Ross Report - 12/31/20

The Ross Report is back and better than ever! But rather than stick with our traditional formula, I thought I'd mix things up by breaking down the four teams heading into what promises to be one of the most historic events in EWA history, SuperBrawl XX!

I'll be honest, folks...even though I've lived through it, I can still hardly believe we've reached such a huge milestone! 20 years is a hell of an accomplishment, especially when you consider WCW and ECW lasted only 13 and nine years respectively, despite their iconic legacies in the annals of professional wrestling history. Hell, even the WWF's annual spring spectacular only got as far as Wrestlemania 17 before Shane O'Mac consolidated his father's company into its two main rivals to create the EWA. And yet here we are, about to celebrate our 20th SuperBrawl! Who'd have thunk it?

It's fair to say though that us reaching that incredible landmark is a testament to all the hard work and commitment put forth by each and every person to have contributed to the E-Wrestling Alliance over the past two decades, none more so than Harry Smith himself! Since taking ownership of the company around 10 years ago, Smith has worked tirelessly to produce top quality content week in and week out, a remarkable feat that I think we're all a little guilty of sometimes taking for granted. Still, knowing how modest "The Bulldog" is, I'm sure he'd prefer I don't make this about him, so let me instead offer a heart-felt thank you to you reading this, whether you've supported the EWA as a fan, as a superstar, or behind the scenes...none of this would have been possible without you! Through all the ups and downs, all the trials and tribulations, you've had our back...and we've got yours, as we gear up for the biggest slobberknocker in EWA history!

And much like this Ross Report, this year's SuperBrawl match comes with some key differences to the traditional formula! While we still have four teams of four duking it out for SuperBrawl supremacy, this will be the first time ever that new participants will join the fray every five minutes instead of whenever an elimination occurs! However, rather than immediately entering the squared circle, they'll need to be tagged into the match to replace their respective partners, meaning we'll see a true team format unlike anything we've witnessed in all of the previous SuperBrawls put together! That's not the only tweak either, as it was revealed that the winning team isn't necessarily guaranteed to walk away with all the gold! Instead, we'll take a page from both SuperBrawl VIII and last year's Free-For-All Match, with champions individually defending their titles throughout the Showcase of the Immortals! As such, a champion must eliminate one of their opponents before they themselves are eliminated in order to retain their championship...but if they are pinned, submitted or disqualified before they can do so, then the person to score that elimination becomes champion in their stead! Still, the winning team need not fret...even if they don't manage to capture all the gold by the end of the match, they will still be awarded future title shots as decided by their Captain, meaning there's plenty up for grabs!

So now that we know the rules, how about I quit beating around the bush and break down the four teams!


We start things off with Team Bagwell, Captained by our current reigning and defending World Champion, Buff Bagwell! It's no secret that the odds of a World Champion defending their gold in the Showcase of the Immortals is somewhere between slim and none, with Randy Orton and Samuel Shaw the only two individuals to have done so over the last 19 years. Still, I'd argue that "Buff Daddy" isn't exactly an orthodox World Champion, so it would be foolish to rule out the possibility of him breaking the mold! This is technically his second SuperBrawl experience, albeit the first time in the traditional team format after having been a part of last year's Free-For-All event. Unfortunately, Buff didn't make the greatest impression last time out, instead being eliminated by Harper on "The Goatsman's" journey to the World Championship. Regardless of that disappointment though, this has been a banner year for Bagwell, springboarding out of an appearance at Civil War right into an intense rivalry with "MJF" over the managerial services of his mom, Judy. Buff would eventually win "Rude Jude" back in a Judy Bagwell and Mandy Rose on a Forklift Match at Summer Stampede, using that momentum to challenge "The Honky Tonk Man" for the World Championship at Final Four. Alas, "Honky" would deliberately get himself disqualified when he realized his title was in jeopardy, denying Buff the gold! However, that loss seemingly caused "Buff The Stuff" to crack, developing a new-found vicious streak that saw him finally ascend to the top of the mountain in a steel cage rematch at All Hallows' Evil, capturing his first EWA championship since holding tag team gold with Jeff Jarrett way back in 2007! As is often the case though, life doesn't get any easier once you reach the top, and Buff quickly found himself targeted by Jeremy Wyatt, with "The Monarch" buoyed by the support of "The Glorious B's". The two were involved in a spectacular six man tag at last month's King of the Ring that nearly ended in disaster for Bagwell, before putting on an instant classic for the biggest prize in the game on SLAM! just two weeks ago...only to have Santos Escobar interfere before we could find out who the better man truly was! Still, this has undoubtedly been the best year of Bagwell's career, having not suffered a single pinfall or submission over the course of 13 matches! But I'm sure if you were to ask Buff or his mom, they'd happily swap all those wins if he's just able to walk out of SuperBrawl with the gold still around his waist!

