ECW - Legends of the Arena

callaway92

ECW ORIGINAL PROMOTING 'LEGENDS OF THE ARENA' EVENT THIS JUNE IN PHILADELPHIA

by Mike Johnson @ 2009-03-06 02:28:00

ECW Original Francine will be promoting "Legends of the Arena" on Saturday 6/27 at the former ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA. The event will feature an afternoon convention followed by a card that evening featuring roster members of the original Extreme Championship Wrestling.

The show is being put together with a portion of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. Francine lost both her father and sister to the disease last year as both passed away within four days of each other.

Scheduled to appear according to the official website are Sandman, Shane Douglas, Sabu, Raven, Al Snow, Francine, Bill Alfonso, Spike Dudley, Balls Mahoney, Axl Rotten, Al Snow, Tammy Sytch, Tod Gordon, Devon "Crowbar" Storm, Gary Wolfe, Jason Knight, Steve Corino, Jack Victory, Chris Hamrick, Blue Meanie, a Baldies reunion featuring Angel Medina and Tony Devito, Little Guido, Sal E. Graziano, CW Anderson, Justin Credible, Blue Meanie, Mike "Nova" Bucci and Jeff Jones.

Tickets will go on sale this Saturday 3/7 at www.thearena.biz , the official website of the venue.

For more information, visit http://www.myspace.com/legendsofthearena

http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=36999&p=1


SOUNDS COOL

ShawnRaven

Translation - all the bitter hacks that couldn't make it in the business once the bingo hall shut down.

That said, it's a worthy cause so it's nice to see them doing something that isn't going into their back pockets. Especially with the likes of Shane Douglas and Raven involved.

CMpunked

Aw this sounds awesome!

Me being a big original ECW mark as i am


Was just thinking how long it would seem before they pulled one of these together.

Also, imagine if paul e brought back together a lot of ecw originals and some new faces and set up a new promtion, wonder how successful it would turn out.

ShawnRaven

Comic-Book-Guy wrote: »

Also, imagine if paul e brought back together a lot of ecw originals and some new faces and set up a new promtion, wonder how successful it would turn out.

It wouldn't because Heyman can't balance his books to save his life, unless he had Vince giving him handouts on a year to year basis, Also bear in mind that a lot of "ECW Originals" are pretty much past it and would be sucking air so much that the first six rows would pass out due to oxygen depravation (thanks Jim!).

Let it go folks, It's like cherry coke, it's gone. It ain't coming back.

CMpunked

ShawnRaven wrote: »

It wouldn't because Heyman can't balance his books to save his life, unless he had Vince giving him handouts on a year to year basis, Also bear in mind that a lot of "ECW Originals" are pretty much past it and would be sucking air so much that the first six rows would pass out due to oxygen depravation (thanks Jim!).

Let it go folks, It's like cherry coke, it's gone. It ain't coming back.

Cherry coke is a good example of the original ECW.

I hated cherry coke and wouldnt care if it came back, but i know there are some people out there who need that burst of nostalgia, like when they brought wispas back. But for me it just wouldnt phase me, i'd be like "yeah, thats cool" and just not give it any more thought.

Thats obviously the exact same as our situation here.
From my perspective i think it would be cool because how near impossible it would be to do it, as you pointed out shawn that heyman has declared bankrupcey enough that he wouldnt have any financial backing.

But maybe all the creative elements that it had which was shown through the Rise and Fall dvd and to a much further extent, the book (one of them cases were the book IS better then the movie ).
How there was an emphasis on heymans attitude towards people using their emotions to push promos, creating new ways of booking matches etc etc.

But i know it wouldn't work, it couldn't.
All of heymans ideas he has had before have been copied repeatedly and he couldn't have that many revolutionary ideas left in that cap wearing head of his. :P


But in short if he had some creative control (i know, that idea has been done to death by now, but im ressurecting it ) in some sort of promotion that had some of the ecw originals and a lot of new young faces could possibly do well.

ShawnRaven

I will never take away anything creatively, anything Heyman ever did. The guy was able to pull several rabbits out of the cap when Vince and Bischoff were spewing out the same old sh*t on a weekly basis. And was able to make stars out of utter nobodies like RVD and Raven (failed in WCW prior to their ECW run) and Sandman (failure at life, period), and it was just as well because without Heyman, they'd have gotten nowhere (no matter how many times Raven will try to convince people, as well as himself).

