Post by Ross Report on Nov 18, 2019 21:22:38 GMT
We've officially got our final four, folks! After a wild night of King of the Ring quarter final action, we now know who'll be duking it out next Sunday in Greensboro for that coveted crown! And not only that, but we've also discovered who'll be challenging for Marty Scurll's World Championship as well! Want to know more? Let's hop to it then, in this week's Ross Report!
In our opening contest of the evening, we saw arguably two of the most intense superstars on the entire EWA roster as "The Reaper" squared up against Tommaso Ciampa! The man formerly known as Gabriel earned his quarter final status with a tough victory over Shawn Spears two weeks ago, while "Blackheart" took Jon Moxley to the woodshed in brutal fashion to earn his spot. Needless to say then, this one got off to a fast-paced start as neither competitor held anything back, with "Reaper" trying for the Fall From Grace early on and Ciampa likewise unsuccessfully attempting the dreaded Sicilian Stretch! After some hard-hitting back and forth brutality, I thought for sure the match was over when Ciampa finally caught his opponent with the Fairy Tale Ending, a move which has put down many opponents in the past. You've got to give credit to "The Reaper" though! He somehow survived that killer blow when most superstars in his position would have been out for the count! And in the end, "Reaper's" resilience frustrated "The Sicilian Psychopath" enough that he maybe took his eye off the ball for just a split-second, missing Sweet Dreams and crashing awkwardly into the corner, causing damage to his surgically repaired knee. When you offer up an opening like that to a superstar as efficient as "The Reaper," you can bet your bottom dollar he's going to make the most of it, as the former National Champion booked his place in the semi-finals with a well-placed Descension on his injured opponent! A hell of a victory for "The Reaper," as he looks to go one step further than last year and put his name in the history books! And judging by the applause he received after the match, it looks as if he might just have the growing support of the EWA Universe behind him as well!
Of course, the question was, who would be "The Reaper's" semi-final opponent? Well, we soon found out as Tom Lawlor and Harper locked up, two men who're eager to use this year's King of the Ring as a career springboard. Both had tough matches in the first round, with Lawlor overcoming Crazzy Steve and Harper besting the MMA veteran's new ally, Brady Pierce. And boy, did they push one another to the limit here as well! Not to play favorites here, but I've got to admit, I'm a big fan of what Harper brings to the table. He reminds me of that rugged "Bruiser Brody"-type who can get down and dirty when need be. Then again, you can say the same for "Filthy" Tom Lawlor, whose mixed martial arts experience makes him one of the deadliest men on the roster, able to utilize vicious strikes and tendon-tearing submissions with equal effectiveness. Still, Harper bossed the early proceedings thanks to his size and strength superiority, meaning it didn't take long for the "Singularity" member to find himself fighting from underneath for most of the contest. Be that as it may, Lawlor is a fighter who doesn't know when to quit, battling through all the proverbial bombs "The Goatsman" kept throwing at him before eventually cinching in his patented Singularity Sleeper, a variation on the Koji Clutch. It's an old cliche, but every competitor is roughly the same size when they're flat on their back (or chest, in this case), and Lawlor's trademark hold certainly nullified Harper's natural advantages! Talk about great positioning on the MMA veteran's part as well, meaning Harper couldn't make the ropes, leaving him with no choice but to tap! As we saw earlier this summer during and after his rivalry with Bobby Lashley, once Lawlor starts building momentum, he can turn into a juggernaut that's tough to stop! That means "The Reaper" will no doubt have to be at his absolute best when these two face off next Sunday! And that's a match I can't wait to see!
"Pastor" Bobby Roode might have taken great offence to Shawn Spears claiming to be a "Perfect Ten" in recent weeks, but that doesn't excuse the vitriol Spears has suffered at the hands of the "Glorious Bs," be it verbally or physically! Well, Shawn Spears may have been absent this week, but Roode and his followers certainly weren't, making it clear that they have plans to hold a special service during next weekend's King of the Ring broadcast to help spread the lord's word. Something tells me that the good folks in Greensboro probably aren't as excited for that as much the rest of the advertized card however!
