The ECW X-Press! May 6/2008

Pre-show run-through:

Last week’s ECW was nothing special.  Instead, most of ECW's news this week happened on RAW.  For starters, Crazy Mariachi Punk had a nice competitive match with Randy Orton.  It was interrupted by Regal’s power trip, but it was a good match and Punk looked competitive with the former WWE champ.  Good stuff there.  Also that night, Miz and Morrison were defeated by Chris Jericho and a little bit of HBK.  You’d think I might complain about the tag team champs jobbing to a man and a half, but you know…I’m strangely okay with it.  Losing to Sweet Chin Music AND a Lionsault delivered by two multiple time world champions makes Miz and Morrison look quite okay, and they did hang with Y2J just fine.  No problems there.  And then, there’s all the complaints about Triple H burying the entire ECW roster.  Well, again, I disagree.  I think the handicap match did make ECW as a whole look a little puny, but on the other hand it gave the individual talents a chance to shine.  Particularly, I noticed Nunzio and Burke were on the top of their games, and those are two guys who don’t get much run on ECW.  Anyways, Chavo Guerrero pinned Ken Kennedy after a finisher fest and a frog splash.  Fair enough.

In preparation for tonight’s 100^th episode of ECW, we’ve got Colin Delaney vs. Armando Estrada.  And we’ve got Tommy Dreamer vs. Mike Knox in an Extreme Rules match.  Like I said last week, I’m really looking forward to the Dreamer/Knox match.

Oh yeah…Mike Adamle turned heel on RAW.  I’m happy.  Smart of them to take advantage of his crummy announcing and actually give him a crummy announcing gimmick.

(opening video)

Mike Adamle is out to open us up and explain last week’s walk-off.  “We want Joey” chant.  Adamle says that he lost his cool last week, and apologizes to Tazz and the fans.  He brags about his accomplishments and the length of his career.  He says that his job is hard, and he knows he’s made mistakes.  There are a lot of superstars backstage who don’t mind letting him know when he screws up.  But he loves working for “the ECW”, and will keep working to bring you the best possible product.

Tommy Dreamer is out with a shopping cart full of weapons.  Stevie Richards joins the table for commentary.

Knox takes the early advantage with kicks and a shoulder block.  Dreamer sends Knox to the outside with a clothesline, chokes him with his shirt, and throws him into the steel steps.  Let’s just hope Stevie never decides to become a commentator.  I love the man but after all those throat surgeries, he has a voice meant for silent films.  Knox turns the tide with a clothesline, cookie sheet shot, and a delayed vertical suplex.  Knox chokes Dreamer in the ropes and grabs a hockey stick.  Dreamer dropkicks a trash can into him before he can use it.  Dreamer hits a hockey stick shot, works Knox over with kendo stick shots, and then breaks an oar over his head.  Dreamer brings the shopping cart into the ring, and tries to suplex Knox on it for a big pop, but Knox body slams Tommy on the cart.  Knox goes up top but gets crotched.  Tree of Woe kendo stick shots, and Dreamer puts both the cart and the trash can in front of Knox’s face.  ECW DROPKICK connects!  The fans love it.  Tommy gets the tables!  Tommy goes for a bulldog into a corner table, but Knox turns it into a sweet little back suplex through the table.  Knox gets a chair, and hits Dreamer with it once, but Tommy kicks it into his face, takes it, and whales on him.  Dreamer sets up for the Dreamer DDT on the chair, but Knox hits a low blow and finishes with the Boring Corkscrew STO onto the chair.

Fun little match.  Perfect length, Dreamer was effing awesome, and Knox held his own.  The fact is that if Mike Knox is ever going to get over, this is the only possible was to do it, by throwing him in there with very good workers and letting them carry him.  It’s my general belief that the better wrestler should usually be winning the match, and that’s why I’m never going to like Knox, but if they’re behind him solidly he can be an okay big who will eventually have enough credibility to put someone else like Kofi over in a main event feud.

Adamle so-bad-its-funny quote of the week:  “What shakes like jelly jelly?  The answer is Kelly Kelly!!”

Video of ECW’s first episode, featuring Sandman caning the Zombie to…death?

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Kelly is in the ring, wearing leather.  She starts to strip, but Layla interrupts her.  They have a dance-off.  Layla wins, like every dance off they’ve ever had.  They start pushing each other harder and harder to interrupts each other, and eventually Kelly slaps Layla, they catfight, Kelly wins, it gets broken up by the refs.

Video of Bob Holly almost killing himself with that table gusher.  (Episode 18) That was one hell of a career defining moment for Bob.

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Video of Boogeyman worming Matt Striker (Episode 55).           

Reminder that Chuck Palumbo was disqualified last month against CM Punk.  Palumbo is backstage with Lena.  Palumbo tells Punk that he’ll knock him out if Punk gets in his face again.

Shelton Benjamin hits the ring, not dressed to compete.  I still dig his new music.  He’s here for commentary.

Kofi glances over at Shelton, and Striker capitalizes with a stiff punch and a nice back suplex.  Kofi hit s big kick, a high elevation dropkick, and the bo-bo legdrop.  Striker tries to hurl Kofi out of the ring, but Kofi bounds off the ropes with a gorgeous Trouble in Paradise for three.

