Post by Ross Report on Jul 31, 2019 9:16:03 GMT
The EWA's tour of Japan has been a rousing success from the get-go, culminating in this past Sunday's Tokyo SOS Pay-Per-View extravaganza, a show which had it all! Let's break down the action!
We kicked things off with a wild Tag Team Championship match between the Briscoes and the thrown together duo of TARU and YAMATO, two EWA superstars from yesteryear looking to reclaim their glory days! To do that, they first earned this title opportunity by winning the Open Invitational Tag Team Battle Royal on the previous SLAM!, but there's obviously a world of difference between competing in a melee-style match and one where they'd have to work as a well-oiled unit. In stark contrast, Mark and Jay have been fighting together (and sometimes against one another) from childhood, creating the kind of bond that's not easy to replicate. As such, "Dem Boys From Delaware" were able to control much of the early going, although that's not to say this was a one-sided battle. On the contrary, TARU and YAMATO knew how important victory would be in securing permanent contracts with the EWA in time for our return to the US next week, with both competitors seeking to rebuild their careers. Alas, it wasn't to be, with YAMATO finally succumbing to the deadly Jay Driller to ensure the Tag Team Champions retained their gold! Still, if you want to talk about a match to set the tone for the rest of the night, this was it right here!
"The Flamingo Family" seemed understandably awestruck at the prospect of being inside the legendary Tokyo Dome...or at least, most of them did. Alas, poor Buh Buh Ray Dudley is still down in the proverbial dumps over his National Title loss to "The Reaper," although he'd find a way to cheer himself a little later on in the show. More on that in a bit.
If you've been paying any attention to the EWA over the last month, you'll likely have found yourself gripped by the saga over Eagle's Nest Orphanage. After revealing "Luchasaurus'" side project was in financial woes, Maxwell Jacob Friedman has been looking to exploit that situation and make the Jurassic grappler's life a living hell. This culminated in a brutal beatdown of "Jungle Boy" last week before "MJF" demanded a match at this past weekend's Pay-Per-View where "Luchasaurus" was told in no uncertain terms to lie down for "The Salt of the Earth" in order to have Friedman start paying off the debts in monthly instalments...yet should he refuse, then "MJF" would leave Eagle's Next Orphanage to go bust! It sure seemed as if the giant dino had no choice in the matter, yet taking into account not only his pride but what had happened to his pal "Jungle Boy," it was anyone's guess as to whether or not he'd do as he'd been told. When it came to the "match" itself, we'd see just how torn "Luchasaurus" was, grudgingly laying down for "MJF" to pin him before initially kicking out after an unnecessary elbow drop from his opponent! That almost caused the powerful masked man to snap and chokeslam "The Top 1%er" all the way back to the prehistoric period, yet "MJF's" mind games were enough to finally make "Luchasaurus" put him back on his feet again before laying down a second time and accepting his fate. In one sense, this could be construed as a victory for "Luchasaurus" as all those poor kids he looks after will still have a home so long as "MJF" holds up his end of the bargain...but at the same time, he's had no choice but to sell his soul to the devil to do so, something that will no doubt bring about some dire consequences.
Talk about a special feeling to see the trio of Sasha Banks, "The Great Muta" and EWA legend Masato Tanaka teaming up with one another! Sasha couldn't have found herself two better partners for that epic Six Person Tag against Marty Scurll, "The Reaper" and Ember Moon. It goes without saying though, even with all that talent on the opposite side of the ring, "The Horde" had to be considered the firm favorites heading into this battle considering they had both the World Champion and the National Champion among their ranks, while "The Villainess" has proven herself to be no pushover in limited in-ring appearances too. However, the makeshift team of Tanaka, Muta and Banks would quickly put their opponents on the backfoot, thanks to a little assist by Sonny Ono on the outside. With so many combustible elements, the Referee had a difficult time trying to maintain some semblance of control at various points, allowing "The Horde" to take over again. Still, it was nothing short of incredible to witness Masato Tanaka rolling back the years during his final ever match, showcasing the talent and toughness that made "The Last Emperor" one of the greatest World Champions in EWA history. It almost looked as if the weight of the last few years of his career had been lifted from his shoulders, allowing him to bow out with the kind of performance he can be proud of. But let's not take anything away from the female competitors in this match either, with Sasha Banks and Ember Moon sharing enmity going back several months now and having it all to fight for. Ember has arguably enjoyed the lion's share of their back-and-forth encounters more so than "The Boss," yet under the guidance of former Women's Champion Ayako Hamada, Sasha Banks seemed to take it up to a whole new level for her first ever EWA Pay-Per-View match. As things started to break down, "The Reaper" was forcibly ejected from the ring by Buh Buh Ray Dudley, who got in some shots on the National Champion while "The Great Muta" utilized his patented "green mist" to take Marty Scurll out of the equation as well! That left just Ember Moon and Sasha Banks to settle the score, with "The Boss" putting her arch rival down for the count, allowing for a feel good victory that went a long way in putting Sasha Banks on the map! Indeed, this was a result that signaled both an end to the legendary career of Masato Tanaka and the start of Sasha Banks' efforts to rise up the ranks and become Women's Champion! But at the same time, it's one that "The Horde" aren't likely to respond to too kindly either!
