WWE Superstars Results: 4/1/10 - Legends' Influence on today's WWE stars

The People's Champ, MVP?
MVP and Kofi Kingston vs. Zack Ryder and Carlito w/Michael Tarver

Coming out of an explosive week from WrestleMania, MVP and Kofi Kingston, who participated in this year's Money in the Bank, teamed up to take on Zack Ryder and Carlito. Either MVP or Kofi Kingston would have done well with the momentum of being Mr. MitB, but that honor has been given to Jack Swagger, who attempted to use it on John Cena before he got the upper hand. MVP, despite recent raves of him trying to relieve the glory days of '07, has gone over with the fans and is a true candidate to become the next face of the company. Kofi, on the other hand, is exciting to watch but his lack of mic skills and loss of identity hurts him for the running. If Kofi is not Jamaican, then why does he continue to act the same way?

At the start of the match, Michael Tarver, Carlito's NXT Rookie, seemed to have a few choice words with MVP as they started trading shoves on the outside. Tarver, who is mainly there to be an observer, may have been trying to make a name for himself after the poor ranking he received on NXT, 7th out of 8 places.

As for the other team, Zack Ryder is peeved for getting squashed by MVP as he missed out on being a part of the Money in the Bank Ladder match. And for the lack of Rosa Mendes' support as she failed to accompany him at the start of his entrance. However, Rosa being in a hot tub with the stars of The Hot Tub Time Machine on RAW may have escalated into a fight between the two. In regards to his partner for the match, Carlito has had his share of girlfriends that always went south, the last being Playboy Model and former WWE Diva, Torrie Wilson.

Aside from the incident with Tarver and MVP, the match mainly focused on MVP's eminent rise of super stardom. MVP has similar traits to The Rock from his charisma to rallying the crowds for the Ballin' Elbow Drop, much like people cheered for The People's Elbow. MVP started his career with "MVP Sucks!" much like The Rock had "Die Rocky, Die!" Though sad that MVP did not win Money in the Bank, it has yet to be used in an honest way, and when MVP becomes World Champion it will be done the right way.

The match ended with Kofi Kingston connecting with the Trouble in Paradise Kick to Carlito, after MVP knocked out Zack Ryder with the Drive-By Kick.

Yoshi Tatsu eliminating former ECW rivals
Yoshi Tatsu vs. William Regal w/Skip Sheffield

Yoshi Tatsu had his own WrestleMania moment this past Sunday by winning a 26 Over-the-top Battle Royal prior to WrestleMania going on the air. He won the Battle Royal by last eliminating former ECW rival Zack Ryder. In this match, Zack Ryder took on another former ECW rival, the 2008 King of the Ring winner, William Regal. Alongside Regal was his NXT rookie, Skip Sheffield, who he could not be more disappointed in after ranking in 6th place.

Despite an impressive Regal Stretch, the match ended with Yoshi Tatsu striking with two Roundhouse Kicks to the back and head of William Regal for the three count.

According to Michael Cole, Yoshi Tatsu got to talk to 2010 WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki, the founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling, a two-time WWWF/WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Champion, and a one-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. After meeting one of his heroes, Tatsu went on to win the Battle Royal at WrestleMania. Inoki possibly provided Tatus with some inspirational stories and advice on succeeding in the business.

The Hart Dynasty - The Team to Watch
The Hart Dynasty vs. The Dudebusters

Who in the blue hell are Caylen Croft and Trent Barreta? Prior to the demise of the ECW, Croft and Barreta were two new superstars added into an unofficial third superstar initiative to offset the loss of Sheamus leaving for RAW. Going through several changes from circus music, to video gamers, it appears they have settled on "The Dudebusters." Really? Is that the best that Croft and Barreta can come up with? Instead of being drafted over to SmackDown following the end of ECW, Croft and Barreta should have been sent back to FCW or have competed on NXT because they clearly need more training.

In the most impressive switch, the Hart Dynasty are now bonafide fan favorites. How did this occur? Just last week on WWE Superstars, Tyson Kidd fought in an impeccable main-event against Rey Mysterio. However, it did not start there seeing as a little boy shouted out "Tyson, you suck!" during mid-match. The Hart Dynasty were left out of this year's WrestleMania as they failed to win a Triple-Threat Qualifying match to contend for ShoMiz's Unified Tag Team Titles. But the surprise came when The Hart Dynasty, along with other members of the Hart family, were named lumberjacks for Bret's No Hold's Barred Match against Mr. McMahon. The Hart Dynasty helped out a troubled Bret Hart on how to conduct more punishment to the Chairman of WWE. Then on RAW, Bret Hart issued a challenge to ShoMiz to take on The Hart Dynasty in a non-title match. Even though it was won via a count-out, The Hart Dynasty have certainly turn heads and the mind-set of the WWE Universe. Many believed that Bret Hart would be spending most of his stint managing the Hart Dynasty, but Bret only needed to endorse them once in a major way to put them on the map.

