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

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ECW Poised To Reach The Top

For the first time in the short history of ECW under the jurisdiction of the WWE, they have a product worth writing home about. This occurred after two key things happened -- the ECW made out like bandits in the draft, and the talent they already had really hit their stride (see Punk, pictured left). The draft got rid of all the boring muscle heads (Lashley and Snitsky) and ushered in athletic guys willing to take bumps (Nitro and Benoit).

When ECW lost a wrestler in the draft, they somehow gained. When they drafted someone new, the re-developed and most likely saved their show. All the ECW criticism has stopped (for now) and smarks and marks alike watch to see what the creative team will do with this new influx. The WWE would be hard pressed to ask for more. Meanwhile, guys like CM Punk and Elijah Burke (pictured) have been improving on a weekly basis while perfecting one of the only watchable feuds in the business.

These two pieces of good fortune have left ECW with the tried and true formula to a solid show in the WWE. The first piece of a great show is a combination of old and new guys. Benoit (pictured) and Punk provide a nice juxtaposition and its fun to see three suplexes in a row (something we've seen for years) go up against some of Punk's new and innovative moves.

Next, and most obviously, the show needs great A wrestlers. ECW used to consist of guys that would be B wrestlers on any other show, but with the recent prominence of Punk, Burke, and Cor Von along with the dismissal of those who suck (Striker, Knox), the tide has turned in the favor of this extreme brand. The B's have become the A's and are now being complimented by Benoit and Nitro (pictured), two guys who have been A's on other shows all along. Juggling all this talent is one of those problems that's good to have.

Finally, the show should have enough B wrestlers to carry the lulls in the program. I find that gimmicked wrestlers usually fit this bill perfectly, and so the addition of The Boogeyman was a wise one. Viscera and The Miz were also made for the role, and they'll do a great job in filling it. I've given up hope that the originals will make a full comeback in ECW, but I'd rather see them as B wrestlers than not wrestling at all. With all this talent (see Cor Von, pictured) loaded on the new ECW, they'll have no problem filling a show now.

Some would say that a tag team division is needed for success, but patchwork teams of the 90s (see Undertaker and Austin) along with the recent popularity of two singles feuds being combined into a match (see last week's SMACKDOWN main event), it's becoming less necessary to have an impressive division. I'm aware that not only does ECW not have an impressive division and that they don't have one at all, but I believe that the perfect storm forming from the other three factors will be enough to make ratings good and matches great.

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RAW Reaction/ECW Preview

I thought that RAW was relatively uneventful, with many wrestlers settling into their new roles as the show continued to sort out details from last week. A three hour special to delve deeper into the death of Vince McMahon was announced for next week -- could a three hour show be something the WWE is moving towards? It seems possible, as they had no trouble filling the time slot last week. More time on the air means more advertisers.

As for the show, I'll just run through Drew's predictions. You can go to our news feed pae to get more in-depth summaries where they tell you the technical name of the headlock Booker T put on John Cena.

Drew predicted a London and Kendrick win over Benjamin and Haas...check.
Drew predicted that Jillian Hall and Mickie James would be in action...check.
Drew predicted that Mr. Kennedy would cut an awesome promo...check.
Drew predicted that the WWE would emphasize a "whodunit" storyline...check.

Tomorrow night's ECW appears to be light-years ahead of anything we've seen since the WWE brought the show back to cable television. It will feature a match between CM Punk and Marcus Cor Von along with one between Chris Benoit and Elijah Burke with the winners squaring off for the recently-vacated title. Now, if only the matches were under hardcore rules...

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Who Will Move in the WWE Draft?

As Shane McMahon announced last night, WWE will hold a tri-branded draft on RAW in two weeks. The probable reason for this is that the recent spike of main-event injuries within the WWE makes a redistribution of talent necessary. So who will go where? Here are some preliminary predictions, but keep in mind that we still don't know how many wrestlers will be taken by each brand.

