By Jon Mezzera, Torch Specialist

ECW HITS

Christian & Kane vs. Regal & Jackson: After a solid opening segment with the verbal confrontation between Christian and Ezekiel Jackson, ECW continued on nicely with this tag match. I have a few questions about it. I don't really understand why the match wasn't the main event (more later). I also question why Kane was on ECW at all. I can forgive a bit of inter brand mingling as long as there is a good explanation for why the wrestler has crossed brands. Just being Christian's partner doesn't cut it. How did Christian get the power to have a Smackdown wrestler on ECW as his partner? Looking past those flaws, this was a good tag match. The power vs. power show down during this match between Kane and Jackson was better than their fight at the end of the over the top rope challenge from a few weeks ago. The match went back and forth nicely until it settled into the typical tag formula with Jackson and William Regal dominating Christian until he made the hot tag to Kane. The end of the match was good as Jackson got the win to make Christian look vulnerable heading into the Royal Rumble.

Ryder, Croft & Barreta vs. Hurricane, Goldust & Tatsu: This was another good tag match. Hurricane is passed his prime, but can still get it done in the ring. Goldust has been rejuvenated over the last six months or so. Yoshi Tatsu is fun and exciting to watch. Caylen Croft and Trent Barreta have a good amount of upside and potential as a tag team. What really struck me during this match was the athleticism involved. Goldust is the oldest and slowest of the wrestlers involved, but he didn't bring down the quality. It felt good to watch a match with the type of youth and athleticism that Zack Ryder, Tatsu and Croft & Barreta bring to the table. It was a fun match.

ECW MISSES

Match Order: I really don't understand the match order for ECW this week. It makes little sense to me to have the tag match featuring the ECW Champion and his top challenger (who will be facing each other in less than a week at a PPV) be the opening match as opposed to the main event. The opening of the show would have worked just as well (in fact better) if after the verbal sparring between Christian and Jackson, Christian had introduced his backup and partner, Kane for the main event. That would have built some anticipation for the main event. Instead, we didn't know what else was going to happen to stick around for. I don't get it.

Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com's WWE Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw, Smackdown, ECW, and Superstars each week. Email him at jmezz-torch@sbcglobal.net.

For another view from the original Hitlist author, compare Jason Powell's views to mine by visiting prowrestling.NET's "Hitlist" section here.

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