Post by EWA.com on Feb 17, 2022 20:51:21 GMT
After an advertisement for the next Disney+ show that people will either love unconditionally, complain about relentlessly, or gloat about how they won’t be watching (that’s the camp I fall in) the cameras open up to the Post SLAM! Panel set. The desk that all three hosts are seated at are draped in red and pink fabric and large heart-shaped decorations are taped to the wall of monitors. Currently all 10 monitors are playing highlights of what occurred on the February 13th edition of SLAM! Renee Young and her two co-hosts smile for the cameras as it sweeps by them to capture the full scope of the set. As the camera settles to its static position, Renee clasps her hands together.
RENEE YOUNG: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Sunday Night SLAM! Post Show Panel! I’m your host Renee Young and joining me, as always, are the legendary icons of professional wrestling Eric Bischoff and Jim Ross. We all here hope you had a great Valentine’s Day!
ERIC BISCHOFF: Unless you forgot to get your significant other a gift and are watching from the couch tonight.
JIM ROSS: Are you speaking from experience, Eric?
ERIC BISCHOFF: I think we should just move on with the show…
RENEE YOUNG: Before we dive into SLAM!, we’d like to congratulate the brand new EWA Television Champion Rex Steiner on his victory in the main event of EWA USA! What better way to debut a brand new show than by crowning a new champion?
JIM ROSS: Absolutely, Renee. Rex Steiner is a chip off the old block from his father and uncle. Rex showed Jimmy Havoc that he didn’t need weapons and plunder to be destructive in the ring and, honestly, I don’t know if we’ll ever see Jimmy Havoc again after the beating Steiner gave him.
ERIC BISCHOFF: It’s a great win for Steiner but more importantly it showed the wrestling world that EWA USA is going to be must-see TV moving forward. Now, we’re the Post-SLAM! Panel. If the EWA wants us to do a panel on EWA USA they can either double our pay or get that clown Galli to come here and do it himself. Can we get on with it?
RENEE YOUNG: Well since Eric is a little impatient, let’s talk about Sunday Night SLAM! Love was in the air this past weekend in Villa Park, Illinois but there was no love lost between Lindsay Snow and the Dungeon Dynasty’s Julia Hart. These two faced off a number of weeks ago with Julia Hart picking up the win but this time it was the American Kaiju who secured the victory with a vicious heel hook on Hart for the submission victory. That puts both of these women at 1-1 and you can’t help but feel there may be a rubber match coming up between these two.
ERIC BISCHOFF: For Julia Hart’s sake I hope that isn’t the case. The girl got lucky in their first encounter and this match showed just that. First of all, can we give Lindsay Snow her flowers for tapping out a member of the Dungeon Dynasty? If Nattie Neidhart is half the trainer that her grandfather was, these Dynasty kids are getting stretched and beaten up during the training sessions. They’re taught to deal with pain but Snow is just another creature entirely. That nickname she has… I don’t get it. What’s a Kaiju?
RENEE YOUNG: It’s a big monster like Godzilla.
ERIC BISCHOFF: Oh that makes sense then. Yeah, Lindsay Snow is a big… one of those… things… she’s got the power, the striking, and submission game down. Snow had Hart outclassed in this second encounter.
JIM ROSS: You’re so dismissive of the Dungeon Dynasty, Eric. These are all tough, talented kids and Lindsay Snow would be better off if she learned a thing or two from them. Snow has been vicious and tough, yes, but she’s also been underhanded when it comes to attacking Julia. There is bad blood here, Eric, and even if Snow was able to restrain herself this week, I know Julia Hart was probably distracted by being cautious of potential underhanded tactics. Hart got beat this week, yes, but she’s going to bounce back. The mistakes she made come from relative inexperience and I guarantee you that she won’t make them again the next time we see these two lock up.
RENEE YOUNG: Only time will tell, guys. Now we mentioned Rex Steiner’s victory on EWA USA and it looked like his uncle was celebrating in a way that only Scott Steiner can with a… well… Super Bowl of… sex…
JIM ROSS: The good Lord certainly broke the mold when it came to Scott Steiner didn’t he, Renee?
