By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

Extreme Championship Wrestling
November 11, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Survivor Series (third-to-last episode before PPV)

ECW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the sixtieth 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 MATT HARDY vs. FINLAY (w/ Hornswoggle) (2 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-When Todd Grisham asked Matt Hardy about his upcoming match with Finlay, Hardy said that he expected it to be a brawl. He also warned Finlay to bring all the lucky charms he has because he'll need it.

-Matt Hardy defeated Finlay in an ECW Championship match after delivering the Twist of Fate for the victory.

Analysis:

The Hardy-Finlay program began last week when Finlay requested an ECW Title shot and defeated Mark Henry to become the number one contender. However, a Finlay-Hardy friendly rivalry was probably not intended to be a long-lasting one. And this week's successful win by Matt Hardy over his latest challenger may be indicative of yet another shift in the main event slot. It's clear that the ECW roster doesn't provide much in terms of a new challenge to Matt Hardy. Besides Mark Henry, the only viable heels eligible for a believable run with the reigning ECW Champion at the moment are Miz, Morrison, and Chavo Guerrero.

Chavo, however, has already fought Matt Hardy, and WWE seems eager to keep Miz and Morrison in tag team feuds. Perhaps someone from another brand or a newcomer to WWE could pose a surprising challenge. It's curious that WWE pulled the trigger on the Finlay-Hardy feud so soon by giving Finlay his title match this week rather than stretching it out to Survivor Series. Mark Henry's reaction to Todd Grisham's in-ring interview this week suggests that he may be looking for a fight. But reviving a Hardy-Henry storyline after its lengthy and lackluster results toward the end doesn't seem like a great idea. A Finlay-Henry feud might be intriguing, but that still leaves one question: What's left for Matt Hardy?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, MVP, Chavo Guerrero, Mark Henry
Finlay: Kane, Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali, Mr. McMahon, JBL, Miz & Morrison, Mike Knox

TOMMY DREAMER vs. JACK SWAGGER (8 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-In ECW's opening matchup, Tommy Dreamer teamed with Cryme Tyme to face Jack Swagger, Miz, and Morrison. The contest ended when John Morrison reversed Dreamer's DDT and hit his Moonlight Drive for the 1-2-3. Hey, that kind of rhymed.

Analysis:

Last week really helped to fuel the Dreamer-Swagger rivalry with Swagger's overly haughty display of selfish and irreverent verbal strikes. When Swagger downplayed all of Dreamer's past success and then followed it up with a verbal attack on his family, the tension and intrigue for the feud were elevated. The most notable line from Swagger that may have made him one of the most arrogant heels in WWE is when he said something about allowing people to look up to him. Talk about self-centered. As Swagger's first official feud, this one is really important to the initial growth of his character.

This week's matchup combined three inflated egos into one team with Miz and Morrison helping Swagger defeat Dreamer and Cryme Tyme. Dreamer took the fall in the end, but Jack Swagger was not the one to score the pinfall, which may be important at some point in the future. WWE has made this a nice ECW-exclusive storyline, and it will be interesting to see how it progresses in the coming weeks.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [up 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Tommy Dreamer: Elijah Burke, John Morrison & The Miz, Mike Knox, Mark Henry, Colin Delaney
Jack Swagger: n/a


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Matt Hardy vs. Finlay?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) vs. ?
(2) Miz & Morrison vs. Cryme Tyme


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 "Boogeyman" so that I know it's not junk mail.

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