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The ECW X-Press: 11/25



11/25/2008

Pre-show run-through:
Last week…D.J.  Gabriel debuted, danced, and irritated me.  Tommy Dreamer was not too cool with amateur wrestling.  This led to an extreme rules match for this week!  Meanwhile, ECW got thoroughly punked out at Survivor Series as Hardy, Henry, Miz and Morrison were all eliminated in their tag matches.  Who will be thoroughly punked out tonight?!?  Read on!

(opening video)

ALREADY IN THE RING is Tommy Dreamer.  WHAT!?  You’re kidding, right?  I know Tommy’s losing, but at least don’t make him out to be on the same level as Deuce, eh?  They already ruined this match for me.

 

Tommy Dreamer vs. Jack Swagger (Extreme Rules Match)
Jack piefaces Dreamer and hits a belly to back takeover.  Kicks to the ribs.  Dreamer breaks out the kendo stick to retake momentum and hits a side Russian legsweep with the stick.  Dreamer grabs a chair and scoop slams both Jack and the chair.  Outside and Dreamer gets whipped into the ringpost.  While Swagger sets up something else, DREAMER HITS A SOMERSAULT SENTON THROUGH A TRASH CAN onto Swagger from the apron.  I don’t think I overemphasized that at all.  Tommy is awesome.   Swagger hits a northern light suplex for one.  Little Naitch is the ref for this match.  Dreamer goes for the bulldog, but Swagger pushes him into a chair in the corner.

 

(ads)

Was that really necessary?  Anyways, we’re back to find Swagger hitting a shin breaker onto a chair.  “WOO!” – crowd.  Some kendo shots to the knee.  Jack uses a chair to pull on the leg, Tommy to the ropes.  Swagger brings him back to the middle for a chair-aided single leg crab. Dreamer fights to the ropes, but ignores them and grabs a kendo stick to fight out.  Sick trash can shot by Dreamer, and he teases a kendo-aided pump handle suplex onto a chair, but Swagger escapes and hits the Regal knee lift.  Swagger tries to hit a Vader bomb onto Dreamer on the trash can, but Dreamer moves!  Tree of Woe dropkick through a trashcan for Tommy!  Out comes the table!  Kendo shots, Swagger blocks and hits a belly to belly slam, Dreamer DDT out of nowhere for only two! One trash can shot, but on the second Swagger drop toe holds him into a chair and Doctor Bombs him through a table!
Winner:  Jack Swagger by Table Doctor Bomb @ 10:30

 

Wonderful.  This match accomplished everything it needed to…keeping people remembering Tommy and putting Swagger over in the end.  Great brutality, some innovative spots, and Dreamer doing a somersault senton.  It doesn’t get much better folks.  It doesn’t get much better.
Match Rating:  8.2/10

Backstage, Miz and Morrison list all their nicknames.  They plug for the Survivor Series replay.  They mention all the high spots… “months and months of video packages”—Morrison on Cena.  Tremendous.  “The greatest tag team of the 21st century…” *PAUSE; STEREO LOOKOFF*  Even better.  Suddenly and without provocation, the promo is ended by the long-barely-awaited return of the Boogeyman!  I’m the Boogeyman, and I’m comin’ to ruin otherwise good segments!

Grisham prods Striker into a Vietnam flashback at the sight of worms.  Matt Hardy, meanwhile, is backstage.  The latest on Jeff:  He’s at home, healing, and…Jack Swagger interrupts to claim #1 contendership to Matt’s title.

Hornswoggle can’t reach a bowl of candy.  Mark Henry taunts him and throws it all over the floor.  Really?

 

(ads)

DJ Gabriel (w/ Alicia Fox) vs. Dave the Local Guy

Armlock takedown into a side headlock.  Knee lift and shoulder block, rope running and armdrag.  Funky back elbow to the gut, and back kick.  Giant swing, which is random.  Neck wrench into a snapmare.  Awesome running leg sweeps, and he hits a big drop into the second-rope European uppercut for the finish.
Winner:  DJ Gabriel by Diving European Uppercut @ 3:45


Again, I’ll give it more time.  Like his amateur stylings, but I’m not that impressed with the rest of his offense.
Match Rating:  5.0/10

After the match, Alicia explains that she took her wedding business (as seen on Smackdown!) overseas, which is where she met Gabriel.  They share a connection, so here they are.  Gabriel has a zany accent, and says they share a passion for both dancing and winning.  Could we please make him an official heel or face?

 

(ads)

 

LOOOONG Cena vs. Jericho video package.  Retread of DX trying to shill WWE.com.

 

They have to give us a recap from 3 weeks ago to remind us that Ricky O is cool.  Then they show him on The Chase.

