411mania.com: Wrestling - The ECW eXperience -- 12.05.06

The ECW eXperience
by J.D. Dunn

December 5, 2006

From Charleston, S.C..

Your hosts are Joey Styles and Taz.

We open with a tearful Paul Heyman decrying the conspiracy against Big Show and announcing a rematch tonight.

Rob Van Dam & CM Punk vs. Test & Hardcore Holly.
This is a match-up of guys who eliminated their partners. RVD gets on the mic before the match and dedicates the match to Sabu. Joey announces that Paul Heyman was "dismissed" earlier today by Mr. McMahon. Test takes a cheapshot at RVD and stomps him on the floor. RVD plays face-in-peril until hitting a spinning wheel kick on Holly. Punk tags in and dominates. Holly jumps him with the Alabama Slam, but Punk rolls through and hits the uranage into the Anaconda Vice. The Enforcers make the save so Holly doesn't have to tap. It's a DQ at 3:51. The Enforcers try a beatdown, but an injured Sabu makes the save. 3/4*

Daivari vs. Tommy Dreamer.
The Great Khali is conspicuous by his absence. Daivari jumps Dreamer early, but Dreamer comes back with a series of jabs. Dreamer reverses a hammerlock DDT to a normal one for the win at 1:28. The 50/50 booking didn't make sense until Khali emerges and gives Dreamer another double-armed chokeslam, this time on a chair. There was no real need to sacrifice Daivari's momentum, though. 1/2*

Big Show isn't very happy about losing, as you might expect. Show rewrites history by saying it took five men to beat him, even though he didn't come in until everyone was already eliminated.

Kelly Kelly vs. Ariel.
The ref sends Kevin Thorne to the back before the match. Ariel pummels Kelly off the bat, but she stops to argue with the ref and gets rolled up for the upset at 0:52. Of course, it was all just an excuse to get Kelly out there so Mike Knox could come out with roses to apologize…for not dumping her sooner. He gives her that Swinging Flatliner finisher that I'm sure has a name. Taz leaves his announce position to chase Knox off, but the damage is already done. Okay, here's the big question: Why have Ariel lose to Kelly after you spent five minutes talking about how Kelly was overmatched? Wouldn't it make more sense to have Ariel beat her handily since Ariel is the actual wrestler (relative to Kelly)? That way Kelly would have a reason to be left alone in the ring so Knox could come out. There was no real match and the finish was stupid and contrived. O

ECW World Heavyweight Title: Bobby Lashley vs. The Big Show.
This one is not exactly in doubt. Show opens with a sideslam and kills time with a bearhug. Lashley slugs his way out of it and goes for a slam, but he collapses under Show's weight. Ooh, it's just like WrestleMania III. Actually, let's hope not because that match sucked. We come back from a break to Show working Lashley's back. He gets one off a front powerslam and steps on Lashley's spine. Lashley comes back by clipping Show's leg. He tries again and runs into a clothesline. Lashley goes for another slam, and Show clubs him. Show locks in an Abdominal Stretch and punches Lashley in the kidneys. He sets Lashley on top for a superplex, but Lashley shoves him off and hits a flying clothesline. Lashley sets up for the spear but runs right into the CHOKESLAM! ONE, TWO, THRE-NO! Well, Show's not gonna use it for a while anyway. Lashley picks Show up for a powerslam but drops him. Oops. Show kicks out so they can do it again. This time Lashley's slam is successful and gets the pin at 17:07. I don't know what's more surprising, that they gave these guys that much time or that they worked a decent match. Not a classic, by any means, but a decent power match. **1/4

Final Thoughts: Well, they kind of seem to be taking a hint by putting all the wrestlers that people want to see together. I'm not sure what they'll do with the loss of Heyman. Bischoff's hanging around, which would both make sense and be a big slap in the face to Heyman. I'm not sold on Lashley as champ because I think he needs someone to carry him (both on the mic and in the ring), and there just aren't enough wrestlers on the ECW roster to do that.

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