By Michael Simmons, PWTorch Specialist

Greetings Pro Wrestling Torch readers, and welcome to yet another edition of ECW "Under the Microscope." If you're new around these parts, here's what I do. Each week, I take an ECW episode and go beyond the surface to uncover things you maybe hadn't noticed during the broadcast. Oh, who am I kidding? Many of those reading this most likely don't watch the show. I understand, there was a time I was tempted to stop watching ECW for a while as well.

Thankfully, Braden Walker was released.

We'll get to him a little later but for now, join me as I take yet another trip through the Land of Extreme.

The broadcast began with the traditional WWE signature package, which still includes Mick Foley. Fellow "Under the Microsco pe" Specialist Lee Stevens e-mailed me a few days ago and said while he is genuinely surprised at some of the names that are still included in the clip, including Bruno Sammartino, Foley should be safe…for the time being.

The reason I emphasize "for the time being" is because I did a little research and found the original WWE signature package first introduced in 2005. It is interesting to note that two former prominent WWE stars currently in TNA, Booker T and Kurt Angle, appear in the video. These two were hastily edited out within days of signing with the competition. Maybe Foley's days in the video are indeed numbered.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross handled play-by-play duties for ECW this week. Matt Striker, a lifelong wrestling fan and self proclaimed wrestling nerd, said he was "honored and humbled" to sit at the same announce table as Ross. Ross is considered by many to be voice of wrestling of this generation however, his career has spanned several decades.

To give you some perspective on how tenured and experienced J.R. is, Matt Striker was born June 26, 1974. Ross made his broadcasting debut in 1973, one full year before Striker was even born. Ross has worked just about any and everywhere, including Mid-South Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling before his WWE debut in 1993.

The Miz and John Morrison made it a point to criticize the ECW New Talent Initiative, saying they should be "main-eventing pay-per-views, not babysitting a bunch of new kids who have no idea what it takes to make it our business." I find this quite interesting because with the exception of Ricky Ortiz and Jack Swagger, the wrestlers as part of the initiative have had either the same amount or even more experience in the business than Miz or Morrison.

Evan Bourne began his career in Missouri in 2000 and Gavin Spears started in 2001. Even if you look at the new talent being brought in across all three brands, Ryan Braddock and Scotty Goldman got into the business in 1999, and Primo Colon was born into a Puerto-Rican wrestling family. If you compare Miz and Morrison's experience to these "new kids," you'll find their words to be very hypocritical as Morrison started training in late-2002 and Miz even later in 2003.

While Mizorrison was slightly off on the lack of experience most of the new talent possesses, the duo was spot on talking about the initiative's one and only true bust- Braden Walker. Teddy Long defended the initiative saying all of the talent he brought in "will have a big future in the business." John Morrison delivered the line of the century when he quipped, "Good call on that Braden Walker. I'm sure he's been successful pursuing his f uture endeavors after he got released from ECW after just two matches."

I know I've ragged on him from time to time and you never want to see anyone get released, but it was clear Braden Walker (or Chris Harris) was not ready to be a WWE Superstar. His matches were as horrid as his physique, which is a shame because he was simply golden in TNA. However, he has landed somewhat back on his feet, making appearances for the Cincinnati-based Northern Wrestling Federation.

The commentators like to play up the fact that Ricky Ortiz is 5-0, however there is absolutely no mention that Bam Neely, to my knowledge, hasn't won a single one-on-one match since his WWE debut. He continues to be the world's most useless bodyguard and dead weight on the small, but rather impressive ECW roster.

Speaking of Ricky Ortiz, it seems Long's assistant Tiffany has a thing for him. It also seems like Matt Striker has a thing for her, and Pokémon.  Striker's gem of the week was telling Tiffany, "If you're a Pokémon, I'd love to get a Pikachu (peek at you). Not only is Striker a wrestling nerd, he's just a nerd overall.

Every week, Matt Striker proves to us how much of wrestling nerd he actually is by rattling off names from yesteryear. This week during the Maryse/Michelle McCool match, he focused on famous French-Canadians in wrestling, including former Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson, the legendary Vachon family and former AWA Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel.

Metallica is providing the theme for next Sunday's No Mercy pay-per-view, "All Nightmare Long." This will be the second time the band will provide a WWE pay-per-view's theme song, however Metallica's songs have been used as entrance music for the Sandman, Sting, Psicosis, Rey Mysterio, Juventud Guerrera, the Eliminators, A.J. Styles and Mike Awesome.

Did anyone see the "Huss" sign in the front row? Maybe I have a little too much Matt Striker in me, but the sign possibly be referring to a forgettable early-90s WWE character named the Berzerker? I have to be honest, I don't remember too much about the character, except for the fact he'd wrestle with a Viking hat, hold his wrist, lick his hand, then shout the word "Huss!" at the most random times. Poor John Nord, that's probably the thing most people will remember him for.

Huss!

That's going to do it for our weekly look at ECW "Under the Microscope." If you have any suggestions, complaints, praise, or anything to get off your chest, please feel free to drop me a line at Si ronsim@aol.com. All feedback is appreciated. Thank you for reading, and join me next week!

Michael Simmons has been a wrestling fan for 17 years. He likes to think he has a pretty inquisitive mind. Quite often, he goes into deep thought about some of wrestling's greatest mysteries. You know, thought provoking questions like, "If Eddie Guerrero lied, cheated and stole, why wasn't he was never arrested?" If you know the answer, please e-mail him at Sironsim@aol.com.

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