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Post by EWA Official on Dec 15, 2023 12:18:07 GMT
For the 23rd year in a row, EWA's premier event has arrived. A night when titles are on the line, prestige is at its peak while drama, intrigue, betrayal and trust come to the forefront. In the main event of this marquee event, as is tradition, multiple teams battle in a winner-take-all format that sees the final team remaining winning all of the championships up for grabs. This year we have three teams vying for all the gold in the E-Wrestling Alliance. This year's captains are CODY RHODES, the EWA World Heavyweight Champion and the man who overcame Sefa Fatu. His incredible performance, defeating the Tribal King and subsequent work as World Champion, notching several defenses under his belt make him a natural fit for team captain. Rhodes is no stranger to SuperBrawl, having competed several times before and understands the joys of victory in this event as well as the agony of defeat. The second captain is none other than the 2023 King of the Ring, ROMAN REIGNS! Although Reigns has had success in the past, it would be hard to argue that 2023 hasn't been his best year to date. Earlier this year, Reigns was able to eliminate 29 other superstars to win the Civil War and just one month ago overcame 9 other superstars to win the annual King of the Ring tournament. No man has ever done that in a single calendar year and Reigns is looking to add this final victory to give him the trifecta of major EWA events wins. Rounding out the captain's spots is MATT CARDONA, the current EWA National Champion and the only undefeated star of his caliber in 2023. Cardona would have had to take part in the event regardless of his role as captain because the current champions must enter the match, but with Cardona now headlining a team it will give him an opportunity to prove that he's every bit the champion of record that he claims he is. This year's event has one new added wrinkle. By virtue of winning the Bunkhouse Battle royal on a Sunday Night SLAM event a couple of weeks ago, newcomer to the EWA, Austin Theory, MUST be drafted onto one of the official SuperBrawl teams. This is in addition to the EWA World Tag Team Champions requirement to be drafted. Theory is also receiving a World Title shot at the final EWA SLAM of the year, so it's possible he may actually enter the event as World Champion. 2017 saw Adam Cole upset Cody Rhodes (who was also World Champion at that time) just days before SuperBrawl, throwing the entire event into a tale spin of chaos. Will history repeat itself? The Basics of SuperBrawl XXIIIEach team will have 4 wrestlers. Plus one alternate. One person from each team is in the ring at any given time, and eliminations come via pinfall or submission. When someone is eliminated, the next person from their team enters to replace him. When all 4 members of one team have been eliminated, that team is out. The match ends when all but one team has been eliminated, and the winning team's members will win the World Championship, the National Championship and the World Tag Team Championships. Who gets what belts will be decided via the team captain's decision. All the teams will choose an alternate that can be swapped in at the last minute should the team need to swap them in for some reason. All the alternates will face each other in the undercard of SuperBrawl and the winner of that match will receive a TV Title match. Captains will assign their own team order as they see fit, deciding who will enter first, second, third and fourth. SuperBrawl XXIII Captains As is tradition heading into SuperBrawl, the World Champion receives first pick. The King of the Ring will receive the second pick, with the National Champion rounding things out for the final draft selection in each round. 1) Cody Rhodes2) Roman Reigns3) Matt CardonaStarting with their first pick, each Captain will reveal their chosen team-mate until the first round of selections is over. Then, in that same order, each Captain will next announce their next pick as a single selection, this will continue until each Captain has selected the final member of their team. The only time a captain may select two people at a time, is if they are drafting an established tag team, IE: The RoadWarriors Hawk and Animal would come as a package deal. The EWA World Tag Team Champions as well as Austin Theory MUST be drafted. So if by the time we get to the point in the draft where there are no selections left other than those three men, they will automatically be drafted to the remaining teams. The EWA World Tag Team Champions will come as a package deal and will take two spots on someone's team. Once all teams are decided, Captains will then select one alternate male wrestler as a "in case of emergency" pick that would substitute someone on their team if they are unable to compete. The captain may swap in their alternate at any time if they feel it is necessary (but is generally only used when it looks like someone isn't going to participate) and can give teams a last minute replacement. Lastly, Captains may make trades from their team to another team, should someone want to do so. If you don't like your team for some reason, perhaps you can convince your opponents to trade you some members for some reason or another. The Fine PrintThis topic will remain sticky at the top, and I ask that only captains respond to this post, any questions or the like be posted either in the Locker Room or via PM to me, not under this thread as I want to keep this the "official" SB topic without all the clutter of useless replies. Good luck, everyone! It should be noted that although this topic is being opened early, it may takes hours, or even DAYS to complete this process, so just sit back, enjoy and have fun. With that out of the way, let the 2023 EWA Super Brawl Draft begin! First pick goes to EWA World Heavyweight Champion, the American Nightmare, CODY RHODES! |
