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: 12/22/09

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.

WWE Superstars Results: 12/17/09

SmackDown Match: Cryme Tyme vs. Dolph Ziggler and Mike Knox. Who says WWE is not educational? Mike Knox is a kinesiologist, meaning he studies how the body works; and Cryme Tyme has innovative words like "redunkulous." Yeah, go education! Cryme Tyme has been off the radar for a long time, since losing their Bragging Rights spots to Matt Hardy's team who went on to represent SmackDown, and winning. Sure they have appeared here and there, but in losing efforts to The Hart Dynasty. This marked the first WWE Superstars, since losing to R-Truth, that Dolph Ziggler was on the losing side. However, Ziggler was not pinned, but it was Mike Knox who fell to JTG's Shout Out (Spinning Sleeper Slam). Question: Has Knox won a match since coming to SmackDown? Except for that one time back in May?

ECW Match: Vance Archer vs. Tommy Dreamer. Judging from the last time these two fought, I thought Dreamer would start feuding with Ryder, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Vance Archer, who has been destroying countless jobbers, has set his sights on the heart and soul of ECW. The fact that Dreamer has been jobbing since losing the ECW Title speaks multitudes on his status in the WWE. Even when Dreamer was champion, he didn't even act like a champion. He was afraid of facing off against Kozlov, and he tried being emotional in all his speeches. It's like, man up and be the "Extreme" guy that you supposedly are. Still, as a New Yorker, you are obligated to cheer on "Fatty" Dreamer, (JoMo-Miz joke). And you would think that a veteran like Dreamer would know not to cover a guy next to the bottom ropes? Well... Archer broke the three-count with the assist from the bottom rope and eventually went on to win the match with the Scoop Lift (Snap Inverted-DDT). Not sure if I like the name, but whatever gets you the big bucks, fine by me.

RAW Match: Jack Swagger vs. MVP. A rematch from last week, the racial feud continues. The other half of "The World's Strongest Tag Team," which they have never been referenced as such since, was on the winning side of the 6-man tag match on RAW. As for MVP, he requested this rematch against Swagger to prove a point. What's the point? It doesn't matter what your background is, you can still win if you try? Unfortunately for Porter, Swagger dominated most of the match. As a two-time All American, Swagger has a tendency to dictate the pace of the match, so a straight grapple technician approach may not be the best to take him down. Surprises are what help disrupt the flow of the match, which is exactly what Porter did, moving to the outside and getting some offensive strikes. By knocking Swagger out with a big boot to the face, MVP was given the opportunity, long enough, to execute the Play-Maker in order to win the match. With each future champion of tomorrow getting a win over the other, how will they fare when they will most likely become participants at the Royal Rumble?

Final Assessment: It was a solid show, with a slow opening match, a decent middle, and a great finish. Suggestion would be to move the Swagger-MVP feud back over to RAW with a full-blown story line, because it deserves it. These two are the next generation of big named superstars and we can hopefully weed out John Cena from the top of the hierarchy.

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 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!

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.

European Peeps Will Christian to Victory; Hurricane-Burchill Match Postponed?

Abraham Washington Show: Yeah... let's start it off this way. Abraham Washington, no doubt, feeding off the comedic routine Christian has built with Yoshi Tatsu: "Thank You" - "Thank You" - "No, Thank You" - "Thank You" - "Didn't I say that already?" - Real great stuff the WWE writers got going there... When asked who would leave Sheffield the ECW Champion, Yoshi Tatsu expressed Christian's tenacity in the ring would play a major factor... Then Abraham Washington took it old school, 11 years, when he recited the ever famous line, "Don't nobody understand the words that are comin' out of your mouth." That's right, Abraham Washington and Yoshi Tatsu had a Rush Hour moment, the polite Asian and the loud mouth, funny black man. The segment didn't go anywhere, didn't reveal any new challenges for Tatsu... it was a bust.

First Match: Paul Burchill vs. Goldust. Last week it was scheduled that Burchill and Hurricane would have the Mask vs. Career match in Sheffield, England; so what happened? It's unclear what exactly did go down, but best guess is that WWE didn't want to complete shatter the English moral by having Burchill possibly leaving ECW. However, after comparing the crowd reactions between Burchill and Goldust, I would have to conclude that the English people could have cared less if Burchill's dreams were shattered, as they were by "The Bizarre One," Goldust. It was insatiable how much the crowd rallied behind the California, American native. Yet, Burchill seemed to have the brute advantage, until The Hurricane appeared in the arena. With Hurricane running around the ring, it didn't take long for Goldust to capitalize on the distraction with The Final Cut. Despite winning the match, all the attention was focused on Hurricane smiling over Burchill's loss.

