Post by Ross Report on May 18, 2020 21:37:17 GMT
It's been another exciting weekend of EWA action, kicking off with some wild goings on during Friday's Fury! Live from the E-Arena, we witnessed Eita making his singles debut, an impromptu TV Championship match held under hardcore rules between Rhino and Abdullah The Butcher which saw the champion retain, and an incredible main event between former-friends-turned-enemies as Pete Dunne defeated Tyler Bate, before shattering "The Big Strong Boi's" ankle with that damn sledgehammer! Dunne's actions would see him banned from appearing on SLAM! as well as being issued yet another hefty fine, yet the financial punishments he's regularly receiving don't seem to be stopping this path of destruction the former World Champion has been on in recent weeks! Question is, is there anyone or anything that will?
Moving on to SLAM!, and we quickly heard from Eita after his first singles victory two nights prior. However, if anyone was expecting that win to put "The Millennial God" in a good mood, you were very much mistaken! Indeed, Eita clearly still has a chip on his shoulder from his time in Mexico, which might explain why he feels so disrespected for not being given a match or prominent in-ring promo spot on SLAM! That led to him issuing a challenge to any "old bastard" on the EWA roster (his words, not mine) willing to meet him in the ring next week, and I'm sure given the strength of his convictions, Eita will have no shortage of takers!
Our first match of the evening was arguably one of the most anticipated, with Jimmy Fatu taking on James Storm! This rivalry has been stewing for several weeks now, ever since "The Flying Fatus" had that initial backstage interaction with "The Dogs of War," which then escalated into a situation which saw Jey Fatu taken out by Storm and Jax Dane the following week! Needless to say then, tensions were high coming into this one, with "The Cowboy" quickly seizing the early advantage! Just when it looked as if Jimmy had managed to turn things around though, the numbers game came into play as Jax Dane hopped up on the apron, causing the distraction! With none of his family at ringside to fight fire with fire, that allowed James Storm the opportunity to surprise Jimmy with a Last Call superkick that ensured the win, as "The Dogs of War" continue to get the better of their Samoan counterparts! Even with this victory though, one has to wonder if this is all leading to an inevitable tag team clash somewhere down the line!
Elsewhere, and "La Hiedra" was looking to bounce back after some tough results lately as she went one-on-one with "Tokyo Vice's" Io Shirai. This was every bit the competitive match you'd expect it to be, as evident by the early stalemate and stand-off where neither superstar could take control from the other. As things started breaking down though, the action quickly ramped up even more, eventually seeing "La Hiedra" deliver her patented Swanton Bomb to score the win! This will no doubt be a huge boost for the luchadora, while I'm sure Io Shirai won't be too pleased with how the victory slipped through her fingers!
Immediately after the contest had finished, Women's Champion Aliyah would interrupt proceedings as she headed down to ringside, still fuming over Toni Storm's shocking return on the previous week's show! In fact, "The Boujee Bratz" was so distraught, she demanded Toni come out and give her an apology for her actions, even threatening to get lawyers involved if she refused to do so! Well, things thankfully wouldn't come to that as Storm finally showed up, where she revealed that despite seemingly losing her job after putting her career on the line at Civil War, Harry Smith was so impressed with her performance that he was willing to welcome the Gold Coast native back with open arms! Furthermore, "The British Bulldog" had decided to make official the match we all suspected was coming, as Aliyah must defend the Women's Title against Toni Storm at Mayhem in Miami in two weeks time! And while the Women's Champion might not like it, there's not a whole lot she can do about it either!
That wouldn't be the only championship match set for Mayhem in Miami either. Shortly after, Santino Marella tried to convince "The Honky Tonk Man" to put on a united front and go with him to confront "Tokyo Vice," only for things to get even more heated between the champions as "Honky" made it clear he doesn't consider Santino a true partner! Well, that didn't put "The Italian Stallion" off as he looked to square up to "El Desperado" and Katsuyori Shibata all by his lonesome instead, showing no fear despite the attack he suffered at their hands two weeks ago! As such, Santino would challenge "Tokyo Vice" to a Tag Team Title match at our upcoming Pay-Per-View event, hoping to get some much-needed redemption! Of course, it remains to be seen how "The Honky Tonk Man" will react to the news that Santino has volunteered them for another title defense without his knowledge, but something tells me his reaction probably won't be very positive!
