Post by Ross Report on Apr 15, 2019 21:46:12 GMT
After some medical issues took me out of the game last week, the Ross Report is back! And what an action-packed show we saw this week, with plenty to talk about!
Things kicked off with the promised "fight" between Samoa Joe and Pete Dunne, a challenge which "The Samoan Submission Machine" had laid out the week prior after choking Dunne out at the conclusion of a phenomenal match against Bryan Danielson. Not one to back down and having plenty of reasons to want to get his hands on Joe, "The Bruiserweight" accepted by showing up for the showdown we've all been waiting for. And yet, this turned out to be so much more than that, as we witnessed the return from injury of Tyler Bate and Trent Seven, AKA "Mustache Mountain!" Both men had been put on the shelf by Joe in the preceding weeks, so this ended up being a moment of retribution for the three "British Strong Style" members as they cornered their tormentor and turned the tables on him. At least, until they were finally run off by Joe's fellow "Kings of Wrestling," after Shayna Baszler freed them from the locker room they'd been trapped in. Even though I try not to show any bias here in the Ross Report, I will admit to enjoying seeing Samoa Joe receive some much-deserved comeuppance after all of his "dirty deeds" in recent months. Still, it's safe to say that this issue is far from over, either between Joe and Dunne or "The Kings of Wrestling" and "British Strong Style." And we'll see how things develop further when "Mustache Mountain" take on Chris Hero and Cesaro this coming Sunday, live on SLAM!
Elsewhere, Wade Barrett made his singles debut with an impressive victory over the veteran Dusty Wolfe. The talented Brit has had several runs in the EWA over the years but never quite managed to live up to his potential, but it seems as if he's looking to make amends for that this time around if this performance is anything to go by. And with the might of the "nWo" behind him, who's to say he can't go all the way?
Speaking of the "New World Order," John Cena made a point of interrupting an interview with Kenny Omega to taunt "The Cleaner" over his well-documented struggles in recent months. Considering these two used to be allies with one another, it was tough to watch "The Doctor of Thuganomics" talk down to his former friend in such a way, but before Omega could offer much of a retort, they were then both interrupted by Matt Taven and "The Kingdom," who likewise taunted Cena and co. With all the various factions running rampant in the EWA these days, it seems as if that backstage tension is getting close to spilling over! Especially since Buh Buh Ray Dudley and "Show E." seemingly have their own bone to pick with the "nWo" as well, as revealed later in the broadcast when the man from Dudleyville challenged Cena's motley crew to send two of his against Buh Buh and Johnny Flamingo next Sunday. From what I understand, it'll be Cena himself along with Wade Barrett taking on the "Flamingo Family" in what promises to be a wild match!
In an EWA.com exclusive last week, Fit Finlay seemingly put to bed his rivalry with Jay White once and for all, only to find a new challenger stepping up to the plate in the form of "The Reaper." Needless to say, the National Champion didn't take too kindly to being attacked from behind, making it as clear as day that the man formerly known as Gabriel may have got lucky once, but it won't happen again. Likewise, we'd also hear straight from "The Reaper's" mouth as well, as he promised to make "The Fighting Irishman" and his reign as National Champion a distant memory. Interestingly though, "The Horde" member would find himself approached by none other than "Father" James Mitchell, who appears to have taken an interest in his new dark direction. Who can forget several months ago when "The Sinister Minister" revealed that he saw something inside of Gabriel, something that has apparently born fruit in the last couple of months. Could it be that Mitchell might be angling to bring "The Reaper" under his sway, much like he did "PCO?" We shall see...but in the meanwhile, it seems to be me that "The Reaper" and Fit Finlay are destined to do battle at some point in the near future, perhaps as soon as Spring Scramble!
Big win for Xia Li, who continues to impress! This was by far her toughest test so far in an EWA ring, going up against an opponent in Scarlett Bordeaux who was challenging for the Women's Title not long ago. "The Perfect Ten" has proven herself to be no pushover since arriving with a bang earlier this year, yet Xia Li's win here proves without any shadow of a doubt that she's the real deal as well. If this kind of form continues, it might not be long before Li is knocking on the door of a championship opportunity.
For those thinking that "Disco Inferno's" appearance at Civil War was just a one-off return, turns out we should be so lucky! The '70s throwback was on SLAM! this past week to debut his new interview segment, "Jive Talkin'," with his special guest "Desperado" Joe Gomez. The ol' gunslinger made waves last week when he came out and questioned the legitimacy of Marty Scurll's Civil War victory given the fact that Gomez wasn't able to take his spot in the match, and we heard more of the same here. All of which led to an impromptu match between Joe Gomez and "Ol' Disco Bastard," resulting in Joe Gomez picking up his second successive victory of the year in what many might consider an upset over the former National Champion! He didn't have much time to celebrate though as "The Villain" made his presence felt, questioning if "Desperado" wanted to take his issue any further. When Gomez confirmed he did, Scurll laid out the challenge for next week, where "The Horde" of Bryan Danielson, Jack Evans, Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Brady Pierce would take on the gunslinger and three partners of his choosing...and if in the highly unlikely scenario Gomez's team wins, then he'll get a shot at Scurll for his "Anytime, Anyplace" World Championship Title contract!
