Post by MikeGrim on Oct 15, 2008 10:22:09 GMT -5
The Spot Fest
ECW on SciFi
by: Michael C. Grimaldi
A day after a terrible effort from the writers of RAW, ECW on SciFi from Las Vegas, NV was the total opposite. It wasn't a great show, but compared to RAW it was a pleasant retreat from the barrage of non-entertaining entertainment (a phrase I am coining here, so please give credit when stealing it). Let's get to the good, the bad and the just kinda there...The Spot Fest.
High Spots:
Opening Segment- In the RAW Spot Fest I talked about how having Mark Henry in too any matches exposes him...maybe someone is listening? Henry didn't even speak in the opening promo, but let Tony Atlas do his talking, conveying the idea that Henry deserves not only another title shot, but the title itself. That brought Teddy Long out, who was thankfully short on catch phrases and more to the point as an effective "let the best man get the shot" babyface GM. It isn't lost on me that the show started off with three black men who are establishing themselves in prominent positions on the show. It's a major step forward that the WWE has taken to broaden their diversity of fans by reaching out to minorities who feel alienated by seeing so few people who "look" like they do w/o that person being a typical stereotype (though there is Cryme Tyme who fits a stereo type to a "T."). Good segment. Not great, but it did what it had to.
Evan Bourne vs. Chavo Guerrero- Wow. And I say wow, not because this was a great match, because really, it wasn't. The pace was too deliberate for the match to be great. The "wow" is the amazement in seeing so many different styles and moves woven into a WWE TV match. Yes, I realise these two have backgrounds that use those styles, but let's just look at what this match had. Lots of lucha arm drags early on. Chavo used the rolling Liger Kick which has now become a set move for him. Then, Chavo used a variation of the Muta Lock but instead of the normal chin lock, applied a cross-face. Cool move. Then, Bourne used the Cima palm strike on Chavo when Chavo was seated on the top rope. I was amazed that WWE would allow so much blatant influence from other wrestling cultures in a TV match. Maybe it wasn't a bring down the house match, but how I wish this were a sign of things to come. Sadly, especially on ECW, one week you see something like this, and the next week we'll get freaks, midgets and bad gimmick matches.
Jack Swagger/Tommy Dreamer- I'm back on the bandwagon for this feud. Two weeks ago I didn't like Swagger getting over on Dreamer after Dreamer had already lost a match, but Swagger showed a little bit of skill in his promo. The line about the door to Long's office as a "time warp" was clever. We've clearly established Swagger as a heel, so now let's see where he takes it.
The Announcing- I really do go back and forth on Striker and Grisham, but after hearing Cole and Lawler on Monday, I must say, the ECW team as a playful one up's manship that RAW doesn't. Cole sounds like he's announcing to children and much like TNA's awful announcing, sometimes even younger fans don't need to be told over and over again certain things (such as the awful "Kane says Misterio hides behind a mask just like all out WWE fans do." It's a throw away line, not one that should be repeated 4 times per Kane match). I also have to say, I did chuckle when Chavo crotched Evan Bourne and Grisham said that Bourne was knocked onto "the capital of Thailand." I swear, I didn't get it at first and I don't think Striker did either, because after repeating it, then Striker started to try and hold back laughing. Poopy and "wee wee" and "tally whacker" jokes are lame...veiled references to the phrase "Bang Cock" are funny.
Botched Spots:
Lack of wrestlers- I like long TV matches, but the pace of the two matches on the show were too slow and there could have been an extra segment in there. Look, next week I'm gonna moan if there are segments for Boogie Man, Mike Knox and Ricky Ortiz...but why isn't Cabana getting a shot...at all? I have to admit, I'm reaching for something for this weeks "botched spots," but come on...give a Hebrew a chance!
Rest Holds:
John Morrison (w/ The Miz) vs. Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle)- Early on the crowd seemed into it and I thought, "wow, two long good matches on one show" but then the match just kept dragging. Finlay needs to just lay into people a Morrison...I dunno. He has so much ability...but I think if he's not in, no pun intended, spot fest matches, he comes off weak. Morrison would be huge in TNA because he'd get to be in matches with rules that don't really exist and stuff and props to do cool shit off of. I'm not saying that would make him better, but he seems like there's still so much there that he can't bring out. The finish was stupid but I guess they wanted to establish Mike Knox still doesn't like Finlay and Cryme Tyme/Miz and Morrison are still made at each other for internet shows...ugh) and the aftermath with Finlay showing "he's focused" by ko'ing the guys who just helped him win isn't very effective. I could get on a CM Punk rant here about how they should let him do more of that kind of stuff, but I'll leave it alone for now since I already bitched about the lack of good use of one of my friends already.