ERIC BISCHOFF: It’s a good thing he did too.
RENEE YOUNG: Scott Steiner’s extracurricular activities aside, love certainly was in the air when the Worldwide Underground faced off against Taeler Hendrix’s The Worst in tag team competition. There is a lot of speculation when it comes to the EWA’s tag team division and the current situation revolving around the titles which we’ll be talking about later, guys, but many believe this match had major title implications. We’ll have to see how Collision Course shakes out but if that’s the case, what does this mean for The Worst and the Worldwide Underground?
JIM ROSS: It means bad news for whoever the champions are, Renee. That Taeler Hendrix is a jezebel if there ever was one and that spell she has on Shane Thorne and Corey Graves is a strong one! We’ve only seen the two of them in tag team competition twice now and it is readily apparent that they are going to do whatever it takes to keep Hendrix happy. For them to pick up a victory over the Worldwide Underground who have been in the tag team title hunt for months is a huge feather in their cap. Thorne and Graves are wrapped around her finger, for sure, but the question I want to know is what will Taeler Hendrix do if her boys fall short?
ERIC BISCHOFF: Oh we already know the answer to that, Jim. She’s made it no secret that Thorne and Graves will either succeed or be replaced. Those two may be fighting for her love and affection, but Taeler wants gold. What I will say about the Worldwide Underground is that this is a setback for them. It wasn’t that long ago that it looked like Ace Austin and Jack Evans were in line for a title shot and now we have no clue where they are. Between this loss and what happened to Taya Valkyrie later on in the night, the Worldwide Underground need to regroup.
RENEE YOUNG: It has been tough going for the Worldwide Underground lately but someone they can learn perseverance from is Santino Marella who found out later in the night that he would be facing the Temple’s Mil Muertes this upcoming weekend at EWA USA.
ERIC BISCHOFF: That’s right, Renee. Our EWA World Heavyweight Champion showed the EWA Universe just how he’s been able to stay on top of the mountain for so long this week when he made the deal of a lifetime with Muertes’ agent Dario Cueto. Mil Muertes is going to receive a “golden” opportunity if he ensures that Santino Marella is in no condition to compete for his EWA World Title match at Collision Course. The Man of 1,000 Deaths defeated the Deadman a few weeks ago, so I’m not liking the odds of an annoying Italian.
JIM ROSS: That’s where I think you’re wrong, Eric. Santino is as clever and unpredictable as a rattlesnake and tougher than a two dollar steak. If anyone can withstand the brutal power of Mil Muertes, it’s the Italian Stallion. Although, Renee, I’m surprised you didn’t mention your date with Hornswoggle? How did it go?
RENEE YOUNG: A lady doesn’t kiss and tell, gentlemen.
ERIC BISCHOFF: Oh? So there was a kiss?
RENEE YOUNG: Moving on…
RENEE YOUNG: This was a match of second chances for Rhea Ripley and Thunder Rosa as both women were looking to come back from disappointing losses. It was Team Taz’s Rhea Ripley who came out the victor tonight as she put away the luchadora with the Riptide. Now both of these competitors have not been shy about their love of fighting and Rhea Ripley in particular has been perhaps the most active wrestler in the women’s division since Team Taz debuted in the EWA. What were your thoughts on these two women?
ERIC BISCHOFF: Team Taz builds assassins, Renee. Yes, Rhea Ripley suffered a loss to Lady Frost a few weeks ago but it is that resilience that saw her get up and face her next opponent that makes her a threat. She’s like the Terminator. You can put her down but she’s not going to stay down. Ripley is physical, dominant, and has future champion written all over her. I’d say she’s another big win or two from title contention. The EWA Women’s Champion coming out of Collision Course should be keeping their eye out for Ripley and Team Taz moving forward.
JIM ROSS: All of those qualities you just mentioned about Rhea Ripley can be applied to Thunder Rosa, Eric. She’s got a lot of heart but ultimately it’s her temper or “fire” that is her undoing. You can tell she takes her losses to heart and that’s the sign of a good competitor. You don’t want to be apathetic to a loss but you also need to be able to control your emotions. Thunder Rosa got beat by the better woman last night but she won’t be down for long.
