Extreme Championship Wrestling November 27, 2007 Upcoming PPV: Armageddon (third-to-last episode before PPV)
ECW STORYLINES AND FEUDS
Welcome to the fifteenth edition of ECW Storylines and Feuds.
For those wondering about the Intrigue Level system that I employ, you can refer to the numbers as follows:
10 (excellent), 9 (great), 8-6 (very good, good, pretty good), 5 (decent; has its good and bad qualities), 4-3 (needs work, poor), 2 (bad), 1 (terrible)
Well, it's time again for your storyline ideas heading into Armageddon! If you have an interesting idea to spice up any ongoing WWE feud, let us hear about it. A winner for Raw, ECW, and Smackdown will be chosen, and their idea will be posted on next week's Storylines and Feuds columns. Please be sure to not surpass 600 words. Beyond that, you are free to write however you'd like. So watch the upcoming shows this week (Dec. 3-7) and send in your unique idea!
Overall, this week's ECW fell right in line with what has become the status quo. The pace, characters, and general formula for WWE's Tuesday show are all melding together in a largely unexciting hodge-podge of events.
With big names like Chris Jericho and Edge reemerging on Raw and Smackdown respectively—as well as big angles such as the Edge-Vickie storyline and the Ric Flair program on WWE's two-hour shows—ECW feels as though it's been left to wander on its own, ignored by WWE Creative and forced to settle into the same comfortable trend. It may be the safest way to go, but it certainly isn't the most entertaining. However, one should not overlook the bright spots.
With that said, let's start with…
ECW Champion C.M. PUNK vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN (1 week)
ECW hasn't been featuring its own champion in any strong role as of late. C.M. Punk often either has a short, but inconsequential match or he doesn't show up at all. This week, he's been sent to Smackdown, and since WWE doesn't feel the need to put him on TV two times in one week, he had no part in Tuesday's show.
Shelton Benjamin cut a nice promo this week. He reminded fans that Elijah Burke is the one who helped bring him over from Raw. He made random arrogant statements that may or may not be justified, such as when he said that he has raised the bar for ECW and that he's going to be ECW Champion. These words make it seem as though WWE is planning to start a Punk-Benjamin feud, which will undoubtedly have athletic potential.
Benjamin also had a match with Smackdown's Shannon Moore. It wasn't anything special, and the purpose was clear. Benjamin needed a win after jobbing so often in a botched attempt by WWE to bring back The World's Greatest Tag Team on Raw. Also, Shelton has an interesting new finisher, but it looks a little sloppy. I'd be interested to see if, over time, it will look the same when used against a variety of opponents.
Overall, this could be the beginning of a strong feud. Shelton Benjamin is another great example of how a brand switch can do wonders for a person's character. When WWE uses the strength of their brand separation, this is the result; it's as if he's a newer, fresher person now. The promo he cut was great. He exuded confidence here, and if that's done successfully, it can greatly enhance a heel character. When he started with "You all should be thanking Elijah for having enough sense to reach out and bring in the greatest athlete to ever set foot in a squared circle," it provided a hubristic context to his character's re-launch. Nicely done.
Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6
Previous Feuds
C.M. Punk: The New Breed, John Morrison
Shelton Benjamin: n/a
KELLY KELLY vs. LAYLA (2 weeks)
These two ECW Divas had their first one-on-one contest this week in what became a short, and not too promising, showing. Neither of them seemed to clearly be leading, and the result was a match hindered by consistent hesitation on both their parts. It ended with Balls Mahoney making a return to Kelly's side, which led to Kelly scoring the win over her former Extreme Expose dance partner.
Overall, this feud wasn't featured too heavily on the show. After kicking off ECW, it was only mentioned one time later (and that was to promote Kelly's pictorial in the newest edition of WWE Magazine). It was nice to hear the announcers incorporating their recent past issues into the storyline.
As I mentioned last week, Kelly and Layla have a backstory with which they can work since they are both currently under the management contract of Miz. However, it would be nice for Miz to make some kind of appearance—perhaps in a backstage vignette—to give viewers a visual reminder of the situation. He's obviously involved in a tag team feud at the moment, but it would help to add another layer to the Kelly-Layla rivalry.
