PWTORCH.COM
VIP SIGN-UP JUMP TO VIP
CONTACT US VISIT MMA TORCH




Select Next Article by Category



WE ARE A PROUD UGO AFFILIATE SINCE 1999




Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Support Our Sponsor: PWI!

===========================

CHECK OUT OUR AFFILIATE WRESTLING NEWS SITE - THE FASTEST GROWING PRO WRESTLING SITE IN 2008! (click on logo)

prowrestling.NET




The Specialists
ECW Storylines and Feuds - Analysis on Ortiz's character, Colin Delaney's storyline, and Finlay's ironic statement
Aug 8, 2008 - 5:54:02 AM


Email This Article- Contact Us - VIP Sign-Up - Back to Home Page

| subscribe to this feed

By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

Extreme Championship Wrestling
August 7, 2008
Upcoming PPV: SummerSlam (second-to-last episode before PPV)

ECW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the forty-seventh edition of ECW Storylines and Feuds.

For those wondering about the Intrigue Level system that I employ, you can refer to the numbers as follows:

10 (excellent), 9 (great), 8-6 (very good, good, pretty good), 5 (decent; has its good and bad qualities), 4-3 (needs work, poor), 2 (bad), 1 (terrible)


ECW Champion MARK HENRY (w/ Tony Atlas) vs. MATT HARDY (3 weeks)

Summary:

John Morrison and the Miz sat in center ring to introduce the broadcast premiere of The Dirt Sheet on WWE TV. Morrison said that they needed big guests for their first show, so they introduced Mark Henry; however, the World's Strongest Champion himself didn't come out first. Instead, it was an image of Henry on the big screen with a cut-out mouth so that someone could insert whatever lines they wanted. Miz and Morrison first mocked Mark Henry's and Tony Atlas's speaking; then they made fun of Henry for how much he eats. Well, eventually Mark Henry had seen enough, and he walked out. The infuriated giant and his manager entered the ring, but Miz and Morrison cleverly changed the subject to make fun of Matt Hardy, which calmed Henry—or at least distracted him.

They then showed a still image of Matt Hardy saying that he wasn't number one at anything, not even in his own family. That brought out the real Matt Hardy, who walked to the ring to confront the four heels. He sarcastically said that Miz and Morrison were so original with their Conan O'Brien rip off bit. He cracked a few jokes of his own before stealing Miz and Morrison's "Be jealous" line. Things soon broke down when Miz stepped in to stop Hardy from disrespecting them. Hardy fought with Miz as Morrison, who accidentally hit Henry, had to deal with the World's Strongest Champion. After giving Miz a Twist of Fate, Hardy and Henry stood together in the ring as the show closed.

Analysis:

This week's main event storyline was combined with WWE.com's popular show, The Dirt Sheet, to make a pretty entertaining segment overall using ECW's biggest stars. Miz and Morrison did a nice job acting like annoying, cocky show hosts, and the inclusion of the real Mark Henry and Matt Hardy really increased the tension after they had just been mocked.

It would have been nice to see more of Henry and Hardy during the show, particularly since they didn't get much talking time in the final segment of the show. However, WWE made their point clear as they showed a fearless Matt Hardy enter the ring with four other heels while verbally (and physically) fighting back at their disrespectful sense of humor. It worked, but it does raise the question over Miz and Morrison's role in ECW from here. Will they find a second week of interaction with Hardy and Henry or will they now move on to make trouble elsewhere?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Mark Henry: Undertaker, Kane, Tommy Dreamer
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, MVP, Chavo Guerrero

CHAVO GUERRERO & BAM NEELY vs. EVAN BOURNE & RICKY ORTIZ (4 weeks)

Summary:

This week, Chavo Guerrero teamed up with his bodyguard, Bam Neely, to face Evan Bourne and Ricky Ortiz in tag team competition. The match ended when Evan Bourne caught Neely in an exciting and unique roll-up for the victory. After the match, Ortiz and Bourne celebrated up the ramp as Neely stood in the ring fuming. Matt Striker commented on how he can't help but respect Evan Bourne.

Analysis:

It was easy to see this tag team contest show up on the ECW card this week after the events that transpired on the previous episode of ECW where Bourne stood up to help Ricky Ortiz. It's interesting to see WWE really committed to helping Evan Bourne establish himself as a formidable star on the Tuesday night brand.

