The EAW Iconic Cup is a professional wrestling trophy that is given to the winner of the annual namesake match held by EAW Empire. The cup was first introduced in 2016 in a two-day single-elimination tournament, which was then known as the Vixens Cup. In early 2017, EAW changed the name of the cup to the Empire Cup to mark the end of the Vixen name for the women's division. In early 2018, EAW changed the name of the cup once again to the Iconic Cup.
The trophy is now named in honor of Brody Sparks - a once member of the EAW women's division who sadly passed away on October 26, 2017.
History[]
A two-day single elimination tournament was held for the first time in 2016 back when it was known as the EAW Vixens Cup. The inaugural event was announced in early February of 2016, though the planning for the event had been in the preliminary stages since the success of the first Empress of Elite tournament held in the summer of the year prior. In an intense bidding war for the hosting rights for the event, the city of Toronto’s Air Canada Centre eventually triumphed and won the right to host the event. This event was also the first event in EAW history to exclusively feature what was then known as "Vixens" talent and was broadcast as a two-day, stand-alone event instead of being broadcast over regular EAW programming just as the Empress of Elite tournament was. Sheridan Müller would become the inaugural winner of the cup after defeating Cameron Ella Ava in the finals.
On February 16, 2017, the Vixens Cup would have its name changed to the Empire Cup by then Empire General Manager, Cleopatra. The trophy would then be defended in the first ever all-women's Grand Rampage match at the first ever Empire supershow, Malicious Intentions. The match was won by Cameron Ella Ava by eliminating April Song. Cameron Ella Ava happened to be the runner up for the trophy last year.
Format[]
The format for the trophy has changed every year since its inception. In 2016, a 16-woman single-elimination tournament was held featuring the majority of the women's division barring the then champions, Specialists Champion Cailin Dillon and Vixens Champion Eris LeCava. The entire first round of the tournament was broadcast on day one with the quarterfinals semifinals and finals of the tournament airing the next broadcast day. When Sheridan Müller won the tournament, not only did she become the inaugural winner of the Vixens Cup but she also won a $1 million cash prize and the right to challenge either champion at any time of their choosing over the next calendar year.
When the trophy was renamed to the Empire Cup in 2017, then Empire General Manager Cleopatra announced a 20 Woman Grand Rampage match at Malicious Intentions where the winner would become the Empire Cup winner. On March 4, 2017 - the night of the match - it was announced mere seconds before the match began that there would instead be 25 women competing instead of the originally announced 20. Cameron Ella Ava won the match by eliminating April Song at the end.
When the trophy was once again renamed to the Iconic Cup in 2018, the format was altered to a gauntlet. The field of competitors was collectively addressed as "The Iconic Eight". The match took place at The Iconic Cup supershow on March 1, 2018. Stephanie Matsuda won after defeating Andrea Valentine in the finals.
2016 Highlights[]
The first match of the tournament was one of several first round matches that had special stipulations to them and it saw Rey Shamez overcome Brody Sparks in a No Disqualification match. Brody savagely attacked Rey before the opening bell but Shamez was able to rally and pick up the win via pinfall. In the next contest, Azumi Goto managed to defeat Silence by countout to advance to the quarters. In the third match, Sheridan Muller scored a win over veteran Raven Lee via cross armbreaker submission. After the match, she screamed at Cailin, who was sitting ringside doing guest commentary, indicating that she was interested in challenging her for the Specialists Championship should she win the tournament. The fourth match featured a long-standing feud between former tag partners Cloud (later Stephanie) Matsuda facing Haruna Sakazaki. The match ended in controversial fashion as Sakazaki’s long-time friend, Jade Knight, got involved in the contest and aided Haruna’s progression into the quarterfinals. Cameron Ella Ava and Aria Jaxon faced each other in the fifth opening round match, with Cameron earning a submission victory to advance. In the sixth match, Alexis Diemos, flanked by the Sanatorium, defeated Angela Salvetti. In the next match, Erica Ford faced Veena Adams and won via flying head-butt. After the match, however, Ford was brutally assaulted by Veena and her partner Silence, who power bombed Erica out of the ring. Erica’s partner, Azumi Goto, was also assaulted in the attack. In the main event of Day One, long-time rivals Tarah Nova and Madison Kaline clashed in a Deathmatch. The brutal affair came to an end via referee stoppage as Madison assaulted Tarah with a barbed-wire wrapped baseball bat that was set on fire until Nova could no longer continue. Due to the actions of the Sanatorium as well as Silence and Veena Adams earlier in the evening, EAW Management banned everyone not directly competing in a match from ringside for day two in an announcement done over social media immediately following the end of the broadcast.
The second day of competition with Rey Shamez continuing a surprising run into the semifinals, defeating Azumi Goto via power bomb. Sheridan Muller advanced into the semifinal round to face Rey as she submitted Haruna Sakazaki. Cameron Ella Ava progressed to the semifinals in the third match of the evening, besting the Sanatorium’s Alexis Deimos with her “Bitch Camp” finishing maneuver. In the fourth and final quarterfinal, Erica Ford defeated Madison Kaline with her Brave Driver power bomb. Ford was assaulted for the second time in the tournament after a victory with Madison assaulting the already-injured back of Erica. The semis began with Sheridan knocking of Rey Shamez to book her place in the first ever final. Cameron Ella Ava dispatched a severely injured Erica Ford in the other semifinal, earning the match against Sheridan. In the first Vixens Cup tournament final, Sheridan Muller triumphed, using her Sherplex to grab the victory, the million-dollar prize, and the Vixens Cup Trophy, along with the right to challenge the Vixens or Specialists Champion any time she pleases.
Winners[]
| Date | City | Venue | Runner Up | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 12-13, 2016 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Air Canada Centre | Cameron Ella Ava | Sheridan Muller |
| 2 | March 4, 2017 | Seattle, Washington | KeyArena | April Song | Cameron Ella Ava |
| 3 | March 1, 2018 | Brooklyn, New York | Barclays Center | Andrea Valentine | Stephanie Matsuda |
| 4 | March 16, 2019 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Dreamstyle Arena | Remi Skyfire, Karina-Ann, Minerva | Kassidy Heart |
| 5 | February 15, 2020 | Doha, Qatar | Khalifa International Stadium | Constance Blevins | Minerva |
Results of Cash-In Opportunities[]
| Winner | Event | Year | Champion | Championship | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheridan Muller | House of Glass | 2016 | Heart Break Gal | EAW Vixens Championship |
| 2 | Cameron Ella Ava | Grand Rampage | 2017 | Cailin Dillon | EAW Women's World Championship |
| 3 | Stephanie Matsuda | Grand Rampage | 2018 | Vacant | EAW Women's World Championship |
| 4 | Kassidy Heart | Pain for Pride | 2019 | Serena Bennett | EAW Universal Women's Championship |
| 5 | Minerva | Under Siege | 2020 | Raven Roberts | EAW Universal Women's Championship |