ECW reunion could spur spinoff
May 8, 2005
BY BLACKJACK BROWN
On June 12, WWE will hold an ECW reunion show, called ECW "One Night Stand,'' on pay-per-view from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.
Although this will be a big night for fans of the defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling, it's safe to say WWE is not going to all this expense and effort just to give the boys a chance to get together for one night of reminiscing. This might be the last chance for ECW, now owned by WWE, to show it can draw on its own.
Look for WWE to begin a big push to hype the show, perhaps going so far as to have the ECW crew invade Raw or SmackDown. Many feel WWE should develop an ECW brand, and if the fans buy this PPV, that might happen.
HEARD AROUND THE RING: TNA Wrestling could be announcing a deal with WGN in the coming weeks. The promotion could get a weeknight prime-time slot and be seen in the vast majority of markets nationwide. ... With Raw moving to the USA Network in the fall, Spike TV has decided to fill the hole with another round of Ultimate Fighting shows. ... The ratings for Raw have gone up the last three weeks. ... Matt Hardy has been gracious after his release by WWE and has left the door open for a possible return.
May 8, 2005
BY BLACKJACK BROWN
On June 12, WWE will hold an ECW reunion show, called ECW "One Night Stand,'' on pay-per-view from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.
Although this will be a big night for fans of the defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling, it's safe to say WWE is not going to all this expense and effort just to give the boys a chance to get together for one night of reminiscing. This might be the last chance for ECW, now owned by WWE, to show it can draw on its own.
Look for WWE to begin a big push to hype the show, perhaps going so far as to have the ECW crew invade Raw or SmackDown. Many feel WWE should develop an ECW brand, and if the fans buy this PPV, that might happen.
HEARD AROUND THE RING: TNA Wrestling could be announcing a deal with WGN in the coming weeks. The promotion could get a weeknight prime-time slot and be seen in the vast majority of markets nationwide. ... With Raw moving to the USA Network in the fall, Spike TV has decided to fill the hole with another round of Ultimate Fighting shows. ... The ratings for Raw have gone up the last three weeks. ... Matt Hardy has been gracious after his release by WWE and has left the door open for a possible return.
