Written by: Bob Colling
ECW on SCI-FI
Date: 8/22/2006
From: Wilkes Barre, PA
The shows open with Torrie Wilson and Kelly Kelly having an extreme bikini contest. Wilson shows off her body first and the crowd reaction isn’t all that great. Kelly’s turn but here comes Knox and Test to cover her up. The crowd doesn’t like that one bit. Sandman and Dreamer run down through the crowd and we’ve got a match.
Opening Contest: Test, Mike Knox & Kelly Kelly vs. Sandman, Tommy Dreamer & Torrie Wilson: Torrie grabs Kelly on the apron and kicks her in the corner. The lights go out and Wilson does a stink face. Test and Dreamer enter to really get the match going. Test works over Dreamer with a back breaker a few times and delivers a side slam for a near fall. Knox enters to maintain control. The fans make it clear that they know Knox can’t wrestle as Test drives Dreamer back first into the ring post.
Test controls Dreamer with a bear hug in the middle of the ring. Test goes for a pump handle but Dreamer counters with a reverse neck breaker! Sandman gets the hot tag and cleans house on the heels. Sandman takes Test down with a side Russian leg sweep and suplexs Knox. Sandman hits a top rope Swanton bomb! Test pulls Sandman out on the cover and gets sent into the ring post by Sandman! Knox pushes Sandman off the top rope but misses a leg drop. Sandman tags in Dreamer who plants Knox with a DDT to get the win. (**. A much needed win for the babyfaces in this feud that’s been going on since the beginning of ECW on TV. A decent match with Sandman and Dreamer carrying the match. Yes, I just said Sandman carried a match.)
Backstage, Paul Heyman is talking to ECW World Champion Big Show saying he believes in Show. Heyman thinks Show is wrong to accept the rematch with Sabu. Show tells Heyman that he worries too much and says that Sabu is out of his element tonight.
Backstage, Matt Striker gives us a teaching lesson on ECW. Striker wants to vomit due to ECW hardcore ways. Striker says that strength only works some of the time while brains work all the time. He has the responsibility to shape our brains.
Second Contest: Balls Mahoney vs. Kevin Thorn in an extreme rules match: Thorn misses a clothesline early on and Mahoney delivers his series of jabs. They go to the floor where Mahoney continues to beat on Thorn. Thorn uses his cane on Balls to gain control of the bout. Mahoney fights back with a spine buster for a near fall. For some reason, Mahoney goes to the floor to play to the crowd to basically set up the finish where Ariel grabs his foot and bites him. Thorn puts Mahoney across the top rope and hits the elevated Stunner for the win. (*. The crowd was behind Mahoney, but the way they obviously set up the finishing sequence was just awful.)
A vignette of Shannon Moore in the boiler room. He says the system is oppressive.
Third Contest: Christopher W. Anderson vs. CM Punk: Anderson is better known as CW Anderson and is clearly out of shape at this point. I believe he had medical issues shortly after this time frame, though. Anderson decks Punk with a left hand out of the corner. Anderson sends Punk shoulder first into the corner and gets tied up in the corner by Punk briefly. CW gets an arm breaker on Punk but can’t keep the hold on for long. Punk nails Anderson with a high knee and a running bulldog. Punk runs into a spine buster but Punk powers out at two. Punk counters a second one and delivers several strikes. Punk slams Anderson and locks in the Anaconda Vice to win the match. (*. Anderson looked good, but the main point is getting Punk over, and it’s slowly working.)
Backstage, Paul Heyman is talking to someone about the frustrations of being held back based on reputation. The man is Hardcore Holly and Heyman understands where Holly is coming from. Heyman tells Holly a name and says the man rallied the locker room against Holly for being too violent. Paul says that Holly needs to make an impact in ECW.
Fourth Contest: Rob Van Dam vs. Danny Doring: Doring takes advantage of RVD playing to the crowd to hit a swinging neck breaker with RVD’s leg trapped. That offense doesn’t last long with RVD delivering several kicks. RVD hits a top rope kick and the rolling thunder. RVD finishes Doring off with a Five Star Frog Splash to end the squash. After the match, Hardcore Holly comes down with a chair and attacks both men. Holly drops RVD with the Alabama Slam and taunts the fans.
Backstage, Rene Dupree is looking in the mirror and says he sees the most extreme wrestler in ECW.
Main Event: ECW World Champion Big Show vs. Sabu: Show stops Sabu with a head butt early on to gain the advantage. Show chops Sabu and drops him across the top rope causing Sabu to fall to the floor. Show scoop slams Sabu and taunts the crowd. Show stops Sabu with a clothesline and chokes the challenger some more. Sabu avoids a spear and Show hits the referee on accident. Show catches Sabu on a springboard attempt to hit a fall away slam.
Sabu whacks Show with a chair a couple of times with the referee knocked down. Sabu hits Show over the head with the chair and the champ is down! Sabu hits a triple jump moonsault! A second referee runs down but Sabu only gets a two on the cover. Sabu nails Show over the head with the ring bell a couple of times and Show has been busted wide open! Show is sent over the top and crashes through a table. Sabu stands tall, but is not the champion, to close the show. (*. Well, that was kind of pointless.)
Final Thoguhts:
A bad show this week. Nothing happened here, other than Dreamer and Sandman getting a much needed win, that would make this a good program. Hardcore Holly will fit in with the direction of the show, but it’s Hardcore Holly.
Thanks for reading.