So Hardcore Justice happened last night… and I was able to watch it… a show that somebody else paid for. Thanks, Sean.
Sadly, I didn’t see the whole thing. Birthday party after all. What I did see… was rather meh, but otherwise harmless.
I certainly hope that all these ECW guys, fans, and whathaveyou who still needed any semblance of closure despite several reunion shows over the years, have got their closure with last Sunday’s PPV… because I very much like for ECW to rest in peace and not get violated again in five years time when they start complaining about how they weren’t given a proper send-off. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
If I can give TNA some credit, it’s on the fact that it’s strictly a reunion show – comprising matches featuring ECW alumni. You had TNA talent chime in and drop their thoughts on their favorite moments of ECW (without actually calling it such), but outside of those who are ECW alumni and Mike Tenay (who’s doing commentary since, you know, Joey Styles obviously can’t due to contractual reasons), TNA talent weren’t part of some storyline shoehorned into the show to push their shows the following week. In fact, there had only been one or two mentions of upcoming TNA shows on the entire PPV. So yeah, I’ll give them credit for keeping it as a reunion show.
And for what it was worth, they tried to put out the best show they possibly could. You had the old ring announcer, you had John Finnegan reffing all the matches, the ring ropes were black, the lighting was dimmed in an attempt to replica the old ECW arena shows (didn’t really work), and the two main events were actually pretty solid for what they were; a return to the “extreme” style that they had innovated and revolutionized in the mid-90s. Of course, the undercard wasn’t all that great – matches are basic fair and far from hardcore – but they tried to put on a good show and no doubt some people will find some enjoyment out of this show.
But as true as they tried to make it, it all feels really, really, REALLY artificial and shallow.
Hardcore Justice emanated from the Impact Zone… and that has to be the main reason why I have a hard time buying into the whole feel. Because the Impact Zone, no matter how dark you dim your lights or color your ropes, is the absolute most farthest thing from extreme anything.
People can piss on Vince all they want, but when he did both ECW One Night Stand PPVs, he could have easily held them in a big arena and push it as he would another WWE PPV. But he held them at the Hammerstein Ballroom, which might not be the ECW Arena in terms of pure nostalgia or ECW-ness, but was the kind of small arena that ECW would hold shows at (in fact, they DID hold shows there). And for all it’s worth, it almost felt like an ECW show. Felt a bit slicker, had the obvious outside influence, but it felt like a solid ECW show. Everything that they did there, they did right. Hell, I’d even give props to the Hardcore Homecoming show that was held on the same weekend, which also felt like a good old-school ECW show.
With the IMPACT Zone, it seems like the audience are nothing more than unpaid extras in a set filling seats (interesting since people watch the show for free, regardless of whether it’s an Impact airing or a PPV event.), going through the motions chanting the usual fluff chants that you would expect from an ECW audience, but without any of the feeling. I’ve always got the feeling that the Impact Zone fans are practically sheep – everything about this show tried to look like an ECW show, but it feels very much artificial. And I don’t consider myself an ECW hardcore or anything like that – but even I can recognize a passionated audience from a canned one. This could have benefited from being booked at a small arena, but instead they got cheap and held it at the Impact Zone… I guess at this point, TNA couldn’t afford stuff that matters and instead blow their budget on bringing in has-beens.
I don’t get the “Fuck You, Vince” chants. Unless you’re referring to Vince Russo, in which case I agree wholeheartedly.
Look, if you’re looking for that long-eluded closure that ten other “reunion” shows couldn’t give you, then I hope that Hardcore Justice gives you that much needed closure. For all of my reservations and fears, it was a pretty harmless show. Oh this wasn’t good either in a wrestling sense or even a nostalgia sense, but it was harmless and if it ends up being the last stand, then it’s a fair one at best… but let this be the last one.
It’s been nine years. It’s over. It’s done.
Move on.
Please.
TNA, you want to have a reunion show? Have a WCW reunion show. You’ve got all the guys under contract anyway, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
dtm666 