But you can't run a wrestling business if you can't pay your staff, your workers and the venue. And that's the long and short of the failure of ECW really, you can blame WCW for talent nicking, you can blame WWE for talent nicking, you can blame both of them for having a better overall visual product. But you can't blame any of them for bad business management and that's where Heyman fell down. The problem is the guy is do dilusional that he still blames Bischoff for it. All Heyman had to do was pay his guys.

I mean, they had some of the best workers in 1995 and put on some revolutionary shows around that time, where did the money go? They were issuing out merchandise directly avoiding the middleman, where did the money go? They had their own gym and phone hotline, where did the money go?

Heyman's shoddy business workings killed his shoddy promotion, you know it, the world knows it, I know it, and most importantly, he knows it.

CMpunked

Heyman said in the book and dvd that his father was an attorney and he was sued for money so many times didn't he?

Also the story that when Tazz broke his neck he paid him every week and the other wrestlers vouched that no pay checks ever bounced or anything like that.
So what exactly did happen?

ShawnRaven

Comic-Book-Guy wrote: »

Heyman said in the book and dvd that his father was an attorney and he was sued for money so many times didn't he?

Obviously not sued for that much as he was able to keep ECW going under his rule from 1993-2001

Also the story that when Tazz broke his neck he paid him every week and the other wrestlers vouched that no pay checks ever bounced or anything like that.
So what exactly did happen?

Three people out of an entire roster vouched that no paycheques bounced. RVD, Steve Corino, Shane Douglas and Tommy Dreamer to name a small few have other stories. Granted Corino was only owed about 100 bucks, but surely Heyman wasn't that badly off.

CMpunked

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Three people out of an entire roster vouched that no paycheques bounced. RVD, Steve Corino, Shane Douglas and Tommy Dreamer to name a small few have other stories. Granted Corino was only owed about 100 bucks, but surely Heyman wasn't that badly off.

oooh. Never knew that.
thats quite interesting to say the least.

ShawnRaven

ECW's Wikipedia entry wrote:

Bankruptcy

ECW struggled for months after the cancellation, trying to secure a new national TV deal. On December 30, 2000, ECW Hardcore TV aired for the last time and Guilty as Charged 2001 was the last PPV aired on January 7, 2001. Living Dangerously was scheduled to air on March 11, 2001, but because of financial trouble it was canceled before March 11. Despite help from the WWF, Heyman could not get out of financial trouble and filed for bankruptcy on April 4, 2001. Heyman supposedly had never told his wrestlers that the company was on its dying legs and was unable to pay them for well over a month before finally filing for bankruptcy.

The company was listed as having assets totaling $1,385,500. Included in that number was $860,000 in accounts receivable owed the company by iN DEMAND Network (PPV), Acclaim (video games), and Original San Francisco Toy Company (action figures). The balance of the assets were the video tape library ($500,000), a 1998 Ford Truck ($19,500) and the remaining inventory of merchandise ($4).

The liabilities of the company totaled $8,881,435.17. The bankruptcy filing included hundreds of claims, including production companies, buildings ECW ran in, TV stations ECW was televised on, travel agencies, phone companies, attorney's fees, wrestlers, and other talent. Wrestlers and talent were listed, with amounts owed ranging from $1 for Sabu and Steve Corino to hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of dollars. The highest amounts owed to talents were Rob Van Dam ($150,000), Tommy Dreamer ($125,000), Joey Styles ($50,000), Shane Douglas ($48,000), and Francine ($47,875).

More interesting reading for you, m'man.
Maybe this should be stuck in an FAQ section, so the next time someone will think twice before suggesting that Heyman run a promotion again.

CMpunked

ShawnRaven wrote: »

More interesting reading for you, m'man.

Many thanks shawn

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Maybe this should be stuck in an FAQ section, so the next time someone will think twice before suggesting that Heyman run a promotion again.

Is that directed towards me?

ShawnRaven

Comic-Book-Guy wrote: »

Is that directed towards me?

If it was directed towards you, you'd know about it because i would tell you!
It's directed toward every internet darling who puts the infamous outspoken f*cknut on a pedestal despite the fact that he bankrupt himself, his promotion and screwed over half of his roster in the process.

