For an interesting read, check out Arash Markazi’s blog at SI.com, in which he talks about ECW One Night Stand.
From the blog, here is a quote from Paul Heyman before the PPV: “I had huge, huge dilemmas [about relaunching ECW, but] … I kind of liken this to Miramax being owned by Disney. Pulp Fiction was far from a Disney movie. Mickey Mouse did not fit into Pulp Fiction; however, Disney made a very healthy profit on an alternative movie studio. That’s what this is. The idea is to be like an alternative, independent movie studio, yet the financial benefits and infrastructure will come from the huge conglomerate WWE.”
We’ll see how that plays out over the next few weeks (and if you’re wondering how I feel about it, I’ve been compelled to create a blog dedicated to ECW). Word from the Observer is that everyone backstage last night pretty much knew the show tanked, but there were still some people “yessing” Vince and telling him it was a good show.
One thing that’s for sure, Heyman will have some help writing for the new brand. Dave Lagana – who worked with Paul Heyman on the Smackdown creative team and was head writer of the Friday night show – has been moved to ECW to be Heyman’s assistant writer. Smackdown writer Alex Greenfield moves up to head position, which at one point was rumored to be Dusty Rhodes’ for the taking, although plans have changed. (Credit: PWInsider)
Paul Heyman wrote last night’s ECW script, but Executive Producer Kevin Dunn and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon fought with Heyman on “several elements of the show and won out,” according to Mike Johnson at PWInsider. Sci Fi also had some changes made to the broadcast, besides changing it from a live to taped show: Sandman’s match was originally supposed to be vs. an alien, not The Zombie, but Sci Fi didn’t want the fan backlash from hardcore science fiction viewers. There should be more supernatural elements in ECW in the weeks to come.
More ECW Notes: (Credit: PWInsider and ECW.com) Former NWA and ECW star Jack Victory and former ROH Champion Xavier were backstage last night, and former ECW star Joel Gertner was outside Hammerstein Ballroom on Sunday handing out MXW flyers … The Blue Meanie responded to JBL’s comments from One Night Stand on his MySpace blog by saying, “Thanks for keeping my name out there John! lol And for all of you who STILL ask me if I am going to ECW after I have posted plenty of blogs that I have NOT been contacted……I still haven’t been contacted” … Meanie has also just filmed his third movie, Curse of the Werewolf for Killer Wolf Films, but this is just a coincidence … Leaping Lanny Poffo is also in the movie … Axl Rotten posted a “No Comment” on his MySpace, and said he’s been taking personal time. Rotten had no-showed RAW a few weeks ago … ECW.com has yet to update its Title History or Wrestlers pages, but does have video clips up from the past few days, as well as photos of Kelly, The Exhibitionist. What are you waiting for?!
