Of course my students were prepared with all sorts of arguments for why I should postpone said test. So I let them give me said arguments, countering each one for about five minutes. Then I let them know there wouldn’t be a test (but not because their arguments were particularly compelling). Tuesday, I bring stuff to school so I can finish it, and then I bring the thumb drive home again to format it. (Word sucks for formatting. I use Word Perfect.) Except I plug in my thumb click on the file that says ‘Exam 2,’ and get the same file with which I started. Not the one with 55 multiple choice questions and three short answer questions, complete with Miami Vice references (great for pointing out procedural mistakes). I had apparently closed without saving.
 
So… Back to school Wednesday morning, bringing laptop with Word Perfect with me. I finish the exam (which is at that point cut and paste), print and go to find the copier. You know how copiers work when you’re in a hurry? It’s now 20 minutes before class, and copier number one insists on sticking pages of the originals together. Down the stairs to copier number two (it’s now five minutes before class time). Copier number two teases me with getting almost complete, but then with two copies left to spare, it jams. And it jams in every conceivable nook and cranny in the copier. Copier tech person comes out and finds other nooks and crannies that I didn’t even know existed, and finally I get my last two copies. It’s now five minutes after the exam should have started, and I now don’t have time to get a coffee. I walk in (late) and students try for postponement yet again. No way, guys. You’re taking this fucking exam.

One other programming note. There may be a contingent of OOers going to the ROH show in Dayton on April 23. I know there’s at least four of us, and possibly six, so if any other local folks want to meet up, let me know via U2U, and we’ll figure something out. For now though, it’s on with the show, although I’ll say at the outset that if you have this still saved on your DVR, skip the first forty minutes. You’ll thank me.

We open with the Abraham Washington show, with guest Yoshi Tatsu. Even the English agree with me on this. And it’s about as good as you would be.

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

Back and forthy to start. Eventually, Burchill dominates, with lots of power strikes and kicks. He’s especially working the ribs, and at one point has Goldust on his back pushing him ribs-first into the ring post, and then backs up and baseball slides right into Goldust, and that slams his ribs into the post more. He gets a pin after this, and Goldust just barely kicks out at two. Burchill puts a body scissors around Goldust’s ribs. Goldust powers out, but Burchill is still dominating, and works the ribs as much as he can. Not for long, though as Goldust goes into his offensive routine, and runs the ropes on Burchill. He tries to set Burchill up for a bulldog, but Burchill pushes him off hard. He goes for the pin, but he’s interrupted by the Hurricane’s music. Hurricane comes out and Burchill is momentarily distracted, long enough for Goldust to hit the Final Cut. Winner: Goldust, Hurricane with the assist.

Backstage, Zach Ryder is COMPLEMENTING~! Rosa Mendez on her announcing last week. She didn’t mispronounce anything! Ryder says he like so totally likes her, and says she can come down to the ring and be in his corner any time. She blows him off and we get a really stupid dream sequence to take us too commercial. ECW, you are not wowing me.

GM Tiffany is TALKING~! with perennial thorn in her side, William Regal. He’s trying to suck up, and Tiffany is totally into having a fresh start, whether he’s ECW Champion or not. She flashes the smile that says “I may look like a bubble headed Barbie Doll, but I’m so totally not impressed by you, and I’m your boss and you’ll do what I say.” I love her. Regal walks away with his tail between his legs. Again.

Match 2: Vance “totally not Lance Hoyt” Archer v. Jason “Red Trunks” Blackwell

Squash.

Match 3: William Regal v. Christian

ECW Championship Match

Regal gets a mixed response in his own country. Christian gets the huge pop. Christian is still yellow. The two start out with the basic match-starting exchange. We come back from a poorly timed commercial and while the intensity has stepped up, there’s no dominant offense from either. That tide starts to turn a bit, as Christian comes off the corner for a splash, getting Regal immediately into a pin for a two count. Regal rests over the ropes and Christian stands on his back, not once, but twice. He tries to go up again, but Regal recovers and more stiff elbows are exchanged between the two. Regal fights his way to the second rope and after some more struggling, Regal hits an underhook butterfly suplex. This takes them both out, but eventually Regal rolls over for a pin, but Christian kicks out. Regal puts Christian in a chin lock, and we fade to ads again.

Back from ads, and lots has changed, as Regal is on the floor, and Christian baseball slides toward him, but Regal dodges. Christian slides all the way out of the ring and Regal catches him in an exploder suplex. Regal tosses him back in and makes a pin for two. Lather, rinse, repeat. Regal follows up with some European uppercuts and a kick, and another two count. Regal gets him in a neck stretcher, but not for long, as he powers out with punches to the midsection, and then two bitchslaps to the face. Regal however counters, and stands on Christian after knocking him to the ground. Christian staggers to the corner and then two exchange more punches. Christian starts to head up top, but Regal pulls him off to the mat. Another pin, but still only two. Christian’s shoulder is up, but Regal forces it back down, with much resistance. That gets a two count, so we try it again. Another two count and this time Christian kicks out enough to separate. Regal continues to batter Christian, who finally makes it to the corner and tries for his Sunset Flip pin, but Regal counters by pushing his knees to Christian’s shoulders for a pin, and he reaches up to grab the ropes for help. Except it’s right over the referee, so he sees it. Regal turns Christian inside out, and pins again, but again Christian kicks out. Regal gets Christian into a full nelson, but since he’s not Chris Masters, Christian is able to get out of it. He gets the Killswitch, flips Regal over, pins…but Regal does kick out! Both men are down. Regal comes to first, and makes a cover, but the story now is that the two are too exhausted to hold a pin. But Christian comes back with a couple of elbow drops and then a pin for two. Now Christian is up top and gets Regal in a headlock, and I think it’s for the bulldog or neckbreaker, but no. Regal gets free and pushes Christian backward to the floor. Ouch. On replay, Christian narrowly missed cracking the base of his skull on the ring apron. The referee is counting and Christian finally gets to the ring apron, where the two men again exchange punches. Christian drives him back enough that he can get up in the corner, and then hit a missile drop kick. Christian goes back up top and hits a second one. He makes a pin for two. Christian tries to grab on for another Killswitch, I think, but Regal turns and pulls him into a short-armed clothesline. Regal gets a pin for two. Regal gets back to the corner and waits. He springs out for the knee to the head, but Christian dodges it. But he doesn’t dodge the second one, as Regal comes back. Regal pins and Christian barely gets out at two. Regal looks at him like “What do I need to do?” Both men stagger to their feet, and then Christian jumps up and into the Killswitch again. But Regal counters by tripping Christian, and then locks him into the Regal Stretch. Christian powers out and elbows Regal several times in the face. He makes his way to the corner, and hits a flying uppercut. He again goes for the Killswitch, and Regal again counters, this time turning it into an exploder suplex. He waits and runs in for the Knee Trembler again, and again Christian side steps. Again Regal turns around to try again, but Christian is ready and kicks him right in the midsection. Back to the Killswitch, and this time it hits. And this time, the pin sticks. Winner: Christian.