Of course, "Buff Daddy" can't achieve SuperBrawl glory by his lonesome though. Thankfully he's found some allies he already knows he can rely on, starting with "Hangman" Adam Page! The 29 year old Virginia native returned to the EWA for the first time since a brief National Championship reign came to an end in 2016, and in the short time he's been back, Page has already got tongues wagging with some excellent matches! It's not just the performances that have been impressive either, with Page defeating Santino Marella in a hard-fought contest at the start of December to become our sixth new Television Champion of the year! To win gold so soon after his return to the company is the purest example of the drive and determination pushing "Hangman" forwards on this latest EWA run. And, as we've already seen, he's not afraid to fight for what he believes is right either, having come to Buff's rescue when Bagwell's well-being was threatened by Jeremy Wyatt and "The Glorious B's" on a November edition of SLAM! That led to his participation in the aforementioned six man tag at King of the Ring, which in turn speaks to Bagwell's trust in this young stallion on the rise. Still, one thing that can't be overlooked is that this will be Page's first experience of competing in the SuperBrawl match, or indeed, on such a big stage. As talented and adept as the "Hangman" might be, that puts a lot of pressure on his youthful shoulders, especially with his own championship being up for grabs as well! No doubt about it then, this certainly feels like the toughest test of Page's career thus far, and perhaps a strong marker for how he develops heading into 2021 and beyond. In my humble opinion though, I think this country-bred cowboy has all the ability to rise to the occasion!

That brings us to Bagwell's second draft pick, Kevin Owens! "Mr. Wrestling" is another superstar that returned to the EWA this year after a lengthy absence, looking reinvigorated and better than ever! Since picking up a debut win over Peter Avalon at the start of November, Owens has made no bones about trying to be the best possible version of himself that he can be. That immediately put him in the crosshairs of "Pastor" Bobby Roode and "The Glorious B's", especially when they joined forces with Jeremy Wyatt to try and ambush Buff Bagwell on an episode of "The Pulpit." Despite having little in common with the champ, Owens ran to the rescue that night just because it was the right thing to do, before soon going on to face Roode in a King of the Ring first round match that saw "The B's" steal away his golden opportunity. However, Owens would get a measure of revenge during that six man tag, launching himself off the stage with a 450 splash that put both "Brother" Baron and "Bishop" Brodie through a waiting table below, taking all three men out of the match! It seemingly impressed Roode enough for him to change tack and offer Owens a spot with the group, one that "Mr. Wrestling" was quick to turn down, not wanting to walk that dark path again. Yet at the same time, one gets a sense of some frustration from Owens, especially after winning a National Title match against Eddie Kingston two weeks ago via countout, meaning he was unable to walk away with the gold. Could it be that trying to do things the right way is causing "KO" to lose his edge? Perhaps that's just idle speculation on my part, but one thing that can't be denied is that Owens brings some crucial SuperBrawl experience to the table for Team Bagwell, having competed at the 2013 event as part of Team Venis. Owens managed to eliminate SuperBrawl legend Richard Blood on that night before eventually succumbing to the combined might of Al Snow and "MVP", but that small taste of what to expect could prove a difference maker when he's involved at SuperBrawl XX!

