Richard Blonoff
Make America Rassle Again
Tyrone Blades vs. Xander
The big question heading into the match, where is Tyrone's head after the return of his former underling Wasabi Toyota? Despite picking up a win over his R-Awakening opponents Eve Taylor and King Flex Mussel, Flex dropped a bombshell in bringing in the former Apostle of Chaos in what appears to be a bodyguard role. When on his game, Tyrone is a good as anyone has been in WZCW, but Flex has proven to be a master of throwing his opponents off their game. Has The King gotten into the head of the champ? Will the newly christened Xander be able to capitalize on a potentially distracted Tyrone and pick up a second victory in as many matches back?
Titus vs. King Mussel
Two stars who seem to be turning over a new leaf. Titus, who appears to be trying to rectify the foul deeds committed during his record breaking EurAsian run, and King Mussel who may have finally gone off the deep end. It will be interesting to see where heads are, as Titus has been dogged by Garth Black in recent weeks, with his frustration finally boiling over in the main event of Ascension last week. The King will surely be more focused on his R-Awakening foes Tyrone and Eve Taylor. Don't discredit either man though, as both are formidable competitors even if their immediate futures lie elsewhere.
Kagura vs. Harald Var Kirgare
A woman of few words against a man of many. Since arriving in WZCW, Harald Var Kirgare has been impressive, picking up the Mayhem Title in little time. He faces what may be his stiffest challenge in Kagura. The former World Champ will be looking to gain momentum headed into her PPV match against Xander, who scored a dirty victory last week over the man HVK will face at R-Awakening for the Mayhem Title, Stevie Broon.
Randy Studd vs. Keith Kole
Studd will be looking to pick up a victory in his hometown when he takes on Keith Kole in Louisville. Studd has been on a bit of a downward trend since losing the Mayhem Title, but fighting in front of local fans usually rallies superstars to perform their best. Opposite him will be Keith Kole, the former fast food employee who is still in search of his first win in WZCW. While this match features the least star power on Meltdown, it still has big implications as neither Studd or Kole have clear R-Awakening plans. A win here could set either man down a path for bigger and brighter things.
Callie Clark & Mikey Stormrage vs. Tony Mancini & Mark Keaton
Strange bedfellows is the name of this tag team match that has the potential to main event Ascension. On one side you have Callie Clark and Mikey Stormrage, who will do battle inside a steel cage at R-Awakening for the Elite Title. On the other, Tony Mancini and Mark Keaton, who have had their own issues of late and will also square off at the PPV. Callie has been hot since vanquishing the recently departed Lynx for the final time and will look to continue to keep her iron grip on the only full time title her opponent has yet to win. Stormrage has enjoyed a solid run his his return at Lethal Lottery, including a Kingdom Come win over Keaton. While his reasoning for challenging for the Elite Title may be viewed as a bit unorthodox, the Hall of Famer will surely have an interesting trick up his sleeve this week. On the flip side, Keaton and Mancini will both be looking to gain momentum headed into their match at R-Awakening to build for the future as both suffered a Kingdom Come loss. Mancini and Keaton have enjoyed periods of success in their career, with Mayhem and Tag Title runs respectively, but wins have been few and far between in recent memory. With all the bad blood flowing in this match, expect fireworks.
Eve Taylor vs. Vega w/ Special Guest Referee Matt Tastic
This match serves a dual purpose for Eve. She will be looking to pick up crucial momentum headed into her World Title rematch at the PPV, while also trying to avenge a loss to Vega in tag team action last week. Eve seems to be the overlooked member of the World Title triple threat, taking a back seat to in ring success of Tyrone and the mind games of Flex. An impressive showing for her over a formidable foe in Vega will show the boys she isn't to be overlooked. Across from her will be Vega, the title hungry superstar who is looking to score his first signature win since his WZCW return. Ever since Vega and Tastic had a backstage altercation a few weeks ago, tensions have been high and questions running rampant. While Matt Tastic is still a week or two from being cleared for in ring competition, WZCW brass made the R-Awakening showdown official. With Tastic unable to compete this week, GM Chuck Myles announced at a recent live event that Tastic would serve as special guest referee to build interest for the PPV match. Tastic has been known to hold a grudge and let anger get the best of him, so it remains to be seen if he will call the match down the middle.
PC Stevie Broon vs. Annie Halloway
Two superstars on opposite sides of the law, this is a match with potential to get wild. Broon, like his R-Awakening opponent, has picked up his share of wins since his debut and is being rewarded with a Mayhem Title shot at the PPV. After being cheated out of a win last week, Broon will be looking to get back in the win column over a superstar who has their own motivation to get back with a W. Halloway was victorious in her WZCW debut, but fell last week to similarly questionable circumstances. Halloway is one of the few superstars with no clear path headed into R-Awakening, so a win over a number one contender will surely bode well for her future.
Stetson Hayes vs. Alice "Baby Doll" Adams
A battle of the sexes with all sorts of potential for un-PC action. Stetson Hayes has gone two for two in WZCW, but has generated controversy with some of his statements. While it remains to be seen if it is ignorance or ill will, his in ring success can't be denied. He will look to pick up a victory over fellow rookie Alice Adams who picked up the W in her WZCW debut last week. Adams background will likely be ripe territory for the opinionated Hayes, but overlooking Adams would be a mistake as she has shown to have a solid grasp on in ring fundamentals despite her lack of experience. As with a few others, these two remain without a clear direction to R-Awakening so a win would mean big things.
(So this is just the first in what I hope is a recurring series. Any feedback is welcomed, as I want this to be something people look forward to. I also apologize if your match description isn't as detailed as my own this round. It was my match with the two feuds being showcased that inspired this piece, but in the future I should have more analysis in the previews.)