We also received word that Carmella will be coming back to SLAM! next Sunday, following on from the shocking scenes that were aired on EWA.com on Saturday night! It should go without saying, but there is absolutely no excusing Asuka showing up to "The Princess of Staten Island's" home, let alone viciously assaulting her husband, Spudley! However, in terms of her demands for a match with Carmella, it certainly seems to have been effective! But now the entire world wants to know, will Carmella give Asuka what she wants?
Next on the agenda was the first ever edition of "EWA's Next Top BOdyguard," as Bo Dallas searches for someone to watch his back. Dallas himself, Kylie Rae and "Barrister" R.D. Evans would act as the judges, with this first round being pretty simple (if fairly lengthy) as the 14 candidates had to explain in their own words why they felt they deserved the opportunity. Brodus Clay would intimidate his way into the next stage of the competition without saying a word, while Mason Ryan's attempts to orate might have been hampered by his thick Welsh accent. Sawyer Fulton didn't seem to be mentally aware of what was going on, yet his enthusiasm was enough to make an impression, while Baron Corbin appeared more interested in his "hog" than the competition itself, thankfully referring to his motorbike rather than anything else. Poor Titus O'Neil didn't make the best entrance as he tripped up on his way into the interview room, but perhaps sympathy from the judges helped him live to fight another day. Brian Cage almost blew his chance with his use of obscenities causing great offence to Bo Dallas' ears, but he thankfully course-corrected to book a spot in the next round. I'm not entirely sure Vladimir Kozlov understood what was being asked of him though, as he could only respond with nods to the judges when asked to say his piece. Meanwhile, Hernandez gave his response in his native Spanish, "Big E" shook off the strange happenings of the last couple of months to stake his claim, and Monty Brown talked a lot about hunting, really getting into his "Alpha Male" persona. As for the gigantic Eli Cottonwood, he seemed more enamored with Kylie Rae (and her feet), which didn't go down particularly well with the judges. After "The Shining Colons" accidentally wandered onto the set thinking it was "The Ellen Show," Mark Henry was up next but seemed confused by the entire premise of the show, considering it a huge over-reaction to Bo Dallas' unfortunate elimination at Civil War. Just when it looked as if things were wrapping up though, the pint-sized Marko Stunt would step in to take his best shot, having been confused for a lost child by security earlier in the night! It's fair to say both Dallas and R.D. Evans were ready to judge this particular book by its cover and cut the diminutive Arkansas native, but Kylie Rae was really impressed with Stunt's answer, wanting to give him a chance to continue...and with decisions needing to be unanimous, that meant Marko Stunt will be back next week! With someone still needing to be eliminated however, Eli Cottonwood's foot fetish soon ruled him out of the running, while Bo not wanting to have 13 candidates due to the unlucky connotations meant that Mason Ryan was also sent packing! That's two down already, but who out of the remaining candidates will go the distance?
After Jeremy Wyatt cost "Ryback's" team victory last week thanks in large part to his on-going beef with Tom Lawlor, "The Big Guy" would get an opportunity for revenge as he took on Wyatt one-on-one! "Ryback's" bad mood was evident right from the start of this contest, initially using his size and strength to toss "The Monarch" around like a ragdoll, before Wyatt finally swung the momentum back in his favor! For those not familiar with Jeremy Wyatt, this was a great showcase at what makes him such an impressive competitor, picking his spots almost to perfection as he looked to wear his much larger opponent down. However, "Ryback" proved how tough he can be as he shrugged off much of that offense and again started manhandling Wyatt in brutal fashion, forcing the Kansas City native to get a bit crafty to provide another opening! Just when it looked as if "The Monarch" had had enough and was prepared to walk away with a countout loss though, Tom Lawlor would arrive on the scene to block his path! While the Ref attempted to deal with Lawlor and send him to the back, Wyatt then grabbed a steel chair and re-entered the ring...but instead of trying to use it on "Ryback," he would smash it against the canvas before dropping down and acting like he'd been blasted by his opponent, fooling the official into calling for the disqualification! Needless to say, neither "Ryback" or Lawlor were too happy with that, angrily giving chase as Wyatt high-tailed it out of there as quick as his feet could take him!
