makes this right. Christian cheated to win the belt, and cheated to keep it. Tiffany continues to insist. “Or else what?” Swagger things he’ll be here longer than Tiffany would be. He is the face of the franchise, and she is just a temp. She grabs the mic out of his hand and reminds him that this “temp” has the power to make sure he remains the uncrowned champion, and she’ll see to it that he never receives another championship match again. And she tells him he is going to get out of this ring and go straight to her office, right now! Swagger sits for a minute, gets up, adjusts his jacket, and leaves the ring. As he’s slowly wandering to the back, Tiffany apologizes and then introduces the first match herself. First she calls out Christian.

Of course, since Swagger has been giving Undertaker a run for his money in the lack-of-speed department, Christian and Swagger meet on the ramp. The two lock eyes, and then Swagger shoves Christian off the ramp onto the floor. Christian holds his left knee, and Swagger continues back stage. Christian struggles to get to his feet, and we head to commercial.

Match 1: Christian v Paul Burchill (w/Katie Lea)

Christian is favoring the left leg, but he’s a trooper, so we get the match going. Burchill tries to attack the leg, but Christian does a fine job of keeping it away. Eventually, though Burchill does grab hold, and Christian rains punches down on the back of Burchill’s neck. This works, and Christian grabs Burchill’s arm for an assortment of twists, locks, and general messing up the arm. After a few moves, Burchill is able to reverse and get Christian’s arm into a hammer lock. Burchill reverses and grabs Christian’s leg, sending him flying backwards. He goes to follow up, but Christian kicks him backward. Christian Arm drags Burchill, and then continues to hold the arm and inflict his damage. Burchill again gets out of it, and after a few moves, he whips Christian into the ropes. On rebound, Christian dodges, and slides under him. He gets up, and Burchill lands him with a short-armed clothesline. But it’s not enough, as Christian gets up and lands him with another armdrag. More arm-based submission moves, and Burchill is able to get up, and back Christian in to the corner. The ref calls for the break, and Burchill moves away, then turns to do something, but Christian sees it and hits him in the face with his elbow. Christian goes to the second ropes to springboard off, but Burchill sees that a mile away, and kicks the sore leg, knocking Christian to the mat. Christian is in pain, and rolls out of the ring to rest the leg. Burchill follows and runs right into a big right. Burchill knees Christian and then whips him to the steel steps. Christian hits and goes up and over onto the floor. Burchill tosses him back into the ring, and goes for a pin, but only gets two. Burchill keeps targeting the leg, getting Christian into a single-leg Boston crab. He gets bored with that so repositions and lifts Christian’s leg up, and then slams it knee-first to the canvas. He lifts Christian up and drops his knee down onto Burchill’s leg, then hits a belly-to-back suplex. He goes for another cover, and again only gets two. Christian recovers, and leans against the ropes, before he kicks Burchill, who is advancing on him. Christian whips Burchill to the ropes and tries to hit a missile dropkick, but Burchill grabs the ropes, so Christian dropkicks nothing. Another cover for Burchill, and another two count. Burchill continues knee-related offense, and then gets Christian in a figure four. Christian eventually rolls over, reversing it, but then Burchill does the same. He eventually works his way over to the ropes, and has to be counted to break the hold. He gets some more offense on Christian and then draws back and goes in for the big splash, but Christian moves at the last minute. Christian goes up top, and grabs a hold of Burchill’s head. He stands, and leaps for a tornado DDT maybe, although he botches it a bit. He limps over to make the pin and gets One, Two…No! Christian hits three rights, and then when Burchill runs in again, he gets a back body drop. Some more stuff, and Christian is able to land a neckbreaker. He pins, but still only for two. They again brawl a bit, until Christian is back in the corner. He again goes to the second ropes, and this time hits the sunset flip and pins for a two count. Burchill punches Christian right in the leg, but it’s not enough. Christian tries for the Killswitch, but Burchill keeps turning, and knees Christian. Burchill hits a regular ol’ suplex, and gets himself a two count. Burchill runs Christian into the corner, then backs up to run back in, but Christian hits the Fulcrum, knocking him back. Christian leaps off the second ropes with a flying upper cut. Burchill staggers to his feet, and Christian this time is able to hit the Killswitch. Christian makes the pin and it’s one two DONE! Winner: Christian

After the match, Tough Questions Josh Matthews (trust me, he’s earned the nickname) comes into the ring to congratulate Christian on his match, and then ask about the pre-match shenanigans with Swagger. Christian says if Swagger didn’t like what happened at Judgment Day, then he’s going to hate what Christian has to say right now. At MSG, Dreamer challenged Christian for the ECW Championship, and swagger interfered so the match was thrown out. Since then, Swagger has had his rematch, and lost. Again. (Ha!) So, Christian issues a challenge to Tommy Dreamer for the ECW Championship.

Backstage, Swagger is bitchin’ and moanin’ to GM Tiffany. Swagger is not amused by Christian’s challenge. Tiffany gives Swagger the rest of the night off before his mouth gets him in any more trouble than it already has. Swagger gives the oh-so-mature response of “Whatever,” and leaves. I’m liking GM Tiffany more and more.

Match 2: Zach Ryder v. Adam “Red Trunks” Green

Zach is wearing sort of strange tights. The right leg is long, but the left leg is like he was wearing briefs. Supposedly, your fresh meat for the night is a muay thai expert. Woo woo woo squash.

