WWE Releases Helms, Burchill & Maria

Earlier on Friday, WWE announced the release of three of its superstars. Former ECW wrestlers Gregory "Hurricane" Helms and Paul "The Ripper" Burchill were let go in addition to Smackdown diva Maria Kanellis. While Helms and Burchill hadn't been seen for several weeks on the air, Maria was recently seen as part of a small storyline on Smackdown involving Matt Hardy. She fought in several mixed gender tag matches along with Hardy and The Great Khali against the Hart Dynasty on both Smackdown and Superstars.

Each of the superstars' release notices on WWE.com followed the usual format:

"WWE has come to terms on the release of _____ as of today February 26, 2010. We wish _____ the best in all future endeavors."

Gregory Helms was with WWE since 2001, after appearing in WCW from 99-01. His Hurricane character was a popular superhero, which also incorporated Molly Holly, Rosey and Stacey Keibler at various times. Hurricane held the tag titles twice, once with Kane, once with Rosey, as well as holding the WWE Cruiserweight title twice, European title once and Hardcore title also one time. Helms was last seen in the ring doing an interview of Ezekiel Jackson. The interview came just a day or so after news of Helms' arrest during a drunken taxi ride with Chris Jericho and Matt Hardy. William Regal who was in the ring during the spot, commented about Helms' recent trouble. Helms noted during the interview he was going to put the incident behind him and move on. He ended up getting slammed to the mat by Jackson to end the segment. Helms wasn't seen in any matches after that.

Paul Burchill came to WWE in 2005 and played a pirate character early on. He eventually moved on from that and started appearing with his on-air sister, Katie Lea. Burchill and Helms had been involved in a rivalry on the now-removed ECW show on SyFy. It involved Burchill trying to unmask The Hurricane and expose that he was really Gregory Helms. They even had a match in which Helms retired Burchill from the show. Not long after, Burchill re-appeared as a masked villain type character named "The Ripper". The Ripper was unmasked by Hurricane and Burchill was forced to leave again. Soon after that, Katie Lea Burchill appeared as a new diva on Raw. There's no news of Katie Lea being released as of yet. It appears that with the closing down of ECW, Helms and Burchill had nowhere else to go with WWE.

The most shocking of the three releases might be that of Maria Kanellis, who was recently promoted as part of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" by Donald Trump. She's been with WWE since back in 2004-05 as a losing contestant in the diva search, then a backstage interviewer, and eventually a girlfriend/valet of several wrestlers including Santino Marella, Dolph Ziggler and Matt Hardy. She's been a member of the Raw and Smackdown rosters during her career which also included posing for the 2008 Playboy cover and spread. On Smackdown, Maria was introduced by Matt Hardy as his recent Valentine, and the two were considered a couple. After a loss in the ring on Smackdown, Maria blamed herself for the loss. Hardy consoled her, but Maria didn't seem happy and ended up pushing past fellow divas Michelle McCool and Layla backstage. According to her wiki entry, Mara's got a debut album called "Sevin Sins" releasing on April 13th, so that may explain her being let go to work on the music career.

With the release of these three, it seems that once again WWE's loss is TNA's gain. It won't be surprising to see one or all three of these re-surface on TNA's show in the near future.

Gregory Helms & Chris Jericho arrested in KY

Website TMZ.com is reporting that Smackdown star Chris Jericho and fellow wrestler Gregory Helms (ECW's The Hurricane) were arrested at a Kentucky Shell station for “alcohol intoxication in a public place.” Both men were taken into the Kenton County Detention Center and released on $120 bail.

According to reports from witnesses, Matt Hardy was also amongst the group. Gregory Helms allegedly struck 3 people in a tax cab he was in with Hardy and Jericho, including one female. Earlier reports from TMZ indicated that Helms hit Jericho, a man named Gary Kelley and a female passenger named Ashley Storer. Apparently, Hardy took off on foot as did Helms. The taxi driver finally pulled over at a Kentucky gas station and called 911 to report the incident.

Helms reportedly came back to the scene on his own, where he was arrested, but Matt Hardy did not return. It's been reported that the police aren't pursuing further action against Hardy. Originally, the female involved in the incident chose not to file charges for the attack. Helms and Jericho were arrested for public intoxication instead.

ECW Recap 11.24.09

ECW Recap from Bridgeport, CT:

Byron Saxton and Josh Matthews welcomed fans to the show, with tonight's huge main event featuring Yoshi Tatsu versus William Regal. Also, Abraham Washington welcomes special guest Matt Hardy from Smackdown to speak his mind.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Zack Ryder

Ryder was escorted to the ring by Rosa Mendes. They showed highlights from the WWE Superstars match between these two, where Rosa's cell phone distraction in the ring ended up costing Shelton the match. If Shelton wins tonight, Tiffany will make him the #1 Contender for the ECW title.

Late in the match, Shelton had a pinfall but Ryder got his legs on the rope to break it. Shelton went for a suplex of Ryder near the ropes, with Ryder able to yank Shelton against the top rope. Ryder got to the top of the corner, but Shelton ran up and kicked him down. Rosa quickly rushed over to check on her man as ECW went to break.

During the break, Rosa got in Shelton's way of Ryder outside the ring. Shelton capitalized with a lairat to take Shelton down. In the ring now, Ryder had Shelton down in a hold. Ryder continued the onslaught as he kicked away at Shelton near the ropes, then slammed him back. Ryder hit the cross body off the corner but couldn't get the pinfall. With Shelton down, he went up to the top of the corner and hit a huge splash for a pinfall. Shelton just barely kicked out of it to Rosa & Ryder's dismay. Shelton got fired up in the corner as he kept asking Ryder to punch him again and again, until the Gold Standard fired back and took him down.

Shelton connected with a series of moves into a bridge pin for a near fall. He hit a Powerbomb on Ryder near the corner, then as soon as Ryder stood up, Shelton hit Paydirt for the win. Shelton Benjamin will now be named #1 Contender for Christian's ECW title.

Winner: Shelton Benjamin wins via pinfall over Zack Ryder to become #1 Contender for the ECW title.

As Shelton was celebrating his win, all of a sudden Christian's music hit and the champ came out from backstage. Shelton was surprised by it, as Christian headed down to the ring. ECW went to a commercial break, then came back while Christian was into his speech on the mic in the ring. Christian said he was there to talk about three weeks from now, the new TLC Pay-Per-View. It will have one table match, one ladder match, one chair match and one TLC match. Christian said the past few PPV's the ECW title was overlooked. Christian said it's time for them to step up, then said it will be him versus Shelton in a ladder match. Christian said they need to steal the show at TLC. Shelton agreed to it and shook Christian's hand, then promised there will be a new ECW champ after the TLC PPV.

William Regal was backstage with Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson in the locker room, watching what just went down with Christian and Shelton. Regal said his quest to be ECW champion is still not over, and when he defeats Yoshi Tatsu tonight he'll be a step closer. He told Jackson & Kozlov to bring their A-game tonight. Regal was still speaking as ECW went to commercial.

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ECW was back with the WWE rewind to show highlights of ECW's newest talent, Vance Archer, as he dismantled various amateur wrestlers in the ring.

