8 Big Questions Behind WWE’s Attempts To Buy ROH
2. Can WWE Avoid The Mistakes Of The Past?
Should WWE maintain ROH as a brand (as has been suggested), they face the challenge of overcoming a horrendous track record in such scenarios. The most obvious example comes through the company’s attempted ECW revival, which produced one of the worst wrestling PPVs of all-time (December to Dismember), and systematically destroyed everything that made Paul Heyman’s company special in the first place.
WWE turned ECW into Raw Lite, and while the show had its positive points towards the end of its run, it remains a source of ridicule among fans. The Cruiserweight Classic and UK Title Tournament show that WWE know how to promote a short-term project without feeling like Raw or SmackDown, but there’s no evidence supporting the idea they maintain this for longer periods.
Producing the best possible outcome from the takeover would require a level of self-reflection not usually associated with WWE. The WCW buyout in 2001 was full of flaws in itself, and resulted in the massively disappointing Invasion angle, so while fans may have high hopes for the outcome the past suggests that this is misplaced and misguided, even if WWE decide against running an ROH brand.