Michael's Extreme Review #14
October 13, 2009
Lexington, Kentucky
-I have to make a quick observation, and I hope it doesn't over-shadow tonight's show. Last night on Raw, I thought that Maria Menounos did an excellent job when she interviewed Rhodes and DiBiase. It was the first time I saw a female reporter backstage that didn't have that "deer in the headlights" look or the "yes, I am reading this off a cue card" look. WWE should throw some money her way and get her on TV full time. Or maybe it was her voice. Either way, a damn good job. Oh and one more thing...FOX's reality shows are getting lame. If you want to know who will win, just look at the underdog who makes it to the finals. Case in point, Hell's Kitchen. Congratulations to Dave, aka, the Lance Storm of Hell's Kitchen. NOW let's do this....
-Pyro, Josh Matthews, Matt Striker, High Definition.
.24 Karat Pictures Presents...
1. Ezekiel Jackson (with Vladimir Kozlov) vs. Goldust
-Those muscles on Jackson's neck are TOO big. Jackson your Superstar of the day if you give a shit. Goldust starts with a side headlock and Jackson tries to stop him with elbow drops, but misses. Goldust catches him with a couple of cheap shots and Jackson stalls. Goldust back to the headlock and Jackson gets caught again with his head down. Jackson has enough and OBLITERATES Goldust with a clothesline. Cover gets 2. Jackson swats the back of the head Scott Hall-style and MISSES HIS HEAD! Bearhug on Goldust and Jackson gets bored and tosses him down. Another cover gets 2. Jackson applies a squatting chicken wing and turns it into a back suplex for 2. Goldust thrown into the corner and tries to pick up Jackson, but he weighs too much. Goldust back on the offensive though and hits a couple of hard shots and finally takes him down with a clothesline. Bulldog gets 2. Goldust hits a Flatliner and don't tell me he's going up top? Kozlov distracts the ref, of course, and Jackson catches him on the top rope with a BIG boot. Uranage will do it @ 5:49 for the win. And Kozlov forgets that he is supposed to drop him and picks him up 2 minutes later and hits another standing Uranage. (C-. Still looks better than any other William Regal match I have seen lately. I think only Vince McMahon and I agree.)
-We see highlights of Yoshi's win from last week and the DQ finish of the main event from last week, as well. So now tonight's main event, Christian and Yoshi Tatsu take on William Regal and Zack Ryder.
-Next Monday the very high, Snoop Dogg. And John Cena vs. Triple H, again.
-In the back Regal and Zack Ryder exchange pleasantries. Ryder says he knows that Regal is threatened by him and trashes Jackson and Kozlov. He looks behind him and finds them staring him down. Regal calls him a blithering idiot and tells him to follow his lead tonight. Ryder is oranger than Hulk Hogan. Where is Curt Hawkins?
-Sheamus makes his way down to the ring; dressed, but not necessarily competing. He has the mic and who has the subtitles tonight? He sounds like an Irish Jack Swagger. We see highlights of his Superstars match with Shelton, Shelton is taped up to sell further his shoulder injury. Sheamus says Shelton came to WWE 10 years ago? Not really, but OVW says close enough. Sheamus says he won't take that long to reach the top. "Either lead, follow, or get outta me way." And with that, I have my first official Sheamus quote to play out for the year. We see Paul and Katie Lea head to the ring. He faces Hurricane, again. Yes, again, next!
