Holliday Wins Super 8 Tournament
It was a breakout night for several indie talents on the East Coast.
“The Most Marketable Man in Professional Wrestling” can now back up his self-appointed moniker, joining an elite group of stars such as Christopher Daniels, Tommaso Ciampa and Jerry Lynn.
In one of the biggest upsets in tournament history, Richard Holliday went the distance last Saturday and took home the Super 8 trophy. The crowd was stunned as the previously reserved technician jumped Chase Owens from behind to start the finals, brawling all over the United Asbury Methodist Church in New Castle, Delaware. The ECWA faithful rallied behind Owens, clinging for hope as he kicked out after Holliday hit his finisher, a quicker version of the Olympic Slam. Unfortunately, he couldn’t kick out after two more, and Holliday was declared victorious.
It was a valiant effort for the Bullet Club member, who seamlessly changed demeanor throughout the evening. In his quarter-final bout with Mike Law, Owens received much fanfare as dueling “Too Sweet”/“PCA” chants rocked the building. A veteran of ECWA, and the first man announced for the tournament, Law carried a huge chip on his shoulder as he pulled out all the stops to beat the incoming international star. Exchanging hard elbows that sounded like gun shots, both men emptied their arsenals, leaving everything they had on the mat. Ultimately, it was a Kinshasa to the back of Law’s head, followed by a package piledriver that gave Owens the win.
Afterwards, the “Crown Jewel” extended his hand to Law in a sign of respect for what was an incredible bout, but the World-1 Wrestling TV Champion pushed him away.
In the semi-finals, Owens met fellow fan favorite Ty Awesome, the least experienced competitor in the tournament. After dazzling the fans as well as Smiley with a frankensteiner, shining wizard and 450 splash in the opener, Awesome was riding an unmatched wave of momentum. Despite his inexperience, he outwrestled Owens in the beginning of their bout, frustrating the veteran. Owens finally snapped, yanking Awesome’s neck between the ropes, almost decapitating the high flyer. The ground and pound continued as people of all ages rooted for Awesome to fire back, their cheers eventually lifting him to his feet as he taunted Owens, asking for more of his signature elbow strikes.
Feeding off the adrenaline of the crowd, Awesome gave Owens a dose of his own medicine, telling him to suck it. Owens smirked, retaliating with a superkick. But Awesome kicked out of every pin attempt, absorbing more punishment than humanly possible, refusing to stay down. Finally, the plucky underdog attempted another frankensteiner, but Owens hung on and drove him to the mat with a Styles Clash off the second rope.
Afterwards, Owens extended his hand yet again, and Awesome reciprocated in front of the adoring crowd. Emerging victorious in defeat, Awesome received a standing ovation, truly recognized as the breakout star of the 22nd annual Super 8.
In non-tournament action, every ECWA champion put their title on the line in a 10-person tag team match. The women kicked things off as Women’s Champion Christina Marie exchanged blows with Damaris, while the rest of the champions remained outside the ring, avoiding any tags and potentially, the loss of their gold. Hoping for easy pickings, Heavyweight Champion Azrieal finally tagged in, but came face to face with arch rival Joe Gacy. Azrieal quickly tagged out and then mayhem broke out as everybody entered the ring.
In the end, One Mean Team looked to put away Tahir James, but Justin Pusser got crotched on the turnbuckle. James slingshotted Brian Johnson into Frankie Pickard’s boot, and Johnson was unable to reach Pusser’s hand for a tag before the three count. After months of chasing the Tag Team Champions, DOA finally struck gold, much to the fans’ delight.
Results
Finals: Holliday def. Owens
Adam Chandler the Great won a battle royal
Semi-finals: Owens def. Awesome
Semi-finals: Holliday def. Anthony Greene
Championship Jeopardy: DOA def. One Mean Team
Quarter-finals: Owens def. Law
Quarter-finals: Holliday def. Bolt Brady
Quarter-finals: Greene def. Cheeseburger
Quarter-finals: Awesome def. Smiley
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