The match finish not only gave Bourne yet another win, but it also continued the storyline that has Ortiz picking up victories that are not quite clean-cut wins—in this case, Ortiz won the match, but he wasn't involved with the finish. It will be interesting to see how WWE uses Ricky's charismatic personality to continue justifying a "winning streak" based on match conclusions that are questionable, especially if he continues to brag about them. Is this already a sign of a heelish persona sneaking its way into the mix or is WWE trying to add some dimension and depth to an offbeat babyface?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Chavo Guerrero: Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, Kane
Bam Neely: n/a
Evan Bourne: n/a
Ricky Ortiz: n/a

TOMMY DREAMER vs. COLIN DELANEY (3 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Summary:

This week Armando Estrada was again given an opportunity to earn an ECW contract. His challenge this week was ECW Original Tommy Dreamer. The announcers talked about how Theodore Long made it clear that if Armando didn't win against Tommy Dreamer, he wouldn't receive anymore chances to earn a wrestling contract. During the match, Colin Delaney ran to ringside to grab a chair, but Dreamer scared him, causing him to dive behind the announce desk in between Todd Grisham and Matt Striker. Dreamer then tried to continue with the match, but he soon found Colin on the ring apron. The distraction allowed Armando to roll-up Dreamer in a schoolboy for the consequential win.

After a commercial break, Armando Estrada asked Colin Delaney why on earth he helped him win his match after all the hoops he made Colin jump through to earn a contract months ago. Colin began to explain that at least Estrada gave him a shot at a contract, but ECW GM Teddy Long interrupted their conversation to book an Extreme Rules Match between Dreamer and Delaney next week.

Analysis:

It's only logical for WWE to explore the fractured friendship between longtime veteran Tommy Dreamer and his former protégé, Colin Delaney. Striker, who was strong on color commentary this week, referred to Colin's actions as a betrayal of epic proportions. Although somewhat exaggeratory considering the status of both Dreamer and Delaney on the ECW brand, the statement has summative truth to it, and viewers are wondering why Delaney is taking this route. Of course, Colin has explained that when he was with Dreamer, he got nowhere, but does that alone spark this level of revenge?

As for Estrada's role, I don't think it was necessary to have him talk to Delaney in the back. I think Colin would be better served if he caused Dreamer to lose because he really dislikes Dreamer, for whatever his reasoning is, rather than because he's somewhat friendly to Armando. I understand that you could argue that it's both, but it would seem like a better plan to have Colin acting on his hatred for a former friend without having him schmooze with the likes of Estrada. Colin shouldn't get over his issues and problems with Estrada simply because he turned heel. That's too simplistic.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6

Previous Feuds
Tommy Dreamer: New Breed, Elijah Burke, John Morrison & The Miz, Mike Knox, Mark Henry
Colin Delaney: John Morrison & The Miz, Armando Estrada

FINLAY & HORNSWOGGLE vs. MIKE KNOX (2 weeks)

Summary:

Knox entered the ring with mic in hand to, in his words, expose who Finlay really is. He played a SummerSlam promo that spoofs film genres, namely the one depicting Finlay and Hornswoggle joyously frolicking on a grassy picnic area with the word "Romance" on the screen as the score from a big moment in a romantic movie played. "That's a joke," Knox said. He talked about how Finlay used to be one of the toughest guys in the business, but now he dances with a leprechaun. As Knox continued, Finlay and Hornswoggle's music interrupted him. Finlay walked to the ring, grabbed a mic, and told Knox that his love for fighting was just the tip of the iceberg. He said that he loves his son and that if Knox is willing to take a shot at him, he should. Finlay's challenge was met by a gradual back-off from Knox.

