On Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at 11:31 PM EST ECW on Sci Fi
July 24, 2007
Fresno, CA
Commentators: Joey Styles & Tazz
Reported By: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
ECW World Champion John Morrison came out to the ring, being introduced as the ‘new face of extreme’ and the ‘greatest ECW Champion of all time’. Morrison started off by saying his mission was to make believers out of all these people. He said he’d destroy CM Punk and did it. He said some were born to sweet delight and some in endless night. Very Jim Morrison. Morrison said it was time for him to move onwards and upwards. He sadi a real champ didn’t fight the same guy all the time, he fought everyone. He said he’d give someone an opportunity to claim 15 minutes of fame with him. He said if someone would actually last 15 minutes with him, then he’d give them an ECW championship match.
He said he met a guy backstage who was genuinely intimidating in the back and introduced his first challenger. Some little weaned came out
Morrison asked the referee to come in the ring.
John Morrison v. A Young Man
Nitro head butted the kid and then hit the cork screw neck breaker for the win.
Winner: John Morrison via pin fall
Morrison said the kid gave it his best shot but couldn’t get the job done. He said that as the kid’s brush with greatness. Morrison is getting a ton of heat.
Later tonight, Morrison will team up with Elijah Burke and take on the team of CM Punk & Tommy Dreamer.
****Commercial****
A video putting over the Triple H return at Summerslam aired.
Kevin Thorn v. Stevie Richards
Thorn hit some big clotheslines before putting the boots to Richards in the corner. Thorn whipped Richards to the opposite buckles before gathering him and flinging him off the ropes. Stevie caught Thorn looking for a back body drop and punted him in the head then the chest and back which caused Thorn to take a hike to the outside.
Stevie cut Thorn off from getting into the ring but got caught looking for some sort of diving maneuver off the apron with a chop block. Thorn battered Richards around before tossing him into the ring before slapping him in a Canadian bear hug then dropping down to a brutal back breaker.
Thorn slammed Richards to the mat before repeating the move and dropping an elbow across the damaged back. Richards kicked out surprisingly at a one count and then showed some gusto by fighting back. Thorn cut Richards off and hammered him into the corner before Richards nailed him with a crescent kick to the ribs. Richards began hitting a few kicks before Thorn caught one and yanked his adversary in and pasted him with a spine buster for a two count.
Thorn went for a crucifix bomb off the top rope but Richards rolled over and snagged a back slide for the SHOCKING win.
Winner: Stevie Richards via pin fall
Apparently the Miz will grace us with his presence next.
****Commercial****
The Miz v. Nunzio
Miz cut a promo before the match and invited Extreme Expose out to the ring side area to watch his match.
Nunzio grabbed a go behind and a sweep to start things off. Miz hit a body slam and a stomp to Nunzio’s head before getting snagged in a drop toe hold. Miz took off around the ring until Nunzio caught him with a cross body block. Nunzio hit an Irish whip and looked for a splash but missed.
Miz hit a bulldog and looked for the cover but only got a two count. He whipped Nunzio to the corner before hitting a running clothesline and again got a two count. He slapped on a rear chin lock to try and wear down Nunzio before using some nasty cross faces to beat down his smaller opponent.
The two eventually traded blows in the middle of the ring before Nunzio caught a flurry of moves capped off with a hurricanranna. Nunzio connected with the Sicilian slice but only got a two count. Miz hit a move that looked like the stroke before hitting a nasty one two combination neck breaker for the win.
Winner: The Miz via pin fall
Miz got on the mic after the match and said he had a surprise for the Expose girls tonight to return last week’s favor. He danced for the girls and they danced along with him.
Our teacher, Matt Striker, is on the ring with his big discovery, Big Daddy V.
****Commercial****
Big Daddy V v. Team jobbers
V began killing everyone and hit a brutal Samoan Drop on one jobber and then a double choke slam on the second who looks very similar to the jobber we saw earlier. V whipped the two into the buckles on top of each other before hitting an avalanche. He body slammed one poor sucker before hitting his tilt a whirl slam on the second, smashing him into his partner. Three seconds later and this is mercifully over.
Winner: Big Daddy V via pin fall
****Commercial****
Tommy Dreamer & CM Punk v. John Morrison & Elijah Burke
Punk wanted Morrison right off the bat and he’ll get him. Morrison distracted Punk and decked him before grabbing a side headlock. Punk struggled to break the hold and was unsuccessful in attempting to do so. Morrison uncorked some kicks to Punk’s mid section before Burke tagged in and began clubbing away at Punk.
Punk caught Burke with a boot to the face only to get whipped back to the corner. Punk avoided the charging Burke for a second time and darted across the ring to boot Morrison right in the face, sending him to the floor before returning to Burke and tossing him out to the ringside area as well.
****Commercial****
Punk was in control of Burke and tagged in Tommy Dreamer who dropped an elbow down on Burke’s face. Dreamer hit a snap suplex before tagging in Punk and letting him hit a springboard somersault senton for a two count. Dreamer tagged in and hit a lariat before cranking the crowd up a bit.
Burke fought back with some knees to Dreamer’s gut before tagging in the World Champion. Morison looked for a cross body block but Dreamer caught him and tossed him over his head for a fall away slam. Dreamer hit a sling shot into the corner and looked for a cover but only got a two count on the cover attempt.
Dreamer connected with a bulldog for a two count before trying to clamp on a Texas cloverleaf. Dreamer’s whipping out a ton of ~MOVES tonight it seems. Morrison eventually reached the ropes to break the hold. Dreamer pressed his advantage, hitting an irish whip. He looked for a suplex into the ring but Morrison flipped out and hit a series of drop kicks that chopped Dreamer down to size quickly. Morrison went for a quick cover but only got two.
