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LOOKING AT A "WHY DID THEY EVEN BOTHER DOING THIS EPISODE" EDITION OF ECW ON SCI FI

Last night's edition of ECW on Sci Fi was almost totally a WWE rendition of the movie "Groundhog Day".  Like the Bill Murray flick, there was an incredible sense of deja vu throughout the broadcast as we were treated to things that we have seen many times before.  

Colin Delaney gets destroyed?  Check.  Shelton Benjamin wins a squash?  Right here.  CM Punk again wrestles Chavo Guerrero?  One more time, with another to come next week.  Hell, they even took away the one thing I actually wouldn't mind seeing repeated when they threw The Miz and John Morrison out there with The Highlanders.  Other than an appearance by Edge, this show was a total throwaway.  It wasn't exactly WWE putting its best foot forward less than two weeks before one of their biggest PPVs of the year.

The Angles:

• There was good and bad in the Edge-CM Punk face off, which started the show.  On the one hand, they set up yet another match between Chavo and Punk which, with all due respect to Mr. Guerrero, isn't doing anything to help establish Punk as a credible champion or top tier talent.  But on the other, they just may have planted the seeds for Punk-Edge program, which would make for some great matches and help finally give Punk the elevation he needs to be a top tier talent for the company.  Hey, I can hope can't I?  
• They also did a good job of recapping the Edge-Rey Mysterio feud to start the show.  That should be a good bout at the Rumble.
• As for the rest of the storylines on the show, there was no progression to speak of.

The Matches:  

• The tag champs pretty much laid out The Highlanders.  It was your basic enhancement win that put over the champs, nothing more.
• Kane did the same to Colin Delaney.  It's getting to be time for Delaney to actually show something in one of these matches or the angle will lose its steam.  We get it, he's overmatched and gets destroyed.  If it's going somewhere, let's get a move on already.  If not, well time for someone else to get the TV Time.
• Shelton vs. Guido made it three squashes in a row.  They are keeping Shelton in a holding pattern for now.  I would guess his next program will start after The Rumble.
• I was hoping that the main event would save the show.  Well, it didn't.  With Punk "injured" going in, I had a feeling it would only be OK and that is pretty much all it was.  It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either.  It was just kind of there and done to set up yet another match for Chavo next week.  Maybe after that, the feud will either end or get interesting.

What To Make Sure And Watch If You DVR'd The Show: 

• Other than the Edge-Punk face off at the start of the show, there is nothing else worth wasting your time on here.  You can catch up just as well by reading the report.  Spend your free half hour doing something fun. 

Rhetorical And Unanswered Questions:

• Wow, did you notice how many kids were in the audience chanting "619" at Edge?
• And, given the fact that there are so many youngsters in the audience, does that explain how WWE gets away with some of the booking that they do?
• Was it me or did they cut out everything that Coach said during the recap of Edge attacking Rey from Smackdown?
• Wasn't Edge right on when he asked who Punk has beaten?
• And, if creative wrote that line, can't they get the point that they are not helping the champ at all with how they are booking him?
• Wouldn't it have been great if Punk responded to Edge's comment about how he was "young and stupid" by saying, "Yeah, now you're old and stupid"?
• Boy, did Joey Styles do the best job he possibly could in explaining the reason for the Chavo-Punk feud?
• And even then, does it still not make much sense?
• When Tazz said he hoped that Edge would hang around on ECW, did he echo your feelings?
• Doesn't anyone in creative realize how ridiculously stupid it sounds to have grown men call someone "The Shaman of Sexy"?
• Whoever thought we would get to the point where I would actually be happy to see The Miz come to the ring?
• And jeez, did they have to kill my hope for something good from the champs by sending The Joblanders out there?
• If you were Kofi, why would you want to leave Jamaica?
• Does WWE realize that a lot of the people out there in TV land don't have access to Sci Fi HD (or USA HD for that matter) so their pushing of HD is actually a slap in the face?
• Does Tazz take great joy in setting Colin Delaney up to be destroyed every week?
• Wasn't Jeff's Swanton every bit as cool as it was on Monday?

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