By James Caldwell, Torch columnist

ECW TV Report
November 20, 2007 in Tampa, Fla.
Year 2, Week 24 (Week 76 overall) on Sci-Fi

They opened with a shot of a giant table with all the Thanksgiving fixings right next to the entrance stage. C.M. Punk then opened things up with his entrance. Styles and Tazz narrated a clip of Punk retaining the ECW Title at the PPV. Kenny Dykstra came out as the opponent tonight. Intriguing beginning to the show.

1 -- ECW champion C.M. PUNK vs. KENNY DYKSTRA -- non-title match

Punk went for the Go 2 Sleep in the early going, but Kenny escaped and grounded Punk on the mat. Kenny applied some nice holds and worked the holds to make them seem more realistic. He then took Punk to the corner for a superplex attempt, but Punk blocked and pancaked Kenny to the mat. Punk then came off the top with a cross body block for a nearfall. Punk then nailed a leg whip to the face for a nearfall. He followed with a signature springboard lariat for another nearfall. Punk then tried to set up his finishing sequence, but Kenny blocked a bulldog and rammed Punk shoulder-first into the ringpost. It resulted in a nearfall. Kenny then went up top, but Punk crotched him. Punk then hoisted him up on his shoulders and nailed the Go 2 Sleep. Kenny with a unique sell, with his knees buckling underneath him. Punk covered for the win.

WINNER: Punk in 7:00. Nice match. I like the match-up with Kenny having an opportunity to have a credible wrestling match on TV for once. Kenny's customary heel mat holds were above average. (**)

They aired a clip on Kane destroying Matt Striker last week. So, now it's Striker & Big Daddy V against Kane tonight in a handicap match.

[Commercial Break]

[Q2]

Elijah Burke was in the ring out of the break. Burke said he's changing ECW once again. He said he convinced some close, personal friends to join him on ECW. Burke brought out Shelton Benjamin, who came out on stage and surveyed the new scene like a big fish in a small pond. Styles said Shelton is a new addition to the roster. Nice addition to the roster. Goodness knows they needed a talent boost. Tommy Dreamer then came out as Shelton's opponent.

2 -- SHELTON BENJAMIN (w/Elijah Burke) vs. TOMMY DREAMER

Shelton dominated Dreamer from the opening bell and slapped on some mat holds. He rested on a neck vice before catching Dreamer with a quick back breaker across his knee. Dreamer moved out of the way of a big splash, then Dreamer landed right hand blows and a bulldog in center ring. Dreamer powered up and went for a DDT, but Shelton countered with a t-bone suplex attempt. Dreamer slipped out, but got caught in the corner when Shelton yanked him down to the mat. Shelton then charged Dreamer with a sort of running bulldog/DDT combination. Odd looking move. Shelton made the cover on Dreamer for the win.

WINNER: Shelton Benjamin in 4:00. Eh match. Dreamer hasn't been on TV in a while, and hasn't been given a credible push since the #1 Contender mini-tournament that ended with him being squashed by Big Daddy V, so the crowd wasn't too much into the match-up. Shelton is a good addition, but he needs to step up and do more than have basic wrestling matches. (*1/4)

[Commercial Beak]

Deuce and Domino were in the ring with Cherry out of the break. Cherry traded in her mini-skirt for a pair of tight black pants. Miz and Morrison are ringside on commentary. Mulligan.

3 -- DEUCE & DOMINO (w/Cherry) vs. JESSE & FESTUS

Miz stuck to the idea of them coming out to scout Jesse and Festus for weaknesses while Morrison almost comically repeated his Morrisonisms. In the ring, Jesse missed with a top rope splash on Domino, then the heels started working on Jesse. Styles tried to stir things up between Miz and Morrison from the PPV, but Morrison said all is fair in love and war. Miz and Morrison focused their commentary on Cherry, saying she won't be with Deuce and Domino much longer. Domino then went up top, but Jesse landed a punch to the gut. The fans chanted for Festus, and Festus finally got a tag. He tagged in and ran over the heels. Miz said they're looking for a weakness and he said Jesse looks sloppy moving about the ring. Festus then launched Jesse on top of Domino for the pin and the win. The bell sounded and Festus returned to his "docile" demeanor.

Afterward, Morrison finally with the obvious idea to bring a bell with them to the ring and start ringing it halfway through a match. Miz and Morrison said they are the tag champs and there's nothing any team can do about it.

