Thunder Struck: ECW Review & More
Posted by TWV Guest Columnists
on 10/21/2006
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Guest Column By Joe Thunder
Here we are for this ECW Thunder Struck review. To answer a question first, I'm not sure why the Joe Thunder MySpace account was cancelled and I can guarantee it will be back up in the near future. That aside; let's get to the action.
Matt Striker and Sandman started the show with a Singapore Cane On A Poll match. Striker got possession of the cane first and used it a few times on Sandman's skull. Sandman eventually ducked under one of Striker's swings, which allowed him to kick Striker and gain possession of the cane. This led to the ultimate beat down. I didn't like the count out finish to the match as it made Striker look like even more of a complete coward than he already is. How pathetic is it for a superstar to be freaked out by his own blood? I'm willing to guess that this will lead to some hardcore epiphany for Striker where he wakes up and realizes that ECW is the land of the extreme. Perhaps a tougher Matt Striker could be in the works for the next upcoming weeks.
Test and Balls Mahoney put on a rather quick but exciting contest. This match basically added to Test's buildup as the new breed of extreme for the brand. Holly's involvement after the contest by attacking Test was certainly something we were expecting. The buildup for this rivalry has been terrific so far. A Test & Hardcore Holly match for an ECW Pay Per View would certainly be one to remember. Since Andrew Martin's return to the company, his athleticism and impressiveness in the ring only continues to convince me that he has the right stuff going to be a future champion in ECW. A comparison to Mike Awesome might be fitting for this situation.
We also had another squash match Tuesday night where Renee Dupree is still only being used as the company bitch to put over better talent. After all the failed gimmicks, you think one would realize that they just aren't cut out for the sports entertainment industry. Dupree's runs in the company have been nothing more than a joke. As for CM Punk and Mike Knox, this rivalry has potential Pay Per View stealer written all over it. Both of these guys can fight and a Pay Per View victory for Punk over Knox down the road would certainly give him the credibility he needs to compete on other levels in ECW. As for Knox, the guy is nothing more than a typical wrestler with a boring gimmick.
Sabu seems to be kicking the asses of all the new talent in ECW. Shannon Moore was no exception last night. Why on earth Sabu can win match after match and put on such a great showing yet not be the champion of ECW is beyond my comprehension. The guy can main event a match week in and week out. As much as I respect the current world champion, the guy is boring in a contest compared to what Sabu can do in the ring. As far as Shannon Moore goes, I have absolutely no idea why the guy left all the opportunities that he was given in TNA. The company is about to go to the top and being with them during that time period would have allowed Shannon to make a real name for himself. Hell, even Sabu showed his talents better in TNA and was appreciated more than what he is now in ECW.
Though I don't approve of the ending to the RVD/Show encounter, it only made sense for RVD to win the match with some form of outside help. I'm guessing we'll soon see a tag team match between RVD & Holly taking on Show & Test. Or maybe ECW could follow the example of SmackDown! and put these men into a four way contest for the title sometime soon. Aside from that, the match between these two was good as always, especially when one considers what Van Dam is stuck working with. The Big Show is certainly an incredible athlete, but we can all clearly see that RVD's level of competition needs to be someone slightly more mobile than the giant. I honestly feel that two ECW originals like RVD and Sabu could carry a title rivalry for months on end and not bore the fans. They are creative and talented enough wrestlers that they could come up with something new for almost every Pay Per View.
Creative should seriously consider getting their heads out of their ass and letting ECW be what it once was. If they were to do that, do they not feel it would be easier to lure back ECW originals such as The Dudley Boys from TNA? The incentive of working in a specific business that you once loved has got to mean something for these men. Maybe if Vince had not been so eager to fire Rhino, we could have possible seen him competing in ECW right now. Perhaps if ECW had been pushed with stars rather than newcomers, it is possible that the ratings would be at a much higher level than they are each week.
I really like how ECW is jamming so much into one hour of time. It really makes the show worth watching when you know you're going to see a lot of action that isn't dragged out with too many commercial breaks. The obvious comparison of ECW to iMPACT! really shows what a brilliant idea it was for Vince to bring back ECW. The show matches up well with iMPACT! and allows Vince to maintain the rest of his company in whatever condition he so chooses. And let's be honest: right about now, ECW and iMPACT! are very much near the same level of talent and entertainment. TNA usually puts on a terrific show every week, but ECW's one hour of extreme is nothing to look down on when comparing the two.
That's all for this edition. How about some trivia? Credit to Sir William for being the first to get the No Mercy trivia question correct. And now for today's: Who won the match between Kama and Shawn Michaels at the 1995 King Of The Ring Pay Per View event? Until next time, you have been Thunder Struck.
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JoeThunder06@hotmail.com.
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