By Wade Keller, Torch editor

ECW TV REPORT
JUNE 27, 2006
ROANOKE, VA.
AIRED ON SCI-FI NETWORK

1 -- SABU vs. ROADKILL

A competitive, back-and-forth match. "We have to give props to Sabu, who taught John Cena was extreme was all about,” said Styles. Tazz said Sabu "brought John Cena to the extreme." Roadkill reversed Sabu into a chair. Later, he hit a swinging elbowdrop off the middle rope for a near fall. Sabu grabbed the bottom rope to the stop the count. Styles said it was almost the biggest win of Sabu's career. Sabu put Roadkill on a table in center-ring, then bashed his torso with a chair. When Roadkill stood on the second rope, Sabu immediately recovered from the chairshot, threw a chair at Roadkill, and hit a huracanrana off the ropes for a near fall. Tazz said, "This is why we are the fastest our on television today." Sabu hit Roadkill with a couple stiff chairshots, then hit an Atomic Arabian Facebuster through a table. That prompted a chant of "ECW, ECW." Sabu applied a partial camel clutch. Roadkill didn't tap out. Sabu hit him with two more chairshots, then sat the chair on his back and applied the partial camel clutch for the tapout win.

WINNER: Sabu in 8:00.

STAR RATING: *1/4 -- Different enough from what's seen on WWE TV to be good for ECW. It's also good to give Sabu a TV win after his clean loss to Cena on Sunday.

-Joey Styles and Tazz were shown on camera. They plugged Kurt Angle challenging RVD for the ECW Title in the TV main event.

[Commercial Break - A local ad for an upcoming Smackdown/ECW taping in Minneapolis, Minn. features Tazz saying, "You mess with Smackdown and you mess with the best!"]

-They showed the Vampire outside the arena again.

-Tommy Dreamer stood mid-ring and said, "Big Show, I have a lot more respect for you after the beating you gave me last week, so all I have to say it, Thank you, sir, may I have another." He threw the mic down and waited for show. Big Show walked out. Dreamer went right after him when he got into the ring. There was no ref. Show gave Dreamer several headbutts and a hard chop. Dreamer tried to fight back, but Show pummeled Dreamer in the corner with fists to the forehead and then a bodyslam. Show then put Dreamer in a cobra clutch and dropped him over his knee without releasing the hold. Then he swung him around and threw him across the ring. Tazz said Show is dominant with a new attitude. "Talk about dominant!" Tazz said.

-Backstage, Mike Knox stood in front of Kelly (who had her back to the camera) and admired her chest (her straps were down). He said he loved looking at her, but nobody else could. He asked her to come to his car. She smiled and followed him.

[Commercial Break]

-Kurt Angle stood backstage and looked directly into the camera. He said he has a chance to wrestle Rob Van Dam in the TV main event, and if he wins, he gets a chance at the WWE Title at Saturday Night's Main Event. He began crying as he talked about how his life has been a failure since April 2, the last time he held the title. He said when he sees his wife and daughter, he has to fake a smile. "Failure is not an option," he said. "Not when your name is Kurt Angle." Styles asked Tazz if he's ever seen Angle so intense.

2 -- MIKE KNOX (w/Kelly) vs. DANNY DORING

Styles said Knox spoiled our fun last week. Knox appeared controlling and possessive once he entered the ring and Kelly was left at ringside. Styles and Tazz said it's fun to have an exhibitionist on ECW who looks like Kelly. A camera showed a fan from behind soliciting Kelly. It would have been less choreographed had the camera not been in the crowd behind him. She danced for him. The fan began unfastening her bra. Knox ran over and shoved the fan hard to the floor. Nice bump by "the fan." Knox scolded her. Kelly returned to the back. Knox hit Doring with a big boot, then gave him his finisher which Styles didn't call by any name.

WINNER: Knox in 2:00.

STAR RATING: 1/4* -- Knox looks okay. Hard to tell right away what potential he has.

-Kelly ended up standing on the stage waving at fans, getting ready to strip again. Styles and Tazz they'd be right back.

[Commercial Break]

-Another Test vignette aired.

-They replayed Kelly playing up to the fan in the front row.

