Post by Lemmy Campbell on May 24, 2006 4:52:10 GMT 10
- There isn't a ECW TV deal in place yet as the Sci Fi deal still isn't offical. WWE is still pushing ECW to be on USA, but USA might be called the "wrestling network" and they don't want that.
- Kevin Dunn will be in charge of the production of the ECW shows, so it isn't too far below WWE standards. They will try to change the look of the arenas with different lighting, most likely are more dimly lite boxing feel and a different set for the ECW tapings and do a quick change for the SD tapings.
- Shane wanted ECW to be an internet base show only. One of the main reasons Shane McMahon pushed for this is because he was after an internet-exclusive brand, but Vince saw the potential for ECW and felt it wouldn’t reach it just on the internet
- The first ECW taping will be at the 6/20 SD tapings in Albany, NY, maybe.
- The feeling is the Raw/Smackdown wrestlers will be needed once the novelty wears off, to draw in the 2,500 arenas while programmed against Van Dam or in tags with Van Dam teaming up with Sabu, Dreamer or Sandman. Developmental guys will be built up to take those spots down the road
- There is a feeling that the stronger the TV clearence, the higher level of stars they will put on the ECW roster.
- Masato Tanaka and Ikuto Hidaka have both been offerent full-time contracts, but we haven't heard any word of either accepting. Heyman wants Minoru Fujita to come in to team with Hidaka, but this hasn't been apporved yet.
- There was also talk, using baseball terminology, of an unoffical system similar to baseball, where OVW is A, ECW is AA, SD is AAA and Raw is MLB.
-A new idea, neither that good nor that bad, was apparently pitched in regard to the slight change in plan. It might be a Chavo heel turn on Rey, which has been proposed before and has been talked about.
- The company announced on 5/11 that Comcast Cable will be picking up 24/7, starting this summer. This would tbe the most significant US clearance for the service to date, as it would clear 10 million digital homes in 22 of the top 25 markets. Comcast comes after clearances by Rogers Communications in Canada as well as Cox Communications in the US.
- WWE were charged with nine violations of Kentucky law, stemming from the use of blood at Backlash.
Tim Gonterman is the head wrestling inspector, and was the guy that the WWE’s promoter was writing back-and-forth with over the issues, wrote the company up for nine violations. The hearing will be on 6/20, and will be before the full Boxing and Wrestling Authority on will decide what violations took place and what, if any, punishments will be given out. Punishment could range from a $5,000 fine per violation, and some involved are asking for the WWE’s license to promote in Kentucky to be revoked, given the paper trail involved and that the violations were so flagrant. However, that is unlikely to happen given that WWE events bring in a lot of revenue for the state.
The nine violations are:
1: Shawn Michaels blading in the handicap match.
2: Vince McMahon not ending the match right away.
3: Shane McMahon not ending the match right away.
4: Triple H blading in the main event.
5: Edge not ending the match right away
6: John Cena not ending the match right away.
7: Edge fought outside of the barricaded area.
8: The promoter of record, Rich Hering, allowed wrestlers in two matches to violate state laws and failed to immediately end the matches.
9: WWE held one match, the main event, despite blood on the canvas, without washing it.
WWE has on previous occasions been able to violate regulations and laws in different states with only minor repercussions. One example being at the No Mercy PPV in 2003 where Vince wrestled Stephanie, in violation of state law, and WWE just paid a small fine.
- Randy Orton to return on 6/13 in Trenton.
- The summer PPV plans are 6/25 Vengeance to headline with Cena vs. Edge of the title with HBK & HHH vs Spirit Squad, perhaps a short-term tag team title change. The HHH title win over Cena is tentativley scheduled for SummerSlam. So much of the plans regarding ECW haven't been formulated and because of that, there is no such thing as anything close to set in stone when it comes to final booking decisions past probably two weeks from now. The only thing for sure for ONS are the two main events (Cena vs RVD and Foley/Edge vs Dreamer/Funk. Benoit vs Dean isn't offical yet).
- At this point the DX reunion is just going to involve HHH and Shawn becoming a team. Informal contact had been made with Road Dogg and Billy Gunn, with Dogg being directly approached. They are under contract to TNA, though, but also should be smart enough to know that they’ll get punished for things they’ve publicly said.
- The explanation for Rey getting squashed by Khali is that Rey is taking time off soon and that because he’s so talented that people won’t remember him getting squashed on the way out, and they also want to build up Khali for Undertaker. (Dave points out that the problem with that is it was the second week in a row and he was counted on to draw in the main event of PPV this month, and while it’s a nice idea in theory, you can’t do it twice and have it be effective. Dave says doing it to build up Henry for Angle is questionable at best, but doing it for Khali, who has zero long-term upside, makes no sense, especially when they could have done the same squash with any one of their other babyfaces, with almost the same impact and without undercutting the PPV main event. That particular Smackdown with Khali vs Rey was the first time a Smackdown show has sold out in well over a year. It was quite clear that Rey Mysterio was the sole reason for that. So by having Khali destroy Rey they almost killed the town as they left fans extremely dissappointed and it`s very doubtful they`ll get such a big crowd next time they run there).
- Joey Styles went over his promo on Raw, word for word, earlier in the day, in the arena, so they could make sure nothing they didn’t want to get said made it on air.
