GUEST EDITORIAL/ECW TV REAX
By Paul Lucas of Tallahassee, Ala., Torch reader

Overall Show: (7.0). Best Match: Christian vs. Ezekiel Jackson. Worst Match/Segment: Abraham Washington Show. In many respects, this show was a microcosm of all that was good and all that was bad about WWE's version of ECW.

I feel the downfall of the brand, or at least the final nail in the coffin, occurred when ECW was stripped of Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, Mark Henry, The Hart Dynasty, Finlay, and others in the 'Donald Trump trade' and received just a handful of lower mid-card veterans in return. The new superstar initiative had its successes (Sheamus, Yoshi Tatsu), and its outright failures (Abraham Washington, Tyler Reks, Vance Archer).

Indeed the final Abraham Washington Show perfectly summarized ECW's shortcomings - a terrible gimmick and concept, given way too much time in a segment that even Croft and Barreta were booked to admit was "boring." It was interrupted by Shelton Benjamin, a guy whose entire career seems to be stuck in neutral; Vance Archer, who appears devoid of personality; Croft and Barreta, who have potential but are on TV way before their time; and Vladimir Kozlov, a pinkslip waiting to happen.

Thankfully, the segments on either side of this snore-fest highlighted ECW's strengths. The opening tag match showcased how Goldust's career has been rejuvenated on ECW, and how Tatsu is one of the brand's rising stars; while also reminding us that both Big Show and The Miz had their careers greatly enhanced by the brand.

The finale saw Christian once again show his incredible talent, getting another good match out of Ezekiel Jackson who, with Regal at his side to make up for his shortcomings on the mic, shows real potential as a monster heel.

The run-ins were fun too - I seriously hope Zack Ryder isn't lost in the shuffle on another brand, as I'd love to see him get a run with either the Intercontinental or U.S. Title. And what about Rosa Mendes - so often the butt of jokes for her in-ring work on Raw, she seems to have finally found her niche as the Latin temptress with the short temper. Hats off to her and Tiffany for a catfight worthy of the Original ECW.

I've actually enjoyed Tiffany's smart, savvy businesswoman character despite the ridiculous explanations she had to put forward as to why ECW lost all its talent and got nothing in return. I hope they find a place for her on one of the brands, although where she fits in with Long/Guerrero on Smackdown and the guest host concept on Raw, I have no idea.

So it's goodbye to WWE's version of ECW, a place where new talent emerged, where wrestling fans got to enjoy lengthy matches, and where feuds were given real time to play out. I won't miss Washington, Kozlov, or Archer, but I will miss what often felt like an old-fashioned wrestling show on Tuesday nights.

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