After making a big splash in their official EWA debut the previous week on SLAM!, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of "The Revival" decided to follow things up by delivering a somewhat racially insensitive message to our Japanese hosts, as well as having their manager Tammy Sytch mock any members of the EWA Universe who weren't happy to see the attention they've already grabbed in such a short space of time. The long and the short of it though is that "The Revival" consider themselves the uncrowned number one contenders to the EWA Tag Team Titles, and it'll be interesting to see who (if anyone) steps up to the plate to prove otherwise over the coming weeks!
It had largely been expected that Jushin "Thunder" Liger's open challenge for Tokyo SOS had been scrapped sometime last week, but Jim Cornette didn't give the masked legend much of a choice in the matter, calling him down to the ring. Liger quickly found himself set upon by Roman Reigns, a man who had apparently handed in his notice just last week, leading many to believe "The Juggernaut" to be Jim Cornette's new client. When things looked their worst for Liger though, that's when the entire EWA was shocked to see the return of Matt Morgan, having finally overcome the injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident we later found out had been orchestrated by John Cena! Not only was Morgan back though, but he has seemingly turned over a new leaf as well! "The Blueprint" shrugged off a spear from Reigns and then joined forces with Jushin Liger to send Roman packing, standing tall together after the fact. I don't know about you, but the idea of seeing a man formerly known as "Bad Attitude" now seemingly on the side of the angels is a strange sight indeed, but one that is certainly welcome! After all, everyone deserves a second chance...even two guys like Matt Morgan and Jim Cornette.
For weeks now, Dave Meltzer has been looking for the perfect Japanese deal for "The Great Khali" to earn some mega bucks, and it finally came along thanks to Tony Hawk and "Ayam Brand Baked Beans." This being Japan though, "Khali's" starring role ended up being just as bizarre as one might imagine, complete with cosmic skateboarding twists and super-powered fart clouds. In short, I didn't have a damn clue what was going on but I think I've got a hankering for some beans on toast.
Becky Lynch took Tokyo SOS as a chance to lay bare all of her many grievances with Daffney after feeling betrayed by her fellow "Revelation" member for her perceived weaknesses. I'll be honest though, I'm not entirely sure anything justifies the actions of "The Queen Slayer," not even Daffney's branding of Becky several months ago. To take her once trusted ally and beat her into unconsciousness, trapping "The Zombie Goddess" in a casket for weeks on end in the process, is not just disgusting, it's downright obscene. And with Becky Lynch laying the ghost of "Revelation" to rest seemingly once and for all, one has to wonder what that now means for the rest of the EWA's women division!
Speaking of which, I still can't get over the shocking assault on Ruby Riott executed at the behest of Prince Nana. His "Blood Diamond Exchange" jumped Riott upon her arrival at the Tokyo Dome, with Nixon Newell providing a distraction (whether she was in on it or now is still up for debate), thereby allowing Viper to strike! With a powerbomb onto the trunk of a car and then Newell forced to smash Ruby's leg with the car door, it's a wonder that our crack medical team cleared the "Punk Rock Rag Doll" to compete against Kairi Hojo later in the evening. Then again, that may have been more down to Ruby Riott's grit and determination more than anything else. Needless to say though, the courageous young woman from Michigan was at a severe disadvantage from the outset, one which the deadly Kairi Hojo took brutal advantage of. Don't let her small stature fool you, folks..."The Dread Pirate of Dark Water" is as deadly as they come inside that ring, with a mean streak a nautical mile wide! This one was a tough watch for that very reason, with Riott bravely trying to fight from underneath throughout the course of the match, even managing to get some momentum going at various points. However, her exuberance may well have ended up costing her as Ruby re-aggravated her knee injury on a wild corner dropkick! With Hojo rebounding (and Prince Nana sticking his nose in more and more), it was only a matter of time before the immense amount of punishment became too much for Ruby to handle. With Nana blasting Ruby in the injured knee cap with a miniature ship's wheel, that allowed Hojo to drop anchor with a big time Kabuki Elbow and pick up the three count. The pack mentality of the "B.D.E." has proven damn near unstoppable so far during their short EWA tenure, and I dare say it might be high time for Ruby Riott to find some allies of her own before she suffers another gang attack from which there's no coming back!