Burke tagged in and after hitting some clubbing blows, went for a cover of his own and like Morrison before him, only got two. Burke cinched Dreamer in a rear chin lock but ended up eating a jaw breaker for his efforts. Burke wouldn’t let Dreamer out of his corner though and planted a stiff boot to the back of Dreamer’s skull for a two count.
Dreamer used the crowd’s help to nearly break a rear chin lock and eventually fight his way out of the enemy corner but the comeback was cut short with a stiff Burke European uppercut and Springboard elbow. Morrison tagged in and pounded on Dreamer’s head before dragging Dreamer out to the middle of the ring and working him over with what looks like a modified triangle choke of sorts. Dreamer again used the crowd to rally his cause and was able to hit an electric chair drop on Morrison to break the hold.
Dreamer crawled to the corner but it was to no avail as Burke effectively cut him off again. After choking him out on the ropes, Burke vaulted himself over the top rope and hit a flying axe handle to Dreamer’s head as it hanged off the apron. Morrison tagged in and hit his gymnastics leg drop on the apron before dragging Dreamer to the middle of the ring and going for a two count.
The crowd rallied Dreamer again and yet again Morrison cut him off with a body slam. Morrison went for something on the top rope only to get crotched by Dreamer and hit with a modified version of original sin. Dreamer crawler to the corner and finally made the tag.
Punk decked Burke and then launched himself onto Morrison. He went after Burke full force with a springboard clothesline and an exploder suplex for a two count. Punk whipped Burke to the corner and killed him with the running knee-bulldog combo for a two count. Morrison broke the pin fall up but ate an enzeguiri for his valor.
Burke tried to jump Punk from behind but Punk caught him and killed him with a Go 2 Sleep for the victory.
Winners: CM Punk & Tommy Dreamer via pin fallECW Round UpShow Thoughts-- Another strong show by ECW standards. The biggest issue on this brand is a cast of colorful characters, and in the past few weeks, they’ve introduced a TON of new spins on old workers that have made a serious, serious difference in the quality of the show, at least from this guy’s perspective.
Morrison is working the whole touring champion schtick mixed in with some Jim Morrison and a little Don Johnson flair. It’s a fun character and he’s made the brand that much better. His style sort of personifies what the brand was about to begin with, but Morrison’s just got more spit shine. He’s the perfect character to head this brand up right now.
The other guy I’m really digging is Big Daddy V. I know it’s a re-vamped Viscera, but with Striker serving as his mouth piece and an absolutely killer look with a nice tip of the cap to Abdullah the Butcher, he fills a major void as resident body crusher.
The rest of the show was sort of laid out with two fun matches. They seem to be going out of their way to establish this brand’s characters, which is something they didn’t do the first time around. I’m excited. The brand, however, could use a few more faces. It’s pretty heel heavy at the moment.
Regardless, another sound show.
Overall Grade: C+
Quick Results
John Morrison def. Random jobber
Stevie Richards def. Kevin Thorn
Big Daddy V def. Team Jobber
CM Punk & Tommy Dreamer def. John Morrison & Elijah Burke
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest Pops
1. CM Punk
2. Tommy Dreamer
Most Heat
1. John Morrison
2. Big Daddy V
Match of the night: Tommy Dreamer & CM Punk-Elijah Burke & John Morrison **1/4
ECW Power Rankings5 Points= Title Win
4 Points= World Title defense/win
3 Points= Singles PPV Win
2 Points= Tag PPV Win
2 Points= TV Singles Win
1 Point= TV Tag Win
0 Points= Loss
ECW World Champion: John Morrison 6-2, 16pts. (Last Week: ECW World Champion)-- I wish they’d do the same thing with Punk that they’re doing with Morrison and that’s just letting him go on the mic and letting him run his matches. ECW’s been entertaining the past few weeks and that’s large in part due to Morrison’s presence. I underestimated him.
1. CM Punk 6-2, 10 pts. (Last Week: 1) --I’d really like to see WWE start to add some depth to Punk’s character by letting him work the stick a little bit. Lord knows he’s probably better then three quarters of the roster in that department and I really think it’d bring some heat to the feud with Morrison. It’d help Morrison too.
2. Big Daddy V 2-0, 4pts. (Last Week: 3)-- This brand really needed a genuine monster and this guy fits the bill. Striker’s the perfect mouth piece.
3. Tommy Dreamer 2-3, 3 pts.(Last Week: 4)-- Dreamer really carried the main event tonight through his offense and his selling. He’s clearly the work horse of the brand right now and seems to be getting more and more over with the WWE crowd as the weeks pass.
4. Kevin Thorn 2-1, 4 pts. (Last Week: 2) -- Thorn losing was sort of a surprise to me, and anyone who hasn’t seen Richards win a match in a decade or so for that matter, but still, Thorn looked pretty strong. I hardly think it squashed him. Big guys losing to flash pins usually works and it’ll give Thorn a little focus and something to do. Richards puts in another great performance this week.
5. The Miz 2-0. 4pts. (Last Week: NR)-- Despite the fact Miz hasn’t really beaten anyone worth noting and has had thus far, a pretty un-entertaining run in ECW, he’s still 2-0.
Others
The Boogeyman 2-0, 4pts. (Last Week: 5)
Elijah Burke 1-5, 2 pts (Last Week: NR)
Matt Striker 0-1, 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
Balls Mahoney 0-2, 0 pts (Last Week: NR)
Mike Knox 0-0, 0 pts. (Last Week: NR)
Rob Van Dam 0-0, 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
Stevie Richards 1-1. 2pts (Last Week: NR)
Nunzio 0-3, 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
Marcus Cor Von 0-2, 0pts. (Last Week: NR)