ECW has been a solid show lately so I figured it was time to dedicate a Buy or Sell column to the Tuesday night show.

Today's Rundown: Matt Striker, Matt Striker, Dirt Sheet, Evan Bourne, Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, Colin Delaney, Overall Show

Matt Striker on color commentary: I am definitely buying this and I cannot see how anyone could disagree. Back when WWE was looking for a replacement for JBL, I thought then Striker would be a good choice. Of course, they went with Jonathan Coachman. Striker was not just great for a first timer, he was great for a veteran. I always thought he was underutilized as an in-ring performer and I still do, but at least he gives WWE a lot of options of what to do with him. He is a keeper.

Matt Striker praises other wrestlers and knows his wrestling history: Yes, Striker gets a second category and yes, I am buying this too. I never liked straight heel color commentators. While some were good (Jesse Ventura, Bobby Heenan, JBL), I hated it when they overlooked the obvious just to remain heelish, only to make themselves look like idiots. Striker's demeanor and confident arrogance makes him a heel, however, his praise and admiration of someone who recently defeated him, Evan Bourne, was fantastically done. Also, I loved his inclusion of wrestling history in his commentary and little known factual tidbits of the wrestlers.

The Dirt Sheet on live TV: This is a tough one, but I will buy it as a semi-regular thing, like The Highlight Reel or The Cutting Edge. I enjoyed portions of last night's segment but I hardly loved it. I have always preferred Santino's Casa to The Dirt Sheet, but I do not see either of them as a good idea to be shown regularly on TV.

Evan Bourne: I am buying Evan and I see a lot of Rey Mysterio in his work and Jeff Hardy in his popularity. Todd Grisham said it well last night when he stated wrestlers need to turn heads when they first appear on TV. Bourne is turning heads so fast that people are getting whiplash. The fans love this guy and they should. He has a lot going for him and I hope to see him continue up the ladder.

Mark Henry and Tony Atlas: I am buying the duo although I would prefer Henry do his own talking. Miz and Morrison even referred to how bad Atlas is on the mic. Henry has been a very pleasant surprise as ECW Champion. He is very imposing and intimidating. His mic work has been very good as he continues to get himself over as a different type of champion. I applaud Henry for taking the ball and running with this opportunity.

Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy: I am buying this feud. ECW is what it is: the third show on the WWE totem pole. However, it is also a place where wrestlers can and should do everything they can to get noticed. This is a good feud between two men with contrasting styles. Hardy is super popular with the fans and Henry is coming across as next to impossible to beat. I am curious to see their match at Summerslam. They are making the ECW Title as prestigious as it can possibly be at this point.

Colin Delaney: I am selling him because I just want him off of the TV screen. As the sympathetic babyface, I wanted to see him get his ass kicked. That is not good. As the wimpy heel, he gets no heat and I still want to see him get his ass kicked. Also, people have criticized Braden Walker for debuting on TV out of shape. This standard should be held to the smaller guys too. Evan Bourne is toned; Delaney should have to be too. Heck, I guess if JBL can look the way he does… you know where I am going with that.

ECW as an overall show: Like I said before (as did Rocky Balboa), it is what it is. However, right now, ECW is a pretty entertaining hour. Nothing groundbreaking and earth shattering is going to happen, but for the most part, the show is solid and fun to watch.

Thank you for reading and as always, feel free to email me at dotnetrich@gmail.com.

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