411's ECW on SyFy Report 10.27.09
Posted by Ryan Byers on 10.27.2009
Christian Cage defends his ECW Title against Yoshi Tatsu this week, and it is recapped in what will probably be the only Hogan-free column on 411 this week!
Welcome to 411's ECW on SyFy Report! I am Ryan Byers, and I am taking over the reigns of this recap for one night only.
The Abraham Washington show kicks us off. Fortunately, he spares us his monologue. His guest this week is ECW General Manager Tiffany, whose arm is still in a sling due to a botched spot in a developmental match a few weeks ago. Abe says that he's not afraid of getting swine flu because seeing her has given a case of "jungle fever." I don't think he knows what that actually means. Washington tells the General Manager that her abilities are being questioned because ECW was not represented at all at the Bragging Rights. The GM disagrees, claiming that the brand had a huge impact on the PPV because John Morrison, CM Punk, and others main players on the PPV got their start on ECDub. Abe wants to know why she let Sheamus leave the show, and Tiffany says that she doesn't want anybody on the show who doesn't want to be there, meaning she just let the Irishman walk out when he asked . . . with the stipulation that he have one final match against Shelton Benjamin tonight.
William Regal interrupts Tiff's response when Washington asks her about the status of her arm. The Brit lobbies for an ECW Title match, which Tiffany bluntly denies. I love the juxtaposition of the best and worst actors in WWE doing interviews together. Tiffany leaves, after which Regal flips out and begins tossing around pieces of the Abraham Washington Show set.
We cut to the announcers. Matt Strike has been moved to Smackdown, and he is being replaced by FCW announcer Byron Saxton. Josh Matthews is still here with him, and they throw to footage of Yoshi Tatsu beating Zach Ryder to become the number one contender to the ECW Title. That is followed immediately by a Tatsu highlight reel, set to his awesome theme music.
Match Numero Uno: Sheamus vs. Shelton Benjamin
Shelton cuts a promo before the match. He mentions Sheamus' allegation that Shelton's eight years in the WWE have been a waste . . . but he completely fails to provide any counter to the argument that he's basically been a choke artist for his entire career.
When the bell rings, the two men lock up and Shelton takes his man down with a fireman's carry. He attempts to follow it up with a front facelock, but Sheamus shimmies out under the bottom rope. The Irishman takes over when he returns to the ring, mauling Benjamin in the ring. Benjmain slips out of a scoop slam attempt, though, following up by clotheslining Sheamus out of the ring. Shelton heads to the apron and gives his man a split-legged Asai moonsault to the floor. Shelton looked great there, but Sheamus fell back too soon and exposed the spot. That move sets up a commercial break, and Shelton is still in control when we come back, slamming the Gaelic wrestler's arm into the ringpost. He then tosses his opponent shoulder-first into the top turnbuckle, but Sheamus responds by bulling his opponent into the turnbuckle bolt. That sends Benjamin falling from the apron to the floor, where Sheamus picks him up and posts him. The redhead drops a knee back on the inside and applies a resthold. Benjamin does your stereotypical babyface comback but gets cut off early when he runs into a powerslam and is covered for two. Shelton is whipped into the turnbuckles before another kneedrop, which also gets two.
Sheamus' next trick is going right back to his resthold, and Benjamin tries the exact same comeback to get out of it. This time, Sheamus is ready for it and cuts him off before he even escapes the hold, next applying a chinlock. Sheamus eventually releases the hold and hits the ropes, but he's met with a belly-to-belly suplex from the University of Minnesota standout. Both men are down for a bit, and, when they return to their feet, they trade strikes. Shelton wins that battle and then hits a sloppy looking top rope cross body block and a couple of clotheslines. The Stinger splash is next from Benjamin. Sheamus ducks a kick and looks for a clothesline, but Benjmin avoids it and gives Sheamus a German suplex. Sheamus kicks out of the subsequent pin attempt at two and drapes his opponent's throat over the top rope, which sets up a bicycle kick for the pin.
Winner: Sheamus
Match Rating: *3/4. This was competently wrestled, but there was absolutely nothing that stood out about it aside from the fact that you normally won't see an Asai moonsault in a WWE match. Very bland, which just goes to support Sheamus' storyline argument that Benjamin isn't anything special.
When we come back from a break, Rosa Mendes is talking to Gregory Helms about a shopping trip that she took yesterday. Apparently her new gimmick is that she's a self-obsessed motor mouth. Pirate Paul and Katie Lea interrupt, with Burchill challenging the Hurricane to a match. Helms accepts on the superhero's behalf.
