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By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

Extreme Championship Wrestling
February 19, 2008
Upcoming PPV: WrestleMania (sixth-to-last episode before PPV)

ECW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the twenty-fourth 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 has been running low on feuds as of late. For the most part, there are really only two rivalries on the brand, and one has just begun this week, making it difficult to analyze. As for the rest of the show, WWE is opting to push both Stevie Richards and Kofi Kingston in separate segments as well as feature tons of footage from Raw. That doesn't leave much to evaluate on the show.


C.M. PUNK vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN or ELIJAH BURKE (1 week)?

Ric Flair made a special appearance on this week's ECW. He said that he was honored to be the first person in WWE history to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as an active wrestler. As he talked about the fact that he's not retiring anytime soon, Elijah Burke interrupted. Burke didn't talk too much, and what he said was pretty insignificant considering the fact that it dealt with the New Breed, a faction which disbanded countless months ago. He too was interrupted, this time by his good friend Shelton Benjamin. The three began to argue about gold before things quickly broke down into physical violence. Flair was double-teamed, which brought Punk to the ring for the save.

In the back, Armando Estrada met with Burke and Benjamin. He claimed that they had given him a great idea for a match: a tag team match! Wow, how original, Mr. Estrada. WWE rarely uses Estrada in the role of GM, and when they do, he's given material that makes him look particularly conventional and boring. The main event ended when Punk flew over the top rope to rid the ring of Benjamin while Flair applied the Figure Four, which resulted in a submission victory for the babyfaces.

Could this be the beginning of a new stage in Punk's career? Hopefully that is indeed the case. Interestingly, there was no sign of either Chavo Guerrero or Kane on the show, which could indicate the conclusion of the Punk-Chavo and Kane-Benjamin feuds. Punk can use a new opponent, and Shelton Benjamin may be the best choice. When Shelton first came to ECW and introduced his Gold Standard gimmick, the implication was obvious: he was going to move on to feud with Punk, who was the ECW Champion at the time. Punk and Benjamin are two strong characters who could really put on a hell of a match if given the time and storyline backing.

What should you look for next week? Some sign of Chavo Guerrero and the direction of the ECW Title, Benjamin's new role on the brand, and where Elijah Burke falls into all of this

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6

Previous Feuds
C.M. Punk: Elijah Burke, John Morrison, Chavo Guerrero
Shelton Benjamin: Kane

SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. KANE (5 weeks w/ 3 weeks hiatus)

Neither Shelton Benjamin nor Kane appeared this week on ECW, which may suggest an upcoming match on Smackdown. However, Benjamin's role against Punk this week could be indicative of a future feud with the Straightedge Superstar.

What should you look for next week? Any hints that Kane and Benjamin will continue their rivalry after not having a decisive conclusion

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [down 1 since last week]

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

KELLY KELLY vs. LAYLA & VICTORIA & LENA YADA (4 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Only Kelly appeared on this episode, and it was a short reaction promo pertaining to Maria's stint posing for Playboy. She expressed her happiness for Maria and then flaunted her body as a potential Playboy covergirl in the future.

What should you look for next week? A stronger heel presence on the show for the divas and something for Kelly to do

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4 [down 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 (4 weeks)

This week Colin was scheduled to go head-to-head with The Miz. During the match he actually threw a couple of punches, but Morrison interfered from the outside to put a halt on his short offensive run. At another point, Delaney attempted to roll Miz up in a schoolboy, but Miz kicked out. In the end, Miz was able to hit his Reality Check finisher for the victory. After the match, Miz and Morrison attacked Tommy Dreamer. They gave Dreamer a corkscrew neckbreaker before delivering a double-team maneuver on a helpless Colin.

Colin played his part just fine here. He's still the sympathetic character that people are waiting to see win. Styles and Tazz noted how they almost jumped out of their seats when they saw Colin get the slightest hint of momentum. That's the value of having a character like Colin. When he wins his first match, whenever that may be, it's going to be newsworthy. WWE, however, should invest in some new types of promotion for this storyline. Perhaps they should try showing footage of Tommy Dreamer trying to teach Colin some in-ring strategy. They also should do more backstage vignettes to allow the audience to see Colin talk and interact with others. Wrestling matches are only part of the overall story, and they should spice it up with more variety.

Overall, this storyline is still engaging, but it's becoming slightly monotonous. The audience still doesn't know Colin as a person just yet, and WWE needs to attempt some other means by which they can grow that resonance. The character is good, and Colin's doing a fine job in his role. Miz and Morrison are also effective as the heel tandem that loves to hurt the defenseless Delaney. If something is missing here, it's that we aren't getting more information on Colin. At some point, the audience may just stop caring if more isn't done. That's not a risk WWE should take because they have found something here.

What should you look for next week? Some kind of talk between Dreamer and Delaney about their reaction to this week's match

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

Previous Feuds
Colin Delaney: n/a


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) C.M. Punk vs. Chavo Guerrero?
(2) Shelton Benjamin vs. Kane?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Kofi Kingston vs. ?
(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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