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Post by supinesnake on Nov 17, 2024 13:51:47 GMT
 THELAUNCH-PAD.[“Rainbow In The Dark” || Dio]As the opening riff of "Rainbow In The Dark" blares through the arena. Nick Williamson steps out onto the stage, his eyes burning with a cold intensity. Kurt Harrington: "The following contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, making his FWA debut... weighing in at two-hundred and twenty five pounds, from San Antonio, Texas... he is The Last One Standing... NICK WILLIAMSON!"The crowd meets him with a scattering of boos as he pauses at the top of the ramp, soaking in the reaction from the crowd, showing neither surprise nor disappointment. Instead, he smirks as he begins to make his way down to the ring. Anzu Kurosawa: “Welcome, one and all, to Lights Out 2024: The Launch-Pad! We’ve got three matches coming to you on BlueSky before we move over to the WCNetwork, and we’re getting right into it with the first of tonight’s three debuts.”Rod Sterling: "This is a man who has endured more than most could ever imagine, Anzu. Nick Williamson's past has shaped him into the relentless competitor you see right now, and tonight marks his first match in FWA."Anzu Kurosawa: "That’s right, Rod. He calls himself 'The Last One Standing,' and his journey has been anything but easy. Abandoned at a young age, Nick has fought his way through every obstacle life has thrown at him. But he’s facing a huge challenge in his debut—going up against a former Ground Zero winner, Vengador."Rod Sterling: "Nick’s been through the trenches, living a life filled with struggles and sacrifice. He’s said before that he’s a rabid, hate-filled animal, and tonight he’ll have a chance to unleash that fury in the ring. But against someone as skilled and motivated as Vengador, it’s not going to be an easy task."Williamson stalks down the ramp, moving with a purpose, occasionally pointing at the fans who jeer him from the front row. He sneers at them, mouthing off in response to their taunts. His swagger is intense and unapologetic, an aura of defiance surrounding him as he reaches the base of the ring. Anzu Kurosawa: "He certainly has no love for the fans, and they’re giving it right back to him. Nick Williamson might be new to the FWA, but he's got his sights set on climbing to the top. According to him, there’s no line he won’t cross, no moral code he won’t break, to get there."Rod Sterling: "And he’ll have his first chance to prove it right now, Anzu. Vengador’s no stranger to tough battles, but tonight, he’s facing a man who has survived some of the darkest experiences life can offer. Nick Williamson is here to make a statement."Nick slides under the bottom rope and rises to his feet, making a slow circle in the ring before stopping in the center. He raises both arms, flipping off the booing crowd with a malicious grin, taunting them to keep the hate coming. His music fades, but his cold stare remains, locked onto the entrance ramp as he waits for his opponent, ready for his first taste of FWA competition. ["Here Comes Revenge” || Metallica]The arena goes dark as the sinister opening of the music echoes through the speakers. A low rumble feels the venue as purple trobe lights begin to cut through the darkness. Smoke begins to rise from the stage, swirling under the purple glow. Suddenly, Vengador emerges from the haze, his imposing figure standing tall with the ominous skeletal mask covering his face, its eyes glowing with a faint purple hue. His gear, a mix of black and deep purple with bone-like designs, shimmers under the lights. Kurt Harrington: "And his opponent... weighing in at two-hundred fifty pounds... hailing from the Realm of Despair..... VENGADOR!"Anzu Kurosawa: "Vengador’s got a fire under him tonight, and the fans can feel it. He’s been through a lot in the past two years, but after that recent win in a trios match, there’s a new energy in him. The hatred and vengeance that once consumed him seem to have dimmed, if only slightly."Rod Sterling: "You’re right, Anzu. Vengador has spent the last two years, driven by rage and pain from his tragic past in the Realm of Despair. But with his newfound alliance with Tonton, we’ve seen a different side of Vengador... a side that’s trying to channel his anger into something more productive. Tonight could be the night he begins to build real momentum."Vengador pauses at the top of the ramp, standing still for a moment as he surveys the arena. As the heavy riff of the chorus kicks in, he throws his arms wide, igniting a burst of purple pyrotechnics that briefly illuminate the arena. The crowd’s mixed reaction leans more positive than usual, with a surge of cheers breaking through. Rod Sterling: "He’s got his work cut out for him, though. Nick Williamson is a dangerous opponent, and he’s not going to give Vengador any breathing room. But if Vengador can harness the momentum from his recent win and keep that focus, he might just pull off another victory tonight."Vengador walks down the ramp with a methodical pace, eyes locked onto Nick Williamson in the ring. His gaze never wavers, even as he slaps a few outstretched hands from fans who dare to cheer for him. The haunting melody of his theme song echoes through the arena as he circles the ring before he finally climbs up the steel steps, pausing for a moment to take in the crowd’s reaction before stepping into the ring.
MATCH ONE | 1/20.
Vengador vs. Nick Williamson.
Singles Match.
Match Writer: Dubb.
| << 00:00. >>
The bell rings as Nick Williamson and Vengador circle each other to start things off. Nick, with a confident smirk, raises his hands to initiate a lock-up, while Vengador remains cautious, studying his opponent’s movements. Suddenly, Vengador lunges forward, catching Nick off guard, and the two lock up in the center of the ring.
Rod Sterling: "And here we go! Vengador not wasting any time here. He’s got a lot to prove after his recent struggles in FWA, and you can tell he wants to control the pace early on."
Anzu Kurosawa: "Absolutely, Rod. And don’t forget, Nick Williamson may be making his debut, but this man is dangerous, and Vengador needs to be careful not to underestimate him."
Vengador’s power gives him the advantage in the initial tie-up, shoving Nick back a few steps. Nick quickly resets, nodding in acknowledgment of Vengador’s strength. The two engage in a second lock-up, this time Nick transitioning smoothly into a side headlock. He wrenches down hard, forcing Vengador to one knee, but Vengador powers out, shoving Nick off and into the ropes.
Nick rebounds, only for Vengador to surprise him with a lightning-fast Standing Dropkick that sends Nick stumbling back into the corner.
Anzu Kurosawa: "Beautiful dropkick from Vengador! He’s showing he can hang with Nick in the technical game if needed."
Vengador charges forward, delivering a series of Machine Gun Chops to Nick’s chest, each one echoing through the arena. Nick grimaces but counters with a sudden knee to Vengador’s gut, doubling him over and battles his way out of the corner with some stiff forearm shots to Vengador's head. Vengador absorbs the blows and comes back with a short arm lariat attempt, but Williamson ducks and with a go-behind locks in a waistlock to Vengador.
Williamson attempts to lift Vengador off his feet, but the strength of the mask man is enough to block it and he instead battles out with a pair of back elbows. Williamson is staggered backward as Vengador turns around and hits a step up enziguri to the rookie.
Williamson shows off some of his own tenacity as he only drops to a knee... but Vengador comes back with a big running clothesline to finally take the Last One Standing off his feet.
Rod Sterling: "Vengador is making a statement right now! He’s showing a mix of power and speed that’s got Nick reeling early on."
Anzu Kurosawa: "He’s feeding off the momentum from that trios match victory. But he can't get overconfident—Nick Williamson is a resilient competitor."
***
<< 04:13. >>
Vengador continues to control the pace as he lifts Williamson up onto his shoulders, looking for a Fireman's Carry Facebuster, but Nick slips out off his shoulders at the last second! Surprised, Vengador turns around and is met with a SUPERKICK to the jaw from Williamson! The masked man stumbles back, falling into the ropes and coming back into the waiting Williamson who takes him down with a standing dropkick!
As Williamson takes a moment to catch his breath, Vengador crawls across the mat to the corner, pulling himself up using the turnbuckles... but Williamson charges in with a running knee into the corner! Vengador crumbles over into a seated position as Nick backs up and comes running in for another knee, this time to the face of the seated Vengador - his head bouncing off the bottom turnbuckle!
Rod Sterling: "And there’s that technical precision from Nick Williamson, catching Vengador with a deadly combination!"
Nick wastes no time, pulling Vengador back to his feet and whipping him into the ropes. Vengador ducks under a Discus Clothesline attempt, bouncing off the ropes again, and drills Nick with a powerful Jumping Big Boot that catches him right in the jaw! Nick goes down, and Vengador quickly goes for the cover.
ONE!
TWO!
KICKOUT!
Nick kicks out just after the two-count, pushing Vengador off and rolling to his feet. The two men pause for a moment as the crowd gives them both some appreciation. Vengador rises first and throws a wild right hand at Nick, but Nick ducks underneath, swiftly slipping behind Vengador with a waistlock. He transitions with a smooth mat wrestling technique, spinning Vengador to the ground with a textbook Drop Toe Hold. In one fluid motion, Nick floats over into a front facelock, tightening his grip and wrenching Vengador's neck.
Rod Sterling: "What an impressive counter from Williamson! This is a great strategy here to focus on taking Vengador down to the mat."
Nick transitions from the front facelock to a grounded side headlock, keeping Vengador's shoulders pressed to the mat. Vengador struggles, kicking his legs to build momentum, but Nick wisely shifts his weight, maintaining control and cinching in the hold tighter.
Showing off his own determination, Vengador starts to rise to his knees, but Nick transitions seamlessly, switching to a Hammerlock from behind. He drives Vengador face-first to the mat and bars the arm, cranking on the pressure and forcing the masked man to strain against the hold.
Anzu Kurosawa: "Nick Williamson is wrestling a perfect match right now—targeting the limbs, grounding Vengador, and making him fight out of every hold."
Vengador struggles to power out, using his free arm to pull himself toward the ropes, but Nick is relentless, quickly switching to a Grounded Armbar, extending Vengador's limb while pressing his weight down. Vengador yells in pain as Nick Williamson continues to have him right where he wants him in the ring.
***
<< 07:33. >>
Vengador continues to find himself trapped on the mat as Nick utilizes his technical advantage over the bigger man, Nick now having transitioned from a chinlock into a sleeper hold. But Vengador refuses to go out, stomping his boots to the mat as the fans begin to rally behind him.
With a surge of adrenaline, Vengador twists his body, sending a quick elbow to Nick's gut, then another! The hold loosens slightly, and Vengador uses the opening to lift Nick up and over with a snap Back Suplex, breaking the hold!
Both men crash to the mat, and the audience roars in appreciation for the tactical exchange. Vengador, holding his sore arm, rolls to the corner, while Nick sits up, shaking off the impact, a determined look on his face.
Rod Sterling: "Vengador finally manages to break free, but Nick’s focus on that arm could spell trouble for Vengador as the match continues!"
Nick, perhaps sensing an opportunity to finish things, presses forward, attempting to keep Vengador grounded. He shoots for a single-leg takedown, but Vengador sprawls back, staying on his feet and catching Nick with a sharp knee to the chest. Nick staggers back, but moves in with another go-behind transition to Vengador, looking for another waistlock but Vengador once again powers out with a back elbow.
With Vengador now back on his vertical base and feeling some momentum, Nick shows some signs of frustration as he charges in with a wild right hand which Vengador ducks and lights up Nicks chest with a big chop. Nick comes back with a chop of his own, trying to match Vengador now with strike for strike.
Anzu Kurosawa: "I sense some frustation on Nick's part here as his anger at not keeping Vengador down on the mat has now resorted to him trying to brawl with the bigger man."
Back and forth they go with chops, but Vengador definitely is geteting the better end of the deal as each chop seems to cause Nick to grit his teeth more and more in pain. But the rookie seems to stubbornly try to keep up with the attack.
Suddenly, Vengador shifts gears, ducking under Nick’s latest chop and snapping up Nick's arm into a standing arm wringer. He twists hard, wrenching Nick's shoulder, and follows up with a brutal short-arm lariat that sends Nick crashing to the mat! The crowd pops as Vengador stays on the offensive, grabbing Nick’s arm and yanking him to his feet.
In a desperate move, Nick suddenly lashes out, raking Vengador’s eyes with a quick swipe of his fingers. Referee Tommy Palmer admonishes Nick, but the damage is done—Vengador stumbles back, momentarily blinded, clutching his face in pain.
Rod Sterling: "Oh, come on! That was a blatant eye rake—Nick’s getting desperate here!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "You can tell he’ll do anything to win this one, Rod. He wants to make a statement in his debut."
With Vengador disoriented, Nick seizes the opening, locking in a tight waistlock and struggling to lift the bigger man. He grimaces with effort as he attempts a Dragon Suplex, but Vengador plants his feet, refusing to be taken down. Vengador breaks free from his grips with sheer force as he turns around with a spinning backfist to rock Nick.
Williamson is staggered as Vengador hits him with a boot to the midsection, and he lifts him up with a gutwrench... JUSTICIA!
Vengador drops down to make the pin.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Result: Vengador wins via pinfall at 9:47. |
The bell sounds, signaling the end of the match. Vengador rises to his feet, his victory secured as the fans cheer wildly. Nick rolls to the apron, holding his neck and looking dejected as Vengador's arm is raised in triumph. Kurt Harrington: "Here is your winner… Vengador!”Anzu Kurosawa: "This was the kind of win Vengador needed—he stayed composed even after the eye rake and proved why he’s still a threat in FWA."Rod Sterling: "But lets give some credit to Nick Williamson - he hung tough in his debut. Frustration may have gotten the best of him tonight but that same frustration could make him dangerous here in the FWA. I look forward to seeing more of him."The masked warrior stands tall in the ring, clearly pumped up by picking up a win tonight while Nick begins to walk to the back in defeat. [“Spooky Scary Skeletons” || Andrew Gold]There is a familiar cheerful response from the fans as the Launch Pad turns into a small rave scene with the flashing lights and booming music. Two thirds of the former FWA Trios Champions, Halloween Knight and Juan Tothrefor, emerge from the back. Knight is at the front of the duo, doing his special spooky dance, but the enthusiasm from Juan is not as high as one would usually expect. Halloween Knight seems oblivious to this. Kurt Harrington: “The following contest is a tag team match scheduled for one fall, with a twenty minute time limit! Introducing first, representing TR1CK OR TR4SH, they are two thirds of the former FWA Trios Champions… HALLOWEEN KNIGHT AND JUAN TO-THRE-FOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR!”Rod Sterling: “Well, it is safe to say that things have not gone according to plan for TR1CK OR TR4SH after they lost their championships at Back in Business; they have been behind the scenes insistent about getting a rematch as they do not feel that the current champions are doing the titles justice. They also crashed out of the Elite Tag Team Classic after Juan came in to replace Trash Mammal, after the latter pulled out due to a mysterious injury.”Anzu Kurosawa: “Halloween Knight seems to be dancing through the pain but look at the usually very cheerful Juan, Rod; after Keres tore his mask off on Fallout 045 and stole it, I’m not sure that he is going to be the same.”The luchadors get into the ring and Knight continues to dance in the middle of the ring as Juan leans against the ropes in the background, allowing his partner to take the lead. [“Rise Up” || Art of Dying]The heavy metal music unheard by the FWA fan base before gets a good reaction as they are excited to see the newest team in the FWA in action. The Sin City Renegades walk out from the back and put their hands up in the air. Jason Jetta, the smaller of the two, is kitted out like a rocker and wears a black denim vest over his gear. Ryan St. James, a few inches and around forty pounds bigger than his partner has on a grey Sin City Renegades hoodie. Kurt Harrington: “Their opponents… making their FWA debuts… from Las Vegas, Nevada and weighing in at a combined weight of four-hundred and thirty two pounds… Jason Jetta and Ryan St. James… THE SIN CITY RENEGAAAAAAAAADES!!”Rod Sterling: “The Elite Tag Team Classic really highlighted the strength of the tag team division here in the FWA and well, I think that action has attracted the Sin City Renegades to come over here and try their luck.”Anzu Kurosawa: “The FWA is where the top talent wants to be and I don’t blame them! I’m very excited to see what these two can bring to the table and how they can make some waves in what is already a stacked tag team division we’ve got over here.”The Renegades get into the ring and play up for the crowd, both rising up to the turnbuckles and removing their entrance garments to show that they are ready for action. The referee is Joey Ortiz, and he starts undergoing his checks as the two teams size each other up.
MATCH TWO | 1/20.
Sin City Renegades (Jason Jetta and Ryan St. James) vs. TR1CK OR TR4SH (Juan Tothrefor and Halloween Knight).
Tag Team Match.
Match Writer: Man.
| << 00:00. >>
It is Juan Tothrefor beginning for TR1CK OR TR4SH and Jason Jetta for the Sin City Renegades. Jetta wastes no time trying to impose himself on Juan and he immediately avoids a lock up and tries a Clothesline, but Juan grabs his arm and takes Jetta over with an Arm Drag! Both get back up but before Jetta can do anything, Juan catches him with a second one! This time when Jetta rises he walks straight into a Hip Toss, and Juan then hooks him up for a Suplex, but Jetta shifts his weight and lands behind the luchador.
Jetta attempts a Bulldog, but Juan blocks it and gets a go-behind into a Hammerlock. This has Jetta reaching out, but he is able to cock his elbow back and this catches Juan in the side of the head. Juan stumbles away and gets a tag into Halloween Knight, who slingshots himself over the top rope and into the ring. As Jetta goes for a Clothesline, Knight rolls through to duck it and then starts doing his dance - but Jetta catches him in the chest and face with a Dropkick to take him down! Jetta gets a hold of Knight’s wrist and tags in his partner, Ryan St. James.
Anzu Kurosawa: “I can understand Halloween Knight being excited but just because he’s been around for a while now with his teammates does not mean that he should be taking these two newcomers lightly.”
St. James comes in with a huge burst of energy and hits the ropes as Knight rises up and he takes Knight down with a Shoulder Tackle! He lifts Halloween Knight up and sends him across the ring and ducks looking for a Back Body Drop, but Knight pumps the brakes and kicks him in the face! This causes St. James to stand back up and Knight hits the ropes himself… but runs straight into a Snap Scoop Powerslam! St. James hooks a leg as he was already down there;
ONE… TWO-NO!!
***
<< 04:47. >>
Halloween Knight has been effectively isolated by the Sin City Renegades and finds himself trapped in their corner as St. James tags in Jetta once more. Jetta lands a flurry of strikes to Knight’s midsection and goes for a final follow up to the face, but Knight blocks it! He uses his other hand to punch Jetta away and then hangs up St. James on the top rope to keep him at bay as well. Knight follows up with a punch and a kick to Jetta as he breaks out from the corner, but Jetta fires back with a kick to the midsection of his own, straight into a DDT! Jetta goes for a pin;
ONE… TWO… TH-NO!!!
Rod Sterling: “We’ve seen in the past that Halloween Knight can definitely take a beating, but even he will have a limit of how much punishment he can take.”
The referee holds up two fingers and Jetta lifts Knight up from the mat and sends him back into the Renegades’ corner where St. James is waiting once again. Jetta pins Halloween Knight to the corner and this allows St. James to tag himself in via a slap on his partner’s back. Knight tries to fight out once more but St. James ducks down and gets Knight over his head and looks for an Alabama Slam - but Halloween Knight rolls through into a Sunset Flip!
ONE… TWO… THREE-NO!!!
Anzu Kurosawa: “Knight almost got him! A crucial kick out by St. James; that is not how the Sin City Renegades would have wanted their debut match to finish!”
Both get up and Knight runs at St. James, who elevates him over the top rope, but Knight lands on the apron. St. James turns around and eats a Gamenguiri to the face from Knight on the apron which stuns him. After waiting a couple of seconds for St. James to turn back around, Knight pulls himself up onto the top rope and hits St. James with the TERROR TORNADO DDT!!! Both men are down on the mat and the fans start cheering loudly.
Rod Sterling: “Tagging out would be a wise choice for both of these guys right now. Halloween Knight has taken a bit of a beating and St. James just got spiked on the top of his head!”
It is a slow crawl for both Knight and St. James as they try to reach their respective partners. St. James is first to tag in Jetta, and then Halloween Knight leaps and manages to get a tag to Juan Tothrefor! Jetta and Juan both sprint into the middle of the ring, looking for Clotheslines… and they take each other down! Another cheer goes up as now all four competitors are down on the mat.
***
<< 8:26. >>
Halloween Knight and Ryan St. James both stand on the apron watching their partners in the middle of the ring rising up to their feet after another double down moment. As Juan and Jetta reach their knees, they begin engaging in an exchange of strikes; Juan with chops and Jetta with stiff forearms.
Anzu Kurosawa: “I’m not sure that this is the kind of fight that Juan Tothrefor wants to get into with Jason Jetta; this guy hurts you when he hits you.”
The exchange continues until they are both on their feet and Juan fires off on Jetta with several quick chops without reply, lighting up his chest, but Jetta then breaks out of it and rams his forearm into Juan’s head repeatedly, enough to cause the counting luchador to drop to a knee. Jetta hits the ropes and comes at Juan from behind, and drives his face into the mat with a Bulldog! Jetta goes for a cover once more;
ONE… TWO… THR-NO!!!
Jetta picks Juan up from the mat, but Juan quickly pushes him away and catches him with a Superkick to the midsection, and then another to the shin, and then another to Jetta’s knee to drop him down to one knee. Juan takes a moment to gee himself up and pump his fists before looking for the final strike of COUNTING STARS - BUT JETTA SPRINGS INTO ACTION AND CATCHES JUAN WITH AN ENZIGUIRI TO THE BACK OF HIS HEAD!!! The sound is like a gunshot, and Juan falls flat on his face.
Rod Sterling: “Jetta calls that the Headshot, and that’s what it looked like to me! I think Juan Tothrefor might be knocked out cold! Jetta could win it here!”
ONE… TWO… THREE-NO!!!
Anzu Kurosawa: “Broken up by Halloween Knight!”
At the last moment, Halloween Knight broke up the pin, but as soon as he gets to his feet, St. James is in the ring and he WIPES KNIGHT OUT WITH A POUNCE!!! Knight hits the ropes and then drops to the floor after the huge impact and St. James then returns to his team’s corner and holds out his hand for Jetta to tag him in. When St. James is in the ring… he plucks Juan up from the mat and puts him on his shoulders… ORIGINAL SIN!!! The impact from the TKO has Juan flipping back over onto his back, and St. James presses his shoulders down into the mat;
ONE… TWO… THREE!!!
Result: Sin City Renegades wins via pin fall at 10:42. |
The fans applaud as the Sin City Renegades pick up a victory in their debut on the Lights Out Launch Pad. St. James stands up and Jetta joins him, the two bump forearms together as a sign of unity. Jetta in particular seems extremely pumped up to have won the match, passionately throwing up his arms and pumping his fists to the crowd. Kurt Harrington: “Here are your winners… THE SIN CITY RENEGADES!!”Rod Sterling: “As far as debuts go, I think the Sin City Renegades had a very good one! I don’t think they were in much trouble throughout the match and those luchadors are no slouches, Anzu.”Anzu Kurosawa: “Hey, I’m definitely excited to see what these two can do in the tag division, we’ve got a lot of exciting teams in there and here’s another! I also can’t wait to see how they get on in the Fallout Eliminator, Rod!”The victors of the match exit the ring and start interacting with the fans, many of whom they have won with their performance. In the ring, TR1CK OR TR4SH are left cutting dejected figures following another defeat. Rod Sterling: “Hopefully things can turn around for TR1CK OR TR4SH soon…”The Lights Out Launch Pad switches over to the backstage interview set. In the background, various things are still being prepared for the main show by the runners and hurried voices can be heard. Katie Baxter occupies the forefront of the shot and she nods her head before speaking to the camera, Katie Baxter: “I’m backstage here at the Lights Out Launch Pad, where as you can see behind me we’re working as hard as we can to put everything together for what is sure to be a blockbuster Lights Out show tonight. Opening the show will be the match between the winners of the Elite Tag Team Classic Vox Potentis and FTN with the FWA World Tag Team Championships on the line,”Katie takes a couple of steps to her left and the camera reveals that the FTN Family are standing by with her, waiting to be interviewed. The FWA World Tag Team Champions Chris Peacock and Alyster Black stand front and centre, with Allen Price, the Diamond Dogs, Joe Burr and Big Dick along with them. Not present is Violet Dreyer and of course, Krash. Peacock wears a stern look on his face and Black has his arms crossed. Katie Baxter: “Chris, Alyster, everyone else… welcome, and thank you for joining me. I just wanted to ask you guys, how you’re feeling going into this match? I mean, I think that it’s safe to say you were probably expecting to be facing NTR tonight.”Alyster Black: “Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong at first about what would happen on Fallout. But me and Chris sat at the commentary table ourselves and watched our opponents tonight beat those assholes. They earned their shot and we enjoyed watching them do it. This one here, especially.”Alyster nudges Chris and Peacock lets off a small smirk. Chris Peacock: “Safe to say that it’s not been a great few weeks for our friends NTR, and it’s nothing less than they’ve deserved. But tonight’s not about them. Me and Alyster? We’re not looking past Konchu and Jean-Luc tonight. We’re going to give those two everything we’ve got. We’re not focusing on NTR, or each other.”Katie Baxter: “That’s a good point to make, Chris, which brings me onto my next question. Last year at Lights Out, you walked in as the tag team champions, lost… and then faced each other in the main event. Does your situation tonight bring back any not so fond memories?”Chris Peacock: “Last year at Lights Out was one of the worst nights of my entire life. I lost my championships, and I thought I’d lost my best friend. It’s true, Konchu beat us last year at this event, but tonight he’ll be fighting a different FTN.”Alyster Black: “We realise now why everyone wanted to see our downfall and us at each other’s throats. With NTR, we’ve been on the other side of having to deal with successful but obnoxious asshats. We’re ready for Vox Potentis and we’re taking this one seriously.”There is not any semblance of sarcasm or lack of seriousness in FTN’s words. Baxter seems taken aback by the trajectory of the interview and nervously chuckles. Katie Baxter: “So no special truck tonight?”Both Chris and Alyster shake their heads to provide confirmation. Allen Price clears his throat and steps in front of the champions; the wheelchair is gone and it appears that he has progressed in his recovery from his broken leg to crutches. Allen Price: “We may have laid the cum truck to rest but, you guys can rest assured that myself and the rest of the boys here will be doing everything we can to make sure that you two leave here tonight with those titles. I know that me and Jean-Luc are goombata, but tonight is your night. That crazy, magic-wielding bastard is not going to get one over on us again! Not on my watch!”Despite the impassioned words from Price geeing up the FTN Family - Burr claps his hands together and Big Dick nods whilst the Diamond Dogs bump fists - the primary FTN members do not share the enthusiasm being shown. Peacock takes a deep breath. Chris Peacock: “Allen, guys… we really appreciate the support. Honestly, there’s a reason why we consider you all a part of this family… but we’ve been thinking.”Alyster Black: “We want to do this on our own tonight. It’s important that we show everyone that we’re champions that can defend our titles by ourselves. We hope that’s cool with you guys, but we’d prefer that you all just stayed back here and enjoyed the show.”There are nods of understanding from Sonny, Rick, Joe and Dick. However, Allen seems slightly put out. Allen Price: “What the hell is this bullshit? Um, HELLO?! I’m your MANAGER?! I need to be - no, I have the RIGHT to be out there with the two of you!” Chris Peacock: “Allen, we know this is hard-”Allen Price: “HARD?! You think I think that this is hard? Oh yeah? Oh yeah?! OH YEAH?! Oooh, this is so much harder than hard! How could you do this to me?!”Alyster Black: “Allen, this is nothing against you, mate. You know we both think the world of ya, but tonight is about redemption for us. After what happened last year at Lights Out, everything that led up to it and out of it. We’ve got the chance to make things right, but that’s only gonna happen if we can do this… just us.”Price folds his arms and turns his back to Chris and Alyster. The duo exhale and exchange some glances with the others, who feel very awkward. Chris places a hand on Price’s back. Chris Peacock: “We’ll catch up afterwards, Allen. Hope you guys enjoy the show. Thank you, Katie…”After dapping up their friends, Peacock and Black leave. It is only once they are gone that Price hops back around and the camera focuses on his scowl before fading away. [“The Lumberjack” || Jackyl.]The crowd gives a pretty decent pop as the perennial fan favourites The Lumberjacks make their way out for the main event of The Launch-Pad. Doug and Dan tower over their scowling sister Lucy as a light ‘Timber! Timber! Timber!’ chant starts up. Rod Sterling: "The Lumberjacks - Doug and Dan at least - are generally pretty well liked by the fans, but I can’t help thinking they’ve a little extra support here tonight due to the fact they’re facing NTR representatives."Anzu Kurosawa: "Without a doubt. For the first time since Back in Business, NTR suffered setbacks at Meltdown and Fallout. The first chink in their armour, the first sign that they aren’t invincible, they aren’t unstoppable. That seems to have whetted the FWA fans' appetite and they are hungry to see more of the same."Rod Sterling: "It appears to have caused some disgruntlement in the NTR ranks, people backstage are reporting that Nova Diamond and Ryan Rondo didn’t travel to Lights Out and that Danny Toner will be going it alone against Jackson Fenix on the main card later tonight. The FWA have shown that they will not be bullied, that they will stand and fight, and tonight represents a great chance for the FWA to strike back at NTR once again. Excuse the bias, but LET’S GO LUMBERJACKS! Stick it to the bastards!"The Lumberjacks are in the ring and when the entrance music dies out, you really can hear that the crowd is quite loud. This seems to boost The Lumberjacks and they look ready for business. [“What’s New Pussycat?” || Tom Jones]The crowd groans loudly as the NTR Dojo makes their way out onto the stage. TC2 is full of energy, clapping his white mitts together along to the sound of their theme music, Owen is the opposite, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else, and Jhunha intimidatingly lumbers behind them. They stop in the middle of the ramp and TC2 looks around, stroking his cone roughly where a chin would be. Anzu Kurosawa: "Oh, what now? NTR, top to bottom, seems to be wholly incapable of just coming out and having a match."TC2 points at The Lumberjacks in the ring and counts out one, two, three. He then points at himself, Jhunha, and Owen, counting one, two, three again. He shakes his head and points to the back in a dramatic way with both his hands over his head. Jay Kenny comes out to a round of boos, holding a custom made sign that reads - TRUEBORNS = MAIN EVENT. Rod Sterling: "It would appear that The Dojo members want a little added back-up at ringside for their trios match. They’ll be keen to set things right following the setbacks NTR faced on our last couple of shows."Anzu Kurosawa: "Am I reading these notes right, Rod? The NTR Dojo… haven’t been beaten yet??"Rod Sterling: "Amazingly, that is correct, through scrupulous and dubious means, the NTR Dojo members have won every match they’ve been a part of."Anzu Kurosawa: "Well for one night only, consider me a temporary Lumberjack mark. TIMBERRRRR!"After an agonizing amount of pandering and a ring-walk time befitting Hall of Famers, the NTR Dojo finally take their place on the ring apron as The Lumberjacks begin a huddle in their corner.
