Raw 1001 Generates Major Heat?

WWE fans probably didn't have high expectations heading into episode #1001 of WWE Raw on Monday.  The show, set for the new 3-hour format, had to follow-up a major extravaganza complete with reunions of DX as well as major returns by Lita, The Rock, and The Undertaker.  However, Raw 1001 still managed to generate some "heat," and probably not in the way fans anticipated.

The first moment was the fire that started up pre-Raw.  It was actually made into a big deal on the air, and TMZ covered the news.  That's just what WWE wants, even if it was a minor problem, as there's no bad publicity really.

However, another moment during the show has to make fans wonder.  That was when Abraham Washington made his remark about Titus O'Neil or his team being "unstoppable like Kobe Bryant in Colorado."  The remark was in reference to Kobe's previous rape trial, where Bryant had been accused of sexual assault with a Colorado hotel employee.  The charges were dropped after the accuser refused to testify.  It ended up being settled out of court in a civil suit.

Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler appeared to be doing damage control as they offered apologies for Abraham Washington's remarks during the show.  However, it makes you wonder: was this a planned line to generate more attention, or was AW simply allowed to do his improv schtick?

It's a curious situation, and it wouldn't be beneath writers to have stuck a line like that in there to see which major gossip sites picked up on it (or hoping Kobe, or the Lakers would).  Remember, SummerSlam is in Los Angeles in August.  They've already got Charlie Sheen lined up for it in some capacity, so why not go for another big star or two?

Other big moments from Raw included the return of Randy Orton to defeat Heath Slater in the ring.  Damien Sandow started up a new feud against Brodus Clay, while Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho continued theirs.  Also, later in the night it was revealed that there will be a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam with John Cena vs. Big Show vs. CM Punk for the WWE Title.

In all, it wasn't a bad show, but the 3-hour format makes for a tough sales pitch for WWE right now.  It appears what they want to do is start dominating social media and the world wide web, and the longer they're on air, the better the chances for trending, or getting their apps to hit #1.  So it may seem like a smart move, but will the 3 hours end up hurting WWE in the long run?

It's quite possible, especially if moments like the fire and Abraham Washington's line sneak their way into these 3-hour live events on TV.

What did you think of the latest 3-hour episode of Raw?  Should Raw stick with 2 hour shows?

WWE Superstars Results 06/28/12

WWE Superstars Results 06/28/12

The latest WWE Superstars results featured matches with Kofi Kingston, The Usos, Darren Young, Epico, and Kane.

Kofi Kingston defeated Michael McGillicutty by pinfall.  Late in the match, Kofi was in control and hit a big dropkick on McGill, but McGill avoided Kofi's finisher.  Mike hit Kofi with a dropkick from the second turnbuckle, but couldn't get the 3 count.  Kofi was able to hit a quick kick to McGill's head to drop him to the mat for the win.

Darren Young defeated Epico by pinfall.  Titus O'Neil and Abraham Washington were at ringside, as were Primo and Rosa Mendes.  During the match, AW had a mic on him and said Rosa can't dance.  Later on, Epico got caught on the ropes by Titus from the outside, which then allowed Young to hit the Gut Check for the win.

The Uso's defeated Hunico and Camacho by pinfall.  Late in the match, Hunico brought Jimmy off the top rope with a bodyscissors takedown.  He had a pinfall but only got the 2 count.  Everyone started to brawl in the ring, with the ref trying to restrain Camacho.  The Uso's managed to hit a Superkick on Epico to get the win.

Kane defeated Heath Slater by pinfall.  Slater had a bit of momentum in this one when he took out Kane's knee and then followed with a dropkick.  However, Kane came back when Slater jumped from the top, as he caught him then whipped him to the corner.  Kane was able to hit a sideslam and then his clothesline from the top rope.  As Slater got up from that barrage, Kane was ready with the chokeslam to get the win.

Raw Preview 05/07/12

Tonight's Raw comes one week after several heinous attacks were perpetrated against top WWE superstars.  In the opening segment last week, Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis called down his top star, Brock Lesnar, to compliment him on a great fight at Extreme Rules.  Despite Brock losing, it looked like Laurinaitis was still giving Brock the "face of the WWE" title.  However, WWE COO Triple H came to the ring to disagree, and told Lesnar they would not bow in to his previous demands.  This clearly upset Lesnar, who proceeded to attack and injur Triple H's arm.  The latest reports indicated the WWE COO would need surgery for the injury.  Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar's status with WWE is in limbo.  Will he be officially fired on Monday Night, or will John Laurinaitis reinstate Brock?

Also attacked on last Monday's show was an already-injured John Cena.  Cena had his arm in a sling after fighting Brock Lesnar the night before at Extreme Rules.  While Cena came up on the winning end of the match, he did suffer several injuries, including his left arm due to Lesnar's MMA arm hold.  Later in the night, John Laurinaitis came to the ring where Cena was to announce his next Pay-Per-View opponent.  Laurinaitis seemed to reveal that Cena would be fighting Lord Tensai.  However, as Tensai and his assistant Sakimoto surrounded Cena, it was Laurinaitis who hit Cena from behind, and later smashed a steel chair on Cena's injured arm.  Laurinaitis also announced he will be Cena's opponent at Over the Limit.  What will John Cena have to say regarding this attack and upcoming match?  Will he be present on Raw?

WWE Raw also saw the crowning of new tag team champions, as the team of R-Truth and Kofi Kingston were able to defeat Primo and Epico in a match.  The duo had a successful match on Smackdown as well as they took on Hunico and Camacho in tag action.  During that match, the former champs Primo and Epico, along with Rosa Mendes and talent manager Abraham Washington were all watching.  What does AW have in store for the current tag champs?  Will he be signing the former champs to a deal and help them regain their glory?

Check out Monday Night Raw tonight at 9PM EST on USA!

Raw Revelations: The Nexus vs Cena & Sheamus!

This past week's episode of Raw saw the return of a special guest host as well as John Cena taking on The Nexus in a handicap match. We also learned of the final 8th man for the Raw Money in the Bank PPV ladder match.

The Nexus storyline once again dominated Raw, and then again on Tuesday's NXT. Barrett and his five cronies (Darren Young was injured from Cena's beatdown) took to beating up anyone who helped out Cena last week. That included Yoshi Tatsu, Evan Bourne and John Morrison. Each of them got beatdowns backstage, and The Celtic Warrior Sheamus nearly did. However, he had a change of heart and rushed to find Cena.

Special guest host was Mrs. Carol Brady - Florence Henderson. I don't recall them announcing it on the week prior, but I'm wondering if they're just going to keep the idea going indefinitely and use a celeb whenever. She did an alright job as host, but the Brady Bunch tag match made WWE Raw look like Ringling Brothers. It had Goldust, Khali and even a return for Doink the Clown (Steve Lombardi - The Brooklyn Brawler played him). All that was missing was Hornswoggle. Santino's Bunch won the match and then Raw went for another made-for-TV-highlights moment with Khali and Flo Henderson kissing.

We learned of the eighth participant in the MITB Ladder match. Mark Henry will replace R-Truth who was injured by Miz. Miz tried to injur and humiliate Henry, smashing a plastic trash can on him and dumping trash on Henry. However on the next night's NXT, Henry repayed the favor. Unfortunately, he got Miz's rookie Alex Riley rather than his intended target. We'll probably see these two feud a bit until R-Truth comes back to go against The Miz.

The majority of the rest of Raw was dedicated to promotion of Sunday's MITB PPV. The Edge versus Orton match was outstanding, despite a ruined finish by Jericho. It even included an Air Bourne turned into Orton's RKO. The fans in the arena seemed to appreciate the finish post-match.

The grand finale was Ceka taking on the six guys from Nexus. The GM ordered that nobody could help Cena out or they'd get a 90-day-suspension. Same went for Nexus if they didn't respect the rules of tag-in and tag-out. Both sides respected those rules, and in the end the numbers were too many for Cena to overcome this time. He ended up getting clotheslined down, slammed down and then hit with the 450 Splash from Justin Gabriel for the pin. However, when Nexus attempted for further punishment post-match, Cena grabbed a steel chair and got in the ring swinging. He was soon joined by a surprise ally: Sheamus! Of course that makes things interesting heading into the big PPV cage match Sunday.

People are speculating still as to who the Raw GM might be. Two good guesses right now are either Abraham Washington or wait for it - Eugene. I highly doubt the latter guess, but it'd make things really interesting!

In other news, John Morrison is on the new Muscle & Fitness magazine's cover. The mag includes a feature article on how Morrison prepares for his grueling WWE matches including the ladder matches. If you're a fan of his, or want to try to attempt his intense workouts to get six pack abs, check it out.

Sunday is of course Money in the Bank. My early picks to win the two ladder matches are Drew McIntyre from Smackdown and Randy Orton from Raw. I was thinking they'd leave that final Raw spot a mystery and bring in HHH as a surprise Sunday. There's still a chance I suppose, but there's been talk that HHH is still rehabbing.

Stay tuned for Friday's Smackdown for more revelations as we head into the big Money in the Bank PPV!

