Post by Ross Report on May 25, 2020 21:21:14 GMT
Last night's broadcast saw the EWA make its final stop ahead of next week's Mayhem in Miami Pay-Per-View, and boy, did it ever deliver!
First things first though, as Friday's Fury was yet another eventful show! "The Shining Colons" declared themselves the "Kings of Fury" (™ Kevin Steen 2013/14), "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan used "The Gambler's" own nefarious ways against him to pick up a win, and Sabu made crystal clear that Abdullah The Butcher wasn't finished with "Rhino," challenging the TV Champion to a Casket Match! As we'd find out after SLAM! though, EWA management would have other ideas regarding Mayhem in Miami's Television Championship bout, which we'll discuss in due course! In the meantime however, it looks as if Sabu and Abdullah may have their own issues with "The Shining Colons" to worry about, after Primo and Epico saved "D-Ray 3000" from being put through a table at their hands, much to the frustration of the wild brawlers!
Moving on to SLAM!, and man, do I feel for Carmella. Her return at Civil War was meant to be a way to go out on her own terms, but thanks to that coinciding with eliminating Asuka from the match, her entire life seems to have been flipped upside down! Last week we witnessed Asuka pay a visit to "The Princess of Staten Island's" home, where she'd deliver an unconscious and badly beaten Spudley onto Carmella's doorstep, leaving the former Women's Champion with little option but to journey to last night's SLAM! You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to see just how fired up Carmella was, challenging "The Empress of Tomorrow" to come out and settle things right then and there. Instead though, the Japanese superstar would throw down a challenge for Mayhem in Miami, wanting to gain her retribution in an official match! Left with no other option, Carmella accepted Asuka's demands, only to then have to fight off Kairi Sane, as "The Pirate Princess" attempted to jump her from behind, no doubt at Asuka's behest! Thankfully for Carmella, she was able to take Kairi down and get a little payback of her own ahead of next Sunday, but there's no doubt that this promises to be an explosive match on Pay-Per-View next week, as well as Carmella's first official singles match in two years!
After last week's SLAM! saw James Storm defeat Jimmy Fatu thanks to an opportunistic distraction by his tag team partner, Jimmy would finally get his hands on Jax Dane this week. However, Jimmy didn't have either his father or his brother in his corner, with Rikishi having earlier laid down the challenge for a tag team match pitting "The Dogs of War" against Jimmy and Jacob Fatu at Mayhem in Miami due to Jey still out injured following the assault he suffered two weeks ago! As for last night's singles match though, Jax Dane would use his superior size and strength to gain the early advantage, making life extremely difficult for poor Jimmy Fatu. The action soon spilled into ringside, with the Referee showing great leniency when Jax used a chair on his opponent and surprisingly not calling for the disqualification! Dane then looked to put Jimmy through the timekeeper's table, only to have him move at the last second and ensure Dane took that blow instead, allowing Jimmy to re-enter the ring right before the ten count! Talk about a crucial win for the Anoa'i family in this heated rivalry, albeit far from a decisive one! Only time will tell if the makeshift team of Jimmy and his cousin Jacob can gel together to beat "The Dogs of War" at Mayhem in Miami!
I talked earlier about Abdullah The Butcher's TV Title challenge, but "Rhino" clearly had other ideas. In fact, "The Man Beast" would make mention of "Ryback" and Will Ospreay also being potential contenders for his championship, leaving it up to EWA management to decide who gets the shot...although I'm not sure "Rhino" was expecting the announcement it would be all three of Abdullah, "Ryback" and Ospreay he'd have to face next Sunday! Not that I imagine someone as tough as "The War Machine" is going to back down from that challenge!
It's safe to say that Eita wasn't looking forward to his match with "UltraMantis Black" after encountering some "ghosts from the past" over the course of last week, yet "The Millennial God" soon found some sure-footing against "The Great And Devious One." Then again, "Mantis" didn't exactly give him much choice in the matter as he looked to build on his impressive showing during that wild tag team match a couple of weeks ago! At the same time though, Eita has made no bones about his perceived issues with so-called "old timers" taking up the kind of spots that he believes belong to him, leading to a fast-paced encounter which saw the Japanese superstar finally put his opponent away with a victory roll-like maneuver off the middle rope! While I'm sure "UltraMantis Black" will be fuming over that result, it's a big-time feather in the cap for Eita, and one which perhaps shows that he does indeed deserve to be competing more regularly on the big shows!
