Well, it's been four weeks since ECW General Manager Tiffany issued the ECW Homecoming Tournament to determine Christian's opponent at the Royal Rumble. On January 11, 2010, eight superstars, comprised evenly of the superstars of yesteryear and today, will compete in an over-the-top-rope showdown for a shot at the ECW Title. The eight ECW Homecoming finalists are C.M. Punk, Matt Hardy, Kane, Evan Bourne, Shelton Benjamin, Yoshi Tatsu, Vance Archer, and Ezekiel Jackson.
As the face of ECW, Christian prepares for his title match by scouting his possible opponents. Yet, with the unpredictability of this final match, Christian will have a hard time trying to get in the right mind set to overcome his next threat.
So to make things interesting for my readers, let us take a look at each superstar that has qualified.
Matt Hardy: This North Carolinian has recently turned babyface after a trilogy of matches with his brother Jeff. A smart career move on the part of Matt, as he was suffering as a mid-carder heel during his short-lived return to RAW. In many ways, Matt remains relevant to SmackDown story lines because C.M. Punk is still mocking Jeff's lifestyle. As a result, this has sparked a mild feud, but Punk's ideals are interchangeably challenged by R-Truth, which downplays the potential of a long standing feud.
Defeating Matt Hardy: First off, Matt Hardy has a recent history of abdominal surgeries involving his appendix and his intestinal lining, Christian could focus on the midsection; however, he runs the risk of disqualification if the strike is mistaken for a groin shot. Second, if Christian can time it just right, he can reverse the Twist of Fate and set up for the Killswitch.
C.M. Punk: Punk shocked the world again by not only winning the Money in the Bank briefcase two consecutive years, but by also cashing in on an exhausted Jeff Hardy, who was just crowned his first World Heavyweight Title. The controversy of cashing in on a fellow babyface changed Punk, so as the fans started to turn on him... he turned as well. C.M. Punk accomplished a third World Heavyweight Title reign at the end of his feud with Jeff Hardy; however, he lost it to The Undertaker at WWE's first-ever, Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. After four shots at Taker's title, Punk has slipped away from the World Title picture, but has evolved in a completely different fashion. Much like a lot of the greats still in the business, C.M. Punk does not need a title reign, Punk is doing a fantastic job utilizing his mike skills to preach a Straight-Edge lifestyle; and if that were not enough, he has also recruited a disciple by the name of Luke Gallows, formerly known as Festus.
Defeating C.M. Punk: Punk, a master of the Muay Thai, attacks his opponents through punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes; Christian will have a hard time countering such an offense. Christian's best bet is to connect with missile drop kicks and crossbodys, but Punk is also not afraid of taking the action to the top of the ropes. And let's not forget the GTS, a powerful finisher that has placed many of Punk's opponents to sleep. If Christian were to find himself in the fireman's carry, it's best to try to squirm out with knee and elbow shots followed by a Sitout rear mat slam. Despite locking in a Killswitch on Punk at WrestleMania 25 during the ladder match, Punk came out the winner, so Christian will have to be creative and look for the best opportune moment for an inside cradle or small package to get the job done. But, be weary of C.M. Punk's friend, Luke Gallows at ring side.
Ezekiel Jackson: Formerly from Harlem, New York, Ezekiel Jackson has changed his accent to one residing in Guyana, South America. As part of his move to ECW, Big Zeek joined up with William Regal's Ruthless Roundtable; however, the alliance has gotten him nowhere. He hasn't improved in wrestling or mike skills; and to top it all off, Ezekiel earned this Homecoming spot by defeating Vladimir Kozlov, his Roundtable teammate. So how stable was the Roundtable to begin with?
Defeating Ezekiel Jackson: Crucial advice, aim high. Christian will have to make it his business to remain focus and balance on those top turnbuckles to land missile drop kicks. The worst thing Christian could do would be to propel himself in a cross body position, because Jackson can easily catch and gain control of the champion.
Yoshi Tatsu: A rising superstar in ECW, Yoshi Tatsu has earned himself a lot of clean victories. Additionally, he has fought for the ECW Title once before against Christian. Captain Charisma believes that Tatsu will be a future champion someday, just not at his expense.