RENEE YOUNG: Speaking of things that won’t be down for long, we are sad to report that Swinger’s Palace has been temporarily closed for Income Tax Season. I don’t really want to say anymore on that in case there are “legal” implications that come about from that but we’d like to wish the former EWA World Tag Team Champions good luck. Someone else who wasn't having a great Valentine’s holiday, though, are the Queen of the Ring Taya Valkyrie and Liv Morgan! Both of these women received letters from a mysterious secret admirer on EWA USA and they had the surprise of a lifetime when Jade Cargill and Jazz got a little revenge on the pair for what happened on SLAM! a few weeks ago!
JIM ROSS: Jade Cargill in a giant box of chocolates! Jazz in a giant teddy bear! What a spectacle! It couldn’t have happened to a nicer pair after all the shenanigans that Taya Valkyrie has been a part of and Liv Morgan’s behavior in recent weeks.
ERIC BISCHOFF: It was a rotten trick, Jim. Taya Valkyrie was expecting a romantic surprise from her husband and everyone knows how mentally unstable Liv Morgan is when it comes to matters of the heart. Jade and Jazz may have gotten a measure of revenge but I sincerely doubt that Liv and Taya going to take being humiliated laying down!
RENEE YOUNG: We’ve brought up EWA USA a few times already tonight but that’s just a testament to how important our new program is. In another match related to the fallout of our new program, “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters tried to lock up the debuting Shark Boy for the victory. However the creature from 20,000 leagues below the sea proved to be just a little too frustrating for the Masterpiece and the match was awarded to Shark Boy after Masters smashed a bottle of clam juice over the masked man’s head. This was a wild one!
ERIC BISCHOFF: Yes, Renee, and a little too wild at that. Personally, if I were still the EWA General Manager, I would be having a long conversation with the Official who oversaw that match. Shark Boy was out of line the entire match and it should have been awarded to Masters!
JIM ROSS: What?!
RENEE YOUNG: You have to be joking, Eric!
ERIC BISCHOFF: I am 100% serious, Renee. Shark Boy assaulted Masters with clam juice, he choked him in the corner, he bit the man in the posterior, and he attempted to hit the Chummer on the EWA Official. Chris Masters is a serious competitor and there was no sense in all that malarkey that went on in that match!
JIM ROSS: Chris Masters is a bully, Eric, and he got what he deserved or almost did before he smashed that bottle over Shark Boy’s head. That’s just like a bully, huh? The first sign of trouble or someone standing up for themselves and he goes low. Shark Boy showed a lot of attitude and a lot of heart out there. All Chris Masters showed us was that maybe his Masterlock isn’t as unbreakable as he thinks it is. I don’t think this is the end of this confrontation by a long shot, Renee, especially since Rob Van Dam came to the assistance of his High 24:7 tag team partner before things got anymore out of hand.
RENEE YOUNG: The EWA has seen a lot of new faces in recent weeks like Shark Boy, Chris Masters, and Rob Van Dam, and that doesn’t appear to be slowing down any soon as Dragon Lee has joined the EWA and, more importantly, Dario Cueto’s Temple. One can’t help but wonder what Cueto has planned now that Muertes’ power and strength will be combined with the explosiveness of Dragon Lee. It doesn’t stop there, however. Earlier last week the EWA Wrestleline heavily rumored that the son of an EWA Legend was close to being signed and that came to fruition as Colten Gunn, the son of Billy Gunn, is now officially with the EWA along with his manager Rico Constantino. Gunn didn’t waste much time trying to make an impact as he has called out Team Taz’s Hook for a match at Collision Course. Gentlemen, which of these two men do you think has the brighter EWA future?
ERIC BISCHOFF: Dario Cueto is a brilliant man. We already saw it earlier in the show when he cut a deal with Chris Jericho for an EWA title match in exchange for Muertes taking out Santino Marella. Dragon Lee is a dynamic competitor who has won gold in Mexico and Japan in recent years. Also, let’s not forget that Dragon Lee also comes from a family of professional wrestlers. I think Lee’s in-ring talents paired up with the strength of Muertes and brilliant mind of Cueto is going to see the Temple go far in 2022.
