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.

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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WWE Superstars Recap 09.17.09

WWE Superstars Recap 09.17.09

On tonight's 9/17/09 episode of WWE Superstars, wrestlers from the rosters of Raw, ECW and Smackdown were all in action. Chris Masters battled Santino Marella, the ECW champ Christian was in non-title action, and Finlay fought Dolph Ziggler for a Smackdown main event. Additionally, former WWE Champion Randy Orton participated in a backstage interview. Here are the full results for the 9/17 episode of WWE Superstars:

Santino Marella vs. Chris Masters

The opening match lasted just under 5 minutes. Masters dominated throughout the contest. Santina started to make a comeback and tried to use his own version of The Masterlock. Chris Masters broke out of the hold and put his Masterlock on Santino, causing the ref to soon call for the bell.

Winner: Chris Masters wins via submission over Santino Marella.

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Christian vs. Paul Burchill

In a non-title bout, the ECW Champ, Captain Charisma, took on Paul Burchill. Joining the ECW commentary team to provide his words of wisdom on the match was the new #1 contender for ECW Title, Zack Ryder.

In the match, Burchill managed to gain control of things following a commercial break. At one point, Burchill got Christian on the ropes where he nailed a fisherman's suplex move off the second rope. The two wrestlers continued to trade offense and momentum, until Christian eventually hit the Killswitch to win it.

Ryder and Christian had the typical staredown after the match, with Ryder remaining seated at the commentators table.

Winner: Christian wins via pinfall over Paul Burchill.

Backstage, Josh Matthews spoke with former champion Randy Orton about losing the WWE Title to John Cena at Breaking Point. Orton claimed his decision to tap out to Cena was a "business decision" and that he would regain the title at Hell in a Cell.

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Finlay vs. Dolph Ziggler

Early in the match, Ziggler escaped out of the ring to flee from Finlay's attack. Ziggler climbed over the guard rail into the crowd, with Finlay trying to follow. The referee stopped Finlay before a commercial break. After that break, the two superstars traded kickes and punches, before eventually knocking heads in the corner. At one point in the match, Finlay and the ref began arguing over his shillaleigh which was kicked into the ring. Ziggler was able to seize the opportunity, grabbing the distracted Finlay and hitting his finisher on him.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler wins via pinfall over Finlay.

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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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WWE Superstars Recap 08.06.09

On the 8/6/09 episode of WWE Superstars fans were treated to another three exciting matches featuring the superstars of Raw, ECW and Smackdown. Tonight's show featured Santino Marella battling Chris Masters from Raw, as well as a tag team clash with ECW superstars Tyler Reks & Yoshi Tatsu going against Paul Burchill and William Regal. In the main event, Rey Mysterio fought Mike Knox, in a non-title contest. Here's the full results for the August 6, 2009 edition of WWE Superstars on WGN American...

Santino Marella vs. Chris Masters

In the opening match of the night, Raw superstar Santino Marella faced the returning Chris Masters. Early on, Santino tried to go at Masters with some kick moves, but Masters soon was in control. After a hard clothesline, Masters used elbow drops on Santino, then locked in a hold to wear him down. Masters toyed with Santino some as he slapped him around a bit. Santino got frustrated and started to gain energy as he punched Masters in the face. Masters tried to punch Santino, but Marella ducked and then elbowed Masters. Santino missed on a diving headbutt, which allowed Masters to grab him and lock in the dreaded Masterlock hold.

Winner: Chris Masters wins via submission over Santino Marella.

