Post by Ross Report on Nov 12, 2019 0:03:39 GMT
The 2019 King of the Ring tournament continued to live up to the hype on this week's SLAM!, but there was plenty of other shocks and surprises to whet the appetite as well! What do you say, folks? How about we get right to it?
For my money, the "Flamingo Family" have been one of the highlights of the EWA this year. The dynamic within the group is a joy to watch, and even when Johnny, Candice, Bubbs and "Show E." have hit the occasional rough patch, they way they've persevered as a family, having one another's back and lending each other their support, has seen them bounce back from every setback. While Buh Buh Ray Dudley waits to find out who his next National Championship challenger will be, this week was all about "Show E." and his chance to get some payback on "MJF" for the destruction of the original Burberry scarf. Oh, and the small matter of advancing in the King of the Ring, of course. The former plastic lawn flamingo currently in possession of the "Big Show's" body had his work cut out for him though, with "The Top 1%er" having something to prove himself after failing to defeat Buh Buh Ray at All Hallows' Evil. However, much like in their first match, Maxwell Jacob Friedman quickly found himself at a disadvantage due to the size and strength disparity between the two superstars, having little in the way of luck chopping that mighty redwood down in the early goings. One thing I'll say though is "MJF" more than makes up for that in terms of shrewdness, utilizing his ring savvy to work around "Show E.'s" natural advantages. As such, it was very much a case of "hit and run" from Friedman for most of the match, at least until the giant meat puppet finally got his hands on him! However, "Show E.'s" eagerness to avenge the fate of that scarf he'd grown so attached to backfired when he inadvertently shoved the official aside only to have "MJF" reveal a hidden chain which he wrapped around his fist and blasted his opponent with, finally putting "Show E." down for the count! It may be a somewhat unscrupulous means of defeating the big man, but considering what's at stake, I can't say I'm too surprised. Indeed, something tells me that "MJF" will be willing to do whatever it takes in order to walk out with the King of the Ring crown!
Elsewhere, "The Reaper" found himself interviewed by Renee Young, following on from his victory over Shawn Spears last week. This soon led to a rather interesting conversation between "Reaper" and his former leader, the EWA World Heavyweight Champion Marty Scurll. "The Villain" wasn't too complimentary about his erstwhile associate in the run-up to All Hallows' Evil, but time and perspective seems to have softened his view, as Scrull offered the man formerly known as Gabriel his well wishes for the rest of the tournament. That is, only for Tommaso Ciampa to crash "The Horde" reunion, taking the opportunity to run-down his quarter final opponent while also letting Scurll know the two of them had a date with destiny once "Blackheart" wins the whole shebang! I tell you, folks, this is the kind of fresh interaction I like to see, laying foundations for some exciting future confrontations!
Brian Kendrick was one of the first superstars to throw his name into the hat for this year's King of the Ring, while Tim Storm has only been around for less than a month, working on a paid per appearance deal as he seeks to earn a long-term contract. And what better way to do so than to impress in this year's tournament! It was a fairly even affair in the early goings between these two vastly experienced superstars, going back-and-forth at a frenetic pace, at least until "The Man With A Plan" surprised Storm from out of nowhere with the Bully Choke! That Tim Storm was able to escape that hold is a credit to his toughness! The action soon spilled out into ringside, where Kendrick attempted a Sliced Bread #2 on the floor only to have Storm launch his opponent onto the unforgiving entrance ramp! A low blow from Kendrick left both men down as the Ref issued his ten count, yet Kendrick had other ideas, going for the bloodied wrench he used so effectively against Brock Lesnar back at High Tension! The Referee showed a whole lot of leniency here as Kendrick looked to crack open "The Perfect Storm's" skull, only to soon be just as shocked as the rest of us (if not more so) when Lesnar made his long-awaited comeback! Believe me, this wasn't done out of any affinity for Tim Storm either, but rather "The Beast's" quest for revenge, as he scooped Kendrick up and F-5'd him right off the stage! Meanwhile, Storm was able to re-enter the ring right before the ten count, securing his spot in the quarter finals! It might not have been the way Tim wanted to win this match, but never look a gift horse in the mouth, as my dear old pa used to say! As for Kendrick though, well, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last we see of him after the way Lesnar wiped him out!