RAW receives:
Chris Benoit - This has been rumored for a long time, so it's about time that it happens. It especially makes sense since Benoit is just coming off a feud with MVP.
William Regal - It has also been reported that Regal has requested a switch to RAW for a big heel push. It finally happens.

Smackdown receives:
Carlito - Smackdown is a little heavy on heels already, but I think Carlito is on the move.
Cryme Tyme - They're going nowhere on RAW...why not move them?

ECW receives:
World's Greatest Tag Team - One Night Stand will be a preview of Haas and Benjamin in ECW.
Super Crazy - An ECW original, his push on RAW has all but disappeared. He would be great on ECW.

Ok...if the purpose of this draft is to move more star power to RAW, then why is it that the only big star they are receiving is Chris Benoit? It may not be the case - it all depends on what direction WWE wants to take with ECW. They have guys that would be great on RAW: Bobby Lashley, CM Punk, and Elijah Burke. One possibility is that Lashley goes to RAW while Punk feuds with Snitsky for the ECW championship.

Of course, these predictions are not official (those will come later), but it's a general direction that I think WWE will take. It also starts a discussion on what roster changes would be best for the company...give me your thoughts!

- Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip

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ECW Results

I must say, not a bad ECW tonight. The two tag teams of RVD/Punk and Burke/Cor Von were nothing short of brilliant and I'd even go as far to say that the ECW tag division, if these teams are kept intact, rivals that of RAW or SMACKDOWN.

Dreamer put up a decent fight but it was still disheartening to see one of my favorite Legends being squashed by Snitsky. I'm tired of seeing Snitsky run through people as though he were talented. Does everyone remember that just a few months ago, he was teaming with Goldust on Heat? After the departure of Goldust, he was..."promoted"...to a jobber on RAW. And now he's ripping through ECW originals and priming himself for a title feud with Bobby Lashley? I just don't see it.

Next was the Kevin Thorn match. I know they're doing this whole post-Ariel angle, but isn't he a little bit too untalented to be winning squash matches? Even if the man can wrestle, and I'm not really sure if he can, squashes should be reserved for the huge and menacing, not just those receiving a push.

I actually enjoyed the Matt Striker match. I thought that Striker and whichever Major brother it was put on a really good match. They seemed to match up well and each used a move that I haven't seen in some time. I doubt they'll turn this into a feud, but it's still nice to know that the ECW execs are capable of solid mid-card programming. It says good things about this year's One Night Stand.

The main event was more or less a singles match between Elijah Burke and RVD. Not that I'm complaining...both were awesome and it makes me even more upset that RVD is leaving. If Burke was willing to do some work under extreme rules (and I don't see why he wouldn't), these two could have an amazing feud reminiscent of old ECW. Unfortunately, the match ended in a DQ for Cor Von not being the legal man. For all the trouble Burke gave Striker earlier regarding winning his match, Elijah didn't seem to be upset at all over the New Breed's loss. If you consider Striker a New Breed member but not Thorn, the stable still went 1-1 on the night, with the loss being a major moral victory.

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Judgment Day Results/RAW Predictions

Let's check in and see both what happened and how Drew did in picking the outcomes:

Carlito vs. Ric Flair
Ric Flair wins with a clean submission due to Figure Four Leglock.
Drew's pick: Ric Flair
Winner: Ric Flair (1-0)

Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton
Randy Orton wins due to Michaels being unable to compete.
Drew's pick: HBK
Winner: Randy Orton (1-1)

Elijah Burke vs. CM Punk
CM Punk wins by pinfall following a kick to the stomach.
Drew's pick: Elijah Burke
Winner: CM Punk (1-2)

Chris Benoit vs. MVP for the United States Championship
MVP wins U.S. Championship following two straight pinfalls.
Drew's pick: MVP
Winner: MVP (2-2)

Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Umaga vs. Bobby Lashley for the ECW Championship
Bobby Lashley wins match by pinning Shane McMahon; however, does not recover belt as McMahon was not covered.
Drew's pick: Bobby Lashley
Winner: Bobby Lashley (3-2)

