Post by Ross Report on Feb 25, 2020 0:28:23 GMT
Last night saw the E-Wrestling Alliance return to the world famous E-Arena, resulting in another night of twists and turns!
Things kicked off with EWA World Heavyweight Champion Harper in a state of distress as he searched the backstage area. You'd think "The Goatsman" would be in a better mood following his comprehensive victory over Gabriel at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, but the fact that his stuffed companion Larry had gone missing was enough to dampen any celebrations. Fortunately, Harper would eventually discover his plush friend, only to find Larry had acquired a piercing during his absence. If you've watched any EWA programming in recent weeks, you don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out who might be responsible for that, with Harper going on the prowl for "Prince Albert!" He finally found "The Piercing Prince" right as we were about to go off the air, engaging in a wild brawl backstage that is surely whetting the appetite for a more formal battle between these two big man within the confines of the squared circle! When and where that might take place, I wouldn't care to speculate...but I'd be surprised if this issue is finished quite yet!
In what will surely go down as one of the most heartbreaking moments in the EWA's near 20 year history, Sasha Banks headed down to ringside on a pair of crutches, where she would confirm our worst fears. Indeed, despite successfully defending the Women's Championship against Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the toll it took on her (in particular, when dishing out a Backstabber to Lynch) has left "The Boss" in no fit condition to continue wrestling right now. And ultimately, that means she has been given no choice but to vacate the title she held so proudly! I, like many in the EWA Universe, am sad to see such a special reign end under such dire circumstances, but there's no doubt in my mind that Banks will be back somewhere down the line. She has to much drive not to. And in the meantime, it sounds as if Sasha doesn't intend to go anywhere either, instead looking to find an apprentice of sorts who she hopes to guide to success in her place, and notably, to gain a measure of revenge against Charlotte Flair! That journey starts next week, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds!
It's fair to say that Brian Pillman Jr. has struggled to build momentum ever since his debut last year. The second generation superstar is clearly talented, but for one reason or another, it just hasn't come together for him yet despite some fantastic performances. Case in point, last night's SLAM! saw him do battle with the debuting veteran "PN News," a man Brian's father wrestled almost thirty years ago! Despite the long break from active competition, "The Rapmaster" proved he hasn't missed a beat, catching his younger opponent unawares and putting his 500lbs frame to good use. News swept Pillman Jr. aside with seeming ease here, proving without a shadow of doubt why he's not to be taken lightly!
Speaking of making an impact last night, how about Bo Dallas? "The Bo-Liever" might not have competed, but we did see a rather impressive video package hyping up his inevitable arrival, as Bo showcased just what was possible to those who accept his helping hand. I must admit, there seem to be a few superstars on the roster right now who could do with their confidence being built up, so one has to wonder if Dallas might find some willing volunteers to follow his lead?
In yet another debut, "The Godfather" made short work of Mikey Batts after the latter turned down the offer to spend the night with one of "The Pimp Daddy's" Hoes in order to try and win their match. I suspect Batts may well be regretting that decision now, as "The Godfather" secured the win and later gave an interview to Renee Young, letting the entire world know that he was here to beat people up and win titles! With that in mind, "The Godfather" even threw out an open challenge for next week's show, willing to take on whoever wanted to step up to the plate! We'll have to wait and see who answers that one!
Say what you will about Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and judging by the response of the EWA Universe, opinions don't tend to be very positive...yet there's no denying how talented this young man from Long Island is, as "MJF" himself will be the first to tell you. Following on from the events of St. Valentine's Day Massacre, where "The Dynasty" ambushed Marty Scurll before his scheduled match with Friedman and broke "The Villain's" arm, not to mention "MJF's" subsequent win over his replacement opponent Cody Hall, it seems as if "The Salt of the Earth" is starting to set his sights towards the World Heavyweight Championship. Let's not forget that "MJF" has a guaranteed shot at the biggest prize in the game courtesy of winning the Free-For-All Match at SuperBrawl XIX, but the big question is, when does he intend to cash that opportunity in? As we've seen in the past, "The Top 1%er" can be a master manipulator at times, turning any situation to his advantage, and one has to believe that he'll be looking to do the exact same thing when it comes to Harper's World Championship!
I was thoroughly impressed with the striking prowess of young Momo Watanabe in her debut match. While this 19-year old prospect from Japan might not be a household name quite yet, on the basis of this performance, I think it's only a matter of time before she becomes just as big here in the States as she was over in the Stardom promotion! It should go without saying as well, any talented addition to the women's division is more than welcome right now! With things being in a transitional state due to Sasha Banks' injury woes and the championship being vacated, it feels like there could be plenty of opportunities available for the women's roster right around the corner! It's just a question of who is willing to step up?
