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OVW REPORT: OHIO VALLEY KICKS OFF 2007: CHET THE JETT, PAUL BURCHALL, SETH SKYFIRE, OVW DIVAS & MORE

When we last left OVW Wrestling at the end of 2006 (or for those of you following the recaps, yesterday), Cody Runnels and Shawn Spears had regained the OVW Southern Tag Team belts from the Untouchables; Katie Lea had been crowned the undisputed Women's champion and Paul Burchall had decimated a tired and injured Chet the Jett to steal the OVW championship.

On 1/6/07, Ohio Valley Wrestling returned from their winter break...

Backstage, we see new OVW champion Paul Burchall enter the Davis Arena, walking past Charles "The Hammer" Evans (heel member of Bolin Services). Evans sneers at Burchall and congratulates him. Burchall blows him off and heads down the locker room hallway. He and Boris Alexiev meet face to face. Alexiev looks at Burchall's title and Burchall gets in his face and says, "Anytime". He turns away as we hear a scream. A drunken Jack Bull is thrown out of the women's locker room. He tries to hug Burchall, who tells him to get out of his way. Burchall reaches the locker room door. Steve Lewington, a clean cut babyface British wrestler congratulates Burchall and says that he thought he'd always be the first Brit to hold the title, but it's Burchall. He tells Burchall he'll be second. Burchall looks at him and says, "Let me tell you about England. When it comes to England, you're Elton John. Me? I'm Jack the Ripper." He slams the door in Lewington's face. Burchall's facials as a heel are improving.

OVW has a new theme and opening this week with lots of crazy spots, culminating with a shot of Burchall as champion. Dean Hill and Kenny Bolin preview the episode, noting that Chet the Jett has recovered from his injuries during the break and that Spears and Runnels will face off with Bolin's team of Charles Evans and Justin "The Ox" Laroche.

Boris Alexiev vs. Jason Bates

Another squash. Bates tried to block himself but Alexiev faked him out then hit his signature kick to the chest, sending Bates backwards over the top to the floor. Bates tried to hit several shots but they were blocked and Alexiev hit several kicks. He goes for the Riddle of Steel but Bates grabbed the ropes, realizing what was coming. Alexiev finally locked in and Bates immediately tapped out. Alexiev wins in another match designed to familiarize fans with Alexiev.

OVW TV champion Seth Skyfire is backstage and tells Danny Basham he wants a match with Eddie Kraven tonight after their recent issues. Basham says he's the Troubleshooter (think babyface Commissioner so to speak) and will take care of it. They go into the locker room, where Bad Company - Sean Osbourne, Mike Kruel, former WWE Diva Search contestant Milena Roucka, and Kraven - are. Osborne is playing blind man and swaying like Stevie Wonder as he's holding darts. He starts throwing the darts, complete with sound effects of a cat screaming and a window breaking. Slash of TNA fame walks through the screen with the darts sticking out of his back. That was funny. Skyfire challenges for a match. Osborne (cutting a promo while looking nowhere near Skyfire since he's 'blind') accepted the match saying they would put "Bad Company's best" against him.

Pat Buck vs. Chet the Jett

Johnny Punch and Melody are with Buck. Jett isn't wearing the tape around his shoulder as he's "recovered." Jett works over Buck with chops in each corner. The commentators spent a lot of time talking about Burchall stealing the OVW title. Buck comes back with series of forearms, but is kicked in the gut and held up for a delayed vertical suplex. Buck kicked out and rolled out of the ring. Buck and Punch tried to confer at ringside but Jett knocked their heads together. Melody tried to attack Jett but he grabbed her. Buck used the distraction to nail Jett from behind. They returned to the ring where Jett powerslammed Buck for the clean pin. Short but solid match designed to help rebuild Jett after losing the title last week. Buck is OK in his enhancement role as well.

We see the Wick's "Pizza Party Zone" winners.

OVW Troubleshooter Danny Basham is in the ring and requests that all the "OVW Divas" come to the ring. Basham shows more charisma here than he ever had the chance to show on the main roster. Out come ECW's Kelly Kelly, Beth Phoenix, Katie Lea, Melody, Victoria (an African-American female, not the former WWE Women's champion), Milena Roucka, and several others. Phoenix has a disgusted scowl on her face after losing last week. Basham said he wanted to thank each of them for taking the OVW Women's division to new heights that it's never had previously (partially since there was never a division before). He asked the fans to cheer for them. He noted that two "bogus" championships were introduced over the last several months, with that controversy ending in the ladder match between Phoenix and Lea. They showed several highlights from the match. Since Lea won the match, she is now the first officially recognized OVW Women's champion. She was presented with a brand new championship. Phoenix snatched the belt away and teased doing something dastardly, then presented it to Lea. Phoenix's facial expression here was genius. She then left the ring, leaving the other women to cheer for Lea.

Backstage, ECW's Ariel began laying out tarot cards in a darkened room illuminated by candles. She told someone off-screen what the cards showed for the past, present, and the future. She warned the person his egotistical, womanizing ways were leading him down a dark path and he would need to make amends personally and professionally with everyone he's wronged or there was no hope for redemption. It was Aaron "The Idol" Stevens (last seen as part of a tag team with KC James managed by Michelle McCool on Smackdown) who grunted with frustration over the whole thing. Dean Hill wondered what 2007 had in store for Stevens.

