December 3rd, 2006 from Augusta, Georgia.
Why when I haven't the money do sales happen? I intend to own jerseys of all NHL teams, I have my Wings, Canadiens, Capitals, Senators, and a VGK Neal jersey is £27 right now! I would have it, depending on shipping, had I not purchased a stickless Larry Murphy bobblehead, I didn't know a part was missing until arrival, the description didn't mention it but I didn't notice it in the pics at the time either. So rather than looking like he's playing hockey, Larry looks like he's riding the Hair Bear Bunch invisible bike; at least Tyler Bertuzzis arrived fine, anyway....
This show is quite famous for -
- Being naff
- Drawing what may of been, pre-Network, a modern low in buys
- Seeing Heyman out of WWE.
MNM (w/ Melina) Vs. Hardy Boys
On a RAW prior to this it was either hinted or stated that this MNM reunion was a one time thing, Mercury probably wishes it was given Armageddon. Jeff is the IC Champion. I'm pretty sure Joey Mercury worked in latter day ECW. The Hardyz are working over Joeys arm early. Given he's Johnny Nitro I'm surprised Vince didn't book him as a jobber to show WWE > WCW. Outsider Edge into a sit out powerbomb gets Matt 2 on Nitro. MNM have taken over with Matt playing the role of face-in-peril. A double suplex is countered to a double neckbreaker but MNM take out Jeff so Matt can't tag out. Poetry in motion to Matt. Jeff in and he cleans condo. Jeff misses a post Twist of Fate Swanton Bomb as Nitro pulls Mercury out. After a brief speeding up of proceedings Jeff is now playing F-I-P. It's hardly interesting offence but there is a 'Hardy' chant. Jeff hits Whisper in the Wind and gets the tag to Matt, lukewarm tag at best. I've just noticed the Side Effect is essentially a sit out Rock Bottom. Nitro dropkicks Melina by accident and Jeff gets 2 off a roll up. Snapshot to Jeff but Matt breaks the pin. Top rope Snapshot is broken up by Matt and we get a double Twist of Fate of sorts and a Swanton to both MNM gets 3 on Nitro. **1/2 - An okay tag match but whenever it felt like it was going to pick up and be something memorable it slowed down and kind of lost steam.
Matt Striker Vs. Balls Mahoney
Striker cuts a prematch, during which he changes the rules of the match to a n early 90s WCW match with no top rope moves, would that effect a Balls match? Surprisingly it's not Ballz, at least someone from the late 90s/early 00s didn't go from s to z. A Styles joke about Strikers attire cracks Tazz up. Balls applies an armlock but Matt gets a ropebreak. Balls charges into the ringpost leading to some arm work from Matt. A Regal style neckbreaker gets Matt 2. Balls does sell the arm to be fair, Matt applies an armbar but Balls makes the ropes. Sky High out of nowhere gets Balls the 3 count. ** Very much a TV level match but they did both keep up the arm work and I appreciate psychology so have a boost.
Sabu is KOd backstage. What could someone do to Sabu to get him stretchered? Crowd chants 'Bulls--t'.
Elijah Burke/Sylvester Terkay Vs. FBI (w/ Trinity)
Burke was one of the few, if not the only, that became bigger in TNA, as the Pope, than they were in New York. FBI is Guido and Mamaluke. Brief wrestling to start between Elijah and Guido. Terkay uses the power advantage to get the better of the FBI. Guido is your F-I-P. FBI take Terkay down with stereo knew dropkicks. The Stroke gets Elijah 3 on Mamaluke. *1/2 Boring TV style match, after the match there was a slight 'TNA' chant as Terkay hit a Muscle Buster.
Sabu is loaded into an ambulance.
Tommy Dreamer Vs. Daivari (w/ The Great Khali)
Crikey, no wonder Sabu willingly left in an ambulance. Wait sorry I thought Khaki was wrestling, I mean it's *still* a Dreamer match but may be a bit more bearable. Daivari takes a powder after a hiptoss. Dreamer suplexes Daivari but Khali lowbridges him and is ejected. Nothing of note going on. Daivari whiffs on a crossbody but Daivari counters a DDT with a tights assisted roll up for the 3 count. *1/2 - Barely a TV level match, and I mean ECW TV at that.
