Former pro wrestler Rob Van Dam is frustrated with Vince McMahon for turning ECW into a joke brand that doesn't carry the original ECW's energy.

TV ratings show that the current ECW product is on the decline, as viewership has steadily dropped over the past three years.

In an interview with the UK's Sun, RVD passes along a discussion he had with McMahon at the beginning of the ECW brand's run.

RVD says that he knew at the time that Vince was going to "kill" the Original ECW.

RVD's argument to McMahon: "In ECW you have a product that is different, you should capitalize on that difference. That's why the fans like it and are attracted to it."

McMahon's argument (with RVD's quotes): "That's when Vince told me that nobody remembered the old ECW and he created this enthusiasm for this new ECW."

RVD said: "Wait a second, didn't we bring it back because of the success of the DVD and One Night Stand (PPV in June 2005). Didn't that tell us there's a lot of support still."

He said: "Well Rob, there's a lot of support because they're watching WWE promote ECW. They weren't around back then. People grow up, have kids, things change."

I replied: "That doesn't make sense. Come on Vince, why do you think they chant 'ECW' when we're doing something out there."

He said: "Well, because I spent the last five years training them to chant 'ECW'. We've got to have credibility Rob and that means we have to listen to the referees."

"I realized I can't tell Vince McMahon what is best for a global product. You have to dumb things down to hit the mainstream, and if you only target the hardcore then you're going to have a much smaller cult following. That wasn't what he wanted. I even put it like that, and he agreed!," RVD told the Sun. "That was the moment I thought: 'Okay, bye bye old ECW. At least we still have the DVDs and the memories.'"