A.A. Norman of Tulsa, Okla. - Professional writer (7.0): Best match: Kofi vs. Shelton; Worst match: Adamle vs. Socko. It is good to see WWE investing in its third show again. Original content and a very brief (but still good) recap of last night's Raw made for a pretty good show compared to ones we've seen lately. I liked the way they were pushing next week's show at the end as the 100th episode (has it been that long already?). Mike Adamle continues to be the sore thumb that sticks out for the weirdest reasons. When he grabbed Mick Foley's sock and stuck it in his mouth, he was acting like a little outcast kid trying to get attention, to the point where big brother Tazz tells him to stop acting so stupid. The fact that they both walked off during the main event was really weird. Another King Regal scam ending? We'll see, I guess.
Zach Madel of Waseca, Minn. (7.0): Best Match: Main Event. Worst Match: Tommy Dreamer vs. Mike Knox. The Tommy Dreamer match might have been a good idea for a rivalry between him and Mike Knox, but it seemed to end too quickly. That is one of the WWE's main problems - their matches lasting just a few minutes and then returning to promos and the announcer's making foolish remarks. The main event was probably the best on the card, but it seemed to last only a few minutes again. The rumor on the Internet is that Mike Adamle might have received some bad news about a family member. But if that was the case, then WWE should have let Joey Styles return for just that one week and let Adamle recover. Anyway, it could just be another storyline.
Adam J. Grammas (1.0): Best: Striker on the mic. Worst: Main event walk out. First of all, the name "Kofi Kingston" has "Saturday Morning Superstars jobber" written all over it. Second, guys like Shelton are never going to get over to the extent of the established main eventers because they have to read these pre-scripted promos, which sound like they are pre-scripted. With as skinny as Colin Delaney is, I can't believe it doesn't show more bruises. My grandmother weighed about 90 pounds, and her arm would turn purple if she brushed up against a doorknob. Colin is taking full bumps into metal stairs. When Striker quoted Geddy Lee, I was actually glad the announcer was Adamle and not Michael Cole because we would have gotten the tired, "1981 called and they want their reference back." We all can't be as hip and now as Michael Cole. But that's WWE for you-everything is old and outdated, unless it's theirs and it's "classic" or "old school." Striker is too good of a talker to be on ECW. I can't believe Adamle put the sock in his mouth not only after it was in Striker's mouth, but in Foley's underwear. Palumbo's look is so bad, I half expect to hear "The Final Countdown" when he comes to the ring. (I know Michael cole, 1986 called…) Okay, so this is two nights in a row where the storyline was a screwy main event. And this was worse because the contestants in there couldn't really be counted on to carry a match without commentary like say HBK and Y2J could. It was like the old WWF video games where after your player was eliminated and the rest of the "match" would continue without any speaking. When Adamle paused mid-sentence, I didn't even notice he left at first because the long pause has become his gimmick.
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.
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LATEST PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER #1045 (20 PAGES)
This issue begins with a cover story by Wade Keller on Jake Roberts's indy show meltdown... Keller's BBL looks at WWE's decision to put all three World Champs in a Triple Threat on the MyNetwork debut of Smackdown... Page 2 Buzz with Jason Powell features tons of insider news items from WWE and TNA... Part three of the "Torch Talk" with Lanny Poffo... Pat McNeill's "At the Bar for Unforgiven" column... In-depth coverage of the TNA No Surrender PPV including the newsletter-exclusive Roundtable Reviews from Keller, Mitchell, and McNeill... Plus WWE Newswire, TNA Newswire, and ROH Newswire, Keller's reports on Raw, Smackdown, and Impact, the Top 5 Stories of the Week... PDF EXCLUSIVE features include the Greg Parks's review of the new Mr. Perfect DVD and Brian Hoops looks at pro wrestlers with Olympic backgrounds........
