Paid Members Egg Shen Posted September 5, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted September 5, 2014 There's been a lot of complaints about the production quality in this thread but surely that was part of the charm? Back in the late 90's when I was a teenager, the shitty production quality added a bit of grittiness and really made it feel more like an alternative to the Big Two. Edit: Actually, I'll expand on that. What made ECW so attractive was that it had that sort of DIY Punk aesthetic. The thing that makes kids passionate about seeing shitty bands in tiny sweaty venues who have never done more than a 50 print run of their EP and not passionate in the slightest about going to see U2. It was seeing guy who were drunk and/or stoned and/or out of shape in the ring. It was small time and relatable. absolutely spot on for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam O'Rourke Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Want to thank everybody for the feedback - we read a good bit of it on the podcast, and the show is now online to listen to at the following link: http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/web/59xfi2/SCGRadio13-WasECWAllItWasCrackedUpToBe.mp3 It ended up being a really fun show with some good debate on what was and wasn't good about ECW, its true influence, the crowd, Paul Heyman, and a number of the feuds, angles and wrestlers. A fun show, check it out and let us know what you think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Carr_92 Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 It provided a great alternative to the Monday Night Wars because you were either in one camp or the other with WWF & WCW, but a big factor in them going bankrupt was them signing their talent away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted September 8, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted September 8, 2014 ECW was going bankrupt either way. Their talent being signed away was a blessing in some cases, because at least they didn't have to send them bounced cheques anymore. The fact they lasted for so long was an achievement. They should have went under in 99 (with the Dudleys, Taz and Shane Douglas etc.), but their TV deal saved them. It wasn't a business model that could have lasted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Pitcos Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 If he had been more arsey with the WWF over signing ECW wrestlers, he might not have been able to go to Vince for $500k bailouts. ECW was pretty much a developmental territory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam O'Rourke Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 Yeh it's pretty funny, but from about 97 onwards when you really look at what ECW did, Heyman totally knew his role in accepting the Al Snow's and Brakkus' of the world to do Vince a solid in return for the exposure on Raw to hype Barely Legal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonworden Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 I've wondered before what would have happened to the product if it had lasted a little longer at least (3-4 years). Would it have stayed relatively similar or would it have moved more towards the ROH style in some aspects, just without the pure wrestling style they had in 02-early 03? Would they have fallen into more of a CZW Style. What would have been of the Indy surge around that time? and TNA would ECW have taken the Indy Darlings at the time or other randoms that have long been forgotten? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted September 9, 2014 Moderators Share Posted September 9, 2014 Paul Heyman claims it'd have been where Daniel Bryan became a star, but I'm skeptical of this as he'd alreadt passed over him and Bryan signed for WWF in 2000. If they survived expect a lot more Chilly Willy and fucking awful booking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted September 9, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted September 9, 2014 Ha, Chilly Willy. Whatever happened to him? Got to be one of the worst names in wrestling history. He was cack as well, from what I remember of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reznor Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Ha, Chilly Willy. Whatever happened to him? Got to be one of the worst names in wrestling history. He was cack as well, from what I remember of him. I think he might've went to fight their war of terror in Afghanistan or Iraq. I liked him, he was pretty funny. I don't know if I should be embarrassed about that as i've never saw him since the time. Wasn't the Daniel Bryan link due to a deal with HBKs academy, I remember Michael Bentley and a few others had started up in ECWs final few months. It's an interesting question about how they'd have ended up. I'd guess they probably would have become more like your typical US indie with crazy workrate, finishers from the first minute, and inventing dozens of convoluted moves and sequences every week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator HarmonicGenerator Posted September 9, 2014 Awards Moderator Share Posted September 9, 2014 Wasn't Chilly Willy under developmental contract for a while after ECW folded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted September 9, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted September 9, 2014 Paul Heyman claims it'd have been where Daniel Bryan became a star, but I'm skeptical of this as he'd alreadt passed over him and Bryan signed for WWF in 2000. If they survived expect a lot more Chilly Willy and fucking awful booking. I genuinely think that if ECW hadn't folded, Paul Heyman would have died of a stress related heart-attack. Either that or he'd have cracked up, given it to Tommy Dreamer in lieu of wages and gone to live in that cave with Carlos Roa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Sergio Mendacious Posted September 9, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted September 9, 2014 Wasn't Chilly Willy under developmental contract for a while after ECW folded? They only took him on because he was a local lad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgarTheSlouch Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Wasn't Chilly Willy under developmental contract for a while after ECW folded? They only took him on because he was a local lad. (he) enlisted in the United States Army shortly after the World Trade Center attacks, and was sent to Iraq in April 2003.[12] Assigned to a special forces unit while serving as an infantryman in Iraq, he was wounded by mortar fire while on a mission and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted September 9, 2014 Moderators Share Posted September 9, 2014 I think that one went over your head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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