The Eborian Wrestling Journal, part of the USN group, reviews two more MuscleMania 30 matches
Eborian Wrestling Journal (EWJ) reviews Doc vs Phoenix (Musclemania 30)
Eborian Wrestling Journal staff review the main event of night one of MuscleMania.
UBB: BSU win the big one! HOGS V DOGS FINALE
NUSA | University Basketball Tournament Final Four
The semi-finals and Final of the NUSA National Championship Basketball Tournament took place this weekend, with the semi-finals of the men’s tournament on Saturday and the Final on Monday night (Women’s semi-finals Friday night and final on Sunday).
Semi-final 1: #7 Granada 88-85 #3 Eregonia
The Granada Bulldogs pulled off the upset as they beat the Eregonia Dragons in the first final-four game. It was a close encounter throughout, with the lead changing hands every 20-60 seconds it seemed. Jay Whitmore, who had been outstanding in the quarter-final, was again dominating the boards and racked up the points. The Granada Bulldogs would not let up, though. SG Kevin Ford nailed a hat-trick of threes and was on fire throughout.
The Dragons still entered the fourth quarter with a six-point lead, but the Bulldogs took control and led with seconds remaining from another Kevin Ford three-pointer. A game-tying three from Sammy Jones bounced around the rim and then off onto the floor. The Bulldogs had once again pulled off the shock and were in the final for the first time in 40 years.
Semi-final 2: #8 BSU 89-71 #4 New Chester
The second game was not so close. Eric Daley and the BSU Bosshogs dominated the game from the get-go. The Titans had only 9 points in the first quarter, the ‘Hogs had a big lead. Had the stature of the show got to the Titans? was it big-game nerves? We don’t know, as the Bosshogs really played outstanding basketball on both sides of the ball.
BSU rolled through the second-half, resting stars and still winning by 29 points, 89-61. The Titans did not look like the same team from a week ago, when they beat the Amorgan Irish. Funny game, basketball!
THE FINAL: #8 BSU 88-81 #7GRANADA
The Bosshogs downed the Bulldogs in a great contest at the National Arena in Landor, New London. This site, the perennial hosts of the competition has seen some fine basketball over the years. This was a worthy final, even if the game was not as close as some would have liked- the Dogs trailed by 11 points going into the final period. This was the first time that seeds #7 and #8 had met in the final four.
Eric Daley scored 21 points, with Cartwright getting 15 and Reeves 14 for the ‘Hogs. Cartwright also got 11 rebounds and Hunter got nine.
The Bulldogs’ leaders were Kevin Ford (18 points) and Sean Miller (12). Joe Allen (11) and Zack Boyd (8) were the leading rebounders.
BSU won their fourth NUSA Men’s National Basketball championship, their first of this millennium. Will Eric Daley come back for his senior year and try to repeat? Or is he PBA (or a higher-level league) bound? We will find out over the next few months.
The Women’s final four concluded with the USG Saints defeating O’Connell 68-64 on Sunday, following O’Connell beating Clementine 69-60 and USG besting Ballymore 71-57 on Friday night.
Another great tournament from the NUSA, another great season of basketball on USN.
UBB: BOTH MADISON TEAMS EXIT! FINALFOUR SET
NUSA | University Basketball Tournament
A weekend of brilliant University Basketball was experienced this weekend, with three big casualties caused by terrific defence and organisation of the opponents. For the first time in ten years, no representative from the state of Madison will be in the final four. Madison State (MDSU) lost to Bristol State University (BSU) in a rematch of last year’s final 83-75, with BSU’s Eric Daley topping the scoring with 21 points. Madison State were up after three quarters, 58-55.
The Madison Bulldogs lost to the Eregonia Dragons 74-71 in a mild shock. The Dragons, led by the excellent Jay Whitmore (and 28 points) out-hustled the Bulldogs in a close match-up. For three quarters, this was a game for fans of defensive basketball.
The other Bulldogs, from Granada (who normally excel in football or soccer), ousted the number two seeds USG, from Saint George.
In the #4 vs#5 matchup. The Titans from New Chester bested the Amorgan Irish in a close, defensive encounter, 68-64.
The Titans will play the BSU Bosshogs in the second semi-final this coming Saturday night. The Granada Bulldogs will take on the Eregonia Dragons beforehand.
