JR's Mailbag #1

Hello, and welcome to the first ever edition of JR's Mailbag! A new bi-weekly feature here on EWA.com where yours truly will be doing his damnedest to answer all the burning questions from the EWA Universe! And as for the topics of those questions, that's entirely up to you! Whether factual or opinion-based, nothing is off limits, so if you've got anything you want to know for future installments, just remember that there are two ways to go about submitting your questions. You can either get in touch via the EWA's official Twitter account or you can send a direct message to me right here on EWA.com.

So with all that out of the way, how about we jump straight to the first question:


It surely won't surprise too many folks to hear this, but I'm what you might call a wrestling "traditionalist." Aside from the occasional steel cage match, street fight, or a select few other "gimmick" matches, there wasn't much in the way of "bells and whistles" when I fell in love with the business some 40 plus years ago. For the most part, professional wrestling was all about the sport itself and determining who was the better competitor (or team) in that universal environment.

However, by the time the "Attitude Era" rolled around, sport had started to give way to spectacle and the business changed. Now, I recognize the fact that like any entity that hopes to achieve long-term success, evolution is a necessity. You can either move with the times or watch them pass you by. That's probably why I've come to think about pro wrestling like taking a trip to your favorite restaurant. While an old fuddy-duddy like me might be happy to order a plate of BBQ ribs every night, other folks might prefer the steak, others might prefer chicken wings, or cheeseburgers, or kebabs, or salad, or who knows what else. And each new "gimmick" match is yet another dining option for today's wrestling fans, to the point where new "meals" are being added all the time. Of course, to labor that metaphor just a little more, some meals obviously aren't to everyone's tastes, but I guess you won't know until you try them. Maybe it'll go down well and we see it again...or maybe it doesn't quite hit the spot and it's a "one-and-done." There's only way to find out.

For my money though, a good "gimmick" match should have two things going for it: logic and reason. If it becomes over-complicated or doesn't make sense within the context of the rivalry, that's where the wheels start to fall off, something we've seen happen in the EWA in the past. As for those two specific examples, I thought the Autograph Match between Big Show and The Miz provided a unique setting that played into their feud, ticking all the right boxes in the process. I wouldn't say I was quite as big a fan of the Kendo Sticks, Mirrors and Steel Chairs Match though, not because the match itself or the competitors didn't perform to expectations, but because it didn't really fit into the discord we'd seen between Daffney and "Craze-a-loution" at that time. If those weapons had been used in the build-up, it would have meant the match mean a whole lot more. As it was, the big moment in that rivalry came when Daffney was powerbombed through a flaming table, which seemed like more of an obvious choice for a "gimmick" to then settle the score between them. But hey, that's just me playing armchair quarterback.

Either way, the more a "gimmick" match makes sense to the audience and the sparingly it's used to retain that aura of uniqueness, the more in favor I am of them.

Next question:


Wow, that's a loaded question right there. I think it might be impossible to narrow it down to just one superstar, so I'll name the three who stand out as most obvious to me:

First and foremost, the most clear-cut candidate has to be Matt Hardy, who spent a significant portion of his career billing himself as "The Greatest To Never Win The Big One." The elder of the Hardy brothers has seen a lot of different incarnations over the years, from being the "Sensei of Mattitude" to "The" Matt Hardy to his most recent "Broken" revival, but he's always enjoyed a measure of success every time he's been in the EWA. Matt's been a two-time Tag Champion, two-time National Champion, and United States Champion to boot, as well as being on the victorious Team Genesis at Super Brawl XI, yet the World Championship has always managed to elude him. Will that ever change? I think there's always the possibility, especially based on the strength of his last run. However, I dare say it seems as if that moment has passed, so at least he can keep that "Greatest To Never Win The Big One" moniker alive.

John Cena has been in and out of the EWA almost from the moment the company came into being, with amazing rivalries back in the day against the likes of René Duprée, Steve Corino and Lance Storm, as well as tearing it up in recent years against the likes of Bobby Lashley and Cody Rhodes. Simply put, "The Doctor of Thuganomics" has been a consistently great performer for 15 years and played an important role in the history of the E-Wrestling Alliance. However, it will no doubt surprise a lot of folks to hear that despite several opportunities at "the big one" during that time, the World Championship has somehow managed to remain just outside of his reach. Some might take that as a sign that it's simply not to be, but I certainly hold out hope that Cena will finally ascend the top of the mountain before it's all said and done. Lord knows he's got the talent to do so.

A lot of folks might assume I'm joking, but I'm stumped as to how Al Snow still hasn't captured the World Championship at some point in the last 11 years. He may be "The Clown Prince of the EWA," someone who rarely takes any situation or opponent with even a hint of seriousness, but Al has consistently proven he can get it done in the ring. Indeed, he has the kind of resume most superstars would chop off their right arm for, with multiple National, Tag Team and Hardcore Title reigns, as well as winning Super Brawl twice, last year's King of the Ring tournament, and setting records in the Civil War Match. Alas, in six opportunities at the World Championship during his illustrious career, Al Snow has just fallen short of the target each time. Still, I truly believe that sooner rather than later, "The Snowman" will get his day in the sun. For all the shenanigans him and his bWo cohorts are famous for, Al is simply too talented not to make it happen.

And for our final question:


Starting off with the most obvious choice, I think Brock Lesnar is a shoe-in to be Super Brawl Captain when December rolls around. Just like his record-breaking World Championship run in 2015, "The Beast" has been on an absolute tear this year, and it seems as if he's motivated to erase the frustrations of Super Brawl XV where his first title reign came to an end in controversial fashion. It might be premature of me to say, but I think there's a damn good chance we'll see him entering the match as defending World Champion as well, just going by his dominance since Civil War.

As for the other three Captain spots though, that's where things get interesting. John Cena is a possibility, especially after he was originally announced as a Captain for last year's Super Brawl, only to be forced to drop out of the event altogether due to scheduling conflicts. "The Doctor of Thuganomics" obviously started 2018 with a bang, going undefeated all the way up until his World Title opportunity at Red, White & Bruised. Since then though, the road has been a little bumpier, but Cena has continued to keep himself in the spotlight.

Similarly, I think Chris Sabin has exploded onto the scene in a major way this summer. From that phenomenal rivalry with OVE to taking Brock Lesnar to the limit in a championship match on SLAM!, Sabin has a drive and determination that I think can take him all the way to a Super Brawl Captain's spot. And he could even be doing so as National Champion, should he find a way to defeat Matt Morgan at Summer Stampede in a little over a week's time.

When it comes to that final Captain's spot though, you could make an argument for the likes of "Bad Attitude" Matt Morgan, Big Show, Kenny Omega, or Bobby Lashley, but I think I'm gonna go with "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock. The veteran MMA fighter has turned back the clock since arriving in the EWA two months ago, he's in as good a shape as I think I've ever seen him, and most importantly of all, he's racking up the wins against top level opposition. If he can keep this form going, which would be an incredible achievement in of itself, then I believe he'll round out the Captain's field at this year's Super Brawl.

Still, with another four months to go before the "grandaddy of 'em all" rolls around, there's a whole lot that can happen between now and then!

Thanks for all the questions, folks! If you've got anything you want discussed, feel free to send them into JR's Mailbag either here or here and I'll do my best to provide an answer in two weeks time.

BOOMER SOONER!