Speaking of experience, Bagwell's surprising final draft pick has pretty much done it all in the EWA! It was 2010 when Mr. Anderson first appeared at the Showcase of the Immortals as part of Team Franchise, where he started the contest for his team and pinned Scott Hall before ultimately falling to the atomic powerhouse Adam Bomb. His second showing as part of Team Rhodes in 2013 definitely didn't go to plan though, with Anderson being the first man eliminated from the match courtesy of a schoolboy roll-up from Richard Blood! The last time he appeared at SuperBrawl was in 2017, and indeed, that was his last match of any kind in the EWA. On that night, Anderson was a member of Team Tajiri, scoring the elimination of "Rhino" only to have Finn Bálor bring his night (and, seemingly, his career) to a close. Since then, Anderson has spent the last three years at the Albright Academy in God's own country, Oklahoma, passing down his knowledge to help train the next generation of superstars. In fact, aside from a "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" return earlier this year as the manager of Tyler Breeze, it seemed as if Ken was content with the way his EWA career had ended, with no desire to step through those hallowed ropes again. And yet, somehow, some way, Buff and Judy Bagwell have coaxed Anderson out of retirement, and by the sounds of it, almost done so against his own will after Ken turned down their initial offer! Whatever the circumstances of his return to action though, there's no question of Anderson's pedigree. A three-time World Champion, former National Champion, former Tag Champion alongside Albright as part of the "A-Team", not to mention winner of the 2013 Lethal Lottery and the only man to have won Civil War twice, Mr. Anderson is clearly no stranger to success! Still, finally being part of a winning SuperBrawl team is perhaps the one accolade Ken has been missing from his trophy cabinet, and with his inclusion in Team Bagwell, this might be his best (and final) chance yet to make that dream a reality!


I genuinely can't recall the last time a superstar has come from out of nowhere to have the kind of rookie year in the EWA that Jeremy Wyatt has had. Usually these newcomers who achieve quickfire success come into the promotion with prior experience in the big leagues and a reputation to go along with it, but this Kansas City native was a virtual unknown when he debuted in May of this year. Since then though, he's made sure EVERYONE knows who he is, becoming the only superstar to hold two separate singles titles in 2020 after first defeating "Rhino" for the Television Championship and later on being the man to dethrone "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan as National Champion. Yet it's a testament to his hunger and desire that "The Monarch" wasn't ready to stop there! No, after losing the National Title to Eddie Kingston as part of that incredible Gauntlet Match at All Hallows' Evil, Wyatt quickly set his sights on the biggest prize in the game...and it soon became apparent that he was playing for keeps too! Indeed, Wyatt would sell his spot in this year's King of the Ring tournament in return for the endorsement of "The Glorious B's", who have since had Wyatt's back in all his attempts to break Buff Bagwell. That includes that all-important six man tag at King of the Ring where, with the aid of a lead pipe, it looked as if Wyatt had injured Bagwell's knee to the point that he might have to relinquish his championship. However, Buff fought through that injury to finally give Wyatt the one-on-one title opportunity he'd been waiting for...only to have Santos Escobar steal it away from him thanks to his interference! No doubt that was a tough pill for Wyatt to swallow, but then again, perhaps it was to be expected. After all, nobody has riled people up and made more enemies this year than the self-styled "Monarch!" From "Rhino," to "One-Eye" Lorcan, to Duggan, to Keith Lee, to Miro, to Kingston, to Bagwell himself, Wyatt has spent the past seven months antagonizing virtually everyone he's crossed paths with! And given how badly he seems to play with others, color me intrigued to see how he'll fare in this kind of team environment where he'll need to put his ego aside if he wants to stand any chance of adding the World Championship to his growing list of accolades!

I'd argue that's what makes Wyatt's draft picks so fascinating, especially his first choice, Bray Wyatt! Make no mistake..."The Monarch" didn't pick Bray because they're namesakes or related to one another (at least, as far as I'm aware). He did so purely because "The Eater of Worlds" is the kind of dangerous wildcard that can prove a difference maker in a match like SuperBrawl! In fact, Wyatt was once named Captain of Team Wildcard back in 2013, a team consisting of superstars randomly drawn together, although he was unable to lead his ragtag group of men to victory on that occasion. Likewise, Bray also appeared at the 2014 event as part of Team Benjamin, as well as part of Team Albright back in 2016, meaning he brings some valuable SuperBrawl experience to the table with him, which will no doubt help make up for the fact that Wyatt's team is the only one that doesn't have a current EWA champion on it. It's also interesting to note that Wyatt was eliminated by Eddie Kingston during the 2014 event, a man who's also in the mix this year, which could well mean that Wyatt will be hoping to get some payback this time around! But let's not forget that the crazed cult leader has seemingly found his attentions focused on Kenny Omega as of late, accusing "The Best Bout Machine" of ducking out of their first round King of the Ring match not because of injury, but because Omega was supposedly scared to step in the ring with him. That led to a tag team match three weeks ago pitting Bray and Erick Rowan against Omega and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, with the Wyatt Family ultimately emerging victorious, but you can bet your bottom dollar that someone as deranged and depraved as Bray isn't finished with Omega yet. Not by a long shot! In fact, the only trouble as far as Jeremy Wyatt might be concerned is if "The Eater of Worlds" ends up being more focused on ending "The Cleaner's" career this Thursday than helping his team etch their names in the history books. Normally, a question like that would be a no-brainer...but when it comes to the unpredictable Bray Wyatt, it's a whole lot safer not to make any assumptions!

