Post by Ross Report on May 20, 2019 21:57:16 GMT
This week's SLAM! was another wild ride from start to finish, so let's not beat around the bush here and get right into discussing it!
We kicked off with Mike Mizanin looking to make amends for coming up short against "Filthy" Tom Lawlor in both superstar's debut the week prior. Before that could happen though, "The Miz" found himself confronted backstage by one of the latest signings to the EWA locker room, Drew Gulak! Apparently, Mr Gulak is looking to "Make EWA Great Again" (although I'd argue it never stopped being "great" in the first place), meaning he wanted to combat any perceived injustices or grievances. Considering "The A-Lister" has been extremely public in his criticism over the Referee's role in that loss last week, one could say he and Drew have a lot to talk about. In the meanwhile though, Mizanin bounced back from that match with an impressive victory over young Jay Joshua, getting that all important first victory on the board!
Elsewhere, "Mustache Mountain" were searching the Times Union Center for John Cena, having a bone to pick with him over "The Maniacal Marine's" skipping ahead of them for a Tag Title shot. While they'd eventually find Cena (and get brushed off by the former "nWo" leader), Tyler Bate and Trent Seven first found themselves crossing paths with "All Ego" Ethan Page and "The Walking Weapon" Josh Alexander! The duo known as "Monster Mafia" have made their own title ambitions clear, leading to some verbal jousting with their British counterparts that set up a potential barnburner of a tag match between the two teams next Sunday! Color me excited for that one!
Speaking of looking forward to next week, we found out that Jervis Cottonbelly is making his return next Sunday! After being somewhat of a peripheral figure for "The Vaudevillains" over the early part of this year, it looks as if Jervis might be branching out on his own! What might this mean? I guess we'll find out next week!
There's been so many success stories over the last year of veteran superstars returning to the ring and competing at a higher level than ever before. Between the likes of Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Fit Finlay and "The Honky Tonk Man," age is clearly just a number in today's EWA! And now the latest addition to those ranks is Bill Goldberg, with the ex-Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle making short work of his opponent this week to announce his return to active competition! Could this be the start of a brand new "streak?" Only time will tell!
After weeks of near-death experiences, it seems as if the toll is finally starting to show on poor Santino Marella. When "The Italian Stallion" was drafted in by Al Snow to replace him as leader of the "bWo" while "The Snowman" looked to resolve some legal issues, I don't think Santino fully comprehended how dangerous the job would be. Especially when "somebody" (AKA Colt Cabana) is out to get him in the worst way possible so that he can take charge of the "Blue World Order" himself. After last night though, I'm wondering if Santino is about to reach breaking point. After all, being the replacement Al Snow surely can't be worth his life, can it?
I'm really excited to see Sasha Banks back in the EWA after she was unceremoniously dumped by "Schyster Inc" late last year. This young lady is a sure-fire prospect, and it doesn't hurt that she's got a chip on her shoulder too, giving "The Boss" something to prove to the entire EWA Universe. Her sit-down interview with Todd Grisham tells you everything you need to know about her drive and determination, and I can't wait to see this excellent addition to the women's division in action at the earliest possibility!
Speaking of the women's division, what a clash between JoJo and Charlotte Flair! JoJo might not look like much, but she's easily one of the most experienced wrestlers in the women's locker room, as Charlotte found out the hard way this week! I dare say that "The Queen" may have taken her opponent a tad too lightly in this one, which is a big no-no against someone of JoJo's caliber. As such, Flair suffered the defeat but still remains the Women's Champion thanks to this being a non-title affair. Still, one has to believe that pinning the Champ in the middle of the ring puts JoJo's name right up there as one of Flair's next challengers! And if this match was anything to go by, I can't wait to see them go at it again!
I mentioned earlier about John Cena demanding a Tag Title shot, and the prevailing thought amongst the EWA faithful was that he'd have a mystery partner to take on Nick Aldis and Cesaro (utilizing the "Freebird Rule" to substitute in for Chris Hero). Alas, that turned out not to be the case, as Cena looks determined to prove that he doesn't need any support to make a success of himself. While John and I have had our issues this year, I've got to admit that that's a commendable ambition from "The Maniacal Marine." And on this occasion, despite being against two top-tier superstars in Aldis and Cesaro, Cena certainly acquitted himself admirably! Not just in the way he took the fight to his opponents, but also in how he refused to stay down when the tide turned against him! That's the problem though when you're against competitors of the quality of Cesaro and Nick Aldis...they're tough enough to defeat when you do have someone watching your back, but when you're facing them all by yourself, it's almost asking the impossible. Still, despite "The Kings of Wrestling" picking up the win, I can't help but notice that not all is right in their camp. Indeed, I still get the impression that Nick Aldis and his particular way of doing things continues to rub up the rest of his comrades, as evident by him tagging himself in to make sure it was "The National Treasure" who won the match for his team. Left to fester, one has to wonder if this bad blood might do serious damage to "The Kings of Wrestling" down the road...but for the time being, at least, they've still got the Tag Team Titles to keep this tenuous alliance with Nick Aldis together!
Following on from his debut win over "The Miz" last week, we heard from Tom Lawlor and Rhea Ripley, with the "Full Metal Maniac" looking to get in on the action by throwing out an open challenge for next Sunday's SLAM! Like Sasha Banks, Ripley is another "can't miss" prospect who will no doubt make a fantastic addition to the women's division! I can't wait to see who steps up to the plate against the fiery Australian next weekend!