This final four weekend is slightly unexpected, with the Madison schools making 13 appearances in the last nine final-four (State 7, Madison 6), not having one there is a weird feeling. It is great for the other schools to really showcase what they have. New names will come forward, outside of the Madison basketball factories.
The final is on Monday night.
UBB: MADISON STATE AIM FOR THREEPEAT!
NUSA | University Basketball Tournament
The NUSA University Basketball tournament reaches the quarter-final stages in the so-called ‘great eight’ stage this weekend. Following the first two rounds, there were a few shock exits- Adelphia and Alberta, of the SAC went out in the first round, whilst usual big-guns O’Connell and Wichagon went out in the super sixteen phase.
G-12 champions Madison State have won the last two tournaments and are actully 18-0 in the last three seasons of post-season play. Madison State beat Madison in the 2019 final and Bristol State University (BSU) in last year’s final. They will play BSU in the final quarter-final tie, in what should be a cracking game.
The Granada Bulldogs have been a surprise this season, being runners-up in the SAC and getting to the last eight. They are aiming for their first final four appearance in 33 years! Standing in their way are the number two ranked USG Saints, who have six championships and 18 final four appearances to their name. It will be a tough task.
Elsewhere, The Eregonia Dragons vs Madison Bulldogs and New Chester Titans and the Amorgan Irish are expected matchups for this stage of the tournament. All four teams will be good fits for the final four weekend.
The BEC – Basketball Executive Committee re-seed the teams after the first two rounds, leaving the great eight/ final four schedule as follows:
Quarter-finals:
#1 Madison State University vs #8 BSU
#2 Saint George (USG) vs #7 Granada
#3 Eregonia vs #6 Madison
#4 New Chester (UNC) vs #5 Amorgan
Final Four set-up:
#1/#8 vs #4/#5
#2/#7 vs #3/#6
AWE’s Beach Brawl 2020, did it meet expectations?
The AWE Beach Brawl 2020 review is available here! https://actionwrestlingeboria.wordpress.com/2020/07/30/beach-brawl-2020/
There were nine matches, of which there were several screwy finishes. AWE are going to have to be careful not to put off fans with this booking tactic. The wrestlers are world-class, they just need to make sure there is a conclusion more often.
It was great to see some new champions crowned, as it will to see how the story lines progress on Tuesday Nights on RiOT! AWE remains, for us, to be an intriguing storyteller. Roll on Tuesday Nights!
PBA expands to 18 teams!
Professional Basketball Association of Eboria | Expansion
As the new year (2020-21) begins, we officially have three new members in the league! All three were champions in the EPBL (Eborian Pro Basketball League) and have now stepped up a tier, to be playing at the top level in Eborian basketball. We’ll be interested to see how they fare, come October!
The New Guys
Oakland Owls 
San Angelo Pirates 
Victoria Lions
OAKLAND OWLS
The Owls are a very down-to-earth team. They play good, solid basketball (read tough defence) and are always hard-to-beat. No deficit is out of reach for them. The fans are excitable, having only has the team for eight years, it is still quite a novelty in the Oakland area.
SAN ANGELO PIRATES
Please don’t adjust your set, yes, they have the same name as the baseball team! San Angelo Sports, Inc. own both teams and field both under the Pirates banner and similar logo. The Pirates have a well-organised backroom and a decent talent level on the court. Not too much is known of their recruitment plans for 2020-21, so they may be a darkhorse for the playoffs.
VICTORIA LIONS
The Victoria Lions won two of the last three EPBL championships. They are the most established of the three and will bring a championship feel to the city of Victoria. The Lions play a good zone defence and hit on the break well. Can be undone by outside shooters, which there are more of at the PBA level. It will be great to see how the adjust to the next level of play.
Rebrands
The league logo has had a re-do, as has there been rebrands for the Mayona Magic and Eregon Express. With the league also re-signing the kit deal with Nike, the future looks great for the league.
League Format
For the first time since 1984, the league will be a quad-round robin, with the top eight teams making the play offs. There will be no division or conference set ups. With the league returning to this format, it will give everyone a truly equal chance. It also ups the number of games played from 64 per team to 68. The total regular season games increases from 480 (15 teams x 32 home games) to 612 (18 teams x 34 home games).
