ECW on Sci-Fi
Knoxville, TN
April 14th 2009
Commentators: Josh Matthews & Matt Striker
Report by: David Stephens of WrestleView.com
Are you ready? Then stop questioning your heart and join me, because it’s time for ECW!
Video package airs of Miz’s draft to RAW as John Morrison makes his way to the ring.
John Morrison v. Evan Bourne
The two start off with a lock up in the center of the ring and then exchange the power position through a series of alternating armbars. Bourne is able to ground Morrison but JoMo is able to hit a knee to the gut and break the hold using the ropes. Morrison hits a shoulder block to send Evan to the mat. Evan is whipped into the ropes again but this time it is Morrison sent to the mat via an armdrag. Morrison gets to his feet and heads to the third rope. John leaps for a dropkick but Evan backs up and it doesn?t connect. Bourne goes for the pin but John kicks free.
Morrison chucks Evan into the ropes and then begins smothering his face with the ropes. Bourne is able to recover from a John punch and hit a couple of kicks but Morrison dodges the spinning heel kick! Bourne turns around and connects with a different kick but gets sent to the apron after John counters a move in the corner. Bourne tries to hit a shoulder block but Morrison instead sweeps his legs out from under him and Evan is lying on the apron. Bourne tries to sit up and Morrison hits him with a running knee to the face!
Bourne is on the outside and it seems doubtful that he?ll be able to make it back into the ring before the count. Morrison runs out of the ring to throw Evan back in. Morrison goes for the pin but Morrison kicks out. John proceeds to lift Evan up on his shoulder and holds him in a Torture Rack! Bourne doesn?t tap and Evan converts the rack into a modified headscissors sending Morrison out of the ring. It looks like Bourne may be about to fly, but John slides into the ring and dropkicks Bourne legs out from under him. This match is off to a roaring start and Bourne is writhing in pain as we go to commercial.
****Commercial****
We come back and Morrison has Bourne tied up in a rear headlock smack in the center of the ring. Bourne is able to get to his feet and goes for a big kick, but Morrison ducks it and hits a strong kick of his own to the temple of Bourne. John is taking every kick and shot that he can get in while Bourne is on the ground. Morrison cockily drives his foot into Evan’s gut. Morrison lifts him up and puts him in the corner as the crowd begins to roar for the high flyer. Bourne almost breaks free but John locks in another armbar killing Bourne’s momentum! Evan seriously looks as though he is fading and Morrison tells the ref it is over. There still appears to be a little bit of life in Evan as he is able to get to his feet!
Evan begins hitting a series of kicks followed by a hurricarana! John kicks out of a pin attempt but Bourne is not giving up. Evan takes Morrison to the corner and sets him up on the top rope. John looks a little weary and then Bourne jumps up with some serious lift and hits a hurricarana! Morrison again kicks out of the pin attempt. Morrison runs to bounce of the ropes but Evan follows right behind and splashes him out of the ring! They both make it into the ring before the ten count. Morrison is on the mat and Bourne heads to the top rope.
Evan leaps and connects with his knees! This match is over ? but wait Morrison kicks out! Evan hits a couple more kicks and then connects with a knee to Morrison’s face. Evan pulls John to the corner and heads up to hit the Shooting Star Press! Morrison says not today and leaps up to connect with a swift kick to Bourne’s skull. Evan is dangling on the ropes and Morrison uses the elevation to hit the Moonlight Drive!
Winner via Moonlight Drive: John Morrison
This match is over in what Matthews calls ?Five Stars? and Striker a ?Match of the Year Candidate?.
****Commercial****
Koslov v. David Floridia
Koslov makes his debut and it is going to be against a jobber with no ring entrance. A couple of slams and then Koslov hits the pin.
Winner via Slam: Koslov
After the match Koslov grabs the mic and starts to babble on the mic. For once I don?t blame the crowd for shouting ?what?? after every pause.
In the back we see Finlay with Hornswoggle warming up for the Triple Threat Match ? which is up next!
****Commercial****
Apparently not.
In the back we see Tiffany conversing with Katie Lea and Paul Burchill. They discuss some changes that are happening thanks to the draft and then Swagger steps in to pitch a match idea for WWE Superstars. The interim GM so thanks ? but this week will be the finals for the Title Match at Backlash! She tells him to still keep the ideas coming, and that she enjoyed his match last night on RAW.
Christian v. Finlay v. Dreamer is up next! [For real this time]
****Commercial****
Christian v. Tommy Dreamer v. Finlay w/ Hornswoggle
This triple ?face? match is on in triple threat fashion. The star pinned is eliminated from the #1 Contender’s spot quest. Finlay goes right after Dreamer and then follows up with an uppercut on Christian. It looks as though Finlay is going to be in control at the start here using his veteran knowledge of attacks. Christian is able to leap to his feet and connect with a dropkick. The kicks and punches start up again with Christian being sent to the apron. Dreamer tries to suplex him into the ring but after a series of counters Christian’s jaw connects with the top rope and Christian falls to the outside.