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Post by Craig on Dec 15, 2023 16:14:31 GMT
We open up on the scene of a black background and Cody Rhodes sitting on a stool in front of it. The camera closes in on him as the shadows dance around Cody’s face.CODY RHODES: A lot of you are just going to skip ahead in this video to the end and listen to who my first pick of the draft is, but this is so much more to me than just about a draft pick. This is the final piece of my puzzle. This is about SuperBrawl. Rhodes adjusts on his stool before continuing.CODY RHODES: It’s no secret that I’ve yet to captain a SuperBrawl winning team. Well, it’s only not so much a secret because I really won’t shut up about it. It’s fair to say that not a lot of people would care about that so much. There’s a few people that already have it on their record and don’t think a second thing about it. Guys like Jeremy Wyatt, Jack Gallagher, Edge and Richard Blood for example. Not that it’s not a big deal to them, but it’s just a thing that happened in their career. To be on the other side of that coin though and participate in so many of these. Captaining a team as many times as I have and never leading a team to victory, it’s weighed on me, man. Rhodes has a serious tone and look on his face. He purses his lips and narrows his eyes a bit as he continues on, staring right into the camera.CODY RHODES: Maybe I was spoiled my first year in the EWA with getting a SuperBrawl victory with the Vegas Connection. That I thought it would be that easy each and every year, yet Cody Rhodes hasn’t been on a winning team since then - let alone lead a team to a SuperBrawl win. Since winning this title back in August, SuperBrawl has always been an infection in the back of my mind. An infection that has grown with each passing day that we near the biggest event of the year. Now we’re right on the doorstep and it’s all I can think about. Hell, I spent the night last night making this… He holds a paper up towards the camera in front of his face.He pulls it back down and lets out a big sigh before going on.CODY RHODES: I’ve made this pick in my head probably a hundred times the last few days. I had every intention of being ready to go when this draft started but every time I got close to committing to a pick, I’d change my mind. His eyebrows dart up and then back down.CODY RHODES: Again, I’m sure I’ve lost all of you at this point and you’ve skipped to the end of the video and seen my pick. So, I’ll save you all the pomp and circumstance of why I’m doing this and what my thought process was going into it. My pick is going to be a controversial one and I know that. Taking a tag team that’s not the tag team champions, but I just see something in these two. I see the ability. I see the tenacity. And while they might not be fully on the same page right now, I firmly believe I can help bridge that gap and bring them to a SuperBrawl victory. Cody grows a small smirk across his face.CODY RHODES: …that’s why with my first pick in the SuperBrawl draft, I’m going to select the former tag championship team of Jeff Jarrett and Colby Corino...
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Post by Roman on Dec 16, 2023 14:02:31 GMT
The scene transitions with Roman Reigns donning his training suit. Not one for flashy suit, he opts for practical gear to get the work done. His demeanor isn't overly cheery or excited; rather, he appears pensive and serious, fully aware that the next few words can alter the course of EWA history.ROMAN REIGNS: I’m still wrapping my head around all of this. Every wrestler who ever laced up a pair of boots has dreamt of leading their SuperBrawl team to victory. This year I have a shot at fulfilling that dream. Not only that, but I also have a shot at doing something that’s never been done in the history of our business and win the big three on the same calendar year! There’s a small smile on the corner of Roman’s lips, a clear indication that in his mind, he envisions his hand being raised at the end of the night, turning that dream into reality.ROMAN REIGNS: I don’t take that lightly, but I don’t buckle under pressure, either. Now, I’ll be the first to say – teamwork has never been my forte – but I know that on New Years Eve I need to be more than a wrestler… I need to be a captain. And that’s exactly who I’m going to be. I am committed to being the leader this team needs to become the 2023 SuperBrawl Champions! Now, as they say, there is no I in Team, so let’s get this draft going. You’d think it would be easy to draft a team with the amount of talent in the locker room – EWA is where the best of the best wrestle, after all – but I don’t want to choose a good wrestler, I want to choose the best. And it’s hard to argue against them numbers… there’s no man better than the one who has won SuperBrawl more than anyone else. The man who has led the most teams to victory. I’m not gonna lie, you have to be incredibly brave or foolish to even try and inherit the legacy of the greatest tag team of all time – but they have, and I’m going to give them a chance to prove they can. O le ala i le pule o le tautua. If you’re going to take something as important as a name, then you need to understand what it means. You need to earn it. Roman pauses, a knowing smile gracing his face, as devoted EWA fans undoubtedly recognize the clear reference by The Hound of Justice.ROMAN REIGNS: My first picks are the EWA Tag Team champions – The Wild Samoans.