The announcers take us to a video package recapping the fourteen man tag team match from Bragging Rights and, more specifically, Big Show's turn on Team Raw.
After that, Christian Cage is interviewed by Savannah. He puts over Yoshi and says that he deserves the title shot because he built up a string of wins, unlike William Regal. However, tonight Tatsu will learn to deal with defeat, according to Cage.
Match Numero Dos: Christian Cage (c) vs. Yoshi Tatsu for the ECW Title
There's a feeling out process early, with lockups and go behinds abounding. Cage eventually grabs a headlock and works the hold for a bit until Tatsu reverses into one of his own. That builds into the two men running the ropes, with Christian hitting a flapjack and getting a sunset flip out of the corner for two. Yoshi responds with a back body drop and a rolling senton, which he follows up with a senton for a nearfall of his own. Tatsu goes back to his headlock after that, but Christian shoves him off and attempts to toss him out of the ring. Yoshi grabs the bottom rope and does a semi-skinning of the cat, though, rushing back into the ring and catching his opponent off guard with a cradle for two.
When we come back from our commercial break, Christian heads to the top rope but gets knocked all the way down to the floor by a Yoshi forearm. The former Naofumi Yamamoto looks for a pescado but has that dodged, allowing Cage to hit his Silver King-inspired dive. The champ rolls his man back into the ring and gets a two count, after which the Japanese star gets a cross body out of nowhere for a two count. Cage responds with a snap mare and a neck vice. Tatsu tries to power his way out, but Christian grabs him and gives him the old inverted DDT to the knee. Cage goes back to the neck vice, and Tatsu escapes yet again. Christian stays on him and heads to the top rope, though Yoshi shoves him off during a tornado DDT attempt. Now it is time for Tatsu to go to the top, and he lands a spinning heel kick from that position for a two count. A combo of kicks appears to swing things in Tatsu's favor, and he plants a rolling elbow across Christian's face. The champ is out of the subsequent pin attempt at two, and he looks for the Killswitch. Tatsu blocks it and lands a kick to the back, but Christian shows little in the way of ill effects and drapes his man over the middle rope, setting up the Bossman punch.
Cage perches himself on the top rope agian, but he dives off directly into a jackknife pinning combination from Tatsu. Yoshi hits his double kees in the corner, but he gets caught on his subsequent roll through and hit with Cage's falling inverted DDT. The NJPW trainee then rolls through a Cage sunset flip, getting in a kick to the chest for yet another two count. Tatsu throws his patented high kick, but Cage ducks it. The Killswitch is blocked for a second time, but Cage shows the presence of mind necessary to stay on his man and lands a flying back elbow. That sets up the real Killswitch, which gives Christian the three count and the title retention.
After the bell, Vladimir Kozlov and Zeke Jackson attack Christian. Tatsu tries to make the save but is easily dispatched. Eventually, William Regal shows his face and instructs his men to give Christian the double uranage. Regal stands over Cage holding the ECW Title belt to close the show.
Winner: Christian Cage
Match Rating: **1/2 for a slightly above average match. The two wrestlers worked hard, but the crowd wasn't with them most of the way and it hit the bout's drama. The fans did start to turn things around in the last two or three minutes of the match, which helped out significantly.
That does it for this week . . . Mike Bauer will see you back here in seven!
Good lord, you suck Byers. That main event was great and can you honestly say the crowd wasn't into it? The crowd was super hot for it to the point that the majority of them were ooohing & aahing for every near fall in the last few minutes and most of them were on their feet. That match was more like ***1/2 stars. I understand that you prefer indy and Japanese wrestling, but don't shit on a good match for no good reason.
Thank God you're only taking over for one week. Come back to us Bauer!
Posted By: JJ (Guest) on October 27, 2009 at 11:27 PM
You say best and worst actors... I bought Tiffany's acting a whole lot more than Regal's awful temper tantrum
Posted By: Jonberg (Guest) on October 27, 2009 at 11:30 PM
Heh, i knew something felt totally bland and uninteresting about this recap; was a different person. Reeked of IWC pessimism. Lol dont recap again...
Posted By: rellik kram (Guest) on October 27, 2009 at 11:30 PM
Wow...the main event was at least a 3 to 3 1/4 stars.
