ECW On Sci Fi – May 6, 2008 (100th Episode): Did You Just Say Have Mercy?
ECW On Sci Fi
Date: May 6, 2008
Location: Labatt Center, London, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 6,000
Commentators: Mike Adamle, Tazz
It’s a special night as this is the 100th episode of ECW. That is quite the accomplishment, especially given how messy the early days were around here. The big story continues to be Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero, because that feud just can’t end already. Other than that, hopefully we get another big time story around here. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
We open with a look at ECW over the last nearly two years, some of which is rather good. There are some not so great moments in there either, but given what kind of resources they had, they did pretty well.
Opening sequence.
Mike Adamle is brought to the ring to start for an explanation if why he walked out last week (with Tazz saying he walked out in support of Adamle). Adamle apologizes to the fans but says he’s been a broadcaster longer than most of them have been alive. He played in the NFL and covered it for seven years, in addition to covering the Olympics. The truth is he had no idea it is to do this job though and how great the fans are. Yes he has made mistakes, but he loves working here and he is going to get better. That explains last week a bit, but hopefully they don’t try to turn this into an angle.
Tommy Dreamer vs. Mike Knox
Extreme Rules and Stevie Richards is on commentary. Knox goes after him to start but they head outside where Dreamer can send him into the steps. It’s time to bring in the weapons though and Knox smashes him in the back with a cookie sheet. A hockey stick is loaded up but Dreamer dropkicks the trashcan into Knox and takes it away.
Back in and Dreamer hits him with various wooden objects before tying Knox in the Tree of Woe. That means a dropkick to drive the shopping cart into the trashcan into Knox, but instead of covering, it’s time for a table. The bulldog through the table is countered though and Knox suplexes him through it for two instead. A chair is brought in and Knox hits the spinning Downward Spiral onto said chair to finish Dreamer.
Rating: C+. You had to have this kind of a match on here somewhere and Dreamer losing is a fine enough way to go. Knox still isn’t really interesting in any way but at least they kept it relatively short and got some violence in there. Richards didn’t really add anything, but I wonder if he is there to take some pressure off of Adamle.
We look at the Zombie on the debut episode and getting wrecked by the Sandman. I’m still not sure if that’s hilariously stupid or stupidly hilarious.
We get the return of Kelly’s Expose until Layla interferes and dances as well. Catfighting ensues and referees break it up.
We look at the Hardcore Holly vs. Rob Van Dam Extreme Rules match and the ghastly cut on Holly’s back after going through a table.
We look at Roddy Piper and Boogeyman abusing Matt Striker on his birthday.
Chuck Palumbo says he attacked CM Punk because he got in Palumbo’s face. Don’t do that again.
Kofi Kingston vs. Matt Striker
Shelton Benjamin is on commentary. Striker knocks him down to start but Kofi is back with a heck of a dropkick. Trouble In Paradise finishes Striker in about a minute.
Post match Benjamin comes in and lays Kingston out with a jumping Downward Spiral.
CM Punk and a bunch of other ECW stars give Colin Delaney a pep clap on the way to the ring.
We look at the New Breed beating the ECW Originals in an Extreme Rules match. That wasn’t the worst story actually.
Colin Delaney vs. Armando Estrada
If Delaney wins, he gets a contract. We see Estrada without a shirt for the first time and it turns out that he’s in incredible shape. Delaney tries a rollup to start but gets blasts with a clothesline for his efforts. A beal sets up an armbar as this is getting one sided in a hurry. Back up and Delaney hits a dropkick but gets sent out to the apron. Delaney slides back in though and a sunset flip (Is it still a sunset flip if he doesn’t actually flip?) pins Estrada to give Delaney the contract in a huge upset.
Post match Delaney thanks everyone for helping him get here, including Tommy Dreamer and all of his doubters.
CM Punk/Kane vs. Bam Neely/Chavo Guerrero
Miz and John Morrison are on commentary, with Miz giving Tazz a Chick Magnet shirt. Neely goes for Kane’s leg to start and gets punched in the face for his efforts. Punk comes in with a slingshot hilo for two as Morrison lists of the things he hates about Punk (Morrison: “His tights, his kickpads.”) in quite the rant. It’s off to Chavo, who slips out of a double underhook and brings Punk into the wrong corner. Punk is fine enough to send Chavo to the floor (Punk: “YOU ALMOST WENT SPLAT!”) and we take a break.
Back with Punk being sent into the corner so Neely can slowly forearm away. As Miz and Morrison needle Adamle (who doesn’t seem happy), Chavo comes in and gets punched out of the corner. Chavo pulls Punk back down into a chinlock before it’s back to Neely for a belly to back suplex. Miz and Tazz argue a bit as well as Chavo slingshots in with a knee to the chest.
Punk finally kicks Neely away (Adamle: “Have mercy!” Morrison: “Did you just say ‘have mercy’?”), allowing the tag to Kane. House is cleaned and Neely is sent outside, leaving Kane to hit the top rope clothesline on Chavo. Kane seems to bang up his knee though and it’s back to Punk for the knees to Chavo’s chest. Another knee rocks Chavo again as everything breaks down. Kane kicks Neely outside and the GTS finishes Chavo.
Rating: C+. As has been the case for a long time now, there isn’t much of a way around it: Chavo Guerrero isn’t very interesting as a main event level star. The other big problem is Neely, who is as generic of an enforcer as you can get. The fact that he is also a glorified punching bag doesn’t help either. Kane and Punk winning was the fool good ending, but I can’t imagine Chavo and Neely being seen as a serious threat to them anyway.
Miz and Morrison hold up the titles at Kane and Punk to end the show.
Overall Rating: C+. The 100th episode deal and the special clips were kind of nice, but other than that, the Delaney win was the only thing that mattered here. Starting the show with the Adamle promo didn’t help things, and it just wasn’t that interesting of a show. The action was good enough and the show was fine, but you have to remember how little most of this matters. It isn’t a bad show (as is the case a lot of the time), but it isn’t important, and that becomes a problem over time.
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What exactly was the point of that Mike Adamle walk-out angle? To draw attention to his horrible announcing skills? All these years later, and I still can’t figure that one out.
From what I’ve heard (mainly from Bruce Prichard), Adamle was getting mad and walked out in frustration. They tried to turn it into an angle and Vince decided it was dumb and dropped it quickly.
Was Bam Neely the worst enforcer/bodyguard/muscle/etc. you have ever seen in pro wrestling? In his short time in the WWE as Chavo Guerrero’s heavy, I don’t remember him ever winning a match.
Jackson Andrews.
Who is Jackson Andrews you may ask?
Exactly.