Post by Joe on Feb 19, 2018 14:47:09 GMT -5
The show opens with our commentary team of Todd Phillips, Corey Graves, and William Regal introducing themselves at ringside and going over the card for tonight. Tonight will begin the tournament to determine the Universal Super Crown (USC) Champion, the highest prize in Pro-Wrestling STORM. They go over some of the big matches, and maybe mismatches, of tonight, and who they favor to win this tournament. Graves says that tonight he's looking to see Randy Orton dominate Matt Sydal, and he believes his killer instinct and superior talent are going to take him to the finals. William Regal says he believes Kenny Omega's relentless style is going to pull him through, as he has tough challenge in Dolph Ziggler tonight, but after watching him knock out a very formidable Will Ospreay the way he did, he just can't bet against "The Cleaner" in this tournament. Todd Phillips reminds everyone that tonight is just the first round, and while speculation is appreciated, and those two are certainly favorites, we have a long tournament to go. The next round will continue at the next SuperSTORM the following month, with the semi-finals at SuperSTORM III, and grand finale at SuperSTORM IV. Be sure not to miss any of the action and keep up with Pro-Wrestling STORM by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter @pwstorm, and visiting our website at PWSTORM.TV.
And with that, we head backstage, where we see Kenny Omega. Kenny Omega is pulling up his shinpads when Dolph Ziggler enters the shot. Ziggler says that Omega has made a big reputation for himself, but he won his last match just as convincingly, and tonight, he's going to show why nobody sleeps on "The Show Off". Omega says that Ziggler has a reputation for having some pretty good matches... not as good as Kenny Omega, but pretty good, but says that Dolph Ziggler hasn't been relevant in many years and the only thing making him relevant right now is that he's facing the best motherfuckin' wrestler in the world tonight. Kenny says tonight, Dolph Ziggler is going to be the one sleeping after he knees his face in and shows everyone the NEW FACE of professional wrestling!
"Anti-Hero" Tommy End vs. "M.O.T.H." Lio Rush
Rush has a great arsenal and extraordinary speed, but he was really outgunned by End here tonight. Rush packs quite a kick, but End's strikes and prowess were too much for the young star, and End was able to put him out with a high kick spinning heel kick, followed by his Owari Death Clutch for the submission victory.
William Regal makes some positive remarks about End following this contest, stating that his striker's arsenal works well to set up his submission attack for a second win here in STORM, and that's going to make for a hard combination to overcome for anybody in this tournament.
Cedric Alexander vs. "The Technical Wizard" Zack Sabre, Jr.
Cedric Alexander got a big win recently over Brian Cage, but he had a much different challenge to deal with here in ZSJ. Sabre manage to ground Cedric early and went to work on his arm and hand, wrenching his arm back and fingers and punishing him with knees and elbows on the mat. Alexander would manage to catch Sabre with a kick in the corner to turn the tides, coming off the ropes with a Diving Clothesline for a short two count! Alexander would land Dropkick in the corner, followed by a Michinoku Driver, but still just a two count on Sabre! Cedric calls for the end and tries for his Lumbar Check, only to have Sabre flip over it and deliver a European uppercut, followed by a Northern Lights Suplex transitioned into a Cross Armbar! Cedric manages to get his bottom foot on the ropes, but he's hurt. Sabre lights him up with a big Penalty Kick and follows up, trying for a Tiger Suplex, but Cedric blocks and breaks free, handspringing and coming off the ropes with a 540 Kick! Cedric goes for the win, but Sabre still kicks out! Cedric calls for the end again, motioning to the fans to make some noise, before looking to hit the Lumbar Check, but Sabre elbows and shoot kicks Cedric, before delivering a Bridging Tiger Suplex, but Cedric kicks out! Oh, but Sabre keeps a hold of the arm, pulling back one arm into a kimura and then stomping Cedric mercilessly to the side of the head before pulling back the other arm in the Jim Breaks Armbar! Cedric has to verbally submit here, and ZSJ advances!
Phillips tries to get opinions from the commentators about Zack Sabre, Jr. and Regal is quick to note that his submission wrestling skills seem to be a cut above everybody else, and he's going to be a lot of trouble in the coming rounds with that kind of pure wrestling talent. Graves says that all of that flashy submission, armbar, whatever stuff may look painful and impressive, but he's going to go up against some big, hard hitting guys that aren't going to be so impressed with his flashy little moveset. One good punch can be just as effective as any of those octopus armbars he likes to slap on in there, according to Graves.
