Tha A List Analysis: ECW Recap

Courtesy of AngryMarks.com:

No dramatic open this week - just the usual video screen and "DON'T QUESTION MY HEART" theme music.

MY SIGN IS A HIDDEN HIGHLIGHT! We have a 411 Wrestling fan in the crowd. Maybe someday we'll see "PROUD TO BE AN ANGRY MARK."

John Morrison's music hits! We see Miz giving him the Reality Check after being drafted to Raw last night. Does that make Morrison a face and Miz a heel or vice versa? Well Morrison's always been a face to me so it's hard to say that it makes any difference.

* John Morrison v. Evan Bourne

Well if they wanted a way to make sure Morrison stays heel, having wrestle the flashy and popular Bourne's a good way to start. Matt Striker berates Josh Matthews and tells the kid to keep it in line as the opening bell rings. Matthews is still wondering if The Dirt Sheet is over. I think it's safe to assume YES. Bourne has control of Morrison's left arm early, but he fights out to a headlock on Bourne. Bourne throws him off but Morrison rebounds off the ropes with a shoulder tackle. Bourne leapfrogs him when he charges and takes him down with an armdrag.

Morrison misses with a dropkick and Bourne makes a cover for two. Bourne gets his throat snapped off the ropes and Morrison grinds his face into the bottom one for good measure. Uppercut follows as the crowd tries to cheer Evan on. Bourne gets another quick two count before going back to boots in the corner. He tries to whip Morrison across the ring, gets floated to the apron, and Morrison sweeps the leg to drop him on it. A running sliding knee knocks Bourne to the floor and Morrison strikes a pose.

Not satisfied he goes out to beat Bourne up and throw him back in. Morrison does some sort of torture rack style submission maneuver but Bourne turns it into a modified head scissor. Morrison slips back into the ring and gives Bourne a dropkick to the knees as he charges, which is the cue to send us to a commercial break.

Morrison is firmly in control when we come back, cranking on Bourne's neck. It's a nice little rest period for both men. Bourne finally escapes and tries to fire off some leg kicks, but Morrison hits a kick to the back of the head of his own. Striker is putting over Morrison like a million bucks. "Defensive and offensive in the same motion!" The crowd chants for a Bourne comeback but Morrison puts him in an armbar then nearly gets a pinfall to boot.

In MMA I might even think Morrison wants a modified kimura or a rear naked choke, but that would no doubt be more believable if Bryan Danielson was in the ring with Bourne. (And in days past in ROH that was certainly a possibility.) Bourne charges into the ropes with all his strength to knock Morrison off, then hits a HUGE lariat to knock Johnny Nitro down. Evan gets on a roll with a 'rana, a dropkick, and a spinning heel kick for 2. It's fully possible at this point that the best match of the night will be the first.

Morrison and Bourne battle on the ropes until Bourne gives him a jumping head scissor off for 2.9! Rolling pins for near falls. Bourne charges Morrison as he goes to the ropes and wipes him out to the floor before he can turn around! Okay I popped for that - that's not a typical spot in a WWE match. Once both men recover we end up back in the ring with Bourne getting another near fall. Morrison tries to hit the corkscrew driver but Sydal err Bourne blocks it with a jumping knee and goes up to the top. HEEL KICK BLOCKS THE SSP.

Morrison hooks his boots on the ropes and drives Bourne into the mat HARD for the three count. WINNER: JOHN MORRISON. Great opening match! I don't think Bourne will be hurt too much by this loss since both men looked great and a rematch is almost inevitable. Commercial break is led by a promo for Backlash in two weeks.

WWE is bragging about the attendance of WrestleMania 25 when we come back from break. Oh crap, Vlad is here.

* Vladimir Kozlov v. Knoxville, Tennessee's own David Floridia

Kozlov immediately knocks down tonight's jobber with a boot to the midsection. He gives him a short spear in the corner, puts a boot to his neck, but just shoves the jobber out of the way when he attempts a comeback. Headbutts to the jobber. Striker promises he'll give Matthews a nosebleed again as Kozlov gives his opponent a powerful slam for the three count. WINNER: THE MOSCOW MAULER. Kozlov's Russian promo breaks out a "WHAT?!" chant from the crowd. Finlay and Hornswoggle are warming up backstage as we go to commercial with a WWE Encyclopedia promo.

We're back on ECW LIVE at 9:35. Striker reminds us there will be more draft picks tomorrow in the 2009 Supplemental Draft at 12 EST. Backstage in the lockerroom Pirate Paul and Katie Lea tell Tiffany they don't want her to be responsible for breaking up the family. She says too bad, you're still eligible, log on to WWE.com like everybody else. Swagger comes in next.

"I have a great idea! On the very first WWE Superstars show, a Q&A with none other than the ECW Champion, Jack Swagger." Tiffany: "That is a very interesting idea, but I've already decided this week on WWE Superstars will be the finals for the elimination chase to Backlash. And Jack, I enjoyed your match on Raw last night. Very impressive." Swagger: "You're welcome." The two exchange smiles. Christian Cage makes his way to the ring to herald the Triple Threat match, which is NEXT after this commercial break.

* Triple Threat Chase to Backlash: Christian v. Tommy Dreamer v. Finlay

Finlay is in full control as the match starts, even giving Christian an arm drag onto a prone Dreamer. Christian comes back on him with a dropkick and goes to work on Dreamer. Dreamer knocks him down with an elbow and goes after Finlay. Here we go dosey-do in a round.

Dreamer snaps Christian's neck off the ropes and sends him to the floor. Finlay drives an elbow into Dreamer's forehead and stomps on him as Christian tries to come back in, but Finlay spies him and knocks him down to the floor again. Christian finally gets back in and hits a neckbreaker on Finlay, but Dreamer gives him a high back bodydrop. Swagger with an elbow drop on Christian for one.

Dreamer and Finlay both go flying over the top rope to the floor and Christian does a dive off the top rope onto both. All three men are down on the floor as we go to break!

We return from break with a promo for Edge v. Cena in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash.

Christian is trying to go top rope as we come back but Finlay shoves him off hard and he goes flying halfway across the ring to floor outside, selling a wrist when he hits. Finlay has Dreamer in a chinlock back in the ring as the crowd applauds Tommy on. Striker tells us he's just been handed a note saying there are no DQ's or countouts in a triple threat, and Matthews notes he's been saying that all along. Striker and Matthews continue to bicker as Finlay works over an arm.

Finlay comes out of the ring to give Christian a short arm clothesline to the floor and comes right back in to attack Dreamer. THE MAN HAS HIS WORKIN' BOOTS ON TONIGHT! If determining the challenger went to the best worker it would be Finlay by a landslide. We've got to go home soon as there are only 4 minutes left. That's good news since I don't think I could keep my cold on hold for one second more than that. All three men are in the ropes for a pseudo electric chair which turns into a superplex.

Dreamer hangs Finlay in the ropes for the E, C, W running dropkick and connects. YARRGH! Before he can get a DDT Finlay shoves him out to the floor. Christian goes for a small package for two. Finlay hits a Celtic Cross but Christian rolls out. Dreamer gets back in for a DDT for 2! Dreamer ties up Christian in the ropes after blocking the Unprettier and also gets a roll-up for 2. Celtic Cross by Finlay. TOMMY DREAMER IS ELIMINATED FROM THE CHASE BY PINFALL.

That means it will be Christian v. Finlay for the title shot at Backlash on Thursday night! Don't forget to tune in to WGN on Thursday at 9 PM EST, 8 Central. That's it for ECW!

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