Notes About The Show:
– Before the show there was an autograph session with Raw Diva Eve
Torres and former ROH star Bryan Danielson.
– All fans in attendance were given the first set of 8 FCW trading
cards featuring Justin Angel, Savannah, Bo Rotundo, Duke Rotundo,
Heath Slater, Tyler Reks, Wade Barrett, and Skip Sheffield. The cards
are premium quality and designed like the current WWE trading cards.
– ECW Diva Savannah returned as the ring announcer for the evening.
– For the first time at an FCW TV taping, there was no dark match
prior to the taping. Instead, a video was shot featuring “The South
Beach Boys”.
– The announcers for all three tapings were ECW’s Byron Saxton
(despite having been removed from the fcwwrestling.com roster.
Probably due to the release of his successor, Leroy Morgan) and Wade
Barrett.
– Michael interrupted a Penny Cash interview with FCW Champ Justin
Angel with similar mic work from the previous TV taping promo with
Heath Slater. He again mentioned the angel & devil on either shoulder
and went on about how he knows the Angel fears him.
– Alex Riley, while walking around the ring, cut a hilarious promo
about following the yellow brick road around the FCW Arena til he gets
to the Wizard Of Oz. He stops at the the announcer’s table and calls
Saxton the great and powerful OZ who knows all about wrestling and has
nothing but bad things to say about Alex Riley. He then took a sheet
from Saxton’s notes and wrote across it “Alex Riley will be the next
FCW champion”.
– The Uso brothers made their collective FCW tv debut by dominating
the Rotundo brothers. The double team finish was a nice homage to
Uncle Umaga… a double Samoan Spike.
– The week two No DQ match between Slater and Banderas was reminiscent
of old school ECW. The ring was surrounded by multiple destroyed
folding chairs as the crowd chanted “FCW” and “that was awesome”
throughout the match… they even applauded the usually despised Heath
Slater when he finally got up after some of the bumps he took.
– In a hilarious in-ring inside joke moment. For the first time ever, the audience saw Skip Sheffield execute an “airplane spin”. The part that made it really funny, is that his opponent was Tyler Reks.
– Bryan Danielson made his FCW against an old ROH rival Kaval (Low-Ki). They put on a match that was excellent as expected. They kept it in the ring and worked as stiff as they did in ROH. This may be a bold statement… It reminded me of the mid 90’s ECW Malenko-Guerrero series.
– Those noticeably absent from the show included Aksana, Big E. Langston, Courtney Taylor, Dawson Alexander, Derrick Bateman, Donnie Marlow, Eli Cottonwood, Wes Brisco, & Abraham Washington (who was announced at last week’s house show as being out with a hip injury).
– I was informed from a behind the scenes source that WWE & FCW referee Justin King was injured this week in a non-wrestling accident. He suffered a multiple fracture in his leg and still in Tampa General Hospital recovering from surgery. Sources inside FCW stated he expected to be out of action for 6 months to a year. My best wishes and hopes for a speedy recovery for Justin.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
