The ECW X-Press: 12/2/08

12/2/2008

Pre-show run-through:
D.J. Gabriel was business as usual; Big Drippy and Finlay kept on feuding but kind of spun their wheels; The Boogeyman returned. Can he go away now? Please? Most importantly, though, as announced on RAW, tonight’s ECW features MVP! In his current jobbery state I guess that’s not saying much, but he’s still among my favorite current-day performers in the biz and his jobbification is getting pretty painful to watch. Cut it off already. This guy could be a good world champion on any brand if they’d get behind him. I sincerely doubt their drug testers are that damn important. I should hope they’re not more important than the fans.

(opening video)

Jack Swagger hits the ring for some face time. He says he was undefeated in college, and is undefeated in the WWE. Last week he beat Tommy Dreamer at his own game. Now he wants Teddy Long to officially make him the #1 contender to Hardy’s title. Yay! Teddy’s Music! Swagger says this may be a bit elaborate, but naming the soon-to-be face of the franchise as the #1 contender should be a big deal. Teddy says he doesn’t want to do that. Tiffany suggests that her boyfriend Ricky Ortiz would be a better choice. That brings out Ortiz as Swagger laughs in disbelief. Ricky says he is also undefeated, and doesn’t pronounce the name of the show “E-Thee-W”. OHHHH! Ouch.

Swagger says that predictable old Teddy will make them face each other in the main event tonight, right? Close, but no cigar, because they will face off right now!

Jack Swagger vs. Ricky Ortiz
Swagger with a single leg takedown and they stare at each other. Waistlock takedown for Swagger, Ortiz to the ropes. Knee lift by Swagger, but off the ropes he eats some dropkicks and bails to watch some…

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Ricky Ortiz is threatening Swagger with the deadly Headlock when we return. Swagger fights back with some stomping and three shoulder thrusts. Abdominal stretch as Striker points out that Ortiz and Swagger both can claim something John Cena never could: being undefeated. Ortiz hits a rolling elbow smash and another dropkick. Zany shoulder tackle. Second rope diving shoulder block! Big O misses and Swagger bails! Ortiz follows him but runs into a clothesline outside. Back in, Doctor Bomb for three!
Winner: Jack Swagger by Doctor Bomb @ 4:55

Okay. It works for me. I think this match made sense, and I think killing Ortiz’s winning streak for Swagger’s sake is a good thing. Because, ya know…Ricky…sucks. But that’s okay, because for the length this match was Ricky did fine. I can’t say that it was a “good” match, it was just formula young guy match. But it was not at all offensive, which for Ricky is better than usual.
Match Rating: 5.2/10

MVP IS HERE! He greets Teddy and Tiffany, throwing in his usual subtle awesomeness on the mic… “It’s nice to meet you!” –Tiffany. “I’m sure it is.” –MVP. I am an absolute sucker for guys who can get their characters over with little one-liners that you barely notice, it was one of my favorite things about OH NOES!

Anyways, MVP thanks Teddy for having him on the program, and Teddy wonders why MVP has not met his performance bonuses on the contract Teddy signed him to years ago. Teddy then starts talking to Tiffany about how easy Montel should have had it while ignoring MVP’s protests. MVP finally says he will fix his problems tonight against Matt Hardy. This angle sucks. You take one of the best heels in your company and make him look like a complete useless moron.

(ads)

Finlay hits the ring to say the wrestling business is in his blood. Last week, Henry and Atlas picked on his son. Now Finlay wants to finish it, tonight. Drippy is out to say, “You say your name is Finlay, and you love to fight? I say your name is…”

Oh, wait. Wrong muscleman.

