The Dark Match started with Haze and Rebel locking up. Haze pulled Rebel’s hair and the referee broke it up. Haze went for a punch but Rebel got out of the way. Rebel went for a clothesline, and a pin, but only came up with a two count. Haze got the Irish whip, but with no luck as Rebel got to her feet and nailed her with a right hand. Haze charged and her opponent left her feet for Rebel Yell! The crowd cheered as Rebel went for the pin. 1..2..3!
Joey Styles: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to EBWF Warfare!
The pyro went off as the fans cheered.
Corey Graves: We are live from the Keybank Center in Buffalo, New York and we are headed to King of the Ring.
Poison was first to the ring for the Queen of the Ring qualifier match, followed by Alicia Fox. The bell rang and Alicia tried to pull Poison through the ropes, but Poison hit her with some forearms and then suplexed her back into the ring from the apron. Poison went for the pin, but Alicia kicked out at two.
Corey Graves: I thought Poison had it there.
Alicia hit a backbreaker, and followed with a second for a near fall. Alicia charged the corner but Poison came back with some clotheslines. Alicia hit Poison a few times and got her into a straightjacket choke. She drove her knee into Poison’s back, and it sent the woman tapping. The bell rang.
Joey Styles: That’s a winner! Alicia Fox is moving on to round two!
Titus O’Neil came to the ring first, without any members of the Varsity Club. Dean Ambrose was announced next. The bell rang and Titus tossed Ambrose into the corner and took Dean to the mat with a shoulder tackle. Titus did a bit too much showboating though, because Ambrose slapped him across the chest. Ambrose lunged at Titus taking him down in the corner.
Corey Graves: Ambrose is aggressive here.
The referee backed Ambrose off, and Titus came back strong with a big forearm that turned the tide back in his favor. Titus beat Ambrose in to the corner, slapping him in the chest and covering for a near fall. Ambrose powered out of a chin lock and caught Titus with a flurry of chops and kicks, followed by Dirty Deeds!
Joey Styles: That’s his signature maneuver!
1…2..3!
Corey Graves: Dean Ambrose! Dean Ambrose is moving on in the King of the Ring tournament.
Corey Graves: Another match up for the Queen of the Ring tournament!
Maryse was first to the ring followed by Eva Marie. Maryse started the match by flipping her hair, and Eva responded by slapping Maryse. The Frenchie came back with a tackle, then pulled Eva’s hair. Eva whipped Maryse, and slammed her face first into the turnbuckle. Maryse went for the kick and followed through with a rollup, but Eva rolled through and hit Sliced Red #2 for a quick cover and the three count.
The crowd was hot as EBWF returned from commercial with Alexa Bliss and Summer Rae already in the ring. Summer surprised Alexa as the bell rang, and slammed her in the corner, stomping her and kneeing her in the face before covering her quickly for the near fall.
Corey Graves: Summer knows she’s going to need to be aggressive.
Alexa whipped her into the ropes, and hit her with a few right hands. Alexa came back with a sunset power bomb, and took a two count. Summer got to her feet and tried to go for the high kick, but she stumbled into a Snap DDT. Alexa went for the pin. 1…2…3!
As Warfare returned from a commercial break, Matt Sydal was on his way to the ring for the next match.
Joey Styles: Welcome back! Up next, Kevin Owens takes on Matt Sydal.
Corey Graves: Owens was left extremely frustrated after losing to Sami Zayn at Death Before Dishonor... the Prizefighter will be determined to make a statement by winning his match tonight.
When Sydal was in the ring, "Fight" by CFO$ hit and Owens got his usual mixed reaction as he headed to the ring. Once Owens had entered the ring, the referee called for the bell. Sydal ran at Owens, but Owens reacted quickly, taking Sydal down with a stiff clothesline. As Sydal hit the mat, Owens stomped on him several times, before dragging him to his feet and whipping him into the corner. Owens ran at Sydal and hit him with a bodypress, before pummelling him with a series of punches. He pulled Sydal out of the corner and lifted him over his shoulders, then hit the Go Home Driver. He followed it up with a running senton, then made the cover. The referee counted – 1... 2... kickout! Owens stomped on Sydal some more, then pulled him to his feet, but Sydal fought back, hitting Owens with a jawbreaker. Sydal went for an enzuigiri, but Owens blocked it, then hit a sidewinder suplex. Sydal looked dazed as he got to his feet, and Owens whipped him against the ropes, then hit the Pop Up Powerbomb! He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... 3!