After his "unique" performance during last week's Open Invitational Battle Royal, we checked in with Ryuji Ito and his manager/carer/handler, Officer Rezar. It was confirmed that unlike the majority of Japanese superstars who've competed on this three week tour, Ito has in fact inked a permanent deal and will be traveling stateside to join the EWA full-time! Considering the brand of crazy Ito brings, it's safe to say that he'll be keeping us all on our toes for the foreseeable future!
Ahead of Ken Shamrock's "war to settle the score" with Minoru Suzuki, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" was wished luck by Tom Lawlor and Rhea Ripley of "Singularity," who asked to accompany Shamrock to the ring as his seconds. It was a gesture I'm sure Shamrock appreciated, as he soon headed to ringside for the "Pancrase Rules" match against his old rival. For those who read the article on our website last week detailing the rivalry, you'll know just how much this match meant to the former World Champion. Shamrock has been waiting 25 long years to get his revenge on Suzuki after those two controversial losses, and this was his big chance, giving us a nice change of pace from the typical action we'd seen unfold on the show thus far. As far as Suzuki was concerned though, he had nothing to prove...no matter the result of the match, he'd still beaten Shamrock twice before and nothing could take those victories away. Still, that did nothing to lessen Shamrock's desire to finally get this particular monkey off his back, leading to a series of hard-fought rounds that saw a mixture of strikes and submissions, with Minoru also using some shady tactics to cut "The World's Most Dangerous Man" right beneath the eye. Things didn't improve much in the second round either, with Suzuki continuing to stretch the rules as far as they would allow in order to grind his opponent down. And yet, that just made Shamrock's third round performance all the more impressive, as the MMA veteran rallied from Suzuki's onslaught to finally cinch in the Ankle Lock and force the submission! What a win for Ken Shamrock to cap off an amazing Japanese tour for the former World Champion! And now the big question is, where does he go from here?
As Tokyo SOS was rolling along, Brian Kendrick took the opportunity to crash the party, apparently having a few things he wanted to get off his chest. Namely the perceived bias of EWA's head honchos after not being invited to compete on the Pay-Per-View. Well, while I can certainly appreciate Kendrick's desire to be wrestling on every show, it's worth remembering that there's only a limited number of spots to go around. That may not be to everyone's liking, but it's just a simple statement of fact. And my suggestion to any talent feeling aggrieved over that fact would be to not complain about being "denied" a spot, but rather to go out there and earn it instead. What a novel concept, I know!
Man, it feels like I've been waiting a hell of a long time to finally see Brock Lesnar get his hands on Matt Taven, and at long last, "The Beast" got his chance! Taven has been one step ahead of Lesnar during almost that entire time, getting inside Lesnar's head and frustrating him like few others before him. The problem with "poking the bear" though is eventually it's gonna take a swipe right back at you. And as "The Chaotic Idol" found out first-hand, the bear can swipe pretty damn hard! It was a spirited effort from Matt Taven regardless, but against all that pent-up fury inside of Brock Lesnar, it was only a matter of time before the former three-time World Champion eventually took his opponent to "suplex city." While the result might have been academic from that point onwards, Taven still showed why he's so highly regarded among EWA management by hanging with arguably the most dominant individual ever to step foot in an EWA ring. But with Taven seemingly on the shelf for the foreseeable future, one has to wonder where Brock Lesnar's attention will turn now that he's got his revenge!