Following on from his loss to "The Reaper" last week, Shawn Spears was understandably frustrated with his King of the Ring exit. More so than that, however, was the assault he suffered at the hands of the "Glorious Bs" after the match, which seemed to come from out of nowhere! As "The Perfect Ten" waxed lyrical about wanting to get his hands on Bobby Roode, the self-styled "Pastor" arrived on the scene, all alone save for the "lord" looking over him. Given how tense things were between Spears and Roode during this exchange, it seems only a matter of time before the two of them meet inside the squared circle to settle matters in the tried and tested way of the EWA. Wherever Roode goes, the rest of the "Glorious Bs" usually aren't far behind though, so it may be in Spears' self interest to find some allies of his own. Perhaps some kind of "creature gangsters," I wonder? Or something along those lines, at least...
"The Sandman" had the kind of debut most folks can only dream of last week, taking out a vicious competitor like Viktor and then securing the decisive victory in his first match. Things didn't go quite so smoothly for "The Hardcore Icon" on this week's SLAM! however, as Ryuji Ito returned to an EWA ring for the first time in several months to be his opponent. With two such wild superstars as this, the match was a slugfest right from the get-go, with the pair of them beating the ever-loving tar out of one another. That is, at least until Viktor decided to get involved, getting a measure of payback for last week by nailing "Sandman" with the Fall Of Man on the outside while the Ref was concerned with Ito back in the ring. That then allowed "The Tokyo Trainwreck" to finish the job with his patented knee strike known as Termination, putting the "ECW Original" down and out! If I were a betting man, I'd suggest this issue between "The Sandman" and Viktor is far from over however!
"The Honky Tonk Man" and my old pal Jerry "The King" Lawler looked high and low for Trevor Murdoch and Heath Slater this past week...or should I say, they sent Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart to go searching for them. Alas, the Tag Team Champions weren't in Rio Rancho, meaning the Memphis legends had to settle with calling them out for an in-ring confrontation next Sunday instead! As to what that might entail though, I wouldn't like to speculate!
Cesaro came into this year's King of the Ring with arguably more momentum than anyone, having been undefeated for several months now, including a victory the week prior against both of his former fellow "Kings of Wrestling," Samoa Joe and Chris Hero! On the flipside of that, Brian Pillman Jr has had somewhat of an up-and-down year so far, with more losses to his name than wins as he looks to establish himself. This second generation rookie is still very much a "work-in-progress" who is learning on the job and getting better with each outing, but even still, I think everyone had Cesaro down as the firm favorite in this battle. Indeed, "The Broadsword" wasted little time in taking control, using his experience and incredible athleticism to put Pillman under immense pressure during the early portion of the match. And yet, Brian Jr showed the kind of tenacity and fortitude that his dad had in spades, battling his way back into the contest and not giving up! As things came down to the closing stretch, it looked as though it might have been too little too late for the son of "Flyin' Brian," but right as Cesaro prepared for the Neutralizer, Pillman managed to trip him up and catapult his opponent right into "UltraMantis Black" on the apron, dazing him long enough for Brian to deliver the Sleeping Hero German Suplex and pick up the biggest win of his career to date! Few could have predicted this outcome, but it just goes to show, anything can happen in the EWA! And while Cesaro is no doubt reeling from his royal plans going up in smoke, I can't help but wonder if this year's King of the Ring might just be Brian Pillman Jr's chance to step out of his father's shadow and create a legacy of his own!
Sasha Banks might have captured the Women's Championship, but it seems as if she won't be truly content until she exposes Bradley as Bayley! "The Boss" was at it again this week, confronting "The Mustachioed Megaman" and JoJo backstage, claiming the "bWo Babe" had brainwashed her former best friend into putting on a mustache and forgeting who she once was. I'll be honest, that sounds a little far-fetched to me, but regardless, Banks seemingly wants to put an end to this issue once and for all, with Bradley stepping in and offering to speak with Sasha in private, far away from EWA cameras and even JoJo herself. I guess we'll have to see if that closed doors meeting provides Sasha Banks with the closure she's looking for...
In a follow-up from last month, Brady Pierce paid another visit to the "Singularity" locker room, wishing Tom Lawlor luck against the man who knocked him out of the first round, Harper. Not only that though, but Pierce once again floated the idea of the two of them teaming up in future, with the former MMA star seemingly receptive to the idea post-King of the Ring. That sounds like the kind of duo who I think might take the tag division by storm if they truly wanted to, so color me intrigued by this potential new alliance.
