by Richard Gardner, Torch specialist

After weeks of speculation, Christian finally returned to the WWE this week. However, after all the conjecture over potential storylines, he surprisingly ended up on ECW as a babyface foil for champion Jack Swagger.

As the majority of wrestling fans and writers were expecting him to show up on Smackdown, Christian arrived on ECW, interrupting a Swagger promo. He outshone Swagger on the mic with a good return promo, and later faced the ECW Champion in a match that he won, with help from Finlay.

Let's leave the debate about whether he should have been the antagonist in the latest Jeff Hardy storyline; that's already been covered extensively by other writers on the Torch.

Christian's arrival on the WWE's third priority television show is certainly surprising though. Indeed, Christian must be perplexed that he is on a brand that draws ratings that are only slightly higher than TNA Impact. Nevertheless, if booked correctly, Christian's time on ECW could be beneficial to all involved.

The second incarnation of ECW has been used as a means of elevating talent who may have been overlooked if they were placed on Raw or Smackdown. Yet that does not mean that the show is purgatory for those who have already established themselves. Since losing Matt Hardy, a main event slot has opened up on the ECW brand that is ideal for Christian to fill, albeit only as a short term measure. WWE is grooming Jack Swagger for bigger and better things, therefore a program with Christian could work as part of his elevation to the main event.

However, there is also the question of whether Christian himself needs elevating. Granted, he has spent the past three years near the top of the card in TNA, but a large proportion of the WWE audience does not watch Impact. To these fans, the last time that they saw Christian was three years ago in the WWE when he was an upper mid-card act at best.

Christian's best opportunity in the short-term is to stay on ECW, get a few wins and perhaps a title reign, then be ready for a top spot on either Raw or Smackdown. It also gives him the opportunity to prove himself to WWE management, who were never fully behind him during his last run with the company.

The logic of Christian wrestling on ECW last week is questionable. Swagger-Christian is probably the biggest match that ECW can put together at the moment, and throwing it out on free television without any build is indicative of the rushed booking policy that the WWE adopts. That they did not save his in-ring return for PPV indicates WWE management does not view Christian as a major draw.

A successful program with Swagger offers the chance for Christian to remove any concerns that management has about his ability to perform.

Despite the benefits of using Christian on ECW, it is likely to only a short-term measure, which may possibly come to an end as soon as the next WWE draft on April 13, as he has too much history with Edge and the Hardys to be kept apart.

Also, while ECW provides a stage for Christian to be reintroduced to WWE fans, featuring him on the brand that is Vince McMahon's third priority is hardly going to be beneficial for his career in the long-term. Added to which, I think it's highly unlikely that WWE management would want to keep Christian on ECW for anything other than a short run.

WWE must have made a substantial offer to lure him away from the easy schedule and main event spot that TNA could provide, so keeping him on the ECW brand does not make financial sense.

Christian's return to WWE television was nowhere near as high profile as expected, yet that does not mean that it is a complete disaster. It is possible that a return to WWE's third brand is punishment for defecting to a rival organization, but it is really too early to say. Christian has a lot to offer the ECW brand, and in return can use the show to reacquaint himself with WWE fans before returning to Raw or Smackdown at a later date.

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