SmackDown Results: 3/26/10 - Money in the Bank Picks

The final installment of Friday Night SmackDown (WWE programming period) before WrestleMania featured a SmackDown vs. RAW 10-man tag match showcasing all the Money in the Bank Qualifiers.

Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston start the match.

Dolph Ziggler earned his shot for Money in the Bank by pinning R-Truth in a Triple Threat Match against the now-#1 contenders for ShoMiz's Unified Tag Team Titles.

As far as ability is concerned, Ziggler is in great physical shape and has gone toe to toe with the likes of Rey Mysterio and John Morrison during his I-C pursuit. He also scored a victory over Shelton Benjamin on WWE Superstars a few weeks ago.

Now, does Dolph Ziggler have the advantage to win this year's MitB? Not necessarily. Dolph is quick to anger and applies slow moving submissions. In a ladder match, one must make quick decisions in an instant.

Can the 10th Qualifier from RAW, Kofi Kingston, provide the victory? Kofi Kingston, who captured the I-C title from current World Champion, Chris Jericho, at Night of Champions 2008, has provided the wherewithal to be a champion; especially when capturing the World Tag Team Titles with C.M. Punk, and then the United States Title from MVP during 2008-2009.

Kofi earned this opportunity by defeating Vladimir Kozlov, which just last year was the man Shawn Michaels defeated to earn his first attempt to end the Undertaker's Streak. Around Bragging Rights 2009, Kofi entered a feud with Randy Orton and provided some memorable moments, including the Boom Drop at MSG.

If anyone has a chip on their shoulder to win this match, it would be Kofi Kingston. Plus, a MitB win would definitely complete the push that WWE seems to have aborted back at the TLC pay-per-view.

Matt Hardy and Jack Swagger are tagged in.

As Matt Striker mentioned, there is no one who has more to prove in this match than Matt Hardy. The elder brother Hardy, along with younger brother Jeff, entered WrestleMania together in 2000 against Edge and Christian, and The Dudley Boys (Team 3D) in a death defying Triangle Ladder Match (the prelude to TLC matches). Since that day, Matt has captured the Cruiserweight, United States, ECW, and multiple Tag Titles, but has never grasped that brass ring. Known as the better of the two when it comes to wrestling, Matt has always been outdone by his brother when it came to World Titles. It has been Matt's dream to one day Headline WrestleMania, and though he has won 2 singles matches at 'Mania, he has yet to become a Champion.

Will Matt Hardy win? For all the Mattitude Followers out there, there would be nothing more heart warming than Matt reaching the apex of his 10 year long journey than to have a World Title opportunity. But his recent matches since ending his feud with Jeff has been below sub par. Matt Hardy has been jobbing to guys like Dolph Ziggler and The Hart Dynasty for a while. In all reality, Matt Hardy has let himself go and is not the competitor that he was 5 years ago, delivering compelling matches against Edge, and one indie match against AJ Styles.

Jack Swagger was at the height of his WWE career in ECW, capturing the ECW title within four months against Matt Hardy. He earned the opportunity to compete in MitB in a squash match against Santino Marella. But the likely hood of Swagger winning is not likely at all.

Personally one of my favorites to win the match, will not because WWE caters more to entertainers that don't necessarily have a lisp. Recruited to the WWE by Gerry Brisco and J.R., the 2x All-American from Oklahoma doesn't need to win this match, but he needs a push.

Matt Hardy tags in Shelton Benjamin.

Shelton Benjamin earned his shot in MitB by defeating the only 2-time MitB winner, C.M. Punk. So thanks to Shelton (and Rey Mysterio's distraction), there will indeed be a new Mr. MitB at this year's WrestleMania.

Knowing ladders very well, Shelton will be competing in his 5th MitB ladder match. He is another veteran to the WWE who has never held a World Title. Yet, he has captured the World Tag Team, Intercontinental, and United States Titles throughout the years.

The only momentum that Shelton has gained was a win over Dolph Ziggler on SmackDown, which was followed by a loss in the following episode of WWE Superstars. Yet, during the 10 Man Tag, Shelton proved his resilience against Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, and MVP during a single tag.

Jack Swagger reluctantly tags in Evan Bourne.

Evan Bourne gained entry by defeating William Regal in what was believed to be the 8th and final Qualifying Match. Evan Bourne had scored impressive victories during his debut on ECW that culminated to a title shot against Matt Hardy. Bourne came up short and was later drafted to RAW.

Does Bourne's Style Benefit him in a ladder match? No. Just like every high flyer in the history of professional wrestling, Bourne will be looking to create as much spots as possible to get onto the WrestleMania highlight reel.

Would Bourne make a great MitB winner? Absolutely not. Evan has no fortitude to stand up to the likes of Sheamus, what would make anyone believe that he could main event?

Evan Bourne tags in MVP.

Montel Vontavious Porter, once hated in the WWE has now become a favorite among fans and to win this years MitB. At WrestleMania 23, MVP defeated the late-Chris Benoit for the United States Title. If anyone can create a WrestleMania moment, it's MVP.

However, with consecutive losses to The Miz for the U.S. Title during the start of 2010, will MVP have enough momentum to win MitB?

MVP tags back out to Evan Bourne.

Shelton finally tags in to Kane.

The only former World Champion within the mist of this year's MitB is Kane. His plans to face Undertaker for the World's Title was thwarted several times by Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho.
Kane earned his spot in this year's MitB by granting Drew McIntyre his first* loss, just 5 days removed of failing to best McIntyre for the Intercontinental Title at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

Obviously the tallest man in the MitB may have the advantage. His advantage lies in the fact that he doesn't care about creating spots. He is like a bulldozer, crush everyone in the way.

Kane tags in Matt Hardy who shortly tags in Dolph Ziggler.

Bourne escapes and tags in Christian.

The odds on favorite to win this year's MitB, Christian is riding a wave of momentum that the peeps are more than happy about. A veteran of ladder matches, Christian had an impressive run as the ECW Champion and defended it against the likes of Jack Swagger, Tommy Dreamer, William Regal, Ezekiel Jackson, Yoshi Tatsu, Zack Ryder, and most impressively against Shelton Benjamin.

Since returning to WWE, questions of whether Christian could still perform in a ladder match were answered at the TLC ppv when he defended the title in a show stealer Ladder match against Shelton Benjamin.

Now the question remains is if Captain Charisma can be called Mr. Money in the Bank?

Drew interfered with the potential 3-count.

Drew McIntyre is scorned by the other 9 members of the MitB Qualifiers because of the nepotism of Mr. McMahon. *Drew lost his first match against Kane but it was expunged by McMahon. Therefore, Drew was granted another shot at MitB against Matt Hardy. But Matt Hardy won that match which granted Drew his 2nd first loss, until McMahon erased that from the books. Drew's third and final shot at MitB was against a local wrestler who may never be heard from again, which was basically McMahon gift wrapping Drew a spot.

According to the realm of WWE and McMahon, Drew's official first lost was dished out by The Undertaker last week. Seeing as Drew has already qualified to compete at 'Mania, and the fact that it is The Undertaker, that loss remained in the record books.

Drew's interference between Christian and Dolph Ziggler caused an outbreak of all the other competitors to run rampant in the ring. But none more impressive than Kane, who delivered a double choke slam to Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston.

Match's End.

The match ended with Christian delivering the Killswitch to Dolph Ziggler, however, McIntyre had tagged himself in and quickly executed the Future Shock DDT to win the match for Team SmackDown.

Drew then placed a ladder in the ring as a foreshadowing of things to come, but Kofi, Swagger, MVP, Bourne, Christian, Shelton, Kane, Dolph, and Matt reentered the ring to knock McIntyre off the ladder (from a safe height).

In all honesty, Matt Hardy and Jack Swagger would make great Money in the Bank winners, but the three main picks comes down to Christian, MVP, and Kofi Kingston.

WWE Superstars Results: 3/18/10 - MitB Momentum

Kane vs Shelton Benjamin

The Money in the Bank Qualifiers rarely get a chance to build momentum for WrestleMania. Luckily with WWE Superstars, these qualifiers have a chance to prove why they will become Mr. Money in the Bank.

