ECW Worldwide

[XxFutureLegend112xX]

glad this was found one of my favorite dynasties ever

[Nevermore]

Blimey... this was dragged up from the depths was it?

I think we've reached a point where it's clear this won't be coming back - though I do occasionally revisit this hallowed place wondering if I could continue... and to see what's on offer now.

The two main reasons for discontinuing are, firstly and most importantly, time. Work, family etc. And, secondly,  the world has moved on - a lot of what I thought was edgy, interesting storytelling would not be well-received now in my view - and fair enough on a forum designed to promote the business of a games company for all ages.

I did always promise myself I'd do a run down of where this was going as a sign off. So, to those who may have been as sick in the head as me to enjoy this over the years: firstly, thank you - it was a delight to have you involved and, secondly, I hope this one deep dive provides some minor closure (I may do some more).

Doubtless, it will also demonstrate why everyone was better off without me telling the story in detail 😜

 

Vito/Burchill

The point in this story was to turn Vito into the top heel in the company (at least at first) and to turn Vito/Burchill into the main event feud. My Austin-Rock, if you will.

Kelly had just announced her pregnancy to Burchill where I left off. Over the coming weeks, she was going to suffer terrible morning sickness which hospitalised her. It would slowly become clear that it was not only morning sickness - but guilt - and she would reveal to Burchill that he was not the father of her child. This would crush Burchill who would more or less disown her.

However, Burchill would turn to Shane Douglas, his mentor, who would convince him that maybe Kelly did nothing wrong - Kelly and Burchill were apart for several months and it was understandable if she slept with someone else. Not only might the pregnancy have been a mistake, perhaps she genuinely believed it was Burchill's child at first and, even when she realised it wasn't, she so desperately wanted that to be true.

Burchill can't buy into it but slowly Douglas convinces him that Kelly has risked everything to tell him the truth which is not only brave but demonstrates why he was right to love her in the first place.

Burchill visits Kelly in the hospital to tell her he understands and that regardless of biology, it is their child. He doesn't care if some stranger is the biological father, he loves her and he will love their child.

Meanwhile, Vito uses this to taunt Burchill for his bastard child and to say that Paul Heyman's "reformed" ECW was based on pushing a man who can't even carry a family let alone a million dollar company. This leads to a match for Vito's title with a lot of personal animosity involved.

In that match, Vito's brothers become involved to create an unfair advantage. But Kelly returns and creates a distraction for Burchill and Douglas to even the odds. Burchill ends up wrapping a chair around Vito's neck in an attempt to seriously injure/cripple him but, still concerned for her brother, Kelly convinces him not to and in the process Vito hits a low blow and retains the title.

Vito comes to the ring on the next TV show to gloat and says that Kelly might have something to tell Burchill.

Burchill confronts Kelly - who says her brother is just playing mind games. She wanted to save Vito from a broken neck because he is her brother and she will always love him - but she understands how callous he has become and Burchill should challenge him again.

This builds to another title match with the usual factional run-ins, heel advantage etc. Kelly again becomes the focal point towards the end of the match as a distraction - but this time hits Burchill with a chair, allowing Vito to gain the win.

As the PPV goes off air, Kelly says "some stranger" isn't the father of her child; Vito is. And, yes, I'm afraid this really dark pall of an incestuous storyline hangs in the ether. I would love that 24 hours in real life.... hopefully, handwringing news reports and condemnations on the internet aplenty.

The next TV show, Vito comes to the ring and dunks all over  any sense of kayfabe, explaining Kelly's real name and that she's not actually his sister. He says they have been a couple in real life for over a year (actually true in game btw - which is the catalyst for the story). Kelly is pregnant and Vito is the father but Heyman is exploiting this for storytelling purposes and Vito having to pretend that another man is the father of his child for a salary is a sick joke.

Vito essentially becomes the anti-authority figure as a heel by suggesting that as "hardcore" and "smart mark" ECW has pretended to be, they were as guilty as anyone else for feeding the fans nonsense and he was the only person with the balls to stand up to it.

The plan was for Burchill/Vito to become a long-term on/off feud on the back of this - with the ability to switch dispositions depending upon spinning sympathy for "protecting the business" and telling the truth as it suited.

So, yeah... that may have been some self-indulgence nonsense. But, hey, if you wondered...

 

[TC Dale]

Thanks for that. Enjoyed the series, and this look into what happened. Appreciate this a lot.