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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:41:30 GMT
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:41:53 GMT
XXXIX.
“THE FINAL FOUR.”
Live from Osaka Castle Baseball Field in Osaka, Japan.
Thursday 4th April, 2024.
FIRST MATCH || 1/30.
Bryan Baxter vs. Michelle von Horrowitz.
Singles Match - F1 Climaxxx Semi-Final.
Match writer: SS or Dubb.
The 2023 F1 Tournament saw Big Bryan Baxter dominate in the pool matchups, making it to the Semi-Finals undefeated. But things changed there when he went up against Michelle von Horrowitz in a match that saw a lot of outside involvement from Mr. Scorpane on Baxter’s side and the Nephews on MvH’s side. MvH emerged victorious in a match of who could outcheat the other, moving her to the finals. Now, one year later, we once again find ourselves with a Semi-Finals match between Bryan Baxter and MvH. Except this time it’s Michelle coming in undefeated and on a hot streak while Bryan Baxter, for the first time in his career, is on a losing streak. His past three contests have seen a draw and two back to back losses including the loss of his prized North American Title. He can still win it back by surviving to the end of the F1… but first he has to try to avenge his loss from last year. While MvH looks to once again best Baxter, with her eyes on winning back to back F1 Tournaments.
SECOND MATCH || 1/30.
Jack the Clipper vs. Kleio De Santos.
Singles Match - FWA Television Championship.
Match writer: SS.
With Brooklyn Steiner and Madison Gray unable to compete at Fight Night, it was determined by the FWA brass that the FWA Television Championship should be vacated. However, no time is to be wasted in crowning a new champion, as the two individuals that Brooklyn Steiner defeated at Winter Wasteland will step into the maw and do battle once again. The former champion Kleio De Santos will need to put any notions of discord in The Coven in the back of her mind for the time being as she will be across the ring from the dangerous Londoner, Jack the Clipper.
THIRD MATCH || MAIN EVENT || 1/30.
Chris Peacock vs. Mike Parr.
Singles Match - F1 Climaxxx Semi-Final.
Match writer: Man.
Whilst one F1 Climaxxx Semi-Final is a rematch of the previous incarnation, the other is between two competitors who have never made it this far in the tournament before. Chris Peacock withdrew at this stage previously to pursue the FWA World Championship, but his eyes are squarely on the title held by his opponent in Osaka. The North American Champion Mike Parr continued his winning run by defeating Konchu Hao and now must stave off Peacock’s challenge, knowing that defeat means losing his championship. However ‘The Prodigy’ will find motivation in facing a man he has never bested before, but must ensure he does not fall victim to the kind of dastardly behaviour that saw Peacock advance over Big Bryan Bastard at Fight Night.
038: “AN ORIGINAL SHOW NAME.”
Live from the Sapporo Dome in Sapporo, Japan.
Saturday 6th April, 2024.
FIRST MATCH || 1/20.
Johnny Johhson vs. Colby Sol.
Singles Match - #1 Contendership Match for the FWA X Championship.
Match writer: Tommy.
King of the Deathmatch was a coming out party for Colby Sol - making a huge impact advancing to the Semi-Finals in his first ever appearance. And to his credit, Johnny Johnson certainly showed up for the event as well and perhaps proved some of his naysayers wrong as he made it to the finals before ultimately falling to Trixie. But both have certainly shown themselves to be threats in the new-look X Championship division. This will be a rematch of the KODM Semi-Finals - and the winner will earn a future date with Trixie for another shot at the X Championship.
SECOND MATCH || 1/20.
Celestia Ravenwood vs. Sierra.
Singles Match.
Match writer: SS.
Celestia Ravenwood finds herself without those Trios Titles after a loss at Fight Night. But with the title loss comes some new drama within the Coven which XYZ and the Menage have managed to find themselves in the middle of. After being approached by Celestia’s sister, Blaire, about attempting a coup within the Coven (XYZ being no stranger to coup attempts). However, XYZ elected to warn Kleio De Santos of Blair’s treachery… only for KDS to cost X in his KODM match against fellow Coven member, Trixie. A vicious assault from KDS left XYZ motionless following the match as the Menage came to his aid. This week, the saga between The Coven and The Menage continues as Celestia and Sierra go to battle.
THIRD MATCH || 1/20.
Sawyer Xavier vs. Xperienx Xtacee.
Singles Match - #1 Contendership Match for the FWA Television Championship.
Match writer: Jimmy.
While on Meltdown we will see the crowning of a new FWA Television champion, we won’t have to wait too long to find out who that new champion’s first challenger will be. Sawyer and XX both had admirable performances in the King of the Deathmatch but will now forgo the blood and guts for a more traditional wrestling match up. Both of these competitors are hungry for a win and a shot at FWA gold!
FOURTH MATCH || 1/20.
TR1CK or TR4SH (Juan Tothrefor, Hallowe’en Knight, and Trash Mammal) vs. PONI BOI (midnight MUSTANG, sunrise STALLION and midday MULE)
Trios Match.
Match writer: Man.
At Fight Night, TR1CK or TR4SH overcame The Coven to become the second-ever group to hold the FWA Trios Championships. The undefeated threesome of luchadors will look to extend their run to 5-0 on Fallout 039 when they take on PONI BOI. This is not the first boy band that TR1CK or TR4SH have faced in their time together so they will want to make sure that they are not just one hit wonders.
FIFTH MATCH || 1/20.
Gabrielle vs. Jackson Fenix.
Singles Match.
Match writer: Jimmy.
Jackson Fenix threw his name into the Carnal Contendership hat at Fight Night and will no doubt be looking to show he is someone to not overlook in that over the top rope affair to determine who will face the FWA World Champion at Back in Business in August. Fenix had a renaissance in 2023 and looks to continue his growth in 2024 - and who wouldn’t be up for a Jackson Fenix vs. Jeremy Best rematch at Back in Business if that’s how everything played out. But Hall of Famer and former champion Gabrielle certainly will be looking to make a statement as well. Should she decide to enter the Carnal Contendership as well, she instantly becomes a favorite to win. This match could be a big momentum builder heading into the CC.
SIXTH MATCH || 1/20.
Team True Friendship (Cyrus Truth, Jeremy Best, Sir Stache, and Mejor Amigo) [w/ Tonya Scott] vs. Vengador and Triple J Security (Jobber Jimbo, Jugem Jugem and Jiggy John) [w/ Bobby Joel].
Eight-Person Tag Team Match.
Match writer: Dubb.
At Fallout 037, Cyrus Truth walked away victorious in the main event that determined him to be the number one contender to the FWA World Championship, currently held by Jeremy Best. Or as Jeremey calls it, the World Friendship Championship. Jeremy seems to think that the match wasn’t to determine a number one contender but instead to determine who his newest friend is going to be, as evident by Jeremy bringing Cyrus onto a Let’s Make a Friend game show on Fallout 038. While Cyrus quickly provided reasons as to why Jeremy was not the kind of friend he wanted, Jeremy promised to prove to Cyrus that he was a true friend indeed.
Fast forward to Fight Night, where Cyrus Truth came to Japan and was confronted by one of the Japan wrestling scene’s biggest villains, Bobby Joel who has taken on FWA’s Vengador as a client. Looking to make an immediate impact for Vengador, Bobby Joel set targets on the number one contender. The Exile is certainly not one to back down from a challenge, and went toe to toe with Vengador, only to get blindsided by Triple J Security in what was a set up from Bobby Joel it seemed. It was the unlikely appearance of Jeremy Best and the Friendship Wrestling Alliance that saved Truth from a four on one beatdown and led to Jeremy setting up the challenge for Fallout 039. Jeremy has proclaimed this as “Team True Friendship” but something does not quite seem right about this whole situation.
SEVENTH MATCH || 1/20.
Trixie Bordeaux vs. Jason Randall.
Singles Match.
Match writer: Welsh.
Trixie Bordeaux was able to quickly bounce back from losing the FWA Trios Championships with her Coven sisters by winning the third ever King of the DeathMatch tournament and becoming the new X Champion, her first singles championship victory in the FWA. Her first match as champion will be against a former X Champion in his own right, Jason Randall. Randall was unsuccessful in the tournament himself in Japan but a victory over the new champion would certainly bring him into contention. Trixie on the other hand must make sure that she stamps her authority on a stalwart of the X division as its new Queen.
EIGHTH MATCH || MAIN EVENT || 1/60.
Jay Kenny and Donny Toner vs. Randy Ramon and Chris Crowe.
Tag Team Match for the FWA World Tag Team Championships.
Match writer: Tig.
The tag team division was thrown into turmoil recently when Xavien Marshall relinquished his half of the FWA World Tag Team Championships ahead of Fallout 038. He, along with partner Jay Kenny, were due to defend those belts against Randy Ramon and Chris Crowe, the winners of December's Buddy Bowl tag tournament. Ramon and Crowe were thrown together by chance, and managed to outlast nine other randomly assigned tandems to earn this shot at the champions. It was announced on Fallout 038 that Kenny would be joined in this defense and hypothetical future defenses by Donny Toner, who steps in for Xavien at the eleventh hour to ensure this tag team main event goes ahead, even if not quite as planned.
Promo deadlines:
Sunday 31st March, 23:59PM Pacific Time.
Monday 1st April, 03:00AM Eastern Standard Time.
Monday 1st April, 08:00AM Greenwhich Mean Time.
Monday 1st April, 16:00PM Australian Western Standard Time.
There will be no extensions! None! Ha!
GLHF. |
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:43:47 GMT
Originally posted by AON. Barbara:"Ah-ha, well, this is just a rather serendipitous turn of events. Everything's coming together perfectly, boss! We just need to set up your shop and add a few decor items for the general ambience. One must set the mood and give them that razzmatazz, and well, victory will be soon at hand.
The Scissor Sisters once again found themselves in Jack The Clipper's shitty little barber store...Only not, Confused? Well, I guess you didn't hear the news. Jackie Noble is moving up in the world. The states have a new business to invest in. Jack The Clipper is opening up shop in the good ol' US of A, and today was the moving-in day. The Scissor Sisters are helping him set up shop all day and are now resting in his office that overlooks the main room of the barbershop. Jack sits at his desk, feet up on it. He's dressed in a button-up and some designer jeans. His eyes look like he's been up for weeks, dark and baggy. Dyeanna stands in front of him (Even though it's impossible to tell which is which) while Barbera is to their left, organising a few of the boxes around that side of the office. They're labelled different things, obviously, so Jack can keep track of everything he's packed. The entire time his minon talks, Jack is off in his own little world. It's difficult to tell if he's ignoring her on purpose or if he just has a lot on his mind. She notices but doesn't let it stop him.
"Then we can start setting up for your Championship celebration! I can't believe…."
Championship celebration… The TV Championship Match. It feels like Jack hasn't been able to put his full focus on that in weeks. Even with every victory he got ever since he came to FWA, he's had other things to worry about. With his new barber shop opening up in the States finally coming together, it seems as though The Final Four has come at the perfect time. KDS doesn't know what she's in for, especially not after what happened at King Of The Deathman. Jack hates losing, and that was all he needed in terms of sheer motivation. Nothing gets motivated by spite and anger than Jack The Clipper. If Jack can get into the headspace that he usually does when he's fighting, pumped up to maim someone, imagine what he's capable of when there's gold on the line. Imagine what happens when he's under the bright lights in a match he's been fighting for since he arrived in FWA. Like the cookie, she'll crumble. How could he not-
Dyeanna: "We got the last of your office stuff."
The less cheerful and classless Dyeanna dropped a box directly on Jack's desk, and you hear the various items clang against each other in the box. Dyeanna's tone lets everyone in the room know that she's upset, with Barbera damn near snapping her neck to look over at her sister. But Jack doesn't even look at her minion. He just stares at the box on his desk - 'Family' on it in a black sharpie. Jack takes a moment before staring at the sight of the box.
Dyeanna: Oi, No offence, - but we ain't signed up to be your fucking personal movers. We ain't your servants, yes sir, no sir sign yah fuckin' shoes sir."
It feels like time stands still. The frustration Dyeanna feels might be a little justified. She and Barbara were promised they'd be getting their big break soon thanks to Jack - yet neither woman has even made it to FWA Television yet. There's been no mention of a match with the scissor sisters even happening, which isn't exactly part of the deal. Barbara silently pleads with Dyeanna to stop and receives Dyeanna's hostile sneer in return. The east-end barber… doesn't take his eyes off that box. His mind never leaves the memories and great times he had. The more he thinks, as the years pass in his trip down memory lane, he realises that the memories grow far and fewer. He realises the box may have been a bit heavier a few years ago. He doesn't even have to lift it up to know that. No, not now. Not here. Jack feels himself starting to get a little hot, but he can't lose his composure right now. As his mind wanders, it comes back to his beautiful da-
Dyeanna: I'm going to get a drink.
Jack The Clipper: Help yourself.
Dyeanna: ".... Wasn't asking."
Jack's tone was as monotonous as can be, the complete opposite of the pissed-off twin. His train of thought is on a round trip, with so many different thoughts on board that it's making his head spin. Normally, Jack The Clipper wouldn't tolerate disrespect like Dyeanna's just showed. Part of Jack doesn't care - or has to appear like he doesn't, but maybe part of him even thinks it's justified. That box of family knick knacks Dyeanna left behind, what if it's got him sentimental? Nah, not a guy like Jack. As cold-hearted as he is? That's why he bundles up for winter. In case you didn't know. Jack continues his staring match with the box, and this time, it's Barbara who snaps him out of it.
Barbara: Excuse me? Boss…
Jack The Clipper: She's fine. A little restless. She can use that soon enough.
Jack finally stands up, walking towards the large glass window to watch Dyeanna head downstairs and out the door. Is Jack just saying that part about soon enough? Is she worried that her sister might also begin to question this partnership? Before those questions get answered, Jack decides it's time to take matters into his own hands.
Jack The Clipper: You can go out and sweep the floors, haven't even opened the fucking thing up, and already there's hair all over the place
Barbara: Certainly, I will take care of it, post-hast-I'll-
Jack The Clipper:"I didn't say now, We need to Jack The Clipper: talk.
Barbara shifts uncomfortably; it seems like he noticed, but the two minutes of silence could've told the story just as well.
Jack The Clipper: Problem?
Barbara: Not in the least
Jack turns and looks at Barbara on the opposite side of the room, who has moved on to decorating the walls with whatever posters or photos he can find, almost like she wants to stay out of Jack's way. Can you blame her? Never knowing when someone was going to their breaking point is a terrifying feeling. But Barbara's "if I'm quiet, maybe he won't know I'm here" act doesn't work for too long.
Jack The Clipper: Help me set up over here.
Barbara: Yes, sir.
Barbara placed the rest of whatever she was unpacking down, quickly moving towards Jack to assist her as asked. Both of them grab a box each and take their positions on opposite ends. The way Jack's office is set up, the West Ham Logo picture that hangs up behind his desk? Has shelving units on each side. Barbara is at the left, one as far left as she can be, with Jack mirroring that. The two both open their respective boxes and begin to set everything up on the shelves. The things they pull out are something else. Different vinyl records from various eras of English music, various pictures or accolades from the past before Jack's arrival. We see Barbara stop and ask Jack a few times about how he wants certain things, and Jack answers rather cordially. Other than questions and directions, there's not much talking between the two, though. Jack is looking to change that.
Jack The Clipper: So, Barbara, how do you like how things are going so far?
Silence. It's not the most tactful way to get a performance review from your subordinates, but at least he's trying. As usual, the incredibly posh Barbera keeps her words inside, continuing to place things on the shelves for Jack. This time, a few scissors that have served Jack blows air out of his nose and smirks, finding this funny. He's trained Barbara well. Is it time to reward her?
Jack The Clipper: You can say what you like, speak freely. This ain't the army, I ain't your commanding officer, say how you feel.
Barbara looks toward his boss, a mix of curiosity and worry on her face. Jack seems to be getting out of whatever funk he was in, doing his best to open up and do a little more talking with Barbara instead of to Barbara. But is that good for Barbara? The posh half of the scissor sisters does her best to put a series of words together that not only don't offend Jack but might actually make him happy. How the hell do you make Jack The Clipper happy?
Barbara: It is fine. One sees what you have planned for my sibling and oneself playing out more as time passes.
Jack The Clipper: Do you feel like your sister does?
Barbara: No.
There's no surprise there. That answer doesn't sit right with Jack. Before, he was distracted by irrelevant thoughts; now, he can't help but replay the scene back in his head. Dyeanna slams the box down, getting stern and rude to Jack. Jack's blood almost starts to boil. Barbara may be seeing this and quickly speaks up.
Barbara: One does not feel the anger she does. But one does understand her impatience.
That doesn't make it much better. Jack stops putting his vintage Pablo Di Canio shirt on the wall, staring directly at Barbara with the utmost seriousness. Jack's paranoia may be beginning to kick in; maybe the major pressure of the upcoming Television Title match is getting to him. Whatever it is, it's not helping him. Jack wants to have an outburst. He wants to let go… but he can't. Even though he feels accused of being a hustler by Barbara, Jack must maintain the peace. Barbara doesn't seem to realise she struck a nerve, continuing to 'speak freely' as requested. Somebody should've taught her that there's such a thing as too much.
Barbara: We were promised an opportunity. The carrot was dangled in front of our faces, so to speak, and now it feels as though we chased it from sun up to sundown and got nowhere.
Jack The Clipper: But you're not angry?
That's what Jack can't seem to wrap his head around. He feels anger inside him just from hearing Barbara say she understands Dyeanna's' point of view. That bit of confusion in Jack is enough to diffuse his temper for the time being, yet part of him still wants to be upset. He continues to dig for a reason to be… why?
Jack The Clipper: Y'know. If I were you? I'd be furious.
Barbara: But what good does that do? Anger.
Jack scoffs. What a silly question to ask. He almost can't believe his minion is being serious.
Barbara: Not only is it an ugly emotion, it is uncontrollable.
Jack The Clipper: "How'd you figure that?
Barbara: "It's a topic that's been well researched. Every living thing has, at one point, been overtaken by rage. They become unrecognisable, no longer themselves. Their actions are reckless. Stupid. How do you control that?
Jack The Clipper: "You're asking me? How I'm I bleedin' meant to know? I guess- Time?
Barbara: No.
The two have stopped completely organising Jack's office, instead staring at one another. Jack's fury rests in his tightened jaw muscles that match his fiery eyes.
Barbara: Anger is a weakness. There is no controlling it.
Depending on how you look at it, Jack proves her right with the way that he snaps back in response. It's subtle, but the speed of the rebuttal is all you need.
Jack The Clipper: Who taught you that? Huh?! Who fed you that bullshit?!
This causes Barbara to pause; the stern look that rested upon her face washes away like soap in a bath. Her expression becomes more soft, as does her voice when he answers.
Barbara: "Myself and Dyeanna. We watched our father fall victim to it. Our uncle. Cousins, friends. Nobody taught us.
Barbara turns away from Jack, grabbing another box to unpack. She almost doesn't want to say the next part. The reality is still too much for her to face head-on all this time later. Yet she doesn't hang her head in shame or sorrow. She holds it high as she unpacks.
Barbara: We learned that lesson on our own.
You can tell from his reaction that Jack never knew that the sissior sisters faced any hardships like that. Anybody with eyes can also see that Jack doesn't do well when people start sharing information about themselves. Typical narcissist behaviour - or maybe he's just uncomfortable. No matter which it is, Jack switches the topic back to what they spoke of earlier.
Jack The Clipper: So you're not angry that I'm 'dangling' opportunities in front of you… what are you?
Barbara: Patient.
Barbara chuckles, trying to lighten the mood. Maybe lighten her own mood after revealing some less-than-pleasant things despite not getting too deep into them. Jack chuckles as well. It quickly goes back to being quiet between the two for the time being as they set up. Eventually, Jack is the one to break that silence.
Jack The Clipper: Has anybody ever told you two I was like you when I was younger?
Barbara: You have alluded to some things, but never more than that.
Jack The Clipper : I was angry. Like your da', your uncle. My da', he… he wasn't there like I thought he should be.
Barbara: Right, right. You've mentioned this once before: He was some kind of brute who didn't share your raw talent for cutting hair like you. That is not controlling your anger; that is growing up and letting go.
Jack The Clipper: Let me finish. Me da wasn't the only person I was mad at, especially after my dad talked to me about why he wanted to me to take over his shop.
Barbara: Something bigger than himself.
Jack The Clipper: You do pay attention. Yeah, something bigger than himself. He wanted to keep the family tradition; he wanted to make sure I did what he did, my kids, my kid's kid.... He worked night and day in that goddamn store, And you know how they repaid him?
Barbara's silence is confirmation that he does.
Jack The Clipper: Exactly. I can't even tell you the first time I felt it, but these people? These people that my dad tried to help? Looked down at him and me. Every day of his life. To this day, I hate them. The thought of my dad choosing them over me, Picking some upper-class pricks over his own son? Any time I think about it-
Barbara: The demon barber reveals itself.
Jack The Clipper: "It was a lot more obvious when I was younger. I'd stray from home a lot. Nothing ever really felt like home. I used to tell them all the time how much I hated London, England, Europe, New assignments, new towns, and new friends. The cycle never really stopped. I used to act out with no regard for anybody else's thoughts or feelings but my own. Get in trouble, just doing stupid shit. Why not? I needed to do something with it. I needed to find a way to get rid of it. But after a decade and some change, I was able to make it mine. I put that hate on a leash and make it do my bidding.
The more he speaks about it, the easier it is to sense that Jack has some sort of affinity for anger. Like it really is his pet. Barbera soft voice, even when she whispers, carries enough weight that the next phrase hits like a sledgehammer and has Jack immediately denying.
Barbara: It tricks you.
Jack The Clipper: No, no. To this day, I use that feeling to push myself. When things get tough, and I don't know if I should take that next step, my anger takes it for me. If I can't find a path, my anger will make one for me.
Barbara: You misunderstand. No.. Not with you, meaning that the anger is in control.
Jack the Clipper, is it, though? Think about it, Barbara. With as much as I've been through, I have to let the anger take control. Without my say-so, it's stuck inside, locked away with everything else. In the hands of anybody else, it's destructive. But anger in the hands of a man who can control it, who can use it to his advantage? It's a very powerful tool.
Barbara: It sounds like a very dangerous game you are playing.
Jack The Clipper:: Me? I'll be fi-
Barbara: Not for you. For your loved ones.
Barbara holds up a picture of Jack's family, and Jack quickly snatches it away. It's Jack, his ex-wife, and their two daughters. Jack stares at the picture long enough for the Earth to revolve around the sun, and then he glances up at Barbara to see where the hell this came from. Barbara was still unpacking, and which box did she grab? The same one that Dyeanna brought upstairs - The one marked 'Family'.Jack was right earlier; there's not a lot in the box. A few pictures of his ex-wife and daughters, as well as a few pictures of his mom and dad,Jack places the picture he has down in his desk when Barbara has already dug out another picture.
Barbara: Your father was in the military?
Jack The Clipper: Sergeant first-class cook.
Barbara: A cook?
Jack The Clipper: Yeah. Ran that kitchen like a mad bastard, too.
This time, it's Jack's turn to lighten the mood. He's doing his best to suppress his emotions until it's time for KDS. Hopefully, some humour does the job. The two work on finishing the final touches on Jack's shelves, but Jack notices that Babara keeps sneaking looks at him.
Jack The Clipper: Got something else you wanna ask?
Barbara sighed, hoping it didn't come to this.
Barbara: "With respect, Do you really have your anger under control? Or does it have you, sir?
Jack stops mid-movement. Once again, Barbara seems to be questioning Jack at least in Jack's twisted mind. But not to Barbara; it was a regiment question.
Barbara: Anger has a way of blending the two worlds - reality and your worst nightmares. One does not doubt your strength, but sometimes the job it does is… too authentic. And if what you say is true? That you possess the ability to keep something as evil as that under lock and key, to use as you please?
A pause.
Barbara: One fears your inability to see what anger and hate has done to you will be the least of all our worries in the coming time.
These are daunting words from the minion, yet they ring true. Jack's lust for revenge against the world could very well lead to much worse issues with larger consequences.Jack stops himself once again as Barbera continues.
Barbara: And may Heaven forbid you lose this 'control' you have during your title match against Kleio De Santos-
Jack The Clipper: Barbara…
Barbara: Yes?
Jack The Clipper: "Shut up, the right to speek freely has been revoked.
Dyeanna: "The fuck are you two wankers gabbing about?"
Both Jack and Barbara's heads whirled around to see the second scissor sister having returned, drinking from the bottle, and still looking pissed off as fuck
Dyeanna: Didn't think you'd be here fucking around talking about feelings and anger, and all this boo-hoo shit, when you have a shot at the big time, at the television title. The thing you've been working towards since you got to FWA! And you're focusing on that shit and not KDS?
BANG-!
A fist bangs against the table with enough force to leave it shaking, which shuts up the scissors sisters.
Jack The Clipper:"You think I'm looking past the Coven? You think I'm looking past KDS? Nah, you're full of bullshit. KDS has gotten a stranglehold on that belt for the last few months. I've been in the ring with her; I know how tough she is, and you know what?
That's just going to make it all the better when I tear her to fucking shreds.
Jack The Clipper:I don't give a shit what came before. I don't care about how dominating she's been. I don't care about her magical shit. I don't even care about her drama with her little crew. The dregs of the wrestling world will arrive; hell, some of them are already here. But I ain't playing that game. But I'm not going to play that game. I won't sink to the Coven's level of bullshit. That shit is for the weak-willed. My will is unbreakable. My dedication is rock solid.
I am not here to be a cartoon, not like Kleio De Santos; she's a wrestler that is damn good, I ain't going to lie, but she hides behind all that for what? Pretending to be a fucking witch? Some harry potter shit? Because when I look at her, I just see a young Jack Noble, a stupid kid hiding behind a shitty gimmick...and you know what I want to do with that kid? That annoying snot knows, kid?"
Jack smiles almost to himself as he flexes his arm back and forth and walks out the door.
Jack The Clipper: "....You'll find out on Meltdown. |
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:44:10 GMT
Originally posted by Jimmy. Jackson Fenix did not expect to spend the first half of his trip to Sapporo, Japan, in the Sapporo Grand Hotel bar, but that’s where he is now. He doesn’t normally spend much time in bars these days due to him trying to sober up and better himself, but again, here is in a bar. He is drinking ice water instead of an alcoholic beverage. It’s around 1 am, and he’s in the hotel bar sipping ice water when he should be resting before his big match with Gabrielle Montgomery.
He finishes the water, and before he can decline, the bartender refills it for him. He’s about to head back to his hotel room, where he’s going to try to reconcile things with his girlfriend Hazel, who kicked him out of the room, but he’s stopped by a young-looking American woman who sits down at the bar next to him.
“Excuse me, but you’re Jackson Fenix, right?”
Jackson would like nothing more than to go back to his hotel room and rest up, but he also knows what is waiting for him when he gets there, and right now, he doesn’t have the energy for that. He does his best to brush that off and hide his tiredness and politely responds to someone who is a fan.
“Yeah, that’s me.”
The woman, who appears to be in her mid-to-late twenties, reacts delighted to this news.
“OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S YOU!”
“Heh, yeah, sometimes I can’t believe I’m me either.”
Remnants of the old Jackson Fenix sometimes slip out, and that causes him to shake his head at himself.
“Sorry, that sounded pretty stupid; yeah, it’s me.”
The excited fan waves it off and nervously laughs at him.
“Oh, it’s okay, I don’t mind! I want to say I’m a big fan of yours!”
“That’s cool. Do you live in Japan?”
“Oh no, I’m from America, but I like to try to follow FWA around the world when I can and attend shows wherever.”
Jackson can’t help but be impressed by an obvious superfan. He nods in appreciation and lifts his glass to her.
“Well, cheers to that. I can appreciate a loyal FWA fan.”
“Not just FWA but especially you in particular. I’ve been following you for so long.”
Okay, not gonna lie, that’s kind of creepy in a way but Jackson does his best to hide that he’s a bit creeped out.
“Well, I appreciate that.”
“What are you doing here alone in this bar? I thought you’d be in bed getting rested before your match with Gabrielle.”
“You’d think that, right? As a matter of fact, that’s what I’d like to be doing right now, but instead, I’m down at the bar.”
“What happened? Why are you here?”
Jackson considers whether he should tell this stranger the story of why he’s here. After all, it’s not any of her business, and she should probably know better than to try to pry into another person’s personal life, but for some reason, he brushes all of that off and decides to tell her.
What’s the worst that can happen, right?
“It’s kind of a funny story…”
********************
Flashback to about an hour or so earlier where Jackson Fenix is sound asleep in bed next to his girlfriend, Hazel Knight, who is also sleeping, but suddenly Hazel wakes up as she sits up with a jolt. She’s breathing heavily as she sits up and looks over at Jackson, who is still sleeping, having not been disturbed by her sudden movement. She seems sad at first and about to cry, but then that turns to anger. Hazel snatches her pillow and starts to violently hit Jackson on the head with it until he’s woken up.
“Hey, hey! What’s that for?!”
Instead of answering, she hits him again with the pillow. Jackson wears an expression of confusion while still half-asleep. Still, his reflexes kick in as he prevents Hazel from hitting him again when he blocks the pillow attack and takes it away from her.
“Hazel, what’s going on?! Why are you hitting me?!”
“I know what you did!”
That’s all she says in response, and Jackson looks even more confused.
“What are you talking about?! What did I do?!”
“You slept with her!”
“Slept with who?”
“Gabrielle Montgomery!”
“What?!”
“You slept with her after your match!”
“What are you talking about?! That doesn’t make sense! The match with her hasn’t happened yet, so how could I have done that?!”
“It happened in my dream, so obviously, it’s going to happen! I’ve seen the way you look at her and those requests you made for her on her Only Fans!”
“You wanted me to make those requests! You wanted us to watch the videos together, and we did!”
“That’s beside the point! You’ve always had a thing for her.”
Jackson rubs his eyes in disbelief and does his best to think about what he’s hearing right now.
“Wait, let me get this straight because I’m trying to wrap my head around this. You think that because of what happened in your dream that, it’ll come true? Do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?”
“Well…you cheated on your last girlfriend! What’s stopping you from doing that again, huh?”
“Well, for one, I’m not that guy anymore. I regret what I did back then when I hurt Britney by sleeping around on her, especially with her sister Ashley, but that’s not me anymore. I wouldn’t do that to you, I promise.”
********************
“...and the next thing you know, I’m down here at the bar after she kicked me out…”
We return to the present hours, where Jackson has finished telling the story to this complete stranger.
“Wow, I can’t believe she would overreact like that to something that happened in a dream.”
“I know, right?”
“I would never, ever do that if I were in her shoes and I was with you in bed.”
Jackson looks a bit weirded out by that comment, and it shows that the woman looks embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, perhaps that was crossing the line…”
“No…uh… it’s okay.”
He finishes up his second glass of water and gets up from his seat, which prompts the strange woman to follow suit.
“Where are you going?”
Jackson is rightfully creeped out now and doesn’t hide any longer.
“Uh, I was going to hit the john and head back to my room to make up with Hazel.”
The woman looks confused now, and Jackson is trying to think of an escape plan.
“Uh, it was nice meeting you…”
“Abby, my name is Abby!”
Abby…weirdly similar to Gabby like Gabrielle Montgomery.
Fenix nods and cautiously walks to the bathroom while keeping an eye over his shoulder. He finishes up in the bathroom and checks his surroundings before leaving. As he exits the bathroom, he senses he’s being followed by this strange woman, and out of the corner of his eye, he sees her following him.
He quickly jumps into the next elevator he sees and hits his floor button before the elevator goes up. Before he exits the elevator, he pokes his head out to check his surroundings. The coast seems clear, and he leaves. As he begins walking down the hall back to his room, he hears the elevator ding behind him. He glances over his shoulder, and it’s Abby, the stranger he met in the bar.
How did she know what floor he was on? He thought to himself.
