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ECW: Delaney no match for Henry
By
MATT BISHOP - SLAM! Wrestling
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Tonight on ECW on Sci-Fi: Another monster reigns as champion in the Land
of Extreme. What will Mark Henry's first night as ECW Champion entail? Tune
in and find out. Should be a good one!
And we are "LIVE!" from Tulsa, Okla. Mike Adamle and "The Tazz" are our
hosts. This show is presented in WWEHD (TV-PG,V).
Right off the bat, ring announcer Justin Roberts introduces us to our NEW
ECW Champion, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry. Adamle informs us this
is Henry's first major title. Considering Henry's been in WWE for so long,
it's kind of crazy to think he hasn't even held a tag team title.
Also of note, six wrestlers who are currently on or were on ECW 10 days
ago hold titles in WWE now. ECW must really suck.
Henry proclaims himself the savior of ECW because Kane planned to take
the title to RAW. But at Night of Champions, he brought it back to "the
ECW." Is Henry taking lessons from Adamle all of a sudden?
Henry talks some more but is interrupted by the lone ECW Original, Tommy
Dreamer, who heads to the ring with Colin Delaney.
Dreamer says he didn't come out to congratulate Henry, but instead to
challenge him for the ECW title. Henry says Dreamer's time has passed and
that he's the future. He tells Dreamer and "his little friend" to walk.
Dreamer runs down what the ECW title means to a lot of people. Henry says
Dreamer doesn't deserve a shot and will have to earn one. But, in a
confusing moment, Henry says Delaney has earned a title shot and if Delaney
beats Henry, then Dreamer will get his shot. But wouldn't Delaney be the
champion?
The announcers quickly backtrack and clear things up, as Finlay,
Hornswaggle and Matt Hardy make their way to the ring for a six-man tag team
match and it's NEXT!
(Ads)
Match #1 - Matt Hardy (Cameron, N.C.), Finlay & Hornswaggle (Belfast,
Northern Ireland) vs. Chavo Guerrero (El Paso, Texas), John Morrison (Los
Angeles, Calif.) & The Miz (Cleveland, Ohio)
Tazz ponders the humour in Hornswaggle bringing in a "squirt gun" to the
ring. I don't know whether to laugh or die a little inside.
Hardy connects on Miz early, hitting a bulldog for two before giving way
to the man who loves to fight, Finlay, who socks Miz with a stiff
clothesline before getting pushed into the opponent's corner, where Morrison
tags himself in. Morrison doesn't fare much better before Morrison pushes
Finlay back into their corner where Guerrero tags himself in.
Guerrero goes for a baseball slide, but Finlay pulls the ring apron and
starts beating on Chavo. This draws Miz and Morrison over but they are met
with a flying crossbody from Hornswaggle.
(Ads)
We're back and Chavo has Hardy in a chinlock. Hardy tries to fire up but
is pushed right back into the wrong corner. The double-team elbow from the
tag champs gets two while Morrison locks in a "submission hold" as Adamle
calls it. Hardy breaks free but can't get to his corner before Morrison tags
Miz in. Miz works an aggressive chinlock and screams at Hardy to tapout.
Hardy does no such thing and comes back with a sunset flip for two before
eating a clothesline.
Now it's Morrison's turn to beat up Hardy, but a ducked punch leads Hardy
to a Side Effect. Hardy makes it to his corner and in comes Finlay, who is
the proverbial house o' fire on the opposition. Guerrero takes a back body
drop and gets put up for the barrel roll, which connects. Hardy comes in and
hits the Twist of Fate on Morrison while Hornswaggle hits the Tadpole Splash
on Chavo. A Shillelagh shot to the gut knocks a curious Bam Neely off the
mat and Finlay follows that up with the Celtic Cross on Guerrero for the
fall.
Winners via pinfall: Finlay, Hornswaggle & Matt Hardy
Coming up later tonight: Mark Henry and Colin Delaney battle for Tommy
Dreamer's ECW title shot.
(Ads)
Dreamer and Delaney are backstage. Dreamer tells Delaney he didn't have
to do it. Delaney says maybe not, but he's doing it for all the things
Dreamer has done for him.
Theodore Long and Tiffany are backstage with ECW's newest acquisition. I
have no idea who it is. They are interrupted by Armando Estrada, who says
he's tired of playing games and wants to know the status of his contract.
Long says it's under review. Long says he's started a new superstar
initiative and his first signing, Atlas Ortiz, will go one-on-one with
Estrada next.
(Ads)
Match #2 - Armando Estrada (Cuba) vs. Atlas Ortiz (Paradise Valley,
Ariz.)
Estrada is all over Ortiz in the early going, working him over with a
variety of hammerlocks, chinlocks and Mark Henry's favorite move, the
armbar.
With Ortiz in an armlock, the crowd actually fires up a "Let's go Atlas"
chant. He responds with some arm drags and a big dropkick for two. Estrada
hits him with a big kick to the chest, but Ortiz immediately surprises
Estrada with a backslide for the pin.
Winner via pinfall: Atlas Ortiz
(Ads)
Match #3 - Mark Henry (Silsbee, Texas) vs. Colin Delaney (Rochester,
N.Y.)
Adamle proclaims Delaney's chances at "slim and none." He forgot to
mention slim left town. Both Adamle and Tazz give him about 30 seconds.
Delaney ducks a clothesline and is surprised. Henry backs him into a
corner but Delaney ducks another clothesline and starts firing, but Henry
no-sells it all and throws him to the mat.
The crowd, ever supportive, hits a "Let's go Colin" chant and Delaney
slides out of the way of a Henry elbow but another burst of offense is
squashed by Henry.
Henry press slams him to the ground (Tazz: He almost hit rain he was so
high) and picks him up for the World's Strongest Slam. Good night now.
Winner via pinfall: Mark Henry
Tazz proclaims Hell is still hot as Dreamer checks on Delaney. Henry
gloats his way up the ramp to end the show.
Send Matt e-mail about ECW, wrestling, MMA or hockey at bishop20@msu.edu. Please include your
name and hometown. And if you're interested in mixed martial arts, check out
Matt's weekly podcast -- Lights Out
Radio. Should be a good one!.