Tyler Reks & Yosh Tatsu vs. William Regal & Paul Burchill

Yoshi started things off against Burchill and used some fastpaced offense to take control. Eventually, both Regal and Reks tagged in. Regal was able to toss Reks out of the ring before a commercial break. During the break, Reks was able to gain the upperhand as he tossed Regal into the apron. From there, Reks and Yoshi started to target Regal's left arm. Regal was eventually able to tag Burchill back in, and the duo were able to go after Yoshi Tatsu's legs to keep him grounded. At one point, Burchill put a single leg crab on Tatsu, then released it. Yoshi started to slap Burchill and went for a move which Burchill ducked. Burchill knocked Reks on the apron, but as he went back towards Yoshi, Yoshi threw him down. Yoshi made the tag to Reks. Reks came in to explode on offense as he hit several dropkicks on Regal who also tagged in. Yoshi Tatsu and Burchill ended up going to the outside to fight. Back in the ring, Reks tried for a crossbody on Regal, but he Regal was able to reverse it into a small package pinfall.

Winners: William Regal & Paul Burchill win via pinfall over Yoshi Tatsu and Tyler Reks.

Mike Knox vs. Rey Mysterio

Smackdown's Intercontinental Champion, Rey Mysterio, took on his familiar foe, Mike Knox in the final match of Superstars. Dolph Ziggler came down to ringside to provide guest commentary for the fight. At one point in the match, Mike Knox hit a serious crossbody on Rey, nearly scoring the winning pinfall. Rey Mysterio made a comeback and gained control, eventually hitting his trademark 619. Rey got onto the apron to prepare for the final springboard move, but Dolph Ziggler yanked him down. The interference by Ziggler caused the ref to call for the bell for the DQ. Mysterio managed to escape a beatdown from Knox and Ziggler before Superstars ended.

Winner: Rey Mysterio wins due to disqualification against Mike Knox, when Dolph Ziggler interfered.

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WWE Superstars Recap 04.30.09

The third installment of WWE Superstars on WGN America featured several exciting matches including one half of the unified tag team champs, Carlito, doing battle with Ted Dibiase. In addition, Evan Bourne and Paul Burchill brought their feud from the land of extreme to the show for Round 2. Here's the recaps and results for 04/30/09 episode of Superstars.

Gail Kim & Maria vs. Alicia Fox & Michelle McCool

Alicia Fox made her debut as a Smackdown diva wrestling alongside Michelle McCool. Michelle McCool taunted Gail Kim at one point in the match as she punched her. The ref stopped Gail from getting involved as Michelle continued trying to dominate Maria. When Gail was finally able to tag in, she had the serious momentum. Unfortunately, as Gail jumped off the corner at Michelle, McCool gave her a huge boot to the face and then scored the winning pinfall for her team in under 5 minutes.

Winners: Michelle McCool & Alicia Fox win via pinfall over Gail Kim & Maria.

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Evan Bourne vs. Paul Burchill

Katie Lea accompanied Burchill to the ring for the match, as Paul looked to avenge his loss to Bourne on ECW a few weeks back. Burchill seemed to dominate and hobble Bourne in this matchup, with Katie Lea looking on and trying to help him win it. At one point, Burchill locked in a legscissors on Bourne's injured leg. Bourne finally managed to break it and began kicking Burchill. One kick sent Burchill out of the ring. Bourne was able to hop up on one leg onto the second rope. Burchill came over to try for the Superplex, but Bourne countered him and ended up hitting his trademark Shooting Starpress to capture another victory.

Winner: Evan Bourne wins via pinfall over Paul Burchill.

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Carlito vs. Ted Dibiase Jr.

Carlito was cheered on by Primo Colon from ringside, while Cody Rhodes supported his Legacy partner Ted Dibiase. Amazingly, there wasn't much involvement from either of the outside tag partners in the match. Carlito had momentum as the match neared the 10 minute mark. Carlito hit a knee lift, a clothesline, and a DDT on Dibiase but failed to get the 3 count. Carlito charged at Dibiase when both men got up, and Dibiase scoop slammed him to the mat. From there, Dibiase whipped Carlito to the ropes. Carlito tried to jump back at Dibiase with an elbow to the face, but Dibiase moved away from him and grabbed him to hit Dream Street for the victory.

