It was time for a major announcement.
As usual, Vince McMahon had scheduled the big news to be heard live on Raw. His last major announcement was the Diva Search contest, but this must have actually been big news since both Eric Bischoff and Theodore Long were in the ring when Vince strutted his way out with a live microphone. The GM's of each WWE brand and a McMahon in the same ring could only mean one thing.
The announcement must have been related to the brand extension.
"Tonight is an historic night for sports entertainment. Tonight, I, Vince McMahon, will once again make history. Two years ago I split my mighty company in two. The results have been, and will continue to be, a huge success."
"He's so modest" sarcastically commented Jim Ross.
McMahon continued. "Recently, I have been considering taking the brand extension to the next level. Now, after much consideration and many hours of negotiations, I feel the time is right. From this day forward, World Wrestling Entertainment will never be the same again! Raw will continue to be a brand here on Monday nights. SmackDown will continue to be a formidable opponent on Thursday nights. But now there will be a third brand…A new brand…AN EXTREME BRAND!"
The Philadelphia fans saw where this was going. They rose up their voices in approval and only became louder as the announcement continued.
"Starting next month, on Saturday nights on Spike TV, the newest brand of the WWE will hit the airwaves. That brand will be the new, and improved, EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING!!!"
Jim Ross was screaming in orgasmic bliss over the news. Jerry Lawler was squealing like Ross' female partner. Theodore Long seemed indifferent to the announcement, while Eric Bischoff looked nauseous. McMahon, who wasn't done making announcements yet, was all smiles.
"I would now like to introduce the man who will run that brand when it launches next month. Ladies and gentlemen, the General Manager of the new ECW: PAUL HEYMAN!"
As Paul E. came to the ring, he too was all smiles. Not only was he getting a second chance to create the magic that was ECW, he was getting to do it using Vince McMahon's money. With Heyman in charge and no fear of financial failure, there seemed to be nothing that could stop a new ECW from succeeding. Heyman took the stick from Vince and began to speak, ignoring the other men in the ring with him.
"I'd like to thank Mister McMahon for giving me this opportunity. But even more, I'd like to thank you, the fans. Because it was you people who kept hardcore wrestling alive. It was you people who, even three years after it was gone, continued to chant 'E-C-W, E-C-W' at arenas all over the country. You're the reason that Extreme Championship Wrestling is going to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. You're the reason Vince McMahon wants to make ECW part of his legacy as a wrestling promoter. YOU people, YOU hardcore fans, YOU ECW fans are the reason that we're coming back! And it'll be YOU that make us a success again!"
The sound of screeching tires put a stop to the proceedings. Everyone turned their attention toward the Raw ramp. To the surprise of everybody in attendance, Mick Foley walked out with his own microphone already in hand. The hardcore legend entered the ring and immediately approached Paul Heyman.
"I had heard the rumors about tonight's announcement. That's why I came here. I hate to rain on this little parade you're all having, but I'd like to say something before it's too late. You see, I have a problem with a new ECW. In fact, I have a problem with hardcore wrestling in general. Now I know that coming from Mick Foley those statements might sound a bit hypocritical, but they're really not. You see there's a big difference between being a hypocrite, and changing your mind over a respectable amount of time, which is what I did in my four months away.
The last time wrestling fans saw me, I was foolish enough to accept a match with Randy Orton. I say foolish because the truth is that although I very much enjoyed inflicting pain on that young man, it just wasn't worth it. The physical abuse I had to endure. The looks in the eyes of my family when daddy came home injured again. None of it felt worth it to me. So during those months I was away I re-evaluated my career, and came to some rather interesting conclusions. For example, contrary to popular belief I never enjoyed being scarred by barbed wire. I never enjoyed seeing my wife and children cry at the sight of daddy taking a chair to his skull. I never enjoyed being thrown off the top of a cage. I never enjoyed losing teeth, losing blood, losing an ear! THOSE THINGS HURT! They hurt me the first time ECW was around revolutionizing that kind of human misery. And needless to say they hurt even more after four years of pain-free retirement.
