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ECW Reax #1: "I have absolutely no idea why Adamle and Tazz left during the main event." Apr 30, 2008 - 5:33:11 AM
Brian Jaffe from Iowa City, Iowa (6.0): Mike Adamle sounded like he was reading directly from a script this week. It's a big improvement, and if WWE wants to stick with him, I'd have him keep reading from scripts like that until he gets more knowledge about the business. It's clear that WWE is interested in Kofi Kingston, given how his push is going. It's just a shame that it has to come at the expense of the Gold Standard. Tommy Dreamer has really become the Innovator of Silence, as I can't think of the last time he's done anything really important. Matt Striker needs the microphone more often; he's really a great promo man. Gotta love how WWE has the Money in the Bank winner get his ass handed to him by Chuck Palumbo. I have absolutely no idea why Adamle and Tazz left during the main event, but I hope that there's some kind of explanation given soon. I cannot get into Chavo Guerrero at all, and his anti-charisma has rubbed off on Bam Nealy, who barely did a thing tonight. A very generic, and yet at the same time strange, ECW.
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (6.0): Best: Striker's Classroom Worst: Punk vs. Palumbo. Before I go into this reax, allow me to introduce myself: I'm a 39-year-old female retail employee who's watched wrestling for about as long as Ric Flair had been wrestling. As for tonight, Shelton has been on losing streak, and it's not brought up as a statistic during his match with Kofi. Colin Delaney doesn't figure much into the Dreamer-Knox match, and next week his contract situation comes into play again. Not a good way to go there. Meanwhile, though, at least something to explain Knox was given (anti-social, leave him alone). Unfortunately, it gives WWE an excuse not to go further in his explanation, though. The segment with Mick Foley was great: put Mick back in the vocabulary of fans, provided a good venue for Striker to release his egotistically educated venom, and provided the punk-out moment to send everyone home happy. It's just too bad that Striker is comedy fodder as Striker is worth a lot more than this. Speaking of punk-outs, is Punk ever going to get his momentum going? The match with Palumbo left a bitter taste in my mouth, and not a bit of that bad taste has to do with Palumbo. Last time I checked, the Money In The Bank briefcase was a big deal to whoever earned it. Jeff Hardy was removed due to issues we're all familiar with. C.M. Punk may not have been first choice, but he is now the current choice, so is this punishment for not making mistakes? No offense to Jef Hardy, but whatever. Adamle as it was didn't stumble much, so practice may be helping.
Jon Herrmann of Monroeville, Pa. (6.5): Best Match: Kofi/Benjamin. Worst Match: Dreamer/Knox. For ECW, this wasn't too bad. And another odd ending to a WWE show tonight. I know I'm not the only one hoping that Adamle got fired by Vince over the headset right there, and that's why he left. Anyways, Kofi and Benjamin was a good opener and probably the best match on the show. I'm into both these guys, so this should be a fun feud. I just cannot get into Mike Knox. He's a bland character to me. They need to give him some mic time or do something different with his character (maybe give him one), because right now, his gimmick is that he's a big, powerful, angry giant of a guy. WWE already has way too many of those types of characters. Hopefully this is somehow leading to Delaney getting his ECW contract by getting a fluke win over Knox somewhere down the line. But I know I'm wrong. I somehow envision this lummox being built up to feud with Kane over the title in three months. Yawn! I enjoyed the segment with Foley and Striker. Both of these guys are great on the mic. I thought it was a really good way to get those people who didn't see the PPV and don't know Foley is the new color commentator on Smackdown to tune into the Smackdown show this Friday. Although Adamle shoving the sock in his own mouth was kind of creepy. Punk vs. Palumbo was okay while it lasted. Usually I don't like DQ finishes, but this seems like it might set up a little feud between these two, which might be kind of fun for a while. Speaking of bland characters, how about Bam Neely? Not only does he have a bland look, and horrible facial expressions, but the WWE writers already screwed this guy by giving him that ridiculous name. Bam Neely, Kenny Dykstra... I'm looking forward to the debuts of WWE's next two developmental talents, Moe Montana and Akeem-Abdul Jabaar! Seriously, can't we do better than this with naming these guys? Anyways, the handicap match went as expected, and wasn't all that bad I suppose. Although it's always unsettling to me for some reason when there is no announcing. It's just weird. Then again, Adamle hardly said anything during the matches the whole show, so it wasn't too different. I thought they were going to run with the "incompetent announcer" gimmick and have Adamle return five minutes later saying he had to run to the men's room. Nonetheless, much like Raw's ending, this angle has me a bit intrigued. At least the writer's are finally doing some things we haven't seen over and over again.
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