Analysis:

It's an interesting road to take, and I like how WWE explained why a guy like Mike Knox bothered to maul Finlay last week. But Knox missed the biggest argument of all: Finlay and Hornswoggle shouldn't be featured in a romance spoof as father and son. Finlay basically argued that fighting was just the tip of the iceberg, suggesting perhaps that Mike Knox is a two-dimensional character. The irony, of course, is that Finlay's character went from a rough, tough fighter to a happy, dancing wrestler with little depth along the way. He had undergone the most character development when he had to first defend Hornswoggle from Mr. McMahon and JBL on Raw after it was first discovered that Hornswoggle was indeed his son. In the last few months, however, Finlay's character hasn't really done anything.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Finlay: Kane, Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali, Mr. McMahon, JBL, Miz & Morrison
Hornswoggle: Mr. McMahon, Miz & Morrison
Mike Knox: Kelly Kelly, Tommy Dreamer, Evan Bourne


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) John Morrison & The Miz vs. Finlay & Hornswoggle


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) John Morrison vs. The Miz vs. ?
(2) Braden Walker vs. ? (never mind)


Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I greatly appreciate all the feedback that I receive, and I will respond to every email. Please insert a word in the subject line that deals with a wrestling topic or write something such as "WWE," "feud," or "Nunzio" so that I know it's not junk mail.


Download Audio Sample:

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA, ROH
visit our affiliate: JASON POWELL'S PROWRESTLING.NET

For UFC AND MMA NEWS & BLOGS
visit our affiliate: MMATORCH.COM - now featuring the MMATorch Daily Audio Update!

REACT TO THIS STORY IN OUR FREE PWTORCH FORUM

PWTORCH VIP SIGN-UP INFO - NO ADS, EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

| subscribe to this feed

The Specialists
Latest Articles by Category
Nostalgia News: Former AWA wrestler Rick Renslow dies at age 53
CAREER PATH: Kurt Angle's career high point, low point, and what if he had never left WWE?
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 9/4 TNA IMPACT: What I noticed on the show that you might not have
9/2 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Dirt Sheet, Main Event, Undercard
Smackdown Storylines and Feuds - Thoughts on The Brian Kendrick, Maryse, R-Truth, and Kenny Dykstra
MAGIC, MEMORIES AND MANIA: The Top Ten Non-Big-Four WWE PPV MATCHES
UK WORLD: A look at a UK card 37 years ago today - learn about another era, another land
THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL: 9/1 Raw and 9/2 ECW - A list of the most absurd segments so far this week
Nostalgia Review: Labor Day Wrestling Nostalgia: WCW Monday Nitro with Sting vs. Flair, Hogan vs. Bubba, and Pillman vs. Liger
9/1 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Orton, Haas, Mysterio, Contract Signing, Wrestling
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 9/1 RAW: What I noticed that you might have missed
LOGIC CHECK - 8/28 TNA Impact: Keeping tabs on what made sense, what tested suspension of disbelief, and what was just ridiculous

(c) 1999-2008 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

Latest Free Podcasts
PWTorch Free Podcast
9/5 VIP East Coast Audio: Impact - An improvement over last week, Styles tells Sting what needed to be said (85 min.)
9/3 Nostalgia Audio: Nostalgia News, This week in wrestling history, WCW Monday Nitro
9/2 Daily Keller Hotline: Detailed analysis of Monday's Raw segment by segment (29 min.)
9/3 VIP East Coast Audio: ECW - Final ECW hype for Unforgiven, Dirtsheet delivers, Ricky O catching on (54 min.)
WWE Raw 9/1 Post-game Show: Caldwell and Penick discuss Raw (6 min. clip)
8/31 Nostalgia Audio: Remembering Killer Kowalski, Tony Schiavone, and independent contractor status





LATEST PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER #1040 (18 PAGES)

This issue begins with a cover story by Wade Keller looking at the final scene of SummerSlam and why it's bad for WWE not in and of itself, but due to the context it's put in... In-depth coverage of the WWE SummerSlam PPV including Keller's match report with star ratings and the newsletter-exclusive Roundtable Reviews and Reader Reax... Jason Powell's "Page 2 Buzz" with scoops and insider analysis on Mick Foley, TNA's expiring contracts, and more... Bruce Mitchell's Memo further reviews the latest Ric Flair DVD... WWE Newswire, TNA Newswire, and ROH Newswire with insider news, big story analysis, and notebook tidbits... Plus Keller's reports on Raw, Smackdown, and Impact, the Top 5 Stories of the Week, and more... PDF EXCLUSIVE features include the Jon Mezzera's Weekly Hits & Misses and Greg Parks' look at SummerSlam and Smackdown...