JIM ROSS: I’m going to go the opposite route, Renee, and say Colten Gunn has a bright future in the EWA. It’s one thing to debut in a match on EWA USA or an undercard match on SLAM!, but to call your shot at one of the hottest prospects on the roster like Taz’s son Hook takes a lot of spunk. Colten is a chip-off the ol’ block much like Rex Steiner and has the look and cockiness of his old man. Quite frankly I’m excited to see these two young bucks lock horns at Collision Course. There is a wealth of young talent in the EWA and it speaks to the health of the industry moving forward!
RENEE YOUNG: We just mentioned Collision Course but this is quickly becoming one of the hottest shows in recent months that is guaranteed to kick 2022 off with a bang! We’ve already spoken about Chris Jericho and his upcoming title defense against Santino Marella. However another match that has gotten very personal, very quickly is for the EWA Women’s Championship as Aliyah defends her title against Alexa Bliss. “The Goddess” has not made a lot of friends in the EWA but many believed she crossed a line two weeks ago when she had her “problem solver” Tyson Tomko wipe out Aliyah with a big boot. The “team” of Eric Young and James Storm weren’t going to stand for that and stepped up to face Team Bliss’ Alex Shelley and Tomko in a tag match - but at Aliyah’s request the match was changed to an intergender six person tag as she joined up with Beer Funny to take on all three members of Team Bliss. Aliyah managed to secure a measure of revenge ahead of her title defense as James Storm pinned Alex Shelley to pick up the victory for his team. How important is a victory like that going into a title defense, Jim?
JIM ROSS: Oh it’s crucial, Renee. Momentum is important to a competitor especially when your opponent crossed a line. Aliyah couldn’t have found better partners in this match as they were a unified front as soon as the bell rang even if they weren’t planning on the match being in this format. Now I know James Storm isn’t thrilled with the prospect of being in a tag team again, but you have to admit that his chemistry with Eric Young is natural and unparalleled. This victory will do a lot for Aliyah though. It’s going to give her some confidence and, more importantly, it gives her some more familiarity with Alexa. Aliyah has been a very dominant champion in the past and I think her third title reign may be her longest one yet.
ERIC BISCHOFF: Jim you’re not making any sense. This match has absolutely no bearing on the women’s title match at Collision Course. Alexa Bliss wasn’t pinned and Aliyah wasn’t the person doing the pinning either. This is just a random six-man tag on Sunday Night SLAM! and nothing more. I will give you credit on bringing up familiarity but it’s going to hurt Aliyah more than help her. Tomko booted her in the head and a man with a foot that big is going to do some damage. Between that and the damage done in the tag match, I think Aliyah isn’t going into her title defense at 100%. Maybe that boot knocked some of her marbles out, but the Aliyah of old knew better than to put herself in matches before title defenses. Alexa Bliss has been playing Aliyah like a fiddle from the start and at Collision Course she’s going to cut her strings!
RENEE YOUNG: We’ve talked a lot about new faces in the women’s and tag team divisions recently, but let’s talk about the men some! After all we have three single’s titles that the men can compete for and the two men who fought in our main event could easily find themselves in title contention sooner rather than later. In one corner was the debuting Seth Rollins who has hopes of rebuilding the EWA in his own image and in the other is a man who has been making waves since signing a few weeks ago - “the Cleaner” Kenny Omega. This was one hell of a match, guys, and Omega proved himself capable of outthinking the Visionary with a flash roll-up for the victory. My question to you, gentlemen, is what do you make out of this match-up and where do you see both men going from here?
ERIC BISCHOFF: Seth Rollins is the future, Renee. He thinks ahead, he plans for contingencies, and he has high aspirations and ambitions for himself. Kenny Omega wants to play video games. Yes, Omega got lucky with a roll-up but do you think a fluke loss is going to derail someone with the intellect and conviction of Seth Rollins? I doubt it, Renee. Seth is a future champion. He could very easily run the gauntlet of TV Champion to National Champion to EWA World Champion and get there within a year at most. The only title Kenny Omega is going to win is the high score of Galaga.
