Swagger vs Christian (ECW Spoilers)
 

So, I gotta say that match was really great but now that Swagger has beaten Christian cleanly, where do we go from here?

Wait, they blew their load on this already? Wrestlemania is still a month away... why waste this?

Wait, he beat him cleanly?

Man, they are really dead-set on establishing Swagger. And that just makes me even more determined to not give a shit.

They had Christian sell his shoulder in an attempt to distract people from Swagger getting a clean win but I'm not buying it. All I saw was a clean victory for Swagger.

I hate when they try to do shit like that to make it OK. It's not O fucking K. I see the end result only and I am not pleased.

It was a great match. And I also saw a clean Swagger victory and am both displeased and confused by this. Will they drop this and throw Christian in MITB? Will they forget about Christian altogether? Will Jack Swagger bury the rest of the roster from now until Mania?

I WANT ANSWERS.

Now that they've blown their load early, the best thing they can do is set up a rematch feud with Christian chasing Swagger down and Finlay inserting himself into the situation leading to a triple threat at Mania.

Or they could toss Christian into MITB.

I have to agree that this is a faux pas. I can understand why the WWE did it: Jack Swagger, in WWE terms, is a bigger star than Christian. Look, the most Christian has ever done is win the IC Title. Jack Swagger won a World Title in just four months with the company.

That being said, this is a momentum stopper for Christian, who is probably the only serious character worth giving a damn about on ECW, and had the fan support and an obvious path to the ECW Title planned out. That might still be the plan, but a clean victory for Swagger does upset things a bit.

I don't mind the idea of putting Christian in Money in the Bank, at all. Have that match return to its original roots: the top guys left out of the main event and special attraction matches fighting for the title shot. CM Punk and Christian would definitely fit that. In previous years, the MITB Ladder Match has been pretty lightweight.

Maybe their planning to repackage Christian and bring him back with a new look and a new name. I say they call him Jew.

I don't know what you guys are getting all worked up for. It was a great match and it's obvious that Christian will be in MITB and Swagger will face Tommy Dreamer at WM.

Yeah, that'll be my guess, too. Which is OK, because I think it means they don't want Swagger to job at WrestleMania.

Christian has two wins over Swagger already. The same Swagger that had zero losses not too long ago. Christian can't just come in and steamroll right over him. He'll still be an ECW champion. Just probably not by Wrestlemania. Settle down, guys, it'll be OK. Swagger IS the champion, after all.

Also, that match was really fucking good. Let's not act like it was all Christian and Swagger had nothing to do with it.

Wishing Christian the best of luck in his future endeavors :(

Okay.... I've tried to give you a fair shot no matter how many people say you're an idiot.... But comparing the IC to the WWE C-List world title? The most watered down title in the history of WWE titles? You're sounding like the "It's still real to me, damn it" guy.

He's really just using WWE Logic.

WWE logic is a lot like Catholic birth control....

Why would he not use WWE logic in trying to decipher the next 'logical' step for a WWE character? Come on, guy.

I thought the match was great and that they should have a rematch at WM with Christian winning. But I really have no clue how they are going with the storylines.

And that's a good thing.

And my "I don't understand..." Thread from a couple weeks back gains more ammunition.

The story of the continued waste of Jason Reso continues, after this.

If Christian won:
Smarks: OMG WHY ARE THEY WASTING HIS TIME WITH THE ECW TITLE? AND THEY JUST BURIED THAT NEW GUY THAT I NEVER HEARD OF WHEN'S HE GONNA FIGHT EDGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
If Christian lost:
Smarks: OMG CHRISTIAN JUST LOST A MATCH! OMGOMGOMGFUCKYOUVINCEFUCKYOUFUCKYOU THIS IS THE WORST GODDAMN SHOW I HAVE SEEN SINCE I BITCHED ABOUT IT LAST WEEK!

omgb&

EXACTLY

Guys it was one match lol. Get over it.

So was it not for the title then?