Some strange accusations from Becky Lynch regarding the partisanship of the EWA officials. In my experience, every EWA Referee shoots straight and it's only typically the Special Guest Referee's who you have to worry about. I'm not saying our Ref's are perfect by any stretch, but they're still damn good at their jobs. Still, the more salient point about "The Queenslayer's" appearance on this week's SLAM! was her calling out Daffney after their alliance imploded the previous week. Rather than meet Lynch face-to-face though, "The Zombie Goddess" appeared via the EWA-Tron from a safe distance, having seemingly kidnapped Becky's mother! We've known for a long while now that Daffney is as devious as they come, just as we saw how much effect it can have on a superstar when a family member is abducted after Ken Shamrock experienced the same torment just last month. How will Becky Lynch react? I'm sure we won't have to wait long to find out!
Jay White's career has cooled off somewhat after a hot start, while Jethro (along with Skinner) have been "MIA" since the turn of the year. While it appeared that their match against one another might be a way for one or both men to get back on track, Brock Lesnar had other ideas! "The Beast" laid waste to the two superstars in devastating fashion, while also making it crystal clear that he doesn't give a damn about anyone else's opinions, albeit in more colorful language than that. Lesnar has always been extremely dangerous, but this new attitude might make him even more so going forwards, especially as he angles to regain the World Title!
"Honky Tonk Man" was in a good mood after successfully ending Jerry Lynn's career at Civil War (although the less said about his brief appearance in the Civil War Match, the better). The party screeched to a halt though when he realized that someone had seemingly stolen his prized Carl Perkins guitar! Who could it be? Why have they taken it? And what's the end goal here? Hopefully we'll get some more answers in the coming weeks.
Good God, what a hard-hitting contest between "King" Walter Hahn and Brady Pierce! While the big Austrian no doubt had the physical advantage, you've got to admire the grit and determination of "The Wizard of Wrath." Pierce kept getting up and giving as good as he took, no matter what was thrown at him in the first place, yet "The Clown With A Crown" has proven himself time and time again to be a tough cookie to crack, and things were no different here. Despite a valiant effort, "King" Walter was able to notch up another big victory, only to be hailed by "Necro Butcher" in a live video transmission from the "C.L.o.W.N." arena in Austria! After suffering a seemingly random attack by Hahn the previous week, "The Butcher" took things up to a whole new level when he burnt "King" Walter's headquarters down to the ground in an act of revenge! Even now several days removed, I'm still in shock that we'd see such a scenario unfold on SLAM!, but I guess that just goes to show why you don't mess with "Necro Butcher!" Not even if you're "King" Walter Hahn!
With Santino Marella still looking for a group to join and Al Snow still worrying over the impending legal troubles that have been hanging over his head for the past couple of months, there's a good chance they might have been able to help one another out. Alas, and I say this with the greatest respect, neither "The Italian Stallion" nor "The Snowman" are famed for their high intellects or seeing what's right in front of them. And just like two ships passing in the night, it looks like they may have missed out on a solution to both their respective problems. At least, for the time being anyway.
Our main event saw "The Vaudevillains" face the brand new team of Jay Lethal and Joey Janela, collectively known as "The Jersey Devils." Lethal and Janela have both recently arrived in the EWA as part of John Cena's "nWo," and a victory over the Tag Team Champions, even in non-title competition, would have made a huge impact! They certainly have the credentials to do it too, having wrestled the legendary "Rock N' Roll Express" earlier in the week on an independent show and emerged victorious. Alas, as great as a debut this was for "The Jersey Devils," they were up against arguably one of the best tag teams in recent years. Having rode the storm of last year, Aiden English and Simon Gotch have been undefeated in 2019, adding another notch to the proverbial bedpost here by ending the "nWo" duo's debut together in defeat. And they weren't finished there either, with "The Vaudevillains" throwing out an open challenge after the match. However, rather than offering it to any existing tag teams in the EWA, they've instead made a point of offering said opportunity to any two men who've never teamed together before. And what's more, if no one answers the challenge, then English and Gotch plan to walk away from the E-Wrestling Alliance and take the Tag Team Championships with them! Who will answer this call-to-arms? And will they do what no other team has managed to do this year? Only time will tell!
With all the action covered, it's time for my top three movers and shakers:
1. Xia Li
2. The Vaudevillains
3. British Strong Style
In the top spot, I think Xia Li deserves a ton of credit not just for her win this week, but after having been racking up lots of victories in the last month and looking pretty incredible in doing so! "The Vaudevillains" take second place after an impressive win over some tough opponents, while also laying out an interesting challenge for next week! And coming in last but by no means least, it was great to see "British Strong Style" reunited after weeks of Tyler Bate and Trent Seven being unavailable due to injury, as well as seeing the trio get some much-deserved revenge on Samoa Joe!
Next week's show is our final stop before Spring Scramble, and it's already promising to be a tag team extravaganza! We know "The Horde" will be in eight-man tag team action against Joe Gomez and whichever three superstars he can gather, while John Cena and Wade Barrett have accepted the challenge of Buh Buh Ray Dudley and Johnny Flamingo, and who can forget the next chapter in the war between "British Strong Style" and "The Kings of Wrestling." And all of that isn't even mentioning whether or not we see two random superstars come together to pick up the gauntlet thrown down by "The Vaudevillains" as well! All in all then, there's plenty to look forward to when Sunday Night SLAM! rolls into Lincoln, Nebraska next weekend! Until then,
BOOMER SOONER!