MATCH THREE | 1/20.
The Lumberjacks (Doug LuPone, Dan LuPone, and Lucy LuPone) vs. NTR Dojo (Traffic Cone #2, Jhunha, and Owen the Intern).
Trios Match.
Match Writer: oz/huh/tig.
| The LuPone siblings stand united in their own corner, huddled together and deciding on which one of them are going to start the match while the NTR corner seems a bit more decisive, with Jhunha putting one hand on Owen’s shoulder to push him slightly into the ring. Owen tries to pass the responsibility to TC2 who just smiles and steps onto the apron before Owen does, saying "I don’t make the decision, Owen!" as he does so. Owen looks at the two big burly lumberjacks with a gulp. Sensing this, Lucy LuPone steps forward with a smirk. ‘Show us what you got, intern boy.’ says Lucy as the bell rings, kicking off the Lights Out Launch-Pad main event!
Owen immediately charges forward and goes for a surprise Flip Piledriver but Lucy is not taken by surprise, probably because it would be actually more surprising if Owen didn’t go for a Flip Piledriver. She manages to hold him on her back and tries to adjust his position into a more comfortable one to get her finishing manuever off from, but her opponent grapples his way out of her back and lands back on his feet, only to come face to face with her two massive brothers staring him down from the apron. Owen takes a cowardly step back, only for Lucy to grab her in a Half-Nelson from behind … and throw him back with a flipping release Regal Plex. Owen crashes to the ground and rolls himself towards the NTR corner. TC2 looks somewhat eager to tag himself in, but Jhunha looks at TC2 and shakes his head, prompting the traffic cone to withdraw his hand back. Understanding this as a sign to carry on, Owen gulps again as he places himself on the corner. Lucy meanwhile runs up towards him and nails him with a Corner Clothesline. Having him trapped on the corner, Lucy starts to throw uncoordinated punches and forearms, the off-beat nature of her strikes keeping Owen guessing.
He doesn’t play that game however, as he takes the first opportunity to just shrink in the corner before rolling out of the way, managing to get behind Lucy … who gets caught right in the jaw with a Superkick! This knocks Lucy back on the corner while Owen lets out a FIGHTING SPIRIT ROAR after managing to land his first hit of the match. He then goes for another Superkick but Lucy catches his leg, not falling for the same move twice in a row. She tries to follow that up but Owen’s surprise nimbleness shows itself once more as he acts first, pulling Lucy down into a Small Package … or in other words … a roll-up!
Anzu Kurosawa: "Flip Piledrivers, Superkicks, roll-ups! Owen is reaching deep into his NTR Dojo Fundamentals bag to get one over Lucy LuPone here."
Rod Sterling: "Best you can do with three moves. Two more than what was expected of him, I’m guessing."
1..2…- Lucy kicks out!
Owen doesn’t get the opportunity to look disappointed as Lucy lands a solid knee strike to his face, sending him onto the floor … as TC2 finally bails him out with a tag.
TC2 enters the ring and stares Lucy down, seemingly excited. This excitement is not replicated by the DuPone sister who just waves him off before telling him to his sad cone face ‘You’re boring.’ as she goes back to retreat on her corner, most likely to make a tag.
Rod Sterling: "So you’re telling me Lucy found a video editing intern more interesting than a wrestling traffic cone?"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Not everyone has got their priorities straight like some of us, I’m afraid."
Lucy is about to give the tag to one of her brothers when TC2 runs towards her with all his might and throws himself at her, quite possibly with the world’s least aesthetic pounce. However, it’s enough to knock Lucy to the corner as the TC2’s coney head collides with the back of her own head. Lucy grabs the back of her head as she gets back up on her feet … but can’t get a breather as TC2 gets her with a Prone Cone!
1..2- NO!
Followed with a Cone Drone!
1..2- NO!
Then a Cone Zone!
1..2- NO!
Rod Sterling: "I hate those scoundrels, but they weren’t exactly wrong when they talked about this conehead’s roll-up prowess."
A Styrocone is next … or perhaps not as Lucy finally manages to push him off her and then throw herself at the corner to make the tag, most likely fed up with all the silly roll-ups.
Rod Sterling: "I believe that’s Dan who got the tag in."
Anzu Kurosawa: "We’ll see in a moment."
The LuPone brother gets into the ring with a heavy step, putting one big leg over the top rope to enter. The cameras zoom in on TC2 … who somehow has a scribbling of a sweat drop on his orange cone head. Regardless, with the belief that he can simply outrun a 6 '8 giant, TC2 tries to book it … but is caught with a very agile Spin Kick!
Anzu Kurosawa: "Oh, that’s Doug alright."
TC2 crashes onto the mat and even bounces one time. He tries to roll himself out of the ring but Doug catches him by his … wide waist, if you can call it a waist. The cameras now point to Jhunha who is watching the action with no emotion on his face.
Rod Sterling: "He does not look very amused with how his fellow Dojo members are faring against the Canadian trio."
Anzu Kurosawa: "He never looks amused in general, Rod, but I don’t think I’d be happy with what I was seeing either."
Gripping TC2 and carrying him like a child to make sure he doesn’t escape, Doug retreats back to his corner and gestures to Dan to tag himself in, who obliges. Doug then hands TC2 to Dan who grabs him and throws him back with a Fallaway Slam! In fact, Dan OVERSHOOTS TC2 with the Fallaway Slam and this is not necessarily to Lumberjacks’ advantage as Jhunha catches TC2 in the air!
The Mongolian giant holds the traffic cone bridal style before putting him down and forcing a tag in.
Rod Sterling: "Now we will see how he fares better."
Anzu Kurosawa: "I have a feeling it will be much better."
Dan looks at Jhunha with a smirk and mouths off, ‘Big fella, eh?’ before running towards him … but Jhunha runs as well and nails Dan in the gut with a massive JUTEI! He then grabs the big Canadian by the beard and pulls him up. With a sadistic look in his eyes, Jhunha puts the man back down with a SPIRAL! Jhunha then points towards Doug and Lucy, laughing at them as he manhandles their brother. Jhunha proceeds to simply climb the bottom row and then crush Dan with an APEX!
Anzu Kurosawa: "Ouchies."
Doug and Lucy are looking at each other, concerned. Jhunha turns their back on them to continue beating down Dan LuPone and Doug takes this as a perhaps dishonorable but a very necessary opportunity to sneak into the ring and save his brother … only for TC2 to catch him with a Torpedo Moscone!
Rod Sterling: "That might not be a legal pin but that traffic cone has bought Jhunha some very valuable seconds there."
Jhunha realizes he was about to get attacked from behind and turns back. By then, Doug LuPone has already broken out of the roll-up predicament … but he gets into a much worse one as Jhunha knocks him down with a HEARTSTOP SHOT! Doug is down! Dan is down!
Anzu Kurosawa: "But Lucy is not!"
Lucy LuPone enters the ring to fight the Dojo members, no matter the cost.
Rod Sterling: "She’s going to take it to the giant! She has two giant brothers, surely she knows how to take down one herself!"
However, Lucy does not get the opportunity to take the fight to Jhunha … as she too is nailed … with A FLIP!
PILE!
DRIVER!
Anzu Kurosawa: "Of course … the son of a bitch did what he does best."
Owen takes a deep breath after managing to land his signature manuever on Lucy LuPone, who joins both her siblings in being knocked down.
‘That’s how you handle business, boys,’ says Jhunha before locking VAULT BREAKER on Dan LuPone … who taps out almost immediately.
Result: NTR Dojo (Traffic Cone #2, Jhunha, and Owen the Intern) in 06:42. |
The crowd go mild as the NTR Dojo start celebrating in an over the top way, led by TC2 who shimmies his little orange butt back and forth as Jay Kenny does a celebratory lap around the ring with both hands raised in the air. Owen kind of stands awkwardly fiddling with his thumbs as TC2 prompts him to tee-bag Dan, which Owen reluctantly does. Jhunha simply stands with his arms crossed looking out at the crowd. Rod Sterling: "I can’t quite believe I’m saying this but… the NTR Dojo has won every single match they’ve been in."Anzu Kurosawa: "Disqualification, roll-up, or sheer strength from Jhunha… the Young Boys always find a way. The NTR Principles must be proud…"TC2 stops two-stepping as he looks out at the commentary booth. He gets handed a microphone by Jay Kenny. TC2: "What was that, Anzu? You think Ryan, Nova, and Danny are proud of us? You hear that boys?? All our hard-work and lessons are really paying off! Let’s show Professor Rondo just how hard we’re trying!!!"As Lucy recovers enough to stand up on the outside of the ring, Jay Kenny comes flying at her with a boot to the jaw. He picks her up and torpedoes her into the steel ring steps to a huge round of booing. He rustles under the ring and produces a steel chair which he tosses into Owen the Intern. Owen hesitates but with TC2’s urging, eventually smashes the chair over the head of the rising Doug. Jay Kenny slides into the ring and begins putting the boots to Doug. Rod Sterling: "For the love of God! WHEN will the NTR beatdowns end? FTN, Baxter, Parr, TCU, now The Lumberjacks - the list keeps growing. It appears that their setbacks in Miami and Havana have done nothing to quell the NTR destruction of the FWA!"TC2, Owen, and JK pull Doug into the corner and place his head against the bottom turnbuckle, laying the steel chair over his face. JK backs up to the opposite corner before charging full speed and dropkicking the steel chair, wedging Doug’s head between the turnbuckle and chair. Anzu Kurosawa: "A sickening display from The Young Boys at the end of our Launch-Pad tonight… and they aren’t done yet!"With Lucy writhing in pain on the outside clutching her back, and Doug near-decapitated, lying lifelessly with his head propped up against the bottom turnbuckle, it leaves only Dan. JK and Owen kick him out to the ring apron under the bottom rope and Jhunha solemnly steps over the top rope to join him on the apron. TC2 whispers something to Owen and JK and the duo dig under the ring to produce a table that they set up in front of Jhunha and Dan. TC2 picks up his microphone and begins singing. TC2: "This is for our good friend Pitbull! It’s goin’ down… I’m yellin’ TIMBEEEERRRRRR!!!"Right on cue Jhunha powerbombs Dan from the ring apron through the table set up at ringside in a sickening crash. The crowd boo loudly. TC2: "YOU BETTER MOVE, YOU BETTER DANCE!"Jhunha, an emotionless look on his face, steps back into the ring as Owen and JK slide in to pose behind the singing TC2. JK picks up the sign he brought to the ring and rips off the page and begins hastily scribbling on a new page with a black sharpie. TC2: "Let’s make a night, you won’t REMEMBEERRRRR."As the crowd continue booing and the FWA logo appears in the bottom right of the screen to signal the end of The Launch-Pad, Jay Kenny raises the new sign up high for all to see - WE ARE STILL LIVE. TC2 stops singing but delivers one more line, his voice sounding deeper than the normal squeaky, high-pitch voice we’re accustomed to. TC2: "I’ll be the one you won’t forget."Static. |
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Post by supinesnake on Nov 17, 2024 13:52:35 GMT
 Live from the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Sunday 17th November, 2024. Only on the WCNetwork As Lights Out 2024 proper bursts into action, the screen is filled by the blinding lights of pyrotechnics and fireworks being let off around the stage. The fans are still in good spirits and the venue is now packed to the brim with excited FWA fans. As music plays out, the camera sweeps around the crowd, picking up various signs; “ALLEN PRICE SUCKS”, “DANNY TONER EATS CORN THE LONG WAY”, “NO ONE PUTS JEAN-LUC IN THE CORNER”, “FREE PALESTINE”, “ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ (THE FIRST 23 LETTERS ARE SILENT), “I WANT TO BE GABRIELLE’S FRIEND WITH BENEFITS”, “JEREMY BEST SUCKS MORE THAN ALLEN PRICE”, “TWERK ON ME NOVA”, “CHICKEN KATSU COMBO”. The scene then shifts to Rod Sterling and Anzu Kurosawa at the commentary desk at ringside, with both proudly smiling at the camera, Rod Sterling: “Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the fourth annual Lights Out! The Fantasy Wrestling Alliance is proud to present to all of you a night we are sure will live long in the memories and fail to disappoint! The Lights Out Launch Pad gave us but a taste - a tantalising morsel - of the action still to come with not one, not two, not three, not four but FIVE championship matches tonight, Anzu!”Anzu Kurosawa: “Five titles all subject to dangerous challengers - four for sure, as we do not yet know who will be stepping up to face Cyrus Truth for the North American Championship - but all of the champions must be feeling it tonight, Rod. The FWA is arguably the strongest it has ever been and we exist in a reality where even just the slightest margins mean the difference between winning and losing.”Rod Sterling: “No one can be comfortable, and that rings true for no one more than the FWA World Champion Jeremy Best.”Anzu Kurosawa: “Tonight he faces Gabrielle, looking to ascend to the top of the FWA mountain once again after some time away. We’ve never seen a Friends With Benefits Match before but tonight we’re gonna! Then if we want to talk about blockbuster matches without any championship implications… the Golden Opportunity holder Katsu will begin her path to cashing in that briefcase against a foe that she has failed to best in the past, the daunting prospect that is Michelle von Horrowitz.”Rod Sterling: “Lights Out three years ago was the setting for arguably MvH’s worst defeat and those memories may haunt ‘Dreamer’ if she is not careful. But Anzu, now it is time for the first of our five championship matches… let’s turn it over to Kurt Harrington!”In the middle of the ring, Kurt Harrington stands with a microphone in hand and the veteran announcer waves out to the crowd before speaking. Kurt Harrington: “The following is your OPENING CONTEST of Lights Out 2024, and it is scheduled for one fall with a sixty minute time limit… and it is for the FWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS!”A big cheer goes up for the announcement and the lights cut out, eliciting a sense of anticipation from the crowd. [“Army of the Night” || POWERWOLF]The strobe lights flash in time with the drum beats and the crowd joins in with the song as three figures can be seen emerging out onto the stage. In the middle is the smallest, Epsilon, with Jean-Luc Watkins on his left and ‘The Mad Wizard’ Konchu Hao to the right. Epsilon allows Vox Potentis to take the lead and he follows a few paces back from them. There is a somewhat reserved look on Watkins’s face as he absorbs the situation that they are walking into, whereas Hao exudes confidence. He grabs the camera on the ramp and puts his face right in it to cackle, “KEHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!”. Kurt Harrington: “Introducing first, the challengers! Accompanied by Epsilon… weighing in at four-hundred and twenty pounds… they are the winners of the 2024 Elite Tag Team Classic… ‘Baby’ Jean-Luc Watkins and ‘The Mad Wizard’ Konchu Hao… they are VOX POOOOOOOOOOOOOTENTTTTISSSSSSSSSSS!!!”Rod Sterling: “Despite this being a team of former X Champions, and Konchu Hao being a former FWA World Tag Team Champion along with Cyrus Truth, I do not think anyone would have been forgiven were they not expecting to see our Fallout counterparts emerge as the winners of the Elite Tag Team Classic, Anzu.”Anzu Kurosawa: “They defied expectations, Rod. A tournament filled with established teams here in the FWA such as Eternal, Trick or Trash, Undisputed Alliance and of course the extremely dangerous duo of Danny Toner and Nova Diamond and the full might of NTR behind them. Our boys earned their shot here tonight but their luck could be about to run out against the champions.”Rod Sterling: “Perhaps, Anzu. We’ve seen Konchu take the majority of the in-ring load throughout the tournament but I think Jean-Luc is going to need to pitch in a bit more tonight if they want to dethrone FTN. Konchu managed it last year at this very event in the opening contest alongside Cyrus Truth; will history repeat itself here tonight?”Vox Potentis enter the ring and Hao is straight to one of the corners to stretch out his arms and cackle out to the crowd once more; his cloak hangs down from his arms to resemble wings. Epsilon stands at his feet enthusiastically clapping, whilst in the middle of the ring, JLW is content to allow his partner the spotlight. His heart appears to skip a beat when ‘Army of the Night’ is replaced by loud, almost obnoxious trumpets. [“Gangplank Galleon Big Band”]A loud cheer goes up for Vox Potentis’s opponents. In stark contrast to the extravagantly immature entrance the then FWA World Tag Team Champions ‘treated’ the world to, FTN stride out of the back together with their championships around their waists and make a beeline for the ring. Chris Peacock holds out his hand for fans to reach out and slap if they wish, which many do, and Alyster Black nods his head and shakes out his wrists. Kurt Harrington: “Their opponents… weighing in tonight at four-hundred and thirty pounds… they are the current, reigning and defending FWA World Tag Team Champions; ‘Black Jesus’ Alyster Black and ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ Chris Peacock… EFFFFFFFFFFFF TEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!”Rod Sterling: “For the first time in what feels like a long time, I think that Chris Peacock and Alyster Black are enjoying the support of the FWA fans and Anzu, this looks like an FTN we’ve never seen before. They look focused, determined and ready to defend their championships.”Anzu Kurosawa: “We saw on the Launch Pad that FTN wanted to come out here and defend their championships on their own. We’ve seen a lot of the Family lately, but tonight it is about Chris and Alyster. We understand that the FTN Family have left the arena as a way of truly respecting the wishes of their leaders. Allen Price did not seem very pleased with his clients’ decision.”Rod Sterling: “He did not… but last year when FTN lost to the Dark Roads Alliance they were focused on well, being jackasses, and also each other. Remember, they defended the tag titles in the opening match and then faced each other in the main event. They do not have that problem tonight, and I think they would have learned their lesson to not underestimate anyone in this very competitive tag team division.”Peacock slides into the ring and removes the championship from around his waist and gets up onto one of the turnbuckles. Black stands underneath him on the apron with his arms crossed and the fans cheer as Peacock holds the title up into the air. The Grand Slam Champion drops to the mat and Black enters the ring as well. Referee Larry Stevens takes the championships from FTN who bow their heads and then share a quick hug. Vox Potentis watch this together, with the situation becoming very real. With the checks completed, Stevens calls for the bell! 
OPENING MATCH | 1/60.
FTN (Chris Peacock and Alyster Black) [c] vs. Vox Potentis (Jean-Luc Watkins and Konchu Hao).
Tag Team Match for the FWA World Tag Team Championships.
Match Writer: Man.
| With the match underway, there is not much surprise that Konchu Hao is starting the match off for the challengers. Standing across the ring from him is the man who defeated him for the X Championship three years ago, Chris Peacock. Peacock takes a deep breath and approaches the middle of the ring to face off with ‘The Mad Wizard’, and extends his fist. After examining it for a second, Konchu bumps his fist against Peacock’s and the two take a quick step back as the fans cheer the show of sportsmanship.
The two then congregate in the middle of the ring and lock up, with Hao quickly applying a Side Headlock, but Peacock drives his forearm into Konchu’s ribs. Then Peacock backs Hao into the ropes and sends him across the ring, but Peacock picks up the pace and knocks Hao to the mat with a Shoulder Block! Peacock jumps up into the air and goes for a Leg Drop across Hao’s neck, but Hao moves out of the way and Peacock hits the mat. Peacock has his hand on his backside as he gets back up, straight into a throat thrust from Hao.
This causes Peacock to back towards the ropes and Hao tries to follow up on him but Peacock ducks down and elevates ‘The Mad Wizard’ over the top rope. Konchu lands on the apron and Peacock turns around into a very stiff forearm that knocks him down to his knees. Hao gets into the ring and delivers a double sledge across Peacock’s shoulder blades before he applies a Front Facelock. ‘The Mad Wizard’ takes a moment to hold Peacock in place and he cracks Peacock in the face with John Dee’s Knees!
Rod Sterling: “This is not where you want to be if you are facing Konchu Hao, and Chris Peacock will be familiar with theses John Dee’s Knees more than anyone else on the roster, Anzu.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “No shortage of tough and strenuous matches between these two, that’s for sure. But this is a quick start from Hao; he may have a lot of time to work with if they need it but given the split of workload with Watkins weighing much more heavily onto the shoulders of ‘The Mad Wizard’, it serves his interests better to get the match over and done with sooner rather than later.”
After six or seven stiff knees to the face, Konchu allows Peacock to fall to the mat, and Hao goes straight in for a cover;
ONE… TW-NO!!
It is not enough to keep the famously-resilient former FWA World Champion down and Konchu lifts Peacock up from the mat. However, Hao cannot do much to him as Peacock creates a bit of separation and lands a couple of quick jabs to Hao’s face. Peacock spins on the spot and strikes a pose but this proves unwise as Konchu tries to chop him across the face, but Peacock ducks it and kicks Hao in the midsection - DISCO THRILLER STUNNER!!
The Stunner does not take Hao down but it does send him scrambling backwards and Peacock tackles him, sending him into the FTN corner. ‘The Mad Wizard’ is able to prevent Peacock from turning him around into the Roller Disco, but Alyster Black reaches over and slaps his partner on the back to tag himself into the match. From the apron, Black puts both hands on either side of Hao’s head and Hedbutts him directly in the forehead. The referee gives Peacock his marching orders and Chris exits the ring as Black enters it. Black delivers a clean Snapmare out of the corner to Hao and follows up with a Dropkick to the back of his head.
Instead of going for the pin though, Black grabs Konchu’s arm and drags him closer to his own partner. It is clear that Black wants Watkins in the ring, but as he loudly calls out the perceived cowardice of the Fallout lead commentator, Konchu reaches up and punches him square in the midsection. Hao gets up and ignores Watkins, staying solely focused on Alyster Black. ‘The Mad Wizard’ connects with a Savate Kick to Black’s chest. Black turns around following the impact, bracing his chest, and this allows Hao to grab him from behind… and drop him to the mat with an Inverted DDT! Konchu goes for a lateral press;
ONE… TW-NO!!
Anzu Kurosawa: “It is good that Vox Potentis - or should I say Konchu Hao - is constantly on the offensive. All it takes is just one opening but I do not know how long FTN will allow Hao to be in such control. Look, Black is trying to fight him off already!”
Black proves just as durable as his partner and he does not wait to get up before attempting to fight Hao off. Laid on the mat, Black kicks out at Hao next to him and gets in a couple of punches. The two masked men grapple for position on the mat in the middle of the ring. A big kick to the stomach from Black earns him the initiative and he kips up from the mat to a big cheer from the crowd. ‘Black Jesus’ quickly hits the ropes as Konchu makes it to his knees and comes back in with a big forearm straight to the face!
It is not enough to take the defiant sorcerer down so Black follows the most logical path and hits the ropes once more… and hits Konchu with another one! This one does the job and puts Hao down. Black shakes his head in JLW’s direction and walks over to Peacock. Alyster tags Chris in and his body language shows his frustration with Watkins and his lack of participation. Peacock shrugs and accepts the tag… Peacock ignores Hao and CHARGES ACROSS THE RING, KNOCKING AN UNSUSPECTING WATKINS DOWN FROM THE APRON!
Rod Sterling: “I see that FTN are still able to lean on the times where their arsenals in tag matches consisted of moves where they leant on the rules in good faith.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “I think FTN want Jean-Luc involved in the match; his non-participation seems to have rubbed the champions up the wrong way. If Watkins won’t get involved on his own, I don’t think Peacock and Black have a problem involving him themselves as we just saw!”
As JLW holds his jaw whilst down on the floor, the fans get loud as Peacock turns around to go after Hao once again. A stomp to the back of Konchu’s head follows and Peacock allows him to rise slightly before he cracks Hao with a punch square to the face. Konchu defiantly starts to rise from the mat after this and Peacock prevents his ascent by cradling the back of Hao’s head and driving his forearm into ‘The Mad Wizard’s face repeatedly. Still fighting through the blows, Hao stands up and cackles loudly in Peacock’s face, but Chris cuts him off with a boot to the midsection, and then a FAMOUSER! Shooting the half, Peacock goes for the pin;
ONE… TWO-NO!!
The kick out does not elicit any kind of reaction from Peacock, who remains with his head firmly in the game. With one of Konchu’s wrists in his grasp, he reaches out for Black to tag himself in, and ‘Black Jesus’ is quick to come into the ring and join his partner. Black grabs Konchu’s other arm and FTN put their arms up into the air, with their middle fingers protruding upwards. The fans join in with the callout for the FTN TRIGGER - BUT IT GETS INTERRUPTED WHEN WATKINS RUSHES THE RING AND KNOCKS PEACOCK DOWN WITH A DROPKICK!
A cheer goes up for JLW, who ducks Black’s haymaker and Watkins catches Black with a knee which spins ‘Black Jesus’ around, and the former X Champion sends Black overhead with a Half Nelson Suplex! The crowd do show some support for Vox Potentis as Watkins stands tall next to Hao in the ring, but the fans reaction and positivity droops very quickly when ALLEN PRICE WALKS OUT FROM THE BACK! There is great confusion from the fans when Price appears and FTN’s manager makes very slow progress down the ramp on his crutches whilst still in recovery from his broken leg.
Anzu Kurosawa: “What’s he doing out here? I thought that they all went home?”
Rod Sterling: “In the time that we have known Allen Price, I think one thing is for certain; he does what he wants and he either doesn’t care or is not aware about how much it irritates other people. It is not just FTN that he has a connection with, though.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “It isn’t a secret that as well as being a mentor and manager to Chris Peacock and later Alyster Black, Price’s time at the Fallout booth puts him as a close friend of Jean-Luc Watkins as well. ‘Baby’ definitely has a strong soft spot for the guy.”
