ECW – The Next Night
After the opening segment aired we were taken straight to the ring, where we were ready to go with the first match of the night!
Chris Benoit's music hit and he came out to a massive ovation from the crowd. He raised his arm in acknowledgement of the crowd and headed straight to the ring in particular Benoit fashion.
Joey Styles – "Hi there folks, and welcome to ECW coming to you only on the Sci Fi Channel, and what a tumultuous week for the entire WWE! Not only ECW but both Smackdown and RAW have been rocked by the shocking draft which took place on Monday Night RAW last – and I'll tell you, ECW lost it's Champion, and a heck load of other talent! However what we have gained should more than make up for it. Two of our new guys are here and ready to go one on one to start off the show! What do you make of these revelations, Tazz?"
Tazz – "I reckon you should shut your mouth and we'll watch the damn match Styles!"
Indy Trice's music hit next and he came out to a larger ovation than on RAW. Tazz noted this.
Tazz – "The ECW fans know how to show some respect to their superstars, unlike on other shows!"
Trice made his way to the ring in the same impressive manner that he had the night beforehand, and was wearing the same cocky smile he had shown nearly throughout his entire match with Monty Brown.
Styles – "Indy Trice would want to be careful, smiling like that around the Rabid Wolverine!"
Tazz – "Yeah, Benoit could get jealous cos Trice actually has teeth!"
The referee rang for the bell and the match got underway.
Benoit and Trice locked up in the centre of the ring, and Trice simply powered Benoit into the corner. The referee broke the tie-up and Benoit looked a little shaken.
Styles – "This Indy Trice is damn powerful, I'll give him that!"
Tazz – "But power doesn't always guarantee you victory, Joey."
Styles – "I'll bet you can vouch for that, Tazz!"
Benoit shrugged his shoulders and locked up with the smiling Trice in the centre of the ring again. This time Trice did exactly the same as what he had done to Monty Brown, he threw his leg behind Benoit's and flattened him. Benoit looked to be getting frustrated and he stood up and shoved Trice. Trice just laughed and went to shove Benoit back… only for Benoit to counter into a German Suplex!
Styles – "Ha ha, Benoit just outsmarted the cocky Trice!"
Indy Trice sat up, rubbing his head – and nodded at Benoit before getting to his feet. This time, before locking up, Trice slapped Chris Benoit straight across his face and followed it up with a clothesline!
Tazz – "What an utter show of disrespect! I love this guy already!"
Trice then stomped on Benoit a few times before Benoit caught his leg, and tripped him to the mat. Benoit then started throwing rights and lefts and this match was getting heated already!
Both men got to their feet at the same time and this time Trice grabbed Benoit and threw him into the turnbuckle, before waling on him with another few rights. He then whipped him against the ropes, leap-frogged him and went for the clothesline over the top rope – but Benoit sidestepped him and used Trice's momentum to throw the bigger man straight into the guard-rail on the outside!
Styles – "I see Benoit has been paying attention to Trice's previous match – he just avoided what Indy Trice likes to call The Bull's Rush!"
Indy Trice lay on the outside, clutching his head in pain. Almost instantaneously, however, he seemed to shake it off and stood up, mouthing the words – "Bring It On!" Benoit got the message and exited the ring to meet his opponent. They traded blows on the outside, till Trice caught Benoit and gave him a belly-to-back suplex on the outside! He then grabbed Benoit and threw him into the ring.
With Benoit back in the ring, Trice threw him into the corner again and booted him straight in the face. He then dragged Benoit up and powerslammed him to the mat – 1 – 2 – No! Benoit got the shoulder up.
Trice stomped on Benoit a bit more before pulling him up. He signaled for a powerbomb, and as he went to lift him up for it, Benoit countered with a Sunset Flip… 1 – 2 – No! Trice rolled out and kicked Benoit in the face again. Getting to his feet, he dragged Benoit to the corner and laid him out. He then ascended the turnbuckle and dropped his knee straight into Benoit's face from the top rope!
Styles – "Oh God! This Indy Trice is one vicious son of a.."
Tazz – "Careful Joey… but yeah he is one tough cookie and he's had it all his way against Benoit!"
Benoit was rolling around clutching his face and Indy Trice was doing his Orton-esque pose on the second rope, to the dismay of the fans. This cocky young upstart was beating the hell out of Chris Benoit!
When Benoit pulled himself to his feet, he was bleeding heavily from a cut under his eye – he looked pissed. He charged Trice and flattened him with a double-leg takedown, raining blows on Trice's face and body. The referee tried to stop Benoit and pull him away, but Benoit threw him through the second rope where he seemed to land on his head on the floor. Benoit looked at the referee, then looked at Indy Trice – who looked shell-shocked by Benoit's viciousness – and then to the outside. He rolled out of the ring and grabbed a chair from ringside.
Styles – "Benoit has snapped! I don't think he can believe that Trice could beat him down like this!"
Benoit got back in the ring, chair in hand and went after Indy Trice with the chair – Boom! He cracked Indy Trice straight across the head with it… but Trice only stumbled a slight. Benoit went for another chair shot… Trice caught the chair and pulled it from Benoit's grasp! Benoit looked on in disbelief as the smile came back on Trice's face – until he was hit in the head from behind by Finlay and his shilaleagh! Trice went down this time, dropping the chair. Benoit quickly climbed to the top rope as Finlay hit Trice another two times with the shilaleagh. Benoit off the top rope…. Headbutt to Indy Trice!!! Trice was out cold in the ring! Finlay and Benoit smiled at each other – Finlay went to the outside and revived the referee, rolling him into the ring… 1 – 2 – 3!!! Benoit had beaten Indy Trice!
