Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

Music, Politics, Flim, Books and TV all shall be reviewed within.

The show opens with Dusty Rhodes and Josh Mathews talking up how great the show is going to be. Before a rather pleasent looking Asain lady called Angelina introduces the next competitors.
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FCW Tag Team Title
Johnny Curtis & Tyler Recks vs. DH Smtih & TJ Wilson
Dusty tells us that 2009 will be a fire cracker. Wilson scores wtih a dropkick before Smith tags in and unloads on Recks stomping the living hell out him. Wilson tacks in and a double shoulder tackle gets a two count before Wilson gives us his best Randy Orton impression with a chinlock. Recks tries to fight out but he's met with a snap mare and a spinal tap. DH Smith tags in and scores with a nice body slam. Recks gets a Jacknife pin for a quick two count but he's then killed with a overhead belly to belly suplex. Wilson tags in and they score with a droptoe hold basement dropkick combo for a near fall. Wilson works over Reck's without imagination before missing a dropkick. After a battle we get a HOT TAG.
Curtis cleans house on Wilson countering a closeline into a nice side russain leg sweep for two. DH Smith gets a blind tag and Curtis runs right into a powerslam for a near fall. Curtis slips out the back of a powerslam and scores with a spinning heel kick for two. DH Smith counters a suplex to a belly to back with a bridge for a near fall. Wilson then tags in and scores with a springboard flying elbow drop for a near fall. Wilson runs straight into a pair of boots and Curtis scores with the Super Falcon Arrow for the 1-2-3. We have new tag team champions!
Everyone seemed very green but they put together some nice action and good spots. That's a hell of a finisher Curtis has there. Some slow an awkward spots but this would not look too out of place on ECW. (*3/4)
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The Champs the go into full ammatuer album with a horrible post match promo, well at least they wrestle okay.
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We then go to the best of FCW and see Kelly Kelly hosting a twist contest, with Brie Bella, Alicia Fox and Tiffany as well as a couple of girls I didn't recognize. It was quite funny and ended in a brawl.
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DJ Gabriel (w/Alicia Fox) vs. John Cutler
Alicia Fox is definitely smoking hot. DJ Gabriel gets a snapmare and then a leg sweep and knee drop. Gabriel catches a kick from Cutler and hits a back elbow and then a trip. Gabriel catches a crossbody from Cutler and scores with a body slam. Gabriel avoids and Dropkick and scores with one of his own before making fun of Cutler. DJ then hits an over the shoulder gut buster before finishing Cutler with the Second rope diving European Upppercut.
Just a squash, Gabriel didn't look overly impressive and the dancing Gimmick isn't great, can't see him getting very far in ECW, I'm sure Fox will end up on Smackdown.
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Yamamoto vs. Hade Vansen
Vansen has a interesting introduction and obviously now he's in WWE he looks a lot smaller than he did in the FWA. He definitely has a destintive look. Hade gets an arm wrench but its reversed and Yamamoto unloads with a couple of stiff kicks, Hade dodges a roundhouse but can't dodge a spinning back kick. Yamamoto drops and elbow and Hade bails to the outside. Hade works Yamamoto's leg over the edge of the ring and brings him back to the centre with a European upper cut and a hard back elbow gets two before Hade Vansen locks in a chinlock. Yamamoto fights up and we get a horrible sloppy spot where Vansen shoves over Yamamoto. Hade then scores with a european uppercut. We get a really terrible awkward spot in the corner. Yamamoto gets two stiff kicks and goes for a running knee strike but Hade rolls through and scores with the South City Killer (Implant DDT).
That was very poor. Everything was very awkward, Yamamoto was terrible, I get the feeling that Hade has enough about him that with practice he could get over a little but make no mistake not an impressive debut but I can't help but feel its a shame he's been released.
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Ricky Ortiz, Scotty Goldman & Kizarny vs. Jack Swagger, Gavin Spears and Dolph Ziggler
