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By Chris Newth, Torch contributor

Extreme Championship Wrestling
February 12, 2008
Upcoming PPV: No Way Out (last episode before PPV)

ECW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the twenty-third 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)

ECW Champion CHAVO GUERRERO vs. C.M. PUNK (9 weeks)

Chavo entered the arena to start the show. As he sneezed and scratched himself on the way to the ring, they ran footage of a scuba diving rescue team helping Chavo out of the water after he lost his Gulf of Mexico Match last week. The reigning ECW Champion pointed out that he had a sinus infection after being exposed to the cesspool that is the Gulf of Mexico. He complained about migraines, rashes, and even a jellyfish sting. But then he called himself a fighting champion, a Mexican warrior. He announced that instead of waiting for No Way Out, he was going to defend his championship on ECW.

That statement brought out ECW General Manager Armando Estrada. Estrada told Chavo that he understands that C.M. Punk disrespected his heritage, "but I can't allow you to defend your ECW Title tonight." So instead, Estrada decided to give Punk a tune-up match against The World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry. Later in the show, a short video package aired featuring Mark Henry dismantling various opponents with his brute force.

The match didn't last long. C.M. Punk earned the victory when Mark Henry held a submission maneuver in the ropes beyond the referee's five count. Punk then kicked Henry out of the ring, dragged Chavo into the ring, and nailed his Go 2 Sleep finisher on Chavo to obtain some nice momentum heading into No Way Out.

Chavo's character is still missing something. It feels as if he hasn't yet found himself in the role. In other words, I don't get the feeling that Chavo even knows the type of heel he's trying to be. So instead, he just acts like himself and performs his lines to little effect. Punk, on the other hand, has found his niche and is playing into it flawlessly. He seems more than comfortable in his position and doesn't have to change a thing to garner popularity. His future success is inevitable, and it really only depends on time. The longer he's given TV time for promos and matches, the more popular he's going to become.

This feud's storyline has been given decent narrative backing, but it seems to have plateaued. Where could it go from here? Chavo may have exhausted his role now, and each of them might benefit from new opponents (regardless of who moves on with the title). The idea of a Chavo-Punk feud is fine, but can it really maintain its energy weeks after No Way Out? That's a tough question that WWE must ask itself when strategizing its WrestleMania build.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
C.M. Punk: Elijah Burke, John Morrison
Chavo Guerrero: Rey Mysterio

SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. KANE (4 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

Neither Shelton Benjamin nor Kane appeared this week on ECW, which may indicate an upcoming match on Smackdown.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Shelton Benjamin: n/a
Kane: Finlay, Big Daddy V

KELLY KELLY vs. LAYLA & VICTORIA & LENA YADA (3 weeks)

This week Kelly fought Layla in singles competition. One thing that should be noted is that Kelly has great in-ring facial expressions. When Layla applied some submission holds, Kelly sold them like they were truly torturous. The end of the match saw Kelly utilize what was probably her new finisher—a move where she drove Layla face-first to the mat with her leg. During the pinfall, the crowd loudly counted to three to show their enthusiasm for ECW's Original Exhibitionist.

Kelly is great because you can tell that she tries very hard both in and out of the ring. Fans have grown to love her, and she gets one of the biggest receptions for a diva. As a character, she's still playing the vulnerable babyface while one of a handful of heel divas tries to hurt her. If Kelly has any shot at achieving some in-ring victories, she needed an identifiable finishing move; now she has one. It might actually be worthwhile to bring in some female jobbers for one-time appearances so that Kelly can get some more wins under her belt. It really isn't done much, but it could certainly help in this situation.

As is usually the case, the weak point in this feud is the lack of any tangible storyline. Kelly is doing a good job in her role against Layla, Lena, and Victoria, but nobody knows why the problems even exist. Here's hoping this week leads to a string of victories for Kelly and a more-developed storyline in time.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4.5 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Kelly Kelly: Mike Knox, The Miz, Layla
Layla: Kelly Kelly
Lena: n/a

COLIN DELANEY & TOMMY DREAMER vs. JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ (3 weeks)

This week John Morrison arrogantly walked to the ring accompanied by The Miz. They each cut a short promo about how Tommy Dreamer and Colin Delaney are the biggest losers in ECW history. "We are the WWE Tag Team Champions. Be jealous," Morrison concluded. The match would be Dreamer versus Morrison.

Toward the end of the contest, Miz jumped onto the apron but was quickly punched to the floor by Dreamer. Then Morrison found an opportunity to kick Colin in the back of the head while the match was still in progress. Morrison soon attempted his twisting corkscrew neckbreaker finisher, but Dreamer was able to reverse it into a DDT for the pinfall victory. The celebration didn't last long, however, as Miz ambushed Dreamer and Colin. He threw Dreamer to the outside before he and Morrison hit a double-team move on a defenseless Colin.

This feud is moving along just fine. Next week, Colin should step back into the ring. After not having competed in a few weeks, his body tape is beginning to look borderline ridiculous. Not that it didn't look ridiculous before, but at least he had an excuse to wear it a few weeks ago. WWE made the right move in choosing Tommy Dreamer for the role as veteran protector. It's analogous to Finlay's role with Hornswoggle, but this story is more about mentoring an amateur than it is about protecting the vulnerable. It's a nice combination of both.

This feud is in its early stages, and there's still a long way to go. A nice summary of the story could actually be found in the commentary. Joey Styles made an interesting point when he said, "Tommy Dreamer perhaps setting an example for Colin Delaney that you can fight through the pain, that you can overcome the odds, that you can still win." Let's see how this one plays out after No Way Out.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Colin Delaney: n/a


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Kofi Kingston vs. Mike Knox
(2) Stevie Richards vs. ?


Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I greatly appreciate all the feedback that I receive, and I will respond to every email. Please insert a word in the subject line that deals with a wrestling topic or write something such as "WWE," "feud," or "Nunzio" so that I know it's not junk mail.

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