Rising Star of the Week - Jordan Rattler
In a massive upset, newcomer Jordan Rattler made short work of former Cruiserweight Title contender, Étienne Laurent. You could make the argument that Laurent was caught off-guard and underestimated the young upstart, but Jordan came through and scored an unexpected win to kick off his OWA run.
Promo Battle of the Week - Keelan Callihan vs. Hans Olsen
The main event of this week’s Kingdom was another test for the returning Keelan Callihan, who revelled in how hated he is by tearing Hans down and barely giving him any credit. Hans was equally as fierce, making a point of Keelan’s time off and inability to defend against the former amateur wrestler’s athletic acumen. The match itself did not disappoint, either, proving that both men are among OWA’s top-tier in-ring performers.
Match of the Week - Jake Keeton vs. Kevin Maverick
Just a week removed from his thrilling debut, Jake Keeton found himself in the main event of Olympus against the number one contender for the Cruiserweight Championship. Jake Keeton and Kevin Maverick had an epic encounter of technician vs. high flyer, that saw both men take each other to their physical limits. After special guest commentator Allesandro Devione got involved, Keeton took advantage to net a major victory. The stock of these two has no doubt gone way up in the eyes of management.
Moment of the Week - Kingdom’s Press Conference Implodes (Scott Oasis, Aria Jaxon, Nate Cage, Donny Dragon, James Anderson, Lieta Collins, Jeff X, Layne Kurobane, Cloud Matsuda, Jimmy Wild, Billy Wild, Reginald Dampshaw III, Udy)
Yet more carnage for the OWA Universe. What started out as a relatively simple exchange between Scott Oasis and Aria Jaxon quickly descended into an all-out brawl between the Kingdom wrestlers scheduled to perform at Final Destination. Scott Oasis stood tall at the end, however, letting us all know that The Iceman is still very much a force to be reckoned with. Also, I’m never attending a press conference again.
Promoer of the Week - Moongoose McQueen
McQueen’s never one to mince words, he’ll tell you exactly how he feels about you in a way that only he can. Udy and RD3 were on the receiving end of his quick wit and sick sense of humour this week, as he talked about all manner of subjects (including kicking a puppy). If you ever find yourself matched up against this madman, be sure to have some deep cuts ready, as he doesn’t hold back.
Champion of the Week - Layne Kurobane
Layne is right around the corner from the biggest title defence of his career, and he was still out there to prove himself as champion. After putting away Alex Scott in a very good bout, Layne was almost ambushed by Nate Cage (who himself won a match earlier in the night), before Jeff X made the save from Cage and his Ground Zero comrades. This triple threat is heating up more each and every week, and we’re all waiting with baited breath to see who’ll be walking out of the big show with the gold.
Goddess of the Week - Azumi Goto
Azumi had her work cut out for her this week, and then some. After putting away Persephone Bane in a non-title match, Natasha Night picked that moment to cash in her Ring of Opportunity and almost ruin the Odyssey main event for Final Destination. Thankfully, Natalie Cage helped out her future opponent, allowing Goto to retain and preserve their match. Azumi won two matches in one night - one of them a title defence - help or not, that is a huge confidence boost for the Ace.
Alpha of the Week - Keelan Callihan
Keelan’s out for blood, as he put away a determined Hans Olsen in relatively short order this week. Keelan’s warpath since returning has seen a more vicious side of him than maybe we’ve ever witnessed, with his brutal attack on Jon McAdams serving as a reminder of just how cruel he can be. McAdams will be having his final match against Keelan at the biggest show of the year, and I think a fair few of us are worried about how violent Keelan will be to get his way.