2009 Running Pro Wrestling Thread

I think the idea behind using the ECW name was that it added some value and eyeballs early in the brand's existence. Once they milked that (let's face it, nobody wanted to see Balls Mahoney and Sandman in this stage of their careers, and Tommy Dreamer probably hung on too long), they transitioned it to the top minor-league affiliate. If they never used the ECW name, they might not have gotten SyFy or anyone else to sign on. If they stayed true to ECW, well, they never could have stayed true to ECW, unless they rented out the bingo hall every month and had Joey Styles do segments in his mom's basement with the ECW background in front of the washer/drier again.

They really shouldn't make any major moves involving Smackdown until they know for sure where it'll be broadcast come fall. Will MyNetwork exist still? If not, then SyFy? WGN? Universal HD? Syndication?

 

If for some reason MyNetworkTV folds, then I bet Smackdown just goes up for bid again, or is one of the more lucrative chips for the network / entity that buys whatever is left of the network (assuming the show wouldn't just revert back completely to the WWE). As much as the WWE isn't happy with the ratings on its show vs. the Attitude era, I think Raw still draws consistently in the mid to upper 3s, which is great for cable, and ECW and Smackdown also do well compared to other shows on their respective networks. Last I knew, Impact was still around the 1.0 to 1.5 range.

I don't really see the need to change ECW at this point, either. I think it was finally getting over as a development brand with a few veterans - Christian, Golddust, Finlay - to showcase the young talent. Yeah, it didn't really have anything in common with the old ECW at this point, but I thought it had started to get its own identity as a show. (I will admit that Striker leaving to fill in for other places definitely hurt it.) Changing the name at this point is like a mini-momentum kill to me.

 

Details seem pretty sketchy right now, but, sadly, we may be looking at another RIP. I got this from Wrestlezone.com:

<<The following is an article from www.F4WOnline.com:

Former WWE star Umaga hospitalized Edward Fatu, 36, is hospitalized in Houston and in what was described as life threatening condition by a long-time friend.

Details are sketchy at this point but he apparently fell asleep last night while watching television, and several hours later, his wife found him not breathing with blood coming out of his nose and he was rushed to the hospital.

UPDATE: According to a report by www.PWTorch.com, Umaga is rumored to be passed away. We will have an update on this breaking story as soon as more details surface.>>

 

According to Jim Ross's blog, Umaga was taken off life support, so if he's not dead, he will be very soon.

RIP, Umaga/Jamal.

 

WWE reporting he has passed.

 

Holy cow. The guy was one of my favorites, no matter what cheesy gimmick he was part of.

RIP Umanga.

 

Shit, shit, shit. RIP Umanga.

He was fun to watch. I'll never forget the Raw episode where he flipped Shawn Michaels in the air like he was going to do a backdrop, but then caught him in a fireman's carry and Samoan Dropped him, all in one motion. It looked like it killed (no pun intended) Michaels. They showed more replays of that move for about three weeks than they did anything else.

 

I was going to make mention of two people misspelling Umaga's name, but then that's how William Regal always said it, so RIP Umanga.

 

Ok, I'm going to hell for this but .....

Do you think God at least gave him a three minute warning?

 

Much too soon to be cracking jokes ...

 

So, heart attack at age 36.

I'd sayt his has to do with his drug/wellness problems. He was fired for failing tests AND refusing treatment. Coupled with his weight (who knows how he took care of himself after he was fired), I'd say the dude's heart was under a lot of stress. Tragic for age 36.

 

This. Exactly this.

The McMahons' "ECW Brand" is a sham.