By Dominick Mayer, PWTorch contributor

ECW TV Report
October 14, 2008
Las Vegas, Nevada
Report by Dominick Mayer, PWTorch contributor

Title sequence. Before we start, was I the only one who found the Chavo-centric commercial for tonight's show on Raw last night a little weird? Even for the few people watching ECW, he hasn't been anything of value lately.

Mark Henry comes out. Tony Atlas has a suit jacket with sleeves. Personally, I think it would've been better if his sport coats were also cut off. They run a recap of Henry laying out Matt Hardy last week.

Atlas takes over on the mic, listing Henry's demands for the ECW Title. I still don't get the purpose of him talking for Henry, when Henry is just as good, if not better, on the mic. Teddy Long comes out doing his version of the McMahon strut to the ring. Long reminds them both that Henry got a title shot at No Mercy, and didn't get the job done. Long tells Henry that he's one of the three possible opponents for Matt Hardy at Cyber Sunday. There will be qualifying matches tonight for the other two spots. If Long is pointing out that Henry earned a match and didn't win, why does he get an automatic spot, when the other two spots have to be fought for? That doesn't make sense given the established logic. The first qualifier starts now, with Evan Bourne coming out to the ring. He's not wrestling Henry, though, but this is unclear at first. Matt Striker sounds absolutely terrified; he's just quietly telling Bourne to get out of the ring immediately. Hilariously subtle commentary from Striker. Bourne offers Henry a handshake, but when Henry is actually about to take it, Bourne pulls his hand away. The audience gasps with a lot more terror than was appropriate, which was even funnier.

[Commercial Break]

Bourne is in the ring getting amped. Chavo Guerrero is on his way out as the opponent. With that commercial I mentioned earlier, I'm really hoping this doesn't mean that Chavo is going to qualify over Bourne. That's just a waste of a voting spot, unless they want all heels to be placed up against Hardy.

1 -- EVAN BOURNE vs. CHAVO GUERRERO

Grisham puts over how the last time these two wrestled, Bourne pulled out the upset win. I don't mean to keep ranting, but who honestly wants to see Chavo contend for another title match? It's bad enough that he got into the Championship Scramble last month over guys like Bourne and John Morrison, but even WWE seems to not want to push him. Wouldn't it be better to put Jack Swagger or Mike Knox in this match, even if he lost? Also, I don't know why I just thought of this, but Dolph Ziggler was nowhere to be seen on Raw last night. A lot of mat wrestling going on, which is why I'm just rambling here. Bourne with a nice arm drag takedown. Striker puts over how he's wrestled Chavo, and how formidable he is. It's almost weird to think of Striker as a wrestler at this point, he's so good on commentary. Bourne sends Chavo to the outside with another arm drag (he's been using them more than usual in this match) and hits him with a corkscrew suicide dive. We cut to commercial break, which explains why the match started so slow; they were pacing for something lengthier than expected.

[Q2]

[Commercial Break]

Out of break, Bourne is actually on offense, at least for a second; he goes for the standing moonsault, and Chavo gets his knees up. Chavo locks in a modified STF to slow him down. Chavo whips Bourne into the corner, and there's a rapid exchange that ends in Bourne getting hit with a hard spinning heel kick for a two count. As Chavo takes over, a loud Bourne chant breaks out. Chavo takes a series of hard kicks, but Bourne is moving slower. Bourne rolls Chavo up in one of his unique pins, and it looks for a second like there's been a ref miscommunication, because it was only a two count. Bourne hits Chavo with a hard knee in the corner, and sets him up for a huricanrana off the top rope, but Chavo moves, and Bourne not only crotches himself, but then bounces off and lands back-first on the mat. That looked nasty for a planned spill. Chavo locks him in a half crab immediately as Bourne struggles to reach the ropes. When Chavo pulls Bourne to mid-ring, Bourne kicks his way out. They slowly reach their feet, and Chavo hits the two of the Three Amigos before Bourne escapes. He charges Chavo in the corner, but Chavo gets an elbow in the way. Chavo goes up top, but Bourne hits him with a gorgeous huricanrana from a standing position. Bourne goes up and nails the Shooting Star Press for the win.

WINNER: Bourne in 13:00. Much better match than I was expecting. Chavo can always put on a solid match when paired with an interesting opponent. This is big in the sense that I doubt anybody is going to pick Mark Henry over Evan Bourne, and this might send a message that it's time for Bourne's ECW Championship push.

Mark Henry comes out as soon as the match and jumps Bourne. Huge crowd heat on Henry for this. At least Bourne is in, though; depending on who's in the other qualifying match, we may very well have just seen Matt Hardy's opponent for Cyber Sunday.

Striker plugs the second qualifying match for tonight: Finlay vs. Morrison. I'm interested to see who gets the spot. Arguments can be made for both.

A Boogeyman vignette airs hyping his return to ECW. Wasn't he just on Raw last night? Whatever. I'm not even going to try to rationalize the brand split anymore.