SCW Slampede 2020 in review
Slampede 2020 was the second Pay-Per-view event (PPV) for the returned Supreme Championship Wrestling (SCW). The event was held at the HomeSafe Arena (Victoria, Alberta) in front of around 8,000 fans.
Dark Matches ( On the Pre-show)
Leo Hustle defeated Mark Tuggle in under five-minutes with a roll-up.
Candy Simms beat Alice Rocker by pinfall with the Simmsplex.
The Main Show:
HIRO vs CHRISTIAN BENNETT
Hiro (formerly known as KENSO/Kenso Kitani in AWE) took on Christian Bennett to kick off the event proper. Both men knew each other well from their time in AWE and it showed. A scientific masterpiece to kick things off, both men showcased their moves, with Hiro pulling off the victory when he reversed a reverse- roll up into one of his own (and appeared to pull the tights). Bennett was fuming, so we expect there to be more to this coming up in the weeks ahead.
Winner: Hiro
RYAN FURY vs MATT SMARTZ
The next fight was between the converted MMA fighter, Ryan Fury and the mischievous Matt Smartz. Smartz took the initiative to Fury, clasping on armholds and taking the man down at every chance, by fair means or foul.
Fury kept making a comeback, only to walk into a shortcut to lose control and be back on the mat. Smartz also jarred with fans outside, as his odious character shone throughout this match-up.
Fury finally managed to turn the tide for the better, reversing a superplex, hitting a diving elbow and then a bulldog for near falls. Smartz was on the defensive, so Fury finished him off with the ‘Furious Finale’ and claimed the clean pinfall victory.
Winner: Ryan Fury
BALTHAZAR vs EVAN LEBODY
Réishan superstar Balthazar battled seasoned veteran Evan LeBody in the next match. LeBody knows his way around the ring and how to position people in his favour. Balthazar knows only one way to respond- to smash right through any obstacle. LeBody was such a thing. Balthazar reversed a back suplex into one of his own, followed by a somersault splash from the top rope. When that didn’t put LeBody away, he utilised some very stiff kicks to the face and back and a piledriver.
Lebody managed to get a hand on the ropes to break up the pinfall, but it was too late for him. He walked straight into a devastating running knee, that KO’d him into next week.
Winner: Balthazar
THE PACIFIC POWERS vs ZARTHAN & HATHEON DROSA
In a tag team match, the newly formed ‘Pacific Powers’, consisting of Tamu and Kensuke Tanaka were up against the established GPPW line-up of Zarthan and Hatheon Drosa. This was a powerhouse matchup, with little finesse. It was all about strength and power, with all four men considering themselves ‘tough guys’.
The four men squared off, matching each other power move for power move. The action spilled outside, with the match in danger of being a count out or disqualification. The referee though, to his credit, managed to get the combatants back in the ring. Following a beat-down, Tamu managed to avoid a double -team clothesline attempt and tag in Tanaka. Tanaka was on fire, suplexing and dropkicking his foes out of the ring. He suplexed Drosa back into the ring and then clotheslined him back out.
This isolated Zarthan, who was finished off with a splash mountain and somersault splash.
Winners: The Pacific Powers (Tamu and Kensuke Tanaka)
VANESSA BROOKS & KATIE WEAVER vs PAULA LAWLESS & TIFFANY
In a Women’s tag match, Vaness Brooks teamed with Katie Weaver to take on Paula Lawless and Tiffany (who was making her debut).
It was an even affair for the most part, with Lawless & Tiffany starting off really well, before Brooks & Weaver took control for a while. The match ended when all four women took in a melee, resulting in all four women being knocked down to the canvass- plus the referee.
Once order and composure had been restored. Paul Lawless decked Weaver with the Law-breaker to get the win.
Winners: Paula Lawless & Tiffany
Semi-final : BENJAMIN WAUGH vs CESAR MORGAN
A place in the World Title tournament was at stake for the winner of the semi-final match-up. Both men lost their matches two months ago, so both were eager to get their first victory here.
In the near 30 minute battle, both men showed their mettle and ring nous in a close-fought and immersive spectacle. Whilst Waugh is many years the junior, his ring experience is right up there with Morgan’s. Both men battled with slams, suplexes, throws, chops and kicks to near falls, before they brawled outside and narrowly avoided a countout.