Winner: Ted Dibiase wins via pinfall over Carltio.

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Evan Bourne Keeps Rising!

If you've watched ECW on Sci-Fi Tuesday nights for the past several months or so then you've definitely been treated to the latest WWE spectacle known as Evan Bourne. He may have had the slight misfortune of having some of his earlier ECW matches called by Mike Adamle, but Bourne has continued to grown and shine week after week. Just last night he went up against Paul Burchill in a match that lasted longer than you might expect when Burchill's involved. It saw Burchill dominate at points, keeping Bourne grounded in a headlock, and using various power moves to bully Bourne around the ring. Burchill wreally as no slouch in this match using moves that aren't seen night in and night out on WWE shows. One example was a suplex where he hooked Bourne's leg, then tossed Bourne back over his shoulders. Bourne kept trying to build momentum, but Burchill continued to level him. With Katie Lea lurking outside the ring, Bourne had a lot to contend with during the contest.

Despite Katie Lea's interference and Burchill putting on a decent showing in front of his hometown crowd in London, the fans were clearly behind Evan "Air" Bourne. At one point, Bourne ducked a clothesline and grabbed Burchill, wrapping him up for one of the slickest reversal-pinfalls you've never seen before. Bourne's crowning moment in his matches is the Shooting Starpress which the fans get quite revved up for. But throughout his match last night Bourne was "oohing" and "ahhing" the fans similar to when Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson or Lebron James made moves on the basketball courts. Bourne seems to be doing this consistently, and attracting more fan attention. Last week, Bourne and John Morrison put on a stellar match on ECW which included moves like a flying bodypress onto Morrison to take him to the outside over the ropes. Both those guys are known for great performances in matches, but together they amazed the crowd and did some real risk taking to entertain the fans. It'd be real interesting to see how Bourne would fare in a Money in the Bank or other Extreme rules match, and if he gets to Wrestlemania 26's version, I'd put money on Bourne to win MITB (with the exception that he isn't ready to win a major title beyond ECW).

Evan Bourne (real name: Matt Sydal) is always fun to watch and definitely someone the fans look forward to when he shows up. My only gripe: the WWE really needs to reward this guy for the work he's putting in. He may still be a newcomer and not have the seniority or veteran status of other guys, but his high-flying, quick-paced offense is worth the price of admission. WWE should have taken the opportunity to draft Bourne to Raw or Smackdown during this past year's WWE Draft 2009. If not that, the Cruiserweight title may need to be reinstated, and Evan Bourne would make a great choice for its new champion in 2009. On a very interesting side note, TNA (Total Nonstop Action wrestling) may have lost out on a real top notch competitor who brings fans to shows, because Bourne wrestling as Lance Sydal for TNA, was used mainly as a "jobber". Wasted talent by TNA is now WWE's gain, and Bourne's stock should only continue to rise.

Read more about Evan Bourne's career at his Wikipedia entry here.

ECW Recap 02.24.09

ECW Recap from Nashville, TN:

ECW on Sci-Fi opened with a highlight video to promote the ECW Title match between Jack Swagger and Christian on tonight's show. Over the past weeks the two have fought with Christian pinning Swagger in two non-title bouts. Both times Finlay and Hornswoggle were involved in the outcome. Todd Grisham and Matt Striker welcomed fans to Nashville, Tennessee.

DJ Gabriel vs. Mark Henry

WWE Diva Alicia Fox danced along with Gabriel in the ring before Mark Henry and Tony Atlas emerged from backstage to come to the ring. Grisham noted that Gabriel's undefeated since arriving to ECW but tonight would be a tougher task than usual. Henry tossed Gabriel around the ring early on, causing Gabriel to back to the corner and regroup. Henry was distracted momentarily by Alicia Fox, and Gabriel tried to capitalize. His dropkick attempt failed, and Henry started to pound on DJ even more in the corner, then whipped him to the opposite side.