Epsilon on the outside of the ring immediately rushes over to Price to scald him in his unique language whilst Watkins and Hao do their best to pay him no mind. On the apron, Chris Peacock holds his jaw and can be heard asking Price what he is doing out there, but Price ignores him, choosing to simply start clapping in encouragement. In the ring, Stevens tries his best to restore order by shepherding Watkins out of the ring as he is not the legal man. It only takes a couple of seconds for Watkins to become the legal man when he accepts a tag from Hao and rushes straight in, catching Black in the head with a Shining Wizard! Jean-Luc’s knee catches Black in the face and Watkins pins;
ONE… TWO-NO!!
There is no time for Black to get up after the strike as JLW slaps on a tight Headlock with Black seated down and unable to pick himself up. The hold is expertly applied by Watkins and he piles all of his weight down across Black’s neck. To make matters worse for Black, Watkins quickly transitions into a Rear Chinlock and he puts his knee between Black’s shoulder blades. Alyster tries reaching out to grab hold of Watkins but he is unable to. The fans, at the behest of Chris Peacock on the apron, start clapping their hands and stomping their feet to will ‘Black Jesus’ on and give him the support he needs to break free of the hold.
Rod Sterling: “Alyster Black doing what he can to escape this hold applied by Jean-Luc Watkins… it was not too long ago that the fans would have been clamouring for him to submit. FTN have turned a corner and they’ve played this match right down the middle.”
Black rocks his body from side to side, slowly at first but he is able to build the momentum up, and then he rolls onto his front! He slowly picks himself up from the mat with Watkins in his sights the entire time. Critically, Black is positioned between Watkins and Konchu on the apron, and Black starts approaching Jean-Luc, who seems unsure of what to do. The answer for JLW is to try to fight his way out of the predicament, but Black beats him to the first punch with a big strike straight across the nose which drops Watkins down to the mat. Jean-Luc holds his nose and quickly scrambles around Black and tags Konchu back into the mat.
The advance of Hao is stopped quickly by Black, who catches him with a boot to the midsection and then Black heaves Hao up… FOR THE GAMMA BOMB!! The big move from Black gets a cheer, but instead of going for the pin, Black opts to tag Peacock back into the match. Chris does not get into the ring but instead climbs up onto the turnbuckle in the FTN corner but has to wave off Allen Price warning him not to at ringside. Hao gets up, holding his back, and Peacock measures him… he goes for the GLITTERBALL DROP - BUT KONCHU THROWS BABA VANGA’S ILLUMINATION INTO HIS FACE IN MID AIR!!
Anzu Kurosawa: “OH! You never see it coming!”
Rod Sterling: “A perfectly timed dose of Baba Vanga’s Illumination, and this is going to swing the pendulum of momentum back into the favour of the challengers, Anzu.”
The pocket sand causes Peacock to eat shit on his landing and miss his target completely. On the outside, Price puts his hands on his head and he hobbles closer to the apron to give Peacock some encouragement but Chris loudly tells him to shut up so he can concentrate, given he is unable to see properly. Chris manages to get some of the stuff out of his eyes, but it is not enough to see Hao coming and driving him into the mat with a very powerful STO! Hao does not immediately go for the cover on Peacock, because he lifts Chris up from the mat with ease and then lifts him up… BACKDROP DRIVERRRRR!! Another pin attempt from Hao;
ONE… TWO… THR-NO!!!
Hao can be heard grunting in annoyance at the failure to put Peacock away still, but he lifts Peacock up from the mat and cackles once more as he gets the ripcord ready and KONCHU GOES FOR RASPUTIN’S REVENGE - BUT PEACOCK SENSES IT COMING AND DUCKS THE ELBOW! Still with his vision impaired, Peacock lays on the mat as Konchu grabs his legs after recovering, but Peacock kicks Hao backwards and away from him. Peacock pulls himself towards the corner that he knows is near him and reaches out his hand… but it is slapped away by JLW - as Peacock had found the wrong corner!
Anzu Kurosawa: “Oh, that’s embarrassing.”
A very loud “SHIT!” is picked up by the ringside microphones and Peacock is defenceless to the very hard stomp to the back of his head by Konchu from behind. Hao holds his hand out and Watkins gets back into the match and drops a knee across the back of Peacock’s head. Watkins picks Peacock up from the mat and hooks Peacock up for a Suplex, but Chris hits him with a couple of punches to the ribs and then a big elbow to the side of Jean-Luc’s head. Still blinded, Peacock picks Watkins up by feel and puts him on his shoulders in a Fireman’s Carry! The fans cheer as Peacock gets in the rotations for DANCE DANCE REVOLUTIONS - BUT PEACOCK VEERS TOWARDS THE OFFICIAL - AND JEAN LUC’S BOOT CATCHES THE REFEREE IN THE SIDE OF THE HEAD!
Rod Sterling: “WOAH! Referee down!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Here’s going to be the test for Chris Peacock; the door is wide open for him to slip back into old habits… but I don’t even think that he has realised that his careless rotations knocked Stevens down!”
Stevens is knocked through the ropes and out of the ring, but Peacock does not notice this until he hits the Samoan Drop element of his Dance Dance Revolutions move and goes for the pin, only to realise that there was no count. Using the moment to properly clear his eyes out, Chris sees the ref out on the outside and a smirk does everything it can to sneak onto his face. Any nefariousness in Peacock's mind does not get a chance to emerge though, as it is Konchu that takes advantage of the official not being up to get into the ring and take Peacock down with a Leaping Lariat!
This puts Peacock down on the mat alongside Watkins, but Konchu does not get away with entering the match out of turn as Alyster Black is quick to greet him with a flurry of punches to the body and face. Hao is backed into the ropes, and he catches Black almost as ‘Black Jesus’ jumps at him… AND THE TWO MASKED MEN TUMBLE OVER THE TOP ROPE AND TO THE FLOOR! They land at the feet of Allen Price, who sees the situation unfolding in the ring. With some difficulty, Price pulls himself into the ring under the bottom rope, dragging his crutches in at the same time.
Rod Sterling: “What’s Price doing?!”
There are loud boos from the San Juan crowd as they do not want to see Price involve himself in the match, especially after he had been forbidden from doing so by FTN. With Peacock and Watkins down, Price allows one of his crutches to drop out of his hand and down onto the mat and he then takes the other in both hands, holding it at the base. Price watches the rising JLW starting to pick himself up and he swings the crutch… BUT CRACKS IT OVER CHRIS PEACOCK’S BACK!!!
Anzu Kurosawa: “WHAT DID HE JUST DO?!”
Rod Sterling: “I don’t believe it! A-Allen Price has just TURNED on FTN! He hit Chris Peacock with that crutch! This is the man who gave him everything here in the FWA! I-I don’t believe it!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Price picked Jean-Luc! I don’t know how or why… but the door is open for Vox Potentis if Jean-Luc can get the pin… the referee is stirring!”
Peacock drops down to his knees and then falls flat on his front as Jean-Luc looks up at Price, who nods at him! Allen Price has just screwed Chris Peacock! He’s screwed FTN! There is a heinous scowl across Price’s face as he looks down at Peacock with a look that can be described as nothing other than disdain. A stunned Watkins sees that Stevens is picking himself up and trying to get back into the ring, so he shoos Price away. As quickly as he can - which is not very quick at all - Price gets out of the ring and away from the scene, hobbling up the ramp. With Stevens back in, Watkins leans back and covers Peacock after flipping him over…
…
ONE!
…
TWO!!
…
Rod Sterling: “Allen Price has just SCREWED FTN!”
THREE-
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Rod Sterling: “PEACOCK KICKS OUT!!”
There is a look of shock on JLW’s face; he is in total disbelief about what just happened and he puts his head in his hands. On the ramp, Allen Price looks as if he has seen a ghost when he realises that his influence and interference was not enough to end the match and that FTN are still in this. Watkins lifts Peacock up from the mat and looks to go for a Northern Lights Suplex… but Peacock spins out of it and drops Watkins with a Clothesline! The commentator drops to the mat and starts to slowly rise as an irate Peacock backs into the corner and charges in… AND PEACOCK RUNS THROUGH WATKINS WITH THE STRUT!!!
Rod Sterling: “Whether this was concocted by Watkins and Price together, this has backfired spectacularly for them - Peacock with the cover to retain the championships!”
The commentator goes down, and Peacock hooks both legs!
…
ONE!
…
…
TWO!!
…
…
…
THREE?!-NO!!!!!
At the very last second, Konchu Hao dives into the ring and breaks up the pin! He picks Peacock up from the mat and tries the ripcord once again on the Grand Slam winner but Peacock gets a shout of “DUCK!” from Black, and Peacock does so… AND BLACK CLEANS HAO OUT WITH THE ONE SHOT KILL!!! Konchu drops to the mat and rolls towards the ropes, completely out of it. In the middle of the ring now remains Jean-Luc Watkins, who has Peacock and Black standing over him, and Peacock can be heard telling Alyster what happened whilst he was on the outside of the ring.
Black’s head immediately snaps in the direction of Allen Price, who continues to feign innocence despite his direct action against FTN.
Anzu Kurosawa: “I think FTN were willing to complete this match without hostilities; they’d shown their challengers respect but in the case of Jean-Luc Watkins - whether he conspired with Allen Price or not - I think the friendliness is out of the window. There’s going to be hell to pay for Allen Price, but that’s going to have to wait because they’re closing in on a first defence of this second reign.”
Watkins tries to appeal to Chris and Alyster’s better natures and talk his way out of it; he says that Price acted alone and he did not have anything to do with it. But FTN are not having any of it and they each take a wrist of JLW, who shakes his head. They put their middle fingers up into the air and get the crowd to shout along;
F-T-N TRIGGERRRRRRR! FUCK! YOU!“
FTN THEN CONNECT WITH THE FTN TRIGGER TO WATKINS! ‘Baby’ does not get any respite though as Black keeps hold of him and lifts him into the air in a Powerbomb position, with Peacock hovering next to him… AND FTN PUTS WATKINS DOWN WITH THE LOAD BLOWER!!! Peacock, the legal man, flips JLW onto his front as Black ensures Hao will not interfere with the result…
…
ONE!
…
…
TWO!!
…
…
THREE!!!
Result: FTN wins via pin fall at 17:11. |
The bell rings and a big cheer goes up as ‘Gangplank Galleon’ plays loudly once more and Peacock stands up and looks down at Watkins with an angry glare. Black puts his arm around Peacock and the two have a small conversation with each other as they are handed their championships by the referee. After looking down at Watkins with a look of disgust, Peacock slowly turns his head towards Allen Price and the cowardly traitor looks like he has dropped a brick in his underwear. Kurt Harrington: “Here are your winners and STILLLLLLLLLLL the FWA World Tag Team Champions… ALYSTER BLACK AND CHRIS PEACOCK; FTN!!!!”Rod Sterling: “A strong performance from FTN here tonight and an important first defence of their championships. They needed to avoid this stumbling block and can press on, knowing that either Eternal or the Cinematic Universe will be their next challengers… but the story here is Allen Price. What compelled him to turn his back on Peacock and Black and try to cost them their championships?”Anzu Kurosawa: “I don’t know, Rod. Peacock is one of the few people that has always had his back… so I don’t know. If we know Price, I think we will get some answers soon as there’s nothing he likes to do more than run his mouth. As for Vox Potentis, I don’t know whether Watkins had planned that in advance with Price or whether it was a spur of the moment thing. I know that Hao would not have been on board with that given his own history with Allen Price.”‘The Mad Wizard’ sits up and is then helped to his feet by Epsilon and he then helps Watkins up as well; Baby holds the side of his head and seems very upset with the match result, but Konchu reassures him with a hand on his shoulder. FTN wave off Price and turn around to face the defeated challengers. A staredown ensues for a moment, but there’s a good cheer that goes up when FTN extend their hands to Vox Potentis! Rod Sterling: “Corner turned. I don’t think FTN of days gone by would have erupted into hysterics at the thought of shaking someone’s hand as a sign of respect but the champions want to acknowledge the very tough challenge that Vox Potentis brought them, despite what went down in the match.”There is no hesitation from Konchu Hao to take Black’s hand and shake it, but Jean-Luc Watkins looks down at the extended hand of Chris Peacock wearing a look of sheer disgust on his face. JLW rudely leaves Chris hanging and walks past him, ensuring to bump shoulders with Peacock as he does so. The crowd starts to boo loudly. Anzu Kurosawa: “That’s very disappointing from our colleague, there…”Peacock seems to be holding himself back from reacting to the show of disrespect, but Konchu Hao quickly takes his hand and puts his other hand on Peacock’s shoulder and can be heard praising Peacock and Black for their performance, which FTN return for him. Rod Sterling: “Despite what occurred this time last year, some respect has developed between FTN and the members of the Dark Roads Alliance. I think it is more likely that they will be fighting alongside each other rather than against each other in the many battles to come.”Leaving the ring with Epsilon, Hao gives the ring to the victors and Black nudges Peacock as if to tell him that they should enjoy the moment. They both raise the championships in the air and absorb the loud response from the crowd. At the top of the ramp, Hao joins Watkins and Price and there is some clear annoyance from Konchu that Watkins was okay with Price interfering on their behalf. Allen Price unwisely hobbles up to Konchu Hao and the fans start to stir and gasp… but it isn’t because of Price’s impending death… IT’S BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE HAVE RUSHED THE RING… NTR ARE ATTACKING FTN!!! The entire contingent is there, and they’re looking to repeat what they did to the Lumberjacks on the Launch Pad! Rod Sterling: “We were waiting for NTR to get their payback on FTN for the last Meltdown and Fallout shows - but I think they wanted to go after them when they were on a high, just to bring them straight back down!” Danny Toner is on top of Alyster Black, punching him repeatedly in the head, as Chris Peacock tries to fight off Jay Kenny, but Nova Diamond and Ryan Rondo assist their Young Lion and pin Peacock down for Kenny to repeatedly kick him in the face. NTR are all over FTN and there is no way that Peacock and Black can overcome the numbers against them, especially as they sent the FTN Family away earlier on. Toner drops to his knees and shouts into Black’s face, “YOU REALLY THOUGHT WE’D LEAVE IT THERE?!”As NTR exact their revenge on FTN, Vox Potentis watch on from the top of the ramp and the only reason that Hao has not ran in to help yet is because Watkins is shaking his head. JLW looks on with wide eyes, focusing solely on one man in the ring. He watches as Danny Toner picks up one of the tag team championship belts and instructs Jhunha to lift Peacock up from the mat… AND TONER FLOORS PEACOCK WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP! Chris drops to the mat and blood instantly starts leaking out of the top of his head. Black is then held up by Owen and Kenny, and Diamond hits a couple of cheap shots on him, and Rondo kicks him between the legs. Toner stands over Black now, taunting him… and then TONER PUTS BOTH OF HIS HANDS ON BLACK’S FACE! NTR ARE GOING TO UNMASK ALYSTER BLACK LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW!!! Rod Sterling: “I know no such thing exists when it comes to these guys, but this is too far! This is TOO DAMN FAR!”As Toner starts to lift the mask up, Black’s chin becomes visible… but a loud cheer goes up AS KONCHU HAO SLIDES INTO THE RING! Epsilon joins him and immediately goes after Traffic Cone #2, and Hao floors Owen with a stiff punch and then Kenny is taken down by a Clothesline! Jhunha tries to grab Hao, but Konchu lights up the big man with some chops and tries to follow up with a big strike, but RONDO SPINS HIM AROUND AND DROPS HIM WITH AN RKO!!! This is at the same time Nova plucks Epsilon up and drives Konchu’s faithful servant into the mat with UNCOMFORTABLY NUMB!!! The camera turns to the ramp where Jean-Luc Watkins takes a few steps closer to the ring… Allen Price tries to hold him back but Watkins shrugs him off, watching as both Konchu and Epsilon are set upon with stomps. Watkins breaks into a jog and gets into the ring, and he pulls someone off of Konchu, to see that it is Danny Toner! Anzu Kurosawa: “There’s a… lot… of history here…”Toner breaks into a laugh as Watkins demands that he calls off his goons, even stomping on Alyster Black once himself. But Toner shakes his head… AND DROPS WATKINS WITH A HEADBUTT!! JLW goes down and Toner gets on top of him; with NTR totally on top of FTN, Vox Potentis and Epsilon. Toner and Rondo then give the orders to clear the ring and NTR take each of their beaten down victims and toss them out of the ring, with Toner making a point to spit on Chris Peacock before he throws the championship at him. Rod Sterling: “NTR have stamped their mark on this Pay-Per-View, Anzu… and well, I’m worried we might not get the show back because Danny Toner wants a microphone!”Demanding a mic, Toner takes centre stage as the rest of NTR stands behind him looking pleased with themselves. Danny Toner: “Well-”[“Bow Down” || I Prevail]“Bow Down” plays out and both members of The Undisputed Alliance sprint down to the ring to massive cheers from the crowd. Diamond, Toner, and Rondo hightail it out of the ring as Fenix and Savage slide in the ring and Fenix takes down Owen with a clothesline! Savage lays out Jay Kenny with a clothesline but before Savage can get more of Kenny, Jhuna pulls Kenny out of the ring and Owen rolls out of the ring on his own beside Toner, Diamond, and Rondo at ringside. Toner is wide eyed and irate while spouting off insults at Fenix and Savage, who are in the ring and Fenix takes the microphone that Toner dropped on his way out… Jackson Fenix: ”I couldn’t sit back there any longer and watch this crap go on any further! I’m sick and tired of watching you jackasses think you can push people around!”Danny is still running his mouth while Diamond and Rondo hold him back and start to leave. Jackson Fenix: ”Where are you going, Danny? I thought that you of all people wouldn’t want to wait and would want to get this fight on right now! Come on, I’m in my gear and you look like you’re ready for a fight, I know I’m ready to superkick your teeth down your throat!”Danny obliges Fenix and agrees to start their match earlier than expected with referee Stevens already in the ring. Meanwhile, FTN is helped out at ringside by Allen Price and more referees while Vox Potentis is helped out as well by medical personnel and referees. Rod Sterling: “Well, we were not expecting this match so soon, but given the circumstances following our last match this one was started early since both competitors are here.”NTR mock FTN and Vox Potentis watching them being helped to the back before Toner re-enters the ring after the outside has been cleared… Anzu Kurosawa: “NTR just had to stick their noses in FTN’s affairs following FTN’s successful title defense, but fortunately for FTN, The Undisputed Alliance was here for the save and Fenix didn’t want to wait until later and Toner obliged him!”Diamond and Rondo are in the corner for Toner while Nate Savage is there for Fenix. Nova Diamond is obnoxiously hyping up Danny Toner while Savage looks annoyed by the antics of NTR but Fenix is laser focused on Toner… 
SECOND MATCH | 1/20.
Danny Toner vs. Jackson Fenix.
Singles Match.
Match Writer: Jimmy.
|
DING! DING! DING!
<< 00:00 >>
The bell sounds and both competitors waste no time in going at it as they meet in the center of the ring and start trading blows! There’s a left from Fenix that connects with Toner, but Toner counters back with a right hook that knocks Fenix back a few steps and Danny continues his onslaught of strikes as he backs Fenix into the corner. Toner lays into Fenix lefts and rights, followed by several kicks to the midsection until Fenix is slumped down. Toner backs away from Fenix and eats up the jeers from the fans with his obnoxious posturing while Diamond and Rondo continue to hype him up. Savage gets close to Fenix and tries to rally his friend back in the fight but he backs away after Toner connects with a running knee straight to the face! Toner starts jaw-jacking with Savage and Nate Savage isn’t afraid of a verbal spat and tells Toner how he really feels about him, and Toner responds back by spitting at Savage. Nate Savage wipes the spit away in disgust and thinks about getting involved but thinks better of it despite Toner egging him on…
Toner sizes up Fenix again for another running knee but this time he misses and gets nothing but turnbuckle in his knee after Fenix moves out of the way! Fenix crawls away before getting back to his feet and he strikes with a running dropkick that knocks Toner back into the corner. Fenix doesn’t miss a beat as he hits a running high knee in the corner and follows that up with a bulldog out of the corner!
Rod Sterling: ”Jackson Fenix has been able to mount a bit of an early comeback after Danny Toner’s antics have come back to bite him!”
Anzu Kurosawa: ”It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy!”
Fenix is feeling it now and he’s feeding off the energy from the fans and he’s sizing up Toner but before he can move, his foot is grabbed from the outside by Ryan Rondo. Fenix looks behind and reaches out over the ropes for Rondo, who has backed away and he’s feigning innocence, and now Nate Savage has come around and he’s letting them know how he feels about their interference while the referee does his best to keep them all at bay…
Anzu Kurosawa: ”As much as I’d like to see Savage get his hands on Rondo or Diamond, he would unfortunately be outnumbered”
Rod Sterling: ”Plus, he doesn’t want to jeopardize Fenix’s chances of winning this match.”
Back in the ring, Fenix’s back is still turned to Toner and Toner rolls him up from behind…
One…TW--NO!!
***
<< 06:15 >>
Fenix rolls through after kicking out and he’s back on his feet but he’s stunned by a running european uppercut from Toner! Toner continues to lay into Fenix with more uppercuts and even some headbutts that have Fenix reeling and Toner takes Fenix down with a suplex! Toner is quick to bring Fenix back up in a front face lock but Toner swings behind Fenix to apply a sleeper hold on Fenix! Toner has the hold applied in the center of the ring and Fenix is struggling to break free and eventually Fenix is able to back Toner into the corner. Toner still has the hold locked in until he’s forced to break it up after Fenix drives a few sharp back elbows to Danny’s ribcage. Fenix peppers Danny with some forearm strikes in the corner before he sizes him up and strikes with a step-up enzuiguri! Fenix drags Danny out of the corner and he goes for a suplex, but Toner flips out of it behind Fenix and drills him in the back of the head before taking Fenix down with a bridging german suplex!
One…TW--NO!!
Fenix kicks out again, much to the chagrin of Toner, who starts to berate referee Larry Stevens. Meanwhile, Fenix has rolled away underneath the bottom rope on the apron for a moment to catch his bearings, but he doesn’t get a second of reprieve as Diamond and Rondo hop on him like a pack wolves and start wailing away on him…
Rod Sterling: ”How convenient, Toner has the referee distracted to allow Diamond and Rondo to get their licks in on Fenix…but here comes Savage to even the odds!”
Anzu Kurosawa: ”Nate Savage has had enough and I don’t blame him, Rod!”
Savage clubs Diamond from behind and pushes him away and lays in some punches on Rondo before Diamond clips Savage on the back of his leg, and Diamond checks on Rondo before Savage is able to recover and Savage chases them off as all three disappear backstage…
***
<< 10:24 >>
Toner looks a bit annoyed that his buddies were run off but he shakes that off and turns his attention back on Fenix. Danny reaches over the rope and grabs Fenix by the hair to bring him back up, but Fenix fires back with a right hand that knocks Danny for a loop! Danny staggers back and Fenix sets himself up before launching into Danny with a springboard high-knee strike! Danny hasn’t dropped yet but he’s on spaghetti legs now and Fenix hits him with a Double Shot! Snap-dragon and bicycle knee combo! Fenix drops down for the pin…
One…TW--NO!!
Toner kicks out!
Fenix doesn’t let that deter him though and he quickly applies a reverse chin lock on Toner! Fenix is cranking back on the hold and Toner is reaching out for the ropes but to no avail. Eventually, Toner breaks away after throwing a few back elbows that force Fenix to break the hold. Fenix rolls away and both men are allowed to catch their bearings as they rise back to their feet at the same time. Toner goes for a superkick on Fenix but Fenix sidesteps him and hits his own superkick on Toner! Superkick Me Baby One More Time! Toner doesn’t go down though so Fenix follows up with yet another superkick! Oops!...I Did It Again! This time Danny drops down to his knees and Fenix strikes with a shining wizard! Fenix drops down and hooks the far leg!
One…two…THR--NO!!!
Rod Sterling: ”Two consecutive superkicks plus a shining wizard but Danny Toner is still in this!”
Anzu Kurosawa: ”Danny Toner is resilient, I’ll give him that!”
Fenix lifts Toner off the mat and up on his shoulders looking for the Blackout, but Toner has other ideas as he falls off behind Fenix and stomps on the back of his leg before spinning him around…The Closing Statement! Toner with the front facebuster on Fenix!
One…two…THR--NO!!
Danny stomps on Fenix’s legs before applying the boston crab submission and Danny really leans into it putting extra pressure on Fenix’s back as Danny stretches back. Danny is cursing at the referee and at Fenix as well while Fenix is gritting his teeth and fighting through the pain. The crowd starts to rally behind Fenix and he feeds off this energy and this allows him to inch his way toward the rope to break the hold! Danny is irate about having to break the hold and he starts stomping on Fenix’s spine and hurling insults at him while he does it.
***
<< 15:45 >>
Danny has Fenix in his sights and he’s looking for The Equalizer, but Fenix rolls out of the way in time. Fenix charges forward and hits Danny with Break the Ice! Backstabber to Toner! Fenix isn’t done just yet though as he waits for Danny to rise up before hitting Kill the Lights! Second rope meteora into a pin by Fenix!
One…two…THR--NO!!!
Fenix falls forward flat on his stomach and rolls on his back while taking in lungfuls of air before slowly getting back on his feet. Fenix goes for another superkick but Toner sidesteps him, and Toner goes for his own superkick but Fenix catches it and spins Toner around before hitting him with a dragon suplex! Fenix doesn’t follow up with a running bicycle knee and instead brings Toner up and lifts him up for the Sin City Hangover but Danny flips out behind Fenix and Danny clutches Fenix with a rear waistlock in an attempt to hit another bridging german suplex. Fenix breaks free after throwing back elbows and Fenix runs the ropes and comes back…The Britney Spear! Fenix with a spear on Toner and he drops down for the pin…
One…two…THR--NO!!!
Rod Sterling: ”Jackson Fenix has thrown just about everything he can at Danny Toner but it hasn’t been enough!”
Anzu Kurosawa: ”Fenix can’t let that deter him, Rod. He can’t let that get him down!”
Fenix might be growing flustered but he’s good at hiding it as he begins to position himself on the top rope and he’s pointing at Danny…
Anzu Kurosawa: ”I think he’s going to go for If You Seek Amy, if he hits Toner with that then this may very well be over!”
Fenix is Danny in his sights, ready to hit him with the Canadian Destroyer off the top rope as he leaps off…Danny Toner pops up and connects with a superkick! Fenix immediately drops to his knees and Danny doesn’t waste a second…The Equalizer! Danny hits The Equalizer and drops down for the pin…
One…two…THREE!!!