Raw GM, Smackdown & MITB updates

After watching Raw this past week and also checking in with some other fans, more theories are developing about who the "anonymous GM" is. Of course we got the key phrase clues "gimme a Hell Yeah" and "that's the bottom line because the GM said so" which lead many to believe it's Stone Cold. Of course that could be true, but it could also be another WWE curveball.

One possibility I've heard mentioned is that the GM is Abraham Washington. He was the talk show host from the now defunct ECW on SyFy. We haven't seen or heard much if anything from him since the ECW sent stars to Smackdown & Raw. He'd be the type to play a joke on everyone making it seem like it's Stone Cold. It's hard to imagine Stone Cold asking John Cena and Wade Barrett to shake hands and make up, that sounds more like something Abraham Washington would do. He also would want to make a big statement, which he has done without being on the air, yet.

We've now got the entire 8 man fields for the Smackdown MITB Ladder match at the upcoming PPV. Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler each qualified on the latest episode of the show. My money is on Drew McIntyre to win, or Christian to win MITB. I'm also willing to bet that we probably see one of the titles change hands with a MITB briefcase cash-in at the PPV. If I had to bet though, I'd go with the World Title changing hands based on Rey needing time off. There's also been a Women's Title match added to the PPV, with Kelly Kelly going against just Layla, who was the original champion.

The Raw MITB ladder match is tougher to predict because there's an open mystery spot right now. Could Wade Barrett take the spot, or maybe a returning Triple H? They may have had R-Truth ready to go for the match, then realized HHH was ready to come back and devised the whole injury story with Truth. It would be odd to see HHH carrying a Red briefcase around, but maybe he'll be the winner.

"Dashing" Cody Rhodes has a new entrance theme, but personally I liked his edgier hard rock theme song over this new pretty boy one. He's also got an interesting gimmick, a digital mirror that he admires himself in on the stage before heading down to the ring.

Kane is still trying to determine who attacked his brother, but what if it was Kane who took him out? Anyhow, Jack Swagger has until Friday night to prove it wasn't him who attacked Undertaker. That will make things interesting heading into Sunday's PPV, depending on who gets attacked.

TLC, Raw & ECW - Sheamus as new WWE champ

With this past Sunday's 2009 TLC PPV results came several title changes right before the close of 2009. D-Generation X was finally rewarded for their historical power amongst the tag team ranks, when they defeated Chris Jericho and Big Show to become new Undisputed Tag team champs. The newcomer Drew McIntyre continues his push towards superstardom, when he took the Intercontinental title from John Morrison, in cheap heel fashion. But of course the win everyone is talking about came from the Celtic Warrior, Sheamus. He defeated John Cena by shoving him off the ropes, causing Cena to fall through a table. That's all Sheamus had to do to grab the WWE title, and now he's your new champion.

Honestly, I like the move by WWE. Jesse Ventura made the statements back on Raw that the same wrestlers are always in the title picture: Orton, Cena, Jericho, HHH...It was just a continuous cycle. Throw in a Batista brief title reign as well, but for a while it was just those few wrestlers carrying the belt. Not that they aren't historically among the top wrestlers in WWE, but it does get boring. The Sheamus move is somewhat similar to when The Great Khali won the World Heavyweight title in a Battle Royal, after Edge was forced to forfeit. In both instances, neither guy actually pinned someone to become champion. Also, it shows the WWE has faith in its new talent. For a while, I had believed Jack Swagger to be the next WWE title holder, maybe even Kofi Kingston. But Sheamus has the big man look and power, like previous champions (Brock Lesnar, Diesel, Undertaker, Sid Vicious). I actually was thinking Sheamus would head to Smackdown from ECW as the next adversary for Undertaker, but instead he's now made a name on Raw within his short WWE career so far.

The Irish media community is going wild over the news of Sheamus' win. Check out "History is made at WWE TLC" and "Sheamus is new WWE World Champion", for just a few. All in all, that move was somewhat shocking, but a nice change for once. The question will be how long Sheamus keeps that title? Maybe until Royal Rumble? He doesn't quite generate a ton of heat yet, but they can work on that if he keeps ducking Cena on Raw.

Speaking of Raw, on Monday's show we got the lengthy 3-hour 2009 Slammy Awards, hosted by Dennis Miller. Miller's been a favorite of mine for some time, and his routines were funny, but just not meant for the WWE Universe. That's not calling the fans unintelligent, just that Miller has a dry sarcasm that works better in different "arenas". He had some humorous lines while comparing Cena to Obama, or discussing bringing Bret Hart in as the next guest host. Mr. McMahon certainly didn't like that. Anyhow, Raw produced some interesting Slammy winners. Maria was a surprise winner of Diva of the Year, because in previous diva votes, Mickie James won the award. They used that opportunity to have Batista pull a Kanye West interruption during Maria's acceptance speech.

In the main event, John Cena and Randy Orton battled for the right to be called 2009 WWE Superstar of the Year. Cena ended up the winner, so they could have the Newcomer of the Year, and new title holder, Sheamus, come out to brag with his newly acquired gold. The Superstar of the Year must have been close this year with four men in a tournament to decide it, but it made things interesting. Other nominees were CM Punk and Undertaker. Punk lost in extremely quick fashion, not too sure why. They could have had Luke Gallows interfere instead to keep Punk looking credible as a superstar of the year candidate. Undertaker lost by countout. As much as many fans were hoping to see Undertaker vs Cena, I have a feeling that is a Wrestlemania moment waiting to happen. I was also surprised to see an award given to Jeff Hardy. Not that he didn't deserve it for that feat, but based on the legal issues revolving around drugs. Then again, it's not like the USA Today or NY Times ran articles about the Slammy Winners from WWE. Also, the WWE is pushing the new Jeff Hardy DVD via CM Punk's rants, and now the award win.

ECW is now running an interesting tournament called ECW Homecoming, set up by its lovely GM Tiffany. Basically it will be 16 matches, with former ECW roster members being invited to compete. The 8 winners go into a final homecoming, which I'm guessing is a Battle Royal. The winner of that becomes #1 Contender for the ECW title. So far, Kane has defeated Zack Ryder, and in another match, Ezekiel Jackson defeated Vladimir Kozlov (Regal interfered, so it appears Jackson is now on Regal's team). It'll be interesting to see who shows up for the tournament. Some names I'd consider would be Jack Swagger (he'll be there next week), Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, Big Show and The Miz. It's hard to pick an early winner, but a Kofi Kingston-Christian title match would work, and a Kofi Kingston ECW title reign would be another title on his wishlist. He reported in WWE magazine his goal is to hold every WWE title (well except the womens belts). So far Kingston has been US Champ, Intercontinental and Tag team champ. That leaves ECW, WWE and World Heavyweight.

On Tuesday's ECW on SyFy, they also had the Abraham Washington show featuring Diva of the Year, Maria. Abe noted in his opening monologue that he was robbed at the Slammy's of Breakout Star of the Year (Sheamus won), Superstar of the Year, Oh My Moment of the Year, even Tag Team of the Year. He failed to mention that Shaquille O'Neal was robbed as "WWE Raw guest host of the year". Bob Barker was good and the game show environment was cool, but Shaq really riled the crowd up and got into it.

Next week's Raw is hosted by baseball star Johnny Damon of the New York Yankees. No idea how much of a WWE fan he is, but several other athletes or sports involved individuals did a decent job - Shaq, Mark Cuban and Ricky Patton.

And don't forget the next WWE film starring a wrestler is out soon. Ted Dibiase will showcase his acting skills in The Marine 2 available on December 29th, 2009 on DVD, Blu-Ray and as part of a DVD 2 pack featuring The Marine (starring John Cena).

ECW Recap 12.01.09

ECW Recap from Hampton, VA:

Josh Matthews and Byron Saxton welcomed fans to ECW, a show amidst many questions. Tonight's main event may answer those questions as future opponents Shelton Benjamin and Christian team up to face the troubled team of Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson.

Tony Atlas was up on the stage to introduce the Abraham Washington Show. Tonight's guests were Zack Ryder and Rosa Mendes. Abe insulted the Virginian crowd calling them stupid, and further proving his point by asking Tony where he was from. Tony said Virginia to the cheers of the crowd. Zack Ryder and Rosa Mendes came out to the show. Ryder had a poem prepared which he took out and read for Rosa as the crowd chanted "You suck". Rosa then pulled out a poem of her own to read. She finished off with some words in Spanish then said she meant it from the bottom of her heart. Ryder was overjoyed by it and began jumping up and down on the leather couch like Tom Cruise on Oprah. Abe told Tony to close the show and they headed backstage as Ryder was still jumping up and down.

Matthews and Saxton said it was good to see love in the air with Rosa & Zack, but said there isn't so much love between Kozlov and Jackson from Regal's roundtable. They showed footage from last week, with Kozlov making a mistake outside the ring which cost Regal the match. Kozlov accused Jackson of messing it up, so Jackson planted him and Regal with his one arm slam move.

