411’s ECW on Sci-Fi Report 06.26.07

Now I must go forward and address the issue at hand with Chris Benoit. I will not state the facts, because I am still seeing two different stories based on what my friends are showing me and the notes from the police conference. I do know that other writers here have gotten hate mail for just saying good words about Benoit and trying to recap the tribute on Raw last night. What I am about to say will generate hate mail, I promise that. And I don’t care. I simply don’t. This is my opinion and if you don’t like it, you can send me whatever you wish. I will take none of it personally, I might even laugh at some of it, but I not be surprised by any of it.

Now, for my opinions of the whole situation, I look at the facts of what the reaction is, and I am utterly upset and disgusted at the view of people and the WWE. The WWE has come out and said that have to apologize for showing a tribute to Chris Benoit last night. So let me get this straight… you have to apologize for honoring one man’s amazing 22 year career that you did BEFORE you knew exactly what happened. YOU HAVE TO FUCKING APOLIGIZE FOR THAT????? You have to pull his merchandise, fine. But you have to remove his name from the listing on Wrestlemania XX where he won the World Heavyweight Title??? Tell you what, how about removing Eddie Guerrero’s name from that title as well? How about not acknowledging that Rob Van Damn ever held the WWE and ECW Titles?

Let me be point blank here. If you are the WWE or any fan who says they now have no respect for what Chris Benoit did for the last 22 years, but have respect for Eddie Guerrero, RVD, among others… you might say that I am calling you out as a hypocrite. You are going to tell me you have no respect for a man who gave everything to the business for 22 years with no issues EVER except for now, but yet you respect those who should have never been employed in such a public view. You tell me you have no respect for Benoit, but you respect Rob Van Damn and Sabu, who were arrested for having drugs on them and were allowed to keep their jobs. Some role models those two are. You have no respect for Benoit, but you love what MVP has done lately, forgetting that the man was in jail for a ten year sentence for kidnapping and burglary. Oh, let me not to forget to mention that bodysuit is to cover a certain Malcolm X tattoo he has. You can have no respect for Benoit, but you can respect Eddie Guerrero, Brian Pillman, and every other wrestler who died because they were drug addicts and alcoholics, whether they died directly to it or from the lingering effects that led to heart attacks. Chris Benoit until this past weekend was a gentleman outside the ring, he wasn’t an asshole like Randy Orton or Kurt Angle, two men who could NEVER hold a job anywhere because of how many sexual harassments suits would be thrown in their faces. So to tell me you can’t respect what he did anymore because of this one incident outside the ring, but you can respect all the men listed above with no questions asked, you are nothing but a hypocrite in my eyes.

For all of these people I listed above, including Chris Benoit, I respect what they do in the ring and I thank them for putting on a show for us and risking their lives. As for everything else, I personally don’t care what they do outside of the show they provide us with. I don’t care how big or small the infraction outside the ring, I only care about what happens on my television and in the squared circle. Chris Benoit, I still respect you and I will never stop respecting you because of what happened.

Now, let’s get to the action at hand. And we open when McMahon saying tonight is dedicated to everyone who was affected by the tragedy and there will be no mention of Benoit’s name.

Champion vs. Champion – John Cena vs. Johnny Nitro

Joey Styles and Tazz are at ringside and hype that this is Cena’s first appearance on ECW in over a year. They also hype his performance at the Night of Champions. They also put over Nitro’s amazing and shocking victory over CM Punk. The bell rings and the lock up sees Cena get the headlock on Nitro. Nitro tries the whip, but Cena holds on and hits a headlock takeover. Nitro gets back to his feet and whips Cena into the ropes, but Cena hits a shoulder block for two. Cena locks in another headlock, but Nitro gets to the corner. Cena breaks cleanly and Nitro runs into a drop toe hold. Nitro gets the ropes before Cena can lock in the STFU. Nitro hits a back elbow to the face of Cena. Cena gets the advantage back and hits a fisherman suplex for two. Cena whips Nitro off the ropes and hits a sidewalk slam for two. Cena looks kinds stunned. Nitro gets floored with a straight punch and gets thrown hard into the turnbuckle, sending him crashing again. Nitro gets drilled into the top turnbuckle and whipped to the opposite corner. Cena charges and Nitro avoids it. They exchange blows and Nitro is able to dump Cena to the outside. Nitro follows and throws Cena into the steel steps. Nitro rolls him back into the ring and gets a two count. Nitro mounts Cena and punches him, getting another two count. Nitro wit a boot to the gut of Cena and he chokes him with the boot. Nitro lines up Cena and decks him with a huge uppercut. Nitro connects with a back suplex and gets another two count. Nitro brings Cena to the corner and punches away. Irish whip and Nitro runs into an elbow. Cena out of the corner and Nitro almost takes his head off with a clothesline. Nitro chokes Cena on the ropes and brings him into the corner again. Irish whip reversed by Cena and Nitro bounces out of the corner into a face plant. Nitro catches Cena charging and throws to the outside as we go to a break at 7:30.

We are back at 10:46 with Johnny Nitro having Cena perched up top. Cena fights out of a superplex and shoves Nitro down. Nitro is able to bounce back up and dropkick Cena to the floor. Wow! Nitro rolls him in and gets a two count. The replay does not do that move justice. Nitro lines up Cena and hits some right hands, but Cena no sells how and gets fired up. Cena now blocks a right hand and lands the spinout drop on Nitro. Cena gets the hand wave and the five knuckle shuffle. Cena stalks Nitro and lifts him up. FU… no, Nitro lands on his feet and hits a springboard kick to the head for a two count. Nitro ducks a clothesline and plants Cena face first to the mat but only get two. Nitro locks in the sleeper hold now. Cena gets back to his feet and back Nitro into the turnbuckle. Nitro gets booted in the gut and Cena runs off the ropes, connecting with a rolling face plant! Cena heads up top and hits a fameasser off the top rope! Cena locks in the STFU and Nitro taps at 15:43! What a match!! That has to be the best match ever on ECW TV since it was brought back.