Clearly, he has a stalker on his hands. He thinks back to the time when he used to creep on certain women, but he never resorted to stalking. Well, except for the one time when Britney Spears was at her Las Vegas resort, where she did her shows.
He thinks about the times he used to be such a creep toward Gabrielle and telling her how much he wanted to sleep with her. He regrets how he used to treat all women that he used to creep on.
Abby stands at the end of the hall and watches Jackson as he knocks on the door to his hotel room, all the while keeping an eye on Abby.
“Hey Hazel, can we talk?”
He says through the door, but there’s no answer.
“Come on, Hazel, please let me in. Listen. I’m sorry, okay? I know I used to be a jerk, but that’s not me anymore. Yeah, I used to be a creep toward Gabrielle and wanted to get in her pants, but again, that’s not me anymore. I promise you that nothing will happen with Gabrielle and me after our match….”
The door finally opens, and Abby sprints down the hall. Jackson brushes past Hazel to get inside and shuts the door behind him. The knob starts to turn, and he goes to lock it, but Hazel opens the door, and Abby stumbles backward. No words are said, and Abby nervously runs away down the hall.
“Haze, I swear nothing happened with that girl and I…well, uh, besides me telling her what happened…but nothing else happened…”
Hazel re-enters the room and shuts the door behind her.
“I know.”
“How do you know?”
“I thought about you said before I kicked you out and realized I was being silly about my dream, and hearing what you said outside the door helped that…”
“I promise you that the only thing I’ll be doing with Gabrielle is wrestling her and winning the match…”
She smiles and plants a kiss on his lips.
“You better win or else…”
“Or else what?”
She pushes him onto the bed, and things start getting hot and heavy as the scene fades out. |
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:44:30 GMT
Originally posted by Jimmy. Another KODM, another loss.
It’s something Jason Randall has become accustomed to these days. If he was booked in a match, he was bound to come up short. No matter how hard he may try to pull out the win and come out on top, it doesn’t matter because the result is always the same for him.
It’s gotten to the point that he expects the worst. He goes into a match knowing he’s going to lose. Maybe in his mind, it helps ease the pain of a loss; who knows? All he knows is he’s not going to get his hopes up anymore, and neither should the fans when they see him in a match.
Of course, none of this is going to stop him from competing. Despite the negative outlook, he won’t stop. He can’t stop, and no matter how hard he may try or how much his body tries to tell him to stop, he can’t do it.
No one knows for sure why he still does it. Some say he does it for the fans, but they must not be paying attention because he hasn’t given a shit what the fans think in months. That doesn’t stop the fans from showing him respect and cheering him on. They don’t care that he doesn’t care about them or what they think.
Maybe he still does it because it’s all he’s ever been good at. He’s said himself that it’s the only thing in his life he’s ever been good at is wrestling. He was never much of a fighter when he was a child. He kept to himself and kept a lot of his emotions bottled up for the majority of his youth. It wasn’t until he started getting older that he started releasing those emotions, letting out his anger onto others, unleashing his frustrations. He found wrestling to be the perfect outlet for him to do all of that and get away with it. It wasn’t always how he felt, and he still did his best to hide his emotions from the world, but as the years passed by, he began to care less and less.
The Wildcard losing KODM was the last thing on his mind, though. He returned home from the event to find that one of the cats that he and Penny shared had a stroke and had lost movement in his hind legs. The cat in question was Fred, the cat. No, not Penny’s beloved plush cat that she carried to the ring during her days as an in-ring competitor, but the real cat, Fred.
There was no other choice but to relieve their beloved cat of his pain and suffering by having him euthanized. This wasn’t an easy choice, but Fred was suffering, and they both felt it was right instead of letting him suffer any longer. He had lived a good life, surrounded by love from his human parents and other pet siblings, but soon, he could be pain-free and be in a better place.
This was the solace that Randall took when he thought about it. This was also one of those times that kept his emotions in check. He did that for Penny, who was an emotional mess. He did his best to console her after it had been done when they returned home without their beloved cat. It was a somber evening afterward, and Penny eventually retired to their bedroom, where she would cry herself to sleep. Randall went outside on the deck of their beachouse and looked out at the waves crashing into each other. He took a seat on their swing bench and leaned back.
“Pretty view, isn’t it?”
Randall looks to his left and there’s Fred sitting beside him.
“Yeah, it sure is.”
There’s a brief moment of silence between the two before Randall speaks up again.
“You know what? I’m going to miss you, buddy.”
“I know you are, and I’ll miss you too. I’ll miss both of you.”
“It’s not going to be easy with you gone.”
“I’ll always be here with you two. I’ll watch you guys; you can think of me as a guardian angel.”
Randall chuckles to himself at that comment, and Fred can’t help but chuckle at himself.
“I know, you don’t believe in that sort of thing, but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“Well, we’re not getting another cat if that’s what you’re implying.”
“No, that’s not what I meant, but if I can be honest, there’s no other cat that can replace me.”
“You got that right.”
“What I had meant was, what are you going to do now about your next match with Trixie Bordeaux?”
Randall looks at Fred in a bit of disbelief at that question.
“What? I can’t ask about that?”
“You can, but that should be the least of your worries.”
“Look, just because I’m not alive anymore doesn’t mean I still can’t care about your wrestling matches. I know how much that has meant to you and how this Trixie can’t be underestimated. She’s a former trios champion, and now she’s the X Champion, having won the KODM this year.”
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“Sorry.”
“Nah, it’s okay. I get what you’re saying. I know I can’t overlook this one despite my current outlook on wrestling these days.”
“Well, if you always expect the worst, the worst will usually be the end result.”
“What else should I expect then?”
“Nothing.”
“What?”
“Why do you still do this stuff after all these years?”
“I don’t know.”
There’s another moment of silence.
“Hey, is any of this real?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh, well, it doesn’t make much sense.”
“Nothing makes sense.”
“Hey, I know I already said it, but I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.”
Randall glances over to his left again, and Fred is gone.
He doesn’t know for sure if that was real or not, but he knows he won’t stop from fighting to win. He still expects the worst outcome, but that won’t stop him from trying to prevent it from happening.
Trixie may be on the top of the world right now, but pretty soon, it’ll all come crashing down.
Maybe it’s about time The Wildcard gives Trixie a little preview of that.
Do it for Fred. |
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:45:13 GMT
Originally posted by ETE. 27th January 2024 11:04pm 10th February 2024 10:23pm If life was a fairytale then Desmond’s messages to Gabrielle would be entirely sincere. A friend, a ‘business’ partner, a fan reaching out to her knowing that she might be struggling a bit. Her battles with her self confidence and her mental state are well documented, and is what led to her getting involved in his line of ‘work’.
But life isn’t a fairytale, and while Desmond does genuinely care, and only want the absolute best for Gabrielle. He still recognises an opportunity when he see’s one…
…
…
…
“You know I thought about being a Wrestler years ago.” Desmond exclaims as he reclines back into his Sofa.
“mmmhmm.” Is the only reply he gets. It makes him chuckle as he glances downwards.
“But it all looked too painful, think I could have been a Manager though.”
Another “mmmhmm” is the reply he’s afforded. Once again making him chuckle.
“I bet I could cut some great promos. Hey, I could be your Manager, and I just thought of a great promo!” He exclaims. “I’ll show you.”
“hmm?” Is her questioning response this time.
Desmond still chuckles though. Before palming Gabrielle’s head in place in his lap as he leans forward over her and grasps one of the many handheld cameras he always has, and props it up on the coffee table, pointed back at himself and Gabrielle. She outstretches her arms quizzically, bemused at why Desmond is talking about promos at a time like this.
He leans back and releases his firm grip on her head as the camera then live feeds to the TV in front of him. “No that doesn’t work.” He sternly says. Leaning back over top of Gabrielle he adjusts the way the camera is positioned and then sits back. “Ah, still. Listen, just sink down on your knees a bit more.”
Gabrielle slides her head back, freeing herself of his appendage and then looks up at him. “What? I don’t understand.”
“My promo idea, just let me show you. You just need to be out of view a bit more.” He gestures at the camera, Gabrielle’s gaze following his hand. “Its not being uploaded anywhere, let me do this.”
Gabrielle rolls her eyes, but sinks down a bit lower between his legs as she kneels on the floor in front of him. He then leans over once again and adjusts the camera again before sitting back satisfied. He runs a hand through her brunette hair and guides Gabrielle back to his crotch where she can resume bouncing her forehead off his abdomen.
“Perfect!” Desmond moans as Gabrielle’s dark brown locks can only just occasionally be seen in the bottom of the camera’s view.
“Okay, okay…so this is our promo. Camera starts rolling…and GO!” Desmond exclaims blissfully as he claps his hands together loudly, startling Gabrielle who grunts out loudly.
“Oh…I guess everyone is expecting to see Gabrielle right about now…” He smirks gleefully. “What with this being a Gabrielle promo and all.”
He relaxes back completely into that Sofa. “Well…you see the thing is…she’s quite busy right now. But rest assured she’s working really HARD, and she’ll be working really LONG. She’s a committed girl that Gabrielle, when she sinks her teeth into…no…no!”
Desmond breathes a sigh of relief as Gabrielle can ever so slightly be heard giggling, though its muffled.
“See when Gabrielle takes something on, she takes it on DEEP! And right now she’s doing some…breathing exercises, and stamina workouts. Its really quite impressive. And I’m sure she’d love to be telling you all right now just how badly she’s going to kick some jabroni’s ass…but her mouth is kind of full right now. Very full actually.”
Desmond grins at that ‘witty’ comment. “But I guess if you all really want to hear from Gabrielle the Goddess, the Divine Diva, the Caramel Champion, the Sinful Siren, the the Queen of the Queendom, the Princess of Perfection, the Empress of…Eating Dick…we could try. Gabs…anything you want to say to your fans?”
Desmond runs a hand through her hair, and makes sure to tussle her brunette curls into view.
“ggggggggguggggggg. Is the only muffled response she can muster.
“She’s too busy, her mouth really is stuffed guys.” Desmond is beaming with pride at that comment. “But I’ve known Gabrielle for years, and I know just what she’d say…she can take it all! No matter what you try she’ll take it and CUM back for more.”
He loosens his playful grasp of her hair, and Gabrielle slides her head into view, glancing back at the camera for a moment she cant help but smirk and shake her head. “Not bad Des.”
“That could make it past the PG rating, we don’t see anything. Just the back of your head.” Desmond excitedly tells her. Before Gabrielle can chime in any further he continues. “And I figure every great Manager needs a dastardly move right?”
“Yeah…” Gabrielle replies.
“Well I’ve got the perfect one. I call it the Klaw with Mandible Claw.”
“That’s not very catchy.” She retorts with a playful laugh.
“Okay, okay. I’ll think up a better name later. But let me show it too you”
“Okaaay…you know what you’re doing?” She asks somewhat apprehensively.
“Oh yes, I know exactly what I’m doing here.” Desmond states quite bluntly. “It’s a two fold submission move…The Klaw…” As he says that he grips the back of Gabrielles head firmly.
Gabrielle looks up at him, kind of unimpressed, and then cuts him off before he can speak up again. “And the Mandible Cl-gggggg…”
Desmond applies the Mandible Claw as well on Gabrielle, though apart from the initial invasive insertion of his fingers in her mouth the hold now seems to have little effect on her. Gabrielle kneeling there as Desmond sits before her, both looking kind of awkward now. “So…maybe what we were doing here was actually training. This has no effect on you.”
Gabrielle nods her head in agreeance as Desmond stops applying The Klaw with Mandible Claw.
“What the fuck is on your fingers…whats that taste?” She demands.
“Cream cheese.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“I had a snack earlier.”
“…”
“Listen Gabs…you’ve had my dick in your mouth for most of the last 10-15 minutes, you really going to complain about some cream cheese?”
“…” He’s got a point there Gabrielle cant help but think.
“Before you say anything else…” Desmond chimes in. “I need to get in the right mindset, a Manager cant have a cool Finisher move like that. I have to start over as a Wrestler.
“Start over as a Wrestler?”
“I have to cut a promo.” He states. “So…” He gestures down with one hand, as he reapplies The Klaw with his other hand.
Gabrielle slides down, until only the top of her head is visible in that camera Des still has set up. In time she’ll come to realise the control this man still wields over her. But right now she’s still having fun, and she needs it. “Oh no the Klaw, its unstopa-gggggg.”
Desmond pushes her head down and quickly Gabrielle resumes bouncing her chin off of his balls.
“Listen here.” Desmond begins. “I’m Dirrty D with the Big D. Don’t believe me ask Gabrielle. Oh…she’s a little busy right now, she cant talk, she’s dealing with a real mouthful.”
He pauses for dramatic effect, letting the back of her head ever so slightly bob in and out of view of that camera. “Dirrty D getting the Hall of Famer on her Knees, The Klaw cant be stopped can it?”
“nnnnhmmm” Is her response.
“One by one all the Wrestlers of the FWA will wind up just like Gabrielle!” He states quite proudly.
Gabrielle though, is a little amused by his wording, so after she dislodges him she chuckles and looks up into his eyes with a taunting smirk. “Des…I didn’t know you swung that way.”
“What?” He stammers. “No, I meant like everyone will bow before me! Not like that.”
Gabrielle just chuckles further.
“New idea.” He states before helping a nearly naked Gabrielle up to her feet, he leads her around to the other side of the coffee table, where they have a bit more room and he pushes her back down on her knees. With little more than Stiletto heels, some jewellery and a very mini, mini skirt adorning her body Desmond spins that camera around to face her.
“Des…” Gabrielle interjects. “I’m not filming a porno.” She states as she looks up at him kind of sternly.
“Its my promo.” He retorts. “Trust me, this isn’t porn, I just have a new idea.” He smiles down at her until she smiles back at which point he bends her over, pushing her down onto her hands. He adjusts the camera again, the beautiful features of her face taking precedence in its lens. “Now…let’s say we’re fucking. You’re on all fours, and I’m taking you to pound town doggy style.”
“Yeah…”
“But we film it like this, maybe you cant really see whats going on, like this…” He gets in behind her, dropping to his knees and resting a hand on the small of her back. “See, you cant see anything.” He says as he swings his hips back and forth a few times, with the sound of his hips slapping off her ass echoing in the room.
“So your promo…is just me getting fucked?”
“But you don’t see really anything okay. Just play along, we're not even really fucking, get into it, you’ll see.”
Before she can reply again, he clears his throat, and grabs her waist with both hands. “Dirrty D back at it again. Taking the FWA by storm week after week, night after night. I cant be stopped!” At that final word he brings a hand off of Gabrielles waist and then firmly brings it down on her ass, a loud ‘SMACK’ sound stinging the air as much as it stings Gabrielle.
“UH!” She groans.
“That wont do, you’ve got to like back me up when I do that.”
“I…wait…okay. I get it.”
He lifts her little skirt up off her ass a bit before starting over. “Dirty D, the FWA’s newest sensation, Pro Wrestlings BIGGEST new Star.” On cue he spanks Gabrielle hard again, another loud ‘SMACK’ eliciting a response from Gabrielle.
“The biggest Dirrrrty D!” Gabrielle purrs.
“I do this shit every damn night…literally!”
“That’s gross, are you really talking about my sh-.”
‘SMACK’
“Every night Dirrrty D!”
“I’m always at this, scaling to the top of the FWA, I’m standing tall over former Champions.”
‘SMACK’
“Don’t stop Dirrty D!”
“I can’t be stopped. I’m going to be here for as LONG as it takes!”
‘SMACK’
“So long!”
Desmond reaches a hand out and grasps a handful of Gabrielles luxurious brunette hair. “I know it wont be easy, everything in the FWA cant be as easy as she is.” He says as he firmly pulls on her hair.
“Oh Fuck!”
‘SMACK’
“I’m easy.” Gabrielle exclaims. “Was that better?”
‘SMACK’
“I’m easy.”
“And I’m HARD!” Desmond states. “dealing with me is going to be ROUGH for everyone else in the FWA. I’m just going to keep coming, I mean CUMMING until I get everything I want. I’ll train for it every day. An FWA Hall of Famer is at my use and I’ll learn every trick she knows…”
'SMACK’
“…” Gabrielle doesn’t say anything, unsure what he expects her to contribute at this exact point.
‘SMACK’
“I’m cumming?”
‘SMACK’
“I’m still easy?”
‘SMACK’
“Harder Diiiiiirrrtttty D!”
‘SMACK’
“Fuck my ass is sore!”
Desmond chuckles, then releases his handful of her hair as Gabrielle giggles.
“What do you want me too say?”
“Dirrty D is DEEP in my Hall!”
“Really?”
He just nods his head, and then brings his opposite hand down on her other ass cheek.
‘SMACK’
“Dirrrty D is so DEEP in my hall!” Gabrielle exclaims.
“Dirrty D, and his girl Dirrtier Double D’s are taking over the FWA. She went far a-HEAD, getting a-HEAD, even giving HEAD. And now on her BACK I’ll ride her HARD work, I will CUM along behind her and everyone will soon know my name…”
‘SMACK’
“Dirrty D!”
“And everyone in the FWA who opposes me will wind up just like Dirrtier Double D’s has!”
‘SMACK’
“…” No reply from Gabrielle, other than a growing giggle.
‘SMACK’
“Ow, the same spot!” Gabrielle hollers. “Des, that just didn’t sound right, you want to bend everyone in the FWA over and fuck them?”
“What?” He exclaims. “No, no, no! I mean they’ll be dominated and sore!”
The two of them share a laugh for a moment. Gabrielle goes to sit up but Desmond rests a hand on the small of her back. “That was my promo…you might want to turn the camera off now…” |
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:46:13 GMT
Originally posted by Man.
HALLOWEEN KNIGHT
TRASH MAMMAL
and
JUAN TOTHREFOR
are…
YOUR BRAND NEW FWA TRIOS CHAMPIONS!
TR1CK OR TR4SH
in...
"UNDEFEATED, UNBROKEN, UNSURE."
HEY. YOU. YES. YOU. READING RIGHT NOW, DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS?! THREE VERY BIZARRE LUCHADORS WON THE TRIOS TITLES. WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE IN THE LAST MONTH?! HUH?!
It's fair to say that the bizarre pairing of TR1CK or TR4SH has exceeded any and all expectations. I mean, sure, Halloween Knight and Trash Mammal practically stole the show in Ground Zero despite having absolutely nothing in common, so we knew not to sleep on TR1CK or TR4SH, but who knew that all they needed to be an unstoppable team was a lucha school teacher?
There's a moral there about education but damned if I can think of it.
In any case, the FWA exclusive video opens up, as you might expect in bizarre circumstances; yes, we're at the back of the arena where all the dumpsters are, but we don't see Trash Mammal sitting in one.
Instead, we see him with his feet (Paws?) up, reclined and lounging in a deckchair, his title laid down on his lap and a pair of black sunglasses over his mask; he basically ignores the camera as he continues relaxing and stroking his newly won title like it's the most important thing in the world.
The camera pans out to reveal that his trio's partners, Juan Tothrefor and Halloween Knight, are standing in front of him, looking slightly nonplussed by his friend's attitude. Their championship belts are around their waists. Halloween Knight has a note in his hand and looks over to Juan as if asking him if he wants to do this. But Juan just shakes his head, so Halloween Knight sighs and begins to read from the note.
“This is a message to the FWA from your brand new FWA Trios Campeones TR1CK or TR4SH and their leader, Trash Mammal-”
Halloween Knight groans and turns back to Trash Mammal, who slightly lowers his shades inquisitively. He is not happy about his message not being read. “Basura, amigo... you’re not our leader. We don’t have one… we’re all a team here. Equals, huh?”
“Si, Basura. One third for each of us. One for me, one for you and one for Knight. Three thirds equals one whole! The team wouldn’t be the same if any of us were not a part of it!”
Despite the very fair and reasonable requests and explanations by his teammates, Trash Mammal seems aghast by the suggestion that he is on equal footing as his stablemates, “Well, I don’t remember either of you goiys winning us these toitles! Need I remind you both that I’m the only undefeated person in the entire company? Now, read the message!”
Begrudgingly, Halloween Knight shakes his head and continues to read the message that had been hastily scribbled on a piece of note paper by Trash Mammal.
“We would like to announce that our rain-”
“Basura, did you mean ‘reign’, as in ‘title reign’? Reinado? You spelled it here like the weather, amigo. lluvia.”
“I can give you some spelling lessons if you want, amigo. Maybe whilst we’re at it, we can talk about the way you speak as well? Knight and I aren’t native English speakers and we seem to have a better grasp of the language than you do…”
“THERE’S NOTHIN’ WRAUNG WITH HOOW OI SPEAK!”
“Come on, Amigo. Tell us what is bothering you..”
“Nothing… I’m sorry. Just no one seems to care about what I… I mean we did, that’s all. We dethroned The Coven. You see the teams that couldn’t do that?”
“Listen Basura. I understand, amigo. There’s an easy fix to this problem we have… if they don’t care, we go out there and give them a show that they can’t help but care about. We make this record of yours go on and on…”
“Exactly. That’s right. This is the start of a very good thing for us, amigos. Let’s keep this party going, eh?”
Out of seemingly nowhere, Halloween Knight produces a boombox which plays ‘Spooky Scary Skeletons’ very loudly and the FWA Trios Champions all get down to the beat as the vignette ends. They are ready to face the challenges waiting for them together.
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:48:38 GMT
Originally posted by OldJay.
Bad Meets Evil
We find ourselves in a dimly lit room. The only real light comes from a desk lamp and emits from a computer monitor. With the small amount of space that this amount of light is covering, the only thing that can be seen in the darkness is that of the face of Johnny Johnson. His face stares blankly into the computer screen. Behind his eyes are feelings of anger, sadness, regret, and above all else, disappointment. He begins to speak to himself, the words leaving his mouth through clenched teeth.
“You weren’t there for me. I needed you and you weren’t there. I was alone on that island. Why couldn’t you understand, through all of me speaking out your name these past weeks that, you above us, were the reason I was there? You were my prize, you were my reward, you were my motivation. However, more than anything, you were my strength to go through it all. Through all the blood, the pain, and the torture, that I knew my body was going to be put through, I knew I needed you there.
Maybe I was an idiot to put such stock in you. Just another person that disappointed me in my life. This wasn’t the first time though. Guess, in the end, I should have known that you were just going to let me down. In the end, you were always going to be my downfall, Tommy Bedlam, weren’t you?”
It looks like Johnny is almost being brought to tears as his eyes begin to water up. Either because of sadness or from anger, there really is no way to tell, completely. He leans down, setting his elbows on his desk, bringing his hands up, and holding his forehead in the palm of his hands. He begins to drift off, his mind fading back to a previous time and place.
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September 21-2021
“I don’t give a shit if the old man is in or not. With you and me together, Tommy, this place doesn’t stand a fucking chance. There will be NO ONE that can challenge us.”
Johnny Johnson is sitting at an undisclosed bar. He sits there at the bar and there is only one other person that occupies a space in this bar, with him. That person is Tommy Bedlam. The two of them are next to each other, Tommy with a beer in front of him and Johnny with a glass full of dark-colored liquor in front of him. Tommy picks up the beer in front of him, takes a sip, and then sets it back down on the bar. He mulls over Johnny’s words as he continues to talk.
“All it takes for you to do it is to make sure Reagan Cole doesn’t make it out of that match without, at the very least, being put on the shelf for a few months.”
Tommy finally interjects between Johnny’s last words. “I’ll tell you this, I’m not scared to do what it takes in this business, but I know that I refuse to think you don’t have more nefarious intentions. I get it that you aren’t a fan of Reagan, but it’s a little coincidental that the first chance that we find each other in the ring against each other, you’re wanting me to turn on the kid and form some sort of alliance with you and your father. “
The look on Johnny’s face changes from the once jovial look to where anger begins to seep through a little bit. Tommy can feel the mood changing in Johnny but he pays it no mind.
“If what you say is so factual, and if we form this alliance, someone like Reagan Cole should be small fries to us. Yet, here you are urging me to take him out, essentially taking money out of his pocket that he won’t be making and food off his table. It almost feels like you’re looking for someone to be your muscle, so you don’t have to get your hands dirty. I ain’t no person’s muscle and I don’t really need someone to hold my hand in order to be successful in FWA.”
Johnny grabs his glass of liquor, gripping it tight enough that it almost feels like he will break the glass as he holds it. He begins to speak through gritted teeth as he is clearly bothered by what Tommy is implying.
“I really hope you’re not just trying to piss me off. I don’t need you as my muscle. This offer I brought to you, why we’re having this meeting. It isn’t about what benefits me. I’ve never been someone that has needed anyone else. My father abandoned me years ago and I never needed him since the…..”
“You really going to play that same song and dance with me?” Tommy interrupts Johnny as he continues to babble on. “Johnny, I’m not an idiot. It’s called a divorce and you as shit ain’t the only kid that their parents split up. I don’t need to hear about your daddy issues, and I sure as hell don’t think you need me either.”
“I ain’t here to piss you off kid. I’m here cause despite us being from two different sides of the road I respect you. I respect what you’re able to do. You asked me here, and I came because I figured I’d at least let you show me exactly what you had up your sleeve.”
Tommy then reaches down, taking another sip from his bottle of beer. Johnny seems to have calmed down a little bit, he turns to face Tommy,
“This world is full of snakes, EVIL snakes. There isn’t a single person I fully trust, never have, never will. I know in this story, IN EVER STORY, I’m the bad guy. I also know that it’s usually people that aren’t the bad guy who can be the real evil pieces of shit in the stories. That’s why I asked you here. That’s also why I’m asking you to take out Reagan Cole. I need to see that what I think I see in you, is actually there. I need to see that you’re just not some good cowboy riding around on a horse with a shiny sheriff star. Everyone knows those goody two shoes get clipped in the movies before the first act is over. I don’t want to be aligned with some pansy who doesn’t have what it takes to do what is always necessary, no matter what moral line it crosses.”
With that last sentence, Johnny takes one final sip from his glass. Putting the empty glass back on the bar. He then gets up from the barstool he was sitting on, reaching into his pocket as he does.
“Like you said, Tommy, no I don’t need you.” Johnny takes his hand out of his pants pocket with a wad of cash. “But, I definitely could use your help in molding the FWA into our vision. Something where the old bastards that have been clinging onto their past in the place. Trying the best to hold us back.”
Johnny starts thumbing through the wad of cash, grabs a few bills, and throws them onto the bar.
“I don’t need an answer now, think about it, then show up with some balls and do what needs to be done at Light’s Out. Before that, have a drink or two on me, might help you to find them.”
Tommy pauses for a second with the beer bottle almost at his lips. Thinking of maybe taking offense to what Johnny just said, but he refrains, instead choosing to take another sip from the bottle and then signaling to the bartender to get him another beer. With that, Johnny makes his way out of the bar, leaving Tommy behind to mull things over.
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“If only that would have lasted longer than it did. I can only blame myself for that.”
Johnny still sits at his desk back in his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After thinking back through the years he has now grabbed a glass of dark alcohol and is sipping it as he ponders through things.
“I didn’t need him then, and I shouldn’t have needed him to be that trophy at King of the Deathmatch. Now this week I find myself facing the same enemy that I beat at King of the Deathmatch. A man who wants to label himself, evil.”
Johnny takes a sip of his drink as he continues to talk out his thoughts.
“That isn’t what I saw back then. I saw a man trying to convince everyone else that he wanted to be evil, but clearly, he wasn’t someone that has convinced himself that he was truly evil. Evil would have done whatever it took to make sure, not only that he defeat me, evil would have made sure I wasn’t even able to make it back to the locker room under my own power. He would have buried me in the ground on that island we did battle at.”
Johnny now sets his glass on his desk, opens up his laptop, and prepares to start typing on it.
“I’ve seen true evil, I’ve road with it in the form of the Pale Rider himself, Tommy Bedlam. Few know the man like I do. I know what he is capable of, I know exactly what he’s willing to do. Colby Sol couldn’t walk a day in the life of Tommy Bedlam and not shit his pants from is in that man’s head. On Fallout, it’s time the bad man shows up again and make sure Colby meets the real evil.”
Johnny takes another sip from his glass and then focuses on the monitor screen to begin typing something.
I’ve been left behind, so many times before. My father, my mother, laundry list of loose women that have tried to get me to fund their lavish lifestyle just cause they had a pretty face and a set of tits. This time it feels worse, it feels like a shot to the gut that I’m not sure if I can heal from. Is Tommy Bedlam the ying to my yang, or is he just the last great hurdle for me to feel like I’ve actually accomplished something in this business? I’m a patient man, and I know one day Tommy will return until then it’s time for The Legend to start making sure to leave a breadcrumb trail of bodies for him to follow so he can find me on his way back.Bad Meets Evil
We find ourselves in a dimly lit room. The only real light comes from a desk lamp and emits from a computer monitor. With the small amount of space that this amount of light is covering, the only thing that can be seen in the darkness is that of the face of Johnny Johnson. His face stares blankly into the computer screen. Behind his eyes are feelings of anger, sadness, regret, and above all else, disappointment. He begins to speak to himself, the words leaving his mouth through clenched teeth.
“You weren’t there for me. I needed you and you weren’t there. I was alone on that island. Why couldn’t you understand, through all of me speaking out your name these past weeks that, you above us, were the reason I was there? You were my prize, you were my reward, you were my motivation. However, more than anything, you were my strength to go through it all. Through all the blood, the pain, and the torture, that I knew my body was going to be put through, I knew I needed you there.
Maybe I was an idiot to put such stock in you. Just another person that disappointed me in my life. This wasn’t the first time though. Guess, in the end, I should have known that you were just going to let me down. In the end, you were always going to be my downfall, Tommy Bedlam, weren’t you?”
It looks like Johnny is almost being brought to tears as his eyes begin to water up. Either because of sadness or from anger, there really is no way to tell, completely. He leans down, setting his elbows on his desk, bringing his hands up, and holding his forehead in the palm of his hands. He begins to drift off, his mind fading back to a previous time and place.
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September 21-2021
“I don’t give a shit if the old man is in or not. With you and me together, Tommy, this place doesn’t stand a fucking chance. There will be NO ONE that can challenge us.”
Johnny Johnson is sitting at an undisclosed bar. He sits there at the bar and there is only one other person that occupies a space in this bar, with him. That person is Tommy Bedlam. The two of them are next to each other, Tommy with a beer in front of him and Johnny with a glass full of dark-colored liquor in front of him. Tommy picks up the beer in front of him, takes a sip, and then sets it back down on the bar. He mulls over Johnny’s words as he continues to talk.
“All it takes for you to do it is to make sure Reagan Cole doesn’t make it out of that match without, at the very least, being put on the shelf for a few months.”
Tommy finally interjects between Johnny’s last words. “I’ll tell you this, I’m not scared to do what it takes in this business, but I know that I refuse to think you don’t have more nefarious intentions. I get it that you aren’t a fan of Reagan, but it’s a little coincidental that the first chance that we find each other in the ring against each other, you’re wanting me to turn on the kid and form some sort of alliance with you and your father. “
The look on Johnny’s face changes from the once jovial look to where anger begins to seep through a little bit. Tommy can feel the mood changing in Johnny but he pays it no mind.
“If what you say is so factual, and if we form this alliance, someone like Reagan Cole should be small fries to us. Yet, here you are urging me to take him out, essentially taking money out of his pocket that he won’t be making and food off his table. It almost feels like you’re looking for someone to be your muscle, so you don’t have to get your hands dirty. I ain’t no person’s muscle and I don’t really need someone to hold my hand in order to be successful in FWA.”
Johnny grabs his glass of liquor, gripping it tight enough that it almost feels like he will break the glass as he holds it. He begins to speak through gritted teeth as he is clearly bothered by what Tommy is implying.
“I really hope you’re not just trying to piss me off. I don’t need you as my muscle. This offer I brought to you, why we’re having this meeting. It isn’t about what benefits me. I’ve never been someone that has needed anyone else. My father abandoned me years ago and I never needed him since the…..”