Shelton Benjamin, who is 1-1 against Dolph Ziggler, tested his strength against The Big Red Machine, Kane. Shelton bases his in-ring work to pure athleticism, or simply put, great mat work. At WrestleMania, Shelton will be a part of his fifth Money in the Bank Ladder match, which must leave people wondering if this is perhaps Benjamin's year.

Shelton, possibly the best in-ring competitor that the WWE has, being able to have a 5-star match with Shawn Michaels, is highly underrated. Unlike TNA, where one can escape with having poor mic skills, the WWE depends on their champion being able to hype the crowd. Hence why fans get stuck with John Cena as champion at least once a year. Yet, where Shelton lacks in mic skills certainly makes up for in his athleticism.

Kane came close to winning the MitB last year, but was kicked off by C.M. Punk at the last second. Now that C.M. Punk will not be competing in this year's match, it will guarantee a new MitB winner, something that hasn't been seen in three years. Kane is not a great technician in the ring, even tough he can deliver textbook drop kicks, but he will rely on his size and strength to dominate the match. Having been in several ladder matches before, Kane is not afraid to reach for new heights.

The match ended with a choke slam by Kane as he paves a way towards WrestleMania.

Katie Lea Jillian Hall vs. Bellas

With WrestleMania just a week away, a women's match has yet to grace the card. But after last year's debacle which angered so many former women's champions in the spoof 25-Diva Battle Royal, do we really want a women's match? The final (noteworthy) Women's match at WrestleMania was in 2006 when Mickie James defeated Trish Stratus for the Women's Title.

Katie Lea is the former sister of Paul Burchill. Former because since his release he will never be mentioned again. Katie Lea foretold that Jillian and herself would gain victory over the Bellas.

Jillian Hall, a former Divas' Champion in her own right. Actually, Jillian was not a real champion, but a transitional one. Real champions defend the title against the former champions, unless intercepted by a MitB, or in the outlook of a new feud. Jillian's only role as Divas' Champion was to take it from Mickie James and lose it to Melina, in the duration of minutes. Jillian enacted her rematch the following week only to lose it in a more pathetic fashion than the last. Sadly, that will be the highlight of her career.

The Bellas have been out of action from the ring for several months, not due to injury, but occupied with their other job: arm candy to the celebrity guest hosts. Not pretending to be able to tell the Bellas apart, won the match in an impressive feat.

Jillian, awkwardly, got the upper hand in the match against the Bellas. Evading a hurricanrana into a perfectly place electric chair drop, sadly the announcers are too busy talking to credit any wrestling ability, especially by the Divas.

The match ended with a Bella flipping Jillian on her back and then double leg locking her legs to Jillian for the pin.

Christian, Mark Henry and Yoshi Tatsu vs. Jack Swagger, William Regal and Zack Ryder

For the first time WWE Superstars showcases a match with all former ECW superstars, a main event that never seemed to occur while ECW was still on the air. Former ECW Champion Christian captains Mark Henry, another former ECW Champion, and Yoshi Tatsu against Jack Swagger, yet another former ECW Champion, William Regal and Zack Ryder.

Another correlation between these two teams is that they are captained by Money in the Bank Qualifiers: Christian and Jack Swagger. And just like the opening match, these two are in need of momentum.

Throughout the past weeks Christian has received a wave of momentum, not losing a single match since officially being signed to RAW. Indeed a favorite to win last year, will this be his year? Appearing in 'Mania 2000 in a hellacious Triangle Ladder Match which saw him and the 2010 Royal Rumble winner Edge win the match. Could we possible see Christian take on Edge in a future World Title Match?

As for Jack Swagger, he was the most dominating man in ECW until Christian took the ECW title from him. Since coming to RAW, Swagger has had two impressive matches with John Cena but has been stuck in a feud with Santino Marella. A Money in the Bank win would escalate Swagger's career to the level it should have been during his first month on RAW.

The main event ended with Zack Ryder failing to connect with the Rough Ryder and Christian striking with the Killswitch. Once again, Christian is riding with all the momentum. But with a week left, how will the others catch up?

WWE Superstars Results: 3/11/10 - Superstars to Push

Dolph Ziggler vs. Shelton Benjamin

In the second encounter between Dolph Ziggler and Shelton Benjamin, Ziggler's sleeper hold rendered Shelton Benjamin unconscious. After a failed Zig zag appeared to forshadow another loss, Ziggler lached on the devastating sleeper and body scissors to drag Benjamin to the canvas. Matt Striker has always stated that Ziggler has executed the sleeper to perfection, now Ziggler can back it up.

How to build Dolph Ziggler?: If Dolph Ziggler is suppose to resemble Curt Henning, should he not talk more? When he first started out, you couldn't get Ziggler to shut his cake hole, but recently, Ziggler has become the silent jobber. It is not too big of a deal for Ziggler to have failed in his Intercontinental Title hunt, but he still has to remain relevent to TV. If he doesn't have a feud, then find someone. Polish off those mic skills, create viginettes, and improve on the mat work.

Mike Knox vs. Goldust

Goldust, after signing with SmackDown after the demise of ECW, has become exclusive to WWE Superstars. After a loss to Chris Jericho last week, Goldust pulled an impressive victory over Mike Knox with The Final Cut. What is more impressive is that the veteran is getting the push rather than the young guy.

How to build Mike Knox?: Obviously, Mike Knox has become the new Snitsky, but why should he? Aside from his impressive beard, Mike Knox is a magnificant giant who can throw his 300-pound frame in devestating cross bodies. If Mike Knox should lose a match, let it be from doling out so much pain and punishment that he fails to adhear to the referee's 5-count. Otherwise, what is the point?

Santino Marella vs. Zack Ryder

Santino Marella, sporting a clean shaven face, finally struck his Cobra maneuver. However, thanks to the distraction by Rosa Mendes, Zack Ryder managed to connect with the Rough Ryder followed immediately by the Zack Attack. Michael Cole and King doing a bad job remembering Ryder's moves, but no need to fear, because I still remember them.

How to build Santino Marella?: Despite his two I-C reigns and attempting to break the record for longest reign, Santino Marella is merely an entertainer. During the match, there was a sense of an underline tension between Santino and Zack. Marella did not look at all happy contesting against the Long Islander. There is also the possibility that Santino is tired of jobbing to just about everyone, especially with the ease that Santino executes those Steamboat arm drags, and cheerleader splits to evade lariats. Underneath that thick accent of Santino lies a warrior, and it is time that the WWE Universe gets to witness that. Allow him to become the Milan Miracle once again.

Chavo Guerrero and Carlito w/Michael Tarver vs. MVP and Christian w/Heath Slater

In one of the better main events to come across WWE Superstars in a long time, former ECW Champion, Christian teamed with former US Champion, MVP to take on former ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero and former US Champion, Carlito. This was the tag team of the former champions, but notice how neither is a former World Champion. Yet, that can all change at WrestleMania because Christian and MVP are in the Money in the Bank Ladder match, where the winner will get a guarenteed World Title shot at any point in time, up to one year.

Both teams were impressive, especially the powerhouse of Christian and MVP, who are clear fan favorites. Eventhough MVP is one of the odds on favorites to win this year's MitB, Christian's seniority trumped MVP in this match, as he locked in the Killswitch against Chavo Guerrero.

How to build Chavo and Carlito?: The two have paired up more than once on WWE Superstars, mainly as a formality of random tag team matches. But WWE may not be aware of what they are doing? The pairing of Chavo and Carlito is exactly the dynamic Spanish duo that the WWE fans crave since the passing of Eddie Guerrero. Chavo's Mexican heritage, along with Carlito's Puerto Rican heritage, can provide some great comical insight to the diverse Spanish culture.

SmackDown Results: 2/26/10 - Spear, spear, on SmackDown

Spear, spear, spear on Jericho

The RAW following the hellacious Elimination Chamber, Chris Jericho celebrated his World Heavyweight Title win only to be speared again by Edge, who announced Chris as his WrestleMania opponent. Enraged, Jericho vowed that he would never be speared again.

