The ECW X-Press! 7/8/08

7/8/08

Thewrestlinggame.com Exclusive.

Pre-show run-through:

Last week, Curtis Kash subbed for me, prepping the world for my relentless Mark Henry negativity.  The World’s Strongest Champion had his inaugural main event as the face of the brand, defeating Colin Delaney.  Atlas Ortiz debuted with a meaningless victory over Armando Estrada.  Finlay and Matt Hardy were…friends?  Or something?

Thank god, after last week’s terrible-sounding show they try and at least get our hopes up, opening the show with the opening riffs of John Morrison’s music.  They seem to have officially dropped the ‘too big of egos to come out to one entrance’ façade, and Miz joins Morrison in the ring.  Morrison has a new jacket which is absolutely gorgeous and suitable to his character.

Miz makes a hurricane joke, miffing the Baton Rouge crowd.  Morrison introduces himself as the Tuesday Night Delight.  They don’t do hurricane repair at the Palace of Wisdom.  It may take a while to get that catchphrase over with the non-Dirt Sheet crowd.  Miz introduces himself.  Be jealous.  They beg for someone to step up to challenge them and plug the Dirt Sheet.  Finally, Hornswoggle Finlay interrupts.  Get it?  Get it?  I thought it was Hornswoggle, because they PLAYED HIS MUSIC instead of Finlay’s awesome music?  I will continue to harp on that until they stop.

Finlay says he doubts anyone came to watch them run their mouths.  Morrison says Finlay knows little about what people want, because the only person he hangs out with is a leprechaun.  Hornswoggle squirts the tag champs with a water gun and they sell it like a pellet gun.  They give chase, Morrison takes a shillelagh shot from a lurking Finlay and the tag champs flee.  This stuff disgusts me.  Finlay is so far beyond this.

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Back from break, and we’ve gotten a spin-off match, already in progress.

Finlay lands some European uppercuts and stomps away.  Headlock takedown and shoulder block.  To the outside and Miz gets driven into the apron.  Back in the ring, Finlay steps through a takedown and stomps the gut.  Overhead kick, atomic drop, snapmare, elbow drop.  Finlay is wrestling very crisp and keeping the action moving, which is why I love him.  Finlay traps Miz in the ring apron and pounds away.  He stares Morrison off but Miz capitalizes to kick him from the apron.  Miz retaliates on the earlier apron charge, then goes back inside for an armbar.  One arm DDT and some pounding on the shoulder, then the armbar is reapplied.  A clothesline and leg drop leaves Finlay grounded.  Miz drags him to the ropes to illegally torque the arm.  More arm work, finally Finlay backdrops out, then hits clotheslines and an atomic drop.  Finlay misses a corner charge, and Miz gets a rollup for two.  Miz nails a corner clothesline and some stomps.  Morrison grabs the shillelagh and Hornswoggle runs across the apron to hit a kick to the head.  Miz beats up Hornswoggle, but Finlay capitalizes on the chaos with a Celtic Cross for the win!

I approve greatly of this match.  It got the time that ECW matches rarely get.  It focused on submission work, which in the wrong hands can be very boring, but Finlay directed the pace well and kept it fun.  Miz worked his tail off, and ended up with an excellent outing.  Finlay did his usual, making sure everything looked real, which is really his M.O.  We had minimal midget shenanigans.  It wasn’t groundbreaking by any means, but it was an excellent opener.

Backstage, Armando Estrada interrupts a conversation between Teddy Long and Tiffany.  Armando asks for a match, and Teddy gives him one against new star Braden Walker.  Perhaps you’d know him better as TNA star Chris Harris.  Umm…can’t say the new name is very marketable.

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Recap of RAW’s main event.  Is he alive or dead?  Will this angle suck, or REALLY suck?  On a side note, I really love how Lawler has established himself as the guy who will try to make the save for anyone who’s unjustly beaten up.

