Omega Weekly Awards XXIX

Rising Star of the Week - Bane Well, this is one scary dude. Bane accompanied Mongoose McQueen to the ring for his match with Scott Oasis that ended in DQ. But it was what happened afterwards that is the real story here. This monstrous goliath manhandled my husband just a week after his career-altering battle with Kenny Drake. I can’t say I’m happy about it, but I guess it is what it is. Promo Battle of the Week - Natalie Cage vs. Sweet Roxy Does anyone get the impression that these two don’t like each other? The event that everyone has been talking about after this match is Wolvesden’s heinous assault on Natalie that landed her in the hospital, but there was equal venom spewed in their exchange in the build up. Things got real personal, real fast. Neither woman was afraid to drag the other’s family into proceedings and run their names through the mud. It was ugly and spiteful, and reminded us why Odyssey’s women are not to be trifled with. Match of the Week - Layne Kurobane vs. Reginald Dampshaw III Not since the Scotty Adams/Monolith saga has there been a Spartan Title bout with this much intensity and drama. In what is a candidate for the greatest Kingdom main event of all-time, Layne and RD3 destroyed each other in a dramatic display of wrestling brilliance. There were springboard forearms over the barricade, chair shots, gravity defying feats of athleticism, and one very satisfied crowd. While we didn’t see the title change hands, this match served as a reminder that the Spartan division is the place to be in OWA. You will find matches that simply cannot be seen anywhere else. Moment of the Week - A Segment by Hideo Kojima (Nate Cage and Jeff X) It was like something straight out of Metal Gear Solid. An OWA documentary on Jeff X’s day-to-day life quickly unravelled into a nightmare for the Ohio native. Nate Cage snuck into Jeff’s town, using a Wolvesden convoy as a distraction. The man who thinks himself righteous then held Jeff’s own uncle hostage to negotiate terms for the highly anticipated rematch between two of Kingdom’s hottest prospects. Details were vague, all we know is that the match will be contested under “Righteous Rules.” Cage gave no indication as to what that actually is, but if Wolvesden’s deadliest asset has concocted his own custom match type, I can only imagine that it won’t be good. Promoer of the Week - Scotty Adams Take a bow, Mr. Adams. I’ve joked on many an occasion about this category being named after Scotty, but that’s only because he’s one of the greatest to ever pick up a microphone. Scotty didn’t have a match this week, in fact, we had to say goodbye to him. Onscreen, his new, villainous persona was suspended indefinitely by Vernon Tressler. Offscreen, Scotty chose to ride off into the sunset to see what the future holds for him outside of wrestling. His farewell promo was an emotional one, that felt like saying goodbye to an old friend. His decision to focus on his home life and allow his peers to step up and fill the void left by his absence is a selfless one. Whoever does step up has mighty shoes to fill, as Scotty was one of the very best. Champion of the Week - Layne Kurobane Layne might have already took over from Scotty Adams as the greatest Spartan Champion we’ve ever seen. There is no opponent he isn’t prepared for and no limit to the amount of punishment he can absorb. Despite appearing to suffer a dominant upset at the start of his defence against RD3, Layne came through and reminded everyone why that belt sits on his shoulder. Goddess of the Week - TyAnna Jupiter Odyssey’s ruling Goddess had to overcome an uneasy alliance with her next opponent, DiVa, and a game pairing of Dulce Torres and Kiara Roberson to earn a victory this week. Despite the complex, weaving narratives of the main event match, TyAnna managed to pin Kiara and remind DiVa why she should prepare as if her life depends on it for Odyssey XV. TyAnna’s title reign won’t be ending any time soon if she has something to say about it.

Alpha of the Week - Layne Kurobane

Talk about a good week! Layne’s walking away with three weekly awards and has cemented himself as OWA’s resident workhorse. We’ve already examined his week pretty thoroughly, so there isn’t much more to say. What I will say is that I hope Layne Kurobane’s efforts encourage the rest of the OWA locker room to step up and earn their place. At this point, I don’t know who’s left on the roster that isn’t already preoccupied to have a crack at him. Isaac Thornton? Jeff X? Maybe Nate Cage will try his hand after failing to win the Ultimate X match to crown the inaugural champ? There are a lot of dangerous individuals who may not have their eyes on Layne currently, but he’d better keep his head on a swivel to stay at the top.