Hi all and welcome once again to another edition of the single most requested article by me. While we finally get snow here in JTland, (though not more than a dusting) lets take a look of what I can remember of the last seven days: (more…)
Still feeling out the whole reviewer thing here, My last review didn’t get as many comments as my first. I’m not sure if that’s because I focused to heavily on calling the show, or the first week out was just people welcoming me to the site.
I’m a little more familiar with the way things work this week though.
Anyway on this week’s ECW out main event is Christian teaming with Yoshi Tatsu against Ezekial and Vladimir Kozlov. We also should have an in ring confrontation between The Hurricane and Paul Burchill.
Well, my first ECW review seems to have gone over well. So here’s the second. Tonight’s main event is Christian vs Yoshi Tatsu for the ECW title. William Regal and his crew and Zach Ryder probably won’t like that. Shelton Benjamin should be looking for something to do with Sheamus running to Raw. And there’s a new announcer.
We open with a video for Yoshi Tatsu, promoting the title match.
And the show proper starts with Abraham Washington. The one part of the show I can’t stand. His guest tonight is Tiffany.
They’ve got a big show tonight so he’s going to do something he never does. Stop running his mouth. Tony starts laughing so much Washington threatens him with the unemployment line. Tiffany’s theme is “Insatiable?” Did someone forget to mention the PG thing.
When asked about ECW not having an impact at Bragging Rights she points out the number of stars on the show who had their first break on ECW. She promises that next year it will have an even bigger impact. The reason Sheamus left is because she doesn’t want people who don’t want to be here. So he got to leave. Provided he wrestles one last match, tonight against Shelton. And her arm is healing well.
Regal comes out and demands a title shot. She refuses and says he may never get one. After she leaves Regal has a tantrum tossing around the furniture.
We’re then introduced to Josh Matthews new partner, Byron Saxton. They then show another video about Yoshi.
Time for Sheamus’ last match on ECW. There’s a replay of Benjamin pounding Sheamus last week. And interview with Shelton talks about Sheamus saying he was mediocre. He says Sheamus is a coward and he’s running to Raw without doing anything to impress anyone. He’ll leave with a new respect for the Gold Standard. One of Shelton’s best promos.
Sheamus with several shots to the head and slams Benjamin’s head into the corner. Shelton fights out of the corner and then clotheslines the Celt out of the ring. He steps to the apron and then delivers a springboard split leg moonsault to the floor.
When we get back Sheamus’ arm is wrapped around the ringpost and Shelton is working it. Hammerlock and he rams him into the turnbuckle. He wants to snap it on the top rope but Sheamus slams him to the ringpost. Then on the floor he picks Shelton up and rams him backfirst into it. Kneedrop tot he back by the Celtic Warrior. Chinlock. Shelton elbows out, but ends up in a tilt-a-whirl slam. Hard whip to the corner and then he steps on Benjamin’s head. Another knee to the back and another variation on a chinlock. She stops an attempt to fight out short.
Overhead belly to belly by the Gold Standard. And they’re trading punches. Shelton takes the advantage. He’s whipped to the corner, leaps to the top and comes off with a clothesline. A couple of clotheslines then he hits Stinger Splash. Sheamus ducks a Dragonwhip but Shelton ducks a clothesline and hits a German Suplex.
Sheamus hotshots him into the ropes the hits the pump kick for the win.
Rosa is babbling about clothes to Gregory Helms. She then wonders what he wanted to ask her. “I just said hello” Paul Burchill and Katie Lea show up. She tells Rosa to leave. Birchall wants Helms to pass a message onto Hurricane to meet him in the ring next week.
A video of the Bragging Rights tag match
Savannah interviews Christian. He says Yoshi is the most deserving guy on ECW cause he went out and got some wins unlike some people, cough, William Regal. Yoshi makes him excited for the future. He will be a champ in the future. Just not tonight. Christian has been mentoring him and tonight he’ll learn the most important lesson any young talent can learn. How to cope with defeat.
Christian comes out wearing a T-shirt rather than his ring jacket. I really prefer the jacket. Yoshi Tatsu has yet another new set of tights. Gold would be appropriate on any other show but ECW with their supposedly platinum belt. He’s carrying something, I thought it was a microphone at first.
Sexton even points out the tights on commentary.
Tatsu with a waistlock. Christian backs him into the corner. Tatsu gets one kick. He tries a second but Christian dodges and gets a waistlock. Tatsu take him down. Christian works a headlock against several attempts to escape. Tatsu slips out and slaps on a headlock of his own.
Flapjack by Christian after some rope running. Springboard sunset flip. Tatsu with backbody drop and a flipping senton. Backslide. Back to a headlock. Tatsu sent outside but pulls himself in and rolls into a schoolboy for two.
Christian’s working a headlock on the mat. Yoshi shoves him into the corner, but runs into an elbow. Christian goes up top but is thrown off. Yoshi leaps over the top, but misses the champ and lands very awkwardly. Christian hits his own move over the ropes.