Last Friday saw some late breaking news on EWA.com that a new match had been added to the SLAM! line-up, and what a match it was! I'm sure I'm not the only one who can easily see Brock Lesnar versus "PCO" headlining any Pay-Per-View, yet here these two behemoths were on SLAM!, slugging it out for the right to challenge Marty Scrull for the biggest prize in the game! This was like King Kong versus Godzilla, with both superstars having just cause to feel they deserved the title opportunity more than the other. After all, Lesnar never received a rematch after the controversial manner in which he lost the World Championship way back at Spring Scramble, while it's been established over the past several years that the King of the Ring winner receives both the first shot of the new year and the last shot before a new King is crowned! As you'd expect then, this quickly turned into an all-out war as Lesnar and "PCO" immediately began tearing strips out of one another! And there to watch all the action (and add to the excellent commentary by Don West and Scott Stanford) was Marty Scurll himself! "The Villain" arguably had the best seat in the house as he scouted this clash of the titans, with the "Undead King" showing no ring rust despite not competing since Lesnar took his title. However, the same could easily be said for Brock as well, who was making his return to the ring for the first time since Brian Kendrick tried caving his skull in with a wrench! Indeed, this was just the kind of knock-down, drag-out war that turned me into a fan of this great sport some 60 years ago! Interestingly, this was maybe the most "independent" we've seen "PCO" as well, at one point even ignoring "Shelly De La Muerte's" orders to throw "The Beast" back into the ring so he could continue dishing out punishment at ringside. It was terrifying enough when he was a weapon being wielded by cruel masters, but the idea that "PCO" is now able to turn his own violent delights into reality is something else altogether! Getting back to Shelly though, she clearly still has a big role to play in "The French Canadian Frankenstein's" corner, as evident by her involvement during the closing stretch! Just as Brock Lesnar took his opponent to "Suplex City" and felled him with an F-5, "De La Muerte" seized on the Referee inadvertently being knocked down to throw a fireball right in Brock's face! We've seen plenty of examples of how deadly those can be this year, with "Prince Nana" damn near having his face melted off back at Summer Stampede! And as the former three-time World Champion rolled to the floor to receive assistance, the Referee was none the wiser when he came to, counting Lesnar out to hand "PCO" the victory! Controversial as it may be, there's no question that "PCO" looks rejuvenated right now, meaning Marty Scurll could well be in for the fight of his life next Sunday! Will "The Villain" be up for the challenge? Or could "PCO" smash his way back to World Championship glory once again? I guess we'll find out next weekend!
"The Honky Tonk Man" and my old pal Jerry "The King" Lawler threw down the gauntlet last week for the Tag Team Champions to meet them in the ring. Well, they got exactly what they asked for as Heath Slater and Trevor Murdoch called the Memphis legends out for a confrontation in front of the EWA Universe! After they initially insulted the champs by demanding Slater and Murdoch hand over the titles, it soon looked as if we were heading towards an agreement for a championship match at next Sunday's King of the Ring Pay-Per-View instead. That is, until the "Guerrillas of Destiny" decided to crash the party, also wanting a shot at the gold! They weren't alone either as "Model of Truth" similarly felt like they deserved a title match more than "Honky" and "The King!" Well, Tammy Sytch soon accepted the challenge of all three teams on the champion's behalf, showing no fear whatsoever as she set up a fatal fourway tag match! And we even got a sneak preview of what to expect when things descended into a wild brawl that saw the "G.O.D." and "Model of Truth" send the other two teams packing, setting the stage for what promises to be a wild affair! This will undoubtedly be the champions toughest test to date, but I can't help but wonder if they'll still be undefeated when it's all said and done!
It was soon time to get back to the King of the Ring action, as Brian Pillman Jr and Tim Storm butted heads for a spot in the semi-finals! I'll admit, Pillman was 100% accurate this past week when he said there's perhaps been too much made out of comparing him to his father, something I've been guilty of as much as anyone. But the truth is, Brian Jr has been standing on his own two feet for a while now, as evident by his inspiring win over Cesaro last week. Still, you could argue that Tim Storm's journey is just as inspirational, as this journeyman grappler looks to finally gain the respect and the opportunities that haven't always been afforded him. And on top of that, Storm came into this one with somewhat of a chip on his shoulder after accusations he hadn't necessarily earned this match due to Brock Lesnar taking out Brian Kendrick last week and handing the former mid-school teacher the countout victory. There was certainly some tension in the air between the two competitors as well following some heated exchanges on EWA.com this past week, something that transferred over into the match itself. It didn't help that Pillman was seemingly having some fun at Storm's expense when the match began, taunting his opponent whenever possible. If anything though, that just gave "The Perfect Storm" even more motivation, not that I'm sure he needed it! Still, just when Brian Pillman Jr thought he had the win in the bag, the wily veteran managed to catch him off guard and finally score the three count to book his place in the final four! And for a competitor still trying to earn a full-time contract with the EWA, you've got to believe every step closer towards the King of the Ring crown is another step towards being made a permanent member of the roster!