2. The Hurricane vs. Paul Burchill (with Katie Lea)
-Hurricane hails from Smithfield, North Carolina? Never heard of that one. Will Burchill actually get a win here? Probably. Burchill starts with an amateur takedown. Hurricane turns it into a side headlock and Burchill nails the ribs Hurricane answers with a slap and Burchill is tossed outside. HURRICANE WILL FLY! Back in and Hurricane covers for 2. They lock up again and go to the corner and Hurricane works the arm. Burchill tries to toss Hurricane and Hurricane refuses to touch the floor twice. Finally Burchill rams him to the floor. On the outside Burchill hammers away. Back in and a cover gets 1. Works the shoulder and gets another 1 on the Hurricane. Armbar applied and the crowd gets into it. Hurricane tries to break free and Burchill drops the arm over his shoulder. Gets a 2 count. Back to the arm while Hurricane plays to the crowd. Hurricane armdrags him over and Burchill runs into a boot in the corner. Hurricane-rana gets 2. Hurricane selling the arm. Burchill hits a Flatliner and gets 2. Burchill sets him up on the 2nd rope, super-plex blocked. Hurricane hits a sloppy Gourd Buster. Cross body by the Hurricane gets 2. Hurricane sets up the Eye of the Hurricane and Burchill sends him shoulder first into the corner. Burchill on the 2nd rope and Hurricane meets him there. Burchill holds onto the top rope and drops the Hurricane, NECK FIRST! Jackhammer by Burchill, and that will end it @ 7:00. (C+. Not their best outing, but gets the point across in their "feud".)
-And now, who wants to see a recap of John Cena and Randy Orton's feud? Didn't they put this shit on last week about this same time? I got nothing.
-We now see Yoshi doing Hindu squats. Christian interrupts him and Yoshi starts speaking Japanese. They go back and forth with the thank yous and I am guessing that was supposed to be funny. Taka Michinoku and Kaientai called. They want their gimmick back.
Main Event
3. William Regal & Zack Ryder vs. Yoshi Tatsu & Christian
-Regal still touting that "He's the 2008 King of the Ring", I see. Ryder wearing a robe very Britney Spears. Yoshi comes out and Regal's face says, "You gotta be fucking kidding me". Finally out comes a less, yet somewhat, orange Christian. 10 minutes before the show is over, if you are keeping score. Bell rings and Ryder will start with Yoshi. Ryder grabs the side headlock and Tatsu drops him. Yoshi takes him down with some armdrags and and arm bar too. Christian in and works the arm some more. Christian hits a tackle and gets 1. Ryder beats him down in the corner and Christian eats boot. Ryder charges the corner and Christian moves. Ryder gets tossed and Regal is thrown on top of him. CHRISTIAN WILL FLY! Now if you read these ECW Main Event play-by-plays, then you know what is next...WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!
-Welcome back to ECW and Regal is in the ring struggling with Christian. Regal finally grounds him with a forearm. Ryder comes in and Regal is slow to get out, so only a 1. Crossface applied to Christian. Regal comes back in and pounds away on Christian. Regal sets him on the 2nd rope and Christian fights him off and both men are down. Hot tags made and Yoshi peppers Ryder. Spinning heel kick gets Yoshi a 2. Rolling snapmare and kick gets 2. Ryder no-sells and Regal comes in to help. Rude Awakening on Yoshi gets 2. Regal in and hits him with knees in the corner. Regal chops away and rakes the eyes. Regal gets 1. Ryder back in and stomps away at Yoshi. Crossface applied to Yoshi now. Yoshi fights out but Ryder rams him into the corner. Regal back in and hits him with every uppercut. Yoshi no-sells and puts his head down and eats Regals boot for 2. Ryder back in beats Yoshi down in the corner. Yoshi eats a boot in the corner and Ryder gets 1 on it. Roaring elbow gets Yoshi out of trouble and there's the tag. Christian beating on Ryder and nails a spinning heel kick. Flash Point gets 2. Regal comes in and gets knocked off the apron. Killswitch attempted and Ryder reverses with a Rough Ryder leg drop. Only gets 2. Regal comes in and Yoshi cuts him off. Christian on top and gets slammed down. In comes Regal and he argues with Ryder for some reason. Ryder grabs his head and brings him down on the top rope, he turns around into the Killswitch! Regal half-asses the fucking bump! That will do it @ 14:22. (Jesus H. Christ! Why even book Regal? Ryder carried this match, and Christian/Yoshi did great too. C.)
Final Thoughts...