JIM ROSS: I don’t think the kids play Galaga anymore, Eric. That’s not the only thing I disagree with either. Kenny Omega isn’t just playing games. He’s picking up good, quality wins and in short order. Omega is someone who has been here in the past but there is something different about him. I can’t quite put my finger on it but Kenny has been impressive and this win further cements it. You mention Rollins being capable of challenging for multiple titles in the future but I see Omega doing just the same. In my opinion both men have very bright futures here in the EWA and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
RENEE YOUNG: Another man that was predicted to have a bright future in the EWA over a year ago was Drew McIntyre but the road has been rocky at times. Something happened to McIntyre in recent weeks and the man the EWA fans happily called Last King of Scotland became someone no one recognizes any longer. After sending his fellow tag team champion Dak Draper and his friend J. Fowler to the hospital, Drew McIntyre debuted his supergroup The Decree. This group is now recognized as the EWA World Tag Team Champions under Freebird rules but after this week they’re not satisfied with just being the tag team champions. EWA National Champion Shannon Moore and former EWA World Champion Jeff Hardy stepped up to defend the EWA against this new threat and the challenge for Collision Course has been made. It’ll be a Winner Takes All match as two members of the Decree defend the tag team titles against Shannon Moore and Jeff Hardy who will be putting up the National title in return. Guys, this is a HUGE match for Collision Course!
JIM ROSS: Absolutely, Renee. These Decree guys have not ingratiated themselves to the EWA roster and I just want to know what happened to Drew McIntyre. Yes, he had some setbacks but it wasn’t like Drew had a lousy year! To react in this manner… to bring these outlaws and scumbags like Rickey Shane Page and Thom Latimer… into the EWA like a poison? I just can’t believe it. On the other side of the coin, Shannon Moore and Jeff Hardy know all about adversity and getting lost in the dark side. They also how to fight their way back. Moore and Hardy are almost the antithesis of what McIntyre is doing. Instead of going mad with bitterness and anger, they fought hard and persevered. Maybe Drew McIntyre isn’t a lost cause yet, but I can’t wait to see Shannon Moore and Jeff Hardy stand up for the EWA and take back the tag team titles!
ERIC BISCHOFF: That’s all well and good, Jim, but the Decree is dangerous. They sent two men to the hospital on their debut night. This isn’t just Drew McIntyre upset that he didn’t win some matches. This is a team of sociopaths coming together to inflict harm and punishment wherever they can. Shannon Moore and Jeff Hardy may THINK they’re doing the right thing but they’re doing something incredibly stupid and reckless. I’m sure that’s not a surprise coming from them but someone in the EWA needs to nullify this match. The only way to slow down the Decree is to keep them from holding any more titles than they already have and Shannon Moore is practically handing them the National title.
JIM ROSS: They have to beat Shannon Moore and Jeff Hardy first, Eric, and lord knows many men have tried to keep them down before. Those two men from Cameron, North Carolina have no quit in them and they’re not going to let the thuggish tactics of Drew McIntyre and his “friends” keep them from protecting the EWA’s honor.
RENEE YOUNG: Well that got very intense, very fast. I think now is a good time to breathe a little levity back into the program as we go back into the EFN Vault for our Classic Match of the Week! Colten Gunn may have called out Hook for a match at Collision Course, but we’re going back to October 24th, 2010 at the Bad Moon Rising event where Hook’s father Taz defended the EWA World Tag Team titles with his partner Raven against Diarchy - Yuji Nagata and the “Macho Man” Randy Savage!
| EWA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP |
| RAVEN’S RULES TAG TEAM MATCH |
DIARCHY vs RAVEN/TAZ ©
One Fall; 45 Time Limit
JOEY STYLES: OH MY!! What a brutal move that was by Randy Savage, popping up from out of nowhere to DRIVE his opponent down against that chair!!
DON WEST: Raven could have cracked a few ribs on that fall, Styles! And if he’s carrying around an injury like that, it could rule him out of the rest of this match!