Crossbody by Tatsu. His leg looks fine. Christian with a neckvice. Tatsu elbows out. Christian hits a backbreaker out of a reverse DDT. Chinlock with a knee to the back. Christian rams his head into the turnbuckle
Yoshi blocks a tornado DDT then goes up top and hits a spinkick off the top rope. Rapid fire kicks by Tatsu. Christian sends him into the corner but misses a charge then Tatsu hits a roaring elbow.
Kilswitch blocked by a kick to the back. Tatsu sent into the ropes and Christian stands on his back, heads to the outside and decks him.
Second rope dropkick by the champ, but a top rope misses and Tatsu jackknife covers him. Double knees in the corner by Tatsu. Reverse DDT by Christian. Killswitch blocked by a kick to the back
Tatsu rolls through a springboard sunset flip and hits a kick. Another Killswitch blocked after Christian ducks the finishing kick. Pendulum kick after dodging a corner charge, followed by a diving Euro uppercut by the champ.
He finally hits the Killswitch for the win, then checks on Yoshi. Ezekial and Kozlov come down and flatten both men, hitting a double Uranage on the champ. Regal hold the belt and stand over him.
Despite only two matches in an hour ECW felt jam packed tonight. Both matches were excellent.
I do feel sorry for Shelton. It seems like he’s going to be in line for a push but with his and Sheamus’ feud cut short he didn’t get much chance to look good against the Celtic Warrior. And at one point during the match, when they were getting ready to transition the advantage back over to Sheamus he was pretty much wrestling like a heel. That’s something he’ll have to work on.
Meanwhile Christian did several nasty spots, such as choking a friend on the ropes without seeming like he was going to cross the line. I’m almost surprised that Regal’s crew didn’t attack before the end of the match, sparing Yoshi the pinfall loss.
I still feel they’re going to far with the pushing Regal to the head. His best role outside of authority figure as a heel is coldly calculating. Making him crazy doesn’t really work for me. I do hope Tiffany decides to make him earn his title shot.
Welcome to my first review of ECW. Lately I’ve been typing up a play-by play for the World Wrestling Insanity boards that usually has a few people checking it out, but doesn’t always get any responses.
This is my first time posting a review on a site and I’m not familiar with how BoredWrestlingFan.com normally does things so I’ll be posting at the end and if that’s not okay someone can just inform me and I’ll do it later. Also I’ve got an early work day tomorrow so later weeks may also be more detailed.
I’m a big fan of the current ECW. Everyone on it is booked well and even the unstoppable monsters aren’t so tough the faces have no chance about them. I’d say my only complaints with the current product are The Abraham Washington Show and the William Regal’s role as leader of the Ruthless Roundtable frequently has him adopting an expression that’s just a little to psycho for my tastes.
This week’s main storyline looks to be Zach Ryder’s continuing to turn face. It’s a surprise move to me, but given the strength of Regal’s group there really could be only so many unaffiliated heels and Ryder just doesn’t fit.
Unfortunately I’m missing the beginning because my satelite doesn’t want to cooperate. For some reason Syfy is always one of the first channels I lose when there’s problems with cloud cover and the like.
For some reason SyFy is the only channel I can’t get. And I can watch it in my living room, which is an HDTV. Unfortunately my computer is in a different room. So I’ll just give a less detailed recap at the end.
Another very entertaining episode of ECW. Striker and Matthews are a fun announce team. I always enjoy the nicknames for wrestlers and little tidbits Striker throws out. Today he channeled a bit of Bobby Heenan picking both Team Raw and Team Smackdown to win the Bragging Rights match.
I missed most of the Ryder/Tatsu match. Apparently my instincts on Ryder’s issues with Regal were off, but in the WWE heels don’t have long term issues with each other. I just hope the WWE doesn;t shoot itself in the foot by doing something like turning Tatsu heel now that Christian has his wish and gets to defend against him.
So the Unified tag championship finally make an appearence on ECW. About time. Still I don’t see how ECW ever could have a member on Team Smackdown. Tiffany came off pretty flat though
Shelton looked very good jumping in the ring to take on Sheamus and he got a very good reaction from the crowd. I hope he introduces a new finisher now that he’s a face though. Or at least one of his old ones. Paydirt isn’t that impressive.
The really gave away the fact that the “Hurricane” coming down the ramp wasn’t the Hurricane with him keeping his head down. I’d glad Helms is moving a bit away from the Grim and Gritty superhero look. And just let me say Katie Lea in skin tight pants is one of the nicest sites in wrestling
Christian and Jericho had an extremely good match. Color me shocked that Regal’s group didn’t attack. They could have set things up to get him an eventual shot at the ECW title and Zeke and Kozlov ready for a tag title match.
See you next week, with a hopefully more detailed report.
Hey folks and welcome to another edition of your favorite JT article. It’s been a long week and I have things to do today so let’s get this show on the road: (more…)