Entertaining show and no extra bullshit at the beginning helped. Got to the action and every match was decent. ECW is doing right with the ring psychology in the tag matches, cause they have been money lately. Next week, ECW hails from my hometown, Columbia, South Carolina. Expect Shelton Benjamin somewhere on that show. They usually book him. Other than that, I'm out.
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Tags: 24, ECW, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Locke, Randy Orton, RAW, Shelton Benjamin, TV, Vince McMahon, WWE
No matter how hard he tries or the writers try (on both TNA and WWE), I just can’t stand face Christian. It just doesn’t work for me.
I have to agree with Flair. A swarmy, and snarky Christian is awesome. Especially when he has a bodyguard. So long as it isn’t Tomko, because then we have to watch Tomko matches.
- Caliber
scrublife.wordpress.com – some of my favorite Monday Night War moments, and 50 things every guy should know from really stupid girls.
As much as I hate to agree with Vince McMahon about anything, I just don’t see what the big deal is about Christian. He’s a decent enough worker and fine for a midcard role, but he’s just not a credible main eventer to me (even on the C-Show or TNA). Not every wrestler is meant to be, anyhow.
I suppose I’ll provide some disagreement. I’d say Christian is almost precisely where he should be in the WWE’s food chain. He’s doing a fine job in maintaining the status quo on ECW until they’re ready to truly elevate one of their more promising “new acquisitions.” Zack Ryder and Sheamus appear to be two guys management is adamantly behind, so it will be intriguing to see how they’re elevated. Ryder and Christian have had some good matches with each other, and eventually–like Dolph Ziggler with the IC Title over on Smackdown–they’re going to either have to pull the trigger or go in an entirely different direction with him. (I just hope they aren’t thinking about turning him face, as the last couple of weeks have borderline hinted at.)
I’d personally like a heel Christian, too, but for whatever reason (nostalgia?) crowds pop for him like no other ECWer, so more power to him as far his current role goes.
And, meanwhile, Regal really needs to get out of the ring. He’s made me feel embarrassed for him for the past three or four weeks.
I agree with Michael. This was the best ECW show in a while now.
See, I’ve always seen Matt Hardy and Christian both as two guys that seem like they have a lot of potential in an uppercard role. Christian especially — if anything his TNA run (especially at the start) was really well and elevated him a lot in my eyes. I stopped watching TNA (and most television in general) not too long after he hit his stride, but I’ve never understood why fans have a hard time connecting with him as a main-event type guy. He’s got a great smart-ass heel personality and is a really good worker.
Here’s the thing: ever since Christian won the belt, it’s like the brand fell off the face of the Earth as far as WWE is concerned. How many times has ECW been left off PPVs or had their matches shortchanged? And I think it’s related to how Vince feels about Christian (and Regal, for that matter) as a top or semi-top tier star.
And on a personal level, he just doesn’t impress me as a top guy or the top singles champion of a ‘brand’, either. I just think he’d be better served in a tag team role playing Ricky Morton, or putting young guys over ala Golddust. I will admit that of all the guys they have on the brand right now, he’s probably the best (default) guy for the role. But they made a huge mistake in moving Swagger and Bourne over to RAW, because they would have been perfect in the roles of dominant champion and the plucky challenger, respectively. And Christian should be feuding with US Champion Miz on RAW and putting him over.
I don’t think Christian will ever get an extended run with either HW belt, but I feel like he should and probably will get a couple reigns with each by the time he is done. The E has shown in the past it’s not all about size anymore with their champs(Hardy, Mysterio, CM Punk, etc.). I don’t see Christian as a face, though. Just doesn’t work, he loses his edge.
Speaking of Edge, it would be nice if Christian finally turned heel by helping Jericho defeat Edge at WM(if that match does indeed happen). That way, Edge and Christian can feud over the WH belt on Smackdown, which would be awesome, IMO.
Also, agree with Michael on Maria Menounos. She was VERY good on Raw, even in her limited ring action, she looked quite natural and just as good as most of the divas on the roster.