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ECW is still to this day one of the most beloved wrestling brands and promotions of all time, even though it has been 13 years since the last ECW show. Back in 2006, WWE revived the formerly deceased wrestling brand following its purchase, airing a weekly TV show with its own champion and roster, with it becoming the definitive third brand after Raw and SmackDown. In 2010, just four years later, WWE firmly laid ECW to rest by canceling the show and making it defunct. There will be some fans who wonder why exactly Vince McMahon made the decision to end ECW for good.
WWE Revived ECW In 2006
After the cancelation of the ECW promotion back in the early 2000s, WWE swiftly purchased the company. However, instead of a revival, many wrestlers from ECW became involved in the Invasion angle, teaming with WCW stars, with that company also being purchased by Vince McMahon too. In 2005, five years after ECW had “died”, WWE aired The Rise And Fall Of ECW documentary, and upon renewed interest in the brand, WWE put forth the “One Night Stand” event, which featured several former ECW talents, offering up a night of extreme wrestling which felt like a throwback to the good old days of the company.
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It felt like WWE were giving the hardcore fans what they wanted, and it went down a storm. One year later, WWE made the call to relaunch the brand under the WWE banner, debuting with the 2006 One Night Stand event. At first, the feel of the brand was indeed different that of Raw and SmackDown, with plenty of ECW originals on the show, in addition to a new breed of superstars who were both rookies and big names who had been signed from the independent scene. The show offered a lot of promise both from an entertainment perspective and when looking at building up new stars.
Vince McMahon’s Booking Of ECW Was Atrocious
It wasn’t long until ECW went downhill, which is of little surprise when looking at Vince McMahon’s track record of acknowledging the successes of projects which weren’t his. Heat with Paul Heyman on the direction of ECW led to the feel of the brand changing completely. It was no longer “extreme”, and it became instead a place to house those who weren’t deemed ready or good enough for a spot on the two main shows of Raw and SmackDown.
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In many ways, ECW was a glorified version of what the likes of “Main Event” and “Superstars” would become, though there was still an element of star power at times, and the draw of the ECW Championship. Unfortunately, the likes of Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, Christian, and Tommy Dreamer weren’t enough to bring viewers to the show, and ratings continuously plummeted. As noted by Bleacher Report at the time, WWE met with SyFy, the station which aired ECW, to discuss ways of fixing the issue of ECW failing, and the decision was made to cancel the show.
Low Ratings And A New Project Led To WWE Canceling ECW
Much of the reason behind the cancelation of ECW was the ratings, but it was also due to Vince McMahon wanting something different and new. At the start of 2010, ECW aired its final show, closing out with Ezekiel Jackson winning the ECW Championship, which felt like a complete slap in the face to hardcore fans of the brand, especially since his push failed in the months that followed. It was later announced that it would be replaced by “NXT”.
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The early iteration of NXT was a kind of game show which saw developmental wrestlers run through hoops in a kind of talent show concept, all in order to earn a main roster contract. It is easy to see why McMahon wanted this instead of a refreshed ECW or any sort of attempt to salvage the brand, as this was something of his own creation, and also something that was clearly in place to entertain himself.
The legacy of ECW was dragged through the mud during its WWE revival, with some truly abhorrent shows, a poor roster, a lack of prestige around its main title, and so much more which led to fans no longer caring about the show despite its name value, which ultimately led to its downfall and cancelation. The poor ratings were an issue caused by WWE and terrible creative choices, and in many ways simply just a neglect to put any effort into booking the show. It was a huge shame given the potential it had, but WWE had no choice other than to cancel in 2010 due to how badly the project was going.