Walker starts with a fireman’s carry takeover.  Armando backs Walker into the corner and clubbers away.  Back elbow smash and a nice clothesline.  Armando works a headlock.  Walker gets a sunset flip, but Estrada stays in control with a back elbow smash.  Estrada fishes for heat, but the crowd is pretty bored.  Estrada tries to get a submission with a waistlock (?!).  Walker blocks a suplex and hits one of his own, followed by a leaping clothesline & atomic drop.  Full nelson slam gets two AND makes me wish Val Venis had a spot on a show somewhere.  Estrada fights back, but can’t lift Walker for his inverted suplex and Walker hits a head-on crossbody for three.

I really appreciate them giving a midcard match five minutes.  I really appreciate them trying to add some psychology and back-and-forth to Estrada’s matches.  That doesn’t change how predictable they are, but at least his performances are getting better.

Backstage, Tony Atlas shows up to say hello to everybody.  Teddy asks him to be the special guest ring announcer.  Big Drippy comes in to say he’s a big fan, insinuates that he’s stronger than Atlas ever was, then ignores a handshake attempt.

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Lena interviews Atlas Ortiz backstage.  Atlas asks us to call him Ricky, and says that last week’s victory makes him undefeated.  He just earned himself a lot of money per second of onscreen time.

Tony Atlas talks to Dreamer and Delaney.  Dreamer tells Colin that Atlas was a mentor of his like Dreamer is to Delaney.

In a sidebar promo, Evan Bourne says that he defies gravity.  What is it with the choppy promos today?

Nunzio vs. Matt Sydal Evan Bourne

Some counter wrestling to start.  Bourne hits his signature twisting rana, which he’s botched in the past but was glorious this time.  Leaping thrust kick gets two.  Bourne hits a wacky wheelbarrow rollup for two more.  They trade knees and fists before Nunzio throws Bourne’s head into the turnbuckle and pounds away.  Nunzio gets two with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and tries for a submission.  Bourne knees out.  Bourne unleashes some hard kicks and a leaping knee.  Running hurricanrana and a jackknife for two.  Bourne hits an unusual Sliced Bread variation, and finishes with a beautiful Shooting Star Press!

Um…I’m confused.  Is it banned or isn’t it?  Fun match, Nunzio is an awesome jobber.  Again, they cut into their video package time to give them an extra minute to work with from a normal ECW match, and that is what makes a good show, to me.

Big Drippy accosts Atlas again, offering to let Atlas carry his bags for a payday.

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Atlas hits ringside for his guest ring announcing.  Atlas announces “The strongest man in the world, the world’s strongest man” Mark Henry.  Good mic skills there Tony.  Heh heh. 

DREAMER PUNCH FLURRY!  Best token offense ever.  Henry gets a headbutt and body block.  He stands on Dreamer’s back and does a stupid one-handed wristlock that Dreamer has to pretend is agonizing.  Drippy gets an elbow drop.  Delaney tries to interfere, and Henry goes after him.  Atlas stands between them.  Suddenly, he throws Colin into the announce table.  ~HEEL TURN!  Dreamer comes outside, confused, and eats a World’s Wettest Slam on the concrete.

I have to admit, this is pretty intriguing and I’m a lot happier with it than just about anything else they could have thought to do with Henry’s first night as champ.  The match was typical Big Drippy, but I’ll reserve condemnation until this angle develops more.

Atlas proclaims that Big Drippy is the winner, which is fine considering he dominated the match.  The official decision is still a no-contest.

Overall Analysis:  

This was a better show than I’d have ever thought they could put on immediately after being robbed in the draft, and while not even featuring Matt Hardy.  I’ve gotta say…I was a little shocked by the Atlas swerve, and I’m curious to see where it leads.  Overall, a shocking swerve couples with a great opener, some solid midcard advancement, and 20+ minutes of wrestling to make me very happy with this show quite against my expectations.  Perhaps they just softened me up by starting the show with a healthy dose of Morrison.

Overall Show Grade: B+

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