Paul Heyman gives Hardcore Holly Sabus spot in the Chamber.
Mike Knox/Kelly Kelly Vs. Kevin Thorn/Ariel
you may remember Knox in TNA as an Aces & Eights member or as that carnival guy or for being eliminated by HBK at Survivor Series. Thorn and Ariel seem to be a modern, at least in 2006, Gangrel and Luna. Knox kind of resembles Charlie Haas, which is all that's notable so far. A lariat has Thorn down. Pump Kick gets 2 on Thorn, weird bit as I think Knox goes for a snapmare but then doesn't flip so Knox has a weird chinlock applied. The ladies tag in and Ariel has the advantage. Knox walks off when Kelly goes for a tag, Kelly had shown interest in CM Punk apparently. A legsweep style slam gets Ariel 3. * - Boring and basic.
Sandman is here and canes Thorn. There's an EC-Dub chant and sadly they weren't having a laugh.
Paul Herman is here, the main event is coming up 1hr 32mins into the show. Big Show is ECWs future apparently to which one can says he's going to retire next year, and I think he did leave wrestling for a bit.
Extreme Elimination Chamber - Big Show (c) Vs. CM Punk Vs. Test Vs. Bobby Lashley Vs. Hardcore Holly Vs. RVD
I barely cared about WWECW at the time so can't remember the angles now but going by the video Test, Holly and Show are goons of Heyman. the latter two start. The Chamber is extreme as the pods have weapons in them - a chair, a crowbar, a table and a barbed wire bat, welcome to extreme Cluedo. RVD missed a crossbody but lands on the Chamber wall but hotshots himself in the top rope when he tries another. We get the stupid bit where someone comes off the top into a boot, Hardcore came off the top vertically he wouldn't of even hit a move, god I hate that. A suplex gets Hardcore 2. Entrant #3 is CM Punk, the fans like that. Punk throws a chair at Van Dam so he throws it back in Punks face. Punk counters a legsweep with a legdrop. RVD is cut, I don't remember Van Dam bleeding much in his career. Hardcore is in charge at the moment so interest isn't exactly at a high. Fans are behind RVD now. #4 entrant is Test. RVD uses the chair on all, hitting Punk with his corner dropkick, a follow up Five Star gets 3 on Punk, some boo that decision. Test accidentally boots Holly and there's a weird bit when the ref stops counting but Holly didn't kick out. Big Show grabs RVD from his pod allowing Test to throw him down and hit a chair assisted big elbow for the 3 count. Wait Holly has been eliminated apparently, fans about bulls--t about RVDs elimination. Entrant #5 is Bobby. The pod is locked by people in riot gear. Lashley breaks the top of his pod with the table and leaves it, super strong table or weak pod? Test is thrown around a bit. Extreme rock -paper-scissors as crowbar beats chair and then a Spear beats Test. Big Show is getting words from Heyman as there's still a minute till his pod opens. Show's out and is soon thrown through a pod. Chokeslam is countered with a DDT. Lashley avoids a powetslam and gets a Spear for 3. *1/2 - This Lashley thing was the usual Vince pigheadedness where he decided that Lashley was getting the title despite people not caring and that was that. Speaking of Vince he would be the one to end Lashleys title reign, which is a bigger joke than this match but maybe not the PPV.
10 / 30 - Not much to say really, the opener was okay if too long, the rest were boring to various degrees with the mixed tag falling towards bad territory but Kelly Kelly, the weakest of four pretty weak links, hadn't really been around too long so couldn't really expect too much.
The main sort of had a story with Bobby overcoming Heymans goons but the ECW crowd weren't into Lashley, he has the charisma of an oven mitt and when the goons are a broken down Big Show, a 6 years too late Test push and Sparky Plugg well; suddenly Rocksteady and Bebop look like the best henchmen going.
Thumbs down.