Alicia Fox started to pound on the mat to get the fans to back Gabriel. Gabriel stood up while in a headlock but Henry shoved him to the corner. Gabirel was able to avoid Henry in the corner, then began to rush at Henry with dropkicks, and an uppercut forearm. Gabriel kept trying to knock Henry down, then went to the corner. Gabriel flew off the corner at Henry who caught him from the air, then turned it into the World's Strongest Slam to win it.

Winner: Mark Henry wins via pinfall over DJ Gabriel.

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ECW returned with an Evan Bourne highlight reel and the message "Evan Bourne Returns ECW" with no date given.

Matt Boyce vs. Tyson Kidd

Kidd was accompanied to the ring by Natalya Neidhart. Amateur Matt Boyce took on the new ECW star tonight. Early on, Kidd took Boyce down to the mat and tried to wear him down. Kidd hid behind the ref as Boyce went after him, then came back to drag him down with an armlock. Boyce grabbed the bottom rope to break it. Boyce mounted a brief offensive strike, but Kidd kicked him hard to the mat, then kicked him in the chest. Kidd used a hard elbow on Boyce's chest then did a headscissors down on the mat. To finish things off, Kidd hit a spinning dropkick followed by jumping from the apron over the top rope to elbow drop Boyce. Grisham noted that Kidd is undefeated so far in ECW.

Winner: Tyson Kidd wins via pinfall over Matt Boyce.

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ECW returned with highlights of the Randy Orton-McMahons and Triple H saga. In the latest incidents, Orton delivered a Punt Kick to Shane in the ring, then RKO'd Stephanie on Raw. This prompted Triple H to storm down to the ring with Orton and Legacy leaving the ring quick. Last night's Raw saw Orton arrive to the ring at the end of Raw with a Sledgehammer, joined by Rhodes and Dibiase. Triple H arrived to the arena and headed straight to the ring with a Sledgehammer as well. Orton negotiated when HHH got to the ring, tossing his Sledgehammer over the top rope. HHH dropped his outside and then got into the ring, but as he took off his leather jacket, he revealed another Sledgehammer from behind his back. HHH chased Dibiase and Orton around backstage, smashing through doors, mirrors and eventually their getaway car's window as Raw ended.

Tommy Dreamer vs. Paul Burchill

Dreamer continued to chase a win since announcing he would retire in June if he can't recapture the ECW title. Burchill arrived to the ring with sister Katie Lea Burchill. Last week, Burchill picked up a surprise win over Boogeyman because Boogey went for his bag of worms early. Boogeyman chased Katie Lea around the ring with his bag of worms, and she managed to get up the ramp with Paul.

In tonight's match, Dreamer gained momentum after Burchill had dominated from the onset. Dreamer charged at Burchill in the corner and missed, and Burchill tried for a move off the corner. Dreamer avoided it and grabbed Burchill's legs then catapulted him into the corner. Dreamer hung Burchill upside down in the Tree of Woe, then ran for a dropkick. Katie Lea had come around the ring and pulled Burchill to the side causing Dreamer to miss on the dropkick. All of a sudden, the lights dimmed with someone grabbing Katie Lea's leg and dragging her underneath the ring. Katie Lea began screaming and managed to escape, then fell back up the ramp. Boogeyman emerged from under the ring as Katie Lea took off for backstage. Meanwhile, Burchill was distracted looking out at Boogey. Dreamer grabbed Burchill and DDT'd him to pick up a much needed victory.

Winner: Tommy Dreamer wins via pinfall over Paul Burchill.

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A promo video revealed that Wrestlemania 25 is just 40 days away.

Christian vs. Jack Swagger
ECW Title Match

Christian arrived to the ring first hungry for the ECW title just 3 weeks into his WWE return. The champ Swagger came out next, cocky as ever and looking intent to successfully defeat Christian.