Ever since his return to the ring last year, Ken Shamrock has rolled back the years and proven himself to be just as great, if not better, than he ever was. However, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" has spent much of 2019 on the sidelines, having not competed regularly since the Japanese tour back in July. In contrast, his first round King of the Ring opponent has been in the thick of things nearly the whole year through, as Pete Dunne looked to rebound after the disappointment of All Hallows' Evil and get back to winning ways. It's to the surprise of no one whatsoever then that these two former World Champions put on an absolute clinic this past week! This was the dictionary definition of a "slobberknocker," as both Dunne and Shamrock used damn near every weapon in their arsenal to try and defeat one another. It's a testament to both superstars though that they refused to give up, fighting like their very lives depended on victory. Scott Stanford used the word "mesmerizing" on commentary, and he couldn't have been more accurate. In fact, it was so mesmerizing, I don't think anyone realized quite how much time had elapsed until Justin Roberts made the five minute warning about the time limit. Somehow, that seemed to quicken the pace of the match even more, despite everything both Shamrock and Dunne had put one another through! With time running out and both men facing the prospect of being eliminated, Shamrock was able to cinch in the Ankle Lock for the second time in the match, cranking on the pressure as he looked to make the "Bruiserweight" tap or snap! However, right as it looked as if Dunne was about to give, he somehow surprised "The World's Most Dangerous Man" with a roll-up from out of nowhere, grabbing a liberal handful of tights along the way to sneak out with the win with only 19 seconds remaining! It was a controversial ending, that's for sure, one which Ken Shamrock has got every reason to be mad about. At the end of the day though, I guess it goes to show Dunne's desperation to go all the way in this year's King of the Ring! Still, if this match was anything to go by, I for one would love to see a rematch between these two somewhere down the line! And here's hoping we don't have to wait too long to get it!
Last week saw an ominous message about some kind of mysterious force on its way to the EWA, and the same thing happened twice over on this past week's show, with only a flash of a painted woman's face to hint at what's to come. Yet we finally got our answer when Brock Lesnar demanded some interview time after his return earlier in the evening, making it clear he wanted a shot at the World Championship he lost in somewhat inauspicious circumstances way back at Spring Scramble. As Todd Grisham tried to explain to "The Beast" that it's typically the last King of the Ring winner who receives the final World Title opportunity before Super Brawl, a mysterious voice taunted Brock over the PA system before revealing a tarot card on the EWA-Tron, signaling the shock return of Shelly Martinez and "PCO!" That's right, "The French Canadian Frankenstein" is BACK! And he's immediately picked a fight with the meanest dog in the yard, as "PCO" and Brock Lesnar resumed hostilities from earlier this year when Brock beat Oulette and Shamrock to capture the World Title! What does this mean for the future? I can't say with any certainty, but I'd suggest "PCO's" return pushes Brock Lesnar down the pecking order for another shot at the gold, something that surely won't make Lesnar happy! That is, unless Lesnar can remove his old enemy from the equation, much like he did with Brian Kendrick earlier in the show, and somehow take his place?
That's enough speculation from me though. How about we get to my picks for this week's top three movers and shakers instead?
1. Brian Pillman Jr
2. Pete Dunne
3. "MJF"
No doubt about it, the rookie sensation deserves the top spot this week for exceeding all expectations, defeating one of the tournament favorites and advancing to the quarter finals. Mark my words, folks, this could be Brian Pillman Jr's year! Coming in at number two, Pete Dunne had to dig deep against a fellow former World Champion in Ken Shamrock, and while the way he won might not have been pretty, it was certainly effective! The same could be said for my choice for third place, with "MJF" having to use every bit of his wiles (and a steel chain) to take out "Show E." Again, don't take that to mean I condone any of these antics, but I will say it shows just how desperate the remaining eight are to get their hands on that crown!
Speaking of which, we've got our four quarter finals lined up for next week's show, and boy, does it like a doozy! On one side of the bracket is "Filthy" Tom Lawlor taking on the intimidating Harper, not to mention "The Reaper" going one-on-one with Tommaso Ciampa! And on the other side, Pete Dunne and "MJF" will duke it out for a place in the semi-finals, while we get a contest exemplifying youth versus experience when Brian Pillman Jr faces Tim Storm! In short then, it's all to play for as these eight look to become four ahead of our King of the Ring Pay-Per-View in two weeks time! But which of them will be the last king standing when it's all said and done? I guess there's only one way to find out! Until next time,
BOOMER SOONER!