The big question heading into the match, where is Tyrone's head after the return of his former underling Wasabi Toyota? Despite picking up a win over his R-Awakening opponents Eve Taylor and King Flex Mussel, Flex dropped a bombshell in bringing in the former Apostle of Chaos in what appears to be a bodyguard role. When on his game, Tyrone is a good as anyone has been in WZCW, but Flex has proven to be a master of throwing his opponents off their game. Has The King gotten into the head of the champ? Will the newly christened Xander be able to capitalize on a potentially distracted Tyrone and pick up a second victory in as many matches back?
Titus vs. King Mussel
Two stars who seem to be turning over a new leaf. Titus, who appears to be trying to rectify the foul deeds committed during his record breaking EurAsian run, and King Mussel who may have finally gone off the deep end. It will be interesting to see where heads are, as Titus has been dogged by Garth Black in recent weeks, with his frustration finally boiling over in the main event of Ascension last week. The King will surely be more focused on his R-Awakening foes Tyrone and Eve Taylor. Don't discredit either man though, as both are formidable competitors even if their immediate futures lie elsewhere.
Kagura vs. Harald Var Kirgare
A woman of few words against a man of many. Since arriving in WZCW, Harald Var Kirgare has been impressive, picking up the Mayhem Title in little time. He faces what may be his stiffest challenge in Kagura. The former World Champ will be looking to gain momentum headed into her PPV match against Xander, who scored a dirty victory last week over the man HVK will face at R-Awakening for the Mayhem Title, Stevie Broon.
Randy Studd vs. Keith Kole
Studd will be looking to pick up a victory in his hometown when he takes on Keith Kole in Louisville. Studd has been on a bit of a downward trend since losing the Mayhem Title, but fighting in front of local fans usually rallies superstars to perform their best. Opposite him will be Keith Kole, the former fast food employee who is still in search of his first win in WZCW. While this match features the least star power on Meltdown, it still has big implications as neither Studd or Kole have clear R-Awakening plans. A win here could set either man down a path for bigger and brighter things.
Callie Clark & Mikey Stormrage vs. Tony Mancini & Mark Keaton
Strange bedfellows is the name of this tag team match that has the potential to main event Ascension. On one side you have Callie Clark and Mikey Stormrage, who will do battle inside a steel cage at R-Awakening for the Elite Title. On the other, Tony Mancini and Mark Keaton, who have had their own issues of late and will also square off at the PPV. Callie has been hot since vanquishing the recently departed Lynx for the final time and will look to continue to keep her iron grip on the only full time title her opponent has yet to win. Stormrage has enjoyed a solid run his his return at Lethal Lottery, including a Kingdom Come win over Keaton. While his reasoning for challenging for the Elite Title may be viewed as a bit unorthodox, the Hall of Famer will surely have an interesting trick up his sleeve this week. On the flip side, Keaton and Mancini will both be looking to gain momentum headed into their match at R-Awakening to build for the future as both suffered a Kingdom Come loss. Mancini and Keaton have enjoyed periods of success in their career, with Mayhem and Tag Title runs respectively, but wins have been few and far between in recent memory. With all the bad blood flowing in this match, expect fireworks.
Eve Taylor vs. Vega w/ Special Guest Referee Matt Tastic
This match serves a dual purpose for Eve. She will be looking to pick up crucial momentum headed into her World Title rematch at the PPV, while also trying to avenge a loss to Vega in tag team action last week. Eve seems to be the overlooked member of the World Title triple threat, taking a back seat to in ring success of Tyrone and the mind games of Flex. An impressive showing for her over a formidable foe in Vega will show the boys she isn't to be overlooked. Across from her will be Vega, the title hungry superstar who is looking to score his first signature win since his WZCW return. Ever since Vega and Tastic had a backstage altercation a few weeks ago, tensions have been high and questions running rampant. While Matt Tastic is still a week or two from being cleared for in ring competition, WZCW brass made the R-Awakening showdown official. With Tastic unable to compete this week, GM Chuck Myles announced at a recent live event that Tastic would serve as special guest referee to build interest for the PPV match. Tastic has been known to hold a grudge and let anger get the best of him, so it remains to be seen if he will call the match down the middle.
PC Stevie Broon vs. Annie Halloway
Two superstars on opposite sides of the law, this is a match with potential to get wild. Broon, like his R-Awakening opponent, has picked up his share of wins since his debut and is being rewarded with a Mayhem Title shot at the PPV. After being cheated out of a win last week, Broon will be looking to get back in the win column over a superstar who has their own motivation to get back with a W. Halloway was victorious in her WZCW debut, but fell last week to similarly questionable circumstances. Halloway is one of the few superstars with no clear path headed into R-Awakening, so a win over a number one contender will surely bode well for her future.
Stetson Hayes vs. Alice "Baby Doll" Adams
A battle of the sexes with all sorts of potential for un-PC action. Stetson Hayes has gone two for two in WZCW, but has generated controversy with some of his statements. While it remains to be seen if it is ignorance or ill will, his in ring success can't be denied. He will look to pick up a victory over fellow rookie Alice Adams who picked up the W in her WZCW debut last week. Adams background will likely be ripe territory for the opinionated Hayes, but overlooking Adams would be a mistake as she has shown to have a solid grasp on in ring fundamentals despite her lack of experience. As with a few others, these two remain without a clear direction to R-Awakening so a win would mean big things.
(So this is just the first in what I hope is a recurring series. Any feedback is welcomed, as I want this to be something people look forward to. I also apologize if your match description isn't as detailed as my own this round. It was my match with the two feuds being showcased that inspired this piece, but in the future I should have more analysis in the previews.)
