RVD makes it known how much he misses ECW more often than not.

Others under WWE contract:
Al Snow, Tommy Dreamer, Paul Heyman, Roadkill, Dusty Rhodes, Swinger

Free Agents:
Balls Mahoney (already been contacted apparently)
Danny Doring (Roadkill and Doring defending their Tag Titles?)
Justin Credible (Unless that MTV promotion got under the ground then whats stopping us from seeing him in ECW again)
Mikey Whipwreck (Wouldn't be the same w/o Sinister Minister)
New Jack (Probably too much trouble)
Tajiri (Maybe they could convince him to come back)
The Sandman (already been contacted apparently)
CW Anderson (He's working the US indies lately so maybe WWE would contact him)
Mike Awesome (Doubt he'd come out of Retirement for good)
Steve Corino (His Japanese commitments are probably too much to take on ECW again)
Axl Rotten (probably too busy with his promotion to leave)
Lance Storm (He has come out of retirement to wrestle for ROH, and says he would come back fulltime if something sparked his interest)
Masato Tanaka (Don't know where he is these days)
Joel Gertner (Was at ONS last year, so maybe he'd be back)
The Rest of the FBI? (Not sure what Tony Mamaluke is up to, but an FBI reunion would be awesome)

TNA:
Dudleys (wont be back)
Sabu (wouldn't be surprised if he was in this new ECW brand, unless TNA can sign him to a written contract)
Rhino (Unfortunately ECW wont be the same w/o him)
Simon Diamond (meh)
Jerry Lynn (again don't know what TNA's contract situation is like but from the looks of it he isn't going anywhere)
James Mitchell (Sinister Minister) - TNA probably has him locked up.

[sven]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

As of Febuary Mamaluke was wrestling for ROH and verious other indys.

[Dondadda]

Re: ECW returning full time?!?!

Being that ONS was so good, I am very, VERY optimistic about this news!!



As a matter of fact . . . what the hey . . . PRAISE JESUS, ECW IS BACK!!!!!!! EC-DUB, EC-DUB, EC-DUB!!!! THIS IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER 2K FOOTBALL GAME!!!!! WHOOOO-HAAAAAA!!!!


There, I got it out of my system. As a former attendee of the Madhouse of Extreme, this news truly warms my hardcore ECW fan heart!