ECW: A Load of Talent

Ben and I noted several days ago the fact that ECW is LOADED with talent. These three men, the face of ECW now, will be the face of WWE in the future: John Morrison, Elijah Burke, and (an Irish Whip favorite) CM Punk.

Let's take a look at each man one at a time:

John Morrison - Almost an impromptu ECW champ, Morrison has so far showed great skill in the ring (as he always has) and is getting major heat from the fans. He is clearly one of the most talented and unique wrestlers in the company, and WWE knows it. They gave him an extensive title run with MNM not to long ago, and also an Intercontinental Title run in which he feuded with Jeff Hardy.

I like the "Morrison" gimmick a lot better than the "Nitro" gimmick so far. It's a lot more believable than the whole A-lister thing. The only thing he needs to improve (that I can see) is his skill on the mic. It would help if he reacted to the fans a little more. Other than that, he's very entertaining and a lot of fun to watch.

Elijah Burke - Now here's a guy who has absolutely no issues on the mic. I would hope that he uses his catchphrases more often, though. Saying, "If Elijah said it, it must be true" at the end of his promos, as he has done before, really would make him stand out. His wrestling is also very entertaining to watch. The "Elijah Express" finisher might be holding him back, however. It's unique move, but not a very decisive one, if you know what I'm saying.

CM Punk - In the opinion of The Irish Whip, CM Punk has the most talent and potential on the ECW roster. His wrestling is top-notch. If you don't think he can wrestle, then watch some of his Ring of Honor matches and get back to me. Since joining WWE he has had to adapt to the more formulaic wrestling style that is used within the company, which he has done without making his matches predictable in the least bit. He has put on some AWESOME main event matches in ECW now, the best being this one.

He is also great on the mic. He hasn't really had the opportunity to show this on ECW yet. The only real promos he has delivered were before he was even wrestling on the show when it first began last year. When WWE decides to push him to the top, they will then put him on the mic and I'll be willing to bet that the fans will eat him up. Keep in mind, Punk has only been on television for a little less than a year. As much as I think he should be ECW champion, it would seem inconsistent and irrational for WWE to give an up-and-coming wrestler a world title within his first year of working for the company. So I'll be patient.

These three men all have tremendous wrestling skills, are good on the mic, and have great gimmicks that help them connect with the fans. As a result, ECW just might have become WWE's most enjoyable show. You don't have to deal with all of the hype and promos that you'll find on RAW, and you don't have to deal with the Smackdown-ness that you'll find on Smackdown. It's a very enjoyable hour of television.

Now I know that there are some CM Punk haters out there. And I know that there are people that have things to contribute here. Slap a comment on the board.

Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip