Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic

When the partying hippies of yesterday grow up, get jobs, get married and have children, something changes at the very core of their being. The entire essence of what they are becomes irrevocably altered. They sell their anthems to advertise new cars, new colas and new computers. They scold their children for sneaking a beer, and morph into the authority figures against whom they once rallied.

TODAY’S ISSUE: What are the ECW Originals actually mad about?

Thankfully, there’s finally a storyline in progress on Sci Fi each Tuesday night, and it’s far more focused and entertaining than the meandering existence of WWECW has been since last June. I don’t care if it’s the Millionaire’s Club against the New Blood all over again, because it’s better than nothing. Now when Kevin Thorn wrestles Balls Mahoney, for example, it’s one battle in the larger war and they’re both standing up for the honor of their brethren. About six weeks ago, that same match would have been fought for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

As I always say, tournaments, number one contender matches, qualifying matches, and any other contest with something on the line is far more entertaining that two oiled up guys in spandex fake-punching each other with no real motivation. So the ECW Originals versus the New Breed arc works for me. However, looking into the angle, I find myself wondering something about the nature of their disagreement. What are the ECW Originals so mad about?

The Originals have made that long, slow, slip, transforming into that which they once hated most: the bloated, aged curmudgeons who demand respect from the youngsters while they look back fondly, and perhaps with an exaggerated sense of their own importance in history. Can’t you just hear the Sandman telling Elijah Burke, “In my day Son, I had to drive the truck from city to city, set up the ring myself, clean the arena bathrooms with a toothbrush, then sell t-shirts and popcorn before wrestling a four-star match! My reward for the performance was the right to take down the ring again and load in on the truck for the next night’s haul. I did it all for $25 a day, and do you know why? Because I respected the business and the men who bled, sweat, and paid the price so I could be a professional wrestler!”

The irony is, the ECW Originals were once the wild children of pro wrestling. They bucked convention and blazed their own path en route to making the old ECW a true cult phenomenon. Guys like Sabu, RVD, Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, and many others who aren’t currently under the employ of WWE worked hard, defied the odds, innovated, and suffered for their art. They were all part of a magical moment in pro wrestling history, when the “big two” regularly stole ECW’s ideas and talent to reinvent their own products. ECW was the Little Engine That Could personified.

In kayfabe, I wonder if those guys recall what it was like to climb up the mountain as they now look down at the young lions chasing them, complaining that the less experienced grapplers haven’t yet paid their dues.

The former band of ragtag, renegade, anti-establishment misfits have now become the very machine against which they once raged. Today it’s the ECW Originals who feel slighted by the young stars wanting too much too quickly, not respecting the wrestlers who paved the way for them. But what are these young lions really all about?

The New Breed are anxious to make a name for themselves and carve out their own niche, regardless of what the current convention is, just like the ECW Originals once did.

The New Breed are willing to do anything to be successful, just like the ECW Originals once did.

The New Breed show a lack of respect for established stars, and refuse to lie down before the legends that came before them, just like the ECW Originals once did.

The New Breed are young, hungry, aggressive, and demand to be recognized, just like the ECW Originals once did.

The New Breed are not going to be happy until they rock the pro wrestling world, just like the ECW Originals once did.

Remember, we’re talking about a company who’s roots lie in Shane Douglas’ complete disrespect and disgrace of one of the oldest and most cherished (at one time) world championship titles in the history of the pseudo-sport. Anyone associated with ECW has a lot of nerve to complain about a group of young upstarts trying to make a name for themselves and capture fans’ attention.

Ironically, one of the ECW Originals has an opportunity to make statements during the entire hour of television on which the war between his former brother-in-arms and the New Breed rages each week, but Tazz talks about how the young guns are good for ECW, much to the surprise of his broadcast partner and another ECW Original, Joey Styles.

It seemed obvious that Tazz would rage against the young lions and get involved in the angle at some point, and he still might. But for now, his views on the situation make the most sense of all the elder statesmen involved. “Hey, these guys are just like we used to be. They’re the next evolutionary step in the history of ECW.”

I wonder what the Originals are so mad about. Have they really forgotten their roots? It wasn’t long ago that ECW’s surprising rise and amazing success began. ECW’s original “invasion” of Monday Night RAW took place only ten years ago this week. Yet today, the trailblazers have become the old guard, the innovators have become the standard, and the young lions have grown into the old lions, comfortable atop the mountain and no longer looking for a challenge. What a difference a decade makes.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled reality.

p.s. – “Most people live and learn, but Terry Funk just lives.” – Jerry The King Lawler, WrestleMania XIV