Right now this makes the most sense. The Swagger/Christian feud didn't really have the longevity to make it til Mania, but adding Finlay will mix it up, especially since Finlay kind of teased a turn on Christian last week by not being there to tag. It also gets Finlay on the already packed card, and doesn't put Christian in the MitB (he wouldn't win that anyway).

The only problem I could see is if they do the US Title in a Triple Threat. It's not even really a problem, it's just odd booking, so for that sake I hope they add someone to that match.

I dunno, I think Dreamer needs to be in there somewhere. Maybe a fatal 4-way?

But it's all you really have to go by in kayfabe. Look, being ECW Champion is sort of a limbo between being a mid-card champion, and being a World Champion. Jack Swagger has achieved more than Christian has, it's just a "WWE fact."

OK, well Christian has more memories and is a "veteran" whereas Swagger is a rookie, but if I were a mark, I wouldn't have been surprised that Swagger won. He's been pretty much winning his entire career thus far.

Apparently the match was really fucking good. Swagger's best, which is saying a lot, because he has worked with Finlay and Matt Hardy in that time, so he hasn't always been in there with slouches. I'm sure there was nothing but praise backstage for the match, which can only be good for both men right now.

Also, Swagger needs to defend the ECW Title a few more times before he loses it.

The match was great. Swagger definitely did his part. Christian was awesome with his spots. I don't know what else could have been done to please 'us'. Christian wasn't touting an undefeated streak, this will give him 'character'. Now we have a RTWM featuring the ECW title.

It took MVP 3 months of losing to get a thread, Christian loses 1 match and gets his own. o.O!?!?!

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It WAS for the title. I honestly don't know why anyone would have expected Christian to win last night for that reason alone.

Also, maybe this is just happening in my head, but the Swagger character seems to 'step-up' when the title's on the line. Seems to be a LOT hard to beat him in a title match.

And has Swagger even been champ for two months yet?

:shifty:

Thankfully, The Boogeyman is too tied up with The Burchills to think about the ECW title.

Finlay will probably come out and say it's his turn again, Christian will want one more chance. It will probably be a triple threat at WrestleMaina. I just pray Mark Henry isn't involved.

Matt Striker was on top of his game druing this match, as well. Sorry, I'm watching it again right now.

Funniest thing...It appears that the character is grizzle-ing in front of our eyes. He has a more stern approach to the business he needs to handle, he goes in and gets it done, and since nobody has mentioned it yet, he really worked Christian's arm last night! He told the story and Christian sold it. I give that match 3.5 solid stars

Yeah, I was debating with my girlfriend whether the injury was actually legit. We both thought it was until the ending, of course. Christian did a great job of selling it and Swagger did a great job of sticking to it. I especially liked that spot where he did that shoulder breaker, held on, smashed him into the turnbuckles, held on, hit ANOTHER shoulder breaker, held on for a second, then just slammed him on the mat. It was beautiful.

I agree with your point about Swagger, too, but people are way too far up Christian's ass to give him any credit right now, which I don't think is fair. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Christian a whole bunch too, but I haven't been upset about anything that has happened with him since his return.

Really, though I don't see this as that big of a deal. I am a little confused about where this is going, but I'm confused in a good way. Again I thought the match was great. Christian did a great job selling the injury, and his spots were good also. Swagger also did a fantastic job in that match. I wasn't a huge fan when I first saw him, but he has really grown on me. He's been very good as champion, which has really surprised me. Plus. that Swagger Bomb was pretty devastating.

I've been very happy with Christian's work since his return, and I'm liking this program with Swagger more and more each week. I'm looking forward to seeing how this unfolds. Seeing either man in Money in the Bank would be quite awesome, but seeing them battle for the ECW title on the big stage wouldn't disappoint me.

Indeed he was. I can't say the same for Todd, though. Am I the only one who doesn't really enjoy his commentary all that much?

