ECW: 14th October 2008

ECW is going through a nice period at the moment. This happens with the WWE's second and third shows from time to time - for a while, they seem to put on tons of great free TV matches. Smackdown in the first half of 2006 was one such occassion, and I think ECW has had a couple of short good runs in the past 18 months. Anyway, this is a two match show, both qualifiers for Cyver Sunday ballots places.

The first match is between Evan Bourne and Chavo. This is really good. Sydal (I'm so knowledgeable) is the freshest thing in the WWE at the moment. His strikes are crisp and sound mean (his knee strike in particular here was completely killer), and he's bringing loads of new stuff (more lucha arm drag spots in this one match than I've seen from Rey since 2006). Chavo pulls out a load of cool stuff too - the roll through on the top rope knee strike into a crab was neat. They do a load of mat stuff that didn't feel like juniors killing time, without being about some body-part psychology - it was more about jostling for position, but not in that annoying a stalemate indie way. Bourne's first missed top rope rana, and his second leaping one were both impressive looking, as was the half-twist top rope tope (in the pike position). Striker references "Tiger Mask and the incomparable Dynamite Kid", thus creating a new meaning for the word incomparable (instead of "has no-one to compare to", it now means, "I refuse to make the comparison to the person everyone used to say wrestled like him"). This was all a joy.

The Morrison vs Finlay match seemed (from what I recall) to have been mainly a long series of armlocks, but I don't think in a lazy way. Finlay hits lariats with the healthy arm, and earns himself a tick (in the box marked 'not ruining Craig's day') Striker speculates that no-ones know what happens when someone is dragged under the ring. Is it a huge RAPE? The implications hung in the air. Also, he talks about Finlay's arsenal, which is a pun, because Arsenal are an Irish soccer team. Firstly, Arsenal are an English soccer team (football team). Secondly, how is that a pun? "Craig walked the dogs with leads, which is a pun, because Leeds is a city in England, where he lives". Striker earns himself a tick (in the box marked 'unfamiliar with English language') This was fine - fifteen minute Finlay TV matches are OK by me, even with the goofy Hornswaggle stuff and the many run-ins and the foreign object finish. Somehow, he makes all of that work. Morrison was useful here too.