Vladimir Kozlov comes out in a Russian military uniform. I’ve seen those at certain, shall we say, “specialty shops.” Anyway, he says stuff in Russian, and then in English. He’s going to continue his march, and there will be no retreat or surrender. But that’s all I catch. And, he’s done. Thanks for stopping by, Vlad.

Meanwhile, Gregory Helms is outside GM Tiffany’s office. Christian’s challenge has been accepted and officially signed, and the match will take place on Thursday’s WWE Superstars. What the f---? Brilliant. The exact spot for a championship match is on a show no one watches. Helms brings Dreamer in for an interview. Tommy thanks Christian for the opportunity, and it shows what type of man and champion Christian is. This could be his last ECW title match, and he’s not going to waste the opportunity. He will become the ECW Championship.

Match 3: David Hart Smith (w/Natalya and Tyson Kidd) v. Finlay (w/Shillelagh)

The referee again orders Finlay to put that illegal weapon right there in the corner! The bell rings, and the two men dance around a bit, as Finlay tries to simultaneously keep his eye on Smith and on the rest of Hart 2.0 (or whatever we’re calling them today). Finally, they lock up. Fairly standard trying to out-power each other. Smith gets Finlay against the ropes, and the ref calls for the break. Finlay takes advantage and head butts Smith. Finlay gets Smith into a headlock, and lands three uppercuts, followed by two European uppercuts, and a short armed clothesline. Finlay essentially beats him down to the mat and gets a quick pin for one. More abuse, a European uppercut, and then a knee drop onto Smith’s head. Another short pin, and Smith rolls out of the ring. Finlay walks to the edge and Smith pulls his feet out from under him. Finlay answers with a kick to the face. Finlay gets out of the ring, then tosses Smith back in. As he’s climbing back up, Smith retaliates with an elbow drop to Finlay’s shoulder, then a foot stomp. He follows up with some elbows, punches, and kicks of his own. Smith tries to whip him into the ropes, but Finlay stops him and pulls him into a short arm clothesline. Pin for Finlay, and DH kicks out at two. Finlay starts the mid match rest hold portion of your match, with the occasional pin and kick out for variety. Smith gets to his feet, and there’s a moderate struggle before Finlay gets him into position for a backbreaker, and then goes for a pin. Smith kicks out at two. Once again, Smith rolls out to recover Finlay follows him out and throws a punch, but then Smith recovers, and body slams Finlay onto the floor. Finlay rolls around in pain and Smith gets back into the ring, to the cheers of his allies.

After commercial, both are back in the ring, and now Smith is doing the rest holds on Finlay. (At one point, Finlay pulls Smith’s hand away from his mouth and tells him what to do next.) Finlay stands and drops down, for a jawbreaker. This gives Finlay a breather, but not for long, as Smith responds with a clothesline. Smith makes the pin, and Finlay kicks out at two. Smith punches Finlay straight in the head, then lands a couple of very stiff-looking stomps to the head. Now it’s Finlay’s turn to roll out of the ring for a breather. Smith waits a bit, and then gets bored and grabs Finlay by the singlet, pulling him back into the ring. Finlay punches him through the ropes a few times, then kicks him. He tries to start something but Smith counters and puts more boots to Finlay. He gets Finlay in a bear hug on the mat. Smith straddles him, hits an Atomic drop, and then some more submission holds, ending in a standing abdominal stretch. Okay, this is getting a bit tedious. But we’re almost at 10pm. Finlay takes just the right step to reverse the hold, throwing Smith into the corner, and then just rains down punches upon him. The ref has to literally step between the two to push Finlay away. Finlay clears himself of the referee to go back in for more, but Smith gets his boot up to Finlay’s face. Finlay goes down, and Smith tries an elbow drop but Finlay rolls out of the way. Both men get up, and Smith goes to Finlay first, but Finlay is ready and continues to just brawl. Smith desperately throws Finlay behind him, into the corner. Not quite a snake eyes, but that idea. He drives his knee into Finlay’s back as he lays in the corner, then pulls him back and pins for a two-count. He pulls Finlay up and right back into another submission hold series. Yawn. And we appear to have an overrun (good thing I fixed my DVR settings). Finlay gets up, but DHS elbows him backward. He Irish whips (ha!) Finlay into the corner hard, and then picks him for something, but Finlay wiggles out of it before we can see what it would have been. He tosses Smith shoulder first into the ring post. He goes for the schoolboy roll up and are we done? One…two…no! Smith kicks out. Finlay follows up with three clotheslines, and a Samoan drop, into another near fall. Smith in the corner now, and Finlay follows him in with a shoulder block. He gets Smith up, but can’t manage the Celtic Cross. Another ropes exchange, and Finlay does get a back body drop. Smith is up, but Finlay clotheslines him over the top rope and onto the floor. He follows him out to assist him back in, and now the remaining members of Hart 2.0 get involved. Natalya hits a Bitchslap, and Tyson does nothing but run into Finlay’s boot, and get thrown against the barrier. Smith bends over the top rope to see what’s going on, and Finlay passes Natalya’s Bitchslap to him. Kidd tries to follow, but the ref kicks him out. While his back is turned, Smith hits a double axe handle on Finlay. A back suplex later and Smith goes for the pin. One…two…THREE. Winner: David Hart Smith.

After the match, Hart 2.0 celebrate in the ring Striker insists Smith hit Finlay with something. We go to the replay, to see Natalya throwing a boot into the ring, and that’s what hits Finlay in that double axe handle.