By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

WWE - ECW on Sci-Fi TV Report
June 16, 2009 - Year 4, Week 2 (Week 158 overall)
Roanoke, Va.

The show opened with Josh Mathews and Matt Striker welcoming us to the show with everyone in the WWE Universe preparing for "The Bash." You mean round 28 of Orton vs. Hunter? Not so much. They showed a graphic for ECW champ Tommy Dreamer vs. Jack Swagger in a non-title match tonight.

In-ring: Cue up Bret Hart's remix theme for the Hart Legacy coming out. Natalya led D.H. Smith and Tyson Kidd to the ring for Smith to face Christian. After they showed a clip from last week when Hart Foundation beat Christian in a tag match, Christian came out sporting the Mr. Kennedy blonde-dyed hair look. He's asking for trouble.

1 -- CHRISTIAN vs. D.H. SMITH (w/Tyson Kidd and Natalya)

Christian started on the offensive with some slaps to the face on Smith, who came back with a series of scoop slams. Paying a lot more attention to how guys are taking bumps after Misawa's mishap taking a bump on the back of his neck. Christian very deliberate protecting his neck by landing on his back on the series of scoop slams. Match moved to the apron where Smith cracked Christian hard across the ring apron with a modified Rock Bottom. Smith then went to what Mathews called the "point in the match where he systemically takes apart his opponent." In other words, the predictable mat-based big-man attack. Smith continued to work on Christian against the ropes as Striker threw out a line without any conviction that the original Hart Foundation doesn't have anything on the new one. Poor Striker. Christian then ducked Smith charging against the ropes to send him flying over the top rope to the floor. Cut to break.

[Commercial Break]

Next Monday: Donald Trump era begins with a commercial-free episode of Raw. He said he's personally going to be on Raw next week to run things how he sees fit.

Back to the ring where Smith had Christian grounded on the mat. Fans rallied as Christian came back to life and went up top with a missile dropkick for a two count. [Q2] Christian called out to the fans to rally behind him, then he landed the pendulum kick in the corner not once by twice. Christian landed a spinning clothesline from the middle rope for a two count, then he slapped Smith across the face from the floor. Christian chased Kidd on the floor, then slipped into the ring to take a hard clothesline from Smith for a two count only. Christian tried a tornado DDT, but Smith avoided it, then Christian hit a sunset flip for a two count only. Christian tried a sleeper hold, but Smith flung him over his shoulder for a running Bulldog powerslam that resulted in a two count only. Natalya then ran interference allowing Kidd to smash Christian across the top rope. Smith then hit a rolling belly-to-back suplex on Christian for the pin and the win.

Post-match: Smith wanted to inflict more damage, but Finlay made the save with shillelagh in hand to scare off Hart Dynasty. HD regrouped on the floor as one person too close to the arena mic kept shouting "scaredy cats." Third grade? Fourth grade? Suddenly, Finlay walked over to Christian and popped him right in the face with the shillelagh. Fans went from cheering Finlay to booing him. He then slipped out of the ring and left. Announcers were at a loss ringside. "We don't know what just happened," Mathews said. Striker sold confusion. No one knew what was going on.

WINNER: Smith at 14:00. Smith's best in-ring performance thus far on ECW. Christian really made him look good creating movement, but Smith showed a new level of intensity from the previous few weeks. Still a lot of work to go with Smith, but this was progress. (**)

Video package: Announcers sent it to a video clip from last week when Evan Bourne defeated Tony Atlas, then Mark Henry smashed him post-match. Cut to a split-screen of Henry on the left and Bourne on the right selling rib injuries with tape around his stomach. Bourne now with the C.M. Punk gimmick from Punk's early days in WWE always sporting the tape job. Match is next.

[Commercial Break]

Randy Savage DVD promo: Please put money in our pockets.

Video recap: Mathews and Striker sold more confusion over Finlay blasting Christian. Apparently it was a receipt for the black eye a few weeks ago. ... Backstage: Gregory Helms brought in Finlay, who explained that he took a black eye trying to break up a fight between Christian and Dreamer. Now, it's an eye for an eye.

In-ring: Mark Henry came out with Tony Atlas. Evan Bourne then came out selling heavy rib injuries. He seemed fine on Thursday night on Superstars. Apparently Zack Ryder's submission holds were...double tough.

