ECW on Sci-Fi (9.19.06)
So, uh...Vince Russo is back in TNA, huh? I tend to be more of a Vinny Roo apologist than most (while reserving the right to make fun of all the goofy shit he's churned out, of course), so I'm at least marginally excited. Aside from the outstanding LAX/Daniels & Styles feud, the company has really been stagnant over the last two months or so. Say what you will about Russo, but the shows will have that "zip" that they currently lack. Not to mention his penchant for pushing younger guys. That can only lead to good things. I hope. The only bummer is that it might drive Cornette out of the company, what with him hating Russo with the blinding light of a thousand suns and all. Heh.
Anyway, ECW. I'm all caught up again. Looks like I should have a new boss in late October, so my recap will start coming in on time in a few weeks. Possibly. I'll have no legitimate excuse for it being late at that point, anyway.
-Paul Heyman rolls out the red carpet (literally) for the arriving King Booker. And lets not forget the lovely Queen Sharmell, of course! Royalty in ECW? Who would have thought?
-Opening montage.
Sabu, Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman v. Test, Mike Knox & Matt Striker (w/Kelly Kelly) -
Knox works over Dreamer to start, but ends up getting hiptossed out of the corner. Striker tags in. He charges into a drop toehold and Dreamer points towards Sandman. Striker gets outta Dodge, tagging Knox back in. Dreamer plants him with a neckbreaker, then they both go to the floor after a Cactus Clothesline. Dreamer didn't plan that out very well, though, as he's on the heel side of the ring.
Test attacks, picking him up in a bearhug and ramming him spine first into the post. The announcers remind us that Dreamer has had a broken back. Striker knocks Sandman off the apron and he bumps into the barricade. The referee calls for help, as Sandman is apparently dead or something. He's carried off and this is now a handicap match, I guess. I bet it'll still end in a DQ either way. *sigh*
-Commercials. This week's premiere move is Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep. How can this *not* take an Oscar?After all, it has Jerry O'Connell's even less talented little brother.
They replay Sandman's injury. The hiptoss bump Knox took earlier looked more brutal. Anyway, the heels are working over Dreamer's back. Test whips him into the corner and follows with a clothesline. Tag to Striker. He distracts the ref, allowing Knox to stretch Dreamer's back across the post. Striker gives Dreamer a neckbreaker and picks up a nearfall. Knox comes in and grabs a bearhug.
Dreamer fights free, but charges into a powerslam. Knox slams him again, but misses a legdrop off the second rope. He charges Dreamer in the corner, but runs into a boot. Dreamer spikes him with an inverted DDT and makes the tag to Sabu. Commence the cleaning of the house. He hits a springboard spinning legdrop on Knox, then follows up with Air Sabu, using Dreamer as a base.
Dreamer DDTs Knox. Sabu again uses him as a base, this time dropping a leg onto Knox. Cover, save by Striker. Sabu locks him in a Camel Clutch, but Test comes in and breaks it with a clothesline. He whips Sabu into the corner, but charges into a boot. Sabu is up top. Test grabs the ref and shoves him into the ropes, crotching Sabu in the process. The ref calls for a really awkward DQ. Shoulda known. Well, actually, I guess I did.
Postmatch, the heels are all about the beatdown, but the faces are all like "Hey! It's the Sandman! He's not dead after all!" Cane, cane, cane, heels bail.
-Heyman intends to introduce King Booker to the ECW crew. First up is CW Anderson and Stevie Richards. Stevie kisses the ring, because Booker is more pimp than he. Heyman introduces him to Balls Mahoney. Sharmell is disgusted by this filthy peasant. Balls is none too impressed with them, either.
-Commercials
-Clips from Unforgiven. That TLC match looked fun. I should track it down.
Kevin Thorn (w/Ariel) v. Balls Mahoney (w/Francine) -
Franny? Still needs a sammich. Thorn attacks immediately, tossing Balls to the floor (and almost killing Ariel in the process). He tries to ram Balls into the steps, but it's blocked and Thorn is sent into the ring apron. Back in the ring, Thorn escapes a corner mount and crotches Balls.
