Post by Ross Report on Sept 24, 2018 13:31:24 GMT
Historically speaking, it's not an easy job being EWA General Manager. From massaging superstar egos, to making matches the fans want to see, to providing equal opportunities for all, there's a whole lot to the job that goes unnoticed by even the most ardent EWA fan. Perhaps the hardest aspect of all though is simply trying to maintain some semblance of law and order when you've got a locker room full of men and women who want nothing more than to rip each other to shreds! I get the feeling Val Venis discovered that the hard way this week considering all the chaos on last night's SLAM! There seemed to be a volatile atmosphere in the air right from the get-go that resulted in wild brawls and vicious sneak attacks aplenty, some of which have resulted in major changes to next Sunday's Sin City Survival card, which we'll get to in due course. I commend Val for trying to put out those various fires and deal with each situation as they arose, but you can't help but feel as if "The Working Class Hero" could do with some extra support heading into his final night as guest GM. If only he had some friends to call on, perhaps even based in Las Vegas, who could help him get the EWA back under control again...?
Things kicked off with a bang as a backstage scuffle led to Brock Lesnar challenging Matt Morgan to meet him in the ring for an impromptu World Championship Match. As hostilities resumed, things soon broke down with Morgan bringing a table into proceedings. That would eventually backfire though when Lesnar set his opponent up for an F-5 through it, only to get clubbed in the back by Jim Cornette and his tennis racket, forcing the Referee to throw out the match. It didn't save Morgan though, or my old pal "Corny" for that matter, as Lesnar scooped him up on top of Matt Morgan before hitting a double stack F-5 that put BOTH men through the waiting table! As a result, the EWA's medical personnel were quick to determine that "Bad Attitude" won't be able to compete at next Sunday's Pay-Per-View, leaving Trevor Mann and Jack Swagger without a third man for their team. At least for the time being, anyway.
Elsewhere, we heard some stern words from Charlotte Flair, who seems eager to face some stiffer competition than what she was given last week, issuing an open challenge to any member of the women's division. Considering her recent interactions with Awesome Kong, I'd be surprised it the "Barbie Killer" doesn't take her up on that offer, perhaps as soon as in two weeks time on the first SLAM! post-Sin City Survival.
Last week, Val Venis booked two matches for last night's show as Braun Strowman was due to take on "The Midnight Rider" while John Cena was set to face Santino Marella. As it would turn out however, neither of those matches would take place, as "The Doctor of Thuganomics" was viciously assaulted while his partner was in the ring waiting on Braun Strowman's arrival. "The Monster Among Men" then dragged Cena out onto the stage where he sent the popular superstar some sixteen feet onto the concrete floor below with a sickening gorilla press slam, damn near breaking Cena in half. I tell you, folks, you could hear a pin drop in SRP Park after that, as Cena was loaded onto a stretcher and sent to a local medical facility. At this stage, we're still waiting to hear just how bad his injuries are, but there's no way he'll be ready in time for the previously scheduled tag match pitting him and "The Rider" against Strowman and Marella next weekend. However, the silver dollar-toting masked man made it clear to Val Venis he still intended to fight at Sin City Survival, even if it meant doing so by his lonesome. It took some convincing, but by the sounds of it, we will indeed see an unsanctioned parking lot brawl between "The Midnight Rider" and Strowman and Marella. One can't help but feel this may be a major mistake on "The Rider's" part, a decision made more with his heart than his head. At this point, I'm not sure how he can possibly survive such a situation, but here's hoping "The Midnight Rider" finds a way to prove me wrong.
Marty Jannetty makes it two wins in two weeks after walking out of that fun and fast-paced triple threat match with a huge victory. And thanks to a decision made earlier in the day by Val Venis, that meant that he earned a spot in a fatal fourway match at Sin City Survival also featuring Kenny Omega, Dolph Ziggler and Lio Rush, with the winner of that one becoming number one contender to the National Title. Talk about a huge opportunity for "The Rocker" to win his first piece of EWA gold, if he can keep this run of form going! At the same time, I want to give a special shoutout to Rob Van Dam, who looked mightily impressive against Jannetty and Darby Allin this week. "Mr 420" is a former three-time World Champion who obviously knows how to get it done in the ring, and I can't wait to see more from him in the coming weeks and months. Even if that does unfortunately mean having to put up with "Happy" Heyman at the same time.
