By Pat McNeill, Torch Columnist

ECW TV on Sci-Fi Live Report
June 5th in Orlando, Florida
Week 52 on Sci-Fi

James Caldwell is on vacation.

The pre-show commercial on Sci-Fi featured Joey Styles and Tazz promising us new ECW champion Bobby Lashley would be in the ring…at the top of the hour.

We start with a video package recapping the ECW title change at the One Night Stand PPV. After the opening credits, we cut to Vince McMahon on a stage by the entranceway, slowly rocking in a rocking chair. Styles and Tazz mentioned McMahon's bizarre behavior on Raw. Tony Chimel introduced McMahon, who did nothing. Bobby Lashley's music played, and the new champion came to the ring wearing his title belt. Styles plugged the draft on Monday, and the possibly that Lashley could end up on Raw or Smackdown.

1 – BOBBY LASHLEY vs. TOMMY DREAMER, SANDMAN & BALLS MAHONEY

Styles mentioned that McMahon had made this match, and that it was a hardcore match. The three ECW originals grabbed weapons from under the ring and went to work on Lashley. Lashley went to the floor to regroup. Lashley came back into the ring and his opponents were waiting for him. Lashley suplexed Dreamer and hit a clothesline on Balls before Sandman took over with the Singapore cane. Balls draped Lashley across the ropes and Sandman hit a top rope legdrop for a near fall. The sympathetic crowd chanted for tables. Sandman and Balls set up Lashley in the Teree of Woe and Balls held the chair while Dreamer did a running dropkick. Dreamer ordered Sandman to get the tables. Sandman set up the table in a corner, but Lashley powered through the three men, running Sandman through the table and spearing Mahoney for the win.

WINNER: Lashley in 5:00. (*1/2)

Lashley went up to the stage and stood in front of McMahon's rocking chair. Vince ignored Lashley and stubbornly kept rocking.

[Commercial Break, with an ad for the Ladder Match DVD.]

[Q2]

An advertisement aired for Monday's three hour Raw. Styles followed up by mentioning that ECW could have an entirely different lineup next week.

2 -- STEVIE RICHARDS vs. KEVIN THORN

We're going all out for the pre-draft episode. Thorn started right in on Richards. Richards got some forearms in and threw Richards to the floor. Thorn took over on the floor and rolled Stevie back in. Stomp, kick, headlock. Styles mentioned Richards' history of neck problems. Thorn hit a Hotshot for a near fall, then went back to the headlock, then moved into a choke. Thorn missed a charge into the corner and Stevie rallied. Drop toehold by Richards and a dropkick to Thorn's back. Thorn reversed a whip and caught Richards with a short powerbomb. Richards blocked Thorn's finisher, but Thorn hit it on the second attempt.

WINNER: Thorn in 5:00. (*1/4)

Tazz plugged the main event with the Major Brothers against Burke and Cor Von, while Styles promised an update on RVD's injuries at the hands of Randy Orton, after the break.

[Commercial Break.]

We return with Extreme Expose dancing to a song by Pitbull. They moved over the announce table and danced for Joey and Tazz. Yep, they're attractive. Tazz has a fantastic Hawaiian shirt on, which is how you know they're in Florida. A video package aired recapping Rob Van Dam's victory over Randy Orton at One Night Stand, and RVD's subsequent concussion at the hands of Orton.

[Q3]

Back at the announce table, Styles announced that Van Dam is out of action indefinitely due to his second concussion in a week. Tazz wished Van Dam the best.

Styles aired highlights of the Major Brothers' debut victory over The New Breed. Elijah Burke and Marcus Cor Von made their ring entrance, without Matt Striker.

[Commercial Break.]

3 – THE MAJOR BROTHERS vs. THE NEW BREED (BURKE & COR VON)

Styles and Tazz talked about the New Breed's loss on Sunday night. Brian and Brett got some double team offense in on Cor Von, working the arm. Styles plugged the Raw draft again, some more. Burke tagged in and Brett worked Burke's arm. A double leapfrog and double hiptoss from the Majors. Brett tried another leapfrog and Burke caught Brett with a flapjack. The crowd chanted "boring" as Brett kept taking the heat. Burke did a dismount elbowdrop for a near fall. Cor Von did a bearhug, but Brett worked his way free. Burke took over with an abdominal stretch. More boring chants, but this is actually some decent stuff. Burke kneed Brett in the back, accidentally shooting Brett into the corner and enabling him to tag Brian. Brian hit Burke with a spinebuster for a near fall. Brian rolled up Burke off the ropes, but Burke made the blind tag to Cor Von, who hit an unsuspecting Brian Major with the Pounce for the pinfall.

WINNER: New Breed in 7:00. Perfectly good midcard tag match. (**1/4)

CM Punk vs. Matt Striker is next.

[Q4]

[Commercial Break. An ad aired for the One Night Stand replay. And another ad for Raw coming out of commercial.]

Joey Styles and Tazz talked about Raw. The camera panned to the chair. Mr. McMahon's rocking chair was there, but Mr. McMahon wasn't. Highlights aired from Lashley's win in the opening match.

CM Punk made his ring entrance. He got a good reaction, but no one on this show has received a great reaction. Styles and Tazz plugged Vengeance.

[Commercial Break]

4 – CM PUNK vs. MATT STRIKER

Striker took the mic before the match and promised to educate the fans by beating Punk. The fans chanted for Punk, so mission accomplished. Punk hit a Muay Thai dropkick and a jujitsu kick to the back. Meanwhile, the crawl on the bottom of the screen plugged the upcoming Smackdown/ECW house show, including the Ocean City show that WWE canceled last week. Good job. Striker hit an overhead throw and a series of kicks, then went for a half crab. Punk rolled Striker up, but couldn't hold him. Striker went for a Boston Crab, and finally managed to turn Punk over. He switched up for a half crab as Punk bit his own hand to keep from tapping. Punk kept hitting Striker in the back until Striker released the hold.

[Q5 – overrun]

Stirker hit a DDT off the ropes and went back to the half crab. The crowd wasn't interested in watching Striker's offense or Punk's Selling. Punk reached the ropes. Striker went for the crab again, and Punk rolled Striker up again. Punk rallied with a backfist and some kicks, then the running knee and a bulldog for a two count. Punk called out for the GTS. Striker tried to spin into a reverse neckbreaker, but Punk turned him back around and hit the move for the pinfall.

WINNER: Punk in 7:00. Some good transitions here, but nothing special, and the absence of crowd heat by the end of the match didn't help. (*3/4)

Punk celebrated in the ring while Styles and Tazz wondered whether Punk, or any of them, would be on the show next week after the draft on Raw.

===

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