Jay Lethal vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas w/ Zelina
Andrade Almas would show a more aggressive side in this match, knowing Lethal's reputation and trying to put him down. Lethal, though, showed his charisma and skills, matching Almas hold for hold, takedown for takedown, early on, and showing he could keep the pace while mocking Almas. Almas would get fiery and take things to the outside, trying to brawl with Lethal, but Lethal would manage to hit a Spinebuster on the outside to Almas, followed by a Diving Elbow from the apron to turn the tides! Zelina would try to get involved, getting the face of Lethal on the outside. Lethal would grab her by the hair, looking to the fans to see what he should do. Lethal would end up letting her go and side stepping, causing the oncoming sneak attack from Almas to almost backfire in a bad way, but Almas stopped himself before he hit Zelina, allowing Lethal to grab him from behind and send him face first into the turnpost! Lethal would send Almas back into the ring from there and delivered his Flying Elbowdrop from the top, squashing Almas and putting him down for the three count!
"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes vs. Xavier Woods
Woods would try to use what he believes to be his superior intelligence to overcome Rhodes here, as he continually tried to stop the momentum of the match once Rhodes got going and used cheap shots throughout to set up his high impact arsenal. Rhodes would show his own smarts by working over the leg of Woods throughout, which caused Woods to have trouble as he was looking to hit his Home Run elbow, and allowed Rhodes to capitalize and eventually lock on the American Nightmare leglock to get the submission and advance in the tournament.
Todd Phillips asks the commentators what they think of Cody's performance here, and Regal admits that his heart and his ability might make him an underlying favorite in this tournament. Graves says he's got some fire, but when push comes to shove, he doesn't know if he's willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done and he's sticking with Randy Orton to take this whole thing.
"The Celtic Colossus" Drew Galloway vs. "The Industry Ruler" Adam Cole
Adam Cole is very brash and sure of himself, and he had a pretty good plan going into this, but Drew Galloway is a beast. Cole tried to work over Drew's leg and make him suffered, superkicking him to the knee and thigh many times, and trying to keep him down with leglock, but Galloway would not be held down. Once Galloway gained some momentum, he was hard to stop, sending Cole retreating to the outside to try to regain his composure. Galloway would continue his assault out there and would nearly break Cole in half with a powerbomb into the turnpost! Cole would manage to kick out of a Celtic Cross on the inside of the ring, and Galloway thought it was time for the end. Galloway would try to hit the Future Shock, but Cole would escape and deliver another Superkick, this time to the jaw, before running off the ropes with a Bicycle Kick that staggered Galloway further! Cole would then show some power of his own, grabbing Galloway by the waist and pulling him over with a German Suplex! Cole would call for the end now, getting the fans behind him before attempting a Shining Wizard, but Galloway would pop and grab Cole mid-move, delivering a NASTY Lifting Spinebuster that sent Cole flying off the mat like a ragdoll! Cole would stagger up and Galloway would rush him, delivering the Claymore Kick, flipping Cole inside out! Galloway hooks the leg and everybody knows it's over, as the "Colossus" continues his dominance!
William Regal notes that it's going to be tough for anybody to overcome a specimen like Drew Galloway, who you can plan for, you can beat him down, but he's just so much to deal with it can feel impossible to keep him down, and that can beat your spirit before you ever get beaten in the ring.