“You really going to play that same song and dance with me?” Tommy interrupts Johnny as he continues to babble on. “Johnny, I’m not an idiot. It’s called a divorce and you as shit ain’t the only kid that their parents split up. I don’t need to hear about your daddy issues, and I sure as hell don’t think you need me either.”
“I ain’t here to piss you off kid. I’m here cause despite us being from two different sides of the road I respect you. I respect what you’re able to do. You asked me here, and I came because I figured I’d at least let you show me exactly what you had up your sleeve.”
Tommy then reaches down, taking another sip from his bottle of beer. Johnny seems to have calmed down a little bit, he turns to face Tommy,
“This world is full of snakes, EVIL snakes. There isn’t a single person I fully trust, never have, never will. I know in this story, IN EVER STORY, I’m the bad guy. I also know that it’s usually people that aren’t the bad guy who can be the real evil pieces of shit in the stories. That’s why I asked you here. That’s also why I’m asking you to take out Reagan Cole. I need to see that what I think I see in you, is actually there. I need to see that you’re just not some good cowboy riding around on a horse with a shiny sheriff star. Everyone knows those goody two shoes get clipped in the movies before the first act is over. I don’t want to be aligned with some pansy who doesn’t have what it takes to do what is always necessary, no matter what moral line it crosses.”
With that last sentence, Johnny takes one final sip from his glass. Putting the empty glass back on the bar. He then gets up from the barstool he was sitting on, reaching into his pocket as he does.
“Like you said, Tommy, no I don’t need you.” Johnny takes his hand out of his pants pocket with a wad of cash. “But, I definitely could use your help in molding the FWA into our vision. Something where the old bastards that have been clinging onto their past in the place. Trying the best to hold us back.”
Johnny starts thumbing through the wad of cash, grabs a few bills, and throws them onto the bar.
“I don’t need an answer now, think about it, then show up with some balls and do what needs to be done at Light’s Out. Before that, have a drink or two on me, might help you to find them.”
Tommy pauses for a second with the beer bottle almost at his lips. Thinking of maybe taking offense to what Johnny just said, but he refrains, instead choosing to take another sip from the bottle and then signaling to the bartender to get him another beer. With that, Johnny makes his way out of the bar, leaving Tommy behind to mull things over.
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“If only that would have lasted longer than it did. I can only blame myself for that.”
Johnny still sits at his desk back in his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After thinking back through the years he has now grabbed a glass of dark alcohol and is sipping it as he ponders through things.
“I didn’t need him then, and I shouldn’t have needed him to be that trophy at King of the Deathmatch. Now this week I find myself facing the same enemy that I beat at King of the Deathmatch. A man who wants to label himself, evil.”
Johnny takes a sip of his drink as he continues to talk out his thoughts.
“That isn’t what I saw back then. I saw a man trying to convince everyone else that he wanted to be evil, but clearly, he wasn’t someone that has convinced himself that he was truly evil. Evil would have done whatever it took to make sure, not only that he defeat me, evil would have made sure I wasn’t even able to make it back to the locker room under my own power. He would have buried me in the ground on that island we did battle at.”
Johnny now sets his glass on his desk, opens up his laptop, and prepares to start typing on it.
“I’ve seen true evil, I’ve road with it in the form of the Pale Rider himself, Tommy Bedlam. Few know the man like I do. I know what he is capable of, I know exactly what he’s willing to do. Colby Sol couldn’t walk a day in the life of Tommy Bedlam and not shit his pants from is in that man’s head. On Fallout, it’s time the bad man shows up again and make sure Colby meets the real evil.”
Johnny takes another sip from his glass and then focuses on the monitor screen to begin typing something.
I’ve been left behind, so many times before. My father, my mother, laundry list of loose women that have tried to get me to fund their lavish lifestyle just cause they had a pretty face and a set of tits. This time it feels worse, it feels like a shot to the gut that I’m not sure if I can heal from. Is Tommy Bedlam the ying to my yang, or is he just the last great hurdle for me to feel like I’ve actually accomplished something in this business? I’m a patient man, and I know one day Tommy will return until then it’s time for The Legend to start making sure to leave a breadcrumb trail of bodies for him to follow so he can find me on his way back.
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:49:04 GMT
Originally posted by Blaine. "I don't want to be in Japan."
Sawyer muttered to Oliver Kemp, as the two sat inside of a diner. Sawyer stretched along the backboard, as his talent manager shot him a judging glare.
"What do you mean you don't want to be here? It's one more show, then we're back to our home, land of the free!"
"Kemp, I don't want to be here. Is that too hard of a concept for you to understand?"
"Is it because of the tournament? I assure you, nobody is judging you any differently. Besides, your official account gained a couple thousand followers, you're growing in popularity."
"The account I don't post on, yeah. It's not because of the tournament, I could care less about that."
There was a clear scar in the dead center of Sawyer's forehead, scarlet red. His battle wounds were apparent as he grabbed the glass of water from the table and took a few sips.
"It's just common for an adult to not want to do something."
"It's just one more show. Hold out for it, I know it's been a while since you've seen anyone besides me daily, but still."
"You don't know why I want to go. You don't need to know why either."
The two stayed silent for a minute, awkwardness filling the booth as both plates of food are left untouched.
"It's one more show, yeah?"
"mhm."
"After the show, get me the first plane home."
"Alright. So, you're up against the XX kid. What you got in mind?"
"Don't talk like that, reminds me of my old manager."
"Sorry about that. You know I'm just trying to do what's best for you. I'm in charge of your marketing after all. Knowing you can put your best out and win kind of makes me do better as well. If I can't guarantee that you'll be doing your best and putting on a show, then my job is at risk."
"Tell me, how long have you been apart of this company?"
"Ahh, a good decade now. Of course, you're my first actual client, beforehand I was just handling a very vague field of guys."
"Well, what puts me on that pedestal? What's stopping you from finding a job with the next schmuck that takes me spot? I'm not exactly the most favored individual around, it's a shock I still work here."
"You have your benefits, Sawyer. Think about how fired up the crowd gets for you. They cheer your name, isn't that enough?"
"Do they get fired up for me? Or are they already fired up and I have to make sure they stay fired up so the big dogs can play with them. I'm a D-Minus player, always have been. I've learned that over the years, no matter what you do, it'll never amount to enough because someone is going to be larger than you. Someone is going to be hungrier, more vicious, more violent. Someone is going to do what you aren't willing to do."
"I'm sure you've done the same, taken jobs nobody else is willing to because it puts you in a better position. I don't blame you. I ditched my entire world for this business. I'm only here because I gave up any semblance of an outside life to become a wrestler. Yet, I'm not hungry enough to come out on top. You always need someone you can rely on to lose because that's the way the game works. I'm the guy they rely on to lose. I fail, and I keep failing over and over and everyone knows that. It must be a euphoric joy when someone finds out they get to face 'The Mighty Sawyer Xavier!'"
"I'm a loser, and that's why I don't want to be here. I failed at the tournament, I failed when I had my highest moment years ago, and I'll fail against XX. Because I'm a perpetual loser. No matter how hungry I am, that kid is going to be hungrier. Yet, he'll soon learn he's going to be a loser just like me. If I manage to pull another "underdog" victory, that's going to hurt him. Maybe that is a good thing. If I can detest him and make him regret everything he's done in life, I'll be a little better myself."
"Fuck, I don't know Kemp. Why do I still wrestle? I can't be on the same playing field as Peacock, or Best, or Ramon, or Black. I'll never be good enough for anyone, and if I can't be good enough for myself, then what's the point."
Sawyer had finished his short rant, sitting down. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence, the only sounds being utensils hitting their plates as they ate. Sawyer would set his fork down, and spoke yet again.
"I'll stay, because I want the kid to know that he's going to be something special. If he can take me out, he won't have to deal being labeled as a loser. Because the one thing that hurts more than being a loser is losing to a loser." |
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:49:25 GMT
Originally posted by Sully. Celestia's Constraint
 The vote was called to order. As The Coven met in an old church, their new hangout since Knockdrin Castle burned to the ground, things were as tense as they ever were. Kleio was already aware of Blair's betrayal, and Trixie was not among them. Kleio De Santos, Blair and Celestia Ravenwood, and Grandma Ethel all were there. But Trixie was not. Of course, this was by choice. Kleio was who called this gathering. She called for it sometime last week, as a response to her spat with Trixie Bordeaux on Twitter. That's right, it wasn't a meeting to get things back on track or regain the trust of Blair and Celestia. This was about Trixie. "I've called you all here today, to inform you...I have decided to remove Trixie Bordeaux from The Coven. I know this may come as a shock, but her behavior as of late has gone past what we can control. She is too unpredictable and too dangerous. Her mental capacity has always been an issue, but we were all able to manipulate it. Blair, you especially had a good grasp on her. But unfortunately, we're past that now. She can't get over what happened at King of the Deathmatch...she thinks it's all about her. That I "helped" her win...as if that wasn't the purpose of this group, to help each other. But, alas...that's what she's obsessing over now. I don't care, but what I do worry about is...what's next? This group, is already too unstable as it is. Therefore, it's with a heavy heart that we must see her go..." Kleio ends it there. There's an awkward silence in the room. Kleio is okay with it, as she's about to bang her gavel and end the meeting. That is, when Blair stands up. "No." she says coldly. Kleio is taken aback, but not surprised. The conflict with Blair has been ongoing, and resistance is something she expected. "This isn't up for a discussion, Blair." Kleio retorts. Blair doesn't skip a beat . "Yes, it is...it literally is. This group isn't just a dictatorship for you to run like some orange Cheeto. You can't just kick out a member because you feel like it. We had an initiation, she's sworn in. She's apart of our group. If you could just kick her out, what's stopping you from kicking me out...or my sister, or Ethel? What's stopping US from kicking you out? No, this has to be brought to a vote". Kleio bites her lip. She stares daggers into Blair. Ethel and Celestia stay silent, not getting involved. "Fine. We'll have a vote...we'll take some time to deliberate, and then it'll be decided. Trixie's fate in The Coven."With that, Kleio sends the meeting into recess. A short period for the members to talk amongst themselves. Kleio was sure enough going to try and sway Celestia and Ethel to vote Trixie out of The Coven. She knew Blair wasn't going to budge. Blair didn't even like Trixie, but now she chooses to oppose her on this...just for the sake of opposing her. Celestia walked up to her sister, who sat alone in a church pew in the main part of the rundown church. " I'm glad you did that. I know that you didn't like Trixie at first, but she really has become one of us. We can't let Kleio push her out like that, just because of this little issue they're having. She's our friend..." Celestia tells her sister. But Blair turns to her and laughs. "Actually, Celestia...I think I'm voting to kick Trixie out." Blair says sternly. Celestia is shocked. "You're joking, right? Why would you do that, after just standing up to Kleio?" Celestia asks her sister. Blair responds "Standing up to Kleio was about making sure she knew her place. This isn't a dictatorship. If I let her just decide everything this group does, I'll never get her out. But sister, she's right about Trixie...that girl has always been a loose cannon, and have you seen her lately? She's not even in her right mind. I'm trying to reform this group. Kleio is an issue because I can't control her...once I get rid of her, I don't want to be stuck doing the same shit with Trixie." Celestia can't believe what she's hearing. After all that, her sister is just up to the same schemes. She is no better than Kleio. "But sister, Trixie is valuable. She's upset now, but...she is 100% against Kleio. With the three of us, we can push Kleio out of this group entirely." Celestia says, trying to convince her sister. Blair ponders it for a moment. "Perhaps you're right, but I don't know...I think you're being optimistic. I can see Trixie spiraling, and it's not good. We don't want to be around her when she hits rock bottom. It's going to get ugly, but I do see the merit in what you're suggesting. I'll think it over...and I have. I'm voting to kick her out. " Blair says. Celestia gets up, and storms away...unhappy with the conversation. She walks over into the other room to see Kleio and Ethel in a similarly heated debate. When Kleio sees Celestia walking her way, she ends the conversation with Ethel and greets her. "Hey Celestia...let's talk" the Witch Queen says. Celestia is already not in the mood, but maybe Kleio is more reasonable than her sister. "I wanted to touch base on some things..." Kleio asks. Celestia isn't shy. "I think this is ridiculous. This group, as you know...is barely hanging on right now. And you want to get rid of one of it's members? The only with one a championship and with the most strength on the roster? To me, it seems like you're scared of her...like you think she'll take your spot, take your future title opportunities. Well Kleio, this isn't about you..." - Kleio eventually cuts her off. "No, Celestia...this isn't. This is about the group. It has nothing to do with Trixie's abilities or her power on the show. Despite what you or her may think, I am not concerned about her. One on one I would destroy her, and I'll affirm I did her a favor in itself by being out of that tournament. My concern is the threat she poses to this group. She is not mentally stable, and she shows that more and more every time we see her. You guys can choose to vote me out, and I'd still say the same thing about her. She's a threat to us, she's a threat to this group. And yes, I'm saying that with the knowledge that Blair, and probably you...have been planning a coup on me to take over this group yourselves. I'm aware, and yet I still see her and her mental state as a bigger threat to us right now. You and Blair? I think that's something that can be resolved. We have our issues, but I think we can fix it.
Trixie?
She's going down a dark road. She isn't the same little girl we brought in. So, if you and Blair want to get rid of me...by all means we can have that talk. But, Trixie is an issue that needs to be addressed one way or another." Kleio says it all out loud. Celestia knew she would But she still isn't ready for it. It's all very similar to what Blair said. As much as Blair hates her, Kleio and her are one of the same. And now they're both on the same page? Trixie doesn't stand a chance. Celestia gets up. It's almost time to vote...and it's not looking good for Trixie. Blair, Kleio, and probably Ethel all want her gone. Before Celestia sits down, Kleio has one more thing to say. "Oh, before I forget...I wanted to talk about your match. With Sierra...it's imperative that you win. I was watching some tape of hers, and I wanted to tell you what I saw-" Celestia cuts her off "I don't care." Kleio bites her lip again, as she lets Celestia walk away. Everyone has sat back down now. Kleio picks up her gavel, and calls The Coven's meeting back into order. Things are tense, as Kleio looks everyone at the table down and begins to talk. "Alright, we had time to deliberate. A vote for this matter was requested, and so it shall be received. I am proposing that we vote to kick Trixie Bordeux out of our group. Since King of the Deathmatch, Trixie has become unpredictable and unhinged. Her attitude and demeanor has changed for the worse. She isn't controllable anymore, and quite frankly it doesn't appear like she appreciates the benefits a group like us can provide her. She wants to do things on her own, so I say we let her...My vote for kicking Trixie out of The Coven...yay.Next, Ethel..."Ethel stares Kleio down. "This group is far too broken to continue breaking it up even more. Nay." she says. Kleio is shocked. It's clear she thought Ethel would vote with her, but nonetheless, she gathers her composure. "Celestia?" Celestia still hasn't decided. She knows that Blair is going to vote to get rid of Trixie. She thought it was a lost cause, but now that Ethel has voted nay, Trixie has a chance. If she votes with Ethel, the vote is deadlocked worst case...but she'll be going against her sister Blair. Blair has been her guide for everything. But Trixie has become a friend. She can't betray her. But she can't betray her sister. She takes a gulp. "Yay" she says. With tears welling up in her eyes. Kleio lets out a sly smile. Blair looks over at her sister impressed. She did not think she had the guts to do that. "Nay" Blair says immediately after. Kleio is furious. "That is not what you told me you were going to vote!" Kleio shouts at Blair. "I changed my mind" Blair says snarkily in response. "Vote is deadlocked, Trixie stays" Kleio says, begrudgingly. Celestia can't believe it. She just betrayed Trixie, and for what...Blair tov vote Nay after all that? Celestia chased Blair out of the church, while Kleio stayed to have words with Ethel. "What the hell was that!" Celestia screamed at her sister. "Watch your tone child" Blair says back with no remorse. "You told me you were voting to kick Trixie out" she said. "Yeah, and you told me you wanted her to stay...so I did you a favor." Blair says. "No, you did yourself a favor. All you see Trixie as, is a pawn. A pawn to help you take over this group. But I've seen it, clear as day...you're no better than Kleio." she tells her sister. "Of course not. I'm worse...don't you get it sister? This isn't about who's better or not. Kleio doesn't have the true backbone to be a leader. She gets herself caught too much in emotion. Whether that's with having silly feuds with XYZ, getting into fights with Trixie on Twitter, or getting distracted by...well me. She just doesn't have the emotional numbness to do it. I do...you were right sister, you convinced me. Trixie can be used, and use her we will...but as soon as she helps us achieve what we need her to, she's gone. In the dumpster with Kleio De Santos. And you sister, need to get your own emotions in check. Or else you can join them.
This whole vote wasn't about Trixie. It was to show Kleio she isn't in control, I am...and now she gets the message" And with that, Blair walks away. Celestia slumps down on the steps of the church. She just betrayed Trixie. She was still in the group, for now...but for how long? And then, there's no measure to what Blair will do to use her. All her principles are gone. To Blair, maybe she'd consider that a vulnerable emotion. But to Celestia, it's more than that. Whether or not she'll be able to channel that against her match with Sierra...remains to be seen. |
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:49:45 GMT
Originally posted by Prod.
The Duel
[ATTACH type="full"]80412[/ATTACH]
The Academy Do you hear it? To the untrained ear, it might be the mismatched clanging of various instruments making the least harmonious sound known to man, but the beauty of what was happening here was in the detail. The Academy stood atop a hill overlooking the village below. The village, which in truth should probably be classified as more of a hamlet, had few things to really hang its hat on, but the Academy was the envy of the music world. It was where the best went to hone their skills, it is where the best trained the next generation to become even better. Just outside of this unremarkable little village in the middle of nowhere, the center of the music universe lay. A sentiment that has never been truer than at present, where all those who reside within are in the midst of preparing for the biggest show of the year, the Grand Audition, where if you played and impressed you had the right audience to facilitate you becoming the next big star in the industry. Fail to perform at the Grand Audition, however, and you can forget about those dreams of superstardom and those wishes for better things. The Academy had a bunch of prospects, all of whom are individually putting in the preparation that is producing the collective ear bleeding sound that you can hear currently. One would think if one of the architects could bring everyone together then the symphony would be other worldly, but everyone knows that there is no money in the group game. It’s all about individual success, the drive for fame and glory and magazine covers as solo stars. As the night of the Grand Audition approached, there were two prospects that the world was going to travel or tune in to see. The first was Chris, the charismatic pianist who stormed every room that he entered. He captivated the crowd, holding them in the palm of his hands as he steamrolled through his diverse back catalogue of hits and styles, elegantly transitioning between them all. Chris was the explosion, he was the main event, he was the type that would take your breath away and leave you gasping for air and you would almost be thanking him for it. The other prospect? Mike, a diligent violinist, was measured and precise. He was exact, but exact doesn’t bring the crowd along with you on the journey. Precise isn’t the adjective that you are going to put on a poster to sell out an arena. Technically, he could perfect any sequence that was given to him and execute it with unnerving accuracy, but the applause and acclaim was always relatively muted, particularly in comparison to Chris’ flair and diverse performances. The rest of the Academy had talent sure, you had Michelle’s unique melancholic twists on classical harp arrangements then also Bryan’s niche guitar and vocal accompaniment, but the truth is that while they are capable of sporadically reaching the peak performance that Chris and Mike can, they don’t maintain it. They have to exert so much energy into reaching that peak that it’s impossible for them to maintain – their base level just isn’t where it needs to be to challenge Mike or Chris at their best. The Grand Audition A long evening was ending, the field had been whittled down to just two and they were about to participate in a duel for which there would only be one winner – that winner would be recipient of a deal that is the equivalent of having a rocket hitched to your backpack and ignited. Mike is first out on stage, and rather meekly waves in appreciation at the polite round of applause that he receives before he takes his seat and rests his violin on his shoulder. Last onto stage is Chris, who comes strutting out and raises both hands in the air to soak up the response from the crowd. A few whoops and hollers, the source of which you would have to assume would be family members or relations given how inappropriate that conduct may be in this circumstance otherwise, but the reaction is certainly more boisterous. Chris takes a seat behind his piano and rattles his fingers up and down the keyboard lightning fast which further encourages the ovation that he is in receipt of. Mike shakes his head at the same time, trying to remain focused on the task at hand while inwardly judging Chris’ show of confidence as arrogance. Mike started, bringing his bow to his instrument and played his heart out. The crowd were engaged, the judges nodded along as he hit every peak and crescendo with an accuracy and style that could not be questioned. He brough the audience on a carefully crafted journey with him, and a carefully plotted journey to the point of the changeover in the duel, and he teed up Chris perfectly. Chris dazzled, his music swirled around the auditorium and the crowd rose to their feet and clapped their hands and stomped their feet accordingly. The judges even broke their usually stoic demeanor to turn to one another, eyebrows raised, and provide a knowing nod to one another. Chris’ brought his career defining performance to a close. Mike’s stomach clenched and his heart dropped. He didn’t need to look up at the judges, he didn’t need to look at the crowd. When the judges proclaimed Chris unanimous victory, there was no suspense or tension, it was a conclusion from the moment that Chris hit the first key during the changeover. As confetti fell from the ceiling and the world’s media started to dote on Chris, Mike slunk off behind the curtain with his violin in tact and shut the door of his dormitory firmly shut less than 15 minutes later, slamming the noise and universal praise of Chris out of his life until he could do something about it. The Ascent Victory at the Grand Audition sent both Mike and Chris on two separate trajectories, Chris soon took his leave from the Academy and was gracing magazine covers and releasing more pieces of music than there were days in the week – and the audience was soaking up everything. The strategy appeared clear, saturate the market to the point where you cannot turn on a radio station without hearing about Chris, cannot pick up a newspaper without a story about Chris. He wasn’t just on the path to superstardom, he was a bonafide superstar already. As for Mike? He diligently worked on his craft at the Academy, working at perfecting his melodies and telling his own stories with his work. He worked largely in solitude, not wanting to face the public again until he felt ready to show them all what he is truly capable of. Sporadically, others at the Academy would get a glimpse of what Mike was working towards and would try to engage him to no avail – there was simply no interest from Mike’s perspective in engagement until he got the chance to make up for his last performance not quite hitting the mark. Mike’s compositions could be compared to a reserve, a thing of natural beauty with a unassuming and enduring legacy, compared to Chris’ highlight reel fireworks display, with continuous eruptions capturing one’s attention. Mike was meticulous in perfecting his craft, and finally, when the leaflet for the Grand Audition Anniversary Gala, headlined by Chris, dropped into his dormitory, he knew it was time to take his best efforts to the word once more. The Anniversary Gala Chris, the returning hero, and headline act, had just bounced his way back on stage to a rapturous ovation, shaking the Academy to its foundations. Across the stage from him for this duel, the same opposition as the year previous. Chris started to play, all the pop and arrogance from last year magnified to its highest level as the crowd again rose to their feet and the judges began to shake their heads in disbelief – the entire auditorium having their breath taken away. However, Mike knew how this story ended and he didn’t like it, so instead of politely waiting for his turn Mike began to play, his bow dancing and weaving stories and complexities into Chris’ existing hits. Initially unsure how to react to the interjection, the crowd began to really listen to the additions and were taken aback by the emotions that were being evoked – rather than just the flashy, chaotic, and engaging party that they were expecting and had grown accustomed to. As Mike continued to embellish Chris work, the judges and the audience liked it even more. Both men finished and received a standing ovation. This year – there is no stomach clenching and there is no sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, this year he sat upright and felt filled with pride. He looked at the crowd, and he could see the adulation, mixed with the confusion. How, for months, had those in the audience not realized what they had with Mike – how had they let themselves get distracted by and enamored with the talented and flashy Chris. Not any longer. As the confetti from the ceiling fell upon Mike as he was announced as the winner of the duel, Chris was seething in the background. Not just the reputational damage that had been done, but primarily now that he had been exposed. The flash, the show and even the headline hits are good for a while, but if you scratch beyond the surface what you really find with Chris is very little substance. Chris would play the equivalent of the flashing neon sign in the downtown core – it would get your attention and keep it in the moment but over time it would naturally fade as it becomes less and less effective until you forget that it even existed in the first place. Mike – Mike is the cathedral in the corner of your eye, an echo that runs through time yet remains somehow timeless. |
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:50:26 GMT
Originally posted by Sully. Kleio De Santos sits quietly in her hotel apartment watching TV. She is surfing through the channels. Just as she did the last time she worked to claim a TV Championship. She had to go through several TV shows to figure out how to beat...god what was his name? Big scary dude in the mask? Oh it isn't important. What is important is, she has been granted another shot at the title she lost to Brooklyn Steiner. A man who called himself The King of TV after his win he was oh so proud about. Kleio had a strong hatred for kings, couldn't tell you why, and the regicide of Steiner was something she was planning for some time. Yet, no regicide was needed. He took himself out of the competition. And with that closed door, another opened. Kleio turned the TV off. She got up off the couch and turned to the imaginary camera in the room. Kleio De Santos: I, Kleio, am going to speak to all of you right now...there is a lot on my mind. At the moment my entire faction is falling apart. As I speak even. I've lost the trust of my friends, and I've lost control of the group...and I lost faith in myself. But one thing is for certain...I do not plan on losing this match to Jack The Clipper.
I've lost a lot of matches in this business.
I've lost to XYZ at Back in Business.
I lost to Shawn Summers, in that first Fallout tournament we had...the one I humbled Krash in.
I lost when I was the last pick of the FWA draft.
I've lost, I've lost, and I've lost.
But, on Meltdown...I don't plan on losing again.
I plan on-
"OH JESUS CHRIST.
Is she really doing a monologue? Morty, I thought we told her about this shit."
Morty: Aww jeez, we did Rick I remember.
Rick: So why is she doing it? Kleio looks shocked as the two characters hop right out of the portal in her hotel room. Kleio De Santos: Oh no, not you guys...I can handle this by myself.
Rick: Oh really? Because from where we're standing it looked like you were blowing it.
Kleio De Santos: I didn't need your help last time.
Morty: Uh, that's because that El Demente dude no showed and stuff. I doubt this guy will. Kleio begins to rub her temples, clearly a migraine coming on. Kleio De Santos: Alright...alright fine.
Rick: AWWW YEAH! LET'S GO! RICK AND MORTY FWA PROMO SEQUEL BABY!Rick opens up a green portal with his portal gun, and the trio all jump through. The FWA Return of Rick and Morty  The three jump through the portal into a dark and rainy London. Rick: By the way, we hate sequels. We don't do them, ever, so the fact that we're even here is something you should greatly appreciate.
Kleio De Santos: Why are you here?
Rick: It's one of Morty's adventures. Morty shows his punch card, and that he was entitled to one free adventure. Morty: Hehe, yeah...I like wrestling and stuff I guess. And I wanted to see you win.
Rick: And what kind of grandfather would I be, if I didn't help my grandson do just that. But that's not the only reason why I'm here...it's also your opponent.
Kleio De Santos: Jack The Clipper? Rick: Oh, is that what he's calling himself now? Sure, him, whatever. But you know him as something else. Rick takes out a holograph device that projects a laser image of... Kleio De Santos: THE MONOLOGUE MONSTER!
Morty: Aww jeez I thought we took him out when we showed up in that last promo.
Rick: We did Morty. And now for some reason he's back, infecting these poor FWA stars. And he almost got to Kleio too. Before we stopped it, you're welcome by the way. One more paragraph and you would've lost the reader's attention for good.
Kleio De Santos: So the Monologue Monster is back, and he's disguised himself as Jack The Clipper?
Rick: I mean, have you seen the Monologues that guy goes on? It's the only thing that makes sense. And he almost pulled you right into it!
Morty: Jeez I don't know Rick. I feel like maybe this Jack guy isn't him. I mean did you see his promo at King of the Deathmatch? It was only one line.
Rick: He's disguising himself Morty. It's what those guys do. It's like baseball Morty, a pitcher throws a couple off speed pitches like changeups and curveballs, then hits you with a 99 mile per hour fastball.
Kleio De Santos: Oh careful there Rick, the mods apparently don't like baseball references.
Rick: OH HO HO! That's a bold one Kleio. Careful there, we're getting a little too dangerous with some of these jabs now.
Morty: Hehe yeah, pull it back some. Haha.
Rick: I like the energy though, really, but just...that's a touchy one. Tread carefully, all I'm saying.
Kleio De Santos: Fair enough, so tell me then...why are we in London?
Rick: We're not just in London, are we Morty...
Morty: No Rick, we're in Jack The Clipper's last promo!
Rick: His last...actual promo. The last time he tried. Kleio, Rick, and Morty all watch the flashback from 2011. It elicits a few groans as we see Jack The Clipper in his training ring. Rick: God, a training flashback. How lovely.
Morty: And it's filled with F-bombs.
Rick: Ah yes Morty. You know, the magic word people use when they can't think of a better descriptive word to put in there. But sure, let's pretend like it enhances your sentence.
Kleio De Santos: Ok, so what...he did a flashback? Is it really that bad?
Rick: Just keep watching...The three of them watch, unseen from the side by the other characters, as Jack and his trainer argue. Soon enough the flashback ends, and we find ourselves on the streets of London, more present day. They see Jack walking down the street. Rick: Oh here we go...we're into the real meat of the promo now. Get ready for it...Jack begins to talk. As they continue to wait. Rick: GET READY FOR IT. Jack continues to talk. Rick: KEEP GETTING READY BABY! Wubba lubba dub dub!Jack continues to talk. Kleio De Santos: WHAT exactly are we getting ready for?
Rick: Oh, have you not read this before? This is it...he just...he just talks.
Morty: Aww.....jeez.
Kleio De Santos: He just talks? This is what beat Home Alone? Some douchebag standing in the street talking?
Rick: Oh yeah. And honestly, me personally once I saw those blocks of words I just started scrolling.
Kleio De Santos: This has to be the work of the monolgue monster.
Rick: Oh NOW you see it as an issue. Scroll up, and you'll find yourself standing in front of a freaking TV about to do the same damn thing. Chris Kennedy is gone. Gabrielle Montgomery is gone...like...every few months or so. The era of monologues is over. What wins Kleio? Good stories. Creativity. Not this boring monologue shit with some dude giving haircuts and whining in London about everyone about his life.
Kleio De Santos: Ok, I'm convinced. Let's go to another promo...
Morty: NO! This is my adventure. We're not doing the El Demente thing again where we go through a bunch of shitty promos, and honestly I checked, and like...there isn't much there anyway with this one. So let's just skip this part, ok? Can we do that? Skip to defeating this bastard once and for all.
Rick: I like it Morty!
Kleio De Santos: Fine. Yeah, let's defeat him. Where is he..
Rick: A terrible dark place...Monologue City. All three gulp as they head into yet another green portal.  As the three pop out into the busy city, Kleio is overwhelmed with what she sees. The alien like city is buzzing with activity. They walk past what looks like a newspaper stand. Vendor: Monologues! Get your monologues here! Five paragraphs! Just give me five paragraphs of words that nobody will read as you continue to go on and on about the same old boring shit in circles! Literally that's all I ask for. Five easy paragraphs! Another alien is standing on a soap box. Soap Box Alien: When I was a young boy, everyone used to monologue. It was how we got by. Now people think they're better than monologues. They think they can just write some masterpiece without having it consist of one character talking for the entire damn thing. And at what cost?
Do you know there once was a man somewhere in the universe, who had a dream...he had a dream that monologues would be appreciated by everyone.
He did them better than anyone could ever.
Bring back the monologue! The trio continue to make their way through the city. Rick: God this place is worse than I thought.
Morty: Did he really just try to reference Martin Luther King there?
Rick: Yeah Morty, really poor taste.
Kleio De Santos: So...what's the plan? Where is this bastard?
Rick: Hold your horses there Kleio. Aren't you forgetting something?
Kleio De Santos: Uh...no I don't think so.
Rick: Tell her Morty.
Morty: Well um, you sort of...are forgetting about the grading categories a little bit.
Rick: Let's go over it shall we? First, you have creativity. Which, obviously is a 10. Because *belch* we're Rick and Morty baby. You can't get more creative than this.
Morty: I mean yeah, if The Office can get a perfect 40/40 just for being a beloved TV show I'm sure our weight should carry us far enough there.