In the highly-anticipated title match, Swagger brought Christian down to the mat early and wrapped his arms around Christian's midsecton. Christian stood up and tried to fight out, eventually grabbing Swagger's wrist to break out. Swagger slammed Christian down yet again then let out a cocky roar to the crowd. Christian recovered in the corner to start chest chopping Swagger, then hit a spin kick as he came off the ropes at Swagger. With Christian having the upperhand for some time, Swagger regained control then started whipping Christian corner to corner. Christian managed to grab the top rope as Swagger charged at him and pulled it down for Swagger to fall out. Christian quickly ran and jumped off the corner splashing down on Swagger outside as ECW went to commercial.

ECW returned with Swagger turning the tide on Christian as he clubbed Christian with a hard forearm to his back. Swagger landed a splash off the corner. Christian rolled onto the apron and started to stand up but Swagger ran across from the ropes and knocked him down with a shoulder. The two started to battle outside the ring, with Christian missing as he ran at Swagger near the steps. Christian appeared to hurt his left shoulder/arm. Swagger rolled in as the ref began the count, with Christian able to roll in at 8. Swagger immediately picked up Christian to slam him to the mat then pulled Christian's hurt arm back to work on it more. Swagger continued to take advantage of the injury down on the mat and around the ring. Swagger slammed Christian hard against the bottom rope as ECW took another break.

ECW returned with Striker noting that Christian may have a dislocated or separated shoulder. Christian was able to jump off the corner and knock Swagger down, then began trying to pump up his hurt arm to get the bloo flowing. Christian started punching at Swagger then tripped him down against the bottom rope. Christian stood on Swagger, then was able to yank him down against the top rope. As Christian got into the ring he went to the corner for a diving headbutt with Swagger avoiding it. Christian countered the Gut Wrench Powerbomb by Swagger, then ducked a clothesline to reverse DDT Swagger down. Swagger kicked out of the pinfall. The two traded pinfall attempts with Swagger trying for a splash off the corner and Christian putting his knees up.

Christian eventually connected on a diving headbutt, but Swagger barely got out at 2 from the pinfall. Christian was able to DDT Swagger from the corner, but held his arm after because of the pain. Christian tried again for the pin with Swagger escaping. Swagger took control by shoving Christian into the corner ring post, again hurting Christian's left shoulder. Swagger went for the Powerbomb, but Christian flipped out of it and tried for his own move, but then backed off as his arm started to hurt. Swagger took advantage by grabbing Christian to finally hit the Gut Wrench Powerbomb.

Winner: Jack Swagger wins via pinfall over Christian to retain the ECW title.

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ECW Recap 01.13.09

ECW Recap from Sioux City, IA:

ECW opened with a promo video to hype the Jack Swagger versus Matt Hardy ECW Title match on the show. Last week, GM Theodore Long told Swagger he could have his title match. Swagger told Teddy he'd be the new champ and new face of ECW.

Alicia Fox and DJ Gabriel were already in the ring dancing as ECW kicked off the show. Paul Burchill and his sister Katie Lea headed to the ring next for a mixed tag team match.

DJ Gabriel & Alicia Fox vs. Paul Burchill & Katie Lea
Mixed Tag Team Match

Early on the two divas knocked heads, prompting Alicia Fox to crawl over for a tag. Burchill charged into the ring and immediately delivered a double knee to Gabriel, then began beating him around the ring. Burchill continued to punish Gabriel, but Gabriel was able to reverse Burchill's attempt to whip him to the ropes. Gabriel slid under Burchill's legs then got back up to backdrop Burchill. As Gabriel made the cover, Katie Lea entered the ring to kick Gabriel off. Alicia Fox rushed into the ring and jumped up on Katie from behind. The two WWE Divas toppled outside of the ring. Meanwhile, DJ Gabriel managed to climb the corner turnbuckle and jumped off to hit Burchill with a flying European uppercut to get the winning pinfall.

Winners: DJ Gabriel and Alicia Fox win via pinfall over Paul Burchill & Katie Lea.

