Mauro Ranallo: Welcome ladies and gentlemen to EBWF Warfare! We are coming to you live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada! I am joined by my colleague Nigel McGuinness.
Nigel McGuinness: Thank you, Mauro! We are just three weeks from Christmas Eve of Destruction, and I for one can’t wait to see what hell the most wonderful time of the year will have wrought!
Mauro Ranallo: You never know what sadistic matches will be born at Christmas Eve of Destruction.
Nigel McGuinness: The opponents tonight in our first matchup have seen their fair share of sadistic matches. Tommaso Ciampa will take on the the Living Legend Chris Jericho to open Warfare tonight!
Ciampa was to the ring first, and seemed confident as he headed to the ring and awaited the arrival of Chris Jericho. The crowd wasted no time in singing Judas as the most decorated EBWF Champion of all time made his entrance.
Mauro Ranallo: When was the last time Jericho had the opening match on Warfare?
Nigel McGuinness: I think Jericho would tell you that it doesn’t matter where he is in on the card. His match will steal the show.
Once Jericho was inside, the bell rings, and Jericho sauntered around the ring taunting the crowd. They circled the ring and locked up. They tussled into the ropes before Ciampa powered him to the corner. Ciampa gave a clean break. They locked up again, and Ciampa hit an arm drag. Jericho countered with an arm drag of his own. Ciampa quickly attacked and hit a fallaway slam before clotheslining him over the top rope.
Nigel McGuinness: Ciampa can't win the match out there!
Mauro Ranallo: If Ciampa is able to win this match it would change the trajectory of his career.
Ciampa went outside and punched Jericho around ringside. Jericho talked a little trash and ran away. Jericho got in the ring, hit the ropes, and Ciampa delivered a big boot. Ciampa covered for a one count. Ciampa chopped the chest and sent him to the corner, but Jericho elbowed him back. Jericho hit a missile dropkick for a near fall. Jericho set up for the Liontamer, but Ciampa used his leg strength to send Jericho out of the ring. Ciampa then wiped Jericho out with a suicide dive. Ciampa got Jericho in the ring and clotheslined him for a near fall. Ciampa sent him into the ropes, but Jericho held on. Jericho put him on the apron and went for a springboard dropkick, but Ciampa moved. Jericho crashed and burned on the floor. Ciampa went for a shooting star press off the apron, but Jericho countered into a Codebreaker! Jericho definitely got the worst of that on the floor.
Mauro Ranallo: And Jericho can't pin him. Jericho is frustrated!
Jericho got in the ring and looked for a count-out. Ciampa got on the apron at 9, so Jericho knocked him off into the barricade. Jericho then taunted the crowd. Jericho went outside and attacked Ciampa before attacking the arm. Jericho got Ciampa in the ring and stomped him a few times. Ciampa responded with some chops, but Jericho quickly came back with an arm breaker. Jericho taunted the crowd before using the ropes to stretch the injured arm of Ciampa out. Ciampa came back with some chops before hitting the ropes, but Jericho countered with a clothesline. Jericho then laid across the top rope as if this was too easy. Jericho got down and hit Ciampa with a senton splash for a near fall. Ciampa soon started to fight back and hit the ropes, but Jericho took him down with an enzuigiri for a near fall.
Nigel McGuinness: Ciampa won't stay down.
Jericho chopped the chest, so Ciampa chopped him back. Ciampa sent him into the ropes, but he lowered his head and eats a kick. Jericho charged, but Ciampa sent him to the apron. Jericho landed on the apron and went for a cross-body block, but Ciampa rolled through. Ciampa fought up and gave Jericho a fallaway slam. Ciampa kipped up and lifted Jericho up. Ciampa hit a rolling fireman’s carry before hitting a sliding clothesline. Ciampa hit a standing shooting star press for a near fall. Jericho quickly took him down and went for a Lionsault, but Ciampa jumped onto the ropes and hit Jericho with a big Russian Leg Sweep for a near fall. Ciampa went for a piledriver, but Jericho countered into a Liontamer. Ciampa quickly twisted out and sent him flying. Ciampa then hit him with a big back elbow! Jericho grabbed his face and rolls out of the ring in pain.
Mauro Ranallo: Ciampa is telling Jericho to get his ass back in the ring.
This angered Jericho and he charged Ciampa. Ciampa got his hands on him, and went for the Buckshot Lariat, but Jericho countered into the Codebreaker and went for the pin!
1...
2....
3!
Mauro Ranallo: Jericho wins it!
Nigel McGuinness: As Jericho's hand is raised in victory, all I can think is how impossible it must be to prepare for a man who has multiple finishing maneuvers.
Mauro Ranallo: Another win in the impressive career of Chris Jericho here tonight.
Mauro Ranallo: Up next, we've got women's action as Tam Nakano makes her EBWF debut against Alexa Bliss!
