WWE - ECW on SyFy TV Report
January 26, 2010 - Year 4, Week 34 (Week 190 overall)
Taped in Cincinnati, Ohio
By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

The WWE show started with a video package on Kane being the special guest - if you will - on ECW tonight to team with Christian in the announced main event.

In-ring: William Regal was center ring to introduce the "next ECW champion" Ezekiel Jackson. Jackson came out on stage and flexed for the crowd before doing his intimidating walk to the ring. Jackson took the mic in the ring and described Christian's fate at the Royal Rumble of drifting in and out of consciousness. Christian's music didn't like the sound of that, which brought out Christian on stage for a rebuttal. Christian said Zeke likes Biblical quotes and so does he. "After all, I am Christian," he said. Christian said he has his own excerpt from Ezekiel 25:17: "I will strike down on those with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to destroy my brothers and you will know - my Peeps will know - I am Captain Charisma when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

Jackson questioned Christian being a funny guy now. He said Christian has never faced anyone like him. Christian said he's defended his title against All-American Americans, ECW Originals, and "creepy, pale white British dudes." He smirked at Regal before saying he looks forward to facing Jackson at the Rumble. Christian went back to last week when Jackson and Regal KO'ed him last week, but he managed to even the score tonight. Cue up Kane's pyro to bring out tonight's special guest from Smackdown. Kane and Christian then walked to the ring and Kane stared down Jackson before they cut to break.

[Commercial Break]

1 -- ECW champion CHRISTIAN & KANE vs. WILLIAM REGAL & EZEKIEL JACKSON

The match was joined in progress with Christian and Regal picking up their singles match from last week's main event. Regal then tagged in Jackson and Christian backed away to bring in Kane. Jackson smiled and liked this match-up. They came close before bouncing off the ropes and colliding mid-ring with no one budging. Kane then went to fighting stance before locking in a side headlock. They had another mid-ring collision and Jackson screamed, "I'm too strong!"

[Q2] Kane answered by rocking him with a right hand before landing a knock-down clothesline for a two count. Good exchange that popped the crowd before Christian tagged in and popped Jackson across the ear with a series of blows. Jackson had enough and slammed Christian, but missed with an elbow, allowing Kane to tag back in. Kane and Jackson battled back and forth before Christian tagged in and tried to knock Jackson off his feet to no avail. Christian finally went to the second rope and nailed a dropkick to take Jackson to the mat for a two count. Christian then hit a falling inverted DDT and Jackson rolled to the outside. Christian then splashed both Regal and Jackson to take advantage going to break.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, chaos broke out as the wrestlers brawled in and out of the ring. Eventually, the heels took control and worked over Christian with in-and-out tags trying to wear down the champ before the Rumble. Jackson settled into a prolonged beating on Christian while Kane tried to encourage the audience to get behind Christian. Instead, Regal ran across the ring to smack Kane, which led to Christian back to being stuck in the heel corner taking a beating. Kane finally took the hot tag at 16:00 and cleaned house on Regal including a sidewalk slam. Kane stared down Jackson, then went up top and hit a top rope fist smash. Kane followed by launching Christian off the top rope onto Jackson. Kane and Jackson then battled on the floor while Regal missed with the Knee Trembler in the ring. Christian teased the Killswitch on Regal, but Jackson tagged in while Christian was trying to execute the move. After Christian hit it, Jackson entered legally and surprised Christian with the Uranage for the pin and the win. Post-match: Jackson rubbed his boot in Christian's face and stood tall to close the segment.

WINNERS: Regal & Jackson in 18:00. Good, extended form TV tag match. Jackson looked strong, which confirmed what we knew that Christian is winning at the Rumble. The key was to build up Jackson as a "big pin for Christian to knock down" at the Rumble, which was accomplished. Kane was a good addition to the program this week. (**)

[Q3]

Main event to come: Yoshi & Hurricane & Goldust vs. Ryder & Barreta & Croft in a six-man tag match.

