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The Cross Report June 18th

Posted in In My Head by Jack at 21:21, Jun 18 2006

By Gareth Cross

The Cross Report
Well another seven days has passed and that means it?s time for the next edition of The Cross Report. As I sit here writing this, I think over the last week there was the good (ONS) and the bad (ECW?s Sci Fi Debut.)
Let?s start with the Pay Per View, ECW One Night Stand was without a doubt a very good if not great Pay Per View, but in my opinion it wasn?t as good as last year. Why? It didn?t have the same nostalgia feeling of last year, I know it was WWE?s attempt to relaunch the brand and they had to focus on the new rather than the old, but there still could have been more references to ECW?s past. The show starting up with a speech from the mad scientist himself Paul E. He spoke about the new revolution and how it was us (the fans) who made it all possible. It was nice little segment but as soon as it was over I had a bad feeling about the new ECW. Why? Don?t ask there was just something about it that made me feel the whole new ECW brand wasn?t going to live up to expectations. Some people will say that based on Tuesday?s show it hasn?t and won?t. I myself think it is a little premature to Judge and am willing to give the brand a month or two before giving my verdict. Up Next we had Tazz v Lawler which was a nice little filer spot. Tazz?s old theme hit and even I had a little bit of a markout moment there. Lawler came out and for no reason what so ever came over and slapped everyone?s little buddy Joey Styles. Now if there was ever a way to get cheap heat at an ECW event. Lawler entered the ring and Styles followed and jumped on his back. From there Tazz locked in the Tazzmission and Lawler was forced to tap out to the deadly hold. Styles back at the announce table was now joined by Tazz. Up next was what I thought would be one of the main events, but they decided to put it on early. Kurt Angle took on Randy Orton in a match in which Angle was very well received by the ECW crowd, Orton however was not. The match started off with some good mat wrestling, which I enjoyed as you do not really get to see it that much anymore. They continued, as Orton seemed to get the upper hand but in the hand Angle won after a few false finishes to the delight of the ECW crowd. It was a good match, the best of the night in terms of actual wrestling and helped get Angle over with the ECW crowd. Then we had the F.B.I take on Super Crazy and Tajiri (who got a great response from the ECW faithful.) I didn?t think I would enjoy this match as much as I did, but it was very entertaining and I hope the F.B.I get a decent push maybe as champions when the ECW brand gets tag belts. After the match Big Show came down and cleaned house, in a somewhat dubious attempt to get him over as a destroyer. Up next Rey v Sabu. Sabu was never going to win the belt but I think this match should have been given a little more time. For what it was it was a very good match with a decent finish but it could have been great. The next match in my opinion was the best, in terms of hardcore bloody action oh what the hell it was the best match overall as well. Before the match Foley cut a promo where he said he had once been proud to be a member of ECW, when a true creative genius was at the head, Stephanie McMahon, that one made me laugh. Lita came down and cut a promo on Dreamer leading to Beulah challenging her to make it a 6-man tag. It was bloody weapon filled match. Funk did what he could but the real stars of the match were Edge and Foley. I would have liked to see Funk/Dreamer/Beulah go over with Beulah pinning Lita, but it wasn?t to be. Edge pinned Beulah in the end, which was blanked out by Sky TV ill leave it to the imagination. Next was Balls v Tanaka. This was a nice little match for what it was worth. Balls got the win with a vicious chairshot. Next up Sandman caned the hell out of Eugene (don?t ask me why Eugene was there) in a segment which was a total waste of space, mainly because of the lack of enter Sandman, would It really cost Vince all that much to get Metallica to allow them to use it. Now the main event. Cena got the reaction we were all expecting him to get. When he threw his shirt in the crowd they spat on it and threw it back. I have to give credit to the guy for sticking it out as that needed guts, had I been him I would have been scared for my personal safety. In the end RVD got his fairy tale ending when Edge speared Cena threw a table and RVD hit the frog splash and Heyman counted the 1-2-3. RVD celebrated which a crowd of ECW wrestlers (most of whom weren?t even used at the ppv for some reason) and it was a nice way to round off the show. Il give it a B+ as in the end it was a little lacking.

Raw this week was another average show, Paul E opened the show claiming that as the match was under extreme rules he could make himself the ECW referee (yawn.) Orton took on Kane, which ended in a screwy double count out when Fake Kane came in. That angle is so pointless because come the end of the angle Kane is going to bury the Fake Kane live on Pay Per View. Hass-Viscera yeah! For anyone who said it was a shoot, I told you it was a work dammit and you wouldn?t listen. Wet and Wild matches are fun. As are lesbian kisses. DX IS BAAAACCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!! Ok so maybe I?m not as excited as I am letting on but it got over huge with the fans in (checks were Raw was held this week) in Pennsylvania. Maybe it?s just me but wouldn?t it have been better if they did this at the end of the show, sending the fans home happy rather then following it with Hacksaw Jim Duggan v Umaga, that my friends is why I don?t work for WWE, I make too much sense. Next was the highlight of the whole show. The interview segment between Foley and Flair will go down as one of the best Raw moments of the year no less. Long live the Nature Boy, WOOOOOOOOO! Johnny Nitro beat Carlito in a good match it would be interesting to see Nitro win the IC title at Vengeance. The show ended with Cena getting a beatdown from the ECW faithful. Flair and Foley rescued the show B----

Smackdown was meh, that all I can say about it I don?t know what to think of that show right now. JBL was great in his new role as announcer man I love JBL the guy is comedy gold. Mysterio finally got a victory. Pity it was in the opener against a lower midcarder. Booker and Lashley had a screwy finish let?s hope Booker picks up the title from Rey at GAB. Another squash by the real great one Mr. Kennedy. Khali had a match with the mexicools. Psicosis either abandoned Super Crazy for some stupid angle or he was legitimately scared of Khali. I think it was the latter. Finlay and Regal went over Hardy and Scott in a quite good match. Finlay and Regal would make such awesome tag champs. Please tell me we won?t have to watch Chavo-Henry or Rey-Henry, sadly it looks like it. Vito is getting a push, as a cross dresser oh joy! Lashley then went over Booker again in the main event in a decent match. I?l give Smackdown a C. Lots of room for Improvement

So what else has been going on? ECW had a show, which apparently was poor by all accounts. I haven?t seen it as it hasn?t aired in the UK yet so my views on the ECW shows will be a week late, sorry if that upsets anyone. Terrible News! One of my main reasons for watching Raw was fired this week. Dustin ?Goldust? Runnels was fired for failing a drugs test reportedly. I give it 6 months tops before he?s back and I hope the guy takes this time to get clean or old Dusty will have to take him into hand.

Well that?s it for this week people. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing,
Gareth ?Hotrod? Cross

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