– WWE is talking about doing ECW house shows.
– WWE has expressed interest in Sabu, as Vince McMahon admitted at today’s Vengeance press conference.
– Early reports from Canadian closed circuit theater attendance for the ECW PPV event were that the show drew “Wrestlemania-like attendance.”
– No decisions were made by WWE before the show as to the future of ECW, but rumors are running rampant, including using ECW in an angle on Smackdown to breathe new life into the show, to replacing HEAT with ECW, to simply incorporating ECW talent and ‘philosophy’ into current WWE programming while making a ton of money on 24/7, DVD and other merchandise sales.
– Some, particularly Kurt Angle, have been outspoken about how One Night Stand may have hurt all the work WWE has put into bringing in-ring work “back to basics” and making it less risky on wrestlers’ health.
– In an interesting historical note, the revival of ECW’s brand initially took place in 2001 during the WWF/WCW Invasion angle. The original plan, according to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer and Internet rumors, was for Vince and Linda McMahon to be divorced within the storylines, with RAW becoming WCW as part of the settlement, and Smackdown being the WWF. Plans changed several times, particularly when Booker T vs. Buff Bagwell’s WCW Title match on RAW was booed out of the building in Tacoma, WA. The plan at that time was for Bischoff to come in, lose to Vince at the InVasion PPV, and hotshot the angle. When THAT fell through, ECW was revived with Stephanie McMahon as owner and Paul Heyman as spokesman. This helped make InVasion the most successful non-Wrestlemania PPV in history, yet at Survivor Series in November 2001, the ECW/WCW team lost a match which — in storyline terms — ended the “Alliance” forever.
– While unsaid on TV or WWE.com within storylines, the unwritten conclusion was that Vince eventually bought up all of WCW and ECW’s assets, including tapes used in 24/7, and the rights to run a PPV such as One Night Stand. Outside of the storylines, Rob Van Dam approached Vince with the PPV idea, with Vince eventually letting Heyman have the reigns over booking the event — McMahon having final say of course.
– Joey Styles, brought in with help from Jim Ross convincing him to put aside grudges with Heyman, has signed a 2-year WWE contract for ECW-related projects. This will likely include DVD and 24/7 voiceovers, unless ECW is revived to any further extent.
– The original plan for Mike Awesome was for him to come in with Bischoff as manager, to play off of the real-life heat Awesome has with ECW fans and talent for leaving the company for WCW well before the planned RVD/Awesome title feud was to get underway.
– Some reports are saying that JBL was drinking all night prior to the in-ring incident where he shot on Blue Meanie. Others are saying that Meanie provoked JBL in the ring and JBL took it too far. Watching tape of the brawl is generally inconclusive.
– WWE production is said to have not been entirely in the loop during the event, and wasn’t happy with the unbridled nature of the event. On the other side of things, WWE people at the show were mostly said to have really enjoyed the “fresh” aspects of the show.
– In exchange for WWE RAW and SD workers’ airtime at the PPV, and Benoit/Rey/Eddie using WWE entrance music, Paul Heyman was able to get the Tanaka chairshot series and multiple table spots in, give Van Dam mic time for an uncensored interview, have no physicality between Bischoff and Heyman, allow Heyman to produce Joey Styles’ commentary instead of Vince, and have Tazz come out AFTER Austin.
Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter (for subscription info, go here)
