Post by Ross Report on Aug 14, 2018 17:02:21 GMT
Let's not waste any time here, folks. With so much exciting action to cover on this week's SLAM!, I can't wait to get stuck in. And what better place to start than the developing rivalry between OVE and "The Kings of Wrestling."
It's no secret that Dave and Jake Crist (along with their running buddy Sami Callihan) have been damn near unstoppable this year. They're still undefeated in tag team competition, having put down the likes of "The House of H," Anderson and Gallows, and more recently, the unique pairing of Kenny Omega and Chris Sabin. It's fair to say that the former "Irish Airborne" don't just get the job done, they always look dominant in so doing. However, that made the scenes we witnessed this week all the more shocking, as a parking lot brawl before SLAM! went on the air saw Chris Hero and Cesaro use their own third person in Sara Del Rey to give those OVE boys a taste of their own medicine. Despite Sami Callihan's later ominous warnings, it seems that sneak attack may well have thrown OVE off their game, as Cesaro would do battle one-on-one against Jake Crist. There, "The Swiss Cyborg" picked up what's proven to be a rare victory over one of the Crist brothers, and if I'm not mistaken, became the first man to score a pinfall over one of them this year as well! It's not as if "The Kings" were short of confidence coming into last night's show, especially after winning the Hulk Hogan Rock N' Wrestling Tag Team Tournament, but you've got to believe their success this week could well push them over the edge heading into their Tag Team Championship opportunity at Summer Stampede. And what of OVE themselves? After having run roughshod over the tag division for two thirds of the year, how will they react to this first major setback? I guess we'll find out next Sunday!
Elsewhere, we were formally introduced to Aiden English, Simon Gotch and Blue Pantaloons this week, after their somewhat silent arrival last Sunday. "The Vaudevillains" wasted little time in running down the tag team scene, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Nick and Matt Jackson, as well as "The Bullet Babe" Talia Madison. After some back and forth between the male contingent, it was eventually decided on a match between the two female superstars instead. This was Talia Madison's first time in an EWA ring in close to a year, while also Blue Pantaloons big debut as well, so the pressure was on for both competitors. However, neither one wilted under that spotlight, giving us a hard-hitting battle that showed why both could be potential challengers to the Women's Championship down the line. In the end though, Blue Pantaloons picked up what has to be considered a minor upset over the veteran Talia Madison.
God bless the bWo. They might not be the brightest bunch, as evident by Al Snow's attempts to ride a firework-adorned bicycle through the E-Arena, but the E-Wrestling Alliance certainly wouldn't be the same without them. And thanks to some quick thinking on Colt's part, it looks as if their jobs are still safe for at least another week.
2 Minutes To Midnight saw the makeshift team of John Cena and "The Midnight Rider" come within a whisker of winning the Hulk Hogan Rock N' Wrestling Tag Team Tournament after fate stepped in to put them together. However, they didn't have much time to commiserate just falling short as they were jumped by the deadly new duo of Braun Strowman and Santino Marella. Despite having been enemies not that long ago, Samuel Shaw has seemingly resolved Strowman and Marella's differences, putting them on the same page in a major way. Of course, neither Cena or "The Rider" were about to take that assault lying down, attempting to confront Santino and Braun last Sunday before getting their official match this week. Alas, it would be one without any concrete resolution as Cena brought a chair into proceedings to stop "The Monster Among Men" from putting his partner through a table. That chair gave way to a ladder also being used to not just turn the tables but leave Strowman lying prone on top of one, only for "The Italian Stallion" to put the brakes on whatever Cena and "The Rider" had planned as security once again made their presence felt. I would venture a guess that this issue between these four men is still far from over.
This week saw the signing of Fit Finlay, and at 60 years old, it's a decision which understandably caught a lot of people by surprise. However, as Ken Shamrock has recently been proving, age is just a number in the EWA. And more than anything else, you have to respect the reason "The Fighting Irishman" has decided to re-enter the world of active competition again, looking to not only make his son Brogan proud, but also help pay for the medical treatment he requires. From the bottom of my heart, I wish Finlay all the very best in making this "last hurrah" one to remember for both him and his family.
