I’ll be filling in for Kevin tonight, and we have a new ECW Champ, so let’s do this!
The show opens up with new ECW Champion Tommy Dreamer ECW GM Tiffany in the ring? She’s got some tables set up and after congratulating Tommy Dreamer on his win, calls him out to the ring to sign his new contract. Christian interrupts (to congratulate his friend while reminding everyone that he didn’t get pinned Sunday night), as does Swagger (to complain that Dreamer’s contract was actually up the day before Extreme Rules, and the one-day extension wasn’t lawful), but Christian takes out Jack, Tommy signs, and —
— Christian then powerbombs the celebrating Dreamer off the ropes and through one of the tables to muddy the waters a bit!
Personally, I’m hoping Christian turns heel, as he’s better in that role, and it might even set the stage for he and Edge to get back together at some point. That said, if Punk turns heel as well, even though it’s on Smackdown, the babyface side of things gets quite weak in WWE overall, so I think this was just to set up tension leading into tonight’s Christian/Dreamer vs. Hart Dynasty main event.
–commercials–
Reminder: next week’s Raw will be a three-hour event starting at 8 p.m. ET and featuring all three World Champions (Raw’s Batista, SD’s Punk and ECW’s Dreamer) defending their titles.
We’re back and Tiffany is talking with a member of the crew backstage, who claims “a guy in green” (Hurricane?) stormed through and wrecked stuff.
ALSO backstage: Tiffany asked Christian why he did that to Dreamer. Christian says it was payback for the DDT at the PPV; Tiffany says Christian will have to team with Swagger now for the main event.
Match 1: Tony Atlas (w/Mark Henry) vs. Evan Bourne
Matt (Striker) Fact: the teacher watched Tony Atlas press slam Hulk Hogan over his head with his father. Atlas is wearing a snazzy red white and blue get-up, and looks pretty much in shape. Needless to say, Bourne won with a shooting star press, after which, Mark Henry – in black t-shirt and jeans – gave him the world’s strongest slam.
Decent, short match. 17 stars.
–commercials–
Match 2: Vladamir Kozlov vs. Luke Hawks & Chris Louis?
Yeah um, the guy in yellow was pinned. Vlad is SMILING.
He loves double double e.
In the locker room, Swagger and Christian exchange WORDS.
–commercials–
Raw’s and ECW’s World Title matches for Monday’s show are announced: former champs Big Show, HHH, Orton and Cena will face off in a fatal four-way to determine the WWE Champion (since Batista’s hurt) and Christian will get his rematch vs. ECW Champ Tommy Dreamer.
The Hart Dynasty (Nattie Neidhart, David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd) come out to cut a promo before the main event. Basically Natalya says that Smith and Kidd will be future champions, in contrast to the two former champs they are facing tonight. Booyah.
–commercials–
Match 3: Christian & Jack Swagger vs. Tyson Kidd & DH Smith (w/Natalya Neidhart)
The announcers keep pushing Smith’s claim that he’s better than his father ever was, and that Kidd is Bret Hart’s prodigy. Too bad Bret’s not, ya know, their manager. After some opening shenanigans, the match settles into Swagger mat wrestling Kidd for some good, clean fun, leading into a rough two-handed tag to Christian. Nice missile dropkick from Cage to take control, but that doesn’t last long due to some unsportsmanlike conduct from his partner. As the heels get the heat…
–commercials–
…we come back and Smith has Christian in a headlock. A much better headlock than Davey Boy Smith ever executed, I might add. Smith hits a sweet looking retro hanging vertical suplex, eventually tags Kidd in, and on we go. Some fun exchanges in a neutral corner, but the Harts stay in control as Nattie applauds. Christian hits some illegal punches, misses a headbutt/splash, but Kidd soon misses a moonsault from the top rope, giving Cage enough time to get to his corner and slap his partner! Was that a tag? Christian stays in the match, we get some back and forth with Smith that leads to a tornado DDT and a two count. Christian misses a headbutt from the top rope, but recovers quickly. Fast action with Kidd, some near-falls, and – aha! – Nattie-ferance, Swagger hits Christian, and the Hart Attack gets the pin for the bad guys (Smith pins Christian). Dreamer comes out to break up a beat-down with a kendo stick and help his Monday opponent.
Fun, fun match despite the tomfoolery, and I give it 21 and a half stars.
Tommy scolds Christian POINTING the stick at him to end the show, and we’re out!
Good episode, and I’m liking ECW pretty much every week these days. Oh how far it’s come since THE ZOMBIE.