Raven rolls away and writhes in agony on the canvas as Yuji Nagata and Randy Savage bump fists and turn around…before comes Taz, lunging forwards to deliver a surprise double clothesline that knocks the pair of them down again! He then goes over and grabs the trash can that had been thrown into the ring, raising it up and SMASHING it against Savage’s head, then Nagata’s, then Savage’s…and then one final blow on Yuji that sends him tumbling backwards through the ropes and into ringside! Taz now turns his attention back towards Randy Savage, throwing down the trash can to instead pick up the Singapore cane and then start choking his opponent with it on the mat! The Referee tries to warn him off, but his five count and the threat of disqualification is totally useless in a Raven’s Rules type match, instead continuing to needle Taz until he angrily releases the choke on his own accord and yells at the Ref to back off! Taz now drags Savage up by the hair, pulling him into position and then launching him across the ring with an overhead belly-to-belly Tazplex, crawling on top now to make the first cover of the match…1…2…KICK OUT! Taz shares a few words with the Referee before now starting to drag the Macho King back to his feet again…before all of a sudden, Savage breaks free and lands a rake to the eyes, stopping Taz in his tracks! This allows Randy Savage the chance to start fighting back with some stiff jabs to the side of the jaw, before whipping him off the ropes and then landing a back elbow smash on the return! Not content there, he taunts Taz to rise before now hitting the ropes himself, coming back and delivering a high knee smash to knock him straight back down again, before now waiting for the One Man Crime Spree to get instinctively back to his feet…and dropping him back down again with a scoopslam! The Macho King then looks around and finds what he’s looking for, taking the steel chair and resting it over Taz’s head, before hitting the ropes to the side…and coming back to hit a knee drop onto the chair, crushing Taz’s head in the process!! The move does some damage to Savage as well, but given what’s at stake, he puts up with the pain as he shoves the chair out of the way and goes for the cover…1…2…KICK OUT! Meanwhile, out at ringside, both Raven and Yuji Nagata have struggled back to their feet again, where Raven quickly cuts Nagata off with a knee lift! He then drives him head-first into the steel ring stairs to keep his opponent subdued, before now grabbing at the protective mat that covers the floor, ripping it up to reveal the cold, hard and unforgiving concrete underneath!! The fans boo loudly as Raven then drags The Emperor back towards the concrete, hooking him by the head and raising an arm into the air to signal for the Even Flow DDT…yet Nagata somehow manages to not only block, but counter the attempted move, hitting a release Northern Lights suplex that sees Raven come CRASHING down on top of the hard floor, leaving him in absolute agony as both men remain down and out there! Back inside the ring, Randy Savage shakes off the pain in his knee as he now drags Taz up, hitting an atomic drop that leaves his opponent stunned long enough for the Macho King to come hurtling off the ropes and then delivering a big time clothesline to follow up, putting the Human Suplex Machine down and out! Savage then points to the corner and earns a bit of a pop, with the fans clearly deciding they prefer Diarchy over the Triple Threat, as the Macho King now heads over to it and starts to climb! He soon reaches the top rope, crouching down on it as he looks for the Royal Elbow…when all of a sudden, Taz shoots back to his feet and runs up the corner, hooking Savage up and then LAUNCHING him across the squared circle with a super Head and Arm Tazplex!! The fans are in absolute shock as Savage lands high and tight on top of his head, laying completely out cold on the canvas as Taz crawls towards him and then goes for the cover…1…2…NOOOOOOOO!! YUJI NAGATA BREAKS IT UP, RIGHT AT THE VERY LAST SECOND!!!
DON WEST: CRAP ON A CRUTCH!! I THOUGHT FOR SURE THAT WAS GONNA BE IT RIGHT THERE, BUT NAGATA MAKES THE SAVE!!
JOEY STYLES: If he had been even a split-second longer, this match would have been over…but as it stands, Diarchy are still in with a chance!
