Bodies hits as we see the entrance video play for ECW as Joey Styles welcomes us to another episode of ECW.
Joey: After the huge news that was announced late last night concerning the 2008 Pay Per View schedule, will there be any matches made for the Royal Rumble and who will Paul Heyman place into the Royal Rumble match? But first lets head to the ring as the new ECW world champion is in the ring and he is in the celebratory mode.
Camera goes to the ring where Edge and the two masked men are in the ring.
Edge: I did it. I told everybody last week I came to ECW for one reason and one reason only. That would be to fulfill the destiny of the higher power and win the ECW World Heavyweight championship, when I totally dominated Chris Jericho and Shelton Benjamin last week in a triple threat ladder match.
Crowd: You suck…boo…boo
Edge: You can boo all you want but the fact remains that I am still the ECW champion. You may be wondering who these two masked men are that, as some people will tell you, helped me screw Benjamin out of the title. Well I would tell you, but I’m not the kind of guy to reveal his secrets. So now that I have the ECW title and the backing of the Higher Power, there Ain’t No Stoppin’ Me.
Ain’t No Stoppin’ Me plays as Shelton Benjamin walks through the curtain microphone in hand.
Shelton: Edge, did I just hear you say there was no stopping’ you. Can you please come up with your own phrase, I mean damn. O yea you can. This reeks of awesomeness, doesn’t Edge.
Crowd pops as Edge freaks out with Benjamin bringing up Edge’s older days.
Edge: Benjamin, what the hell are you doing out here. This is my time, this is my celebration. I order you to go to the back and let me finish what I was saying.
Benjamin: Well, Edge it looked like you where done so I decided to grab a mic and come out, talk a little trash and then take the ECW belt which should be with me right now.
Edge: You can’t take my belt, It has my name on it. See
Edge points to the name plate with Edge written on it.
Benjamin: Wanna see me get take it from you?
Benjamin charges to the ring and right onto Edge. The masked men take Benjamin and drag him off of Edge. Benjamin punches one and kicks the other one. The masked men are on the ground and Benjamin goes after Edge. He tries a T-bone suplex but the masked men save Edge and Edge and the masked men high-tail it out of the ring as Benjamin does the “I want the belt” taunt.
A familiar guitar strum hits as the place goes wild in anticipation for Bret Hart. Bret makes his way to the ring as the place goes nuts. Bret makes it to the ring and looks around the ring as the fans are still popping for Hart.
Bret: Last week, I came out and made some bold statements pertaining to Vince McMahon and on WWE, Vince remarked back. Vince, like I said last week, it is going to be Bret Hart screwing Vince McMahon. If you want a war than you got one. You see Vince, I have already started to recruit men for our battles that we are sure to have. I want to introduce you all in ECW to my nephew. Teddy Hart.
Hart’s music plays as he walks to the ring to a decent pop for being introduced as a Hart.
Teddy: Vince, you may say I have an attitude problem and I may do, but I swear on this. All my attitude will be focused on taking you out. You wanted the Hart Foundation 2.0 on Smackdown but never gave it to us because of my attitude problem. Well, it is time for an attitude adjustment on your part. The Hart foundation 2.0 starts tonight in ECW with my uncle, the legendary Bret Hart in command.
Bret: Vince, this is WAR.
Teddy stands in the ring and Bret goes to the outside. Teddy waits for his opponent as Petty Williams comes out to a decent pop.
Match starts with Teddy in charge. He nails a few punches then whips Petty into the ropes. Dropkick by Teddy followed by a full body scissors. Petty knips out and Teddy lets him to his feet. Both men up as Teddy charges at Petty with a clothesline, but Petty ducks and nails a clothesline on Teddy. Hart back up as Petty nails a kick to the gut followed by a DDT. Petty tries a pin but Teddy kicks out at one. Petty applies a chin lock. Teddy powers up and hits some elbows to Petty’s gut. Petty’s releases the hold and Teddy nails a standing dropkick. Teddy to the top rope looking for a dropkick. Petty moves out of the ring and Teddy hits hard. Petty to the outside and he looks under the ring pulling out a chair. Teddy back up as Petty rolls into the ring. Petty puts the chair up preparing to swing on Teddy, but Hart nails a spinning kick into the chair. Teddy goes for the cover, but only gets two. He cannot believe it and looks at Bret. Bret gives him a nod as Teddy drags Petty’s leg to the bottom rope and smashes down on it. He does this a couple more times, then grabs the steel chair. He places the chair on Petty’s leg and comes down on it. Teddy drags Williams to the middle of the ring and places him in the Sharpshooter. Petty tries to get to the rope, but eventually taps out to the pain.
Backstage we see Batista walking down a hallway into the ECW locker room. He goes directly to Bobby Lashley and starts to talk to him.
Batista: Last week Lashley, you cost both of us the opportunity to win the ECW world title when you flew over the top rope and crashed into me, sending both of us through the ramp. I have not felt the same way since. What do you have to say.
Lashley: First of all, Batista, I don’t have to tell you why I do what I do. But if you want to know so much, I did It because I was looking to win a match. That is the reason we wrestle, is it not. I wanted to put a show on for the fans and that is exactly what I did. Do you have a problem with that?
Batista: Well actually I do Bobby. I was put on the shelf 2 times in the past three years. I had to surrender the World title because of that. In ECW, I will not go down like that again. Got it pal?
Batista pokes Lashley rather hard which starts a brawl between these two big men.
Paul Heyman comes into the locker room to help break it up. After he does, he has this to say.