Also nice was Balls Mahoney's return. He hasn't been on TV in awhile. I'm pleasantly surprised that his relationship with Kelly is not being ignored any longer. But if Kelly's still under Miz's contract, isn't she banned from the relationship with Balls? This question is just one example of the many tweaks that WWE has to work out. For example, if Kelly and Layla are both in a managerial contract, shouldn't they…I don't know…be managing the Miz at ringside? It might be nice to have this feud merge with the tag team rivalry between Miz & Morrison and Jesse &Festus to add some more dramatic layering. Maybe Balls could even get involved and help Miz and Morrison lose the titles.
Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [up 0.5 from last week]
Previous Feuds
Kelly Kelly: n/a
Layla: n/a
WWE Tag Team Champions JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ vs. JESSE & FESTUS (2 weeks)
This week marked the first match between these two feuding teams. Jesse and Festus showed good energy, but Miz and Morrison were able to steal a victory with some dirty tactics. After the bell had rung post-match, Festus returned to his docile disposition, which could be a great angle for WWE to use.
For example, next week they should put John Morrison against Jesse in a singles match with a similar result. At the conclusion of the match, Miz can help cheat to get Morrison the victory, and as Festus stalks Miz for revenge, the bell will ring, turning Festus back into a harmless lump. Maybe he was even close to hitting Miz with his fist posed to strike, or maybe he's in the middle of choking Miz at ringside when the bell causes him to stop. They can really play with that aspect of his character.
Joey Styles, perhaps better than any play-by-play announcer, strives to make good points and ask logical questions. He's saying what the fans are thinking, which is great. This week, he said regarding the heel team of Morrison and Miz: "…after all the horrible things they did to one another while chasing the ECW Championship, do you just forget about those sort of things and become partners…?"
Another quote by Styles shows his curiosity about character. About Festus, he asked, "Was this some kind of tick that Festus was born with? Did he have an accident as a young man? What causes a reaction [to the bell] like that?" It's comforting to have a commentator explore different dimensions of the story and the characters. Of course, if he's left with no new information as the weeks progress, it will get old, tiresome, and frustrating for viewers.
Overall, this feud is beginning to pick up some momentum. The little things that WWE is emphasizing are great. For example, Jesse guides Festus by the wrist when they walk to the ring. It's like a modern equivalent of the story in Of Mice and Men. Another example is how Festus literally scared Miz and Morrison out of the ring before the match started because they recognize the instability of that man's personality. People should appreciate those little things while waiting for this rivalry to really build.
Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5 [up 0.5 from last week]
Previous Feuds
John Morrison: C.M. Punk
The Miz: Balls Mahoney
Jesse & Festus: n/a
BIG DADDY V (w/ Matt Striker) vs. KANE (7 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)
It was another week where WWE is proving that they are dedicated to pushing this Kane-V feud. This time, they spiced things up with an Extreme Rules Match on ECW. Items such as road signs and metal garbage cans littered the ring as the two massive monsters collided. The end saw Mark Henry make a return to the rivalry after having nothing to do on Smackdown. He helped Big Daddy V eliminate Kane by putting The Big Red Machine through a table. V then laid atop Kane for the pinfall.
Overall, the Kane-V rivalry is difficult to get behind if you're a casual fan because the in-ring work isn't always that exciting, despite the notion that WWE likes to use huge individuals for the purpose of excitement and fascination. Most of the time, the feud suffers as it progresses with mind-numbingly formulaic patterns of storytelling. However, pitting these two guys in a match contested under Extreme Rules helped alleviate some of the problem.
As for Mark Henry's interference, it's quite puzzling. Why was he involved weeks ago during the ECW Monster Mash Battle Royal the night before Halloween only to disappear to Smackdown as he lost to people such as Hornswoggle? Now he's returned to fight Kane with Big Daddy V. But why? If WWE is going to keep bringing people in and out of this feud in a revolving-door style story, reason for it should be given.
Intrigue Level (out of 10): 3 [up 0.5 from Smackdown]
Previous Feuds
Big Daddy V: Tommy Dreamer
Kane: Finlay
POTENTIAL FEUDS
(1) Kevin Thorn vs. ??
(2) Kane vs. Big Daddy V & Mark Henry?
Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I appreciate all of the feedback. Please insert a word in the subject line that deals with a wrestling topic or write something such as "WWE," "feud," or "Stevie Richards" so that I know it's not junk mail.
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