For those who missed it during the week, EWA.com featured the next round of "EWA's Next Top BOdyguard," with Bo Dallas setting a bench press competition! It seems his hope was to ensure the elimination of pint-sized Marko Stunt, yet through some shenanigans (i.e., smashing up the local gym at which the event was being held), it would in fact be Sawyer Fulton who was given the boot instead! The next environmentally-based instalment would then take place on last night's SLAM! from under a nearby overpass in Albuquerque, where the contestants were required to pick up as much garbage as possible within a minute, with whoever having the lightest bag the next to receive their marching orders! Well, Bo and his barrister R.D. Evans would give Brodus Clay yet another free pass thanks to some scary intimidation tactics by the big man, while the others filled up their trash bags to varying degrees of success, only for poor old Titus O'Neil to slip on a literal banana peel, knocking himself out in the process! As a result, Titus was unable to complete the task and thus the next man to be eliminated, meaning we're now down to 10 remaining contestants in Dallas' search for a brand new "BOdyguard!"
Todd Grisham tried to get some answers from Momo Watanabe on Fury regarding the recent controversies surrounding her interference in a match between Daizee Haze and Leva Bates. Alas, Momo was more focused on her own match against Bobcat at the time, going on to defeat her opponent with ease while promising to explain everything on SLAM! Well, come Sunday, Momo would finally present the evidence she's been trying to get her hands on for the past couple of weeks, showing an alternative camera angle to the one broadcast during the initial Haze/Bates match. "The Haze" was on hand to check it out for herself, yet the footage was inconclusive at best, as Momo's involvement caused her to block the camera's view! Rather than exonerate Watanabe, it only served to muddy the waters that much more, leading Daizee to demand a match with Momo and then Momo suggesting Kelly Klein be the special guest referee for the contest! Of course, it's worth pointing out that things are still far from OK between Momo Watanabe and her supposed best friend as well, especially after "Dark Peach" seemingly deliberately let go of Klein's hand last week while she struggled to avoid being German suplexed by Daizee Haze, leading to "The Final Girl" losing the match. All in all then, we find ourselves with quite the interesting situation right now as Momo Watanabe continues to protest her innocence, Daizee Haze looks for a modicum of revenge, and Kelly Klein finds herself slap-bang in the middle! With so many combustible elements at play, who knows what'll happen at Mayhem in Miami!
If I've said it before, I'll say it again...there's nothing quite like seeing a couple of big ol' country hosses slugging it out! And boy, did we ever get that when Goldberg and "Ryback" went one-on-one last night! These two didn't hold back as they beat the tar out of one another like there was no tomorrow, with "The Big Guy" finally getting his hands on Goldberg after he refused to face him during that incredible tag team bout two weeks ago! However, "Da Man" proved his recent string of victories have been far from a fluke as he eventually managed to surprise "Ryback" with an almighty Spear, before then planting his opponent with a Jackhammer to score the three count! At least "Ryback" can be safe in the knowledge that he's got a Television Championship opportunity to make up for this disappointment! As for Goldberg, much as I don't like his attitude these days, there's no question he keeps on getting results, but that certainly doesn't excuse trying to continue the attack after the bell! Thankfully, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan was on hand to save the day, following on from his issues with Goldberg on Friday's Fury, where "Da Man" had been boasting that the EWA "needs" him on next Sunday's Pay-Per-View card for it to be a success, drawing out the grizzled veteran in response! Much like on Fury, "Hacksaw's" clumsiness saw him avoid another Spear attempt while also embarrassing the man he confused for EWA Hall of Fame "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, but will he be so lucky next Sunday? I guess you'll just have to order the show to find out!
Elsewhere, and Curt Hawkins was back on SLAM! this week after suffering a dastardly attack at Sammy Guevara's hands on last week's broadcast! The EWA's "Ultimate Underdog" would call out the National Champion, demanding a match against Sammy before Hawkins seemingly calls it quits! Surprisingly, "The Spanish God" agreed to his terms, looking forward to the opportunity to be the man responsible for ending Hawkins' dream run over the last month! Maybe Guevara should have thought twice about being so cocky though, with his number one contender showing some fire by punching an unsuspecting Sammy right in the kisser, causing the champ to retreat rather than accept the blatant invitation for a brawl right then and there! Still, there'll be no running or hiding next Sunday when these two finally do battle one-on-one, with the National Championship and perhaps even Hawkins' career up for grabs!