Paul: Since you guys wanna fight so much. I am going to make a match at the royal rumble between you two. However it will not just be any ordinary match. It will be a Last Man Standing match. Also, while I have the attention of the people in the locker room. I have brought in the ECW tag team championship belts and tonight I start the first round of the tournament tonight. Also, whatever teams win tonight will be qualified for the Royal Rumble.
Back in the arena, Brooklyn, Brooklyn hits as Cryme Tyme walks out to a decent pop from the class.
After a few moments of anticipation, the Hardy boys music hits to a pop close to Bret Harts earlier in the show.
Match starts with Jeff and JTG. Jeff on the offensive with a series of kicks and punches. Hurricanranna by Jeff that sends JTG to his corner. Tag to the big Shad and he comes in with a attempted clothesline, ducked by Jeff into a double leg dropkick. Shad on the ground as Jeff gets a big pop. Jeff tags in Matt. Matt comes in with a side effect on Shad. Pin attempt by Matt gets broken up by JTG. This brings Jeff in the ring and he goes after JTG. JTG and Jeff punch back and forth until they brawl onto the floor. Matt and Shad on the inside. Matt tries a twist of fate, but Shad reverses Matt into the ropes. Shad comes at Matt with a clothesline that knocks Matt for a loop. Shad calls for the G9 as JTG is knocking Jeff down. JTG back in the ring and he bounces off the ropes. However Jeff clips JTG’s leg and he falls. Jeff in the ring with and nails Shad. Matt with the Twist of Fate followed by the Swanton for the win.
Joey: Well, Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy have advanced in the tag tournament and they also have qualified for the Royal Rumble. Let’s head to the ring for our next first round in the tag tournament.
Out comes the tag team of Kofi Kingston and Carlito to a mixed reaction. Cheers for Kofi and boos for Carlito.
Next The Major Brothers come out to a pretty bland response.
Match starts with Brian and Kofi. Kofi on the offensive with some swift kicks. Kofi goes and nails a scissors kick. He looks to end the match early with a Cool Runnings. Brian ducks and nails a super kick. Kofi is down and Carlito comes in after Brian tries to pin him. Kofi gets up as Carlito goes out. Carlito is trying to get onto the apron and Kofi flies off the ropes knocking Carlito into the guardrail. Brian back on Kofi as Kofi looks at Carlito on the ground. Brian with a tag to Brett. Brett comes into the ring and The Majors perform the double Superkick. Brett pins Kofi for the pinfall.
After the match, Carlito gets up and gets on the mic.
Carlito: Kofi, you screwed up you Jamaican fool. You messed with Carlito and that is not cool.
Kofi: Sorry man, it was an accident maaan.
Carlito doesn’t take the apology and attacks Kofi. He then spits in Kofi’s face with a spit up apple.
Paul Heyman comes out with a microphone.
Paul: The next match will be for a spot in the 2008 Royal Rumble. Introducing first, The Shaman of Sexy, John Morrison.
Morrison comes out and waits for his opponent. After a few moments MVP comes out to a chorus of boos from the crowd. MVP gets on the mic before his match.
MVP: Morrison, tonight I show you why I am better than you, and at the Royal Rumble I prove why I am better than the other twenty-nine men in the Rumble.
MVP then goes to the ring to start the match.
Match begins with MVP in complete control. MVP nails a strong kick to Morrison. MVP then punches Morrison in the face three hard times. Match continues for a while with MVP on the offensive. Morrison starts a comeback when he reverses MVP’s kick in the corner by moving out of the way and having MVP catching himself on the top turnbuckle. Morrison goes for a school boy but MVP kicks out at two. Both men back up with Morrison on the offensive. Morrison attempts a standing shooting star press but MVP moves out of the way. MVP up and locks in the playmaker. He nails it and gets the three count.
Backstage we see Samoa Joe with Josh Matthews.
Josh: Samoa Joe, you requested this time to speak on the air. So I am going to turn the microphone over to you.
Joe: Thank you Josh, I requested this spot to make an open challenge to anybody on the roster. See Josh, last week I was left out of the ECW World title tournament and I feel disrespected. I deserved the opportunity to win the ECW title. So I just spoke to Heyman and he has told me that whoever accepts my challenge for next week, it will be a Royal Rumble qualifier. So for whoever wants some, remember what the fans say. Joe’s going to kill you.
The crowd begins to chant Joe’s going to kill you, Joe’s going to kill you.
Back in the ring we are ready for the Main Event.
AJ Styles comes to the ring and he waits for his opponent as this is a Royal Rumble Qualifier match.
Shelton Benjamin makes his way to the ring to a pretty decent pop compared to some other faces on the roster.
As soon as Benjamin makes it into the ring, Edge comes to the ring. He jumps Benjamin from behind with a steel chair. The masked men are with Edge and they get some shots in. AJ is in the ring and he does not make a move to help Benjamin. Edge sets Benjamin up and one of the masked men nails Benjamin with a chair busting him open. Edge then gets the masked men to pick Benjamin up and hold him in place as Edge hit’s a devastating spear. Edge rolls Benjamin in the ring as the referee rings the bell. AJ with the pin but Benjamin kicks out at two. Edge cannot believe it and he gets in the ring. Edge nails Benjamin with another spear. AJ locks in the Styles Clash and nails it. He pins Benjamin, but Benjamin kicks out again. Edge back into the ring and he nails the Edgecator on a steel chair. AJ with the pin for the three count finally.
After the match, Edge gets the ECW belt and puts it into Shelton’s face.
Edge: Benjamin, you will never have this title. The Higher Power has made everything happen as planned. You will never have my title.
