-- 1/26 ECW TV Reax

Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (9.0): No best or worst for this edition, as it was solid all around. The match order was interesting, though, as the story was that no one representing ECW will win the Rumble, so why not focus on their title match in the main event? The opening promo was nicely done to tie up the ends of last week and move forward into the tag match including Kane. Yes, Kane is on Smackdown, but the only one close enough in size to Jackson on ECW is nowhere near over...period. The paraphrase by Christian of Ezekiel 25:17 about vengeance fit the moment very well. Shelton Benjamin stating his case about the Rumble was nicely done and one of his better promos. Archer's ambush played well to their feud, though his statement clearly tells the viewers he won't stand a chance in the big match. Of the two tag (and only) matches shown, I'd give the edge to the Regal/Jackson vs. Christian/Kane simply because of the title ramifications. The six-man match was more a melding of storylines. Jackson, for once, didn't look as awkward, but then this was a tag match. I still don't see promise in the Christian-Jackson match come Sunday.

Justin James of Columbia, S.C., IT professional/author (9.0): Best: Whole Show. Worst: Byron Saxton on commentary. What an outstanding ECW, which means "solid wrestling and no Abe Washington." Other than the brief Rumble video, the pre-match promo, and a 30-second segment with Benjamin and Archer, this was an entire episode filled with in-ring action. And the in-ring action sold the Rumble well, I thought. It showcased Ezekiel Jackson well and made him look strong. He has improved in the ring. I liked his jawing with Kane and his pre-match promo was the best we've seen from him. Pairing him with Regal was a smart move. The Benjamin-Archer interaction was short and sweet, but they should have cut to commercial a few moments sooner, as Archer's extended "intense stare" got ridiculous. Benjamin's promo had me thinking for just a split-second that he could win it. The six-man tag match was well-executed and showed off all of the younger talent. Barreta and Croft continue to look fresh and innovative, Ryder came off strong, Rosa Mendes cracked me up with her running Spanish insult, Goldust looked good, Hurricane sold well, and Tatsu electrified. It was like getting three or four Raw one-on-one matches in one shot, and the extended beating of Hurricane didn't grow stale, thanks to the different styles the heels carried in the ring. On commentary, Byron Saxton's attempted heel turn is so poorly done. He just lacks Matt Striker's razor sharp aptitude for firing off zingers that. Instead, he just comes off as a fan of the heels for no reason. Josh Matthews embarrassed him a few times and it felt legit; I wouldn't be surprised if it was. Savannah is an awesome announcer, and I hope that whatever happens to ECW in the future, that she stays with WWE.

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