Joey Styles: A dominant performance by Kevin Owens!
"We Are The Champions" by Queen hit and the crowd cheered as Cesaro made his way to the ring for the next match. Once Cesaro was in the ring, "I Am Stronger" by CFO$ hit and the cheers quickly turned to boos as Braun Strowman stepped out onto the stage.
Corey Graves: I've been looking forward to this one, Joey!
As he entered the ring, Strowman squared up to Cesaro. The referee got between them, then called for the bell. Cesaro and Strowman began exchanging right hands back and forth, and after gaining the upper hand, Strowman went to his Cesaro with a clothesline. Cesaro ducked out of the way, then turned around and hit Strowman with an uppercut! Strowman looked momentarily dazed, and Cesaro hit another uppercut, then went to whip Strowman against the ropes. Strowman blocked it and pulled Cesaro towards him, before hitting a clothesline. Cesaro got to his feet and Strowman whipped him against the ropes, then took him down with a big boot. Strowman followed it up with a leg drop, then made the cover. The referee counted – 1... 2... kickout! Strowman pulled Cesaro to his feet and grabbed him by the throat, going for a chokeslam... but Cesaro blocked it and hit Strowman with a kick to the midsection, then hit a DDT! Cesaro grabbed Strowman by the legs, and the crowd cheered, anticipating a giant swing. Cesaro tried to lift Strowman up, but the Monster Among Men resisted, and Cesaro applied a sharpshooter!
Joey Styles: Cesaro has the sharpshooter locked in! Can he make Strowman tap out?
Corey Graves: Are you kidding me, Joey? Braun Strowman has never tapped out in his life!
Strowman refused to submit, then rolled over and kicked Cesaro away. He got to his feet, and Cesaro went for another uppercut, but Strowman blocked it and hit Cesaro with a headbutt. He then lifted Cesaro up, hitting the Yokosuka cutter. He hooked the leg once more – 1... 2... kickout! Strowman got to his feet and stomped on Cesaro several times, then pulled him to his feet and threw him into the corner. Strowman charged towards Cesaro, going for a body avalanche, but Cesaro got his knees up and blocked it, then went to the top rope, hitting a diving uppercut! Strowman staggered backwards, but remained standing, and Cesaro hit him with a shoulder tackle to the knee, taking him down. He then hit a double foot stomp, before pulling Strowman to his feet and setting him up for the Neutralizer! Strowman countered with a back body drop, then as Cesaro got to his feet, Strowman lifted him over his shoulder, hitting a running powerslam. He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... 3!
Joey Styles: It's over! Braun Strowman advances to the next round!
Corey Graves: Credit where credit is due, Joey... Strowman might have emerged as the victor, but Cesaro put up one hell of a fight.
Strowman celebrated as Warfare went to a commercial break.
As Warfare returned from a commercial break, Luke Gallows was already in the ring for the next match. "I Came To Play" by Downstait hit and the crowd gave a mixed reaction as The Miz made his way to the ring.
Corey Graves: Are you ready for this, Joey? For the first time since Fanniversary, we're going to see The Miz in action!
Joey Styles: Under the terms of Miz's loss to Alex Riley at Fanniversary, Miz wasn’t supposed to be able to wrestle for an entire year... but he's been given special dispensation to compete in the King of the Ring tournament. He's been waiting more than seven months to get back in the ring, and you can tell from looking at him how thrilled he is to be competing tonight.
When Miz was in the ring, the referee called for the bell. Gallows went for a big boot, but Miz ducked out of the way then hit Gallows with a series of punches. He whipped Gallows against the ropes, before hitting a dropkick. Both men got to their feet and Miz hit a knee to the midsection, then took him down with a neckbreaker. He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... kickout!