Todd Grisham introduced footage to announce that Stone Cold Steve Austin will be inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame Class, April 4, 2009 in Houston, Texas. Highlights from Austin's career were shown including his battles with the likes of The Rock, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle and Vince McMahon.

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Tommy Dreamer arrived down to the ring dressed in a suit and tie. Dreamer grabbed a mic and spoke to the fans about being able to entertain wrestling fans for 19 years. An emotional Dreamer said he has an amazing bond with the fans, and that people say he's the heart and soul of ECW. Dreamer acknowledged his friends, wife and daughters as making it all worthwhile. Dreamer said he came to the point in his life when he had to reflect deep inside himself, and doesn't think he's the same man he used to be.

Dreamer announced he doesn't feel he has what it takes to compete with the younger talent any more. Dreamer says his WWE contract expires June 2009, and that gives him 5 months to prove himself. Dreamer says he's been training harder than ever to achieve one goal: win the ECW title. Dreamer says if he doesn't win the title in the next 5 months, he'll leave ECW.

Highlight video was shown of the undefeated superstar, Jack Swagger.

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Backstage, Ricky Ortiz was shown with a smitten Tiffany. Ortiz took both of Tiffany's hands in his, then moved in close about to kiss her. Just then a loud noise sounded out and Hornswoggle was shown running around them, laughing maniacally. Hornswoggle ran off with Tiffany looking upset. Finlay came rushing in chasing after his son.

Sammy Savard vs. The Boogeyman

Boogeyman reacted to Savard's early attack by strutting around dancing. Boogeyman then worked on Savard in the various corners of the ring, tossing him around and splashing onto his back. As Savard stood up, Boogeyman picked him up on one shoulder and slammed him down for the quick pinfall victory. After the bell, Boogeyman grabbed a handful of worms from his bag, put them in his mouth and drooled them onto Savard's face and mouth.

Winner: The Boogeyman wins via pinfall over Sammy Savard.

Smackdown Rewind was shown with highlight footage of the 1/09/09 police videotape showing Jeff Hardy and Beth talking to a police officer after they were involved in a hit and run car accident. Jeff later said he was lucky not to be seriously hurt and plans to still defend his WWE Title at the Royal Rumble.

Todd Grisham and Matt Striker spoke to Matt Hardy who was live backstage. They asked how the Jeff accident situation will affect him in tonight's match with Swagger. Matt said he won't use it as an excuse to not perform his best tonight. Hardy said Swagger's accomplished a lot, except defeating him. Hardy said he's one thing that Swagger isn't: the ECW Champion.

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Promotional highlight video was shown of Mr. McMahon firing various individuals on Raw. Vince returns to Raw this coming Monday.

Jack Swagger vs. Matt Hardy
ECW Title Match

Both men gave their all in this contest, which was a true back and forth affair. As the match wore on, Swagger missed on an elbow drop. Hardy began to punch away but Swagger blocked him then delivered a huge boot. Hardy kicked out of a pinfall attempt and ECW went to commercial.

As ECW returned, Swagger had Matt down in the ring holding him in an armlock. Swagger whipped Hardy to the ropes, but Hardy made a comeback and was able to knock Swagger down. Hardy climbed the corner but Swagger ran over to punch him then climbed up to Superplex Hardy off the corner. Swagger continued to work on Hardy's arm. The two ended up in the ring corner yet again with Swagger sitting Matt up on the turnbuckle. Swagger climbed up to attempt another Suplerplex, but Hardy fought him off, flipped underneath Swagger and was able to Powerbomb him to the mat. In the process, Swagger ripped off the turnbuckle cover and tossed it out of the ring. Matt barely got the 3 count afterwards, with Swagger escaping it.