Alex Reynolds vs. Vance Archer

Reynolds was announced as a local talent from Bridgeport, CT. He got a side headlock early on Archer, before getting tossed down and then kicked. Archer continued to punish him with a boot choking him in the corner. Archer used a solid short arm clothesline to level the guy then kicked him hard in the gut. He picked up Reynolds and did a twirl type slam to slam him face first to the mat. Finally, he picked up Reynolds and put him into the inverted DDT style finisher.

Josh Matthews questioned what the stare Archer had on his face meant. Saxton said it's confidence and victory.

Winner: Vance Archer wins via pinfall over Alex Reynolds.

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ECW returned to show highlights from Raw where Jesse "The Governor" Ventura hosted. He introduced a series of matches to qualify for a Breakthrough Battle Royal. Ventura said only guys who had never been champions before (WWE/Heavyweight) would be part of this. Randy Orton was livid he wouldn't get a shot, but got into it anyway by attacking Primo on his way to the ring to take his spot and defeat Evan Bourne. Later on, it was Sheamus who won the battle royal after eliminating Kofi Kingston. Sheamus and John Cena had their contract signing, which ended with the Celtic Warrior delivering a big boot to John Cena, smashing him through the table, then holding the WWE title up. Jesse Ventura announced that the Title match at TLC will be a Tables match.

Saxton and Matthews discussed TLC PPV which arrives in three weeks. There's three matches so far: Cena vs Sheamus (WWE Title table match), Shelton vs Christian for the ECW title (Ladder match), and DX vs. JeriShow (TLC match).

Next up, it was the Abraham Washington Show featuring Matt Hardy as special guest. Tony Atlas was there as the sidekick as usual to introduce Abe to the crowd. Washington insulted the crowd calling them dog faces, saying he thought he had Twilight Fever (seeing Werewolves everywhere). Abe introduced Matt Hardy and he came out to the crowd's cheers. Washington said when he found out he was going to have a Hardy on the show he was disappointed it was Matt instead of Jeff. Matt said that's ok because he was wishing Abe was really Conan O'Brien. Washington discussed how Hardy will be on SyFy next week.

Hardy said he'll be on the show Scare Tactics next week before ECW. They rolled a clip of Matt coming out as a mental patient to scare a kid working. Washington said that wasn't scary, and he wasn't scared. Tony Atlas snuck up behind him and scared Abe, which caused Matt and Atlas to break out laughing. Washington asked Hardy what he was scared of. Matt said he's been having nightmares about being on the Abe Washington show. He said just kidding, then said when you're a Hardy "Fear" is just a four letter word. Washington said he's afraid they're all out of time. Washington walked off backstage pissed off at Hardy and Atlas. They both did a Matt Hardy v1 sign to the crowd.

Yoshi Tatsu was walking backstage en route to the main event match against Regal.

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Yoshi Tatsu vs. William Regal

Regal came down to the ring accompanied by his henchmen again, Jackson & Kozlov. Early on there was some minor "Let's go Regal" and "Regal sucks" chants exchanged right before a barrage of forearms from Tatsu. Regal came back to knock him down near the corner then used forearm uppercuts of his own. Regal kept attacking with knees to Tatsu and forearm uppercuts, followed by a chinlock hold to keep Tatsu down on one knee.

Regal began to hammer away at the back of Yoshi's head with him face down on the middle rope. Jackson and Kozlov were standing right there outside the ring to watch. As the ref pulled Regal away, his back was turned. Kozlov shoved Tatsu by his face. Yoshi stumbled around and came to, saw Regal there and quickly connected with his roundhouse kick to KO Regal for the pinfall.

Jackson and Kozlov rushed into the ring, so Yoshi quickly rolled to the outside. Jackson and Kozlov stood over the fallen Regal looking upset at the loss. Regal staggered to get up. Kozlov and Jackson eyed him. Regal asked Jackson what happened, then turned to Kozlov to ask him. Regal started finger pointing at Kozlov, then at Jackson. Regal told them that was his shot at the ECW championship. Kozlov pointed a finger at Jackson saying "he did it". Jackson took exception and lowered Kozlov's finger down, then did his one armed slam move to put Kozlov down. Regal told Jackson to calm down, that there was no need to get excited. Jackson thought for a moment then walked up to face Regal. He did the one arm slam to put Regal down, leaving Regal & Kozlov layed out. Jackson headed backstage as they recovered in the ring, shocked at what happened.

Winner: Yoshi Tatsu wins via pinfall over William Regal.

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ECW Recap 11.10.09

ECW Recap from Sheffield, UK:

ECW opened with a Veteran's Day video to remember veteran soldiers who have helped preserve the nation. Commentators Josh Matthews and Byron Saxon were on hand, talking up tonight's main event William Regal versus Christian for the ECW title. Tony Atlas was introduced so he could introduce the Abraham Washington show.

Abraham's guest tonight was Yoshi Tatsu. Abe started insulting the England audience saying they have free health care but nobody seems to go to the dentist ever. Abe generated a ton of heat as the crowd booed him continuously. Yoshi kept saying "thank you" over and over with Washington finally saying they've had enough thank you's. Abe asked for Yoshi's pick on who'd win the ECW title match tonight. Yoshi said Regal's tough but Christian's a great champion so he'll win. Abe and Yoshi did a "you don't understand the words coming out of my mouth" routine like Rush Hour. Washington berated Yoshi saying he's no Jackie Chan. Yoshi called Abe a stupid Chris Tucker. Finally, Washington said he's better than Tucker and told Atlas to end the show.

Matthews and Saxon previewed tonight's ECW title match, showing a video of how Regal has been hell bent on getting another shot at the title. Tonight is Regal's last chance to win the championship.

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Goldust vs. Paul Burchill

Burchill was introduced as "The Ripper, Paul Burchill." Next week will be the showdown between Burchill and Hurricane. If Burchill loses he and Katie Lea must leave ECW, if Hurricane loses he must unmask.

Goldust started building momentum late as he clotheslined Burchill down. He went for a bulldog, with Burchill shoving him off, then kicking him. All of a sudden, Hurricane's theme music hit. The Hurricane came rushing onto the ramp from backstage, then started to circle around the ring. The distraction caused Burchill to lose his concentration. Goldust hit his finisher in the process to pick up the pinfall victory.

Winner: Goldust wins via pinfall over Paul Burchill.

Highlights were shown of last week's Shelton Benjamin-Zack Ryder match with Rosa Mendes at ringside. Ryder became distracted as he was ogling Rosa from the ropes area, allowing Shelton to capitalize and win the match. Those two will have a rematch on Thursday's WWE Superstars.

Ryder was backstage as Rosa Mendes walked up to him backstage. Zack told Rosa he thought she did a great job as guest announcer last week. She started talking at him a mile a minute, and then Zack confessed he likes her. He said anytime she wants to come down to the ring and be in his corner she can. Rosa said maybe and left. Ryder started daydreaming of he and Rosa rubbing nose to nose, holding hands and skipping down the hall together.

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William Regal spoke to ECW GM Tiffany backstage. Regal said he knows that Tiffany is probably upset with him getting another ECW title shot despite her not wanting to grant it. He said she should consider how great it'll be to have a virtual god like himself holding the title after tonight. Tiffany said she is looking forward to starting their working relationship fresh, whether Regal wins the title or not. Regal scowled as he walked off.