Ezekiel Jackson was backstage getting ready for tonight's match. Regal came in and said he owed Jackson an apology after reviewing the tapes from last week's match. Kozlov said he let his temper get the best of him, but he won't be apologizing to Kozlov. Kozlov came in to ask Regal if Jackson was going to apologize. Jackson said no way. Regal stopped their arguing, and said they needed to show the rest of ECW they're still a unit, starting with his upcoming match against Goldust.

---

Goldust vs. William Regal

Regal came out flanked by Jackson and Kozlov. Early in the match, Goludst was about to go for a Shattered Dreams kick to the crotch on Regal in the corner, but Kozlov and Jackson distracted the ref, allowing Regal to kick Goldust down. Regal remained in control from there, using submission holds and a vicious clothesline for near falls.

Goldust started making a big comeback late in the match, hitting a bulldog for a near fall. From there he punched away on Regal before catching himself against the ropes to give Regal a boot to the face. Kozlov and Jackson got into an argument after Kozlov went to grab Goldust's leg from the outside. Regal became distracted by their shoving and arguing and stuck his head out through the ropes to try to intervene. Goldust snuck up behind him and rolled up Regal in the schoolboy pin for the win. Goldust escaped to the outside asn Jackson got in the ring with Kozlov. Kozlov helped Regal and kept pointing at Jackson saying it was his fault. Jackson walked over and Regal got up. The three men left the ring as a unit without any finishing moves being done this time.

Winner: Goldust wins via pinfall over William Regal.

Paul Burchill and Katie Lea were backstage talking to ECW GM Tiffany. Paul was trying to convince Tiffany that the Hurricane shouldn't be part of ECW. Tiffany told Burchill he lost fair and square last week, so they have to leave ECW as the stipulation stated. The two walked off dejected, just as two new wrestlers walked in. Tiffany put out her hand for a handshake but they ignored it. They said they are the tag team that's going to change the world: Kevin Bereta and Kevin Cross. They kept cutting Tiffany off when she tried to talk. They told her they were about to make her look like a genius for signing them. As they left Tiffany just shook her head bewildered by them.

---

Tyler Hilton & Bobby Shields vs. Trent Barreta & Caylen Croft

The new tag team worked together effectively from the onset as they took it to the two amateur opponents. They used several damaging double team moves including a double slam onto their knees. Byron Saxton said during the match that these guys warm up by playing Guitar Hero. They used a variety of doubleteam moves including an impressive finisher where one guy did an atomic drop on the opponent, held him in place as the other came running from across the ring to drive a knee into the opponent's face. Croft and Barreta win their debut.

Winners: Trent Berreta & Caylen Croft win via pinfall over Tyler Hilton and Bobby Shields.

---

After a ECW on SyFy WWE did you know graphic was shown, Savannah was backstage for an interview with Vance Archer. She asked what his plan was for ECW. They kept showing highlights of Archer's dominating ring performances. Archer said most guys would walk into ECW demanding a title shot immediately, but he's going to savor each and every moment on his way to the top. Archer said he's painting a masterpiece of agony over ECW, so the roster should take notice, because he's the one to be worried about.

Smackdown Rebound was next. Highlights were shown from the main event with Chris Jericho versus Undertaker, with Batista at ringside for commentary. In the closing moments of a tough match, Batista got involved and used a chair on Undertaker repeatedly after a Codebreaker from Jericho. Baitsta and Undertaker will fight in a Chairs match at TLC PPV.

Matthews and Saxton discussed the TLC PPV matches including Taker vs. Batista in a Chairs match, as well as Cena vs Sheamus in the Tables match.

Camera cut to backstage where Shelton Benjamin was in the locker room playing out a Ladder match between him and Christian. Christian walked in to see what Shelton was up to. Shelton said he knew why Christian was there and yes he'd have his back tonight. Shelton said he wants Christian 100% for when they steal the show at TLC and he wins his ECW title. Christian smirked, then asked if he could join in on the video game. He asked what a button did as he pressed the Xbox 360 power button. Christian said they'd have to wait until TLC to see who wins.

Kozlov and Jackson were walking backstage but arguing. Regal was trying to keep the peace as they headed out for the main event match.

Shelton Benjamin & Christian vs. Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson

Early on, Jackson shoved Christian to the corner. Christian brushed off and got back up to go at Jackson, ducking his attack and striking away, before getting hammered down by Jackson. Jackson charged at Christian who sidestepped him to toss him outside the ring. Jackson finally caught the champ to slam him, but missed on an elbow drop. Benjamin tagged in with momentum. He got a boot in jackson's face from the corner, but as he got on the corner for a move, Kozlov came over on the apron. Shelton jumped onto the apron to take out Kozlov, but then Jackson rushed over to shove him off the apron.

Late in the match,Jackson was pulling Christian's arms behind his back submission style. He was near the ropes and Kozlov slapped Jackson's back to get in to the match. Jackson took exception. Kozlov came in to continue the attack, eventually slamming him on top of the corner for a huge kick to the gut. Christian elbowed out from the corner and then hit a tornado DDT, but was still down. Christian made a hot tag to Shelton. Vlad tried to crawl over for a tag to Jackson, but Zeke dropped off the apron to ignore the tag and leave Kozlov on his own. Shelton rushed over to splash Kozlov in the corner, then quickly hit Paydirt for the win. Meanwhile, Jackson had headed backstage as the pin was counted.

Regal was upset over what just transpired as he looked at the fallen Kozlov in the ring. He talked to Kozlov outside the ring, as Christian and Shelton were posing up on the ramp.

Winners: Shelton Benjamin and Christian win via pinfall over Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov.

---

ECW Recap 10.27.09

ECW Recap from Rochester, NY:

The show kicked off with a promo video to highlight Yoshi Tatsu versus Christian for the ECW Title which will be tonight's main event. Christian has been a mentor for Yoshi since his arrival to ECW and tonight it's the teacher taking on his student, with the belt on the line.

Tony Atlas was introduced by the new ring announcer girl, so he could introduce host Abraham Washington. Special guest was Tiffany, the ECW's General Manager. Abe asked Tiffany about the fact that ECW had no impact at Bragging Rights this past Sunday. Tiffany said if you look at who was on the card at the PPV, you'd realize that there were plenty of stars who got their start on ECW such as Jack Swagger and Kofi Kingston. Washington then mentioned that Sheamus had decided to leave ECW. Tiffany said he requested to leave and she said he could leave for good after one final match against Shelton Benjamin. Abe asked Tiffany about her arm which was still in a sling. She started to answer but just then she was interrupted as William Regal's music hit and he arrived out with Kozlov/Jackson.

Regal said he was out one more time to ask that she give him the ECW title match he deserves. Tiffany reminded him that her answer is still no, despite his repeated requests. Regal raised his voice to attempt to threaten Tiffany, but she immediately cut him off to say he won't be getting a title shot tonight and may never get one again. Tiffany then thanked the fans for coming and told them to enjoy the show, before she walked backstage. Regal snapped after Abe said they were out of time. He started breaking apart parts of the set up on the ramp and pulling out his hair, screaming. The camera cut to tonight's commentary team, Josh Matthews and new guy, Byron Saxton. Matthews said Saxton is the newest member of ECW's broadcast team. They showed highlights of Yoshi vs. Zack Ryder from last week for the #1 contender status. Yoshi pulled off the huge win with a springboard elbow drop. A video was shown to highlight Yoshi's rise in ECW.

---

Shelton Benjamin vs. Sheamus

A video was shown from last week where Sheamus kept punishing an amateur opponent in the ring and pulling up at 2 on the pinfalls. Finally, Shelton Benjamin rushed down to the ring to attack his nemesis Sheamus, who retreated up the ramp.

Savannah was backstage to interview Shelton Benjamin who said he thought about Sheamus' comments that he was washed up. Shelton called Sheamus a coward for attacking him from behind and said he has a little going away gift as Sheamus takes the high road to Raw.

Early in the match, Shelton knocked Sheamus to the outside. As Sheamus got up, Shelton did a cool flip move by using the top rope to springboard out onto the Celtic Warrior. ECW took a break as Sheamus was layed out outside the ring. As ECW returned, Sheamus was being punished against the ringpost by Shelont from the outside. Shelton was targeting the left arm as he worked on his opponent in the ring. Sheamus turned the tables when he hit Shelton on the apron then ran him into the post. Outside the ring, Sheamus slammed Shelton back first into the ringpost.

Sheamus stayed in control as he drove a knee into Shelton's back, then put a rear chinlock on the Gold Standard. The crowd started rallying behind Shelton who got up briefly before Shelton took him back down for a chokehold submission. Shelton was getting hammered on, but as Sheamus used the ropes to come at him, Shelton grabbed him for a counter throw. Both men were down as the ref counted. As both men got to their feet and continued, Shelton soon ducked a clothesline attempt after Sheamus ducked a spin kick. Shelton did a German Suplex into a bridge pin, but Sheamus kicked out. Sheamus then dropped Shelton onto the top rope, and came back with a pump kick shot to take Shelton down for the pin.

Winner: Sheamus wins via pinfall over Shelton Benjamin.