The match was a fantastic display on why the Hart Dynasty are the team to watch. While Croft and Barreta were impressive in cutting off the ring, the quickness of Tyson Kidd offset that of a potential double team effort. The final graduate of the infamous Hart Dungeon, Tyson Kidd has proven in his mat work why he is the best in-ring technician that the WWE has. The son of "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, David Hart Smith is a brawler much like his father. His shoulder tackles along with his impressive array of suplexes really provides an interesting fortitude for the Hart Dynasty. Trent Barreta was unable to bring down Smith with a flying neckbreaker because Smith managed to tag in Tyson Kidd to perform The Hart Attack. The match ended in a submission victory after Tyson Kidd slapped on the Sharp Shooter to Trent Barreta, while David Hart Smith kept Caylen Croft from breaking the hold with a big boot to the face.

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?

ECW Results: 1/26/10

Christian Evens the Score

With five days left to the Royal Rumble, Ezekiel Jackson has proven to be, possibly, the most dominate superstar in all the WWE. So what does the future hold for the ECW Title and its possessor, Christian, who last week was ambushed by the massive heavyweight and William Regal?

Ezekiel had a message for the ECW Champion: "Christian. The end has come, it has awakened, against you."

Christian responded with a biblical repartee of his own: Ezekiel 25:17 "I will strike down on those with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to destroy my brothers. And you will know... my peeps will know that my name is Captain Charisma, when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

Christian also announced that he has evened the score by naming The Big Red Monster, Kane as his tag team partner for the night.

ECW Title in Jeopardy this Sunday

Kane may be the ideal choice in a fight against Ezekiel Jackson, but how will Christian take him down at the Royal Rumble, where he will have no one in his corner? The opening match was a tag team match pitting Kane and Christian against William Regal and Ezekiel Jackson.

Many have wondered if Christian stands a chance against Ezekiel, whose name is synonymous with domination. This match may have quenched the thirst of the naysayers, but I see it as losing one fight in preparation for the war at the Royal Rumble.

Kane exhibited his strength by overpowering Ezekiel Jackson with uppercuts and take-downs. However, this was not Kane's war to fight, he can only lend a helping hand, only for a while.

Ezekiel Jackson and William Regal remind me, and fans alike, of the days of the federation, when sheer size and arrogance won the hoard of titles and matches alike. With quotes from the bible, there is something apocalyptic about Ezekiel, which is the trend in movies nowadays. People like to see stories about destruction and end of days, but will Ezekiel's prophecy come true? Will the end of the ECW Title Match see Ezekiel's hand raised and proclaimed as the new ECW Champion?

Christian, if anything, is a strategist and must put to use everything he gathered from this tag team match. Ezekiel may be strong, but Christian is quicker, more agile. Christian evaded most of Zeek's punches with various baseball slides under the legs. Even when Christian was beaten down and covered by Ezekiel, Christian was able to power out. How is this possible? Christian has a high threshold for pain, just look at his TLC matches back in the early 2000's.

There is a major dilemma, Christian is unable to hook Ezekiel's arms for the Killswitch. Unlike the forgetful feud between John Cena and The Big Show, where, in a submission match, Cena used the assist from the ropes to lock in the STF, a move said to be impossible against the giant, Christian has other finishers in his repertoire. During the ladder match at the TLC Pay-per-view, Christian secured his title defense after connecting with a Frog Splash off the top of a ladder. Yet, Ezekiel's upper body strength may withstand the Frog Splash, so what else is there? During his stint in TNA, Christian utilized the Cloverleaf as his submission finisher; and just like all muscled bound monsters, they fail to have much leg strength.

So if Christian were to have any chance of defending this title, he should utilize the Cloverleaf to not only defeat Ezekiel, but make him tap out. If he doesn't, then the title match will end the same way as this tag team match did, with a Ura-nage.

