Misnik's
Musings
06/16/2000
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I've been back for a couple weeks and it seems to me as though ECW is in a bad way. The controversy between ECW and TNN is at an all time high right now. We still don't have tag team champions, we're on the verge of losing one of the true legends in this company and people in Florida got a little more than what they bargained for.
Make no mistake, ECW is most certainly a company at the crossroads right now and a lot of what the future of this company is going to have is being decided upon in a courtroom in Delaware. What's troubling about the situation is HOW it's being presented- not necessarily the whys and wherefores and also when (and in some cases IF) the dust settles- whither ECW.
We have ourselves a good strong solid World Heavyweight Champion. This was actually an instance of life throwing you a lemon and Paul making lemonade. The rumours of Lance Storm heading off to WCW were around at CyberSlam 2000. Paul took that time and prospect to put the strap on a man who he felt can carry the company along into the next millennium. I was a big fan of PJ Walker in the WWF and as annoying as the Portuguese Man O War gimmick might have been, Aldo Montoya had his moments. Justin Credible went from an annoying gimmick name to a solid all around wrestler. He deserves to be the ECW World Heavyweight Champion. But, here's the problem - is he just "holding the belt" for Rob Van Dam or is he the champion? I have seen some great defences so far, but it doesn't seem as though Justin Credible is in any real feuds to speak of. I mean granted there's three "number one contenders" in the WWF, but you know who is in the mix. Justin's title defence at the upcoming PPV on July 16th should be a classic, especially now that they are getting barbed wire into the mix with the ladders. Other than the match at CyberSlam and then the "incident" at Hardcore Heaven- there hasn't been much of a build-up for this Dreamer/Credible match.
One of the other "problems" that has come up due to Lance Storm leaving and Justin Credible becoming the champ is the muddled tag team title situation. CyberSlam 2000 took place on April 22. This column is being written on June 15th. ECW has no tag team champions. What the hell is up with that? Has there not been a tag team that has leapt up from the pack to grab the ball? Now, that's not to say that the tag team division isn't a damn talented one- BUT the fact that not one team has the titles is questionable. The lack of announced matches at Hardcore Heaven made one think that we might get a tournament and then champions. Nope, not yet. Nada. If you can't decide what team to put the belts on, then very simply draw the name of a team out of a hat and put the belts on them. Then each week on TV, have a defence of the belts and then have the belts change hands. That way each of the teams is happy and it more than certainly brings some attention to the tag team division. Some might say that this idea takes away credibility to the tag belts. Welp, folks, last time I checked not having champs don't do em that good either. We haven't seen the belts on TV of late. Did Sal E eat them? Mikey set em on fire? Who knows? Well, let's just hope that we get to a point that people still care.
ECW is at a crossroads right now. Paul had always said that we're too big to be small and we're still too small to be that big. But, one video game out, another on the way, the impending commercial release of a video and/or DVD, Six pay per views- this is certainly not "small time" anymore. It's time that ECW became big. The future of ECW is going to be an interesting one. This is going to be an interesting summer and fall for ECW and most certainly for us, its fans, as well.
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Past editions of "Misnik's Musings"
09/07/99
09/12/99
09/20/99
09/29/99
10/10/99
10/18/99
10/24/99
11/01/99
11/11/99
11/28/99
12/10/99
12/11/99
12/18/99
01/10/2000
01/25/2000
02/18/2000
02/29/2000
03/14/2000
04/16/2000