---

As ECW returned, Rosa Mendes was talking Gregory Helms' ear off about how she was shopping at the mall and some female fan recognized her and bought the same dress she did. Just then, Paul Burchill and Katie Lea walked up. Katie Lea told Rosa to get lost so she quickly left. Burchill told Helms he has a proposition to finally end this whole feud. He told Helms to make sure his friend The Hurricane shows up in the ring next week. Burchill and Katie left, and Helms said "Oh he'll be there..."

Matthews and newcomer Byron Saxon talked about the big match coming up between Yoshi and Christian. Matthews talked about the Bragging Rights PPV with Smackdown winning the trophy for brand superiority. It came down to Team Raw vs Team Smackdown. Big Show turned traitor when he chokeslammed his own teammate Kofi Kingston, and KO'd Triple H, allowing Jericho to get the winning pin.

Backstage, Savannah interviewed ECW champion Christian. Christian said a superstar like Yoshi Tatus has him excited about the future of the ECW. Christian said he's going to be a champion someday, but not tonight. He said he's been mentoring Tatsu since his arrival to ECW and he'll learn tonight about how to cope with defeat.

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Christian
ECW Championship

The champ arrived out first, followed by the challenger, Yoshi Tatsu. The new ring girl introduced both guys to the crowd and the match was ready to go.

After they paced each other a bit, Yoshi got in a kick on Christian, but the champ grabbed him in a hold. Yoshi flipped Christian down to the mat for a hold of his own. Christian was soon back up and reversed the arm hold, then put Tatsu in a side headlock. Yoshi got out briefly until Christian reapplied it. Christian was able to hit a Flapjack and then a Springboard sunset flip for a near fall. Yoshi recovered and flipped Christian over his back before doing a backslide pin for a near fall of his own. Christian tried to toss Yoshi out through the ropes. Yoshi held on and quickly pulled himself back in, then ran for a near schoolboy pinfall. Christian was surprised by his challenger's quickness and retreated to a ring corner as ECW took a final break.

Back in the ring, Christian had a headlock on his pal Yoshi down on the mat. Christian elbowed Yoshi from the corner, then climbed the turnbuckle. Yoshi knocked him off the corner, then went for a springboard move over the top rope. Christian avoided it, and Yoshi seemed to land bad on his leg, tweaking his knee. Christian then did his own jump move from the ropes to take out Yoshi on the outside.

In the ring, Yoshi gained a bit of momentum with a quick move, but Christian was soon back in control with another hold on the mat. The crowd tried to hype up Yoshi some. He got up and elbowed Christian in the gut, before Christian did a move to slam Yoshi down for a 2 count. Yoshi got up again as Christian kept punching at him, then slammed him face first to the turnbuckle. Christian went to the corner and tried for a DDT move, but Yoshi tossed him away. Yoshi climbed the corner and did a spinning heel kick to take Christian down for a 2 count.

Yoshi had momentum after avoiding Christian in the corner, then hitting a rolling elbow for another near fall. Christian went for Killswitch, but Yoshi got out and kicked him in the back. Christian tripped Yoshi down onto the middle rope then stood on his back. Christian jumped over the top rope and gave a shot to Yoshi's face, then did a missile dropkick off the corner. Christian went for another move by jumping off the corner, but Yoshi turned it into a near fall. Christian did a Springboard Sunset Flip with Yoshi rolling through and delivering a kick for a near fall. Christian was able to hit a European uppercut off the ropes, then waited for Yoshi to get up so he could finally hit the Killswitch.

Christian celebrated his victory briefly before going over to check on Yoshi and show good sportsmanship. Just then, Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov charged into the ring and attacked Christian. Yoshi tried to fight them off but was booted down and outside the ring. Soon William Regal was in the ring as well and commanded his men to do a doubleteam slam to take Christian down. The crowd chanted "Regal sucks" as he picked up the ECW title and got in Christian's face.

Winner: Christian wins via pinfall over Yoshi Tatsu to retain the ECW Championship.

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ECW Recap 08.18.09

ECW Recap from Kansas City, MO:

Josh Matthews and Matt Striker welcomed fans to ECW just 5 days ahead of Summerslam 2009. Tonight, Christian and Tommy Dreamer team up to face William Regal and Vladimir Kozlov in the main event match.

A brand new Hurricane promo entrance started which talked about a time when a hero was needed. Hurricane Helms arrived out to the crowd's cheers.

Hurricane Helms vs. Paul Burchill

Burchill was accompanied by Katie Lea to the ring, ready for business. Last week, Burchill attacked Yoshi Tatsu too much and was disqualified by the ref. As Burchill continued with the attack, Hurricane appeared on the corner of the ring to pounce on Burchill, eventually causing him to roll out of the ring.

Helms with an early armbar takedown followed by a pose to taunt Burchill. Burchill recovered to back him to the corner for chops, kicks and ramming moves. Hurricane came back after being whipped to the ropes to duck a clothesline and slap a chokehold on Burchill. Burchill broke out of it and went to the ropes but Hurricane pounced on him for punches. After a headlock by Helms, Burchill shoved him to the ropes. Hurricane stopped and posed, with Burchill coming at him. Helms ducked down so Burchill would go flying out of the ring, then Helms jumped out onto him to take ECW to break.

When ECW returned, Burchill had control with a headlock holding Helms on the mat face down. Helms got up to try to battle out but was clotheslined hard. Burchill sent Helms towards the corner and did a running move to hit both knees into Helms' chest. Paul failed at two pinfalls after. Burchill with another hold to try to wear down Helms on the mat. The two ended up fighting on the corner with Burchill attempting a suplex. Helms eventually fought him off then got on the turnbuckle to do a flying cross body. Helms had a nice lateral press from the ropes, then another backbreaker move but neither got him the pin.

The two went up on the corner again, with Helms hitting a flying Hurricanrana but was still unable to capture a pin. Helms then missed on a spin kick Shining Wizard, and Burchill went for a suplex. Helms flipped over his back, and hit his finisher "Eye of the Hurricane" to finally pin Burchill.

Winner: Hurricane Helms wins via pinfall over Paul Burchill.

Josh Matthews announced a new member of the ECW broadcast team, a blond ECW diva Courtney Taylor. Courtney was backstage to interview ECW original Tommy Dreamer. Courtney asked about Dreamer teaming up with Christian tonight. Dreamer said he's still friends with Christian, and is looking foward to fighting someone he doesn't like tonight. Just then, William Regal came onto the scene and began to slap at the bandages Dreamer had on his arms. Out of nowhere, Vlad Kozlov attacked Dreamer from behind. He eventually beat him down, pulled Dreamer's arms back and allowed Regal to do a running knee to Dreamer's head.

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Backtage, medical staff attended to Tommy Dreamer who was still down. Christian was on the scene to check on his friend asking if anyone saw what happened. Dreamer started to get up, then was faint and had to lay back down as the cameras left the shot.

The Abraham Washington Show was up next. Washington came out trying to rile the crowd up Arsenio Hall style, then thanked the crowd despite their booing. Washington proclaimed himself the new king of late night television. Washington had an APPLAUSE up on the Titantron, so Washington suggested maybe the people in St. Louis are illiterate. Washington suggested his ratings are higher than Dave Letterman's before introducing his guest for the night, Goldust.

Washington told Goldust he was one of the strangest dudes he's ever seen, like a walking talking Academy Award. Washington asked about Goldust's hostility towards Sheamus. Goldust started with his stuttering ticks when he tried to answer a question so Washington asked if he was nervous being out with such a big star. Goldust went to take a drink of water but kept shaking the mug. Washington asked if Ashton was there playing a joke on him. Goldust said 6 years ago he was electrocuted but now he's on meds for it. Washington called out his next guest, Sheamus. Sheamus came out and stared down with Goldust.

Sheamus told Goldust he got lucky last week and their feud isn't over by a longshot. The two got in each other's faces for a long staredown, before Goldust did a stuttering exclamation. Washington said things were getting ackward, so he thanked both guests and said he'd see everyone Sunday.

Backstage, Courtney Taylor interviewed ECW GM Tiffany to ask about Tommy Dreamer's condition. Tiffany said it appears Dreamer has a concussion and may be unable to compete tonight. She said if Christian can find any partner from the ECW roster, he can still compete in the main event tonight.

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Yoshi Tatsu vs. Zack Ryder

Prior to the match, Striker and Matthews said Summerslam Axxess will take place at the Nokia Plaza in LA this Saturday and Sunday. More info at Summerslam.com.

Yoshi with several moves early to elude Ryder then used an armbar takedown. Ryder recovered in the corner to kick Tatsu then went onto the corner. Tatsu climbed up and Ryder yanked his arm down as he hopped out of the ring. Ryder got in the ring to slam Yoshi for an early pin attempt, then continued working on that hurt arm.

Despite the injury, Yoshi kept going and was able to gain momentum as he did a front style rolling suplex move then kicked Ryder in the chest on the mat. Ryder escaped a pin and went for Zack Attack. Yoshi blocked it and did a sweeping low kick to take Ryder down, then did a rolling Senton. He went to the outside to dive over the top rope onto Ryder in the ring. Ryder put both knees up to catch him then took the winning pinfall. Ryder got on the mic and said "Woo Woo Woo, You Know it" to celebrate his win.

Winner: Zack Ryder wins via pinfall over Yoshi Tatsu.