Edge vs. Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship
Edge wins match via roll-up pin.
Drew's pick: Edge
Winner: Edge (4-2)

John Cena vs. The Great Khali for the WWE Championship
John Cena forces The Great Khali to tap from the STFU.
Drew's pick: John Cena
Winner: John Cena (5-2)


Drew finishes off the night with an impressive 5-2 record. Although Drew wasn't able to comment on the "match" between the Hardyz and Cade/Murdoch, I can assure you that our favorite North Carolinian would have chosen Jeff and Matt, thus making Drew's record for the evening a stellar 6-2.

Some of Drew's best calls include the MVP-Benoit match, where MVP won in two straight falls, and the Cena-Khali match, where Khali was forced to tap. As far as the former is concerned, it was a significant outcome due to the fact that we are trained to expect 2 out of 3 falls matches to reach that last match. I can't tell you the last time it didn't go to the third. I think...the Mick Foley/Ric Flair match last year? Maybe. Either way, in addition to proving Drew correct, this win really puts MVP on center stage and fuels this feud for some great matches in the future. Don't forget, MVP was trained by Chris Benoit. These guys really know how to put it on.

As far as the Khali match, Drew was dead on about it being used as a tool to get Cena over. The WWE is hyping this submission like it's Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant or Barry Horowitz finally winning a match (extra points if you know who Horowitz is). Again, that STFU proves to be the most formidable submission in all of wrestling. And it's put on so cleanly each time!

No real disappointments for Drew here. Burke/Punk was a toss up by definition and news of the Michaels injury came after Drew posted. The idea that the WWE would use Orton's match to punish him seemed dead-on to me.

So this brings us to the second portion of tonight's post: tomorrow's RAW.

Since many of the matches weren't from the RAW brand, this PPV of very little consequence has almost no bearing on RAW tomorrow. After all, the only title change was from the SMACKDOWN show. Obviously, Cena will do a promo about how great he is, and someone will need to disagree in order to create a feud for the summer. It obviously won't be Michaels, due to the injury. Expect to see Orton "injure" him tomorrow night. Triple H won't be back in time, so he's out. I think the fans spoke loudly about The Great Khali, so I'm praying we've seen the last of him and he'll go play with Mark Henry or someone else. If all my calculations are right, this leaves us with Randy Orton? No way the WWE would reward him with a title opportunity, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say that (if not tomorrow, then soon) we will be seeing an episode of RAW is JERICHO very soon. After all, Cena was better as a heel, and who do the fans like better than Y2J? Maybe The Rock, but my point is, the list is short. Watch out for Jericho's return in the following weeks.

This is the part where I'd make some comments about the Intercontinental belt, but there wasn't a match for it tonight. Maybe I'd choose to go on to the Tag Team belts, but really, am I going to sit here and discuss Cade and Murdoch with you, our fine readers? Please, I'd rather sleep with Mae Young. Okay, well maybe not that... Unfortunately, wrestling fans, it looks as though the Heavyweight title is going to be the only subject of importance as we roll into a few more meaningless PPVs, culminating with Summerslam in August.

With little else to talk about and someone named Timbaland performing a new song on RAW tomorrow night, I'd like to make a little prediction of my own: RAW WILL SUCK.

Instead of watching, why not spend your night commenting on my hilarious Ahmed Johnson post which only took a little over and hour to finish, just so no one could read it. I'm not bitter, though...

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Judgment Day Predictions!

FIRST AND FOREMOST: Take a look at the Judgment Day poster on the right. Kane is featured on it, yet Kane is not even booked for a match on this PPV - will he make some sort of impact? Keep an eye out for that.

