25 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE Ruthless Aggression PPV
17. One Night Stand Should’ve Stayed ECW
Keeping the One Night Stand name sans ECW exclusivity was a mistake.
ONS events in 2005 and 2006 stood out due to the ECW flair and unique Hammerstein Ballroom venue. By 2007, WWE made it a generic Raw, SmackDown and ECW show instead. That was the wrong decision, in retrospect. Would ECW events have been sustainable once zest for the comeback faded? Maybe not, but creating an equally as fun concept if they didn't want the ECW exclusivity would've been preferable.
Extreme Rules would eventually replace One Night Stand in 2009. However, that was a watered down version of the same idea, so it didn’t really work. WWE’s botching of ECW as a standalone brand was a masterclass in torpedoing your own product, let's get that nailed straight away. Vince was never truly into it, and it showed quickly.
Admittedly, ONS cards in 2007 and 2008 did have some merit. RVD vs. Randy Orton in a 'Stretcher Match', The Hardys vs. World's Greatest Tag-Team in a ladder bout and Edge vs. Batista inside a steel cage made '07 worthwhile (so did another match we'll get to shortly). Meanwhile, '08 could boast the likes of Batista vs. Shawn Michaels, Undertaker vs. Edge and Triple H vs. Randy Orton with various gimmicks.
They weren't crappy shows, but people thought of ECW when they saw One Night Stand. Those cards in 2005 and 2006 had been cherished, so WWE had to wipe the slate clean and do something else. That Extreme Rules name was never the answer, but McMahon went with it regardless.
Now, time to gush with praise for one of the biz's best carry jobs.