Like most people, I had hoped a line was drawn under Sasha Banks' "Bayley/Bradley" accusations after the two agreed to a private conversation last week, yet it turns out I couldn't have been more wrong! Not only was the Women's Champion far from ready to leave it alone, she actually recorded that conversation and played it out to the entire EWA Universe this week, shockingly revealing that Bayley is indeed the "man" behind the mustache! As shocking as that might be though, I'm equally as stunned by the depths Sasha would go just to prove her point. "The Boss" had no right to spill Bayley's secret if she didn't want it put out in public, but her obsession with being right has left the "Mustachioed Megaman" humiliated and Sasha's former friendship with Bayley in tatters. Not to get on my soapbox here, but I can't help but think Sasha's actions ultimately revealed more about herself than they did Bayley, and she ought to be ashamed of what she's become over the past couple of months.
In our main event of the evening, it was time to determine the final quarter finalist and the superstar who'd go on to face Tim Storm next Sunday. In one corner you had the arrogant young braggart, "MJF," looking to finally live up to his potential...and in the other was the man many considered to be the odds-on favorite for the crown, the former World Champion Pete Dunne. Well, Dunne quickly looked to make sure that this week's match didn't go quite as long as his win over Ken Shamrock the previous week, attempting to score the pinfall in the opening seconds! However, Maxwell Jacob Friedman soon took control using some typically nefarious means. He's someone who doesn't mind playing dirty, as we saw when he used that steel chain to knock out "Show E." in their first round match! I've got to say as well, much as I might not like him as a person, I'm a big fan of this new aggressive side "MJF" has started showing in the ring. As talented as "The Top 1%er" might be between the ropes, it's almost looked like he's been coasting at times during his EWA career, but Dunne didn't give him much of an option to do that last night! Instead, both superstars fought tooth and nail in order to keep their King of the Ring dreams alive! And after surviving an onslaught from his opponent, it looked like things might be going the "Bruiserweight's" way as he countered a Swanton bomb and then used his submission skills to almost force the tap out! When that didn't work though, Pete Dunne looked to put his opponent away with the Bitter End instead, only for "MJF" to free himself at the vital moment! "The Salt of the Earth" then attempted to use the Referee as a human shield, only to have Dunne's exuberance work against him, as he shoved the Ref aside and was then caught with a nasty looking low blow, allowing "MJF" to hit the South Hamptons Plunge and pick up the win! One can only assume how frustrated Dunne must be to suffer another crushing disappointment within the space of this last month, leaving him in somewhat of a career crossroads right now. As for Maxwell Jacob Friedman though? This was clearly the biggest win of his career to date and a huge feather in the cap for the young superstar! Likewise, it's surely going to give him one hell of a confidence boost ahead of next Sunday's Pay-Per-View...not that he needs one, I'm sure!
It's that time of the week again, folks! Time to reveal my picks for this week's top three movers and shakers:
1. "PCO"
2. "MJF"
3. Tom Lawlor
I thought one and two were virtually interchangeable this week, but for my money, I've given the top spot to "PCO" for handing Brock Lesnar a rare loss as well as guaranteeing he receives his World Championship match with Marty Scurll! That puts "MJF" at number two, as "The Salt of the Earth" scored a huge upset over Pete Dunne, perhaps becoming the new favorite for the entire King of the Ring tournament! However, there's a few other individuals who've got something to say about that! It was tough to pick between them, but Tom Lawlor just about edges out "The Reaper" and Tim Storm for that third spot in my opinion, with the MMA veteran really having to dig deep in his battle against Harper this week. Still, it's anyone's guess who'll walk out with that coveted crown next Sunday!
And that's what we'll find out on Novemer 24th, live from the Greensboro Coliseum! One of either Tom Lawlor, Tim Storm, Maxwell Jacob Friedman or "The Reaper" will go down in history as the 18th EWA King of the Ring and shoot to superstardom in the process! For one of those four men, their career is about to radically change forever, while for the other three, only bitter disappointment awaits! And that's not all either, as we've got four teams vying for the Tag Team Championships when Murdoch and Slater defend against "Model of Truth," "Guerrillas of Destiny," and that dastardly duo of "The Honky Tonk Man" and Jerry "The King" Lawler! And if all that wasn't enough, how about this to sink your teeth into when "PCO" challenges Marty Scurll for the EWA World Heavyweight Title! Yep, next week's Pay-Per-View is shaping up to be simply unmissable! See you there, folks!
BOOMER SOONER!