Defeating Yoshi Tatsu: Christian has already defeated Tatsu in a championship match before, but Yoshi has undoubtedly formed a new strategy to take him down. All Christian can do is to rely on his experience, and avoid the enziguri kick.
Vance Archer: Vance Archer has just rolled into ECW and remains undefeated: Goldust, Tommy Dreamer, and Shelton Benjamin are just the victims that we remember.
Defeating Vance Archer: Vance is relatively new but he is overly aggressive. Christian is a bit of a prankster and tends to agitate his opponents. Christian's best bet is to not anger Vance Archer, because (even if he loses the fight) he will continue striking.
Evan Bourne: Evan Bourne once challenged for the ECW Title against then-champion Matt Hardy and he came up short. Despite turning into a jobber in his move to RAW, Bourne still shows slight signs of wanting more than just being in the WWE. Especially since he challenged WWE Champion Sheamus this past Monday Night for a shot at the WWE Title.
Defeating Evan Bourne: Sheamus unlocked the flaw in "little" Evan Bourne's tactics, Evan uses up his entire move set in under a minute. The Shooting Star Press was not enough to take down Sheamus; nor is any finisher, if one doesn't wear down the opponent. Christian just has to outlast Bourne's move set by relying on his endurance.
Shelton Benjamin: This is Shelton's second stint with ECW, and he has made slight alternations in his gimmick, but never enough to get him to that next level. Albeit, Shelton was seconds away from becoming the ECW Champion in a ladder match against Christian, but came up short.
Defeating Shelton Benjamin: Shelton Benjamin is the best pure athlete in the WWE today, and despite losing a stipulation match at TLC, a one-on-one match could determine a different outcome. Shelton is primed for championship gold, and if Christian wants to retain his title, he will have to have his A game and wrestle like he has never wrestled before.
Kane: The big red monster has been on a downward spiral since returning to SmackDown; yet, circa 2007, Kane ruled the Land of Extreme. Kane single handedly saved ECW from being canceled and went on to win the ECW Title at WrestleMania 24 in under 9 seconds against Chavo Guerrero.
Defeating Kane: Despite being a mid-carder on SmackDown, Kane has proven his dominance in ECW. Christian's best bet is to attack the nimble, tooth pick, legs of Kane, and the avoid the chokeslam.
As the face of ECW, Christian prepares for his title match by scouting his possible opponents. Yet, with the unpredictability of this final match, Christian will have a hard time trying to get in the right mind set to overcome his next threat.
So to make things interesting for my readers, let us take a look at each superstar that has qualified.
Matt Hardy: This North Carolinian has recently turned babyface after a trilogy of matches with his brother Jeff. A smart career move on the part of Matt, as he was suffering as a mid-carder heel during his short-lived return to RAW. In many ways, Matt remains relevant to SmackDown story lines because C.M. Punk is still mocking Jeff's lifestyle. As a result, this has sparked a mild feud, but Punk's ideals are interchangeably challenged by R-Truth, which downplays the potential of a long standing feud.
Defeating Matt Hardy: First off, Matt Hardy has a recent history of abdominal surgeries involving his appendix and his intestinal lining, Christian could focus on the midsection; however, he runs the risk of disqualification if the strike is mistaken for a groin shot. Second, if Christian can time it just right, he can reverse the Twist of Fate and set up for the Killswitch.
C.M. Punk: Punk shocked the world again by not only winning the Money in the Bank briefcase two consecutive years, but by also cashing in on an exhausted Jeff Hardy, who was just crowned his first World Heavyweight Title. The controversy of cashing in on a fellow babyface changed Punk, so as the fans started to turn on him... he turned as well. C.M. Punk accomplished a third World Heavyweight Title reign at the end of his feud with Jeff Hardy; however, he lost it to The Undertaker at WWE's first-ever, Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. After four shots at Taker's title, Punk has slipped away from the World Title picture, but has evolved in a completely different fashion. Much like a lot of the greats still in the business, C.M. Punk does not need a title reign, Punk is doing a fantastic job utilizing his mike skills to preach a Straight-Edge lifestyle; and if that were not enough, he has also recruited a disciple by the name of Luke Gallows, formerly known as Festus.