"The Viper" Randy Orton vs. Matt Sydal
Matt Sydal was clearly the underdog in this match, but it didn't seem like anybody told him that, as he brought the fight to Randy Orton in this contest! Sydal's kicks, knees, and dives really had Orton rocking, who was struggling to deliver any offense in the first few minutes of this contest! Sydal would send Orton to the outside with a Spin Kick and fly out with a Front Flip Suicida that had the fans chanting for him, thinking he might have this match in the bag if he could keep the pressure on! Sydal would send Orton back into the ring and headed up top, looking for the Shooting Star Press, but Randy got his knees up, knocking the wind out of Sydal, who rolled to the apron in the pain! Orton would pull Sydal through the ropes and hit a rope assisted DDT, looking smug now as he covers but only getting a two count. Orton would stomp and knee Sydal into the mat before lifting him and sending him into the buckles with a European Uppercut. Orton would pose for a moment, feeling himself in the driver's seat now, before rushing into the corner, but Sydal would hurry and get out of the way before sending a kick into the face of Orton! Sydal would head up top and twirled his hand around, getting the crowd pumped as he flew off the buckles and grabbed "The Viper", trying to take him over with a Huracanrana, but NO! Orton stops him mid-move and pulls him up and tosses him into the air, almost like a Powerbomb, but redirects it and catches Sydal's head, delivering the RKO out of nowhere! Sydal is out and the fans can't believe it, as Orton gets the win!
Corey Graves points out that it's that kind of versatility that gives "The Viper" a huge advantage in this tournament! William Regal notes that Orton showed his durability and showed a lot of cunning now for a second win, as he's maybe the most patient man in STORM right now in picking his spots and making the most of them.
Sami Zayn vs. "The Knockout Artist" Chris Hero
Sami Zayn is full of himself and shows Hero no respect, but Hero makes his take notice early, knocking him with big, straight kicks and elbows that send Zayn to the outside looking for shelter. Hero is no small man, but he shows his agility, flying out of the ring onto Zayn and getting these fans behind him. Hero winds up and looks to hurt Zayn as he's leaning against the guardrail, but Zayn gets his boot up and catches Hero on the mouth, sending him staggering away. Zayn clocks Hero to the back with a forearm, sending him staggering around the turnpost now. Zayn then taunts the fans, yelling, "LOOK WHAT HE MADE DO!" before running and leaping through the bottom and middle rope, over the bottom turnbuckle, and catching Hero with an AMAZING Swinging DDT variation on the floor, getting a huge pop from this crowd! Back in the ring, Zayn comes off the top with a big Crossbody Block, trying to hold Hero down, but Hero kicks out at two! Zayn is up and grabs Hero, but Hero pops him with an Inside Elbow that rocks him back towards the buckles. Hero tries to storm in after him, but Zayn catches him with an Exploder Suplex into the turnbuckles, sending Hero down onto his head after impact! Huge move there! Zayn is calling for the end now, as Hero picks himself up in the corner. Zayn rushes in, trying for the Helluva Kick, but Hero dodges it! Zayn pulls himself out of the buckles and Hero catches him with the Cyclone Kill Kick! Hero takes a moment to gain composure before making the cover, and that costs him here, as Zayn kicks out as two! Hero calls for the end and grabs Zayn by the head, twisting him and then trying to land One Behind the Ear, but Zayn ducks it and grabs Hero, hoisting him up and planting him with the Blue Thunder Bomb, which he shifts into a roll-up pin, holding the tights! The ref doesn't see it, and Sami Zayn gets the win here using some underhanded tactics! Zayn rolls out of the ring, very proud of himself as the fans boo him, but Sami wags his finger and covers his ears, yelling "SHUT UP, HATERS! I'M THE GREATEST!"
Corey Graves applauds Zayn and says that's the kind of display that could make him a dark horse in this tournament! Regal says he does respect the win by any means approach Zayn brings to the table with his obvious skillset, but says he'd be surprised if in the coming rounds we see anybody else falling for these elementary tricks.