Kleio De Santos: Ok, I'm thinking more of an 8 to be a little more realistic, but I'm sure it's still better than whatev
Rick: Next we have presentation. Which, is what is it honestly. I think you'd be lucky to get a 3.5, but depending on the typos you could get hit hard here.
Morty: Don't sweat it Kleio dawg, it's just a 5 point score. Plus you've got all the nice color coding and pictures, you'll be fine...plus I'm sure it's still better than whatev-
Rick: Moving on again....character portrayal, you're awesome Kleio don't change. That's obviously a 5. Quality of Content? I'm sure that's probably at least a 13! I mean again, we're Rick and Morty baby. Plus they love this breaking the fourth wall shit. So that leaves us with one thing. Morty?
Morty: Uh...Morty begins to count on his fingers. Morty: Character development!
Rick: Thank you my genius grandson...yes...character development. Right now Kleio, as we speak...what is yours.
Kleio De Santos: Uh...to defeat the Monologue Monster?
Rick: That's not character development, that's an arc. We need you to have an arc. You need to be one way at the beginning of the promo, and develop along the way, to where at the end you're changed for the better. Think of one of those Disney after school specials. What's the moral life lesson you learn at the end?
Kleio De Santos: Uh...not to do monologues?
Rick: Ugh...alright. We'll work on it.
Morty: I like it.
Rick: Of course you like it. It's simple and watered down. Whatever, at least it won't go over Dubb's head.
Morty: Who?
Rick: Let's GO!
Kleio De Santos: Go where?
Rick: It's time for Morty to get a haircut.
Morty: Awwwwww jeez.  We cut to the inside of the barber sharp where a nervous Morty is sitting inside. Unlike the rest of the city which was bright and flashy, this barber shop was dark, and Morty was certain he could see blood on the walls. Never the less he sat in his chair like a good little boy. That is when the barber came out. Barber: Hello little boy? Would you like a hair cut? Morty goes to open his mouth but he cannot speak, for the barber has already continued. Barber: Of course you'd like a haircut. Why else would you have come to my shop? For a lollipop? Or an autograph? I am a great wrestler you know. The best. I can go on and on for paragraphs and paragraphs about why I'm better than anyone else. Especially that child Kleio De Santos. So naive she is. And yes she may have humiliated me a few times, and maybe even carried me to victory in a tag team match, but still I will continue to talk for paragraphs about why I am the greatest. To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep,
No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub: For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause—there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of dispriz'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th'unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovere'd country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry And lose the name of action. The Barber continues his rant as he grabs his hairclippers, going to work on Morty's hair.
But he realizes Morry has stopped paying attention.
Barber: Excuse me!
Morty jolts awake.
Morty: Aw, uh, I'm uh sorry but I think people stopped paying attention when you started quoting Shakespare.
Barber: Oh? Would the Bee Movie script work better? According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway, because bees don't care what humans think is impossible.
Morty: Uh, no...not...really...
Barber: Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Yeah, let's shake it up a little.
Morty: Ok you're literally just copying and pasting the Bee Movie transcript. That's not...helping.
Barber: FINE! You want to unleash my full power? Well you'll have it. I can rant on and on about this, I can-
Suddenly, the Barber is interrupted by Kleio De Santos and Rick Sanchez!
The two of them bust through the door, much to his shock!
Kleio De Santos: STOP RIGHT THERE MONOLOGUE MONSTER!
Barber: NO! You will not defeat me again Kleio De Santos. I will not allow it! I am better than you. You're nothing but a little orphan girl. Hiding behind your trauma. And I don't care. I literally don't. Everyone has trauma Kleio. It doesn't make you special.
Morty: I really enjoy how you're able to do this without dropping an F bomb.
Barber: Shut tha fuck up!
Rick: Oh there we go Morty you just had to say something.
Barber: Kleio you're not better than the rest of us. You'll soon learn that. You're an impotent fraud. Listen to me and my shitty accent. Listen to me whine about how my mommy had to work shitty jobs. Listen to it! I am whining, and you're going to listen to every single bit of it. Don't you dare scroll! Oh your parents died Kleio? SO DID MINE. I'm a desperate asshole who will do anything to win a title, because I promised my dead dad. You have no idea what that's like Kleio, you were so young when your dead dad was around, like Batman? But me? I'm the fuckin Joker. Sure I'm 42 years old, and I may or may not be the guy that they based the 40 year old Virgin movie on, but that's ok because I am totally okay with being a joke. That is my entire gimmick. You wrestling purists can bugger off and shit and whatever, because I'm the best. Me, and my scissors. I'm going to stand here and make fun of your over the hill gimmick while I pretend like I'm a fucking barber named after a serial killer. Isn't that funny? I think it is. Don't scroll, I'm still going on. Am I butter? Because I'm on a fucking roll. That's right another F Bomb. Winning that TV title is all I need to do to not feel like a loser anymore. And yes I'm aware of the fact that even if I were to somehow magically win, out of pure luck, don't scroll dammit, even if I do win, I know deep down it won't cure that feeling inside. That boohoo feeling I feel when I think I've let mother down, or my dead father is rolling over in his grave. But I don't care, because Kleio it'll mean that you can't do it again. It'll mean that empty feeling you feel won't be cured.
You think that paragraph is long enough? Because I feel like I've got a second in me. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM KLEIO! I AM A CURSE! YES...THIS IS ALL THAT SERIOUS TO ME. I AM TYPING IN ALL CAPS NOW TO SHOW YOU HOW SERIOUS MY CURSE IS. YOU CAN PRETEND TO BE A WITCH. I CANNOT PRETEND TO NOT BE A CURSE. These people have no idea the things we sacrifice for them...for the sake of entertainment. Well I will be your huckleberry. I will be your entertainer. You want a war? You want someone to go out there and bloody some knuckles? Sure, Jack is your guy. I'll bring my scissors, and my gimmick, and my whiny attitude, and you're going to sit there and read every fucking word. Because I am the greatest wrestler there is, and I am the greatest barber there is!
AND THERE ISN'T A FUCKING.
DAMN.
THING.
ANYONE.
CAN.
DO.
ABOUT IT.
See what I did there? I made my monologue even more powerful by having a bunch of one word lines. That is the kind of power I have Kleio, that you will never have. I am going to bring monologues back. And when I beat you for the TV title I am going to prove it. There will be no questions after I am done beating you...that the monologue is king. I'm going to write a big monologue to beat you, then I'm going to write a big monologue after I've beaten you, and then I'm going to continue beating others with my monologues until there's no one left to beat. And you, and Rick, and Morty are going to have to all sit there and watch me do it as I hold your eyelids open.
And-
Suddenly, the Barber is zapped by Rick.
Just like that, he's turned to ash.
A big pile of shitty ash.
Rick: Look, I'm really sorry to just Deus Ex Machina this, but I mean...holy shit that was a lot worse than I thought it was going to be.
Morty: It was probably for the best Rick. The deadline is coming up soon and we still have to format anyway.
Kleio De Santos: No honestly I don't know where else that was going to go. You know...as sad as that was, watching that...like a homeless man, ranting on the street. I think I actually did learn something.
Rick: Right, we agreed...your moral lesson was that monologues are bad. Boom, character development.
Kleio De Santos: No, I don't think it's the monologues specifically. Like all of them are bad. I think a well timed monologue works really well to be honest with you guys. Usually right at the end, when the main character does learn that lesson. And I think, speaking of which, this is actually a bit enlightening too with my current situation with my group. I haven't been listening to them as a leader. But seeing things from the barber's eyes have sort of shown me of how I can come across. I can see now why Trixie and Blair are against me...and Celestia too now. And Ethel...and...wow jeez. But, no for real...I think this is really my chance to turn it around.
Morty: You're full of shit.
Kleio De Santos: Yeah, I know.
Rick: It's good enough for me. Let's put a wrap on this thing. End it with a wise quote or something. And that's the wayyyyyy the news goes!
Morty spits into the barber's ashes, as Rick opens up a portel.
All three jump through.
But when Kleio comes out the other end, she's alone again in her hotel.
Rick and Morty are gone.
For now.
But Kleio remains. What she'll do with her new knowledge however, is a mystery...
“A word is a lot.”
― Etgar Keret |
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:52:27 GMT
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:53:11 GMT
XXXIX.
“THE FINAL FOUR.”
Live from Osaka Castle Baseball Field in Osaka, Japan.
Thursday 4th April, 2024.
{IN DREAMS || ROY ORBISON}
The lights go out in the arena as the music hits, signaling the start of the show and eliciting an excited cheer from the crowd. A moment later, to a generally negative reaction given her history in the country, Michelle von Horrowitz walks out onto the stage.
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one-fall…"
’ONE-FALL!’
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "… with a thirty minute time limit, and is an F1 Climaxxx tournament semi-final match! Introducing first, weighing in at fifty four kilograms and from Rotterdam in the Netherlands… ‘Dreamer’... Michelle von Horrowitz!!"
The occasion is not lost on MvH, who walks down to the ring with a sense of gravitas and a look of focus about her. She ignores the heckling of the fans either side of the ramp as she makes her way down it.
Rod Sterling: "We're getting right into the action here on Meltdown XXXIX, folks! It's the Final 4, meaning that tonight we'll find out who will compete in the F1 grand final at Carnal Contendership in a month's time."
Anzu Kurosawa: "And here comes the first of our hopefuls: last year's tournament winner, Michelle von Horrowitz. She surged to victory in Pool A, seeing off both Konchu Hao and Mike Parr to secure the number one spot in the group. I think it's fair to say, too, that Michelle's trajectory in this tournament has been markedly different to last year's. She overcame the Prodigy and the Mad Wizard fairly, which was not the case in any of her victories in 2023’s F1."
Rod Sterling: "I think that we can be thankful that Uncle and the Nephews are AWOL, Anzu. Something tells me that this turning of new leaf is more to do with a lack of back-up than a change of heart. There's still plenty of tournament left for MvH to sully herself."
Anzu Kurosawa: "Wow, Rod. Don't sit on the fence."
Von Horrowitz rolls into the ring and takes a seat in one of the corners, her head propped up against the second turnbuckle. She stares off towards the stage, boos raining down as her music fades out, replaced by…
{ANIMALS || NICKELBACK}[MEDIA=youtube]DLYwwtPA49w[/MEDIA]
More boos greet the opening notes of Nickelback’s Animals. It's difficult to say if the crowd is booing the band, like any sane crowd would, or the man whose coming it heralds. It's probably safe to say that the derision is for a combination of the two. Regardless, an aggressive and angry looking Bryan Baxter appears on the stage, flanked on either side by Ser Stache and Major Amigo of the Friendship Wrestling Alliance.
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "And her opponent, accompanied to the ring by the Friendship Wrestling Alliance… hailing from Hickory, North Carolina and weighing in at three hundred and twelve pounds… Big… Bryan… Bastard!!"
Big Bryan isn't quite as proficient as ignoring the audience as his opponent. He pauses multiple times to slap drinks out of fans’ hands, rip up derisory signs, or generally argue with anyone who will give him the satisfaction.
Rod Sterling: "It's still strange seeing Big Bryan Bastard walk around without the FWA North American Championship, given the four hundred and fifty three days that he held that prize. No longer, though, thanks to Mike Parr at the recent North American Showdown. We'll see the Prodigy compete in our main event against Chris Peacock, of course, in the other F1 semi-final."
Anzu Kurosawa: "Big Bryan has an opportunity to take back that North American title with triumph in the tournament, but to do that he'll have to do what he couldn't do last year."
Rod Sterling: "That's right, Anzu: this is a semi-final rematch, and Baxter will hope for a different outcome this time around. He's brought some back-up with him, albeit of the less intimidating sort. Maybe he's learned his lesson from last year, when a brief hesitation to bend the rules in his favour allowed Michelle to do the same decisively."
Baxter climbs into the ring, leaving Stache and Amigo on the outside. He occupies a corner opposite to Michelle, who pulls herself up to her feet using the top rope. The fans are excited and loud, despite their apparent disdain for both of the competitors in the match. The official issues some final orders before calling for the bell…
FIRST MATCH || 1/30.
Bryan Baxter vs. Michelle von Horrowitz.
Singles Match - F1 Climaxxx Semi-Final.
Match writer: SS.
<< 00:00. >>
The two begin to circle the ring, Michelle showing herself to be the more agile and nimble of the two through this movement alone. Baxter appears to want to bring it together with a collar and elbow tie up, but MvH has other ideas. Each time Bryan lumbers towards her, she darts in with a quick strike before immediately retreating out of the range of his grasp. First it's a side kick, then it's an uppercut-forearm combination, and finally it's a spin kick to the gut that has Baxter stumbling backwards into the corner he started in.
Rod Sterling: "Michelle von Horrowitz is looking to utilize a speed advantage in the opening exchanges here, but I'm not sure those strikes are having too much of an effect on Bryan Baxter."
Anzu Kurosawa: "Looks like they're just pissing him off to me, Rod."
This appears to amuse Michelle, who once more begins circling the ring when Baxter steps out of the corner. She tries to engage in the same dance, at first avoiding an attempted lariat before connecting with a pair of hooks to the gut. This time, though, Bryan doesn’t recoil, instead absorbing the blows and staying close. Dreamer goes for a third hook to the abdomen, but this time Baxter is able to catch her arm between his own and his side, trapping Michelle in close. Von Horrowitz tries to fight out with a forearm with her free arm, but Baxter has tasted her power now and isn’t worries about it. He absorbs the blow before taking MvH over with a Northern Lights suplex! Baxter bridges for the cover…
ONE… TWO… NO!!
It looks like Michelle wants to roll out of the ring for some respite, but Baxter doesn’t let her, clutching her by the hair and dragging her to her feet. He backs her up into the turnbuckles with a trio of overhand chops to the chest, before whipping her HARD into the opposite corner. MvH bounces back off the turnbuckles towards Baxter… who runs through her with a shoulder tackle!!
Rod Sterling: "If Baxter pinned her right now he’d have a decent chance of the three, but looks like he’s just warming up…"
Baxter collects MvH and appears to be trying to hoist her up into a torture rack submission. Sensing her peril, Michelle quickly grasps the top rope, pulling herself off Bryan’s shoulders and out onto the apron. She immediately hops down onto the floor, staring up at Baxter with her hands on her hips.
Anzu Kurosawa: "MvH takes some time on the outside to rethink things, here. Reminiscent of their match last year, and both of Dreamer’s ill-fated encounters with the kaiju."
Rod Sterling: "They only have thirty minutes tonight, Anzu. Strategy’s all well and good, but at some point she’s going to have to get back in the ring and fight."
***
<< 07:59. >>
Bryan has Michelle in the middle of the ring, her head in position between his legs. He hoists her up onto his shoulders…
Rod Sterling: "A massive powerbomb from Big Bryan Bastard, who continues to be in complete control of this one… and now he attempts a cocky cover."
Indeed, Baxter places a boot on Michelle's chest, lifting his arms into the air.
ONE… TWO… NO!
Anzu Kurosawa: "Even with the onslaught we've seen from Baxter so far, you're probably not going to beat MvH like that."
Rod Sterling: "Baxter's confidence is growing, though. Last year's semi-final seems a long time ago…"
Bryan lays into Michelle with a few stomps, then giving her a hand in getting to her feet when she tries to do so using the ring ropes. He Irish whips her into the opposite set, winding up for a big clothesline, but Michelle checks her momentum by holding onto the ropes. She crumbles to the mat and rolls out of the ring, eliciting some jeers from the audience.
Rod Sterling: "Michelle wants more time to recover… but it looks like Baxter's going to follow her out this time!"
The crowd cheers Baxter's sense of urgency as he climbs out of the ring. He marches after MvH, who is up to her knees…
Anzu Kurosawa: "Drop toe hold from Dreamer!! Bryan Bastard is sent face-first onto the top of the ring steps!"
Michelle adjusts her knee pads after playing possum, climbing nonchalantly to her feet with Baxter still draped on top of the steps. She collects him by the wrist and first hurls him into the steel barricade, before doing the same in reverse into the ring apron! Baxter collapses to his knees after the constant abuse of his kidneys, which allows Dreamer to apply a front face lock.
Anzu Kurosawa: "Michelle is trying to hook those arms, looking for the double arm DDT… but Baxter's too big. She can't link her fingers!"
Rod Sterling: "She has to make do with what she has… she spikes him onto his head! A vicious DDT on the outside!"
Michelle glances up at the official, who until now has been remonstrating with them to return to the ring. She acquiesces, rolling back in and then taking a seat in the corner. She shrugs in the direction of the official, reminding him non-verbally to do his job, and he begins a count.
Rod Sterling: "Michelle von Horrowitz looks more than happy with the idea of a countout victory here, Anzu. Hardly the most honorable course of action…"
The referee reaches four as Baxter finally begins to stir on the outside.
Anzu Kurosawa: "True, maybe… but she's doing it on her own, at least. These first few minutes have shown that beating Baxter isn't going to be easy by conventional methods, and any path to the final will do, really."
Amigo and Stache gather around Baxter, giving him encouragement as he gets to his knees. The official barks six.
Rod Sterling: "That's the mentality of the Michelle of old, though. The one you said had been left behind in last year's tournament."
Baxter stumbles against the apron as the official reaches eight.
Anzu Kurosawa: "I never said that. I just said we haven't seen that Michelle so far. I happen to agree with you, Rod. A leopard doesn't change her spots."
With the referee readying for the ten, Bryan finally throws himself beneath the bottom rope! Michelle is waiting for him, slapping on a sleeper hold to wear the big man down…
***
<< 12:07. >>
After a period of MvH trying to wear him down with sapping holds, she has Baxter locked in a standing octopus stretch, digging the point of her elbow into his abdomen for added measure. Bryan has refused the official's questions about giving up half a dozen times, in this hold and several others, whilst inching ever closer to the ropes. There's a determined grimace on his face as he reaches out and, finally, with outstretched fingertips, manages to grasp the top rope!
Rod Sterling: "Baxter again saves himself using the sanctuary of the ring ropes, but Dreamer continues to wear him down with a series of punishing holds."
Anzu Kurosawa: "And she neglects the referee's request for a clean break, instead following up with a low drop kick to the knees!"
Baxter stumbles away from the ropes with a limp, allowing Michelle to collect him from behind and nail him with a Russian leg sweep! Dreamer doesn't go for the cover, sending that it'll take more to keep the big man down. Instead, she rolls out onto the apron, waiting patiently for Baxter to rise to a vertical base inside the ring.
Rod Sterling: "Big Bryan Bastard is on Dream Street here, with MvH teeing him up for a springboard attack…"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Here she goes for the cross-body…"
Rod Sterling: "BUT SHE'S CAUGHT BY BAXTER!!"
Bryan catches her in position for a body slam, but hurls her up onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry.
Anzu Kurosawa: "Samoan drop from Baxter! He squashed her like a bug!"
Rod Sterling: "No pin attempt from Baxter. Instead, he lifts her up, maybe going for another powerbomb here…"
He indeed hoists her up onto his shoulders, but this time runs towards the corner, looking for a buckle bomb. Big Bryan Bastard's volatile mix of power and adrenaline, coupled with Michelle's light weight, result in him throwing her all the way over the turnbuckles!! Her legs hit the top one as she flies over them, causing a devastating collision of her hip against the steel ring post! She hits the apron and the steel ring steps on her way to the mat, the audience losing it for the ridiculous move!!
Rod Sterling: "Big Bryan Bastard just threw Michelle out of the ring!! Unbelievable!"
The referee doesn't quite know what to do, but Baxter does. He climbs out of the ring, looking to press home the advantage as quickly as possible. He first glances at the heap of flesh that is his opponent, and then to the adjacent announce desk.
Anzu Kurosawa: "No, you stay away from here, Bastard!"
Baxter doesn't heed Anzu's call, and - much to the fan's delight - begins to disassemble the commentary booth! He throws the cover and the monitors to the ground, and then collects Dreamer by the hair. Rod and Anzu remove their headsets and scarper away from the booth as Baxter pulls Michelle's head into position. He's going for another powerbomb, managing to lift Dreamer up with ease. When he tries to take a step towards the announce desk, though, she fires off with a right hand to the top of the head… then a second… and a third…
… and then Dreamer nails a Code Red on the outside!!
It's desperation stuff from Michelle, but it's enough to win her a little respite, saving herself and (for now) the announce desk in the process…
***
<< 19:43. >>
The fight is still on the outside, with the official very hesitant to start a count with both participants not in the ring. Instead, he pleads with Michelle to bring it back inside as she throws Baxter into the barricade, following up with alternating Mongolian chops and forearm strikes. After a half-dozen of each, she drags Baxter away from the barricade and towards the ramp. She applies a front face lock and hooks an arm…
Rod Sterling: "She's not thinking… we've seen Michelle von Horrowitz employ a brainbuster before, but usually against much smaller opponents. I have my doubts."
Anzu Kurosawa: "Always the skeptic, Rod! Don't be so cynical! All you need is a can-do attitude…"
It appears, though, that Rod has the truth of it. Michelle struggles to wrench Baxter up for the move, who anchors his weight down… before reversing with a snap suplex of his own! Michelle thuds against the ramp, with Bryan taking a few moments to suck in some deep breaths before climbing to his feet. He drags MvH to hers and throws her beneath the bottom rope, but before he can climb in after her she rolls all the way across it, underneath the opposite bottom rope. She lands in a heap next to the announce booth, Baxter deciding it's easier to slowly walk the perimeter of the ring than climb in and out of it.
This gives Michelle time to recover, though, and when Bryan reaches down to grasp her she lashes out with a thumb to the eye! The official doesn't have a great view of it from inside the ring, and MvH immediately capitalises with a discus forearm that takes Baxter off his feet!
Rod Sterling: "More snippets of dishonour!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Independent dishonour, Rod. I don't think Baxter would hesitate to do the same. I mean, he did change his name to Bastard. Oh, look out!"
The two commentators scatter again as MvH throws Baxter face first onto their desk. She doesn't bother to remove the monitors, which has been hastily put back in place. A few further forearms put Baxter in a supine position on the desk, and with no hesitation she retreats in order to climb up onto the apron.
Anzu Kurosawa: "We've seen this from Michelle before from time to time, she's going right up to the top! I think my broadcast has lost his headset, folks! But that's okay! Everything’s okay! Everything is going to be okay!"
Michelle straightens up on the top rope, taking a deep breath as she judges the distance from where she is to Baxter on the desk. With not one member of the audience in their seat, she takes a leap of faith…
Anzu Kurosawa: "MvH with the elbow drops – but BAXTER IS PULLED OUT OF THE WAY!! Dreamer explodes through the table! Ser Stache! Major Amigo! They just saved Big Bryan Bastard!!"
We get a shot of a relieved Baxter, and then one of Michelle, who lies amongst the debris of the collapsed table. The audience lose their minds as Bryan hopes to push the advantage, collecting himself and then Dreamer. He drags her to the ring, throwing her under the bottom rope as some sense of order is regained at the desk.
Anzu Kurosawa: "You alright, Rod?"
Rod Sterling: "Yes, I'm alright… which is more than can be said for our desk. I mean look at this! During the first match!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Keep your head, Sterling. Pinfall attempt!"
It's decidedly less cocky now from Baxter, who drives a forearm into Michelle's face in the lateral press.
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!
There's not much in the kickout, but Michelle gets the shoulder up! If Baxter is frustrated, he doesn't let it show, instead going back to work as the match reaches its final stretches…
***
<< 24:26. >>
Rod Sterling: "Big Bryan Bastard has been relentless with powerbomb after powerbomb tonight in Osaka, and it looks like he's going for another one here. We haven't seen the spinning sit out version so far, perhaps Baxter thinks that's what it'll take to finish Dreamer off."
Anzu Kurosawa: "But Michelle again fights back when Baxter has her up on his shoulders, raining down with thudding right hands. It's a tactic she's employed through the evening with varying success, but this time Baxter is forced to drop her…"
Rod Sterling: "And she stomps down hard on his foot after landing! Michelle follows up with a mule kick to the gut, doubling the big man over. Dreamer looks for a tornado DDT, but Baxter pushes her away… POUNCE!! POOOOUNCE!!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Baxter throws her halfway across the ring with that body check!! That might be it!!"
It appears Baxter thinks so, too, with the big man hooking the far leg…
ONE… TWO… THR – NO!!
MvH fires the shoulder up!
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your… FOUR MINUTE WARNING!!"
Baxter is slow to his feet, observing the official checking over Michelle to see if she can continue. With the referee thus preoccupied, a small, metallic object is slid into the ring, Bryan catching it beneath his outstretched boot.
Anzu Kurosawa: "I think Major Stache or Ser Amigo just slid something into the ring, Rod!"
Rod Sterling: "Indeed they did, Anzu – a set of brass knuckles! And Baxter has them in his possession!"
With the referee finally assured that MvH can carry on, he backs away, Baxter meanwhile putting the knuckles on behind his back.
Rod Sterling: "Seems Big Bryan Bastard has learned his lessons from last year's semi-final… there's no hesitation! He winds up for a big right hand…"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Yakuza kick from Dreamer! Out of nowhere! And she follows up with an enziguri!"
Baxter hits the mat, his right hand (and thus the evidence of skullduggery) buried beneath his body. Michelle wastes no time in climbing back up to the top rope, although her ascent is slowed by the exertions of the match, not least of all her collision with the announce desk. This allows Bryan to stir and then get to his feet, and he cuts Michelle off by throwing himself into the ropes, causing her to lose balance. She remains straddled atop the turnbuckles, with Baxter following her up. When standing on the second turnbuckle he grabs a fist full of hair with his left hand and draws back with his right, the brass knuckles gleaming beneath the ceiling lights…
… but Dreamer blocks it! She throws up both of her hands, catching Baxter's arm as he pushes it towards her…
Rod Sterling: "MvH catches the right hand… and now she's biting it!!! Dreamer digs her teeth into Baxter's hand!"
He tries to draw it away, but Dreamer catches it and yanks the brass knuckles off. She throws them into the crowd so that the Friendship Wrestling Alliance can't retrieve them, and then attempts to refocus on Baxter…
… but he's waiting for her with a HUGE headbutt! Michelle is rocked by the strikes, which Bryan had prepared for her whilst she was preoccupied dealing with the weapon. She almost falls off her perch, but Baxter catches her by the hair and keeps her in place.
Rod Sterling: "Time is ebbing away, here! There's less than two minutes to go before we reach the time limit!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "And then what, Rod?! How does that work?"
Rod Sterling: "I'm not quite sure, Anzu. I guess it gives Jon Russnow something to think about."
Baxter rocks Michelle with a second headbutt, and then drags her head into position between his legs.
Rod Sterling: "Is he thinking a powerbomb from the top?! We've seen Baxter make good use of that move all night, and now he's looking to finish off the job with it…"
The official is on the apron, remonstrating with Baxter to climb down. He goes so far as to climb onto the first rope himself, reaching up to grab Baxter by the arm. Bryan pushes him off, but the momentary distraction - for both the official and her opponent - is all Dreamer needs…
Rod Sterling: "A low blow!! Typical!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "She didn't bring the brass knuckles, Rod! Desperate times call for desperate measures!"
With Baxter still on the second rope but incapacitated, Michelle steps up onto the top turnbuckle, grasping him around the waist…
Rod Sterling: "Sunset flip powerbomb!! Michelle uses Baxter's own weight as leverage to deliver a powerbomb of her own!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "And now she climbs back up to the top rope… an arduous ascent after this war of a match!"
Rod Sterling: "But time is ticking away… we're into the last of the thirty minutes here!"
Sending a need for urgency, Michelle steadies herself on the top turnbuckles. She takes a deep breath, and…
Anzu Kurosawa: "450 SPLASH!! She nails it!"
Rod Sterling: "Michelle hooks the leg…"
ONE… TWO… THREE!
{RESULT}Winner: Michelle von Horrowitz via pinfall at 29:38.
Michelle is able to roll off Baxter but does little else. She takes in labored breaths whilst staring at the lights.
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Here is your winner… ‘Dreamer’... Michelle von Horrowitz!!"
Rod Sterling: "Another war in the books for MvH, who survived a similar match that went deep beyond the four minute warning against Konchu Hao in the pool stage."
Anzu Kurosawa: "She may have had a bye week since then, but I don't know how much that will have helped her given the physical nature of that semi-final. We know that she has nearly a month between tonight and the final… but we don't yet know who she'll face in Las Vegas."
Rod Sterling: "We'll find that out in our main event, when the FWA North American Champion Mike Parr takes on Chris Peacock, but before — hold on…"
Roy Orbison's rendition of ‘In Dreams’ is cut short, Michelle's attention - along with the attention of everyone else in the arena - quickly diverted to the big screen.
Footage has started playing that appears as though it's been caught on CCTV, given the grading picture quality and ‘buzzing’ audio, and inside a hotel, given the layout of the corridor in the picture. We are positioned at the end of a long hallways, doors visible every few metres on either side of it. Text in the corner acts as ID for the security camera and a timestamp:
4S-MCC F7-002
07/23/2023 03:26
At first, the corridor is empty, but after a few moments a female figure walks away from the camera, her pace slow, noticeably hampered by both fatigue and injury. She is dressed all in black: her jeans, oversized hoodie, even her rucksack.
It is not difficult to tell who this is, even if we can't see her face. As if to illustrate the obvious realisation, the camera momentarily cuts to Michelle in the ring. Her facial expression is inscrutable. Not passive, but certainly guarded, and with a not-to-distant rage burning in her eyes.
The camera cuts to a different angle in a different hallway. This time, the figure is walking directly towards the camera, and there can be no doubt that it is the same woman currently occupying the ring. The woman in the footage, though, walks with a sense of regret, of shame, and of resignation. She looks defeated and lost.
Eventually, she stops at a particular door. She checks something in her hand, a card of some sort. Takes a deep breath. Knocks on the door.
After a few moments, the door is opened. We can't see who is standing on the other side of it. Their speech is inaudible.
???: “. …. …. …..”
Michelle shuffles awkwardly in the footage. We see this from over the shoulder of the present day Dreamer, who grips the top rope in the ring, silently seething as the video continues.
MvH: “. …, ….”
She enters the room, and rather abruptly the footage ends.
Rod Sterling: “I'm not quite sure what we just saw, folks, but if seems Michelle von Horrowitz has a decent idea.”
Inside the ring, Dreamer looks as though she's seen a ghost. Her breathing is rushed and laboured. Unable to celebrate her victory, she climbs out of the ring and marches up the ramp. The feed fades to black.
From that, the next place shown on the feed is the inside of Chris Peacock’s locker room, with the former FWA World Champion watching a monitor of what just happened with Michelle von Horrowitz. A smirk is plastered across his face.
Chris Peacock “It’s going to be her, Allen. Like it should be. It has all been building up to this… I’m pretty excited, I won’t lie to you.”
The shot widens and it is shown that Allen Price is parked up next to Peacock in his wheelchair that it was established at FIght Night he no longer actually needs. Price motions to the screen, seemingly with some trepidation over what they have just watched.
Allen Price: “What was that with Michelle just now, Chris? Did that… was that us?”
Chris Peacock “Now, that’d be telling. I think it is safe to say that she is not just thinking about the Final anymore.”
Allen Price: “Chris, she can think about the Final, because she’s definitely in it. You’ve still got Mike Parr to worry about later on tonight. I know what you said, but I really think you should reconsider. Let me be out there with you. You saw how helpful it was having me there against Baxter!”
Chris Peacock “Allen, I’m doing this one myself. She won her match on her own… now I need to do the same.”
It is clear from both Peacock and Price’s body language that they have had this conversation several times already in preparation for this match. Chris picks up his phone and studies his notifications for a moment… and then puts it down with a disappointed look on his face. Price rambles on about nothing in particular as we fade away.
The camera fades to the back where Todd Salum is standing by with GroundZero Season 5 winner, the masked mercenary Vengador. But the masked man is not alone as he is joined by his new agent, “The Dubb” Bobby Joel. We can hear the boos from the fans in Osaka coming from arena, with Joel being a familiar villain to the Japanese fans.