Benjamin is already in the ring as the bell rings.  Benjamin gets a sneaky Pay Dirt that Kofi sold like a champ.

It was what it was.  The match was nothing on its own, nice finish but no one minute match is going to get much of a rating from me.  But the thing is, I think this adds a lot to the show without having to be a ‘good’ match.  Benjamin finally looks like he matters again, and thankfully they’re not just having Kofi beat Shelton twice and that’s it, Benji got some heat back tonight.  That’s the main thing here, and the fact that Kofi is in an actual feud is a lot more important right now than beating some jobber in the ring, even if that jobber is an awesome one like Striker.  The match didn’t get a strong rating but fear not, because this was an excellently used five minutes of the show.

Backstage, Colin walks.  Punk leads the locker room in applauding him as he goes down the hall.

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Video from Episode 43:  Originals vs. New Breed 8 man tag.  Ah, I miss when Elijah mattered.

Armando is in fabulous shape for a guy who’s never been used in a wrestling role by the E.  Colin immediately starts with a rollup.  Estrada gets a clothesline and lays into him in the corner.  Big toss gets two.  Colin dodges a corner charge and hits a big punch.  He channels Dreamer with a punch flurry, and then lands a dropkick.  Estrada leverages him from the ring, and clubs his neck on the ropes.  Estrada pulls Colin back in and Colin rolls him up for three!!!

This was a surprisingly decent little match.  Estrada needs to get in the ring more often, I enjoyed the little I saw.  Obviously this match wasn’t long enough to be considered good, but the fans were super into it and that’s the main idea.

Colin celebrates with the crowd.  Tazz congratulates him and hands him the mic.  Colin says that this makes all the beatings worth it.  He thanks the fans, the Academy, and Tommy Dreamer.  Upon seeing the replay, I’ve gotta give Colin props for how real his shock was…he had the shocked look already on his face when he pushed himself away from the cover.

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Miz and Morrison are out for commentary.

Kane backs Neely into the corner and gets punches and a huge uppercut.  Scoop slam, Punk is in with a pescado and some running forearms, but Bam shrugs it off with a shoulder block.  Guerrero misses on a slingshot stomp, and they miscommunicate on a cradle attempt.  Punk hits a snap suplex, but Chavo takes over with a European uppercut.  Punk throws Chavo out of the ring, but Neely catches him.  I like that they’re actually having Bam act like a real bodyguard would.

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Punk is working over Neely’s arm when we return.  Neely whips Punk chestfirst into the buckle and Guerrero tags in. 

Miz:  Why don’t you go Jamaic-yourself-crazy, Adamle?

Adamle:  I’ll get a chance to do that later on.

Morrison:  Oh yeah?  When’s that?

Adamle:  …

Chavo hits a rolling senton and locks in a really wimpy looking submission.  Neely comes in for some kicks and a back suplex.  Miz plugs the Dirt Sheet.  Chavo gets in for a slingshot stomp and a similar back suplex.  Chavo cheapshots Kane and the ref has to keep him in his corner.  Neely and Guerrero take advantage to work over Punk in their own corner.  Neely does more punches and kicks, then whips him to the corner.  But he pauses, giving Punk enough time to hit the springboard clothesline to a surprisingly huge pop.  Adamle says “Have mercy” for the second time of the night, and Miz makes fun some more.  Kane and Guerrero both tag in.  Kane takes Guerrero to the corner and hits some punches, a big boot, and a back body drop.  The usual corner clothesline and side slam set up for the chokeslam.  Neely tries to interfere but gets knocked off the apron with an uppercut.  Kane slams a charging Chavo into the top rope, and hits the top rope clothesline.  Punk comes in with a leg lariat, knee strikes, and the knee of doom.  Neely breaks up a pin after an enziguiri, so Kane breaks up Neely’s face with a boot.  Uppercut and GTS to Chavo, and it’s over.

Nothing special here.  It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t really have anything interesting going on at all other than Miz bagging on Adamle, which was classic.  The good news is that the crowd was ridiculously into Punk, and that’s nice considering how weak they made him look last week.  Neely continues to not be very impressive, it’s quite possible he was brought up from developmental too soon.  This match served to establish the pecking order, Kane and Punk both need some momentum and we keep establishing that they’re now superior to Chavo, which is fine.  Although I have to wonder what Guerrero does when he’s done chasing the title.

Overall Analysis:  

This was a much better show than the last two weeks.  If there’s a complaint I have, it’s that there wasn’t a match that’ll make people remember the 100^th show.  The Colin stuff was all well and good, but it was telegraphed and averagely executed.  The extreme rules match was good but not great.  The main event was just there.  I will say that the Kingston/Benjamin feud looks about a million times better than it did on Sunday, what with them using the RAW main event to promote it and then letting Shelton do commentary and hit his finisher.  Anyways, the fact that nothing really stood out shouldn’t take away from the fact that this show was executed pretty smoothly, with no real stinkers or slipups.  I look forward to the next chapter of Kofi and Shelton, and I will see you all here next week, same time, same place.

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