Tha A List Analysis

There's no ECW Championship Match set up for WrestleMania, but it seems likely that Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger will ultimately be the match to get booked. At least, it should be. Both guys are relatively new to TV and are both extremely talented. What better way to showcase ECW than by having a pair of good young workers go at it?

I've mentioned before that I like how ECW is able to utilize young guys, and this is simply another great example of that. Bourne is over as a face, and Swagger is getting better at generating heat. The big belt on the line, at the biggest show of the year, being contested by two of the brightest young stars on TV at the moment. What about this match wouldn't make sense?

Bourne and Swagger were involved in a tag match last night along with Tommy Dreamer and Tyson Kidd. I like how Tommy Dreamer's deadline angle is still being used; way too often, WWE will set up a long term storyline and either end it or just forget about it a few weeks later (see: Honk-A-Meter). I also like it because, from what I've seen, deadlines like this aren't that uncommon in wrestling. In fact, Tha O Show's own Marty Garner has one set himself which he talks about in one of his blogs on MySpace. It's always good to make a wrestling storyline involve emotion, and basing it off of something that is often real is a good way to do that.

I'm really excited about the Tag Team Championship unification match. One, because it is long overdue thanks to a prolonged lack of tag teams, and two, because these are two very good tag teams who have put on an entertaining feud thus far and will deliver come WrestleMania. Their match last night was tremendously entertaining, and while I'm not it was necessary to have it be a Lumberjack Match, ECW made the logic behind it seem, well...logical. Plus, now a lot more people will be getting a WrestleMania payday, which is always a good thing.

I don't know if the Bella storyline was really necessary to tie in, though; I forsee Brie turning heel and joining sides with The Miz and John Morrison in the end. I mean, from a storyline perspective, she's gotten pied and had an apple spat in her face thanks to the Colon brothers, so it makes sense that she'd be hot over that and want to screw them over. Maybe I'm looking into things too much. But, my job is to analyze, so that's what I'm doing.

At first glance, it would seem that there is good reason to be wildly unenthusiastic about Money In The Bank. There is nobody...and I mean, NOBODY, in that match that I believe could be a winner. They're not going to waste that briefcase on the ECW Championship, so rule out Mark Henry, Christian, and Finlay. Once you rule out those guys, everybody else is a midcarder, many of whom either are too new or just aren't prepared to jump up to the next level. So we shouldn't care about this match, right? Wrong.

Keep in mind, Edge and Rob Van Dam were essentially midcarders when they won, so this might be the stepping stone WWE needs to build the next main event star. It's very likely this this match will break the glass ceiling for one guy. If I had to place a bet on it, I'd say Kofi Kingston is that guy, but that's a bad idea, because WWE already has way too many main event babyfaces as is.

As a parting note, let me say this. Howard Finkel? In the Hall of Fame? Really?

Tha Results:
*Carlito def. John Morrison
*Tommy Dreamer & Evan Bourne def. Jack Swagger & Tyson Kidd

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