Tessa Blanchard was almost on the receiving end of another Nia Jax assault for the second week in a row, with the brawl taking them out onto the stage, as Jax seemingly looked to deliver a similar fate to the "Queen of the Carolinas" as John Cena suffered earlier in the night. However, Blanchard thankfully fought back and managed to put down Jax with a deadly Hammerlock DDT right onto the steel instead! While Tessa might have stood tall this time around, it promises to be an explosive battle between these two former Women's Champions next Sunday as we determine a new number one contender, one that could well be the surprise showstealer when it's all said and done.
After "The World Service" descended into total carnage last week, it was time to get a more formal sneak peak at what to expect from Sin City Survival's Tag Team Title Match, with Aiden English doing battle with Cesaro. Needless to say, these two extremely talented superstars went back-and-forth with one hell of a match that saw English only just manage to sneak out the victory. The action didn't stop there either, as Chris Hero and Simon Gotch got into a brawl on the outside as Cesaro and English continued going at it in the ring. That is, until Val Venis arrived on the scene, offering "The Vaudevillains" a chance to choose a stipulation for their match next Sunday, much as "The Kings of Wrestling" had been able to do so for their title opportunity against OVE last month. As such, the throwbacks decided on a two-out-of-three falls match harking back to the good ol' days, a decision that seemed to suit both tandems. I tell you, just when you thought that Tag Team Championship showdown couldn't get any bigger, the EWA finds a way!
Fit Finlay and Big Show have had their issues in recent weeks, all stemming from the "World's Largest Athlete" defeating Finlay in a closely-contested match. Well, Finlay has been eager for a rematch, something that the Big Show has been equally keen not to accept, not wanting to be the man who puts a legend of this sport down for good. While that might be a noble intention from the seven foot giant, it's unsurprisingly come across as somewhat patronizing as far as Finlay is concerned, resulting in another knock-down, drag-out slugfest this week before the match was made official for Sin City Survival. I'm expecting the fans to be split right down the middle for that one, especially what with so much gray area in this rivalry. One thing's for sure though, if their last match is anything to go by, this should be a real slobberknocker!
The more I think on it, the more I think my good friend Scott Stanford may have been right in his assessment about the bWo last night. While you can understand them cutting out the wacky adventures to try and ensure the safety of their job security, it's taken all the life out of them. We want to see them getting up to off-beat shenanigans, not sitting around playing chess. I hate to say it, but the bWo are kind of...well, boring now. And that's not something I can ever remember saying about Al Snow and his motley crew before.
After being hogtied and humiliated last week, Blue Pantaloons looked to turn the tables with a, shall we say, less than flattering imitation of Dominatrix on last night's show. Evidently, her wetsuit wearing mockery caught the eye of the real Women's Champion, who blindsided Ms Pantaloons and looked to get in some more punishment before their title match next week. However, the challenger somehow managed to free herself from Dominatrix's attempts to tie her to the ring post before using a Louisville slugger to gain some "major league" payback, even tying up Dominatrix in her place. Of course, the name of the game at Sin City Survival isn't entrapment, but rather who can pin or submit their opponent and walk out of Las Vegas with the Women's Title, something these two women will no doubt be willing to go to hell and back in order to achieve.
With Matt Morgan's injuries at the hands of Brock Lesnar earlier in the show, Val Venis had a spot to fill in that huge Sin City Survival Elimination Match. Enter Gabriel, a young man with a chip on his shoulder after not having a match on the previous two Pay-Per-Views, strongly feeling his talents were being overlooked. Well, Gabriel has finally got his wish, and what an opportunity it will be as he joins Jack Swagger and Trevor Mann in taking on Lesnar, Chris Sabin and Ken Shamrock! Considering the unfinished business Gabriel has with Trevor Mann after their barnburner of a time limit draw last week, it'll be interesting to see just how that team co-exists next Sunday.
While questions are raised about that side of the main event, it seems as if Chris Sabin and Ken Shamrock are very much on the same page though, with "The World's Most Dangerous Man" offering to watch Sabin's back during his match with Ziggler in case of any more attempted run-in's by their Sin City Survival opponents. As to whether the same could be said for the third man on their team, noted lone wolf Brock Lesnar, that would remain to be seen.