Jason Blackwell vs. Vance Archer

A local amateur from Sheffield was newcomer Vance Archer's victim tonight. Archer cut a promo earlier in the day saying "Who is Vance Archer? My opponent is about to find out." Archer connected on a huge clothesline to level Blackwell early. Blackwell got tossed down by his hair to the mat, then picked up and thrown around before Vance started to stomp away on him. He choked him in the corner with a boot to the throat, then used a belly to belly slam. Archer closed with his inverted DDT style move.

Winner: Vance Archer wins via pinfall over Jason Blackwell.

Matthews reminded fans to go check out WWE.com for extensive Survivor Series coverage for the history of the event.

Christian was shown walking backstage looking all business. His match against Regal with the ECW title on the line is next.

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William Regal vs. Christian
ECW Title Match

Regal made his way to the ring first to a mixture of cheers and jeers. Next out was Christian to a louder ovation. ECW ring announcer Lauren Mayhew introduced both competitors. Prior to the contest they mentioned Regal grew up in Blackpool, England about 100 miles away from tonight's arena location. Also of note, Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson were banned from ringside.

Christian and Regal traded offense which saw two commercial breaks during the action. Regal had a near fall after the second break, then began to apply a hold down on the mat. Christian got to his feet and punched away at Regal to keep him at bay. Christian rushed Regal and was met by a forearm shiver. Regal started to step on Christian's face near the ropes. He stayed in control and had several more attempted pins.

Regal went towards Christian in a corner and got hit instead. Christian tried his Sunset Flip pin move off the corner, but Regal stayed up and then sat down. He had a pinfall and used the ropes as leverage with the ref stopping at 2. Christian countered with a pinfall on Regal, but he escaped. Regal had a vicious slam move and a near fall again.

Christian gained momentum from the apron and then hit several missile dropkicks off the corner, but couldn't capture the pinfall. Christian was ready for a Killswitch but got punched down by Regal. Regal went for a knee trembler with Christian avoiding it, but as Regal came back around he caught him with the knee. Regal made a cover with Christian getting his arm up. Christian went for Killswitch, but Regal countered into a Regal Stretch right near the bottom rope. Christian struggled to reach the rope but couldn't, so instead he grabbed Regal's arm to break free. Christian hit a big dropkick as Regal came at him, then a European uppercut off the ropes.

Another Killswitch attempt was countered into a powerslam move by Regal. Regal set up for the knee trembler again as Christian got up. Christian avoided it and then quickly connected on the Killswitch. The crowd celebrated as Christian hoisted the title up high to close the show.

Winner: Christian wins via pinfall over William Regal to retain the ECW Championship.

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ECW Recap 10.13.09

ECW Recap from University of KY:

The show opened with Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov arriving out for the opening match. Matthews and Striker were on commentary to cover tonight's show.

Goldust vs. Ezekiel Jackson

Early on Goldust was flattened to the mat by Jackson, but he recovered as he struck Jackson through the ropes from the outside. They battled in the ring with Goldust coming off the ropes and getting leveled by a clothesline. Jackson tossed him to the corner to pound away on the bizarre one, then did a running hip splash for further destruction. Goldust escaped the near fall. Jackson locked in a tight Bear Hug on Goldust, with Goldust punching out of it. Jackson shoved him to the ropes to chop him back down. Jackson had another near fall then used a submission hold on the mat. Goldust got to his feet but was slammed backwards for another close pinfall.

As the match continued, Goldust built some momentum with a takedown as he was whipped to the ropes. Jackson escaped the pinfall, and Goldust hit a Flatliner to plant Jackson face first into the mat. Goldust started to climb the corner, with Kozlov distracting. Jackson ran over to boot Goldust off the corner down to the mat. He finished with the one-armed slam move to win it.

Jackson and Kozlov stood in the ring above the fallen Goldust for a bit, before Kozlov picked him up for another finisher.

Winner: Ezekiel Jackson wins via pinfall over Goldust.

Striker and Matthews covered the replay of how Yoshi Tatsu defeated William Regal last week in singles competition. Regal had his foot clearly under the bottom rope, but the ref missed it on the pinfall. During the main event match of Christian vs Zack Ryder, Regal was at ringside with Jackson and Kozlov. Regal interfered when he attacked Christian to cost Ryder the match. Ryder complained so Kozlov & Jackson beat him up. Tonight, Ryder teams up with Regal to face Christian & Yoshi Tatsu in a tag team match.

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William Regal was backstage pacing, when Zack Ryder came up to him. Ryder said Regal and his boys cost him the match because Regal is threatened by him. Ryder told Regal he's not so tough without his boys around. Just then Kozlov and Jackson were standing behind him, so Ryder stopped talking. Regal gave Ryder a talk, and told him to pay close attention. Regal said Ryder better work with him to win tonight or else things will be even worse than what happened last week.

Sheamus got in the ring to discuss his match against Shelton last week on WWE Superstars. He said technically the record books claim that Shelton won, but Sheamus said the footage shows what really happened. He had them replay it as he punished Shelton's hurt shoulder repeatedly until the ref called for a DQ. Sheamus talked about Shelton arriving to WWE about 10 years ago with a lot of talent but that he hasn't done much with it. Sheamus said he can see Shelton has a lot of talent but has never been at the top of the WWE. Sheamus said he'll use Shelton as a stepping stone to get to the top. Sheamus said WWE has a lot of extra baggage now, and he suggested they leave, follow or get out of his way. Sheamus said the Celtic Warrior will be the only man standing at the top after it all.

Paul Burchill was shown walking with his sister Katie Lea backstage on the way out to the upcoming match against The Hurricane.

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Josh Matthews and Matt Striker discussed CM Punk's victory over Batista on Smackdown last week. They said fans can log onto WWE.com for more info including photos, videos and news.

The Hurricane vs. Paul Burchill

Hurricane wound up on the apron during the match and tried to go at Burchill. Burchill rammed into him to knock him to the outside, then went out to toss him into the apron. Back in the ring, Burchill used a barrage of moves including an armbar submission to wear him down. Hurricane fought to his feet, but Burchill grabbed his arm and dropped down to hurt him more.

Hurricane gained momentum as he kicked Burchill from the corner. Helms started to punch away on Burchill as he came off the ropes, then went to whip him to the corner. Burchill reverse whipped with Hurricane giving him the elbow as he charged him. After a hurricanrana, Hurricane had a near fall, and as they stood up Burchill grabbed his arm to plant Hurricane into the mat. The two men fought up on the corner, with Hurricane dropping Burchill off. As Burchill stood up, Hurricane hit a flying bodypress for another near fall.

Burchill continued going after Hurricane's hurt arm. He got on the corner, but Hurricane got up to go for a Hurricanrana. Burchill stayed on the corner, causing Hurricane to fall down to the mat. After a dangerous buster, Burchill was able to capture the pinfall victory.

Winner: Paul Burchill wins via pinfall over The Hurricane.

Striker and Matthews reminded fans that the main event will pit Yoshi Tatsu & Christian against Ryder & Regal.

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As ECW returned, Matthews & Striker noted that "Step Up (I'm On It)" by Maylene & The Songs of Disaster is the official theme song for Bragging Rights PPV.