If Bray Wyatt seemed like an out-of-left-field draft pick though, Wyatt's choice of "One-Eye" Lorcan was perhaps even more of a shocker! "The 21st Century Pirate" debuted on the very same show that Jeremy Wyatt did, with the two soon crossing paths in a hotly-contested match which saw Wyatt temporarily blind Lorcan in his one good eye to steal the win! The swashbuckling superstar would quickly rebound from that loss though, going on an incredible run that saw him eventually earn a rematch with Wyatt, this time for the Television Championship! Unfortunately for Lorcan though, that match would end in a time limit draw right when he seemed to have victory within his grasp! Still, he was granted one final opportunity against "The Monarch", this time in a match with no time limits! Third time proved the charm, as "One-Eye" overcame Michael Strider ringing the bell to try and distract him before finally cinching in the dreaded Anchor Lock and forcing Wyatt to tap out! A feat even more impressive when you consider "The Monarch" has only lost three matches all year, with the others coming against Eddie Kingston and in that oft-mentioned six man tag! From there, Lorcan would quickly prove himself a fighting champion, defending against all-comers, whether they be female superstars like "La Hiedra" or even tag teams like "The Shining Colons!" No matter how good or how tough you are, that kind of run can't go on forever though, and inevitably, Lorcan suffered his second defeat of the year when his reign came to an end at the hands of Santino Marella! Lorcan disappeared from the public eye upon losing the championship, having apparently got lost at sea for the past three months, but he's back now, and no doubt eager to win more booty, even if it means working alongside one of his sworn enemies! Still, whether or not two fiery personalities like Lorcan and Wyatt can put their past differences aside on the grandest stage of 'em all remains to be seen!

After 20 years, we're used to seeing legendary superstars appear out of the woodwork to be drafted onto SuperBrawl teams. Indeed, it wouldn't be the Showcase of the Immortals without a few "blasts from the past" re-appearing at this time of year. What's rarer though is for a brand new superstar to impress so much in their debut appearance that they're immediately picked up by a Captain. I guess that should tell you everything you need to know about Kazuchika Okada then, as "The Rainmaker" looks to use this opportunity to truly announce himself to American audiences! Those familiar with his NJPW résumé will understand why his signing to the EWA has been touted as such a big deal, and with the devious Eddie Dennis in his corner to help guide Okada, it seems like a match made in heaven...or hell, depending on your point of view! In Okada, Wyatt clearly sees someone who he believes has all the tools and desire to make an instant impact, but with so little still known about the Japanese superstar, both in terms of his temperament when it comes to working with others, as well as how he'll perform on easily the biggest stage he's ever competed on, this could be a risky choice. But then, how many times over the years have we seen risks pay off for those Captains bold enough to take them? Too many to count, I'd wager! And I'm sure Okada himself will be eager to make the most of this opportunity regardless, not out of any loyalty to Jeremy Wyatt or his teammates, but for his own ambitions of proving himself the single greatest wrestler alive today. Will Okada's selection pay off for Wyatt? Or will "The Monarch's" team of misfits, former rivals and x-factors come back to bite him on the behind? I guess we'll find out one way or another on New Year's Eve!