Let the predictions begin! Let's go on down the card:

Carlito vs. Ric Flair
This is a cool feud. I think Ric Flair will eventually want to put Carlito over, but I also think that they'll want to drag out the feud beyond this PPV.
Winner: Ric Flair

Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton
We've heard rumors that HBK and Cena will be holding a feud this summer, which leads me to believe that HBK will pick up the win here. This might also be a good way for WWE to punish Orton for his recent actions.
Winner: HBK

Elijah Burke vs. CM Punk
I was going to pick Punk, but then I realized that there's no way for him to move up in ECW with Lashley vs. Snitsky being the next championship feud. This leads me to believe that the Burke vs. Punk feud will continue, and it's fine by me. Through some cheap method (maybe interference from Cor Von?)...
Winner: Elijah Burke

Chris Benoit vs. MVP for the United States Championship
So I've picked MVP to beat Benoit for the past two PPVs...I'll pick him again. He and Benoit put on AWESOME matches and I think the feud will continue.
Winner: MVP

Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Umaga vs. Bobby Lashley for the ECW Championship
This is the match that will put Bobby Lashley over...I'm not sure how well a feud with Snitsky will follow this.
Winner: Bobby Lashley

Edge vs. Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship
If WWE wanted Batista to be the World Heavyweight Champion then they would have had him beat Taker in that cage match. I think Batista will be feuding with Mark Henry anyway while Edge feuds with...Matt Hardy.
Winner: Edge

John Cena vs. The Great Khali for the WWE Championship
This one is actually very tough to call. I think that the purpose of this feud is to try to get Cena over to the point where he's not booed anymore, so if Cena lost and then won it back in the next couple of months then that might really put him over. Yet I've learned...never bet against Vince's guys. (Also: look for some interference from HBK to help Cena pull out the victory)
Winner: John Cena

That's the card! Post your responses, especially your disagreements. I'll post a follow-up to the PPV to see how I did.

Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip

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The Next Big Thing: Elijah Burke

It flows so beautifully: The Elijah Experience. Simple alliteration that tells everything a viewer needs to know. His name is Elijah and you are ready for a show. Self-indulgent slogans like this are soaked with arrogance, something the leader of the New Breed has plenty of.

Since the WWE canned tag team partner Sylvester Terkay, Elijah Burke has flourished and shown that he has what it takes to be the next great menacing heel. It all began when he got the ultimate heel rub when he was introduced by one Vincent Kennedy McMahon as the future of the company. Doesn't get much better than that. What followed proved Burke's potential.

He stood alongside the biggest, most powerful name in the industry, and candidly cut a promo with McMahon. He was still a new face. Not many viewers knew much about him. But we were sold. He didn't look at all out of place. Without missing a beat, Burke has established himself as one of the most important pieces of the ECW product. Hardly an "Extremist," Burke is a throw-back with an up-to-date flair.

He has perfected the pompous jerk promo. He knows how to pull at the crowd and his timing is impeccable. His smug, good looks and stylish braids portray his character perfectly. His physique is hardly juiced. Instead, he looks like a pure athlete, one that has busted his butt in the weight room to prove to the world why he is better than everybody else.

As the leader of the New Breed, he is the centerpiece of ECW's only hot angle. (I do not count Lashley against Umaga as an ECW angle.) This feud was a necessity to the show. Everybody knew it was coming. Anybody could write the storyline. New Skool vs. Old School. It's simple. The question mark was whether or not there were the proper characters in place to carry out the mission.

The Originals have been less than impressive. Dreamer has never appealed to me. Sandman, while he may have had the character earlier, is a poor-man's Stone Cold. Van Dam and Sabu are great in ring performers but when asked to cut a promo they fall short.

The New Breed has all the mic skills needed between Burke and Matt Striker, but Burke has taken the lead. Burke's recent interactions with C.M. Punk have been fantastic. These two, if given the opportunity, have the potential to be exactly what WWE needs. They are young and talented in the ring with great charisma. Punk will surely align himself with the Originals, sparking a feud between himself and Burke through the summer, which could be the first of a lineage of great battles between the pair.

