The problem is, in this context, "abandonment" becomes subjective. I remember when I posted the "Jerry" video on a thread you started on the WC forum. You noted how you could see the Wing Chun in it but there were other people who said they did not see WC on a thread in the general martial arts forum.
It can be hard to tell, outside looking in, whether a principle has been abandoned or not because we are "feeling" the force received or produced.
Not necessarily. I could see the WC in what Jerry was doing, but I would have liked to have seen it even more. Others that didn't see probably just aren't as familiar with WC (and particularly TWC) as they think they are.
Of the three versions of Wing Chun I have studied over the years, I have returned to my TWC training because I feel it is the version that is most usable in a sparring/fighting context.....IMHO, a fighter using it stands the best chance of actually being able to maintain it under pressure. And I think that is because TWC typically trains to work from a little more distance than Ip Man WC. It has been said to use a "larger frame" or to be a "long-arm" version of Wing Chun.
And within TWC, I have gravitated towards Rick Spain's "reworking" of the forms because it seems even more applicable to "real fighting" to me. And as LFJ would point out....if you are going to do an "application-based" method, then you better make sure your applications are truly "applicable"!