Posted By: Diablopepe (Guest) on October 27, 2009 at 11:32 PM
"The two wrestlers worked hard, but the crowd wasn't with them most of the way"
Are you deaf?
Posted By: Tom Talker (Guest) on October 27, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Wow. You underrated the hell out of this show.
Posted By: Guest#5118 (Guest) on October 27, 2009 at 11:50 PM
this program needs more cowbell and more Kofi Johnson
Posted By: le pouis (Guest) on October 27, 2009 at 11:57 PM
Stick to your IM's of raw, this report sucked, and stop trying to be cool by using wrestlers old names that they don't use, hell when Christian WAS in TNA you never called him Cage.
Posted By: Guest#5853 (Guest) on October 27, 2009 at 11:57 PM
I think the new announcer did a pretty good job.
Posted By: Rant Casey (Guest) on October 27, 2009 at 11:59 PM
Good lord the new announcer sucks. He is like the love child of Vince Mcmahon and mike adamle with a little bit of Michael cole throw in.
Posted By: Guest#3199 (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 12:07 AM
Enough of you adding in 'Cage'. Really annoying.
Posted By: WATRYYY (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 12:37 AM
A match takes place in the ring. The crowd isn't involved. A match can be praised for making a crowd react in a specific way, but its a one-way deal. A crowd can't make a good match bad, nor especially can the shrieking white trash make a bad match good. Its that same nonsense meme about a rock concert being good BECAUSE a bunch of idiots jump around and slam into each other. No. The music is good or it isn't. So, then, is a match either good or not UNTO ITSELF. It is absolutely galling how few people seem to understand that. Watch the athletes in the ring making the match, not the idiots that paid to watch them do it. Believe me, you'll be glad you did and appreciate wrestling as more than just a mechanical consumer.
Posted By: Lucius (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 12:37 AM
I bet you are enjoying Johnny NITRO on Smackdown, eh?
Posted By: Ha (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 12:38 AM
it isnt cage, just christian
Posted By: john (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 12:38 AM
is this tna impact or wwecw? christian or christian cage? keep it simple bud.
Posted By: nickkyyy (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 12:39 AM
HEY LOOK AT ME I CALL HIM CHRISTIAN CAGE WHICH MAKES ME COOL!!!!!!
Posted By: MORON (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 12:40 AM
2 matches??? Eh decent matches tonight. Sheamus vs Shelton could have been better.
Christian vs Yoshi was good, but crowd was dead. We need more KATIE LEE!!
Posted By: ECW>TNA (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 12:51 AM
2 and a half stars, really? That main event was much better than that.
Posted By: ND (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 01:09 AM
What the hell match was this guy watching? Slightly Above Average????? that match was freaking awesome
Posted By: psych (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 01:12 AM
Ooooooooooh...we got a little Shelton Benjamin hater running around here at 411. You know damn well that no one in the Raw main event scene can wrestle anywhere near what Benjamin did on Tuesday night.
Posted By: Erik (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 02:00 AM
When will Yoshi Tatsu release? ¬¬
I really don't believe in his push... This is excelent to give credible for him to when he turn a jobber...
About the Show, the WWE turns off some FCW wrestlers who can do a good show on Tuesday and chooses men who can do a good show on Monday... And for Raw the WWE chooses men who can't do a good show at all...
Posted By: Ricardo Silveira (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 02:27 AM
Star reviews don't really matter. I only wanted to respond to say, thank god he's not recapping Impact..
Posted By: JohnnyRock (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 02:53 AM
The new guy has some skills on the mic, but he didn't once make a wrestling related reference. Everything was just "this match is high stakes" etc. That left Josh Matthews who does know his stuff to carry the expert analysis and the play by play while the new guy just added inane banter.
I guess that makes him Vince's perfect announcer as he ignores the wrestling and just tells the story?
Posted By: jr (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 02:56 AM
I was really psyched about this show. I thought both matches were really good. I'm glad I watched this show and didn't use this recap to decide if I should Hulu it or I would have missed out on a great episode of ECW.
My only complaint about Sheamus/Benjammin was the finish. Are they really switching Sheamus's finish to the pump kick? Lame. The Irish Curse isn't even that dangerous provided it's executed carefully. The kick is just too generic.
Yoshi/Jay Resso (check out those smarts) suckered me in with all those near falls. It was like an old school Ricky Steamboat (Richard Blood) match. I might have to call the MVP of that match the competitor's sweat glands. Both guys were just dripping and it really sold how hard they were fighting for the title. No doubt that will be the best TV match this week.
