10 Biggest Promotion Killers In Wrestling History
2. Vince McMahon Redux
WWE's 2006 revival of ECW differed hugely in concept and execution.
Originally slated as a WWE.com exclusive, the unregulated internet environment would have allowed the resuscitated league to remain in the idiosyncratic spirit of its original, revolutionary incarnation. The intention, all along, was to trade on its name value, and the stars of yesteryear - before a new influx of extremists would hoist the brand into the future.
Instead, Vince McMahon shopped the prospective show to many a TV network, and when Sci Fi made their interest official, the new ECW was, as Paul Heyman had it, "done". The network didn't just render foul-mouthed tirades a thing of the past, through sponsor-enforced capitulation - it imposed a hilariously unwelcome and oddly inappropriate science fiction element. A character named the Zombie appeared on the debut broadcast - was an alien too on-the-nose?
"This is laughable," moaned Joey Styles on commentary. He was half-right. It was also thoroughly dispiriting.
Heyman did attempt to listen to the rapidly-dwindling fanbase, by attempting to formalise CM Punk's Ace-in-waiting status at the legendarily abysmal December To Dismember Pay Per View, but McMahon, who had final edit, insisted that Bobby Lashley was the man to upend Big Show's ECW World Title reign.
When Heyman left almost immediately thereafter, so too did any chance of ECW resembling anything close to its former self.