Matt Striker pondered over who Christian might choose for his partner in the main event tag match since Dreamer is out.

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When ECW returned they showed the Floyd Mayweather promo video that was shown on Raw last night. Former Welterweight champ Money Mayweather will guest host Raw next Monday night in Las Vegas.

Josh Matthews and Matt Striker introduced footage of the Raw Rebound which showed the DX Reunion and their beatdown in the ring by Legacy.

Matthews and Striker discussed the Summerslam 09' card which will feature Christian defending the ECW title against William Regal among the other matches.

Christian was talking to GM Tiffany backstage. Christian said he'll go face these guys on his own. Tiffany said he needs to have a partner to compete. Just then someone knocked on the office door. They weren't shown but slammed the door shut. Christian turned to look, then pointed to whoever it was and told Tiffany "that'll work".

Christian & Mystery Partner vs. William Regal & Vladimir Kozlov

2008 King of the Ring winner William Regal was out first. His partner Vlad Kozlov was next and got a handshake from Regal. Next out was the ECW champion, Christian, pointing around the arena to his peeps in the crowd. Christian came down the ramp staring at his opponents as ECW went to a break. When ECW returned, all 3 men were in the ring and Christian's partner was announced as Ezekiel Jackson.

Christian and Regal started it off, sending their partners to the apron. Christian got Regal locked up in the corner, but Regal escaped to wrench his arm back. Regal tagged in Kozlov who eventually got Christian subdued up in a torture rack on his shoulder. Christian slid off to get near the ropes, and Kozlov ran at him. Christian ducked down and Kozlov went over the ropes. Christian then hit the baseball slide kick as Koz got back on the apron. At one point, Kozlov shoved Christian straight out through the ropes. Regal tagged in and did more damage to Christian outside the ring.

Regal and Kozlov continued their doubleteaming efforts on Christian. Kozlov rammed Christian in the corner several times before Regal tagged in again. Christian tried to gain some momentum with an elbow and a kick to Regal from the corner, then landed a Sunset Flip for a pin. Kozlov came in to knock Christian off the pin, and Jackson came in to go after Kozlov. WIth Kozlov on the outside, Jackson looked at Christian then grabbed him for his one armed slam move to put Christian down to the mat. Jackson stepped back out onto the apron and pointed to Christian for Regal to pin.

Post match, Kozlov and Jackson each did another one of their slam moves to take Christian down. Regal stood in between Kozlov and Jackson to raise up their arms as ECW went off the air.

Winners: William Regal & Vladimir Kozlov win via pinfall over Christian and Ezekiel Jackson.

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ECW & Smackdown Notes: Hardys, Regal, Titles

It's hard to say where ECW or Smackdown are heading but after this week we may have a few glimpses into what's in store. I'll start off with ECW, which presented a new ECW title contender out of nowhere, and seems to be failing a bit with its latest superstar initiative.

On the past week's ECW we got introduced to the new #1 title contender, Sir William Regal. It was surprising in that he didn't really win a big match before the announcement. In fact, he had a main event against Dreamer later in the show, which he won. I've never been a huge Regal fan, although I can respect he's put in a lot of work and is well respected in the WWE ranks. Still I'd rather see Shelton capture the ECW title next. If it were up to me, I would have set up a Fatal Fourway involving Regal, Dreamer, Zack Ryder and Shelton Benjamin. If I were to choose one of those four, I'd love to see a Shelton Benjamin vs. Christian program, and think many other fans might enjoy that as well. You'd also have to wonder why Vlad Kozlov and Zeke Jackson aren't even eligible for top contender status. Guess squashing 10 amateur wrestlers is not as major as Regal winning against newcomer Yoshi Tatsu.

The Abraham Washington Show is a pretty good idea that draws some good heat from the crowd, and at times he reminds me of a former WWF character, Brother Love. Brother Love was like a televangelist type talk show interviewer who would annoyingly say "I Looooove You" to get the crowd booing. Washington does his "thank you, thank you, thank you" quite the same and he draws some good heat as well. His shows are a good way to promote current feuds or upcoming PPV matches for ECW. I can see him crossing over onto Raw and Smackdown for this as well. What really set this week's Washington show off was when Christian stopped joking and cut a serious threatening promo to Washington to stop with the jokes. I was ready for Abe to either attack Jeff or bring out some new wrestler from FCW to take him out. Maybe even become Ezekiel Jackson's frontman. Instead, he introduced Regal as previously mentioned and Regal got into Christian's face. I'm still not sure if Abraham will be wrestling, but he's got the size for it, and definitely annoys opponents. Maybe he will become a manager.

While the Abraham Washington idea has goood potential, unfortunately the other newer ECW stars seem to be faltering. Not that they aren't talented, but the fans aren't too interested yet. One case is Tyler Reks, who I really don't see going very far. Yoshi Tatsu has the similar appeal of a Funaki-Tajiri style guy, but will he really be winning titles? We've also got Sheamus, who has the size and look of a wrestler but needs to work on his gimmick and speaking skills. Between him and Kozlov, they waste valuable mic time by speaking incoherently. Speaking of Kozlov, let's hope he and Zeke Jackson get it on in a real match soon, as the staredowns and who can do the slam move best has become repetitive. Goldust seems to be fitting in nicely since moving to ECW, and The Bella Twins get something to do besides their nails backstage (guest ring announce).

Now for Smackdown, where I don't know what to expect with Matt Hardy. I say this because he turned against Jeff once, so why would twice be out of the question here? He could potentially find a way to cost Jeff the title yet again, or he could sincerely reunite with him and the Hardys could make a run at Big Show and Jericho for the Unified titles. Seems like an accolade the Hardys deserve on their impressive resumes. But, possibly Matt wants a shot at Jeff's World Heavyweight Title too? As of the end of last night's Smackdown, it seems all's good in Hardyville as he helped Jeff up, and the duo stood side by side with John Morrison after fighting off CM Punk and the Harts.

Which brings us to John Morrison...The guy's got major talent, and if anyone should be wearing the title belt it's him right now. I have this bad feeling WWE will give him the IC title somehow, by defeating Dolph Ziggler. He really needs a major title, and WWE needs to give him a push early. Why keep working on it for months, when he's already oohing and ahhing with his moves. He has quick paced offense and puts in work. He's held the IC title, the ECW title, the tag titles several times. Seems destined for the big title, but how long will he and the fans have to wait? Maybe a big Wrestlemania moment?

That said, the two guys most deserving of major titles right now (if you call ECW's title major) are Shelton Benjamin and John Morrison. Both these guys have been relatively clean and put in top notch efforts in their matches with great athletic abilities. Why not reward them? Feel free to agree/disagree in the comments below.

ECW Recap 08.11.09

ECW Recap from Edmonton, Alberta Canada:

To start off the show a recap of highlights from last week's Extreme Rules ECW Title match was shown. Christian and Dreamer used all sorts of weapons including a Singapore cane, trash cans, a hot dog cart and a car door. Christian won it by reversing a Dreamer move to hit Killswitch on the car door.

Striker and Matthews welcomed fans to the show which will feature Christian on the Abraham Washington Show.

Zack Ryder vs. Shelton Benjamin

They showed a recap of the singing contest between these two on Abraham Washington's show. Benjamin was showing Ryder up, and Ryder hit him from behind on the ramp causing an all-out brawl.

Striker said Ryder reminded him earlier he has 5,000 friends at WWE Universe website. Early on, Ryder took control as he knocked Benjamin to the mat then smashed him into the corner. Ryder did a running kick to Shelton's head then locked in a headlock after a pin attempt. Ryder tried for a suplex when Shelton got to his feet, but Shelton flipped over his back and hit a neckbreaker to take control. Shelton charged Ryder in the corner, with Ryder elbowing him. A belly-to-belly suplex ensued by Shelton for a pin attempt. Ryder went for Zack Attack, with Shelton countering it and eventually tossing Ryder into the corner. Afterwards, Ryder tried to jump at Shelton, but he kicked him and hit Paydirt to win it.

Winner: Shelton Benjamin wins via pinfall over Zack Ryder.

Gregory Helms interviewed Paul Burchill backstage. Helms asked Burchill for thoughts on tonight's match against Yoshi Tatsu. Burchill said he wouldn't be answering that question and then confronted Helms about being Hurricane, asking if he thought he was stupid. Helms said as a reporter sometimes he needs to call it how he sees it. Burchill turned and punched Helms in the face then beat him up before leaving.

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Kevin Brooks vs. Vladimir Kozlov

Kozlov was given yet another amateur opponent to dominate in the ring on tonight's show with the smaller Brooks from Alberta. Early on Kozlov leveled Brooks with a hard kick, then threw him into the corner to ram his stomach and kick/punch away at him. Kozlov put Brooks up in a backbreaker then threw him helicopter style across the ring. Kozlov picked up Brooks with one arm for the final slam to win it.

Once again, Ezekiel Jackson made his way out from backstage down the ramp to the ring. After another staredown, Jackson picked Brooks up off the mat and did his finisher for Kozlov to witness. Kozlov grabbed the man and did his finisher again, then left the ring. The crowd began chanting "one more time" for Jackson, but he didn't follow their lead.