- No decision yet on if there will be a draft.
- Test was going to be on Raw managed by Coach, but that idea seems to have been dropped.
- Kevin Dunn will be in charge of the production of the ECW shows, so it isn't too far below WWE standards. They will try to change the look of the arenas with different lighting, most likely are more dimly lite boxing feel and a different set for the ECW tapings and do a quick change for the SD tapings.
- Shane wanted ECW to be an internet base show only. One of the main reasons Shane McMahon pushed for this is because he was after an internet-exclusive brand, but Vince saw the potential for ECW and felt it wouldn’t reach it just on the internet
- The first ECW taping will be at the 6/20 SD tapings in Albany, NY, maybe.
- The feeling is the Raw/Smackdown wrestlers will be needed once the novelty wears off, to draw in the 2,500 arenas while programmed against Van Dam or in tags with Van Dam teaming up with Sabu, Dreamer or Sandman. Developmental guys will be built up to take those spots down the road
- There is a feeling that the stronger the TV clearence, the higher level of stars they will put on the ECW roster.
- Masato Tanaka and Ikuto Hidaka have both been offerent full-time contracts, but we haven't heard any word of either accepting. Heyman wants Minoru Fujita to come in to team with Hidaka, but this hasn't been apporved yet.
- There was also talk, using baseball terminology, of an unoffical system similar to baseball, where OVW is A, ECW is AA, SD is AAA and Raw is MLB.
-A new idea, neither that good nor that bad, was apparently pitched in regard to the slight change in plan. It might be a Chavo heel turn on Rey, which has been proposed before and has been talked about.
- The company announced on 5/11 that Comcast Cable will be picking up 24/7, starting this summer. This would tbe the most significant US clearance for the service to date, as it would clear 10 million digital homes in 22 of the top 25 markets. Comcast comes after clearances by Rogers Communications in Canada as well as Cox Communications in the US.
- WWE were charged with nine violations of Kentucky law, stemming from the use of blood at Backlash.
Tim Gonterman is the head wrestling inspector, and was the guy that the WWE’s promoter was writing back-and-forth with over the issues, wrote the company up for nine violations. The hearing will be on 6/20, and will be before the full Boxing and Wrestling Authority on will decide what violations took place and what, if any, punishments will be given out. Punishment could range from a $5,000 fine per violation, and some involved are asking for the WWE’s license to promote in Kentucky to be revoked, given the paper trail involved and that the violations were so flagrant. However, that is unlikely to happen given that WWE events bring in a lot of revenue for the state.
The nine violations are:
1: Shawn Michaels blading in the handicap match.
2: Vince McMahon not ending the match right away.
3: Shane McMahon not ending the match right away.
4: Triple H blading in the main event.
5: Edge not ending the match right away
6: John Cena not ending the match right away.
7: Edge fought outside of the barricaded area.
8: The promoter of record, Rich Hering, allowed wrestlers in two matches to violate state laws and failed to immediately end the matches.
9: WWE held one match, the main event, despite blood on the canvas, without washing it.
WWE has on previous occasions been able to violate regulations and laws in different states with only minor repercussions. One example being at the No Mercy PPV in 2003 where Vince wrestled Stephanie, in violation of state law, and WWE just paid a small fine.
- Randy Orton to return on 6/13 in Trenton.
- The summer PPV plans are 6/25 Vengeance to headline with Cena vs. Edge of the title with HBK & HHH vs Spirit Squad, perhaps a short-term tag team title change. The HHH title win over Cena is tentativley scheduled for SummerSlam. So much of the plans regarding ECW haven't been formulated and because of that, there is no such thing as anything close to set in stone when it comes to final booking decisions past probably two weeks from now. The only thing for sure for ONS are the two main events (Cena vs RVD and Foley/Edge vs Dreamer/Funk. Benoit vs Dean isn't offical yet).
- At this point the DX reunion is just going to involve HHH and Shawn becoming a team. Informal contact had been made with Road Dogg and Billy Gunn, with Dogg being directly approached. They are under contract to TNA, though, but also should be smart enough to know that they’ll get punished for things they’ve publicly said.
- The explanation for Rey getting squashed by Khali is that Rey is taking time off soon and that because he’s so talented that people won’t remember him getting squashed on the way out, and they also want to build up Khali for Undertaker. (Dave points out that the problem with that is it was the second week in a row and he was counted on to draw in the main event of PPV this month, and while it’s a nice idea in theory, you can’t do it twice and have it be effective. Dave says doing it to build up Henry for Angle is questionable at best, but doing it for Khali, who has zero long-term upside, makes no sense, especially when they could have done the same squash with any one of their other babyfaces, with almost the same impact and without undercutting the PPV main event. That particular Smackdown with Khali vs Rey was the first time a Smackdown show has sold out in well over a year. It was quite clear that Rey Mysterio was the sole reason for that. So by having Khali destroy Rey they almost killed the town as they left fans extremely dissappointed and it`s very doubtful they`ll get such a big crowd next time they run there).
- Joey Styles went over his promo on Raw, word for word, earlier in the day, in the arena, so they could make sure nothing they didn’t want to get said made it on air.
- No decision yet on if there will be a draft.
- Test was going to be on Raw managed by Coach, but that idea seems to have been dropped.
What I think about it: Please read my post coz I don't! ;D