"Another Me" by Dale Oliver hit and the crowd gave a mixed reaction as Alexa Bliss made her way to the ring. When Bliss was in the ring, "Violet Kung Fu Girl" by Eigenkreation hit and the crowd cheered as Tam Nakano headed to the ring.
Nigel McGuinness: Tam Nakano made her name in Stardom, where she was a two time Artist of Stardom Champion. In Stardom she normally competed in tag team matches, so I'm interested to see how she fares as a singles competitor.
When Nakano was in the ring, the referee called for the bell and the two women locked up. Bliss went for a snapmare, but Nakano blocked it and hit Bliss with a tiger suplex. Both women got to their feet and Nakano whipped Bliss against the ropes, before hitting a dropkick. As the two women got back to their feet once more, Nakano hit Bliss with a roundhouse kick, then hooked the leg. The referee counted – 1... 2... Bliss kicked out! Nakano pulled Bliss to her feet and hit her with a series of kicks, then set her up for a German suplex... but Bliss blocked it and got behind Nakano, taking her down with a Russian legsweep. Bliss stomped on Nakano several times, then hit her with the Insault to Injury! She hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... Nakano kicked out!
Mauro Ranallo: Great back and forth action thus far!
Bliss pulled Nakano to her feet and whipped her against the ropes, then went for an arm drag... but Nakano blocked it, then hit Bliss with a clothesline. As Bliss got back to her feet, Nakano lifted her up, going for a body slam... but Bliss countered with a headscissors takedown! Both women got to their feet, and Bliss hit Nakano with a snap DDT, then climbed to the top rope. Alexa went for Twisted Bliss... but Nakano rolled out of the way! Bliss looked dazed as she got to her feet, and Nakano charged towards her, hitting the Violet Shoot! She hooked the leg and the referee counted – 1... 2... 3!
Nigel McGuinness: It's over! An impressive victory for Tam Nakano!
Nakano celebrated as Warfare went to a commercial break.
Christy Hemme: It's time for our main event of the evening! Introducing first, from Kawasaki, Japan. Weighing in at 220 pounds. He is Tomohiro Ishii.
Ishii made his way to the ring to a chorus of cheers from the crowd. He got in the ring and awaited his opponent.
Mauro Ranallo: You have to imagine that Ishii has a lot of respect for what it means to be facing the World Champion here tonight.
Nigel McGuinness: This may be a chance at a World Championship match if he's able to beat Aiden English tonight.
"Kingdom" by All Good Things hit, and Aiden English made his way to the ring with the World Championship around his waist.
Mauro Ranallo: The Champ is oozing confidence tonight. He's on his way to the ring alone.
Christy Hemme announced the champion, who got in the ring and surrendered his belt to the referee. The ref gave it to the timekeeper and rang the bell. English quickly opened up with some right hands before kicking Ishii in the back of the knee. English sidestepped a kick and chop blocked Ishii down. English shouldered him in the midsection and knocked him out of the ring. Ishii soon takes him down before getting into the ring to hit a vicious suicide dive. Ishii got him in the ring and hit a snap kick. Ishii covered, but English got a foot on the bottom rope. Ishii took him down and applied a neck vice. English fought up and hit a strike combination. Ishii quickly fought back and started jabbing away at him.
Mauro Ranallo: This one is moving quickly! Look at the pace of this match!
English then connected with an overhead kick. Both men were down. They started trading chops before English kicked him to the corner. English forearmed him and went for a Director's Cut. Ishii shoved him off, but English came right back with a moonsault into a reverse DDT for a near fall. Ishii rolled out of the ring to recover. English hit him with a plancha/forearm smash combo. English got him in the ring and charged at him, but Ishii avoided it. Ishii connected with a powerslam for a near fall. English was bleeding from the forearm.
Mauro Ranallo: A little preview of Christmas Eve of Destruction.
English kicked Ishii in the back of the knee, but Ishii quickly turned him inside out with a clothesline for a near fall. English soon took him down with a calf slice, but Ishii quickly scrambled to the bottom rope. English rolled him up, but Ishii kicked out and applied a rear naked choke! English grabbed at Ishii’s leg, which had been worked over all match. Ishii released the hold to get out of this. English tried for another calf slice, but Ishii got out. Ishii kneed English in the face, and English responded with a pelé kick. English charged, and Ishii tried to side step, but he was rocked, and Aiden hit the Director's Cut.
1....
2...
3!
The bell rang.
Christy Hemme: Your winner, the EBWF World Champion, Aiden English.
Aiden was reunited with the championship and had his hand raised in victory. He lifted the title high above his head.
Mauro Ranallo: I have a sneaking suspicion we'll be starting 2021 with that man as the EBWF World Champion.
Nigel McGuinness: I think he would whole heartedly agree.
The camera joined Aiden English in the ring as Warfare went off the air.