Going from one of the oldest superstars on the EWA roster to one of the youngest, Lio Rush bounced back from his loss to Gabriel the week prior with an impressive victory over Jaysin Strife in short order. While there's certainly quite a difference in quality between Gabriel and Strife, it was still the kind of performance that "The 23-Year Old Piece of Gold" is famous for. That said, his celebrations were soon cut short by the arrival of his previous opponent, who despite claiming otherwise, seemed to be there just to rub in his victory seven days prior. I would suggest that maybe "The Solitary Reaper" thinks twice before offering "advice" to any superstars he happens to beat in future, as chances are fairly high they won't show the same restraint that Lio Rush did here. Either way though, given the slobberknocker they had last week, I would love to see "Round 2" at some point in the near future.
After being left off 2 Minutes To Midnight by Hulk Hogan, Matt Morgan still impacted the show by directing an attack courtesy of "The Steel Horsemen of Doom" which put Big Show indefinitely on the shelf. Well, The National Champion was back in action this week, albeit against somewhat of a step-down in opponent in D-Ray 3000. With all due respect to the talented young superstar, he's clearly got some way to go before he's at Morgan's level, and it showed here. Just as "Bad Attitude's" ego did after the match, with Morgan essentially offering an open challenge to anyone that considered themselves worthy of facing him. This may well have been a case of "be careful what you wish" though, as if it's competition Morgan wants, it's competition he's found in Chris Sabin! "The Motor City Machine Gun" is looking to bounce back after the disappointment of coming short against OVE two weeks ago, and what better way to do so than by becoming National Champion! Still, where Morgan goes, the Briscoe Brothers aren't far behind, and Sabin might need some back-up of his own if he's to win his first EWA title.
"The Shoney Squad" and "The Authors of Pain" were both part of the Rock N' Wrestling Tag Team Tournament, with Harper and Meng crashing out against the eventual winners in the first round, while Akam and Rezar made it to the semi final before falling to John Cena and "The Midnight Rider." With that in mind then, this week saw the two teams face off against one another in a match that was crucial to regain some momentum in the tag team division. Given the heavy-hitters involved, it was exactly the kind of knock-down, drag-out fight you'd expect, eventually resulting in a big win for "The Shoney Squad!" Kaitlyn can't be too happy about that, I'm sure!
Arguably one of the most eagerly anticipated matches on this week's show was the big battle between Trevor Mann and Ken Shamrock. The pair of them were involved in that showstealing triple threat match back at 2 Minutes To Midnight, a match which ended under controversial circumstances to say the least. Well, Mann and Shamrock had the opportunity to settle the score on SLAM!, with "The World's Most Dangerous Man" looking to ground his high-flying opponent and utilize that deadly submission game. However, the former "Ricochet" has been building his name with the kind of offence that combines power, speed and aerial agility like no other, finding a way back into the match and coming close to victory with an amazing 630 splash! Alas, Shamrock managed to rally and apply the ankle lock that has helped him remain undefeated in recent months, only for Mann's allies Tessa Blanchard and Chuck Taylor to jump the MMA veteran and force the DQ. Trevor Mann may have lost the match, but it's fair to say that The Spoken looked victorious as they stood tall over Shamrock. Still, knowing Shamrock like I do, I wouldn't be surprised if he comes gunning for revenge!
After a quick break, we heard from Tessa Blanchard in regards to Dominatrix's unanswered open challenge last Sunday. It seems no one wants to tangle with "The Masked Mistress of the SCP" after her wild I Quit Match victory over Carmella at 2 Minutes To Midnight...no one, that is, aside from the Women's Champion herself! After calling Dominatrix out, it looked as if we may well get that match right then and there on SLAM! However, our GM for August had other ideas, with Zeb Colter instead declaring that they would face one another in just under two weeks at Summer Stampede! I can't wait for that one!