Todd Salum: “I’m here with the mysterious Vengador, and Vengy… I think we’re all wondering why, coming off your big win at Winter Wasteland against XYZ… that you would align yourself with this man, Bobby Joel?”
Salum holds the microphone out toward Vengador, but Bobby Joel instead grabs Todd’s arm and pulls it over to his own mouth.
Bobby Joel: “Now Todd, that felt awful disrespectful. I’m standing right here, numb nuts! I told the world at Fight Night exactly why.”
Todd Salum: “Sure, but be that is it may, it’d be nice to hear from Vengador himself.”
Bobby Joel: “I’ll have you know that anything Vengador has to say can come from me. That’s my job. This man is dangerous. He’s literally a mercenary. But he was directionless. Aimless. His so-called mentor has left him high and dry…”
Todd Salum: We both know that Katsu got injured and she’s….”
Bobby Joel: “Excuse me, Toddy-boy - don’t you dare interrupt me again or maybe you’ll be the next victim of Vengador. You understand me?”
Todd rolls his eyes but reluctantly nods in affirmation.
Bobby Joel: “Good boy!”
Joel playful rubs Todd’s hair much to the interviewer’s chagrin.
Bobby Joel: “As you know Todd, they call me The Dubb and that’s because I’m a winner. I’ve done it all in Japan. I’ve wrestled all over the world… but FWA has alluded me. Until now. And now I’m here and I have the man by my side who is going to make a real impact in this company now that he has a real mentor. Someone to truly guide him. Someone that will bring out that viciousness that we’ve seen glimpses of so far. There’s a lot of rage inside this man… a lot of hate… so much fire that is just waiting to come out. And that’s bad news for this locker room.”
“And it’s certainly bad news for Cyrus Truth and Jeremy Best. Like I said on Fight Night… we want to make an impact and what better way than coming straight for the biggest dog in the yard… a future hall of famer… Cyrus Truth. And this week on Fallout, they’re going to find out why I’ve handpicked this man to take to the top. And beating a former and perhaps future champion… and the current champion… it’s gonna be… oh, so… sweeeeeeet.”
“But we’re not stoppin’ there, Todd. No, we ain’t! Carnal Contendership!”
Joel pauses, letting out a smirk as Vengador nods his head.
Bobby Joel: “Carnal Contendership. Vengador, here, is gonna not only be in the Carnal Contendership… not only is he going to be dominant… not only will he get the most eliminations… but he’s going to win… it… all, baby!”
“And that’s the gospel according to The Dubb.”
Joel finishes with a confident grin, patting Vengador on the back as the camera fades out.
{SCISSORS || JINJER}[MEDIA=youtube]DZ_WDLA9i7c[/MEDIA]
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one-fall with a thirty minute time limit… and is for the vacant FWA Television Championship!!"
General cheers as the graphic of the belt is shown on screen.
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Introducing first, from Whitechapel, London, and weighing in at two hundred and seventy three pounds… Jack the Clipper!!"
Jack walks out onto the stage to a chorus of boos, but pays the crowd no mind as he stalks down the ramp and towards the ring.
Rod Sterling: "You heard the FWA Television Championship is currently vacant, owing to injuries sustained by both champion Brooklyn Steiner and challenger Madison Gray in the run up to last month’s Fight Night."
Anzu Kurosawa: "That meant this opportunity for Jack the Clipper and his opponent tonight, who last tussled for this prize - alongside Brooklyn Steiner - back at Winter Wasteland. No doubt there still exists bad blood: Jack the Clipper doesn’t look like the kind of man who gets over grudges."
Jack does indeed appear in a foul mood as he slides under the bottom rope and paces in the ring. His music fades out and is replaced by…
{PAINT IT BLACK || THE ROLLING STONES}[MEDIA=youtube]O4irXQhgMqg[/MEDIA]
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "And his opponent… accompanied to the ring by Grandma Ethel… currently residing in Miami, Florida and weighing in at one hundred and fifteen pounds… Kleio De Santos!!"
There’s a mixed reaction for KDS as she appears on stage. It appears there are more boos than cheers, but there’s certainly more positivity than greeted Jack the Clipper. De Santos loosens up as she slowly saunters down the ramp.
Rod Sterling: "Kleio has, of course, held the FWA Television Championship before, doing so for eighty three days following Lights Out 2023 and her victory over Madison Gray."
Anzu Kurosawa: "But it was Kleio, not Jack, who took the pinfall in that triple threat match when Brooklyn Steiner relieved De Santos of her gold. That might even out the psychological advantage going into this one."
Rod Sterling: "I’m not sure, Anzu. Kleio has proved to be a queen of mind games throughout her tenure as leader of the Coven. I’m sure the Brazilian Witch has something up her sleeve."
KDS rolls into the ring, leaving Ethel on the outside to find a chair to take a load off. De Santos continues to loosen up in her corner, Jack the Clipper now staring a hole through her from the opposite one. Kleio, for her part, refuses to match Jack’s eye contact, which only proves to infuriate and incense him more. He is quietly seething when, after conducting his final checks, the referee calls for the opening bell..
SECOND MATCH || 1/30.
Jack the Clipper vs. Kleio De Santos.
Singles Match - FWA Television Championship.
Match writer: SS.
<< 00:00. >>
The two start by circling the ring, and it looks as though Kleio is offering up a test of strength with her right hand. Jack snickers at this, intending to use his size to his advantage as he takes the hand, but immediately Kleio slips beneath and behind into a hammer lock. She transitions into a side headlock, before leveraging her weight to take him down to the mat with a headlock takedown. Jack is able to lift his legs and reverse with a headscissors…
Rod Sterling: "Unusual dexterity on display from Jack the Clipper. Technical exchanges like this aren’t usually in his wheelhouse."
Anzu Kurosawa: "Maybe not, and he’ll want to be careful about fighting this match too frequently on Kleio’s terms. Already, De Santos hatches her escape…"
KDS positions her body so that she can enter a headstand before escaping the headscissors and landing on her feet… and she runs through Jack with a PK! Kleio goes for the cover…
ONE… TWO… NO!
Jack gets a shoulder up, and KDS finds her feet, backing away into a corner to allow Jack space to rise. When he has a vertical base she moves in for a roundhouse kick, but Jack ducks beneath it, and then lashes out at the turning Kleio with an elbow smash!
Rod Sterling: "De Santos damn near crumbles after that vicious strike from Jack, who is forced to keep her standing himself. He maneuvers her into position… gut-wrench suplex from Clipper!"
Jack doesn’t go for a pinfall of his own, instead backing away into the corner and stalking Kleio as if she were prey. He clasps his hands together, a look of rage and focus in his eyes…
Anzu Kurosawa: "We’ve seen this Polish hammer style attack from Jack before. He calls it the Upper-CUTTER, and the fact that he’s going for it so early in this one says something about his urgency."
Rod Sterling: "He doesn’t want Kleio to build any momentum… but she reverses with a low dropkick!! She takes Jack out at the knees… and follows up with a hip toss!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Jack is back to his feet, but this time it’s a clothesline from De Santos!"
Jack thinks about getting back to his feet quickly a second time, but thinks better of it, and instead he rolls under the bottom rope.
Rod Sterling: "Maybe not a bad move from Jack the Clipper, getting a little respite on the outside."
With Jack breathing heavily outside of the ring, Kleio sits cross-legged in the middle of it, a smile on her face as she stares through the ropes at her opponent.
***
<< 06:48. >>
Kleio has Jack in a cravate, and after wrenching at the move in the middle of the ring she takes him over with a snapmare. She rains down with a quick trio of kicks to the back, and then bounces off the ropes that Jack is facing, looking to run through him with a second PK. This time, though, Jack is able to telegraph it, and he lies back to evade the strike, before grasping the off-balance Kleio and rolling her up with a school-boy!
ONE… TWO… TH – NO!!
Rod Sterling: "Jack the Clipper is able to catch Kleio unawares, but De Santos gets a shoulder up and fights to her feet. She leaves her feet to attempt a Superman punch… sidestepped by Clipper!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "He has her in a rear waistlock… CHAPEL STREET! Kleio is dropped at an ugly angle from the sit-out powerbomb!"
She’s folded up from the impact, but Clipper decides to slow things down rather than immediately push his advantage or go for a cover. He completes a slow circuit of KDS, raining down upon her with stomp after stomp, until eventually she’s onto her hands and knees.
Rod Sterling: "Jack is looking to inflict more damage here. He pulls Kleio in by the hair, hoisting her up for a powerbomb…"
Anzu Kurosawa: "But ‘the Boa Constrictor’ is fighting back! Straight right hands onto the top of Jack’s head!"
Rod Sterling: "And now a sunset flip roll-up! Jack’s shoulders are down!"
ONE… TWO… THR – NO!!
Jack gets the shoulder up! Both competitors fight back onto their feet, with Kleio up to hers marginally before. She tees up Jack and aims a savage crescent kick at his head… but Jack arches his back to limbo beneath the blow… AND THEN TAKES HER HEAD OFF WITH A POLISH HAMMER!!
Rod Sterling: "UPPER-CUTTER!!! Kleio is knocked into next week!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "And now Jack goes for the cover…"
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!!
Rod Sterling: "Somehow, on nothing more than instinct, Kleio De Santos gets a shoulder up!!"
***
<< 12:53. >>
Jack the Clipper repeatedly drives his shoulder into the gut of Kleio, who is sandwiched between him and the turnbuckles, before hoisting her up with the same shoulder and sitting her on the top turnbuckle. He follows up with a savage uppercut, proceeding to climb up onto the second rope alongside her. Both of them are facing inside the ring, with Jack struggling in an attempt to hoist Kleio up into a fireman’s carry.
Rod Sterling: "We’ve seen Jack the Clipper attempt this move before. He calls it the Fade Zone, and its usually a prelude to the end…"
Anzu Kurosawa: "Kleio De Santos knows that, too, and she’s fighting as though her life - or more accurately the FWA Television Championship - depended on it! Elbows to the side of the head, one after the other, until finally Jack is forced to drop her."
Kleio lands behind him, still standing upon the second rope. She grasps him in a front facelock, steps up to the top, and…
Anzu Kurosawa: "TORNADO DDT!! Right from the very top!"
Rod Sterling: "Jack the Clipper might be out cold!! Kleio is struggling to turn him over onto his back, but when she does she hooks the far leg…"
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!!!
Rod Sterling: "This time it’s Jack’s turn to demonstrate his resilience! He fires his shoulder up at two point nine nine!"
Kleio doesn’t let her frustration show, instead grasping Jack by the head and dragging him up to his feet in a front facelock.
Anzu Kurosawa: "Kleio De Santos makes sure she’s got Jack the Clipper in position int he middle of the ring… looks like she’s going for Letters to Kleio!"
Rod Sterling: "But Jack drives her back into the corner again! He drives his shoulder into the gut, forcing the air out of Kleio, before dragging her away from the corner in an inverted facelock…"
Anzu Kurosawa: "He’s going for the Clipper Cutter… he hoists Kleio up… or tries to! Kleio anchors her weight down… and then reverses with a small package!! Jack’s shoulders are down!"
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!!
Jack kicks out, and both competitors scramble up to their feet… Kleio connects with a spin kick to the gut… and then wipes Jack out with a roundhouse!!
Rod Sterling: "She’s been looking for that all match, and finally Kleio manages to connect!"
To his credit, Jack immediately begins to fight up to his feet, but KDS goes in for the kill. She applies a front facelock and pulls Jack into the middle of the ring…
Anzu Kurosawa: "LETTERS TO KLEIO!! THAT’S IT!!"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
{RESULT}Winner: Kleio De Santos via pinfall at 17:41.
Kleio rolls off of her defeated opponent, breathing heavily after the exertions of the match. The official attempts to lift her hand after she has regained a vertical base, but De Santos immediately snatches it away. She instead barks orders towards the timekeeper’s area, demanding her championship belt be handed to her.
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Here is your winner… and NEW FWA Television Champion… KLEIO DE SANTOS!!!"
De Santos is handed her newly won title, which she lifts high into the air in the middle of the ring.
Rod Sterling: "Kleio De Santos has won the FWA Television Championship for the second time, becoming only the second person to repeat that particular accomplishment after Shawn Summers. What a night for KDS!"
Anzu Kurosawa: "And that championship win brings more gold to the Coven, following Trixie Bordeaux’s capture of the FWA X Championship at King of the Deathmatch. They may have relinquished the Trios titles to Tr1ck or Tr4sh at Fight Night, but the Coven have yet again proved they are a force to be reckoned with here tonight."
Rod Sterling: "Yes, but only when they are united. There has been talk of tension within the group, and only Grandma Ethel is out here to celebrate the title win with Kleio. Also notable is De Santos being forced to do this alone during the match, without even the threat of outside interference from Trixie or the Ravenwoods."
Anzu Kurosawa: "Perhaps the Coven are turning over a new leaf?"
Rod Sterling: "You give them too much credit, Anzu…"
Grandma Ethel has joined Kleio in the ring, the two celebrate De Santos’ championship win as we fade from the scene.
The "End Of The Beginning" by djo plays throughout the system of the arena. There is a bit of oddness in the arena, The unsure of the theme being played has the FWA crowd a bit perplexed on what’s going on but is definitely intrigued. The titantron leaps to life as the crowd see’s the words “The Workhorse” dash across the screen.
{END OF THE BEGINNING || DJO}[MEDIA=youtube]BoxKggAZxN8[/MEDIA]
Walking from behind the curtain of the titantron is the former FWA TV champion, “The Workhorse” Brooklyn Steiner. Making his first return to FWA TV since the announcement of his injury and consequent vacating him of the TV title.
Rod Sterling: "This is somewhat unexpected. We just witnessed the crowning of a new Television Champion but here we have the most recent champion, dealing with an injury, coming out here tonight.”
There is nothing unmistakable about the feeling in the air as the FWA is waiting to hear from Steiner. Despite his right arm injured and in a sling, his aura commands attention. Dressed in white silk t-shirt, denim jeans, and a Boston Red Sox hat.
Steiner steps into the ring, a mix of emotions playing across his face as he takes hold of the microphone. Standing at the center of the squared circle, he prepares to address his uncertain future in the FWA and the world of professional wrestling.
Steiner enters the ring and you can see the obvious look on his face as he is a bit taken back trying to take this all in. Standing in the center of the ring he is all ready to address the uncertainty of him and his career in the FWA and pro wrestling.
Amid the anticipation, a voice from the front row is heard loud and clear for the FWA camera to pick up, “I LOVE YOU BROOKLYN”! As it is screamed by a female fan as it is then followed by another scream from a female fan which is more vulgar “BEEP - ME BROOKLYN” Steiner couldn’t resist a smirk at the boldness of the second fan, his emotions lightened up by the heaviness of the situation address his injury and his future.
Brooklyn Steiner: "I really don’t want to take up too much time here, so I want to kinda get to the point and give you guys the update on what’s going on with me."
Steiner pauses as he gets teary eyed a bit.
Brooklyn Steiner: "I feel like I let you guys down. For a place to take me in, for a place to make me feel as welcome as it did. I was in a dark place prior to entering the wrestling world, I mean, this isn’t news to anyone, no one wanted to touch me, or give me a chance, and the world just put me in a corner somewhere for making a mistake. But not, the world of wrestling, you guys knew I belonged here and treated me as such and from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you all.
Fans in the crowd are emotional as it seems they are witnessing Steiner’s retirement speech. As fans holding signs supporting him and even a makeshift written one reading “Thank you, Brooklyn!”
Brooklyn Steiner: "But, the last time I was here, I tore my pectoral muscle in my match against Trixie and I’m going to need surgery, but that’s not what I want ton address here, I want to be direct to everyone here, because I feel that the wrestling world and the FWA universe has always been direct with everyone and I’m trying to match energy here. I have to be honest, I don’t think I want to come back. I know the folks behind the scenes worked hard on this new theme for me, I guess now I can return the one I was using back to its owner, and we had an idea or two for my return, but, maybe..."
Steiner is overwhelmed with emotions as he is trying to get out what he has to say before being completely honest with why he is here.
Brooklyn Steiner: "Maybe, I’m just not cut for this, maybe, my dad is right, maybe I should be on a hollywood set somewhere, maybe that’s my path and this injury in my first ever title defense in my first ever main event match is the sign I needed to just hang it up before this gets worse. This isn’t where my story should be told, this isn’t my place in the world and it’s time to be honest with myself, and it’s time to be honest with all of you guys. I think this is time I say goodbye."
Brooklyn Steiner: "All I ever wanted was a place I belonged and I felt like this place, I felt like this industry gave it to me. But I’m not cut for it. The gods have other plans for me. To become the FWA TV champion and have it snatched away.. Maybe that is all the signs I need to see the truth in my face all along."
Steiner again pauses as the fans are in complete shock at what they are witnessing.
Brooklyn Steiner: ".... I.... don’t belong here...."
Steiner see’s the fans in the crowd start to cry as it brings him to tears as well. The fans start to chant in unison “PLEASE DONT GO!” as it evolves to the entire FWA Universe chanting “You Belong HERE”! Steiner drops the microphone stands in the center of the FWA universe as they show their support for the Workhorse. This is just too much for Brooklyn to take as he leaves the ring. As the fans are hurt to see Brooklyn going through this as his future is in limbo on what he wants to do next. Steiner walks down the ramp as a female fan leaps over and hugs him as she is crying that he is maybe leaving FWA and wrestling forever. Security escorts the fan back to her seat as Steiner stands on the top of the ramp and just walks to the back.
Meltdown returns to some sweeping shots of the crowd, with some more fan signs visible. A woman holds up “YOU CAN GO AN HOUR AND FIVE MINUTES WITH ME, MIKE!” and a man dressed as a peacock drinking a beer is shown.
Rod Sterling: “It is great to see so many members of the FWA fan base here in Osaka getting into the spirit of things, as we prepare for tonight’s mammoth main event.”
More fans are shown and wave to the cameras, but after initially moving past them, it doubles back onto a group of roughly a dozen individuals in black cloaks occupying a section of the crowd. They all have their heads bowed and do not pay any attention to what is happening around them.
Anzu Kurosawa: “What is happening there then, Rod?”
Rod Sterling: “I couldn’t possibly tell you, Anzu. But as we have learned many time, it is best not to question every single thing you see here in the FWA.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Especially when we have one more extremely important match to get underway tonight between two of the FWA’s brightest stars. Ladies and gentlemen, IT’S TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT!”
{A CUT ABOVE || AVERY WATTS}[MEDIA=youtube]nYwz1A8Waoo[/MEDIA] The fans packed in the Osaka Castle Baseball Field stand in unison to applaud the FWA North American Champion as he walks out from the back. ‘The Prodigy’ Mike Parr has his championship strapped around his waist and he pats it for luck a couple of times before breaking into a brisk jog towards the ring.
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall with a thirty minute time limit and it is a F1 Climaxxx Semi-Final Match! Introducing first, weighing in at two-hundred and forty pounds… he is the FWA North American Champion… ‘THE PRODIGY’ MIIIIKE PAAAAARRRRRRRR!!”
Rod Sterling: “As you said Anzu, two of the in-form competitors here in the FWA are set to clash tonight, with both Mike Parr and Chris Peacock coming into this match with victories in their last few matches. Parr ended Big Bryan Bastard’s reign as North American Champion and then advanced past Konchu Hao at Fight Night… just two more victories to go and he will have endured the F1 Climaxxx with his championship, and then the opportunity to add another one to his collection.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “It was very noble of ‘The Prodigy’ to continue Baxter’s promise of defending the North American Championship in this tournament but his path to keeping that title requires him to go through Chris both Peacock and Michelle von Horrowitz. They both want his title to become Grand Slam Champions here in the FWA.”
Parr walks up the steps and gets onto the second rope on the outside of the ring before vaulting himself in and putting his arms up by his side. He removes his jacket and then patiently waits for his opponent…
{HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER || SISTER SLEDGE}[MEDIA=youtube]TDwutKpVyas[/MEDIA] It is clear from the fan’s reaction to Parr’s opponent that ‘The Prodigy’ is the firm favourite among them in this match. This is no bother to Chris Peacock, who confidently struts out from the back wearing a purple suit. He removes the jacket and shirt on the way to the ring and tosses them at a woman’s face in the front row.
Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: “His opponent… from Brooklyn, New York and weighing in at two-hundred and ten pounds… he is ‘Disco’s Last Warrior… CHRISSS PEAAACCOOOOOCKKK!!!”
Rod Sterling: “Chris Peacock, as we saw earlier, is out here alone, after telling Allen Price to stay in the back tonight.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Thank fuck for that, ey? But given that Price - as well as Bill Scorpane - was required for Peacock to advance past Big Bryan Bastard, I can’t help but wonder if he has something else up his sleeve? Nothing we have seen from Peacock in the last year has suggested that he is prepared to go into any match without some sort of scheme.”
The former FWA World Champion rolls into the ring under the bottom rope and looks up at his opponent with a wink. Peacock slowly rises to his feet and struts around the ring a bit and does a small spin. The referee for the match - Larry Stevens - checks over both men and is rather weary around Peacock.
Rod Sterling: “Let’s not forget what Peacock did to Larry Stevens back on Meltdown XXXVIII… but Larry is a professional and this match is now underway!”
THIRD MATCH || MAIN EVENT || 1/30.
Chris Peacock vs. Mike Parr.
Singles Match - F1 Climaxxx Semi-Final.
Match writer: Man.
<< 0:00. >>
The bell rings and both men move out from their respective corners and start circling the ring whilst maintaining eye contact. Parr gets lower down, measuring Peacock and he tries to initiate a lock up. His opponent however is completely uninterested in this and tries to keep a bit of distance. It does not take long for Parr to navigate both men in such a way that Peacock is backed up against the turnbuckle. Peacock quickly drops down and rolls under the bottom rope to the outside and Stevens urges Parr to stay in the ring.
Anzu Kurosawa: “The mind games are coming out already from Peacock; he knows that Parr is the superior wrestler and the last thing he wants to do is to involve himself in an exchange of holds with ‘The Prodigy’. Both of these guys are going to try to wrestle this match their way.”
There is of course some negativity thrown in Peacock’s direction for his unwillingness to engage with his opponent head on, but ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ waves it off. A fan in the front row wearing a hat is very animated towards him, so he grabs the cap and throws it on the ground and stomps on it. Peacock then finds it appropriate to slide back into the ring. He gets up and Parr is immediately on him and he tussles Peacock and wrings his arm.
Parr converts it into a Hammerlock and Peacock grits his teeth and flails his arm back, hoping to catch Parr with an elbow strike, but ‘The Prodigy’ avoids it and uses a free arm to glob Peacock in the back of the head with a forearm. There is no chance for Peacock to do anything back as Parr easily transitions into a Side Headlock and he drops to a knee to keep Peacock’s head lower. Peacock can drive his forearm into Parr’s back a couple of times, but again Parr is too quick and he releases Peacock whilst sending him forwards and he picks Peacock’s leg, causing Chris to fall flat on his face.
There are cheers from the crowd and Parr hooks up Peacock’s leg in his own and reaches forward, attempting to apply a STF! Peacock is able to prevent Parr from locking his hands, so ‘The Prodigy’ rolls away off of his opponent. However by the time Peacock has only made it to his knees in an attempt to get up, he is wide open for Parr to connect with a knee lift to Peacock’s face! Peacock holds his nose and then gets caught in a Drop Toehold - landing on his face for a second time!
Rod Sterling: “An excellent start to the match from ‘The Prodigy’ Mike Parr; he’s got an answer for anything that Peacock has tried to throw at him and well, I don’t think Peacock is going to appreciate being made to look like such a fool in the early going.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Well, if he wants to eliminate the North American Champion from the F1 Climaxxx, Peacock needs to turn this thing around!”
*****
<< 6:41. >>
An irate Chris Peacock stumbles into the corner and Parr is straight on him, pinning him back and lighting his chest up with a very hard chop. Peacock winces and grimaces and Parr puts him back in position to deliver another one, this one right across the ‘FTN’ carving on Peacock’s chest. The referee is forced to get in between things due to Chris being in the ropes, and Peacock makes the most of this and hides behind him to catch his breath. When Parr brushes past the official, Peacock sidesteps him and sends him into the corner himself.
The former FWA World Champion climbs up onto the second rope in front of Parr and lines him up to punch him in the head. However, Parr reacts quickest and shoves Peacock’s legs forward… and Peacock lands on his face on the top turnbuckle! Peacock can be heard loudly swearing - “FUCK!” - as he lays on the mat after the contact.
Anzu Kurosawa: “Peacock has prided himself on his looks and that magnetism he believes he possesses, but Mike Parr is doing a fantastic job of rearranging his face in this match so far!”
Parr attempts to pull Peacock up from the mat, but an angered Peacock shoots his fist up into the air and it connects right under Parr’s jaw - Fight Fever! This catches Parr off-guard and Peacock follows up with a couple of snap jabs once he is up to his feet, with a third knocking Parr down and onto the mat. ‘The Prodigy’ does not stay down for long. Peacock is jolly on the spot to meet him with a couple of forearm strikes as he gets back up and he then kicks Parr in the midsection… FAMOUSER! This time it is Parr’s face landing on the mat, and Peacock flips him onto his back for a pin;
ONE… T-NO!!
Immediately, Peacock gets on top of Parr and lands a few punches to the head when on top of him, but Parr manages to shove Peacock away from him on the mat. ‘The Prodigy’ rises back up and Peacock charges in. Chris ducks an attempted Clothesline from Parr and then hits the ropes as Parr turns around - Spear from Peacock! Parr holds his ribs and again he is shoved down into a pinning predicament;
ONE… TW-NO!!
Rod Sterling: “That’s Peacock’s Famouser and Spear that Mike Parr has kicked out of in quick succession. What can Peacock do now, Anzu? How does he keep Mike Parr down?”
Anzu Kurosawa: “From their past encounters and that North American Showdown, Peacock is going to know that Parr is going to be a tough nut to crack. Peacock has become extremely adept at bending the rules to his whim and it could take something like that. But the ever-diligent Parr will know that something like that is probably coming when you get into the ring with Peacock.”
*****
<< 12:12. >>
Chris Peacock rolls Mike Parr back into the ring at the urging of the referee after the two had spent a period of time at ringside engaged in a scuffle which made use of the ringside environment. Despite getting his opponent into the ring, Peacock does not join him and instead grabs Parr’s foot and drags him towards the corner of the ring. Peacock pantomimes with the foot for a moment, teasing an extremely uncomfortable moment for Parr in the immediate future…
Rod Sterling: “Well, we saw Chris Peacock do this against Big Bryan Bastard to great effect; if he can take that knee out of commission then it will be easy pickings for the Commentator’s Curse!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “This is a very Chris Peacock thing to do as well, Rod. He’s going to try to tap out the technical expert. This man’s confidence has no limits… OH! PARR BRINGS THE FOOT BACK AND PEACOCK HITS THE RING POST!!”
A bit of quick thinking from Parr to cock his leg away and the resultant forward propulsion causes Peacock to collide face-first with the ring post himself. Chris recoils away from the corner and Parr pulls himself up with the assistance of the ropes. ‘The Prodigy’ ignores the official and gets onto the apron and measures Peacock for a TORNADO DDT FROM THE APRON TO THE FLOOR!!! Parr was not immune from impact from that move, but he is up almost immediately. He slides Peacock back into the ring and with Peacock sitting up, Parr runs the ropes and comes back with a Shining Wizard!
Peacock is knocked down onto his back where he is left looking up at the lights, and Parr jumps on top for the cover;
ONE… TWO… T-NO!!!
There is a small showing of frustration from Parr as he fails to put Peacock away, but he wastes no time whatsoever in lifting Peacock up from the mat and holding him up for a moment… and he drops him down onto his knee with a Shinbreaker! This causes Peacock to hop around for a moment, and back into Parr’s path, who catches him with a Jumping Knee to the face! This causes Chris to flail wildly and he falls to the mat, with his knee draped over the bottom rope.
Parr’s eyes light up and he walks in Peacock’s direction and jumps into the air, and lands a knee drop down across Peacock’s knee! It contorts at an awkward angle, and Parr then pulls at Peacock’s leg, bending it unnaturally.
Rod Sterling: “I think Mike Parr saw that Chris Peacock was going for a bit of limb work, and he decided to raise him! Now Chris can see how this kind of thing is really done.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “I think Peacock is in for a very uncomfortable few minutes; Mike Parr is the LAST person you want to be left to pick at you however they want.”
*****
<< 18:48. >>
‘The Prodigy’ confidently walks over his opponent, having done sufficient work on Peacock’s right knee to keep him grounded. Parr stomps on the joint once more and at the urging of the watching crowd… contorts Peacock’s body as he locks in the INVERTED SHARPSHOOTER!!! Instantly, Chris Peacock screams and flails his arms as much as he can, and Parr has the hold synched in extremely deep. Parr remains stoic, putting all of his focus into ensuring that the hold is correctly applied. Every now and then he can be heard trying to convince Peacock to just give up, although the crowd seem to be enjoying watching the devious disco dancer suffer at the hands of one of their favourites.
Rod Sterling: “Mike Parr won his history-making fifth North American Championship with this move. Can he defeat Chris Peacock with it and advance to face his former nemesis Michelle von Horrowitz?”
Anzu Kurosawa: “These people want it, Mike Parr wants it. The only person who wants to see this match continue is Chris Peacock, and he has to do something to get out of this if he wants to advance; he knows that von Horrowitz will never let him live it down if he doesn’t make it past Parr here tonight.”
It is with that hatred for the woman awaiting the winner of this encounter that Chris Peacock claws at the ring mat, trying to edge himself towards the ropes. He sinks his fingers into the canvas, causing a nail to come away as he drags himself, as shown in a gruesome close up shot. Despite that pain, Peacock pulls himself towards the ropes.
His index finger inches closer… and then hooks itself around the bottom rope! There was millimetres in it and Parr is forced to break the hold much to the chagrin of the crowd. ‘The Prodigy’ allows Peacock to go, but as soon as he has released Chris, he pulls him up and hooks him up under his arm… looking for the ROLLING CUTTER - PEACOCK SPINS OUT OF IT… KICK… DISCO THRILLER STUNNER!!! The Stunner causes Parr to drop to his knees on the mat and Peacock agonises as he rises to his feet, almost unable to bear any weight on his right leg. Chris swings that damaged knee towards Parr, and connects with the absolute weakest of Struts!
Chris knows that Parr will not be finished by such a diminished effort and he slaps his knee a couple of times before he backs into the ropes as Parr rises his head from the mat… A SECOND STRUT CONNECTS!!! This time, Peacock crumples on top of his opponent, unable to pin him properly;
ONE… TWO… THRE-NO!!!
Rod Sterling: “That shows you how much Mike Parr wants this, Anzu. He just kicked out of not one, but TWO, of Chris Peacock’s finishing moves. It was a Strut that saw off Baxter for Peacock.”
Anzu Kurosawa: “The Strut didn’t do the job for Peacock and Parr couldn’t get the submission; this is showing that these two guys need to delve deeper into their repertoires in order to end this match. Both of them want - and deserve - to be in the final of the F1 Climaxxx for these gutsy performances alone. Even Chris Peacock, who has played this one pretty much by the book without Allen Price out here to influence things.”
*****
<< 23:54. >>
It is a precarious position for both men as they jostle for position on the turnbuckle. It had initially been Peacock that went for the higher ground, but Parr caught up with him. Despite Peacock elbowing him in the head numerous times, Parr is able to stand firm and he lets go of the corner and puts his arms around his opponent… BELLY TO BACK SUPLEX FROM THE TOP ROPE!!! The replays show Peacock landing hard on the back of his head, and once again Parr taking some fall damage too. Even with Peacock in prime position for a cover, Parr opts not to go for it. Instead, he gets himself up and starts scaling the turnbuckle once again…
Rod Sterling: “Listen to these people, Anzu! Mike Parr is going to finish this one off! X Marks the Spot incoming!”
