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WWE SMACKDOWN/ECW IN UPPER MARLBORO LIVE REPORT AND THOUGHTS

The arena held 4500 max, and there was so much seating available, the family next to me in row 2 moved up to row 1. It let some kids move up to row 2 where I was (opposite the entranceway), luckily only 2 because when the group arrived that filled out the rest of the row, they had so many kids they wanted me to move down, out of my paid for seat. The kids play a role later in the story. Merchandise-wise, very bereft of SD/ECW merch...they had some Rey stuff and a Taker shirt, but also were selling the John Deere Cena stuff, Triple H Eversoris, etc. Nothing over an XL either.

The battle royal for the IC title shot: had the Hart Dynasty, Mike Knox, Eric Escobar, Drew McIntyre, Cryme Tyme, Khali, R-Truth, and Kane. I was surprised to see Khali there because last I heard, he was in India rehabbing. It basically came down to McIntyre, Khali, and Kane, and he slipped in the ring (after being knocked out the bottom rope) to toss them both when they were against the ropes.

Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James: Beth looked like she was having fun. The crowd booed Chimel when he didn't give out Mickie's hat to anyone. It was a decent match, and the finish (Beth tilt-a-whirling Mickie and Mickie getting her MickDT) made more sense than where she basically gets lifted by her opponent to do the move.

Tiffany made an appearance to ask a trivia question, and the family who got it right got moved from the bowl to the first row. Cool move to give more kids a chance at ringside.

Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth: Dolph did some mike work prior to the match, R-Truth kept "what's up"ping him. It was a good match. R-Truth was the first guy to really go around and slap hands with the fans besides at the entrance way.

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Vladamir Koslov: How the mighty have fallen...from World title matches with Undertaker to jobbing to Tatsu. A few folks tried some "USA" chants but of course, neither guy was representing the USA!

Somewhere in here, Chimel brought a couple of kids in to model and toss out Rey and WWE tour t-shirts. He also pushed a limited picture of Rey that he said Rey signed "earlier today" (I thought it was BS, wasn't Rey supposed to be out selling his beating/getting knee surgery? Well...) He gave each kid one of the signed pictures...and one kid tossed it to the crowd! Oops...guess he thought he had to distribute it too. Hopefully WWE gave him another one...

Hart Dynasty vs. Cryme Tyme: I was surprised to see Maria...I guess she either got a break from doing the Apprentice or she's done with it. Natalya is a freakin' heat magnet and a lesson as to what a good manager should do...she was encouraging her guys and interacting with fans ringside, telling them to zip it. One guy told her that her dad looked better in pink. (I just wish I'd worn my Hitman shirt that I wore to Survivor Series...alas, laundry day is tomorrow.) Based on how things had been going I expected Shad to job, but he got the pin on Tyson with the STO (he didn't get the leg hooked, but he caught Tyson springing in). The ref was caught up with Maria and Natalya going at it a bit.

CM Punk vs. Matt Hardy: Punk came to the ring wearing Beth's headband (she lost it during her match, but got it back before leaving), went around ringside and got in people's faces, wouldn't slap hands, then backflipped into the ring the way Beth does. He got some mike work in, having the utterly perfect town name (Upper Marlboro) to work with for an anti-smoking riff. Matt noted on his Twitter that he started up that morning from NC to come to the show, and got caught in traffic, to where he said he literally got to the building, dressed, and was out for the match without any prep...if so, the man's a pro because he didn't show it at all. (I feel for him, he drove right by where he's got to go for tomorrow, then if he's going to Iraq we were right down the road from Andrews AFB where they're probably leaving from.) Punk teased the GTS but got Twisted. Afterwards he laid in the ring for awhile...I yelled a suggestion to get him a Pepsi (the soda of choice at this arena).