Edge then listed Chris Jericho's accomplishments, ranging from becoming the first-ever Undisputed World Champion, defeating Shawn Michaels in his own match, to defeating Undertaker two-times; but he ended each accomplishment with the word, "spear." Edge is sending Jericho the message that no matter what he does, in the end, he will get speared. Edge then informed Chris that come 'Mania, he would be speared again, resulting in Edge's 10th World Title reign.

Chris Jericho then attempted a Code Breaker, but Edge evaded and struck with another spear. Does Edge have Jericho's number; or will he join the fate of the last two Royal Rumble winners?

Dolph Ziggler's perfect restart

A few weeks ago, John Morrison won a Triple-Threat qualifying match to participate in the Elimination Chamber. After failing to capture the World Title, could Morrison win another Triple-Threat to participate in this year's Money in the Bank Ladder match? R-Truth, who also participated in the Elimination Chamber, was inserted in this triple-threat qualifier for MitB. The final competitor was Dolph Ziggler, who has incurred more loses in his quest to become the Intercontinental Champion, counted on the outcome of this match to propel his career.

At the very start of the match, Ziggler's strategy was obvious, have Morrison and Truth battle it out as he picks his spots. Morrison and Truth, knowing this full well, rolled to the outside and tried getting Ziggler in the ring. But the tension shifted after Truth pulled Morrison out of the ring, in order to take on Ziggler by himself. Unable to seal the pinfall, Truth ended up fighting Morrison, a match that the fans were deprived of two weeks ago due to Morrison's tweaked ankle.

Ziggler played to his strengths, evading attacks and avoiding confrontation. With a Lie Detector corkscrew meant for Ziggler, accidentally struck Morrison, thus turning the attention between Morrison and Truth yet again. Morrison, after a pele kick and Starship Pain, covered R-Truth for the pinfall. But Dolph Ziggler pulled Morrison out of the ring at the last second, and covered Truth for the emphatic win. Dolph Ziggler has finally taken the first-step towards reviving his career.

Dolph Ziggler will have his WrestleMania moment as he joins Christian and 6 other competitors in the Money in the Bank, Ladder Match.

Vickie screwed Mickie; New Women's Champion

Luck is back on Michelle McCool's side as she once again captured the Women's Championship, making her a four-time female champion. However, the incidents factoring around her title win is controversal at best.

A few weeks back, Mickie James accidently tossed a plate of cottage cheese at SmackDown's special consultant, Vickie Guerrero. As if the release of Maria from the company wasn't bad enough, the added rival of Vickie, along with LayCool and Beth Phoenix, truly has Mickie outnumbered. Vickie first decided to set Mickie in a handicap match against LayCool following the cottage cheese incident, and then announced that Mickie would defend her title against Michelle McCool, and named herself as the guest referee.

At the Royal Rumble, Mickie James scored some much needed payback, after defeating McCool for the title in one switft DDT. It may have been satisfying for her, but not for the fans that wanted to see a hard fought women's match. This rematch more than made up for the squash, however, it ended with Vickie slapping Mickie in the face, a fast 3-count, and awarding the Women's title to Michelle McCool. In what could be considered a modern-day screw job in women's wrestling, left Mickie James, the only remaining babyface on the SmackDown brand, defeated in the ring. With high hopes of Mickie James defending against Beth Phoenix at WrestleMania may remain a dream. And any chances of Beth Phoenix contending for the title may be hard pressed as McCool now has Vickie Guerrero on her side.

Drew's first loss; Kane qualifies for Money in the Bank

Drew McIntyre had never been defeated, not by R-Truth, John Morrison, not even Kane. The brash Intercontinental Champion, coming off from a major title defense at Sunday's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, looked to fulfill McMahon's prophesy of being a future World Champion.

All Drew had to do was win one more match to be automatically inserted into the Money in the Bank Ladder match at WrestleMania. And if he won that match, he would then have the opportunity to cash in on a World Title shot at any time, up to one-year. This qualifying match was an opportunity for McIntyre to one-up Rowdy Piper (WWE's famous Scotsman), who's highest achievement was winning the Intercontinental Championship.

At the pay-per-view, Kane lost to McIntyre after being thumbed in the eye and struck with the Future Shock DDT; this time around, Kane was fully aware of McIntyre's capability. After failing to lock in Future Shock, Drew McIntyre shocked the fans, and the announcers, when he connected with a reverse bulldog, similar to Dolph Ziggler's Zig-zag finisher. Yet, Kane managed to kick out, evade a second Future Shock, and connect with a Big Boot for the win.

Similar to Christian, Kane was in the first and last Money in the Bank Ladder match. And just like Christian, Kane has qualified for this year's Money in the Bank Ladder match. At WrestleMania 25, Kane was finger tips away from becoming Mr. Money in the Bank, will this year be different?

Drew McIntyre, incurring his first-ever loss, was distraught. He behaved as if he lost the Intercontinental Title, because he no longer has the edge which made him above everyone else. Despite the loss, Drew McIntyre needs to stop obsessing, and focus on finding an opponent to defend the Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania.

Shelton is Gold for WrestleMania; C.M. Punk vs. Mysterio at 'Mania?

Aside from being synonymous with Straightedge, C.M. Punk is the only 2-time winner of the Money in the Bank Ladder match, back-to-back. And both times, C.M. Punk successfully cashed them in against Edge and Jeff Hardy to capture his first two World Heavyweight Titles. So, a qualifying match to enter this year's MitB would just be a formality, right?

"The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin has been in every Money in the Bank, except for one. Shelton may have never won any ladder matches, but he is a gifted athlete that always puts on a performance in such stipulations. His latest conquest was against then-ECW Champion Christian at the TLC pay-per-view. He failed to best Christian, but the two put on possibly the best match of the night, only to be matched by D-X and JeriShow in the TLC main-event. What happens when the two Money in the Bank favorites are set to face each other in a qualifying match?

The match looked in C.M. Punk's favor as he managed to hoist Shelton for the GTS, but was distracted by Rey Mysterio attacking Luke Gallows. C.M. Punk's distraction allowed Shelton to connect with Pay-Dirt to win a spot in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania XXVI. As for C.M. Punk, he may not be going to WrestleMania via a ladder, but we may see a grudge/lucha apuesta match against Rey Mysterio.

Edge's Awesome spear; The Miz ready to main-event

The Miz arrived on SmackDown because he doesn't have a match for WrestleMania. He demanded that Teddy Long find a tag team to defend the Unified Tag Team Titles against, but instead, Teddy scheduled Miz into the main-event against Edge.

In the best match of the week, even topping the Jericho-Bryan match on NXT, glimpsed the realization that The Miz is main-event material. Just last year, The Miz was begging for a pay-per-view match, and now he's scoring multiple ppv victories, and main-evented this week's SmackDown against a 9-time World Champion and the winner of the 2010 Royal Rumble, Edge.

Edge is known for bringing the best out of every superstar he faces, whether it be John Cena, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, C.M. Punk, or John Morrison, Edge creates quality matches. Just last week, Edge lured Batista out of his no-compete attitude, and got him to fight in a match against him, no other superstar has that level of ring presence that The Rated-R Superstar has. Edge is still a heel, when many felt he would turn babyface, but he still remains a fan favorite because of his willingness to face any opponent head on.

Throughout the match with The Miz, Edge dictated the pace as Miz tried keeping up. NXT Rookie, Daniel Bryan viewed the match from backstage, in order to learn a thing or two from his mentor. The crowd grew considerable reactions from both Miz and Edge, but with an Impaler DDT followed by a spear, Edge would walk away with a victory over the United States/Unified Tag Team Champion.

ECW Results: 2/9/10

Questions Lingering about ECW Aftermath

Only two weeks remain before ECW comes to an end, and many questions still linger.

What will happen to the ECW superstars, and the brand's title? The ECW Title will be officially defunct at the end of the final episode of ECW. And as for the superstars, they will become free agents; in other words, they will be intergrating within RAW and SmackDown.