Result: Danny Toner wins via pinfall at 18:30. |
Toner is helped to his feet by referee Stevens and has his arm raised before Toner brushes off the referee. Toner looks down in disgust at his beaten opponent and spits on him before he leaves the ring where he’s joined by Diamond and Rondo. Diamond mocks Fenix and hypes up Toner while Rondo trash-talks some fans that get too close to them as they head to the back. Rod Sterling: ”It was a valiant effort from Jackson Fenix, he put up one hell of a fight but in the end it wasn’t enough to keep Danny Toner down.”Anzu Kurosawa: ”My personal feelings for Danny Toner aside, there’s no denying he knows how to get the job done. I won’t take anything away from Jackson Fenix though, he stepped up and gave it his all.”Fenix is helped to his feet by referee Stevens and is about to leave the ring when the video board shows something backstage that catches Fenix’s attention. The FWA cameras backstage show a bloodied up Nate Savage on the floor and standing over him is Keres. Rod Sterling: ”Oh my god! What is the meaning of this?!”Anzu Kurosawa: ”Jackson Fenix did call out Keres after her heinous attack on Xperienx Xtacee and it seems like she’s sending a message to Fenix by taking out another one of his friends!”Fenix looks on in horror at the sight of his best friend laid before he quickly leaves the ring and rushes to the back to check on Nate Savage as the show rolls on… The camera cuts to backstage where Katie Baxter is standing next to Tonton. Katie Baxter: "Tonight, we have an open challenge for the FWA North American Championship, and it's clear that a lot of people are eyeing the opportunity, including my guest here, Tonton. Which, if I'm understanding correctly, you would like to..."Before Katie can finish her statement, a nearby door swings open as Vengador comes forcefully through the doors with a lot more enthusiasm than we are used to seeing from him. He notices Tonton and quickly interrupts Katie's segment. Vengador: “Oh! Tonton! Good, I was looking for you! Did you see me out there?”Katie and Tonton both share an amused glance as Vengador bounces on his feet, clearly high off the adrenaline of his earlier win. Tonton laughs and gives Vengador a pat on the back. Tonton: "Vengy! Of course I was watching quite intently! Truly an impressive victory! Well done, my friend. Well done!"Vengador: "I feel so alive! I feel like I could take on the world. Nothing can stop me now!"Katie tries to steer the conversation back on track, sensing the excitement but needing to focus on the important matter at hand. Katie Baxter: "That’s great to hear, Vengador. But speaking of taking on the world, there's a big open challenge for the FWA North American Championship tonight. Tonton, now I understand that you'd..."Tonton holds up a single finger, stopping Katie in her tracks as he then begins to rub his chin. Tonton: "I think I know where you are going with this, KB. And yes, you're absolutely right. I do think it'd be a wonderful idea if Vengador accepted the challenge tonight!"Katie Baxter: "Wait.. what.. I thought..."Tonton: "Yes, you thought he had such an impactful win on the Launching Pad... you thought he had all the fight... the energy... the HEART of a champion! It should be him."Vengador tilts his head. Vengador: "You... think so?"Katie Baxter: "Is that such a good idea? I mean, he already wrestled tonight so..."Vengador: "No. That is of no concern to me. I feel great. Never felt better really. I'm ready for this. If Tonton thinks I am up for the challenge, than I am."Vengador slaps his chest confidently as Tonton grins ear to ear and once again gives Vengador a pat on the back of his own. Tonton: "That's the spirit, Vengy! Go out there and get yourself some gold!"Vengador nods eagerly, fully convinced he's the man for the job. Vengador: "You got it. Tonight... THE FWA NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP... IS GOING TO BE MINE!"Tonton wraps his arm around Vengador as the pair walk off screen together while Katie watches on skeptically before turning to the camera. Katie Baxter: "Well... I guess there you have it folks. Later tonight it will be Cyrus Truth vs. Vengador for the FWA North American Championship! Let's head back to the ring!"[“We Want Fun” || ANDREW W.K.]The crowd begins to cheer for the high-energy DUDE-! as he appears on the stage, amping them up in characteristic attempts to ‘get the party started’. Kurt Harrington: "The following contest is scheduled for one-fall, with a twenty minute time limit, and is an FWA Television Championship number one contendership match! Introducing first, from Detroit, Michigan and weighing in at two hundred and twenty pounds… DUUUUUDE-!!!"Rod Sterling: "DUDE-! has made a positive start to his FWA career with back-to-back wins over Lexi Lemonis and Captain Righteous, the latter of whom will face XYZ later on for the FWA Television Champion. It was no doubt this victory that convinced Jon Russnow that DUDE-! deserves his place in this number one contendership match."Anzu Kurosawa: "DUDE-! has absolutely impressed, but he tonight faces what will surely be the biggest challenge of his young FWA career, against a doubtless future Hall of Famer…"DUDE-! looks mostly undaunted, climbing into the ring with a huge smile on his face. He dances to his theme music until it eventually fades out. [“A Cut Above” || Avery Watts]A more mixed reaction for the second combatant. There is some respectful applause and cheering, but also an undercurrent of boos from those that remember this man’s shadier episodes. Mike Parr walks out onto the stage, doing his best to ignore the crowd but seeming somewhat weary as he begins his approach to the ring. Kurt Harrington: "And his opponent, weighing in at two hundred and forty pounds… ‘the Prodigy’... MIKE… PAAAAARR!!"Rod Sterling: "A future Hall of Famer, as you mentioned, Anzu… but one that has certainly been down on his luck as of late. The Prodigy was unsuccessful in his efforts in the Steel Roulette last month, and also in a singles match against current champion XYZ on Meltdown XLV… the less said about that match, the better."Anzu Kurosawa: "Parr may have eventually lost the match, but the Prodigy took the champ to the limit, showing the pair to be almost evenly matched when it came to, um, assembling flat-pack furniture. A peculiar criteria for selection in this match, but Jon Russnow is a peculiar man."Parr climbs into the ring and loosens up against the ropes. DUDE-! is dancing to Parr’s music now, and looks vaguely disappointed when that too fades out and it’s time to get down to business. He puts his game-face on as the official conducts his final checks. When he’s content, he calls for the opening bell… 
THIRD MATCH | 1/20.
DUDE-! vs. Mike Parr.
Singles Match, #1 Contendership for the FWA Television Championship.
Match Writer: supinesnake.
| << 00:00. >>
The match starts and Mike Parr begins to circle the ring, his hands in front of him as if he's offering some sort of technical lock-up to kick things off. DUDE, however, remains in his corner, observing Parr with a slight smile, clearly not intending to reciprocate the Prodigy's circling. When Parr realises this, he drops his hands, and then instead chargers for a cornered clothesline, hoping to wedge DUDE against the turnbuckles he's leant against… only for DUDE to evade by leaping away at the last second! Parr collides against the turnbuckles chest-first, stumbling backwards into a waiting DUDE, who clasps him in a rear waist lock before taking him backwards with an O’Connor roll! Parr's shoulders are down!
ONE… TWO… TH – NO!
Rod Sterling: "Almost! Parr nearly gets caught rushing in, with DUDE showing he shouldn't be underestimated!"
Indeed, the Prodigy has an expression that suggests he's also made that realisation, climbing to his feet slowly and cautiously, regarding DUDE warily… and it's DUDE’s turn to charge in this time, looking for a running roundhouse, but Parr ducks beneath it and attaches a rear waist lock. DUDE goes behind into one of his own, looking to bundle Parr forwards into the ropes, going for another O’Conner roll. Parr clutches onto the ropes, however, causing DUDE to roll back without him… and the Prodigy connects with a running clothesline! DUDE hits the mat hard, allowing Parr to put him in a grounded side headlock, slowing the match down to what he deems a suitable pace.
***
<<06:10. >>
DUDE finally reaches the ropes after a lengthy period in a single-leg Boston crab, with Parr allowing the break only at four, and then immediately following up with stomps to the lower back. DUDE attempts to use the ropes to climb up to his feet, but Parr is immediately on him, dragging him away from the ropes and then connecting with a belly-to-back suplex! Parr goes for the cover, hooking a leg…
ONE… TWO… T – NO!
DUDE gets the shoulder up, with Parr momentarily letting his frustration show through when he shoots an accusatory glare at the match official. He then goes back to work, dragging DUDE up to his feet and throwing him into the corner with an Irish whip. After a trio of hard knife edge chops, Parr drives a shoulder into DUDE’s gut before hoisting him up into a seated position on the top rope. The Prodigy follows him up, first connecting with some straight rights to DUDE’s dome, before applying a front facelock.
Rod Sterling: "Looks as though Mike Parr is going for a superplex here… but DUDE senses his peril, and begins to fight back with a series of right hands to Parr’s side, eventually causing some separation."
Anzu Kurosawa: "The Prodigy is forced to abandon the facelock and hold onto the ropes for stability… allowing DUDE to connect with a big headbutt!!! Parr falls backwards into the ring!"
DUDE steps up onto the top rope, turning around so that he's facing away from the ring.
Rod Sterling: "MOONSAULT!!! Picture perfect from DUDE, who has already shown himself to be something of a moonsault specialist!"
Into the lateral press…
ONE… TWO… T – NO!
Parr gets the shoulder up, but the high risk move is enough to give DUDE the advantage as the match continues…
***
<< 09:31. >>
Rod Sterling: "SUPERPLEX!!! Whereas Mike Parr failed to hit his earlier in the match, DUDE connects with a big superplex from the very top!!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "That took a lot out of both men, with DUDE slow to follow up with a pinfall attempt… and a weak one at that, only able to drape an arm over the Prodigy…"
ONE… TWO… THR – NO!!
Mike Parr gets the shoulder up!
Rod Sterling: "Resilient from Mike Parr, but if only DUDE could have hooked a leg… this one might have been over!"
As it happens, though, the match continues, with DUDE slowly able to drag himself up to his feet as we pass the ten minute mark. He then goes to work hoisting Parr up too, backing him into the ropes with a series of knife edge chops. He whips Parr across the ring, looking for a clothesline, but the Prodigy ducks beneath it. Parr hits the ropes again, looking for a clothesline, but this time it is DUDE’s turn to evade. The Prodigy hits the ropes one more time, but this time runs straight into a standing dropkick from DUDE!! The audience cheers the athleticism, and DUDE signals that he's going back up to the top by pointing at the turnbuckles and nodding his head.
Rod Sterling: "DUDE is potentially looking for one more big move, here, but it's taking him much longer to climb up to the top turnbuckles now."
Anzu Kurosawa: "That's the fatigue of the match, Rod. Mike Parr’s relentlessness is enough to ground even the most ardent high flier…"
Finally, DUDE makes it to the top turnbuckle, facing away from the ring and breathing heavily. He steadies himself, and then takes the leap of faith…
Rod Sterling: "DUDE DIVE – BUT PARR MOVES!!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "DUDE puts it all on the line with the twisting swanton bomb, but Mike Parr rolls out of the way, and DUDE crashes and burns!!"
Parr is also fatigued, and climbing to his feet isn't easy. When he's finally able to do it, he notices that DUDE is up to his knees, clutching his ribs after the impact with the mat…
Rod Sterling: "The Prodigy runs through DUDE with a shining wizard!! Damn near takes his head off!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "A cover, and Parr makes sure to hook the leg…"
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!!!
DUDE gets the shoulder up!! It's the younger man's turn to show some resilience!
Rod Sterling: "There's a look of shock on Mike Parr's face! He thought he had it!!"
The Prodigy shakes off his surprise and his frustration, collecting DUDE and dragging him up once more, in position for the end…
Anzu Kurosawa: "ROLLING CUTTER!!"
Rod Sterling: "Mike Parr makes absolutely sure!!"
And now the Prodigy hooks BOTH legs…
ONE… TWO… THREE!
Result: Mike Parr wins via pinfall at 13:01. |
Parr allows the official to lift his arm into the air in symbol of his victory, and there appears to be a look of sheer relief about the Prodigy at having picked up the win. Rod Sterling: "You heard it from Kurt: that hard-fought victory means that Mike Parr will challenge for the FWA Television Championship after the dust from Lights Out has settled."Anzu Kurosawa: "Of course, we don't currently know who is going to be the champion when we ship out from Puerto Rico, with XYZ and Captain Righteous scheduled to compete later on tonight."Rod Sterling: "But that won't matter to the Prodigy, who will be pleased to have put one in the win column here at Lights Out, at the expense of DUDE, who - to his credit - was valiant in defeat."DUDE is being helped to his feet outside the ring by an official, whilst inside it, Mike Parr momentarily revels in his victory. We fade to black. Kurt Harrington: “The following match is scheduled for one fall with a twenty-minute time limit!”
["MEGITSUNE" || Babymetal]Drawing a positive reaction from the Puerto Rico crowd is “Megitsune.” The lights begin to flash in tune to the music as Katsu's shadow appears on the stage. Her arms are crossed and she tilts her head before spreading her arms out wide as the lights turn on and fire shoots up from both sides of the stage area! Her attire is a soft cherry blossom pink with darker pink highlights. She does a throat slashing gesture as cherry blossoms fall on the tron behind her. Notably absent is her briefcase as she spins around, cape flowing behind her. Kurt Harrington: “Introducing first, representing YOKAI Death Squad, from Osaka, Japan, she is the winner of Golden Opportunity 2024, the Kitsune Warrior, KAAATSUUU!”Rod Sterling: “For Katsu’s first two years in FWA, it has felt like this woman has constantly found herself jumping into the fire again and again and she has emerged each time just that bit tougher. That rewarded her with Golden Opportunity, a guaranteed World Championship match at any time until next Back in Business, but the young woman is trying to be patient.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Patient in her approach for the briefcase, but she’s not sitting around. Far from it. She laid out an open challenge, wanting someone to step up, and the monkey’s paw curled. She was answered by Michelle von Horrowitz and she’ll be fighting her for the first time in almost two years.”
Heading down the aisle way, Katsu high fives a couple of the younger fans and appears calm, relaxed for the match, a rare sight in recent times. She gets to the ringside area and walks around the ring towards the hard-camera side. Rod Sterling: “And notably absent, her briefcase.”Anzu Kurosawa: “She said she was not intending to cash in tonight, giving Best and Gabrielle a night to sort their ‘differences,’ but I imagine it is strategic to not have it at ringside given Michelle’s tendencies.” Katsu opens her cape wide as she stands on the ring apron before stepping into the ring. She twirls around and heads towards the turnbuckles, doing a throat slashing gesture and then holding her hand up in a ‘fox head’ gesture. The Japanese star winks before unclipping her cape and jumping down. The assigned official checks her for weapons as her theme music fades and the Japanese star sits in the corner, waiting. ["In Dreams" || Roy Orbison]Drawing a decidedly mixed reaction from the crowd is the voice of Roy Orbison as the screens around the arena show tulips. As the strumming picks up, Michelle Von Horrowitz with her hoodie on, makes her way out. Looking at Katsu in the ring, there is a slight smirk on the face of “The Dreamer.” In comparison to Katsu, there is far less pageantry in her entrance, but everyone knows she doesn’t need it. Kurt Harrington: “And her opponent, from Rotterdam in the Netherlands, weighing in at 46 kilograms, she is ‘The Dreamer,’ Michelle von Horrowitz… M…V…H!”
Walking down the aisle, Michelle takes her time getting to the ring, maybe hoping to wear her young opponent’s patience thin. Rod Stirling: “Michelle von Horrowitz, after a loss in the F1 finals last year, has been on a bit of a roll. She bested Shawn Summers at Back in Business after an early jump on him, and though she’s been side-tracked with the presence of J.J. JI, she’s looking to get refocused.”Anzu Kurosawa: “And we’ve discussed how Katsu’s been looking to prove herself as someone in the main event scene, her growth over the years since they last faced, but here’s a stat for Michelle. She has not held a title for over a year, last being a tag champion with Gerald Grayson. She’s made it clear she does not want team success. She wants individual success again, and Katsu might be her ticket.”Getting to ringside, Michelle von Horrowitz heads up the steps and walks across the apron. She scrapes her boots on the apron before entering the ring. In the middle of the ring, she removes her plain hoodie and tosses it to the side. Stepping in front of Katsu, she kneels down to look at her sitting opponent. A slight bit of confidence on her face. She still sees Katsu behind her. Rod Stirling: “Genuinely, I think if you are looking to make it into the world title picture, or are in it now, you have to keep an eye on this match.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Take your pick. Two-time world champion and a future Hall of Famer in Michelle, or Katsu, a woman seen as one of FWA’s emerging stars who is potentially one match away from being world champion. FWA’s standard is high and is only going to get higher as they’re looking to set the benchmark.” Finally breaking the two up, the official gets “The Dreamer” to her corner as “In Dreams” fades. She gets the customary weapons check and is given the green light. Katsu pulls herself up- And the bell rings, signalling that the match is on. 
FOURTH MATCH | 1/20.
Katsu vs. Michelle von Horrowitz.
Singles Match.
Match Writer: beavie.
| Michelle, as she approaches the centre of the ring, raises her hands in preparation for a lock-up. Her masked foe decides to bite, trying to get a sense of the strategy of her opponent, and the two get in a collar and elbow tie up. The Kitsune Warrior quickly tries to position for a waist-lock, but Michelle quickly gets a side headlock and takes her opponent down to the mat. Katsu fights for position, getting to a knee, but the taller von Horrowitz keeps control. The Joshi star uses her leg strength to push herself up, but MvH has a tight grip, eventually forcing her to the ropes. The official starts a count and, for a rare moment, there’s a clean break from Michelle-
And she pats the Sky Fox on her head, trying to patronise her. MvH has a smug look on her face as she backs up.
Rod Stirling: “Michelle, getting a slight advantage off that first lock-up and already trying to get inside her opponent’s head.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Katsu’s technically sound, but it’s not in the same way as Michelle. For now, the Dreamer’s trying to take her time.”
There are a few laughs from the audience members and the Kitsune Warrior, surprisingly, isn’t letting herself get flustered. She waits and Michelle beacons her to try again-
And Katsu goes low, tripping Michelle with a drop toe hold. She attempts to wrestle Horrowitz on the mat, but the Dreamer side steps and quickly pins-
ON-
And not even a one count as Katsu slides herself up. She dodges a kick from the Dreamer and goes for a roll up pin-
ONE-
And quickly the Dreamer kicks up.
Rod Stirling: “The feeling out process over before it began and the pace is beginning to pick up!”
The wrestlers scramble to their feet, Katsu, ever fast on her feet, quickly runs off the ropes and takes Michelle to the mat with an arm drag! She follows it up with a sling blade, sitting down on the landing! Michelle is beginning to be out paced in the match as Katsu runs off the ropes and finishes this sequence off with a vertical drop kick to jaw! Michelle, sensing the pace is too fast, takes the chance to roll out of the ring.
Anzu Kurosawa: “You’re right and Katsu wrestles a high speed lucharesu style. This is her game-”
The Golden Opportunity winner sees the space and heads off the far ropes, as Michelle sees her coming, she ducks-
And Katsu swings herself around with the ropes as if she was going to hit the Sakura Kick! She lands on her feet and bows her head to play up to the crowd! She got MvH to flinch.
Rod Stirling: “Two for flinching, and now Katsu trying to get in the head of the Dreamer!”
Anzu Kursosawa: “I’m not sure how far she’ll get, but she did get her to jump a bit there. You don’t get to see that too often.”
Michelle von Horrowitz stands on the outside of the ring and rather than be annoyed or mad, there’s a smirk on her face. You can see her mouth under breath.
Getting a slight boost of confidence, Katsu decides to show a little sportsmanship and back up enough to allow Michelle a chance to re-enter the ring. The Triple Crown winner steps on the apron, always a touch weary, but she steps in the ring without being interrupted.
The two circle, back to square one in the match. Katsu decides against a lock-up and kicks MvH in the thigh! She gets close with a forearm strike, hitting the Dreamer in the chest but her next kick is caught by her foe! Michelle rolls through with a Dragon Screw and tries to keep hold of the leg. Katsu uses her other foot to push Horrowitz away, but as she gets up, her chest is lit up with a knife edge chop!
That chop creates a surprisingly strong reaction from Katsu, holding just under her neck. Michelle measures and catches the masked wrestler with a European Uppercut to the chin! Katsu drops to a knee and Michelle creates distance, bouncing off the ropes, but Katsu catches her with a dropkick and a quick pin!
ONE… T- Kickout by Michelle!
Rod Stirling: “And now the strikes are beginning to fly and in this case, it might be about even.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “100%. Michelle is not afraid to brawl and is aggressive, but Katsu, despite her size, has great leg strength and puts everything into her strikes, and she’s only gotten better.”
Grabbing Michelle by the wrist, Katsu sends her into the ropes with an Irish whip. On the rebound she leapfrogs over MvH, then drops down again. She tries for a hip toss, but Michelle blocks it and knees Katsu in the gut. She does a Fireman’s carry takedown and instantly goes for the ankle! Fearing an ankle lock, Katsu quickly crawls to the ropes to negate any submission attempt, but MvH drops an elbow on her knee for good measure!
Rod Stirling: “And Katsu barely avoids disaster. Any submission from Michelle can really affect her long-term in the match.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Katsu needs to keep this in the air, or at least off the mat. She is good when it comes to quick pins and a few key submissions, but Michelle is so comfortable wrestling on the mat. ”
Katsu winces, holding her knee. She thinks through what to do next-
And Michelle slaps her across the face!
Rod Stirling: “That might get Katsu heated up.”
Katsu stands up and pushes Michelle back, the intensity beginning to build. Von Horrowitz responds with an elbow to the jaw and Katsu returns in kind! MvH Kicks Katsu in the gut and the Kitsune Warrior tries to return one-
And Michelle catches the foot. She is about to Dragon Screw her again, but Katsu leaps and catches her in the head with the other foot! The Japanese star runs off the ropes and gets a headscissors takedown, forcing Michelle to roll towards the corner! The YDS co-Leader follows it up with a running knee into the corner! After Michelle stumbles out, Katsu picks her up for a scoop slam to the mat! She tops it off with a standing moonsault and a pin!
ONE… TW-
Shoulder up.
Trying to create the first sense of momentum in the early portions of this match, Katsu runs off the ropes and hits a Penalty Kick to Michelle’s chest as she attempts to sit up! Michelle winces off the kick and Katsu once again forces her to the corner, this time with an Irish whip. Katsu backs up and tries to run again.
Michelle runs out of the corner and tries for a low dropkick, but Katsu jumps over! The Sky Fox stumbles slightly on the landing and Michelle gets back up, slamming her into the mat with a Belly-to-Belly throw!
Rod Stirling: “And that Belly-to-Belly had some anger to it!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “I think Katsu’s speed has been frustrating Michelle. She may have under-estimated how much Katsu has really grown in this time.”
Rod Stirling: “Well, Michelle’s tried to target the leg multiple times but Katsu seems well aware.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Going for Katsu’s leg is always a sound idea. She’s quick, so slow her down. She’s had to deal with it multiple times before and this time, she was well aware of it. This may be a time where Michelle will have to readjust her gameplan.”
Rolling to the corner, Katsu got the wind knocked out of her and Michelle takes advantage. She drives her shoulder into the abdomen of Katsu multiple times. The ref warns her to get out of the corner, but Horrowitz instead drives her boot into Katsu’s throat with a choke! He’s forced to count and the fans in the crowd boo as Michelle decides to milk the count.
MvH lets go at four and backs up before hitting an overhand chop to Katsu’s chest and laying into her with multiple knees. The official is forced to push her out of the corner as Katsu attempts a punch-
And Michelle ducks it, transitioning smoothly into a Russian Leg-Sweep into the corner! Katsu’s head bounces off the middle turnbuckle and lands awkwardly! Michelle pulls her out of the corner for a pin.
ONE… TWO-
Katsu pushes her shoulder up for a kick out but Michelle keeps on top of her smaller opponent. Forcing the Kitsune Warrior to her feet, Michelle gets her into an abdominal stretch in the centre of the ring.
Rod Stirling: “Michelle, slowing things down, maybe trying to just do some general wear and tear on Katsu.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Abdominal Stretch, it’s very old school, only really works well when you have a height advantage and Katsu is probably one of the shortest people on the roster. Great instincts by the Dreamer.”
Using her free arm, Michelle elbows Katsu in the ribs before she pulls back, stretching the stomach of Katsu! The Kitsune Warrior grits her teeth in pain, reaching out. She tries to get her leg unstuck as Horrowitz has it wrapped around her, but is met with another elbow. Katsu keeps fighting and manages to get a punch in with her free arm to the jaw! It doesn’t do much damage, but is enough to give her a chance to break free and go for a hip toss!
Michelle lands on the mat but rolls to her feet. Katsu goes behind and is quick to hit a Tiger Suplex! She bridges back into a pin-
ONE… TWO.
And Michelle gets her shoulder up and tries to get back to a vertical base. Katsu unloads with a superkick! Then a second! The repeat blow causes Michelle to fall backwards! She grabs the middle rope, perfect for the Sakura Kick, but weary of the move, Michelle rolls to the outside again, with this drawing a negative reaction from the fans.
Rod Stirling: “Michelle getting out of dodge before things change-”
Anzu Kurosawa: “But not for long-”
Seeing the space, the Sky Fox knows what to do. She runs off the far ropes and goes for the dive between the ropes-
Rod Stirling: “Suicide Di-”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Blocked!”
As Katsu’s head pokes through the middle and bottom rope, Michelle catches her with a rising knee strike! The former World Champion meets her on the apron and pulls her towards her. Hooking both arms, Michelle is looking for a Tiger Driver ‘98! She tries to lift Katsu up, but her opponent grabs the ropes and pushes Michelle away.
Rod Stirling: “That would have been it.”
Katsu kicks her with a boot to the jaw to create some distance. Then attempts a superkick-
That is caught by Michelle! She spins Katsu around and has her in a rear waist lock-
Anzu Kurosawa: “No no. No No no…”
And she hits a German Suplex onto the apron!
Rod Stirling: “German onto the edge of the ring! Stop this match now!”
There is an audible gasp from the fans as Katsu bounces off the edge of the ring and falls to the floor! She immediately grabs her shoulder as Michelle sits up on the apron.
“Holy shit!”
“Holy shit!”
“Holy shit!”
The fans chant as the referee, making an executive decision, goes out of the ring to check on Katsu. She kicks her legs on the floor, still feeling, but it is just a sharp pain going through her shoulder and neck now.
Anzu Kurosawa: “You can’t take a fall like that. I think Katsu is done, or at least at a serious disadvantage.”
The camera catches the groans of pain from Katsu, the landing was rough on her. But the Kitsune Warrior seems to want to continue on. The camera zooms in on a scar under her neck. The collarbone.
The Dreamer senses blood in the water. Her mind is beginning to run through the possibilities of what she can do. As soon as the referee steps aside, Michelle tackles Katsu right into the barricade! She holds Katsu against it and does a mongolian style chop, creating a loud noise and a yell of pain from Katsu! The former World Champion keeps Katsu trapped against the barricade and lights up a knife edge chop! The official has finally begun his count proper and is already at three as MvH chops Katsu in the chest for a third time in a row!
Rod Stirling: “And now Michelle zeroing on the chest and shoulder area of Katsu after the fall-"
Anzu Kurosawa: “And I don’t think she’s done-”
Interrupting Anzu’s train of thought, Michelle grabs Katsu by the collar and sends her shoulder first into the steel steps! Even with Katsu’s smaller size, the steps move a few inches as the masked wrestler rolls on the outside flooring, screaming in pain!
Rod Stirling: “Right into the steel! This is getting uncomfortable to watch!”
Finally, MvH decides to move it back into the ring, not comfortable with the idea of a count-out win tonight. She rolls into the ring as Katsu crawls, clutching her shoulder and neck. Arrogantly, Michelle wipes her boot on Katsu’s face, the once mixed response to her at the start of the match turning more negative. She rolls Katsu to her back and grabs both wrists. With a smirk, she STOMPS Katsu repeatedly in the chest, grinding her boots in with each stomp!
“BOOOOO!”
The crowd now firmly against Michelle. She stomps again and again, the more the fans jeer her, the more she’s willing to lean into it. She’s learned over her career that crowds can be different each night, so might as well embrace whatever they say each time. Finally, she pulls Katsu to her feet and hooks both arms, sending the Japanese star over-head with a bridging Butterfly Suplex!
ONE… TWO… T- Katsu gets her shoulder up, but Michelle keeps the right wrist held.
The Kitsune Warrior tries to sit up, but Michelle uses the chance to rain down hammer and anvil elbow strikes again and again to the neck, shoulder, and collarbone of Katsu! She’s got the Sky Fox grounded and she’s grinding her into dust! Finally, she transitions into a Crossface Chickenwing and while she struggles to get a body scissors on, it isn’t needed as Katsu screams in pain!
Rod Stirling: “I’m getting worried about Katsu’s injury. About this time last year, she broke her collarbone and she was unable to wrestle for several months. An injury like that can affect you even after you’re healed.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “This is a smart back-up plan for Michelle. It affects your neck, the strength and range of motion in the arm. Actually I wrestled on the same show Katsu had her ‘return’ from injury. Worlds Unite, she fought Yuna Funanori. She was hurt, and Yuna was able to target the chest and shoulder. Katsu managed to win that night, but she had to take a month off.”
Rod Stirling: “It was a gutsy performance then, but you have to think this night is different.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “For one thing, Michelle knows how to grind a body part down. She targets it well. She knows enough holds to exploit an injury and if that landing on the apron tweaked something, Michelle will not just exploit it, but destroy it.”