Dreamer and Finlay now turn their attention to each other with Finlay keeping a keen eye on Christian and knocking him off the apron again. Not one to stay down long, Christian makes his way back into the ring but it is now Dreamer that turns his attention to knocking him out of the ring. After a slew of punches it seems as though everyone is on their backs and we head to commercial.
****Commercial****
We come back to the main event and Dreamer is flat on his face as Christian is heading to the top rope. Finlay authoritatively pushes Christian off the turnbuckle in a move that looks to say ?not on my watch?! Finlay tries to pin Dreamer, but Dreamer kicks out. Finlay follows this up by locking in a rear head lock. It is just Dreamer and Finlay in the ring at this point. Striker misspeaks and Matthews brilliantly quips: ?I?m really let down by the fact that you didn?t know the rules to this match?.
Christian is able to make his way back in to the ring and try and clean house. Finlay and Christian start to turn their attention on Dreamer but Dreamer rolls them both through and goes for a double pin. The ref actually tries counting with both hands. Both men kick out. There is something epic occurring in the corner as it seems Finlay has been tied up in the tree of woe and Dreamer sets Christian up on the top turnbuckle. Finlay hits a huge suplex on Christian who crashes to the mat. Finlay falls out of the tree of woe and so Dreamer runs over to set Finlay back up. Dreamer goes old school and connects with a dropkick to Finlay’s face!
Finlay is able to kick out of the pin and is trying to regain his feet. Dreamer turns to Christian and knocks him back towards the edge of ring and Christian’s arms are trapped in between the top and middle ropes! Dreamer the proceeds to throw Finlay into Christian and it looks as though he may be in the ultimate control of this match. Wait ? hardly before I finished that sentence Finlay sees and opening and connects with the Celtic Cross! This match is over!
Winners: Finlay & Christian
Dreamer is eliminated from the Title hunt and Christian will go one on one with Finlay this Thursday on the inaugural WWE Superstars!
ECW Thoughts
It is easy to trace the tracks of my tears on my face after last night’s acquisition of Koslov. I honestly believe that outside of Khali he is the one wrestler that I would hate to have on ECW. Sorry, he just doesn?t fit in with the brilliant roster that ECW has in its wealth of fresh young talent. I don?t even know how I?m going to get through the inevitable Koslov v. Henry match. I don?t want to discuss too much concerning the draft because tomorrow [Wed April 15th] the WWE Supplemental Draft will be held and I expect the landscape of ECW to change around quite a bit. Stayed tuned and I?ll give my full thoughts on the draft next week, that’s enough for now.
Before the Triple Threat match was held I came to the conclusion that the loser ? unless it is Tommy Dreamer ? will be drafted away tomorrow. This will be a good chance to find out whether or not I can accurately predict the future. UPDATE: Nope, I clearly have no idea what creative is thinking and should just avoid ever trying to guess again.
Josh Mathews is hardcore! Anybody who ever doubted that fact must now bow down to his greatness. He is such an intense commentator that his nose started to bleed last night on RAW. Let’s see Tazz try that one! Actually in all seriousness, Mathews apparently has a history of randomly getting nosebleeds. Forget the medical reasoning though; I?m just going to pretend it is because he’s intensely hardcore. Striker did take a couple of jabs at him tonight for it, including telling Striker to try and ?keep his nose clean?.
That opening match was tight tonight. A complete 1/3 of the program was devoted to the match and it was a great showing by both men. I sincerely hope that Bourne and Morrison stay on the program. Evan has grown by leaps and bounds since debuting the ?E and his star continues to rise. Morrison has been predominately been a tag team wrestler with two great runs in MizMo and MNM. He has carried the solo torch before by holding the ECW Championship, a belt that he won when Benoit no showed a PPV [due to the tragic reason that quickly unfolded]. He can go the distance so I have hope for his future.
Tomorrow’s column is an interesting one so be sure to read it! Send me your thoughts and join us on Facebook!
Power Rankings
3 Month Rolling Rankings; ECW Title Win 5, ECW Title Loss 4, ECW Win 3, ECW Loss 2, ECW Appearance 1, PPV Title Win 10, PPV Title Loss 8, PPV Win 6, PPV Loss 4, PPV Appearance 2.
January 13th 2008 ? April 14th 2009
1. Jack Swagger ? 46 pts. [l.w. 1]2. Finlay ? 43 pts. [l.w. 2]3. Mark Henry ? 31 pts. [l.w. 3]4. Christian ? 30 pts. [l.w. 4]5. John Morrison ? 25 pts. [l.w. 5]6. Tommy Dreamer ? 25 pts. [l.w. 8]7. The Miz ? 21 pts. [l.w. 6]8. Paul Burchill ? 20 pts. [l.w. 7]
9. Hornswoggle ? 16 pts. [l.w.9]10. Tyson Kidd ? 16 pts. [l.w. 10]
Look for ?That’s a Wrap? on WrestleView Wednesday!
So that’s ECW. Love it? Hate it? Disagree with everything I said? Just want to chat wrestling? I?m always up for reading your thoughts so send them over to me at jugglernextdoor@gmail.com.