Corey Graves: Miz starting strongly here... the former World Champion is showing no sign of ring rust!
Miz pulled Gallows to his feet and whipped him into the corner, then ran at him, going for the Awesome Clothesline. Gallows moved out of the way at the last second, causing Miz to collide with the turnbuckles. Gallows put Miz in the tree of woe position, then stomped on him several times, causing Miz to fall to the mat. Gallows pulled Miz to his feet and set him up for the Gallows Pole... but Miz blocked it, then hit a snapmare driver. He stomped on Gallows several times, then hit a knee drop. He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... kickout! Miz pulled Gallows back to his feet and whipped him into the corner once again. He went for the Awesome Clothesline... and this time, he hit it! Gallows staggered out of the corner, and Miz grabbed him from behind, hitting the Skull Crushing Finale! He hooked the leg once more – 1... 2... 3!
Joey Styles: Miz gets the win! He'll face either Cody Rhodes or Samoa Joe in the next round.
Joey Styles: Well moments ago, we saw The Miz beat Luke Gallows in his first match since Fanniversary last year. Up next, we'll see the man who beat him at Fanniversary, Alex Riley, in action, against one of the EBWF's newest signings, Trent Seven.
"Nightmare" by Avenged Sevenfold hit and the crowd gave a mixed reaction as Trent Seven made his way to the ring. When Seven was in the ring, "Say It to My Face" by Downstait hit and the crowd booed as Alex Riley headed to the ring. Miz had remained at ringside after winning his match, and as Riley reached the bottom of the ramp, he exchanged words with Miz before entering the ring. The referee called for the bell, and the two superstars locked up. Seven applied a headlock, but Riley fought out of it and whipped Seven against the ropes, before hitting a spinebuster. He got to his feet and stomped on Seven several times, then pulled Seven to his feet, hitting a DDT. He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... kickout! Riley pulled Seven to his feet and hit him with a series of punches, but Seven fought back with some right hands of his own, then hit a backhand chop. Seven hit Riley with a kick to the midsection and lifted him up, hitting a suplex. Both men got to their feet, and Seven set Riley up for a piledriver, but Riley blocked it, countering with a back body drop. Seven got to his feet and Riley hit a dropkick, then as Seven got back to his feet, he took the British superstar down with a corkscrew neckbreaker. He hooked the leg once more – 1... 2... kickout! Riley pulled Trent Seven to his feet once again and lifted him onto his shoulders, going for the Final Score, but Seven wriggled free and got behind Riley, hitting a German suplex. Seven went for another German suplex, but this time Riley blocked it, and he got behind Seven, hitting a belly-to-back side slam. Riley waited for Seven to get to his feet, then hit him with the High Knee! He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... 3!
Corey Graves: A-Ry advances to the second round!
Riley celebrated with Miz at ringside as Warfare went to a commercial break.
As Warfare returned from a commercial break, Mark Andrews was in the ring for the next match. "Counting Bodies Like Sheep" by A Perfect Circle hit, and the crowd cheered as Randy Orton made his way to the ring.
Joey Styles: Welcome back! Still to come, Cody Rhodes takes on Samoa Joe in our main event, but first we've got Randy Orton in action against Mark Andrews.
Corey Graves: Orton is a two-time King of the Ring, winning the tournament in 2013 and 2014. Could 2017 be the year that "The Viper" reclaims the throne?
Joey Styles: If he does, Corey, he'll be the first superstar to win the tournament three times!
Upon entering the ring, Orton glared at his opponent. The referee called for the bell, and Andrews ran at Orton, but Orton reacted quickly, hitting a snap scoop powerslam. Orton got to his feet and hit Andrews with the Garvin stomps, then pulled Andrews to his feet. He hit the high-flier with a series of punches, finishing up with a European uppercut. Andrews staggered backwards, and Orton grabbed him, dragging him to the ropes. Orton trapped Andrews between the ropes, then hit an elevated DDT. He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... kickout! Both men got to their feet and Orton went to whip Andrews against the ropes, but Andrews reversed the Irish whip, sending Orton into the ropes. As Orton ran back towards him, Andrews jumped onto the Viper's shoulders, going for a hurricanrana. Orton countered it, hitting a powerbomb! Orton began pounding the mat, signalling for the RKO. Andrews got to his feet, and Orton hit it! He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... 3!