What about the non-superstars? Not entirely sure what will happen to Tiffany, Byron Saxton, Abraham Washington, and Tony Atlas. While Josh Matthews has been moonlighting as a backstage interviewer on RAW, the future of the rest remain a mystery.

After next week, Tiffany will no longer be a GM. Yet, she seems confident with the end of ECW looming and the rise of NXT. Has WWE decided to keep her in a GM position, possibly on RAW? All I can say, Tiffany is hott, so WWE will definitely find something for her to do. Even if it means having her lace up her boots and wrestle in the ring. My two best suggestions would be: either have her become the official RAW GM, or have her become the first-ever Divas' GM.

As for Byron Saxton, he was a lousy announcer, so I'm exhillerated over the fact that I no longer have to listen to him. But it also calls into question about the set up of the announce teams for both RAW and SmackDown; because what happens when Jim Ross recovers from his 3rd Bells Palsy episode, will he still have a job?

Then there's the Abraham Washington Show.... Please I hope to all that is good that we never EVER!!!!! have to sit through the worst talk show again.

Championship Opportunities

RAW's historic title change between D-X and ShowMiz may take a detour into the hands of the new #1 contender's, Yoshi Tatsu and Goldust.

With ECW ending, the future of these superstars is uncertain, but a title win would definitely secure a spot on the main roster. Yoshi and Goldie earned the opportunity to face Show-Miz by defeating Caylen Croft and Trent Baretta. Can Yoshi and Goldie leave the final episode of ECW as the new Unified Tag Team Champions?

As for the fate of the ECW Title, Christian will defend it one last time against Ezekiel Jackson under Extreme Rules.

Shelton's Golden Enlightenment

Shelton Benjamin addressed the ECW audience about coming to ECW a second time. As the Gold Standard, he felt that he was too good for ECW. But, on his first night, Yoshi kicked him in the head and lost in 15 seconds. It was truly a wake up call, and since then, Shelton has appreciated the sport more through working with a younger crop of wrestlers just making their way into the WWE.

Shelton has had an outstanding feud with newcomer Vance Archer, who has grown in intensity and ruthlessness each and every time these two hit the ring. Vance Archer is the kind of guy I can picture wrestling for the Original "the real" ECW.

Possibly their final match on ECW, it was under no disqualifications. Which it might as well have been an Extreme Rules match, as Vance Archer dug underneath the ring to pull out a kendo stick. Then Shelton took control as he started wielding a steel chair. Shelton commanded so much control out of that steel chair as he motioned it through the air, it would have been nice if he had connected.

Shelton then appeared to be cut open, as the EMT made his way into the ring, pausing the match, to mend the cut. Two reasons for this could be: WWE is unwilling to show blood on its PG format; or for health code reasons. Shelton almost appeared that he would lose the match, especially after Vance powerbomed Shelton off the top turnbuckle. But that "cut" seemed to have ignited a fire inside of Shelton, which for the past three years have been dim. Shelton struck with PayDirt, delivering Vance Archer's second loss.

This looked like to be their final match, making me believe that after the final episode the two will be split up into different brands.

ECW Results: 2/2/10

ECW Finally Going Off the Air

Vince McMahon made a rare appearance on ECW to announce that ECW would be canceled in three weeks. He stated that even though the new ECW has proven successful they have decided to bring a new innovative WWE program in the same time slot on Scyfy.

I think all wrestling fans can attest that the new ECW, far from Extreme Championship Wrestling, was actually a failure. Many had hopes of the resurgence of ECW back in 2005, at a special One Night Stand pay-per-view. But 2007 proved otherwise. The concept of male wrestlers being known as extremist, and divas as vixens, was short lived. Even the camera work was done differently, but after a while the "extremist" proved too extreme for WWE. The lifestyles of the ECW Originals were unhealthy and unable to comply with the Wellness Policy, because after a year, almost ever member of the original ECW were released from their contracts.

So what's ECW without the founders of Extreme Championship Wrestling? It eventually became just another WWE program, featuring the same format as SmackDown and RAW, except it became a place where new and upcoming superstars can get their start.

The new show will be called NXT, standing for Next Generation, and will feature a wave of new superstars. Leading us to believe that the established stars on ECW will be integrated over to SmackDown and RAW. As for who or what will exactly be featured on this new brand in not official. It may turn into a reality show much like MTV's Tough Enough, or keep to a similar format as ECW with a new NXT developmental title.

What's to come of these new ECW superstars?

Yoshi Tatsu, who recently arrived on ECW as part of Tiffany's superstar initiative, made his first Royal Rumble appearance this past Sunday, but was eliminated by John Cena. Though his stay was brief, it should mean something to be tossed over by Mr. WWE.

Tatsu and Baretta had a fast paced opening contest, filled with arm drags and flips. An example of more of the type of wrestling and faces that we will be seeing on NXT.

However, Baretta failed to maintain focus as he argued with the official, resulting in Tatsu delivering a Roundhouse kick for the pin fall.

I don't know about Baretta, but the rookie better shape up if he plans on maintaining a position after ECW goes off the air.

Shelton Benjamin Creates Superstars

Shelton Benjamin, possibly one of the most underrated superstars, has managed to enter some intense feuds. From Zack Ryder, to Sheamus, and now Vance Archer. The latter two are fairly new to the WWE, and were broken in by Shelton.

Vance Archer has been steadily rising in ECW, with his entrance theme changing along with him. The current theme is entitled "Black Fury" by the man Jim Johnston himself. Vance went undefeated for several months until last week when Shelton granted his first loss.

For Vance and Shelton, it's purely a grip for grapple contest. The match ended with Vance attempting to pin Shelton during a roll through, but was caught trying to use the ropes. However, he quickly went for another pin using the ropes for leverage.

WWE can brashly take Vance Archer and throw him on either SmackDown or RAW, but I believe Vance Archer is just starting to find his footing in the WWE and would benefit on NXT.

Who Will Lead NXT?

Zack Ryder, who believes to be the new Heart and Soul Super hero of ECW, wants to prove that he is above the ECW Title by defeating the brand's leading champion. This is possibly their fourth encounter, and yet, the outcome remains the same.

Though Zack Ryder is unorthodox in his wrestling attire, Zack has that 'it' factor to lead the new wave of superstars. He delivers on his promise of defeating his opponents, and adopts their nicknames as a sign of dominance. Yet, Christian has been the only superstar to evade the Zack Attack.

A lot of thoughts surged through my mind after McMahon's announcement. Will Christian be ECW's final champion? If Zack Ryder believes to be greater than ECW, will he be the inaugural champion of the next generational substitute for ECW? And what must be going through the mind of the Champion, as in three weeks time, the title will be defunct?

As for Ezekiel Jackson and William Regal attacking Christian once more, when will this feud ever end?

WWE Superstars Results: 1/21/10

Y2J, The Second Fall Back

The main event pitted Chris Jericho against Kane. The two men are coming off of great wins from last week's SmackDown: Chris Jericho defeated John Morrison, and Kane defeated Dolph Ziggler. But who would fare in a match between these former co-captains?

Chris Jericho usually has an air of conceit as he enters the ring, but this time, he scurried out of the ring when Kane made his way inside the squared-circle. Jericho, for the most part, spent the match running in and out of the ring to avoid a beat down. But when Kane ultimately caught Jericho, all he received as a beat down. Jericho failed at connecting with both the Walls of Jericho and the Code Breaker. So when he narrowly escaped the chokeslam, he abandoned the match for the 10-count.

This is poor momentum for Chris Jericho heading into the Royal Rumble. How can you hope to win if you cannot take your opponents head on?

Well, Jericho exhibited two tactics vital in a Royal Rumble. One, is to escape the ring from the bottom rope (doesn't count you out of the match); and two, be able to evade finishing maneuvers.