Styles – "This is a damn screwjob, Tazz – it's not right! What has come over Benoit?"
Finlay got back in the ring and nailed the ref with the shilaleagh before he and Benoit raised their arms in celebration.
Commercial Break
After the break, we came back to Paul E. standing in the centre of the ring, with the vacant ECW Title on his shoulder.
Paul E – "Listen up there everybody. I'm here to address this 'situation' Mr. McMahon has gone and left ECW in – the fact that the major title of this brand has no person wearing it! Well, I've had inside information sent to me about RAW's and Smackdown's view of their own similar situations, and they have decided on lengthy… drawn out procedures to earning the title. Well this is not how it's done here! In two weeks time this ECW Championship shall be around the waist of an ECW wrestler worthy of the title! To decide this – we shall see two qualifying matches over the next two weeks – including one here tonight! – with the final in two weeks time which shall determine the NEW ECW Champion!! Tonight's match shall feature two men who seemed to be fairly friendly on RAW last night when they destroyed Rob Van Dam – two brand new faces to ECW here tonight – Shawn Michaels VS Matt Hardy!"
Shawn Michaels music hit to a tremendous ovation from the ECW fans.
Joey – "Here comes possibly our greatest acquisition from last night's draft – a future WWE legend – The Heartbreak Kid!"
Tazz – "Meh… Styles, this is the guy who trashed ECW in his own autobiography, and now he walks onto this show and into a qualifying match for the top title on the brand? I don't buy it."
Michaels walked to the ring without even acknowledging the fans, and got into the ring. He walked over to Paul E, and grabbed the microphone from his hand.
Michaels – "Cut the music! I'm here to let you people get one thing straight. I don't like it here – I don't want to be here – and more importantly…"
Shawn Michaels superkicked Paul E in the middle of the ring!
Michaels – "This piece of trash makes a match without my prior knowledge? Everyone knows this doesn't happen! I'm one of the top superstars – HELL, ATHLETES!!!! – in the world and I'm sent to a second-rate show like this? Hell, going to Smackdown would have been better than the deal I got!"
Boos resounded around the arena after this shocking outburst from Shawn.
Tazz – "I told ya Styles… this damn idiot is trying to call the shots here like he has nearly his entire WWE career! I'm not standing for this.."
Joey – "Tazz – what the hell are you at? Sit down… Oh jeez…"
Tazz got out from behind the announce table and grabbed a mic.
Tazz – "You know what you son of a bitch? You're nothing but a snot-nosed, stuck up PUNK who has no respect for this brand, or its fans!"
Michaels – "Oh well look here who it is – a runt who retired cos of a crick in his neck! If you wanna go slinging this sorta crap Tazz, I suggest you go on your blog and state your views there – like a good little play-by-play man – and stay out of the way of the actual wrestlers… that way you won't get hurt again!"
Tazz – "Is that what you think, you piece of backstage politic trash! I tell you what, I'm gonna come into this ring, and BEAT some ECW respect into you!"
Tazz dropped his mic, and went to get into the ring… only to be blindsided by Finlay and his shilaleagh!
Joey – "Oh for crying out loud… this guy again? We need some help out here!"
Finlay beat Tazz repeatedly with the shilaleagh across the head and neck area, while Shawn just applauded the attack in the ring. All of a sudden, The Hardy Boyz music hit, and Matt and Jeff ran to the ring to help the fallen Tazz!
Joey – "Now the odds are even, come on! Get that piece of trash!"
Shawn laughed in the ring as Finlay held off the Hardyz by waving the shilaleagh at them menacingly. Out of nowhere… Tazzmission on Finlay!
The Hardyz quickly turn their attention to the now shocked looking Shawn Michaels.
Joey – "There's nowhere to run now Shawn! Get him guys!"
Matt entered the ring to face Shawn, and Jeff was about to follow… before he was bashed in the head by a chairshot from Chris Benoit! Benoit then freed Finlay from the Tazzmission and busted Tazz wide open with a sick looking shot to the face. He then locked in the crossface on the unconscious Tazz as Finlay struggled to recover from the Tazzmission.
Matt had his back turned to all of this until he heard the second chair shot – this distracted him and he turned round to see his brother and Tazz in a heap on the floor. This gave Michaels the perfect opportunity… Sweet Chin Music to Hardy! Shawn quickly calls a referee from the back who runs to the ring, rings the bell and counts…. 1 – 2 – 3!!!!!! Shawn Michaels advances to the final!
Joey – "No – Not this way! That son of a bitch just screwed Matt Hardy!"
Micheals then called to Benoit and Finlay on the outside and motioned for them to come into the ring. Finlay nailed Jeff with another shot from the chair and both he and Benoit rolled into the ring. Shawn motioned for them to 'take out the trash' – they threw Matt and Paul E. over the top rope to the floor outside! This left the three superstars in the ring with the referee… Shawn grabbed his hand and raised it! Finlay and Benoit also grabbed a hold and all four raised each others' arms in the middle of the ECW ring!
Michaels – "You are looking at the NEW power group in WWE – one that will stop at nothing to gain what we want – the complete destruction of this brand and everything associated with ECW – the New NWO!!!"
The referee then pulled out a bag from under the ring and pulled out four jerseys with the ECW logo slashed in half by red line and handed them around. He also grabbed the ECW Title from the floor beside Paul E, and laid it in front of Shawn Michaels. After all four men had their jerseys on, Shawn looked down at the title… and SPAT on it. He then did his trademark pose over the title as the other three traitors posed beside him.
As the show drew to a close, it showed a close up of the ECW Title, covered in Shawn Michaels spittle.