(Image credit: WWE)
Welcome to this week’s edition of the ECW Recap! Tonight we’ll finally get the payoff of the huge ECW Homecoming Tournament that has taken place over the past few weeks. Any predictions? I’m going with CM Punk, personally.
We start out with an excellent video package that puts over the ECW Title as important and this tournament as a pretty big thing. The main event of the show is the Over-The-Top-Rope Challenge, with the winner getting a chance at Christian’s ECW Championship at the Royal Rumble.
However, we’ll be starting the night with Rosa Mendes, who comes out with a ring entrance theme. Truthfully, I didn’t know she had one. She dances a bit in the center of the ring. No one knows why she’s there. The audience is dead.
Oh, she’s here to introduce Zack Ryder. Remember when I used to love Zack Ryder? Yeah, not so much any more. I can’t wait for him to dump Rosa Mendes and move on to better things. She’s dead weight for him.
They nuzzle in the middle of the ring, which is cute I guess. Zack says it’s a big night for them, there’s a lot of big stars in the back, and the “Zack Pack” has been blowing up his Twitter account, because everyone is here to celebrate the new heart and soul of ECW: Zack Ryder himself.
He says he’s the man around there. He’s got the look, the skills, and the hottest girl in the WWE. He says it’s cool that there are people competing for the ECW Title tonight, but he’s above that, because he IS ECW.
On that note, here comes The Hurricane. The Hurricane calls Zack “Citizen Woo Woo.” He says he’s been sent here from a galaxy far far away to ask him to shut up. He tells Zack it takes more than one match to be the heart and soul of ECW. He says he’s more like the rear end of ECW, because that’s what he’s talking out of.
Rosa grabs the mic and starts yelling at The Hurricane in Spanish. Hurricane asks her to “Press 1 for English,” which causes Rosa to give him a slap. Hurricane doesn’t take this lightly, and he attacks Ryder and tosses him out of the ring.
Not really great, but not horrible. I guess we’ll be looking at these two feuding for a couple of weeks, which should at least give us a few good matches.
Back from break, I guess they’re wasting no time!
Zack Ryder vs. The Hurricane
We join the action in progress as Ryder sends Hurricane to the ropes. Hurricane meets with a shoulder block. They exchange a leap frog, and a few arm drags. The Hurricane is in control. He spreads the legs and goes for a gut stomp.
Zack sends Hurricane into the corner, and Hurricane misses a reversal, so Zack sends him shoulder-first into the post. He follows it up with a face wash and gets a 2-count.
Zack locks in a headlock and does a decent job of working it. He stands Hurricane up and hits a DDT. Ryder goes for a pin but the ref checks the shoulders and they’re not quite down, so he doesn’t count. Ryder goes for an elbow drop but Hurricane dodges. They trade punches and kicks. Hurricane eats a kick to the face and a faceplant on the mat. Ryder scores a 2-count.
Ryder chokes Hurricane on the ropes, then kicks the back and goes for the throat again. This match isn’t as fast-paced as it could be. Zack scores a Rough Ryder Leg Lariat for a 2-count.
Zack teases the crowd and gets a good heel reaction, which is surprising because the crowd is pretty silent. Hurricane takes a nasty-looking spot on the turnbuckle and the crowd “Ooo’s” in pain with him. Maybe they’re actually watching and being respectful? Ryder gets another 2-count.
Hurricane starts to work his comeback. He gets a nice neckbreaker on Ryder and both men struggle to their feet. Hurricane hits a flurry of punches and catches a missile drop-kick. He lands a “Hurri-press” but Ryder counters. Hurricane nails a nice European Uppercut in the corner and goes to the top rope, but Ryder beats him to the corner. He nails the Zack Attack and gets the 3-count for the win.
Winner: Zack Ryder
This match never really got out of first gear. I’ve seen better from both men. I still believe Zack Ryder could be a major player, but not until he drops Rosa Mendes.
Backstage, CM Punk is with Luke Gallows. Punk says winning the ECW Homecoming and winning the ECW Title again presents an interesting opportunity for himself. He’s the only 3-time straight edge World champion.
Winning would enable him to start from the ground-up, and enable him to show them the right path, to mold them in his image and likeness. It would give him the power to cause ECW to cease to exist and in its place would stand his straight-edge society.
Good promo. Punk was kind of creepy here, however. Like, Vance Archer, creepy.
Back from break, Goldust makes his way to the ring. His opponent? Trent Barreta.
Goldust vs. Trent Barreta
I’m sort of surprised to see Barreta in a singles match but apparently Croft was in one on Superstars, so there’s that. Trent tries to use his quickness against Goldust but Goldy keeps up and scores a quick 2-count after a shoulder block.
Goldust does a slingshot on Barreta, bouncing him off the rope, but Goldy holds on and Barreta comes back down on Goldust’s knees. Barreta gets in a few offensive moves but Goldust’s experience seems to be keeping him in control as Barreta is knocked out of the ring.
Barreta teases Goldust into charging into him while outside the ring – Barreta leaps up and over Goldust and gets a leg drop on the apron. They work back into the ring and Barreta gets a 2-count. He keeps control and sends some driving elbows into Goldust for a 1-count.