So this is intermission, and this is where the kids really came into play. Because it's a house show, security was a lot more lax about letting kids come up to the railing to try and get a handslap from a wrestler...I had to shift a few times for the kids in my row to get in and out. Security was good about getting the kids to go back to their seats when matches started. Well the guy who moved up with his wife and kid to row 1 was coming back to his seat when the kids were mulling, and was getting pissy that they were in his way to his seat and around his seat. He got into a bit of a shouting match with an older kid (didn't look like a parent) about how it was his seat (which it wasn't, the security dude was kind enough to let him take it). Security talked the guy down, but between that and his kid losing it a bit (his first show, he's up real close, his dad yelled at him a bit...he'd had at least one Bud, maybe Punk has a point?), the wife decided they should leave. At which point the security guard let me and the two kids move up to row 1! Some other folks got to fill into our seats. The guard and I chatted, he knew I was cool with the kids as long as they didn't trample me or get in MY way of getting a handslap.

So back from the break, it's Drew McIntyre and John Morrison for the IC title. McIntry did some mike work, then came over to our section with the kids and moved the security rail back towards me, then yelled at our security guy that if we kept bugging him, McIntyre would punch out the security guy. I was soooo hoping they'd play that up after the match, the guard looked like he wanted to be part of the action (in a good way). Morrison was over big and interacted with the fans nicely. Finish was Morrison going up for something, McIntyre shoved him off and he did a nice Steamboat-esque rail bump, then McIntyre beat him into the ring for a countout win...the only heel win of the night. Morrison did get his heat back with the Flying Chuck and Starship Pain to keep the crowd happy.

ECW title match: The crowd booed Ezekial, so I guess not a lot of ECW watchers...technically it was three faces and Regal. Christian did some boo/yay pointing between him and Regal, then got Goldust in for a three-way boo/yay/yay fest (pay attention or you boo the wrong guy!) - poor Ezekial only got pointed at once and booed. A lot of the standard two in, two out stuff, though they did a nice Tower of Doom spot at one stage with all but Regal. The crowd chanted USA, so I chanted Canada to support Christian. Christian got the Killswitch on Regal, then afterwards they tried to sell Ezekial as a face by having him nail Regal with the uranage...didn't really work though.

Main event time...I was expecting maybe Kane and Batista, but Jericho showed up and made my day. He heeled us all, of course, but a few of us were Jericholics. Based on everything, I had this glimmer of hope that Undertaker was working, though I know he's not a house show guy, and then Jericho mentions Rey, at which point I'm like "what?" But it thrilled the kids. Rey had his ribs and one shoulder taped up, but wasn't moving like he'd gotten killed by Batista earlier that week otherwise. There was a LOT of stalling by Jericho, Zybysko-style, and not much to the match itself, probably to protect Rey's knee...a lot of it was Jericho telling the crowd not to chant "Christina" or they'd be sorry. Rey finally got a 619/splash for the win and left almost immediately. Now I know these guys are beat, have to travel to TV, but Rey is who the kids -really- wanted to see tonight (biggest pop for sure) and he just interacted with the entranceway folks...I wish for their sake he'd taken a victory lap while Jericho laid in the ring. After Rey left, Jericho got to his feet, got the mike, warned us he meant it when he said we'd be sorry, and ejected everyone from the building (show was over of course).

WWE definitely is getting the kid market and is great with letting them come to the rails to see/interact with their favorites, just wish a couple more of them had come around. They did interact from the ring quite a bit, of course, moreso because it was a house show. Besides R-Truth, Natalya, McIntyre, and Punk, Ziggler actually gets zinger of the night, telling the idiot who left that polo shirts and blazers is out of style, and vertical stripes are slimming. He had his fans.

Overall, it was a good show, and I enjoyed the guys being a bit looser and jawing/talking with fans as part of the matches. Felt sorry for the kid with the jerk dad. So a lesson for anyone going to a house show...if you get those cherry front row seats, be prepared to have kids join you between matches, and be cool about it...security only cracks down if the kids abuse the privilege (IE, don't leave when told or try to come up during the match, as many did during the Rey/Jericho match).