Blond Bashing Divas

The opening contest was WWE's resident tone-deaf diva, Jillian Hall taking on the lovely Kelly-Kelly. We have seen these two fight on numerous occasions, usually yielding the same results. But throughout the years, the one making strides to become a better wrestler is Kelly-Kelly. Her victories over Jillian Hall may be due to the fact that she knows her opponent too well, and has already amounted the precise offense to take her down. At the start of the match, Kelly-Kelly managed a springboard arm-bar takedown, followed by a headscissors takedown. If Kelly-Kelly at age 23, no doubt the youngest Diva, continues at this pace, may soon become a champion. Kelly-Kelly did find herself in trouble when attempting another headscissors takedown, Jillian had scouted the move from early on in the match, and tried to pin her during the roll over through the legs. She then attempted the Crash Test Splash, but Kelly-Kelly evaded the maneuver with a kick to the back of Jillian Hall. With Jillian Hall reeling on the ground, this set up for Kelly-Kelly's K2 leg drop for the clean victory.

Vance Archer's First Loss

Two weeks ago, on ECW, Shelton Benjamin catapulted himself out of the ring, eliminating both Vance Archer and himself from the ECW Homecoming Showdown. The intensity between these two superstars have escalated since Archer has decided to make a name for himself at Benjamin's expense. This was no flashy high-risk match, this was a gritty grapple-for-grapple showdown between these two technical brawlers. Vance Archer making use of his size to deliver a big boot to the face of Shelton Benjamin. The Gold Standard countered a move from Archer by thrusting his whole body in a pele kick. In the end, Shelton Benjamin delivers Vance Archer's first loss in the WWE with an Oklahoma roll-up.

ECW Results: 1/12/10

Being above the ECW Title?

Two weeks ago, Zack Ryder ended the career of Tommy Dreamer, the final remaining ECW Original. Tommy Dreamer was considered the Heart and Soul of ECW, and after defeating Dreamer, Ryder feels that he is above the ECW Title, that he is ECW.

The ECW Title is the highest prize in ECW, and no one, let alone in the land of Extreme, is above it.

Citizen Woo Woo Woo

The opening contest set The Hurricane against Zack Ryder. Hurricane silenced Ryder with a slap to the face because Ryder not only put himself at the top of ECW, but his girlfriend Rosa Mendes slapped him.

The match saw a lot of high risk maneuvers, The Hurricane striking with a neck breaker, but he failed to attempt his Eye of the Hurricane or the Shinning Wizard. Ryder, making good as the head of ECW, by capturing a win with the Zack Attack.

Barreta Screeches a Win

Last week on Superstars, Yoshi Tatsu picked up a win over Caylen Croft, so the other halves of the tag teams duked it out in this match: Goldust versus Trent Barreta. Goldust, the seasoned veteran, catapulted Barreta to the top ropes; yet, still holding on to the legs, Barreta whip lashed spine first into the knees of Goldust.

Barreta starting building up momentum and puberty as he screeched like a 9-year-old boy. Barreta managed to strike Goldust with a leg drop between the ropes, and end the match with a flying knee to Goldust's jaw for the victory.

The End Has Awakened Against Thee

The main event was the ECW Homecoming Showdown, culminating from weeks of qualifying matches pitting the superstars of today against the superstars of yesteryear. The eight finalists are: C.M. Punk, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Shelton Benjamin, Vance Archer, Kane, and Ezekiel Jackson.

Kane, a former ECW Champion, winning it in record fashion at WrestleMania XXIV, commanded respect from the ECW finalists as he delivered uppercuts and dropped a big boot to the face of anyone who came near. Within seconds of the match, Kane showed his dominance by eliminating Evan Bourne.

The finalist concentrated their efforts on eliminating Kane and Ezekiel, the two biggest threats. But Shelton, instead, launched himself over the top rope to eliminate Vance Archer, and himself in the process. Shelton still holds a grudge over what happened last week on WWE Superstars.

Ezekiel Jackson took out former ECW Champion, Matt Hardy, after he moronically went for a cross body. And then Jackson eliminated C.M. Punk, another former ECW Champion.

Kane eliminated Yoshi setting the stage for a final showdown between the most dominate force of the past against the immovable object in ECW today. The two monsters were choking the life out of the other in hopes to reign the victor. Kane's undoing came when he attempted a diving upper cut from the top rope, and Ezekiel rolled out of the way to follow up with a clothesline to eliminate yet another former ECW Champion.

Ezekiel has said that the end has come and it has awakened. Well, Ezekiel carefully eliminated all three former ECW Champions in the showdown. Can Ezekiel make good on his prophecy and pin the current ECW Champion, Christian?

ECW Results: 1/5/10

ECW Showdown: A Look at Christian's Competition

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.

WWE Superstars Results: 12/31/09

Last Call for Alicia Fox. Since becoming the Divas' Champion in October, Melina has taken on all comers. Actually, Melina has only defended her title twice... against Jillian Hall as to her rematch clause... and against Alicia Fox at Madison Square Garden. Once again she would take on Alicia Fox in a non-title match. And unlike the Women's Champion, Michelle McCool, Melina does not sit at ringside with funny shirts, but, instead, participates in every possible divas' match on RAW. Alicia Fox, who has not been seen in quite some time, took on Melina in one-on-one action. The former wedding planner attempted an inverted double underhook to contort the spine of Melina, but Melina's flexible back bent her body in ways that should not be humanly possible. With that said, Alicia actually walked away from the match... feeling that she gave it her all, yet Melina brought her back in order to execute The Last Call. The competition is really weak over on RAW, while SmackDown has all the diva star-power.

Vance Archer, Future Champion? ECW's contribution to WWE Superstars was a squash match between "The Gold Standard" Shelton Benjamin and Vance Archer. Since the TLC pay-per-view, Shelton Benjamin has not seen ring action, yet his return match was not for the faint of heart. Vance Archer got slapped hard in the face after placing Shelton in the tree of whoa (wrapping the opponent upside down from the top turnbuckle). With that empathic statement imprinted on the side of the face, Vance Archer started mercilessly kicking the abdominal region of Benjamin well past the 5-count. And if that were not enough, Vance connected with the Bull's Eye as his empathic statement to the Gold Standard. Now, this match played off the same way as when Shelton faced off against Sheamus, who also failed to adhere to the 5-count, and that man is the current WWE Champion. Will Vance Archer follow suit and climb the mountain as well?

What to do with Charlie Haas? Aside from 2008, and short stints in 2009, Charlie Haas has, for the majority of the time, been off WWE television; leaving most to speculate that he had been released. Indeed, Charlie Haas did request to be released from his contract, but WWE gave him a raise instead after it was presupposed that Kurt Angle had plans for Haas over on TNA. So, after months of being off screen, Charlie Haas teamed up with Mike Knox in a losing effort against Cryme Tyme. On last week's episode of SmackDown, Cryme Tyme took on a team of local wrestlers, for what reason we will not know; but it appears that WWE took an interest from WWEStrikesBack blog post, since they teamed two superstars mentioned here last week. However, after much fortitude against the likes of Shad Gaspard, Haas fell to the Shout Out of JTG. If WWE really wants to make an interesting team - unite Vance Archer and Haas. Or, they can do the sensible thing, which is to bring Haas over to ECW to be established as a top heel. And what would be better than for the once World's Greatest Tag Team to feud?

Carlito Not Forgotten. The main event was provided by RAW with Chris Masters and MVP taking on Jack Swagger and Carlito. Carlito, really? MVP, no doubt finally severing ties with Mark Henry; not so much that there were bad words exchanged but a mutual understanding of branching off. Mark Henry is doing his own thing on RAW, while MVP has become a regular on WWE Superstars. Jack Swagger, a phenomenal wrestler, uses his height and strength to overpower his opponents, just last week he gave the former WWE Champion, John Cena a run for his money. Both MVP and Jack Swagger are primed for the main event scene, they just need that one match that will catapult them to super-stardom. Chris Masters is beyond shadow of doubt excelling as a fan favorite with his dancing pecks. But are the pecks being over done? Chris Masters is also sporting a new entrance theme, which sounds like any other rock theme, but it doesn't fit "The Masterpiece" as did the theme prior. And if pecks and a new theme were not enough, he also has the lovely Eve Torres by his side. Then comes Carlito... In 2004, Carlito in his first match defeated John Cena for the United States Title. So how can someone who defeated Cena in his first night have such a horrible wrestling career? Ric Flair believes it was due to lack of passion. But at the start of his career, Carlito won both the US and I-C Titles in little over a year, and contested for Cena's WWE Title at New Years Revolution in an Elimination Chamber match, but since then WWE has failed to continue pushing his character. The best possible thing to do with Carlito is to reunite him with his brother, and actually work on their gimmick as Caribbean Cool Brothers. As for the match, Chris Masters flex, or made-dance, his pecks as setting up for the Master Lock on Carlito, but the distraction of MVP knocking Swagger over the ropes prompted Carlito to strike Masters with the backstabber for the 3-count. Carlito, only with Chavo Guerrero, has vowed to make the most of the new year, but will he be able to keep that promise as RAW goes head to head with TNA this Monday Night.

