EWA Maryland Championship Not Enough To Satiate Cory Bush’s Appetite

Aaron Shadows attempts a desperate headlock while climbing the mountainous Ivan Ali. (Anthony C. Hayes)

Another exciting night of EWA Maryland wrestling took place at Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville on Saturday, October 24th when the Eastern Wrestling Association (EWA) hosted their annual Last Rites event.

The event got off to an exciting start with #PatAnthony and his new Social Media Advisor, Violet. Anthony and Violet came out to address the EWA fans, insulting EWA Heavyweight Champion “Starstrukk” TJay Sykes, berating him for being a “Michael Jackson wannabe.”

Once Anthony and Violet’s tirade was over, the first match pitted F.T. Jones against Alonso Thunder. Jones earned a quick victory following his Frog Splash finishing move. Fans should keep an eye out for Jones to work up the EWA ranks; he has been featured in the opening match of the last two shows and has been successful both times.

Ivan Ali battled Aaron Shadows in the second match of the night. Shadows’ came into the match with quite the disadvantage; his small stature and high-flying arsenal were of little help against his monstrous adversary. Shadows was defeated after he received a nasty-looking Pumphandle Driver that few athletes would survive.

J.T. Moore sought retribution against Desert Storm after being fired from the now-defunct Department of Defense. Storm started the match by offering Moore the opportunity to “lay down so we can end this.” Moore rescinded and paid dearly for his choice, standing almost no chance against the well-prepared Storm. Aside from a brief comeback, Moore did little to overcome Storm’s devastating offense and was defeated after Storm’s Barrack O-Bottom and a Chokeslam.

Chris Burns once again successfully defended his EWA Cruiserweight Championship, this time against Davey Havok, though as a result of a disqualification. Burns, who felt he needed an easy out for this match, decided to slap the referee in the face after barely escaping two of Havok’s Death Valley Drivers.

Once the intermission had resolved, Wes Mercer defeated Joey Badami in Maryland’s only Casket Match to determine the second winner from Evolution’s main event in September. Badami’s loss was fueled by an unexpected source: his manager, Maria Manic. A shocking low blow to Badami gave Mercer the edge needed to lock his opponent in the casket, securing him a Heavyweight Championship match at a later date.

Despite the positive results flowing from their first title defense, Desert Storm is still proving to be a thorn in the sides of EWA Tag Team Champions The Dark Horses. Following their victory against former champs John Berg and Blood, Grizzly O and Tomahawk were once again ambushed by Desert Storm, this time donning a Ghostface costume under the guise of an EWA fan. Storm used the opportunity to steal one of the Tag Team title belts in the process. The Dark Horses will have to go face-to-face with Storm if they want to see their precious titles together again.

Maryland Champion and crowd favorite “The Hampden Hammer” Bill Ward got more than he bargained for when he held an open challenge for his respected title. Joey Badami, attempting to rebound from his loss earlier in the night, was halted by Cory Bush, who answered Ward’s challenge. Ward worked his hardest to prevail against Bush’s considerable size advantage, but eventually submitted, ending his second reign as Maryland Champion.

Last Rites’ main event featured #PatAnthony’s shot at TJay Sykes’ Heavyweight Championship, spurring from Anthony’s victory at Evolution. Sykes and Anthony fought an exhilarating, back-and-forth contest, but the Heavyweight Champion once again established his dominance by defeating Anthony with his Starstrukk Super Kick.

With little opportunity to relish his victory, new EWA Maryland Champion Cory Bush lumbered his way to the ring. Using his “victory” at Evolution as justification (Sykes was disqualified during his match against Bush at Evolution when he Super Kicked the title belt into Bush’s face while attempting to bludgeon him with it), Bush argued he have an opportunity to possess the Heavyweight Championship as he rightfully should. Sykes accepted his challenge, agreeing to meet in the unforgiving Cage Match, so long as Bush’s Maryland title is on the line as well.

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Anticipation among EWA fans is peaking at an all-time high following Bush and Sykes’ confrontation, so be certain to purchase tickets early for EWA’s January spectacular, Rage in the Cage, where every match will be fought within the confines of EWA’s brutal cage. Rage in the Cage will be held Saturday, January 16 at Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville, located at 2501 Putty Hill Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21234. Front-row seats are $15, with General Admission at $12. Card subject to change. For more information, visit EWA’s Facebook page or the newly revamped EWAMaryland.com. Be sure to keep up with the exciting action taking place outside of the ring at EWA’s YouTube channel.