Hi everyone, and welcome to ECW Extreme Extracts! Extreme Extracts is not a full on recap column of ECW. Instead I highlight some of the angles and storylines and even speculate from time to time where they might be heading. Don't forget, in addition to the comment section below you can email me as well with any questions/comments and you'll see your letter reprinted on the Earth Wide Intertubes.
Once again it is I, Shawn S. Lealos, who is subbing for Andy. Do any of you Twitter? If you do, let me know and I'll post your link for you. Let's chat about tonight's episode of ECW…
Show results:
Match One: Shelton Benjamin def Zack Ryder
Match Two: Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson def Mike Tolar and Jim Parks
Match Three: Sheamus def Golddust
The main theme of the show:
The main theme of the show is to build the new feuds and those were hit and miss. The first feud was the new hostilities between Shelton Benjamin and Zack Ryder. I would assume Benjamin is the good guy since Ryder is so arrogant. It is weird seeing Benjamin as the more serious competitor after he was so arrogant and cocky a few weeks back with Yoshi. Benjamin hit some awesome moves in the match and Ryder was not allowed much offense.
This is a new feud so it should have a way to go but Ryder didn't look good here. The next feud they built was between Hurricane and Paul Birchell and while Gregory Helms was super serious, the Abraham Washington show was just horrid this week. It is building to a match next week but this was just bad. Much better was the ongoing feud between Christian and William Regal.
It all started with the Axis of Evil getting an easy win and then Christian came out with Tommy Dreamer and kendo sticks. There is no way these two should be able to beat the big men but if weapons are included and this is a great angle, having to cut down the big men to get to the ringleader. The final feud on the show was the conclusion to the Golddust vs. Sheamus feud. Sheamus had to win this to elevate him to the next level and the match was No Countout and No DQ. Sheamus won but Golddust looked like a million bucks and Sheamus looked like shit. Golddust did what he could to help the kid but I don't see a future for Sheamus. Maybe he will feud with the newly signed Bryan Danielson in the battle of the Pale Men.
The minor theme:
The minor theme of the show is not about ECW. After weeks of becoming a good proving ground for the WWE and building the youngsters, this week was all about promoting the awesome Wrestlemania match between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. I'm not complaining about seeing this match but why on ECW? Why not replay it on Superstars since that is about the - you know - Superstars. This is supposed to be a show to highlight ECW and we got more Undertaker/Shawn Michaels promos than ECW promos. Wanna hear a joke? After all those promos about the encore presentation, we get a highlight reel set to music. That was the biggest joke on all ECW viewers tonight.
Other quick thoughts from the show:
Wait? Is Tony Atlas the new Ed McMahan?
Are Arsenio Hall jokes still relevant? This was a bad Abraham Washington show. They are more miss than hit lately.
I really like this Axis of Evil tag team of Ezekiel and Kozlov. They finally found a good use for the Russian.
ECW Alumni Spotlight :
Chavo Guerrero used to ride a broom stick horse named Pepe. That actually is nowhere near as demeaning as what he is doing now, losing week after week after week to a Leprechaun. Chavo Guerrero has been made a joke. It was not always so. He was a GREAT ECW champion during his time there. I really believed he had taken this opportunity in ECW as a chance to move up the ladder upon his return to RAW. It never happened and he is the biggest joke on the show. I want to at least take a chance to remember when he was a quality champion in ECW pinning current World Champion C.M. Punk in a great match. By this standard, does this mean Hornswaggle is greater than C.M. Punk?