ECW Results: 12/15/09

The show started off with ECW GM Tiffany congratulating Christian and Shelton Benjamin for putting on an amazing ladder match at TLC, and for making ECW proud. Shelton Benjamin took the opportunity to ask for a rematch for the ECW Title. Christian never got a chance to respond due to the interruption by The Ruthless Roundtable – mostly William Regal, upset of being overlooked for another title shot. And did anyone notice that Kane appeared at the opening of the program, “I’m baaaack…” Well, Tiffany explains why Kane is on ECW: Each week, for four weeks, she will be inviting a former ECW Champion to compete in an ECW Homecoming Tournament. On the fifth week, the winners of these qualifying matches will compete in an eight-man, over the top, showdown to determine Christian’s opponent at The Royal Rumble. The purpose of these matches is for former ECW superstars and current ECW superstars can clash.

ECW Contract Match: The Hurricane vs. The Ripper w/The Beautiful Nightmare. Two weeks ago on WWE Superstars, Paul Burchil, or The Ripper, interfered with Hurricane’s match against Zack Ryder. Tiffany issued this contract match to allow Burchill a shot at returning to ECW. The announcers stated that the Hurricane is the fearless protector of ECW, so naturally The Ripper is his arch nemesis. Yet, since returning, Hurricane has feuded with one guy –it’s annoying. For all that is good in this world, let him fight someone else, Batman has more than one foe. The last time Helms-Burchill fought was in a Mask vs. Career match, similar to Jericho-Mysterio’s Mask vs. Title match at The Bash. I mentioned last time that Hurricane resembled more like the villain than Burchill, and this match reinforces my allegations. Hurricane ripped Burchill’s mask off, and used the distraction to go for the pin. Not only was that a dastardly thing to do, but Chris Jericho used that same tactic against Mysterio to retain his title at Extreme Rules 2009. Paul Burchill not only lost the match, but he still remains without a contract. Afterwards, Gregory Helms tried to get a word in edge-wise on Burchill's reaction to losing to the Hurricane, in which he just screamed and walked away. And Helms walked away, the audience can see that he was still wearing the Hurricane costume underneath his sports coat.

ECW Homecoming Qualifying Match: Ezekiel Jackson vs. Vladimir Kozlov. Neither Kozlov nor Jackson are former ECW Champions, so why are they in a qualifying match? I don’t know why people were anticipating this match, because it was terrible. Thankfully, William Regal tripped Kozlov, allowing Jackson to execute the Ura-nage and advance to the finals the week before the Royal Rumble. Looks like Regal has abandoned Kozlov.

Abraham Washington Show: Guest, Maria. Here she comes again with legs that go on for miles, Maria is your Diva of the Year as voted by the fans. Maria is a bit more spunky and assertive, which is what she's been missing since starting in 2004. She cracked jokes at Abe's expense - as everyone does. Not much can be said about it, Maria didn't reveal any plans of becoming a better competitor or pursuit of the Women's Title.

Third Match: Trent Baretta and Caylen Croft vs. Julio Cruz and Jorge Arias. Trent and Caylen were playing the SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 video game, using the Create-a-Character to generate themselves into the video game to face off against DX. Trent and Caylen defeated the simulated DX and then fought Cruz and Arias in the ring. Baretta and Croft finished the match with an inverted atomic drop - looks like a stolen move from Team 3D. The two gamers announced that by next year they will receive a Slammy for Tag Team of the Year. Well, I beg to differ.

ECW Homecoming Qualifying Match: Zack Ryder w/Rosa Mendes vs. Kane. The Big Red Monster Kane knows what it is to be the ECW Champion; and his return to the Land of Extreme is shades of 2007 when ECW's ratings were borderline. Well guess what, the ratings are flat lining again, and here comes Kane to the rescue. It's amazing how on SmackDown, Kane is just another superstar, but on ECW... on ECW he's a real big deal. Zack Ryder had a title match a few months ago, but came up short; and he would like nothing more than to become the ECW Champion with Rosa Mendes by his side. Unfortunately, Ryder didn't win, but fell to Kane's chokeslam.

ECW Homecoming Qualified: Ezekiel Jackson and Kane.

Next Week's Guest of Honor: Jack Swagger to take on Yoshi Tatsu.

Other ECW News: Savannah is currently acting as in-ring announcer.

Slow Build for ECW Ladder Match; Next Week's ECW Looks Promising

First Match: Vance Archer vs. Tommy Dreamer. For weeks, the WWE Universe has witnessed ECW's newest acquisition, Vance Archer, decimate his opponents, but this week he would go up against the heart and soul of ECW. And when they say ECW, they mean the real ECW, not this watered down training ground show. Ever since the short-lived tag team with Goldust, Dreamer has fallen off the map. Apparently he's been hosting classic ECW matches on WWE 24/7, but is he back for certain? The commentators praise Dreamer as the poster boy for overcoming adversity, but I see him as the poster boy for jobbing. Despite being a former ECW Champion, Dreamer became Archer's next victim in a long line of jobbers. I'm still not impressed with the guy, he seems like a very generic wrestler.

Second Match: Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft vs. Mark Franks and Danny Vaughn. Last week it was Guitar Hero, and this week it's Mario Kart. I don't know the reasoning behind playing Mario Kart before a match, but their entrance music is still terrible. Barreta and Croft seem to know a lot about gaming; well, here's an analysis for them: their opponents tonight were fighting on a level 1, just like the tutorial in most fighting games. Mark Franks, I believe, remained in the entire match while sadly attempting to tag in his partner. Barreta and Caylen picked up another win this week against an unknown tag team. You would think since TLC is sponsored by SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 the video game, Barreta and Croft would be playing that instead.

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Christian, Shelton Benjamin, and Yoshi Tatsu vs. The Ruthless Roundtable. At the start of the show, after interrupting a promo for the ECW Ladder Match, Kozlov demanded Jackson to face him. Accepting, Jackson ran down the ring and they started shoving one another before Regal could interfere. Shelton Benjamin, who was really fumbling on the mic, started a chant, "Let them fight!" ECW GM Tiffany made the six-man team official after getting the majority vote, from the Roundtable, over a Jackson-Kozlov showdown. Shelton's other two team mates were Yoshi Tatsu, and his opponent this Sunday, ECW Champion, Christian. However, the match went in favor of team babyface, because Kozlov got revenge for Jackson walking out last week by abandoning his teammates. Sadly for Kozlov, Jackson ran after him and continued what they started at the top of the program. As Regal attended to his fallen Roundtable, team face won via count out. Then Christian went for the ladder, as Shelton executed a sunset flip over the top rope and unto the Ruthless Roundtable. The ECW Title still hung, suspended in the air, and Christian symbolically, just like Jericho, climbed the ladder to grab the belt. Shelton, seeing this, springboards from the top rope and lands on the ladder. The show ends with these two fighting over the title. What scared me was when Shelton landed on the ladder, and one side bent inward. The ladder was definitely unstable and should be tested before the pay-per-view.

A Look at Next Week's ECW:
The Ripper vs. The Hurricane (Burchill's Shot for an ECW Contract)

And Possibly:
Tommy Dreamer vs. Zack Ryder w/Rosa Mendes
Vladimir Kozlov vs. Ezekiel Jackson.

