ECW on SciFi live coverage
10-24-06
Welcome to another week of ECW on SciFi. The preview this week tested an RVD vs. Big Show title match. We’ll see is that really happens, or if we’re going to wind up being screwed out of a good match as seems to be the case as of late. I hope that you’re enjoying that ECW logo in the corner, because according to a recent news post, we might not be seeing that for much longer. Rumor has it that ECW will no longer enjoy the comfort of looking like a separate entity from the WWE, but rather wind up being acknowledged as the third brand of the WWE. The wrestlers won’t be called extremists, the vixens will be divas. It’s reversing everything that Joey Styles’ promo on RAW as he was quitting the announced position had accomplished.
We open with a video package from last week showing clips of how he pinned the Big Show on last week’s show.
Rob Van Dam starts in the ring with a live mic
Do you remember RVD’s promo from One Night Stand 1? The one where he was injured and really poured his heart out into a promo? Where all of a sudden this laid back guy that never said much more than “whatever” had emotion and seemed like a real person? Yeah. That guy is nowhere to be seen anymore. RVD’s promos are scripted and tired lately.
RVD talks about how he beat the Big Show when he’s interrupted by Paul Heyman and R&B Security. I mean the Bashams. Wait, I mean the security guards that follow Heyman around everywhere. Instead of a title match tonight, we are getting another non-title match between RVD and Big Show. However, this time it’s a ladder match with a contract for a title match hanging above the ring. Seems like a good idea to me. Except when RVD will get attacked and screwed out of another title shot.
Interesting choice of opponent for Punk this week. I think this might be one f the first matchups between two second generation ECW guys that I can remember. Striker and Punk were well on their way to a great match when they were interrupted by Mike Knox. Punk fights off Knox and Striker and Knox both retreat. They’re building Punk up into a monster at the moment and I don’t think a loss is in the cards any time soon. Expect to see Knox sacrificed to Punk.
Tonight we’ll see Hardcore Holly vs. Test. Color me… indifferent.
Test over Hardcore Holly by shoulder into the ring post and roll-up with a handful of tights
Test walks to the ring and sets the tone for the match… lumbering. Holly’s quicker than you’d imagine, but we’ll see if this can last. Holly works best in this revenge style feud, but there’s only so many times someone can legitamately hurt him before he winds up a producer instead of a wrestler. Test does his best to slow down the match, wrestling the WWE main event style which doesn’t work so well in ECW. You wind up getting “You Can’t Wrestle” and “Boring” chanted at you. Just like what’s happening during this match. I wonder if anyone backstage is listening. Test takes multiple trips to the outside, I can’t tell if he’s blown out or if he’s just trying to play the crappy heel.
More “Boring” chants from the crowd as the match leads to the high spot. Holly suplexes Test to the outside from the ring apron. This is becoming commonplace in Holly’s matches and Test drops like a sack of shit to the floor, not at all graceful. And then…. commercials
We’re back from commercials and we get multiple replays of the suplex from before the commercial break. Test has control and manages to work a bear hug into an ECW match. Yikes. When Holly has control the match feels completely different. Now that I’m thinking about it, this is another match with two ECW 2.0 guys. I wonder why the sudden change n booking. Both guys appear to be blown out by the end of the match and they are getting booed by the crowd. Test ends the match by rolling up Holly with a handful of trunks. Blah. Post match Holly gets attacked by Test with a boot and a chair shot to his scar.
Once again, we get our weekly dose of “The Marine”. Next!
It’s main event time and before we get into it we wind up getting Cyber Sunday sold to us. Wait, it’s not main event time. Then rather than get into our main event, we get a Sandman interview. Sandman wants to get voted in to the match against Umaga. I’m pretty sure he spit beer all over Rebecca. Welcome to ECW lass. Sandman ends the interview with “I’m the Sandman and I approve this message.” Let’s hope there’s no debate this year like the 2004 Taboo Tuesday.
NOW it’s main event time and RVD makes his way to the ring followed by the Big Show. Show looks more and more out of shape every week. The match is about to star and… commercials.
Rob Van Dam over the Big Show in a ladder match
We actually get the opening bell of the match, which is a change for WWE programming. Big Show can’t do much with the condition his back is currently in. If he doesn’t take some time off soon, he’s not gonna be able to fight Hogan at Mania 23. RVD takes most of the abuse, as you’d imagine, but still manages to get a Van Daminator with a ladder on the Big Show. Van Dam takes all the big falls though.
Show has color going at 10:57. Joey Styles calls what Big Show is doing as stalking, but in all honesty it looks like limping to me. I guess the injury has made Show resort to his old style of wrestling rather than his “ECW style” he adopted when first coming to the show. I think it’s only a matter of time he hurts his knees because adjustments he has to make to his style.
OH MY GOD. RVD was supposed to huricanranna Show out of the ring from the top of the ladder position and instead of holding onto the head position, RVD was just dropped on his face outside the ring. That was one major blown spot. RVD manages to regroup climb the ladder and take the contract! Show over!
The Inside Pulse
We’re getting back to basics here with three solid matches that moved storylines along and the matches were still good too! Test vs. Holly was slow, but Test has wrestled a competitive match in a while and Holly is coming back from an injury. I suppose I’m making excuses for them to be blown out.
Punk and Striker put on an entertaining match but shouldn’t Striker have his focus on the Sandman, who has suddenly changed his focus to Umaga. Knox and Punk is still going to happen one day, but Punk’s completely backed him down once and kicked his ass this week. I think we’re going to see a numbers game against Punk or else he’s going to make quick work out of Knox when they finally meet one on one.
The main event is weird because there’s no one else even close to the belt except for RVD. I suppose that’s okay because he’s the next contendor, but Big Show’s also got Cyber Suday to worry about. Double M reminded me that the contract specifically said Big Show on it so if Bog Show loses the ECW title to John Cena or Booker T at Cyber Sunday the contract might be nulla dn void. Interesting twist, but shitty towards the fans who are investing their interest in seeing RVD re-take his titlethat he lost three and a half months ago.
Curiously missing this week was Balls Mahoney, Kevin Thorn and Sabu. Those are the guys that ECW seems to be pushing over everyone else. Rene Dupree’s new gimmick seems to have flopped, Shannon Moore is DOA, the FBI are nowhere to be seen as of late, Tommy Dreamer has faded to black, and CW Anderson, Dant Doring and Stevie Richards are all jobbing. that’s the whole roster right there. Only seven guys got airtime this week, but there’s not too much you can d with a one hour show. This is the same problem TNA has had recently, but managed to overcome it. Perhaps a little re-tooling of ECW might not be a bad thing, but making it RAW Jr. certainly won’t help the ratings.
