Quick hits on ECW
• I’m really enjoying the ECW title program between Christian and William Regal. It’s different than a lot of title programs because other challengers are in the mix, and just when you think Christian is done with Regal, he’s not. The verbal interaction between Christian, Regal and Tiffany on Tuesday’s show was good.
• The main event that pitted Christian and Yoshi Tatsu against Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson was more about the post-match angle than the match. The way Kozlov and Jackson targeted their attack on Christian’s back, weakening him up for his title match against Regal in England on next week’s show, sure makes it seem that Regal will be winning the belt. We’ll see.
• What the heck happened to Tatsu while Christian was being beaten down? He hit a plancha on Jackson on the floor and he just laid there forever.
• Had I not read somewhere recently that former TNA talent Lance Hoyt was wrestling under the name Vance Archer in Florida Championship Wrestling, I don’t think I would have recognized him in his short squash victory over an enhancement guy. When Hoyt (who wrestled in TNA under his real name and as Lance Rock in the Rock and Rave Infection) was released by TNA last February, I wrote that he “moves well for a big guy and has a decent look, so I wouldn’t be surprised if WWE showed some interest.” So WWE ends up signing him to a developmental deal and, of course, changes his look – and not for the better, in my opinion. What is it with WWE always making guys with long hair (Test, Christian, Billy Kidman, Zack Ryder, Kevin Thorn, Frankie Kazarian, etc.) get the cookie-cutter short-hair look? Kazarian reportedly refused to cut his hair, which is why he was out almost immediately after he came in.
• I thought the backstage segment with Zack Ryder fantasizing about Rosa Mendes was pretty funny. Mendes is much smoother on the mic than she is in the ring.
• The Ryder-Shelton Benjamin match was good while it lasted (about four minutes), even though Benjamin winning because Ryder was distracted by Mendes, who was sitting at ringside, was predictable.
• Another program that I like is the one between The Hurricane and Paul Burchill. It appears that it will come to a conclusion with their match on next week’s show. If Burchill wins, Hurricane has to unmask. If Hurricane wins, Burchill and Katie Lea have to leave ECW. My first thought was that Hurricane will win and the Burchills will end up on either Raw or Smackdown. Then I took a look at the rosters for those two shows and realized that Burchill would probably just end up as a jobber to the stars, so he’d be better off staying put. Hopefully, Hurricane will lose and go back to being just Gregory Helms, and Paul Burchill will get a push in ECW.
Comments
I gotta disagree with you kev on Lance Vance Hoyt Archer. I like the hair cut, it gives him a creepy, Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear, kind of vibe. I think it's gonna be great, if that indeed does happen. His southern accent will only make it better. Mitchum had Tattoos, although not to the point of the kind Deniro had in the remake. Of which Waylon Mercy was born. Some good advice would be that he needs to get that "tramp stamp" removed ASAP. either integrate it into a whole back piece or laser that fast.
With his actions last night, I think he has promise, now does he go Taker or does he go Heidenreich? only time will tell.
Posted by: Jimmy Street | November 4, 2009 7:42 PM
I'll be honest Kev, I thoroughly enjoy the ECW show now more than "A" or "B" shows.
Posted by: Glassman | November 4, 2009 9:11 PM
I really dont like how WWE has been introducing new people to the roster...once upon a time, new comers had promos prior to their arrival that gave them a personality and something to look forward to. (HHH had them, heck Goldust had them)
Now its just the announcer saying "oh and heres the new guy: lance archer hoyt wilhelm mcgee."
But why are we supposed to care about the person when nothing is known about him/has no gimmick to remember him by....wow you beat the local joe sixpack jobber, congrats I guess...
Posted by: eee | November 4, 2009 9:29 PM
Actually Kevin, during Christian's beatdown Tatsu did try to come in and make the save. It happened when Vlad and Zeke were beating on him outside the ring by post. If you looked at the right corner of the screen you could see Tatsu rushing in but Zeke beat him down before Tatsu was in full view of the camera
RESPONSE FROM KE: Thanks for clearing that up. Totally missed it.
Posted by: Brendan | November 4, 2009 9:29 PM
Where is Goldust??? Way to kill momentum Vince
RESPONSE FROM KE: I didn't mention it in the post, but he lost to Regal.
Posted by: PJ | November 5, 2009 2:22 AM
Wasn't the joke years ago that the WWE told people to cut their hair because they;d be confused with HHH?
Posted by: Oliver | November 5, 2009 2:52 AM
Interesting observation about the short hair. You can add Jericho to the list. Of course, Jericho is nearing 40 and his ring persona is better suited for shorter hair.
Do you think Edge is due for a trim?
RESPONSE FROM KE: With Jericho, at least it was his decision. I definitely would not change Edge's look.
Posted by: Aaron Goldstein | November 5, 2009 9:56 AM
Watch, Burchill loses and he and his sister come back under masks.
Hoyt with his new haircut looks like a gigantic, bootleg Daniel Craig. Actually, just thinking about it, Kid Kash, when he got his hair cut, looked like a short, bootleg Daniel Craig.
RESPONSE FROM KE: I actually forget about Kash.
Posted by: Mr. Big | November 5, 2009 3:04 PM
I forgot that Kazarian refused to cut his hair when he was under WWE contract. With him being unhappy in TNA now, I wonder if he would reconsider that demand.
Posted by: Jack Windham | November 5, 2009 3:53 PM
Burchill and Katie could just do the lame reinstatement thing that allowed the Miz to come back.
Wrestle a "win a contract with ECW" match, Burchill and Katie come in with alt. attire and masks, squash some scrub like Eugene and Noble, then come back the next week and say, "Surprise, we're actually Burchill and Katie again! HA HA!"
What a lame thing for Miz to come back with.
I disagree with Vance Archer. Completely bland match.
The Goldust/Regal match was awesome save for one thing, Regal won. Goldust was wiping the floor with Regal and then out of the blue Regal hits with a knee shot and completely knocks out Goldust? What a load.
Christian is a very good talent and shouldn't be on the scrub show. But looking at Smackdown and RAW, where does he fit in? He is part of the older generation and not the new crew WWE is trying to promote, and he's not quite on the same level as some of the older talent still in the WWE. I'd hate for him to just be a mid-carder.
Maybe Edge and Christian come back to take over the tag belts again until some new tag team assembles and can take it over again?
Posted by: The Mythical One | November 5, 2009 10:14 PM
I also disagree with Tiffany in any skit. She has a monotone voice and was horrible. The ring announcer also has no infliction in her voice at all, I seriously could do a job 100 times better, though I certainly don't look as good in an outfit as she does.
As for the hair, a lot of guys are losing their hair, so a shorter do definitely works out better for the long run. Kidna funny that HHH would bust Masters for hair plugs, but then look at Hunter's hair. When it is wet it looks like a bunch of spaghetti noodles managing to wriggle out of the holes in the cullender.
BTW, the Halloween Diva dress up was pretty lame, save for the outfit McCool was wearing. She looked so much better in that then her usual ring attire, especially her makeup. She should definitely make use of that look more to sell her heel side. I also agree that Layla should have one being the only one that had any talent at all. Mickie James almost fell over throwing that spin kick that didn't go nearly as high as her move in the ring that it mimicked.
Posted by: The Mythical One | November 5, 2009 10:39 PM
Kev,
Do you think if the Hurricane unmasked, Helms would get a push in ECW? The crowd realy pops when the Hurricane comes out.
Posted by: Holden | November 6, 2009 9:15 AM
Apparently, WWE put a camera inside Zack Ryder's brain. One question, though: who owns the footage?
Posted by: Christopher | November 7, 2009 2:49 PM