Post by Ross Report on Aug 7, 2018 11:29:02 GMT
After the craziness of Hulk Hogan's month in charge, the EWA was brought crashing back down to earth again this week as we met our General Manager for August, none other than Zeb Colter! Much of the EWA Universe will no doubt be familiar with Zeb from his time managing the phenomenally talented duo of Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger, AKA Zig-Swag. However, let's not forget that he's also bringing nearly 50 years of experience in the sports entertainment industry with him, with a clear focus on what he wants and how he wants to get there. And never was that more evident than in his confirming that OVE will indeed defend their Tag Team Championships at Summer Stampede against the winners of the Rock N' Wrestling Tag Team Tournament, "The Kings of Wrestling!" And considering how great both teams have been looking this year, that promises to be one of the most eagerly anticipated Tag Team Title matches in EWA history! Can Hero and Cesaro unseat the Champions? Or will OVE's dominance continue? We'll find out for sure at Summer Stampede!
Speaking of the tag team division, I was thoroughly entertained by our introduction to one of the newest teams on the roster, "The Vaudvillains." Granted, Aiden English and Simon Gotch look like a couple of throwbacks to a bygone era, but believe me, that doesn't mean they can't compete with our current crop of superstars. And after that visually unique way of announcing their arrival, I can't wait to see even more from them and their companion, "Blue Pantaloons," going forwards.
Judging by his comments to Renee Young prior to the match, it seems as if Dolph Ziggler came into this week's SLAM! with somewhat of a chip on his shoulder, which is no bad thing. Having something to prove can be just the impetus to take a superstar to that "next level," which recent performances suggest Ziggler is more than capable of reaching. Dolph found himself against Finn Bálor in the former Tag Team Champion's first match since Civil War, and it's fair to say that the young man from Bray, County Wicklow showed a few signs of ring rust. Then again, perhaps I'm not giving "The Show-Off" all the credit he's due, as he took the fight straight to his talented opponent and refused to let up until he got the well-deserved win.
In many ways, John Cena and "The Midnight Rider" defied the odds at 2 Minutes To Midnight. For a team that was thrown together at the last minute thanks to "The Steel Horsemen of Doom" removing Big Show from the equation, this dynamic duo over-performed and came within a whisker of walking out winners in the Rock N' Wrestling Tag Team Tournament. However, that valiant effort was sullied by the return of Braun Strowman and Santino Marella, who jumped the pairing of Cena and "The Rider" after the finals, seemingly looking to make an example of them. Needless to say, it was an attack that neither "The Doctor of Thuganomics" or his mysterious partner took too kindly, as they made clear here on SLAM! And, of course, it'd be an issue which would only escalate following Strowman and Marella's victory over the Australian duo of Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis a little later in the show, as Cena and "The Midnight Rider" came out to confront them. Alas, they weren't so much looking for answers as they were for a fight, with all four men briefly exchanging blows until security broke up the battle. I think it's safe to assume that this one is far from over however, and we could well be seeing these two teams facing one another a whole lot sooner rather than later.
Interesting promo from Gabriel, essentially drawing a line between "the man" that lost to Dolph Ziggler two weeks ago and "the man" that would step into the ring against Lio Rush later in the show. Sometimes, the way a superstar handles a tough loss is almost as telling as their reactions when they win, but in this instance, it's almost as if "The Solitary Reaper" is looking to leave the past behind.
Like my broadcast colleagues, I really had no idea what to expect in the first (and I suspect last) ever "Kendo Sticks, Mirrors and Steel Chairs Match" in wrestling history. Still, I don't think there were two better superstars to compete in such a unique environment as AJ Lee and Daffney, especially with all the bad blood between them. It wasn't that long ago when Daffney's career seemed to be hanging by a thread after being powerbombed out of the ring and through a flaming table at the hands of "Craze-a-loution," but you can't keep a "Zombie Goddess" down! And that meant both AJ and Daffney didn't hold back here either, utilizing the steel chairs and kendo sticks to bash each other black and blue, until Daffney finally managed to put her opponent through a full-length mirror and pick up the three count. One would have to think that a victory of this caliber should be the end of this rivalry, but at the same time, you can never take anything for granted in the E-Wrestling Alliance. Whether it's the end or not though, both AJ Lee and Daffney stepped it up a notch this week!
We heard once again from our guest GM Zeb Colter, talking up how he intends to "Make The EWA Great Again." To that point, he seemingly has something in mind for our dominant World Champion Brock Lesnar, promising to announce "The Beast's" next challenger next Sunday on SLAM! As I've said before, there really isn't a whole lot of obvious candidates to step up to the plate right now, almost as if the roster is being too fearful/respectful of Lesnar. While I can certainly understand that mindset, I would love to see someone make the most of that opportunity to show us what they're made of. Still, it will be interesting to see what Mr Colter has in mind next Sunday.
Say what you want about Dominatrix and her attempts to run Carmella over last Sunday at 2 Minutes To Midnight, but there's little doubting that was the biggest win of her career here in the EWA. And she followed it up by essentially challenging the entire women's division to come out and say otherwise, a challenge which no one took up, I might add. Does this make Dominatrix the de facto number one contender to the Women's Championship? That's not for me to say, but it's hard to argue that "The Masked Mistress of the Santanic Clown Posse" isn't right in the mix.