D-FENS

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Let it go folks, It's like cherry coke, it's gone. It ain't coming back.

Boots in Liffey Valley sell Cherry coke, i buy it every time i go to the cinema there. Bye now.

Turd Ferguson

I wonder if Al Snow will be at the show

Red Sleeping Beauty

Turd Ferguson wrote: »

I wonder if Al Snow will be at the show

Says so in the original post. In fact, it says it twice...
I sense sarcasm ? :pac:

These kind of "reunion" type shows (along with the Hardcore Homecomings) lack what ECW had. Not every ECW match on the cards always had blood, chairs and barbed wire... but these "reunion" shows are just bloodbaths these days (from the best that I can tell)

Is Sunny still fat ?

EdK

Alan Rouge wrote: »

Says so in the original post. In fact, it says it twice...
I sense sarcasm ? :pac:

These kind of "reunion" type shows (along with the Hardcore Homecomings) lack what ECW had. Not every ECW match on the cards always had blood, chairs and barbed wire... but these "reunion" shows are just bloodbaths these days (from the best that I can tell)

Is Sunny still fat ?

Nope that is a fairly recent pic of her

Red Sleeping Beauty

Link's dead there ...

Did she turn up in WWE there a few years ago for a skit on Raw?

Se7en

ShawnRaven wrote: »

I will never take away anything creatively, anything Heyman ever did. The guy was able to pull several rabbits out of the cap when Vince and Bischoff were spewing out the same old sh*t on a weekly basis. And was able to make stars out of utter nobodies like RVD and Raven (failed in WCW prior to their ECW run) and Sandman (failure at life, period), and it was just as well because without Heyman, they'd have gotten nowhere (no matter how many times Raven will try to convince people, as well as himself).

But you can't run a wrestling business if you can't pay your staff, your workers and the venue. And that's the long and short of the failure of ECW really, you can blame WCW for talent nicking, you can blame WWE for talent nicking, you can blame both of them for having a better overall visual product. But you can't blame any of them for bad business management and that's where Heyman fell down. The problem is the guy is do dilusional that he still blames Bischoff for it. All Heyman had to do was pay his guys.

I mean, they had some of the best workers in 1995 and put on some revolutionary shows around that time, where did the money go? They were issuing out merchandise directly avoiding the middleman, where did the money go? They had their own gym and phone hotline, where did the money go?

Heyman's shoddy business workings killed his shoddy promotion, you know it, the world knows it, I know it, and most importantly, he knows it.

Christ man, does Paul Heyman owe YOU money?

ShawnRaven

Se7en wrote: »

Christ man, does Paul Heyman owe YOU money?

Hardly the point, now either contribute to the thread or GTFO!

D.Q

Se7en wrote: »

Christ man, does Paul Heyman owe YOU money?

haha.. I lol'd

I think they really are flogging a dead horse here. The revolutionary aspect of ECW, that endeared it to so many, has been completely diluted by both imitation and failed attempts to recapture the magic. They are NEVER going to have the fire they had in the mid 90s so they should really just shut up shop at this stage.I think the first ONS would have been enough.

Was Heyman involved creatively with WWE during his time there? Or was he just the color commentator/Alliance leader?

Bubs101

DieselQueen wrote: »

Was Heyman involved creatively with WWE during his time there? Or was he just the color commentator/Alliance leader?

He was Smackdown booker during the time when Smackdown was the better show than Raw. He's a great booker but useless financially. For example, he came up with the champion getting knocked out in the first few minutes idea first for the ECW chamber with Punk submitting Big Show. He saw how good the angle was and he saw the potential of Punk. he should be rehired as head of talent or to teach development guys gimmicks

CMpunked

Bubs101 wrote: »

He was Smackdown booker during the time when Smackdown was the better show than Raw. He's a great booker but useless financially. For example, he came up with the champion getting knocked out in the first few minutes idea first for the ECW chamber with Punk submitting Big Show. He saw how good the angle was and he saw the potential of Punk. he should be rehired as head of talent or to teach development guys gimmicks

That would be ideal, but it wont happen

chopperbyrne

Wasn't he the booker in OVW when Cena, Randy and Batista were there?

Edit: Nope, it was Jim Cornette.

Cena should bring back the protoplex too.