Renee Young managed to catch up with Brock Lesnar this week, who again seems unconcerned with whoever he next has to defend the World Championship against. It's hard to fault him for feeling so confident with the way he's cut through every single challenger since Civil War, but at the same time, it's a fools game to underestimate any opponent and "The Beast" is certainly no fool. He wouldn't have to wait too long to get an idea of what's to come either as Zeb Colter would hit the ring after the highly entertaining match between Cesaro and Jake Crist to make his announcement, seemingly offering an open opportunity to whoever wanted it. That saw Chris Sabin answer his second open challenge of the night, apparently looking to get his hands on every single title in the EWA at the same time, yet it turned out to be nothing more than a ruse by Zeb Colter to bring back a man he's obviously very familiar with, Jack Swagger! The former Tag Team Champion appeared from out of nowhere to take Sabin down and out, with Colter than announcing that the Oklahoma native will not only challenge Brock Lesnar for the World Championship at Summer Stampede, but he'd also face Chris Sabin in singles competition next week on SLAM! And there I was thinking that Colter was looking to do what was best for the EWA during his month in charge rather than handing out favors to his closest ally. I know I shouldn't be surprised, but the sheer gall of our "esteemed" General Manager is somewhat mindblowing.
Earlier in the broadcast, we heard from Dolph Ziggler in regards to his "success story," having excelled wherever he's gone and whatever he's done. Alas, that cocky attitude came back to bite him in the rear end during our main event of the evening, as "The Show-Off" did battle with Bobby Lashley. That's not to say that "The Sunday Night Sensation" didn't give yet another incredible performance though, something he's been delivering in spades ever since arriving in the EWA last month. However, Bobby Lashley is a former National Champion for a damn good reason, having gone toe-to-toe with some of the very best that this business has to offer. As such, he's not the kind of competitor that is easily intimidated, not by reputations, accolades or anything else inbetween. More so, Lashley is the kind of athlete that always seems to be lazer-focused on the task at hand, something which perhaps can't be said about Dolph. Indeed, with the greatest of respect to Ziggler, this is the second time we've seen him pay for not taking his opportunities. Previously it was a case of not going for the pin on Ken Shamrock after a Zig-Zag, with his attempt at a superkick leading to a loss via ankle lock. Here though, Dolph seemed more concerned with ripping up a fan's sign at a crucial moment than he did putting Lashley down for the count. Chalk it up to naivety, over-confidence or what you will, but it proved to be his undoing, allowing Lashley to capitalize with a Spear for the victory. And as talented as Dolph is, something no one in their right mind can deny, unless he checks his ego at the door, I fear he may find himself on the losing end of more matches in the future.
With all that said then, let's take a look at my top three movers and shakers for this week:
1. Cesaro
2. Jack Swagger
3. Blue Pantaloons
Top spot goes to Cesaro, with an honorable mention to both Chris Hero and Sara Del Rey as well. Together, "The Kings of Wrestling" struck a major blow against OVE, leaving the Tag Team Champions in an unfamiliar position. I figured I'd give a left field pick for second place, with Jack Swagger returning to the EWA for the first time in two years, damn near snapping Chris Sabin's ankle in half, and being announced the number one contender to the World Championship at the same time. And last but not least, Blue Pantaloons had to be at the top of her game to defeat the ultra-talented Talia Madison in her debut match, and I'm predicting that could well be the first win of many for this young superstar.
If you want to share your own top three movers and shakers, feel free to get in touch via Twitter to share your opinion. And as mentioned last week, this Friday will see the very first edition of JR's Mailbag, where I'll be answering all your burning EWA questions! If you have anything you want to know about the E-Wrestling Alliance, don't hesitate to get in touch via Twitter or direct message, and I'll do my damnedest to offer an answer.
In the meanwhile though, we're looking ahead at next week's SLAM! and the final stop before Summer Stampede! We already know that Chris Sabin will be taking on the returning Jack Swagger, but will Brock Lesnar be on hand to scout his future opponent? Likewise, will Matt Morgan have a vested interest in that match considering Sabin answered his open challenge? And of course, what can we expect as the war between OVE and "The Kings of Wrestling" over the Tag Team Titles continues to escalate? Not to mention, will we see more in the developing rivalries between Strowman/Marella and Cena/"Rider," Gabriel and Lio Rush, and of course, Ken Shamrock and The Spoken? There's only one way to find out and that's be joining us next Sunday! Until then,