While Jeremy Wyatt seemingly came from nowhere to quickly establish himself among the EWA ranks, Santos Escobar arrived with a big reputation from his native Mexico, not to mention the weight of his father's legacy on his shoulders. "El Fantasma" had a storied career south of the border, but his son has spent the last 20 years eclipsing him in every way, before eventually deciding to drop the mask and conquer North America as well! He's almost made it look easy so far, having gone undefeated since debuting at the start of November, including beating Bray Wyatt, Marc Mero and Santino Marella all in one night on his way to becoming the 19th EWA King of the Ring! And, it's worth noting, the first King of the Ring winner of Hispanic origin too. That has been a major source of contention for Escobar since his arrival, levying claims that the EWA has never given his fellow Mexican competitors a fair chance and that they've always been held down to stop them from achieving their true potential. Personally, I think those criticisms are entirely without merit, but I can't dispute the fact that we haven't seen many champions or event winners from Mexico over the last 20 years. Regardless, there's no doubt whatsoever that Escobar has the skill and (perhaps more importantly) the confidence to continue breaking that streak. Hell, he's an athlete so completely self-assured of himself that he even willingly put his Captain's spot on the line against Ricky Starks this past Sunday on SLAM!, just to teach the young up-and-comer a lesson. Nobody forced Santos into that situation...he did it just because he could. And even in that self-made pressure cauldron, Escobar still managed to walk out with the win. If you're talking momentum right now, I'd argue that nobody has as much as the self-styled "Emperor of Lucha Libre"...and even if he doesn't somehow ride it all the way to SuperBrawl victory, by virtue of winning King of the Ring, he'll still got a future shot at the World Championship in his back pocket! Needless to say, that's not a bad position to be in!

That one-on-one championship match isn't the only prize Escobar received for his King of the Ring victory though. As well as being the first winner of the tournament to Captain a SuperBrawl team since Edge in 2015, Santos Escobar was also able to bypass the draft altogether to make all four of his picks before anyone else had even made their first one, giving him a potentially huge advantage! It's to Escobar's credit then that he immediately chose Shawn Spears and Jungle Boy of "The New Freebirds", the current reigning and defending Tag Team Champions, recognizing the importance of teamwork this year more than any other! While it was technically the combo of Spears and Joey Janela that won the gold back in early September, the tandem of Spears and "Jungle" Jack Perry has been far more ubiquitous in 2020, showcasing the kind of "instant chemistry" that has proved difficult to beat. Indeed, much like their Captain, Spears and Jungle Boy have yet to suffer a single loss since arriving in the EWA, having picked up five wins in tag competition, including retaining the gold against the winners of the Final Four tournament in "Power & Glory", as well as twice defending the titles against "The Butcher" and "The Blade", first in a Bedlam Brawl at All Hallows' Evil, and then in a New Mexico Bloodbath Match at King of the Ring. Clearly though, SuperBrawl isn't going to be a typical tag team situation, even with the tweaked tag format this time around. And on top of that comes the pressure of the champions having to defend their titles in a match where there's a strong possibility of one member of the team being pinned or submitted before the other even makes it to the ring! That could create a scenario much like we saw in last year's Free-For-All, where one member of the Tag Champs retained their half of the championships while the other lost theirs, a fact which "The Honky Tonk Man" and my old pal Jerry "The King" Lawler continue to grouse about to this day! In fact, with the way this year's event has been set up, you could even wind up with members from different SuperBrawl teams each walking out with half the Tag Team gold, meaning "The New Freebirds" reign is arguably in more jeopardy than any other champions going into this epic battle! Still, one thing you can say about them is that they've never shirked from a challenge in the 116 days since they won the titles, and there's no doubt that SuperBrawl will be any different either! Even without Joey Janela in their corner while he heads to Japan to fulfil some commercial commitments, "The New Freebirds" are going to do everything within their power to walk out with the gold still around their waists!

As for the fourth and final member of Team Escobar, "The Emperor of Lucha Libre" has drafted a superstar that will look at SuperBrawl at his big opportunity to finally live up to his potential. It's no secret that when Kenny Omega first arrived in the EWA almost four years ago, he came with great fanfare. We knew Omega's reputation and what he'd accomplished over in Japan, but now it was time to see if he could do the same on the grand stage of the EWA. Alas, things didn't exactly go to plan as Omega found himself mired in various disputes over which was the one true Bullet Club, taking him further and further off the path he'd seemed destined for. It got to a point where "The Best Bout Machine" found himself unable to sustain any momentum for longer than a week, leading to him quietly being released from his EWA contract in April of last year. It's well-documented that Kenny returned to his native Winnipeg and joined the proverbial "rat race," seemingly leaving his EWA ambitions behind while still occasionally competing on the local scene. But then, out of the blue, an opportunity arose this year when an opponent was needed for the debuting David Starr. In truth, Omega wasn't on the EWA's radar at that point...they were just looking for a familiar face to feed to their big new signing. And yet, to the surprise of just about everyone, it would be "The Cleaner" who came out of that match looking like he belonged in the EWA, proving he still had plenty more to offer! Kenny was invited back the following week and soon picked up another win, this time over Zack Sabre Jr, before then picking up another while teaming with Kzy to defeat John Cena and Eita, putting in the kind of performances we always knew he was capable of. It's little wonder then that he was soon offered a brand new EWA contract and a shot at redemption, although injury has admittedly slowed some of his momentum over the last couple of months. Still, it's safe to say that Omega needs success at SuperBrawl perhaps more than anyone else in the match. After all, he's yet to hold championship gold here in the E-Wrestling Alliance despite several opportunities, and his only two previous SuperBrawl experiences saw him pinned by Carmella in 2017 and then by Cesaro in 2018. In other words then, you can expect to see "The Best Bout Machine" more motivated than ever before to play his part for Escobar's team...though no doubt he'll have to keep one eye out for Bray Wyatt, as "The Eater of Worlds" looks determined to spoil Kenny's party!