Winner: Vladimir Kozlov wins via pinfall over Kevin Brooks.

Matt Striker said that Tommy Dreamer will face William Regal in tonight's main event. Josh Matthews said they'd recap Triple H's search for Shawn Michaels to reunite DX, next.

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They recapped Triple H's visit to Texas to find Shawn Michaels so they could reform DX. It all began with HHH's 2-on-1 loss to Legacy on Raw last week, when he hinted at making a phone call. HHH went to see where Michaels worked now and found he was a chef in a cafeteria at a big office building. During the skits, Michaels eventually had tater tots thrown in his face by a little girl and his grill caught on fire. HHH talked Michaels into returning as HBK's boss came out screaming at him and HHH. Michaels finally had enough and Superkicked the boss down, then superkicked the annoying little girl as well. HHH and HBK left with the grill on fire. DX will reunite to face Legacy at Summerslam.

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Paul Burchill

The Bella Twins came out as special guest ring announcers. Katie Lea accompanied Burchill to the ring to cheer him on. The crowd erupted into a "Yoshi" chant early on, but Burchill took control of the match as he kicked him in the gut. Paul continued to punish Yoshi on the mat with submission holds as Katie Lea admired his work. Yoshi was able to gain the advantage after hitting a double leg laureat on Burchill and several moves from off the ropes. As Yoshi went against the side ropes, Katie Lea hit him in the back with a foreigh object. The ref caught it and called for the bell.

Burchill attacked Yoshi from behind and knocked him to the corner. As the duo cornered Yoshi, suddenly the Hurricane's music hit and Burchill looked up the ramp for him. Hurricane appeared on the corner turnbuckle and jumped off onto Burchill, then started to go off. He came off the ropes again to pounce on Burchill and punch him repeatedly. After Burchill and Katie retreated up the ramp, Yoshi shook Hurricane's hand and Hurricane pointed to Yoshi, raising his arm.

Winner: Yoshi Tatsu wins due to disqualification over Paul Burchill.

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ECW returned with a recap of what just went down between Hurricane and Paul Burchill. Burchill yelled at Tiffany backstage, about what happened. Tiffany said she'd talk to Hurricane about what happened, but won't take ultimatums from him. Tiffany asked Burchill and Katie to leave.

Tyler Reks vs. Tom James

Late in the match, Reks had a hold around James' midsection, but James elbowed him in the face to escape. James tried to take control and whip Reks to the ropes, but Reks came back to punch him in the gut, then slammed James into the mat. Reks finished things off with a springboard missile dropkick off the side ropes.

Winner: Tyler Reks wins via pinfall over Tom James.

Backstage, Abraham Washington was shown slapping hands and giving handshakes to WWE staff on his way out for the talk show.

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The Abraham Washington Show

Washington hosted his show up at the top of the ramp again. Washington commented how Canada's big sport involves a lot of white men beating a black object with a stick. Washington also said today is the birthday of Hulk Hogan, then introduced the ECW Champion, Christian.

Christian called Abraham "Arsenio" and said this definitely isn't like the Peep Show. Washington had a clip shown of the Extreme Rules ECW title match again. Christian said even after that match he and Dreamer are still friends. Christian said he promised Dreamer if they stayed friends he wouldn't have to go on this lame talk show again. Christian then got in Washington's face telling him to shut up or he'd knock his teeth down his throat. Christian said he's ready to be "the man" on ECW. Washington informed Christian he had breaking news, and introduced the #1 contender for the ECW title, William Regal. Regal came out to tell Christian to watch what he does to his friend Tommy Dreamer tonight as evidence of how brutal the English can be.

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Tommy Dreamer vs. William Regal

Dreamer came out wearing an arm cast since he had a screw inserted from last week's match. Early on the action went outside with Dreamer smashing Regal into the commentator table. Back in the ring, Dreamer tried for a suplex over the ropes, but Regal blocked it and ran Dreamer into the post. Regal continued to target the hurt arm, by smashing it against the post then wrenching it back in the ring to further punish Dreamer.

Dreamer got to the bottom rope to break a submission hold. Dreamer had momentum and tried to charge at Regal in the corner, only to get kicked. Regal again put a hold on the hurt arm. Dreamer fought back though, and while seated on the corner was able to fight off a suplex attempt by Regal, then clothesline him down. Dreamer went into an offensive flurry with punches to Regal and a hard clothesline. Dreamer went for his DDT only to have it countered and his arm yanked on. Dreamer managed to hit a back slam on Regal but failed at the pin.

Dreamer hung Regal upside down in the corner for his running dropkick. Dreamer hit a scoop slam near the ropes and Regal put a foot on the ropes during the pin. Regal pulled himself up on the side apron, and when Dreamer went to get him, Regal yanked his arm down against the ropes. Regal got back in the ring to hit his running knee to KO Dreamer.

After winning, Regal put Dreamer into the "Regal Stretch" to continue punishing him. Christian eventually ran down to the ring to chase Regal off. Regal backed away and up the ramp as ECW ended

Winner: William Regal wins via pinall over Tommy Dreamer.

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ECW Recap 08.04.09

ECW Recap from Long Island, NY:

Josh Matthews welcomed fans to ECW on SyFy, with tonight's main event of Tommy Dreamer vs Christian for the ECW Title in an "Extreme Rules Match".

The Abraham Washington Show took place up on the top of the ramp. Washington did his usual antics to insult the crowd in Long Island, causing a chorus of boos and "you suck" chants. Washington also issued an open invite to Sarah Palin to come be on his show anytime. As Washington kept talking, he was soon interrupted by Zack Ryder. Ryder told Washington that the only thing to come out of Long Island is him. Washington told Ryder he was supposed to have Shelton Benjamin as guest. Ryder began talking himself up as better than Shelton.
Washington made some dis comments about Shelton and finally Shelton came out from backstage staring both guys down.

Shelton Benjamin said since the show was PG he'd talk in "smurf" to them, and told them to go "smurf themselves". Ryder and Shelton ended up getting in each other's faces, with Shelton prompting Ryder to take him on any time. Washington interrupted them saying they'd do "Abraham Idol" and have a sing-off. Ryder tried to sing a Hootie & the Blowfish song but forgot the words. Shelton started to sing the same song but knew the words, and Ryder attacked him from behind knocking him onto the ramp. Shelton got right up and tackled Ryder down to start punching him. The two men ended up fighting with Shelton throwing Ryder onto the set, and Ryder running backstage.

Ezekiel Jackson was shown walking backstage on his way out to the ring.

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Danny Danger vs. Ezekiel Jackson

Jackson took on the much more slender and lightweight Danny Danger, immediately picking him up for a series of crushing backbreaker moves. Jackson kicked Danger in the gut on the mat, then picked him up for his finishing one armed slam move.

After the match had ended with Danger still on the mat, Vladimir Kozlov came out from backstage and down to the ring. Kozlov got in the ring to stare at Jackson before grabbing Danger to show off his one armed slam finishing maneuver. Jackson stared at Kozlov and then did his finisher again before leaving Kozlov in the ring.

Winner: Ezekiel Jackson wins via pinfall over Danny Danger.

Backstage, Tiffany was chatting with The Bella Twins and then walking off. A staff member rushed over to say she got Tiffany's email and everything was set for later. Tiffany got a phone call and walked away. Just then, a huge cargo container started heading straight towards the girl, but Hurricane appeared in front of it and used his strength to stop the cargo box from hitting the girl. Hurricane disappeared after being seen on camera, and Tiffany rushed over to ask the girl what happened. Paul Burchill also showed up, and after looking around said "this is ridiculous".

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Goldust vs. Sheamus

In a rematch from last week, Goldust tried to avenge his loss to the newcomer Sheamus. Sheamus worked on Goldust's shoulder after taking control early on. He took him down to the mat for a submission armbar hold to further cause pain. Goldust stood up and used his arm to toss Sheamus down, but Sheamus was back up to knock him down. Sheamus continued working the arm/shoulder area.

Goldust got to his feet and tried to battle back, but Sheamus threw him against the rope to hurt his arm more. At one point in the corner, Goldust tried to roll up Sheamus for a pin. Sheamus used a unique submission to wrench his arm back, with Goldust refusing to give up. Goldust gained some momentum finally after getting to his feet, using a series of takedowns on Sheamus. Goldust went to the middle ropes in the corner for a move, but Sheamus ran over and swiped his foot out, causing Goldust to hit the mat hard. Sheamus took the winning pinfall from there.

Sheamus cut a promo on the mic after his win saying he came in search of Gold but all he found was dust. As Sheamus continued speaking, Goldust attacked him from behind and eventually tossed him into the crowd barrier hard. Sheamus retreated up the ramp with Goldust calling for him to come back.

Winner: Sheamus wins via pinfall over Goldust.

