By Wade Keller, Torch editor

KELLER'S ECW REPORT
OCTOBER 7, 2008
AIRED ON SCI-FI

[Q1]

-After the ECW opening, Todd Grisham and Matt Striker introduced the show as pyro blasted and the camera panned the crowd. Grisham talked about Matt Hardy's title defense at No Mercy two days earlier. Striker hyped the eight-man tag team main event.

1 -- FINLAY (w/Hornswoggle) & TOMMY DREAMER vs. JACK SWAGGER & MIKE KNOX

Finlay acknowledged with a smile a fan in the crowd wearing a green Irish top hat. In fact, he put it on and wore it to the ring. Now there's a billion dollar merchandising idea. Striker called this "an exponential step up in competition" for Swagger. Grisham asked if it's legal to have a smile as constant and wide and white as Swagger's. Knox opened against Finlay. They had "WWE Live" on the left bottom corner of the screen, highlighting that the show is, well, live. The announcers should stress that more when they go live. Just say outright: "Fans, this is happening right now. You're watching it live as it happens here in [city]." Knox mistakenly hit Jack Swagger at 1:00, knocking him to the floor. Dreamer followed with a neckbreaker on Knox, then he dove off the ring apron with a clothesline on Swagger. "The Zeppelin-like graceful Tommy Dreamer," said Striker. That alone makes him the Announcer of the Week in my book. Knox forearmed Dreamer off the ring apron to the floor, then they cut to a break.

[Commercial Break]

Knox suplexed Dreamer after the break for a two count. Swagger choked Dreamer in the corner, then tagged in. He twisted Dreamer's head mid-ring. "There you see Hornswoggle poking his head out like a little turd cheering on Tommy Dreamer," said Striker. Dreamer hot-tagged Finlay at 7:00 and went on a flurry of offense, knocking Swagger to the floor and then going after Knox fast and furious. Swagger broke up Finlay's pin attempt and the crowd booed. Dreamer knocked Swagger off the ring apron with a running forearm, then beat him up at ringside. As the ref was distracted, Hornswoggle splashed Knox off the top rope. As the ref yelled at Hornswoggle, Finlay KO'd him with his shillelagh for the three count.

WINNERS: Finlay & Dreamer in 8:00.

STAR RATING: * -- Swagger did almost nothing athletic in that match, but he was good at being knocked off the ring apron.

[Q2]

-Grisham and Striker were shown on camera. They threw to a skit of Teddy Long walking up behind Tiffany backstage as she dressed up as the devil. Long was also in constume. Tiffany said she loves Halloween. Jamie Noble walked in with a white pillow case. He asked for candy. Long asked, "Where's your costume." He said, "I'm dressed as the greatest wrestler of all time." He told Tiffany as good as he is in the ring, he's highly skilled in other areas. Mark Henry barged in and threw Noble's bag against a wall and told Long he wants a rematch against Hardy. Long said he can't do that. Noble freaked out and told him not to disrespect him in front of his "new woman." Henry said he'll disrespect whomever he wants. Tiffany told Noble not to let him talk to him like that. Henry told Long that if he won't give him a rematch against Hardy, he'll take Noble as an appetizer. Noble told Long to "make it happen," but his facial expressions indicated he'd do almost anything to get out of the situation, but he had to try to impress Tiffany.

-A vignette aired regarding the return of Boogeyman.

[Commercial Break]

-Striker and Grisham hyped that Smackdown's MyNetwork debut was the largest audience in the history of that network. Then they hyped Cyber Sunday's Santino Marella opponent options: Honky Tonk Man, Goldust, and Roddy Piper.

2 -- MARK HENRY vs. JAMIE NOBLE

Striker said WWE is the only sport without a publcized injury report. He said if Noble was made aware of Henry's injuries coming out of No Mercy, he'd have every right to go after it. Grisham said Henry's injury report would simply say: "Body." Striker said, "We're all day-to-day and questionable." Henry overpowered Noble early. At 3:00 Noble side-stepped Henry's charge and kicked at his legs, but Henry immediately fought back with a hard clothesline. Noble came back with a leap off the top rope, but Henry easily caught him and powerslammed him for the pin. Grisham gave Noble credit "for giving it a go."

WINNER: Henry in 4:00.

[Q3]

-After the match, Henry powerslammed Noble two more times. That prompted a save by Hardy, who's run-in was telegraphed by his music playing. It's as if wrestlers have microchips in them that activate their music as soon as they run through the entrance tunnel. Hardy went after Henry, then gave a Twist of Fate to Atlas. Henry recovered and powerslammed Hardy, leaving both Hardy and Noble writhing on the mat. He then splashed Hardy two more times as the fans booed. Matt Fact 2008: Matt will never run in on a Mark Henry post-match attack again.

[Commercial Break]

-The Raw Rebound aired. Striker and Grisham talked about the special ref options for Batista vs. Chris Jericho at Cyber Sunday. They also commented on replays of Henry's actions in the previous segment. They shouldn't show the sideview of Henry's splash because it's like Tugboat back in the day where it's obvious his knees take the brunt of the force and the only thing the opponent feels is a little belly fat impact.

-Ring intros took place for the main event eight-man tag match beginning with C.M. Punk, then Evan Bourne, Ricky Ortiz, and Kofi Kingston. Ortiz handed out a towel to a "lucky fan" at ringside.

[Commercial Break]

[Q4]

-ECW Fact: More viewers watched ECW last Tuesday than any other show on ESPN, FX, Spike, Discovery Channel, and TNT. More than Discovery Channel? No way!

3 -- C.M. PUNK & KOFI KINGSTON & EVAN BOURNE & RICKY ORTIZ vs. MIZ & MORRISON & CODY RHODES & TED DIBIASE (w/Manu)

Grisham played this up as being a gathering of eight of the hottest young stars in WWE. Striker said Grisham didn't know Samoans could speak until Manu did. Grisham said that's not true and totally made up. Striker said Morrison has a rash on his abdominal region from "Bedazzling" his abs with glitter. "Or at least that's what he says the rash is from," he added. The faces cleared the ring of the heels at 2:00 and showed enough fire to burn down a forrest. Grisham touted it as an amazing start to a match as they cut to a break.

[Commercial Break]

They showed a clip of Bourne doing a standing moonsault during the break, but Manu plucking Bourne off the ring apron ("like a coconut off a tree," said Striker) and throwing him into the ring barrier. The heels made frequent tags and controlled the action. Striker added: "Cody Rhodes has been Cialis-like in his three-day effectiveness; he was effective at No Mercy, he was effect on Raw, and he's effect here on ECW tonight." Bourne surprised Miz with a small package for a near fall at 9:00, but Miz escaped and tagged in Morrison. Punk also hot-tagged to a moderate pop and went to work on Morrison including the running knee lift in the corner. Chaos broke out at 10:00. Ortiz slingshotted himself over the top rope onto Morrison and Miz, then Kofi dove onto them at ringside seconds later. Punk then gave a running bulldog to Morrison followed by a GTS attempt. Morrison escaped, Manu distracted the ref, and then DiBiase snapped Punk over the top rope. Morrison then finished Punk for the win.

WINNERS: Miz & Morrison & DiBiase & Rhodes in 11:00.

STAR RATING: ** -- Good TV tag match.

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