ECW Brand Change; The Roundtable is No More

Words out that WWE is finally considering to change the ECW name, yet keep the same time slot on Scyfy. It appears that WWE has finally got the hint that this show was NOT ECW, because there has never been anything Extreme about it. The only wrestler from Extreme Championship Wrestling that has survived the politics and the degeneration of the sport has been Tommy Dreamer. And after losing the ECW title in the birthplace of ECW, it looks as though Christian will be the final title holder of the once sought after grail. But, WWE may have Shelton Benjamin steal the show and become the ECW Champion, finally giving him a world title. I strongly feel that if WWE does change ECW, then the TLC pay-per-view will be the final ppv that the ECW Title is defended.

Abraham Washington Show w/Zack Ryder and Rosa Mendes. There was signs that Tony Atlas is getting higher popularity than the self-proclaimed Funniest Man in All of Sports Entertainment. This popularity does not sit well with Abraham Washington, so he gives Tony a hard time and treats him like a naive jolly giant. The guests with Zack Ryder and Rosa Mendes, who read poems of how they feel for each other. Zack expressed his feelings for Rosa, while she expressed her love for shopping. Ryder equated her Spanish as a sign of her love for him, so he started jumping on the pleather coach - very Tom Cruise.

First Match: Goldust vs. William Regal w/Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov. Prior to the match, Jackson apologized to Regal for his outburst. He spoke with a deep voice, similar to a foreigner; a possible indication of Jackson's face turn. By match's end, Jackson and Kozlov failed to coexist and started shoving the other; this, in turn, distracted Regal long enough for Goldust to get the roll-up victory. But what would this mean for the success rate of the Round Table when they team up agaist Christian and Shelton Benjamin?

New Tag Team Debut: Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft vs. Bobby Shields and Tyler Hilton. Seems a little strange that ECW would debut a new tag team seeing as there are no established tag teams in the Land of Extreme, unless you count the unstable force of Kozlov and Jackson? Barreta and Croft are arrogant in their abilities, a good attitude to have if you expect to succeed in the WWE. When they saw Burchill, who was begging for his roster spot back, they questioned, "Didn't he use to be a pirate;" which shows that Barreta and Croft are long time WWE fans. It is said that they hype up for every match by playing Guitar Hero; which makes sense because their entrance music is so horrible, like something out of a carnival, that they must enter the ring still pumped from the similated Rock playlist. Their debut was a basic tag team match facing off against a local tag team with no one really knowing what to make of them. It felt surreal because it felt like an indie match because there was no gimmick, just a straight grappling contest. My advice: change the entrance music, and add more to their arrogant gimmick.

Main Event: Christian and Shelton Benjamin vs. Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson w/William Regal. In less than 2 weeks, Christian and Shelton set off to try and steal the show in a Ladder Match for the ECW Title. No ECW match has ever stolen the show at a WWE pay-per-view, but this does have a chance of being the best match that ECW has to offer. Despite having a title shot, Shelton seems unphased with teaming with opponent. As for their tag team opponents, Kozlov and Jackson failed to communicate in the ring. Jackson, after receiving a forced tag by The Moscow Mauler, left Kozlov to fall to Shelton's Paydirt. There was no backstabbing between the contender and the champion, only the sight of them on the ramp, absorbing the cheers from the peeps. It is obvious that Jackson's only discrepancy is towards Kozlov, not Regal - Is this truly the end of The Ruthless Roundtable?

ECW Ladder Match Revealed; Eziekel Jackson More Ruthless?

First Match: Shelton Benjamin vs. Zack Ryder. On the last episode of WWE Superstars, after an 'urgent' phone call, Ryder's newest valet, Rosa Mendes, cost Benjamin the match. This time, Shelton was set on retribution. With no outside interference from Rosa, Ryder was able to solely concentrate at the match at hand. It cannot be said enough that these two superstars are not only the stars of ECW, but they are the future of the WWE. Ryder may have gotten lucky last Thursday, but this week, he fell to Pay Dirt.

Christian Calls Out #1 Contender. Shortly after the victory, Shelton looked on as the ECW Champion made his way to the ring. Unlike RAW's electrifying tournament, which resembled WrestleMania IV, Christian named Shelton the #1 Contender for a reason. For the past couple of pay-per-views, ECW has been overlooked. The ECW Title was not considered for a Submission match, or a Hell in a Cell Match, or to be even challenged, as a brand, for Bragging Rights. But at the Survivor Series, ECW made a stand. Christian eliminated 2 of the 5 members on Randy Orton's team to make an emphatic statement, and that is: ECW DOES MATTER. WWE's next pay-per-view, TLC, is a new concept that will feature one TLC, one Tables, one Chairs, and one Ladders Match. Since the Unified Tag Team Titles will be defended in a TLC Match, and the WWE Title will be determined in a Tables Match, why not have a ladders match? Christian chose Shelton Benjamin because he knows how to go above and beyond in a ladder match, just look at the MitB highlight reel at every WrestleMania. Christian wants to steal the show and he wants Shelton to steal the show with him. Finally, Shelton Benjamin, after making his second run on ECW, gets a shot at the ECW Title. But Christian should be weary, because it is only a matter of time that Shelton collects with Pay Dirt.

Second Match: Vance Archer vs. Alex Reynolds. This week, Archer executed a throwaway facebuster, a far more impressive finisher than the snap inverted DDT, but how effective is the move? The throwaway facebuster that Archer executed involved carry the opponent on your forearms; and seeing as Archer's opponent was a small guy, a Collin Dillane sized man, the move was executed properly. But what will happen when he is faced with an opponent matching his size or bigger?

Abraham Washington Show, feat. Matt Hardy. The other Hardy, as Abe, and everyone else, likes to call him, will be making another appearance on Scare Tactics. His first appearance took place at a psych ward where scientist were developing a chip to stimulate emotions. And from the clip that Abe showed, it looks as if it is the same tactic but with a different victim. Matt Hardy says its one not to miss, but I may accidentally forget to set the DVR to record next Tuesday, right before ECW.

Main Event: Yoshi Tatsu vs. William Regal w/Vladamir Kozlov and Eziekel Jackson. William Regal was once again looked over for an ECW Title shot, but honestly, how many are you suppose to have? Obviously, WWE is unwilling to give Regal the Championship, despite having him create a faction. Regal tried to win the match in order to get back into the title picture. What is that about? Regal's style has always been to get a shot by force, when did it start being about winning matches? A few weeks ago Tiffany mentioned about starting with a clean slate, what did she mean? The GM was absent from this week's ECW, so why did he chose to fight a clean match? Regal brought the Ruthless Round Table to ring side to have the advantage, but it turned to his disadvantage. Kozlov pushed Tatsu back into the ring, which allowed him to size Regal for the enzuigiri. When the behemoths entered the ring, Kozlov put the blame of Jackson, who turned on both Kozlov and Regal. The Ruthless Round Table has fallen, and honestly, with a leader who fails countless times - it was going to happen sooner or later.

News on Former ECW Ring Announcer: @LCMayhew No longer ring announcing on WWE for the time being bc I will b focusin on my actin and music in the new year! I will mis my new friends!

WWE Superstars Results: Zack is Saved by the Cell; Ugly Use of Jimmy Wang Yang

ECW Match: Shelton Benjamin vs. Zack Ryder w/Rosa Mendes. The third match between these top ECW Superstars witnessed a strange, but different outcome. On ECW, Ryder demanded another rematch to prove that he could beat him, but did he really earn the victory? By the end of the match, Rosa noticed Ryder's cellphone ringing and called for him to answer it, in mid-match! She actually had the unprofessional audacity to enter the ring after she dropped the phone. The referee almost called the match while frantically ordering her to get out of the ring. Even Ryder pleaded her to leave, until she screamed at a flying Shelton, leaping onto the top turnbuckle - in hopes of attacking Ryder, while endangering Rosa. Zack, then, knocked Benjamin off and went for the cover. What looked like another easy win for Shelton, turned out to be Ryder's big Pay-off for having Rosa at ring-side. In the realm of professional wrestling, a wins a win, and you win by any means necessary.