Defeating C.M. Punk: Punk, a master of the Muay Thai, attacks his opponents through punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes; Christian will have a hard time countering such an offense. Christian's best bet is to connect with missile drop kicks and crossbodys, but Punk is also not afraid of taking the action to the top of the ropes. And let's not forget the GTS, a powerful finisher that has placed many of Punk's opponents to sleep. If Christian were to find himself in the fireman's carry, it's best to try to squirm out with knee and elbow shots followed by a Sitout rear mat slam. Despite locking in a Killswitch on Punk at WrestleMania 25 during the ladder match, Punk came out the winner, so Christian will have to be creative and look for the best opportune moment for an inside cradle or small package to get the job done. But, be weary of C.M. Punk's friend, Luke Gallows at ring side.Ezekiel Jackson: Formerly from Harlem, New York, Ezekiel Jackson has changed his accent to one residing in Guyana, South America. As part of his move to ECW, Big Zeek joined up with William Regal's Ruthless Roundtable; however, the alliance has gotten him nowhere. He hasn't improved in wrestling or mike skills; and to top it all off, Ezekiel earned this Homecoming spot by defeating Vladimir Kozlov, his Roundtable teammate. So how stable was the Roundtable to begin with?
Defeating Ezekiel Jackson: Crucial advice, aim high. Christian will have to make it his business to remain focus and balance on those top turnbuckles to land missile drop kicks. The worst thing Christian could do would be to propel himself in a cross body position, because Jackson can easily catch and gain control of the champion.
Yoshi Tatsu: A rising superstar in ECW, Yoshi Tatsu has earned himself a lot of clean victories. Additionally, he has fought for the ECW Title once before against Christian. Captain Charisma believes that Tatsu will be a future champion someday, just not at his expense.
Defeating Yoshi Tatsu: Christian has already defeated Tatsu in a championship match before, but Yoshi has undoubtedly formed a new strategy to take him down. All Christian can do is to rely on his experience, and avoid the enziguri kick.
Vance Archer: Vance Archer has just rolled into ECW and remains undefeated: Goldust, Tommy Dreamer, and Shelton Benjamin are just the victims that we remember.
Defeating Vance Archer: Vance is relatively new but he is overly aggressive. Christian is a bit of a prankster and tends to agitate his opponents. Christian's best bet is to not anger Vance Archer, because (even if he loses the fight) he will continue striking.
Evan Bourne: Evan Bourne once challenged for the ECW Title against then-champion Matt Hardy and he came up short. Despite turning into a jobber in his move to RAW, Bourne still shows slight signs of wanting more than just being in the WWE. Especially since he challenged WWE Champion Sheamus this past Monday Night for a shot at the WWE Title.
Defeating Evan Bourne: Sheamus unlocked the flaw in "little" Evan Bourne's tactics, Evan uses up his entire move set in under a minute. The Shooting Star Press was not enough to take down Sheamus; nor is any finisher, if one doesn't wear down the opponent. Christian just has to outlast Bourne's move set by relying on his endurance.
Shelton Benjamin: This is Shelton's second stint with ECW, and he has made slight alternations in his gimmick, but never enough to get him to that next level. Albeit, Shelton was seconds away from becoming the ECW Champion in a ladder match against Christian, but came up short. Defeating Shelton Benjamin: Shelton Benjamin is the best pure athlete in the WWE today, and despite losing a stipulation match at TLC, a one-on-one match could determine a different outcome. Shelton is primed for championship gold, and if Christian wants to retain his title, he will have to have his A game and wrestle like he has never wrestled before.
Kane: The big red monster has been on a downward spiral since returning to SmackDown; yet, circa 2007, Kane ruled the Land of Extreme. Kane single handedly saved ECW from being canceled and went on to win the ECW Title at WrestleMania 24 in under 9 seconds against Chavo Guerrero.
Defeating Kane: Despite being a mid-carder on SmackDown, Kane has proven his dominance in ECW. Christian's best bet is to attack the nimble, tooth pick, legs of Kane, and the avoid the chokeslam.
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