Waugh thought he had won the match following a back superplex and headbutt combo- as he didn’t know that Morgan’s finger had touched the ropes after the referee completed his count. Cesar pounced on the moment and nailed Waugh with a flying knee, for a close fall.
The two exchanged blows- suplex for spinebuster, brainbuster for powerslam. All very close calls for the referee making the count, James Colt.
The two kept battling, neither would back down. Cesar Morgan eventually came out the victor by using the ‘Redneck Special’ flying kick for the one-two-three. Benjamin Waugh is now out of the Supreme World Championship restart tournament.
Winner: Cesar Morgan
DRAKE ALPHA vs DANNY “THE ACE” AUSTEN
The main event winner would get a bye to the semi-finals of the World Championship tournament. Drake was accompanied by his Personal Coach Justin Genius.
The match started off at a cautious, slow-pace with the two feeling each other out, trying not to be the one to makes mistake. They traded headlocks and armdrags, leglocks and throws. They were both proving to be equal.
The Ace, is so named as he is flamboyant and flashy, though. He decided to up the tempo and hit Alpha with a barrage of takedowns and then clotheslined Alpha over the top rope to the floor.
He then followed it up with a graceful dive onto Drake and his manager, Genius. From there, the referee showed a lot of discretion to the rules. Both men used the steel steps and chairs on the other. Justin Genius tried to mug Austen, but he threw Genius though a ringside table- which the ringside fans loved!
Once they got back in the ring, The Ace looked for the kill. He hit Drake with a sea of offence- a Slammerjammer, a piledriver, a powerbomb and a spear. Justin Genius, recovering from his fall, managed to pull the referee’s leg to break up a count. After being admonished, it was clear he’d also left something for his wrestler. It was a knuckleduster. Alpha swung and hit Austen and went for the pin. The referee noticed that Austen had the wherewithal to put his leg on the bottom rope at the very last second. Genius and Alpha were livid. Alpha then went for his managers, sorry- business coach’s patented move- the IQ Dropper. The Ace got his shoulder at the very, very last second- which the referee noticed.
The match came to a conclusion, when Justin Genius placed a chair in the corner and tried to distract the referee. Alpha went to ram Austen’s head into it, but it was reversed. The Ace then followed up on it with an Ace-breaker for the victory and a first round bye.
Drake Alpha was seen exiting arguing with Justin Genius. He may be pondering that had he kept it to pure wrestling, he may have won this match. Going beyond the rules did seem to cost him.
The Ace has the first round bye in the tournament, which will start on SCW’s new tv show- Showdown, airing on Saturday evenings between 6-8pm on NTV1.
It was a great show that they put on, with the quality of the matches shining through, especially at the upper end. It was a solid card from start to finish. AWE must be concerned, they will need to entertain at their next PPV – BeachBrawl on 26th July.
CONCAFA Nations Cup 2020 Preview
CONCAFA Nations Cup 2020 | Tournament Preview
This summer’s tournament bring eight of the ten CONCAFA nations together, with Panduras and Djaratia regrettably failing to pass through the Nations League stage, which served as qualifiers of sort.
Hosts Aguador lead off Group A, with Marida, who two years ago were in the final four of the WEFA World Nations Cup. Debutants Targaria, the Hungarian speaking nation, were newly formed out of the split with Djaratia. Réisha were caught up in civil war just a few years back, so this is a time for them to try to gt things ‘back to normal’ in a footballing sense.
Group B has holders Eboria paired with Nations League winners Latania, always dangerous Anderland, plus a rising giant in Saint Louis. It is definitely seen as the harder group.
GROUP A
Hosts Aguador have a good starting eleven, good enough to match anyone, but do they have a good enough squad for the five games? Luis Velasquez leads the line, with Emilio Alcaraz, Santi Ramon and Saul Blanco all supporting the attack. Home support will be vital in getting them through the knockout phases. They kick off with Marida, so it will be interesting to see how they start. Falling in game one does not by any means rule them out of contention.
Marida finished third in Spain & Portugal two summers ago. Having lost the semi-final to Brazil then, and losing the CNC final in 2016 to Eboria- they feel the time is now to win something. Their last tournament victory was back in 2008, with Felipé and Carlosinho. The next generation of Carlos Ricardo, Rolando, Lieira, Xavi Rodrigues and co. need to win gold- now! Youth has been added with the excellent Césaro, Felix and Costinho. This only enriches the squad. Hard to bet against taking the trophy home.