Article written by Joe W., Article edited by Benjamin Zeidler

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WWE's Future Superstars: My Top Ten List

WWE’s Future Superstars: My Top Ten List

Firstly, I would like to say that I sincerely believe that WWE will be as big a part of pop culture as they were during the Attitude Era within the next few years. They have some stars on their way up who are great wrestlers but also more importantly have great gimmicks and mic skills.

Who will be the top ten WWE superstars in five years? Here they are:

1. Mr. Kennedy– I honestly think he will be the face of WWE in five years. I can only imagine what the hallways of middle schools will sound like with so many kids yelling, “Mistaaaaaa Kennedy! Kennedy!”
2. Edge – He is clearly a fantastic heel and a great wrestler. He’ll be around.
3. Randy Orton – I would say that he’s still “on his way up.” He’s almost at the top…look for the Legend Killer to be WWE champ again soon.
4. Rey Mysterio – I almost forgot to put him on the list. He is apparently set for a huge push upon return from his injury, and WWE never forgets that a huge amount of its fans are Hispanic…and they love Rey!
5. CM Punk – This straight-edge Ring of Honor product has certainly paid his dues and he is probably the best pure wrestler on this list (seriously). He is already hugely popular as well, and look for him to work with…
6. Colt Cabana – Also a product of Ring of Honor, Cabana has the same amount of charisma that CM Punk displays, if not more. He just recently signed a developmental deal but I would expect him to be a star soon.
7. Elijah Burke – Unlike another writer for our blog (Jared), I think that Burke has a ton of potential. “If Elijah said it, it must be true” – what a great line.
8. Bobby Lashley – I’m very saddened to say, as I’m clearly not a fan of Lashley. But he is currently the (somewhat unworthy) recipient of a MASSIVE push that should keep him around for years.
9. MVP – Great on the mic, a great wrestler (as seen with Benoit), great gimmick. He, Kennedy, Benoit, and Taker are my reasons to watch Smackdown.
10. Johnny Nitro – Awesome to watch in the ring and a great heel. He and Melina could be similar to how Edge and Lita were.

Now, this isn’t to say that guys like HHH and HBK won’t be around, of course. They’ll still be main event guys, how could they not be? However, it would not surprise me at all to see Cena booed out of wrestling and into a full-time acting career. I also think that Batista will be more or less phased out.

It was also difficult for me to not include Carlito and Shelton Benjamin on this list, but due to their supposed “attitude problems” they are at a disadvantage.

Post responses / correct me. Tell me what you think. Did I seem to forget anybody?

Drew Arnold, writing for The Irish Whip

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ECW: Where it goes from here

The new ECW didn't turn out like any of us wanted it to, did it? I always see it referred to as "ECWWE," which I don't have a problem with. But now we have Bobby Lashley as champ; WWE wants him as one of the main players in the company, so there is no chance that they would let him lose his title (clean) in ECW. Where do they go from here?

Here’s a prediction: Right now, the storyline with Bobby Lashley is that McMahon will try to make his life a living hell. At some point over the next several weeks, McMahon will somehow cause Lashley to lose his ECW title, after which Lashley to move to RAW to continue his feud with McMahon. This will put what WWE sees as their top rising star onto their top show.

Lashley will leave ECW, there is no question about it. WWE has already made it clear that nobody will challenge Lashley there. So, once Lashley leaves, what direction does ECW take? That depends on one man…ROB VAN DAM.

I would look for RVD to be the ECW champ, especially if his contract negotiations continue to drag out before it finally expires at the end of the summer. I would look for this: McMahon drops Lashley’s belt to Elijah Burke, who then feuds with RVD and drops it to him. One Night Stand is coming up, that would be the perfect place for one of the title changes.

Now, there is always the possibility of RVD leaving WWE, and what happens then? CM Punk. A Punk-Burke feud would be awesome to see. CM Punk is my favorite wrestler in ECW, I hope they push him like he deserves.

The only thing that can get in the way of these plans is…Snitsky. And that would be awful to see him as ECW’s champ.

Post your thoughts…

Drew Arnold writing for The Irish Whip

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