Goldust punches his way out of a rest hold and launches Barreta into the air. Barreta goes back in for some more offense but Goldust hits a power slam. They both struggle to their feet and trade punches. Goldust builds momentum with running clotheslines. He goes for a pin and scores two
Goldust goes for a finisher but it’s countered. Barreta goes into the corner and Goldust tries to work him out. The ref interferes and Barreta takes advantage. He elbows Goldust in the temple and scores a running flying knee, and a 3-count for the win.
Winner: Trent Barreta
Decent match. Goldust looks best when he’s helping new talent. Barreta shows promise but to me, neither of those two even stand out.
Backstage, William Regal stands with Ezekiel Jackson. He says that Jackson’s abilities are biblical in proportion. Jackson says it’s written in the Book of Ezekiel, to all his opponents, the end has come, it has awaken against them. Or something like that. Truthfully, I’ve never been much for religion.
Back from break, the lovely Savannah introduces Tiffany, who comes to the ring with her atrocious ring entrance music. It’s all Auto-Tune, and it angers me.
She’s pleased to announce the ECW Homecoming Finale. The best eight from ECW’s past and present will compete in an over-the-top-rope challenge to determine who will face Christian at the Rumble. She announces Christian as the special guest commentator for the match.
Christian comes out to the announcing table and cracks some jokes as CM Punk makes his entrance, Slammy and all.
Next out, Yoshi Tatsu, followed by… well, a commercial.
When we return, pretty much everyone is in the ring, but Vance Archer is the last one to come out. Shelton Benjamin wastes no time and immediately attacks Archer before the bell even rings. Apparently, there’s still someone left to enter. Oh, it’s Kane. Archer’s still in the corner, nursing his beat-down. Everyone else is sizing up Kane.
One by one Kane fends off the opposition, and immediately eliminates Evan Bourne mere seconds into the match.
Elimated: Evan Bourne, by Kane
There’s a lull where various people try to eliminate various people to no avail. Kane and Vance Archer go at it for a while, while the rest sort of bounce from person to person. Punk teases suplexing Tatsu out of the ring. Tatsu almost gets Punk out but he slips back into the ring before hitting the ground. We cut to commercial.
Back from break, the same seven are still in the ring. Ezekiel Jackson nearly tosses Punk out of the ring. Archer stands on the apron and fights off Hardy and Benjamin, but Benjamin sacrifices himself to knock out Vance Archer by launching over the top rope.
Eliminated: Vance Archer, by Shelton Benjamin
Eliminated: Shelton Benjamin, by himself
Yoshi and Hardy have a pretty nice exchange. Jackson attacks Hardy. Hardy goes for a body splash, but Jackson catches him and tosses him out of the ring.
Eliminated: Matt Hardy, by Ezekiel Jackson
We’re down to Jackson, Kane, Tatsu and Punk. Punk and Kane trade off. Punk goes for a bulldog on Kane but Jackson clotheslines him and then Kane. Jackson tosses Punk out of the ring with ease.
Eliminated: CM Punk, by Ezekiel Jackson
Yoshi Tatsu is working over Kane with knees and kicks. He goes for an attack but Kane reverses it easily and launches Tatsu out of the ring.
Eliminated: Yoshi Tatsu, by Kane
We’re down to Jackson and Kane, and the crowd is pretty into this. The two lock up and have a test of strength which Jackson wins. Kane actually looks like the small guy here. It’s scary. Jackson gets Kane pinned up against the rope but Kane powers his way out.
The fans actually cheer for Kane, something I thought would never happen. Jackson gets Kane up in a body press and goes to toss Kane out, but Kane counters and hits some solid uppercuts. Kane gets Jackson up over his shoulder and tries to toss him out, but Jackson counters.
Jackson goes to run in with a clothesline, but Kane goes for a chokeslam. Jackson elbows his way out and charges again, but eats a foot to the face. Kane goes to the top rope and misses a clothesline. Jackson takes advantage of the moment and clotheslines Kane out of the ring to become the No. 1 Contender.
Eliminated: Kane, by Ezekiel Jackson
Winner: Ezekiel Jackson to become the No. 1 Contender for the ECW Title.
In the middle of the ring, William Regal comes out and congratulates Jackson as Christian looks on.
And it all comes full circle – William Regal is once again involved in the Title picture, this time by way of Ezekiel Jackson. I have a hard time arguing with this decision, too. Jackson’s looked impressive over the past few weeks. He cuts a decent promo, he has the WWE physique, and with his built-in story with William Regal (and knowing Regal’s history with Christian), it all makes sense.
Still, I can’t help but feel like they’re missing out on a money feud with CM Punk and Christian, or even Yoshi Tatsu and Christian. At least Jackson is a fresh choice. If Kane won, I would’ve been disappointed.
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Ezekiel Jackson is the new number one lol. I was really disapointed on how that battle royal panned out.
Me too. I didn’t really express how disappointed I was that Evan Bourne was tossed out within 30 seconds of the match starting. I should’ve. That was simply ridiculous.
For someone that’s supposedly slated to be the next Rey Mysterio, they certainly don’t give a crap.