[Commercial Break]

Announcers: Josh Mathews and Byron Saxton broke down the Rumble PPV line-up. They rolled the great Royal Rumble Facts & Stats & History video package hyping the Rumble match on Sunday.

Backstage: They showed Shelton Benjamin standing in the back sporting street clothes. He said all that matters at the Rumble is the last man standing. He said it's about fulfilling a life-long dream to go on and headline WrestleMania. Suddenly, six-o'clock shadow Vance Archer jumped Shelton and smashed him to the ground. He said Shelton just has hopes and dreams while he is reality. Hm...some of Archer's first spoken words on WWE TV.

In-ring: Zack Ryder came to the ring with Rosa for the main event. They rolled footage from last week of R&R taunting and picking on ring announcer Savannah before Hurricane made the save. Back in the ring, Rosa stared down Savannah with a condescending look before they cut to break.

[Commercial Break]

[Q4]

In-ring: Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft were already in the ring post-break to talk it up with Ryder. The Hurricane then came out and Ryder shook his head in disgust. Goldust came out second, followed by Yoshi Tatsu. Yoshi back in his Emerald green NOAH trunks this week.

2 -- ZACK RYDER (w/Rosa Mendes) & TRENT BARRETA & CAYLEN CROFT vs. YOSHI TATSU & GOLDUST & THE HURRICANE

Goldust and Croft started things off against each other in a battle of yellow and black ring outfits. They had an early miscommunication then Goldust ran over all the heels and dropped Croft with a boot to the head. The action then broke down and the babyfaces stood tall in the ring staring down at the heels regrouping on the floor while Rosa provided some trash-talking in Spanish going to break.

[Commercial Break]

Before returning to the match, they plugged Raw on Monday with focus on Bret Hart's return to confront McMahon. Back to the match, Rosa was doing some high-pitched yelling as the babyfaces were in control. Croft continued to take a beating as the theme of the match before Barreta tagged in and took an arm drag from Goldust. Meanwhile, Jim Ross is BBQblogging on ECW tonight. Back to the action where Hurricane tagged in and held control before Ryder ran a distraction to allow the heels to cut off Hurricane and begin working him over. Barreta then tagged in and showed off some cocky strutting before doing his high-pitched scream on a dropkick. The scream makes him stand out...but not in a good way. Ryder tagged back in and worked over Hurricane as Goldust went down to one knee on the apron to beg Hurricane for a hot tag.

[Q5 -- over-run]

They hit the top of the hour with Hurricane teasing a comeback, only to have Ryder cut him off and bring back Croft. I've tried to put my finger on who Croft looks like and I've come up with Johnny Depp for the face, Ricky Ortiz for the nose, and Brian Pillman with the hair. Croft then lost control and Yoshi tagged in to fire up on Barreta, who also tagged in. Yoshi went up top and nailed a spin kick before the action broke down in the ring. Goldust then delivered a double uppercut on B&C, which set up Yoshi for a roundhouse kick on Barreta for the pin and the win. Ryder: "What?!" on the outside post-match. Hurricane, Goldust, and Yoshi celebrated in the ring while the heels argued on the outside to close out the show.

WINNERS: Team Yoshi in 14:00. Another solid tag match. A bit too formulaic to be memorable, but they put a good spotlight on Yoshi at the end, Goldust at the beginning, and Ryder as the stand-out heel teaming with the new-coming tag team. Ryder, Hurricane, and Yoshi are in the Rumble, but that wasn't noticeably emphasized on commentary. Overall, fine conclusion to the show. (*1/2)

Parting Shot: WWE obviously wasn't depending on the final images from ECW tonight to help sell the Royal Rumble. The younger stars (minus Goldust) in the main event was symbolic of the change-over to focusing on the younger stars on the brand going forward.

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for an "ECW TV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. To contribute your thoughts on ECW TV, email to pwtorch@gmail.com using our Feedback form.

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