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Highlights were shown from last Friday's Smackdown main event for the World Championship between champ Jeff Hardy and challenger John Morrison. Both men had plenty of offense in the 20 plus minute match. Jeff hit a Swanton Bomb with Morrison kicking out. Jeff finally countered a corkscrew twist move by Morrison to hit Twist of Fate and a second Swanton for the win to retain his title. After the win, CM Punk came to the ring pretending to celebrate with Jeff. Punk started to congratulate Hardy on the mic, then ended up attacking him. Punk beat on Hardy around the ring and threw him across the commentators' table before getting back on the mic to tell everyone to watch him win back his title next week.

Josh Matthews and Matt Striker interviewed Tommy Dreamer who was standing by backstage. Dreamer said tonight is his rules and in front of his Extreme Peeps he's going to win back his ECW title.

Christian was then shown walking backstage carrying a car door.

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Matthews and Striker reminded fans that Aerosmith's "You Gotta Move" is the official theme song of Summerslam.

Tommy Dreamer vs. Christian
ECW TItle Match with Extreme Rules

Dreamer came out first, wheeling a hot dog cart down the ramp. Christian was out next carrying the white car door and moving a trash can full of weapons near the ring. Early on both men grabbed a weapon, with Dreamer grabbing a Singapore cane and Christian a trash can lid. Dreamer struck the lid out of Christians hands and chased him outside to use the cane on him repeatedly. Dreamer tossed Christian into the ring and tried to bring a trash can in, but Christian did the baseball slide to knock him out.

On the outside, Christian used a wooden crutch to bash over Dreamer's back, then brought him over to slam him into the barricade. Dreamer regained control and took Christian to the Hot dog cart knocking him to the ramp. Dreamer grabbed a hot dog out of the cart and ate part of it then went over and shoved the rest into Christian's mouth to choke him.

Back from a commercial break, Dreamer was in control as he smashed a trash can down on Christian in the ring. Christian came back with a trash can lid to smash on Dreamer's head, but failed at the pin attempt. The two went outside with Dreamer trying to whip Christian into the steps, Christian slid on the floor to avoid it and then ran back, but Dreamer backdropped him. Dreamer brought a trash can over to the crowd area to try to hit Christian, but the champ avoided the hit and knocked Dreamer down. Christian put a trash can in the corner but Dreamer whipped him into it instead, causing Christian to fall to the outside.

Back in the ring, Dreamer used the Singapore cane to do an impressive flip move on Christian. He went for the pin but Christian got his legs on the bottom rope. Christian tried for a DDT from the ropes to bring Dreamer onto a trash can, but Dreamer did an inverted one to plant Christian on it. At one point, Christian had Dreamer down and brought the car door into the ring, with Dreamer hitting him with the trash can lid instead. Dreamer tried to piledrive Christian onto the car door, but Christian reversed and hit Killswitch Engage on the car door. Christian made the cover with the car door on Dreamer to win.

Winner: Chrisitan wins the Extreme Rules match over Tommy Dreamer to retain the ECW title.

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ECW Recap 07.21.09

ECW Recap from Richmond, VA:

Josh Matthews welcomed fans to the ECW show less than a week before the upcoming Night of Champions 2009 Pay-Per-View.

Yoshia Tatsu vs. William Regal

Regal had a mic and told Yoshi prior to the match he "truly despises all foreigners", prompting a "You Suck" chant from the crowd. Despite some early offense from Yoshi, it wasn't long until Regal had control and began to punish the new superstar. Yoshi fought out of Regal's submission hold on his feet, but got kneed in the gut. Regal continued using holds to wear Yoshi down on the mat.

Yoshi was able to do a running bulldog like move from the corner and had Regal sitting on the mat so he could kick his back. As Yoshi went to the corner ropes, Regal got up and knocked him off. Regal prepared to deliver a running knee at Yoshi, but Yoshi avoided it then landed his roundhouse kick to finish off Regal.

Winner: Yoshi Tatsu wins via pinfall over William Regal.

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Mike Williams vs. Ezekiel Jackson

Amateur wrestler Mike Williams got to feel the raw intensity of the recently-rebuilt Ezekiel Jackson in the ring. Ezekiel delivered a huge boot to level Williams from the start of things. Next, he delivered a vicious clothesline to knock Williams down, and for his third move picked him up to slam him to the mat for the pinfall win.

After the match had ended, Vladimir Kozlov made his way down to the ring. The two stared each other down, and then Kozlov grabbed the wrestler from the mat to show off his slam move, before leaving the ring. Jackson looked puzzled but finally left the ring too.

Winner: Ezekiel Jackson wins via pinfall over Mike Williams.

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A new segment called "Ask the Divas" was shown with divas Eve Torres, Maria Kanellis, Kelly Kelly and the Bella Twins all giving relationship advice. Fans can log on to WWE Universe to send their own questions for the divas.

Goldust vs. Shelton Benjamin

Goldust had control early, until Shelton was able to slam him face first into the turnbuckle. Benjamin took control from here as he started kneeing Goldust in the back, then pulled him into a hard clothesline. Shelton continued the punishment with a neck submission hold to wear Goldust down. Goldust started to fight back and tried to run at Shelton in the corner. Shelton booted him away but as he ran Goldust grabbed him for a powerslam.

Goldust gained momentum and was able to hit a barrage of moves including a legdrop, but couldn't capture the pin. Shelton fought out to counter a move and hit a backbreaker, but couldn't get a pin either. Shelton went for a move off the corner and Goldust caught him with a punch from the mat. Goldust used the ropes to pull himself up, but Shelton got up fast, ran and jumped over the top rope, yanking Goldust's neck against the rope. Shelton then came back in the ring to hit Paydirt.

Winner: Shelton Benjamin wins via pinfall over Goldust.

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ECW returned with Sheamus backstage. Sheamus mentioned how fans may have been used to seeing a Irishman running around with a leprechaun and shilaleigh. Sheamus said his career won't be a laughing matter and all opponents will fall prey to him.

Matt Striker and Josh Matthews discussed the upcoming Night of Champions featuring the Triple Threat match for the WWE Title, as well as the Unified Tag Team match where Jericho will choose a mystery partner. They also discussed Christian facing Tommy Dreamer for the ECW title.

Backstage, Gregory Helms interviewed Paul Burchill about his upcoming match against Tyler Reks. Just then they heard some strange noises, and looked over to see Goldust nearby holding the back of his head. Burchill walked over to yell at him and Goldust said it's because he got electrocuted two years ago. Burchill said he didn't care. Goldust said he was sorry but accidentally had a spasm and hit Burchill in the face with his hand. Burchill wanted to fight him but Katie Lea stopped him and told him to focus on his match instead.

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Tyler Reks vs. Paul Burchill

Reks was able to hit a clothesline off the ropes early but Burchill came back with a backdrop. Katie Lea distracted Reks from ringside allowing Burchill to hit him from behind. Burchill tried to ground Reks with a submission. Reks battled back, and Burchill whipped him to the corner. Burchill ran at him but Reks avoided it. Unfortunately for Reks, Burchill took control yet again. Burchill locked another neck hold on Reks on the mat.

Reks got to his feet yet again and punched at Burchill, only to be thrown to the mat and kicked. Burchill used another headlock, and Reks stood up to power out, punching back. The two traded punches with Reks getting the upperhand. Reks was able to slam Burchill face first to the mat. Reks hit a dropkick off the top rope but couldn't get the pin for 3. Burchill grabbed Reks and hit a suplex, but failed at the pin as well. Finally, Burchill charged at Reks in the corner, and Reks dodged him, then rolled up Burchill for a pinfall.

As Reks was going out onto the apron to leave the ring, Burchill ran over and knocked him off the apron. The ref warned Burchill and Katie Lea to stay away from Reks who was down near the ring.

Winner: Tyler Reks wins via pinfall over Paul Burchill.

Backstage, Abraham Washington was shown shaking hands with people on his way out for the talk show.

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The Abraham Washington Show

Abraham Washington came out first, with his set up on the top of the ramp rather than in-ring tonight. Abraham said tonight's show will have not one, but two main event superstars. Washington reminded fans that these two wrestlers will fight over the ECW Title at Night of Champions. Washington introduced Christian first, then Dreamer. Washington made jokes about Dreamer wanting to be back on his show for the buffet they offer backstage. Dreamer came out in an all white suit carrying the ECW belt.

Abraham kept making jokes about Tommy being overweight, then said he was just kidding around. Washington brought up their match at Night of Champions. Washington insulted Christian saying he has a face for radio. Christian shot back saying Washington's got a show made for public access. Christian then discussed his friendship with Dreamer and talked about all his qualities. Dreamer said he's got the ECW title though. Christian said only for now, but at the PPV Sunday he'll become champ again.

Washington asked Christian who he lost to, and Dreamer said it was him. Christian said it was Swagger's fault he lost and Dreamer interrupted to say he's given Christian rematches. Dreamer brought up the significance of the PPV being in Philadelphia where ECW was born. Dreamer said if he took Christian to the Extreme he wouldn't be there next week. The two men that got up in each other's faces. Dreamer told Christian his comment was a real slap in the face. Christian slapped Dreamer and said no that was. Dreamer slapped Christian back. Both men backed up ready to fight. A staredown ensued as ECW went off the air.

