Post by Ross Report on Sept 3, 2018 15:05:14 GMT
How do you follow up a show like the seventh annual Summer Stampede? Well, we found out last night as Sunday Night SLAM! went on the road again, coming at you live from the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana!
Things kicked off with an injured Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger heading out to talk about the so-called "travesty" of last week's main event, where Brock Lesnar successfully retained the World Heavyweight Title against the "All-American American" despite Colter's best efforts as "Special Guest Referee." Colter tried to restart the match right there on SLAM!, only he wasn't answered by Brock Lesnar but rather our brand new National Champion, Chris Sabin. "Detroit's Finest" has some lingering issues with both Colter and Swagger after they sought to make an example of him in the run-up to Summer Stampede, and Colter instead attempted to make a National Title match between Sabin and Swagger instead. Someone might want to buy ol' Zebekiah a calendar though because Saturday was September 1, meaning his time as GM had come to an end. And as we'd soon find out, his replacement was none other than former multi-time World Champion, Val Venis! That's right, "The Working Class Hero" is back, and he immediately started shaking things up by announcing a Sin City Survival Elimination Match, pitting two teams against one another! For the moment, we know it'll be Brock Lesnar and Chris Sabin on one side of the ring, but who will partner Jack Swagger on the other? We'll have to wait to find out!
Far be it for me to point out any hypocrisy from our EWA superstars, but it seems to me that it was only a few weeks ago that Gabriel criticized Lio Rush for facing opposition not on his talent level. However, with all due respect to Todd Stone, Gabriel was hardly testing himself against the highest echelon of the EWA this week, making short work of his opponent. That didn't stop "The Solitary Reaper" having a bone to pick about being left off two Pay Per View's in a row, instead taking a page out of Kenny Omega's book to throw his name into the proverbial hat for King of the Ring as well. As noted before, the tournament is still some ways away, but judging by how so many superstars are already turning their attention towards it, this year's King of the Ring is surely going to be one you don't want to miss.
The Big Show has been out of action ever since 2 Minutes To Midnight, where a vicious assault at the hands of "The Steel Horsemen of Doom" put the seven footer on the shelf indefinitely. With rumors swirling about Big Show rushing his return, there certainly didn't seem to be any ill effects during his match against the debuting MJF this week. No doubt young Maxwell Jacob Feinstein is much better than he showed here, so here's hoping we get to see that in his next match. Meanwhile, it's also worth noting that with Matt Morgan losing the National Title last week, Big Show is once again eligible to challenge for the gold once again. Could Chris Sabin be in his sights going forward?
After that brutal TLC Match at Summer Stampede, it looked as if Braun Strowman was unsurprisingly unable to make it to this week's SLAM! However, his partner Santino Marella was still able to make his presence felt, challenging John Cena and "The Midnight Rider" to meet him in the parking lot for a good ol' fashioned slugfest. It all turned out to be a ruse though, with "The Monster Among Men" springing the trap and damn near single-handedly taking out both Cena and "The Rider" in brutal fashion. This rivalry has been brewing for a good while now and shows no signs of cooling off anytime soon, with "The Doctor of Thuganomics" and his masked partner almost certainly looking for vengeance after this latest assault. Trouble is, how do you get it against a seven foot monster like Strowman, or his weasel of a tag team partner?
I can't say I have much of an inclination as to who was behind that anonymous video, but the message seemed loud and clear to me. Someone (or perhaps several someones) has decided that there has been too much chaos in the EWA over the last few months, putting out a call-to-arms to anyone who wishes to join their course and clean up the E-Wrestling Alliance. This isn't the first time we've seen a threat like this over the years, but we'll have to wait and see what becomes of this.
We were teased at Summer Stampede about the impending arrival of "The Velveteen Dream," and he certainly didn't disappoint in his debut. Whether running down his opponent verbally or physically, "The Dream" showcased all the attributes which have made him one of the most hotly-tipped talents to arrive in the EWA for quite some time. Time will tell if he can live up to that potential in the coming weeks and months.
If there was a weekly prize for shooting oneself in the foot, Al Snow would likely be victorious every time. After somehow getting backstage at the Cajundome, "The Snowman" then found himself face-to-face with September's General Manager, albeit not actually realizing that fact until it was much too late. Following a bit of a misunderstanding between the two, Val Venis would send Al home (despite the fact that he and the bWo seemingly live in each EWA arena we visit), shooting down any chance of Al or his cohorts getting their contracts back. Knowing "The Crown Prince of the EWA" though, it's unlikely this is the last that Val Venis will see of him this month.
