Raven: Forever connected with ECW
Part 3
By CHRIS GRAMLICH -- For SLAM! Wrestling
Scott "Raven" Levy.
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While it has been years since Raven's glorious run as ECW's top dog, his name still is
irrevocably connected with the company. Perhaps it's because of the growth that both the
wrestler and the company went through together. Perhaps it's the fact that ECW fans
are loyal to a fault or perhaps it is because that both the man and the
company contributed to changing wrestling in the mid-'90s.
Despite the fact that it has years since his initial departure, the subject
still raises the ire of long-time ECW fans. Raven, however, sees his initial
departure not as a case of leaving at the wrong time, but at the right time.
"I had done everything there was to do and I needed to make some money
because I really wasn't making s--t there," he said. "I was lucky enough
that just as the wave started to peak I jumped on and caught the ride but I
definitely think that it was a symbiotic relationship. I did as much for
them as they did for me."
"I had done everything. I had every major feud that I wanted to have. I'd
done every major angle and there was no money," continued Raven. "[WCW honcho Eric] Bischoff
had been wanting to bring me in off and on for the previous year. He just
hadn't offered me the right amount of money and finally I said 'this is what
I want' and he said 'I'll give you that' and I said 'allright' and I came."
And while Raven is unquestionably proud of his initial ECW days, he is also
a realist about the influence ECW was having and how long they had until the
WWF and WCW took notice and copied their style.
"They [ECW] had reached their first pay-per-view and it had achieved
everything that I wanted," said Raven. "The way I saw it was that if it was
no longer going to be as influential as it was and if I wasn't going to be
as influential anymore, then I at least wanted to make money if I was just
going to be part of the scenery."
However, while his first run with ECW helped change wrestling, instituting
the more hardcore style, pushing the limits of subject matter and crossing
the lines a number of times in both regards, his return to ECW was less than
the stellar impact that his first tenure had been. Raven agrees.
"I wasn't utilized and I wasn't motivated because I don't think Paul E. was
that motivated. I think Paul E. had too much going on and he couldn't stay
focused on the booking and when he's focused he's brilliant but he had too
much going on with TNN and everything else that he couldn't stay focused,
and I think it just trickled down," lamented Raven. "I wasn't used as well as
I could have been or I was the first time I was there and I think I lost
motivation, which is still my fault, it's still my job to keep myself
motivated but my drug problem had become worse and things had spiraled down,
as they always do. I knew getting clean was on the horizon so I really
wasn't too worried about it, to be honest. I kind of spent the time having
fun. I really had a lot of fun when I was there in ECW, at house shows,
goofing off, but now it's time to get serious again."
While it may have indeed been a long, strange trip for Scott "Raven" Levy,
he has finally come full circle, emerging in the company he once left to
stake his own claim as a wrestler and establishing himself as a hardcore
icon in the process. After surviving the WWF, ECW, twice, WCW and himself,
creating a hardcore legacy and helping to pioneer the "extreme" style, his
biggest challenges may be behind him. Yet, the WWF can be as unforgiving
as it can be as uncaring about a wrestler's past achievements and
notoriety. Will Raven succeed in the WWF? All the attributes are present,
only time will truly answer the question ... What about Raven?
More on Raven
Part 1: December 19, 2000: Raven: The Second Coming
Part 2: December 20, 2000: Raven: At peace with himself
Interview: December 5, 1997: Quoth the Raven