Trying to get the crowd to rally, Katsu uses her free arm to motion the crowd to clap and cheer along. The fans slowly begin to support Katsu, trying to get her to the ropes. The Kitsune Warrior gets to her feet and Michelle jumps on her back!
Katsu stumbles and falls, grabbing the middle rope to force a break. Naturally, Michelle keeps it on for a four count, just trying to hurt Katsu even more. Finally, she breaks, taking a step back and holding her hand up to the official.
Rod Stirling: “Yes Michelle, we know you have five. That chicken wing really hurt Katsu.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “That hold is designed to snap bones.”
Trying to get the feeling back in her arm, Katsu remains near the ropes, hoping for safety. Keeping locked in on the shoulder and collarbone of Katsu, MvH does an overhand chop to the chest and Katsu lets out a scream of pain! Michelle does a knife edge chop in the corner, then a second! Picking her boot up, she presses it against the shoulder and chest of Katsu, milking her count once again before she pulls Katsu out of the corner. Keeping hold of the arm, she goes across the ring and hits a vicious arm ringer, forcing Katsu to crash into the opposite corner!
Walking over Katsu, Michelle takes her time. She kneels down and playfully scrubs her hand on Katsu’s head as if she was a pet.
“What’s wrong, Tulip?” She smirks. “Is this what you wanted?” The fans jeer at the display of confidence.
Pulling her closer to the middle of the ring, Michelle goes behind and decides to give Katsu a taste of her own medicine. Hooking both arms from behind she hits a Tiger Suplex! Rather than going for a pin, she keeps hold and rolls Katsu to her stomach, bridging into Cattle Mutilation! Katsu yells out as her arms are bent back, trying her best not to be flat on the mat!
Rod Stirling: “This is getting hard to watch, that right arm of her’s is going to be out of commission for the match.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “She knows how to work around it, but that task isn’t exactly easy. Michelle, to her credit, is able to change strategy and she’s been surgical.”
Keeping her hips off the mat, Katsu tries to crawl towards the ropes again, though this time, she has to go backwards, not able to see where she is in proximity to the ropes. As she moves, Horrowitz is able to flatten out and keep hold of the submission. The Puerto Rican crowd begins to chant, trying to get Katsu back.
“Let’s go, Katsu!”
Clap Clap Clap
“Let’s go, Katsu!”
Clap Clap Clap
The Kitsune Warrior drags herself closer to the ropes, Michelle trying to tighten her grip on her arms. Katsu reaches with her foot, but her toe can’t quite reach the ropes. Finally, Michelle is able to fully flatten out and the hold is locked in-
And finally Katsu gets her foot on the rope.
Rod Stirling: “Finally she gets to the ropes.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “And not a moment too soon.”
The official counts for Michelle to release the hold and it is uncomfortably close to a five as she finally releases it and sits up.
Taking her time, Michelle steps on Katsu’s head and kicks her injured right shoulder. Showing some frustration, Katsu gets up and hits a left elbow to the jaw! Though, behind her non-dominant arm, it is not quite a knockout blow. Michelle quickly hits a stiff knee lift, catching Katsu on the chin!
Seeing she’s done her damage, the former world champion is aiming for the knockout blow. Backing up to the far corner, she leans in the corner and measures up Katsu.
Rod Stirling: “Busaiku Knee incoming.”
MvH is trying to be patient, but part of her is ready, eager to knee Katsu’s head off. As the YDS co-leader gets up, Michelle runs forward and leaps-
And Katsu jumps up and drives her feet into the stomach of The Dreamer!
Anzu Kurosawa: “And a hell of a counter!”
There is a gasp from the fans as there was a stiff impact to the ribs and stomach! Michelle grabs her ribs in pain and rolls to her stomach. Katsu gathers herself and after her first effective offensive move for minutes, she’s beginning to feel fired up. She slaps the mat with her left arm and stands up, hyping up the crowd. As Michelle tries to stand, Katsu runs off the ropes and cartwheels-
Into a Sunset flip powerbomb!
Rod Stirling: “Katsu Wheel!”
And Katsu holds into a pin!
ONE… TWO… MvH kicks out!
Anzu Kurosawa: “Breathtaking move. She uses her speed to basically powerbomb someone, and to hit it, she leads with her left arm to put less strain on her right.”
Katsu went big and while she was not able to get the three, it was enough to change the course of the match. Rolling to the apron, she still favours her shoulder as she pulls herself up. Stomping her foot on the apron, she gets the crowd to clap to push herself forward. Katsu springboards and hits a dropkick on Michelle! The Dreamer bounces off the mat and Katsu manages to avoid falling on her injured shoulder.
Keeping her momentum, she hits a running forearm smash with her left and follows with a second, flying through the air as she does. Ducking an attempted counter-lariat from Michelle, Katsu runs off the ropes and hits a floating single leg dropkick! Using her good arm to sweep the leg, she grabs Michelle’s leg and SLAMS her into the mat with her Lightning Spiral!
Rod Stirling: “Blazing Spiral!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Michelle lands with a thud into the mat!”
Katsu sits on top and pulls the leg back for a pin.
ONE… TWO… Th- And another kickout!
Rod Stirling: “And Katsu raises the intensity with her moves, but Michelle won’t stay down!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “With the damage on the arm, it only makes sense she’s trying to end things now. Just go for her bigger moves before she’s hurt further.”
Looking to take to the air, Katsu rolls to the apron and ascends the top rope. She’s facing Michelle, so she’s not willing to risk the Phoenix Splash right now, but is still looking for damage. Leaping through the air, she twists for a Frog Splash-
And Michelle gets the knee up, one of them just being under the right arm as well!
Rod Stirling: “And that risk didn’t pay off!”
Getting up, Michelle holds the back of her head after it was slammed into the mat multiple times by Katsu. She’s growing frustrated. Pulling Katsu up, she hooks both arms and SPIKES HER into the mat with a sit-out Tiger Driver!
Rod Stirling: “And the Tiger Driver ‘98!!!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “She dropped Katsu on her head!”
Rolling Katsu onto her back, Michelle presses down hard into a pin.
ONE… TWO… THREE- No. Katsu gets her shoulder up.
Rod Stirling: “And Katsu stays in the match, but she is getting worn down by Michelle."
Beginning to run low on energy, Katsu rolls to the outside and she grabs the back of her neck. Michelle takes the moment to catch her breath, but she keeps her eyes on Katsu. As she sees Katsu pull herself up, she notices her back is to her. Michelle runs off the ropes and baseball slides her in the back of the head! Katsu falls forward and is disoriented, like being rear-ended by a car. She grabs the barricade to keep herself from falling to the ground.
As soon Katsu pulls herself up, she is met with a suicide dive by MvH!
Anzu Kurosawa: “And Michelle is the one taking to the air.”
Keeping on top of Katsu, Michelle slams Katsu shoulder and head into the barricade before sending her chest first into the ring post! The Dreamer is at home when she can get downright nasty in a match. She throws Katsu back into the ring and rolls back in after her. A smirk is on MvH’s face.
Rod Stirling: “Michelle in total control.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Katsu’s match with ‘The Dreamer’ is becoming her nightmare.”
Going behind for a rear waist-lock, Michelle tosses Katsu down with a German Suplex! She releases on the landing and Katsu slumps onto the canvas!
Michelle drags Katsu up and continues on. She hooks her in a Saito Suplex and drops her on her head again! Then…
A second Saito Suplex!
Rod Stirling: “First the shoulder, and now the neck.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “When you break your collarbone, it affects not just your arm, but the range of motion in your neck. Katsu, with her training, has strong neck strength, but also I don’t think you’re meant to be dropped on your head like this.”
Katsu is barely moving after each suplex. MvH once again goes behind and hooks both arms in a full nelson.
And a snap Dragon Suplex!
Rolling to her stomach, Katsu clenches her fists, feeling pain and MvH decides to top off her Suplex spree-
By dropping her on her head with a Brainbsuter!
Michelle doesn’t even hook the leg as she floats over for an arrogant cover.
ONE… TWO… THRE-
And Katsu raises her left shoulder, wincing in pain as she does. MvH does not seem bothered by this.
Rod Stirling: “This is the cost when you swim in the deep.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Katsu’s taken punishment. She’s proved she’s tough. But this is not going to end well for her.”
“Thanks for doing this, Tulip…” The camera picks up Michelle muttering to Katsu. She gets a pumphandle onto Katsu.
Rod Stirling: “Psycho Driver incoming!”
MvH puts Katsu’s arm behind her head and lifts her up-
And Katsu uses her arm to squeeze the head. She’s trying to block it.
Anzu Kurosawa: “Katsu, trying to use everything she has left to block the Psycho Driver #2!”
The smaller wrestler tries to take Michelle to the mat with a headlock takeover, but she can’t get the leverage. Michelle fights and finally lifts Katsu up, but her grip slips and Katsu stumbles behind her! She goes back first into the corner, the turnbuckles keeping her from falling over. Michelle rushes, but Katsu dropkicks her into the knee, sending her face first into the middle turnbuckle!
The Kitsune Warrior is given a second to breathe and she keeps some distance. Rubbing her neck and shoulder, she tries to get any knots and aches out of them as she gets up. Michelle recovers and runs at Katsu, but the masked wrestler side steps and runs towards the corner. She hops off the middle rope and then the top turnbuckle for a springboard crossbody!
Rod Stirling: “And Katsu takes to the air!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “That is the opening she needed!”
Rather than going directly into a pin, Katsu bounces off and Michelle von Horrowitz, sensing the match could be turning towards Katsu’s favour, rolls out of the ring. The masked wrestler shouts, fired up. She waits and rushes across the ring. She leaps over the corner turnbuckles and springboards to the outside with a Triangle Moonsault!
Rod Stirling: “Throwing caution into the wind, Katsu hits an IMPRESSIVE dive to the outside!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “It takes such sure footing to do something like that.”
The crowd roars with approval as Katsu pulls herself up. She managed to avoid a disastrous landing, but it’s clear she’s getting on fumes. Pulling MvH up, she forces her opponent back into the ring and uses the moment to catch her breath on the apron. She climbs the top turnbuckle and waits. As soon as Michelle stands, Katsu jumps and takes her down with a diving hurricanrana!
Michelle bounces off the mat and stumbles back up. Katsu ducks the counter attack and follows through with a headscissors-
Into a DDT with her good arm!
Folding on impact, Michelle bounces off the mat and lands in a seated position. Katsu runs off the ropes and drives both her knees into the back of Michelle’s head!
Rod Stirling: “Burning Arrow!”
Forcing Michelle on the mat, Katsu hooks the legs.
ONE… TWO… THREE- And Michelle is now kicking out!
Rod Stirling: “Katsu has finally shifted momentum, but how long can she keep it?”
Kurt Harrington: “Four minutes remain. I repeat, four minutes.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “No more than four minutes.”
Going to the corner, Katsu takes a deep breath, trying to keep herself going. Grabbing her neck and shoulder, the damage to it earlier has worn her down, but she’s still fighting.
Crossing her arms, she holds up two ‘fox heads’ trying to stay calm, patient. Kitsune Buster incoming. Michelle holds the back of her head, the Burning Arrow disorienting her slightly. She pulls herself up. Katsu runs and pushes herself up in the air, but before she can grab Michelle-
MvH catches her in a pop-up Liger Bomb!
Rod Stirling: “Pop-Up Powerbomb!”
Katsu bounces on impact and rolls backwards to her stomach. Her shoulder and neck once again feeling the effects of a big power move. Michelle von Horrowitz takes advantage as she runs off the far ropes and hits a Busaiku Knee!
Rod Stirling: “And the Busaiku Knee!”
Katsu rolls on the impact and MvH goes in for the cover, hooking the near leg.
ONE… TWO… THREE- Rope break.
The referee looks and sees Katsu place her foot on the bottom rope. MvH realising the error she made, frustratedly stomps on Katsu again.
And again…
And again.
The crowd roars in anger as MvH stomps the chest and head of Katsu repeatedly while her opponent is in the ropes. She shouts at the referee as she is being separated.
Anzu Kurosawa: “Michelle is losing her cool slightly, a rare sight. Katsu’s begun to frustrate her. She just won’t stay down.”
Michelle once again pounces, this time trying to force Katsu in a pumphandle position for Psycho Driver #2, but wisely, Katsu keeps hold of the ropes, staying safe. MvH rains down several hard elbows before she runs off the far ropes, hoping for another big knee. Katsu side steps and rolls her up from behind!
ONE-
Michelle continues to roll through and lands on her stomach but Katsu quickly transitions into a Seat-Belt pin!
Rod Stirling: “Fox Cage!”
ONE… Katsu tries to reach for the leg with her bad arm… TWO… and T- Kick Out from Michelle.
Anzu Kurosawa: “She couldn’t get the leg looked. The damage to the arm comes back into play.”
Keeping close, Katsu tries for a second Blazing Spiral. She tries to sweep the leg, but Horrowitz spins out and grabs her with a backslide pin!
ONE… TWO… THR-
And Katsu gets her shoulder up. Michelle tries for a knee lift but Katsu side steps it and goes behind. She grabs MvH’s right wrist with her left and and spins her around-
Into a Roundhouse Kick straight to the jaw!
Anzu Kurosawa: “TIGER TRIGGER!”
Rod Stirling: “Tiger!? You man Fox?!”
Michelle drops to the mat as Katsu collapses backwards, landing on her rear.
Anzu Kurosawa: “The Tiger Trigger. A ripcord into a roundhouse kick, a move done by Tiger X, someone she’s been a frequent mixed-tag partner of in PWK.”
Rod Stirling: “Guess she’s drawing from the bag of tricks of her friend before she goes to the Tokyo Dome in the near future?”
Crawling towards the corner, Katsu is ready to finally seal the deal. She ascends the turnbuckles, back to MvH.
Rod Stirling: “Here comes Nightfall!”
She flips through-
And she misses the Phoenix Splash as Michelle rolls! Katsu splats on the mat!
Rod Stirling: “Michelle moves at the last second!"
MvH goes into the corner and now she is the one going to the ropes. She wipes the hair out of her eyes and goes up top. Before she can think of a 450 Splash, Katsu begins to crawl towards her.
Rod Stirling: “Clock is ticking and they have been trying all their big moves.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “And is Katsu trying to meet Michelle at the top?”
Indeed, Katsu pulls herself up, but The Dreamer boots her in the chin. She reaches down and pulls Katsu to the middle rope with her, perhaps for a brainbuster? But Katsu breaks her grip and tries to fight back. Both ladies are on the middle rope in the corner.
Rod Stirling: “Whoever gets the better of this exchange will win.”
Katsu tries to kick Michelle but she loses her balance and MvH responds with a headbutt! Katsu grabs the top rope, trying not to fall over and MvH tries to get higher up, she’s going to lariat this woman. Her footing is not sure and this time-
Katsu leaps up. Before Michelle von Horrowitz can even react-
Katsu hits a Spanish fly off the ropes!
Rod Stirling: “Spanish Fly!”
Katsu bounces off the mat and is dead tired, out of it as Michelle lies on the mat. The official checks on both ladies…
As the bell rings.
Result: Draw at 20:00 |
The fans jeer as the bell rings and the time-limit hits. Both ladies, hearing the bell, slowly crawl to the ropes to catch their breath. Rod Stirling: “After twenty minutes, these two ladies gave everything, but there is no winner.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “I’m surprised, but both Michelle and Katsu were able to avoid some of their opponent’s strongest moves and otherwise stayed in the match.”
Michelle von Horrowitz rolls out of the ring and a ringside staffer tries to hand her an ice pack, but The Dreamer tosses it down. Another one tries to hand Katsu one for her collarbone, but Katsu… motions for someone to hand her a microphone. She sits in the corner and taps it to make sure it is working. Her breathing is heard. Katsu: “T-Thank you Michelle.”
Rod Stirling: “She’s thanking MvH?”Katsu: “I got what I wanted… I know I am farther than I was before. But… I don’t think the fans here got what they wanted.”
There’s a cheer from the crowd. Rod Stirling: “Is she going to ask what I think she is?”
Anzu Kurosawa: “That woman got dropped on her head how much and she still wants more?”
Katsu: “Let’s go a little longer. Five minutes. Who says yes?” The crowd cheers, seeing a chance for these to competitors to finish what they started. Rod Stirling: "If it is a vote, then it'd be a yes."
Anzu Kurosawa: "Well, we're in Puerto Rico, I don't think they have the same 'voting rights' as states." Turning back, Michelle von Horrowitz stops. Katsu: “Come on, Michelle.” She pleads. Katsu: “You want to see what I got, ‘Tulip?’ I have more to give. Let's do this!” Pulling herself up, Katsu is still feeling the aches and pains of the match, but she’s standing despite it all. MvH looks… And begins to turn around to jeers from the fans. Rod Stirling: “And Michelle does not want any more of this match.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “It’s a shame. We would have loved a winner with thi-”
Kurt Harrington: “Ladies and gentlemen… I have just received word from Jon Russnow!”The crowd erupts in a cheer. Michelle stops on the stage as Kurt relays the message. Kurt Harrington: “He has declared that, due to popular demand, this match will receive a five minute overtime!”
Rod Stirling: “Katsu got her wish! Five more minutes with The Dreamer!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Be careful what you wish for, but this may have a winner.” Ringing the bell again, the match’s overtime period begins.
FOURTH MATCH (continued) | 1/5.
Katsu vs. Michelle von Horrowitz.
Singles Match: Overtime.
Match Writer: beavie.
| ONE…
TWO…
THREE…
Rod Stirling: “And Michelle’s being counted out!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Katsu may win by default if MvH doesn’t turn around now!”
With Michelle on the stage, the referee begins to count her out and MvH is in a rock in a hard place. She just wants to get out of here… But she does not want to lose by countout.
FOUR…
FIVE…
Michelle turns around and marches her way down the ring. She’s not losing this way. The crowd erupts in a cheer as she slides into the ring and both her and Katsu exchange forearms!
Rod Stirling: “And this extra time is under way and it is going to be a sprint!”
Both ladies are relentless, but with Katsu being forced to use her non-dominant arm, she’s at a slight disadvantage. Michelle slaps her HARD across the chest with a knife edge chop and the Kitsune Warrior responds with a kick to the chest!
Anzu Kurosawa: “Katsu trying to use her legs-”
Realising she can’t give Katsu distance for her kicks, Michelle rushes in-
And rakes the eyes!
Rod Stirling: “And to the eyes!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Wrestling in a mask, you already can have obscured vision, but this is just cruel.”
The fans jeer as the official warns Michelle. She’s done playing nice. She’s going to break every rule in the book. Katsu tries to check her eyes, but Horrowitz, ready to take advantage, runs through and hits ANOTHER Busaiku Knee!
Rod Stirling: “And the second Busaiku Knee nearly takes her head off!”
Wisely, Katsu rolls to the side, away from MvH, doing what she can to avoid the middle of the ring to not get pinned, or even hit with another move for the win. Sitting up, Michelle looks around the ring and the veteran’s mind begins to work.
Rolling out of the ring, Michelle goes to the time-keeper’s area and yells at Kurt Harrington to move over. She takes his chair along with another one and she folds them to carry them into the ring.
Rod Stirling: “Weapons now? Is she asking to be Disqualified!?”
Anzu Kurosawa: “There’s always an end game to a plan from Michelle.”
She tosses one to the side and slides into the ring with the other one. The official is quick to warn her of a disqualification. Michelle tries to walk around him, but the referee grabs the chair. There is a slight tug of war until MvH relents, letting go of the chair-
And she runs to the corner near Katsu and begins to remove the middle turnbuckle pad!
Rod Stirling: “Of course, a red herring! And the second chair to get a little extra time.”
Sure enough, MvH is able to quickly remove the turnbuckle by the time the official gets the second chair.
Anzu Kurosawa: “I think at this point, she’s an expert with that.”
Yanking Katsu off the mat, Michelle pulls her in and readies a Russian Leg sweep. Katsu reaches and her good arm is free. She pulls herself closer to the middle rope and hangs on for dear life! Michelle tries and the official looks over to warn her to let go since Katsu is in the ropes.
Rod Stirling: “Katsu is doing everything to prevent herself from being sent into that turnbuckle.”
Michelle looks up to see the official counting for her to let go of Katsu. This is enough of a distraction for Katsu to grab her by the head and pull it in for a knee smash!
Michelle slams into the turnbuckle, feeling the metal steel on her back. Katsu stumbles out of the corner.
Rod Stirling: “Katsu avoids disaster!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “And that exposed steel hit Michelle right in the spine on the whiplash.”
Katsu recovers slightly and sees Michelle stumble forward. She takes a step forward and leaps up-
Into a Double Knee Facebreaker!
Rod Stirling: “KITSUNE BUSTEEEER!”
Michelle’s head snaps back on the impact and the momentum carries her towards the ropes! Katsu grabs her shoulder on the landing and she is unable to reach Michelle as she goes to the outside floor!
Anzu Kurosawa: “And MvH, not sure if it is by accident or instinct, gets to the outside. But she may risk a count out here, this time not on purpose.”
The referee checks on Katsu and Michelle quickly before he starts the count.
Rod Stirling: “We have a small window of time here and this count out will eat up more of it.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “And Katsu is still favouring her shoulder and neck, at this point she may need to just take it.”
Katsu is seated on the mat, leaning on the ropes. Her chest is red and she grabs her surgically repaired collarbone. The official is at a four count and Michelle finally rolls over, getting some sense of life back in her.
As much as Katsu could take a count-out win, she doesn’t want to.
Crawling, Katsu goes to meet Michelle, trying to get her back in the ring.
Rod Stirling: “She isn’t, I think she wants to pin Michelle in the ring.”
Michelle von Horrowitz turns to the apron and pulls herself up by the skirting. She sees Katsu’s head peek over and she gets an idea-
By grabbing her mask by the ears and she tries to yank it off!
Rod Stirling: “And Michelle goes for the mask!”
Katsu fights to keep her mask on and Michelle decides to take the chance to pop Katsu with a European uppercut to the chin! The Golden Opportunity holder stumbles into the ring and Michelle slides in after.
Katsu gets to a knee and Michelle sees the exposed right arm. She rolls through as if she is going for a cross arm breaker but instead pulls Katsu’s legs into a pin! An Armbar into a La Magistral Cradle!
Anzu Kurosawa: “Unique pinning combo from Michelle.”
The referee slides in for the pin count.
ONE…
Michelle uses her free arm and she hooks the near-by middle rope for extra grip.
Rod Stirling: “Oh come on, using the ropes!”
TWO… THREE!
Result: Michelle von Horrowitz wins via pinfall at 23:11 (20:00 + 3:11). |
Letting go of her pin, Michelle rolls to the corner and Katsu, tired after the match, sits up before lying back down in the ring, grabbing her arm. Though she did not see the use of the ropes, the result still stings. “In Dreams” plays through the speakers of the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, signalling her win. Kurt Harrington: “And here is your winner… ‘The Dreamer’ Michelle vooooon Horrowitz!”The official, unaware of the use of the ropes, raises Michelle’s arm up after she finally catches her breath. The Dreamer seems winded after the match went into extra time. Rod Stirling: “Michelle and Katsu took each other to the limit, literally, but with extra time, Michelle sneaks out a win. You have to think Katsu regrets the decision now?”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Not sure. I think she’s proud enough to take a narrow loss over a draw, but for now, it must be a tough pill to swallow.”Looking down, MvH looks at her young opponent, the one who wanted to show The Dreamer just how far she has come on her way to her World Championship match. Though The Dreamer picked up the win, deep down, she knows Katsu has closed the gap between them. Just tonight, she was able to adapt and get the win, keeping that hair ahead. Rod Stirling: “Michelle, tactics aside, picks up some momentum to continue her roll. If she enters the Fallout Eliminator, what do you think?”
Anzu Kurosawa: “She’s a favourite. She has a case for a title match now.” Michelle rolls out of the ring, accepting her win as the camera focuses on Katsu. She sits up and slaps the mat in frustration before looking up. Rod Stirling: “As for Katsu, she has Golden Opportunity lined up, but she wanted a win here to solidify her status as a future world champion.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “But she’s at least proved she’s come a long way. Another night, this could have gone the other way around. She can hold her head up high with that and move forward.”After Katsu finally rolls out of the ring, letting someone check her over, the camera cuts away. |
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Post by supinesnake on Nov 17, 2024 13:53:05 GMT
We cut to backstage to the FWA backdrop interview position. Standing in front of the camera in an oversized FWA hoody with the hood over his head is an unfamiliar face. Above his right eye and onto his temple is the word “Mayhem” in cursive. A tiny wrestling belt with a tear drop is tattooed under the corner of his left eye. Eucalyptus leaves and some gumnuts are tattooed on his right cheek. There are tattoos on his neck but they’re harder to see. He’s unshaven. Bleached tangles of hair with random washes of green hang over his eyes. He’s actually quite handsome despite the trashy tattoos. He looks into the camera and stares into the souls of the viewers. A slight grin spreads across his face. Man: “My name is Kid Koala.”He coughs into his elbow. He attempts to say something but stops and shakes his head. Kid Koala: “My NAME is KID KOALA!”The smile returns to his face. Kid Koala: “And I feel… melancholy about signing with FWA.”A shrug. He spits on the ground and looks back at the camera. Then he taps his nose as if to say to tell the viewers he knows their secret. And then he walks off set. Cameraman (off-screen): “What the Hell does that even mean?Kurt Harrington: ”The next contest is set for one fall with a thirty-minute-time-limit and it is for the FWA North American Championship!”[”Here Comes Revenge” || Metallica]The arena goes dark as the sinister opening of the music echoes through the speakers. A low rumble feels the venue as purple strobe lights begin to cut through the darkness. Smoke begins to rise from the stage, swirling under the purple glow. Suddenly, Vengador emerges from the haze, his imposing figure standing tall with the ominous skeletal mask covering his face, its eyes glowing with a faint purple hue. His gear, a mix of black and deep purple with bone-like designs, shimmers under the lights. Kurt Harrington: ”Introducing first, the challenger…weighing in at two-hundred fifty pounds….hailing from the Realm of Despair…VENGADOR!”Much like his entrance on the launch pad, Vengador pauses on stage and looks out at the crowd. His music kicks into high gear and he throws his arm out, which once again brings out a burst of purple pyrotechnics! Rod Sterling: ”Well, we had assumed that Tonton would accept this open challenge from Cyrus Truth tonight, but for whatever reason Tonton encouraged Vengador to take on the challenge and here we are!”Anzu Kurosawa: ”Vengador would’ve been an idiot to say no, Rod. You don’t get many opportunities handed to you like this, so Vengador was right to take it.”Rod Sterling: ”That’s a fair point, Anzu, but at the same time I do question it because Vengador already competed earlier this evening so he’s not going to be at one hundred percent. Plus, what’s Tonton’s game in all of this? I don’t get that guy.”Anzu Kurosawa: ”That makes two of us, Rod. It’s best to not think about it and carry on.”There’s still a mixed reaction for Vengador as he slowly enters the ring and poses once more before taking his place in the corner… ”Blood of Glory” || Antti MartikainenThe power metal blasts out and echoes throughout the arena as Cyrus Truth walks out on stage to thunderous cheers from the crowd. Truth scans the sold out crowd, gives a nod, looks down at the championship around his waist and then starts to walk down to the ring. Kurt Harrington: ”and his opponent…weighing in at two-hundred twenty-seven pounds…hailing from The Long and Winding Road…he is the current reigning and defending FWA North American Champion…The Exile…Cyrus Truuuuuth!”Rod Sterling: ”It’s not who Cyrus was expecting but Cyrus will never back down from a challenge.”Anzu Kurosawa: ”Well, he is the one that made this challenge so if he were to back down that would be downright silly of him!”Rod Sterling: ”Anzu, it was just a figure of…you know what? It doesn’t matter…”Truth enters the ring without taking his eyes off of Vengador, who is standing across from him. Truth unclasps the championship from around his waist and hands it off to referee Joey Ortiz, who shows it to Vengador before handing off to the ringside area and then calls for the bell… 
FIFTH MATCH | 1/30.
Cyrus Truth [c] vs. Vengador.