 

(ads)

 

Big Drippy vs. Finlay

Fit dodges around, works the leg, but gets dropped into the ropes.  Henry clubs and kicks as usual, and stands on Finlay.  Neck wrench by Henry, and he throws the shillelagh far away.  ~CONTINUITY!  Boot up on a corner charge, and Finlay gets some punches.  Henry with a powerslam, and follows up with a splash, but whiffs.  Henry rolls out of the ring, and Finlay tries to dive on him, but is caught.  Henry throws him into the apron and so it begins…

 

(ads)

 

Henry does more clubbing and goes back to the neck wrench.  He stomps on Finlay and locks in a sleeper.  Jaw breaker for Finlay.  Clothesline for Finlay, but another for Henry.  Corner splash hit by Mark, but he again gets distracted with leprechaun shenanigans.  Ref is distracted, shillelagh to the knee!  Atlas grabs Horny, shillelagh to Atlas.  They keep trying to kidnap the leprechaun and fight out of the ring for a no contest…
Winner:  No Contest @ 8:42

 

It resembled their last one; slow…somewhat redeemed by Finlay being awesome…but not really there.  It wasn’t terrible until they overused the leprechaun, both God and my readers know I can’t tolerate that at all.
Match Rating:  3.5/10

Overall Analysis: 
This show was filler.  I guess we’ll transition to a Swagger/Hardy feud, and I think that’ll be a good thing.  The jury is still out on Gabriel.  As I requested, Finlay and Henry are feuding, but I don’t know that they’re going about it in the right way.  I’ll cut this show some slack by virtue of the awesome opener, and leave it at that.
Overall Show Grade: B-

 

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Comments

  1. Comment #1

    as u said the only highspot of the night was the Dreamer Matcher


    nice work glide

    Posted by schem on Saturday, November 29, 2008

  2. Comment #2

    I found it funny Dreamer looked like one of Mark Henry's meals, being one of those "And already in the ring, from blah, weighing blah..."..----

    But so help me if he didn't get the loudest pops of the night.

    Last half was FAIL, like you said... and I had no idea Tommy Dreamer has been in "Well OVER 500 Extreme Matches." - Grish, I think -I was a little unsettled by that.

    Posted by Vince on Saturday, November 29, 2008

  3. Comment #3

    Dreamer - Swagger match - awesome
    DJ Gabriel - Local Guy - nice
    Henry - Finlay - just not good enough, especially as a main event.
    I prefer if show starts slower and gets better with time, but here it went otherwise. Too bad, but still Dreamer's match was worth it. It proved 2 things: Dreamer can put up great performances, therefore doesn't have to be a jobber. And extreme matches fits ECW, let's have more of them, at least one per show. Please?

    Great article, as always. Good work.

    Posted by Clairvoyant on Saturday, November 29, 2008

  4. Comment #4

    It's a damn shame the main event went the way it did. Outside of that, aside from Gabriel's odd gimmick and Ortiz gracing my tv screen it was all good, but when you see a great concept like Mark Henry vs. Finlay stumble about like a drunk hobo, it just ruins the whole night.

    Say what you will about Henry, he's a classic heel powerhouse guy who rarely botches. He's got a very limited moveset, and because of his physique's novelty, everything in his repetoire looks alright 80% of the time. Put that in a matchup with Finlay's chaotic scrap/ uphill war/leprechauns and shillelages flying all over the place style, and they should fit perfectly together. It just didn't, Henry had a pretty bad night, and the match didn't pull through as well as it should've.

    Great article, though, Glide.

    Posted by Balduran on Saturday, November 29, 2008

  5. Comment #5

    if they had extreme rules matches every week, they would be dead by now xD

    Posted by Rafa on Saturday, November 29, 2008

  6. Comment #6

    With the current limited ECW roster you may be right. But since they almost doesn't have extreme matches, the ECW's dead. Why can't we see some special matches every now and then? Instead of boring tag team main event give us a fatal four way match. A falls count anywhere instead of normal one fall would've been way better.

    But, as you've noticed Rafa, with so few experienced wrestlers in the roster, they would've killed each other pretty fast...

    Posted by Clairvoyant on Sunday, November 30, 2008

  7. Comment #7

    No burke reference of teh week?

    Posted by EddieRoxs on Sunday, November 30, 2008

  8. Comment #8

    I was rushed. lol.

    I'll be sure to reference Burke next time :)

    Posted by The Glide on Sunday, November 30, 2008

  9. Comment #9

    It doesn’t get much better folks. It doesn’t get much better. Then why only 8.2? That's basically the best rating you give? And good point by EddieRoxs, like, two weeks ago you said Burke refrences each week. And now ya blew it. I dont care if your rushed, keep your promises! Overall not to shabby, B

    Posted by EdgeHead on Sunday, November 30, 2008

  10. Comment #10

    I've mentioned before that if every 'best match of the show' got a 10, there would be nowhere to go in the event of something like my benchmark for TV matches, Benjamin/Michaels in '05. 8 is 'great match'. 10 is 'match of the year'. I honestly don't expect above a 9 from any ECW show unless we get Morrison vs. Bourne in an Iron Man match or something.

    And real sorry, I did punt the Burke reference.

    Posted by The Glide on Sunday, November 30, 2008

  11. Comment #11

    well the X-press was a little late dis week and its not like its the best part of teh show(review?)

    Posted by EddieRoxs on Sunday, November 30, 2008

  12. Comment #12

    Whenever the new ECW has an extreme rules match, it is usually the most exciting thing they have for awhile.
    Sick of seeing finlay/henry matches

    Posted by RKO on Monday, December 01, 2008

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