Ross Report - 8/5/19

The EWA rolled into "The Big Easy" this week for the latest Sunday Night SLAM!, but it was anything but an "easy" night for many of our superstars! Let's break down the action!

It's fair to say that Marty Scurll was not a happy camper after the events of Tokyo SOS, where he suffered his first loss of 2019. Granted, "The Villain" was neither pinned or submitted in that match, but the fact that "The Horde's" dominant run hit such a speed bump obviously left him in a bad mood on our return to the good ol' US of A. As such, the World Champion threw out an open challenge...only to find himself confronted by the returning Pete Dunne, who hasn't been seen since Scurll laid him out in brutal fashion on the first week of the Japanese tour! "The Bruiserweight" clearly didn't come to talk though, instead bringing the fight right to his fellow Brit, leading to an intense brawl around the ring! Just as it looked that Dunne might lay Scurll out though, "The Villain" slipped free and nailed a low blow before setting up for his dreaded Cradle DDT! Before he could deliver it however, it was Dunne who'd turn things around, grabbing the fingers like we've seen him do so many times over the past several months, before snapping them apart! Rumor has it that Marty's digits may well have been broken after that devastating assault, but I dare say seeing Pete Dunne pose with the World Championship afterwards probably hurt Scurll even more than that! The leader of "The Horde" may have got his title back for now, but it seems as if battle lines are very much being drawn, meaning we could be in for an interesting month heading towards Summer Stampede on September 1st!

While Tokyo SOS might have been a night to forget for Marty Scurll, one could argue it was Sasha Banks' coming out party in terms of the huge role she played in her team's victory over "The Horde." "The Boss" followed that up this past weekend with a rematch against Alicia Fox, the same woman she defeated in her debut on that one-off edition of Fury. History would repeat itself here as Sasha took a page out of the playbook of her hero Eddie Guerrero to finish Fox off with a frog splash. That wasn't the end of her night though, with Banks later calling out her chief rival Ember Moon for a face-to-face conversation. "The Villainess" obliged, yet she would go on to refuse Sasha's offer of drawing a line under their bad blood, instead catching the Boston native with a cheapshot and her version of Marty Scurll's Cradle DDT! It seems there's no end in sight as far as this rivalry goes, and likely won't be until these two superstars finally go at it one-on-one!

We've waited a long time to see Andrade "Cien" Almas make his in-ring debut, but I'm not sure if he was planning on his first opponent being as unpredictable as Ryuji Ito! For those that don't know, "The Tokyo Trainwreck" spent some time in Japan's penal system, something that has clearly left him somewhat unstable, meaning he's being watched over by "Officer Rezar" at all times. It also means you don't know quite what Ito's going to do next either, something that Almas found out for himself during their battle this past week! There were several occasions during this one where I thought Ryuji might inadvertently get himself disqualified, but all credit to the Referee overseeing the match for allowing Ito the latitude to bring what brought him to the dance but also ensuring we got a definitive winner. I'm sure Almas and his manager Zelina Vega aren't too happy with the result, but credit where credit is due, the Japanese wildman got the job done! Given this performance from Ryuji Ito, I'm sure there won't be too many superstars lining up to step in the ring with a competitor quite so "mercurial!"

Brandon Locke is a man with an extensive background in MMA and boxing, but it didn't really help him much against the imposing stature of Matt Morgan! It can't be stressed how much "The Blueprint" has had to overcome in order to return to the squared circle, even reportedly dying on the operating table in the initial aftermath of his accident only to be brought back by Bridgeport's finest, so for him to have his first match back was a special moment indeed. And for that match to end in a big win for the former National Champion was the icing on the cake, as Morgan overcame a spirited effort by his opponent before finally putting him away. I mentioned last week how strange it is to see a version of Matt Morgan who is no longer a self-serving egotist and bully, but you can't go through what he did without engaging in a bit of personal growth. With this new attitude and a new lease on life, I can't wait to see where the future takes the seven foot tall physical specimen!

