ECW on Sci-Fi
February 3rd 2009
Commentators: Todd Grisham & Matt Stryker
Report by: David Stephens of WrestleView.com
Are you ready? Then stop questioning your heart because it is time for ECW!
The show starts with a video recap of Hornswoggle stealing Swagger’s ECW Title last week.
Paul Burchill w/ Katie Lea v. Tommy Dreamer
The two start the match off by locking up and Tommy sends Paul to the mat with an arm drag. Burchill gets up and backs Dreamer in the corner to nail a couple quick punches. Dreamer goes for the bulldog but Paul ducks and Dreamer crashes down. Paul lifts Tommy up and hits a simple slam before locking in a side headlock. Paul lifts Tommy up and sets him in the corner, but Dreamer dodges the splash attempt.
Dreamer heads over to the turnbuckle and sets Paul up in the tree of woe. Dreamer baseball slides straight into Paul’s face. Burchill side steps a clothesline and sends Dreamer face first into the turnbuckle. Dreamer bounces backwards and Burchill hits a neckbreaker for the win.
Winner via neckbreaker: Paul Burchill
We cut to a shot in the back and Teddy Long is walking through the hall and comes across Jamie Noble. Since Matt Hardy is headed to Smackdown, Jamie says he is here to save the show.
Up Next: Miz & Morrison!
****Commercial****
Miz & Morrison are in the ring and they are attacking Dreamer for being old, fat and washed up. Dreamer is visibly annoyed and is taking quite the verbal bashing. They refer to Dreamer as the ?anti-Flair? because unlike Flair’s final match when people didn?t want Ric to lose and retire, everyone is hoping that Dreamer loses and leaves the company. Miz insults Dreamer’s family which pushes Tommy over the edge and he throws a couple of punches. However, the double team is too much for Dreamer and he gets hit by a Reality Check from Miz and is layed out in the middle of the ring.
****Commercial****
Jamie Noble v. The Boogeyman
The Boogeyman’s entrance tonight has some added flames that rock my world. Jamie Noble may regret the day he left RAW because Boogey is destroying him. Boogey lays into him with a slew of punches. The two are sent to the outside and Boogeyman lifts Noble up straight overhead and throws him through the ropes and back into the ring! Noble is able to gain the upperhand when they get in the ring and locks in a rear headlock. This doesn?t last for long as Boogeyman breaks free and hits many a punch. Noble’s back is facing the turnbuckle and he gets hit with an explosive splash. Boogey hits the Boogeyslam and this match is over!
Winner via the Boogeyslam: The Boogeyman
Jamie Noble is able to roll out of the ring before he can get wormed.
****Commercial****
Jack Swagger is in the back and Grisham is interviewing him over the big screen. Swagger puts over his match against Finlay in the main event tonight.
****Commercial****
Jack Swagger v. Finlay w/ Hornswoggle
Hornswoggle dives under the ring as soon as the match starts. The two lock up and Finlay is backed into the corner before the ref breaks the hold. They lock up again and Jack takes Finlay down to the mat. Finlay playfully slaps Jack and goes for a quick cover. Both men are back on their feet and Swagger uses his height to lock in Finlay’s arm. Finlay breaks the hold and the two stare each other down.
Swagger goes for a leg takedown but Finlay is able to power out. Finlay heads right to Swagger’s knee and locks in a very nice inverted figure four. Finlay is whipped hard into the corner but bounces off the second rope and hits a shoulder block on Swagger.
****Commercial****
We come back and Finlay is on top of Swagger with a headlock applied. Swagger is able to get back to his feet and whips Finlay hard into the ropes. Finlay rolls out of the ring to try and catch his breath. Swagger goes out after him and sends Finlay back inside. Jack goes for a cover but Finlay kicks out. Swagger hits a side slam on Finlay. Jack goes for another cover but Finlay kicks out. Finlay looks hurt and can hardly stand at this point. Jack applies a legscissors hold to Finlay’s midsection. The ref breaks the hold. Finlay is whipped into the ropes and Finlay headbutts Swagger and goes for a small package but Swagger kicks out.
Finlay is whipped into the ropes and Swagger hits him with a big boot. ?Swoggle emerges from under the ring and briefly distracts Swagger. Finlay rolls out of the ring and Swagger takes the moment to chuck the Irish Foreign Object back up the entrance ramp. When Swagger attempts to get back into the ring Hornswoggle hits him with the Irish Foreign Object! Finlay takes advantage of the opportunity and hits the Celtic Cross!
Winner via Celtic Cross: Finlay
ECW Thoughts
After two relatively lackluster weeks, ECW definitely regained its steam. Let’s start with the main event, because seriously that’s what’s freshest in everyone’s minds. Jack Swagger has never lost in single’s competition on ECW until tonight. This was the right way to do it. Hornswoggle had just the right amount of shenanigans mixed in. Finlay winning the way he did sets up a great feud for a PPV Title Match at No Way Out. The mat wrestling between these two was very impressive. They stayed true to Swagger’s gimmick of being an amateur sensation and Finlay kept up with him well. I was very impressed with both men tonight.
Dreamer’s quest to be relevant is an interesting one, but I wonder if they will be able to let it gain a lot of ground considering the fact that he NEVER wins on ECW. If he is going to be cast as a contender they need to start tweaking his role a little. MizMo’s segment worked its magic tonight, but am I the only one who seemed to find them largely irrelevant? It’s as though they are appearing on other shows so much that they feel out of place on ECW.
I?m going to hold off on my judgment of Jamie Noble for a couple of weeks. I am biased because of my previous impressions of the guy, but I?m going to treat ECW as though it is a fresh start for him.
The Boogeyman was GREAT tonight. His entrance has become so ridiculous that it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. How can you not love the pillars of fire and red smoke?
Tonight’s Five Words From the Chat:
(El_Rockero): I’M A WHALE….A WHALE
[referencing MizMo’s mocking of Tommy Dreamer]
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.
November 4th 2008 ? February 3rd 2008
1. Jack Swagger ? 40 pts. [l.w. 3]1. Finlay ? 40 pts. [l.w. 4]3. Mark Henry ? 38 pts. [l.w. 2]4. John Morrison ? 26 pts. [l.w. 5]5. The Miz ? 25 pts. [l.w. 6]7. DJ Gabriel ? 17 pts. [l.w. 7]7. Hornswoggle ? 17 pts. [l.w.8]8. Tony Atlas ? 15 pts. [l.w. 9]8. The Boogeyman ? 15 pts. [l.w. NA]10. Ricky Ortiz ? 14 pts. [l.w. 10]
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 .
-David Stephens