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Post by Chelsea on Dec 16, 2023 17:08:28 GMT
The EWA.com broadcast opens up to the third captain for the SuperBrawl event, the EWA National Champion Matt Cardona, as he’s seated in his office where he conducts his Major Wrestling Figure Podcast (when his wife lets him). Behind him is his shelf containing all of his prized possessions, various figures including “The Macho Man” Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, and Razor Ramon among others. On its own dedicated shelf, is his most prized possession to date, the EWA National Championship, it’s gold plate gleaming in the light of the office. As Matt realizes it’s his turn to go in the draft, he clears his throat and begins to speak.MATT CARDONA: Alright you Major Marks, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for - - the first Major pick of the SuperBrawl draft. We’ve seen Cody Rhodes draft Colby Corino and that dinosaur Jeff Jarrett, we saw Roman Reigns draft those other dinosaurs Chris Jericho and Old Dogg, we heard all of their pomp and circumstance, but now I’m sure that everyone is on the edge of their seats wondering who I’m going to pick. So I’m just going to cut right to the chase. The man I’m choosing to draft to my team, while he may not be undefeated in 2023 like yours truly, he’s still no stranger to success. I know he’s eager to remind everyone just why he dominated this place a couple of years ago, and I know he’s especially eager to finally make an example out of Roman Reigns. That’s why my first pick for the 2023 SuperBrawl is none other than…The Monarch himself, Jeremy Wyatt!
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Post by Chelsea on Dec 16, 2023 18:39:15 GMT
After a brief ad break, the EWA.com broadcast immediately returns to Matt Cardona who, once he realizes he’s on the screen again, looks bewildered.MATT CARDONA: Wait, why are we on me again? I already made my pick! The production assistant overseeing the broadcast sighs wearily.PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Right, but you only picked one superstar, while Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns each selected a tag team. Therefore, it goes back to you again. Matt’s eyes go wide with surprise.MATT CARDONA: So I get to go again? Seriously? PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: That is indeed what I just said. MATT CARDONA: Hell yeah, bro, that’s awesome!PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Right. Well, uh, we’re kind of live right now so do you think you could possibly…get on with it? MATT CARDONA: Oh right, right. Matt claps his hands together and rubs them excitedly, as he flashes a big smile to the camera.MATT CARDONA: Alright, chuckleheads, I bet you weren’t expecting to see me again so soon, huh? Well, here I am, so let’s get down to it. For my next pick, I think I’m going to go with…hmmm… Matt furrows his brow, deep in thought, when suddenly, his face lights up.MATT CARDONA: Yes! That’s it! For my next pick, I’m going to go with the second-best tag team in the EWA. Because obviously the best tag team is The Major Players, but due to my position as captain, that’s just not an option, even though we’d totally go the distance. For this pick, much like Jeremy Wyatt, they don’t have the pleasure of being undefeated in 2023 like I do, but they have been at the top of the tag team mountain, and on more than one occasion. In fact, they have even more in common with Jeremy Wyatt. They also happen to be former SuperBrawl winners, and they have their own axe to grind with Roman Reigns and I’m sure they would love nothing more than to get their hands on him. That’s why for my next pick I’m going to go with…the former two-time EWA Tag Team Champions, The Usos!