You've got to hand it to Scott Steiner, who hasn't exactly shied away from the biggest competitors in his first two EWA matches! First he went one-on-one with "The Great Khali," picking up a big win there, and this past week he found himself up against the seven foot tall "Show E." This was a match that "Show E." had seemingly accepted to try and get through to his fellow "Flamingo Family" member, Buh Buh Ray Dudley, a man who's clearly still struggling to come to terms with his National Title loss at Red, White & Bruised if his pre-match conversation with the lovely Renee Young is anything to go by. Whether or not the big man's intentions had the desired effect, I wouldn't like to speculate, but you can't deny that "Show E." was able to dig deep and come back from being trapped in the deadly Steiner Recliner to turn things around and score a huge (if somewhat shocking) victory over "The Big Bad Booty Daddy." And if "Show E." can achieve that kind of success, who's to say that Buh Buh Ray can't also get back on the right track again? Well, aside from "The Reaper" himself, who seems determined to give the man from Dudleyville a rematch after being taunted by some autograph hunters earlier in the show, just to prove the first time around wasn't a fluke.

It's a sad state of affairs to see "Luchasaurus" so thoroughly broken when all he's tried to do is look out for the kids under his care at Eagle's Nest Orphanage. Unfortunately for the dino-grappler, that's resulted in him laying down for "MJF" last week at Tokyo SOS and essentially agreeing to become "The Salt of the Earth's" dogsbody in exchange for the Orphanage's debts being paid off. This new status quo was made official last night as Maxwell Jacob Friedman forced "Luchasaurus" to not just sign a contract agreeing to work for him, but to immediately be put to use as well. It seems "MJF" has taken umbrage with how he's been announced by Justin Roberts lately, so "The Top 1%er" set "Luchasaurus" on the long-time EWA employee with the threat of violence should poor Justin not start meeting "MJF's" standards, giving a pretty clear indication of just how he intends to use his new gofer going forwards. Especially since Friedman has seemingly set his sights on the Tag Team Championships currently held by the Briscoes, no doubt with the intent of "Luchasaurus" doing most of the heavy lifting for him!

The signing of Toni Storm has generated a whole lot of buzz around the EWA offices, and for good reason. While our women's roster could perhaps accurately be described as being heavy on antagonists/light on protagonists, there's many who feel that this hugely talented young woman from Australia's stunning Gold Coast has the potential to be the face of the entire division. There's no doubt whatsoever that she's got all the tools necessary to go as far as she wants to in this business, and if this debut was anything to go by, it's going to take something special to stop her from eventually reaching all the way to the top! And if you don't believe me, just check out the endorsement she received after the match from legends such as Tully Blanchard, Dean Malenko and the Rock N' Roll Express! Trust me, folks...it won't be long before the name Toni Storm is on everybody's lips!

After his impressive win over Lashley a couple of weeks ago, it looks as if Tom Lawlor wanted to prove it wasn't just a lucky break, seemingly about to challenge "The Dominator" to a rematch. Before he could do so though, Lashley and his "SCP" associate R-Truth jumped the MMA veteran, in what can only be described as a revenge mugging after his humiliation at "Filthy's" hands! After laying him out, Bobby Lashley wound up being the one to issue a challenge for a tag match next Sunday, and we wouldn't have to wait long to find out who Tom Lawlor's partner will be! As many will recall, "Singularity" seconded Ken Shamrock to the ring for his "Pancrase Rules Match" against Minoru Suzuki last weekend, and it seems as if those bonds of friendship are still going strong with "The World's Most Dangerous Man" volunteering to team up with Lawlor against the "Santanic Clown Posse" next Sunday! Given Shamrock has had his issues with Lashley in the past as well, this one looks all set to be a real barnburner!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who was glad to see Cesaro back in action again after a two month break. Sometimes it's necessary for superstars to step away from the daily grind of the EWA for a little while just to recharge their batteries, and "The Swiss Cyborg's" time away seems to have done him the world of good. It's no secret that Cesaro is one of the best athletes in the business, as proven by the way he combated everything the Canadian martial arts expert "Speedball" Mike Bailey threw at him, but it's been a while since we've seen what he can do by himself. He doesn't have much choice in the matter for the time being, with the rest of "The Kings of Wrestling" still licking their respective wounds after the disappointment of Red, White & Bruised meaning the responsibility for carrying their flag falls entirely on Cesaro's shoulders. Perhaps more importantly than that though, Cesaro also had to overcome the distraction of "UltraMantis Black" scouting the match, much as he had been doing with every other match over the course of the night up to that point. This would lead to a tense confrontation backstage, where a frustrated Cesaro demanded a match with the mysterious masked man for next week's show, setting up Black's in-ring debut! I can't help but wonder what exactly "The Great And Devious One" was up to all night though? Seems like a question we'll have to wait to see answered until some other time...

I've got to admit, I was a little caught off guard by the tag team match pitting Joe Gomez and Ken Raper against "Honky Tonk Man" and my old pal Jerry "The King" Lawler. Given the hostilities between "Honky" and "King," I couldn't foresee any way of these two Memphis veterans working as a cohesive unit, and when Gomez and Raper started the match like a house on fire, it looked as if the match was only ever going to go one way. And yet, to my great surprise and theirs as well, Lawler and "Honky" slowly but surely found themselves connecting on a level that their opponents hadn't counted on. As soon as the bickering stopped and the attempts to "one-up" one another had been thrown out the window, they turned the match around in dramatic fashion and picked up the duke. Make no mistake about it, if this is what they're capable of when on the same page, I think we've found ourselves a hell of an addition to the tag team ranks. As for the poor ol' "Desperado" and his best friend Ken though, you can't help but feel for the pair of them. Just when it looked like they might be on the verge of something special, they were denied once again. Here's hoping they find a way to bounce back!

While JoJo may have been celebrating capturing the Women's Title with a champagne party courtesy of Bradley (despite the fact that she doesn't actually drink alcohol), Charlotte Flair was obviously in less celebratory mood. Indeed, "The Nature Girl" refused to give her nemesis any credit for that historic Hell In A Cell victory, instead claiming it was Charlotte who beat herself last Sunday! That's not all Flair would take credit for either, also taking responsibility for the rejuvenation of the women's division and influx of amazing talent recently, before demanding her rematch. Rather than be confronted by JoJo though, Charlotte Flair was met by Kairi Hojo of the "Blood Diamond Exchange," fresh off of her win over Ruby Riott at Tokyo SOS! Prince Nana spoke on Kairi's behalf, making it clear they felt it was time for Flair to step aside so that "The Dread Pirate of Dark Water" could receive her own opportunity, leading to Charlotte Flair and Kairi Hojo agreeing to a match next week! From there, Charlotte and Lacey Evans suddenly found themselves jumped by the other members of the "B.D.E.", as Nixon Newell and Viper made it a three on two attack...yet to the surprise of many, including yours truly, out came JoJo and Bradley, with "The Mustachioed Megaman" showing off his impressive manpower by slamming Viper while her allies were sent packing! It looked like maybe after all their battles, perhaps a bond of respect had formed between "The Dominion" and the duo of JoJo and Bradley...but all thoughts of that quickly went out the window when Lacey Evans took Bradley down with a Women's Right, and JoJo damn near had her head taken off with a Queen's Boot! No doubt about it, the women's division is well and truly hotting up right now!

Brian Kendrick and Brian Pillman Jr may look somewhat similar, but they're polar opposites in terms of experience and how they broke into the business. Kendrick is a 20 year veteran who had to scratch and claw for everything that's come his way and endured his demons along the way, while Pillman Jr arguably got his big break because of his late father and is still relatively new to the game. Yet that's not to sell the second generation superstar short, as we've already seen multiple examples that the apple didn't fall from the tree, something that "The Man With A Plan" quickly discovered during their highly anticipated singles match! However, Kendrick was able to use his general craftiness to get back into the match whenever it seemed as if Pillman was about to gain some kind of foothold, putting those veteran instincts to good use! No matter what he'd do though, young Brian Pillman Jr kept on coming back time and time and time again, showing the kind of heart and desire that can't be taught! Despite some hard hits dished out by both men though, Kendrick would use his wiles to get the better of his opponent after countering a pin attempt into an inside cradle with the ropes for leverage, stealing the win! No sooner did Kendrick escape backstage though than he ran into the imposing form of Brock Lesnar, who seemed understandably impressed by "The Man With A Plan's" performance. After some tense words, we soon had another match booked for next week's SLAM!, where it'll be "The Beast" going up against Brian Kendrick in what should be a wild clash of styles! I can't wait for that one!

After a hell of a show, it was time for our main event, where "The Revival" would have their chance to "put up or shut up" after coming in and declaring themselves the uncrowned number one contenders to the Tag Team Championships! That's a bold claim that has ruffled plenty of feathers backstage, including those of Ethan Page and Josh Alexander, AKA "Monster Mafia." These two haven't been seen since a loss to "Mustache Mountain" a couple of months ago, meaning they came into this one with a chip on their shoulder, especially seeing as their opponents had seemingly skipped the line ahead of them despite not having actually competed as of yet! This resulted in a slobberknocker of a battle between two tandems who know how to get down and dirty when called upon, bending the rules whenever possible and working behind the official's back to try and swing the momentum back in their respective directions. Ultimately, it would be "The Revival" who managed to outwit their opponents and pick up a debut win, before once again running their mouths post-match about how much better they are than everyone else. This would unsurprisingly draw the attention of The Briscoes, who briefly got their hands on Tammy Sytch and demanded Dawson and Wilder get back in the ring! "The Revival" would eventually oblige as the two teams went to blows, where Jay Briscoe soon found himself trapped in the ropes and powerless to aid his brother as Dawson and Wilder grabbed some steel chairs, damn near dislocating Mark's patella with a heinous assault! It'll be a wonder if Mark Briscoe can even walk again anytime soon, let alone defend the Tag Team Titles alongside his brother, leaving "Dem Boys From Delaware" in a precarious situation going forward!

Let's take a look at my picks for this week's top three movers and shakers, shall we?

1. Toni Storm
2. The Revival
3. Brian Kendrick

Controversial as it may be, Toni Storm seems like the obvious choice for top spot as far as this ol' Okey is concerned. She came across as a huge star in her debut victory, with the sky being the limit for this young Aussie! Coming in at number two, "The Revival" also picked up a big win in their debut but arguably made a far greater impact with the damage done to the Tag Team Champions afterwards, in particular poor Mark Briscoe. As disgusting as those actions might be, there's no doubt they've grabbed everyone's attention in a short amount of time! And speaking of attention grabbing, Brian Kendrick sneaks in at number three with a tough win over Brian Pillman Jr and a future match with the former three-time World Champion Brock Lesnar scheduled for next week! Kendrick wanted to be shown the respect he feels he's due, and now he's got the opportunity to earn it if he can defeat "The Beast!"

With that match already set up, as well as matches between Cesaro and "UltraMantis Black," Kairi Hojo and Charlotte Flair, on top of Tom Lawlor and Ken Shamrock teaming up to take on Lashley and R-Truth, next week's SLAM! is already shaping up to be a hell of a show! Any fans in and around the Maryland area had better snap up the last remaining tickets ASAP because we're on the verge of selling out the Royal Farms Arena once again...but if you do miss out, never fear! You can still catch all the action on EFN in our usual timeslot, as the road to Summer Stampede continues! Until then,


BOOMER SOONER!