He pounds on him a bit more, but Balls quickly fires back. He hits his cradle backdrop suplex for two. Sitout spinebuster gets another nearfall. Ariel trips Balls and Francine jumps her. CATFIGHT! Balls roots them on from the corner, allowing Thorn to plant him with the Crucifix powerbomb and get the win.
-Heyman introduces King Booker to the FBI. Trinity is back, acting like a strumpet. Next, Booker meets CM Punk. He tells Booker that someday soon, he might get to compete against Booker. He even has the gall to touch the big gold belt! Booker decides not to smite him on the spot. Sometimes, benevolence is a necessary evil of a Royal pedigree.
-Commercials
Shannon Moore v. CM Punk -
K² looks on. In the ring, Punk and Moore trade strikes and Punk nails him with a dropkick. He locks Moore in an elevated surfboard. K² is impressed by what she sees. Moore rakes his eyes to escape. He pounds on Punk for a bit and plants him with a back suplex for two. Knox is out to lead Kelly to the back. She gets lost easily, you see.
Back in the ring, Punk shoves Moore into the corner. Moore stops short, looking for a springboard crossbody. Punk sidesteps and Moore lands across his knee. Punk whips him into the corner and follow with a running knee strike. Moore blocks the bulldog and shortarms him into a spinkick. Cover gets two.
Moore heads up top. Mooregasm misses, though. KENTA Rush by Punk. He follows up with the Uranage, then locks Moore in the Anaconda Vice. Moore taps out and Punk remains undefeated.
-Booker runs into that RVD fellow. You'd think Van Dam would appreciate his former partner becoming royalty, but no...he calls him out instead. Booker accepts the match. Extreme Rules, even. What a man.
-Commercials
-Rene Dupree is still extreme. Or so he tells us. What's with these promos that amount to one sentence, anyway? Although that's actually a good thing in this case.
-More hype for The Marine.
-RVD/Booker intros.
-Commercials
Rob Van Dam v. King Booker (w/Queen Sharmell) - Extreme Rules -
This is non-title, I presume. Booker is in control early, outstriking Van Dam. He gets shoved into the corner, though, allowing RVD to fire back. He goes for a whip, but Booker reverses him into the opposite corner. He runs into a back elbow. RVD leaps to the top, but Booker shoves him to the floor. He rams RVD into the announce table, then sends him into the steps as well.
RVD comes back, looking for a suplex. Booker blocks it and hits one of his own. He drops Van Dam across the barricade and we're headed back to the ring. But not before Booker snags himself a chair. RVD ducks a Harlem sidekick and responds with a spinkick. He bounces off the ropes for something or another, but Booker plants him with a Book End! ROYAL SPINNEROONI!
Booker sets up for the axe kick, but RVD picks up the chair and nails him. He skateboards the chair into Booker in the corner, then follows with a corkscrew legdrop. He lays the chair on top of Booker and hits Rolling Thunder. Both guys are down. Van Dam covers, but can only get two. He wedges a chair in the corner. Booker cuts him off with a kick and tries to ram him into it.
RVD blocks and drops him with a kick. Split-legged moonsault gets two. Both guys trade strikes. RVD goes for a dropkick, but Booker catches his legs and catapults him into the chair. Awesome visual, as it looked like a total death bump for Van Dam. Booker sets up for a piledriver onto the chair. RVD slips free. He bounces off the ropes and Booker plants him HARD onto the chair with a spinebuster.
Booker climbs to the top rope. Houston Hangover misses! Now it's Van Dam's turn to go up top. He comes off with the Five Star frogsplash and is much more successful than Booker was. But here comes Bob Holly to make sure yet another good match is ruined by overbooking. He nails RVD with a chair and gives him the Alabama Slam. Booker follows with an axe kick (driving RVD's head into a chair). He covers and gets the duke.