It's often said that the measure of a man is not how he reacts to the good times, but how he reacts to the bad. Unfortunately for Jamie Noble though, I can't say there's many who've been impressed with the way he's handled himself since losing the World Championship to "The Honky Tonk Man" at 8 Miles To Graceland. Granted, he has just cause to feel hard done by after constant interference from Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Hart saw him suffer defeat that balmy night in Memphis. And likewise, nobody can blame him for feeling screwed over after "The King" seemingly got tired of "Honky" hogging the spotlight to set up a triple threat match the following month at Summer Stampede, only for that to quickly turn into a glorified handicap match instead. Still, Noble's been in the business long enough to know that those kinds of setbacks can be overcome through hard work and diligence, much like he utilized to defeat "MJF" for the gold in the first place, yet instead of even attempting that, Jamie decided to take his ball and go home for several months. And then, when he finally returned to the EWA at Harry Smith's request, all he's done since has been to constantly complain about his lot when there's plenty of superstars who'd have given their right arm to win both the 2020 Civil War and the World Championship this year! As if Noble's repeated bellyaching wasn't disappointing enough though, I've also heard troubling rumors that "The Redneck Messiah" may have somehow gamed the random drawing Harry Smith intended to use to find our fourth and final SuperBrawl Captain. Whether or not that's true, I can't say for certain...but I can't be the only one who finds it slightly suspect that Noble's name just happened to be drawn out of over 100 possible candidates after all the fuss he kicked up. Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that "The Peckerwood Jesus" is leading a team into SuperBrawl XX, eager to become a two-time World Heavyweight Champion and pick up where he left off in early August. And I'd suggest his desperation might just make him the most dangerous man in the entire match!

To that end, Noble made sure his first draft pick was the current reigning and defending National Champion, Eddie Kingston! Before returning this past August, it had been five years since Kingston was last seen in the EWA, but he clearly hasn't skipped a beat during that absence. If anything, I'd argue the Yonkers native has only got better! Indeed, it didn't take Eddie long to rack up a series of victories that saw him go undefeated for almost two months, only to suffer his first loss to Miro when Keith Lee inadvertently caused a distraction while trying to stop Lana from interfering on her husband's behalf. The three of them looked to settle the score the following week in a triple threat match for the number one contendership to the National Title, yet then-champion Jeremy Wyatt crashed the party to try and eliminate his competition, only to have his efforts backfire after being booked in a gauntlet match against all three instead! Eddie's dearly departed mentor, Dusty Rhodes, would have been proud of him in that one, defeating Lee in the second match of the series before finally overcoming "The Monarch" to capture his third National Championship! It's to "The King of Diamonds'" credit that he's tried to be a fighting champion since then, only to be denied his first defense against "The Blade" when Miro beat him like a government mule backstage before the contest could even begin! That led to a singles match against "The Bulgarian Brute" at King of the Ring which Kingston barely survived by the skin of his teeth, soon followed up by a title defense against Kevin Owens just two weeks ago, in which "KO" was able to beat Eddie by countout but not take the title. Needless to say then, "The Mad King" has somewhat of a chip on his shoulder right now, eager to show the world that he's not some flash in the pan trying to relive his glory days, but that he deserves to be National Champion. And while defending his championship within the confines of SuperBrawl will undoubtedly be his most difficult challenge since returning to the EWA, it's worth pointing out that Eddie has the experience to know how it's done. In fact, he was a member of the victorious Team Exiles back in 2014, one of only three men involved in this year's Showcase of the Immortals to have been part of a winning team before! I wouldn't be surprised if that was a major reason why Noble chose him in the first place, much like his remaining two draft picks!

