Live from Hammerstein Ballroom, New York/USA
Show opens with a promotional video for the upcoming Grandslam show, which is only a week away at this point. The video emphasize on the Japan part of the show, and more matches for the show are confirmed as we get some highlights and flashbacks of what's been going on in Japan over the past months with some wrestlers from EAM like Shawn Michaels, Jon Moxley, not to mention the Jamboree general manager Randy Orton. We get a bigger context of things we haven't necessarily been shown at monday night Jamboree's. Shawn Michaels replies to Tanahashi's challenge, and offcourse Mr. Grandslam aint putting down such a challenge. It's then made official, and we are informed that Tanahashi Vs Michaels will open the whole damn ball! Randy Orton Vs Kazuchika Okada is also confirmed, a match that's been talked about a lot on social media over the past weeks, with fans actually wondering if they are actually going to get it, as it is sort of a dream match for many wrestling fans. The video ends with a promo from none other than EAM Legend Jon Moxley. He talks about the upcoming Grandslam PPV, and how awesome it's going to be. But, it's missing something. Something explosive! We get a small video package then, showing the past endevours of not only Jon, but some Japanese guy as well. Maybe not known my every wrestling fan, but for the average hardcore wrestling fan, this is no unknown Puro, as the guy we see are none other than Asushi Onita. We cut back to Moxley, who then challenge Onita to a match that literally will BLOW the fans away. If Onita aint a coward that is! Moxley Vs Onita at Grandslam 17 baby! In a Exploding Cage Timebomb Deathmatch! We cut to the Jamboree vignette....
Brian and Nigel welcomes us to the last Jamboree before Grandslam 17, and GOD are they excited?! Aren't you guys excited?! And with the announcement we just got, we have even more to be excited about! But, we've even got a exciting show for you tonight, so why waste time? Melissa, take it away!
Triple Threat Matchup
Timothy Thatcher Vs Angelico Vs Chad Gable
Yes a lot happening in even more matches confirmed and built up. Pretty solid match from everyone involved here. Feels like they’ve wrestled in a loop for a long time now these three but maybe it’s just my imagination. Submissions and technical moves throughout the match but at the end it is an Angelico that gets the win following the stomp of the top rope to both men.
We get the confirmation of yet two more matches for the Grandslam cards, and this has been brewing for a while to be honest, so nobody's really shocked to see it confirmed for the cards. But, it's going to get interesting for sure, as this Grandslam suddenly became much more personal, as Rey Vs Dominik, Hook Vs Taz and Rex Steiner Vs Scott & Rick Steiner is officially confirmed for Grandslam 17! WOW! Personal can't even start to describe it! We cut back to the arena for our next match, but offcourse Briand and Nigel are more interested in the news we just got at this moment, discussing all three matches just confirmed as Ornate Prime Champion; Triple C's music cranks the arena speakers. He gets a big pop from the audience as he makes his way out on the stage. He makes his way all down to the ring without really Brian and Nigel taking notice of it, as they are deep in a discussion about the Grandslam cards at this point. Triple C then takes to a microphone, where he talks about the fact that season 16 became much better than he had anticipated, as he would never have dreamed of holding EAM gold at the end of the season, not to mention defending it on the grandest stage. But Triple C guess hard work pays off in the end huh? Speaking of hard work, another guy who's worked hard to accomplish achievement after achievement in this business, are none other than the man that he is very honored to defend The Ornate Prime Title against at Grandslam, John Felix Anthony Cena... This gets a big cheer from the audience offcourse. But then Triple C talks about how honored he would be if Cena would grant him one small favour before their match at Grandslam. And that would be to be his tag team partner for tonights match! Brian and Nigel explains this to the viewer who might not have gotten news of this, but AJ styles has not been seen or heard from since last week, allthough rumors has it on different dirt sheets that he's been spotted in Tokyo, Japan. He was scheduled to be Triple C's tag team partner tonight offcourse, since they still are a tag team, but instead, Triple C has now asked Cena for help. And Cena responds. Ge as well gets a big pop from the crowd as he walks out on the stage. And it's actually quite nice, to see two people, who will be opponents in a weeks time, actually managing to put those things aside for one night and team up. It actually seems like Cena looks forward to it as well. He makes his way down the rampway and into the ring, where he shakes Triple C's hand, and he looks pretty ready to go to be honest. But who are their opponents gonna be? Music cranks the arena speakers then
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gno7jUoU9w . Kota Ibushi makes his way out on the stage. He gets a solid reaction, despite not been doing the best since splitting up with Omega. Maybe tonight will turn out different? But who is his tag team partner? Music cranks the arena speakers again, and it's a song that EAM fan's are not familiar with. Ibushi makes hand gesture towards the back as his tag team partner for tonight walks out on the stage. Blue Demon!. This is a nice surprise, a Japanese guy and a Mexican guy, in the spirit of the upcoming Grandslam. And it seems Triple C and Cena in the ring are well aware that the upcoming match against these two wont be a walk in the park...