Drippy complains some more about the shillelagh. SECOND THE MOTION! Can you complain about the leprechaun too? Please? He says that Finlay has messed with his life, and now he’ll mess with Finlays. He’ll need to grow eyes in the back of his head to avoid finding his son in a broken heap. So he proposes Atlas and Henry vs. Finlay and “the leprechaun” (YES!) for the PPV. Finlay says this is personal, not a family matter. Henry breaks in to remind Finlay that his father and grandfather were wrestlers…why is his son given a pass? Hornswoggle makes stupid motions. ME. FIGHT. DAD! Just speak friggin’ English, kthanks. Finlay finally accepts. Hornswoggle roars. (?) Seriously, I will be rooting and praying for Mr. Henry to remove the small bearded man from my TV forever.

I’ve got to give credit where it’s due here...Drippy just gave the best promo I’ve ever seen him give. It’s hilarious because he’s actually about three times better on the mic than his manager. This match will suck. Majorly. If it gives me a 1/10 chance at killing Finlay's son off TV, I will take it, though.

(ads)

DJ Gabriel (w/ Alicia Fox) vs. Josh Daniels
It’s times like this when I miss Nunzio. Gabriel takes Daniels down and lays a knee into his shoulder. Cool looking dropkick to the arm. Back elbow smash in the corner. Ridiculous giant swing. Forearm smash for Daniels, but Gabriel with a low heel kick and a butterfly suplex. Punches and a knee. Gutbuster drop and second rope European uppercut and we’re through.
Winner: DJ Gabriel by Diving European Uppercut @ 2:25

I always enjoy seeing new guys slightly expand their movesets as the weeks go on. Gabriel seems to be doing that well. Nothing here was particularly impressive and his finisher still makes the Cody Rhodes DDT look like a work of art. But he is getting a moveset, and once he puts it all together I think it has the potential to be a good moveset. Let’s move from indy jobbers to WWE jobbers now, please, and start getting him ready for a feud, eh?
Match Rating: 4.2/10

MVP heads down to the ring. Come on, I don’t get to see this guy anymore since they went to MyNetworkTV. Couldn’t we at least spring for the blow-up entrance?

(ads)

MVP vs. Matt Hardy (Non-title)
MVP works an armbar, which is reversed by Hardy. Reversed again, hammerlock by Porter. Headlock for Hardy, SWEET armdrag takedown by MVP. Back up, hammerlock by Hardy. MVP gets quickly to the ropes. MVP hits a kick to the ribs, but Hardy quickly hits a Side Effect for one. MVP bails, Hardy follows and throws him back in. Second-rope elbow smash. Off the ropes and Hardy gets a shoulder block. Headlock takedown, headlock for a while. Hardy goes for a second Side Effect, MVP counters. Twist of Fate attempted, MVP counters and bails.

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Hardy hits a clothesline. MVP throws him face first to the buckle on a charge. He boots Hardy in the head to send him out of the ring. Neckbreaker for one once they’re back inside. Montel gets some punches and a headlock. Hardy battles out but MVP hits a swank powerslam-like throw for two. He tries several more unsuccessful pins, a kick and elbow drop. Throat thrust and facebreaker almost get the win, but Hardy to the ropes. Snapmare and abdominal stretch with a neck wrench. Back elbow smash off the ropes for Hardy, and a reverse DDT and scoop slam set up for a yodeling leg drop for two. MVP whiffs on a kick and quickly recovers to hit the big boot. Only two. Kawada kick attempt misses, corner clothesline for Hardy. Bulldog countered by MVP for a back elbow smash for two. Playmaker countered into a Side Effect! Twist of Fate, and poor MVP rings up another loss!
Winner: Matt Hardy by Twist of Fate @ 9:39

The match breakdown is not the place for me to rant about what they’re doing to MVP; even if he wasn’t in a losing streak gimmick, he should have jobbed to the ECW champion while he’s visiting from Smackdown, that’s how it works. So I don’t have a problem with that. They clearly have awesome chemistry; this was far from their best match and nothing was particularly exceptional save a couple of flashes of brilliance from Porter on his throws. But this was a quality TV main event. Free MVP.
Match Rating: 6.9/10

Overall Analysis:
I really dug the show tonight, RELATIVELY SPEAKING. Which is to say, if you would have told me that we’d be going without Evan Bourne, Miz and Morrison, and without a Finlay match to fix everything like a wonderful Irish band-aid…this would be the best case scenario I would have come up with. Basically we didn’t get any matches from an ECW superstar I really liked (Swagger and Hardy are both in the “mild respect” area) and the show was still good. I think that’s a great success, relatively speaking. Props to Henry again, because for the first time since he joined the brand I’d call him the star of the night for his segment with Finlay.
Overall Show Grade: B+

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Comments

Comment #1

First comment yay!

