By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

KELLER'S ECW TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 18, 2009
TACOMA, WASH.

[Q1]

-A highlight package aired of Christian's return last week including his making fun of Jack Swagger's lisp. Then the ECW opening aired. Pyro blasted as the camera panned the crowd and Todd Grisham and Matt Striker introduced the show. They hyped the big main event of Jack Swagger & Mark Henry vs. Christian & Finlay.

1 -- THE BOOGEYMAN vs. PAUL BURCHILL (w/Katie Lea)

Swagger said G.M. Teddy Long booked this match because Burchill went on a Christian Bale-like verbal rampage against a lighting person backstage recently. Grisham asked if Burchill's main worry was avoiding eating the worms of winning the match. Striker said the no. 1 goal of any WWE Superstar is to win their matches. As Boogeyman reached for the bag of worms, Burchill schoolboyed him for the win.

WINNER: Burchill in 2:00. Not much at all to that.

-Afterward, Boogeyman went after Katie, but she scurried away before he could get to her.

-Grisham and Striker discussed the results of the ECW Title match at No Way Out with Swagger beating Finlay after an unintentional distraction by Hornswoggle. Grisham announced Swagger vs. Christian for the ECW Title would take place next week.

[Commercial Break]

-WWE Fact: Last Tuesday, ECW was the Sci-Fi Channel's most watched telecast for the 20th week in a row.

2 -- JOHN MORRISON vs. TOMMY DREAMER

Striker gave Grisham a hard time for describing Morrison as sexy. Grisham said it was self-proclaimed, but he would admit he's a good looking man. Grisham asked Striker what's been wrong with Dreamer lately that he's losing so often. Striker said Dreamer worried too much about adulation from the WWE Universe and needs to shift to focusing on winning. Miz distracted Dreamer, and then Morrison yanked Dreamer off the ring apron and Dreamer went splat on the floor at ringside. Back in the ring Morrison mounted Dreamer and punched away at him. The ref scolded him for using closed fists. Morrison settled into a cobra clutch type move on the mat at 2:00.

[Q2]

When Miz reached for Dreamer's legs as he ran to the ropes, the ref ordered Miz to the back. Dreamer then gave Morrison a neckbreaker, backdrop, and bulldog for a near fall. He scored another near fall after a nice overhead suplex. When he went to the top rope, Morrison yanked him off balance and took over. He scored the pin after hitting his neckbreaker finisher.

WINNER: Morrison in 4:00.

STAR RATING: 3/4* -- Fine for a four minute TV match.

-Finlay fed Hornswoggle cake backstage. Christian walked in to chat with is tag partner. He told Finlay that Hornswoggle appears to be quite a handful. Finlay said he's just like his mother. Christian wanted to be sure Hornswoggle wouldn't cause a distraction later. Finlay said he'd hold up his end, so Christian should, too.

-A video package aired hyping the No Way Out PPV as a way to hype the encourage presentations.

[Commercial Break]

-A video aired on Evan Bourne, hyping that he'd be returning to ECW soon. No date specified. They showed him hitting the shooting star press in slo-mo mixed with crowd reactions.

2 -- TYSON KIDD (w/Natalya) vs. CADEN MATHEWS

Grisham really talked up Kidd's kicks as his signature skill. He said he doesn't show any signs of nervousness despite being new to big WWE crowds. He hit an inside-outside ring apron legdrop and then a springboard flying elbowdrop for the win.

WINNER: Kidd in 2:00. Short, but Kidd looks solid.

[Q3]

[Commercial Break]

-A vignette aired on WrestleMania XIV, marked as the start of the Attitude Era. Clips aired of a variety of the matches and Pete Rose getting the Tombstone from Pete Rose. The main event was billed as "one of the most important matches in WWE history" - Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels - with Mike Tyson as the special referee. It closed with Tyson's three count and Ross declaring "the Austin Era has begun."

-Backstage Ricky Ortiz approached Dreamer and told him that he was the first one to welcome him into WWE, but now he has to "rally up" get back on the winning path.

-Grisham and Striker talked about Dreamer. Grisham said Dreamer doesn't know where his career is going. Striker wanted to know what "rally up" means. They threw to a video package announcing the induction of Terry & Dory Funk into the WWE Hall of Fame.

-Ring intros took place for the main event tag match, beginning with Mark Henry and Jack Swagger.

[Commercial Break]

-Christian's ring intro aired, followed by Finlay.

[Q4]

3 -- CHRISTIAN & FINLAY (w/Hornswoggle) vs. JACK SWAGGER & MARK HENRY (w/Tony Atlas)

Grisham said the roof almost came off the arena last week when Christian returned, and this week he said it's the same reaction. Grisham said Christian negotiated exclusively with ECW because he wanted to test himself against the young lions of ECW. Striker took one of his little digs at President Obama by saying: "Teddy Long has been in favor of change long before people had to have their hand held and told 'yes you can.'" Early on Henry tossed Christian around. Finlay got the advantage on Swagger at 2:00 and tagged Christian back in, previewing their title match next week. Christian reached for a tag, but Finlay was on the floor to chat with Hornswoggle apparently. Finlay did jump back up and tag in, but there was brief tension.

[Commercial Break]

Back in the ring, Swagger threw Finlay to the floor. Henry went after him with a clothesline. Swagger threw Finlay back into the ring, then tagged in Henry. The heels tagged in and out and isolated Finlay. At 10:00 Christian got a hot-tag. Swagger came back a minute later and scored a two count. Christian came right back and moved toward the top rope. Atlas grabbed at Christian's foot. Christian kicked him away, but Swagger leaped up and grabbed Christian Christian pushed Swagger to the mat and landed a top rope diving headbutt. Christian made the cover and Henry interfered. It was one of those annoying instances where Swagger didn't lift his shoulder and the ref should have just finished the count as Henry did nothing to stop the cover, he just slapped Christian on the back. Henry lifted Christian. Hornswoggle grabbed Henry's leg. Henry shoved him. As the ref turned to take Hornswoggle out of the ring, Finlay KO'd Henry with the shillelagh. Christian the gave Swagger his finisher for the win.

WINNER: Christian & Finlay in 13:00.

STAR RATING: ** -- Solid par-for-the-course type match. Christian seems like "just someone in the mix" already, and he's a very good all-around talent to have in the mix, but he doesn't come across as being a mega-star at this point relative to the others here.

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