I must say it's great to be back. I have my own personal computer now and I can do what I feel like doing and I feel like doing a column again. The writer's block gone, the program successfully hacked, and I'm ready. Let me get one thing straight for those of you who don't know what this column is going to be about. No, it's not a prediction; it's a foresight, meaning that this is how I see the subject progressing.. If you don't like it, then go to that bottom email address and send a response or post it on the appropriate forum because I don't think Brad would want to deal with the type of hate-mail I got from my Yard Tard repost.

When you think of ECW today, you think of a WWE interpretation of ECW. It's not really a surprise because of the fact that Vince McMahon's sphere of influence has definitely brought ECW into a new and awkward light from their new format. Granted they don't have quite the right amount of talent but even so they only gave the ECW show one hour, which is enough to fill the void of talent and at the same time, give what the REAL fans want. Now in Vince's eyes that's not what the fans want because his fans are WWE fans and not ECW fans. They don't know what ECW was as a whole and certainly not just from what WWE has shown on TV.

Given the fact that the old ECW is dead and the new ECW is what is being brought to you, they have a weird way of showing ways of getting involved. The chants are edited out at times or drowned out just as WCW did in the late-'90s, there's barely any feed back from talent other than what's on ECW.com, and there's a bunch of Sci-fi Channel fans that would rather not see ECW on their channel just because of the fact that there's no aliens or space creatures on it. Yes, that is what the sci-fi fans are expecting from ECW...actual stereotypical science fiction elements! Now I know there's going to be a ton of hate mail from this but I can't help but to speak the truth because there's no point in lying anymore. For God's sake people, watch your shows if you want and turn off the TV when our show comes on because believe it or not, ECW is making your channel and network money even for a one-hour timeslot.

With all that being said, I still have my problems with ECW as well as every other column writer on OWW. The major thing that's getting me is the fact that none of the matches are, but the main event, actual ECW matches. They're regular wrestling matches. Come on, when TNN had it on their program, sure they did redneck-ize it, but at least they kept it hardcore and fun to watch the product with no DQ type matches (Tommy Dreamer and Raven vs. The Impact Players - ECW on TNN for reference). Now, those matches are known as "extreme rules" where you can't have it all the time because the new owner is afraid that it will kill the product and give his empire a bad stain on their pants so he'll put some goofy gimmick tag on it to differentiate it.

What is going on with the product that's helping them gain ratings on a network that normally stays away from anything sports-related? Name power! That's all it is, the name ECW is mainly the only thing keeping it going because in my opinion the matches haven't been. With that being said, there is a chance for them yet. With the ratings getting a constant 2.4 on a 4 share, there have been talks or ECW staying on TV longer on Sci-Fi despite what the nerds cry about. There's also been talk of ECW going completely separate from Smackdown tapings, which will open up the floodgates for the true ECW feel.

For those who have been watching ECW for years and think that ECW has sold out to WWE and become a piece of trash product that's just being shoved down our throats, you're right! It has been shoved down our throats but the point is we wanted it there. We're the ones who, for five years, have been thinking of what it would be like if either ECW or WCW would still be around and how it would evolve with the new wave of talent that are sweeping by. Now, it's been brought back for just that reason. You got CM Punk and Shannon Moore, two outstanding talents from ROH and TNA and yet people don't realize how big assets these guys really are. In fact, the WWE marks have probably forgotten that "The Reject" is also the #1 MF'er with Matt Hardy back in 2003. Who knew he'd be keeping his "Prince of Punk" gimmick now?

The ECW fans are the ones that are keeping the new ECW alive because they heard that ECW may be breaking off of the Smackdown coat tails and go on the road on their own. WWE bashes them for checking the news and for having a higher interest than many fans but those same people are what WWE rely on for their new product because they have heard of CM Punk, Mike Knox, and remember Test as they know what they can do in the ring and expect to see of them in the ring. That's why Vince McMahon put some of his money into the old product. With the new look he can see exactly how we feel and how far we are willing to watch it. With this current direction the true ECW fans -- the fans that go to the websites, show interest in TNA and the independent companies, and the ones that express their opinion in chat rooms and message boards and write columns about it here on OWW and other sites, -- have a new ECW and will have to be patient if they want some of that WWE smell to wear off and for Paul Heyman to change his gimmick.

So what should WWE do to give a more entertaining show after ECW breaks from Smackdown? Can the ECW and new fans from WWE wait that long? Will they get the old ECW Arena back? Ow, the questions hurt. Let's first talk about how WWE should improve it without having to go over the top. My main concern that's starting to drive me away from ECW is the main event. I mentioned this before; the fans don't want to see Big Show defending the ECW World Heavyweight Title against other WWE people. It's an ECW title for god sakes. Smackdown defends their titles against Smackdown people and Raw defends against Raw people. So why isn't ECW defending against ECW people? Their roster looks full enough to do that and yet they haven't done that at all ever since Big Show became champion. The ECW faithful are very patient and have shown that in the past with the first One Night Stand because that was the highest rated PPV event of 2005. The second ONS wasn't as high this year but it still sold out the Hammerstein Ballroom. The smaller venues are more for the open-minded fans anyways; APW sells out high schools and, most recently, the Kezar Center in San Francisco so ECW could easily go back to the New Alhambra and reclaim it as the ECW Arena. But all this is long-term and the short-term look is just getting started for the new brand and this will be a big test not only for Vince McMahon, but for WWE as a whole.

On the hateful side of the product, some of the guys on TNA helped make ECW a landmark for wrestling fans. I have nothing but respect for those guys and I hope they have some faith as much as a lot of the hardcore ECW fans. Hail Rhino for his statements on TNA Impact! Hail Team 3D for giving the fans an ECW-style match in the ECW Arena complete with raining chairs! Hail Brother Runt for tearing up that ECW contract! To them, ECW has shown to the fans that until they get a better deal; until Vince McMahon sees more zeros on that check from NBC, Extreme Championship Wrestling will be nothing more than another XFL. This test will either prove or deny just that.

by Brian Bertrand..