Posted by Ultimate Matlock Man on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #2

Grow up matlock

Posted by . on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #3

Yay for Henry!

Posted by R.U.Sty on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #4

Good review, i'll definately be tuning in tonight, but i have to say i am a fan of dj gabriel's finisher, but only when performed right, like the first time he used it, it looked like it had impact, lately not so much. When he is a mid carder it will make a nice signiture move, like the side effect. :)

Posted by Georgerv on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #5

The best ECW show I have seen in a long time.

Posted by The Demon on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #6

itll be quite funny to actually ee Hornswoggle DESTROYED by drippy

Posted by schem on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #7

I wish it was true we might see Hornswaggle squashed. Unfortunately, you know Finlay will lay out Atlas and the leprechaun get the hot tag to splash him while 'pops' and Drippy are tied up in the far corner so that the little twirp doesn't only survive, but he gets the pin.

We can only hope someone in the back gives him a brown towel so Drippy thinks he's a hot dog as he comes out of the shower. Then we might get rid of the little thing.

Posted by Kodiac on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #8

Based on your ratings for matches, you give this week a B+? weird, however, you get the same from me. B+

Posted by EdgeHead on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #9

Sigh. For the eleventieth time, show rating is on a scholastic grading scale, C+ is average. Individual match rating is on a pure 0-10 scale, 5 is average. Just because a 50 is a failing grade by the letter grade system doesn't mean that a show with all 5-point matches is an F.

Posted by The Glide on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #10

Well said. Dont forget that the promos go into the grading too Edge

Posted by Matt on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #11

Yay for Elijah reference of teh week and we should make MUSTLEMAN a new feature
(was that an ECW #1 contenders match i tuned in like 6 minutes late but I don't think it was a contender match?)

Posted by EddieRox on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #12

and hornswoggle should have a name like big drippy somethin like a screen name like littleshalaylay441 rr somethin
(i'm not that funny)=

Posted by EddieRox on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #13

fair enough, thats my bad, aha, wasnt sure you did it like that

Posted by EdgeHead on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #14

Upon further review, you are correct. They both claimed #1 contendership, but Long did NOT make the match an official #1 contendership. I assume he'll either make it official next week, or make Swagger go through someone else.

Posted by The Glide on Thursday, December 04, 2008
Comment #15

MVP sucks, I think addressing him as the best heel of the company was a bad joke. And I don't even want to imagine that you were serious...

He is a good cocky, but I prefer to watch Jimmy Weng-Yeng in the ring to him.

Posted by orsie on Friday, December 05, 2008
Comment #16

I love finlay, but he needs to cut using hornswoggle and the shillelagh from every match to using it VERY OCCASIONALLY. He needs a title

Posted by The Master of Puppets on Friday, December 05, 2008
Comment #17

No joke. My list of top performers that happen to be heels would be Morrison, Edge, Jericho, Orton, and then MVP. In terms of best heel personas, it's the same five but with the order likely shuffled.

Posted by The Glide on Friday, December 05, 2008
Comment #18

EE-THEE-DUBYA!
EE-THEE-DUBYA!

Posted by Vince on Friday, December 05, 2008
Comment #19

i love your ECW X-Press i read every week and when i become a columnist on the wrestling game ill make a report about something awsome like ECW X-Press

Posted by Nick Is Da Best on Friday, December 05, 2008
Comment #20

STU-PITT IM TAKING YOU TO THE CLEANERS!!!

Posted by AZUZU on Saturday, December 06, 2008

The ECW X-Press: 12/2/08

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