Am I crazy, or did anyone else really enjoy this show?
We got to meet our new ECW Champion Mark Henry, and the man gets some mic time! He looks really happy about holding the belt. He is ECW's savior! Tommy Dreamer comes out with Colin Delaney and wants a title shot. Mark Henry says he can have one if Delaney can beat him tonight. Delaney accepts.
Miz/Morrison & Chavo vs Finlay/Hornswaggle & Matt Hardy was also a fun match. They even got a little bit of time to do their thing. Chavo gets pinned after a Tadpole Splash and a Celtic Cross. This was a good way to bring in the new guys.
We meet a new guy Atlas Ortiz. I know nothing about him. Armando Estrada is to face him tonight and I've never seen him wrestle, but I've always enjoyed Estrada and think he is way under used.
Ortiz vs Estrada. Ortiz gets some early offense then Estrada goes to work on the arm. He keeps working the arm and Ortiz sells the arm pretty well. I love Estrada's facial expressions and shit talk. He looks a little shaky in the ring at times, but really does a nice job on the arm. I never knew he was so in shape and would like to see more of him. Ortiz wins with a backslide. I thought it was a good match.
Mark Henry vs Colin Delaney. Delaney gets some offense, but in the end the champ is too much. A little anti climatic as far as show endings go, but I like Mark Henry so sue me.
All in all a lot of ring time for guys I secretly like, and it was all pretty good stuff. I still think they should have drafted the Cruiserweight champion over the US Champion, but having Matt Hardy on the show is nice too. The roster is pretty balanced, I'm interested to see where they go with this.
Mark Henry showed some real charisma. How has this man never been champion before? I am confident he will make a FINE Champ.
Ortiz/Estrada was quite bad. Ortiz did have a nice dropkick, and the crowd was pretty into it, which is big for a new guy. Still, the match was really, really bad.
Otherwise, this was a fun little TV show. Certainly not an hour wasted.
Atlas Ortiz wrestled in developmental as Atlas DaBone. I saw him in a dark match before Raw in December. His name is Rich Young, and he played in the XFL with the Orlando Rage (I thought Adamle, a former XFL broadcaster, would've brought that up). He also had short stints in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs.
Originally posted by geemoneyAtlas Ortiz wrestled in developmental as Atlas DaBone. I saw him in a dark match before Raw in December. His name is Rich Young, and he played in the XFL with the Orlando Rage (I thought Adamle, a former XFL broadcaster, would've brought that up). He also had short stints in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs.
Yeah, I saw him as Atlas DaBone in a RAW dark match last fall as well. He seems entertaining.
Matt Hardy playfully blocking Hornswoggle's water gun with the US Title is cute...and yes, you can now apparently buy an inflatible shillelagh. At least children across the country have learned a new word.
I'd still like to see Elijah Burke back on my TV again, aside from a brief appearance in the opening credits.
Mark Henry was trying to out-happy CM Punk as a new champ. I've never seen him smile that much.
Originally posted by edougHow can you win your first tv match with a backslide? Ortiz does have a nice dropkick, might as well use that as a finisher.
This might seem like a minor nitpick, but you have a point in that he was wrestling Estrada, who in his previous appearances has been portrayed as a joke and is only a wrestler by way of "punishment" from Teddy Long. A backslide has always been a "desperation" move, i.e. Wrestler A can't put away Wrestler B and/or scores a sudden uspet using the backslide. Not applicable when Wrestler B doesn't even qualify for JTTS status.
* Living Under Marshall Law Podcast Latest episode uploaded 6/27/08 (Tim Russert, George Carlin, Hulkamania running wild via a raging inferno in your kitchen, and Mixed Martial Malarkey (c) Justin Shapiro)
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoOrtiz vs Estrada. I thought it was a good match.
insane
Agreed. That match was terrible. Atlas Ortiz wasn't remotely impressive. And I HATE when guys debut without a finisher. That never makes any sense to me. The finisher is a vital part of every wrestler and to send someone out there without one, where he has to resort to a quick pin combo to barely beat one of the company's curtain jerkers, is stupid booking. Doesn't make anyone look good.
Atlas Ortiz had one of the lamest debuts in history. His first TV appearance was standing around the GM's office. "Oh, this guy? He's our new Superstar."
There was a moment, a fleeting moment, during the opening promo when Henry told Dreamer that Delaney was getting the shot, that I thought, "Whoa, Tommy might turn heel out of jealousy." Or help Delaney beat Henry and then turn on him because it would be infinitely easier to take the ECW Title from Colin Delaney than Mark Henry. Nope. Same old boring ass ECW.
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoOrtiz vs Estrada. I thought it was a good match.
insane
Estrada ran his mouth the whole match! How is that not entertaining?
I've always enjoyed guys that do that whether it's Bubu, D'Lo or even Owen Hart yelling at the crowd. It probably doesn't matter who Estrada was wrestling I probably would have been entertained, so yeah, I'll concede the fact that it was a good match, but I was still entertained by it.
Hopefully with this version of the "Superstar Initiative" we'll get some debuts of more common faces, like Ron Killings, Chris Harris and even D-Lo Brown. Any one of those guys would make for a fun match-up with Matt Hardy.
Originally posted by Dexley's Midnight JoggerHopefully with this version of the "Superstar Initiative" we'll get some debuts of more common faces, like Ron Killings, Chris Harris and even D-Lo Brown. Any one of those guys would make for a fun match-up with Matt Hardy.
Who came out of Teddy's SD! New Talent Initiative? The Boogeyman right? A Google search says Sylvester Terkay (w/Elijah Burke) and reminds me of the existence of Palmer Cannon. Anyone else? Was Kennedy part of that?
I remember Boogeyman, Matt Hardy, and Super Porky & the MINIS being part of the New Talent Initiative. I wonder if Palmer Canon works for MyNetworkTV now.
Originally posted by JustinShapiroI remember Boogeyman, Matt Hardy, and Super Porky & the MINIS being part of the New Talent Initiative. I wonder if Palmer Canon works for MyNetworkTV now.
Originally posted by JustinShapiroI remember Boogeyman, Matt Hardy, and Super Porky & the MINIS being part of the New Talent Initiative. I wonder if Palmer Canon works for MyNetworkTV now.
I think The Dicks were also part of the NTI.
oh, I already mentioned Matt Hardy and the Boogeyman, haha GET IT COLE?
Well put. I thought Hogan's pop was huge, but them when Rock came out I was like "Now, THAT'S a pop." Kinda showed Hogan that he's not "the man" when it comes to the fans anymore.