Good promo and build up. Lot of matches that were built already but a bit weird on the last Jamboree for them to be officially confirmed but all good.
Tag Team Matchup
Triple C & John Cena Vs Kota Ibushi & Blue Demon
Damn what an awesome match here. A Mexican and a Japanese guy working together obviously to promote the two Grand Slams. Cena and Claudio actually work together pretty well and can you top this moves. Recoli Bomb and an AA. At the end of the match while Demon and Ibushi look good it ends with a double suplex face off by both men and a double pin. Claudio and John face off after the match impressed with each other. The two strongest possible men in the company. What a match that should be.
As we get back from commercial break, we get a promo from The Intergender Tag Team Champions; Marty and Martina, who responds to the comebacks last week. They actually pretend to be sorry for Cody and Brandi for a second, telling them one thing that might cheer them up, and that's the fact that Seth and Becky will get the same treatment that they did. So they don't have to worry, because these titles will be staying just where they are. In a way, Cody and Brandi should be glad they got humiliated on Jamboree instead of being humiliated at Grandslam. Because that's what Seth and Becky are going to experience!
A little bit confused on if the champions are faces or heels because they’ve been booked like faces for months now. It feels like Seth and Becky would be the heels but I guess they could both be faces. Or champions as the heels.
Triple Threat Matchup
Wardlow Vs Drew McIntyre Vs Bobby Lashley
Another big match here like a big back-and-forth action, signature and finishing moves and some double-team work throughout this one but at the end after a kick from Drew and a dominator from Bobby it is Wardlow that gets the win following the Wardlow’s world power bomb. Another one to watch next season.
We get a promo from Eli Drake next, who's sole attention are focused on the person calling himself Pride Champion. The yellow-stinking coward, who's name is Aaron Stevens! Because just let's face it now then later shall we? The only thing that Aaron Stevens are, is a bad copy of yours truly, Eli Drake! And by the power rested upon the Tokyo and Mexican Wrestling Commitee (sounds like something he made up to be honest), and EAM Promotions management, he's been granted a huge opportunity to back up and prove his statement, as he is scheduled to face Stevens for The Pride Championship at Grandslam 17! Not only that, it's opening the Mexican show!
Not expecting much from this match but it could deliver, it all depends on what Aaron is feeling like on the night.
EAM Television Championship Matchup
WALTER (c) Vs Matthew Riddle
Riddle looks pretty good getting in some moves including some hard kicks and MMA style moves and even an RKO But alas it’s just not enough for the victory as WALTER gets the win following a power bomb and a top rope headbutt. After the match we see MJF standing on the stage holding his title high as Walter stares him down. What a main event that should be.
We get a segment next, where we once again find ourselves in the same room we did a couple of weeks ago, inhabited by the same black cloaked figures as before. But this time, they are not alone. In front of them stands six persons, who most wrestling fans would truly recognize pretty fast. Standing in a neatly row in front of the robed men are; Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, Prince Devittt, Jay White, Marty Scurll and AJ Styles. What is going on? Then, all the cloaked men take back their cloaked hoodies, revealing not only to the six person standing in front of them who they are, but also to the audience. It's all the other members of the faction known as The Bullet Club. And things are suddenly seeming a bit more clearer. One of the cloaked persons, who's taken upon himself to be some kind of spokesperson, at least for this occasion, tell the six members of Bullet Club that's standing in front of them, who all of them have been Leader of the group at some point, that this thing has to be settled once and for all. And neither of the six will be having a saying on this matter, as neither of your votes would have counted towards any other decision anyways, since all the others are pretty clear on this. The Bullet Club needs to re-brand itself, to reform itself so to say, and because of that, it will need one strong leader to lead them. ONE Leader! Not six! You see where we are going with this? It will be decided once and for all. And it will stake out the course, for the future of The Bullet Club. So, at Grandslam 17 in Japan, you will all face each other in 6-Man Elimination Matchup, where the last man standing will be the new, and permanent leader of The Bullet Club! We cut back to the arena for our main event after that, which is going to be the hyped debate between Paul Heyman and James Mitchell, which undeniably are two of the most colorful and influencual managers of all time...
Haven’t really seen much buildup so it’s nice to see this and yeah should be an awesome match again could be another match of the year and possibly even the best match on the Grand Slam and yes only one winner.
War of Words aka Debate
Paul Heyman Vs James Mitchell
The debate goes on for quite a while, with both men getting in some good points on the behalf of both themselves and their client. But after a while, it goes out of hand. The debate turns into screaming, which in turn turns into a brawl, with both Brock and Mil interfering. Security manage to seperate them as well, making the damage minimal, but this is far from over by a longshot it seems. Show ends with a staredown between Lesnar and Mil....
Interesting choice for this to close the final Jamboree before Grandslam and not MJF/Walter. Makes sense though to help build the other matches. Could end up destroying the ring or stuff inside of it whatever. Thought this was a match at first and I guess it could’ve ended with a fireball in Heyman’s eyes after Brock throws him in front of him. Maybe after all this is said and done they could end up as a tagteam imagine that.