After debuting last week with a cheapshot on Velveteen Dream and then haunting Dream's reflection earlier in last night's show, Marty Scurll had a chance to show us what he could do in the ring as he faced Gabriel. It's fair to say that maybe "The Solitary Reaper" started things off a little too cockily following his elevation to the main event of next Sunday's Pay-Per-View, allowing Scurll an opening that he quickly took. It's not hard to see why he's called "The Villain" either, considering some of the questionable tactics Scurll likes to employ. Nonetheless, what followed was yet another classic match involving Gabriel, who continues to build an impressive résumé here in the EWA in 2018, with both men showing why they're so highly regarded by management. Before it could be settled though, Velveteen Dream made his presence felt with a timely distraction that allowed Gabriel to escape with yet another victory. I'm sure Marty Scurll has a lot to say about "The Dream's" antics here, with this issue looking far from over.
For weeks now, these anonymous broadcasts have been preaching about a sickness infecting the EWA that needs to be removed. Well, while we didn't discover the identity of just who was behind this campaign of terror, we did discover that this group is calling themselves "The Cure." If that name sounds familiar to EWA fans, that's because it's the exact same one used by The Rock, Wade Barrett, Kane and Sheamus back in 2011 as they looked to remove the supposed "disease" that was then-General Manager Steve Corino. Is the name just a coincidence? Could it be this group is picking up where the old "Cure" left off? Perhaps some of those old faces are behind this new incarnation? We thought we'd get some answers last night, but it turns out we've now got more questions than ever as to who's behind this and what exactly they intend to do!
Main event time, and what a match between Chris Sabin and Dolph Ziggler! "The Show-Off" might have an opportunity to become number one contender to the National Title at Sin City Survival, but this was his chance to show he could hang with "Detroit's Finest," something he certainly did! In fact, there was multiple occasions here where I thought the Kent State Hall of Famer was certain to score a huge victory after hitting both a superkick and the Zig-Zag, two moves that have won him many matches in the past. Give credit to Chris Sabin though, who fought through Ziggler's attempts to target his bad ankle and rallied in impressive fashion, finally snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with a desperation Cradle Shock. "The Motor City Machine Gun" didn't get much of a chance to celebrate though, as Jack Swagger, Trevor Mann and Gabriel started making their way to ringside, with Mann and Swagger having previously disclosed their plan to target the National Champion earlier in the show. Thankfully, Ken Shamrock was as good as his word though, standing by Sabin's side in preparation for their future opponent's arrival...but they weren't alone, as Brock Lesnar likewise came charging down to ringside like a bull in a China shop, resulting in a pier six brawl that ended SLAM! just as chaotically as it started!
It's safe to say then that if last night's show is anything to go by, Sin City Survival is going to be a wild affair next Sunday! It's also made it near impossible to pick out this week's top three movers and shakers heading into the Pay-Per-View, but I've taken a stab at it anyway:
1. Brock Lesnar
2. Gabriel
3. Chris Sabin
It's always a treat to see Brock Lesnar in action on SLAM!, but considering this was an impromptu title match that he didn't even have time to prepare for, "The Beast" deserves a ton of credit for the way in which he took Matt Morgan out of the main event of Sin City Survival. Matt Morgan's loss was obviously Gabriel's gain, with "The Solitary Reaper" not only being named as Morgan's replacement next week, but also scoring a big time win over the extremely talented Marty Scurll. And last but not least, Chris Sabin had to be at his absolute best to defeat a game Dolph Ziggler in this week's main event, as well as joining forces with Lesnar and Shamrock to fight off Jack Swagger, Trevor Mann and Gabriel to close the show out.
If you disagree with those picks, you can always share your own top three movers and shakers on our Twitter page. Likewise, you can contact me via Twitter or right here on EWA.com if you've got any questions for my next Mailbag column, due this Friday! As always, I'll do my best to answer all the burning questions the EWA Universe has to offer!
In the meantime, the wrestling world is abuzz for Sin City Survival, and rightfully so! Every match looks like it has the potential to be a slobberknocker, and you can bet your kiester that it'll be worth every last penny of your EWA Network subscription fee and then some! Until next time,
BOOMER SOONER!
