Live from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
Announcers are Joey Styles & Tazz
By: John Cavanagh
Last week I missed out on 4th of July celebrations, this week I get to miss most of the All-Star Game. And what do I get? A dance off between Kelly and Candice and Flair vs Big Show for the ECW Championship. We also get to find out Heyman’s motivations for screwing over Van Dam last week. Fantastic. Be sure to check in as I update between commercials.
We open with a recap of what happened last week between Van Dam, Show and Heyman.
Styles and Tazz tell us the main event tonight will be Flair vs. Show for the ECW title under ECW rules.
Heyman makes his way to the ring with two men in riot gear accompanying him. Heyman blames the fans for Van Dam’s downfall and why he had to suspend Rob along with making sure he lost the championship. He talks about trying to talk reason in to Rob but the fans were driving RVD in to an early retirement, an early grave, forcing him to burn himself out and sacrifice his body. Defending the title every night because they chanted his name. Paul says the chants drove Rob to the championship but also drove Paul to end it all. He calls himself a martyr, that he sacrificed his friendship with rob for all of our sins. That he’ll make decisions that are only for the betterment of ECW, and will lead the company to the promise land. He exits the ring leaving the mic in the middle of it.
Tazz says it won’t sit well with the ECW locker room, and we cut to Paul walking in the hallway with all the boys looking at him in disgust. Tommy is standing in the middle demanding an explanation form Paul. Heyman says he’s right, he does deserve an explanation, but Tommy has a match next so he’ll have to wait until later for it.
Commercials.
Dreamer is walking to the ring in his street clothes as he was unaware he would be having a match. And who is he facing? Test.
Tommy Dreamer vs. Test
The men stare down in the middle of the ring, Test slaps him a few times and Dreamer goes right at him with a few punches in to the ropes. He goes for an irish wip but gets reversed. Test lines up a back drop but Dreamer has it scouted with a kick to the chest. Dreamer clotheslines him out of the ring. But Test rams him in to the ring post. Tazz tells us this isn’t an ECW rules match. Test hits a clothesline in to the corner on Dreamer. Test begins pounding Dreamer in to the ground with his boots screaming that Dreamer is nothing, hits a back breaker then a bear hug. Tommy breaks out and connects a few right hands. He begins to capitalize with a few neck breakers on Test and then rips off his shirt to reveal an “EC F’n W” T-shirt. He looks for his DDT finisher but Test reverses it in to a full nelson driver. He goes up top for an elbow drop but Tommy rolls out of the way. Tommy tries for a Dreamer Driver but Test cheats by rolling up Dreamer and using the ropes for the pin.
Winner: Test
Candice and Kelly are in the back and Candice lets Kelly know that when they go out there tonight the she’s going to make it “extreme”.
Commercials.
Aerial the tarot card reader is here telling us that the future holds, blood, with the Vampire coming in to frame and spitting blood at the camera. Well, at least now she knows that tarot card readers tell the future and not recap the past…
Now it’s time for Kelly’s Expose with special guest dancer Candice. The announcer tells us that Kelly’s full name is Kelly Kelly. The dance this week is not a “dance off” but a duet. Knox comes out and once again interrupts the bit with a towel. And Kelly, again, brushes him off. He persists and Sandman comes out and does what he does best; cane, drink and pose.
Commercials.
CM Punk is here for another promo this week, he tells us that each of his tattoos tell a story, that each is a declaration of who he is. He shows us a few tat’s including “Drug Free” across his knuckles, and Honor on his left forearm. He tells us that he isn’t just another kid looking for a cheap thrill, that he’s a disciplined athlete craving to compete with the very best.
Sabu vs. Justin Credible
Sabu quickly goes for Justin’s ankles but misses and Credible hits a few leg drops on to Sabu’s head. He slams him in to the corner but Sabu gets a boot up. Sabu quickly gets a side kick off the middle rope goes for a pin buts gets a two. Justin goes outside for a table but Styles tells us this isn’t an ECW rules match. Sabu goes for a spring shot summersault and connects on Credible. Sabu still sets up that table on the outside. Justin goes for a baseball slide to the Sabu, slams him in the ring, but Sabu is still in control. He sets Credible on to the table and goes on the apron, climbs the ropes and hits a leg drop on Credible through the table. And the bell rings.
Winner by DQ: Justin Credible
Balls Mahoney introduces us to himself and says that while some laugh at his name, he likes it. Because it’s exactly who he his, a little bit nuts and always ready to give it his all in the ring. No inhibitions, balls to the wall, ECW original.
Ric Flair is here and says he’s ready to make a run for his 17th title. But it all goes from that to his blabbering about Mick Foley and SNME. He gets back on track by talking about Show being the first to hold the WWE, WCW & ECW championships, and says that because of that he wants to hold all three too. He warns Show to respect him in the ring.
Commercials.
We’re back and Shannon Moore is dressed up in some new Punk attire with his mohawk and the screen tells us that he’s coming to ECW.
The Big Show vs. Ric Flair
ECW World Heavyweight Championship Match
The match starts with the men circling and Show is crushing Flair. Which leads to…
Commercials?
We come back to Flair giving a few chops to Show but Show pushes him to the other side of the ring. Flair goes for another chop and punch to the head but Show whips him to the ropes and grabs Flair for one mean press body slam. Big Show picks him up and hits his triple headbutts. Flair is leaning against the turnbuckles cut open, Flair tries for a few shots but Show once again lands another headbutt. Now Show is giving Flair a few chops to the chest,then flings him across the ring. Flair rolls to the outside and grabs a trash can full of toys. Show goes after him and Flair tries for another chop but Show brushes it off like it’s nothing and again lands a few punches on Flair. He rolls him back in to the ring and hits a vertical suplex but Flair is still telling Show to bring it on. Ric gets up and starts throwing punch after punch at the Big Show but he doesn’t budge. Show stops his arm and yet again applies his headbutt on Flair. Flair still fighting back gets two straight low blows on the Big Show. Show pushes him down but then yet again walks in to two more low blows. Flair rolls out of the ring for his trash can and pulls out a barbed wire baseball bat. He charges at Flair and then begins grindings it in to Show’s forehead. Now Show is busted open and walks right in to Flair who hits him square between the eyes with a trash can, twice. He goes for a steel chair and again connects, Show is down and Flair goes for a pin but only gets a two. Flair grabs a bag of thumb tacks and pours them on to the floor. He tries to knock Show down again but Show is still standing after two chair shots to the head. Flair hits him a third time and Show falls back on to some of the tacks. Show gets up and he’s pissed. He goes after Flair and applies his cobra clutch back breaker. The ref calls for the bell and Flair is out. Show picks Flair up and ragdolls him on to the tacks.
Show leaves the ring while officials help Flair get up as they replay the ending of the match over and over.
Show Over.
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