[Commercial Break]

[Q3]

Smackdown Rebound on the Kozlov-Hardy angle.

Teddy Long's phone conversation gets sidetracked by Tiffany, in a showgirl getup, which allows him to plug a Divas Costume Contest at Cyber Sunday. Why? I've never understood the purpose of those, less so now that women's' wrestling is actually being pushed again. Well, sort of, but TNA's not getting it right either at this point. Anyway, Jack Swagger shows up and asks why he's out of the running for Cyber Sunday. Tommy Dreamer shows up asking for a title match after Cyber Sunday, which Swagger takes issue with. Swagger says that it's great that Dreamer gets to relive his memories, but some people are trying to create new legacies, instead of bastardizing them. Is it bad that I think Swagger has a point? I love Dreamer and the old ECW, but he's done nothing since all the other Originals got fired. This is a good feud for Swagger, though, because Dreamer lends credibility to any new heel.

John Morrison and the Miz are backstage, heading for the ring next. How long is this match going to go?

[Commercial Break]

Morrison and Miz come out with twenty minutes left in the hour for the second qualifying match. Finlay and Hornswoggle come out, and away we go.

2 -- JOHN MORRISON (w/The Miz) vs. FINLAY (w/Hornswoggle)

Some mat work early on, with Morrison struggling to lock in an arm bar. Lots of hold and counter-hold. Questionably, Grisham brings up Miz and Morrison's rap from last night, which wasn't the best segment on Raw. Sadly, it wasn't even close to being the worst. Anybody who watched the show last night knows just how bad the Jackass angle truly was. The pace is slow still, as Finlay locks a half crab in on Morrison, and transfers that into a nerve hold.

[Q4]

Morrison hits Finlay out of the corner and lands some shots for a one count. Still moving slow. I really hopes this picks up, as I won't be able to look at myself in the morning if I say that a Chavo Guerrero match was the highlight of ECW this week, regardless of its own quality. Hornswoggle starts a Finlay chant, and bless this crowd for going along with what's been an uneventful match so far. Finlay runs the ropes, but Miz trips him up. Morrison tries to charge Finlay, but gets sent flying to the outside and onto Miz. While the ref talks to Finlay, whose lip is now bleeding, Hornswoggle flies at both of them on the outside. He scurries under the ring before Morrison can get at him, and then pulls Miz under like that scene in the trailers for "Quarantine." It seems like this would be the logical point to cut to break, but we go on to see both Finlay and Morrison look confused at Miz's disappearance. Now, to break.

[Commercial Break]

Morrison has an arm bar applied out of break. At least it's not the chinlock, but I really wish there could just be one commercial break that returns to something really cool happening. Morrison is working the left arm, and I just noticed that the shillelagh is just sitting in the corner. Does the referee not find this at all conspicuous? I thought any weapons near the ring were supposed to be moved. Morrison is still working the left arm, but Finlay fights his way out. Striker references Finlay being in the submissive position, which is just weird on a lot of levels. Brief note: Striker's mentioned Edgar Allen Poe and Gambit from X-Men tonight. He continues to be fantastic. Meanwhile, in another part of town, there are some pin reversals, and then Morrison starts working the arm again. The "Boring" chant can be heard at this point, and I can't quite blame those in attendance. There's a collision in the corner that leaves both men down, but the crowd is really into the ten count. Finlay hooks Morrison in a backslide, but only gets a two count. Finlay hits some clotheslines and the shoulder tackle. He gets another two count, and the crowd seems half enthused and half mute. Finlay looks for the Emerald Fusion, but Morrison hits the backbreaker-neckbreaker combo for two.

Hornswoggle does something awkward-looking in the corner to distract Morrison and the referee. Seriously, what was that supposed to be? He was either asleep or doing something completely inappropriate, I'm not sure which. Finlay goes for the shillelagh, but Mike Knox comes out of nowhere and takes it away. Morrison gives Finlay a dropkick for two, and then all hell broke loose. Mike Knox got pulled under the ring as well, which makes no sense. The referee, trying to figure things out, misses Cryme Tyme showing up out of nowhere and handing Finlay the shillelagh. Morrison gets nailed to end the match.

WINNER: Finlay in 15:00. Really slow match. There was just something off about the entire thing that made it a slog to the end. Finlay's character is going nowhere right now on this show; he should be sent back to Smackdown. I think the TNA-level ridiculousness of the interference was designed to make the end engaging, but it just made it aggravating, more so in the post-match. Read on.

Then, things get even crazier. Cryme Tyme enters the ring to celebrate with Hornswoggle and Finlay, and then Finlay lays them both out for absolutely no reason. Why did that happen? Nobody in that ring is a heel. It could be argued that Finlay hit them to show he can win matches by himself, but going on that logic, Hornswoggle should've just gotten hit in the face too. Then, as Finlay heads up the entrance, celebrating the beating up two popular faces, Mark Henry comes out and gives him a World's Strongest Slam onto the steel. Henry flexes to end the show.

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