ECW Supplying a Mid-Card Main-Event

The final match of the night was the team of Zack Ryder, Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft against the team of The Hurricane, Goldust, and Yoshi Tatsu. The main event, with each team being captained by a "superhero," was purely a showcase of ECW's mid-card roster.

Break Down of Team Hurricane:

The Hurricane: Possibly the worst kept secret in the WWE, backstage interviewer Gregory Helms masquerades as ECW's vigilante, The Hurricane. With monikers such as the Emerald Skywalker, Helms has established a classic 70's superhero persona by executing such heroic acts as, saving the damsel in distress, and bringing justice to the land of extreme. But with pointless feuds with Paul Burchill and, currently, Zack Ryder, can Helms move forward towards some championship gold once more?

Yoshi and Goldie: The odd couple of the WWE, one's a Japanese native, while the other is a cross-dresser from Hollywood, California. How prosperous is this team? Aside from being each other's foreign language professors, there is no real longevity for this team. Sure, they have picked up some wins over Croft and Barreta, but the real attraction is Yoshi Tatsu. Tatsu has an arsenal of kicking variations, but something he has yet to incorporate in the WWE is his suplex variations used in New Japan Pro Wrestling. If Tatsu were to utilize those offensive strikes, he would be a force to be reckoned with.

Break Down of Team Ryder:

Zack Ryder: Ironically enough, Zack Ryder captains a team of new comers in WWE's ever depleted tag team division. Why ironic? Because Zack Ryder was a part of the worst tag team with fellow partner Curt Hawkins. Formerly known as The Major Brothers, Hawkins and Ryder captured the WWE Tag Team Titles at The Great American Bash in 2008, and lost them during their first title defense against The Colons. There's no doubt that Zack Ryder has come a long way from his days as an Edge look-a-like, but is this gimmick any better? He looks like a reject from Jersey Shore, which is not a good thing. Zack's biggest momentum, aside from taking Christian to the limit during an ECW Title Match, was retiring Tommy Dreamer. Instead of running with the momentum, he's been punked by The Hurricane, and has created the nick name, "The New Heart&Soul SuperHero of ECW." Even Miz must be saying, "Really? Really? Really?"

Croft and Barreta: The two former FCW Tag Team Champions, arrived in ECW with a circus entrance theme, and a terrible Bros-are-Gamers gimmick. At least now they have a generic rock entrance theme, and have not mentioned video games since. The best thing for Croft and Barreta to do was graduate from facing jobbers and imbed themselves against fighting actual WWE names. Surprisingly, Croft and Barreta hold more victories over Goldust and Yoshi Tatsu, which builds credibility. As of right now, Caylen Croft appears to be the better wrestler, as he also wrestled in OVW, before being contracted by the WWE. Barreta's wrestling is sloppy, and his stance looks like he has two left feet.

Conclusion of the Match: Zack Ryder took out Zack Ryder over the top rope, while Goldust delivered two uppercuts to Croft and Barreta; thus, allowing Yoshi Tatsu to strike with a Roundhouse Kick to Trent Barreta for the pinfall victory.

ECW Results: 1/19/10

Santino Fails in Pushing Kozlov as a Babyface

For some strange reason, WWE decided to put Santino Marella as the special guest host of the Abraham Washington Show in order to put over Vladimir Kozlov. The heavily-accented Italian funny man tried his best to not only make the Abraham Washington Show worth watching, but to get across that Kozlov is no longer a heel.

However, who has ever heard of a Russian face? Kozlov blames the stereotypical Russians in Rocky IV - even though he still loves the movie - for why people are so reluctant to give him a chance.

Santino Marella posed the idea of Kozlov and Santino as a tag team, which the WWE Universe flat-out rejected. The team would be ideal, since Santino Marella, during his training in OVW, was given the ruthless Russian gimmick before becoming WWE's Milan Miracle. Since arriving in 2007, Santino has finally established himself as a fan favorite; yet, despite his popularity, Santino Marella was unable to get the people to like Vladimir Kozlov.

Croft Shows Promise

The team of Croft and Barreta still do not have my backing, but they have improved. The fist pumps are a little much, and Barreta dangles his arms by his sides, which doesn't show much character.