Earlier in the evening, we witnessed a tense backstage meeting between Mandy Rose and Nidia, the romantic partners of "MJF" and Jamie Noble respectively! With both women sticking up for their men, they seemingly settled on an impromptu match later in the show...yet before Nidia could even make it down the ramp, Mandy Rose attacked her from behind! Jamie Noble was nowhere to be found, as "MJF" emerged from the back looking extremely pleased with himself, and for good reason too! Indeed, it was soon revealed that the reason "The Redneck Messiah" hadn't come to Nidia's aid was because he'd been ambushed in the locker room by Alexander Hammerstone and Richard Holliday, rendering the 2020 Civil War winner unconscious! The World Heavyweight Champion would then throw out the challenge for a mixed tag team match at next Sunday's event, pitting him and Mandy Rose against Noble and Nidia, before looking to put an exclamation point on proceedings right there and then! He and Rose dragged Nidia down to ringside, where she valiantly tried to fight off the EWA's resident power couple, only to have "God's Greatest Creation" DRIVE Nidia shoulder-first into the steel ring post, doing who knows how much damage! If the intent was to render Noble and Nidia incapable of accepting "MJF's" challenge however, this attack would fall short of the mark, with Nidia appearing in an EWA.com exclusive after SLAM!, guaranteeing that she and Jamie will be at Mayhem in Miami next week! And I tell you, folks, considering everything that's happened over the last month, I cannot wait for this one! I'm sure I'm not the only one either!
It's fair to say that Pete Dunne has been on the warpath ever since Civil War, and it would appear as if he's far from finished. Indeed, not content with putting the likes of Samoa Joe, Trent Seven, and Tyler Bate on the injured list, "The Bruiserweight" issued a challenge to anyone who has the guts to meet him for a fight at Mayhem in Miami! All things considered, I genuinely can't say I'd be shocked if there were no takers, especially if Dunne is bringing his trusty sledgehammer along for the ride, but then again, who knows? Maybe there's someone out there who'll finally put a stop to all the destruction the former World Champion has been causing in recent weeks!
Fresh off his role in the beatdown Jamie Noble suffered earlier in the night, Alexander Hammerstone had some more business to take care of as he squared off against Buff Bagwell! This one came about thanks to Judy's efforts to become "MJF's" brand new manager, as she looked to prove how effective she can be by leading her son to victory over one of Friedman's fellow "Dynasty" members. Well, in certain regards it turned out to be one hell of a showcase, despite the fact "Buff Daddy" found himself being manhandled during much of the match! Bagwell continued to hang in there despite the tremendous beating he was suffering, as the action eventually spilled into ringside, where Judy grabbed Hammerstone to stop him from nailing her baby boy! That allowed Buff to ram the big man head-first into the steel ring post, knocking him for a loop and eventually giving Buff the opening to surprise his opponent with a roll-up from out of nowhere to pick up the duke! I guess it just goes to show that Judy Bagwell might be a good fit for "The Dynasty" after all! And who knows? Maybe "Buff The Stuff" could have a place within the group too!
Jeremy Wyatt has made a huge impression on the EWA landscape this month, defeating "Filthy" Tom Lawlor and then costing him his tag match against Goldberg and "UltraMantis Black" a couple of weeks back! The self-styled "Monarch" would appear live via satellite from Miami to once again gloat about how great he is before demanding the opportunity to end this rivalry with the MMA veteran live on Pay-Per-View! It would appear he's got his wish too, with that match now made official, but knowing how mad Lawlor is, this could well be a case of "be careful what you wish for!"
