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ECW ON SCI-FI ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/18: Mayer, Mezzera, Parks rate and review

Nov 19, 2008 - 9:18:18 PM
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Dominick Mayer, PWTorch.com Contributor (5.0)

First things first: Sal Rinauro was the name of the designated jobber who took on DJ Gabriel last night. Somehow, I totally missed that. Speaking of Gabriel, I don't know how to feel. I don't want to be prejudiced, given that it took me a few weeks to get into what Jack Swagger is doing, but Gabriel's gimmick is hokey in that early 90s gimmick kind of way. We'll see what happens. Ricky Ortiz continues to not wrestle this week, and I really have to wonder exactly what the plan is with him; they haven't quite forsaken him yet, but they also aren't really doing anything. Plus, with Boogeyman returning next week, there's one more lower-card spot on ECW that's going to be in the mix.

In other news, Miz and Morrison continue their campaign as the most underrated superstars (sorry, wrestlers) in WWE in 2008. When they're put on the spot doing Dirt Sheet segments, they're never as good as when they're just allowed to run like they were last night. I like that the Swagger-Dreamer feud is getting a little more time than just developmental talent, and I'm thinking Swagger is going to beat Dreamer at his own game next week as payback for this week. I don't have much to say on the main event that I didn't say in my recap, but just allow me to say again that Kofi shouldn't be taking a pin in a 6-man tag as long as he has gold and he has a teammate who doesn't. Because of the lack of a presence at Survivor Series in terms of singles competition, the whole show felt lacking in direction save for the Swagger-Dreamer bit.

Jon Mezzera, PWTorch.com Contributor (5.0)

This was a rather humdrum sort of effort for ECW. As usual, not much stood out as being great, but not much stood out as being terrible either. It did get off to a good start with the in ring promo from Miz & Morrison. They are doing some very good mic work right now. They play their parts very well and are have become a very entertaining duo. I also liked the 6 man tag main event. It wasn’t great, but it was solid.

Jack Swagger’s All American Challenge was boring and predictable. I would also keep Matt Striker out of the ring. He is doing a great job on color commentary, and doesn’t really need an expanded role, like coming to the ring in his old classroom gimmick to lecture the fans about one of the Survivor Series matches. There are others on the roster who could use that time for their own interview.

I am taking a wait and see approach to DJ Gabriel. I wasn’t thrilled with his annoying gimmick, but it should make the fans boo him which is the point. Besides, he inspired Striker to make what I believe to be the first ever Alex Wright mention on WWE TV, so possibly somewhere Das Wunderkind is smiling.

Greg Parks, PWTorch.com Contributor (6.5)

Miz and Morrison continue to improve on the mic, and it's clear WWE trusts their skills at this point as they got to carry the opening segment. There's still something about Morrison on the mic that isn't totally clicking for me, but it's getting closer.

DJ Gabriel had an interesting debut and anything that gets Alicia Fox on my TV more often makes me happy. I hope its explained how she went from wedding planner to dancing valet though. Gabriel's gimmick is so cheesy it might work. I'm also glad to see WWE adding to ECW's desperately thin roster. His finisher was interesting and unique too.

Swagger vs. Dreamer went as expected, with Swagger dominating until Tommy got pissed. And they're booking a week ahead! That's always a good sign. I hope that wasn't a tease for an upcoming Ortiz-Swagger feud though. Matt Striker breaking down the Survivor Series elimination rules was good for newer fans. The six-man tag went almost as I explained all WWE tags go these days in this week's Raw audio. Still, it was a fine main event.


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