By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

KELLER'S ECW REPORT
OCTOBER 14, 2008
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS, NEV.
AIRED ON SCI-FI

-The ECW opening aired, then Todd Grisham and Matt Striker introduced the show as pryo blasted and the camera panned the stage and the crowd. Grisham said the Countdown to Cyber Sunday continues.

-Mark Henry and Tony Atlas walked out. You gotta love the opening line to Henry's intro song: "Somebody's gonna get their ass kicked." That sets the tone right off the bat. Atlas opened by saying that Henry wants the ECW Title back and he deserves it. He said the message for Matt Hardy will get "much more clearer, much more painful the longer we have to wait to get what we want." Teddy Long did the George Jefferson on his way to the ring. Long referred to Atlas as Henry's "glorified skycap." Long said Henry had a chance at No Mercy and didn't get the job done. Long said he has a different opportunity for him, but the decision would be out of his hands. Henry asked him what he meant. Long said in two weeks at Cyber Sunday, "the most interactive pay-per-view of the year," and he is one of three candidates for fans to text-vote for. Henry demanded to know who the other two candidates are. Long said they'd decide that later in the show with qualifying matches. Long said if he wins voting, he'll get his shot. If he doesn't in voting, "he straight out of luck." Henry got in Long's face and mouthed off bit.

-As Evan Bourne came out for his qualifying match, Striker called Bourne "exhilarating" and a "high-flying boy wonder" and "thrilling." He didn't say "phenomenal." Bourne offered a handshake before the match to Henry, as Henry hadn't left the ring yet. Henry was about to accept, but Bourne yanked his hand away.

[Commercial Break]

-Scenes aired of the strip of Las Vegas. Is that Boardwalk amusement park even still there? Grisham called it a beautiful night in Vegas.

1 -- EVAN BOURNE vs. CHAVO GUERRERO - Cyber Sunday Qualifying Match

Grisham noted that Bourne beat Chavo in their previous match, a bit upset a couple months ago. Chavo went for early headlocks. Bourne hit a nice deep armdrag, a lost art, to send Chavo to the floor to regroup. Bourne then locked on an armbar and climbed the ropes and armdragged him again. Then a third time off the middle turnbuckle. He went back to the arm with an overhand hammerlock. At 4;00 Chavo brawled his way back into control, but Bourne again threw a leaping armbar, lucha libre style, sending Chavo to the floor. Then he hit a cartwheel style flying bodyblock to the floor. He's so fun to watch, just graceful but with impact.

[Q2]

[Commercial Break]
Striker marveled at Bourne's move before the break. Bourne went for a standing moonsault and got caught by Chavo's knees. Bourne walked right into a Chavo rolling Liger kick for a believable near fall at 9:00. Bourne went for a power schoolboy (it seems almost judo-like in approach) for a very near fall. The ref was slow to establish the first count. Bourne took a tumble off the top rope when Chavo avoided a rana, then Chavo scored a near fall. Chavo applied a half Boston crab afterward mid-ring. Bourne rolled out of it in a novel fashion, sold his leg injury after breaking free, but then kicked Chavo in the face when he moved in on him. Another great sequence with little things done in a novel way to keep everything more interesting. Chavo went into the Three Amigos vertical suplex series, but Bourne countered with a jump reverse sidekick to the chest. He charged Chavo, but took an elbow to the chest. Bourne came right back with a rana, then climbed to the top rope and hit his shooting star press for the clean win.

WINNER: Bourne in 13:00.

STAR RATING: **3/4 -- If I were to vote for one match at Cyber Sunday, it'd be to see Bourne face Matt Hardy. Bourne is something special to watch right now. He takes rudimentary moves and puts an innovative twist on them to make them novel and does so with grace.

-Afterward, Henry jumped Bourne and powerslammed him.

-Striker and Grisham plugged the text voting for Cyber Sunday. Then they plugged John Morrison vs. Finlay as the other qualifying match later on the show.

-A vignette aired advertising the pending return of The Boogeyman.

[Q3]

[Commercial Break]

-A Smackdown recap aired. They hyped Jeff Hardy vs. Vladimir Kozlov.

-Teddy Long was on the phone backstage. Tiffany walked in dressed as a Vegas Showgirl. He said she was drop-dead gorgeous. She said he has to get into the spirit. She presented him an Elvis outfit. He likedit. Jack Swagger walked up to them and put his arm around Teddy. Teddy brushed his arm off of him. Swagger asked why he hasn't put him in a match to earn a shot against Hardy. Long said he's new and has to earn it. He laughed and said, "Teddy, I'm an All-American." Tommy Dreamer walked in, was distracted by Tiffany's beauty, and then asked Long if he could get a title shot after Cyber Sunday. Long said he's consider it. Swagger asked if he was in a time warp. "It's not 1996," he said. "ECW is great. You get to relive your past memories each and every week, but some of us are here creating our legacies instead of bastardizing it." He walked away and Dreamer sneered and took deep breaths.