They covered the whole Randy Orton & John Cena rivalry as it's gone down since Hell in a Cell. Cena and Orton agreed to fight at Bragging Rights in the final chapter of their rivalry, a 60 minute Iron Man match with Anything Goes. Orton added in that if Cena loses he will leave Raw as well. In their Bragging Rights match, whoever scores the most pinfalls or submissions in the 1 hour time limit will be the winner, and WWE Champion. Also at Bragging Rights is the World Heavyweight Title Fatal Fourway, and an epic 7 on 7 tag match between Raw & Smackdown.

Yoshi Tatsu was doing some calisthenics backstage to warm up for the tag match. Christian came in to ask if he was ready to go. Yoshi admitted he was focused but nervous. Christian asked why, and Yoshi spit out a lot of Japanese. Christian joked about it. He then said every week Yoshi gets in the last "thank you", but he's not falling for it now. Christian pretended he saw baseball player Ichiro and Yoshi looked. Christian said "thank you" and tried to leave. Yoshi turned back and bowed to say "Thank you". Christian came back, and told him it was time to go, then chuckled as they headed out.

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Yoshi Tatsu & Christian vs. William Regal & Zack Ryder

Early on it was Ryder and Tatsu, with Yoshi using a series of armbar takedowns to bring Ryder to the mat. Ryder got to his feet, but Yoshi pulled him over to tag in Christian. Christian continued yanking on the arm and tried a headlock, as Ryder sent him against the ropes. Christian came back to drop Ryder again. Ryder finally got him with a knee to the gut, then flattened him in the corner, before stomping on him. Ryder continued the onslaught, until he missed on a charge at Christian in the corner. Christian sent him to the outside, so Regal went to get Ryder up. Christian ran and hit a baseball dropkick to send Regal into Ryder, then ran and jumped off the corner onto both men outside the ring.

ECW returned with Regal battling Christian in the ring. Christian started ramming Regal in the corner, then brought him to a seated position for a kick to the back. Regal reverse-whipped Christian to the corner then leveled him, before tagging Ryder back in. Regal had Christian seated on the corner, but the champ flew off to take Regal down. Christian made a hot tag to Yoshi, as Ryder tagged in. Yoshi with a flurry of quick offensive moves, including a spin kick from the ropes.

Yoshi was in control and kicked Ryder as he was seated on the mat. Ryder shoved Yoshi back towards Regal, then went over to get in Christian's face. The ref walked over to calm Christian down, and Regal snuck in to hit Yoshi. Ryder with a neckbreaker, but couldn't get a 3 count. Regal tagged back in to start unloading on Yoshi. Ryder was back in, as the heels worked to wear Yoshi down and prevent a tag. Yoshi finally hit a rolling elbow from the corner to make a hot tag to Christian. Christian came in to take Ryder down, eventually hitting a spinning kick. Christian hit the Flash Point punc, for a near fall, then knocked Ryder off the apron. The springboard Sunset Flip didn't get the pinfall, so Christian went for Killswitch. Ryder countered and hit what Striker called a Rough Ryder legdrop on Christian, for a near fall.

Everyone got involved in the final moments of the contest, as Regal and Yoshi fought outside. Regal threw Yoshi into the ring steps outside. Christian got on the top rope, but Regal interfered. Regal made a tag back in to Ryder who didn't like how it was done. Ryder argued with Regal that he had the match won. The brief distraction caused Regal to end up in the Killswitch and then pinned by Christian.

Ryder left the ring smirking about what happened with Regal. Christian and Yoshi stood over Regal as ECW ended.

Winners: Christian & Yoshi Tatsu win via pinfall over Zack Ryder & William Regal.

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ECW Recap 09.22.09

ECW Recap from Tulsa, OK:

As ECW opened, Josh Matthews and Matt Striker said there was a championship atmosphere in the air, since tonight #1 Contender Zack Ryder goes after Christian and the ECW Title.

Tony Atlas introduced Abraham Washington to the top stage area for his talk show. Washington's guest on the show was the Celtic Warrior, Sheamus. Washington made comments about how Sheamus is so white and pale, putting on a pair of sunglasses. Sheamus took exception to this, then said he felt like he was on the set of "Sanford & Son". Sheamus talked about putting in all the hard work for his recent tag match, but Shelton Benjamin came in to steal the win. Sheamus said since Shelton took something from him, so he took something from Shelton. Abraham introduced Shelton Benjamin to the show to give his comments.

Shelton said he was surprised Abraham Washington wasn't canceled yet. Shelton told Sheamus there's a concept of team in America, so they both win if one wins. Sheamus told him about the Celtic code of honor, but said in America they steal and cheat. Shelton said he did some research on Sheamus' family history, then had a graphic show on the big screen of various redheaded characters like Pipi Longstocking, Ronald McDonald, and Carrot Top, indicating they were all related. Sheamus got in Shelton's face, so Shelton dared him to go for it. Shelton became distracted briefly, so Sheamus pounced on him. The two rolled over the couch punching on each other, until finally several WWE personnel came out to pull them apart.

Yoshi Tatsu was shown walking backstage on his way out for the next match.

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Yoshi Tatsu vs. Paul Burchill

Burchill came to the ring with his sister Katie Lea. Footage was shown of Burchill assaulting Hurricane last week, right after Hurricane lost a match to William Regal.

Late in the match, Burchill was in control as he smashed Tatsu face first to the turnbuckle then climbed up the corner. Yoshi got up to fight him, but Burchill punched him down. Burchill then jumped from the corner to smash his knee into Tatsu on the mat. Burchill went for the pin with Yoshi surprisingly able to kick out of it. Burchill picked up Yoshi for a slam move, with Yoshi sliding off his back. Yoshi shoved Burchill to the corner hard and as he stumbled back, Yoshi delivered his famous roundhouse kick to Burchill's head.

Winner: Yoshi Tatsu wins via pinfall over Paul Burchill.

Footage was shown from last week's 10 person Battle Royal to determine #1 Contender for the ECW Title. Zack Ryder won it after dumping Tommy Dreamer out last minute.

Backstage, Savannah interviewed Zack Ryder about being #1 Contender. Ryder said he doesn't squander opportunities and after tonight he'll be called the ECW Champion, you know it.

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Backstage, Paul Burchill was upset over his loss and looking around for Hurricane. Katie Lea tried to stop him but he went on without her. Gregory Helms came up and touched Katie on the arm to ask her some questions. Katie told him it's all his fault Paul is like this. As Helms was standing there, Burchill attacked from behind, knocking him down and punching away. He told Katie Lea to stay away from Helms and that he's not done with Helms by a longshot.

Dustin Brady & Brandon Young vs. Ezekiel Jackson & Vladimir Kozlov

Kozlov & Jackson came to the ring lead by William Regal. Early on, Young tried for an attack on Kozlov who shoved him against the ropes then hit him down with a battering ram move. Jackson came in and started to hammer away on the back of Young, before throwing him hard into the corner ringpost. His partner made a bold tag to get in, but Jackson grabbed him and tossed him over the ropes into the ring. Jackson continued to manhandle Brady, shoving him hard into the corner, then bringing in Kozlov. Jackson came back in again and delivered a vicious standing clothesline to level Brady, then used his one arm slam finisher to win it. Young got back in the ring to check on his partner, but was grabbed by Kozlov who hit his one-armed slam move on him.