‘The Prodigy’, as he has done so many times in the past, steadies himself on the top rope and measures Peacock… X MARKS THE SPOT!!!!
PEACOCK GETS THE KNEES UP!!! It causes a lot of pain for both competitors, given how Parr had worked on Peacock’s knee for a large chunk of the match, but both are down. The crowd are deflated that Peacock has found a way to endure still. After both being down on the mat for roughly thirty seconds, they are both slowly able to pull themselves up. Parr rocks Peacock with a punch to the face, and Peacock returns fire. With gritted teeth, they exchange punches and chops in the middle of the ring. Peacock breaks the exchange though with a HUGE backhand across Parr’s face!
It causes ‘The Prodigy’ to go jelly-legged and fall to his knees and Peacock slaps his knee some more as he gets over to the corner as quickly as he can. He uses the top rope to push himself up to a seated position on the top turnbuckle and then stands up on the top rope. He measures Parr as he rises… GLITTERBALL DROP - PARR DUCKS IT - PEACOCK LANDS ON HIS FEET…
BUT DROPS TO THE MAT INSTANTLY CLUTCHING HIS KNEE!!!
Anzu Kurosawa: “Oh no… that looked bad, Rod.”
Parr is halted by the official who drops down to the mat to check on Chris Peacock, who screams loudly in pain as he holds his knee. He shouts “IT’S GONE!” repeatedly and hyperventilates due to the obvious pain that he is in. The crowd are quiet - despite not liking Chris Peacock’s antics at all, no one wants to see anyone getting seriously hurt.
Rod Sterling: “I think you’re right, Anzu. Chris Peacock came off the top rope after that failed Glitterball Drop. Parr has been working that knee the whole match but as soon as Chris landed he clearly felt something go. It would be a shame to see the match end like this… I don’t even think this is how Mike Parr would want to win here, either.”
Mike Parr cuts a very conflicted figure as he watches what is happening in the ring around him. Larry Stevens throws up the ‘X’ sign to the back, and within seconds the doctors and trainers are sprinting towards the ring. Parr walks towards the ropes as they enter and he tells them not to get into the ring!
Anzu Kurosawa: “As far as Mike Parr is concerned, he’s still got a job to do. This match is still underway; I haven’t heard the bell, Rod.”
All that can be heard is hurried conversation between the referee, the doctors and Parr, with Peacock exasperating in the background. They plead with Parr to let Peacock get the treatment that he needs. There is clear conflict within Parr, as he makes the very valid point that Chris Peacock would not offer him the same courtesy. However, it seems that he is willing to be the better person. Parr stands aside and turns his back on the situation as the medics enter the ring to help Chris Peacock. The fans applaud ‘The Prodigy’ for doing the right thing.
Rod Sterling: “Well, it is looking very unlikely that Chris Peacock is going to be able to finish this match and it will be Mike Parr advancing to the F1 Climaxxx Finals to face Michelle von Horrowitz at Carnal Contendership. It is a shame that we didn’t get to see this match reach a natural conclusion, but this isn’t ballet, after all.”
The doctor and the referee help Chris Peacock up and he winces and has his arms over their shoulders. He wears a pained expression and grimaces. Peacock sees Mike Parr with his back turned on the situation, waiting for Peacock to be removed from the ring. The camera zooms close in on Chris Peacock’s face…
… and he grins.
Before anyone can even process what is happening, PEACOCK BURSTS INTO LIFE AND CHARGES ACROSS THE RING, FLATTENING MIKE PARR FROM BEHIND!!!
Rod Sterling: “WHAT THE HELL?!”
Anzu Kurosawa: “We should really be surprised… but I’m not… he was faking it, Rod.”
The fans in Osaka are OUTRAGED that Chris Peacock would pull such a stunt - to fake a serious injury - but he does not care, grinning like a Cheshire cat. The doctors scarper out of the ring, cursing Peacock as they do. He pulls the stunned Parr from the mat and tucks his head in under his arm and runs Parr into the turnbuckle… ROLLER DISCO!!!! To disgusted jeers, Chris Peacock gets a high stack on Parr, and an equally sickened Larry Stevens gets down for the count;
ONE… TWO… THREE!!!
{RESULT}Winner: Chris Peacock via pin fall at 28:09.
The music plays, but it is drowned out by the sheer hatred and disgust being poured out from the crowd in Chris Peacock’s direction. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith is too angered to announce the victor of the match. Peacock gets his arm raised very quickly by Larry Stevens, who departs the ring shaking his head.
Rod Sterling: “Just when I think that I have seen it all, someone finds a way to pull something like this. Chris Peacock has just STOLE a place in the F1 Climaxxx tournament final and he’s CHEATED Mike Parr out of the North American Championship. What a disgusting way to win a match…”
Anzu Kurosawa: “Part of me can appreciate Peacock having the gall to even try to pull something like that off. But this is just no fair on Mike Parr; he did the right thing. He thought that Peacock was hurt, he was going to be awarded the match anyway, and half of his mind was probably already on MvH. You can see the mixture of anger and devastation on his face.”
On the mat, Mike Parr is stunned. He has head in his hands and is hunched over, shocked that this was his fate in this tournament and for his reign to end in such circumstances. Chris Peacock exits the ring and ignores the hatred being shown for him. He is happy; he has what he wants. A soda cup is thrown at him, along with a burger container, but he simply does not care.
Rod Sterling: “Chris Peacock has the match with Michelle von Horrowitz that he has wanted for months. One of them will become the next Grand Slam champion here in the FWA… but will Chris Peacock’s karma finally catch up with him?”
The closing shot of Meltdown XXXIX is Chris Peacock on the stage area. He grins and then turns around, ready for the final step.
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Post by supinesnake on May 29, 2024 15:53:38 GMT
039: “AN ORIGINAL SHOW NAME.”
Live from the Sapporo Dome in Sapporo, Japan.
Saturday 6th April, 2024.
As Fallout opens, we cut to inside the ring as lead commentator J.L. Watkins is standing in the middle, a microphone in hand.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Ladies and gentlemen and folks of all kinds, welcome to Fallout! We have yet another massive show for you all, but before we get into that, there’s a bit of housekeeping we need to take care of.”
Watkins points to the currently unoccupied commentary desk as the crowd is buzzing with excitement and curiosity.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “For the past several months, I’ve been maintaining a solo presence on commentary. While I will readily admit that it has been a challenge, it has been one that I’ve enjoyed. I think that the opportunity has helped me grow as the voice of Fallout, and the support you have given me during this time has been nothing short of amazing. And I can’t help but feel grateful for the chance that my…former partner’s choices provided.
“That being said, it has gotten a bit lonely at commentary, and it’s long past time that someone have a seat next to me. Someone who’s got the experience, the wrestling acumen, and the force of personality to bring life to the action here on Fallout for all our fans across the globe.
“With that said, it gives me great pleasure to introduce…”
{WAR || HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE}[MEDIA=youtube]3Y6Z8rkMfUk[/MEDIA]
Allen Price: “J.L! You’re being too kind! I’ve missed you too, buddy!”
The crowd immediately boos as we see, rolling down the ramp on his wheelchair in the tackiest suit imaginable, the ever-obnoxious Allen Price. Price is hamming it up tremendously on the microphone as J.L. sighs and rolls his eyes.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Price, what are you…”
Allen Price: “Hey! It’s okay! I know, I know. It’s been awful ever since those Dark Roads hooligans VICIOUSLY ASSAULTED me and took me away from the desk. God only knows how awful the show’s been without me on hand to break down the action for all these wonderful nimrods…”
The crowd boos as Allen’s cheesy smile is immediately replaced with a scowl.
Allen Price: “HEY! That is verbal abuse towards a disabled man, and you all should feel ashamed and damn grateful that I’m coming back…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Price…”
Allen Price: “J.L., hush! I’m trying to explain to these absolute rude, obnoxious dumbasses that they should be a lot more appreciative that I’m rejoining you at the commentary desk…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “You’re not my broadcast partner anymore, Allen.”
Allen Price: “...and that I’m back to bring class and dignity back to…wait, what?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “You’re not rejoining me on commentary.”
Allen looks a bit confused. As if the thought hadn’t crossed his pea-brain. So, Jean-Luc decides to make it clear.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “When Mr. Russnow came to me and said he wanted to get Fallout back to a two-man commentary team, I gave him a few names I’d like to work with. But I also made it clear that I would rather tear both of my quads, have a lobotomy without any sedative, and be flayed alive before I would ever subject myself to your inane brand of wrestling ignorance. So, yeah. You’re not my broadcast partner.”
Allen looks indignant as he hops up and down in his wheelchair.
Allen Price: “Oh yeah? Oh yeah?! OH YEAH!?! Well, then who?!”
{ARMY OF THE NIGHT || POWERWOLF}[MEDIA=youtube]C4fExl8RiwA[/MEDIA]
The crowd ERUPTS as “Army of the Night” blares and all of Allen’s bluster immediately turns into pant-soiling terror. From behind him, coming out of the curtain, emerges Konchu Hao, dressed in an impeccably-tailored black suit with a very dashing black and gold mask. And in his hands, he has a binder, not too dissimilar to the once J.L. uses to keep notes in.
It immediately dawns on the crowd who’s joining the Voice of Fallout on commentary.
Konchu, with a big smile on his face, walks past Allen and, without a second’s worth of hesitation, swipes the microphone from the man he appears to be replacing before strolling down to join Jean-Luc in the ring. Allen is apoplectic at what he perceives to be utter disrespect…
…But that immediately turns to terror as Epsilon, sneakily, has grabbed the wheelchair from behind. Allen, unable to properly turn around in the chair, screams for help as Epsilon wheels him out of the arena to…well, only Konchu probably knows.
The crowd continues to cheer as Konchu slides into the ring and extends his hand to his new broadcast partner. J.L. takes the Mad Wizard’s hand and shakes it as the music dies down and Konchu addresses the crowd.
Konchu Hao: “A pleasure as always, Jean-Luc. And before I get into the business at hand, allow me to address something many of my loyal minions must be thinking. No, this is not my retirement from in-ring competition. I have always enjoyed the thrills of combat, the dance of devastation that is professional wrestling, and I am not quite ready to hang up my boots. Besides, if history has taught us anything about the wonders of this magnificent sport, it is that opportunities and calls to action are never too far gone. Whether it be a friend who needs my aid to fend off a duo of delinquent dunces or an uppity would-be monster who needs a taste of that old black magic, I am certain that there will come a time for me to ply my craft in this ring and prove that few are as devious, as creative, and as dangerous as Konchu Hao!
“However, I did enjoy my brief dalliance with commentary a few months ago, and I would be a fool to not recognize the commentary chemistry between myself and this man who shares this ring with me. And while, Jean-Luc, you have done an admirable job at solo commentary, the burden of telling the story that is Fallout should not solely be on your shoulders.
“I have always felt that Fallout was MY show. Champions come and go, but my heart beats with the drums of Fallout. And this? his is my way of giving back to the platform and the brand that gave me so much. So, not to waste anymore time? Jean-Luc…let us get this show started! KEHAHAHA!”
Natalie Rosenberg: “Ladies and gentlemen, this match is set for ONE FALL with a 20-minute time limit. Introducing first, hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Johnny “The Legend” Johnsooooooooon!”
{ “Devil’s Dance” || Metallica} [MEDIA=youtube]aKQTWq6ZbTc[/MEDIA]
The crowd doesn’t hold back as they greet Johnson with a chorus of boos. It’s pretty clear that he’s not a popular guy in Japan. Johnson saunters toward the ring, an arrogant smirk on his face. He climbs through the ropes and stands in the middle of the ring waiting for his opponent.
Natalie Rosenberg: “And his opponent, hailing from The City of Champions, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Colby Soooooooooooooooooooool!”
{ “Lay Down” || Priestess} [MEDIA=youtube]KYVSZBELopk[/MEDIA]
Sol is also greeted by a chorus of boos, though not quite as severely as Johnson was.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Colby Sol put the FWA on notice during the King of the Deathmatch Tournament, but Johnny Johnson certainly looked like he had taken his game to another level. Tonight, these two will face off to see who gets to square off against newly-crowned X Champion Trixie Bordeaux in what will be her first title defense.”
Colby Sol stomps toward the ring, a look of pure hatred for Johnson in his eyes. He’s focused on the match at hand as he seeks to continue to build on the impressive run he’s put together since signing with the FWA.
Sol steps through the ropes and immediately goes toward Johnson. The official gets between both men just as their heads make contact, both refusing to back down an inch.
Konchu Hao: “It doesn’t look like these two want to wait.”
The official gets the two men apart, sending each of them to their respective corner and signals for the bell.
FIRST MATCH || 1/20.
Johnny Johhson vs. Colby Sol.
Singles Match - #1 Contendership Match for the FWA X Championship.
Match writer: Tommy.
<<0:00>>
DING DING DING
The bell sounds and this one gets underway. Sol charges across the ring toward Johnson who quickly drops down and slides under the bottom rope, creating a bit of distance between himself and the boxer.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Johnson didn’t have any interest in getting in a fight with Sol there. I’m not sure what he’s going for here.”
Without missing a beat, Johnson pops up onto the apron and snaps Colby Sol’s head and neck over the top rope. Sol falls to the ground, giving Johnson the space that he was looking for.
Johnson grabs Colby Sol by the ankle, dragging him out of the ring and dropping him on the mat at ringside on his head. As Sol grabs the back of his head, Johnson begins unloading with a series of stomps to the torso while the official begins to count.
1…
2…
3…
4…
5…
Konchu Hao: “These two might want to remember that this isn’t an X Rules match. Just because they’re fighting for a shot at the X Championship, they can still get counted out here.”
Johnson seemingly realizes what’s happening as he rolls into the ring and back out to reset the count. He drags Colby Sol over toward the steel steps, and props his head in the corner where the steps meet the ring. Johnson takes a few steps back and charges in! He slams Sol’s head between his boot and the steel steps!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Oh my God! Oh my God! Johnny Johnson may have just ended Colby Sol’s career!’
The official stops his count and rolls out of the ring to check on Colby Sol as Johnny Johnson sits down on the edge of the announce table, a sick smirk on his face, surveying the damage that he’s already inflicted.
“HOLY SHIT!”
“HOLY SHIT!”
“HOLY SHIT!”
<<3:19>>
Johnson is back in the ring along with the official who he’s instructed to start counting Sol out. Colby Sol is still down near ringside but has refused to tell the official to end the match, so the count goes on.
6…
7…
8…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Look at this. Johnny Johnson is already starting to celebrate a win by count-out. Is this really the type of man we want as the face of the X Division?”
Konchu Hao: “He’d have to get past Trixie before he could be the face of anything.”
9…
Somehow, Colby Sol slings himself under the bottom rope and into the ring before the official can get to 10! The match continues.
Johnny Johnson is outraged as he storms over toward Colby Sol and pulls him up from the mat. From somewhere deep inside, Colby delivers a crushing blow to Johnson’s ribs, quickly followed by another. It’s obvious that Sol is a bit dazed from the blow to the head, but he’s fighting back. Johnson gets driven back a step at a time as Colby relies on his boxing history to deliver body shot after body shot.
With Johnson doubled over, gasping for air, Colby Sol grabs him and hits a swinging neckbreaker that leaves both men lying flat on their backs.
Konchu Hao: “Somehow, Colby Sol is still in this one, Jean-Luc.”
<<5:33>>
Johnson gets back to his feet first, but Sol is starting to stir, too. Johnny walks over to the turnbuckle and peels the cover back, and pulls out a set of brass knuckles!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “What’s Johnson doing?! He’s going to get himself disqualified here!”
Fortunately, the official sees what Johnson is doing and grabs the brass knuckles from his hand. Johnson appears outraged that he got caught with the foreign object and argues with the official who doesn’t back down. Once he finally relents, the official takes the brass knuckles over to the corner nearest the time-keeper’s area and tosses them to a ringside attendant.
Johnson grins a bit, reaches into his trunks, and pulls out another set of brass knuckles!
Konchu Hao: “Oh, this son of a bitch came ready!”
While the official has his back turned, Johnny Johnson nails Colby Sol in the jaw with the brass knuckles before shoving them back into his trunks.
Sol stumbles backward and into the corner. As the official rejoins the action, Johnson grabs Sol by the head and connects with “The Greatest Finisher!”
Johnson goes for the pin
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Not like this!”
1…
2…
3…
DING DING DING
Konchu Hao: “What a chickenshit way to win this match and get a shot at Trixie Bordeaux and the FWA X Championship!”
{RESULT}Winner: Johnny Johnson via pinfall at 6:06.
Johnson jerks his arm away from the official and slides out of the ring, making his way up the ramp, clearly satisfied with stealing the match from Colby Sol.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It was a chickenshit way to win the match, Konchu, but that’s a chickenshit with a mean streak. And now, Johnny Johnson is the number one contender for the FWA X Championship.”
XYZ is backstage with the rest of The Menage members: Sierra, Lizzy Golden, Frank, and Christian Howard. PacMan Bert is taking an allowed, official "Leave of Absence" per the allotted PTO and leave of absence listed in The Menage membership handbook. Wild Jerry is still A.W.O.L., and his absence is absolutely not allowed or official, but XYZ continues to express he would welcome him back with open arms.
Tonight, though, the focus is not on XYZ or the internal conflict caused by Wild Jerry. It's not on XYZ's brewing rivalry with the NEW FWA Television Champion Kleio de Santos. It's not on him being approached by Blair Ravenwood to overthrow Kleio in The Coven, only for X to tell Kleio about it, and then Kleio to brutally attack him during the King of the Deathmatch semifinals against eventual KODM winner and NEW FWA X Champion Trixie Bordeaux.
The focus is instead on Sierra, who is in her very first 1-on-1 singles match in her young wrestling career. Sierra is off to the side, punching air with weak and slow jabs with her right hand. She may attest this is "just a warmup", but if we "practice how we play" then it doesn't look too promising.
"Sierra, 'gal, do ya' need us out thea' with ya' tonight?" Frank chimes in.
"No," Sierra says in exasperation in between deep breaths as she works up a small sweat punching the air further. "I want to go alone. Plus, who knows what The Coven will do if people are not around Liz."
"This is true. We must move Lizzy to a safe place. She's ..."
XYZ pauses for a moment, contemplating whether to finish his statement.
"She's too valuable."
It piques the interest of Frank and Christian Howard, who have only thought of Lizzy as a child growing and aging at an alarmingly fast rate. For context, Lizzy was younger than 10 years old as early as January 1, 2024. Now she is, somehow, 11 years old.
"I can take those bit..."
"Language!" Sierra shouts, taking a break from her warmup to cut Lizzy off mid-word and scold her "daughter."
Lizzy rolls her eyes and folds her arms as she sits back against the locker.
"Frank and Christian, can you two and Liz go off? I need to speak with Sierra in private."
Frank and Christian abide. Lizzy begrudgingly goes. This leaves Sierra and X alone.
"Are you sure you don't need anyone else? Celestia of the Ravenwood Clan is no slouch."
"I know. And I know the odds aren't great for me," Sierra says defeatedly as she sits next to XYZ on the bench in front of a row of lockers. "I gotta go alone, though. You know why."
"I leave you to it then. But I also have another topic to foray into your brain. The curiosity of the sand clouds berates me, and ..."
"X ... you can just ask: 'Have you found anything about my mother?'" Sierra interjects, with a warm smile to let X knows she isn't mad.
"Right. Well ..."
"I haven't yet. I'm looking, X. I promise. I found a few who could be, but ... I ... I don't know. I am going to keep looking and digging. I've been in contact with the Sitka, Alaska Police Department's Head of Internal Routine Communications Affairs and Lodging Request Record Keeping Database. I think there's some hope. And you remembering her name really helped a lot."
"Thank you, Sierra. It warms my heart to my toes."
"Didn't need to know about the toes. By the way, I think you should join Carnal Contendership. You may have a shot to go far, X. And you deserve it after your strong showing in the King of the Deathmatch tournament. It wasn't lost on any of us how you did, and if not for Kleio ..."
"I don't want to worry about Kleio tonight. Only you. And I think it's your match next, Sierra."
Sierra nods her head and rises from the bench, leaving the room and thus leaving X all to himself.
"Carnal Contendership," he says out loud to himself. "I think I will."
{THIS ONE’S FOR THE GIRLS || MARTINA MCBRIDE}[MEDIA=youtube]oTowId2CWHA[/MEDIA]
Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one-fall with a twenty minute time limit! Introducing first… representing the Menage… SIERRA!!"
Sierra gets a moderate, positive pop as she appears on the stage. She seems buoyed by the cheers, marching down towards the ring with minimum fuss and maximum focus.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Here comes Sierra, who has only a handful of matches under her belt in an FWA ring or indeed any other ring. This match is a tangent of the recently resurfacing rivalry between Kleio De Santos and XYZ, which has sprawled to now involve both the Menage and the Coven…"
Konchu Hao: "Insubordination and conspiracy! I’d never stand for it!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And, it must be said, neither group has been as cohesive as they have in the past. It’ll be interesting to see how Sierra and her opponent tonight, Celestia Ravenwood, operate without the full support of their reinforcements. You’ll notice that Sierra is out here alone."
Konchu Hao: "I’m not sure that’s the best idea, given her lack of experience, but we’ll see how this one plays out."
Sierra climbs into the ring and warms up in her corner. Her music fades out and is replaced by…
{TAKE ME TO CHURCH | MILCK}[MEDIA=youtube]f4UhdgBVtVc[/MEDIA]
Natalie Rosenberg: "And her opponent… accompanied to the ring by Trixie Bordeaux… weighing in at one hundred pounds… from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania… Celestia Ravenwood!!"
Celestia appears on stage to a chorus of boos from the Sapporo crowd. She is accompanied by the newly-crowned FWA X Champion, who applauds Ravenwood as she strides down the ramp and loosens up for singles action.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It’s been a tumultuous couple of months for the Coven, culminating in their loss of the FWA Trios Championship three weeks ago at Fight Night. It has seemed as though tensions have been high within the group, particularly in regards to their supposed leader, Kleio De Santos."
Konchu Hao: "Who is absent, it seems? What is it with absentee leaders tonight?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Celestia is instead accompanied to the ring by Trixie Bordeaux, who won the FWA X Championship at the King of the Deathmatch just two days after she and the Ravenwoods lost those Trios titles. It’s a new beginning for Trixie, off the back of disappointment for her stable. Bordeaux has made it clear that she didn’t appreciate De Santos’ involvement on the island at King of the Deathmatch, and so much can be made of the fact that its her, and not Kleio, that accompanies Celestia to ringside tonight."
Trixie waits on the outside as Ravenwood climbs into the ring, occupying the opposite corner from her opponent. The official conducts his final checks and then calls for the bell.
SECOND MATCH || 1/20.
Celestia Ravenwood vs. Sierra.
Singles Match.
Match writer: SS.
<< 02:18. >>
Jean-Luc Watkins: "This one’s already beginning to look a little bit one-sided, with Celestia Ravenwood taking it to Sierra, who is cowering from these relentless strikes in the corner."
Konchu Hao: "Celestia is letting her have it with those Muay Thai style kicks, with Sierra perhaps out of her depth here against a much more experienced opponent."
Sierra is doing her best to block the worst of the kicks with her raised forearms, but Celestia changes tact and grasps her by the wrist. She hurls her across the ring with an Irish whip. Sierra colliding with the turnbuckles hard before bounding back at Ravenwood, who is coming at her for a spinning wheel kick… but it’s ducked beneath by Sierra!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Evasion tactics by Sierra! Celestia scrambles up to her feet, but Sierra meets her with some kicks of her own!"
Konchu Hao: "Maybe not quite as technically proficient from Sierra, but those side-kicks are succeeding in backing Ravenwood up towards the ropes. Whatever works, am I right, Jean-Luc?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Um, sure… it’s Sierra’s turn to attempt an Irish whip, throwing Celestia into the opposite set of ropes. Leg lariat from Sierra… but Celestia catches the leg! Dragon screw leg whip!"
Konchu Hao: "And Ravenwood doesn’t let go of Sierra’s ankle… she transitions right into a figure 4 leg lock!!"
Sierra immediately begins to writhe and scream out in pain, the official moving in close to ask her if she wants to give up. She shakes her head and clenches her fist, though, showing that she has more resilience than she does technical know-how. She then begins to claw her way towards the ropes, Celestia wrenching on the leg lock, trying to inflict as much suffering as she can… before Sierra finally reaches the ropes!
The official enforces a break, which Celestia only gives when his count reaches four. Sierra rolls out onto the outside and attempts to recover. Celestia taunts and riles up the crowd as the match wears on…
***
<< 06:31. >>
Celestia has continued to control the match-up and have essentially all of the offense, and now has a side headlock slapped on in the middle of the ring. It was a grounded side headlock, but Sierra has shown more of that can-do spirit in fighting to a vertical base. Her attempts at causing separation with some elbows to the ribs are thwarted by Celestia absorbing the blows, but Sierra follows up by pushing Ravenwood into one set of ropes and finging her off into the other!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "After what seemed like an eternity in that side headlock, Sierra is free… and she goes for another leg lariat…"
Konchu Hao: "… but Celestia keeps hold of those ropes, halting her momentum, and Sierra crashes down onto the mat!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And Ravenwood follows up with a hurricanrana! She goes for the cover…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Sierra kicks out! She’s still in this… but for how long?"
Celestia grabs Sierra and lifts her by the hair, pulling her into a front face lock. She hooks the arm and then hoists Sierra into the air, maybe going for a snap suplex… but Sierra overrotates and lands on her feet behind Ravenwood. Sierra stumbles forwards into the ropes, bouncing off them as Celestia turns around…
Konchu Hao: "LEG LARIAT!! Sierra hits it at the third time of asking!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "This might be the opening she needs! Sierra backs into the corner, maybe going for some sort of big finishing attack? If I had to guess given tonight’s evidence, I’d wager it’s some form of kick…"
Konchu Hao: "Wouldn’t surprise me, Jean-Luc… but then again, I am conditioned so that nothing surprises me."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Wait… is that… someone’s on the apron!! Is that a fan?! That’s Kleio De Santos!! KDS is here at ringside!"
Sierra is certainly distracted by Kleio, turning her focus away from Celestia and onto the woman on the apron. KDS stares her down… until she’s pulled down from the apron! De Santos expects to find a member of the Menage responsible for this, but instead she is face to face with Trixie Bordeaux!!"[/b][/color] Jean-Luc Watkins: "The FWA X Champion just put her hands on the leader of the Coven! She’s made her thoughts clear on Kleio’s involvement at the King of the Deathmatch tournament three weeks ago… maybe Trixie doesn’t want a repeat performance here in Sapporo?"That certainly seems to be the case, with Kleio slowly backing away from Trixie, who marches after her, blocking off the ramp as De Santos retreats up it… … but the distraction is enough, with Sierra finally refocusing on Celestia as Ravenwood wipes her out with an elbow smash!! And then a snap DDT! Jean-Luc Watkins: "Regardless of Trixie’s intervention, it seems that Kleio’s distraction was enough! Sierra already looks done for, and now Ravenwood climbs up to the top turnbuckle…"Konchu Hao: "HEX BOMB!! A thing of beauty!!"Jean-Luc Watkins: "Celestia hooks the far leg…"ONE… TWO… THREE!! {RESULT}Winner: Celestia Ravenwood via pinfall at 09:51. Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner… CELESTIA RAVENWOOD!!"Ravenwood allows the official to lift her hand, looking proud of herself and her handiwork as she observes the prone body of Sierra. A pair of officials reach under the bottom rope and drag her onto the outside, allowing Celestia to scan the ringside area for her partners. Instead of seeing celebrations, she instead witnesses the tense stand-off that is still brewing between Kleio and Trixie. Jean-Luc Watkins: "That might be one in the ‘W’ column for the Coven, but the scenes in the immediate aftermath are anything but celebratory. It appears the tensions between Kleio De Santos and the rest of the group are still rearing their ugly head. Three weeks ago should’ve been the biggest day of Trixie Bordeaux’s career, but since then she’s been embroiled in… well, in whatever this is with the apparent leader of the Coven."Konchu Hao: "Kleio has pressures from without, too, with XYZ and his Menage still biting at her heels. I doubt this victory for Celestia over Sierra will settle that score."Jean-Luc Watkins: "Pretty insightful."Konchu Hao: "Konchu’s been watching…"Finally, Kleio - who has backed all the way onto the stage - turns away from Trixie and leaves up the curtain. The X Champion looks nonplussed at the interlude. Celestia watches on from inside the ring. Jean-Luc Watkins: "We’ll see Trixie Bordeaux in X Rules action later on, when she takes on ‘the Wildcard’ Jason Randall. But first, this…."In the parking lot, a rental car is shown pulling into the arena and there is a loud reaction from the watching crowd as ‘Rockstar’ Randy Ramon is the man to exit it from the driver’s side door. Ramon is not yet dressed to compete, wearing a leather jacket and his signature bandana around his head. The FWA Hall of Famer acknowledges Todd Salum, who is approaching him with a microphone in hand; Randy Ramon: “Todd Salum. Good night so far?”Todd Salum: “It has been agreeable, yes. But Randy Ramon, tonight you are competing in the main event against Jay Kenny and Donny Toner with the FWA World Tag Team Championships on the line. The one thing that you are currently missing is a partner. Who is going to be the one to replace ‘The Showman’ Chris Crowe?”Randy Ramon: “Obviously I won this opportunity alongside Chris and it is him that I want to be standing alongside tonight but he’s got himself in a spot of bother with a very specific branch of law enforcement, so he can’t be here. My new partner isn’t here just yet, but trust me, by the time that bell rings, all of your questions will be answered.”A straight to the point response from Ramon, who wheels his suitcase towards the arena as Todd watches on, offering the veteran interviewer a nod. Ramon quickly doubles back and clears his throat with a grin. Randy Ramon: “You’re doing some sort of presser with Peacock and Michelle later on, right?”Salum nods, and Ramon cannot contain his smirk. Randy Ramon: “Say hi to Chris from me.”With that, Ramon waves and heads into the arena. Todd gives a knowing nod and then the scene fades away back into the arena… Natalie Rosenberg: “The following is set for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit!”{Sabotage || The Beastie Boys}[MEDIA=youtube]z5rRZdiu1UE[/MEDIA] After a few seconds of the song playing, Sawyer Xavier appears on stage to a mixed reaction from the crowd. He doesn’t waste any time sprinting down to the ring and hops up on the nearest turnbuckle to take a look out at the crowd in Sapporo Dome. Natalie Rosenberg: “Introducing first, from Savannah, GA and weighing in at 176 lb… he is Sawyer Xavier!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wrestling fans, if you missed Meltdown then go back and watch it now, but if you did see it then you’ll know that we have a new FWA TV Champion in Kleio De Santos. That’s right, KDS is now a two-time TV Champion and we don’t have to wait long to find out who will be her first challenger for the title because right now we’ll see two young hungry competitors looking for a win and a shot at gold.”{That’s The Way Love Goes || Janet Jackson}[MEDIA=youtube]Khpb4yjL3Eg[/MEDIA] The alluring vocals of Janet Jackson’s “That’s The Way Love Goes” begins to play as the mood lighting in the arena dims to a sultry shade of red. Walking out onto the stage, through a steady cloud of smoke, are two people wearing pink, glittery, skin-tight full body suits. The back of one suit says “Antonio” in white and the back of the other says “Monica” in white. They each hold one furry cone shaped object in their hands as they slowly move and vibe to the music while standing on either side of the entryway. After a few seconds, out saunters Xperienx Xtacee, looking as flashy as ever in glitter covered red tights with a matching velvet cloak and holding a rhinestone-encrusted cane. He motions Monica and Antonio with the cane, signaling them to come over and kiss him on either cheek. Xtacee puts on a very satisfied smile and holds his cane with both hands, pointing it in front of him, as Monica and Antonio stand at his side and point the furry cones at him. In unison, Xperienx Xtacee thrusts with the cane as his lovers tap the back of the cones, causing golden confetti to come shooting out of all three objects. Natalie Rosenberg: “Making his way to the ring, side-by-side with his lovers Monica and Antonio, hailing from The Right Side of the Bed in Las Vegas, Nevada, and weighing in at a lean 180 pounds, Xperienx Xtacee!Now in the ring, Antonio grabs Xtacee’s cane and slides it out of his hand before leaving the ring. Monica removes Xtacee’s cloak and top before also leaving the ring. Xperienx goes into the corner and sits atop the turnbuckle with a flirtatious smile on his face as he stares down at his opposition in the ring. Jean-Luc Watkins: “Both of these men are coming off the KODM tournament, but now it’s back to good old fashioned wrestling and a chance at gold for one of them. Xavier and Xtacee are both eager to start racking up some wins and earn a shot at the TV Champion, Kleio De Santos, who should be keeping a close eye on this match.”