-Grisham and Striker reacted to Swagger's comments. Striker said he knows first-hand Dreamer can be tough, so he should watch out. Grisham thanked Pendulum for "Propane Nightmares," the official theme of Cyber Sunday. They hyped more text voting.

-They showed Miz and Morrison heading to the entrance tunnel.

[Commercial Break]

-A commercial spot aired for WrestleMania 25 ticket sales.

-Another scene aired of the Las Vegas strip. It appeared to be shot from the Mandalay Bay roof, perhaps, or the Luxor.

2 -- JOHN MORRISON (w/Miz) vs. FINLAY (w/Hornswoggle) - Cyber Sunday Qualifying Match

Striker asked Grisham if he's dressing up as K.D. Lang for Halloween. Striker said he's either going to be Repoman or Bastion Booger. Grisham said, "You could go as a good commentator, but you'd have to go as me." Oh, snap! Grisham touted that Finlay has held 16 major championships in England, Germany, and the U.S., but not yet in ECW. Morrison went for an armbreaker MMA-style. Finlay blocked it and applied a leglock. Striker said no matter what move you think you know, there's a good chance Finlay knows the counter. Striker quoted Proverbs in reference to Finlay's methodical style toward winning matches on his way to trying to win the ECW Title: "Patience can persuade a prince and soft speech can break bones."

[Q4]

Finlay worked over Morrison's legs for several minutes. Morrison eventually took over and worked over Finlay's arm. A "Let's Go Finlay" chant rang out. Finlay had a bloody lip at this point. Finlay came back with a kick. Miz went for a trip. Finlay turned to him. Morrison dove at Finlay. Finlay sidestepped him and threw him over the top onto Miz at ringside. Hornswoggle ran into the ring and then dove onto Miz and Morrison with a flying clothesline. Striker said instead of a To-Pay, it's a Low-Pay.Hornswoggle disappeared under the ring. Miz was dragged under a second later. Finlay threw Morrison into the ring.

[Commercial Break]

Morrison had Finlay in another armlock after the break. They showed that during the break, Finlay beat up Morrison within the ring apron at ringside. Morrison kicked him to change momentum. Finlay charged into the corner, but hit the ringpost when Morrison moved. The time spent on armbars and leglocks in this match was getting ridiculous. This isn't a house show mid-card match in 1973. It's national TV live in 2008 after Evan Bourne had a realistic, exciting, contemporary version of what will hold an audience's attention and get them excited about the WWE product. This is just really slow and repetitive, even with little transition spots to break things up every couple minutes. At 13:00, after a collision mid-ring, both were slow to get up. Morrison got up first, but Finlay slipped on a backslide for a nearfall. Finlay hit three hard clubbing clotheslines. He shoulder-charged Morrison twice, selling his arm afterward each time, then scored a two count. Morrison came back with a backbreaker and a neckbreaker for a two count. Hornswoggle rolled into the ring and collapsed in the corner. Striker said, "I don't even want to think he was trying to do" (implying attempted self-fellatio, I assume). Grisham let out a genuine laugh. It was a ploy to distract the ref as Finlay grabbed his Shillelagh. Mike Knox came to ringside and yanked the stick away. Morrison then surprised Finlay with a surprise kick off the ropes for a near fall at 14:00. Morrison began untying the turnbuckle pad. Knox, meanwhile, was dragged under the ring. Striker wondered if Hornswoggle was really that strong. Cryme Tyem them popped out underneath the ring apron. Hey, aren't they Raw wrestlers? Apparently that's not worth mentioning. Finlay then surprised Morrison with the Shillelagh after Cryme Tyme handed it to him. The ref didn't see the infraction and then counted to three.

WINNER: Finlay in 15:00.

STAR RATING: * -- As noted above, way too much redundant, boring armlocks and leglocks. They shook things up a little, but not enough to keep it from being boring.

-Afterward, Cryme Tyme entered the ring and slapped hands with Hornswoggle and Finlay. Finlay then blindsided both of them with shillelagh blows to the head for some reason. Grisham asked what was going on. Striker said "he's focused" on his march to Cyber Sunday. It seemed like a strange out of character move for Finlay. As Hornswoggle and Finlay celebrated on the stage, Henry attacked him from behind as the show ended.

We suggest these recent related articles...

PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 10/8: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Thursday show, including Roman Reigns & Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt & Braun Strowman

METZGER'S ROH TV REPORT 10/4 & 10/7: IWGP World champ Okada vs. Roderick Strong main event, plus Briscoes vs. Time Splitters, more from "Field of Honor," Overall Reax

MCMAHON'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 10/7: TNA Title Series kicks off, Bound for Glory fall-out, more; Overall Reax