Corey Graves: It's over! Randy Orton gets the victory!
Joey Styles: A dominant performance from the Viper!
Joey Styles: Up next, our main event. "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes makes his EBWF return as he goes one on one with the new Gateway Champion, Samoa Joe!
"Nightmare" by Avenged Sevenfold hit and the crowd gave a mixed reaction as Cody Rhodes made his way to the ring. When Rhodes was in the ring, "Destroyer" by CFO$ hit and Samoa Joe stepped out onto the stage, the Gateway Championship placed over his shoulder.
Corey Graves: What a year this has been for Samoa Joe. He won the Royal Rumble, he's the Gateway Champion, and I've gotta be honest, I think he's one of the favorites to become King of the Ring!
When Joe was in the ring, the referee took the Gateway Championship from him and called for the bell. Joe and Rhodes exchanged right hands back and forth, but Joe was able to overpower Rhodes, and after hitting him with a flurry of punches, he took Rhodes down with a lariat. Joe stomped on Rhodes several times, then pulled him to his feet and whipped him against the ropes. As Rhodes ran back towards him, Joe went for a back body drop, but Rhodes hit Joe with a knee smash, then took him down with a bulldog. Rhodes got to the top rope, and when Joe was on his feet, he hit a crossbody. He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... kickout! Both men got to their feet, and Rhodes set Joe up for a reverse STO. Joe blocked it, then lifted Rhodes up, hitting an exploder suplex. Both men got to their feet once more and Joe whipped Rhodes against the ropes, then hit a Samoan drop. He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... kickout!
Joey Styles: Another near fall! Great back and forth action so far!
Joe got to his feet and stomped on Rhodes several times, then pulled him to his feet and whipped him into the corner. Joe ran at Rhodes, hitting a forearm smash, then as Rhodes staggered out of the corner, Joe lifted him over his shoulders for the Death Valley Driver. Rhodes countered with a DDT, then climbed to the turnbuckle and hit a moonsault! He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... kickout! Rhodes got to his feet and dragged Joe away from the ropes, then applied a figure four leglock! Joe cried out in pain, but he was able to get to the ropes, and the referee ordered Rhodes to break the hold. Joe got used the ropes to pull himself up, and when he was on his feet, Rhodes ran towards him, going for a clothesline. Joe reacted quickly, hitting a superkick, then grabbed Rhodes and hit a folding powerbomb, which he transitioned into a Boston crab! This time Rhodes cried out in pain, but he was able to get to the ropes and Joe broke the hold. When Rhodes was back on his feet, Joe tried to lock in the Coquina Clutch, but Rhodes blocked it and hit a forearm smash, then springboarded off the ropes, hitting the Beautiful Disaster! He hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... Joe kicked out just before the count of 3!
Corey Graves: So close to a 3 count! I don't think Rhodes can believe it, Joey!
Rhodes held his head in frustration, then argued with the referee, telling him to count faster. He hooked the leg once more – 1... 2... again Joe kicked out! Rhodes pulled Joe to his feet and set him up for Nightmare Fuel, but before he could hit it, Joe broke free and hit him with a dragon suplex. Joe ran against the ropes and hit Rhodes with a running senton, then hooked the leg. The referee counted – 1... 2... Rhodes kicked out! Joe pulled Rhodes to his feet, and went for the Coquina Clutch, but again Rhodes broke free, hitting Joe with an elbow smash. He followed it up with an uppercut, then dragged Joe towards the corner. Rhodes climbed to the second rope and set Joe up for a tornado DDT, but Joe blocked it, then lifted Rhodes onto his shoulders, hitting the Muscle Buster! He hooked the leg, and the referee counted – 1... 2... 3!
Joey Styles: It's over! Samoa Joe advances to the second round!
Joe celebrated his victory as Warfare went off the air.