Going on WWE logic (as ridiculous as that may seem to some), Swagger has no reason to be in Money in the Bank. Remember when CM Punk was in it the year before he won and said that if he won, he was going to cash it in on the ECW title?

Tyson Kidd's trunks were great. With the exception of that thing on his head, I am loving his look. I'm looking forward to seeing him in an actual storyline, hopefully with Evan Bourne. But I could also see them addressing the behind the scenes story with him and DH Smith and how Kidd made it back to the big time before Smith.

Tyson Kidd's hair gives him character. It's one of the best things about him. If he were a face, it'd be different. Also, his theme music is fantastic.

It does distinguish him. And yes, his music is incredible. I'm enjoying Natalya as well.

I know he doesn't have a reason to be there, but if by some "mishap" he did get in, I would enjoy his presence.

I am enjoying Tyson Kidd (and also how hot Natalya is looking these days). I would also enjoy seeing a Kidd/Bourne program. It would be sweet.

I like how Striker was saying that if Christian's arm wasn't hurt, he would have been able to hit the unprettier, even hook the leg better on pin attempts.

Swagger looked like a million bucks here, and Christian looked like he gave a shit again. Awesome match.

Christian was moving like a lot younger Christian did. That springboard to the outside was impressive.

Just to add to this, The Undertaker lost to Kozlov this week on SD, in the lead up to defending his streak. To build Kozlov up as a threat (albeit before he loses to HBK on Raw)

Could it be that WWE thought that the fans are expecting Christian to win, so they're delaying the win, making it seem like Swagger has Christians number now, before Christian could get a one up on him?

I mean just because Christian lost a title match on Sci Fi, doesn't mean they've given up on him or whatever. I'm sure they're just building.

Joey Styles & Matt Striker would be a good combination. That and Rey Mysterio would make me watch ECW!

I think Strker and Grisham are ok. Easily the best tandem on WWE programming right now Grisham mails some broadcasts in though. Last night was one of em. I think that That kid in pink will be pretty good. He has an RVD feel to him, I'd rather see him and DJ Gabriel tangle. that could be fun.

The more I think about it, the more I want to see Finlay/Dreamer/Christian/Swagger in a Fatal 4-Way at Mania, maybe even with extreme rules.

who wins that?

Any of those three but Finlay. I don't hate Finlay, but I don't wanna see him as ECW champ.

I would be very on board with throwing Tommy in there two, but I think you can only have Finlay, Swagger, or Christian win. Tommy's big title chase pay-off isn't until summer, so putting him in there now and having him lose would be another "Tommy doubts himself" moment that builds up to his one-on-one with whomever is champion at in the summer.

I still think you have Christian take the title. He's gonna need the "former World Champ" credit to his name.

I don't see any problem here. It was a hard fought contest and Christian came up short. He had gone over him two times before, in non-title situations. Irrelevant if those were fully clean or not. He was booked to look stronger and then when the time came, wasn't able to pull it off.
I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the matchup. This is how you build a fued.

Just watched Christian's return.

http://www.wwe.com/content/media/vid...ry8-14/9340766

Damn, I can't help but think this is some seriously wrong booking. WWE could have dropped him in big time. Drop him back in with Edge as a baddy-zoid with Big Show etc..

Anything but this lackluster entrance.

Why is everyone so bent out of shape about the Edge/Hardy angle. Its not like that angle is really going on, its 1 on 1 right now. When Jeff Hardy becomes back into the title hunt against Jeff, bring Christian in then. But for now he is fine, let him build up in ECW. They will bring him with or against Edge sometime in the near future.

I'm glad ECW isn't canon.

I must say Christian has really improved. He finally learned how to carry himself instead of living in Edges shadow.

Christian needed to come back as a face. Why fight against that natural face reaction he is going to get? Edge is needed in the main event scene, so those two can't feud. Christian is where he should be right now.

Looking forward to watching the match between them tonight. Christian being in Money in the Bank would really raise the level of that match, in my opinion. You need some bigger stars in it. But yeah, I think they tangle at WrestleMania again.