Prince Nana and UltraMantis Black may seem like strange bedfellows, but the two newcomers to the EWA seem to have lots of history as they struck up an exchange for a couple of mysterious items. Nana traded a bizarre stone known as the "Eye of Tyr" for some kind of giant key with a huge jewel in it with Black, while "The Great And Devious One" also offered his services to the "Blood Diamond Exchange" should Nana need him. With the "B.D.E." already being a dangerous outfit as it is, God only knows how much more deadly they can become with a new ally by their side!
Finally, it was time for our main event of the evening...the first ever women's Hell In A Cell Match between two sworn rivals who've had more than their fair share of ups and downs over the last several months. Defending Women's Champion Charlotte Flair has been a dominant force for so long, but JoJo has been a stalwart in the division for the past six years, wrestling more matches than any other woman in EWA history. She's a fighter in every sense of the word and took the fight right to her sworn nemesis in the early goings of the contest. That is, until "The Queen" turned things around and seemingly had plans in store for her fellow "Dominion" member Lacey Evans to crash the party, expecting to find her hiding under the ring! Unfortunately for "The Nature Girl" though, Bradley had already cut Lacey off at the pass, dragging her away from the Cell to deny the champion any additional help! Still, one could argue that Charlotte didn't necessarily need it as she continued to press her advantage, even utilizing the Referee's belt as a weapon, similar to Samoa Joe doing the same to Pete Dunne at Red, White & Bruised. Poor JoJo took some major league punishment as a result, yet kept on ticking, showing the kind of heart that's been her calling card since she arrived in the EWA! The "bWo Babe" finally managed to turn things around, even showing more of an aggressive streak than we've seen from her before, leaving Charlotte with little choice but to try and escape the Cell! Of course, you can't climb out of that demonic structure thanks to the roof covering the top, and with JoJo in hot pursuit, Charlotte soon found herself in "no woman's land" as her challenger dragged her crashing down to earth with the biggest damn Get Back, JoJo lungblower I've ever seen! Through the encouragement of Bradley, JoJo was then able to slowly but surely drag her opponent back inside the ring for the three count and her second Women's Championship, something that's been five years in the making! Outside of women participating in the Super Brawl XVII Match and the women's only Sensational Sunday, there's never been an EWA Pay-Per-View that has been headlined by our female superstars before...yet in this instance, I think there's no doubt whatsoever that both Charlotte Flair and JoJo absolutely delivered the goods! With the pressure cranked up high and the entire world watching, both superstars brought their A-games to cap off another spectacular show in 2019! And while Charlotte's reign is over, there's no question she'll be back and better than ever. Losing championships only ever seemed to make her old man all the more hungry to win them back again, and I'm guessing the apple hasn't fallen too far from that particular tree! As for JoJo, I hope she enjoys this well-deserved and hard-fought moment, especially after losing almost all of her closest friends recently when the rest of the "bWo" were sent to jail. Yet while JoJo might have something to celebrate, it's important to remember that in the land of the EWA, there's no off-season. And that means there's a whole division of superstars who are all vying for the chance to be the one to earn that first title shot, whenever it may be! Time will surely tell who'll be the first to step up!
With all that said and done, let's take a look at this week's picks for my top three movers and shakers:
1. JoJo
2. Charlotte Flair
3. Masato Tanaka/"The Great Muta"/Sasha Banks
Number one seems like a no-brainer, as JoJo wins a jaw-dropping main event to become Women's Champion for a second time! I don't want to take anything away from her opponent though, as Charlotte Flair more than held up her own end of the bargain during that Hell In A Cell war, which is enough to give her the second spot. And last but by no means least, I've put the trio of Masato Tanaka, "The Great Muta" and Sasha Banks! "The Horde" have been a tough cookie to crack over 2019, but the three of them managed to do the seemingly impossible, giving Tanaka his swansong, allowing Muta to roll back the years, and showcasing just why Sasha Banks is destined to be a big time player in the weeks and months to come! What more can you ask for?
And so ends the EWA's Japanese tour. I'm sure you'll agree that this entire three week run has had such a unique feel to it, with the influx of new talent and some guest wrestlers showing up to get involved as well. I want to offer my sincerest thanks to everyone who's made this such a success, whether in front of the camera or behind it, and here's hoping we don't leave it so long before our next return to "The Land of the Rising Sun!" In the meantime though, normal business is about to be resumed as we head back to the States for the next edition of SLAM!, which already looks like it'll be a slobberknocker of a show as we begin the march to Summer Stampede! Until then,
BOOMER SOONER!