Fit Finlay was victorious in his return to the ring two weeks ago, but he faced a step-up in competition against Drew McIntyre this week. The big Scotsman has a mean streak a mile wide, but let's not discount Finlay either. "The Fighting Irishman" may be a sexagenarian (i.e., someone in their 60s, not someone addicted to you-know-what), but he's still as wily in that ring as ever. That showed as he took everything that McIntyre had to offer yet still managed to overcome his much younger opponent, putting him away with the deadly Celtic Spike to make it 2 and 0 in his comeback. Many scoffed at Finlay's stated goal of becoming World Champion, but on this evidence, I certainly wouldn't be surprised if he eventually earns himself an opportunity against Brock Lesnar somewhere down the line.
"The Vaudevillains" crashed Val Venis' office to seek their Tag Team Title opportunity last night in typical "silent era" fashion. However, with time running short on the broadcast, Val Venis had to refuse their request this particular week, drawing the ire of Mssrs English and Gotch, who vowed it would be a decision Venis would regret. At the same time, Blue Pantaloons also sent a direct message to Dominatrix, challenging the Women's Champion to a non-title match on next week's SLAM! Alas, we haven't heard a response from the "Masked Mistress of the Santanic Clown Posse" just yet, but that's one match I would very much like to see. And before we move on, let the speculating commence as to just who Val was on the phone to before all of these interruptions.
Our main event for the evening saw AJ Lee taking on the debuting Alexa Bliss. The leader of the "Craze-a-loution" has been trying to work herself into title contention for several months now, but she found herself taken to the limit by the impressive "Little Miss Bliss." Alexa may have come out on the losing end here, but I'll be damned if she doesn't have the potential to go all the way to the top of the women's division based on the strength of this performance. But that's not to sell AJ short either, as "The Crazed Skipper" improves each and every time she steps foot inside the squared circle. This will certainly go down as one of her biggest victories in the EWA so far, but as ever, it's all about the follow-up. Can AJ keep this momentum going?
"The Kings of Wrestling" may have dethroned OVE at Summer Stampede, but it was the Crist brothers who walked away with the titles at the end of the night, despite having no claim to them anymore. Needless to say, Hero and Cesaro were in no mood to let that transgression go unpunished, vowing to retake the championships from the former Champions no matter what the cost. Before they could do so however, OVE brought the fight straight to "The Kings," jumping them backstage! Security tried to break up the fight, soon joined by other members of the roster, but it was all to no avail. And while this melee was going on? Those dastardly "Vaudevillains" tried to pilfer the Tag Team Titles for themselves and sneak off like a couple of thieves in the night! Alas, Val Venis would restore some semblance of order, not only stopping English and Gotch from escaping with the gold but also finally bringing the battle between OVE and "The Kings" to an end. Perhaps more crucially though, September's GM made the bold decision to suspend Ohio Vs Everything indefinitely for stealing the titles in the first place, before finally returning the physical championships to Hero and Cesaro. While that seems to have cleared the path for "The Vaudevillains" to step up to the plate and make good of their title shot though, I dare say that OVE is unlikely to take their suspension lying down. Don't be too surprised if Sami Callihan and the Crist brothers continue to lurk in the background, even as all eyes turn to the inevitable blockbuster showdown between "The Kings of Wrestling" and their first challengers.
With all that said and done then, here's my picks for this week's top three movers and shakers:
1. AJ Lee
2. Fit Finlay
3. Big Show
Top spot goes to AJ Lee, who picked up the kind of victory that could propel her up the ranks in the women's division. In at number two, Fit Finlay continues to turn back the clock after defeating "The Sinister Scotsman" in impressive fashion. And last but not least, Big Show returned to action for the first time in six weeks, showing barely any ring rust despite the severity of the injury that put him on the shelf.
Feel free to share your own top three movers and shakers via our Twitter page. Likewise, get in touch on Twitter or by contacting me right here on EWA.com if you've got any questions for the next edition of JR's Mailbag too! There's no subject off limits, so whatever you want to know, don't be afraid to ask.
With our new General Manager revealed, what plans does Val Venis have in store for the next four weeks of EWA shows? Will next week see "The Kings of Wrestling" defend against "The Vaudevillains?" Will John Cena and "The Midnight Rider" gain any revenge over Strowman and Marella? Will Al Snow find a way to make amends with Val Venis and earn the bWo's jobs back? And perhaps most tantalizing of all, will we see World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar reveal what he thinks about the recently announced Sin City Survival Elimination Match? There's only one way to find out and that's by tuning in to next week's SLAM! We'll see you there!
BOOMER SOONER!
