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Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (8.0): Best: opening segment; Colin vs. Big Show Worst: Richards vs. Knox. With Raw more in teasing mode due to the deserved Flair Farewell, ECW becomes the first show to take any big steps toward Backlash. Kane doesn't get to do it often, but when he does, he's very good on the mic. Punk added to the face aide of the mic goodness. The weakness of the opening segment lies in the mic skills. Shelton did explain about his part of the fallout of the MITB match, but compared to his mic work leading to this, he came across as whiny. Chavo was fairly good with what he was given, but it felt like we've heard it before. The other problem with the opening was why didn't Armando Estrada announce the main event himself, especially given that he got involved with Colin Delaney's situation? Speaking of Colin, his match with Big Show did several things: first, it gave Big Show a quick squash under his belt and showed a little face-type sympathy toward Colin. And for Colin it really set a big angle: much like Ric Flair wrestled to stay in the game, Colin is wrestling to get in the game. Using April Fool's day for a swerve was perfect and was done spot on. This will make Colin's first win really important as the build is already getting crowds to rally behind Colin. Has anyone noticed that Shelton's on a losing streak again? Since the mini-Rumble match, he's lost more than he's won. Punk needed the win to look strong, but I'm seeing another Shelton burial. One of the WrestleMania "awards" was right about Shelton: "Most Risk, Least Reward." Something's got to give on this.
Shane McKinley of Danville, Calif. (7.0): Best Match: Main Event. Worst Match: Punk going for ECW Title? My thoughts on Punk cashing in his chance for the ECW Title: "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!" sums it up pretty nicely. Punk is really good on the mic and in the ring, so him shooting for the ECW Title doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me right now. Even if he did, who would he face? Knox as Ivan Koloff? Weren't those great days? Especially when Koloff fought his nephew. All you had to do was plead allegiance to Mother Russia (or Canada or any other foreign country) to have the crowd boo the heck out of you. I actually thought that Big Show would lay down for Colin, but I'm glad that Colin hasn't gotten the boot, as he's just really effective in his role. The main event was good, although I must admit that I'm a bit "wrestled" out (add March Madness and Opening Day into this and whew! I need TNA's usual ineptiude as a breather) Is WWE doing another draft this year? I know this is kinda silly, but they showed the girl from Survivor Series in the front row again (at the end of the show). A beautiful lady likes wrestling? Wait, this is April's Fool day.
A.A. Norman of Tulsa, Okla. (6.0): Best Match: Colin Delaney! Worst Match: Knox vs. Richards. With the new direction of ECW at WrestleMania, I decided to tune in just to see what's going on. Alas, the only lasting memory of last night's show was Colin Delaney and the Big Show. Man, Colin is a perfect little jobber that carried his mic time well, as well as his in-ring presence with someone like Big Show, who also did well in his roll as a merciful squisher. Therefore, it amazes me that more established "stars" like Shelton Benjamin, Chavo Guererro, C.M. Punk, and Kane couldn't give at least a decent promo with more mic time and more experience behind them. In a professional wrestling brand like WWE's, charisma is everything for the future of wrestler. I think we've discovered why the brands are relying so much on older, established stars instead of new talent. It's bad for the longevity of the business, but hardly anyone is stepping up to improve their character, to improve their television time, and to give a lasting impression to audiences. There's a reason Cryme Tyme was given a rousing "Welcome back!" chant on Monday's Raw, and a reason why people love Colin Delaney - not because they're more talented than some of the other stars, because there's no denying how talented the likes of Shelton Benjamin and C.M. Punk are. The only reason I see to tune in for another ECW show is to see if Colin gets his contract (even though I already know he has it - but not "officially," heh) and a win.
We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this show for a "ECW Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on ECW, click here.
LATEST PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER #1039 (17 PAGES)
This issue begins with a cover story by Wade Keller who attended Brock Lesnar's first UFC victory on Saturday night in the semi-main event in front of a record-setting crowd in his hometown. Keller's BBL looks at Lesnar's place in MMA and in what ways he seems more comfortable than ever... Bruce Mitchell's Memo examines the dilemma of Chris Benoit and the Hall of Fame... Sean Radican reviews the two latest TNA DVD releases... In-depth coverage of the TNA Hard Justice PPV including Keller's match report with star ratings and the newsletter-exclusive Roundtable Reviews... Jason Powell's "Page 2 Buzz" with scoops and insider analysis... WWE Newswire, TNA Newswire, and ROH Newswire with insider news, big story analysis, and notebook tidbits... Plus Keller's reports on Raw, Smackdown, and Impact, the Top 5 Stories of the Week, and more....
