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ECW Reax #1: "Kofi Kingston could be an upper mid-card star for years to come." May 28, 2008 - 10:50:41 AM
Michele Borgogni from Arezzo, Italy (7.0): Best Match: Chavo vs. Punk. Worst Segment: Colin Delaney Interview. An average ECW Show, with a good highlight in the Chavo vs. Punk match, probably their best so far against each other. Once upon a time One Night Stand meant something special for ECW; now it's just a PPV like others, and the show suffers from this condition. The Singapore Cane Match will probably be funny, but also very short. A Shelton vs. Kofi PPV Match would be a welcomed addition... maybe a street fight, which will suit perfectly with the Tazz comment about the Kofi Kingston vs. Mike Knox post-match. By the way, Mike Knox's bleeding smile was probably the most charismatic thing he ever done since his departure from DSW.
Curtis Shanks of Casper, Wy. (7.0). Best: Chavo vs. Punk. Worst: Kane vs. Miz/Morrison. With the network television schedule wrapping up, this was the first ECW I have seen since the writer's strike was still ongoing. After taking a couple of months off, I must say I was surprised with what I saw on tonight's show. Nothing special that stood out, just a strong, above-average wrestling TV show with good PPV hype. I have grown used to the filler and corny segments on Raw, Smackdown, and Impact, so this was a refreshing change. Show vs. Dreamer was a decent squash that served its purpose. I liked the extra delay that Show put on the chokeslam of Dreamer as it made the move seem to have more impact. Kofi Kingston could be an upper mid-card star for years to come. I liked his in-ring work and his intensity with Shelton Benjamin. Collin Delaney has lost that "something" that he had when he first arrived on the seen. Not a very good promo from him. The clips from past ECW title changes were a nice touch, making the belt seem important and prestigious. (Although we all know that's not really how Vince views that strap). The finish to the show had what Raw's conclusion was missing last night - build up to One Night Stand. Chavo vs. Punk was a good TV match despite a couple of moments of what seemed like miscommunication between them. It is a shame that Punk is on a loosing streak for some reason, but at least he looked strong and wasn't schooled by Chuck Palumbo this time.
A.A. Norman of Tulsa, Okla. (8.0): Best Match: Miz & Morrison vs. Kane. Worst Match: Vince's money vs. Vince's viewership Raw Rebound. I know I swore off ECW a few weeks ago when Mike Adamle made the show unwatchable, but after checking out "The Dirt Sheet" for the first time, I was encouraged to come back and give ECW yet another chance. Overall, not a terrible show. There were actually flashbacks that were worth watching for once (and Raw Rebound is not one of them) and it was great to see how each of the former champions became champion once again. The show is still a train wreck, yes, but I think the performers are doing the best they can with what little WWE gives them to work with. Best moment of the night goes to Kofi's soccer kick to Knox's head by swinging off the top rope in the corner.
Terrie Neilson of Las Vegas, Nev. (8.0): Best Chavo vs. Punk Worst: Kofi vs. Knox (post match fine). ECW did a better job of setting up for One Night Stand than Raw did Monday night. A fine job was made of acknowledging each competitors' entree into the cane match. Chavo-Punk was the best showcase of the related matches and the match of the night. The match seemed botched in some places but overall looked realistic. Colin Delaney's promo was okay, but a little lackluster considering the content. It was fitting that he'd be nervous about the draft, but also liking the idea of seeing Armando Estrada drafted to move away from him. A golden opportunity was lost after his contract was won. I do see Colin staying in ECW as he fits there and nowhere else right now. Mike Knox just isn't very good right now. He mucked up and botched the Knox-Kofi match, but made up for it in the post match beatdown. Getting gashed actually helped him look more menacing and pissed off after the match. And Mike Adamle has improved to the point where I can say that he is as good as the script given him. For the most part the script was good (I particularly liked the football reference toward Tommy Dreamer), but there were a few clunker spots that clearly tell me that it was the script and not Adamle's fault. And for all the razzing about Mike Adamle, "Jamaican Me Crazy" caught on something fierce. Replaying the Vince offer took things down a notch when the Raw Rebound could have better served for more PPV build for the Raw related matches. The real downscore is all but giving away what's coming at the end of June before the first of June gets here. Kane-Show can be a decent match if allowed, but I don't want to know if it's going to happen yet. The fan in me still wants to be surprised.
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