2 -- EVAN BOURNE vs. MARK HENRY (w/Tony Atlas)

Henry quickly tossed Bourne to the outside, then told Atlas to back off and not get him DQ'ed again. Back in the ring, Henry methodically took apart Bourne. He then wanted a rear bomb out of the corner, but Bourne moved out of the way in time. Bourne then tried some kick strikes on Henry, but Henry popped up to his feet and brick-walled Bourne hard to the mat. [Q3] Henry tried to follow with a big splash, but Bourne moved and went back to the kick strike combo for a two count trying to hook Henry's massive leg. Bourne tried to follow with a crucifix pin, but Henry easily turned it into the World's Strongest Slam for the pin and the win. Henry finally triumphant over Bourne. Post-match: Henry wasn't done with Bourne, so he scooped him up and delivered yet another World's Strongest Slam.

WINNER: Henry in 3:00. Bourne had some offense to seem somewhat credible, but this program hasn't done much of anything to benefit to Bourne. Henry put two exclamation marks on the finish to this one. If it was the end of the program, Bourne is back to square one trying to be a top star on the ECW brand. If this was a storyline write-off for whatever reason, it was a rough way to go. (*)

[Commercial Break]

Raw Rebound: They recapped the three-for-all title matches with Dreamer vs. Christian, C.M. Punk vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Edge, and Triple H vs. Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Big Show for the WWE Title, which ended with Orton giving Show the RKO for the pin to become WWE champion. Cue up footage of Vince McMahon "seizing the opportunity" to sell the Raw brand to Donald Trump. Next week's Raw commercial-free. Cue up shots of the ten-man battle royal to determine the #1 contender where Miz was one clothesline short of a fresh WWE Title match-up, only to leave us with another Orton vs. Hunter match.

Backstage: Gregory Helms brought in Jack Swagger, who said Dreamer is a big joke as the champion of this show. He said he's winning the match tonight against Dreamer to earn his rightful place as #1 contender to the ECW Title.

[Commercial Break]

[Q4]

In-ring: Jack Swagger bounced out to the ring sporting his heel Cheshire cat smile. Swagger very confident tonight. ECW champ Tommy Dreamer then came out sporting a babyface smile of "I'm the champ...you're not." Dreamer gave the title belt a kiss before handing it over to the ref to start things off.

3 -- ECW champion TOMMY DREAMER vs. JACK SWAGGER -- non-title match

Swagger went for submission holds as Striker talked about Dean Malenko trying to show Dreamer a few submission holds to add to his repertoire. Dreamer fought off the early holds before dumping Swagger over the top rope to the floor with a clothesline. Dreamer then wanted his rolling cannonball off the apron, but Swagger countered in mid-air with a powerslam. Yeoch. Cut to break with Swagger talking trash to Dreamer on the floor.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Swagger was in control inside the ring talking more trash and working the back. He went for the traditional abdominal stretch, but ref spotted the extra leverage using the top rope and Dreamer escaped with a hip toss. Swagger came right back with a hard clothesline to regain control. Swagger sporting a little beard, by the way. Nice enhancement. Swagger went back to the mat, but Dreamer pulled him to his feet and rammed Swagger into the turnbuckle. Dreamer followed with a bulldog, then a swinging neckbreaker.

[Q5 -- over-run]

Swagger blocked the Dreamer DDT and hit a Northern Lights suplex for a two count. The match moved up top where Dreamer flung Swagger off the top, then missed with a move from the second rope. Swagger tried the gutwrench powerbomb finish, but Dreamer blocked into a small package for a two count. Dreamer with a reverse DDT, then he went up top and missed with a top rope splash. Swagger then quickly followed with the Oklahoma Roll pin for the win.

WINNER: Swagger in 12:00. Nice main event. Swagger is just a complete star right now. Character, personality, moves, connection with the crowd. If he continues on this pace, he'll be a consistent main-eventer for a long time to go. Dreamer was solid as well. Good match-up. (**1/2)

Post-match: Finlay hit the ring and gave Dreamer his receipt for the black eye from a few weeks ago. Christian stormed in after him and beat the crap out of Finlay until Swagger grabbed Christian and tossed him to the floor. Finlay then grabbed Swagger and smashed him with a shillelagh shot for good measure. Crowd cheered that after booing the shots on Christian and Dreamer on the show. Swagger has an ECW Title match in his back pocket, but Finlay is on a Quest for the ECW Title himself. Nice re-building effort behind Finlay. But...we don't have an ECW Title match for The Bash, which apparently will have a make-shift card.

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