Kemo
07-11-2018, 07:08 PM
Former ECW star Mikey Whipwreck recently did an interview with Wrestling Inc. to talk about several professional wrestling topics. One such topic was WWE’s relaunch of the ECW brand in 2006. It lasted four years before being cancelled in 2010. Here’s what Whipwreck thought of the relaunch:
“I think a lot of guys that were there were rejects at first from WWE and WCW, so they really didn’t have anywhere else to go. Plus, it was the whole atmosphere and the whole attitude of us vs them type of deal, and Paul Heyman wasn’t micromanaging at all,” Whipwreck said.
“He would just tell us where we were going and this is what he has in mind and everything else would be up to you. He’d give you A and he would give you Z, but B through Y was all up to you, so there was a lot of creative freedom to do what you want to do. It was a really fun time.”
In regards to working with Paul Heyman, Whipwreck detailed that they called Heyman “The Mad Scientist” because he didn’t sleep and was constantly working:
“Paul did not sleep. They called him the Mad Scientist because he was. There were plenty of times when it was like 7 p.m., and show would start at 7:30 p.m. and he would have a napkin and pencil and would make decisions that way, asking who I would want to work with that night. Paul Heyman was very good because he was very motivating.
“He was that cult-like leader where you would believe in everything he was saying,” Whipwreck said. “He could have been lying through his teeth, which many times it was the case, but he knew how to motivate you. He had his hand and still does have his hand on pop culture. He knew what the people wanted and where the pulse was so he had it down pretty good and is still doing pretty good today.”
Whipwreck admitted he was indirectly contacted by Paul Heyman about possibly being a part of the WWE’s ECW relaunch. He noted he declined because he didn’t think his body would be able to handle the WWE schedule:
“Indirectly they did. Paul Heyman brought it up but I said that I don’t think I can do it, but my body probably would not have been able to handle the schedule,” he said. “If they had done TV Friday and Saturday with house shows on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, I probably could have handled it, but considering you were doing house shows on the weekend and then TV was on Monday and Tuesday, my body wouldn’t have handled it well. It would have ended quickly for me.”
“I think a lot of guys that were there were rejects at first from WWE and WCW, so they really didn’t have anywhere else to go. Plus, it was the whole atmosphere and the whole attitude of us vs them type of deal, and Paul Heyman wasn’t micromanaging at all,” Whipwreck said.
“He would just tell us where we were going and this is what he has in mind and everything else would be up to you. He’d give you A and he would give you Z, but B through Y was all up to you, so there was a lot of creative freedom to do what you want to do. It was a really fun time.”
In regards to working with Paul Heyman, Whipwreck detailed that they called Heyman “The Mad Scientist” because he didn’t sleep and was constantly working:
“Paul did not sleep. They called him the Mad Scientist because he was. There were plenty of times when it was like 7 p.m., and show would start at 7:30 p.m. and he would have a napkin and pencil and would make decisions that way, asking who I would want to work with that night. Paul Heyman was very good because he was very motivating.
“He was that cult-like leader where you would believe in everything he was saying,” Whipwreck said. “He could have been lying through his teeth, which many times it was the case, but he knew how to motivate you. He had his hand and still does have his hand on pop culture. He knew what the people wanted and where the pulse was so he had it down pretty good and is still doing pretty good today.”
Whipwreck admitted he was indirectly contacted by Paul Heyman about possibly being a part of the WWE’s ECW relaunch. He noted he declined because he didn’t think his body would be able to handle the WWE schedule:
“Indirectly they did. Paul Heyman brought it up but I said that I don’t think I can do it, but my body probably would not have been able to handle the schedule,” he said. “If they had done TV Friday and Saturday with house shows on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, I probably could have handled it, but considering you were doing house shows on the weekend and then TV was on Monday and Tuesday, my body wouldn’t have handled it well. It would have ended quickly for me.”