Konchu Hao: “A great opportunity indeed for both competitors here, JL.”
THIRD MATCH || 1/20.
Sawyer Xavier vs. Xperienx Xtacee.
Singles Match - #1 Contendership Match for the FWA Television Championship.
Match writer: Jimmy.
DING! DING! DING!
<< 00:00 >>The match begins with a feeling out process as both men circle each other before locking horns, but instead of a traditional collar and elbow tie up, Xtacee takes Xavier down with an arm drag. He follows up with a series of arm drags in order to wear down his opponent, and after the last one he keeps an arm lock applied to Xavier, who is down but not out of it just yet as he starts to rise up while the hold is still locked in on him. Xtacee tries to twist Xavier’s arm behind his back but Xavier slips away and counters with an arm drag of his own! Xtacee is right back to his feet but he’s caught by a standing dropkick from Xavier, and Xtacee is sent stumbling backward into the corner. Xavier takes Xtacee by the wrist and irish whips him to the opposite corner, which Xtacee slams into hard and bounces off of that into the waiting arms of Xavier who hits him with a monkey flip! Jean-Luc Watkins: “Sawyer Xavier is rolling so far, wrestling fans! He is taking it to Xperienx Xtacee!”
Konchu Hao: “If I can be honest, he would be wise to slow the pace to avoid wearing himself out early on.”Xtacee stumbles back to his feet but he’s caught with a pele kick to the side of his head that knocks him into the ropes and then Xavier sends him toppling over the top rope with a running dropkick! Xtacee is on the outside now and he’s checked on by his lovers Monica and Antonio, but he senses danger and gets them out of the way in time just as Xavier comes down on him with an asai moonsault! Jean-Luc Watkins: “Xtacee sacrificed himself in order to protect his loved ones on the outside, and that could pay dividends for Sawyer Xavier if he can get Xtacee back in the ring. Surely you would do the same for Epsilon if in that position, Konchu?”
Konchu Hao: “Of course I would, JL. I’ve been in that position before and I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I had to.”Xavier rolls Xtacee back into the ring and doesn’t waste a second as he connects with a slingshot senton through the middle rope and he’s quick to make the cover… One…TW--NO!! *** << 06:11 >>Xtacee stays alive but he’s trapped now as Xavier applies a sleeper hold in order to keep Xtacee grounded. Xtacee is doing his best to fight out of the hold and find a way back into this match, and he uses the support from Monica and Antonio, as well as the fans to power up as he rises up and repeatedly drills Xavier in the midsection with back elbows until Xavier relents on the hold. Xtacee nails Xavier with a european uppercut to the chin and then slaps Xavier across the cheek! Xavier reacts accordingly by holding his cheek but this gives Xtacee the opening he was looking for as he lights up Xavier’s chest with an open palm slap! There’s another one! And another! Xtacee switches things up as Xavier is backed into the corner and Xtacee lights him up with sharp chest chops until he feels like Xavier has had enough… Jean-Luc Watkins: “Xavier’s chest is about as red as Xtacee’s tights right now after that brutal onslaught of chest related strikes from Xtacee!”
Konchu Hao: “I thought I hit hard with my strikes!”Xtacee drags Xavier away from the corner and hits a snap suplex on Xavier. He follows that up with two quick successive leg drops, a slow hip shake that gets the crowd and his lovers going, and then another leg drop! Xtacee drops down for the lateral press and a hook of the far leg… One…TW--NO! Xavier gets a shoulder up and Xtacee grabs hold of the arm and quickly applies an arm triangle submission. Eventually, Xtacee transitions to a cross-arm breaker submission on Xavier, who is writhing around and trying to find a way to wriggle free… *** << 09:58 >>Xtacee’s grip on Xavier’s arm starts to slip and this allows Xavier to reach out to the nearest rope to break the hold… Jean-Luc Watkins: “Nice ring awareness by Sawyer Xavier, but the damage may already be done on his shoulder thanks to Xtacee and that cross-arm breaker.”Xavier rolls to the apron for a brief respite to loosen up his shoulder after that submission hold. Xtacee reaches over the ropes to bring Xavier up by the hair, but Xavier fends him off after a few forearm strikes that has Xtacee reeling back a few steps. Xavier lines up Xtacee in his sights before propping himself up…springboard DDT! Another pin attempt from Xavier… One…two…THR–!!! Xavier proceeds to ascend to the top rope and who knows what’s going through his mind at this moment, but we won’t find out as Xtacee joins him on the top rope and the two of them exchange blows before Xtacee gets the upper hand. Xtacee then pulls Xavier close in position… TOP ROPE SPANISH FLY! Jean-Luc Watkins: “This is the kind of explosive action you can only find in the FWA, wrestling fans!”The crowd is losing it now while Monica and Antonio look on with concern for their lover, who hasn’t moved after hitting that spanish fly, nor has Xavier moved. Eventually, after what seems like an eternity, Xtacee draps an arm over Xavier for a pin… One…two…THR--NO!!! The crowd can’t believe it while Monica and Antonio look relieved that Xtacee is okay but also a bit concerned that the match is continuing… << 12:40 >>Xtacee is slow to his feet as he brings Xavier up with a front facelock, and he lays in some uppercuts for good measure before he sends Xavier into the corner with an irish whip. Xtacee backs up to gain some speed and comes charging in for a running body splash, but Xavier moved out of the way in time as he slips underneath Xtacee between the legs and delivers a dropkick to the back of Xtacee before he spins him around and lifts him up on his shoulders…Sunset Apollo! Xavier hits the death valley driver but that’s not all as he climbs up top…The Genesis of Truth! Diving double stomp to the back! Xavier hooks the leg… One…two…THREE! {RESULT}Winner: Sawyer Xavier via pinfall at 14:12. Natalie Rosenberg: “The winner of the match…Sawyer Xavier!”Xavier has his arm raised in victory and it quickly sets in now that he has a shot at gold as he motions around his waist before he exits the ring. Monica and Antonio are now in the ring tending to Xtacee, who appears disappointed with another loss but he does his best to shake it off while being assisted to his feet. Jean-Luc Watkins: “Sawyer Xavier has a date with destiny! It’ll be him and Kleio De Santos for the FWA TV Championship!”
Konchu Hao: “Xperienx Xtacee has nothing to be ashamed of despite coming up short. He put up an admiral effort but it’s back to the drawing board for him unfortunately…”We cut to an area in the back that has been set up for a press conference. Todd Salum stands at a podium, two microphones set up either side of him, and facing this arrangement are a few rows of foldout chairs, occupied by (semi-)familiar faces from the wrestling media. The eagle-eyed amongst the viewership will recognise the likes of Shake Meltzer, Derrick Silver, and former FWA star Ty Johnson, who are amongst those clicking their pens and flexing their notepads. Todd Salum: “Back at the start of the year, eight men and women qualified for what would be the second instalment of the F1 Climaxxx tournament. In the three months since then, these eight competitors were whittled down to two, most recently in the semi-finals in Osaka on Meltdown XXXIX. Bryan Baxter and Mike Parr, the two men who have held the FWA North American Championship during this tournament and who both agreed to put that belt on the line, were both eliminated in this most recent round, ensuring that we’ll crown a new champion at the Carnal Contendership. That new champion will either be Chris Peacock…”At the mention of his name, Peacock appears through a door on the right of the room, appearing somewhat casual in a shirt with open collar, but with sunglasses hiding his eyes. He takes up position next to the microphone to Salum’s left. Todd Salum: “Or Michelle von Horrowitz…”Dreamer appears through a different door on the opposite side of the room, dressed in her usual attire with her rucksack slung low over her shoulders. She stands behind her microphone with her hands stuffed into the front pocket of her hoodie. She doesn’t so much as glance at Peacock, who stands on the other side of the segment’s emcee. Todd Salum: “Both come into this final with impressive records in the F1, both this year and last. Dreamer, of course, was the victor in the 2023 incarnation, but Chris Peacock bowed out of the tournament early in order to focus on his Golden Opportunity cash-in. Peacock would win that World Championship challenge against Devin Golden, and then successfully defended against MvH at the Grand March. That is only part of their history, with the two also clashing repeatedly in the tag division as part of FTN and the Connection respectively. Up until now, von Horrowitz is yet to defeat Peacock outside of 2020’s Carnal Contendership match. In all-time F1 competition, Peacock comes into this match 6-3, whilst Dreamer’s record stands at an impervious 9-1. Despite their often parallel ascents through the FWA over the past four years, next month will be the first time ever that they will meet one-on-one. Chris, Michelle, your thoughts on next month’s final…”Salum takes a step back from his pulpit, opening up the floor for discussion. Perhaps surprisingly, Michelle is first to take up his offer, her hands still stuffed in her pockets as she approaches her microphone. MvH: “You’re right, Todd, to talk about the long history that Boogie Baby and I have. Often, we’ve watched each other’s rises from afar. He arrived as I was finally breaking through in my own ascent, after all, and he was walking through the path that I cleared during my brief moments at the summit. One thing that you neglected to mention, Todd, in your lengthy and somewhat tedious introduction, is that we once teamed together. Many years ago. Back when I thought that he was something of a worthwhile human being. But time teaches many lessons, and it has revealed my opponent for what he is. Particularly the last year, when Chris and his strange little group of like-minded trogs moulded their entire identity around myself, and Gerald and Uncle and Thomas and the rest of them.”A pause here. The memory of the names belonging to a group who has been absent since last year’s Back in Business is clearly problematic for her. MvH: “Fuck The Nephews. A simple refrain for the simple-minded. One can only guess where this singular missive could’ve originated. For Peacock it’s perhaps clearer: defeats to Uncle, defeats to Thomas… though, you’d think his status as the World Champion and his victory over me would be enough to satisfy that particular score but… well, this is Chris Peacock that we are talking about. For an ego of this size and this sort, a world championship is not enough. A banal and vulgar team name: that’ll show ‘em. But, it must be said, they did fuck the Nephews. They took our championships and, outside of Gerald, the Nephews haven’t been seen for nearly a year. Well done. You won, more absolutely and in more ways than you could even know.”There is less passivity about Michelle now. The recollections of the last year have brought with them a sense of shame and of loss, and beneath it all injustice. Her breathing is quickened alongside the pace of her diatribe. MvH: “This match is more than just the final of the F1. I’m sure the fact that the North American Championship has, by happenstance, become the prize is of more note to my opponent than it is to me. Just like with the World Championship, the collecting of the accomplishment means more to a man like Peacock than the accomplishment itself, as my old friend Cyrus so eloquently argued. I am sure he will have one eye on the Grand Slam that one more win would bring with it. To me, this match is much, much more. It is the culmination of the last year of my life: a lost year, spent behind a mask and in a suit.”The next pause is reflective. There is a sense about Michelle that she is finally lifting her head above the surface after a long period submerged underwater. MvH: “I don’t dream as much as I used to because I don’t sleep as much as I used to, but in the dreams I have been afforded it has never been you. It has been the other, whose descent into the state that we see him in now is more marked and more disappointing. But it appears that he has lost the stomach for it, and it is to be you. But there is no doubt in my mind that this is it. The F1, the North American Championship, and the Grand Slam… they mean a lot to me, of course. But it means more to keep all of them from you.”She leaves it there. She’s already said enough. Too much, maybe. She takes a step away from the microphone, allowing Peacock to make his response. Chris steps forward. Uncharacteristically, he seems devoid of the usual overt mannerisms and expressions that he is known for. There is an unfamiliar composure about him, and he removes his sunglasses, tossing them down onto the floor next to him. Chris Peacock: “What was it, Rod? A Carnal Contendership match that she didn’t even eliminate me from? That I lasted over an hour in? That’s all that the great Michelle von Horrowitz has over me? Well, that - and I’ll give you credit for this - throwing me off my game at the beginning of all of this. I won’t lie. You made sure that I wasn’t all with it when we got this tournament started. Well done.”The two F1 Climaxxx tournament finalists stare intensely into each other’s eyes for a moment, and Chris points across the room at Michelle. Chris Peacock: “Michelle, since I found out this tournament was happening again, there has been only one thing that I have wanted. To be here, in this moment, with you. I won’t lie, there were times that even I didn’t think I’d get here. My road to the final has not been as straightforward as yours, I’ll admit it. Some people would probably try to say that if it wasn’t for certain events, that I wouldn’t even be here. Well, that doesn’t matter and those people don’t matter. I am here. I understand that might disappoint you… but let me be clear about one thing; it doesn’t matter if it is me, or if it was Alyster. The result is going to be the same. It will be the same result as every other time you have stepped into that ring with me, Michelle. You lose.”Peacock takes a moment to smirk and revel at his previous accomplishments over MvH. He allows his wrist to slightly limp, causing the microphone to hang before he puts it back up to his mouth. Chris Peacock: “I know that eats you up inside, Michelle. Chris Peacock - ‘Dreamer’s Nightmare’. You fucking hate it. What makes you hate it so much, is because it is true. Not just because it is true, but also because of what it means. My very existence threatens that aura that you have curated for yourself over the last four years. I’m not Kennedy and I’m definitely not Snowmantashi… but one thing I am, is here every fucking week. They can come and go, but I’m always going to be here. I’m always going to be here to remind you that no matter what, there’s always someone here that can beat you.
“I can see now why you went so far out of your way at that press conference to single me out and throw me off. It’s because I have that same effect on you, right? Why the fuck else would you say something as hypocritical as you just did?”There seems to be some confusion from von Horrowitz as Peacock angles that question towards her, she even cocks an eyebrow and mouths to him to ask what he is referring to. Chris Peacock: “I’ll let you think about that one. But I do find it interesting that you’re so concerned with why I want to win this tournament, Michelle. Even if you were right, and even if Cyrus was right when he said what you just repeated, you’ve shown your hand. So, focus on me all you want, Michelle. Do your worst to try and stop me from getting this accomplishment too. Because whilst you’re doing that, I’ll be doing what has gotten me through this tournament so far and what kept the FWA World Championship around my waist for eight months…” Peacock skirts around the podium in front of him in order to get closer to his opponent. There seems to be a rising of tensions in the room, and the photographers rapid taking of pictures causes the room to be illuminated by flashes. Chris Peacock: “I’ll be doing everything in my power to beat you, Michelle. I think I demonstrated pretty well on Meltdown that I’m ready, willing and able to do whatever it takes. I won’t bat an eyelid about faking an injury or using brass knuckles or getting Allen Price to distract a referee. None of that makes a difference to me anymore. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ll enjoy beating you and holding that North American Championship over you, but after the journey I’ve been on, I’d have enjoyed it just the same as whether it was Parr, Konchu, Halloween Knight or even that fat fuck Baxter. So, what I guess I’m trying to say is that when I beat you again… don’t take it personally, tulip.”Despite her best efforts, the taunting from Peacock seemed to have struck a chord with MvH. She was clearly not ready to see the usually-volatile man in a more composed manner. She looked at him full of scorn, knowing that he wanted nothing more than for her to lash out at him. The smug expression on Peacock’s face reflected a man who believed that he was in complete control of the situation, but he knew that he would be lying to himself if he said that he knew what Michelle was thinking. Todd Salum wisely takes the initiative and motions for the security in the room to escort Peacock back behind his podium. Todd Salum: “Okay, I think that everyone has said what they’ve wanted to say here, and there’s no reason why we can’t leave it here. We’ll let the rest of the talking happen in the ring at Carnal Contendership… thank you for attending, ladies and gentlemen.”At the conclusion of the press conference, the press gathered capture some more photos of the two F1 Climaxxx tournament finalists as Michelle leaves the room without giving Peacock another glance and Peacock wears a goofy grin, still sure in himself that he got the better of that exchange but completely ignorant of the bear that he just poked. Much like those seen on Meltdown, a shot of the crowd reveals that there are a number of hooded individuals congregating within the fans inside the Sapporo Dome. Whilst on Meltdown there was a dozen or so, their number has increased somewhat to about thirty. Jean-Luc Watkins: “Do these folks have something to do with you, partner?”Konchu Hao: “Whilst definitely dressed like members of the Army of the Night, I can confirm that would be a negative, my esteemed companion. No, I wonder who is orchestrating the appearances of these individuals?”Suddenly, a placard is lifted up from the mass of people, reading ”HE IS COMING.” It disappears almost as quickly as it arrived. Jean-Luc Watkins: “Who is coming? When? This whole thing seems rather-”{SPOOKY SCARY SKELETONS || PEARSIX BEARGHOST}[MEDIA=youtube]1mrGdGMNsv0[/MEDIA] Konchu Hao: “Were you going to say “spooky”, Jean-Luc? KEHAHAHAHA!”The crowd cheers loudly for the entrance of TR1CK or TR4SH, with Halloween Knight the first one through the curtain doing his famous dance. He widens his stance, allowing Trash Mammal to scurry between his legs. Knight then ducks down and Juan Tothrefor leapfrogs over him, and Trash Mammal makes it through Juan’s legs as well. There is something different about the group, which is of course the FWA Trios Championships that they won at Fight Night. Natalie Rosenberg: "The following contest is a Trios Match scheduled for one fall with a twenty minute time limit, Introducing first, the challengers… at a combined weight of six-hundred and seventy-seven pounds… they are the NEWWWWW FWA TRIOS CHAMPIONS… JUAN TOTHREFOR, TRASH MAMMAL and HALLOWEEN KNIGHT… THEY ARE… TR1CK… OR…. TR4SH!!!!”Jean-Luc Watkins: “Ugh, I was so busy with King of the Deathmatch and getting you on board here that I forgot all about this… wrestling fans, your new FWA Trios Champions…”Konchu Hao: “No need for such cynicism, now! What you are seeing is the only other undefeated trio in this company other than the Dark Roads Alliance, KEHAHAHAHA!!”TR1CK or TR4SH enter the ring collectively and pose with their championships. They then take a look at their opponents… Natalie Rosenberg: "Their opponents, already in the ring… PONI BOI!”The three PONI BOI members look around the arena with disapproving looks, as if being here is beneath them. The three luchadors remove their championships and pass them to someone at ringside. The referee is Joey Ortiz, and he calls for the bell! FOURTH MATCH || 1/20.
TR1CK or TR4SH ( Juan Tothrefor, Halloween Knight, and Trash Mammal) vs. PONI BOI ( midnight MUSTANG, sunrise STALLION and midday MULE) Trios Match.Match writer: Man. It is the animal responsible for winning the lucha-bros their titles that starts off the match, and Trash Mammal tussles with sunrise STALLION, and Basura easily gets the better of the K-Pop star to get him down with a Rolling Uppercut. Trash Mammal screeches at the other two PONI BOIs and then lifts STALLION up onto his shoulders, and drives him into the mat with a Cartwheel Death Valley Driver! It is at this point that Trash Mammal seems to permit his opponent to make a tag, and midday MULE enters the match. He tries a Dropkick on Trash Mammal, but Basura shrugs him off. Trash Mammal sends MULE into the corner and then tags in Halloween Knight. Knight vaults himself over the top rope to get into the match and he and Trash Mammal take turns to get in a couple of shots on MULE, before Halloween Knight executes a Snapmare to get his opponent out of the corner. With MULE taking his time to get up, Halloween Knight climbs up in the corner and then walks along the top rope, doing his DANCE~! and he then leaps from the top rope, planting MULE with the TERROR TORNADO DDT!!! Konchu Hao: “It really fathoms me why you do not enjoy watching these fine athletes compete, Jean-Luc. Are you not the scholar for the inner workings and machinations for this craft that I expected you to be?”Jean-Luc Watkins: “I just don’t get it, Konchu. That’s all it is. Oh, and here comes the most egregious of them all; Juan Tothrefor. A decorated competitor in Mexico, who has been reduced to a fool who enjoys counting.”As Juan gets in fresh off the tag from Halloween Knight, MULE retreats, leaving just midnight MUSTANG to fight on behalf of PONI BOI. MUSTANG tries rushing Juan, but the Art of Lucha alum catches him off-guard with a Superkick to the midsection! Juan hits a second to the knee, then the shin… and then a final strike to the head! This knocks him flat down onto his back, and Juan motions to his partners. With no hesitation, the other two TR1CK or TR4SH members rush out from their corner and dive through the ropes, taking out MULE and STALLION! Juan then gracefully exits to the ring apron, where he lines up MUSTANG and elevates himself up… SENOR SENTON!!! Juan’s full weight crushes MUSTANG’s ribs and chest, and Tothrefor makes the cover… ONE… TWO… THREE- JUAN URGES HIM TO COUNT ONE MORE… … FOUR!!!! {RESULT}Winner: TR1CK or TR4SH via pin fall at 2:26. Natalie Rosenberg: "Here are your winners… TR1CK or TR4SH!!!!”Halloween Knight and Trash Mammal join Juan in the ring and the three of them are handed their championships, which they raise to a strong ovation from the crowd. With the music playing, it turns into a dance break with Halloween Knight entertaining his partners and the crowd. Konchu Hao: “The new Trios Champions make their presence felt here tonight and continue their undefeated run as a group. For Trash Mammal… he’s now 7-0!”Jean-Luc Watkins: “...”Even though JLW is not a fan, the guys don’t mind and we fade away from their celebrations… Backstage.
Cigarette smoke wafts through the air.
Elizabeth Rose sits on a crate, puffing on a cigarette.
Elizabeth Rose: "What, you forgot I was here? Figures."
She takes another puff of her cigarette before continuing on
Elizabeth Rose: People are going to ask two questions: Where have I been ? And where's Keres? And my answer to both those questions. Go fuck yourself and suck my dick."
To underline the point, Elizabeth flips the screen the bird twice.
Elizabeth Rose: "Oh, what, don't act like you gave a shit where I was; the only engagement that I got is, "Oh, Elizabeth Rose sucks now. I wish she went back to how she was."
Elizabeth crossed her eyes and her arms
Elizabeth Rose:"Cry me a river. But I digress - I ain't got much time for you fuckwards; I got things to do, and actual places I want to be. So let me cut to the chase for you. The Carnal Contendership. You're looking at the winner. Brooklyn, New York. Your daughter's coming home at Back In Business in the main event. It doesn't matter the opponent or how many… it doesn't matter the time or the place…I'm raving through all you bitches"
Elizabeth takes another draft of her cigarette.
Elizabeth Rose: "There. I cut a fucking promo. You wanted me to show up, I did. Are you happy now? Good. Now, get the camera out of my face.” Natalie Rosenberg: “The next contest is set for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit!”{Save Me || Lacuna Coil}[MEDIA=youtube]jgFkn9ocqM4[/MEDIA] Gabrielle saunters out on stage to a loud, positive reception from the fans. She poses for the fans before making her way down to the ring. Natalie Rosenberg: “Introducing first, from Auckland, New Zealand and weighing in 132 lb…she is Gabrielle!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “The Carnal Contendership is right around the corner and Gabby has yet to announce her intentions in regards to that match, but she’s a surefire favorite to win it if she does decide to enter it this year, wouldn’t you agree, Konchu?”
Konchu Hao: “It would be hard to argue against that, JL.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Gabby’s list of accomplishments speaks for itself, but the one thing that has eluded her is winning the Carnal Contendership match. I’m sure she’d love nothing more than to add that notch to her belt.”{Bow Down || I Prevail}[MEDIA=youtube]n2EjeMx4bSg[/MEDIA] GET ON YOUR KNEES AND BOW DOWN!The crowd continues to cheer for Jackson Fenix, who appears on stage with Nate Savage and Bubbles the Clown. After some posturing, Fenix hops on Bubbles’ back and rides down to the ring while Nate follows behind. Natalie Rosenberg: “Her opponent, being accompanied by Nate Savage and Bubbles the Clown, from Las Vegas, Nevada and weighing in at 210 lb…he is The Sin City Bad Boy…Jackson Fenix”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Speaking of favorites, here’s a man that could very well win it all at CC and someone that is not to be overlooked. Jackson Fenix had a renaissance in 2023 and he’s looking to continue that growth in 2024. Also, he will have home field advantage at CC with it being in his hometown of Las Vegas…”
Konchu Hao: “Despite my personal feelings for him and that neanderthal he hangs out with, I would be remiss if I were to dismiss his talent.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Plus, who doesn’t want a Jeremy Best and Jackson Fenix if it were to come to that…”
Konchu Hao: “Cyrus Truth for one, if Jeremy can get through Truth, which I don’t think will be happening…”Savage and Bubbles stay at ringside while Fenix is in the ring now and offers a handshake to Gabrielle, who obliges him, and the crowd applauds the good sportsmanship. Referee Joey Ortiz checks both competitors before he signals for the bell… FIFTH MATCH || 1/20.
Gabrielle vs. Jackson Fenix. Singles Match.Match writer: Jimmy. DING! DING! DING! << 00:00 >>The match begins with the traditional collar and elbow tie up before Gabby traps Fenix in a side headlock. Fenix slips out of it and counters with a rear hammerlock, but Gabby counters back as she wriggles free and connects with an arm drag takedown and she attempts an arm lock submission but Fenix twists his way and counters with an arm drag of his own. Both competitors are back to a vertical base and Fenix is quick to attack with a standing dropkick that takes Gabby off her feet, but she’s quickly back up. Fenix swings for the fences with a spinning back fist, but Gabby ducks it and spins behind him and applies a rear waistlock and goes for a german suplex but Fenix blocks it and slithers underneath between the legs and he has Gabby in position for a snap dragon suplex but she flips out of it and Fenix has little time to react as Gabby connects with an enziguri! Fenix is stunned as he falls to a knee and Gabby hits another enziguri that takes him down. Gabby has Fenix where she wants him…split legged moonsault! She hooks the leg… One…TW--NO!! Gabby has Fenix up in a front facelook now and she’s peppering him with forearm strikes to the dome before backing him into the corner. She lays in some more forearm strikes before backing up and charging forward but Fenix stops her in her tracks as he gets a boot in time. Gabby stumbles backward a few steps and does her best to gather herself while Fenix has positioned himself on the second rope now…Kill The Lights! Fenix gets all of the diving meteora and reaches back to hook the leg for the pin… One…TW--NO!! *** << 06:02 >>
Jean-Luc Watkins: “This has been fast paced with back and forth action, but now the action has to a bit of a standstill with Fenix slowing the pace with a rear headlock applied on Gabrielle.”
Konchu Hao: “I’m a little surprised these two are so evenly matched, JL. I’ll be honest, this was not what I was expecting.”Gabby starts to show signs of fighting back and starts to rise up while Fenix has the headlock still applied until he’s fended off with several back elbows to the midsection. Gabby then counters with a snapmare takeover into a running low angle dropkick to Fenix’s spine. Fenix winces in pain and slowly rises up but he’s knocked back down thanks to a running thrust kick from Gabby… Fenix rolls to the apron for a brief respite but Gabby doesn’t afford him that luxury, and yanks him up by the hair and she starts drilling him with hard hitting forearm strikes but eventually he fights back with his own forearm strikes that knock her back, which affords Fenix some breathing room. He readies himself and has Gabby in his sights before launching himself forward with a springboard high knee strike and again he goes for another pin… One…TW--NO!! Fenix shakes that off and brings Gabby up in a front facelock, but right away she manages to counter with a sitout jawbreaker that sends Fenix stumbling backward. Gabby gathers bearings before she’s back up again and hits Fenix with two successive suplexes before following up with a third and transitions it into a bridge… One…TW--NO! Gabby is quick to go back on the attack and applies a lotus lock submission hold on Fenix with nowhere for him to go, while the referee continues to ask Fenix if he’s ready to quit but he declines each time despite the pain surging through his upper body at this time. Nate Savage on the outside is watching on and tries to rally Fenix back in this while Bubbles looks greatly concerned for his friend… Konchu Hao: “Fenix is refusing to give up despite the obvious pain he must be feeling right now.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “The human body most certainly should not bend that way.”*** << 10:08 >>Fenix uses a last ditch effort to stay alive as he falls backward on top of Gabby, which causes her to lose her grip on the lotus lock and her shoulders both fall to the mat… One…two…NO!!! Fenix tries to loosen up the joints in his shoulders as he rises up while Gabby gathers herself and both of them are back up. Fenix instinctively goes for a superkick, but Gabby has that well scouted as she catches him by the boot but Fenix has a response for that with an enzugiri! He spins her around…snap dragon suplex…he goes for the follow up with a bicycle knee but Gabby ducks it…he stops himself at the ropes and he senses her coming up behind so he counters with a low spinning heel kick and then a low angle superkick to the knees followed by a shining wizard! Another pin attempt… One…two…THR--NO!!! Fenix doesn’t miss a beat as he brings her up and he goes for Sin City Hangover but Gabby flips out behind him and counters with the GaBuster! Fenix crumbles to the mat while clutching at his back…Gabby wastes no time as she stays on the attack with another split-legged moonsault! She’s not done yet though as she hits the ropes and drops a split-legged leg drop on Fenix for good measure before she reaches over to hook his leg for the pin… One…two…THR--NO!!! *** << 14:22 >>
Jean-Luc Watkins: “No matter what Gabrielle throws at him, Jackson Fenix refuses to stay down!”Gabby has him up now and drives repeated knee strikes to his head, and then follows up with several european uppercuts. She takes some time before setting him up in position for the 34 D Double D-DT…but Fenix is able to counter with a northern lights suplex into a bridge! One…two…THR--NO!!! Fenix is up now and he’s feeling as he waits for Gabby to rise up…he pulls her in close for In The Zone…but Gabby slips out and takes him by the wrist and goes for a short arm lariat but Fenix ducks it…sling blade! He picks her up now…Sin City Hangover into the pin! One…two…THREE!!! {RESULT}Winner: Jackson Fenix via pinfall at 16:20. Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner of the match...Jackson Fenix!"Fenix has his arm raised before he's joined by his stablemates. Gabrielle is being assisted by the referee and Fenix insists on shaking her hand again, to which she obliges again despite wearing a look of disappointment. Gabrielle exits the ring while Fenix continue to celebrate with his friends in the ring... Jean-Luc Watkins: "Jackson Fenix's wave of momentum continues and he goes into CC with a win! Not the result Gabrielle was looking for but I have no doubt she'll bounce back in no time. In the meantime, the show will roll on..."The Coronation of Kleio De Santos
Queen of TV
 [MEDIA=youtube]jAJniMeESOU[/MEDIA] Announcer: "All rise for the Coronation of Kleio De Santos" As the music plays, the camera spans around the arena. We see a red velvet carpet laid all the way down the entrance ramp going all the way into the ring. Inside the ring is a large Golden Throne, and next to it a crown. The music continues as the crowd boos. The Witch Queen doesn't care. She continues to strut down the ramp. Her TV title is wrapped delicately around her waist once again. On her shoulders is a beautiful robe, with a lot of Flair if you get my drift. It's sparkly and fluffy. She gets into the ring, and looks at her throne, and her crown sitting next to it. The crown is absolutely beautiful, with little ruby TVs as gems. She smiles at it before sitting down on the throne, grabbing the microphone next to it, and crossing over her leg. However, she leaves the crown sitting on the table. Queen Kleio De Santos: "Welcome to my coronation! As the only two-time female TV Champion, I think it only makes sense that I officially be named the Queen of TV? No?"The crowd continues to boo in response. Queen Kleio De Santos: "What do you people know? You are all just like that little Trixie. Completely immature, controlled by emotions. My partners voted to keep Trixie in The Coven. Fine, let her stay. She will eventually run herself into the ground. She makes more and more enemies each and every day, and yet she refuses my help?