Let's face it, folks...there's no team in EWA history greater than "The Vegas Connection." From the moment "Diamond" Dallas Page and Kevin Nash joined forces, they took the tag division by storm, picking up four reigns together (although "Big Sexy" is a record-breaking seven-time tag champion in all), as well as holding the record for the longest Tag Title reign at 322 days. For four amazing years, they ruled like kings before eventually hanging up their boots in August of 2016. Indeed, they haven't even been seen at all since Sin City Survival in 2018, where guest General Manager Val Venis honored his long-time friends with the key to Las Vegas, in what seemed like a fitting farewell for the dynamic duo. So you can imagine the shockwaves felt around the wrestling world when Jamie Noble announced he was bringing Page and Nash back to the EWA for SuperBrawl XX! However, it turns out there's one slight hitch to Noble's announcement...namely that he hadn't managed to get hold of the iconic duo to let them know! That's caused somewhat of a rift between Noble and Eddie Kingston, who doesn't want to lose his championship due to "The Redneck Messiah's" poor decision making, but Noble has seemingly taken it upon himself to resolve the problem by heading to Vegas to break the news to the oblivious "VC" himself. Truth be told though, as great as Noble's picks look on paper, there's several ways this could backfire. For instance, what if "The Vegas Connection" want no part of this year's SuperBrawl, content to continue enjoying their well-earned retirement? Or even if they did agree to come back, there's a good chance that neither Nash or Page will be in ring shape for such a momentous match after four years of inactivity. And let's not forget, for all they've accomplished in their careers, neither "Big Kev" or "Dally" are exactly spring chickens at this point. At 61 and 64 respectively, they'll be far and away the oldest superstars competing in this year's SuperBrawl, and while the last year has certainly proved that age is just a number when it comes to success in the EWA, there's no denying that there's a lot of younger talent they'll be in there against with a whole lot more gas in the tank. Still, for all the potential ways this choice could blow up in Noble's face, there's no escaping the fact that the "VC" are both former World Champions and bring more SuperBrawl experience than anyone else into the match. This will be Page's fourth and Nash's sixth appearance at the event, with "Big Kev" having been a part of the winning Team Y2J in 2002 and then joining "DDP" as part of Team Vegas Connection in 2012 as well. You can bet your bottom dollar that these guys know what it takes to win, and that might end up being the most crucial commodity of all. As to whether it pays off though, well, we'll just have to wait and see!

So there you have it! Four teams stacked with EWA legends and potential future legends too, all vying for championship gold and their place in the history books! At this point, it's anyone's guess how things will shake out, but given that this is SuperBrawl (and the milestone 20th edition at that), I think it's safe to assume we're gonna see some major moments and shocking surprises along the way!

And that's not even mentioning the two other matches on this year's card, with "The Battle Battalion" of Shotzi Blackheart and Elayna Black finally getting their hands on the "Boujee Brand," doing so within the confines of a Tag Team Steel Cage Match! Aliyah and Deonna Purrazzo have done their best to screw over Shotzi at every available opportunity and make her life miserable for the last couple of months, but now that Blackheart has evened the odds by bringing Elayna onboard, it feels like "The Boujee Bratz" and "Virtuosa" are going to have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide in this one!

Then, of course, there's our highly anticipated triple threat match for the Women's Championship! Bayley's egocentric turn over the last couple of months has brought her the title she so badly coveted, but it's also seemingly put the nail in the coffin of her friendship with Daizee Haze! Still, Daizee has been waiting all year for the right opportunity to finally become Women's Champion, and what better time or place than SuperBrawl to defeat the woman who broke her heart! At the same time though, you can't forget about Sasha Banks in all of this! The former champion was screwed out of the title by Bayley, but outside of interrupting the championship match at King of the Ring, hasn't been seen on EWA television until this past week! And it looks as if Sasha has used that time away to reassess and reinvent as she tries to become a three-time champ! With so many variables and three extremely talented superstars pulling out all the stops, this one promises to be an epic end to what's been the most competitive year ever for the EWA women's division!

Truly, SuperBrawl XX is shaping up to be a barnburner from top to bottom...so if you haven't done so already, sign up to the EWA Network or contact your local Pay-Per-View providers right now so you don't miss a single second of the action! Until next time,

BOOMER SOONER!