OVW Southern Tag Team champions Shawn Spears & Cody Runnels vs. Charles "The Hammer" Evans and Justin "The Ox" Laroche (Non-Title)

Runnels and Spears are big time babyfaces to the girls in the crowd. Bolin explained that Laroche and Evans joined forces instead of butting heads since they are the roughest in the locker room, then took credit for it. Evans seems further along inside the ring than Laroche. They both come across like two big bruisers, using power and size. Evans tries to corner Runnels who escapes and unleashes with a series of forearms and punches. Spears and Runnels hit several double team moves on Evans, but Evans grabs Spears and powers him into the corner. Laroche and Evans slowed the pace of the match down working on Spears. Runnels took a scary looking bump on his neck off a double clothesline. Evans cinched in a bearhug. Runnels used several elbows to break it and tried to jump over Evans to make the tag but was caught and pulled away. Spears finally made the hot tag in. Runnels began hitting punches identical to his father on Laroche. Runnels escaped a TKO and went for high cross bodyblock. Laroche caught him, but Runnels turned it into a crucifix for the pinfall. Match was nothing special, just sort of there as a way to give both teams ringtime.

OVW TV champion Seth Skyfire vs. Eddie Kraven (with Milena Roucka, Mike Kruel and Sean Osborne)

Skyfire is a babyface from Alabama. Bad Company are brazen, disrespectful smartass heels. Kraven takes control early. Osbourne "blindly" tried to trip Skyfire. Skyfire went after Bad Company outside but Kraven attacked him from behind. Back inside, Skyfire started making a comeback, but was trapped in an abdominal stretch. Skyfire hit a hurrancanrana for a near fall. Skyfire gets a nearfall with a bodypress off the ropes. Skyfire locked on a stretch of his own. He nails a monkey flip on Kraven. Kraven began focusing on Skyfire's midsection. Skyfire argued with Bad Company at ringside. Kraven charged but Skyfire backdropped him over the ropes, with Kraven landing on Kruel. Skyfire hit a dive out of the ring on Bad Company. Skyfire tossed Kraven into the ring and went to the top, but Milena tripped him. Skyfire took a bump to the floor as they went to commercial.

When they returned, Kraven continued to work over Skyfire. Kraven drilled Skyfire in the chest with a kick. Skyfire kicked out of several pin attempts. He cinched in another abdominal stretch and Skyfire fought hard to get out of it. Skyfire did a nice job with facials as he stretched for the ropes looking like he was imploring the crowd to help him.Skyfire escaped but was unable to build any momentum. Kraven continued to work over Skyfire. Skyfire was tossed to the floor. Bolin wondered if Skyfire was going to attack "these innocent young Christians." Kraven was unable to put away Skyfire, but kept working over the midsection.

Dean Hill doubted Osborne was really blind. Kenny Bolin retorted that Osborne couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat, he was so blind. Hill asked if Osborne would hit the ground if shoved out a window. Bolin responded, "You mean someone wants to push him out of a window?"

Kraven whipped Skyfire into the corner and charged but was kicked in the face. Skyfire made a big comeback, nailing a series of clotheslines and a backdrop. Skyfire hit a one-legged dropsault. He teased going to the top but Kraven caught him. Skyfire broke free and hit a spinkick off the ropes. Mike Kruel got on the apron but was dropkicked off. Skyfire went to rebound off the ropes but had his leg "hooked" with the cane that Osborne was wielding. Kraven covered Skyfire but he kicked out at two. Skyfire hit an enziguiri, then went after Osborne. Osborne cracked him in the head with the cane. Skyfire crumpled to the mat, where he was pinned. Eddie Kraven is the new OVW TV champion. Best match on the show with a nice story between Kraven and Skyfire.

Dean Hill and Kenny Bolin ran down everything that had happened this week before going to a music video highlighting OVW's 2006 including a lot of names that appeared during the year CM Punk, Boogeyman, Brent Albright, Jimmy Snuka, La Resistance, Spirit Squad, Ken Kennedy, Tommy Dreamer, Randy Orton, Dusty Rhodes, Jerry Lawler, and John Cena, among others. They stopped the video to show footage of Matt Cappoteli's farewell from the company to battle brain cancer, which was among the most emotional moments anywhere last year, before going back into clips of OVW title change highlights. Smartly, it all ended with a shot of Burchall holding the OVW title, reminding everyone who the main force in the company is at the start of the year.

Thoughts: The episode wasn't anything near the level of the final episode of 2006 but had the feel of a first chapter in a book. Whether it was the new OVW Women's belt, a new TV champion, a win for the Southern Tag champs or showing what a heel Paul Burchall was, this was all about establishing the personas as they head into their next storylines. It was neccesary to get to wherever the company is heading after climaxing so many top storylines during the previous episode. The music video at the end of the show was great, especially the classy touch of paying tribute to Cappotelli. All around solid show.

Another OVW TV review will appear each day until we are caught up with the company.

For more on Ohio Valley Wrestling, visit www.OVWrestling.com.

Mike Johnson can be reached at Mike@PWInsider.com.

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