By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

Extreme Championship Wrestling
July 8, 2008
Upcoming PPV: The Great American Bash (second-to-last episode before PPV)

ECW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the forty-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)

If you have any thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of a particular ECW feud, send 1 to 5 sentences to newthtorch@hotmail.com, and I'll include them in upcoming articles. Now to the feuds:


ECW Champion MARK HENRY vs. TOMMY DREAMER & COLIN DELANEY (2 weeks)

Summary:

In the back, Mark Henry met with WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas. Henry touted his strength over Atlas's, and he didn't get much disagreement. When Atlas told Henry it was nice to meet him and reached out his hand for a shake, Mark Henry just walked away without returning the respectful gesture. Later, Tony Atlas met Tommy Dreamer and Colin Delaney. Dreamer gave Atlas a heartfelt introduction to Colin before talking about how the legend had helped Dreamer in the past. Right before the main event, Henry again met with Tony Atlas, mocking him for being the ring announcer to get a payday. Henry said that after the show, Atlas can get another payday for carrying his bags.

In the main event, Tony Atlas introduced both Mark Henry and Tommy Dreamer. The match ended when Henry tried to stalk Colin at ringside. Tony Atlas stepped in between them, ostensibly trying to talk Henry out of it. But suddenly, Atlas turned heel and tossed the taped-up Colin rib-first into the announce table. Colin fell to the floor, clutching his ribs and writhing in pain. Dreamer jumped out to ringside to ask Atlas what that was all about, but Atlas responded with an exaggerated shrug. Henry then capitalized on the moment by slamming Dreamer on the ground in front of the announce table. Tony Atlas then announced Henry as the winner and held up the champion's hand to close the show.

Analysis:

WWE did a nice job with this quick turn from Tony Atlas. With the build-up and conclusion to the show (as well as a quick name change by Atlas Ortiz in his second week on ECW TV), it is relatively safe to assume that he will continue to be a part of the show in the coming weeks. The heel turn was pretty effective in that WWE legends almost always play babyfaces that fans can respect. Here, the turn was surprising, especially after his interaction with Dreamer and Mark Henry earlier in the show.

As for the backstage vignettes, they gave some nice context for Dreamer and Henry in terms of character. Dreamer seemed extremely excited and respectful of the WWE Hall of Famer by explaining how much Atlas helped him on the road when they were younger. The way Dreamer touted Atlas's good nature to Colin Delaney was a nice touch. Also very nice was the personality shown by Mark Henry. Here's a guy who can certainly talk and who deserves more mic time. Personally, I think more time should be given to backstage interactions between Henry and others rather than in-ring promos. He really helped shape his character's sense of overvalued ego when he talked down to Tony Atlas each time they met.

If forging a comfortable place on the ECW roster for Tony Atlas is the only real thing that comes out of this Henry-Dreamer feud, it should be considered a success. At this point, people aren't convinced that Dreamer could ever become ECW Champion again, especially against a powerhouse like Mark Henry, after jobbing to so many people over the years. So, using Dreamer and Delaney to basically squeeze sympathy from the audience while fueling some nice heat on Henry and Atlas is a solid strategy for this storyline and the introduction of this new character. Also, we should expect that a full explanation from Atlas will be coming for his actions this week. Why the turn?

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5 [up 1.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Mark Henry: Undertaker, Kane
Colin Delaney: John Morrison & The Miz, Armando Estrada
Tommy Dreamer: The New Breed, Elijah Burke, John Morrison & The Miz, Mike Knox

WWE Tag Team Champions JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ vs. FINLAY & HORNSWOGGLE (5 weeks)

Summary:

Miz and Morrison haughtily walked to the ring. They introduced themselves using a slew of self-congratulatory language before observing that they haven't been challenged recently on ECW. "Would somebody please step up?" Morrison requested. As they began to tell us a story about Hollywood, they were interrupted by Finlay's music. The Fighting Irishman walked to the stage to tell them that nobody wants to hear what they have to say. Hornswoggle then appeared from under the ring; the leprechaun sprayed the WWE Tag Team Champions with a water gun before Finlay struck Morrison with his shillelagh at ringside. Miz and Morrison retreated up the ramp as Finlay and Hornswoggle held up the titles.