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ECW Recap 07.09.09

ECW Recap from Bakersfield, CA:

Josh Matthews said tonight we find out who challenges Tommy Dreamer at Night of Champions for the ECW Title. Christian will face Vladimir Kozlov for the opportunity. The Bella Twins came out to the ring to start off the show. The Bellas joked with the crowd when they pretended to be each other after introductions.

Nikki Bella vs. Katie Lea Burchill

Brie Bella remained at ringside for the matchup. Early on, Katie Lea tossed Nikki outside through the ropes before jumping out to attack her. Back in the ring, Katie continued the punishment as she threw Nikki face first into the turnbuckle. Katie Lea used her knee to apply pressure on Nikki in the corner, then hit a backbreaker in the ring. Nikki started to fight back and used the ropes to do an impressive flip move into an armbar takedown.

At one point, Katie Lea tried to dump Nikki over the ropes and Nikki slipped while trying to hold on at the apron. As Nikki climbed back into the ring, Katie Lea grabbed her and hit a DDT from the middle ropes. After a failed pinfall by Katie, Nikki rolled to the outside and Brie swapped herself into the match. Brie kicked Katie in the gut then hit a faceplant to the mat to win it.

Winner: Nikki Bella wins via pinfall over Katie Lea Burchill.

Matt Striker and Josh Matthews revisited highlights from last week's Yoshi Tatsu vs. Shelton Benjamin match. After Shelton mocked the newcomer in the ring with bows and sumo moves, Yoshi delivered a serious kick to KO Shelton and scored the winning pin.

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Yoshi Tatsu vs. Shelton Benjamin

Shelton was much more serious for this matchup as the bell rang. He immediately shoved Yoshi down to the mat, then later rammed Yoshi to the corner to hammer on him. Yoshi began to fight back, getting in some nice moves. Yoshi went for a flying belly splash after running off the ropes, and Shelton stuck his knees up. Shelton again took control, using an elbow drop and knees to Yoshi. At one point, Yoshi managed to counter Shelton's move off the ropes, and then did a backslide pin. Shelton rolled out of it and as he got up Yoshi went for the roundhouse kick move. Shelton quickly backed away and rolled out of the ring as ECW went to commercial.

ECW returned with Shelton in control in the ring, but Yoshi again used a high flying attack. As he tried for a dropkick after whipping Shelton to the ropes, Shelton held himself on the ropes, and Yoshi fell short. Shelton picked up Yoshi in an electric chair type move and dropped him face first to the turnbuckle. From there, Shelton applied a headlock down on the mat.

Yoshi gained some momentum yet again, landing some never seen before moves including a spinning heelkick off the ropes to take Benjamin down. Shelton kicked out before 3. Shelton came back again with a belly-to-belly suplex to toss Yoshi. Shelton went for a kick to Yoshi, with Yoshi ducking it, and Yoshi went for his kick. Shelton ducked that, then grabbed Yoshi to hit Paydirt.

Winner: Shelton Benjamin wins via pinfall over Yoshi Tatsu.

A promo video was shown of Vladimir Kozlov doing his fierce training in the gym. Josh Matthews reminded fans of the main event featuring Kozlov and Christian.

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Highlights were shown from this past week's Monday Night Raw, which was hosted by special guest, The Million Dollar Man. Dibiase set up a match with Cody Rhodes against Mark Henry, and one with Ted Dibiase, Jr. facing Randy Orton. Later in the night, John Cena and Triple H went toe-to-toe for the #1 Contender spot for the WWE Title. The match was Pay-Per-View quality, and Legacy rushed in to interfere before a winner could be decided. Orton thought he had outsmarted everyone, getting on the mic to say now nobody will face him at Night of Champions. Million Dollar Man came out to clarify that now there will be a Triple Threat match at Night of Champions, with John Cena, Triple H and Randy Orton fighting over the WWE Title.

Jack Meridol vs. Ezekiel Jackson

Jackson made his ECW debut tonight since being drafted over from Smackdown. Earlier in the day, Jackson cut a promo saying the only name you need to remember in WWE history is Ezekiel. In his first match, he faced a local amateur wrestler. Meridol tried to mount some offense when he jumped at Jackson after coming off the ropes. Jackson caught him on a shoulder then rammed him into the corner. Ezekiel used a vicious bear hug to choke Meridol out then rammed him to another corner. Jackson continued the beatdown, throwing his opponent around the ring like a ragdoll. Ezekiel finished off Meridol with a one-armed slam to the mat.

Winner: Ezekiel Jackson wins via pinfall over Jack Meridol.

Backstage, some WWE personnel and staff were talking when a girl was heard screaming and someone was shown falling off a ladder. Everyone rushed over to her, but just then The Hurricane came walking out with the girl on his shoulder as if he had caught her. He set her down and rushed off, with the girl saying for him to wait. ECW GM Tiffany came rushing over to ask what happened but nobody could ell her.

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A replay was shown of the Hurricane incident where he saved a woman from falling off a ladder backstage.

Abraham Washington did his in-ring show, The Abraham Washington Show. Washington said everyone's talking about him since last week, including Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman. Washington said since he's getting such high ratings, it's time to have a high profile guest. ECW Champion Tommy Dreamer was introduced. Washington called Dreamer the "biggest" star in ECW history, then said he meant that literally, saying Dreamer looked like he was carrying twins. Washington then called Dreamer a senior citizen in ECW. Dreamer mentioned how ECW was the starting place for stars like CM Punk, Jack Swagger and Chris Jericho. Washington then asked Dreamer if his toughest opponent was Jenny Craig. Dreamer asked if Washington spraypainted his hair on tonight. Washington then asked Dreamer to pick tonight's winner in the #1 Contender match. Dreamer said hopefully it's Christian, because it'd be an honor to face him again.

Just then, Kozlov's music hit and Kozlov came down to the ring to get in Dreamer's face. Abraham Washington told them to hold on so they didn't mess up the set. Washington then introduced the two men to each other, saying Kozlov is the man Dreamer we'll be facing at Night of Champions. Dreamer and Kozlov continued staring each other down as ECW went to break.

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Christian vs. Vladimir Kozlov
#1 Contender's Match for ECW Title

The winner of this match will go on to face Tommy Dreamer for the ECW Title at Night of Champions. Tommy Dreamer sat ringside with Striker and Matthews to provide guest commentary. Early on, both men traded offense, with Christian escaping Kozlov in the corner, then sliding under Kozlov's legs to punch him in the face. Kozlov quickly dropped Christian to the mat, then picked him in a Torture Rack on his shoulder. Christian managed to knock Kozlov out of the ring, then did a sliding dropkick. Kozlov got on the apron again, and as Christian ran into him, Kozlov headbutted, then tossed Christian over his back to the floor.

Back in the ring, Kozlov again put on the Torture Rack backbreaker with Christian up on his shoulder. Kozlov used a bear hug type move down on the mat, with Christian able to stand up and escape it briefly. Kozlov got Christian up on his shoulders, with Christian sliding off. The two men started fighting on the outside, with Christian able to shove Kozlov into the ringpost. Back in the ring, Christian did a missile dropkick off the corner but failed at the pin attempt.

Christian jumped onto the corner for his Sunset Flip attempt, but Kozlov quickly hammered him on the back. Christian then pulled the turnbuckle cover off as Kozlov pulled him off the corner and hit a backbreaker. After a failed pin by Kozlov he whipped Christian to the corner then charged. Christian avoided it and Kozlov hit the exposed steel. Christian hit the Killswitch immediately and won it by pinfall.

Winner: Christian wins via pinfall over Vladimir Kozlov to become #1 Contender for the ECW Title.

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ECW's Abraham Washington Show

(ECW's Abraham Washington)

Tuesday night's ECW debuted several new wrestlers and WWE personalities on the show to make up for the void left in the wake of Evan Bourne, Mark Henry, Jack Swagger, Finlay and the Hart Dynasty all being moved to either Raw or Smackdown. On ECW we got a glimpse at two foreign imports in Sheamus and Yoshi Tatsu. Each debuted with a win, with Sheamus going the Vladimir Kozlov squash route and Yoshi winning with a single kick to knock out a mocking Shelton Benjamin. We also saw a newcomer named Tyler Reks backstage letting Zack Ryder know they'd be fighting on Thursday's WWE Superstars.

Abraham Washington also showed up on ECW to some obvious painful crowd reactions. It's always a kick when the crowd starts up the traditional Stone Cold "What?!" response after everything a wrestler says. According to pwtorch.com, Washington is supposed to be a play on Barack Obama, although he was more like the daytime talk show host looking to stir up controversial situations. His first guests on the debut of his in-ring segment were the beautiful Bella Twins and he got the two twins fighting over who was the better kisser, student and athlete. WWE.com video footage here

Abraham Washington's real name is Brian Jossie, and he was formally trained at Ohio Valley Wrestling, then signed with WWE in September 2008. Jossie worked as Abraham Washington in FCW where he was a manager to a tag team known as The Secret Service (Agent T and Agent D).

None of the new roster members are on the ECW superstars page at WWE.com yet. All of the new talent as well as some of the other current WWE stars (Rosa Mendes, Tyson Kidd, Alicia Fox) are pictured on FCW's Talent page here but there are no bios.