Winners: Vladimir Kozlov & Ezekiel Jackson win via pinfall over Dustin Brady & Brandon Young.

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When ECW returned, Matthews and Striker discussed John Cena having to face the Gauntlet on next week's episode of Raw. They hyped up Hell in a Cell, listing the various matches including DX vs. Legacy, John Cena vs. Orton, both Hell in a Cell matches.

Backstage, Regal was walking with Kozlov and Jackson as they came up to Goldust. Regal told Goldust they have a match Thursday on WWE Superstars. Goldust said he was looking forward to it, and Regal said he wasn't because it's a joke, just like tonight's ECW Title Match, and just like Goldust. Goldust got in his face, but Jackson and Kozlov stepped up as bodyguards. Regal said on Thursday he's going to give a display as to why he should be competing for the ECW Title.

The Smackdown Rebound covered GM Teddy Long admitting what he did at Breaking Point by screwing Undertaker out of the title win. On Smackdown Long tried to send an apology out to the WWE fans and Undertaker. Long had a team of security personnel with him as he went back to get into his limo. He told the driver he was ready to go several times, and then the passenger/driver window barrier rolled down revealing his driver was the Undertaker. The backseat area filled with smoke as Teddy yelled for someone to help him, and the limo drove off.

Christian was shown backstage with his ECW Championship belt in hand walking on his way out for the main event.

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Zack Ryder vs. Christian
ECW Title Match

Ryder went for an early pinfall after knocking Christian down, but got no count. Ryder and Christian started to trade punches, until Ryder knocked Christian down again near the ropes. He tried to whip Christian to the ropes, but Christian reversed and eventually turned it into a headscissors to toss Ryder. From there Christian tossed his opponent to the outside and was about to dive out, but Ryder was up quick to avoid it. Christian got on the apron with Ryder trying to swipe his leg, but Christian hopped over him, then kicked Ryder, following up with a running baseball slide dropkick. Christian waited for Ryder to stand then did a leaping move from off the corner to crash onto Ryder outside.

Striker noted that no major singles title has ever been won in this particular arena, so Ryder will have to rewrite history. Christian attempted a pinfall with the ref counting just 1. Christian continued controlling things but as he sat on the corner, Ryder yanked his leg out to the mat. Ryder went for a pinfall but Christian barely escaped it. Ryder cockily motioned that he was close to winning, just as ECW went to break.

When ECW returned, Christian had control but as he came off the ropes Ryder tossed him in the air. Ryder with several pinfall attempts to no avail. Christian hit the Sunset Flip springboard off the corner but only scored a 2 count. Ryder crawled out to the apron and Christian came out to fight. Ryder punched him off, sending Christian into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Christian started to fight back until Ryder kneed him in the gut, then dropped him crotch first onto the top rope. Ryder went for several pinfalls but couldn't get the 3. Ryder with a legscissor to squeeze Christian's midsection. Ryder jumped off the corner at Christian, but Christian caught him and hit a flapjack.

The action became frantic in the closing minutes including Christian going for a Sunset Flip, but Ryder rolling through to hold Christian down for a near pinfall. Christian missed on a flying crossbody. Both men countered each other's moves. Ryder went for a pinfall using the ropes for leverage with Christian able to kick out. Christian managed to regain control of things as he did a slingshot of Ryder into the corner turnbuckle, then flew off the corner with a European uppercut. Christian quickly hit the Killswitch for the pinfall victory in a tough match.

Winner: Christian wins via pinfall over Zack Ryder to retain the ECW Title.

William Regal came out to interrupt Christian's victory celebration. Regal said since this farce is over with, now he'll become #1 Contender again and it won't be long until he is ECW Champion. Christian knocked the mic out of Regal's hand and started to punch away on him. Regal rolled out of the ring and began backing up the ramp. Christian held up his championship belt to close the show.

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New ECW Title Contender Zack Ryder

Last night's ECW on SyFy 09.15.09 showed once again that the Tuesday night program offers some fresh and exciting matches even if they don't carry the big name superstars like Triple H, Undertaker, Cena or Batista. On the program, things got off to a great start as they always do when Tiffany arrived to the ring. The beautiful ECW General Manager began to discuss how proud she was of the ECW Title match that went down at Breaking Point, but Sir William Regal decided he needed to confront her. Regal arrived to the ring along with Vlad Kozlov and Zeke Jackson to weigh in. Tiffany stood up to the bullying act Regal put on, and let him know he wouldn't be getting the next ECW Title shot. Instead, Tiffany announced a 10-Man Battle Royal for later in the show, which Kozlov and Jackson would be part of. Regal would have to face Hurricane in the opening bout.

Regal fought in his street clothes, making it a great fight as initially Hurricane was taking it to him. Despite the akward outfit and lack of mobility, Regal managed to pull off a win when Hurricane was climbing back into the ring through the ropes. Regal with a quick running knee to KO Hurricane. An extra nice touch came when Regal was informed by the ref that Hurricane's leg was beneath the rope. Whether it was planned or not, great move by the ref, and Regal pulled the leg in to secure the pinfall. A good opening match, however Hurricane was also excluded from the Battle Royal later on. Most likely due to being attacked in the ring by Paul Burchill. You've got to wonder why Tiffany wouldn't remove Burchill from the match for his actions, but can't have it all.

We also saw Yoshi Tatsu with a surprise uspet victory against rising star Zack Ryder, which made a nice set up for later in the night. In their match, Ryder seemed to dominate but the fan favorite Yoshi Tatsu delivered a surprise roundhouse kick to Ryder's head, knocking him down for the 3 count pinfall. Both men would later be involved in the 10 Man Battle Royal to determine the #1 Contender for ECW Title.

The Battle Royal was probably one of the better ones seen in some time, because it didn't have John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge or Triple H. Even the fact that Regal ws excluded made it more interesting, because it was hard to call who would win. Going into the match, I was under the impression one of the big men would take it, such as Ezekiel or Vladimir, maybe even Sheamus. But surprisingly it came down Tommy Dreamer, Vladimir Kozlov and Zack Ryder. In true heel fashion, Ryder did an Edge style move to win. Dreamer had just managed to knock Kozlov out of the ring, so Ryder snuck up behind Tommy, grabbed his legs and tossed him out. Definitely a nice surprise win to set up a Ryder-Christian bout, but I don't know that Ryder will be on the Hell in a Cell PPV. Probably will get a shot at Christian on a future ECW show.

All in all, the ECW show may be seen as the minor league or transition for FCW stars to WWE, but if offers some fresh and unique matches with newer superstars. The crowd was really behind Goldust in Canada, making his momentum building effort in the Battle Royal more fun to watch. The fans were hot over Shelton Benjamin's performance as well as he was holding on to the ropes and managed to pull Ezekiel Jackson to the outside. Great action, great crowd responses, now that's what Raw needs to work towards, or they just need to bring more Canadian fans to the US shows.