Réisha are back. The Dragon Warriors have been playing for two years to get to this point and are ready to fight for their nation. Fighting spirit is one thing, but do they have the talent to pull off something of a coup and get out of the group? Talismanic playmaker Matheo Zalas is their great hope, but he can’t win it all by himself. Although they are far from a one-man team, third in the group would be an acheivement.
New nation Targaria are ready to fly the flag at their first ever tournament as a sovereign nation. There will be great joy and pride in leading the men out in Aguador. The front four all have ESL experience – Andras Féher (Hallas), Szabo at San Andreas, Balasz Nagy on the flanks at NC United and István Kovacs at FC Coratia. If they can beat Réisha, they will have a chance to sneak through.
Predicted order: 1- Marida, 2 – Aguador, 3- Targaria, 4- Targaria
GROUP B
Anderland’s front three of Overgaard, Heinz and Mulder should strike gold (or goal-ed) for the Andutchmen. The defence may be their Achilles heel. If they can keep things tight at the back, they should be able to oust either Eboria or Latania for a top two spot . They know three into two won’t go and they don’t want to be the odd ones out.
Holders Eboria have a great squad and must be considered co-favourites. Although Aaron Johnson, Daniel Ayandele, Buckhalter and Scott Bradshaw have retired from international football, the replacements- Mark Vladic, Troy Walker and Danny Marshall have all stepped up to fill any void. Add in Jordan Wilcox, Aslan Burakgazi and Eddie Brown III and you have a stacked squad to retain their crown.
Latania won the Nations League with goals from their ex-European based players. Paolo Alzari, Mauro Bellatoni and Mario Lotti were on fire as a collective. Italy-based holding midfielder Massimo Galante provides the engine in midfield and he is now well accompanied by either Foscarelli or Tosi. A solid back four makes them difficult to break down. If their form holds, expect them to at least be in the final four.
Saint Louis are the underdogs in this difficult grouping, possibly the worst for the french-speaking republic. Adelphia’s Lilian Diane is looking for a new home as he wants to start up front- he has been a tremendous striker in the past two months. Grandeau, Ettiene Kamara and Sasa Lucic are great players also. The Saint Louisiens are a top-heavy side and are prone to leaking goals. Hard to see them anywhere but bottom, especially as winger Jacques Marceau has pulled out of the squad due to a hamstring injury suffered in the ESL finale.
Predicted order: 1-Eboria, 2 – Latania, 3- Anderland, 4- Saint Louis
Predicted semi finals- Marida to beat Latania, Eboria to beat Aguador.
Predicted winner: MARIDA
SCW: Resurrection. Reborn Supremacy?
Saturday April 25th 2020: Supreme Championship Wrestling returned to our screens, with its first Pay-per-view (PPV) in nine years. A packed Chamberlain Hall crowd witnessed the rebirth of the promotion and what a show they got. There were eight matches in total.
Opening Match: CHRISTIAN BENNETT vs EVAN LeBODY
The opening match was a homecoming for SCW original Christian Bennett. A partisan crowd sang along to his theme tune and oléyed him when he hit multiple suplexes or clotheslines. Evan LeBody was incensed by the crowd not giving him the same adulation, taking time out twice to walk around the ring and berate fans. Bennett is all business though, and pummelled LeBody with lariats and slams, setting him up for a ‘Drive-By DDT’ and the pinfall.
Winner: Christian Bennett (Rating : 3 out of 5)
Match 2: BALTHAZAR vs MATT BLACK
GPPW regular Balthazar took on Eborian journeyman Matt Black in the second bout. Black started off by taking veteran shortcuts to slow things down and put Balthazar off his game. The Réishan is no novice, though, returning the favour by matching thumbs to the eyes and taunting, before picking up the tempo with a barrage of offence.
Black stuttered and tried to take another time out, but was caught and suplexed back into the ring. Balthazar then hit a Death-Driver for a near fall. Black almost stole it with a role up, but walked into one himself and lost the match.
Winner: Balthazar (Rating: 3.5)
Balthazar rolls up Black 
Balthazar celebrates!
Match 3: Three-Way RYAN FURY vs HIRO vs LEO HUSTLE
In an unannounced match, a three-way matchup was next. Ryan Fury and Leo Hustle provided many high spots and brutal kicks. Hiro, though, on this night, was a cut above them, pinning Fury after Hustle had been thrown outside and attacked.