INFO ON SUBSCRIPTION TO NEWSLETTER AND AD-FREE VIP SITE

DOWNLOAD RECENT (5-10-08) SAMPLE OF PWTORCH NEWSLETTER (PDF)


PWTORCH READER POLL

What are your thoughts on the WWE Championship Scramble concept?
Big thumbs up. I'm excited to see it.
Tentative thumbs up. I'll need to see it first.
Tentative thumbs down. It sounds like a mess.
Big thumbs down. A disaster in the making.
I have no idea. I'm totally confused by it.
  


VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

UPCOMING EVENTS LISTING

Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
TORCH NEWS TICKER 9/5: Mickie on USA tonight, Reports Wanted, Nash and Joe interview, Henry previews Unforgiven, WWE vs. Youtube
TORCH NEWS TICKER 8/29: Kowalski fundraiser, WWE lawsuit update, Midway Q&A on TNA video game, ROH Notes
TORCH NEWS TICKER 8/22: Results Wanted, Austin return date, Batista comments on Cena match, Kofi and DDP interviews
WWE News
WWE News: Raw ratings for Labor Day edition with Michaels-Jericho contract signing
TNA News: Mick Foley confirms he has come to terms on a deal with TNA, plus discusses other aspirations
WWE News: Mick Foley's bio officially removed from WWE.com Smackdown online roster
TNA News
TNA News: Latest on Gail Kim, as her future remains up in the air (w/Keller Analysis)
TNA News: Mick Foley confirms he has come to terms on a deal with TNA, plus discusses other aspirations
TNA New: Impact Ratings down up against Obama speech, Sting's big speech draws top rating of show (w/Keller Analysis)
ROH News
Interview Highlights: Roderick Strong on his stint with TNA, lagging promo skills, indys working together
7/25 ROH in Toronto: "That show was the first thing to make me proud to be a wrestling fan in a LONG time."
ROH News: Lance Storm interview on working with ROH wrestlers and injuries in pro wrestling
Other News
Torch Indy Weekend Results: Low Ki in PWG and new tag champs, Albright, Nunzio, Rhino
Obit: Walter "Killer" Kowalski dead at the age of 81 - wrestling star and trainer of many
Torch Indy Weekend Preview: Steen in IWS, Shiozaki in FIP, Delirious in Elite Pro
PPV Reports
CALDWELL'S WWE SUMMERSLAM REPORT 8/17: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV
KELLER'S WWE SUMMERSLAM REPORT 8/17: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV event
KELLER'S TNA HARD JUSTICE PPV REPORT 8/10: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of event - Samoa Joe vs. Booker T in cage
TV Reports
9/4 TNA Impact Recap by Wilkenfeld: Sting, AJ, and Christian try to save the show from itself
9/2 ECW on Sci-Fi Report: Mayer's "alt perspective" report including Super Crazy, Ricky Ortiz, The Dirty Sheet
CALDWELL'S ECW TV REPORT 9/2: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of WWE's Sci-Fi show
Arena Reports
8/31 WWE in St. Louis, Mo.: Full Raw and Smackdown taping results including final Unforgiven hype
8/24 WWE Smackdown in Canton, Ohio: Triple H & Undertaker vs. Khali & MVP, R-Truth vs. Carlito, Michelle vs. Maryse
8/24 TNA in Wichita, Ks.: Samoa Joe vs. A.J. Styles, Morgan vs. Kip, Knockouts Title Match, Lethal vs. Dutt
MMA / UFC Coverage
UFC News: Lesnar vs. Couture announced, Lesnar blasts legend, more MMA news and audio
UFC News: Paul Heyman comments on Brock Lesnar's controversial post-fight antics last Saturday
KELLER'S UFC 87 LIVE PPV REPORT; On-site ongoing coverage of Lesnar's second UFC fight, full card coverage
KELLER'S TAKE
VIP - KELLER: More crazy G.M. ideas for WWE to consider (PWTorch Newsletter #1037)
KELLER: An overhaul is in order for Raw before ratings drop further - several specific suggestions
KELLER: McMahon Returns for That? Nothing Funnier than a DUI! Let Me Shift So You Can Hit Me!
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MITCHELL'S BLOG: Notes From the 2008 NWA Fanfest - Ric Flair
WWE News: Flair's departure from WWE amicable, nostalgia convention circuit could be next