Swagger seemed to counter a Twist of Fate and slammed Matt down, but couldn't score the pinfall. Hardy countered a Swagger move and hit a Side Russian Leg Sweep. Swagger tried to counter Matt's Bulldog attempt from the corner by shoving him to the ropes, but Matt came back with a Side Effect and yet another near pinfall. Swagger went for a quick pin attempt pulling Matt's tights up. After that Swagger did a Splash from off the corner, but again failed to get the pinfall.

Swagger charged at Hardy in the corner with Hardy giving an elbow to counter. As Swagger fell back, Matt climbed the corner backwards for a flip. Swagger got up and put Hardy on his shoulders then walked over to the exposed turnbuckle, dropping Matt face first into the steel. Matt was out of it, allowing Swagger to grab him and hit the Gut Wrench Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Jack Swagger wins via pinfall over Matt Hardy to become new ECW Champion.

As ECW was ending, Swagger headed up the ramp cockily displaying his ECW title to the fans. Matt Striker said the face of ECW has now changed with an arrogant young and undefeated champion.

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Raw Preview 07.14.08

Last week on Raw a new #1 contender was determined for CM Punk's World Heavyweight title. In a Fatal Fourway Batista was able to outlast and overcome the odds defeating John Cena, Kane and JBL to win the #1 contender spot. Now Batista will head into the Great American Bash and challenge Punk for the title. The Animal has held the title several times before and is sure to be hungry for the opportunity to regain it. How will Batista and Punk prepare for their upcoming match at the Pay-Per-View? Will anyone else attempt to challenge the champ on Raw?

Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho are two Raw superstars with no love lost between them. Over the past several months both wrestlers have been feuding back and forth. It all started after Michaels sent Ric Flair into retirement, defeating him at Wrestlemania 24. Jericho officiated a match between Batista and Michaels weeks later, and Michaels used a fake knee injury to outsmart Batista and win. Jericho has lost to Michaels before, but now seems more determined than ever to stop HBK's show. Will either of these superstars have words for the other on tonight's episode of Raw?

Raw's newest member and Intercontinental champion, Kofi Kingston was also blindsided last week by Paul Burchill. Kingston's been on quite a roll since debuting in ECW and coming over to Raw. How will he respond to Burchill's attack last week? Will Burchill become the new top contender for Kofi's title?

Find out the answers to all of the above on Monday night Raw, 9PM EST on USA!

Read the WWE.com official Raw preview here!

Raw Preview 06.16.08

Last week's episode of Raw saw John Cena and Triple H both looking to gain the upperhand, as they head into their title match at Night of Champions. Each wrestler interfered in the other's match, with Cena costing Triple H a win against Jeff Hardy. As the Game and Cena faced off outside the ring, it was Jeff Hardy who leaped over the top rope and crashed down onto both men. How will Hardy be included in the equation with Cena & HHH? Will there be a main event involving all 3 wrestlers on tonight's show?

Last week also saw Chris Jericho viciously attack Shawn Michaels, after pretending he was star struck by HBK. Michaels painted the picture of the Showstopper as his idol, mentor and friend. But only moments later, Jericho was beating Michaels around the ring and smashing him into the flat screen TV for the Highlight Reel. Will Michaels be able to respond to Jericho on tonight's Raw? What will each man have to say about last week?

As for the WWE Divas, Melina continues to be a thorn in the side of the Glamazon, Beth Phoenix. Melina attacked Beth last week following a match against Mickie James. As for Raw superstars, Paul Burchill continues to blindside Mr. Kennedy, extending their feud as well. What will go down amongst these superstars and divas on tonight's show?

Last week also saw the first night of WWE's "Million Dollar Mania", hosted by WWE chairman, Vince McMahon. Vince awarded lucky home viewers of the Raw show cash prizes. Some fans received as much as $250,000, while one fan received a paltry $2 prize. What will the prizes be in tonight's giveaway, and will you be amongst the winners? Remember to register at WWE.com, watch Raw for the password and keep your phone line open!

Tune in to WWE Raw Monday on USA at 9PM EST to find out if you're the next lucky winner!