There's no denying that Extreme Championship Wrestling changed this business, but change doesn't always happen for the better. Vince, Paul, if you restart a company like ECW, it stands to reason given the nature of the promotion that more people will get hurt. I destroyed my body doing extreme wrestling for years, and the bottom line is that I refuse to stand by and let another generation of talented wrestlers make that same mistake. I refuse to let talented young men destroy their bodies for sadistic fans and greedy promoters like I had to do! I refuse to let families suffer like mine had to do my entire career! I'm not going to let that happen! So I guess what I'm really saying is…I'll do whatever needs to be done to stop ECW from coming back to life."
The crowd booed Foley out of the building. The TV announcers were uncharacteristically silent during this time. The ECW announcement and the aftermath of it were proving to be historic wrestling moments that shouldn't be interrupted by color commentary. As soon as Foley had finished his speech, Paul Heyman tore into him with a response.
"I'm very sorry that you feel that way, Mick. But the fact of the matter is that it's already too late. The I's have been dotted. The T's have been crossed. The hardcore revolution is already on its way, and no one is going to stop it! No one! Certainly not some ECW has-been who makes a living writing kid's books and wearing a sock on his hand! But I tell you what. If you have such a big problem with ECW coming back, why don't you come to SmackDown this Thursday? You see Mick if you have a problem with a new ECW, it means you also have a problem with the wrestlers that will be a part of that ECW. Come to SmackDown, and tell your problem with ECW to the faces of my team, the first team of the new ECW, The Dudley Boys!"
Mick took a moment to consider the offer. He was technically retired and could thus appear on any WWE show he wanted. Confronting the Dudleys meant potential violence, but it was worth it if he could somehow stop them from spearheading a new hardcore wrestling promotion.
"Paul, I'll do it. I'll be at SmackDown on Thursday, and I will confront the Dudley Boys about this situation…But first, I think I'll do this."
Foley applied a quick mandible claw to Paul Heyman and rolled out of the ring. As Vince tended to his company's newest General Manager and screamed at Foley for ruining this moment, Jim Ross questioned just what this all means to the future of sports entertainment…
…And, to ECW.
As usual, Vince McMahon had scheduled the big news to be heard live on Raw. His last major announcement was the Diva Search contest, but this must have actually been big news since both Eric Bischoff and Theodore Long were in the ring when Vince strutted his way out with a live microphone. The GM's of each WWE brand and a McMahon in the same ring could only mean one thing.
The announcement must have been related to the brand extension.
"Tonight is an historic night for sports entertainment. Tonight, I, Vince McMahon, will once again make history. Two years ago I split my mighty company in two. The results have been, and will continue to be, a huge success."
"He's so modest" sarcastically commented Jim Ross.
McMahon continued. "Recently, I have been considering taking the brand extension to the next level. Now, after much consideration and many hours of negotiations, I feel the time is right. From this day forward, World Wrestling Entertainment will never be the same again! Raw will continue to be a brand here on Monday nights. SmackDown will continue to be a formidable opponent on Thursday nights. But now there will be a third brand…A new brand…AN EXTREME BRAND!"
The Philadelphia fans saw where this was going. They rose up their voices in approval and only became louder as the announcement continued.
"Starting next month, on Saturday nights on Spike TV, the newest brand of the WWE will hit the airwaves. That brand will be the new, and improved, EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING!!!"
Jim Ross was screaming in orgasmic bliss over the news. Jerry Lawler was squealing like Ross' female partner. Theodore Long seemed indifferent to the announcement, while Eric Bischoff looked nauseous. McMahon, who wasn't done making announcements yet, was all smiles.
"I would now like to introduce the man who will run that brand when it launches next month. Ladies and gentlemen, the General Manager of the new ECW: PAUL HEYMAN!"
As Paul E. came to the ring, he too was all smiles. Not only was he getting a second chance to create the magic that was ECW, he was getting to do it using Vince McMahon's money. With Heyman in charge and no fear of financial failure, there seemed to be nothing that could stop a new ECW from succeeding. Heyman took the stick from Vince and began to speak, ignoring the other men in the ring with him.