The fans are on the edge of their seats as Nagata and Taz sit on their knees and begin exchanging tired rights for several moments…only for Taz to suddenly catch his opponent flush with a headbutt! He then struggles back to his feet, grabbing the mangled remains of the steel chair and then…CRACK! He brings it down hard against Nagata’s back, causing the Japanese superstar to arch with pain! Taz then throws the chair down before dragging him back to his feet, grabbing him from behind…and hitting a textbook release German Tazplex, dumping Nagata on his head once again! The Human Suplex Machine gets back upright and raises his arms into the air in celebration…but little does he realize that Yuji Nagata is rising almost instantly as well, face etched with anger and pain as he gets a surge of fighting spirit, waiting for Taz to turn around and then giving him a taste of his own medicine with a kick to the gut, followed by a wrist clutch exploder suplex, DRIVING him down and out!! The fatigue hits Taz mere seconds after hitting the move, as he takes a couple of moments before finally crawling on top to make the cover…1…2…KICK OUT!! However, The Emperor can sense that the Tag Team Titles are within his grasp, as he now edges out of the ring and lifts up the ring apron, digging around…and then pulling out a table! The crowd goes wild as he struggles to lift it up and slide it into the ring, having to rely on Harley Race to help him out…when all of a sudden, here comes Raven from behind, suitably recovered enough from that bad landing on the concrete to then blast Nagata in the back of the head with one of the Tag Team Titles!! Harley Race angrily starts to lambaste Raven as a result…but then the Triple Threat member swings the belt and smashes the gold into his face as well, knocking the legend down and out! He then slides back into the ring now, where Raven proceeds to lift the table up and prop it against the corner, before now going over to check on Taz. The One Man Crime Spree is coming too, getting helped back to his feet as Raven then points towards Savage, who’s still out from that super Head and Arm Tazplex, telling Taz to put him through the waiting table! It seems as though Taz is only to eager to comply, as he now grabs a handful of hair and drags Randy back to his feet and towards the corner, whilst Raven turns away to celebrate and taunt the fans simultaneously! Taz now hooks Savage up, looking for a Tiger Tazplex through the waiting wood…but something takes hold of the Macho King, inspiring him to fight back by cracking his head backwards repeatedly, finally managing to smash Taz in the nose long enough to free himself! The noise of the crowd alerts Raven to this situation though, as he turns to see Savage free before angrily charging towards him…only to have Randy dive out of the way as Raven inadvertently hits a spear that puts Taz through the table!!! The crowd goes ballistic as Raven looks down at his partner with a mixture of shock and horror on his face…only for the anger to sink in now, as he quickly turns to make Randy Savage pay for this travesty! However, he instead walks right into a steel chair shot, as Savage DRIVES the rim of it against his gut, doubling Raven over…and then SMASHING the chair down against his back for good measure!! A bloody Yuji Nagata slowly but surely re-enters the ring now, where Savage helps his partner up and the pair of them then set their collective sights on Raven, looking to end this match once and for all!!
JOEY STYLES: THIS COULD BE IT RIGHT HERE!! After Raven inadvertently put his own partner through that table, the advantage has definitely swung in Diarchy’s favor…and we could be about to see new Tag Team Champions crowned!!
DON WEST: What a battle we’re witnessing, Styles!! This is INCREDIBLE!!
With the crowd going wild, Savage now heads to the corner and slowly but surely climbs to the top rope, whilst Yuji Nagata now pulls Raven up and hooks him by the head! He then powers the Triple Threat member into the air, holding him upside down for a few seconds…before suddenly dropping with a twisting brainbuster, spiking Raven on top of his head with the Thunder Death Driver!!! The Emperor rolls out of the way now and rests on one knee, as Savage stands upright on the top rope, sizing Raven up…and then LAUNCHING himself into the air, coming down with the Royal Elbow right against the Tag Champion’s sternum!!! Raven looks to be totally out cold now as Savage rests next to him for a couple of moments before crawling on top and hooking the inside leg, the entire crowd counting along…1…2…3?!?!?
JOEY STYLES: YEEEEEEEEEEEES!! NEW CHAMPIONS!! DIARCHY ARE THE NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPI–NOOOOOOOOO!!! TAZ MAKES THE SAVE!!!
DON WEST: HOW THE HELL DID HE DO THAT?!? I THOUGHT HE WAS OUT OF THIS MATCH AFTER GETTING PUT THROUGH THAT TABLE!!