In retrospect, I guess we should have smelled a rat. From the moment this rivalry between Samoa Joe and Pete Dunne erupted back in late February, "The Destroyer" has avoided a one-on-one confrontation with "The Bruiserweight" like the plague, and it turns out last night was no different. There was a bit of symmetry to the ruse too, with Chris Hero taking Joe's place in the contest much the same way as Joe took Hero's place during that epic Six Man Tag Match back at Spring Scramble. As a result, Hero was able to blindside Dunne to secure the early advantage, punishing the talented young Brit with some devastating strikes. However, Dunne is about as tenacious as they come, and even when fighting from underneath, there's a doggedness about his desire to win that you can't help but be impressed with. "The Brusierweight" was made to work for the win in a big way, but the sweetness of that victory was cut short when Samoa Joe jumped him immediately after the match had concluded. He took Pete Dunne out with the speed and precision of a drone strike, leaving his sworn enemy laying with a Muscle Buster to ensure Dunne wasn't the last man standing. Still, I can't help but wonder how much longer Samoa Joe can avoid this seemingly inevitable clash with Pete Dunne? Sooner rather than later, all of these tricks and games must come to an end...and when they do, I think it's safe to say that the entire EWA Universe will be on the edge of their seats for the slobberknocker that ensues!
Having been kicked to the curb by John Cena last week, it looks as if the Briscoes are looking to start afresh, making it clear they have no time whatsoever for their former boss! I've been a big fan of "Dem Boys" from the moment they first appeared on the scene, but it's fair to say they've struggled to make a big impact on the EWA tag team division since their arrival. Could this be the new beginning Mark and Jay Briscoe have been waiting for?
Last week saw Matt Taven shockingly get involved with Brock Lesnar's "Beat The Clock" match against Jake Roberts, taking umbrage over the fact that "The Beast" was being given the opportunity ahead of himself. Well, to the surprise of absolutely no one, Brock Lesnar is PISSED with "The Chaotic Idol" and demanding revenge! For the sake of the EWA cleaning crew who have to tidy up his rampages, I can only hope that comes around sooner rather than later, with Lesnar tossing out an open challenge for Matt Taven to meet him in the ring on next week's show. I'd argue that the smarter decision would be to stay well clear of the former World Champion when he's in this kind of mood, but given Matt Taven's obvious confidence in his own abilities, I'd say that's highly unlikely. Still, after stirring "The Beast," history suggests that Taven would do well to tread carefully!
If Brian Pillman Jr thought he had it tough in his debut against Aleister Black, he was in for a rude awakening when he stepped up against the World Heavyweight Champion this past Sunday! The second generation superstar didn't go into that battle alone though, having Fit Finlay agree to corner him for the match to try and reduce the risk of any shenanigans from "The Horde." Speaking of whom, it seems as if Marty Scurll was determined to make some changes after not a single member of his group won their "Beat The Clock" matches the week before. That resulted in Bryan Danielson and Brady Pierce both being excommunicated from "The Horde" in brutal fashion, with Scurll looking to cut some of the dead weight and send a message to the rest of the group that failure would not be tolerated. Even with two less members though, "The Horde" are obviously still a danger to anyone who gets in their path, with ample evidence of that coming during our main event. Indeed, while Marty Scurll controlled much of the contest against his younger foe, Brian Pillman Jr still put up a spirited enough effort to warrant "The Horde" getting involved. Not even having Fit Finlay watching his back could help as Jack Evans and Jake Roberts jumped "The Fighting Irishman" from behind, handcuffing him to the ring post! With Finlay incapacitated and the Referee's attention distracted, "The Reaper" was then able to pass Scurll a steel chair for him to BLAST Pillman in the skull and pick up the tainted victory. That wasn't "The Horde's" only show of strength though, with Scurll continuing his assault with the chair on the young rookie while Finlay was powerless to stop him! And to make matters worse, "The Villain" then had the temerity to blame his number one contender for the brutal assault suffered by Brian Pillman Jr, something which I'm sure will weigh heavily on Finlay's shoulders going forward! Will Finlay be able to get some retribution in the weeks to come? Or could it be his quest to fulfil Brogan's dream and capture the World Title is destined to remain just that? We'll just have to wait and see!
Time now for my picks for this week's top three movers and shakers:
1. Pete Dunne
2. JoJo
3. John Cena
It was another fantastic showing from Pete Dunne this week, having to not only come back from a pre-match ambush but also throw all his preparations out the window when Samoa Joe and Chris Hero pulled the ol' "switcheroo" on him! It's just a shame that after overcoming those odds, Samoa Joe still got in the last laugh, at least on this particular night! Coming in at number two, JoJo picked up her first win of the year and what a win it was, pinning the Women's Champion and putting herself in prime position for a title opportunity! And last but by no means least, even though he was on the losing end this week, I've decided to stump for John Cena. It's to his eternal credit that he willingly took on Nick Aldis and Cesaro in an opportunity that he made happen himself, all while giving it his damnedest to prove he could do it alone. And while that didn't quite work out for him this time, it seems clear to me that Cena's new attitude has the potential to take him to glory in the future!
Next week we return home when the EWA hits up the world famous E-Arena in sunny San Diego, and it's already lining up to be a hell of a show! We've got "Mustache Mountain" taking on "Monster Mafia," we've got the Briscoes returning to action, and we've got the in-ring debut of Rhea Ripley to look forward to as well! And that's not all either, as we'll see if Matt Taven is willing to answer Brock Lesnar's challenge, not to mention all the latest developments between Pete Dunne and Samoa Joe, as well as between Marty Scurll and Fit Finlay! In short, the road to Red, White & Bruised is all set to rumble on! Until next time,
BOOMER SOONER!
