The ECW Digest - 12th January 2010
12/01/2010
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On with the show!
Quick Links
Opening Segment: Hardcore Icon Killer
Match 1: Zack Ryder Vs. The Hurricane
Match 2: Trent Barretta Vs. Goldust
Segment 3: Regal & Jackson on The Homecoming
Main Event: Homecoming Battle Royal
The ECW Digest
Segment 1
Hardcore Icon Killer
Rosa Mendes is the first person out of the back on tonight’s ECW broadcast.
She makes her way to the ring and gives her current squeeze a rather grandiose introduction, reminding everyone that he was the one to end Tommy Dreamer’s career.
Once Ryder enters the ring he begins to build himself up even more, claiming that everyone is in the arena to celebrate his arrival as the ‘new’ heart and soul of ECW, which apparently puts him one rung above the ECW Championship.
Just as he wraps things up with a ‘Woo Woo Woo, You Know It’, The Hurricane makes an appearance (thankfully without that awful introduction at the start of his entrance theme, I knew it wouldn’t last long.)
He asks Ryder to shut up then tells him that it takes more than one match to make someone the heart and soul of ECW, and most people think he is more like the rear end of ECW.
Rosa Mendes jabbers something in foreign and The Hurricane asks her to ‘press 1 for English’ which earns him a huge slap.
The Hurricane takes his frustrations out on Ryder instead of Mendes, drilling him with a right hand and dumping him over the top rope, bringing the segment to a rather dull conclusion.
Match 1
Singles Match
Zack Ryder (w/Rosa Mendes)
Vs.
The Hurricane
So it turns out that during the commercials G.M Tiffany came out and booked these two in a match after their altercation.
I really liked Ryder until they paired him with Mendes.
Much like Booker T & Sharmell, Jamie Noble & Nidia and The King and Michael Cole, one half of this partnership displays serious talent, while the other screeches and generally annoys people. I’ll let you work out who’s who for yourself.
This match was passable, but nothing outstanding.
Towards the end of the match it could have swung either way, but Ryder took advantage of a pretty awful distraction from Mendes and stole the win with a Zack Attack after knocking The Hurricane from the top rope.
Zack Ryder wins by Pinfall.
Segment 2
The Demise of ECW
As Ryder and Mendes leave the ring Josh Mathews throws the action backstage where C.M Punk and Luke Gallows are waiting to deliver a promo.
Punk says that by winning the ECW Championship at The Royal Rumble he will be able to start ‘from the ground up’, shepherding all the young talent toward a Straight Edge lifestyle.
He says that when he takes the Title it will also spell the demise of the ECW Brand, which he will replace with the ‘Straight Edge Society.’
Match 2
Singles Match
Trent Barretta (w/Caylen Croft)
Vs.
Goldust
Given the fact that Croft lost his first (and only) singles match on Superstars last week against Yoshi Tatsu, does anyone want to go out on a limb and guess the result of this one?
Well, if you said a win for Barretta to even the odds you’d be right.
Goldust did what he does best; putting the younger guy over well in a really entertaining match.
Surprisingly the 2 on 1 numbers game didn’t come into this much, which I thought it ultimately would do.
Barretta picked up the win in what was a fairly even contest with an impressive rising knee.
Trent Barretta wins by Pinfall.
Segment 3
Regal & Jackson on The Homecoming
Josh Mathews throws it backstage once more, this time to William Regal and his prodigy Ezekiel Jackson.
Jackson spouted some religious text that apparently means he’s going to win tonight’s battle royal, I think.
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Main Event Match
ECW Homecoming Battle Royal Match
Participants:
Yoshi Tatsu
Kane
Ezekiel Jackson
C.M Punk
Evan Bourne
Matt Hardy
Vance Archer
Shelton Benjamin
Tiffany once again explained the concept of this tournament (like we didn’t already know) before the match, then introduced a ’special guest commentator’; Christian.
The crowd seemed to get quite excited about this, although I’m not sure why as they can’t hear the commentary.
Worst Sign of the Night Award has to go to the fan who held up ‘C.M Skunk‘.
He doesn’t have a white streak in his hair and we have no evidence that he smells, so I can only assume it’s purely a rhyming thing.
Archer and Benjamin went at each other before the match even began and had to be separated by officials.
Order of Elimination:
- Evan Bourne Eliminated by Kane
- Vance Archer Eliminated by Shelton Benjamin
- Shelton Benjamin Eliminated by Himself
- Matt Hardy Eliminated by Ezekiel Jackson
- C.M Punk Eliminated by Ezekiel Jackson
- Yoshi Tatsu Eliminated by Kane
- Kane Eliminated by Ezekiel Jackson
Did I ever mention that I LOVE Battle Royals?
Evan Bourne got kind of a raw deal here, as per usual, dumped over the top by Kane just seconds after the bell, leading the commentators to tip The Big Red Machine as the early favourite.
Christian thoughtfully brought Mathews and Saxton a list of questions to ask him, such as ‘Why are you so cool’ and ‘How does it feel to be the longest reigning ECW Champion of the current era’ which he answered with almost arrogant confidence.
The match seemed to go on for an age with 7 men in the ring, until Benjamin’s hatred for Vance Archer got the better of him and he sacrificed his own chance at the ECW Championship by diving over the rope, taking Archer off the apron with him.
Next up Jackson eliminated my personal favourite pick, Matt Hardy, with a very impressive show of strength.
Don’t get me wrong, I never thought Hardy would win, but I wanted him to so we could see a Hardy/Christian match at the rumble.
Undoubtedly the biggest pop of the night came up next as Jackson threw Punk over the top, ending any hope of a Straight Edge Society taking over the land of Extreme.
Meanwhile, Kane eliminated Tatsu on the other side of the ring, with almost no reaction from the fans, who were still buzzing about Punk’s exit.
Jackson and Kane did the whole Monster Vs. Monster thing for a while, both teasing a Press over the top rope but neither being able to pull it off.
Kane looked to be on the road to a Title shot as he landed a huge Boot to Zeke’s temple, but effectively cost himself the match by heading to the top rope.
He missed the Flying Clothesline and seconds later got tipped over the top, leaving Jackson standing in the ring as the new #1 Contender.
Regal joined his student in the ring after the match as the pair celebrated before goading Christian as the show went off the air.
Ezekiel Jackson wins the Homecoming Battle Royal and becomes the #1 Contender for the ECW Championship.