JOEY STYLES: THIS IS TRULY AMAZING!! AS MUCH AS I MIGHT DISLIKE THE TRIPLE THREAT, THEY REFUSE TO GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!!
However, it looks as if breaking up that pin attempt might have taken what little fight was left in Taz right out of him, as Yuji Nagata now angrily goes to town on him once again, stomping the holy hell out of the One Man Crime Spree before then dragging him back up and tossing him out of the ring! The Emperor goes to follow, telling Savage to take care of Raven as he hops through the ropes and continues his assault on Taz, punching him with some big time shots before finally scooping him up and over his shoulder!! At the same time, a bruised and beaten Randy Savage is back to his feet and playing to the fans, before finally going over and grabbing the trash can! He now places it on top of Raven’s chest, positioning it carefully before finally heading back towards the corner! The Macho King is clearly exhausted and on his last legs after this epic battle, but with the championships within his grasp, he now climbs back to the top rope once again, steadying himself as before! The crowd is going wild, still cheering for Diarchy over their opponents, as Randy Savage now slowly stands upright just like he has so many thousands of times in the past…and then LEAPS high into the air once again, bringing down the Royal Elbow!!! However, rather than bringing it down onto Raven, the Tag Team Champion somehow manages to roll over and leave the trash can in his place, causing Savage to CRASH down on top of it and completely crush the steel in the process!! He bounces around on the mat, flopping and flailing at the pain of the missed move…whilst back out at ringside, Yuji Nagata runs towards the steel ring post, looking to smash Taz face-first into it…yet somehow, the Human Suplex Machine slips down his back, suddenly cinching in the Tazmission from out of nowhere!! In a matter of seconds, the crowd’s jubilation has turned to horror, as Taz drags The Emperor down, trapping him in the Kata Hajime…whilst at the same time, a broken and beaten Raven somehow summons the strength to drag himself up, lifting Randy Savage off the canvas and into a front facelock…before DRIVING him down head-first into the remains of the trash can with the Even Flow DDT!!! No one can quite believe what they’re seeing as Raven drapes himself over Savage, unable to find any more strength to make a proper cover…1…2…3!!!!
WINNERS & STILL EWA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS:
RAVEN/TAZ
RENEE YOUNG: It’s wild how Taz was an EWA Tag Team Champion 12 years ago and now his son is actively competing with him in his corner. We talked about the number of second generation talents but you don’t actually realize it until you look in the archives and see their fathers compete. To think there may be a day when Hook holds the same title belt as his father. It blows me away!
ERIC BISCHOFF: It blows me away that Randy Savage was in a tag team with Yuji Nagata.
JIM ROSS: There is a reason we tend to say “Only in the EWA”, Eric!
RENEE YOUNG: Only in the EWA is right, JR, and only in the EWA are you going to find action like we have planned for Saturday Morning and EWA USA! I’ve been told that Liv Morgan and the Undertaker are already signed to compete as well as the long-awaited in-ring debut of the Worldwide Underground’s leader John Morrison!
JIM ROSS: It's about time! Don’t forget that Jeff Hardy put out the challenge to face a member of the Decree and Clark Connors was volunteered by Drew McIntyre to answer the challenge! Can Jeff Hardy put a chink in the Decree’s armor before Collision Course?
ERIC BISCHOFF: Also, let’s not forget the main event as Mil Muertes attempts to uphold his end of the bargain with Chris Jericho and puts Santino Marella out of commission ahead of Collision Course! Can the Italian Stallion withstand the onslaught of 1,000 deaths? I doubt it!
RENEE YOUNG: The Road to Collision Course continues, fans! Chris Jericho will defend the EWA World Championship against Santino Marella. It’s Boujee versus Goddess as Aliyah defends the EWA Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss. Plus it is all or nothing for Shannon Moore and Jeff Hardy as they face two members of the Decree with the EWA National and EWA World Tag Team Titles on the line! See these great title matches and more on February 27th as the EWA presents Collision Course live on pay-per-view from Pullman, Washington! We will see you all again after the show for a special post pay-per-view panel! I’m Renee Young, they’re Eric Bischoff and Jim Ross and we’re out of time!