"The Show Off" Dolph Ziggler vs. "The Cleaner" Kenny Omega
Ziggler and Omega have a staredown before they get going, with both men seeming very confident. On paper, they both possess a lot of the same traits and seem very evenly matches, so it's going to be a matter of simply who wants it more and who can land the bigger shots, according to our commentary team. Ziggler shows Omega very little respect early, taking him down and mocking him, putting his fingers through his hair and flicking water on him in a rude gesture. Omega smiles at this and responds in kind, grappling with Ziggler before taking down with a drop toe hold and then spinning on his back and paintbrushing the back of his head, telling him to bring it! These two proceed to go at a very fast pace, coming off the ropes, trying to land moves, reversing moves, attempting quick roll ups to no avail, before Ziggler sends Omega onto the apron with a Superkick, followed by a dropkick that sends him to the floor! Ziggler proceeds to head up top and flies off with a Crossbody to the outside, wiping out Omega! On the outside, Omega manages to get control, sending Ziggler into the guardrail before delivering a Reverse Huracanrana on the floor! Omega goes back into the ring and poses before running and jumping, twisting and springboarding off the top rope to hit a BEAUTIFUL Moonsault to the outside, taking Ziggler down while landing on his feet, posing for the fans who are now cheering his name! Omega takes Ziggler back inside and delivers a V-Trigger, and the fans think it might be over, as he used this move to take out Will Ospreay, but NO! Ziggler barely kicks out! Omega looks somewhat amused, slapping Ziggler on the mat before trying to lift him and take him down with a Dragon Suplex, but Ziggler blocks and lands an elbow before hitting a Famouser, going for the cover, but Omega kicks out at two! Ziggler leaps up and hits his Heart Stopper elbow, trying for another cover, but still just a two! Ziggler applies a chinlock, slowing it down and trying to wear down Omega. The crowd chants for Omega, who fights his way up. Ziggler cuts him off, though, landing a knee to his ribs before hitting a Snap Neckbreaker, trying for the cover again, but still just a two count! Ziggler points to the top rope and starts yelling at the fans to watch him, before heading up top. Omega shows his resilience, though, getting back to his feet just as Ziggler reaches the top, and proceeds to run and leap, catching Ziggler's head with his legs and pulling him down with a Frakensteiner off the top! Ziggler slams the mat hard, but pops up on instinct, stumbling around like he's been knocked senseless. Omega is back up now in the corner and points a finger gun at his opponent before rushing him and flying through the air, delivering two knees to his chest to send him FLYING INTO THE BUCKLES! "The Cleaner" has all of the fans behind him now, as he's motions for them to keep up the energy! Ziggler tries to pull himself up in the corner and gets to one knee, but Omega rushes in, landing ANOTHER V-Trigger that smashes Ziggler into the buckles! Omega pulls him out and goes for the cover, but Ziggler still kicks out, showing his determination! Omega rolls away from Ziggler and looks angered now, stalking his opponent. He gives him the finger but again and once again tries to rush him, looking for a third V-Trigger, but "The Show Off" dodges it and rolls Omega up with a School Boy, driving his feet into the mat to try to hang on, but Omega kicks out at 2.999! Ziggler pounds the mat in anger as Omega pulls himself up on the ropes. Omega and Ziggler tie up in the center of the ring again, but Ziggler gets behind him and then spins him, trying to whip Omega into the buckles, but Omega reverses, sending Ziggler in. Omega rushes, trying to nail another knee, but Ziggler escapes and then quickly grabs Omega by the arm and flings him to the opposite buckles, rushing in after him and hitting a Stinger Splash to his back! Ziggler pulls Omega out, clutching his head and delivering a Jumping DDT! Ziggler is in the corner, sizing Omega up now, knowing he needs to land one more good shot to finish this. Omega pulls himself up on the ropes, his eyes wide and dazed. Ziggler comes out of the corner, looking for a Superkick, but Omega ducks it! Omega grabs Ziggler from behind and delivers a Snap Dragon Suplex! Ziggler is on his eyes, looking like he's just had his bell rung. "The Cleaner" gets up and tries for another V-Trigger, but Ziggler somehow has the wherewithal to duck it and roll on the mat, leaving Omega to catch himself on the ropes. Omega rushes and tries to a Lariat, but Ziggler ducks again and desperately tries to latch on with a Sleeper, but Omega reverses it and tries for another Dragon Suplex, but Ziggler blocks it and reverses it, sending Omega chest first into the ropes! Ziggler rushes and tries for the ZigZag, but Omega twists and gets out of it, ending up behind Ziggler with a Rear Waistlock. Omega then grabs Ziggler's wrist and ripcords him around, landing the RAIN TRIGGER! Ziggler is out as Omega collapses on top of him, and the referee makes the count! One, two, three, Kenny Omega advances in the tournament!
William Regal says it's that level of technical ability and knock out power that makes Kenny Omega his pick to win this whole tournament! He and Ziggler just tore down the house, but it was clear his fire power was just much substantial and that's how he overcame this obstacle tonight! Corey Graves says Kenny Omega looks impressive, but he'd better be ready for more and see if he can keep that pace up, as the competition will only get stiffer from here!