ECW Recap 09.15.09

ECW Recap from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada:

At the start of the show, highlights were shown from this Sunday's Breaking Point Pay-Per-View. William Regal had Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson with him at the start of things, but it was ordered that the two beasts had to leave ringside. Regal and Christian battled it out over the ECW title with Regal getting several near pinfalls. He missed on the running knee kick which allowed Christian to hit the Killswitch and retain the title.

ECW's General Manager Tiffany arrived out to the ring to start off the show. Tiffany began saying how proud she was of the ECW title match at Breaking Point, but was soon interrupted by Regal and his henchmen. Regal told Tiffany she looked exceptionally beautiful tonight, and feels she is doing a wonderful job as GM. Regal said as a former longtime GM, he wanted to discuss this past Sunday's match. Regal asked Tiffany why she felt the need to ban Jackson and Kozlov from ringside at Breaking Point. Tiffany said she made the decision because she wanted a one-on-one match with no interference. Regal said it's only right that Tiffany grant him another title shot. Tiffany said she made the decision not to allow Regal another title shot, but there would be a battle royal later tonight.

Regal, Kozlov and Jackson started to leave the ring, but Tiffany told Regal to stay back. She said he wasn't getting another title shot, but he would be in action right now. The Hurricane's music and entrance came on, as Hurricane arrived out for the match.

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The Hurricane vs. William Regal

The match was joined in progress with Hurricane taking it to Regal. Regal was not dressed for the match and was in his suit and dress shoes still. Regal started a comeback but it was brief as Hurricane flew at him with a high crossbody. After a neckbreaker, Hurricane flew off the corner with a crossbody onto Regal but only got the 2 count. Regal left the ring to start up the ramp, but Hurricane ran out and attacked, then grabbed him to bring back to the ring. As Hurricane was getting back in the ring, Regal caught him with the running knee. Regal went for a pin, but Hurricane's leg was under the ropes. The ref yelled it and Regal pulled the leg in to secure the pin.

After the win, Regal backed up the ramp looking unhappy at what just went down for him. Hurricane got up near the ropes looking out at Regal, just as Paul Burchill slid in behind him. Burchill with the attack from behind and then his finisher Dangerous Buster suplex.

Winner: William Regal wins via pinfall over The Hurricane.

Goldust apologized to Yoshi Tatsu in a locker room for what happened in their match last week. Yoshi seemed to forgive then said "English please". Goldust said they could continue their English lesson. After one phrase Goldust did his stuttering and Yoshi repeated it exactly like that. Just then, Zack Ryder entered the scene and joked about one scholar teaching another. Goldust told Yoshi to say "Loser" like he taught him, and Yoshi looked at Zack then said "Zack Ryder". Ryder became upset and challenged Yoshi to a match.

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When ECW returned, Matthews and Striker made the announcement that Batista returns to Smackdown on Friday. A replay was shown of Burchill attacking The Hurricane in the ring, using the Dangerous Buster on him. Burchill was shown walking backstage smiling about what he did. New ECW interviewer Savannah caught up with him to ask for his explanation. Burchill mockingly asked where Gregory Helms was, then said "oh yeah in the ring where I left him". Burchill said he got what he deserves for what happened to Katie Lea last week. Burchill said he won't stop until he has exposed and eliminated Helms, then said he had to go get ready for the Battle Royal.

The Bella Twins arrived out in red dresses to serve as special guest ring announcers.

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Zack Ryder

Ryder had control with the early armbar submission to wrench Tatsu's arm. Yoshi started to flip around and was able to counter the move to put on his own submission arm hold. Yoshi had a near pinfall with Ryder escaping. Yoshi whipped Ryder to the ropes, but Ryder avoided his charge. As Yoshi jumped onto the corner, Ryder kicked his footing out. Ryder used a hard kick to Yoshi's head then tried several pinfalls, followed by a headlock on the mat.

Ryder continued with more hold to wear Yoshi down on the mat. Yoshi fought to his feet as the crowd rallied behind him, but Zack slammed him back down. Yoshi finally was able to hit a running elbow on Ryder to gain some momentum. Yoshi with the double running knee into Ryder in the corner, then he attempted the running bulldog flip. Ryder shoved him away and climbed on the corner, with Yoshi going up after him to land a headscissors. Yoshi couldn't grab the pinfall though as Ryder kicked out. Ryder with a flying leg lariat but couldn't finish off Yoshi. He went for a backflip of Yoshi, with Yoshi flipping over onto his feet, then connecting on a roundhouse kick to KO Ryder.

Winner: Yoshi Tatsu wins via pinfall over Zack Ryder.

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Josh Matthews and Matt Striker discussed the fallout from Breaking Point, and lead in to the two matches announced so far for Hell in a Cell. John Cena defends the WWE Title against Randy Orton and DX battles Legacy, with both matches being Hell in a Cell format.

10 Man Battle Royal for #1 ECW Title Contender

Participating in the Battle Royal were Shelton Benjamin, Vladimir Kozlov, Ezekiel Jackson, Tommy Dreamer, Goldust, Tyler Reks, Sheamus, Yoshi Tatsu, Paul Burchill and Zack Ryder.

Matt Striker picked Sheamus first to win it, then suggested Kozlov, Jackson, Tatsu or Ryder could win. Shelton with an early suplex on Burchill to throw him over the ropes for the 1st elimination. Vlad Kozlov kept working to wear down Goldust, while Jackson went after Dreamer. Dreamer fell onto the apron and slid back into the ring. Multiple wrestlers tried to work on both Jackson and Kozlov to eliminate them. Jackson tossed Shelton over but he held onto the ropes and slid in under the bottom rope. As several wrestlers were down or recovering, Jackson and Kozlov bumped into each other and a stare off went down center ring. ECW went to commercial break.

ECW returned to show that Kozlov had eliminated Tyler Reks by throwing him over the top ropes. 8 men remained to battle it out. Jackson grabbed Yoshi Tatsu and tossed him over the ropes like a ragdoll for another elimination. Sheamus fought with Kozlov in the corner, headbutting him then trying to eliminate. Jackson tossed Goldust over the ropes, but Goldust barely held on. Jackson put a foot on Goldust's face but Dreamer ran over for the save.

Shelton Benjamin had an impressive run as he hit the Paydirt on Zack Ryder, then clotheslined Sheamus hard over the ropes to eliminate him. Jackson ran over and tossed Shelton out, with Shelton hanging on. Jackson turned to see him then went at him. Shelton with a headscissors to pull Jackson over the ropes, eliminating him next. Shelton hung on the side apron, but Sheamus rushed over to punch him down for another elimination. Sheamus and Shelton started to brawl on the outside with refs getting involved.

It was down to Ryder, Dreamer, Goldust and Kozlov. Dreamer and Goldust charged at their heel foes to attack. Kozlov took control against Dreamer, while Goldust and Ryder fought. The crowd seemed hot for Goldust as he had offensive momentum against Ryder. Goldust tossed Ryder over the ropes with Ryder hanging on. He came at him again, and Ryder still hung on despite a clothesline attempt. Finally Goldust charged at Ryder with Ryder dropping down and pulling the top rope, causing Goldust to spill out. The fans booed the loss.