Open Challenge for the FWA North American Championship.
Match Writer: Jimmy.
| DING! DING! DING!
<< 00:00. >>
Both competitors circle each other, sizing up one another before locking up in the center of the ring. Truth gains the early lead with a side headlock into a takedown and cranks back on Vengador’s neck with a vice-like grip but Vengador manages to slip away and gets back to his feet. Truth is still on one knee as Vengador goes for a running boot, but Truth instinctively side steps Vengador and clips him from behind. Truth then stomps on the back of Vengador’s leg before hitting the ropes and comes back with big boot to Vengador!
Rod Sterling: ”Truth takes Vengador down the Broken Path!”
Truth brings Vengador up in a front face lock but Vengador counters out of that and strikes with a headbutt! Vengador drills Truth with another headbutt! Vengador pushes Truth back into the corner and unleashes a vicious flurry of machine gun chops! Vengador lights up Truth’s chest before sending him to the opposite corner and Vengador strikes with a running corner splash! Vengador takes Truth out of the corner and hits him with a suplex! Truth sits up and Vengador strikes with a soccer kick to his lower back! Truth winces in pain as he slowly starts to rise to his feet and Vengador starts driving down clubbing blows to Truth’s back as he’s bent over, but they seem to be having little effect on the champion who proceeds to drive Vengador back first into the corner with a shoulder thrust…
Truth continues to strike with shoulder thrusts attacks to Vengador’s midsection before lighting up Vengador’s chest with several knife-edge chops! Truth then takes Vengador away from the corner and takes him down with an arm drag and immediately locks in an arm bar on Vengador as cranks back on the hold…
Rod Sterling: ”Truth is trying to rip the arm right of his socket with that hold!”
Anzu Kurosawa: ”Then he beat Vengador over the head with his own arm!”
Rod Sterling: ”Yeah…wait…what?”
***
<< 05:30. >>
Vengador has broken the hold after a rope break and both men stand apart from each other once more. They go for another lock up and Vengador sends Truth to the ropes but comes back with a discus lariat yet Vengador ducks that and strikes with yet another headbutt! Vengador hits Truth with a standing dropkick that sends Truth over the ropes to the outside! Truth gets back to his feet but he has little time for reprieve as Vengador takes him out with a somersault suicide dive! The crowd applauds Vengador’s aerial efforts as he tosses Truth back in the ring and waits for Truth to get up…springboard dropkick! Vengador isn’t finished just yet…standing moonsault! Vengador makes the pin…
One…TW--NO!!
Truth gets a shoulder up and Vengador takes Truth by that arm and brings him to a vertical base. Vengador goes for another irish whip but Truth counters with a spinning back elbow, followed by a discus lariat that finds its mark this time! It’s Truth with the pin this time…
One…TW--NO!!
It’s Truth’s turn to take Vengador’s arm and counter into a cross-arm breaker! Truth has it locked in tight but Vengador manages to find a way to counter into a roll-up pin!
One…TW--NO!!
Truth kicks out! Truth rolls through and gets back on his feet in time to catch Venagdor with a hip toss! Another arm drag from Truth! Truth then takes Vengador down with a fisherman’s suplex into a bridge!
One…TW--NO!!
Rod Sterling: ”Slowly but surely, Truth has to be wearing down an already exhausted Vengador.”
Anzu Kurosawa: ”Yeah, but Vengador is doing his best to hang in there, Rod.”
***
<< 11:20. >>
Truth locks Vengador in a rear headlock, keeping the masked man grounded, but Vengador refuses to stay down for long as he starts to rise up and fight out of it with back elbows to Truth’s midsection and then Vengador strikes with a jumping big boot that nearly takes Truth’s head off! Vengador then hits Truth with another standing moonsault! Vengador then follows that up with a running leg drop! Vengador is looking to end it right here as he brings Truth up and he’s looking for Justicia…
Truth escapes Vengador’s hold though and counters with another Broken Path! Truth then lifts Vengador up in position…Journey’s End! Truth drops down for the pin…
One…two…THREE!!!
Result: Cyrus Truth wins via pinfall at 13:58. |
Truth exits the ring with his title in hand while Vengador remains in the ring looking visibly frustrated as the show rolls on… [“For the Damaged Coda” || Blonde Redhead]There’s a mixed reaction for this man tonight, although perhaps less positive than usual owing to the popularity of his opponent tonight. A choir of children begin to sing after a lengthy sinister haunting piano melody is played, searchlights look around the arena for none other than Captain Righteous who comes floating down from above the crowd. His cape flaps majestically as he rests both hands on his waist, smiling and scanning the crowd below. Kurt Harrington: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one-fall, with a thirty minute time limit… and is for the FWA Television Championship! Introducing first, the challenger: currently residing in Manhattan, New York and weighing in at two hundred and seventy pounds… CAPTAAAIN… RIIIIIGHTEOUS!!"Rod Sterling: "Captain Righteous has impressed enough thus far in his young FWA career to earn this first chance at silverware, named the Television Championship. He was handed this opportunity by Jon Russnow after emerging successful in his singles match against the current champion."Anzu Kurosawa: "That certainly earned the Captain some respect here, even if XYZ was a little less present in that match than some of his others. Let’s see if the Captain can repeat this when the gold is on the line…"Finally, Righteous lands half way down the ramp where he walks confidently towards the ring only to float from outside the ring, over the ropes and finally lands in the ring. Stalking the ring like the true apex predator he is, Captain Righteous let's his opponent know he's the best. This is his ring. [“One Headlight” || The Wallflowers]Kurt Harrington: "And his opponent: hailing from Sitka, Alaska and weighing in at one hundred and eighty pounds… he is the current, reigning, and defending FWA Television Champion… X… Y… Z!!!"There’s a loud cheer as the current champion walks out onto the stage with the belt on his shoulder. XYZ, though, doesn’t look as pleased as his audience, probably owing to recent life events over the past couple months. Rod Sterling: "XYZ has had a rather traumatic past few months, culminating at Back in Business, where the woman who had claimed to be his returning mother turned out to be a fraud."Anzu Kurosawa: "He has managed to keep hold of that FWA Television Championship throughout that drama, though, triumphing over Kleio De Santos at the supershow to bring their long rivalry to an end. Now, a new foe emerges, and we’ll find out if X has got his head in the game with these distractions still bubbling."XYZ takes a deep breath before he climbs into the ring, with the Captain pacing this way and that on the opposite side of it. The official takes the belt from XYZ and holds it high in the middle of the ring, letting the crowd know what these two men are fighting for. Then, he hands it out to the timekeeper’s area, before finally calling for the bell. 
SIXTH MATCH | 1/30.
XYZ [c] vs. Captain Righteous.
Singles Match for the FWA Television Championship.
Match Writer: supinesnake.
| << 04:10. >>
After both men display their unconventional styles in the opening exchanges and come out of it even, there's a tense stand-off before, unexpectedly, XYZ charges across the ring and attempts to blindside Righteous with a clothesline. The Captain, however, is wise to it, and backpedals towards the ropes, before dropping down to the mat and pulling the top rope down with him…
Rod Sterling: "It's nice to see a little more enthusiasm out of XYZ than we've witnessed in previous week, but he may have been a tad overzealous there!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Indeed, Rod… the evasive manoeuvres by Captain Righteous send the champion tumbling over the top rope and onto the outside!"
Righteous doesn't follow XYZ out using traditional pathways, instead deciding to climb up to the top rope, the champion slowly getting up on the outside but still worse for wear. In a daze, X turns around to face Righteous… who leaps from the very top with a flying clothesline to the outside!! Both men are sprawled on the ground, but it's Captain Righteous who is first to his feet, pumping his fist with the adrenaline flowing. He grabs X by the wrist and yanks him up to his feet… before sending him into (and over) the steel ring steps with an Irish whip!!
The audience are trying to will the champion back to his match, cheering his three initials repeatedly as XYZ attempts to crawl away from his challenger. Righteous follows XYZ as if hunting his prey, though, further incapacitating him with a trio of stomps, before grabbing a handful of hair and pulling him into a front facelock. The Captain hooks his arm, maybe looking for a snap suplex on the outside, but XYZ begins to fight back with right hands to the Captain's side. Righteous is eventually forced to let go of XYZ, but the challenger attempts to press the advantage with a lariat… only for X to duck beneath and move into a rear waist lock.
Anzu Kurosawa: "XYZ is going for a German suplex here, but Righteous is having none of it. He fights back with elbows to the side of the champion’s head, before stamping down hard on his foot!!"
Rod Sterling: "XYZ is forced to let go, and hops around in agony holding his foot… before turning into a boot to the midsection from Righteous… PILEDRIVER!! On the outside!!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "The official’s patience is wearing thin, Rod, he finally begins to count these two out."
Hearing the count, Righteous busies himself in lifting X back up again (now a more difficult task than earlier in the match) and throwing him under the bottom rope. He follows him in and hooks the leg…
ONE… TWO… T – NO!
Kickout! XYZ gets the shoulder up, and this championship match rolls on…
***
<< 09:15. >>
Captain Righteous, in the meantime, has managed to hold the advantage over the champion, and now looks to wear the champion down further with a sleeper hold. It appears to be working, with the life slowly drained out of XYZ until he slumps to the floor, Righteous maintaining the hold and going down with him. The official comes in to check, hoisting X’s arm up before allowing it to drop… only for X to stop it centimetres from the mat! He clenches his hand into a fist, the audience cheering him as these signs of life turn into something more.
Rod Sterling: "XYZ isn't done yet! He fights back up to his feet, and then hits a series of elbow strikes to the abdomen, finally causing separation!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "X backs Righteous up towards the ropes with a series of overhand strikes, and then whips him into the opposite set with an Irish whip… spinning heel kick!! X takes Captain down!"
The challenger fights up to his feet, turning to face the champion, who is waiting for him. X begins to unleash a torrential of stiff kicks to the thighs and knees, the audience cheering each and every one of them… until the one that Righteous blocks! And then a poke to the eyes!! XYZ, momentary blinded, turns away from Righteous, who immediately goes back to the sleeper…
Rod Sterling: "Captain Righteous with another sleeper… wait, no! That's a choke! And a blatant one! The official sees it, and is straight in to insist on a clean break."
Righteous does indeed break, but the damage is done, with the champion keeled over and holding his throat. The Captain pounces with a full nelson slam!! He goes for a cover…
ONE… TWO… THR – NO!!
XYZ gets the shoulder up again!
Anzu Kurosawa: "Captain Righteous looks a little frustrated, but he signals that it's time for this one to end…"
Indeed, Righteous hoists XYZ up to his feet by his hair again, before lifting him off the ground in a torture rack.
Rod Sterling: "Impressive strength on display from Captain Righteous, as he looks for his Righteous Purge… but XYZ starts to kick his legs, upsetting the Captain's balance… he's refusing to throw in the towel!"
And now X hits elbows to the head and collarbone of Righteous from the torture rack, until the challenger is finally forced to drop him. XYZ lands on his feet and connects with a leg sweep! Followed by a standing elbow drop!
XYZ is in perpetual motion now, quickly ascending to his feet again and charging to the ropes for a springboard moonsault!
Rod Sterling: "XYZ neglects to pin his challenger, he's not quite finished with him yet! The champion points to the top rope, the audience encourage him to finish the challenger off."
X is quick to climb to the top turnbuckle, and then - after only a moment taken to settle himself and take a quick breath - begins his tightrope walk across the top rope. Half way across, he gets some bounce off the ropes and hits a perfect somersault leg drop!! XYZ hooks the far leg…
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Result: XYZ wins via pinfall at 12:51. |
The audience pops, satisfied by the outcome of the match, with Righteous rolling out of the ring as X climbs to his feet. The official lifts his arm to signal his victory. Kurt Harrington: "Here is your winner… and STILL the FWA Television Champion… X…. Y…. ZEEEE!!"X is handed his championship belt, which he contemplates with a somewhat solemn expression on his face. Rod Sterling: "XYZ is successful in his first championship defense since Back in Business, but there's no rest for the wicked. Not only does he have the Fallout Eliminator coming up, but we also found out earlier who his next challenger will be…"Anzu Kurosawa: "Speak of the Devil… looks like XYZ has got some company."Indeed, Mike Parr has walked out onto the stage, freshened up following his victory over DUDE-! earlier in the night. Only now does XYZ now notice him, staring at his next challenger passively from inside the ring with his belt in his hand. Mike Parr has a smile on his face, and even offers XYZ a few claps, before eventually removing himself from the scene. With his music still playing, XYZ rolls out of the ring and begins to walk up the ramp. We fade from the arena. Kurt Harrington: “The following contest is set for ONE FALL and is for the FWA X Championship. Introducing first, the challenger from Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, she is the Queen Bee, Blair Ravenwoooooood!”[“You Should See Me In a Crown || Halocene.]The crowd lets their disdain of Blair Ravenwood be known as she stands at the top of the ramp, her arms extended to each side, and her crown perfectly placed on top of her head. She glides down the ramp with an arrogance that’s unrivaled. Ravenwood steps into the ring, slides out of her long robe and hands her crown to a ringside attendant. Rod Sterling” “It’s interesting to see Ravenwood out here without Saint Sully, but if you recall, she was told by Jon Russnow that if Sully was out here, she would be disqualified.”Kurt Harrington: “And her opponent, he is the FWA X Champion, “Hollywood” Tommy Bedlaaaaaaaam!”[“2001: A Space Odyssey” || Charlie Parra.]The crowd rains down a chorus of boos on Bedlam, who is completely unfazed. He stands at the top of the ramp and unties his long, black duster, revealing his FWA X Championship. He stomps toward the ring, an arrogant smirk on his face. He steps through the ropes, ignoring Blair completely. He hands the X Title to the official before handing his hat and duster to the ringside attendant. Rod Sterling” “Safe to say that there’s no fan favorite in this one.”
SEVENTH MATCH | 1/30.
Tommy Bedlam [c] vs. Blair Ravenwood.
X Rules Match (no DQ, no countouts, and falls count anywhere) for the FWA X Championship.
Match Writer: Tommy.
| << 00:00. >>
This one gets underway as both Tommy and Blair slide out of the ring and start pillaging for weapons under the ring. The crowd, not thrilled to support either of the competitors, does show some enthusiasm as garbage cans, kendo sticks, and chairs get hurled into the ring from the outside.
Blair gets into the ring first which gives her the advantage as Tommy slides under the bottom rope, only to catch a kendo stick across his back. Bedlam lets out a scream of anguish as Ravenwood begins speeding up the assault until the kendo stick finally begins to splinter.
She gets a sadistic look in her eyes and finishes snapping the kendo stick in half before holding both pieces above her head, stabbing them into Tommy’s back! One of the pieces actually sticks into his back as blood begins to run out around the splintered wood.
Rod Sterling: “We are less than a minute into this match and we’ve already got blood. Bedlam has been stabbed!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “It’s sort of fitting that after all the things he’s done in his FWA over the years, Bedlam is the one getting stabbed in the back here, doesn’t it?”
Bedlam pushes himself back up to his feet and grabs the other piece of the kendo stick, and it doesn’t look like Blair knows that he has it. As she digs through one of the garbage cans for another weapon, Tommy pulls the splintered piece over his head and slams it down, burying it in the back of Blair’s shoulder. Blood immediately begins to ooze out of the wound and onto the mat as both competitors have a piece of kendo stick hanging out of them.
Tommy chops Blair across the chest, knocking her back into the ropes. The contact with the ropes rips the piece of kendo stick out of her back as Tommy yanks the stick out of his own back.
Tommy charges forward, clotheslining Blair over the top rope. She lands on her feet, though. As Tommy steps through the ropes and onto the apron, Ravenwood grabs his ankle and sweeps it from under him, bouncing the back of Bedlam’s head off the apron. She’s immediately back in control of this one.
Tommy rolls off the apron, holding the back of his head and Blair sees her opportunity. She slides one of the chairs out of the ring and immediately drives the edge of it into Tommy’s midsection. She follows that with another blow to the ribs, and another. Blair falls down onto Bedlam at ringside and goes for the pin.
1…
2…
3….
NO! Tommy gets a shoulder up, but the FWA X Champion is in trouble.
***
<< 05:38. >>
Bedlam and Ravenwood are still battling on the outside of the ring. Tommy Irish whips Blair into the ring steps where she flips frontward and lands on the floor with a disgusting thud. Tommy quickly starts peeling back the padding that covers the concrete, exposing the cold, unforgiving floor.
He picks Blair up and body slams her onto the concrete as the crowd lets out an audible groan as her body crumples. Tommy then grabs her hair and starts dragging her back, which is still oozing blood from the stab with the kendo stick, across the exposed concrete, leaving a blood trail.
Tommy drags Blair up onto the entrance ramp where he continues his assault. He raises her up and delivers a brutal headbutt that drives her back to the ground. Bedlam quickly goes for the pin.
1…
2…
NO! Blair gets a shoulder up as Bedlam pounds both fists on the entrance ramp.
Tommy walks over to a fan whose holding up a sign that reads “I HOPE THEY BOTH LOSE” and gives the young man the finger. This moment of distraction opens the door for Blair to come up from behind and deliver a low blow to Bedlam.
Rod Sterling: “That’s perfectly legal in this one, folks. There are no rules when the X Title is on the line.”
With Tommy on his knees, only inches from the security railing, Blair takes a few steps back and charges in with a running knee strike that smashes Tommy’s head into the railing, and now the champ is busted open.
Blair quickly rolls Tommy onto his back and goes for the pin.
1…
2…
3….
NO! Tommy kicks out at 2 and ¾.
Now with the momentum on her side, Blair begins delivering a series of stomps to Tommy’s head, further busting him open. Out of desperation, Tommy grabs Blair's ankles and sweeps them from under her, bouncing her head off the entrance ramp. He mounts her and begins to deliver a series of punches while she tries to cover up to no avail. Tommy rolls off of her, and he’s too weak to go for the cover as they both lay under the bright lights on the entrance ramp.
***
<< 09:39. >>
Tommy has Blair by the hair and drags her up the entrance ramp. He slings her into the giant LED boards along the side of the entrance. He looks like he enjoyed it, so he picks Blair up and throws her into the boards again, this time head first, and now Ravenwood is busted wide open, too. Both competitors are still bleeding from their backs, and now they’re both sporting crimson masks.
Anzu Kurosawa: “This one has turned into the blood bath that we thought it would be. I’m not sure how either of them are still standing, Rod.”
Tommy falls onto Blair, seemingly confident that she’s out cold.
1…
2…
3…
NO! NO! Blair gets her shoulder up this time. Tommy grabs the official by the shirt and shoves him, clearly frustrated by what he believes to be a slow count. Blair is back to her feet, and she has one of the lights that line the side of the stage in her hand. She bashes Tommy in the back of the head with it, and he’s down!
Blair for the pin…
1…
2…
3…
NO! NO! Tommy kicks out once again.
With Tommy down, Blair drags him toward one of the LED boards and props him up against it. Blood is running down both of their faces. She walks back toward the edge of the stage and charges forward.
She hits the Bee’s Knees! Bee’s Knees to Tommy, and the LED board behind him breaks. She knocks his head through the board. Blair climbs over the carnage and falls on top of Bedlam.
1…
2…
3…
DING DING DING!
Result: Blair Ravenwood wins via Pinfall at 13:31. |
Saint Sully emerges from the back to greet Blair Ravenwood, celebrating her victory an FWA staffer runs the X Title up the ramp to the official who hands the title to Blair. Sully takes the belt from her and snaps it around her waist as he admires her and the championship that is such a part of his Hall of Fame legacy in the FWA. Meanwhile, medical personnel have rushed to the area where Tommy Bedlam is still laying. He hasn’t moved as the medical team works on him. They put a neckbrace on Bedlam as they try to move broken pieces of the LED board from around him so they can put him on a stretcher. Rod Sterling: “We knew that this match was going to be violent, but that may have been even more brutal than expected. We’ll update you with any news on Tommy Bedlam’s condition as it becomes available. As for Ravenwood, she and Sully are undoubtedly off to celebrate her title win.”*We’ve seen this place before. If you have been here long enough, you would be able to recognise this scene or at least what it used to be. The scene opens with the camera fixed front and centre in the whitest room you have ever seen. It looks like a clean padded room but without the pads. There's a white bench, a picture hanging on the wall, and a door to the right inside this square-shaped room. Again. That’s what it used to be. The once-pristine white has now been overwhelmed by the presence of numerous paintings, hung haphazardly in every available inch. The frames, some gold and ornate, others simple and weathered, clash in a chaotic display of colours and shapes, each one vying for attention. In the centre of the room, there’s a white bench, its smooth surface stark against the vibrant chaos around it. It stands almost as an island in a sea of art, untouched and out of place, offering no refuge from the overwhelming onslaught of images. * “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” *An unexpected visitor appears. The Arteest. * Eli Black.*It should click in now, the room you remember is from years back, the venue where Eli Black built to showcase how he felt about his opponent at the time, Yuna Funanori just before they fought for the FWA Gauntlet Championship, a championship that Eli Black won in that match. We go back to Eli Black as he steps forward, his movements deliberate, graceful, as if the disarray in the room has no bearing on their purposeful entrance and takes his seat on the white bench. * “For those who don’t remember, my name is Eli Black, The Artist of Chaos. I am your role model, The Liberator. I had a bunch of names…I’ve been away for a while. Simple answer is that I ran. I didn’t know where I was supposed to go next after the whole…You know. So when I was faced with that hard decision….like every other time in my life, I was given a hard decision, I found some place to run. From my deadbeat father to my irresponsible mother to my abusive aunt, I always ran away....”*Eli’s phone suddenly rings. * “Give me a second, why don’t you?”*Eli pulls out his phone to see an unknown number flashing on the screen. Hesitation flickered across his face before he answered, curiosity piqued.* “Hello?”“Hello Eli. How have you been?”“Who is this?”“You’ve been gone a long while, Eli…”“Listen if you’re apart of The Church of 9, I’m-”“What’s your favourite scary movie, Eli?”“Okay, I’m done with this.”“Woah, woah woah. Chill. It’s not like I asked what your favourite Back In Business match was? The sequel was better story wise but I wouldn’t call your ending the best.”“Are you done?”“No but you may be.”*It’s at this point… The camera catches the gleam of a blade as Ghostface stands motionless nearby, his signature mask a haunting contrast against the darkness. His body is hunched, his posture low, waiting like a predator.* “Excuse me?”*Suddenly there’s a flicker of movement, and before he can react, Ghostface lunges, knife raised, slashing toward the wrestler's chest. The wrestler narrowly avoids the attack, stepping back and using his strength to shove the masked figure away. With a growl, he charges forward, throwing a series of punishing punches that land with heavy thuds on Ghostface’s midsection, pushing him back, showing that there’s still fight in Eli Black.* “Poor Eli forgot, there are always two killers in the Stab movies!”*Eli Black’s eyes widen, just as the second Ghostface swings the blade upward with lightning speed, catching the wrestler across the back. The wrestler yells out in pain, stumbling forward. The first Ghostface, now back on his feet, joins the attack, and together, they try to take Eli down but he’s still a fighter, only briefly fighting them off before getting another sideways slash from the first Ghostface, making him collapse off camera. The two Ghostface follow but the camera does not, staying in the same position leaving us with only audio. The thud of steps. Boxes getting knocked over as a final surge to life. That final surge ending as a sickening squelch fills the air, followed by the unmistakable sound of a final, desperate gasp for air. Then, the noise of something heavy thumping to the ground. A slow, chilling silence falls over the scene.* The duo of Ghostface killers appear back on screen, looking quite exhausted, blood very clearly appear on their faces but not for long as the duo take off their masks…..to reveal CINEMATIC UNIVERSE!? Brooklyn and Aaron take a break to catch their breath as they take momentary looks off screen to where presumably the body lays. Aaron takes this opportunity to use the wall to wipe the sudden blood off his knife. Aaron Harrows: “Well I’ve officially murdered someone. Why do I feel a sense of pride? Like this was a rite of passage to become a FWA Wrestler?”
Brooklyn Steiner: “Eh. He was definitely more of an issue than Funky, that’s for sure.”
Aaron Harrows: “....Funky, your dog?”
Brooklyn Steiner: “Don’t worry about it.”
Aaron Harrows: “Feels like I should definitely worry about it.”
Brooklyn Steiner: “Right that’s one person who claims to be a part of a way too powerful group with too many ties gone. Just two more to go.”
Aaron Harrows: “Yup. The two final girls. Shall we do this then?”
Brooklyn Steiner: “Let’s go.”Aaron Harrows looks at the camera. Aaron Harrows: “And for the crowd… We’re gonna break the 3rd rule of all horror movies.”Harrows focuses the camera onto Brooklyn… Brooklyn Steiner: “....We’ll be right back.”[“Red Right Hand” || Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.]Brooklyn gives a smirk to the camera on his way out as Aaron parodies Matthew Lillard’s exit from the scene from the original movie with a shocked expression on his face as he also backs up out of there and we return to the arena. Rod Sterling: “Well it was a short return for former FWA Gauntlet Champion Eli Black…who I guess is dead now?”Anzu Kurosawa: “Another rule of horror movies, ___. If you don’t show the body, they’re not fully dead. This just might have extended his leave…by a while. Anyway over to Kurt Harrington!”Kurt Harrington: “Ladies and gentlemen, this match is set for ONE FALL! And is the finals of the Redemption Bracket of the Elite Tag Team Classic! Introducing first… “The Top Star” Aaron Harrows…”The Redeemer” Brooklyn Steiner….they are the CINEMATIC UNIVERSEEEEEEEE!”After a few moments, the team sticks to their promise as here they are! Aaron Harrows is the first out proudly raising his ghostface mask to the crowd! Brooklyn is close after, walking with his usual deliberate pace, the mask held firmly at his side, his gaze locked on the ring ahead. Beside him, Harrows moves with a more relaxed energy, casually tossing his mask from one hand to the other as they stride down the ramp, repeatedly getting distracted as he accepts any request for a selfie with the audience. Rod Sterling: “Cinematic Universe having a mixed start to their start as a tag team but a win over Eternal here tonight to claim their tag title shot is all they would need to get back on track.”Anzu Kurosawa: “They have had recent history with FTN so we’ll see if that can potentially get followed up.”Aaron Harrows slides in the ring as Brooklyn climbs into the ring using the middle rope, The Top Star and The Redeemer share a fist bump as Harrows bounces off the ropes and throws his ghostface mask into the crowd hitting a poor fan in the crowd but he seems to be a good sport about it! ["Death Wish" || Royale Lynn ft. Danny Worshop]The lights of the arena are off as a clock ticks. A heavy fog begins to build around the stage. ‘Death Wish’ begins to play with the intro and several spotlights dance around the arena until Royale Lynn whispers. A blinding white spotlight appears, illuminating Keres and Nova Taylor. Nova Taylor stands behind Keres who is keeling down, resting her arms on her thighs, with a mysterious black sack on the ground next to her. Nova’s mask looks blank. Opening her eyes, Keres snaps her fingers and Nova Taylor helps her sister to her feet. Keres holds Nova’s face and whispers something to her before they break, walking down the ramp. Kurt Harrington: "Introducing their opponents, ‘The Marionette Maiden’ Nova Taylor and ‘The Daughter of Demise’ Keres! Together, they are… EEEEEEEEEETERRRRRRRRRRNAAAAALL!!!"The two walk through the fog on the stage, a spotlight keeping on them as several smaller lights dance around the arena. Keres takes the lead, not breaking contact with the hard camera. At the end of the aisle, the two split, with Nova Taylor walking to the hard camera side and Keres to the opposite side. Rod Sterling: "These two never fail to make me feel uncomfortable, Anzu. Nova and Keres are a terrifying prospect for any team to come up against, and if all goes their way tonight, then we could be standing at the precipice of a very ominous time in the FWA Tag Team Division."Anzu Kurosawa: "I’m more concerned by what's in that sack that Keres is carrying. Whatever it is, it can’t be good."Keres pulls herself onto the apron and crawls her way into the ring as Nova Taylor slides onto the apron and gets on her knees. Keres stands behind Nova and takes off her mask, showing her sister’s expressionless face. There is a smirk on the Daughter of Demise as she heads to the middle of the ring, Nova rolling into the ring and standing by her sister’s side. Keres raises her fingers and- Snaps her fingers. As the lights shut off and the music fades. When they are back on, Keres is sitting on the top rope and Nova is standing in front of her. 
