Extreme Era Ends

Last night was the final ECW broadcast for the WWE.  Like the phoenix being reborn from the ashes portrayed on the ECW Title, this promotion was resurrected by Vince McMahon after it went under almost nine years ago with an “invasion” on WWE programming.  It never had the same appeal when it became a weekly television program in 2006 becoming WWE’s C-brand show, but it was a place for WWE to give young rookies a chance to grow while wrestling under the hot lights of jam packed arena.  Here’s what happened on the last ECW ever (2/16/2010):

WWE Unified Tag Team Title Match
Show Miz (Big Show & The Miz -Champions) vs. Yoshi Tatsu & Goldust
WINNERS: Show Miz via pin fall after The Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale on Goldust to retain the Tag Team Titles

Byron Saxton & Josh Matthews run down some of the pros and rookies who are going to be a part of WWE NXT.

Backstage: Tiffany talks about the NXT show when she’s interrupted by Zack Ryder and Rosa Mendes.  Ryder’s pissed that he’s not in the ECW Title match and that “the match is Extreme Rules, so if I want my presence to be felt, there’s no way to stop me!”

More names are revealed from the WWE NXT cast.

Tony Atlas introduces the Abraham Washington Show with our host, Abraham Washington.  Abe goes on a rant saying, “There’s a silver lining to ECW ending, Abraham Washington will be a free agent!”  He goes far enough to compare himself to some guys named Kobe & LeBron when it comes to money… hmmm, dunno about that.

• Abe then goes all out when it comes to introducing not just his last guest, but the biggest guest he’s ever had on his show… Abraham Washington!  He even starts to conduct an interview with himself.
• Shelton Benjamin interrupts saying, “This show is unwatchable when you have a guest, what makes you think anyone wants to watch it when the guest is you?”
• Vance Archer walks out, “I came to tell Shelton that his future better not have him on the same show as me…”
• Interrupted by Caylen Croft & Trent Barreta who are bored to tears with this show.  “The real thing on everyone’s mind is where the 2010 Slammy Award Winning Tag Team of the year are going!”
• Vladimir Kozlov comes out with purpose and spouts something off (subtitles please).  Archer says, “No one understands you Kozlov!”  The Russian attacks Archer, Croft and Barreta.  He and Shelton Benjamin shake hands.

More names are revealed from the WWE NXT cast.

Video Package: History of the Elimination Chamber to hype it up.

• Rundown of the card for this Sunday.

Christian comes to the ring to address the crowd before his match.  “I never looked at being on ECW as a demotion… ECW let me reconnect with Tommy Dreamer.  ECW let me mentor young guys like Yoshi Tatsu… Tonight I fight for every ECW Original who wanted these three letters to mean something!  I fight for every young superstar trying to find their way… I will be proud to say I was the very last ECW Champion!”

ECW Title Match – Extreme Rules
Christian (Champion) vs. Ezekiel Jackson with William Regal
WINNER: Ezekiel Jackson via pin fall after hitting a Eurinagi through a table

• Mid match, Zack Ryder ran in and attacked Christian from behind.  After Christian dumped him out of the ring, Rosa Mendes came in and slapped him across the face.  As that happened, ECW GM Tiffany ran in and attacked Rosa (CATFIIIIIIGHT!!!!)
• Near end of match, William Regal attacked Christian from behind and set up for the Knee Trembler.  Christian moved and turned it into a Kill Switch.  That was enough of a distraction for Jackson to take advantage and finish the match.

We see the last names for the WWE NXT cast.

QUICK THOUGHTS:

The tag team match was good.  I really have to give Goldust and Yoshi Tatsu credit.  They held their own and I never thought I’d be saying this, but I hope Goldust doesn’t go away completely.  He’s been great for Tatsu and I think he’d be very good in a mentor role somewhere within the company, maybe in FCW.  Did anyone see the design on Tatsu’s tights…?  It was a dragon, could they be stereotyping him or comparing him to the WWE Hall of Famer, Ricky Steamboat?

I could’ve done without the Abraham Washington Show segment, but there was one sign that said it all.  The segment took place in the ring tonight, and in one close up of Abe’s head there was a sign behind him that said, “Hey Abe, Good Riddance!”  ENOUGH SAID!

The ECW Title match was exactly what I expected, it was WWECW Extreme, not ECW extreme.  While I’m not completely shocked that Jackson won, part of me is a little upset because of the fact that Christian was the longest reigning, current champion in WWE.  Well it’s almost like WWE’s giving him the finger again.  When he came back from TNA they scrapped his big return angle for Smackdown and put him on ECW.  Yeah he was a champion, but he was a champion on the C-Show!  Once again, WWE disrespects him in my opinion, and it’s sort of sad.  Congrats to Zeke on becoming Champion.  I’m sure he’ll ride the wave of momentum to whatever brand picks him up.