cjh
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 6,661
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Post by cjh on Jul 30, 2020 16:38:08 GMT -5
I think the answer is the ad hoc nature of the booking in general to be honest rather than any one thing. The old story of Paul E booking shows by seeing who was in the locker room that afternoon/evening is a fun, wacky anecdote to describe the nature of ECW but is also the companies biggest indictment creatively. With hindsight on our sides, it's easy to see how little long term planning there was with a lot of stuff not to mention a lack of an endgame. Most storylines and angles (with the odd exception) were throw it at a wall and see what sticks. This worked more than it should have done, which is perhaps testament to Paul E's ability to book on the fly, but it isn't a long term game plan. Heyman, writing on his notepad, not looking up: Okay, Chris, you're on in the third match with Mikey Whipwreck. Jericho: Paul, Mikey is in the ring wrestling right now. Heyman, not missing a beat: What about 2 Cold Scorpio? Is he out there right now? Jericho: No. Heyman: You're on third with Scorpio.
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Post by The Summer of Muskrat XVII on Jul 30, 2020 17:53:47 GMT -5
The "Crucifixion cost ECW Kurt Angle!" has become an urban legend, he was there because him and Shane Douglas had mutual friends and it was an easy payday close to where he lived to do some commentary and put over Taz, if he'd shown the slightest interest in actually wrestling then WWF/WCW/New Japan would have signed him. Yeah, this wasn’t too long after he had blown off WWE, maybe a month or two. He had no interest in joining pro wrestling at that time. Kurt himself has said it wasn’t until 1998 that he seriously considered pro wrestling as a legitimate option for him
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Post by moonpies88 on Jul 30, 2020 20:25:42 GMT -5
Eh, the character was really stale by this point. Yeah, they'd have to stop the elaborate "Enter Sandman" entrances, but otherwise I really feel he could've easily turned heel and kept mostly the same act simply by attacking fan favorites instead. Stale or not, there wasn't a babyface on the roster that was going to stop ECW fans cheering Sandman.
By 2000 I think an ECW fan buying a ticket just wanted to show up and see "their guys" doing "their routines" and taking away one of the best parts of the live show in Sandman's entrance would have just pissed them off.
Agree, fans were gonna go crazy for the beer and cigarette smokin Sandman.
If he would have reverted back to sufer Sandman, then that could have worked.
Come out to "Surfin Usa" drinking Pina Coladas
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 28,070
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Post by chazraps on Jul 31, 2020 0:54:56 GMT -5
Just thinking today if they would have given Sid the title.
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Jul 31, 2020 1:09:22 GMT -5
It's not an easy task to have "long term booking" in a company where you don't know which of the guys are going to be working for you in two weeks. That's not meant to be a "yeah, Heyman should've paid them a bunch more money he didn't have, then maybe they would've stuck around." It's meant to be a reminder of reality. Especially in ECW's situation. You can't long term plan a wrestling show (or a television show, or a soap opera, or anything with an ongoing story) when the players can leave (and were leaving) on a moment's notice. You can only do what's possible on a given night, and do the best show you can with who is available. That's fair enough, but you can tell watching a lot of these shows back now that things were being booked on the fly as shows were happening in some cases. I was a huge ECW fan in my youth and I still credit them with being the source of a lot of the things I love in wrestling, but that chaotic booking style has not aged well. there's also the obvious answer of ... you get guys to sign for x number of appearances make sure you storyline can be in a decent place to end after X number of dates.
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Post by Chairman of the Board on Jul 31, 2020 6:20:09 GMT -5
This critique of “booking on the fly” being a huge detriment is a little misleading. ECW was booked wonderfully until the TNN deal.
As a fan it was exciting knowing surprises were generally on the way. Booking “house shows” on the fly was not a detriment. The ECW fan cams were traded and popular at the time.
In the year 2000 things went downhill, but that had more to do with a mass exodus of talent. Taz, The Dudleys, and Mike Awesome were all guys that ECW spent years getting over.
I don’t know, as an actual ECW fan from the era I never thought booking/format from old ECW TV was bad. Rarely fans at live events left feeling ripped off. I enjoyed old ECW TV tremendously. I enjoyed the old ECW arena shows and fan cams.
When they joined TNN and started the evil boss trope with Cyrus things went downhill in my opinion.
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Post by moonpies88 on Jul 31, 2020 7:48:23 GMT -5
Just thinking today if they would have given Sid the title. who does he beat?
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 28,070
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Post by chazraps on Jul 31, 2020 12:02:50 GMT -5
Just thinking today if they would have given Sid the title. who does he beat? Taz
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