Every ECW Ever - ECW 09 (8/08/2006)

WWE ECW 09 - 8/08/2006

WWE Network Link: http://network.wwe.com/video/v1528972383/?contentId=1528972383&contextType=wwe-show&contextId=wwe_ecw&start=0

The main event of the evening is announced: Sabu vs. Kurt Angle, with the winner becoming #1 contender for the ECW title. Nice! That is a match I am sure not many expected to ever see, and I'm looking forward to seeing how these two work off one another.

Match #1: Mike Knox vs. Tommy Dreamer

This match was solid, if not a bit predictable, as Dreamer and Knox went at it in a relatively quick affair. Tommy Dreamer got in some good offense, and Mike Knox sold Dreamer's DDT wonderfully, spiking himself upright before collapsing to the mat limp. That was well done by Knox, and it shows me that there is definitely some potential there. Of course, Heyman's men interfere in this match, which is fine, because that's the whole storyline being played out here. Heyman wants the ECW Originals out for the "New Breed" of stars on the rise, like Mike Knox and Test (?), but Dreamer wants to stay. Hey Paul, quick note. You created ECW like three months ago. If you didn't want Dreamer in it, then you didn't have to bring him back. Knox hits the Sister Abagail (I don't know what he called it, but that's the move he does) and wins the match. I kinda wish this match was given more time, which is a good thing, but still.

Winner: Mike Knox

Match Rating: Short but Solid

Weapons Used: Police Baton (1)

Heyman's goons are about to pummel Dreamer with their batons until The Sandman comes down! The Sandman wants to murder Heyman, who tries to reason with him, spouting BS that doesn't make sense, when he announces a handicap match, with Test & Knox facing off against the Sandman. Jeez.

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Match #2: The Sandman vs. Mike Knox & Test

A bit impromptu, and ridiculously quick, but it's a match none the less. The match is NOT extreme rules, so The Sandman has to put down his kendo stick. Test and Mike Knox destroy The Sandman very quickly. Test gets some nice heel heat in when he hits Dreamer with a Big Boot as he enters the ring. The Sandman actually gets some offense in, but it's all for naught, with the other two men being impressively big. They do have a presence in the ring. The Sandman kind of gives up on winning the match and grabs his kendo stick and starts unleashing it on the two giants. Good for you, Sandman. There's no point in wrestling this match, so you might as well do what you have to do to survive. Quite the savvy veteran move. The Sandman actually stands tall to end the match! That's actually great. You might as well remind the crowd that this is a dangerous individual. This was quick, but I enjoyed it. While it was an official match, it was just an extension of the first match, and it did its job well.

Winner: Mike Knox & Test

Match Rating: Quick

Weapons Used: Kendo Stick (1)

Balls Mahoney promo! I was kind of hoping he'd be on this episode after the last time I saw him, but I get it. He's not in an active feud. Looking forward to seeing him again soon, though.

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Match #3: Kevin Thorn vs. Al Snow

Ah, Kevin Thorn's music. There is nothing better. It's a Top 5 WWE theme song and I do not care if you think otherwise. It fits Thorn perfectly, for whatever that's worth. Kevin Thorn had a good look. I'm not sure where he exactly went wrong that he's no longer in the WWE (although it's tough to last 10 years in the WWE. He only lasts until 2008), and maybe I'll find that out once I watch him wrestle more. But he's 270 pounds and the vampire gimmick is good, if not a bit before its time. If he was in the times of Twighlight, he would have a seriously good and successful gimmick. I also read somewhere that the original plan was for Thorn to be in a tag team with Gangrel. How perfect would that have been? I think it would have done wonders for him, and let him become acclimated to the WWE before going solo. See: Braun Strowman.

Concerning the match, it's what you'd expect. Thorn dominates for the majority of the match against Al Snow and wins clean. Thorn has some good power and a nice moveset. He has a move where he hangs up the wrestler on the ropes by their feet, with him holding their head and completing a stunner. It looks vicious. All in all, I loved this match, probably because I love Kevin Thorn so much. Oh yeah, the Crucifix Powerbomb is also a badass finisher.

Winner: Kevin Thorn

Match Rating: Squash

Weapons Used: None

Kurt Angle promo. He's super aggressive, as you know.

Renee Dupree promo? I did NOT remember Renee Dupree being in ECW, so this kind of threw me for a surprise. If you don't know, Dupree is the youngest person (19 years old) to win a championship in WWE when he became a tag champion. At this point, he's 23, and his stock had fallen quite a bit. I'm interested to see where he goes in this new ECW.

Big Show comes out and cuts a promo about being the best and all that stuff. You know what I'm talking about, right? Like do I really need to tell you more? Nice to see Big Show make an appearance, though.

CM Punk promo. He just thanks for fans for being so welcoming. Good for you, Punk. 

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Match #4: Kurt Angle vs. Sabu (Winner becomes #1 Contender for the ECW Championship)

Well, I was right. This was definitely a unique match, and one I did not expect coming into this episode, but I am glad to say that the clash of styles translated well. Angle dominated the majority of the match with his technical game and wrestling background, while Sabu slowly got in more and more offense using his high-flying style. Sabu hit an awesome springboard leg drop that looked pretty devastating. Angle looked sharp as always, and while the match was definitely set up for Sabu to win, he made it look like he had a serious chance. Something about this match irked me, aside from the ending. This was NOT an extreme rules match. This makes ECW 09 the first episode to not feature an extreme rules match. I don't like that. It sets a bad precedent for the show that is supposed to be "extreme" and cutting edge. What is the use of four regular single fall matches? If I wanted to see that, I would watch RAW or Smackdown!

The ending was dumb, and by all means, resulted in the whole match being a waste of time. RVD returns and hits Kurt Angle and Sabu with a chair, resulting in a DQ. Why? Why would they do this? They could have gone down countless other routes in this story, but in the end, they decided to go with this cop out. How about Sabu wins, then RVD comes down, and then next week, they decide a true #1 contender since RVD rightfully deserves a chance. Why is this the choice? I didn't like it. Not one bit. It ruined the match for me.

Winner: Kurt Angle (by DQ)

Match Rating: Wasted

Weapons Used: Chair (1)

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This episode was pretty underwhelming, in my opinion. There was some potential in the beginning, when Mike Knox and Tommy Dreamer put on an entertaining, although short, opening contest. Then, Sandman had a quick, albeit interesting, match that ended in a DQ. Kevin Thorn had a squash match, and then the main event, which was good, but disappointing as the ending ruined the entire match. Just a poor effort all in all. I hope the ship is righted by next week.

Match of the Night: Kurt Angle vs. Sabu (by default)

Wrestler of the Night: Sabu - He looked good vs. Kurt Angle

Worst of the Night: Tommy Dreamer - 9 episodes in and I don't think he has a victory.

Weapon Count (Total):

Chair: 14

Kendo Stick: 9

Table: 6
Garbage Can: 5
Garbage Can Lid: 4

Street Signs: 3
Police Baton: 3

Camera Cord: 2
ECW Title: 2

Baking Sheet: 1

Al Snow's Head: 1

Steel Steps: 1

Barbwire Baseball Bat: 1

Bag of Thumbtacks: 1
Announcer's Table: 1

Total (all time): 54

Thanks for reading, and make sure to check back soon for Episode 10! After Episode 10, I'm going to be a taking a small break from the ECW breakdown series. I would like to write about other things, and I think 10 episode batches at a time like this would be the best way to roll out these reviews.