-The ring announcer introduced Kelly's "Expose" segment. She danced and wiggled and rubbed herself. It was a very slow strip-tease. After two minutes, Knox threw her a towel. She threw it back at him and began to pull down the back of her bikini. He again covered her. Does anyone expect she's going to actually get naked on basic cable?

-A fat guy came out dancing like Chris Farley doing a strip-like routine with a feathered wrestling robe. Tazz said he thought he saw that guy leave Michael Cole's room earlier in the day. Tazz and Styles said they couldn't handle much more. Sandman's music then played and he made his way to the ring through the crowd with the cane in hand. He entered the ring and laughed, then drank a beer. The fat guy stripped down to a g-string and stroked Sandman's cane. Sandman didn't know how to react. The guy poured Sandman's beer over his chest. Sandman gave him a cane to the crotch and a series of chops to the back. Styles said Sandman is an ECW original. Tazz said he's hardcore to the bone. Styles begged for no replays.

-Backstage, Paul Heyman talked to RVD backstage. He explained that the odds are against him retaining the title at the three-way on SNME. He said if he loses to Angle, the match becomes a four-way, which means the odds get even worse. Heyman said he hasn't seen RVD in recent days. RVD said, "I've been smoking." He said he is RVD and that's all he needs to know, then walked away.

-They showed Edge and Lita arriving through the crowd. They kicked two fans out of their front row seats. The fans complained to security, but they did nothing.

[Commercial Break]

-Tazz confronted Edge, asking him what his business is at an ECW event. Edge said he is the Rated-R Superstar and does what he wants when he wants. Tazz shoved the mic in his chest after Edge took a dig at Tazz's height. Edge said he is "the whole f'n show" and he will end up champion.

3 -- ROB VAN DAM vs. KURT ANGLE

Angle walked to the ring looking totally focused. Lots of mat-based exchanges in the early minutes. RVD took Angle down with a windmill kick. When he went to the top rope, Angle shoved him to the floor. They cut to a break.

[Commercial Break]

Angle had RVD in a headlock after the break. RVD escaped, but Angle applied a keylock a minute later. Styles called holds, and then told Tazz, "You're not used to working with an announcer who knows the names of amateur holds." Angle gave RVD a released back suplex, then applied a partial camel clutch. At 12:00 RVD made a full-fledged comeback attempt, but Angle cut him off and hit an overhead cradle suplex. They repeatedly showed Edge and Lita reacting to the match at ringside. Angle went for the Angle Slam, which is almost always blocked now. RVD blocked it. Angle then hit a belly-to-back suplex for a near fall. Angle went for an anklelock, but RVD flipped Angle over to escape, then hit him with a sidekick to the face. RVD went for a top rope sidekick, but Angle sidestepped it and countered with an anklelock in a swift movement. RVD reached the bottom rope, but Angle dragged RVD back to the center of the ring. RVD eventually flipped Angle over and out of the ring to escape. RVD springboard legdropped Angle for a near fall. Angle surprised RVD with a small package for a near fall. RVD hit a spin wheel kick, then went for Rolling Thunder, but Angle again countered with an ankelock. RVD countered with a kick, then hit the split-legged moonsault for a near fall. Styles said Angle has been watching hours and hours of tapes and DVDs of RVD to learn how to counter his moves. RVD went to the top rope, but Angle charged to the top rope and suplexed RVD to the mat. RVD kicked out. "Only on ECW!" exclaimed Tazz. Angle dropped his straps and went for the Angle Slam. RVD countered with a DDT and a Five-Star Frogsplash for the clean three count. RVD stood, applauded, nodded, and walked away with Lita as RVD celebrated. However, as RVD continued to celebrate, Edge changed course and surprised RVD with a spear. Then he and Lita made out as Styles said, "Get a room." Edge pointed his thumbs at himself a la RVD as the show ended.

WINNER: RVD in 17:00.

STAR RATING: ***1/4 -- The first half was pretty slow, if not borderline boring, but the second half really picked up and it turned into a very good TV match by the end. The goal with ECW may be to have one showcase main event each week to get the fans of "wrestling" to watch each week.

We welcome your 1-10 score and comments on this show for an "ECW TV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. To contribute your thoughts on ECW, click here.

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