EIGHTH MATCH | 1/30.
Eternal (Keres and Nova Taylor vs. Cinematic Universe (Aaron Harrows and Brooklyn Steiner).
Tag Team Match, #1 Contendership for the FWA World Tag Team Championships.
Match Writer: Welsh.
| << 00:00 >>
DING DING DING!
The match begins with Brooklyn Steiner and Nova staring off. Nova has a playful yet disturbing smirk on her face as she eyes up her opponent, but Brooklyn for his money, does not look the slightest bit perturbed as he marches forward and locks up with ‘The TORN Angel’. With an over 75 pound weight advantage, it takes very little effort for Brooklyn to muscle Nova backwards into a corner with some authority, before releasing his grip and backing up to the center of the ring in a sign of sportsmanship. Nova does a little curtsey, perhaps appreciating Brooklyn’s manners, as any Princess would, before inviting him in for another test of strength. Knowing full well that he ain’t losing any strength-based battle with the petite yet creepy Nova, Brooklyn lunges forward to meet Nova’s challeng-and Nova lands a kick to Brooklyn’s stomach! With Brooklyn doubled over, Nova grabs him in a muay-thai clinch and delivers a viscous knee, jacking Brooklyn’s jaw and sending him stumbling backwards, before leaping forward and connecting with a Flying Forearm Smash that knocks Brooklyn to the mat!
Nova goes for an early pin attempt…
One--Nope, Brooklyn unsurprisingly kicks out.
As Brooklyn sits up, Nova slaps on a headlock and drags Brooklyn back down, before turning her gaze to Aaron Harrows, waving tauntingly at him as she controls his partner on the mat. ‘The Top Star’ calls for Brooklyn to fight back, and the ‘FWA’s Resident Workhorse’ responds by lifting himself up to his knees, with Nova still squeezing as hard as she can, before powering himself to his feet, and powering Nova up and sending her crashing neck-first to the canvas with a Backdrop Suplex!
Having escaped Nova’s grasp, Brooklyn shakes the cobwebs loose and climbs to his knees to see Nova writhing on the mat, clutching her neck in pain. Looking to take control of this match, Brooklyn climbs to his feet and grabs Nova by the hair and lifts her up, before delivering a thunderous right hand that sends the ‘The Marrionette Maiden’ staggering backwards into the corner. Brooklyn follows her - not wanting to give Nova any time to recover - and delivers a nasty-sounding chop to Nova’s chest that resonates throughout the arena, earning a sizable reaction from the fans as Nova collapses to her knees, clutching her chest.
Rod Sterling: "Jesus Christ, that sounded like a damn cannon went off!"
Brooklyn, looking to remain on the attack, powers Nova back to her feet and drapes her arms over the top rope, ready to deliver another thunderous chop, when he hesitates as he sees Nova, clearly in agony… and yet….
Rod Sterling: "... i-is she laughing?"
Rod asks, a disturbed tone in his voice as we see Nova laughing gleefully, as though she enjoyed every bit of the flesh-ripping pain that Brooklyn’s chop brought upon her. In contrast to his apparent fearlessness at the start of the match, Brooklyn now looks shook, but nevertheless he corks his hand back and brings it crashing down upon Nova’s chest once more, somehow sounding even more devastating than the last one, and once again, Nova collapses to the mat. Brooklyn lifts her back up and pushes her into the corner and corks his hand back once again, looking to deliver yet another chop, when he sees Nova STILL laughing, though the pain she’s in is visible in her eyes, and yet… she calls for Brooklyn to hit her again, like a child in an amusement park, wanting another turn on fun ride, she tells Brooklyn to hit her again… Brooklyn takes a backwards step and flinches, looking increasingly uncomfortable as he wonders just what in the hell he’s in this ring with, as Nova’s laughter fades and her face turns to one of anger…
Nova Taylor: “HIT ME!!!"
Nova screams furiously as Brooklyn lowers his raised hand. Still not wanting to relinquish control of the match (if he even had any control to begin with), Brooklyn swings a punch directly at Nova’s face - surmising that she can’t laugh like a creep if she’s knocked out cold - but Nova ducks the strike attempt and turns the tables on Brooklyn, unloading with a series of forearms to the face as Brooklyn tries to cover up. With a couple of Nova’s forearms having gotten through his guard, Brooklyn pushes Nova away from him, trying to create some separation, but Nova isn’t having any of it as she drives Brooklyn back into the corner, before attempting to smash his face in once more with another barrage of forearm strikes, with a few more landing to Brooklyn’s jaw and temple, rocking the former TV Champion, who once more pushes Nova backwards. As Nova rushes forward furiously, looking to continue her assault, Brooklyn manages to put on the breaks and halt Nova’s attempt to drive him back into the corner, and reverses her attack into an Exploder Suplex, sending ‘The TORN Angel’ crashing and crumpling into the corner. Wasting absolutely no time - and perhaps wanting to get the hell away from this whack job as soon as possible - Brooklyn drags Nova’s limp body to the center of the ring and attempts a pin cover…
One… T-NO, Nova gets her shoulder up!
Wasting no time whatsoever, Brooklyn lifts Nova up and throws her into his corner, before tagging in ‘The Top Star’ to cheers from the fans! Brooklyn drags Nova out of the corner as Harrows climbs to the top turnbuckle. Lifting Nova up, Brooklyn drives her back first across his knee, contorting her spine as she yelps in agony, before holding her in place as Harrows leaps off the top with a double foot stomp straight onto Nova’s face!
Nova Taylor crumbles limply to the canvas, seemingly out of it, as Harrows scrambles to make a cover…
One…
Two…
Thr-NO, Nova gets the shoulder up!
Harrows does the obligatory ‘C’mon, ref! That was a three!!’ before trying to further hurt Nova’s back with a Camel Clutch, with Nova screaming… and laughing in agony as Harrows tries desperately to snap this evil woman’s spine in half.
***
<< 08:35 >>
Rod Sterling: "I’ve never seen any team completely neutralise Eternal the way Harrows and Brooklyn have thus far, Anzu. They’ve completely isolated Nova and have prevented Keres from making any sort of an impact in this match at all!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Cinematic Universe have clearly grown as a team through this tournament, Rod. What we’re seeing now is is a testament to just HOW MUCH this team has grown in their short time together."
With Keres looking on - an evil look in her eyes as she watches Harrows and Steiner keep her out of this match completely - Brooklyn has tagged in Harrows once more, and the two Irish Whip Nova into the ropes, and on her rebound, Brooklyn delivers a flying knee, and Harrows simultaneously lands with a roaring elbow that sends Nova back down to the canvas, barely conscious as Harrows makes the cover once again…
One…
Two…
Thre-NO! Again Nova kicks out!
Harrows looks to be getting increasingly frustrated as he protests to the ref.
Aaron Harrows: "Can you even count to three!? My god! 1, 2, 3! SEE!? IT’S EASY!"
The referee makes it clear that it was only a two, much to Harrows’ chagrin, but with Brooklyn urging him not to give Nova time to recover, Harrows climbs to his feet and measures ‘The TORN Angel’, who herself is slowly dragging herself off the canvas with the help of the ropes. As Keres reaches down to grab the mysterious bag that she brought with her to ringside and calls for Harrows’ attention. Harrows keeps his eyes on Nova as she struggles to make it to her feet, but once more, Keres’ calls for Harrows’ attention as she pulls something from out of the bag. A golden glimmer catches Harrows’ eye, and he looks over Keres to see her holding… a championship title?
Rod Sterling: "What the hell is that? That’s not an FWA Championship…"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Well, wherever that belt came from, Harrows sure does recognise it… he looks as though he’s seen a ghost."
As Harrows’ eyes lock onto the championship in Keres’ hand, the camera pans to show the rest of us the title belt in question… the center plate reads ‘RWK European Championship’, with a name plate at the bottom that has the name ‘Slate Bass’ embroiled on it.
Keres smiles playfully as Harrows’ eyes are transfixed on the trinket from his past.
Keres: "Remember this, Aaron?"
As Brooklyn screams at Harrows to get back to kicking the crap out of Nova, Harrows responds to Keres…
Aaron Harrows: "That’s mine…."
Keres: "It used to be, didn’t it? Until you lost it. Until my daddy beat you for it…. tell you what, how about you let Nova tag me in, and you can I can fight. The winner takes this home with them. Deal?"
Rod Sterling: "Is Keres offering Harrows a championship match, right now? For a title from a dead promotion?"
Anzu Kurosawa: "... apparently so. Honestly, is that even allowed?"
Rod Sterling: "Uhh… well, I ain’t telling Keres it isn’t."
As Brooklyn pleads with Harrows not to take the deal, Harrows mind wanders back to how he felt when he lost that championship title to Keres’ father, Slate Bass, at RWK’s Path to Destiny show in 2018. His first and only professional wrestling championship, taken from him by this girl’s father… and now, he had the chance to take it back.
Brooklyn Steiner: "Aaron, don’t you dare agree to this! GET AFTER NOVA!"
…
Aaron Harrows: "Deal."
Keres smirks as she turns to Nova - who’s back to her feet, using the ropes to keep herself up - and reaches out her hand. Nova looks at Keres, and then to Harrows, and smirks, before tagging in Keres. Keres steps into the ring, RWK European Championship still in hand, as the referee tries to relinquish her of a potential weapon. Keres hands the title belt to the referee, and orders him to raise the title up, as though it is being defended. The referee goes to simply place the title to the outside, but Keres stops him, and makes it abundantly clear that she isn’t asking… and, valuing his life, the referee does as instructed, and raises the RWK European Championship high in the sky, as Aaron Harrows and the daughter of Slate Bass stand either side of him, staring each other down… after a few moments, the referee lowers the championship and removes it from the ring, and it’s Harrows vs. Bassignani once more…
FIGHT!
***
<< 14:36 >>
Rod Sterling: "My god, what a sequence of skill and one upmanship by these two competitors, right now! I’ve never seen Harrows so intensely focused in his entire FWA career!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Neither he, nor Keres, is messing around right now, that’s for sure, Rod. I think Keres is even surprised by Harrows’ sheer determination-WOW, HARROWS HAS KERES IN POSITION FOR AN OSCAR! THIS COULD BE IT!!"
Harrows manages to get a lock on Keres’ head, and looks to drive it into the mat and put an end to this match, but Keres manages to escape by stomping on the back of Harrows’ leg, forcing him into a kneeling position, before pushing her head out of his grasp and IMMEDIATELY SPINNING AROUND, looking to decapitate Harrows with ‘Oscurita’, her signature Spinning Backfist!
Rod Sterling: "AND HARROWS DUCKS OSCURITA!"
With cat-like reflexes, Harrows manages to duck the devastating strike and lands a back elbow to Keres’ stomach, doubling her over, and then brings his fist up and lands a cartoonishly delivered punch to Keres’ mouth that sends her stumbling backwards. Harrows darts to his feet and grabs Keres’ head in a cutter-esque grip, before charging towards the corner, looking for his Sliced Bread maneuver ‘Brad Pitt’s Apple’! Keres telegraphs the move, however, and as Harrows attempts to push his foot of the top rope to flip himself over, Keres drives her own momentum forward, causing Harrows’ foot to miss the rope and get tangled up in the corner. Harrows is stuck in a Tree of Woe!
Wasting little time, Keres begins to stomp Harrows’ stomach while he is tangled, before putting her foot on his neck and viciously choking him! The referee does his 5-count, all the while Harrows struggles and begs ’STOP… CHOKING… ME!’ with much strain on his voicebox, before she reluctantly removes her foot from Harrows’ throat.
Rod Sterling: "Keres seems to have finally slowed this match down to a pace she prefers. She has Harrows right where she wants him, now!"
Looking to take full advantage of Harrows’ compromised stage, Keres charges to warns the opposite corner, and then back at Harrows as she dives in foot-first for a baseball slide dropkick, but Harrows manages to lift his head at the last possible second, and Keres is sent sliding underneath the bottom rope and groin-first into the ringpost behind to winces from the crowd!
Anzu Kurosawa: "OUCH, That DEFINITELY hurt, I don’t care how supernaturally gifted you are!"
Sure enough, this impact has completely put a halt to Keres’ assault, giving Harrows enough time to free himself from his predicament. Once freed, Harrows drags Keres to the center of the ring and immediately goes for a cover…
O-NO!
Rod Sterling: "Jesus Christ, the referee didn’t even have enough time to get down for the pin! Keres just powered out!"
Harrows looks shocked that he didn’t even get a one count from that, but doesn’t waste any time complaining about it. He has Keres right where he wants her, and so he needs to remain focused. He climbs to his feet and stalks Keres, who herself is gingerly making her way up. Harrows coils his ancient Cobra technique, taught to him by Jet Li….’s neighbour’s husband’s third-cousin, and waits for his moment to strike. Keres pulls herself to her feet, nursing her groin, before turning around into THE COBRA!-NO! NOVA TACKLES HARROWS TO THE GROUND, SAVING KERES!
As the referee attempts to pull Nova off Harrows, Brooklyn enters the fray and tackles her off of his partner, and the two wrestle for control as they attempt to punch the other’s face in. While this is going on, Keres has her wits about her now and, as Harrows climbs to his feet, she GRABS HIM BY THE THROAT!
Rod Sterling: "CLUTCH OF WOE! KERES HAS HARROWS IN HER DEATH GRIP!"
Harrows lands a series of punches to Keres, which seem to do very little damage to ‘The Daughter of Demise’ as her Death Grip seemingly saps the life out of ‘The Top Star’. As Keres chokes Harrows, Nova has gained control in her tussle with Brooklyn and has managed to mount him. Instead of raining down a barrage of strikes, however, she instead clutches Brooklyn’s face and attempts to snog his brains out!
Rod Sterling: "WHAT THE HELL HAS THIS MATCH TURNED INTO!?"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Nova’s kiss has knocked people out completely in the past, and I think she’s tryna do the same to Brooklyn… and hell, she is living most girls dreams right now. Lucky bitch."
Anzu’s jealousy aside, it looks as though Nova might not be getting that full Brooklyn experience, as Brooklyn managed to get his hand up just in time! Having only managed to snog Brooklyn’s palm, leaving a red imprint on his palm, Nova decides to return to good ole fashion knuckles and elbows, but as she raises her fist, looking to drive it into Brooklyn’s face, Brooklyn palm strikes Nova directly on the mouth! The sheer force of strike knocks Nova off of Brooklyn, and Nova scrambles to her feet, but all of a sudden, she slows… and slows, until, after a couple of seconds as the magic does its work, Nova doubles over in a seering agony as she screams!
Rod Sterling: "Wait, WHAT THE HELL’S HAPPENING!?"
Anzu Kurosawa: "I think-... I think Brooklyn just used Nova’s own magical lipstick against her!"
With an agonising pain shooting through her body, Nova stumbles backwards and knocks into Keres and breaking her grip on Harrows’ throat, before collapsing to the floor and writhing in pain, as though she’s being electrocuted.
Harrows, barely conscious himself from Keres’ death grip, collapses to the mat, clutching his throat and gasping for air as Keres, furious at what Brooklyn has done to Nova, rushes towards the former TV Champion and completely levels him with Rocket Kick!
Rod Sterling: "Realtà Contorta! Brooklyn’s been literally kicked out of the ring!"
With Brooklyn out of the way, Keres goes to turn around, but before she even has a chance, Harrows grabs her in a headlock and immediately drives her HEAD-FIRST INTO THE CANVAS!
Rod Sterling: "OSCAR NUMBER-... SHIT, WHAT NUMBER ARE WE ON!?"
Anzu Kurosawa: "SEVEN!!"
KERES IS COMPLETELY OUT OF IT! Still feeling the effects of her life-sucking death grip, Harrows struggles to roll Keres’ slight frame onto her back, but eventually manages it as he GOES FOR THE COVER!
Rod Sterling: "HARROWS IS GONNA WIN THE DEAD PROMOTION’S TITLE BACK!!!"
One…
Two…
THREE!!!
HARROWS DID IT!!!!
-WAIT, NO! NOVA BREAKS UP THE PIN AS SHE DIVES ATOP HARROWS!
Rod Sterling: "IS THIS MATCH STILL GOING!?"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Well, if it is, it isn’t looking good for Harrows, right now! NOVA HAS HER FINGERS DOWN HIS THROAT!"
As Nova rams her fingers down Harrows’ gullet with the Mandible Claw, her entire body is shaking in agony, still clearly suffering through the effects of her own magical lipstick. Harrows tries to fight Nova off, but it’s to no avail as the eyes roll into the back of his head as he’s close to passing out, when…
Rod Sterling: "Wait, BROOKLYN’S BACK UP! THE GRIP OF BROOKLYN!!! BROOKLYN’S LOCKED IN THE IRON CLAW ON NOVA!"
As Brooklyn drags Nova off of Harrows, Nova rams her fingers down Brooklyn’s gullet, and the two roll to the outside in a battle of Mandible Claw vs. Iron Claw! Meanwhile, in the ring, Harrows is gasping for air, having had his throat foot-choked, death-gripped, and most of Nova’s hand shoved down it, but, as he notices the RWK European Championship lying on the outside of the ring, Harrows wills himself up with great difficulty, managing to drag himself to his knees… but he recovered just a touch too late.
Rod Sterling: "OSCURITA! KERES BLASTS HARROWS WITH HER DEVASTATING SPINNING BACKFIST!"
Harrows crumbles to the mat, and Keres rolls him over and makes the cover…
One…
Two…
THREE!!!
DING DING DING!!!
Result: Eternal wins via Pinfall at 22:53. |
As Harrington announces them as the winner, Keres rolls off of Harrows and is joined in the ring by stumbling and groggy Nova, who’s feeling the effects from her battle of claws with Brooklyn, and the effects of her own lipstick. Keres and Nova help each other up as Harrows stirs, as he is being pulled out of the ring by a coughing Brooklyn Steiner, who’s suffering the effects of Nova’s Mandible Claw. Rod Sterling: "Such a hard-fought contest between two of the FWA’s premiere teams here tonight. No matter the outcome, both Eternal AND Cinematic Universe proved themselves worthy future contenders for the Tag Team championships, but it will be Eternal who gets that opportunity first."Anzu Kurosawa: "Which means an upcoming date against Alyster Black and Chris Peacock of FTN, who successfully defended their titles earlier on this evening against Vox Potentis. Things are really heating up in the tag team division…"As Cinematic Universe make their way up the ramp, Harrows looks back to see Eternal stands in the center of the ring, with Keres raising the RWK European Championship in the air, victorious. Kurt Harrington: “The following match is your MAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING! It is a FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS MATCH… and it is for… the… Fantasy Wrestling Alliance… WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!”[“Save Me” || Lacuna Coil.]The crowd erupts with excitement as Gabrielle Montgomery steps through the curtain, a confident smile spreading across her face. Accompanying her is a radiant Lizzie Rose, who, for the first time in months, appears fully herself—bright-eyed and waving joyfully to the fans who cheer them on. Gabrielle pauses on the stage to blow a playful kiss to the audience, her energy electric, before beginning her confident stroll down the ramp. Kurt Harrington: “Introducing first… accompanied by Lizzie Rose… From Auckland, New Zealand and weighing in at one-hundred and thirty-two pounds… FWA Hall of Famer and former World Champion… ‘The Goddess’... GABRIELLE MONTGOMMMMMMMMMMERRRYYYYYY!!!”Anzu Kurosawa: “Listen to this crowd, Rod! Gabrielle is one of the most decorated competitors in FWA history, and she’s got a huge wave of momentum behind her. At Back in Business, she pulled off a miraculous victory, not only defeating the Eternal but saving her friend Lizzie Rose from their dark clutches.”Rod Sterling: “And what a difference that’s made, Anzu. Lizzie looks like she’s completely back to her old self, and tonight, she’s here to support Gabrielle in one of the biggest matches of her career. Gabby’s always had a knack for guiding young women away from dark paths, and now Lizzie’s ready to return the favor.”Anzu Kurosawa: “But this isn’t just about friendship. Gabrielle knows exactly what's at stake here—the FWA World Championship. She’s been to the top of the mountain before, and tonight, she’ll try to claim that prize once again.”Gabrielle takes her time walking around the ringside area, acknowledging the fans on both sides as Lizzie stands by her, waving and smiling all the while. They both stop in front of one of the cages, where Lizzie will soon be locked inside for the duration of the match. Gabrielle shares a reassuring smile with her friend before gently guiding her into the cage, closing the door as Lizzie gives her a thumbs-up from inside. Gabby rolls into the ring, climbing the nearest turnbuckle to pose for the approving crowd. She then jumps down, takes a deep breath and waits in the center of the ring. Rod Sterling: “There’s a reason she’s a two-time former World Champion, Anzu. Gabrielle’s ability to thrive in the biggest moments has been proven time and time again."Anzu Kurosawa: “Jeremy’s going to have a loyal friend of his own backing him up, though we don't know which of the Friendship Wrestling Alliance it will be yet."[“Jeremy’s Here” || Dubb Rebel.]A cheerful and infectious tune echoes through the arena, signaling the arrival of the FWA World Champion. The crowd immediately erupts into boos, but that doesn't deter the always-smiling Jeremy Best. With a bounce in his step, Jeremy walks out from behind the curtain, with the FWA Championship strapped on above his wrestling khakis. Flanking him are the entirety of the Friendship Wrestling Alliance: Sir Stache, Mejor Amigo, Tonya Scott, and The Goodefellas. Kurt Harrington: “And his opponent, being accompanied to the ring by the Friendship Wrestling Alliance... from Friendship, North Carolina, weighing in at one-hundred and eighty pounds... he is the reigning and defending FWA World Champion... ‘YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND’... JEREMYYYYYYYY BEEEESSSSSTTTT!!!”Rod Sterling: “What is this? It looks like Jeremy Best has brought the entire Friendship Wrestling Alliance with him! But only one of them can be his designated ‘friend with benefits’ for this match!”Anzu Kurosawa: “Jeremy’s never been one to play by the usual rules, and this entrance just goes to show it. He did say he had too many friends to choose from..."Jeremy continues to wave and smile, blowing exaggerated kisses, almost as if to mock Gabby's entrance, to the crowd and shaking his fists with excitement, seemingly oblivious to the chorus of boos around him. The rest of the Friendship Wrestling Alliance follows behind, with each member doing their best to hype up a crowd that has no interest in cheering for them. Sir Stache is throwing out thumbs-ups to the fans, Mejor Amigo is clapping along to the beat of Jeremy's theme song, while Tonya and The Goodefellas try to pump up the fans, who only respond with louder jeers. Rod Sterling: “For those who may not know, the rules of the Friends with Benefits Match are quite unique. Each competitor will have a designated friend who will be locked in a cage at ringside. At random intervals during the match, that cage will open, allowing the friend to enter the match for a brief two-minute period. But once that time is up, they must return to the cage—or risk disqualifying their partner!”Anzu Kurosawa: “But it looks like Jeremy still hasn’t made his choice yet. Is he really expecting all of his friends to get involved here?”The confusion only grows as Jeremy approaches the ring with the full group in tow. Finally, they huddle together, seemingly trying to decide who will take the role of his "friend with benefits." After a few moments of animated discussion—punctuated by some playful shoving between Tonya and the Goodefellas—it is Mejor Amigo who steps forward, raising his hand with a sheepish grin. Jeremy claps excitedly, nodding in approval, as Mejor Amigo steps toward the designated cage. Rod Sterling: “Looks like it’s going to be Mejor Amigo! But why is the rest of the group still out here? They aren’t supposed to play any part in this match!”Anzu Kurosawa: “Technically, they’re not doing anything wrong by being at ringside. But you have to wonder what kind of mind games Jeremy’s playing here. With all of them hovering around, it's going to make Gabrielle and Lizzie feel like they're surrounded.”The cage door clicks shut behind Mejor Amigo as he gives Jeremy an enthusiastic thumbs-up, his face full of nervous energy. Meanwhile, the other members of the Friendship Wrestling Alliance remain stationed at ringside, chatting and laughing amongst themselves. Jeremy finally hops up onto the ring apron and leans over the ropes to wave directly at Gabrielle, who stands stoically in her corner, staring daggers at him. Rod Sterling: “Gabrielle and Lizzie do not look happy about this. And who can blame them? Jeremy’s turned this whole match into a circus, with his so-called friends crowding around like a pack of vultures.”Anzu Kurosawa: “But they can’t interfere... only Mejor Amigo can legally get involved when the cage opens. Still, it’s got to be unnerving for Gabby, knowing that Jeremy’s got this entire entourage hanging around.”Jeremy climbs into the ring and takes off his championship belt, holding it high above his head as he circles the ring, still smiling widely despite the crowd’s negative reaction. He hands the belt off to the referee, then glances back at Mejor Amigo, who’s already standing nervously in his cage, and gives him an encouraging wink. The mood shifts as Lizzie Rose reluctantly steps into her own cage on the opposite side of the ring, exchanging a look with Gabrielle that conveys both confidence and a hint of anxiety. With both "friends with benefits" locked in their cages and the FWA World Championship on the line, Jeremy takes his place in his corner, eagerly bouncing on his heels, his unbreakable grin never fading. Rod Sterling: “Love him or hate him, Jeremy Best is going into this match with everything he’s got. And he’s brought an army of friends to back him up...whether they’re technically in the match or not.”Anzu Kurosawa: “It’s all going to come down to strategy and heart tonight. Gabrielle’s facing more than just Jeremy... she’s up against his entire world of ‘friendship.’ Let’s see if it’ll be enough to keep the FWA World Championship around his waist or if the Hall of Famer can bring home another championship reign to her legendary career.”
NINTH MATCH | MAIN EVENT | 1/60.
Jeremy Best [c] vs. Gabrielle.
Friends With Benefits Match for the FWA World Championship.
Match Writer: Dubb.
| The bell rings to start the Friends with Benefits Match, and the crowd's energy is a chaotic mix of excitement and animosity, primarily directed at the reigning FWA World Champion, Jeremy Best. Jeremy walks to the center of the ring, and offers a handshake to start the match. Gabby takes a look down at Jeremy's hand and simply shakes her head, refusing to shake his hand. Perhaps a wise move.
Jeremy seems disappointed but the two begin to circle the ring, feeling each other out. Jeremy lunges first, looking for a quick collar-and-elbow tie-up, but Gabby swiftly steps aside and slips around him, locking in a waistlock. Jeremy drops his hips to block, and with a quick twist of his arm, reverses into a standing wristlock. Gabby winces slightly but doesn't waste any time, rolling through with an impressive display of agility, kipping up and countering into a wristlock of her own.
Rod Sterling: "Looks like we're starting off with some classic technical wrestling here, Anzu. Jeremy's usually so eager to force his friendship on his opponents, but don't forget he's champion for a reason and it seems like he's got his eyes on the prize tonight."
Anzu Kurosawa: "Indeed, Rod. But Gabby is no stranger to mind games either, and this is the first time she’s facing Jeremy one-on-one. You can tell she wasn't interested in falling for any of Jeremy's... tactics."
Gabby cranks the wristlock, forcing Jeremy down to a knee, but Jeremy keeps his composure. With a sudden surge of strength, he kips up himself, flipping backward to break Gabby’s grip, and immediately pulls her into a handshake, forcing his opponent to shake his hand when she wouldn't earlier and then immediately takes her down with an armdrag.
Gabby rolls to her feet quickly, but Jeremy is already charging and connects with a picture-perfect Dropkick, sending Gabby sprawling to the mat!
Jeremy soaks in the boos with a proud grin, giving an exaggerated wave to the hostile crowd. Gabby is back up just as fast, however, and the two reset, facing off once more.