The destructive duo of "Ax" and "Smash," AKA "Demolition," issued a stark warning to every tag team in the EWA just prior to their match with "Tokyo Vice." They didn't come here to make friends, but rather to beat folks up and win championship gold! And just like they made short work of Brody King and Zack Ryder at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the same could be said for Katsuyori Shibata and "El Desperado" here! To be fair, "The Outlaw" was probably nowhere close to 100% after the way he was taken out at our Pay-Per-View event on February 14th, meaning the team was hardly at full strength for this bout...but take nothing away from "Demolition," who still put in an impressive shift on their way to victory. So impressive, in fact, that it seemingly caught the attention of the EWA Tag Team Champions! Indeed, the champs still aren't getting along as "The Honky Tonk Man" accused Santino of capitalizing on all of "Honky's" *ahem* hard work in their title defense against "TMDK," supposedly stealing his spotlight! I'm not sure many people aside from my old pal Jerry "The King" Lawler and Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart see it that way, but be that as it may, "Mr. Shake, Rattle And Roll" offered the chance for "Demolition" to step up on next week's broadcast, seemingly looking to make an example out of the brawling bruisers! One suspects that "Honky" might just be underestimating "Ax" and "Smash," but I guess we'll soon find out should "Demolition" agree to the match!
There's no question the change in "Samoa Joe" we're seeing right now. "The Destroyer" has completely refocused his priorities after the revelation of Shayna Baszler's pregnancy, laying his obsession with Pete Dunne to rest as he looks to get back to doing what he does best. Of course, Austin Aries took umbrage to that back at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, leading to the match between the two on last night's show. And yet, despite his best efforts, "A Double" simply couldn't put his money where his mouth is! Instead, this was a dominant display from "The Samoan Submission Machine" as he systematically picked his opponent apart, showing no mercy whatsoever! Aries could barely find an opening in this one, as Joe would eventually hit the Muscle Buster before forcing the submission with the Coquina Clutch! A big win on "Samoa Joe's" return, and one which acted as a good reminder of just why Joe was one of the most feared men on the roster back in 2019!
Main event time, and boy, did we have a certifiable clash of the titans for you! Braun Strowman has been damn near indomitable since capturing the Television Championship at SuperBrawl, putting together a string of victories over the likes of Jon Moxley, Tom Lawlor and Marty Jannetty. In the meanwhile, Jacob Fatu has only been signed for the past few weeks but has quickly made a huge impression, especially with the way he took out "El Desperado" at St. Valentine's Day Massacre before taking his place in the number one contenders match with Seth Rollins and walking out with the win! Needless to say then, this was an out-and-out slobberknocker right from the opening bell, with both monsters beating the holy hell out of one another! While it looked as if the champion was taking the early advantage though, Fatu turned things around by focusing his attacks on Braun's leg, trying to cut the big man down to size! It proved an effective strategy, limiting Strowman's ability to build any extended momentum, despite getting in some downright brutal shots here and there. In the end though, the relentless assault from "The Samoan Werewolf" was too much for even Braun to bear, as a combination of superkicks, followed by two clothesline's from hell and then a huge double jump moonsault finally put "The Monster Among Men" down for the count, giving us our first TV Title change of 2020! And with that, Jacob Fatu completes what has to be considered one of the best debut months in EWA history, certainly as far as I can remember anyway! Can anyone stop Fatu at this point? I don't know, but then that's the beauty of the EWA...with the landscape in constant flux, I'm sure there'll be no shortage of potential challengers eager to give it their best shot!
With all that said and done, it's time once again for my top three movers and shakers of the week:
1. Jacob Fatu
2. Samoa Joe
3. Demolition
Number one with a bullet is Jacob Fatu, who continues to turn heads with his uncompromising performances, resulting in his capturing of the Television Championship! In at number two, Samoa Joe returned to the ring for the first time in months and looked better than ever in his win over Austin Aries. And last but not least, "Ax" and "Smash" showed just how formidable a team they are when they took apart some incredibly talented opposition in the shape of "Tokyo Vice," seemingly putting "Demolition" on a collision course with the champs!
All in all then, the fallout from St. Valentine's Day Massacre has proven to be just as ground-shaking as the Pay-Per-View itself! With a new TV Champion crowned and the World Heavyweight Champion clashing with "Prince Albert," not to mention a host of exciting debuts, the EWA is starting to fire on all cylinders once again! All of which means we're surely in line for another barnburner of a show when we roll into Beantown next Sunday, as the road to Insurgency continues! Until next time,
BOOMER SOONER!