After a commercial break, we were informed that Teddy Long immediately booked a match between Finlay and Miz. The match ended when Morrison grabbed Finlay's shillelagh to prevent him from using it. Hornswoggle then floored Morrison with a kick to the head, but Miz pulled Finlay's leprechaun son into the ring. Hornswoggle rolled away from Miz, allowing Finlay to hoist his opponent onto his shoulders and deliver the Celtic Cross for the victory.

Analysis:

It really feels like there's nothing new here. Finlay and Hornswoggle can win every week, but they don't seem like legitimate contenders for the titles because they haven't gotten the real job done. Many fans may agree with Miz and Morrison that they want new, better tag team competition, but Finlay and Hornswoggle's victory this week puts an end to that argument. It seems relatively obvious that these teams will continue feuding, at least until the Great American Bash.

Finlay has great potential on ECW, and Hornswoggle can have his moments. The antics clearly entertain many people, yet induce eye-rolling from others. Fans at the live shows seem to love some of these segments, so WWE is smart to tap into that market—namely, the younger kids who may relate to Hornswoggle's childish character. They (Finlay and Hornswoggle) however, may be better served if they're used in a feud outside the WWE Tag Team Title hunt.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5 [down 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
John Morrison & The Miz: Jesse & Festus, Yang & Moore, Dreamer & Delaney
Finlay: Kane, Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali, Mr. McMahon, JBL
Hornswoggle: Mr. McMahon

United States Champion MATT HARDY vs. CHAVO GUERRERO (w/ Bam Neely) (4 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

No sign of Hardy or Chavo this week, yet these are two of ECW's biggest stars.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4.5 [down 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, MVP
Chavo Guerrero: Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, Kane

ECW General Manager THEODORE LONG vs. ARMANDO ESTRADA (6 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Summary:

In the back, Teddy Long was about to hear one of Tiffany's ideas, but Armando barged in and interrupted them to request another shot for his job back. From out of the blue, a really generic-looking former TNA wrestler in black wrestling gear walked in to see Long. ECW's GM then booked Armando against the new guy, who used a knock-knock joke to introduce himself: Braden Walker. After a commercial break, Estrada faced Walker one-on-one. The bout concluded with a win for Braden Walker when he landed a cross body from the top rope.

Analysis:

With ECW only being one hour, it's hard to imagine that they will be able to cram a show with much more talent. Braden Walker didn't show nearly as much charisma as Ricky Ortiz did last week, and his look and ring gear didn't do anything to distinguish him as someone important. He looked like a bigger version the usual jobber WWE might bring in for a Vladimir Kozlov squash matchup. So, if WWE plans to ship in even more new wrestlers in the coming weeks, something's got to give. There are only so many faces that can be featured on each show with these introductory singles matches. And as for Walker's character, it's extremely thin at the moment; it was much easier to describe Ricky Ortiz last week (even just based on his short interaction with Estrada in the back). For whatever reason, the knock-knock joke doesn't help me here.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Theodore Long: Vickie Guerrero
Armando Estrada: Colin Delaney

EVAN BOURNE vs. MIKE KNOX (5 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

Summary:

Evan Bourne faced Nunzio this week, winning the match with his impressive Shooting Star Press, but Knox was nowhere to be seen. This one could be over.

Analysis:

If they want to move on from here and feature Bourne against other wrestlers who he can use to propel himself into a better position on the roster, that would be nice—as long as they keep him on TV. Say what you want about WWE's style and their dedication to a particular form of wrestling, it is definitely that consistency that is making Evan Bourne's presence even more entertaining than it would have otherwise been. It almost feels like he's the only guy on any WWE roster who specifically touts himself as a high-flyer with crazy moves, and it is that distinction from everyone else that makes his character so unique and fresh. Nice job.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Evan Bourne: n/a
Mike Knox: Kelly Kelly, Tommy Dreamer


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Evan Bourne vs. Mike Knox
(2) Matt Hardy vs. Chavo Guerrero?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Braden Walker vs. ?
(2) Ricky Ortiz vs. ?
(3) Evan Bourne 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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