Match 4: PAULA LAWLESS vs VANESSA BROOKS
In the first women’s match of the restart, Paul Lawless took on the spiteful and arrogant Vanessa Brooks. Lawless was the clear babyface in this encounter and was cheered on by the SCW faithful. Brooks tried to sneak out the wins by pulling tights and using the ropes, but could not get one over on Lawless. Lawless rolled up Brooks for the win.
Winner Paula Lawless (Rating: 3)
Match 5; METAMANIACS vs ZARTHAN & HATHEON DROSA
Mike and Jeff, the Metamaniacs, took on the Réishan stars of Zarthan and Hatheon Drosa- former GPPW Tag Team Champions in the initial tag match.
This was a short match, which the official had difficulty maintaining order. Both teams frequently double-teamed their opponents and it was at times akin to a tornado match. The Meta men won by pinfall, following their ‘Meta-four’ manoeuvre.
Winners: The MetaManiacs (Rating: 4)
Match 6: STREETFIGHT- TAMU vs KRYTUS
A wild brawl from the get-go, this one! Tamu and Krytus battered each other for nearly twenty minutes in a hard-hitting streetfight.
Tamu DDTs Krytus 
Tamu about to dive 
Krytus locks up Tamu
Tamu thought he’d got the win following a vicious DDT on the mats outside, but Krytus was not done. The hard-headed Réishan came back with a superplex and a powerslam for near falls, before the weapons came out. Both men used Kendo sticks and chairs and tables. Krytus finally got the pinfall, when he smacked Tamu with a chair and then executed a face-buster onto the chair for the fall.
Winner: Krytus (Rating: 4)
Match 7: BENJAMIN WAUGH vs ‘THE ACE’ DANNY AUSTEN
The up and coming superstar against the flashy established performer. This match started off with Waugh taking an initial advantage and wearing down Austen with shoulder takedowns and armlocks. Waugh also worked on Austen’s back for a few minutes before Austen could make a comeback.
Waugh readys a piledriver 
Austen gets a neckbreaker
The Ace, is so-called because he excels at the art of wrestling. He put the match right back into his favour with well-timed knee strikes, a toss out and dive to the outside. From there, The Ace looked to wear down the youngster with backbreakers and stretches. When Waugh looked tired, The Ace went for the kill. Climbing the top turnbuckle, Austen went for a spinning moonsault, but met Benjamin’s knees to the face instead. Waugh then hit a ton of suplexes and other power moves. Going for a big power slam, Waugh got caught with the amazing spinning cutter from Austen. That was it.
Winner: ‘The Ace’ Danny Austen (Rating 4.5)
Main Event: DRAKE ALPHA vs CESAR MORGAN
The main event was a matchup between the shoot wrestler and the roughneck villain, with the two putting on a 33 minute classic. Cesar Morgan has impressed in his time in Eboria and Réisha, the Texas native has made himself very much at home. With his methodical pace, he took the lead in this encounter. Alpha, akin to a young Kurt Angle, is a wrestling machine. The two went back and forth, taking turns with holds and moves to break each other down. Morgan came close with two counts following a superplex and falcon arrow combo, a modified RKO and small package. Alpha came close from multiple German suplexes, Judo throws and legsweeps and backbreakers.
Drake Alpha enters 
Morgan strikes Drake 
Morgan goes to Suplexvillle
The two were tiring, as the pace slowed down at the 25 minute mark. Both men missed dives from the top rope as they appeared to be faltering. After Alpha escaped a neckbreaker attempt from Morgan, he hit a devilish piledriver for near fall. With Morgan in rubber-leg city, Alpha hit a spinebuster and set up for the Alpha-lock (STF). The Texan would not quit, finally managing to escape and hit a cutter for a near fall. Drake Alpha wouldn’t give up either and went back to the Alpha-lock. Morgan couldn’t escape this time and eventually tapped out. A tremendous match.
Winner: Drake Alpha (Rating 4.75)
It was a great night of action, but with these ‘cold’ pairings, it’s not clear at this stage what kind of feuds or rivalries will be forming (other than in the spirit of competition). We will have to wait and see!
USN ~ The Ultimate Sports Network 