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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live coverage of ECW on Sci Fi, the final episode prior to this Sunday's Royal Rumble PPV in New York City.
ECW opened with a video feature on tonight's ECW title match between champion CM Punk and challenge Chavo Guerrero.
ECW went to the new open. Everything looks much slicker thanks to our new HD friends. The over the top rope challenge was first. Kane's entrance is INSANELY awesome with that new set.
Over the Top Rope Challenge
Competing are WWE Tag Team champions The Miz and John Morrison, Kane, Tommy Dreamer (who's new background entrance is the ECW logo, which makes perfect sense) and Shelton Benjamin. That makes Kane or Benjamin the favorites in my book.
Everyone battled in the corners. Since I don't have HD, I was looking at an empty ring for a second. Dreamer tried to toss Benjamin but failed. He went to clothesline Kane over the ropes but failed. Kane dumped him. All the heels attacked Kane and triple-teamed him. Benjamin hit him inverted bulldog. The Tag champions began working over Kane. Benjamin tried to powerbomb Miz but Morrison nailed a leg lariat.
The champs worked over Benjamin. Kane sat up . Morrison tried to kick him but was caught and laid out. Benjamin ate a clothesline in the corner. Kane then clotheslined Morrison. Kane tossed Benjamin, but he held on and didn't hit the floor. Kane dispatched the tag champs and went after Benjamin, who skinned the cat and then pulled Kane over the ropes to the floor.
Your winner, Shelton Benjamin!
Benjamin took the mic and said tonight was the first step. The next one was the Royal Rumble and then he would be on to the "motherlode" of Wrestlemania. He did his "ain't no stopping me now" catchphrase that Vince McMahon loves but comes off really forced.
Kelly Kelly was walking in the back as Joey Styles pushed the fact that we (well, except those of us who suffer with cable systems that won't carry Sci Fi in HD - or WWE 24/7 for that matter) will see the Divas in HD next.
We saw clips of last week's Diva footage. Jonathan Coachman was in the ring as the host. All three women did their thing. Layla El was the best of the three, but of course I'm biased and have great taste. Kelly Kelly, doing Trish Stratus' mannerisms, was the winner of the crowd reaction because she was the babyface. Coachman declared her the winner. The other Divas laid out Kelly Kelly, slamming her face-first into the mat and walked out.
Kofi Kingston vs. David Owen
Kofi was slapping hands on the way out, so he's a babyface. Owens look like they crossed Tomko with Mini-Me. Kofi has a good look. They locked up. Kofi escaped and took down Owen with a legsweep. Owen elbowed Kingston as he went for a waistlock from behind.
Kingston reversed an Irish Whip and hit a vertical leap into the corner, almost like a Thesz Press onto Owen. Owen was monkey flipped out of the ring. Owen caught Kingston with a side headlock but was shoved off. Kingston leapfrogged over Owen, then hit a glancing bodypress for a near fall.
Kingston unloaded with a series of chops, followed by a flapjack. He nailed a legdrop, then did some reggae moves before nailing a kick to the head for the pin.
Kingston has a great look and obviously has a ton of athletic ability. He was trying really hard, perhaps too hard, because some stuff looked like it wasn't connecting right, but I was impressed with Kingston's potential. I'm curious to see where he is a month from now.
Backstage, Edge was telling Chavo Guerrero that he had CM Punk tonight. Edge said that when Guerrero wins, together they will control two shows, Smackdown and ECW. Vicky Guerrero rolled into the picture. Chavo asked her why she was there since he thought she was going to wait at the hotel. She said she didn't want to miss him winning the belt and said the entire family was here to see Guerrero win.
We got to see some interesting Royal Rumble facts. It was a fun video feature that was plain awesome and if you weren't interested in seeing the Rumble match after it aired, you aren't a wrestling fan.
They showed a clip of the end of Smackdown's tag match. Armando was seen talking to Vicky, Chavo and Edge. The announcers put over how many people Chavo has with him. I'm guessing that's a tease for Rey Mysterio?
When they returned, Tazz was in the ring with Colin Delaney. Tazz praised him for still coming back after his four losses. They reviewed them on the Titantron. Delaney looked on in disbelief at the footage. Tazz asked Delaney if his mother was aware he was wrestling tonight. He shook his head no. Tazz said that might be a good thing, because Delaney was wrestling the Great Khali right now.
Great Khali vs. Colin Delaney
Khali stepped into the ring as Delaney stood there frozen in fear. Khali chopped him and Delaney crumbled to the mat. Khali powerbombed him, then put on the head vice for the submission. Delaney was seriously great here at selling, to the point his eyes were fluttering as he laid there like a rag doll.
Joey Styles and Tazz discussed the main event and wondered if the odds were too much for CM Punk to overcome.
Edge came to ringside to do commentary as they went to commercial.
ECW champion CM Punk vs. Chavo Guerrero
The ring announcer informed the crowd that the match is now "No Disqualification." Joey Styles noted that we just saw ECW General Manager Armando Estrada talking to Vicky and Chavo backstage. Edge claimed it had nothing to do with the last minute rules change.
Punk and Guerrero exchanged blows in the center of the ring. Punk got the better of him and nailed several knee strikes in the corner, then whipped Chavo to the opposite corner. Punk tried to untie one of the turnbuckle pads, but Guerrero attacked him from behind as he removed it. Punk tried to whip Chavo into it but Chavo prevented himself from hitting it. He tried to smash Punk's head into it, but Punk blocked the shot.
Chavo ended up on the apron and was nailed with a high round kick to the head. Chavo fell to the floor, where Punk dove to the floor. Punk unloaded with a series of chops on the floor. They battled around ringside and Punk whipped Guerrero into the ring steps. Punk teased a suplex onto the ring steps but Guerrero blocked it and dropped Punk across the stairs. Punk clutched at his ribs.
Chavo went to work on Punk in the corner with a series of kicks in the corner, then hit a baseball sliding kick. He dragged Punk out of the corner and attempted a pinfall, but Punk kicked up at two. Chavo continued to work over the ribs, but Punk came out of a corner with a clothesline. Punk continued to fight back but was hurting. Punk hit the running high knee to the face of Chavo in the corner, then the bulldog, but Chavo kicked up at two.
Punk ascended to the top rope and went for a leaping clothesline, but Chavo dropkicked him in the ribs. Chavo hit the Three Amigos. Guerrero went to the top for a rolling senton, but Punk moved. Punk nailed a hot shot onto the exposed corner, then hit the GTS. Edge hit the ring and speared Punk, but since there was no DQ, there was nothing the referee could do.
Chavo covered and pinned CM Punk, becoming the new ECW champion and the seventh ECW champ since WWE revived the company. Edge and Chavo embraced in the ring. The Edgeheads rolled out Vicky Guerrero to ringside and she joined Edge and Chavo in the ring. They all celebrated as ECW went off the air.
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