In the past two weeks, Caylen Croft has lost to Yoshi Tatsu, while Trent Barreta has defeated Goldust. With each team having a win, this following tag team match was the rubber match. What was strange is that Croft and Barreta kept Tatsu in their corner, keeping him from tagging in his partner Goldust. If anything, Goldust is the weaker of the two, but in matters of size and experience, I understand Croft and Barreta's strategy. Yet, when Goldust finally did get tagged in, he was running circles around Croft and almost got the win - emphasis on almost. Barreta knocked Tatsu over the ropes and then clotheslined Goldust off his partner in order to reverse the pin-combination. Croft and Barreta walked away with the pinfall victory over Yoshi and Goldie, but how will they choose to retaliate next week?

The Superhero from L.I.?

Zack Ryder was the man that ended the wrestling career of Tommy Dreamer, and last week, he upstaged The Hurricane. Now, Zack Ryder wants to be addressed as the New Heart & Soul Superhero of ECW. Really? I understand the Heart and Soul, but to add Superhero to the title, doesn't sound too cool. Ryder told Savannah to announce his name, but failed to say it as enthusiastically as he wanted. The Hurricane came to the rescue and chased Ryder and Rosa out of the arena. Zack Ryder should grow a spine and not run away from a guy in green tights.

Ezekiel's Domination

The main event was ECW Champion Christian versus William Regal. These two have fought several times in the past, including last Thursday, with Regal always coming up short.

Winner of the ECW Homecoming Tournament, Ezekiel Jackson is dead set on domination. The match between Christian and Regal was well fought, but it was interrupted by Big Zeek who attacked Christian mid-match. Christian obviously won by disqualification but was punished by an onslaught of a Knee Trembler and the Ura-nage.

William Regal may not become the champion as he once desired, but will his follower be able to do away with Christian?

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?

WWE Superstars Results: 1/7/10

Second Contender in Divas' Tournament: The opening match was a Divas' Championship First-Round Tournament Match to determine the new Divas' Champion. It was reported this past Monday that Melina was injured at a WWE Live Event, which means she would be unable to compete, thus, the title has been vacated. Sadly, Melina was brought over on RAW solely to be the champion and enter a feud with the returning Maryse, but those plans have changed. Maryse, as expected, has already advanced in the tournament this past Monday Night after pinning the Bella Twins. This match was Gail Kim, a former Women's Champion, vs. Jillian Hall a recent Divas' Champion in her own right. Much like the first Divas' contest, this match up was less than desirable. Gail Kim, just coming off of an amazing run in TNA, returned to the WWE. She may have gotten a bigger paycheck, but she definitely did not gain better competition. Jillian Hall, possibly one of the worst excuses of a wrestler, slowed down the pace of the match. Jillian's gimmick is too cartoony and thus has impaired her wrestling craft. Jillian took to long to go into a cover, and, when she did, had her leg under the rope. No limb of any of the wrestlers can be underneath the rope during a cover, those are the rules. Jillian obviously has no understanding of her surroundings while in the ring, and fails to quickly execute her maneuvers. Her wrestling is choppy to say the least, and to give her a title win over Mickie James only to lose it five seconds later to Melina has become a footnote in the annals of the WWE. Gail Kim picked up the win, maybe she can become the top face of the RAW Divas' division.

Money Trumps Pecks. The following was Ted DiBiase Jr. against "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters w/ Eve Torres. The match was clearly a testament to the evolution of Ted DiBiase. Chris Masters may have a sculpted body, but DiBiase has amazing ring awareness, because each time Chris Masters attempted the Master lock, DiBiase would get himself to the ropes to break the hold. Despite there being some issues within Legacy, Ted DiBiase is looking more and more like a guy that can inch his way to the main event scene thanks to the guidance of Randy Orton. Chris Masters, on the other hand, is doing well for himself... a babyface turn... dancing peck routine... and Eve Torres. However, he has been losing more matches than winning. Chris Masters, incorporating the dancing pecks, tries to intimidate his opponents, but personally, the routine seems out of place. And a sighting of old school was seen in this match... no, not Undertaker's tight rope trick... DiBiase attempted to lock in his father's finisher The Million Dollar Dream, while Masters executed Hogan's Guillotine Leg Drop. Ted DiBiase picked up the win after forcing out of the Master lock and striking with Dream Street.

ECW Match. The following match was Caylen Croft w/ Trent Barreta against Yoshi Tatsu w/ Goldust. The friendship between Tatsu and Dust is merely linguistical... Tatsu learns English while Dust learns Japanese. Croft, recently coming over to ECW, did well in his first singles match. Yoshi attempted a hurricanrana but fell flat because Croft retained a strong grip while on the turnbuckle. Still not to impressed with Croft and Barreta, but at least their entrance song has changed to a generic rock theme rather than that circus one. Yoshi picked up the win with his Roundhouse Kick.