I'd actually like to see Christian and Finlay work a #1 Contender's Match on ECW to decide who gets to challenge Swagger at WrestleMania. They could have a televised MOTY candidate, quite honestly.

Todd Grisham and Matt Striker are the best commentary duo in the WWE right now. I'd like to see Striker work with Jim Ross on SmackDown!, personally. I think they would compliment each other very well. Joey Styles & JBL is still a dream team of mine, even though I'm sure JBL would do his best to make Joey look awful. If they could keep it professional, they would be awesome together.

I think that Todd Grisham & Paul Heyman would have a weird sort of chemistry together. Todd is a funny guy, and Heyman is pure evil in the booth. I could see them having a good time together. If Jerry Lawler is going to play the bland face who doesn't add anything from color commentary, then partnering him up with Josh Mathews -- who always had a bit of cynical wit to him (not unlike Todd Grisham), but has also does color commentary and is knowledgeable enough to hold his own out there with a sandbagging Lawler -- could be bizarrely entertaining.

RAW: Michael Cole & Tazz
SmackDown!: Jim Ross & Matt Striker
ECW: Todd Grisham & Paul Heyman
Superstars: Josh Mathews & Jerry Lawler
Special Occasions: Joey Styles, Jim Ross & John Bradshaw Layfield

Just a little rant about commentary teams. Joey Styles, Jim Ross & John Bradshaw Layfield would make a very interesting team, I think. You've got Styles, who is the left-wing kind of wrestling nut, JBL who screams "Republican asshole," and Jim Ross as a buffer between them. Them calling matches like the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank and the occasional SNME could be very good.

Anyway, I'd also like to throw it out there that I wouldn't mind it if the WWE built up Jack Swagger to be the guy to end The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak. The WWE obviously has a lot of faith in the guy. He's a good talent, is young, seems the kind of wrestler that would be a threat to Taker, etc.

Of all the guys under contract, he's the best option I can see.

I hope you're wearing flame retardant clothing Noid.

I am. Unfortunately I don't have my retard retardant clothes.

What Wrestlemania?

Ross and Striker did and ECW episode a few months ago. They meshed really well together.

I wouldn't mind a Undertaker/Swagger feud. Swagger's strength and charisma will help and aging Undertaker, and Undertaker will improve Swagger's repitoire.

I came into this thread expecting ECW spoilers, not Smackdown spoilers. :mad:

I'd like to see Christian win MITB and have him drafted to SmackDown! where he would eventually "feud" with Edge and win the World title at like, any pay-per-view at least 6 months removed from WM 25.

Jeff Hardy is one strike away from being released, and has already gone over The Undertaker before. Randy Orton and Taker have squared off at Mania before. If Orton was going to end the streak, he should have done it already. Matt Hardy is not someone that I think the WWE would ever let close to doing it. Christian doesn't need an achievement like that. Jericho would be awesome, but it's also something I can't see happening. CM Punk doesn't need it, and MVP just wouldn't fit, in my opinion.

It's not that I think Swagger is neccessarily better than those guys, but I think the guy that ends the streak should have a certain vibe to him. He should be a "threat" and not just "talented." A bigger guy with wrestling ability would be perfect. Swagger fits that mold.

Part of the big attraction to The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels this year is that it's happening in Houston at the 25th WrestleMania. Yeah, Taker/Michaels will be great whenever, but those circumstances add to the magic.

I think 16 is an odd number to end the streak on, as well. I'd maybe have it end next year, with the slightly bigger number of 17. :shifty:

I'm sure we will, too. If Triple H and Edge both win their matches at Mania, and both World Titles remain property of SmackDown!, I could see Christian being drafted to RAW, and then using the MITB title shot to win the World Heavyweight Title for RAW.

Pretty much exactly what the WWE did with CM Punk last year, but with more follow-up, eventually building, perhaps, to a match between them at WrestleMania 26.