While ECW continues to be a strong performer for the Sci-Fi channel, long time fans of the network have been expressing their displeasure with the decision to run a pro-wrestling program. At the same time, irate hardcore fans blamed the reformed ECW’s watered down shows on interference from Sci-Fi management. Perhaps because neither group has access to Sci-Fi’s upper echelons to lodge formal complaints, the message boards on the official Sci-Fi Channel web site provide them with the next best targets for their wrath - each other.

Ugly comments are being thrown at warp speed, or at least D.S.L. speed, by both sides as the increasingly hostile factions come as close to a near riot as possible (for people sitting in their parents basements thousands of miles apart).

Sci-Fi purists claim the show, and indeed the entire Pro-Wrestling industry isn’t realistic enough, it’s too “fake” for them to suspend disbelief, not plausible enough in premise to meet the exacting standards fans demand of their beloved network. Standards that shows like Countdown to Doomsday or Immortal met with gusto and aplomb, we’re to assume are not being met by ECW.

For their part, ECW fans claim that despite being active on the Sci-Fi message board, they have no interest in being associated with “nerds.” Yes you heard right, people who post on message boards on Friday and Saturday nights look down on other people on those same boards.

Mind you, the median age of the average Sci-Fi channel viewer is in the mid-forties; the average age of an ECW viewer is around 32.

While perusing the board, with such lofty categories as “ECW is Fake!” and “rednecks and Pro Wrestling,” is extremely amusing, as a service to readers ECW on SCI-FI has paraphrased the entire board’s contents for your convenience.

BOBOinspace: Wrestlings fake, you’re all rednecks.

Hardcorenoodle: Hey, it might be fake, but these are finely tuned athletes…and your a nerd.

One-Handed Surfer: How dare you rednecks call us nerds, that’s an offensive stereotype, but that’s what we expect from you Bush-voting lowlifes. Go fight a war for oil!

Ravenfan: NERDS!!!!

BoBoinspace: Your show’s ruining our network!

Hardorenoodle: Your networks ruining our show!

ClaudiaB: Will you guys stop sending me pics of you genitalia!

Will anything be able to bring an end to this destructive feud? Can these two groups of nerds … I mean people find anything that will bring them together? We can only hope.

A glib planet Earth taunted Countdown to Doomsday host Matt Lauer with its continued existence little more than a week after the alarmist documentary aired. Lauer’s panel of “experts” were aghast, but given their histories not surprised, by Mother Earth’s smug resilience.

Adding fuel to fire, a now not so glib Lauer has been savaged by critics who viewed his special on Sci-Fi as a televised debacle of apocalyptic proportions. Newsbusters has a blow by blow refutation while Washington Post reporter Libby Copeland smirks her way through a report of Si-Fi’s shameless shilling on Capitol Hill.

Perhaps the best critique of Lauer foray into The Twilight zone was a post to the Newsbusters message boards by “Carl Kolchak”:

Matt Lauer couldn’t hold Rod Serling’s jock!

He should stay away from the SciFi channel. Matt Lauer wishes he could be as cool as Rod Serling.

Indeed, my dear Kolchak, indeed.

Kurt Angle does not belong in the ECW. To some this was obvious when he was first announced, but because of his great talent, and pedigree, many just thought he’d add “credibility” to WWE’s resurrected enterprise. On paper, this all makes sense. Angle isn’t just a sports entertainer, he’s a professional wrestler in the truest sense of the word, a man who once made a living plying his trade in traditional Greco-roman competition. Thus he does in fact bring credibility to the show.

There’s just one problem: ECW fans aren’t interested in credibility.

If ECW fans want to see someone well versed in Greco-roman wrestling they’ll watch ESPN. What the fans want, despite the off-screen fellatio that passed for commentary by Taz, is hardcore. Edge and Lita proved in the Angle/RVD vs Edge/Orton match that they can both work Hardcore.

Not surprising from Lita off course, she started out in the ECW, but Edge was surprisingly good. There aren’t two better heels out there now who could fit into ECW as well. And, hell Edge was in a highlander movie, so Sci-Fi may want him anyway…

ECW “vixen” Kelly, A.K.A Barbie Blank, went to the stripper well once again (almost as often as we do!) to prove once and for all she’s as sexy as any other blond-haired, surgically enhanced WWE performer. This time armed with a front hook (good idea) Kelly began her performance with some shimmying and … boot rubbing. Yes, boot rubbing, the age old stall technique women who aren’t comfortable stripping, and who just bought shiny new boots, employ to keep men interested. After several excruciating minutes of this she struggled, albeit briefly, with her new, easier to manage bra and reenacted last week’s debacle to perfection.

Then her “boyfriend” came out and angrily made her cover her shame, which he apparently didn’t know was the several minutes of footage of her “striptease”. At least we’re supposed to think it was her boyfriend but the guy looked old enough to be her father, and given that he was wearing nothing but yellow spandex shorts, made the whole spectacle, to use the technical term, icky.

Over at 1wrestling.com, feedback has been mixed, but one fan cruelly expressed what many were feeling concerning Kelly’s performance.

…That stupid ho Kelly may have gotten her bra off this week but i was still bored out of my mind. Why don’t they just track down Kimona so she can show Kelly how this is down?

Ouch. That’s a little harsh, given that the lame stripper gimmick probably wasn’t her idea. Like seeing a deer caught in headlights, ECW fans are forced to see this cute kid (and remember pervs, she’s still a teenager) get crushed under the weight of the legendary Kimona dance which happened when this poor kid was in grade school.

Kelly is a very beautiful young woman, but she’s no exotic dancer. If ECW wants to hire strippers, then they should hire some. Let’s move on and let this kid keep a little dignity.

With the web abuzz over ECW diva Kelly’s artful rendition of a striptease, meaning it was light on the strip, heavy on the tease, ECW on Sci-Fi’s crack staff became worried that Kelly’s new fans may not actually know what stripping should look like. After all, how else could you explain the ‘net’s obsession with this former model’s lazy, sub par performance?

When Kimona danced, fans were treated to a performance rarely seen outside of a Jersey strip club. Fans watching the video have been know to reach in their wallets and place dollar bills in front of their monitors, waiting for Kimona to come pick up the tip with her cleavage. It’s so real, while watching it I get nervous a bartender will appear to enforce a two drink minimum.

Kelly looked like one of the extras hired to work a spring break special on MTV.

Click below and judge for yourself.
 

UPDATE: There’s a slightly choppier, but better quality, Kimona vid at VidLife