Booker is looking particularly regal as we fade out.
Awesome match. Booker was working like it was 1999 and Van Dam bumped around like crazy to make him look killer. I hate the run ins in, like...every match, but yeah, I won't let that ruin what was a great match up to that point. Booker was just amazing. Can't think of many people I've enjoyed watching more this year.
Anyway, ECW. I'm all caught up again. Looks like I should have a new boss in late October, so my recap will start coming in on time in a few weeks. Possibly. I'll have no legitimate excuse for it being late at that point, anyway.
-Paul Heyman rolls out the red carpet (literally) for the arriving King Booker. And lets not forget the lovely Queen Sharmell, of course! Royalty in ECW? Who would have thought?
-Opening montage.
Sabu, Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman v. Test, Mike Knox & Matt Striker (w/Kelly Kelly) -
Knox works over Dreamer to start, but ends up getting hiptossed out of the corner. Striker tags in. He charges into a drop toehold and Dreamer points towards Sandman. Striker gets outta Dodge, tagging Knox back in. Dreamer plants him with a neckbreaker, then they both go to the floor after a Cactus Clothesline. Dreamer didn't plan that out very well, though, as he's on the heel side of the ring.
Test attacks, picking him up in a bearhug and ramming him spine first into the post. The announcers remind us that Dreamer has had a broken back. Striker knocks Sandman off the apron and he bumps into the barricade. The referee calls for help, as Sandman is apparently dead or something. He's carried off and this is now a handicap match, I guess. I bet it'll still end in a DQ either way. *sigh*
-Commercials. This week's premiere move is Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep. How can this *not* take an Oscar?After all, it has Jerry O'Connell's even less talented little brother.
They replay Sandman's injury. The hiptoss bump Knox took earlier looked more brutal. Anyway, the heels are working over Dreamer's back. Test whips him into the corner and follows with a clothesline. Tag to Striker. He distracts the ref, allowing Knox to stretch Dreamer's back across the post. Striker gives Dreamer a neckbreaker and picks up a nearfall. Knox comes in and grabs a bearhug.
Dreamer fights free, but charges into a powerslam. Knox slams him again, but misses a legdrop off the second rope. He charges Dreamer in the corner, but runs into a boot. Dreamer spikes him with an inverted DDT and makes the tag to Sabu. Commence the cleaning of the house. He hits a springboard spinning legdrop on Knox, then follows up with Air Sabu, using Dreamer as a base.
Dreamer DDTs Knox. Sabu again uses him as a base, this time dropping a leg onto Knox. Cover, save by Striker. Sabu locks him in a Camel Clutch, but Test comes in and breaks it with a clothesline. He whips Sabu into the corner, but charges into a boot. Sabu is up top. Test grabs the ref and shoves him into the ropes, crotching Sabu in the process. The ref calls for a really awkward DQ. Shoulda known. Well, actually, I guess I did.
Postmatch, the heels are all about the beatdown, but the faces are all like "Hey! It's the Sandman! He's not dead after all!" Cane, cane, cane, heels bail.
-Heyman intends to introduce King Booker to the ECW crew. First up is CW Anderson and Stevie Richards. Stevie kisses the ring, because Booker is more pimp than he. Heyman introduces him to Balls Mahoney. Sharmell is disgusted by this filthy peasant. Balls is none too impressed with them, either.
-Commercials
-Clips from Unforgiven. That TLC match looked fun. I should track it down.
Kevin Thorn (w/Ariel) v. Balls Mahoney (w/Francine) -
Franny? Still needs a sammich. Thorn attacks immediately, tossing Balls to the floor (and almost killing Ariel in the process). He tries to ram Balls into the steps, but it's blocked and Thorn is sent into the ring apron. Back in the ring, Thorn escapes a corner mount and crotches Balls.
He pounds on him a bit more, but Balls quickly fires back. He hits his cradle backdrop suplex for two. Sitout spinebuster gets another nearfall. Ariel trips Balls and Francine jumps her. CATFIGHT! Balls roots them on from the corner, allowing Thorn to plant him with the Crucifix powerbomb and get the win.