VIP - MITCHELL'S MEMO: DVD Liner Notes Part 3: Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection
MCNEILL'S TAKE
Ready To Roll! McNEILL previews WWE SummerSlam
Rap It Up: McNEILL previews TNA Hard Justice!
VIP - MCNEILL FACTOR: Twenty Years of Summerslam, part two
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CORNER CUBE THURSDAY 9/4 - Should I stay or should I go? Gail Kim's options
CORNER CUBE TUESDAY 9/2 - Thoughts on Raw with HBK-Jericho, Kane-Rey, and the next C.M. Punk
CORNER CUBE TUESDAY 8/26 - Raw delivered highlights, but was heavy on filler
RADICAN'S TAKE
TALES FROM THE PULPIT 9/5: TNA video game will succeed where promotion of PPVs ultimately fails
TALES FROM THE PULPIT 9/4: Nice days coming to TNA?
TALES FROM THE PULPIT 7/23: McGuinness & Jericho setting standard for heels in 2008
The Specialists
Nostalgia News: Former AWA wrestler Rick Renslow dies at age 53
CAREER PATH: Kurt Angle's career high point, low point, and what if he had never left WWE?
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 9/4 TNA IMPACT: What I noticed on the show that you might not have
Guest Editorials
EDITORIAL: What's wrong with Raw this year? A lot. But one core problem trumps the rest
EDITORIAL: Tag Team Divisions will not get over until squash matches return
EDITORIAL: C.M. Punk needs a prominent program to make him the star of Raw
Torch Feedback
WWE ECW Reax #1: "Striker's 'and vote Republican' was so awesome. Not because I am Republican, because I am certainly not, but..."
WWE Raw Reax #1: "The fire in Punk's eyes showed that those two could possibly have a meaningful fued later on."
DRAFT PICKS - Batch #7 featuring top picks of Chris Jericho, C.M. Punk, and Edge, plus Undertaker, Aries, Tomko, Briscoes...
Ask the Editor
Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not?
ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"?
DVDs - VGames - Books
WEEKEND DVD SPOTLIGHT: SHIMMER Vol. 18 (Kong-Busic,Del Rey-MsChif)
RADICAN: Al Snow discusses his wrestling career, philosophy, time in OVW, and more in new interview
DVD Review: ROH "Glory By Honor VI, N2" with Kenta vs. Misawa, 110307
Torch Flashbacks
KELLER'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (9-4-03):Angle vs. Taker, plus Rey, Vince, Stephanie, Brock, Big Show, Cena, APA
KELLER'S TNA REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (9-3-03): War Games-style ten man with D-Lo, Raven, Jeff Jarrett, plus Vince Russo on commentary
KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (9-1-03): Lawler vs. Coach, Christian vs. Jericho, Molly & Gail Kim vs. Trish & Ivory
VIP Exclusive Features
9/5 VIP East Coast Audio: Impact - An improvement over last week, Styles tells Sting what needed to be said (85 min.)
9/4 Daily Keller Hotline: Mickie James on dating and nude pics, Nash reminisces, Gail Kim & Foley Updates (5 min. free clip)
VIP - PWTorch Today Bulletin #15 (PDF): New Samoa Joe Interview Analysis, Nash Reminisces, Foley Note
Torch Trivia
Torch Trivia: How much do you know about Curt Henning? - Part One
Torch Trivia: How much do you know about Champion vs. Champion matches?
Torch Trivia: How much do you know about SummerSlam - Part 3
Torch Instant Polls
POLL: What are your thoughts on the WWE Championship Scramble concept?
POLL: Should the TNA Knockouts women wrestlers be paid in the same ballpark as the male wrestlers?
POLL: Who is your pick as the MVP of the August 11 edition of WWE Raw?
PWTorch Free Podcast
9/5 VIP East Coast Audio: Impact - An improvement over last week, Styles tells Sting what needed to be said (85 min.)
9/3 Nostalgia Audio: Nostalgia News, This week in wrestling history, WCW Monday Nitro
9/2 Daily Keller Hotline: Detailed analysis of Monday's Raw segment by segment (29 min.)
Annual Obituaries
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart