Post by Ross Report on Aug 12, 2019 16:32:33 GMT
Talk about another action-packed edition of SLAM!, with more thrills and spills than you can shake a stick at! And with Summer Stampede fast approaching, there's no shortage of things to discuss as we edge ever closer to our annual summer blowout!
Things kicked off with Rhea Ripley returning to action for the first time since mid-June, putting in a dominant display against young Zoe Lucas. Hopefully this is a sign of "The Full Metal Maniac" becoming a more regular competitor in the EWA Women's Division again, as I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that she's got a hell of a lot to offer. Especially in light of recent developments that have seen the Division explode in terms of popularity!
Having made their tenuous alliance official seven days ago, we saw "MJF" and "Luchasaurus" team up for the first time on this week's SLAM! Well, I say "team up"...if truth be told, Maxwell Jacob Friedman spent more time taking a seemingly important phone call at ringside than actually competing, leaving his reluctant partner to do all the heavy lifting against Doug and Danny Basham. Fortunately, "Luchasaurus" was more than up to the task (and I suspect he was eager for the opportunity to vent some frustrations too), resulting in the victory. Post-match, "The Top 1%er" would stake a claim at a future Tag Team Championship opportunity, yet soon found himself interrupted by the arrival of none other than Chris Jericho! The former five-time World Champion is back, and he's not alone either! No, Jericho has drafted the young up-and-comer Caleb Konley to form the "Alpha Club," immediately setting up a match with "MJF Enterprises" for next week's SLAM! That one has all the potential to be a showstealer!
If you weren't convinced by Toni Storm's debut that she's the real deal, this second match should have left no doubts! The talented superstar from Gold Coast, Australia put in a picture perfect performance against Blanche Babish, proving once again why all that hype is so deserved! Honestly, I don't think we've ever seen a competitor quite as well-rounded at such a young age as Toni Storm, who will no doubt continue to bring a lot of eyes to the Women's Division going forwards! It's Toni Time, indeed!
Speaking of the Women's Division, Sasha Banks was interviewed by Renee Young to discuss her on-going rivalry with Ember Moon! Sasha was spotted this week striking up a friendship of sorts with Rhea Ripley, which may well prove useful down the line considering the amount of times she's been jumped by "The Villainess" over the past several months. Still, the most important takeaway here was the announcement of our first official match for Summer Stampede, where it'll be Banks versus Moon in a one-on-one setting to finally put this rivalry to bed once and for all! This one has been a long time coming, with Ember seemingly having done everything within her power to avoid a straight up match against "The Boss," but she's got no choice in the matter anymore!
Cesaro had a bone to pick with "UltraMantis Black" after an unwelcome distraction almost cost him a win last week, leading to an incredible match between the two on last night's show! "The Swiss Cyborg" dominated the early goings, yet it didn't take long for "The Great And Devious One" to live up to his name, doing whatever necessary to seize the advantage! "UltraMantis Black" came close to capturing the win on multiple occasions here, but just when it looked like he might have Cesaro beat, the former Tag Team Champion rolled over a small package to secure the three count! However, while Cesaro may have been victorious over "The Angry Insect Evil-Doer," Black would have the last laugh! I won't pretend to understand the powers associated with the mysterious "Eye of Tyr," but one thing I can say for certain is that when Black put that strange jewel to Cesaro's head, it had a transformative effect on the "Swiss Superman." Indeed, Cesaro seemingly found himself completely under "UltraMantis Black's" thrall, leaving us with a lot more questions than we have answers for right now!
After suffering a humiliating defeat at Tom Lawlor's hands in just under two minutes, Bobby Lashley was chomping at the bit for revenge, with R-Truth along for the ride! However, the "Singularity" leader wasn't walking into this one alone after Ken Shamrock offered to team up with him following on from Lawlor and Rhea Ripley seconding "The World's Most Dangerous Man" during his match with Minoru Suzuki at Tokyo SOS. The match got off to a fast and furious start and didn't let up, with Shamrock and Lawlor showing great teamwork to kick things off, but Lashley managing to turn things around for the "SCP" through some underhanded tactics! In the end though, the two MMA veterans scraped and clawed their way back into the contest, with Shamrock finally forcing R-Truth to tap out while Lawlor took the fight to Lashley on the outside, denying "The Dominator" his vengence! Scott Stanford mentioned it on commentary, and I can't help but agree that if they chose to keep this team going down the line, I think Tom Lawlor and Ken Shamrock could be a real force to be reckoned with!
Sounds like there must have been some kind of mix-up in the merchandise department, with "Mustache Mountain" mistakenly reaping the benefits of t-shirt sales meant for "Monster Mafia"...although one has to wonder how well those t-shirts would have sold had they been correctly listed for the EWA Universe in the first place. Still, the duo of Ethan Page and Josh Alexander were unsurprisingly none too pleased about that particular situation, although I can't help but feel as if maybe their approach to resolving the problem was a little heavy-handed. We'll have to wait and see how this story develops, especially as we wait on Tyler Bate and Trent Seven to have their visa issues resolved!
Talk about having a big fight feel, as Charlotte Flair found herself going up against Kairi Hojo! "The Dread Pirate of Dark Water" has only been around a handful of weeks, but she's quickly established herself as one of the most dangerous competitors in the entire Women's Division, leading to a tremendous back-and-forth battle with the former Women's Champion! This was a hard-hitting contest that could have gone either way, so it's little surprise that it drew the attention of JoJo and Bradley, who came down to ringside for a closer look now that they've got both "The Dominion" and the "B.D.E." gunning for them! It was almost inevitable then that tempers would eventually flare, resulting in a wild brawl all over ringside which saw Viper and Nixon Newell get involved, as well as Lacey Evans too! Just when it looked as if Kairi Hojo and her associates were about to get one over on the Women's Champion though, none other than Ruby Riott made her eagerly anticipated return to even the score! Ruby is still clearly carrying the injury she suffered at the hands of the "Blood Diamond Exchange" at Tokyo SOS, but she put that crutch to good use, sending Hojo and co running like scolded dogs! However, even though JoJo and Bradley tried to show their respect to the "Punk Rock Ragdoll" after the melee, it seems as if Ruby Riott is still very much a lone wolf, refusing to accept that acknowledgement. While I can understand the mindset of wanting to go it alone and carve her own path, in this kind of situation where she's so heavily outnumbered, I can't help but think it wouldn't hurt to find some allies. Still, given the chaos we witnessed unfold here, it feels like the entire Women's Division is a powder keg ready to explode at any given minute! And I've got to admit, I love it!
What a strange and baffling sight to see "The Honky Tonk Man" and my old pal Jerry "The King" Lawler so buddy-buddy all of a sudden! The two of them spent so long being at one another's throats, I never thought I'd see the day where they'd end up on the same page, but it seems as if it's here! And just like "MJF Enterprises," "The Revival" and a whole host of other teams, it sounds as if they're gunning for those coveted Tag Team Titles currently held by the Briscoes! "Dem Boys From Delaware" might need to grow some eyes in the back of their heads, because there's no shortage of potential challengers right now!
It was an incredibly ballsy maneuver by Brian Kendrick to turn down Brock Lesnar's offer of respect, but having had a chance to sit down with "The Man With A Plan" this week, I feel like I better understand where he's coming from. Kendrick is a pretty intense individual, let me tell you, but there's arguably no one more intense than Brock Lesnar in the history of the EWA! Perhaps that's why "The Beast" showed no mercy to his opponent this week, throwing him about the ring with even more reckless abandon than normal! However, give credit where it's due...Brian Kendrick took an absolute licking but he kept on ticking! Considering he wants to draw a line under past accomplishments and start his EWA career afresh, Kendrick gave himself the toughest test possible when he went one-on-one with the former three-time World Champion, even managing to put him down at one point with a tornado DDT counter to the F-5! Alas, far be it for me to play armchair quarterback, I can't help but feel as if maybe Kendrick attempting to deliver a Burning Hammer to his much bigger opponent may have ultimately cost him. With Lesnar managing to slip free and scoop Kendrick up again, the F-5 that followed almost seemed inevitable. Still, when Lesnar again went to show a sign of respect to "The Man With A Plan" afterwards, Kendrick turned him down a second time, instead demanding another match on next week's show! "The Beast" accepted the challenge, meaning it's Kendrick versus Lesnar II next Sunday! Will Brian have better luck next time? Or could Brock Lesnar finish what he started this past week?
Poor Buh Buh Ray Dudley is still reeling from his National Title loss at Red, White & Bruised, feeling himself undeserving of a rematch. However, he may not have much choice in the matter, as "The Reaper" viciously assaulted him backstage, seemingly having unfinished business with the man from Dudleyville! We heard the National Champion get goaded last week by some fans who seemed to think his win over Bubbs was a fluke, and now "The Reaper" looks hell-bent on proving that wasn't the case! The only question is, will Buh Buh Ray finally agree to the rematch? It's an unusual situation where the champion is the one chasing the challenger, but that's the EWA for you...expect the unexpected!
Man, what a showing from Darby Allin this week. He didn't exactly have it easy given that his debut opponent was Pete Dunne, a man looking to score a World Championship opportunity against Marty Scurll, but Allin took the risk and it nearly paid off in a big way! Indeed, "The Invisible Man" almost seemed to catch Dunne by surprise with his ability to absorb everything the "British Strong Style" member threw at him yet keep coming back! Not only that either, as Darby Allin would even take to the sky and put his own safety on the line in his pursuit of a huge debut victory! Alas, it wasn't to be on this occasion, with a late rally from "The Bruiserweight" finally putting Allin away, but the way he strung a bunch of high impact moves together to finish the match just goes to show how much of a serious threat Pete Dunne ended up taking him. And Dunne clearly wasn't the only one impressed either, as Marty Scurll would soon make an appearance, turning down Dunne's challenge to a match at Summer Stampede and instead setting up a number one contenders battle next week, where it'll be Pete Dunne taking on "The Reaper!" That wasn't all though, as Scurll would set out to prove himself better than "The Bruiserweight" by also defending the World Championship against Darby Allin next Sunday, just to show him how it's done! However, I would wager that perhaps Scurll should have paid closer attention to "The Invisible Man's" performance last night, because if he thinks this is going to be a pushover, it's a safe bet he'll be sorely mistaken! As far as I can recall, nobody's ever had a shot at the World Championship in only their second EWA match, but Darby Allin could potentially make history next Sunday by capturing the biggest prize in the game and turning the entire landscape of the E-Wrestling Alliance on its head! This is one title match you're not going to want to miss, folks!
With all that said and done then, let's take a look at my picks for this week's top three movers and shakers:
1. Toni Storm
2. Darby Allin
3. Ruby Riott
Coming in at number one with a bullet, the Australian ace Toni Storm continues to set a high bar for the Women's Division! Every time we see her compete, we're looking at the future! In second spot, he might not have beaten Pete Dunne, but Darby Allin announced himself to the world in a huge way with the guts and fighting spirit of his performance in this week's main event! And it could lead to the biggest shocker in EWA history if he can somehow capture the World Title against Marty Scurll next Sunday! Last but not least, let's give it up to Ruby Riott, who make a shock return to get some much-needed revenge on the "Blood Diamond Exchange" after almost having her career ended by the group several weeks ago! A fit and healthy Ruby Riott is going to make a tremendous addition to the Women's Division, so here's hoping she gets medically cleared ASAP!
Going by the balls-to-the-wall nature of this week's SLAM!, I'm sure you'll agree there's never a dull moment in the EWA, and the hits just keep on coming! Next Sunday we've got a gigantic World Title Match, not to mention a number one contenders battle that will pit Pete Dunne against the National Champion "The Reaper!" On top of that, Brock Lesnar and Brian Kendrick will lock horns once again, while "MJF Enterprises" take on the "Alpha Club" in highly anticipated tag team competition! And going by the current evidence, there's bound to be a whole lot more to keep you on the edge of your seats as well! In short then, the road to Summer Stampede is just getting started! Until next week,
BOOMER SOONER!