Posted By: Duff McShark (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 03:35 AM
I didn't even watch this but I can tell it needed more Katie Lea please!
Posted By: Armitage Shanks (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 04:12 AM
Sheamus O'Shaunessy had a decent match with Shelton Benjamin but I much more preferred the Christian Cage versus Yamamoto affair.
ZOMG! I am an IWC God!
Posted By: Tom Talker (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 07:36 AM
Calling him Christian Cage makes as much sense as calling Finlay 'Fit Finlay'.
Posted By: Quimby (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 08:23 AM
"Very bland, which just goes to support Sheamus' storyline argument that Benjamin isn't anything special."
Bland b/c pf Benjamin? I didn't see anything speacial from Sheamus on Monday.
Posted By: Nicole (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 08:44 AM
VINTAGE BYERS!
Posted By: Michael Cole (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 08:59 AM
I think its funny that most of the comments are just dissing Byers as opposed to talking about the show itself. I wonder if that was his goal?
Posted By: Guest#2547 (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 09:14 AM
His name isn't fucking Christian Cage! It's just plain old fucking Christian!
Posted By: MIB (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 10:07 AM
i thought sheamus was on raw now...
Posted By: jeff (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 11:27 AM
"I think its funny that most of the comments are just dissing Byers as opposed to talking about the show itself. I wonder if that was his goal?
Posted By: Guest#2547 (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 09:14 AM"
It probably was. After all he brings nothing else to the table.
Posted By: mogamer (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 12:40 PM
The crowd was a bit more into it than you let on.
I thin people miss the whole point of Abraham Washington, in that he's SUPPOSED to be an obnoxious, annoying wanna-be talk show host.
Posted By: Guest#0758 (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 01:45 PM
Who the hell cares if he calls him Christian Cage? I do it, because I like how it sounds. I also like to throw in the Canadian Rage before his name from time to time. Now, if he started calling the Undertaker Mark Callous or Multiple Hs Terra Ryzing, then I could see bitching, but adding a last name to a wrestler only going by his first name is not something to get one's panties in a wad over.
And I think that new commentator sounds a bit like the Tazz, minus some helium and the randomnicity.
Posted By: G-Walla (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 02:16 PM
Just fire Benjamin already.
Posted By: Guest#0197 (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 02:44 PM
By mentioning that the column will be Hogan free, you have in fact made it NOT Hogan free.
But I'm surprised that you didn't say that the column would be Terry Bollea free.
Posted By: BobbyC (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 02:51 PM
Hopefully Sheamus' move was to make room for a debuting Danielson next week? :)
Posted By: Empire Of Ownage (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 04:43 PM
in all honesty what show were u wathcing shelton and sheamus was at least 2 1/2 stars and the main event was deff 3 1/4 and btw this announcer was very good although it seemed like he didnt know any of the moves
Posted By: jp (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 04:46 PM
Figures there'd be a Benjamin hater, seriously, did you not hear the crowd at WM25 during the MITB match? They were fucking chanting Shelton! Shelton!
I wasn't impressed with Sheamus one bit, so why the hell does he get to go on Raw?
Posted By: CC Fanboy (Guest) on October 28, 2009 at 09:58 PM
How can JJ write such a good critique and mine never get posted?
Anyway, I agree with JJ
Posted By: AG Awesome (Guest) on October 29, 2009 at 07:26 AM
Anyone who is questioning Sheamus' move to Raw...just look at the guy. He's huge. That's all that matters a lot of times in the WWE. He's got a great, unique look. As much as I love ECW, there is no real upward mobility. There are what, 12 active wrestlers on the show? So, you go through the combinations pretty quick just doing face/heel stuff. They obviously think Sheamus is ready for something bigger, and I think him being the mid-card monster on Raw will do much more for him than being a guy who wrestles jobbers on ECW and sometimes wrestles veterans who are stuck on ECW. He will be able to get up to a solid mid-card slot by the Royal Rumble. Just think, one hard fought match with HHH on Raw, and he's a made man.
Posted By: AGM (Guest) on October 29, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Shit review. No way was Yoshi/Christian 2 1/2 stars only.
The near falls, how they got the crowd into it, the elevation of Yoshi, the quality of work all means it's far better than that. Byers is a tard.
Posted By: Guest#5160 (Guest) on October 29, 2009 at 06:20 PM