Goldmen slides under Spears and hits an ear clap. Kizarny tags in and we get a two man Aeroplane spin. Swagger distracts Kizarny allowing Dolph to get a sneak attack. Ziggler gets a snapmare and an elbow drop. Swagger tags in and gets a shoulder tackle in the corner. Kizarny dodges a closeline and Ortiz tags in. Ortiz gets a running dropkick, a back elbow and then a 3 point stance. Ortiz is caught on the apron an Swagger gets a nice neckbreaker through the middle rope for a near fall. Spears tags in with a double stomp to the head. Spears gets a droptoe hold and tags in Swagger who drops a series of elbows before applying a head wrench. Ortiz powers out but is taken back down with a neck breaker. Dolph tags in with a snapmare but misses a big leaping elbow. Ziggler then hits an awful looin curb stomp before tagging in Spears. Spears applies a chinlock before tagging Ziggler back in who scores wtih a head pound before locking in a camel clutch.Ricky fights out and scores with a dropkick.
HOT TAG, Scotty unloads and gets the big wind up punch. Scott hits a monkey kick and a Butt butt. Everyone else brawls on the outside. Scotty hits Dolph with an Atomic Drop Bomb before whipping spears into Spears into Ziggler and scoring with Eat The Feet for the win.
Well that was all kinds of sloppy but fine for what it was. Scotty looked good when he was in there. (3/4*)
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FCW Heavyweight Title
Drew Macintrye vs. Eric Escobar vs. Joe Henning vs. Sheamus O'Shaunessy
All four men brawl to start the match. Sheamus avoids being whipped into Drew and hits a closeline of Escobar. Sheamus and Drew then work together and throw Joe hard into the corner. Drew and Sheamus then hit a double shoulder tackle. Drew whips Sheamus at Eric but he's met with a boot. Henning and Escobar double closeline Drew to the outside and then double dropkick Sheamus to the outside. Drew and Sheamus pull Joe to the outside and brawl on the outside. The crowd chant "same old shit" as Escobar hits a planhca onto all three men. Escobar won't let the heels get into the ring. Joe gets a school boy on Eric for a near fall. Eric and Joe square up and unload before running into a double closeline spot. Drew and Sheamus then get in each others face and tehy unload with big slugs. Drew gets a running forearm in the corner and floats over. Then in a nice spot Henning dropkicks Sheamus into Drew whos on top and crotches him and has him land on his head in the same instance. Eric then scores with a not so super superplex. Eric gets a two count. Joe and Drew are left in the ring, Drew unloads as Sheamus is introduced to the steps on the outside. Drew then hits a snap suplex for a two count and Joe replies with a back suplex for a near fall. Joe whips Drew into Shaemus knocking him off the apron before getting a quick cover for a two count. Eric dodges Drew closeling and htis a leaping crescent kick for a near fall. Sheamus gets a suplex on Drew for a near fall. Joe dodges a closeline and leapfrogs Drew before hitting Drew with a running dropkick. Shaemus gets a camel clutch on Joe, Eric then locks in a clutch for a triple spot. Sheamus breaks the hold with a jaw breaker. Drew works over Joe and hits a European uppercut for a near fall. Everyone is gassed and we get a series of nearfalls. Shaemus hits a nice double leg takedown on Drew. Joe hits the perfect plex on Sheamus but Drew breaks up the pinfall. Drew counters a closeline with Scott Drop (Flatliner), Shaemus accidently hits Drew with a pump kick, Joe spears Sheamus and they brawl to the outside, leaving Eric in the ring to crawl over and get the 1-2-3 on Drew.
Well that wasn't pretty, these guys really aren't ready to be in a four way style match, within the match itself Drew manages to looks crisp and impact full with his strikes, Joe Henning looked vanilla but very competant, Sheamus looked like a real potential star, his offence wasn't anything special but he looked the part, his facial expression were strong and he sold well. Eric Escobar was terrible on this showing and unless this was an off night I'm stunned he's been given the belt. On this evidence I'd say Sheamus should be called up to ECW and employed as a credible heel, however being Irish he'll likely be given a horrible gimmick, I hope not as he has plenty of potential. (*1/4)
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Overall Thoughts: This is my first experience with FCW, its not particularly great but that's to be expected, its intriguing to see the development process in action, you can see WWE unsuprisingly puts huge imputetus on fundementals over flashiness. The only let downs about this episode was a lack of Promo time, I'd like to have seen what some of these guys can bring on the mike, and no Divas! Well Alicia was hot but it's always good to scout the new talent.

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This is your one stop shop of pop culture reviews I most specialize in Music, Politics & Film. I occasionally delve into TV reviews. I've got a Politics MA and a War Studies BA, I'm taking a year out before starting a Phd so when it comes to History and Politics I'm pretty well versed but I tend to keep this blog fun rather than serious.

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