With "EWA's Next Top BOdyguard" concluded for the week, Kylie Rae looked to leave the Wells Fargo Arena, only to find herself interrupted by Leva Bates! "Smiley Kylie" was obviously blissfully unaware of the way the former Women's Champion was glaring at her during last week's show, with Leva enquiring about the status of Kylie's relationship (or lack thereof) with Bo Dallas, fearful she was in some kind of danger and encouraging her to hang out with Bates instead. Despite Rae trying to alleviate those concerns, Leva wasn't ready to take no for an answer, viciously attacking "Smiley Kylie" before demanding a match on next week's show! I can't say I understand the mindset of Bates here, going from one extreme to the other in a matter of seconds, but it's like I said last week...something has seemingly snapped in this young woman and I'm not entirely sure she's thinking straight right now. But here's hoping Kylie Rae might be able to bring out the old fun-loving "Blue Pants" back from the brink!
Earlier in the night, Todd Grisham managed to grab hold of Daizee Haze for a response to the comments made by Momo Watanabe on Fury, where "Dark Peach" claimed her costing Daizee that match with Leva Bates a couple of weeks ago was an accident. Alas, "The Haze" wasn't satisfied with that explanation, resulting in her crossing paths with Momo's best friend, Kelly Klein! "The Final Girl" stood up for her "bestie" by pointing out that Watanabe was trying to get the EWA to release footage of an alternate angle which would confirm her good intentions, but Daizee was having none of it, culminating in a brawl backstage that left EWA officials with no choice but to book an impromptu match between the two of them! And boy, did this one start off hot out of the gates, as Klein hit a huge suicide dive into Daizee before she could even enter the ring! The Ref decided to call for the bell regardless, as these two proceeded to beat the holy hell out of one another, neither superstar holding back! Klein clearly had the power advantage in this brawl, but Daizee Haze's intensity almost seemed to nullify that at times, like she was picturing Momo Watanabe the whole time she battled with "The Final Girl!" After a double clothesline left them both out on the canvas, Momo herself would appear at ringside to cheer on her best friend, distracting Daizee Haze in the process! That provided "KK" the chance to apply her modified STF, only to be surprised when Watanabe would climb onto the apron to seemingly cheer her on even more! Unfortunately though, it ended up drawing Kelly's attention at the worst possible moment, allowing "The Haze" to turn things around back in her favor! As Daizee tried everything within her power to hit a trademark German suplex on Klein, Kelly tried to grab the top rope to stop the attempt, only to have Momo grab her hand instead! But whether Momo lost her grip or let it go deliberately, Daizee finally connected with the high angle German suplex to fold her opponent up and score the three count! Yet it was still Watanabe she ultimately wanted to get her hands on, with the Referee stopping "The Haze" from doing so while a concerned Momo checked on Klein!
In recent weeks, Judy Bagwell has been causing quite the stir in her pursuit of "MJF," with many (including yours truly and Maxwell's girlfriend Mandy Rose) assuming her intentions were of the romantic variety. However, as we'd find out this week, it seems as though "Rude Jude" was looking to become "The Salt of the Earth's" manager instead, offering her services to help take him to new heights. It should go without saying that Mandy wasn't exactly enthused by this idea, suggesting that Judy prove her credentials by managing her son Buff against Alexander Hammerstone on next week's SLAM, while Rose is in the corner of "The Dynasty" member! Sounds to me almost as if "The Golden Goddess" has been bitten by the green-eyed monster, as she and Judy continue to vie for "MJF's" attention!
