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Dueling Chair Shots
by Kurt La Mont
Column date 03/07/2001

Several events over the past few days have caused a couple of our fine columnists at www.ECWNews.com, Frank and Kurt, to come to come to a similar conclusion. Instead of saying the same thing in separate columns, we decided to have them do a give and take column.

Frank's comments are labeled SF (Shootin' with the Franchise)
Kurt's comments are labeled DCS (Dueling Chair Shots)

SF: After reading this, I'm almost positive that the WWF has or is about to purchase ECW.

"Given the events of this past day, and the events I expect to take place later this week, it's pretty fair to say that I am not the ECW webmaster any more. I have gotten some emails asking if I was going to the WWF as part of an ECW invasion angle, and that pretty much cracked me up. Let's put it this way, if I am going, it's news to me!"

- Dave Scherer, www.1Wrestling.com, 03/05/01

1.) Dave Scherer, Paul's number one shill, is no longer running the company's site. He mentioned the above quote in today's DL, and took away the disclaimer from the last page that he is editor of it. He also mentioned Buck left a month ago. Now, if the WWF does take over, they certainly don't want/need Dave. They've got their own crew of "New Media" talent plus he's a sheet writer. Another thing is that in the last two weeks, Dave has been pretty negative on Paul and ECW. He may have been speaking the truth, but haven't we always harped on the fact that Dave always spun the bad into pretty good? He'd judge a dismal PPV and say it was "very good and everyone busted their asses." He's done nothing but talk about the demise of the company lately. Could this because he knew he was on his way out.....or because Paul had shut him out? Either way, his ties have been cut and SOMEONE ELSE has been posting up on the site.

DCS: I've noticed the exact same thing. The tone I get from reading Scherer is that it's like he's hoping ECW dies now, a CLEAR contrast from the past. My sense is that he'd rather see Paul E go to the WWF and improve what they're doing than having ECW survive. I'm guessing part of the reason from the tone we have seen is that he's been cut out of the loop and is bitter about it. Now that he's not part of the ECW site who decides what pervert pics are put up?

2.) SF: ECW is WAR is the new front page on the site. Two updates went up today (Monday) about Paul being on Raw, one of which was a mark piece to insist it was an invasion angle. First off, why would www.ECWWrestling.com advertise Paul being there, nevermind raise Raw's ratings (how's that for an alliteration)? ECW hasn't mentioned the slightest peep of losing Rhino, Tajiri, Credible, Lynn, York, Matthews, Money, or Swinger....why talk about Paul going on RAW? Another reason that I think the WWF is now handling the site.

DCS: I'm not convinced that the WWF has taken over the ECW site. They still have the same simplistic setup. If the WWF were in control it would be a lot more elaborate. But the WWF definitely would encourage promoting Paul E on the ECW site even if they aren't in control. Also, the picture of Paul E was the same on www.1Wrestling.com and www.ECWWrestling.com so I'm not convinced that they are in control of the site.

I don't think Paul E doing color will have any impact on WWF's ratings, although over a longer term his booking could. ECW's ratings were minimal to begin with and I imagine that most ECW fans watch the WWF as well and if they don't I can't see Paul E's commentary bringing them in.

3.) SF: Speaking of Paul being on RAW, did anyone notice the LACK of any focus he directed towards ECW? Aside from the hat, mentioning that someone was a former champ, and the TNN comment....he was rather silent on the matter. No fuel towards anything. I'm not sure exactly how to judge this, but I feel that if ECW was going to be running their PPV on Sunday (and I still say they can announce the PPV on Monday and have it sold out for Sunday night if it's at the Arena ONLY), then he would have done it on Raw. Where does this leave us? If the website is still producing their Pervert Pics (which I can't wait for that guy to be gone already), and updating Paul's status on WWF TV, then why not update the upcoming events section with removing the PPV? Something is very fishy here and I still have a funny feeling that SOMETHING will air on Sunday night.....

DCS: 90% of the WWF's audience doesn't know squat about ECW. You don't want to shove it down their throats unless you were promoting a PPV this Sunday and in my opinion there's no chance that is happening now. I actually was surprised how much ECW was mentioned. The hat alone was a lot in my opinion. Would the WWF allow so many mentions of ECW just to appease Paul if they were shutting down a few days later? I find that hard to believe.

4.) SF: Club ECW refunds. How could ECW possibly issue checks for well over $10,000 (just counting the first row and one section of second row seats) to repay fans when they are however much in debt? Unless this is Paul's final joke, that the fans get what the wrestlers have gotten for years....bad checks....someone had to fund this. With the WWF buying ECW, they are funding the return of the money to the fans, so they can't complain when it's the WWF running shows out of the Arena charging a nice fee over that $25 per show.

DCS: I mentioned the same thing to Tom. ECW has no cash so this money had to come from somewhere else. The only thing that makes sense is the WWF. How many Club ECW members are there? At $75 for 100 people that's $7,500. Even if it's 500 people ($37,500) its chump change to the WWF (they could write it off in their XFL losses). However, it could just be a condition that Paul E made in negotiations to sign with the WWF to repay the loyalty of the Arena fans over the years and not any part of a WWF purchase of ECW.

Based on these 4 items and a gut feeling I agree with you Frank. Here is what I think is going on. I think the WWF has agreed to purchase ECW and will shut down ECW temporarily. I think the WWF is building Paul E up in the color seat and in a few months will spin off and relaunch ECW assuming that his popularity and on air hype of ECW will create enough interest. The big mystery in this scenario in my mind is what will the WWF get out of this from Paul E? Perhaps the WWF gets Paul E to be bookerman and color commentator and then runs ECW separately without Paul E. That raises a new question from me; if Paul E is not a part of ECW is it really ECW? Perhaps that's another topic for another day.

One thing I am certain of is that I won't believe that ECW has folded until I hear the words from Paul E's mouth.

More good stuff next week. Send any comments or questions to Kurt at [email protected].

If you want to write to Frank direct your e-mail to [email protected]

Past editions of Dueling Chair Shots
10/4/99
10/16/99
10/27/99
11/5/99
11/10/99
11/17/99
11/19/99
12/03/99
12/10/99
12/17/99
01/03
01/19
01/29
02/04
02/14
02/22
02/29
03/06
03/13
03/20
04/12
04/28
05/08
05/18
05/23
05/30
06/05
06/13
06/21
06/29
07/06
07/11
07/17
07/24
08/01
08/07
08/20
08/30
09/06
09/14
09/20
09/27
10/05
10/12
10/24
11/01
11/06
11/16
11/28
12/04
12/09
12/28
01/04
01/11
01/18
01/25
01/31
02/09
02/20