Meanwhile, Kozlov manhandled Tommy Dreamer with a belly-to-belly. Kozlov picked up Dreamer on one shoulder and ran at the ropes to try to toss him, but Dreamer slid off and shoved Kozlov, eventually knocking him over the ropes. Zack Ryder quickly ran over, grabbed Dreamer and dumped him out to grab the victory.

Winner: Zack Ryder wins the 10 Man Battle Royal to become #1 Contender for the ECW Title.

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WWE Superstars Recap 08.27.09

WWE Superstars Recap 08/27/09:

Tonight's episode of Superstars featured several more entertaining matches from the three brands: Raw, ECW and SmackDown! One match carried on a continued feud from ECW, featuring Paul Burchill taking on Hurricane Helms. Another match had serious consequences for the upcoming Breaking Point PPV, as Mike Knox, Finlay and Dolph Ziggler would fight in a triple threat match to determine a #1 Contender for Rey Mysterio's Intercontinental Title. Here's the results and recaps of matches from the 08/27/09 episode of WWE Superstars:

Primo vs. Jack Swagger

In the opening match, Raw's Primo battled the two-time All American American, Jack Swagger. In the early going, both men traded offensive attacks. At one point, Swagger tossed Primo over the top rope with Primo landing on his feet on the apron. Swagger quickly rammed into him with his shoulder sending Primo to the floor as Superstars went to a commercial.

After the break, Swagger was in control in the ring. He picked up Primo with Primo rolling off his back and trying a quick pin. Swagger escaped, pulled Primo to the corner and slingshotted him. Swagger went for his big splash in the corner with Primo getting out of the way. Primo gained control as he was able to get a crossbody from the corner, then a Russian Legsweep. After a two count from Primo, Swagger hit a surprise belly-to-belly suplex. Swagger tried his finisher but Primo blocked. The two went back and forth with punches until Swagger regained control.

Swagger sent Primo to the corner then charged at him, but Primo elbowed him. Primo went off the top rope at Swagger who ducked it. Primo landed on his feet, but Swagger was able to clothesline him from behind, then hit his Gutwrench Powerbomb to win it. After the win, Swagger got on the mic to let Kofi Kingston know he's the only superstar born to be US Champion. He told Kingston to forget everyone except him.

Winner: Jack Swagger wins via pinfall over Primo.

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Hurricane Helms vs. Paul Burchill

In this ECW feud, both superstars meant business in the ring. Paul Burchill was able to gain control in the match using a neckbreaker followed by a neck submission hold to wear down Helms. Hurricane got back to his feet, and Burchill tried to ram him head first to the turnbuckle. Helms fought back to stop him, using an offensive attack including a reverse DDT, followed by a two count. Hurricane tried to clothesline Burchill, but he ducked, then hit a Pele kick. Hurricane ducked Burchill's clothesline attempt, then hit a crossbody off the corner for a two count.

Burchill rolled to the outside of the ring to recover. Helms went to collect him and put him on the apron for a suplex move. Helms got back in the ring ready to do his Shining Wizard, but as he went for the suplex, Katie Lea held Burchill's leg from outside. Helms began to complain to the ref about it, and that allowed Burchill to hit a quick move on Helms, followed by the rollup pin.

Winner: Paul Burchill wins via pinfall over Hurricane Helms.

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Finlay vs. Mike Knox vs. Dolph Ziggler
Triple Threat Match

This match would determine a #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title at Breaking Point PPV. All three men intensely battled in and out of the ring. During one segment, Finlay and Knox fought outside the ring. Ziggler tried the baseball slide dropkick with Finlay using the apron cover to catch him, then punched him. Knox came over and leveled Finlay, then rolled Ziggler into the ring. Finlay rushed in and tried a quick pin on Ziggler, with Knox breaking it up. Ziggler then dropkicked Knox outside so he could fight Finlay one on one inside the ring. The two wrestlers traded punches, with Finlay and Ziggler eventually fighting on the top rope. Knox was back in and put Finlay in an Electric Chair to take him down. Ziggler went for a leg drop off the top rope, but Finlay avoided it.

As the action continued later on, all three men were fighting in the ring. Ziggler hit a move on Knox as Finlay hit a rolling thunder on Ziggler. Finlay went after Knox with Zigler punching Finlay. Ziggler sent Finlay to the corner, but missed on his splash attempt. Finlay then went for a submission hold with Knox coming over to boot him in the face. Knox followed with a suplex on Ziggler, but Finlay went to the middle rope and then tackled Knox down for a 2 count pinfall. Knox rolled over and grabbed Finlay's shillaleigh, then swung at Finlay. Finlay ducked the move and kicked Knox then hit his Celtic Cross finisher for a pin. Ziggler rushed over and pulled Finlay off to toss him into the corner ring post, then took the winning pinfall on Mike Knox. Ziggler celebrated up on the ramp to end the show as the Smackdown commentators discussed Friday night's CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy cage match.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler wins via pinfall over Mike Knox to become #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Title.

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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 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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Smackdown Recap 02.06.09

SmackDown results from Indianapolis, IN:

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Battle Royal

Fourteen of Smackdown's superstars duked it out in an over the top rope Battle Royal, with the winner getting a spot in the No Way Out Chamber for the WWE Title. Included in the match: The Brian Kendrick, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Chavo Guerrero, Vladimir Kozlov, MVP, Carlito, Primo Colon, Jesse, Shelton Benjamin, The Great Khali, Scotty Goldman, Kung Fu Naki, and R-Truth. During the match, Great Khali showed his power by eliminating Chavo Guerrero and then The Brian Kendrick. Shelton Benjamin eliminated Jesse. The Moscow Mauler, Vladimir Kozlov was the toughest of the bunch as he eliminated both Primo and Carlito Colon, before getting rid of R-Truth to win the match.

Winner: Vladimir Kozlov eliminated R-Truth to earn a spot in the WWE Title Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out.

Backstage, Hurricane Helms talked about how wrong Matt Hardy was to do what he did to Jeff at the Royal Rumbl. Helms added that Matt Hardy's always been a jerk. Following Helms' comments backstage, Matt Hardy arrived to the ring and called out Helms to the ring. From there Matt viciously beat down Helms, eventually elbowing him until he was unconscious in the ring. Several referees got involved to get Matt away from Helms.

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Shelton Benjamin came out to the arena to cut a promo, insulting MVP. Shelton jokes that that MVP should change his name to “VPM” - Very Peyton Manning, because he always blows the big game even when all the fans are behind him.

MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin

In a non-title match, MVP was able to shut up Shelton and put himself into title contention with a win. After a back and forth match, MVP hit the Drive By Kick on Shelton to eventually take the pinfall victory. This marks MVP's 3rd straight victory now for his win streak.

Winner: MVP wins via pinfall over Shelton Benjamin.

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R-Truth, Primo Colon, & Carlito vs. The Miz, John Morrison, & The Brian Kendrick

In six-man tag team action, Miz and Morrison aligned themselves with The Brian Kendrick as bodyguard Ezekiel Jackson watched from the outside. In typical Miz & Morrison fashion, Miz caused a distraction which led to the pinfall on Carlito.

Winners: The Miz, John Morrison and The Brian Kendrick win via pinfall over R-Truth and The Colons.

