The Pro Wrestling Torch is reporting that while overall feedback for the current ECW product has been less than stellar, there are no plans to discontinue the brand as of right now.
It should be noted that Vince McMahon hasn’t been very excited about the brand until recently and he is reportedly determined to keep it around throughout 2007 and at least through the next December to Dismember PPV event. The current feeling right now is that by combining talent from ECW with the Smackdown House Show tour, it will in theory boost attendance and help the ECW brand become more established.
One important factor right now is Wrestling Society X on MTV airing head-to-head with ECW on Sci Fi for the last 30 minutes of the show. This new factor has reportedly reignited McMahon’s interest in the brand and it could clearly be seen on this pasts weeks edition of ECW featuring ECW Champion Bobby Lashley against Hardcore Holly. That match began five minutes before Wrestling Society X was to start and went commercial-free until its end. Another example is McMahon himself showing up on ECW TV for the past two weeks, which also happened to be the first two weeks that WSX debuted on MTV. Believe it or not, WWE considers WSX as a form of competition every Tuesday night and it will be interesting to see how they handle their programming from this point forward.