WWE Superstars Match Revealed: Shelton Benjamin vs. Zack Ryder. Backstage, Ryder confesses to Rosa Mendes that he likes her and invites her to sit ring side during his matches. Then we see a segment of Ryder and Rosa holding hands and skipping... This is the second time that we, the viewers, see what's going on inside the head of Zack Ryder. It's off putting to say the least to have mental visuals of another person's thoughts. I understand that Ryder's persona is from the 80's, but damn it, this is pro-wrestling! not 16 candles.

Second Match: Vance Archer vs. Jason Blackwell. Once again, Archer proves dominate in his match. But is this really the way to show the WWE Universe of what he is capable of? I for one am annoyed at these lousy exhibition matches. It doesn't do anything for the superstar to showcase four moves and call it a night. Archer tossed Blackwell around with a few slam variations and ended it with his finisher The Bull's Eye.

Main Event: (C) Christian vs. William Regal (ECW Title Match). It was a match that took up the better part of an hour, possibly the most intensified rivalry to go down in recent ECW history. The challenger, William Regal, has struck gold before in England; yet would the Blackpool native have the hometown advantage in Sheffield, and capture the long awaited ECW Title? Regal's fellow Englishmen and Christian's peeps escalated to a split decision in the crowds, chanting for both superstars. It was a grueling match and well worth watching, but the ending was literally unbelievable. Regal missed the knee trembler and locked in the Regal Stretch, how was Christian able to break free? The Regal Stretch forces your opponent to the ground, pinching the arms together making it damn near impossible to move, let alone have the arm strength to punch the attacker. I thought the third time would be the charm, but Regal failed once again in his quest for World Championship Gold. Or has he? Prior to the match, ECW GM Tiffany wished Regal luck and proposed, win or lose, that they should start a clean slate. Is Tiffany turning to the dark side, or is she seriously trying to make everyone to get along?

Side Note: Tiffany's New Entrance Theme: "Insatiable" by Jim Johnston

ECW Blames Tiffany; Hurricane Accepts Burchill's Offer

After last week's assault, Christian has had it with William Regal and wanted him in the ring, one-on-one. But instead of Regal, Christian was greeted by the presence of ECW GM, Tiffany, who holds herself responsible because she has refused Regal's requests for an ECW title shot. And despite her pleas not to give in, Christian was ready to give Regal exactly what he wanted in order to get him into the ring. William Regal accepted the title match, but under his terms that the match takes place next week when ECW is in England. Then Tiffany made it official under the condition that Kozlov and Jackson be banned from ring side.

Next week in England, Christian defends the ECW Title against William Regal.

Tiffany has stopped being the adorable GM and has become really incompetent. If she knew how to run her roster then maybe she wouldn't be disrespected every week by the Ruthless Round Table. It’s her fault Regal keeps attacking Christian and everyone else in the title hunt.

First Match: William Regal vs. Goldust. This match is considered a break for Goldust from having his taint handed to him by Kozlov and Jackson every week. Regal won with the Knee Trembler.

Second Match: Shelton Benjamin vs. Zack Ryder. Backstage, as he was gelling his hair, Ryder met ECW's newest Diva, Rosa Mendes. She started going off on how much she loves being on ECW, while Ryder became smitten with the Spanish Import. And, as luck would have it, she was the special ring announcer for his match against The Gold Standard. Except that it was more like bad luck as the distraction from Rosa applying lip gloss cost Ryder the match. Shelton connected with Pay Dirt and is set back on course to a brighter future in ECW.

Promo: The Hurricane listens to Paul Burchill's proposal. The Emerald Skywalker, penned by Josh Matthews, entered the ring with his Hurri-Cane, incase this was a setup. Paul proposed one final match to end the feud once and for all: If Paul wins, Hurricane must unmask; but, if Hurricane wins, both Paul and Katie Lee must leave ECW. Is it really a punishment? It’s pretty much a win-win scenario for the Burchills, either they unmask their foe, or they move up to either SmackDown or RAW. It was idiotic for Hurricane to accept, but that's what heroes do, accept all challenges.

Third Match: Vance Archer vs. Logan Jones. ECW’s newest acquisition is a former TNA star, and a 2-time TNA World Tag Team Champion. Lance Hoyt signed a deal with WWE in April of this year; training in FCW, he made his ECW debut last night against a local jobber. Mainly an exhibition match, Archer finishes with a Snap Reverse DDT.

Main Event: Christian and Yoshi Tatsu vs. Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov. The match played more like a handicap match, as Yoshi fought with both members of the opposing side. Christian tagged in to handle Kozlov and Tatsu took out Jackson on the outside. Christian won the match with the Killswitch and then Regal arrived to take out Christian. The Ruthless Round Table destroyed the ECW Champion, is this a sign for things to come?