By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

Extreme Championship Wrestling
December 16, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Royal Rumble (sixth-to-last episode before PPV)

ECW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the sixty-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)


Last week's ECW was one of WWE's "Best of" episodes, but this article will serve as a nice reminder concerning the storylines that will resume this Tuesday night.


ECW Champion MATT HARDY vs. VLADIMIR KOZLOV (4 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Matt Hardy opened ECW with a promo about how proud he is of his brother Jeff for winning the WWE Title at Armageddon. Chavo Guerrero then interrupted Hardy to inform him that he spoke with both Vickie Guerrero and Teddy Long to arrange an ECW Title shot for later in the show.

-ECW General Manager Teddy Long, who was donning a festive elf costume for the night, told Chavo that his ECW Title opportunity wouldn't be later in the show; it would be held right away.

-Matt Hardy defeated Chavo Guerrero to retain the ECW Title after hitting the Twist of Fate for the 1-2-3.

Analysis:

The Hardy-Kozlov feud is a strong one. On the one hand is the ECW Champion who doesn't seem to have much of any competition on WWE's Tuesday brand. Heels like Miz and Morrison are busy on all three shows, while top heels like Mark Henry have already faced Hardy in extensive programs. On the other hand, Kozlov has reached the top of Smackdown, getting a taste of the WWE Title (although never winning it) by facing Triple H in a PPV title match. But WWE clearly wants to give Kozlov more time to grow into his role and character, so they are throwing Hardy his way. This storyline seems like a compromise in that these two probably don't have major reasons to be feuding (with the exception of the small Jeff Hardy connection), but the rivalry works well for both participants.

The events that transpired on ECW didn't directly address the Hardy-Kozlov feud; instead, they suggested a potential Hardy-Chavo rivalry. However, Matt Hardy's victory on the show helped solidify his position as ECW Champion, giving him that much more momentum in his quest to defeat the impressive Kozlov.

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

Previous Feuds
Matt Hardy: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, MVP, Chavo Guerrero, Mark Henry
Vladimir Kozlov: Triple H & Jeff Hardy

FINLAY (w/ Hornswoggle) vs. MARK HENRY (w/ Tony Atlas) (4 weeks)

Summary Quick Shots:

-Hornswoggle swiped Grisham and Striker's Slammy for best announce team.

-Finlay then defeated Gavin Spears after delivering the Celtic Cross.

-In the back, Mark Henry dressed as Santa and jingled about squashing Hornswoggle. Somehow he incorporated leprechaun splatter into the song.

Analysis:

This episode only served as a way to remind fans that the Henry-Finlay feud is still ongoing. As you'll notice, WWE is avoiding heated confrontations because the following week's show was the "Best of" edition. With two weeks before the next continuation episode, WWE decided to keep viewers reminded without making things too dramatic or heavy. Finlay got a win this week over a newcomer who hasn't been given too much time to make a name for himself yet. The Slammy theft was a bit pointless, but it fit Hornswoggle's character and gave him something to do.

As for the Henry promo, it was really quite awkward. Was that meant to fit his character? Was his heel persona accurately reflected by having him dress as Santa and sing a twisted jingle? I understand the desire for Christmas-themed segments, but when the promo isn't effective and doesn't gel with the person's character, it's not worth doing it. On the other hand, WWE made a point to keep fans reminded that more Finlay-Henry trouble will be brewing as we roll into 2009.

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

Previous Feuds
Finlay: Kane, Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali, Mr. McMahon, JBL, Miz & Morrison, Mike Knox
Mark Henry: Undertaker, Kane, Tommy Dreamer, Matt Hardy

TOMMY DREAMER vs. JACK SWAGGER (13 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Summary Quick Shots:

-In the back, Tiffany seemed happy to welcome CM Punk and Kofi Kingston back to ECW for their match later in the show. Ortiz presented Tiffany with a Christmas gift: a rally towel. Punk mocked Ortiz for the present before talking him into giving one to Kofi, who really didn't seem to want one.

-In ECW's main event, Jack Swagger teamed with Miz and Morrison to defeat CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, and Ricky Ortiz. Swagger hit his finishing slam on Ortiz to pick up the win.

Analysis:

The backstage segment featuring Punk, Kofi, Tiffany, and Ortiz provided a great window into these four people. Particularly great was the personality shown by CM Punk as he joked around and mocked his friends. It felt like a genuine personality coming through as they lightheartedly interacted with one another. That short time enabled WWE to display four unique characters while also airing entertaining TV. It's exactly how babyfaces should be portrayed and presented to viewers so that people can get a better feel for what kind of people they are. As for the main event, it was interesting to note Tommy Dreamer's absence. The presumption now is that the Dreamer-Swagger feud has officially ended, especially when considering Swagger's status as the current number one contender for Matt Hardy's ECW Title.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): n/a

Previous Feuds
Tommy Dreamer: Elijah Burke, John Morrison & The Miz, Mike Knox, Mark Henry, Colin Delaney
Jack Swagger: n/a


CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Tommy Dreamer vs. Jack Swagger


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Matt Hardy vs. Chavo Guerrero
(2) DJ Gabriel vs. ?
(3) Mark Henry vs. Tony Atlas


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 "Boogeyman" so that I know it's not junk mail.

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