Results:
1. Mark Henry/Tony Atlas/Teddy Long Promo
2. Evan Bourne defeated Chavo Guerrero
3. Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) defeated John Morrison (w/ The Miz)
ECW on SciFi
by: Michael C. Grimaldi
A day after a terrible effort from the writers of RAW, ECW on SciFi from Las Vegas, NV was the total opposite. It wasn't a great show, but compared to RAW it was a pleasant retreat from the barrage of non-entertaining entertainment (a phrase I am coining here, so please give credit when stealing it). Let's get to the good, the bad and the just kinda there...The Spot Fest.
High Spots:
Opening Segment- In the RAW Spot Fest I talked about how having Mark Henry in too any matches exposes him...maybe someone is listening? Henry didn't even speak in the opening promo, but let Tony Atlas do his talking, conveying the idea that Henry deserves not only another title shot, but the title itself. That brought Teddy Long out, who was thankfully short on catch phrases and more to the point as an effective "let the best man get the shot" babyface GM. It isn't lost on me that the show started off with three black men who are establishing themselves in prominent positions on the show. It's a major step forward that the WWE has taken to broaden their diversity of fans by reaching out to minorities who feel alienated by seeing so few people who "look" like they do w/o that person being a typical stereotype (though there is Cryme Tyme who fits a stereo type to a "T."). Good segment. Not great, but it did what it had to.
Evan Bourne vs. Chavo Guerrero- Wow. And I say wow, not because this was a great match, because really, it wasn't. The pace was too deliberate for the match to be great. The "wow" is the amazement in seeing so many different styles and moves woven into a WWE TV match. Yes, I realise these two have backgrounds that use those styles, but let's just look at what this match had. Lots of lucha arm drags early on. Chavo used the rolling Liger Kick which has now become a set move for him. Then, Chavo used a variation of the Muta Lock but instead of the normal chin lock, applied a cross-face. Cool move. Then, Bourne used the Cima palm strike on Chavo when Chavo was seated on the top rope. I was amazed that WWE would allow so much blatant influence from other wrestling cultures in a TV match. Maybe it wasn't a bring down the house match, but how I wish this were a sign of things to come. Sadly, especially on ECW, one week you see something like this, and the next week we'll get freaks, midgets and bad gimmick matches.
Jack Swagger/Tommy Dreamer- I'm back on the bandwagon for this feud. Two weeks ago I didn't like Swagger getting over on Dreamer after Dreamer had already lost a match, but Swagger showed a little bit of skill in his promo. The line about the door to Long's office as a "time warp" was clever. We've clearly established Swagger as a heel, so now let's see where he takes it.
The Announcing- I really do go back and forth on Striker and Grisham, but after hearing Cole and Lawler on Monday, I must say, the ECW team as a playful one up's manship that RAW doesn't. Cole sounds like he's announcing to children and much like TNA's awful announcing, sometimes even younger fans don't need to be told over and over again certain things (such as the awful "Kane says Misterio hides behind a mask just like all out WWE fans do." It's a throw away line, not one that should be repeated 4 times per Kane match). I also have to say, I did chuckle when Chavo crotched Evan Bourne and Grisham said that Bourne was knocked onto "the capital of Thailand." I swear, I didn't get it at first and I don't think Striker did either, because after repeating it, then Striker started to try and hold back laughing. Poopy and "wee wee" and "tally whacker" jokes are lame...veiled references to the phrase "Bang Cock" are funny.
Botched Spots:
Lack of wrestlers- I like long TV matches, but the pace of the two matches on the show were too slow and there could have been an extra segment in there. Look, next week I'm gonna moan if there are segments for Boogie Man, Mike Knox and Ricky Ortiz...but why isn't Cabana getting a shot...at all? I have to admit, I'm reaching for something for this weeks "botched spots," but come on...give a Hebrew a chance!
Rest Holds:
John Morrison (w/ The Miz) vs. Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle)- Early on the crowd seemed into it and I thought, "wow, two long good matches on one show" but then the match just kept dragging. Finlay needs to just lay into people a Morrison...I dunno. He has so much ability...but I think if he's not in, no pun intended, spot fest matches, he comes off weak. Morrison would be huge in TNA because he'd get to be in matches with rules that don't really exist and stuff and props to do cool shit off of. I'm not saying that would make him better, but he seems like there's still so much there that he can't bring out. The finish was stupid but I guess they wanted to establish Mike Knox still doesn't like Finlay and Cryme Tyme/Miz and Morrison are still made at each other for internet shows...ugh) and the aftermath with Finlay showing "he's focused" by ko'ing the guys who just helped him win isn't very effective. I could get on a CM Punk rant here about how they should let him do more of that kind of stuff, but I'll leave it alone for now since I already bitched about the lack of good use of one of my friends already.
Results:
1. Mark Henry/Tony Atlas/Teddy Long Promo
2. Evan Bourne defeated Chavo Guerrero
3. Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) defeated John Morrison (w/ The Miz)