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Post by Craig on Dec 16, 2023 18:51:15 GMT
CODY RHODES: To say that I have a rich EWA history is certainly an understatement. It’s been a long and tumultuous road to get to this point. This is definitely not a point I thought I would be at a year ago at this time. I thought my EWA career was over this time last year, man. He shakes his head in disbelief of what he’s just said.CODY RHODES: Now, a year later and I find myself in the all too unforgiving position of making SuperBrawl draft picks once again. Overthinking it to every possible degree. One moment I feel about taking one person and a few hours pass and my mind changes to another pick I think I should make. I wish this was easier…but it’s not. His face now has a more serious look to it.CODY RHODES: Then something happened as I was stressing over who to take with my picks. I got something in the mail. Something that surprised me. Something I certainly didn’t expect. That thing I got in the mail led to a phone call and that phone call led me to my SuperBrawl pick. Now, I’m not to get all ‘serendipitous’ about all of this. I don’t think the world is sending us signals or symbols or signs in any sense of the imagination, but it’s hard to think the universe wasn’t nudging me in this direction when this wound up in my mailbox. A small grin comes across his face as he thinks about his past.CODY RHODES: Eleven years ago, I joined up with Val Venis, Kevin Nash and DDP to win SuperBrawl. It was a career highlight. A proverbial feather in my cap. Something I’ll never forget. The bond I forged with those men still remains to this day. A bond that leads to things like I got in the mail… Cody pulls up an envelope and pulls out the contents, holding it up towards the camera.He pulls it back down, a big smile on his face.CODY RHODES: I haven’t heard from him in a few years. I know he still keeps up with the rest of the Vegas Connection. I called Heath, talked to him a little bit. Told him about this upcoming SuperBrawl and gauged his interest. And listen, I get it…there’s a lot of great talent in the EWA ready to go and show the world what they’re capable of doing in this match. To go off the board like this and bring someone back, it’s not something I do without a small deal of guilt. This is the right thing to do though. That’s why my pick is going to be Heath Slater!
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Post by Roman on Dec 16, 2023 21:57:42 GMT
The scene shifts back to Roman Reigns, wearing a dry smile. The Hound of Justice has been attentively listening to his rival captains and their selected picks, especially taking note of Matt Cardona's choices, seemingly crafted to be Roman Reigns' kryptonite.ROMAN REIGNS: Definitely some interesting picks out there… Matt and Cody might have just done me a huge favor, though. You see, this guy is young, he’s new, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make a name for himself in this business. Hell, he reminds me of myself when I was his age. And while everyone might be looking down on him, he’s the only man without a strap who actually earned his spot in the biggest SuperBrawl of all time by beating fourteen other wrestlers in a Bunkhouse Battle Royal! He also needs to be drafted, a point that Roman Reigns conveniently omits, yet the crowd isn't oblivious to it. Despite the obligation, something in Roman's words indicates to the audience that he wants the promising up-and-comer on his team nevertheless.ROMAN REIGNS: Ladies and gentlemen, my next pick is the new breed of EWA – ` Austin Theory!
