ECW on Syfy – 12/8/09

The ECW broadcast kicks off with Josh Matthews in the ring with a gigantic ladder behind him and the ECW Championship hanging from the ceiling.  He goes to introduce the participants in the match when he’s interrupted by Vladimir Kozlov who comes to the ring and challenges Ezekiel Jackson.

• Jackson comes out and it looks like the two are going to battle it out mid ring, until William Regal gets in between the pair and begs for them to stop fighting!
• Shelton Benjamin comes out and says, “the people here want action. Let them fight!”  Crowd chants with him.
• Regal threatens Benjamin saying we have the numbers on you so you better leave now, until Christian‘s music hits.  He and Yoshi Tatsu join Benjamin to even the odds.
• A challenge is made for a 3-on-3 match by Benjamin, and Regal says you don’t have the authority, until GM Tiffany comes out and gives the heels the option (majority rules), “either they compete as a team or we let Kozlov and Jackson finish what they started.”
• Regal votes for 6-man.  Jackson votes for 1-on-1.  Kozlov votes for 6-man.

Vance Archer vs. Tommy Dreamer
WINNER: Vance Archer via pin fall after hitting the reverse DDT

Video Package: Clip from Superstars of a masked man that attacked The Hurricane.  We come to find out that the superstar is going by the name, The Ripper, after he and his manager (who look like Paul & Katie Lea Burchill) talk to GM Tiffany earlier in the evening.  Tiffany grants him a match against the Hurricane to earn an ECW contract next week.

Backstage: Rosa Mendez & Zack Ryder are sharing a cupcake when Tommy Dreamer bumps into them.  Ryder says that he wanted to be just like Dreamer growing up, but now he wants to be the guy that ends him!

Trent Barreta & Caylen Croft vs. Mark Franks & Danny Vaughn
WINNERS: Barreta & Croft via pin fall their rendition of  a Hart Attack with a knee to the face.

Byron Saxton and Josh Matthews run down the card for the TLC PPV.

Main Event 6-man Tag Team Match
Shelton Benjamin, Christian & Yoshi Tatsu vs. William Regal, Ezekiel Jackson & Vladimir Kozlov
WINNERS: Benjamin, Christian & Tatsu via count out.

• Jackson goes to tag Kozlov at one point and Kozlov jumps off the apron and walks away.  Jackson chases down Kozlov and puts him down on the ramp.  Regal stops him from doing anymore damage, but the count got to them before they got back into the ring.
• After the match, Benjamin flew over the top rope to land on Regal & Jackson, while Christian grabbed a ladder and set it up mid-ring.  He starts to climb, and Benjamin springboards off the top rope to the ladder and they have a stare down battle at the top while both grasp onto the ECW Title.

QUICK THOUGHTS:

The look on Kozlov’s face when he cast his vote for the match was priceless.  He saw that Jackson looked like a man possessed, and looked like he was scared shitless.  It’s funny to see the Russian look vulnerable like this.  Definitely different to see the unstoppable force that Kozlov was turn to this somewhat weak character.

When Vance Archer came out, my first thought was, “I hope he’s going to destroy Tyler Reks!”  I know that’s mean, but Reks is just not over at all, with me or a lot of the WWE Universe.  When I saw it was Tommy Dreamer, my heart sank a little.  I really respect what Dreamer has done for the business and it sucks to see him get blasted every time he steps in the ring.

Barreta & Croft look like they could become a decent tag team, but their theme music sucks ass!  They’ve got to give them something more rocking.  This sounds like the poor man’s version of Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve.  Hear it for yourself.

The main event was decent.  The extra circular activities on this match up were okay in my eyes.  Kozlov gets what he deserves from Jackson, and the ECW Title match gets some more hype.  I’m not going to rant on this one.  I really hope that the ladder match at TLC for the ECW Title does steal the show!  Guys like Christian and Shelton Benjamin don’t get enough credit for their talent.