SmackDown Match: Jimmy Wang Yang vs. Eric Escobar w/Vickie Guerrero. This was a disgusting display of professional wrestling. James Yun, aka Wang Yang, is an amazing high-flying wrestler who should not be jobbing to... another failed attempt of a Puerto Rican superstar. WWE should focus on building the Puerto-Ricans that they already have - The Colons - rather than trying with this uncharismatic "Puerto-Rican Nightmare." James Yun can actually wrestle, which is more than I can say for half of the WWE roster. Yun was a part of an amazing faction back in WCW, Jung Dragons, and to be in WWE as a jobber for Escobar? WWE clearly needs a real creative team that actually knows of which wrestlers should be pushed and others that should just be released. Eric Escobar won with a combination of Vickie's screaming and a running drop kick. Escobar covered Yang in, what I like to call, the Vickie-Mix Pin because it looks like the love making position he would apply on his manager/lover.

RAW Match: Mark Henry vs. Cody Rhodes. Last week on WWE Superstars, MVP got the better of Ted DiBiase, but would the other half of Legacy have a better shot of taking down "The World's Strongest Man?" And seeing as Randy Orton pinned Mark Henry two weeks ago, you would think Rhodes would also get the job done? We all know that WWE Superstars are pre-recorded extra matches, but to pretend that it actually takes place on Thursday is a little much; because this weeks edition of WWE Superstars saw the extreme difference between the Philadelphia arena and Madison Square Garden. Rhodes attempted to take out Mark Henry's legs, which, with two knee braces, seems like the best tactic to take down the Kool-Aid Behemoth. But the World's Strongest Man pinned Rhodes, not in front of the fictitious WWE Superstars audience, but the New Yorkers at Madison Square Garden. The World's Strongest Tag Team and Kofi Kingston enter the Survivor Series with the momentum for their team; however, CM Punk and William Regal, with wins over Christian and R-Truth, carry the momentum for Orton's team. Which team will survive come this Sunday?

Christian Gets Punked; Is Hurricane the True Villain?

The camera zoomed out on the ECW logo to reveal CM Punk. "This is where it all started for me," this opening line should generate a mental montage of CM Punk's accomplishments in ECW; followed by his Intercontinental, and World Tag Team Title reigns over on RAW and SmackDown. In addition to winning Money in the Bank Two Years in a row, and becoming a former 3-time World Heavyweight Champion, Punk has conquered the WWE; and like Alexander, Punk has returned home to the Land of Extreme, but for one night only.

Promo: Ryder's Challenge. Zack Ryder came out with Rosa Mendes stating that he wants to continue having her at ring side, and to have a rematch with Shelton Benjamin. "The Gold Standard" had no idea why would Ryder want to humiliate herself again, and suggested that he remain at ringside while he and Rosa did a little wrestling of their own. Rosa Mendes may have a mouth that doesn't quit, but she is extremely attractive. But the rematch will air on WWE Superstars this Thursday.

First Match: The Hurricane vs. Paul Burchill w/Katie Lee Burchill (Mask vs. Career Match). After seeing these two compete time and time again, I'm sick and tired of it. Hurricane has faced one guy since returning to the WWE; while Burchill, on the other hand, has lost virtually every match in ECW. This feud had to end, and a Mask vs. Career is exactly what was needed. Last week on a WWE.com exclusive, Katie Lee had a Tarot Card reading to determine the fate of the match, but cards can't predict everything. The match saw the downfall of a family, as Paul cried out to his sister during the match "Help Me!" The Burchills are the storied-villains, but who looked more like the villian in that match, if not Hurricane? The Emerald Knight struck Burchill with the Eye of the Hurricane and a hellacious neck breaker from the top turnbuckle. These two fought with careless disregard for each other's saftey, only to prove a point: The Hurricane wants to continue helping the people, while Paul will not be at peace until their foe is unmasked. Burchill put everything on the line for this match, and in the end he lost. The Burchills embraced each other in the ring, swollowing sorrow and an undeniable end to their career in ECW. But all is not lost because Paul said that he and his sister would leave ECW, but never did he say that they would leave the WWE. Something to think about.

Second Match: Vance Archer vs. Johnny Andrews. Vance Archer pinned another jobber, moving on....

Third Match: CM Punk and William Regal vs. (C) Christian and R-Truth (Tag Team Match). Prior to the match, CM Punk found Christian and arrogantly listed his accomplishments, which include his title reigns and his Straight-Edge lifestyle. As it may all look good to anyone who cares to listen, Christian just called him a dork, and stated that whether he may be a former champion or not, the key word is 'former.' The reason for this inter-promotional match up is to showcase a preview of what's to come at The Survivor Series: Christian and R-Truth will be lead by Kofi Kingston, while CM Punk and William Regal will be commanded by "The Viper," Randy Orton. The match had a good build up between CM Punk and Christian, a chemistry I have not seen in a while between superstars; heck, look at the terrible build between DX and Cena. The team of Punk and Regal picked up the win after Regal struck Christian with the Knee Trembler followed by Punk's GTS. Punk returned to ECW for one night, and as he looked on to the fallen ECW Champion, he still remains the Alexander of the WWE.

WWE Superstars Results: The Million Dollar Son, Not Ballin;' Rosa Unable to Mend Ryder's Career

SmackDown Match: Matt Hardy vs. David Hart Smith. After the assault from Batista last week, would Matt Hardy be able to overcome The Hart Dynasty's greatest challenge? DH Smith is the son of "The British Bulldog," Davey Boy Smith and the nephew of Bret and Owen Hart; but despite his legacy, Matt Hardy is a multi-time champion within the WWE, and should not be taken lightly. Todd Grisham, who attempted to get an interview earlier with Smith, was greeted by Natalya, the mouth-piece of the Hart Dynasty. And she claims that DH Smith is in a class of his own because he is a master of suplexes and throw away slams. Matt Striker seemed to disagree as DH Smith only executed suplexes, especially one off the top turnbuckle. Matt Hardy attempted the Twist of Fate and a Side-Effect, but none would keep Smith down for the three-count. It was thanks to an attempted distraction from Tyson Kidd, that forced Charles Robinson to send both him and Natalya back to the locker rooms. While DH Smith was distraught over the referee's decision, Matt Hardy went for the small package pin to win the match.

ECW Match: Shelton Benjamin vs. Zack Ryder w/Rosa Mendes. On ECW, Ryder, despite being distracted in his last match, invited Rosa Mendes to be ring-side during his matches; in turn, Shelton Benjamin, who scored an easy win during their last encounter, would experience a similar outcome. As mentioned during the SmackDown Match, Matt Striker was not impressed by Smith's lack of throw-away slams, but would have been impressed by Shelton's throw-away slam. Later during the match, Zack Ryder fell over the top rope, in which Rosa went to attend the fallen superstar. Ryder was so smitten by her that he failed to realize that the referee counted to 10. And for some reason, Ryder dashed back into the ring only to be hit with Pay Dirt. Zack Ryder should seriously reconsider having Mendes around; but all-in-all, Shelton scores another victory.

RAW Match: MVP w/Mark Henry vs. Ted DiBiase w/Cody Rhodes. DiBiase believes that if anyone is ballin' it's him, because he is the son of the Million Dollar Man. This match was the debut of the newly named tag team, "The World's Strongest Tag Team." I don't know about anyone else, but first off: it's a knock off of "The World's Greatest Tag Team" name; and seeing as Jeri-Show has defeated them twice, doesn't really convey that they are the 'Strongest.' So is this where MVP's career heading? He can pull it off seeing as he was once one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Matt Hardy, but I had high hopes for him as a singles' competitor. Especially when he bad mouthed Randy Orton on his first night on RAW, I saw him contending for the WWE Title... but he's tag teaming with Mark Henry. Orton should have recruited him when he had the chance. MVP attempted to win the match with a combo Ballin' Elbow and Playmaker, but DiBiase kicked out. And Rhodes tried to distract MVP, but "The World's Strongest Man" irish-whipped him to the turnbuckle; whence, DiBiase went for a neck breaker but was countered into a small package by MVP to end the match. Randy Orton may have pinned Mark Henry on RAW, but MVP pinned DiBiase and proves that he is BALLIN'!!!