As a WWE Superstar, the place where I'm recognized most is the airport. It all started at LaGuardia Airport when someone asked me why I don't wrestle on ECW on Sci Fi anymore. I was perplexed at this. He asked, "I haven't seen you on TV in a long time. Why?"

After explaining to him that ECW has only one hour of programming and it can fit only so many people onto one show, I began to think about how long it has been since I was on TV. Then, discovering that I was no longer on the opening of the show, I really began to think about my status and career in the new ECW.

Since the SmackDown/ECW merger, things have not been too good for Tommy Dreamer. Who did I piss off? Was it SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero? Was it Armando Estrada? Maybe it was my old nemesis, Mr. McMahon? Whatever the case may be, I probably will never know, so now I'm taking a different route. Unlike many wrestlers or fans, I'm not hiding behind a computer and venting my anger anonymously. I'm going public and accepting full responsibility for my verbal actions. Since the merger, it seems like SmackDown's outcasts have found their way onto ECW programming. I think that's great; this is what ECW used to be about. It was a great vehicle for new rivalries and exposure for talent.

But have the displaced ECW talent made their way to SmackDown? Not so much. In essence, the merger has produced three hours of programming, yet we see many of the same Superstars on both shows. Let me make this clear: I'm not bitter. Actually, I'd just like to see more of the Superstars being utilized to their potential, and I'm simply speaking for myself on this one -- I can't stand riding the bench.

Forget about the past and all that I accomplished in the original ECW. I'm not one to rest on my laurels. Since ECW began, I've been in the trenches, working my ass off, attempting to help establish the resurgence of ECW. In the television business of trying to get people interested in watching a show, I'd like to pitch an idea: A guy who has one last chance at showing the world he still has it in him to be champion once again. I know this may sound like a crazy idea (Did you sense the sarcasm in that?), but it's proven to work.

Don't believe me? What about movies that were nominated for Academy Awards like The Champ, Rocky, Raging Bull or Cinderella Man. Forget movies for a minute. George Foreman's return bout for the Heavyweight Title in boxing drew millions of dollars in pay-per-view revenue and made national headlines. I'm sure that helped sell lots of his grills, too. Another example: Brett Favre is getting as much attention as the New England Patriots' undefeated season. The "old" quarterback leading his team to the championship game of his division -- and setting every record along the way before he reportedly walks away from the sport he loves -- is a great story.

How do those stories relate to the current state of ECW, or me for that matter? I'm 36 years old. The Royal Rumble is in my hometown of New York at the historic Madison Square Garden. No WWE Superstar has been to as many MSG events as I have. I would have the chance to win the Royal Rumble Match and go to WrestleMania to prove that I still have it. If I were to fail at the Rumble, I could try to win the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania. (A match with ladders and lots of high risks seems to be right up my alley, right?)

If I were to fail, I'd be willing to put my career on the line at ECW's One Night Stand. If I were to lose that match, thanks for the memories. However, if I win it's a whole new ball game. To the mysterious powers that be, the choice is yours.

In closing, I leave you with this: There have been five reincarnations of the TV show Star Trek. Some successful, some not. But no matter how old you are, everyone knows the original cast includes Captain Kirk, Spock, Sulu and Scotty. People cannot remember the new cast members' names though. And if the powers that be are dead-set on changing the face of ECW, then this Captain Tommy Dreamer is willing to go where no man has gone before.

Thanks for reading,

Tommy Dreamer

Should Dreamer get his wish? VOTE NOW!