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Post by Craig on Dec 17, 2023 17:23:21 GMT
The camera is focused on Cody Rhodes as he sits in his office. A tint of flashing green and red lights illuminates him from the Christmas lights hanging outside his house. He has a small grin across his face.CODY RHODES: Heath Slater, huh? What a pick. I know there’s a lot of you all out there a little bewildered and surprised by that pick and his impending EWA return. The man has been through a lot and wants a chance at EWA redemption. Who am I to tell him no? The lights from outside continue to change from red to green every few seconds. Cody’s grin fades as he continues.CODY RHODES: There’s a time honored tradition at SuperBrawl where a team of alternates will face one another for a potential title shot. This has been going on for as long as I can remember and usually results in some of the most competitive and titillating matches on the card. There’s been future world champions who got their start by winning the SuperBrawl alternates match. It’s a match that carries prestige and tradition with it. The camera zooms in as Cody’s facials tighten a bit. A more serious tone in his voice.CODY RHODES: There are still a lot of super talented guys who haven’t been drafted to a team. Guys who deserve to be drafted to a team. There are going to be people who are hoping to hear their name said at the end of this video and aren’t going to hear it. They’re going to hold resentment against me and the other captains when they don’t wind up on a team. When they’re not given a shot. And if I’m being honest with you, that vitriol they’ll have is justified. He lets a small exhaling sigh out before continuing. CODY RHODES: That’s the thing about SuperBrawl though. You’re never sure how many opportunities you’re going to have in the biggest match of the year. Let alone an opportunity to captain a team. That’s why I have to do it this way. My way. I have to draft men I trust to go into battle with me. Even if they haven’t competed in over ten years. Even if you haven’t teamed up with them in almost ten years. The grin comes back as he continues.CODY RHODES: I’ve done a lot of things in the EWA and have put together quite a list of accomplishments. I’m not the only one in EWA history with a glowing record though. There've been a lot of men who have come before and after me and put together a resume worth bragging about. I happened to share tag team gold with one of them. When I returned to EWA in 2012, a man took a chance on me at SuperBrawl. He took a chance he didn’t have to take. That chance pick he made resulted in one of the closest friendships any man can ask for. We’ve been to hell and back together and it feels like our careers have been closely tied to one another since that fateful selection in 2012. I’m ready to go to war with that man one more time. My final selection for Team Nightmare and the alternate for my team is Val Venis. CODY RHODES: I want to wish the other teams involved in SuperBrawl the best of luck. It’s shaping up to be one of the best ever. I’m going to promise you all something right now though - and it’s a promise you all already know. Cody Rhodes is not going to go down without a fight. I busted my ass to get back to the top of this mountain and I’ll be damned if I’m going to get knocked off now. Not by Austin Theory. Not by Roman Reigns. Not by Matt Cardona. Not by any of you. You want the most precious prize in all of this sport? Come and give it your best shot. When the bell rings and the match of all matches is over on December 31st…Team Nightmare will stand triumphantly and Cody Rhodes will still be your champion going into 2024. It all begins…again.
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Post by Roman on Dec 18, 2023 0:50:50 GMT
The focus shifts back to Roman Reigns as he contemplates his final pick. The 2023 King of the Ring gazes into the camera, taking a thoughtful moment to ensure he makes the right decision on the team’s behalf.ROMAN REIGNS: Time to wrap this up. The team isn’t done until we have our alternate and I’m not gonna be sleeping on that. The alternate has to be someone who is reliable, consistent, someone that has proved over the year that they deserve a shot at the SuperBrawl championship. Someone who is ready to step in at a moment’s notice if either the Wild Samoans or Austin Theory aren’t playing ball. And even if it doesn’t come to that, our alternate will still be representing Team Wild Samoans in a triple threat match and we want that double-u, we want our guy to be the next EWA Television champion. I can think of no one better than a man who also shares the burden of leadership. A man who’s been giving hell to Matt Cardona for the past few weeks. A man who’s gone and done it all in this business but the one checkmark missing is that elusive EWA Television championship. He pauses once again, well aware that viewers at home and his rival captains should already have a clear idea of the individual who will secure the final spot on his team.ROMAN REIGNS: The final pick for Team Wild Samoans is The Phenomenal One – AJ Styles!
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Post by Chelsea on Dec 18, 2023 20:43:55 GMT
The EWA.com broadcast returns to the image of Matt Cardona wiping tears from his eyes as he gasps for breath from laughing so hard. After he takes a moment to collect himself, he turns his attention to the camera.MATT CARDONA: Wow, Roman, AJ Styles? The guy I just humiliated two weeks ago on SLAM? Great choice, bro. I’m sure he’ll do wonders for your team. And Cody, really? Val Venis? Are you trying to captain a SuperBrawl team or open up a retirement home? While you’re busy dwelling on “the good old days”, I’m thinking about the future. The man I’m drafting as my alternate is a man who made an impact when he absolutely destroyed The United Empire at All Hallow’s Evil a couple of months ago. I have no doubt that as the alternate for The Major Team, he’s going to crush the competition whether it’s in the alternates match, or in the SuperBrawl match itself. My final pick is none other than… Samoa Joe!Cardona smirks at the camera.MATT CARDONA: Make no mistake about it, The Major Team is going to dominate at SuperBrawl and will continue to dominate the EWA for months to come. As an… old friend of mine used to say, woo. Woo. Woo. You know it.
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