ECW Extreme Extracts 07.14.09
Posted by Andy Critchell on 07.15.2009
It's a whole new world baby, Kozlov's world!
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.
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Let's chat about tonight's episode of ECW…
Show results:
• Match One: Shelton Benjamin def. Christian
• Match Two: Yoshi Tatsu def. Paul Burchill
• Match Three: Zack Ryder def. Goldust
• Match Four: Sheamus def. jobber
• Match Five: Kozlov def. Tommy Dreamer
The main theme of the show:
It's pretty clear that tonight was all about Vladimir Kozlov. He was the bookends for ECW in both the opening and closing segments and he definitely made his presence felt. This is smart booking too since they currently have the babyface/babyface dynamic going for the ECW Title match at Night of Champions and it keeps Vlad on the forefront of the fan's minds as the major heel . Kozlov is not without his limitations but he makes an effective monster heel and fills the very large void left by Mark Henry. What is interesting about Kozlov though is how much he has improved. His ring work is generally solid and he definitely has an intimidating presence about him. I feel that the crowd is starting to get into what he does and is starting to see him as a legitimate threat for the ECW Title. In fact, it would not surprise me if he ended up taking the belt off of whoever wins at NOC. It was also very interesting to hear him doing commentary during the Christian/Shelton match to kick off the show and even though it was a little rough I still thought he did a decent job overall and built up his character a bit. Of course, his early appearances on the mic were truly hilarious:
I must admit that if he started back in with the "double double e" thing he might just become a babyface but I digress. Another aspect of Kozlov that I have enjoyed watching develop is that little smirk he has when he comes out and especially after he wins. A few weeks ago he came out with a real goofy looking smile and I thought maybe he was being turned but it seems now that probably what happened was that he was told to smile and he just took it a little far. Still, sometimes the crowd just likes to see big guys beat people up and if they do turn him face somewhere down the line he could get over like the Great Khali.
The minor theme:
Last week was all about building a foundation for the new stars of ECW and tonight was another step in the right direction for that group. In addition to matches with Yoshi, Ryder, and Sheamus we got an interview with Big Zeke and a backstage segment with Tyler Reks. ECW's simple and effective booking allows for a balance between showcasing major feuds with familiar stars and showcasing the talents of the new crop of ECW wrestlers. Of course, having Yoshi, Ryder, and Sheamus all win their matches tonight was the right way to go. Another key to getting these guys over is the commentary during their matches and as usual Matt Striker was up to the task. He acknowledged the crowd getting behind Yoshi in his match with Shelton last week as well as extolling the virtues of Ryder and Sheamus during their matches. So often you find announcers talking about the "huge main event" during the matches of guys that are new or lower down the card which can give the impression that that match going on really isn't that important. By having the announcers on ECW focus on the matches as they happen, it tells the fans at home that what they are watching is significant and worth their attention. It is a simple thing but it just falls in line with ECW's philosophy of keeping things simple and effective. Is it any wonder why I love this show like I do??
Other quick thoughts from the show:
* I was really glad to see Paul Burchill back in action on ECW. He had been taking time off as his brother died while serving in Afghanistan. I hope that he and his family are doing well with what is obviously a tragic loss.
* I have to admit, I missed the Abraham Washington Show tonight! We are getting it next week though so that's good. And has anyone else noticed the goofy expression on his face in the graphic for his show? That guy is just a real character.
* I'm looking forward to getting a good look at Tyler Reks next week as well. He is the FCW champ and the office is pretty high on him. He'll probably be in a match with some jobber but I hope he'll at least get to show what kind of flash in his offense he's got.
*Big Zeke might be a better talker than I originally thought. Still, when you have that kind of size you don't have to be a great talker but every little bit helps. It was a nice touch that they mentioned his previous association with THE Brian Kendrick. If there ever was a guy who would benefit from being on ECW, it's him.
* So we had five matches tonight which is kind of odd. I'm used to just three or four at the most and I think that the Dreamer/Kozlov match would have benefitted from more time and subtracting a match would have been a better way to go. Dreamer came off looking like a bit of a jobber but it did make Kozlov look like a real bad ass so I guess it's a wash.
* Overall this was a solid episode of ECW but not as good as last week's.
Reader email:
No email this week. What are you kids waiting for? Let me know what you think!
* 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'm running a special contest over there this week so make sure to check it out.
Kozlov hasn't improved in the slightest as far as in the ring goes and he was awful on commentary. Of all the people in the WWE to push Kozlov has to be one of the worst.
Posted By: 17 (Guest) on July 15, 2009 at 03:58 PM
Fruity Fruity Fruity FRUITY!!!! Yeah JR drill it in that your FRUITY! LMAO
Posted By: guest1228 (Guest) on July 15, 2009 at 04:54 PM
"Dreamer came off looking like a bit of a jobber"
Erm...Dreamer IS a jobber - his title reign is the 2009 equivalent of the Barry-Horowitz-beat-Skip-at-Summerslam-1995 angle
Posted By: Loki (Guest) on July 16, 2009 at 07:33 AM
I have to agree with 17 that Koslov hasn't really improved. He doesn't have the personality of Henry and isn't big enough to qualify as a Khali-type character. However, I think it's great how well the new guys are developing. Nobody had any faith in them a few weeks ago but they're all getting over and fitting in with the rest of the roster. Reks has a lot of potential and while I'm wary about Tatsu's gimmick turning him into
a jobber he is very over for being so new. Sheamus' gimmick and look, though, are terrible, in my opinion. I see him becoming another Snitsky. Washington is cool but I wonder how long they can keep this talk show up before it gets old. I don't see them replacing Tiffany, so maybe he'll wrestle?
Posted By: Kid_Enigma (Guest) on July 16, 2009 at 11:03 PM
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