Curt Hawkins doesn't seem to be having much luck when it comes to being interviewed by Todd Grisham! A couple of weeks ago, that led to "iRoyalty" smashing a light tube against his back, and now on last night's show, Sammy Guevara did the same with a steel chair! It's little wonder though that the National Champion wanted to make a statement of intent after he took the pinfall during last week's wild tag team main event, as Sammy took over the interview segment to throw down the gauntlet to "The Ultimate Underdog" by telling him he'll grant him a shot at the gold any time he wants one! It's fair to say "The Spanish God" feels extremely confident in his chances of defending the National Title, but will Hawkins step up to the challenge? Knowing how much this run means to him and how badly he wants to make a success of himself after being underestimated for so long, I'd assume that's a safe bet! The big question though is where and when will that match take place?
Our final contest of the evening saw Will Ospreay looking to follow-up on last week's win over "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan as he battled Maven of "The Lucavi." "The Aerial Assassin" was clearly in the mood to show off his skills last night, flying around the squared circle like only he can, seemingly defying gravity at times! However, Maven's training with Ron Simmons helped prepare him for Ospreay's antics as the match swung back-and-forth, back-and-forth, with neither man holding onto the advantage for very long! In the end though, Ospreay was able to string together a big time flurry of moves to cut his opponent down to size, allowing him to finally connect with the Essex Destroyer to pick up the victory! That's another big feather in the cap for "The Sword of Essex," who continues to make the most of his minutes with each passing week!
While the action might have been over for the night, there was still a pressing question waiting to be answered. Two weeks ago, "MJF" offered Jamie Noble $100,000 for his Civil War briefcase, looking to take that "Anytime, Anyplace" contract off the table to predict his championship reign! With that life-changing amount of money up for grabs, it's little wonder that "The Redneck Messiah" has been torn over what to do, with "MJF" demanding a final answer! Of course, Maxwell Jacob Friedman is the kind of person who can't help but run a person down, especially someone of Noble's humble origins, resulting in the 2020 Civil War winner smacking the mic out of "MJF's" hands! Still, before Noble could give an answer, Nidia would make an appearance to let her man know she'd support his decision no matter what he decided to do. That gave Jamie the strength he needed to make his choice, seemingly going for the money over the guaranteed World Championship match...or at least that's what Friedman assumed, as he wrote Noble a check and demanded Jamie tell the entire world that "MJF" was better than him! Unfortunately though, things didn't quite turn out the way the World Champion expected as Noble instead declared that the championship deserved better than "MJF," before ripping up the check, refusing the offer, and then taking "The Top 1%er" down with a Tiger Driver before he knew what hit him! "The Redneck Messiah" could have easily cashed in his shot right then and there if he'd wanted, but instead made it clear he wasn't going to give "MJF" any excuses, promising Friedman he'd know exactly when that match was coming...and it was coming real soon!
Well, after that slobberknocker of a show, I guess that means it's time for me to pick my top three movers and shakers for the week:
1. Jamie Noble
2. Will Ospreay
3. Daizee Haze
In top spot, Noble may not have had a match, but he arguably made the biggest splash as he turned down the tempting offer of $100,000 for his Civil War contract and put "MJF" on notice at the same time! In second place, Will Ospreay made it two wins out of two matches, continuing to turn a lot of heads in the process! And last but not least, Daizee Haze ended her mini-slump by picking up a huge victory over the in-form Kelly Klein during an impromptu match, although she's still yet to get her hands on the woman she really wants, Momo Watanabe!
No doubt about it, folks, the EWA is rocking and rolling right now! And with next week being the final stop before Mayhem in Miami, there's a whole lot to look forwards to as well! For example, we've got Carmella heading to Albuquerque to answer Asuka's challenge! Then there's the next instalment of "EWA's Next Top BOdyguard!" How about Leva Bates and Kylie Rae doing battle! Or Eita's open challenge to any of the grizzled veterans on the roster! And if all that's not enough, there's always Judy Bagwell showing off her managerial skills as her son takes on Alexander Hammerstone as well! Business is truly picking up right now, so don't you dare miss out when the EWA hits the ABQ next Sunday! Until then,
BOOMER SOONER!