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Eve vs. Michelle McCool

Lovely latina and WWE Diva Search winner, Eve Torres, made her in-ring wrestling debut on Smackdown. Eve showed a brief outburst of moves including armbar takedowns and a dropkick, but McCool was too much for her. The former divas champ was able to get the best of Eve as she used a painful submission hold to defeat her. After the match, Maria came down to the ring to chase McCool away and help Eve out.

Winner: Michelle McCool wins via submission over Eve.

Kung Fu Naki vs. Umaga

Last week saw Umaga's return to the ring as he disposed of Jimmy Wang Yang. In his second week back, Umaga took the fight to Kung Fu Naki. It wasn't much of a fight on Kung Fu Naki's part as he was the recipient of the Hip Splash in the ring corner followed by a vicious Samoan Spike which gave Umaga his second straight victory.

Winner: Umaga wins via pinfall over Kung Fu Naki.

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Triple H & Undertaker vs. Edge & Big Show

In this tune-up tag match amongst No Way OutElimination Chamber competitors, the current WWE Champ had his hands full as Big Show turned on him. Triple H and Undertaker were able to pick up the win over the Ultimate Opportunist, Edge due to Big Show's reluctance to help his partner.

Triple H & Undertaker win via pinfall over Big Show & Edge.

Smackdown Preview 12.05.08

Tonight's Smackdown will see the end of a long standing feud between two of the biggest superstars in the WWE. At the Survivor Series, the Undertaker and Big Show faced off in a brutal casket match. Undertaker was able to win the contest, thanks to the druids providing a second casket. The Deadman was able to punch away at Show enough, causing the giant to fall back into the casket and the lid to close. Despite the lid closing, Show's fate was not completely sealed. Tonight on Smackdown, the two superstars will meet inside the confines of a steel cage. Which of these colossal stars will be able to escape the structure or defeat their opponent inside the cage?

Last week's Beat the Clock Challenge on Smackdown was held to produce a #1 Contender for the WWE title. Jeff Hardy earned the top spot with the best time of the night. His brother Matt Hardy assisted by holding off Vladimir Kozlov long enough to make sure he didn't win. In the final match of the night, Triple H and Shelton Benjamin ended up without a conclusive winner. The question remains as to who will be facing Edge at Survivor Series. Will it be Edge one on one with Jeff Hardy, or will we see another Triple Threat match at Armageddon?

Tonight also marks the return of WWE Superstar Gregory Helms. Helms has been out with injury and rehab for over a year now, but the Smackdown superstar is eager to make his return. As a former Cruiserweight title holder, Helms was once a top superstar on the Smackdown roster. Now he will look to re-build his momentum and re-invent himself in the wake of the Cruiserweight title. What will Smackdown have in store for Helms? Will he be victorious in his first match back since injury?

Also, MVP continues to try to snap his losing streak, while the Great Khali looks to spread more love and holiday cheer!

Catch all the action and excitement with the WWE Divas and Superstars of Smackdown tonight at 8PM EST on MyNetworkTV!

Gregory Helms' Smackdown Return

It's been a long time since fans have seen the talented Gregory Helms on Smackdown inside a WWE wrestling ring. In his latest Myspace blog, Gregory "Hurricane" Helms has announced his return for Smackdown on this Friday's (December 5th) show. Helms mentions that the Albany, New York crowd was completely energizing for his return and was quite emotional. Helms discusses the issues he's dealt with over the past year and a half, including his injury setback, the loss of his mother, and the loss of two close friends.

Albany was very good to me! The various chants they gave me were exciting and I must admit also very touching. A "Welcome back" chant caught me off gaurd right off the bat, and it bought a touch of emotion to my return. The "Hurricane" chant was nice to hear after such a long time not hearing it. The "I'm just saying" chant almost made me chuckle, and right behind the "Welcome Back" was my favorite of the night! I believe there was a "Rosey" chant too, which I'm sure Big Ro-Ro will be happy to hear about. There was also a small chant about my tattoo, which I heard, but I couldn't make out exactly what was being said, but it was still very much appreciated. This past year and a half was about as tough a year as one could have and by far, the toughest of my life.

Helms is of course a former Cruiserweight champ, but now that the title is gone (thanks to Hornswoggle & Vickie G), it'll be interesting to see what his role becomes. Perhaps Helms starts to compete for the US Championship with Shelton Benjamin, finds himself a worthy tag team partner (R-Truth or Jimmy Wang Yang), or moves over to ECW to compete with Matt Hardy for the ECW title. Or just maybe the WWE brings back the title, which may serve as a nice secondary title on ECW. Here's wishing Helms all the best as he returns to the WWE!

Check out Helms this Friday on Smackdown, MyNetworkTV. Check your local listings for more info.

Read full blog entry by Gregory Helms.

Jeff Hardy in More Trouble

According to various news sources including UK's The Sun, WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy looks to be in trouble yet again. This time Jeff was ejected from a flight from the Nashville airport headed to North Carolina, and taken away by police. Reportedly, Jeff was escorted by several officers and appeared to be flanked by the cops. At the time of the flight, he was traveling with his brother Matt Hardy and their pal, Gregory Helms.

Currently this is all there is from WWE regarding the incident:

A WWE spokesperson exclusively told SunSport: “WWE has been informed of an alleged incident involving Jeff Hardy.

“We are currently investigating the situation and will take appropriate actions if needed.”

So has Jeff done away with his WWE career for good? The high-flying superstar received his 2nd WWE suspension for drug use right before Wrestlemania 24. That cost him his Intercontinental title and possibly the Money in the Bank briefcase with title shot. One more drug suspension means Hardy's bright yet troublesome career with WWE will end. Hardy is currently scheduled to face Triple H for the WWE title at No Mercy, Sunday October 5th.

(Story Source: pwinsider.com)

Is the Cruiserweight Title Done?

The last time we saw the Cruiserweight title it was held by the man, the myth, the legend, Hornswoggle. The leprechaun was forced to vacate the title because Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero told him it was too dangerous for him to hold the title as a McMahon. Since that infamous date in WWE history, we have yet to see a return of the title. It makes fans wonder, will we ever see the title return?

It's not the first WWE title to vanish. Two other titles come to mind with the European and the Hardcore titles both being eliminated as WWE gold. The European title was a launching point for stars like Hunter Hearst Helmsley, while the Hardcore title had the interesting premise of "defend it 24/7, anywhere". The Cruiserweight signified a division of wrestlers who weren't as heavy as some of the larger stars, but competed for the prestige of the title. Previous holders of the title included Jamie Noble, Chavo Guerrero and a longtime champion, Gregory Helms. Hornswoggle won the title in a surprise move at a PPV when he hit a frogsplash off the top ropes, after appearing from under the ring. He successfully defended it at least twice against a frustrated Jamie Noble.

It would be interesting to see this title make a comeback with a tri-brand tournament to determine a new Cruiserweight champion. I think it would make a great match at a Pay Per View following Wrestlemania and could involve names like Stevie Richards, Kenny Dykstra, Santino Marella, Cody Rhodes, Jamie Noble and even the rookie Colin Delaney. A guy like Cody Rhodes seems a worthy ambassador to hold that tile right about now, or the WWE could push it as Delaney's first big title win in WWE. So bring back the cruiserweight, because that is the stuff WWE legends and stories are made of..