I had a feeling "The Honky Tonk Man" wouldn't be particular happy to discover Santino had volunteered the Tag Team Champions for a title defense against "Tokyo Vice" at Mayhem in Miami, and those suspicions proved well-founded. "Honky" would confront his partner backstage last night, leading to more tension between the two of them that "El Desperado" and Katsuyori Shibata were only too happy to capitalize on! In fact, the newly-confirmed number one contenders would make a point of attacking "The Italian Stallion" once again, with "Honky Tonk Man" seemingly happy to stand by and let his partner get beaten up...at least until "El Desperado" inadvertently struck "Honky" as well, drawing "Mr Shake, Rattle And Roll" into the fight after all! This pier six brawl was quickly broken up by security before it could escalate any further, but hostilities will most definitely be resumed this coming Sunday! Question is, can the champions stay on the same page long enough to see off their challengers? Or will their luck finally run out at the hands of "Tokyo Vice?"
Our women's division is going from strength-to-strength right now, case in point last night's entertaining match between Leva Bates and Kylie Rae! This one came about due to Bates' attack on "Smiley Kylie" last week after her efforts to convince Kylie to be her friend and ditch Bo Dallas came to naught. It's to Rae's credit though that rather than seek vengence, she would instead attempt to stop things from getting any more heated by offering Leva some freshly-baked cookies. That act of kindness soon backfired though when the former Women's Champion knocked the cookie tray out of her opponent's hands before taking the fight right to her! Kylie had to dig deep to claw her way back into the contest, but she showed real heart and determination to do just that! However, the cookie tray would come into play once again when Leva slipped free of a SmileDriver attempt before shoving Rae into the Referee's path. With the official understandably covering up to avoid a potential collision, Leva then grabbed the tray and bashed it over her opponent's head, knocking Kylie out cold to steal the win! I can't say with any certainty if this issue is over or not, but it's clear that this new and unpredictable Leva Bates is becoming a real force to be reckoned within the women's division!
Just before the show came to its natural conclusion, we were shown shocking footage from earlier in the day, direct from Toni Storm's hotel! It seems the Gold Coast native opened her door for some room service she hadn't ordered, but that turned out to be a ploy by Aliyah to then jump Storm and overwhelm her next challenger! Toni didn't have much of a chance to offer any retaliation, as the Women's Champion beat her into the bathroom and then dumped all kinds of shower products all over Storm's body! Make no mistake, this was more of a psychological attack than a physical one, leaving her number one contender lying under a cold shower as if to let her know this is the kind of humiliation she can expect when they meet in the middle of the ring next Sunday! Whether that turns out to be true or not, I guess we'll have to wait and find out! Still, I think it's a safe bet that Toni Storm will only be more determined to get the better of "The Boujee Bratz" at Mayhem in Miami after this!
Well, I don't know about you, but I feel exhausted after all of that! Still, it's time now for my top three movers and shakers for the week, so here's who I've got:
1. Mandy Rose
2. Goldberg
3. Leva Bates
Mandy Rose may not have had a match, but she certainly made an impact in the way she tricked Nidia into thinking they'd have one, only to use it as a means to jump Jamie Noble's girlfriend and do damage to her shoulder! In at number two, Goldberg continues to rack up the victories after a highly-spirited contest with the always impressive "Ryback!" And last but not least, while she might have defeated Kylie Rae in extremely controversial circumstances, the fact that Leva Bates continues to rack up the wins by any means necessary just goes to show how dangerous she truly is! She might not be all there in the head, but as far as the ring goes, that certainly seems to be playing to her advantage!
Well, before we wrap up, I want to make a brief announcement about the future of the Ross Report. As much as I enjoy doing this every week, trying to cover all the ins-and-outs of each show can be extremely taxing. That's why I've made the tough decision to dial back the Ross Report from now on, meaning I'll only be writing them on the week of a Pay-Per-View event starting with Red, White & Bruised, to highlight the various rivalries and stories heading into those shows. This feels like the best option for me going forwards, so hopefully everyone understands my decision...not that I'm sure most folks'll miss the ramblings of this old Okey anyway!
In the meantime though, we've got a hell of a line-up to look forward to next Sunday! With ten potential slobberknockers already set in stone, including four huge title matches and more feuds than you can shake a stick at, Mayhem in Miami is guaranteed to have something for everyone! I honestly can't remember the last time we've seen such a stacked card for an EWA event, and you can be damn sure that each and every superstar is going to do everything within their power to try and steal the show! Make sure you don't miss a single second of the action next weekend when the EWA ensures there's plenty of Mayhem in Miami! Until next time,
BOOMER SOONER!