The two lock up again, and this time Gabby surprises Jeremy with a quick go-behind, taking him down with a Single Leg Trip. She floats over smoothly, transitioning into a front facelock, wrenching Jeremy’s neck to keep him grounded. Jeremy struggles, using his free hand to tap Gabby’s forearm, almost as if he's playfully tapping on her shoulder, asking her to release him - but Gabby was having none of that request as she tightens her grip.
Jeremy shifts his weight and maneuvers his legs to break Gabby's base. With a sudden twist, he escapes, spinning around her body to lock in a Side Headlock, grounding Gabby again. Gabby smirks and starts working her way back up to her feet, throwing a few quick punches to Jeremy's midsection. The third shot is enough to loosen Jeremy’s grip, and Gabby takes her chance, bouncing off the ropes to build momentum. Jeremy drops down, Gabby hops over, and as she rebounds off the opposite side, Jeremy leaps up with a high Leapfrog, showing off his agility.
Gabby stops short, catching Jeremy by surprise with a quick and brutal Forearm Strike to the jaw, sending him stumbling back! The crowd pops for the impact as Gabby quickly presses the advantage, running at Jeremy and nailing him with a crisp Jumping Heel Kick that catches him flush!
Anzu Kurosawa: "What a shot from Gabrielle! That kick just rattled the Champion, and this is where Gabby's experience comes into play. She's not going to let Jeremy dictate the pace."
Rod Sterling: "Gabby's fought for just about every major championship in her storied career, and she knows what it takes to come out on top in high-pressure situations like this. Look at her—she’s not giving Jeremy an inch here!"
Jeremy clutches his jaw as he backs into the corner, but Gabby stays on him. She charges in with a powerful Running Thrust Kick that slams into Jeremy’s midsection, doubling him over. She’s quick to pull him out of the corner, hitting a perfectly timed Snap Suplex, floating over for a cover.
ONE! TW.. NO! Jeremy kicks out.
Despite the kickout, Gabby doesn't miss a beat as she goes back on the attack. She pulls him up by the arm, wrenching it with a Standing Armbar, pulling Jeremy down to one knee as she adds leverage. Jeremy grits his teeth, trying to pry her grip free, but Gabby twists his wrist with a smirk, causing him to grimace. The fans cheer her on, sensing that she’s in control of the early moments.
Anzu Kurosawa: "Gabby is making a statement here. She’s targeting that arm."
Rod Sterling: "Exactly, Anzu. But we can't forget... this is a Friends with Benefits Match, and the real question is: when will Mejor Amigo or Lizzie Rose be released from that cage, and what kind of impact will they make when they get involved?"
On cue, the camera shows Lizzie Rose watching on eagerly, ready to get involved while Amigo seems content in his cage, nervously tapping his foot.
Meanwhile, back in the ring, Jeremy struggles back to his feet, using his free hand to gesture toward Gabby—another attempt at a handshake. Gabby scoffs, but in the moment of hesitation, Jeremy rolls through, kips up, and counters the hold into a quick Arm Drag that sends Gabby flying across the ring! She rolls through and both competitors pop to their feet, staring each other down to a roar from the crowd.
The match resets, each competitor breathing a bit heavier as they realize the intensity has only just begun. Jeremy and Gabby forgo another lock up and instead begin to exchange some back and forth forearm shivers in the ring. Just as it seems like Gabby is starting to gain the upper hand, Sir Stache suddenly hops up onto the apron, causing a distraction as he waves his arms around frantically. This draws the attention of referee Larry Stevens.
Gabby turns her focus to Sir Stache, and with a fierce yell, she charges forward and nails Stache with a jumping forearm strike that sends him crashing down off the apron! The crowd erupts with cheers as Stache flops to the floor, but Jeremy uses the moment to his advantage. With Gabby’s back turned, he charges at her, clubbing her from behind with a hard forearm to the back of her head.
Rod Sterling: "Well, I suppose it's called a Friends with Benefits Match for a reason... while Stache isn't the designated friend, he gets involved here and that has opened the door for Jeremy here."
Jeremy starts laying into Gabby with a series of stomps, but Gabby fights through the attacks as she rolls away and avoids a jumping fistdrop from Jeremy! She springs back up to her feet with a quick burst of energy and scores a sharp European Uppercut that sends Best staggering backward.
Gabby’s eyes flare with determination as she follows up with a fast and furious series of strikes. Best finds himself on the wrong end of a barrage of forearms and knees before a quick spinning back elbow sends him falling into the ropes, on wobbly legs!
Just as she seems to be firmly in control, a loud BUZZER echoes through the arena. The fans roar with anticipation at which "friend" would get involved... but it's MEJOR AMIGO's door that swings open, allowing the masked luchador out of his cage! His eyes quickly widen as he realize it's his moment and he bolts out and slides under the bottom rope.
Rod Sterling: "And here comes Mejor Amigo! Jeremy’s got back-up, and this match just got a whole lot tougher for Gabrielle!"
Gabby whirls around, hearing the buzzer, and she’s already bracing herself as Amigo dives into the ring. Amigo leaps up and launches a springboard clothesline, but Gabby ducks it! The luchador lands on his feet, and Gabby fires off a quick savate kick that catches him in the gut, doubling him over. Without missing a beat, Gabby bounces off the ropes and goes for a split-legged neckbreaker, but Amigo twists free at the last second, flipping out of her grip and catching her with a spinning heel kick! Gabby stumbles back, and Amigo charges forward, looking to capitalize, but Gabby catches him off-guard with a drop-toe hold, sending him crashing face-first into the canvas.
Gabby pulls Amigo up by the mask, but before she can land a strike, Jeremy Best is back in the fray. He clubs Gabby from behind, and with Amigo recovering, the two of them start to overwhelm her with the two on one attack, taking her to the mat with a double suplex. The Goddess tries to fight her way back up to hs feet, but Amigo and Best score with a standing double dropkick that sends her back down.
Rod Sterling: "There it is! The numbers game is coming into play, and Jeremy and Amigo are working together seamlessly!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "They’re not going to have this advantage for long though! Gabrielle just needs to hold on for another minute or so and Amigo will have to go back to his cage."
Jeremy and Amigo continue to lay in shots, with Jeremy whipping Gabby into a belly-to-back facebuster from Amigo. Jeremy goes for the pin with Amigo jumping ontop of Jeremy for added leverage!
ONE! TWO! KICKOUT!
Gabby manages to still kickout despite having two men on her, perhaps something she's used to. Jeremy and Amigo have some words with one another as Amigo nods and begins to climb the turnbuckles. Jeremy lifts Gabby up in a bodyslam, slamming her to the mat as Amigo comes off with a diving headbutt that connects with Gabby!
BBBBBBBUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
Anzu Kurosawa: "Backup is on its way! Here comes Lizzie Rose!"
Lizzie's cage opens and she quickly exits for the ring. Lizzie goes right after Amigo, surprising him with a springboard into a TORNADO DDT! Amigo's head bounces off the mat and the force of the move sends him popping back up, seemingly out on his feet as Lizzie charges at him with a vicious CLOTHESLINE...
This sends both Amigo and Lizzie toppling over the top rope to the floor! Lizzie is quickly back up to her feet, seemingly crazed in her attack as she grabs mounts Amigo with a flurry of punches before pulling him up and TOSSING AMIGO INTO THE RING STEPS!
Amigo found himself on the ground, leaned up against the ringsteps....
CALLING MR. VIOLENCE! Lizzie's low roundhouse kick connects to Amigo's head up against the ring steps!
3...2...1... BUZZ! Amigo's time is up!
But as the timer goes off, there's a buzz of confusion in the crowd. Instead of Amigo returning to his cage, Tonya Scott makes her way over to the cage and goes in and shuts the door behind her.
Rod Sterling: "Wait a second! That’s Tonya Scott in Amigo’s cage! Can she even do that?!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "I have no idea if that’s legal, but it looks like Tonya has taken Amigo’s spot! Jeremy’s Friends With Benefits just got a major upgrade!"
Back in the ring, Jeremy has Gabby on the mat with a chinlock, keeping her grounded and keeping his control on the match. Gabrielle struggles against the hold, trying to pry Jeremy's grip apart but Jeremy uses his free hand to drive his elbow down into her forehead and he applies more pressure, wrenching her beck back more.
Meanwhile, at ringside, Lizzie looks to climb back into the ring to help her partner... but she's suddenly yanked down off the apron, her head smacking the apron! It's Johnny Murdoch pulling her back, who quickly restrains her as Sonny Zuko chews on a toothpick that he tosses into her face. Lizzie squirms, trying to break free.
Rod Sterling: "Something has to be done about the Friendship Wrestling Alliance! They are preventing Lizzie from even getting back into the ring here!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "And she's quickly running out of time before she has to return to her cage as well."
The crowd rallies Gabby in the ring as she begins trying to fight her way back up to her feet from the submission, getting back up to a vertical base and scoreing with an elbow to Jeremy's midsection, but Jeremy headbutts hear and then releases the hold only to take her down to the mat with a swinging neckbreaker.
Jeremy rolls to his feet with a grin, waving to the booing crowd before dropping an elbow across her sternum and making a cover.
One! Two! No!
At ringside, Lizzie refuses to be subdued. She plants her boot down hard on Johnny Murdoch’s foot, causing him to yelp in pain and release her left arm. Seizing the moment, Lizzie hoists her legs up and drives a stiff kick into Sonny Zuko’s face, sending him staggering backward. Freeing herself from their clutches, Lizzie reaches up and digs her fingers into Johnny’s eyes with a vicious gouge, causing him to howl and stumble away, temporarily blinded.
As Jeremy pulls Gabby back up to her feet, he begins to look as though he's going to set up Gabby into a Fireman's Carry for the BFF...
But Lizzie is up on the apron!
Jeremy and Lizzie lock eyes....
BBBBBUUUUUZZZZZZZZ!
Rod Sterling: "Lizzie's time is up!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Not so fast! That wasn't Lizzie's buzzer! Tonya Scott is freed already!"
The door to Tonya’s cage flies open, but Tonya is already free and lurking behind Lizzie. As Lizzie stands on the apron, just moments away from re-entering the ring, Tonya grabs her by the hair from behind and yanks her down hard to the floor. Lizzie’s eyes widen in shock as Tonya grins wickedly.
Though the brief distraction allows Gabby to escape the fireman's carry from Jeremy and she hits Jeremy in the back with a desperation dropkick!
Lizzie struggles to get back up, but with Tonya now assisting, Johnny Murdoch and Sonny Zuko quickly overpower her. They throw Lizzie back down to the floor, where Tonya reaches into her tophat and pulls out a pair of shiny handcuffs. Lizzie’s time ticks down rapidly, her seconds fading away, as Tonya drags her toward her now-vacant cage.
3...2...1.... BUZZ!
Lizzie's time is up and Tonya tosses her into the cage and HANDCUFFS HER TO THE INSIDE OF THE CAGE!
Rod Sterling: "Oh come on! This is unfair! Lizzie Rose is now restrainted to the inside of the cage. Tonya Scott slams the door shut and now next time that cage opens, there's not much she's going to be able to do!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "I'm afraid to say it... but the Friendship Wrestling Alliance may have had the perfect game plan for this match. It looks like Lizzie Rose's night may be over."
Gabby looks to take advantage of the opening she created, hitting Jeremy with the GaBuster! But before she can go for the pin, Tonya surprises her with a single-leg dropkick that catches Gabrielle just as she’s rising to her knees.
The momentum has shifted to Tonya, who grins and throws her hands up theatrically. In an instant, she produces a colorful bouquet of flowers from seemingly nowhere, brandishing it in front of Gabrielle with a flourish. Gabby, momentarily caught off guard by the spectacle, hesitates just long enough for Tonya to pivot and nail her with a back handspring tilt-a-whirl headscissors takedown, sending Gabrielle spinning across the canvas!
Rod Sterling: "And just like that, Tonya pulls another trick out of her hat! Gabrielle got distracted, and Tonya made her pay!"
Gabrielle struggles to her feet, gritting her teeth, but Tonya’s not giving her any room to breathe. She charges, looking to hit a running bulldog, but Gabrielle counters, catching her mid-move and shifting her weight to send Tonya crashing down with a belly-to-back suplex! The crowd roars as Gabrielle kips back up to her feet!
Tonya pulls herself back up to her feet as well as Gabby moves in with a forearm shot, but Tonya ducks! She avoids Gabby's attack and goes for a quick STO, but Gabrielle senses it coming and counters with a sharp elbow to the side of the magician's head, staggering her!
Gabrielle seizes the opportunity, wrapping her arms around Tonya's head and driving her face-first into the mat with her signature 34 D Double DDT! Tonya’s body bounces off the canvas, and the crowd erupts in cheers. Gabrielle takes a moment to catch her breath, looking down at the laid-out Tonya
3..2....1. BUZZZZ!
Anzu Kurosawa: "She did it! Gabrielle laid out Tonya with that 34 D Double DDT just as her time ran out!"
Rod Sterling: "And now look... another one of Jeremy's stooges is entering the cage with Tonya now taken out!"
Sure enough, Johnny Murdoch walked over and shut himself in the cage now with Tonya rolling to the apron and dropping down to the floor right beside the still knocked out Mejor Amigo.
Gabby is relentless, stalking Jeremy as he slowly pulls himself up. She lunges forward, battering Jeremy with a series of stiff forearm strikes that send him reeling backward into the ropes. Jeremy tries to retaliate with a wild swing, but Gabby ducks underneath, springing off the ropes and connecting with a sharp clothesline that takes Jeremy off his feet. Sensing the moment, she quickly hooks the leg and goes for the cover.
ONE! TWO! NO!
Jeremy powers out again, and Gabby slaps the mat in frustration, knowing she needs to stay on the offensive. As she rises to her feet, the countdown buzzer blares across the arena, signaling Lizzie’s release.
Lizzie’s cage door swings open, but she can’t move, still handcuffed to the bars. Her face contorts in fury and desperation, pulling against the restraints until her wrists turn red. She lets out a piercing scream that echoes through the arena, her eyes wild with frustration as she rattles the cage door in a frantic attempt to free herself.
Gabby catches sight of Lizzie’s struggle and hesitates, realizing Lizzie’s dire situation. Abandoning her assault on Jeremy, she slides out of the ring and rushes to her friend's aid, trying to figure out a way to free her.
Anzu Kurosawa: "Gabby needs to focus on the ring! She's in control right now, she doesn't need Lizzie's help!"
The frantic Lizzie pleads with Gabby to hurry as Sir Stache climbs to the apron, once again distracting Larry Steven from the opposite side, now having his back away from Lizzie's cage...
And its Sonny Zuko creeping up from behind, steel chair in hand...
CRACK!
One half of the Goodefellas slams the chair viciously across Gabby's back, sending her crumping to the floor in front of Lizzie's cage in agony. Lizzie screams in protest, shaking the bars as Sonny brings the chair down AGAIN across Gabby's back on the floor!
Rod Sterling: "This is despicable! The numbers are just too much for Gabrielle and now there's nothing Lizzie can do to help her!"
The crowd lets Sonny have it but he responds with a smirk as he grabs her limp form and tosses her back into the ring. Sonny dusts off his hands, apparently satisfied with his dirty work as a groggy Jeremy crawls over to Gabby as Sir Stache jumps down off the apron. He drapes himself across Gabby's chest...
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
NO!
GABBY KICKS OUT!
The arena erupts in a deafening roar, and Jeremy’s eyes go wide with disbelief. He sits up, shaking his head furiously as he yells at the referee, insisting it was three. Gabby, somehow, has found the strength to survive, her shoulder shooting off the mat just before the three-count.
The fans rally behind her, chanting her name as she struggles to pull herself up, but Jeremy's frustration turns into fury. He grabs her by the hair, dragging her roughly to her feet, and delivers a stiff forearm that rocks her head back. Gabby staggers, barely keeping her balance as Jeremy presses his advantage, slamming a knee into her midsection and then another as she drops down to her knees...
With Gabby now on her knees, Jeremy begins to unleash a flurry of stiff kicks to her upperbody. It's some FRIENDLY FIRE for the challenger and then Jeremy finishes it off with a running knee to her head!
Jeremy goes for the pin again!
ONE!
TWO!
THRE - NO!
Jeremy appears to be growing more frustrated now as he lifts Gabby back up and sends her crashing into the corner with a hard Irish Whip, her back slamming against the turnbuckles with brutal force. He charges after her, hitting a hard clothesline that practically crushes her against the post. Gabby slumps down, and Jeremy lifts her up to the top rope.
Rod Sterling: "Jeremy's got bad intentions here! He’s looking to put Gabby away for good!"
Gabby fights back, her fists weakly hammering Jeremy's back, but he’s relentless, climbing up to the second rope, locking her in for a superplex. The crowd is on its feet, the tension mounting as he tries to pull off the high-impact move. Gabby, desperation flashing in her eyes, manages to break his grip and fires a series of frantic punches, knocking Jeremy down to the mat.
But before she can make her next move, Jeremy springs back up and hits her with a brutal forearm, stunning her. He climbs up again, this time delivering a super belly-to-belly suplex that sends Gabby flying across the ring! The impact of the move also has Jeremy on the mat and slow to recover…
But he manages to crawl over and hook her leg...
ONE!
TWO!
THRE....NO! She just barely gets her shoulder up!
Anzu Kurosawa: “I thought that was it for sure, Rod!”
Rod Sterling: “The high risk move from Jeremy didn’t quite pay off here, it took a lot out of him as well and that gave Gabby just enough time to be able to recover.”
The crowd is on their feet, a mix of fury and disbelief as Gabby fights for her life, but a frustrated Jeremy seems to think it's time to put away Jeremy for good. He lifts her up and once again lifts her up onto his shoulders in the Fireman's Carry...
Here comes - THE BFF!
But no! Gabby in a desperate burst of energy is able to DIG her fingers into Jeremy's eyes! He screams out in agony and loosens his grip just enough for Gabb to wiggle her way out and down his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and locking in a rear naked choke with the body scissors!
The crowd’s cheers grow louder, rallying behind her as she tightens the hold, squeezing with everything she has. Jeremy flails, trying to shake her off, but she holds on, her teeth gritted in determination. His legs start to wobble as he drops to one knee, then another, his eyes growing glassy as he begins to fade.
Anzu Kurosawa: "Jeremy's fading! Gabby is putting him to sleep! This could be it!"
Just as it looks as though Jeremy is going to pass out from the hold..
BBBUUUUZZZZZZZZZZ!
The cage swings open, allowing Johnny Murdoch to exit. He charges into the ring and with a vicious roar, clobbers Gabby from behind with a double axe handle to her back. Gabby and Jeremy both collapse forward to the ground as the larger, more powerful Murdoch pulls her up to her feet, delivering a sharp knee to her ribs, shoving her into the corner and begins to stomp on her midsection.
His partner, Sonny Zuko, retrieves a table from under the ring, sliding it in before he himself climbs into the ring.
But as Sonny positions the table against the turnbuckle, Larry Stevens intervenes, desperate to restore order. He grabs the table’s edge and starts to pull it away, barking orders at the Goodefellas to back off.
Rod Sterling: "Finally, Larry Stevens is taking control! He's had enough of the FWA's antics!"
But Zuko and Murdoch don’t take kindly to being told what to do. They both close in on Stevens, shoving him back as the referee tries to hold his ground. The tension hits a boiling point as the three exchange heated words, their faces inches apart. Suddenly, Stevens has had enough. He throws his hands in the air and bellows with fury, demanding the entire FWA leave the ringside area or face Jeremy’s immediate disqualification!
The crowd pops at the announcement, relief washing over them as it seems justice might finally be served. But Murdoch and Zuko exchange a quick glance and then both share an equally sinister smirk...
AND THEY LAY OUT STEVENS WITH A DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE!
Anzu Kurosawa: "Are you kidding me?!"
Rod Sterling: "Oh, come on! That was uncalled for!"
The boos are deafening as now Gabby finds herself dazed and struggling to get to her feet... and suddenly surrounded by not just Jeremy Best. Not just his current "friend with benefits" Johnny Murdoch. But also Murdoch's partner, Sony Zuko. But also now Sir Stache and Tonya Scott.
Jeremy gives out some orders to his team. Tonya and Sir Stache each grab Gabby by the arm, yanking her to the mat to hold her in place. Gabby tries to fight them off while Lizzie continues to try and break free from her own restraints. Sonny Zuko positions the table up against the turnbuckles before he and Johnny both grab Gabby, driving their knees into her midsection before pulling her toward the table.
Best clutches his midsection as he instructs the Goodefellas to finish her off, pointing to the table…
….
….
[BASTARD’S ANTHEM || Dubb Rebel]
…
….
Rod Sterling: "COULD IT BE? IS THIS BIG BRYAN BAXTER?!”
Anzu Kurosawa: "But who’s side would he be on?!”
Rod Sterling: "After what Jeremy let happen to him? I think we know! And these fans know too! And SO DOES JEREMY! Look at his face!”
The crowd is unglued as they look toward the entrance for the arrival of Big Bryan Baxter, while Jeremy’s eyes are wide and his face white as a ghost. He freaks out, yelling at the Friendship Wrestling Academy to protect him!
Murdoch and Zuko release Gabby as they along with Stache and Tonya turn to face the entrance…
Waiting..
Waiting for Bryan Baxter to show himself.
LOW BLOW TO MURDOCH!
LOW BLOW TO ZUKO!
Sir Stache turns around as is hit with a SHOTGUN DROPKICK from Gabby!
Tonya Scott turns around AND GABBY SPEARS HER THROUGH THE TABLE!
The music fades out with no appearance from Bryan Baxter but the distraction had paid off! Gabby had managed to use it to take out the FWA and now she backs Jeremy down into the corner!
Rod Sterling: “It would appear Gabby has some tricks up her sleeve as well! And now its just her and Jeremy!”
Jeremy offers up another handshake from the corner, but Gabby grabs his arm and pulls him in for a kick to the midsection…
34 D DOUBLE D-DT!
Gabby goes for the cover!
ONE!
TWO!
THREEE!!!
But the count was done by the FANS because Larry Stevens is still out cold! Gabby rolls to her feet as the BUZZER goes off again, opening Lizzie’s cage. Lizzie looks defeated in the cage though, realizing there is no escape as she looks to a nearby Mejor Amigo who has crawled his way over, seeming to still be suffering from the shot to the head he took from Lizzie earlier, doesn’t seem to know where he is.
Meanwhile, Gabby leaves her pinfall attempt and begins to climb to the top turnbuckle as Jeremy starts to stir. The champion slowly staggers to his feet…
SIRENS CALL TO JEREMY!
With the champ out, Gabby goes over to Larry Stevens and pulls him off the mat, shaking him to help revive him…
CRACK!
But as she’s trying to get the referee back into it, she takes another CHAIRSHOT to the back from Sonny Zuko! He and Johnny Murdoch have returned to the ring and Zuko now drops the chair in order to pick Gabby up…
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL FROM THE GOODEFELLAS!
Anzu Kurosawa: "God dammit! No! Gabby had this match won!”
Murdoch pulls Jeremy over placing him on top of Gabby and then he grabs Stevens and tosses him over by the pin attempt…
Stevens, barely knowing where he is… begins to count.
ONE…..
TWO…..
THREE…..
NO!
ITS BROKEN UP BY LIZZIE ROSE!
Rod Sterling: "What the Hell? Lizzie Rose has escaped the cage! But how?”
Lizzie is freed from the cage, as we see a limp Mejor Amigo laying against the cage offering us the only clue as to what may have happened but in the ring, Lizzie picks up the chair…
Murdoch and Zuko quickly dart out of the ring as the crazed look in Lizzie eyes had returned as she wielded the chair… she turns her attention to Jeremy, who pulls himself up off the canvas on his knees as Lizzie stands over him with the chair. Larry Stevens, slowly getting his wits back to him, suggests to Lizzie to not use the chair, but technically the rules of the match say she cannot get her friend disqualified.
Rod Sterling: "Remember, Jeremy’s rules specifically said the designated friend can get involved without getting disqualified… that means another one of the benefits of the friend… is anything goes for them!”
Anzu Kurosawa: "Take him out, Lizzie!”
Jeremy backs up on his knees, pleading with Lizzie to have some sympathy. “We were friends too… remember?”
Lizzie hesitates. That crazed look she had as she chased off the FWA faded away as she looks down at Jeremy. Gabby begins to get up to her feet, approaching her friend and placing her hand on Lizzie’s shoulder.
LIZZIE TURNS AND LEVELS GABBY WITH THE CHAIR!
Rod Sterling: "WHAT THE HELL?!”
Anzu Kurosawa: "I think Lizzie just accidentally hit Gabby! She thought it was one of the FWA!”
Lizzie’s eyes grow wide as Gabby drops to the mat after taking the chair to the head from Lizzie. Jeremy slowly pulls himself up and approaches Lizzie as the lock of shock fades… into a smile.
She turns to Jeremy…
Anzu Kurosawa: "Wait… what?”
Rod Sterling: "I… I don’t think that was an accident, Anzu….”
Anzu Kurosawa: "What the Hell is going on?”
Jeremy smiles and nods to Lizzie… AND THEY HUG! The decibel level in the arena has now reached a fever pitch with the hatred for Jeremy and now Lizzie as he walks over to Gabby. He pulls her motionless body up off the mat and onto his shoulders..
A BFF… possible for good measure!
He drops down and makes the cover.
One…
Two…
Three…
Result: Jeremy Best wins via pinfall at 25:17. |
The boos in the arena are deafening as the bell rings, signaling the end of the match. Jeremy Best stands tall over Gabby’s fallen form, a sick, satisfied grin spreading across his face as he breathes heavily. Kurt Harrington: "Here is your winner..... and STILL FWA World Champion... Jeremy Best!" Larry Stevens, still wincing in pain, reluctantly picks up the FWA Championship from the timekeeper's area. He slides it over to Jeremy, who snatches it with greed, raising the title high above his head. The FWA floods the ring, reuniting in celebration. As they celebrate in the ring, Lizzie Rose looks down at Gabby's fallen body and simply blows a kiss before she herself joins in on the celebration. A battered Mejor Amigo stumbles into the ring, making his way over to Jeremy who glanes at him and gives him a big hug as Amigo holds up the key to the handcuffs. Rod Sterling: "It was a set-up all along! They played everyone!”Anzu Kurosawa: "Gabby never had a chance! Lizzie Rose was never locked in... it was all a ruse! My god, I can't believe this!”Lizzie and Jeremy then move together, hugging tightly as Lizzie’s face lights up with an unsettling satisfaction. The betrayal is complete, and Jeremy raises Lizzie's arm with one hand while hoisting the FWA Championship high with the other, the Friendship Wrestling Academy standing tall in a united front around them. Rod Sterling: "Not only did Jeremy retain the title here tonight... but somehow the "Reign of Friendship" gets even stronger tonight... tonight we have seened the formation of a... friendship power couple... of sorts..."The show ends with a final shot of Lizzie Rose, standing proudly next to Jeremy, her eyes filled with a crazed determination as she lifts Jeremy’s hand even higher. The camera zooms in on Jeremy’s triumphant face, his eyes glistening with glee as he waves to his "Besties" in the audience. |
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bongo
FWA Wrestler
Posts: 37
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Post by bongo on Nov 17, 2024 17:10:02 GMT
Me; OH WOW, ELI BLACK IS BACK-!
*Reads more*
"Oh...."
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Post by supinesnake on Nov 17, 2024 18:02:26 GMT
Me; OH WOW, ELI BLACK IS BACK-! *Reads more* "Oh...." Yeah pretty much my reaction also |
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Post by thegipper on Nov 18, 2024 7:54:16 GMT
Hehehehehehe.
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Post by mandalorian on Nov 18, 2024 11:05:40 GMT
honestly it’s a very good heel turn but I fear you guys have just given yourselves xpac heat now |
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Post by thegipper on Nov 18, 2024 18:03:50 GMT
honestly it’s a very good heel turn but I fear you guys have just given yourselves xpac heat now You say it like that isn't normally my goal. |
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Post by mandalorian on Nov 18, 2024 18:30:10 GMT
honestly it’s a very good heel turn but I fear you guys have just given yourselves xpac heat now You say it like that isn't normally my goal. can you call something that just happens naturally a goal? |
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