Meanwhile, could Al Snow and the bWo somehow regain their EWA contracts again after being unceremoniously fired by Hulk Hogan at 2 Minutes To Midnight? It certainly seems that way, with Zeb Colter obviously not entirely clued in on their current "contract snafu," as Al called it. Alas, if the only caveat to having that situation resolved is for the bWo to "stay out of trouble" over the next few weeks, I can't say I like the odds on this latest return being permanent.
Even though 2 Minutes To Midnight was a mixed night for "The Spoken," you wouldn't know it from listening to Trevor Mann. Indeed, it was a rousing success according to the former "Ricochet," as Tessa Blanchard won the Women's Championship and he allegedly made Bobby Lashley tap out during their triple threat match. Of course, "The Dominator" also happened to be trapped in a Ken Shamrock ankle lock at the same time, with the official ultimately awarding the victory to "The World's Most Dangerous Man" rather than the leader of "The Spoken." Still, Mann's comments would perhaps unsurprisingly draw the attention of Ken Shamrock himself, who had the perfect solution to that controversial finish. Namely, a one-on-one between the pair of them next Sunday on SLAM! Put that one in your diaries, folks! It's sure to be a slobberknocker!
For weeks and weeks, we've been seeing these cryptic (and down right creepy) messages from Rosemary. She's apparently been watching someone closely, almost to the point of obsession it seems, yet all we know for sure is that her target isn't Nia Jax, Dominatrix, Daffney or AJ Lee. Considering how much of a living hell "The Demon Assassin" made of Carmella's life though, I'd wager that whoever it is could well be in for a world of hurt once Rosemary decides to make her presence felt.
Talk about a huge opportunity for Lio Rush and Gabriel in SLAM!'s main event this week! It's still early days in their respective EWA careers but just goes to show how much confidence EWA management has in both superstars and their ability to become future marquee players. And boy, did they ever deliver too! We knew coming into this one that Rush was quicker than a hiccup, utilizing some of the very best high-flying offence in the business today. And as for Gabriel, he saw this as an opportunity to erase that loss to Dolph Ziggler and start his EWA career anew, showcasing some hard-hitting moves that would have broken a lesser man along the way. In the end though, it all came down to one mistake on Lio Rush's part. It's no secret that "The 23-Year Old Piece of Gold" has somewhat of an inflated ego, whether deserved or not, and that moment he took to taunt the fans when Gabriel was in position for a top rope Spanish Fly ended up costing him, resulting in a super-sized Fall From Grace to put Rush away. Still, while Rush may have lost this one, he certainly showed why all of that buzz is so well-deserved. For Gabriel though, you've got to believe this will be such a massive confidence boost going forwards. The question now though is how he intends to capitalize on it...
2 Minutes To Midnight saw the return of not just Adam Cole, but also Yoshihiro Tajiri as well! And "The Japanese Buzzsaw" made a big impression when he interrupted the leader of "The Elite's" comeback to spray him with that dreaded green mist! Well, this week's SLAM! saw Tajiri head to the ring to let Brock Lesnar know that they had unfinished business after "The Beast" broke his arm at the start of the year. However, the shoe was on the other foot this time around as Adam Cole decided to cut in on Tajiri's promo time, only to act as a diversion while the Young Bucks tried to jump the Japanese legend! Alas, Tajiri was ready for them, taking out Matt with a green mist and then smashing Nick Jackson's skull in with that thick cast on his arm. And yet, Tajiri's success was short-lived as Adam Cole BLASTED him with a superkick before proceeding to grab a steel chair and then deliver one of the most disgusting assaults I think I've ever witnessed in all my years in this business. Again and again, Cole would bring that chair down against Tajiri's prone body, hitting him upwards of sixty times before the show went off the air. And while, yes, I can understand his frustrations with "The Japanese Buzzsaw" after the way Tajiri ruined Cole's return, there is no excusing that kind of sick display from the leader of "The Elite." I wouldn't be surprised if Adam Cole has ended Tajiri's comeback before it even had a chance to get off the ground following this display, and for what? Because Tajiri had a little fun at his expense? Forgive me, folks, but the punishment doesn't come close to fitting the crime. Not in my book.
Still, while SLAM! may have ended on that sour note, there's no question that the action continues to heat up in these hot summer months. And with that in mind, here are my picks for the top three movers and shakers of Sunday's show:
1. Gabriel
2. Daffney
3. Adam Cole
Given the quality of the match and the importance of that victory, Gabriel getting the top spot seems like a no-brainer this week. Coming in at number two, Daffney defeated AJ Lee in the very match that the leader of the "Craze-a-loution" chose, gaining some much needed revenge in the process. And last but not least, while I hate to give Cole any credit after his sickening actions, the fact he may well have ended Tajiri's career is one that can't be ignored.
As always, if you want to get in touch with your own "top three" picks, feel free to contact @ ewa_efed with your thoughts! And in the meanwhile, I'm excited to announce that one week from Friday, we'll see the first in a new bi-weekly series we'll be calling "JR'S MAILBAG" right here on EWA.com! Whether there's some EWA facts you would like to know, or whether you want my opinion on a certain EWA subject, all you've got to do is send in your questions via @ ewa_efed or by clicking this link and I'll do my best to answer them!
Turning our focus to next week's show though, there's already plenty to get excited about. Who will Zeb Colter name as Brock Lesnar's next challenger? Will "The Kings of Wrestling" have something to say about finally being granted a shot at the Tag Team Titles? And, of course, who'll win when the undefeated Ken Shamrock takes on Trevor Mann? To find out all this and more, tune in next Sunday! Until then,