"I'd like to thank Mister McMahon for giving me this opportunity. But even more, I'd like to thank you, the fans. Because it was you people who kept hardcore wrestling alive. It was you people who, even three years after it was gone, continued to chant 'E-C-W, E-C-W' at arenas all over the country. You're the reason that Extreme Championship Wrestling is going to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. You're the reason Vince McMahon wants to make ECW part of his legacy as a wrestling promoter. YOU people, YOU hardcore fans, YOU ECW fans are the reason that we're coming back! And it'll be YOU that make us a success again!"
The sound of screeching tires put a stop to the proceedings. Everyone turned their attention toward the Raw ramp. To the surprise of everybody in attendance, Mick Foley walked out with his own microphone already in hand. The hardcore legend entered the ring and immediately approached Paul Heyman.
"I had heard the rumors about tonight's announcement. That's why I came here. I hate to rain on this little parade you're all having, but I'd like to say something before it's too late. You see, I have a problem with a new ECW. In fact, I have a problem with hardcore wrestling in general. Now I know that coming from Mick Foley those statements might sound a bit hypocritical, but they're really not. You see there's a big difference between being a hypocrite, and changing your mind over a respectable amount of time, which is what I did in my four months away.
The last time wrestling fans saw me, I was foolish enough to accept a match with Randy Orton. I say foolish because the truth is that although I very much enjoyed inflicting pain on that young man, it just wasn't worth it. The physical abuse I had to endure. The looks in the eyes of my family when daddy came home injured again. None of it felt worth it to me. So during those months I was away I re-evaluated my career, and came to some rather interesting conclusions. For example, contrary to popular belief I never enjoyed being scarred by barbed wire. I never enjoyed seeing my wife and children cry at the sight of daddy taking a chair to his skull. I never enjoyed being thrown off the top of a cage. I never enjoyed losing teeth, losing blood, losing an ear! THOSE THINGS HURT! They hurt me the first time ECW was around revolutionizing that kind of human misery. And needless to say they hurt even more after four years of pain-free retirement.
There's no denying that Extreme Championship Wrestling changed this business, but change doesn't always happen for the better. Vince, Paul, if you restart a company like ECW, it stands to reason given the nature of the promotion that more people will get hurt. I destroyed my body doing extreme wrestling for years, and the bottom line is that I refuse to stand by and let another generation of talented wrestlers make that same mistake. I refuse to let talented young men destroy their bodies for sadistic fans and greedy promoters like I had to do! I refuse to let families suffer like mine had to do my entire career! I'm not going to let that happen! So I guess what I'm really saying is…I'll do whatever needs to be done to stop ECW from coming back to life."
The crowd booed Foley out of the building. The TV announcers were uncharacteristically silent during this time. The ECW announcement and the aftermath of it were proving to be historic wrestling moments that shouldn't be interrupted by color commentary. As soon as Foley had finished his speech, Paul Heyman tore into him with a response.
"I'm very sorry that you feel that way, Mick. But the fact of the matter is that it's already too late. The I's have been dotted. The T's have been crossed. The hardcore revolution is already on its way, and no one is going to stop it! No one! Certainly not some ECW has-been who makes a living writing kid's books and wearing a sock on his hand! But I tell you what. If you have such a big problem with ECW coming back, why don't you come to SmackDown this Thursday? You see Mick if you have a problem with a new ECW, it means you also have a problem with the wrestlers that will be a part of that ECW. Come to SmackDown, and tell your problem with ECW to the faces of my team, the first team of the new ECW, The Dudley Boys!"
Mick took a moment to consider the offer. He was technically retired and could thus appear on any WWE show he wanted. Confronting the Dudleys meant potential violence, but it was worth it if he could somehow stop them from spearheading a new hardcore wrestling promotion.
"Paul, I'll do it. I'll be at SmackDown on Thursday, and I will confront the Dudley Boys about this situation…But first, I think I'll do this."
Foley applied a quick mandible claw to Paul Heyman and rolled out of the ring. As Vince tended to his company's newest General Manager and screamed at Foley for ruining this moment, Jim Ross questioned just what this all means to the future of sports entertainment…
…And, to ECW.