Winner: John Cena

Later tonight, CM Punk takes on Elijah Burke in a two of three falls match for the #1 contendership for the ECW Title.

We are back with Tazz and Styles at ringside and out comes… Rowdy Roddy Piper!!! He heads out to the ring as Tazz and Styles are in shock. Piper takes in the cheers and doesn’t consider ECW unless you have had certain things done to you. The bell rings and out comes Matt Striker with a birthday cake… for himself. Matt Striker says it’s an honor to be in the ring with Piper because of his intellect. HA! Striker calls himself one of the most beloved wrestlers in the ECW! HA! Striker says it would be negligent of him to not include Piper in the festive occasion. Striker then asks Hot Rod to sign “Happy Birthday” to him and Piper can’t believe it would be an honor. Piper gets the fans to sing with him and he actually does it until he gets to the name… in which is shoves the cake in Matt’s face. HA! Piper goes to leave and out from under the ring comes the Boogeyman! Striker runs out of the ring, but Piper throws him back in. Boogeyman grabs Striker and drills him with the two handed chokebomb while the lights still go to work. He then finishes him off with the worm diet as Joey Styles starts to throw up. Tazz loves it and Styles gets sick as the Boogeyman runs off. Joey actually has to wonder if worms like cake. HA!

After the break, the main event as CM Punk takes on Elijah Burke in a two of three falls match for the #1 contendership for the ECW Title.

We come back and we get a MizTV hype video for his eventual ECW debut. Joey Styles tries to do the Hoorah and sucks at it.

Tazz and Styles back at ringside as they go over Johnny Nitro’s victory over CM Punk on Sunday. Backstage, Nitro is asked about his loss tonight. Nitro starts to cough and say he was suffering from a cold and Cena got lucky. He says it doesn’t matter who the #1 contender is, because nobody will take the title from him.

#1 Contenders Match – 2 out of 3 Falls – CM Punk vs. Elijah Burke

Burke comes out for the match first as we go to another commercial. We are back and Punk comes out and they put over the history between these two. The lockup in the ring and Burke is locked in an armbar, then a headlock. Whip off the ropes and Punk takes Burke with a shoulder block and gets a quick one count. Punk with a leg trip and a leg lock on Burke. Punk goes back to the headlock and blocks a lift attempt by Burke. Burke backs Punk to the ropes and hits a cheap shot. Irish whip reversed and Punk hits an arm drag take over and locks in a grounded headlock. Burke back up and is able to break Punk’s grip. Burke goes downstairs with a boot, but Punk fights back with a snap mare and sharp kick to the back. Legdrop by Punk and a one count. Burke to the corner and Punk gets suckered in. Burke with shoulder blocks in the corner take Punk down. Burke with a snap mare and a one count. Burke locks in a chokehold type moves, but Punk lifts him up and drives him into the turnbuckle. Punk to the second rope, but Burke drops him down with a Snake Eyes. Burke pulls down the knee pads and charges, but Punk hits a leg lariat for a two count. Punk up top and Burke catches him. Punk gets hung upside down and connects with the Elijah Express to the back. Burke gets the cover and three count for the first fall at 5:32. (Burke up 1-0)

Burke tries for some quick covers, but Punk kicks out. Burke locks in both arms of Punk, but Punk shoves off. Punk charges and Burke pulls the top rope down and Punk lands hard on his back. Punk is slow to get to his feet as Burke is more than content with the countout. Punk climbs back in to the ring at eight. Burke tries to grab Punk, but Punk rolls over into a pinning combo and gets the three count at 7:22 out of nowhere. (Tied 1-1) Burke is pissed as Punk gets his wits back and we go to commercial at 7:32.

We are back at 9:58 as Burke has CM Punk locked in submission, working on Punk’s back. Punk gets back to his feet and Burke uses his head for leverage. Punk hits a double mule kick and backs Burke into the corner. Irish whip reversed and Punk gets both feet up to block Burke. Burke spins him around and drops him head first. Burke runs and grabs the top rope. He comes down with the elbow, but nobody was home. Punk catches Burke with a small package for two. Burke connects with a major league uppercut, but Punk gets the advantage again. Punk whips Burke to the ropes and Burke grabs the ropes. Punk charges and blocks a kick, sort of, sending Burke to the outside. Burke catches himself on the apron and nails Punk. Burke up top and leaps, but Punk hits a leg lariat and both men are down. Both men up at nine and Punk gets the advantage. Burke backed into the corner and Punk charges. He hits the high knee and the bulldog for a two count. Burke shoves Punk into the corner and sets him on the top rope. Punk fights out with open handed shots and hits a Tornado DDT! Punk gets the cover and it’s only for two. Punk tires for the Go2Sleep, but Burke slips out and hits a huge STO for a two count. Burke ducks a back fist and gets a sunset flip. Punk reverses into another pin and so does Burke. Punk does it again, Burke does it again, Punk does it again, and Burke one more time. Punk ducks a clothesline and gets Burke up… Go2Sleep! Punk goes for the pinfall and gets the deciding fall at 17:20! Johnny Nitro comes out to the aisle and stares down Punk, with the title raised high as we end the broadcast.

Winner: CM Punk(2-1)