-Heyman introduces King Booker to the FBI. Trinity is back, acting like a strumpet. Next, Booker meets CM Punk. He tells Booker that someday soon, he might get to compete against Booker. He even has the gall to touch the big gold belt! Booker decides not to smite him on the spot. Sometimes, benevolence is a necessary evil of a Royal pedigree.
-Commercials
Shannon Moore v. CM Punk -
K² looks on. In the ring, Punk and Moore trade strikes and Punk nails him with a dropkick. He locks Moore in an elevated surfboard. K² is impressed by what she sees. Moore rakes his eyes to escape. He pounds on Punk for a bit and plants him with a back suplex for two. Knox is out to lead Kelly to the back. She gets lost easily, you see.
Back in the ring, Punk shoves Moore into the corner. Moore stops short, looking for a springboard crossbody. Punk sidesteps and Moore lands across his knee. Punk whips him into the corner and follow with a running knee strike. Moore blocks the bulldog and shortarms him into a spinkick. Cover gets two.
Moore heads up top. Mooregasm misses, though. KENTA Rush by Punk. He follows up with the Uranage, then locks Moore in the Anaconda Vice. Moore taps out and Punk remains undefeated.
-Booker runs into that RVD fellow. You'd think Van Dam would appreciate his former partner becoming royalty, but no...he calls him out instead. Booker accepts the match. Extreme Rules, even. What a man.
-Commercials
-Rene Dupree is still extreme. Or so he tells us. What's with these promos that amount to one sentence, anyway? Although that's actually a good thing in this case.
-More hype for The Marine.
-RVD/Booker intros.
-Commercials
Rob Van Dam v. King Booker (w/Queen Sharmell) - Extreme Rules -
This is non-title, I presume. Booker is in control early, outstriking Van Dam. He gets shoved into the corner, though, allowing RVD to fire back. He goes for a whip, but Booker reverses him into the opposite corner. He runs into a back elbow. RVD leaps to the top, but Booker shoves him to the floor. He rams RVD into the announce table, then sends him into the steps as well.
RVD comes back, looking for a suplex. Booker blocks it and hits one of his own. He drops Van Dam across the barricade and we're headed back to the ring. But not before Booker snags himself a chair. RVD ducks a Harlem sidekick and responds with a spinkick. He bounces off the ropes for something or another, but Booker plants him with a Book End! ROYAL SPINNEROONI!
Booker sets up for the axe kick, but RVD picks up the chair and nails him. He skateboards the chair into Booker in the corner, then follows with a corkscrew legdrop. He lays the chair on top of Booker and hits Rolling Thunder. Both guys are down. Van Dam covers, but can only get two. He wedges a chair in the corner. Booker cuts him off with a kick and tries to ram him into it.
RVD blocks and drops him with a kick. Split-legged moonsault gets two. Both guys trade strikes. RVD goes for a dropkick, but Booker catches his legs and catapults him into the chair. Awesome visual, as it looked like a total death bump for Van Dam. Booker sets up for a piledriver onto the chair. RVD slips free. He bounces off the ropes and Booker plants him HARD onto the chair with a spinebuster.
Booker climbs to the top rope. Houston Hangover misses! Now it's Van Dam's turn to go up top. He comes off with the Five Star frogsplash and is much more successful than Booker was. But here comes Bob Holly to make sure yet another good match is ruined by overbooking. He nails RVD with a chair and gives him the Alabama Slam. Booker follows with an axe kick (driving RVD's head into a chair). He covers and gets the duke.
Booker is looking particularly regal as we fade out.
Awesome match. Booker was working like it was 1999 and Van Dam bumped around like crazy to make him look killer. I hate the run ins in, like...every match, but yeah, I won't let that ruin what was a great match up to that point. Booker was just amazing. Can't think of many people I've enjoyed watching more this year.
Comments