WINNERS: Jesse and Festus in 4:00. Miz seemed more focused on trying to get over their purpose for being ringside - scouting the teams. Morrison was just being Morrison. Match wasn't particularly good, but Festus is popular with the audience. (3/4*)

[Q3]

Backstage, Matt Striker cut a promo about Kane while Big Daddy V flexed next to him. Striker said he's thankful for V. He said they're skipping the trimmings and going right to the main course of V's destruction of Kane.

[Commercial Break]

Kevin Thorn walked out with a completely different look. Same music, though. He's sporting a singlet, spiked hair, and different facial hair. Same stare.

4 -- KEVIN THORN vs. NUNZIO

Thorn went right after Nunzio with clubbing forearm blows as Styles and Tazz talked about the new look. Thorn missed with a leaping leg drop, but caught Nunzio with a flapjack. He then put Nunzio up in a back breaker hold. Thorn dropped him with a sit down back breaker, then he picked up Nunzio and rammed him into the ringpost. Thorn placed Nunzio horizontally across the top rope and nailed the Original Sin stunner for the win.

WINNER: Thorn in 2:00. I like the idea of trying something new with Thorn, as I promoted the idea several weeks ago when the goth look lost its value. Like many current storylines, we're just missing a chapter on why Thorn decided to ditch the goth look, and what his "new attitude" stems from. (1/2*)

Ringside, Styles and Tazz talked about the WWE Mobile exclusive of Kelly Kelly and Leyla getting into a fight after last week's show. They showed a clip of Kelly trying to leave the building, only to have Leyla shove her in the hallway. They had a shoving match which resulted in catering items being thrown on each other. Referees eventually came in to separate the two.

[Commercial Break]

[Q4]

They came back and aired a clip on Ric Flair returning on Raw next week from Charlotte. The band Seether is ringside.

Leyla walked out on stage with a mic in hand. She said Thanksgiving is next Thursday. The fifth week of November? She said she's thankful for dead sexy Miz, a better body than Kelly Kelly, a better intellect than Kelly, being more beautiful than Kelly, being featured in more mags than Kelly, and that she will beat Kelly in a match next week. Kelly then snuck up behind Leyla and slammed a pie into hr face. Kelly laughed, then Leyla turned around and grabbed some food from the Thanksgiving table to pour on Kelly's shirt. This turned into a good ole fashioned Smackdown edition of a Thanksgiving food fight. Except it was missing The Rock and some pie. Referees eventually got involved as Leyla cleared the table of all the food. All that food could have fed a small village or homeless shelter. Sadness.

They aired the Raw Rebound, focusing on Orton's failed delivery of the Torch. He should get a VIP sub instead. They showed clips of Jericho's big return in an old TV set frame. Jericho's promo was trimmed down to him focusing on going after the WWE Title, with Raw never being the same again.

Big Daddy V and Matt Striker came out for the main event.

[Commercial Break]

Kane came out a few minutes before the top of the hour.

5 -- KANE vs. BIG DADDY V & MATT STRIKER

Big Daddy smashed Kane to the mat with a belly-to-belly suplex, then he mounted Kane from behind and Striker started talking trash. Big Daddy clubbed Kane in the back before Striker landed a double foot dropkick. Daddy stacked up Kane in the corner and landed a big splash.

[Q5 -- over-run]

Daddy took a breather while Striker got in some body blows for a nearfall. Kane made a comeback on Daddy, but Daddy pounded him back into the corner. Daddy then missed with a splash on the mat and Kane made a quick cover for a nearfall. Kane dropped Striker with a sidewalk slam, but Daddy broke up the pin. Kane eliminated Daddy from the equation, then he dropped Striker with a chokeslam for the win.

After the match, Daddy returned to the action and dropped Kane with a Samoan Drop. He did the Vader signal, then dropped a big elbow to the chest. Daddy stood over Kane's injured body and did the Vader signal to close the show.

WINNER: Kane in 4:00. Predictable, formula match with a predictable post-match outcome. It feels like Groundhog Day every week with Big Daddy V. Although last time we saw Vader, he was about as out of shape as you can get it, I would be intrigued to see a fit and healthy Vader make a return to reclaim his hand gesture. Anything but this repeat feud with V and Kane. (1/2*)

We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this show for an "ECW Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. To contribute your thoughts on ECW TV, click here.

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