ECW Extreme Extracts 06.23.09
Posted by Andy Critchell on 06.24.2009
The build to the Bash continues and we are left with split wigs everywhere!
Hi everyone, and welcome to ECW Extreme Extracts! Extreme Extracts is not a full on recap column of ECW. Instead I highlight some of the angles and storylines and even speculate from time to time where they might be heading. Don't forget, in addition to the comment section below you can email me as well with any questions/comments and you'll see your letter reprinted on the Earth Wide Intertubes. In fact, I have a reader email that I will post at the end of my column so stay tuned for that.
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Let's chat about tonight's episode of ECW…
Show results:
• Match One: Evan Bourne def. Tyson Kidd
• Match Two: Fit Finaly def. Zack Ryder
• Match Three: Mark Henry & Jack Swagger def. Christian & Tommy Dreamer
The main theme of the show:
Now this is how it's done. Outside of the opening match, this whole show was a build for the ECW Championship Scramble at The Bash on Sunday. You had Finlay making his in ring return and cutting a promo explaining his actions from the week before, Matt Striker in the ring later in the show explaining the Scramble Match in detail, and having all the participants minus Finlay in the main event. Speaking of the main event, I loved the way it ended. Mark Henry is a guy who is a legitimate threat due to his size alone but still having him be the only one to walk out of that match really shows the crowd that he is a major threat to win the Scramble. I'm not going to lie, he's the one I'm rooting for. The Scramble match has so many interesting possibilities and so many different ways it can go. I can honestly see any of the men in the match winning and that's never a bad thing. But even though I'm rooting for Henry, I think the smart money is on Jack Swagger. I see him pinning either Christian or Dreamer with an assist from a revenge minded Finlay and with the Scramble format there doesn't even need to be any overt collusion between Swagger and Finlay to make that happen. Swagger as champ also presents the possibility for a title match with Bourne down the line. It's clear that WWE has big plans for the man from St. Louis and an ECW Title reign probably fits nicely into those plans. I'd put Christian as the second most likely possibility since there is still steam in another extended Christian/Swagger feud. That leaves Dreamer on the outside looking in but I think that outside of the nostalgia pop that we've already had there isn't much Dreamer brings to the table as champ. I have Finlay as the dark horse since he's the only one in the match that hasn't won the title and it would be cool to see him with the belt. Let me know in the comments section who you think is going to win on Sunday!
The minor theme:
The opener was a fun little match between two young and very talented wrestlers in Evan Bourne and Tyson Kidd. I like both guys a lot and think both have a bright future in ECW and WWE but this match didn't really impress like I thought it would. Maybe it needed more time but I thought it was a little one-sided and I would have rather seen Kidd win. Bourne was still selling his rib injury at the hands of Mark Henry and Bourne is at the point now that a loss to a guy like Kidd wouldn't kill any momentum. The Hart Dynasty did some job duty on Superstars last week and did again tonight. Hopefully that doesn't signal that WWE has lost faith in these guys as I think they are right on the cusp of breaking out in a big way. It's too soon to tell but I'd like to see the Hart Dynasty return to their winning ways sooner rather than later. I imagine Bourne's mini feud with mark Henry will continue after The Bash but what happens after that? Maybe he'll feud with the Hart Dynasty, it could happen.
Other quick thoughts from the show:
* Zack Ryder and Finlay had a very good match but I think the psychology was lost on the crowd. Granted, it's a lot easier to sell and arm or a leg injury than an eye injury but I'm not sure the crowd really knew what was going on.
* Looks like they are moving forward with the return of The Hurricane as he finally made an on-screen appearance in a backstage segment. My only concern is whether or not the crowd will care about this angle since it's been a while since we've seen the back and green superhero. I guess only time will tell. Tony Atlas' face during the segment was hilarious. I love that guy!
*Speaking of Atlas, nice bit of continuity tonight with Dreamer jumping on Atlas during the main event. Remember, Atlas was Dreamer's "mentor" who turned on him in favor of Mark Henry last summer.
*No Tiffany, Burchills, or Kozlov for the second week in a row. Where are they? Is it too much to ask for a little Katie Lea? Maybe this will tide me over:
That's better! What do you think Swagger?
Agreed!
Reader email:
ECW Extreme Extract reader JBBTHWK sent me this: Hey Andy, I've seen some people whine about Finlay still having Hornswoggle's music but if Finlay went back to the Tough Irish Bastard theme out of the blue it would of given away what was going to happen. Now they have a perfect chance to segue into Finlay returning to himself and possibly bringing in the guy I can't wait to see on the big stage, Sheamus O'Shaunessey, even if he's paler than the dude from the movie Powder.
Well JBBTHWK, I certainly agree that a return to the old music would be a clear signal to the fans of Finaly being a bad guy again and based off of tonight's promo I don't think WWE is going to go in that direction just yet. Now while Finlay being the guy to bring in Sheamus O'Shaunessy makes sense, it's also a bit obvious. I've heard a lot of good things about the guy and I'd love to see him on ECW but I'm not entirely sure WWE will go that route. Thanks for the email!
* That's it for the Extract this week. Any comments can be made below. And if you have an opinion on the show that you'd like me to print in next week's column, email me at andy(dot)critchell(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm also posting a blog here on 411 that you can check out here. Also, make sure to check me out on the UBS Evening Movie News Report over on the Movie Zone where I post the Interactive Babe Photo News Brief each and every week.
I really hate seeing most of the upper ECW guys now at least twice a week between ECW & Superstars, while guys like the Burchills haven't seen seen in weeks.
Kozlov is missing and we aren't even sure if he is a face or heel anymore.
D.J. Gabriel has fallen off the planet.
And the General Manager of the Show hasn't been seen in a couple weeks! Who's in charge here anyway?!?!
And Thank you SOOO much for the Katie Lea gif, I needed that!
Posted By: SilentOx (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 06:40 AM
Are there faces and heels anymore PERIOD? I mean it's no longer black and or white but shades of grey, but now even the grey seems to have vanished.
Posted By: guest (Guest) on June 24, 2009 at 04:52 PM
D.J. Gabriel has fallen off the planet.
So has Ezekiel Jackson. What was the point of breaking up him and Kendrick and putting Ezekiel on ECW again?
Posted By: Guest#3237 (Guest) on June 25, 2009 at 07:40 PM