Shillelagh Tops Beard. The main event was Finlay versus Mike Knox. The match was nothing special from all their previous encounters. Knox and Finlay have a set fighting style which is to punch, kick, and claw their way to the finish. Honestly, this should not have been the main event... the DiBiase-Masters match expressed wrestling a lot better than this. Fit Finlay is a 51 year old man who, despite a short run as the United States Champion years back, WWE has no interest in ever putting another title around his waste. Heck, after the aborted McMahon's illegitament child story line, Finlay was forced to change his gimmick after being relevealed that it was his son. Finlay's entrance music started out "My Name is Finlay, and I love to fight." Not anymore... Finlay has fallen far from the reservation and does not look too intimidating. Mike Knox cannot be taken seriously either because, despite having a new gimmick, he doesn't win any matches. He went through a trilogy of matches with Kane and lost all of them. This match up is considered below mid-card in my standards. Mike Knox attempted to cheat after removing the protective padding on the turnbuckle, and dropped it in the middle of the ring. The referee sees the padding and does not look to even attempt to fasten it back on... he just tosses it out. Well, Finlay only needed a second to strike with his shillelagh and he picked up the win. That's another thing, Finlay matches usually end with a shillelagh strike, when has he ever won a fair match? Wrestlers tend to watch videos of the competition and themselves in order to better themselves... but what about the referees? Shouldn't they catch on and think, 'Hey, we shouldn't let Finlay bring that shillelagh anymore. Heck, what do I know?

ECW Results: 12/22/09

Swaggin' Return. "Finally, this show's worth watching again," words spoken by the former ECW Champion Jack Swagger, who returns to compete in the ECW Homecoming Qualifying Match against Yoshi Tatsu. ECW is where Jack Swagger got his start in the WWE and is currently fighting on the RAW brand, where just last Monday had a great match against John Cena. To give a sense of who Jack Swagger is, he rolled a video package of his domineering style in the ring; what he should have done was show his ECW Title win over Matt Hardy, and his various US Title hunts over on RAW.

Zack Ryder Killing the Dream. Two weeks ago, Zack Ryder instituted a challenge to Tommy Dreamer, a boy from the LI taking out the hasbeen from Yonkers. Now, the opening match between Zack Ryder and Tommy Dreamer was not a Career Threatening Match, but after losing his Qualifying Match to Kane, Ryder looked to make good on another promise, and that was to end Tommy's wrestling career. Tommy Dreamer showed some life in this match, super-plexing Ryder from the top turnbuckle and taking off his shirt for an attempted DDT, but was caught off guard to the Zack Attack. As of right now, Tommy Dreamer is still a part of the WWE roster, but will Dreamer make it past the New Year?

Abe Getting Better. Trent Barretta and Caylen Croft were guests on the Abraham Washington Show. When asked about the lack of coffee,"I can't afford drinks, this is ECW not Monday Night RAW" - Abraham Washington usually thrives on unfunny jokes, but that was humorous. Barretta and Croft claim that they will revolutionize the tag team divison - that Miz and Morrison were alright while Hart Dynasty is whatever. They should seriously take a look at true tag team wrestling from the days of the Federation and the Attitude Era before making such a bold proclamation.

Agonizing Qualifier. Vance Archer gets a new nickname, "Masterpiece of Agony;" yet, the only agony Archer can inflict is watching one of his matches. Best way to kill pay-per-view sales would be for Vance Archer to take on Tyler Reks, another failed candidate from the Superstar Initiative. The Texan is nothing like John Bradshaw, because how can you be a great heel if you never speak? Archer doesn't wrestle long enough to allow his wrestling speak for itself. The match between Vance Archer and Goldust was short lived, as Archer, after one minute, went for his Inverted Snap DDT. Three of the eight qualifiers have been revealed: Vance Archer, Ezekiel Jackson, and Kane.

"Thanks, Jack." Just like the match with Cena, Swagger took control of this match against Yoshi Tatsu. And with confidence exuding, Jack Swagger closely scouted Yoshi's kicks. His height advantage almost ensured victory, but underestimating a smaller opponent led to an enziguri to the face and a win for Yoshi Tatsu. A loss on ECW is a relief because attempting to qualify for an ECW Title shot would be a major step backwards for the future of the WWE, Jack Swagger.

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?