By Dominick Mayer, PWTorch contributor

ECW on Sci-Fi TV alt. perspective report
December 2, 2008
Report by Dominick Mayer, PWTorch contributor

Title sequence.

Tonight: Matt Hardy vs. MVP. Can MVP end the streak? Not until he's let out of the doghouse.

Jack Swagger comes out to the ring for a promo. He was never pinned in college, and he's never been pinned in ECW. Last week, he beat Tommy Dreamer at his own game. He's invited Teddy Long out to the ring to name him the #1 Contender to the ECW Title.

Long and Tiffany come out to the ring, and Swagger watches them with disdain. Swagger's already carrying himself like a big deal. Swagger wants his contendership to be announced. Teddy doesn't want to do that, because there are others with a case for the spot. Tiffany: "Teddy, what about Ricky Ortiz?" Swagger: "What? Are you kidding me?" I've got to go with Swagger on this one, because Ortiz just isn't at even a mid-card level of in-ring performance yet. Ortiz makes the case that he's part of the Superstar Initiative too, and is also undefeated. Here's the thing: Though they've both only basically beaten jobbers thus far (I love Dreamer, but let's face facts), Swagger has just displayed that "it" factor that Ortiz has lacked. Simple as that.

Ortiz then goes for the cheap shot at Swagger's lisp. Why is that necessary at all, especially for a face? Swagger asks Teddy if he's going to book them in the main event against each other tonight. Teddy says that the match is going to happen right now. He means right now, as the match is starting without a commercial break.

1 -- JACK SWAGGER VS. RICKY ORTIZ

Swagger starts with a mat takedown. Ortiz gets thrown around a little before grabbing onto the ropes for the ref to break the hold. Ortiz nails Swagger with a hard right hand. Ortiz then hits a pair of standing dropkicks, Swagger rolls out of the ring, and it's time for a commercial break.

[Commercial Break]

Ortiz has Swagger in a headlock out of the break. Swagger breaks free and stomps on Ortiz's ribs. Ortiz gets hung up in a corner, across the top ropes, and Swagger pounds on him. Swagger hits a flapjack for one. Swagger applies the abdominal stretch, and the crowd seems rather into this match. Ortiz reverses into an abdominal stretch of his own, and the two counter back and forth until Ortiz hits a spinning elbow. Swagger gets thrown into the corner, but gets a boot up for Ortiz. Ortiz hits a flying shoulder block off the second rope and signals for the Big O, but Swagger rolls out of the way. Swagger clotheslines Ortiz on the floor, hard. Back in the ring, Swagger hits the gut wrench powerbomb for the win. That move should have a name by now.

WINNER: Swagger in 5:00. The right guy went over, for sure. Not a bad match, but not great either. Ortiz still needs a lot of work in the ring. I'm interested to see if Swagger gets put right into the title hunt, because new blood is needed, but I don't want him to fail getting pushed too soon, because he might lose all the goodwill he's generated so far otherwise.

Backstage: MVP meets Teddy Long in his office. MVP's stock has fallen so much that he's now wearing the Armageddon PPV T-shirt. Wow. Teddy gives MVP the little kid treatment, talking to Tiffany about his losing streak like he's not even in the room. MVP says he has no problem that can't be fixed with a win tonight.

[Commercial Break]

Finlay and Hornswoggle are on their way to the ring. Please, no more matches with Mark Henry. I'm begging now. Finlay states that wrestling has been in his family for years, and he's not here to complain about Henry and Tony Atlas going for his son last week. He's calling Henry out to pick on him instead, and they'll finish what they started last week.

Out comes Henry, with Atlas in tow. Henry says that Finlay started the fight. Every time they've had a match, Finlay has used the shillelagh. Finlay cost him a lot of big matches, including his shot at the ECW Title. Now that Finlay messed with his life, he's going to mess with Finlay's. His point won't be clear until he finds his son in a broken heap. Henry proposes that they have a tag match: Henry and Atlas versus Finlay and Hornswoggle. Finlay says that the problem is theirs, not his son's. Henry calls him out on saying that his family wrestled, and that the troll comes from fighting stock too. Henry tells him not to punk out. Henry tells Finlay to man up, and Hornswoggle wants a fight too. Finlay accepts the challenge.

And now, something less interesting: The DX Christmas promo from last night. Man, WWE must need money; I don't remember them ever shilling stuff the way they have been the past few weeks. Plus, this goofiness is inconsistent with the storylines that both men are involved with right now.

[Commercial Break]

D.J. Gabriel and Alicia Fox are dancing. Still not working for me. Or, by the sound of it, the audience.

2 -- D.J. GABRIEL VS. JOSH DANIELS

I give Striker credit for naming the designated jobbers each week, and trying to talk them up a little. It gives these supplemental squashes a little more value. It's the small things that set this show apart, mostly related to Striker and Grisham. Speaking of small things, I have to give Gabriel credit for being consistent with working the dance angle into his move set. Gabriel pulls Daniels out of the corner by his leg and slams him on his head. Then comes the giant swing. Oh dear, the giant swing. Daniels gets a couple shots in, but then takes a double underhook suplex. Gabriel hits the modified gut buster, and then the flying uppercut for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Gabriel in 3:00. Better showing this week, but the gimmick just isn't quite clicking. It's just corny, and a modern crowd is going to have a hard time taking it seriously.

Up next: Matt Hardy vs. MVP.

[Commercial Break]

As MVP makes his way to the ring, Striker mentions that MVP's entrance has been downgraded. He also mentions the history between he and Hardy, who had that fantastic feud that practically carried Smackdown last year.

3 -- MVP VS. ECW champion MATT HARDY – non-title match

Some chain wrestling to start, with MVP getting the better of Hardy. Out of nowhere, Hardy hits the Side Effect and gets a quick one count, before MVP rolls out of the ring. Hardy doesn't allow him to catch his breath, and throws him back into the ring. Hardy goes up top and hits an axe handle smash for two. Hardy with a side headlock for about a minute. Hardy goes for a Side Effect, but MVP escapes. Hardy then goes for the Twist of Fate, and MVP rolls to the outside.

[Commercial Break]

Out of the break, MVP goes for a corner charge and gets clotheslined. MVP drops Hardy face-first onto the turnbuckle and hits a Chono boot that sends Hardy to the outside. MVP hits a reverse neckbreaker in the ring for one. As MVP grounds Hardy, a "Let's Go Hardy" chant breaks out. As Hardy comes off the ropes, MVP hits a modified belly to belly suplex for two. Striker quotes Snoop Dogg by his real name, which is fantastic. MVP begins throwing Hardy around, keeping him down. MVP hits a standing version of the Triple H knee for two. Has MVP's losing streak really been going since August? That's terrible. At 9:00, Hardy hits the second-rope leg drop for two.

And for the second week in a row, WWE's online feed of the show cuts out two minutes early. I'm not going to miss another live broadcast, because this is an issue. From what I read, Hardy wins the match. I find it interesting to look at where these two have gone since their feud; Hardy's a brand champion, and MVP is taking clean losses to Kung Fu Naki. Am I the only one who sees a problem here?

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