Little Trixie thought that I interfered in her match at King of the Deathmatch for her. To spite her? Or help her? She is upset, because she thinks my actions during that match with XYZ helped her win the tournament. And poor little Trixie's ego can't handle the fact that people will think she needed help to win. What she fails to comprehend is...I was going to win the King of the Deathmatch tournament myself. I was registered in it, I was competing in it, and after coming so close the last two years, this year I was winning it. Seeing how they all actually competed, I have no doubts in fact that I would have won the entire thing with ease. Had I been in that tournament, Trixie wouldn't have even gotten that match against XYZ. It would have been me, and I would've been able to crush XYZ then and there. But, alas, she was there instead.
And why? Because I withdrew. So, there you go...if it wasn't for me, Trixie wouldn't have her title. It had nothing to do with the match, and it had nothing to do with her. And I only withdrew in the first place, because I decided I would rather get back my Television Championship instead.
So...why did I interfere in Trixie's match?
Is it because that is what The Coven does? We help each other win? Trixie seemed to think so. Trixie also didn't seem to have a problem when we did the same thing a dozen times before. But apparently sometime recently she got a traumatic brain injury, and her prefrontal cortex is struggling to control her own emotions and impulsive decisions.
But no, believe it or not, I could have cared less whether Trixie won that match or not.
I interfered in that match, because of one person...the Alphabet Man.
XYZ.
You see, XYZ decided to...per his character, stick his nose where it didn't belong. He stuck his nose in my interview time years ago, and now he's sticking his nose in my business. The pompous bastard came up to ME during the show, and tells me that Blair is planning a coup. Oh, what a favor XYZ is doing for me, he's such a great guy right? That's what he wants everyone to think. That even as my enemy he thinks he's above me, Blair, and everyone else.
And yet, he also must think I'm stupid.
That I wasn't aware Blair Ravenwood and her sister had been trying to overthrow me for months? Does he think so little of me, that I'd have no regard for what's going on in my own house? That I need his intelligence to figure it out? Blair Ravenwood is not very sneaky. I knew immediately what she was doing when she started, and I didn't care...because it's something I can handle. Eventually, and Blair knows this, the Ravenwood sisters both will be put in their place and they will follow me like the puppy dogs they are. Blair isn't a leader, she's a follower. Every once in a while she gets a little too big for her shorts, and I smack her down a couple pegs to remind her who the best Witch is...me.
XYZ will not interfere in my family's affairs without consequence. This time, it costed him a match. Next time, it'll cost him more. I think perhaps he should start to worry a little bit more of what's going on under his own nose, than mine.
Consider that your only warning Letter Boy.
Because this time you aren't just dealing with Kleio De Santos. You're dealing with Kleio De Santos, leader of The Coven, and Queen of TV.
And like it or not, I will make you kneel before me. You will kiss my ring, you will beg for my mercy, and you will...BOW DOWN. " With that, Kleio drops her microphone. Two assistants in black suits head into the ring. Kleio bends over, as they carefully place the TV Crown on her head. The coronation music continues once more. The crowd boos, but the Queen of TV is unphased as unstraps her title, and holds it high above her hair. She struts around the ring with the belt, holding it high up. This continues for a handful of minutes uninterrupted. The coronation of Queen Kleio De Santos is complete. Done with elegance, respect, and dignity. Just as a true coronation for a TRUE Queen should be done. Any respectable Queen would have a coronation go smoothly like this. Much emphasis on the wording "respectable Queen". {HERE COMES REVENGE || METALLICA}[MEDIA=youtube]FpF8Wa2yQH0[/MEDIA] The lights in the Sapporo Dome go pitch black as the the guitar rifts and drums of Here Comes Revenge kick in. Purple strobe lights flicker and smoke fill the arena as a spotlight reveals Vengador now standing at the top of the stage. The lights come back up to reveal Vengador is joined on the stage by Bobby Joel, sporting his cowboy hat and a shit eatting grin as well as the trio of Triple J Security, Jobber Jimbo, Jugem Jugem, and Jiggy Jon. Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is an eight man tag match scheduled for one-fall with a twenty minute time limit! Introducing first, being accompanied to the ring by “The Dubb” Bobby Joel… the team of Triple J Security and… VEEEEEENNNGGGGAAADOOOOORRRR!”Jean-Luc Watkins: “It was surprising turn of events on Fight Night when a fixture of the Japanese wrestling scene, “The Dubb” Bobby Joel showed up alongside GroundZero Season 5 Winner, Vengador and looked to make a statement by confronting Cyrus Truth.”Konchu Hao:: “While normally I’d be in support of a masked GroundZero competitor, I must say that it may not have been wise to go after my associate, Cyrus Truth.”Jean-Luc Watkins: “Perhaps, but you have to appreciate the boldness… though you could certainly cast some doubt on his ability to choose his own associates, as Triple J Security may not be the ideal backup.”Bobby Joel led his group down to the ring, Vengador stepping into the ring and tossing his arms in the air to a round of boos from the crowd. {EVERYTHING IS AWESOME || TEGAN & SARA}[MEDIA=youtube]AkLM7CJEeBg[/MEDIA] Natalie Rosenberg: "And their opponents, introducing first, being accompanied to the ring by Tonya Scott… the team of Mejor Amig… Sir Stache… and the FWA World Champion… JEEERRREEEMMMYY BBBEESSSSST!”More boos from the crowd as the “World Champion of Friendship” Jeremy Best walks out from the back with a big smile on his face, waving to the Besties in the crowd, seemingly completely oblivious to the boos. Jeremy is joined by his two masked compatriots, Sir Stache and Mejor Amigo as well as their friendly magician pal, Tonya Scott who tips her hat to the crowd. Jean-Luc Watkins: “I’m sure you have some thoughts on this team up, Konchu, given your relationship with Cyrus Truth in the Dark Roads Alliance.”Konchu Hao: “I trust that Cyrus knows what he is doing here. I, of all people, know all about Jeremy Best and know he is not one to trust. I perhaps knew it before anyone else.”Jean-Luc Watkins: “Be that as it may, it was Jeremy Best and the Friendship Wrestling Alliance that came to the aid of Cyrus Truth in the four one on attack from Vengador and Triple J Security at Fight Night.”Konchu Hao: “Something just seems fishy to me, Watkins.”Tonya Scott climbs the apron, leaving over and sitting across the middle ropes (something the fans at ringside seemed to enjoy), allowing Jeremy, Amigo, and Stache to enter the ring. {BLOOD OF GLORY}[MEDIA=youtube]lFeFdm51sJ4[/MEDIA] The crowd now comes alive with cheers as “The Exile” Cyrus Truth jogs out from the back, tossing both arms in the air, receptive to the warm reaction from the Sapporo fans. Natalie Rosenberg: "And their tag team partner… he is the number one contender to the FWA World Title… he is… “THE EXILE”... CCYYYYYYYRRRRRUUUUUSSSSSS TTTTTRRRRRRUUUUUTTTHHHHHH!”Cyrus rotates his neck, warming himself up as he walks down the ramp toward the ring, keeping his eyes closely monitoring not just his opponents but also keeping a close eye on his own partners, especially Jeremy Best. Jean-Luc Watkins: The former and…”Konchu Hao: “And next FWA World Champion makes his way down to the ring!”Jean-Luc Watkins: “He very well could be. At Carnal Contendership it will be Cyrus Truth looking to gain another title reign as he takes on Jeremy Best, the very man he is teaming with tonight. Which makes this quite a precarious position and you can understand Cyrus being uneasy about this. Jeremy basically volunteered him for the match at Fight Night.”Konchu Hao:: “I’m keeping a close eye on this one… if things go south, I’ll be ready to help.”SIXTH MATCH || 1/20.
Team True Friendship ( Cyrus Truth, Jeremy Best, Sir Stache, and Mejor Amigo) [w/ Tonya Scott] vs. Vengador and Triple J Security ( Jobber Jimbo, Jugem Jugem and Jiggy John) [w/ Bobby Joel]. Eight-Person Tag Team Match.Match writer: Dubb. On the far side of the ring, it is already evident that Vengador is starting the match out for that foursome while there’s not quite the agreement on “Team True Friendship” as Cyrus appears adamant he’s going to do the heavy lifting to start the match, but Sir Stache wants the chance to shine it seems. Jeremy goes to bat for Stache, insisting that Cyrus lets the smaller worker start things off. Finally, Cyrus shrugs his shoulders and relents, stepping out to the apron along with Jeremy and Mejor Amigo. The bell sounds and the match gets under way officially. Jean-Luc Watkins: “Already some communication issues on Team True Friendship it would see.”Konchu Hao: “I’m not sure what the issue is here. Just like Cyrus go in and handle business. No reason to let these imbeciles mess things up.”Vengador wastes no time taking it to Sir Stache, who is no match for the more powerful wrestler. The bigger masked wrestler backs down the smaller with one a series of machine gun chops before lifting him up onto his shoulders into a fireman’s carry before swinging him around into a facebuster! Stache crawled back to the corner where Cyrus reaches out for a tag, but Stache leaps up and tags in Amigo instead. Truth turns to Jeremy, visibly frustrated as Amigo springboards into the ring… RIGHT INTO A BIG BOOT FROM VENGADOR! The man in the skeleton mask grabs Amigo by the throat, pulling him back up to his feet. Amigo shakes his head, seeming to plead while Tonya Scott covers her eyes at ringside… Stache rushes back into to try and help his partner… But Vengador grabs him by the throat as well… DOUBLE CHOKESLAM! Jean-Luc Watkins: “An impressive start here from Vengador… he’s simply toying with the lesser members of the Friendship Wrestling Alliance here.”Konchu Hao: “Ah yes, playing with his food it would seem! Let’s see him up against some real competition.”Sir Stache rolls out of the ring, plopping to the floor where Tonya rushes over to check on him. Meanwhile, Amigo begins to stagger to his feet as Vengador shows off some of his agility as he hits a step up enziguri that sends Amigo falling back into his corner corner… Where Cyrus tags him self in, slapping Amigo across the back. Jean-Luc Watkins: “Here we go! Now things should get interesting!”Vengador steps back up to his feet, welcoming Cyrus into the ring as the two go toe to toe, garnering some cheers in anticipation from the crowd. Vengador strikes first with a blow to Cyrus, but Truth comes back with a forearm shot of his own. Back and forth the two heavy hitters go! Truth backs Vengador down, getting the upperhand in the exchange and backing him toward the corner with a series of forearm shots, but it ends up being a small taste of what could’ve been as Jiggy Jon tags himself in! With the tag being made, Jon tries to break things up but Cyrus shoves him down to the mat! Jon rolls back to his feet… and Truth takes him right back down with a STIFF knife edge chop! Here comes Jugem Jugem coming to his partners aid… only to get hit with a hip toss from Truth! Jobber Jimbo comes in swinging… Truth ducks… DRAGON SUPLEX! Konchu Hao: “Now that’s taking care of business!”Jiggy Jon crawls to the corner, begging off Truth… but Truth doesn’t listen and unleashes the First Five Steps to Jon in the corner. Jugem Jugem leaps onto Truth’s back trying to break it up… But Truth repositions Jugem off his back and onto his shoulders… JOURNEY’S END TO JUGEM! Jobber Jimbo is back up and tries to attack Truth from behind, but in comes Jeremy Best with a springboard dropkick, cutting him off at the pass! Jeremy then lifts up Jimbo onto his own shoulders… BFF TO JIMBO! Meanwhile, while Cyrus and Jeremy are making easy work of Triple J Security… Bobby Joel has ordered Vengador away from the ring… he’s taking him out of the match! Jean-Luc Watkins: “What’s he doing? He’s just leaving?!”Konchu Hao: “Ah ha! The coward always eventually shows their true colors, Jean-Luc!”Jeremy pulls Jiggy Jon up to his feet, lifts him up onto his shoulders… BFF For Jon as well! And Cyrus Truth finishes him off, locking in the Long Road To Nowhere! Jiggy Jon quickly taps! {RESULT}Winner: ‘Team True Friendship’ via submission at 4:53. Jeremy jumps up and down with glee as Cyrus releases the submission. Mejor Amigo pulls himself up, licking his wounds while Sir Stache seems content milking his “injuries” at ringside due to the attention he is receiving from Tonya Scott. She helps him into the ring as he noticeably limps despite never having his leg worked at all during the match. Meanwhile, Bobby Joel and Vengador watch on from the top of the stage, not too distraught by their loss it would seem. Natalie Rosenberg: “Here are your winners… Team True Friendship!”Jean-Luc Watkins: “Vengador and Bobby Joel left their partners high and dry… an unusual turn of events but they don’t seem too hurt by the loss. For Vengador, he now sets his sights on the Carnal Contendership…. And for Truth and Jeremy… well… this partnership wasn’t set to last too long… as they’ll face each other at Carnal Contendership for the title… but… wait, looks like we’re not done here, Jeremy is asking for the microphone.”Truth stands with his hands on his hips, still unsure of the situation as Jeremy is all smiles with the microphone in his hand. Jeremy Best: ”Cyrus! Cyrus! We did it! I told you! This is true friendship! We did it! This is what friendship is all about! This is what it’s like to have a real friend! You know you enjoyed it. You can’t deny it! I can see you’re holding back a smile!”The camera zooms in on Truth, who… surprisingly enough… does seem to be starting to crack a smile. Jeremy Best: ”Ah ha! There it is! There it is! I knew I could get you to see the light! So whattaya say… let’s call this whole thing off… we don’t need to fight at Carnal Contendership… let’s just be friends! How about we hug it out?”Cyrus now cracks a full smile as he calls Jeremy over. Jeremy’s eyes grow perhaps wider than ever… Jean-Luc Watkins: “Surely Cyrus isn’t falling for this, right?”Jeremy, clearly experiencing pure joy, rushes in for the hug… But Cyrus holds arm out as he gets within reach and stops Jeremy in his track and instead takes the microphone. Cyrus Truth: “Now let’s just wait one second. You’re right about one thing, Jeremy. You saw it… I… am smiling. But… it’s not for the reason you think.”The smile begins to fade away from Jeremy’s face. Jeremy Best: ”What do you mean? Aren’t we gonna hug?”Cyrus Truth: “You preach friendship. You say you just want to be friends. That you can be a real friend. But what is the Truth, Jeremy?”Jeremy Best: ”That is the truth, of course!”Cyrus Truth: “See, that’s the thing. You really want me to believe that. Maybe you even want to convince yourself that that’s the Truth. But, here’s the problem with that, Jeremy. Words don’t mean a damn thing if your actions don’t match up to them. And your actions? Well…”On cue, we fade to some black and white CCTV footage. The date indicates it was from March 24th - the night of Fight Night. The time indicates it would’ve been before the show started. It appears to be in the backstage area. We see Bobby Joel arriving alongside Vengador… and they are both approached by Sir Stache. We can’t make out the conversation, but after a few moments, Sir Stache pulls out a big rolled up wad of cash, handing it over to Bobby Joel. Joel can be seen smiling and laughing as he pats the masked man on his shoulder. The two shake hands as Joel and Vengador now walk off. Konchu Hao: “There you have it! I knew there were dastardly deeds behind this team up! And so did Cyrus!Jean-Luc Watkins: “That seems to explain why Bobby Joel and Vengador had no interest in sticking around for the match itself… they got their money already!”The crowd boos as the camera fades back to the ring. Jeremy’s eyes are wide and he shakes his head furiously. Jeremy Best: ”Cyrus… I… I.. I… I… I… I.. don’t know what that was. Stache - what was that?”Sir Stache clutches his arm and acts like he’s in pain and unable to answer Jeremy’s request. Cyrus Truth: “It’s EXACTLY what it looks like it is, Jeremy! It’s your little minion… you little STOOGE… paying off that man… paying off those men to attack me at Fight Night so that you and your merry band of friendship goofs run in and save the day. A fraudulent attempt of friendship if there ever was one. All in an attempt to get out of your title defense.”Jeremy Best: ”Cyrus, I had nothing to do with that! I swear! I…”Cyrus Truth: “Enough. Just…stop. I’m done listening to your pathetic attempts to justify what we all saw with our eyes. At Carnal Contendership…well, I’m going to settle this in my way. And I know what to expect. I know that you’ll have these little stooges… I know you’ll have Bryan Baxter hiding somewhere to do your dirty work… I know the odds are stacked against me for that reason. But I’m well and truly done with bullshit interference robbing me of the FWA World Championship. And that’s why at Carnal Contendership…well, I did something I really don’t like doing. I spoke to Russnow, showed him the same footage we just saw, and used my stroke to get him to agree to my stipulation.….
“Our match… for the FWA Championship…
“WILL BE A CAGE MATCH!”The roar of approval goes through the crowd as Jeremy stumbles backwards, nearly fainting as Mejor Amigo and a suddenly miraculous spry Sir Stache rushes over to help hold him up. Cyrus Truth: “Now go… have fun with your friends… enjoy the days you have left as champion… because at Carnal Contendership, the belt once again…comes home where it belongs.”“Blood of Glory” hits once again as Truth drops the mic down to the mat. He steps out of the ring, leaving Jeremy and the FWA in disbelief in the ring and making it clear that “Team True Friendship” was never destined to be. Natalie Rosenberg: “Ladies and Gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one fall…”{GO TO SLEEP || EMINEM FT. DMX, OBIE TRICE}[MEDIA=youtube]r2GEb4MrkvU[/MEDIA] Jason Randall makes his way out onto the stage to a mixed reaction from the fans in attendance. He looks all business as he makes his way down to the ring, as Natalie Rosenberg introduces him. Natalie Rosenberg: “Introducing first, from San Diego, California, weighing in at 234 pounds, he is “THE WILD CARD”!... JAAAAAAAAASON RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDAAAAAAALL!”Jean-Luc Watkins: “Well, I’m sure Jason Randall has been relishing this opportunity here tonight. A win would put him well and truly in contention for the title that he once held, but also, it was with Trixie’s help that Blair Ravenwood managed to overcome Jason Randall in the opening match of the King of the Deathmatch tournament, when all 16 competitors were locked in the Cage of Death. So I’m sure that “The Wild Card” will be looking to gain some measure of payback against Trixie here tonight.”Konchu Hao: “From battles with Jason Randall myself, I can speak well on the tenacity and ferociousness that this man brings. A veteran competitor and someone who is crossed at one’s own risk.”Jason Randall’s music fades as he enters the squared circle, as he, along with the fans in attendance, awaits the arrival of the “Queen of the Deathmatch”... … {I’M A HEX GIRL || HEX GIRLS}[MEDIA=youtube]_rurTXP8-0k[/MEDIA] The audience cheers in support of the new FWA X Champion as she makes her way onto the stage. She doesn’t look happy as she turns back around and shouts back through the curtain… Trixie Bordeaux: “I ASKED FOR DIFFERENT MUSIC!” She screams furiously before storming her way down to the ring in a huff. Natalie Rosenberg: “Aaaaaaaaaaand his opponent, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, weighing in at 120 pounds, she is “The Hex Girl”, TRRRRRRRRRRRIXIEEEEEE BORDEAAAAAAAAUX!”Natalie’s introduction seems to send Trixie into an even bigger strop as she yells… Trixie Bordeaux: “NO! NO! NO! THAT’S NOT MY NICKNAME ANYMORE! IT’S “QUEEN OF THE DEATHMATCH” NOW!” Jean-Luc Watkins: “Well, Trixie doesn’t seem too thrilled with how her entrance is being handled right now, but considering that she’s about to share the ring with a former X Champion in his own right in Jason Randall, I’d suggest that she get her head in the game. The last thing she needs is to treat Jason Randall as an afterthought.”Konchu Hao: “Titles and getting them correctly are important, Jean-Luc. I would not take too kindly if I were to be referred to anything else other than ‘The Mad Wizard’, it is a perfect summation of my character.”Trixie moodily rolls into the ring and removes her jacket, before tossing her newly won X Championship to the referee, looking as though she wants to get this over with as quickly as possible. SEVENTH MATCH || 1/20.
Trixie Bordeaux vs. Jason Randall. Singles Match.Match writer: Welsh. << 00:00 >>Trixie paces back and forth as she awaits the opening bell, as though she’s chomping at the bit to get going. Noticing this, Randall braces himself, and when the bell finally rings, Trixie charges across the ring, and Randall meets her, as the two paragons of extreme trade viscous right hands! Randall, being the far larger and harder-hitting of the two, gains the upper hand as a perfectly placed punch connects to Trixie’s jaw, staggering her back. Randall connects with another, another, and one more, as he backs Trixie into the corner, before unleashing a series of kicks to her midriff. Trixie, feisty as ever, tries to fire back through Randall’s barrage of strikes, but “The Wild Card” ducks the strike and drives his shoulder into Trixie’s abdomen, trapping her in the corner. Desperate to escape the corner as Randall repeatedly drives his shoulder into her stomach, Trixie claws at Jason’s back with her long, pointed fingernails, drawing blood as she scratches and claws at his flesh. Randall backs up, clutching his stinging back as Trixie rushes him… and RUNS INTO A THUNDEROUS CLOTHESLINE THAT SENDS TRIXIE INTO A SUMMERSAULT! Jean-Luc Watkins: “Oh, good God Almighty!!! Trixie may not have a head to put a crown after that!”With Trixie in a heap on the ground and unmoving, Randall rolls her over and makes the cover, hoping to end this early! One… Two… Thre-NO! Trixie kicks out, barely! Jean-Luc Watkins: “Jesus, that was close! Trixie looks completely out of it!”Trixie remains unmoving as Randall gets to his feet and stares down at her. He lifts her limp body to her feet, and-TRIXIE WITH THE SMALL PACKAGE! One… Two-NO! Randall manages to escape! Trixie grogily tries to scramble to her feet, but as she manages to lift herself to her knees, Randall nails her with a viscous knee to the face! KILL-SHOT! He makes the cover! One… Two… Three-NO! Trixie gets the shoulder up! Looking to stay on the attack, Randall locks Trixie in a Bulldog Choke, trying to put her to sleep! << 05:21 >>Jean-Luc Watkins: “This match has been all Jason Randall thus far. Trixie has barely been able to get out of the starting gate!”Trixie is once again trapped in the corner, as Randall delivers a series of thunderous knife-edge chops to Trixie’s chest, before grabbing her wrist and launching his far lighter opponent into the opposite corner, but Trixie stumbles and her momentum sends her flying through the middle and top turnbuckle as she CRASHES SIDE-FIRST INTO THE RING POST! Jean-Luc Watkins: “OH, JESUS F-CHRIST! WITH GOD AS MY WITNESS, SHE MAY BE BROKEN IN HALF!”Konchu Hao: “A calamitous collision!”Trixie’s limp body flops to the outside as the referee starts the count. Randall, not wanting to win via a measly countout, rolls out of the ring and quite effortlessly lifts Trixie’s light, unconscious frame off the floor and rolls her back into the ring. He follows her in and makes the cover… One… Two… THREE!-NO! Trixie manages to drape her foot over the bottom rope! Jean-Luc Watkins: “HOW IS SHE STILL ALIVE AFTER THAT, LET ALONE STILL IN THIS MATCH!”Randall seems to be wondering the same thing as he looks down at Trixie, who somehow begins to stir. Realising that Trixie may be unable to continue, the referee checks on her, asking her if she’s able to go on in this match. Trixie doesn’t answer as she struggles to climb to her feet with the aid of the ropes. Randall looks to go back on the attack, but the referee, unconvinced that Trixie is fit to continue, backs Randall up, and Trixie SOMEHOW scrambles to her feet and leaps onto Randall with a Thesz Press, before unloading with a wild barrage of… pretty much everything as she screams with great fury! Jean-Luc Watkins: “And Trixie is all over Randall!”Randall attempts to cover up, managing to block several strikes before throwing Trixie off him. Randall tries to scramble to his feet, but FAMOUSER BY TRIXIE! The X Champion goes for the cover! One… Two-NO! Randall kicks out with authority! Seemingly running on sheer fury and adrenaline, Trixie keeps up her relentless assault on “The Wild Card” as she lays into him with several soccerball kicks to Randall’s torso as he tries to get to his feet. As he climbs to his feet, he manages to catch one of Trixie’s kicks, before kicking her standing leg from beneath her, causing Trixie to do the splits! With Trixie in a compromised position, Randall, still holding her leg, unloads with a series of kicks to Trixie’s head and chest! Jean-Luc Watkins: “Randall is kicking the crap out of Trixie!”With one final kick to Trixie’s face, Randall lifts Trixie back to her feet using her leg and lifts her up into a powerbomb position… POWERBOMB LUNGBLOWER! Randall goes for the cover! One… Two… THREE!!! … NO! Again Trixie kicks out! Konchu Hao: “Such impressive stamina. Perhaps her smaller frame means that this Trixie can withstand more pain than the average competitor?”<< 10:25 >>Randall has Trixie locked in a Sharpshooter, with the X Champion scratching and clawing with everything she has to get to the ropes to break the hold. Eventually, and with great difficulty, she manages to drag herself, and Randall’s 230lbs frame to the ropes, and the referee tries to break the hold. Randall keeps the hold cinched in for the 4 count, before relinquishing the hold. Going straight back on the attack, Randall grabs Trixie’s leg and pulls, with the “Queen of the Deathmatch” holding onto the ropes for dear life. Eventually, Randall’s superior strength wins out as he pulls Trixie to the center of the ring. Trixie manages to scramble to her free leg, however, and she nails Randall in the side of the head with an Enziguri! Randall staggers back, rocked, as Trixie scrambles to her feet, nursing her side from her impact into the ring post earlier in the match. Randall shakes the cobwebs loose, but a little too late as Trixie charges in anf connects with… Jean-Luc Watkins: “Torpedo Trixie! Randall’s still on his feet, but he’s rocked-AND TRIXIE WITH A SHOTGUN DROPKICK!”Jason Randall crashes into the corner with a sickening thud, he’s down! Trixie sees her opportunity. She climbs to the top rope, her face wincing with every step, and after steadying herself for a moment, she leaps backwards… Jean-Luc Watkins: “WHISTLING TRIXIE! She got all of it!”Konchu Hao: “Death-defying! Daring! Deranged!”Spent after the extended beating at the hands of Randall, Trixie’s body remains draped over Randall’s after the Coffin Drop manoeuver, and since Randall’s shoulders are down, the referee counts the pin… One… Two… THREE! {RESULT}Winner: Trixie Bordeaux via pin fall at 12:21. Trixie slowly manages to roll off of Randall and up to a seated position after this hard-fought win. She looks spent as the referee hands her the X Championship, and offers to help her to her feet. Trixie defiantly refuses his help and struggles to her feet, nursing her right side, before gritting her teeth and lifting the X Championship in the air, triumphantly, to a respectful applause from the Japanese audience. Natalie Rosenberg: “Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner, TRRRRRRIXIE BORDEAAAAAAAAX!”Jean-Luc Watkins: “What a gutsy display by Trixie here tonight, showing exactly the grit and heart that won her the King of the Deathmatch tournament, against an on his game Jason Randall.”Konchu Hao: “Indeed, Jason Randall showed a very keen appetite for victory in this bout, but it would seem that our Queen of the Deathmatch will continue to reign on! That is unless someone can pose a challenge to her crown!”Trixie glares at Randall, who’s perched up in the corner. Trixie had promised to do terrible things to Randall if the FWA higher-ups did not grant her her grand coronation… but, she decides against it, and instead simply exits the ring and makes her way to the back, looking the furthest thing from satisfied. Backstage, the cameras have caught Randy Ramon on his way out of his locker room, but he has not noticed their presence. His phone rings from inside his pocket and he answers it, ensuring to walk back inside of the locker room to do so. However, he does not shut the door completely behind him, allowing a chance to peek inside and a listen… Randy Ramon: “You’ll definitely be there? Good, I’m counting on you… yeah, I’m looking forward to it too…”Ramon hangs up the call and then drops his phone into his bag. He seems content. The cameraman scurries away as Ramon heads towards the door… {TOOTHACHE || JAYKAE}[MEDIA=youtube]hrSGMg8GTLw[/MEDIA] The Sapporo Dome erupts in a blanket of cheers as one half of the FWA World Tag Team Champions, Jay Kenny, steps out from the back. He soaks in the jeers and shows off the title belt around his waist. A few steps behind him lags the one and only Donny Toner, his own title belt hanging from his shoulder. Natalie Rosenberg: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall, with a sixty minute time limit, and is for the FWA WORRRRRRLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIIIIIIIIIPS! Introducing first, at a combined weight of four-hundred and seventeen pounds.. JAY KENNNNYYYY AND DONNNNYYYYY TOOOOOOOOOOOONERRRR!!!!!!!”Jean-Luc Watkins: “You know Konchu, there’s just something familiar about that Donny Toner.”Konchu Hao: “You mean, other than the fact that it’s Ryan Rondo?”Jean-Luc Watkins: “You couldn’t possibly know that… I mean, he’s not really even built like Rondo…”Konchu Hao: “Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice?”Jay and Donny slide into the ring and hold their championship belts high, much to the dismay of the crowd. They turn to the entrance ramp and await their opponents. {RISE || SIXX:A.M.}[MEDIA=youtube]mFJooJbSntQ[/MEDIA] The crowd rise to their feet in unison as Randy Ramon steps out from the back - alone. He’s not his usual calm, cool and collected self. There’s a look of hesitation on his face. He stops at the top of the ramp and takes it all in. Natalie Rosenberg: “And their opponents. First, from Detroit, Michigan… Weighing in at two-hundred and forty pounds, he is THE ROCKSTARRRRRR, RANDY RAMOOOOOOOOOONNN!!!!!!!!”Jean-Luc Watkins: “There is no man or woman in the FWA today who is more decorated in the art of Tag Team wrestling than Randy Ramon. Five title reigns across three different partners over a span of nearly a decade. He’ll be looking to make a sixth reign tonight, but will it be with a fourth different partner? Or a very familiar one?”Konchu Hao: “That’s right Jean-Luc, this place has been absolutely buzzing all night with anticipation over who will step in for “The Showman” Chris Crowe as Ramon’s partner in this match.”Jean-Luc Watkins: “Rumors have been abound as to who it could be. Could Randy coerce Devin Golden into one more match? Did he dig Ayla El up from the past? Maybe he buried the hatchet with Chris Peacock? All we know, for sure, is that it will not be Chris Crowe, who had an unfortunate run-in with the time police.”Konchu Hao: “Who will it be? Let’s find out!”Randy stands alone at the top of the ramp, waiting. Natalie Rosenberg: “And his partner!”Nothing but crickets. Konchu Hao: “Does he even have a partner?”Natalie Rosenberg: “And his partner…”Still nothing. No music, no video. Nothing. Randy, still standing at the top of the ramp, takes a mic from his back pocket. Randy Ramon: “So, uh, this is awkward. He’s not here yet. I have a partner… he’s en route… but he got caught up in traffic - again - and isn’t here yet. Any chance we can, uh, push this back another week?”The crowd yells “NOOOO!!!” as Jay Kenny and Donny Toner shake their heads from side to side, confident smiles across their faces. Randy Ramon: “Oof. That’s a bummer. Alright then, let’s get to it!”Randy drops the mic, tosses his jacket to the floor and charges into the ring. Jean-Luc Watkins: “It would appear that Randy Ramon does not, in fact, have a partner here tonight and will attempt to go at this alone.”Konchu Hao: “It’s a bold strategy for sure.”EIGHTH MATCH || MAIN EVENT || 1/60.
Jay Kenny and Donny Toner vs. Randy Ramon. Handicap Match for the FWA World Tag Team Championships.Match writer: Shawn. The bell rings as Ramon slides under the bottom rope and into the ring. He immediately ducks a clothesline attempt from Jay Kenny, steps aside, loads up and… Jean-Luc Watkins: “HE DROPS DONNY TONER WITH A REMIX!.”Donny Toner falls out of the ring, collapsing on the floor below. Konchu Hao: “Well, that’s one way to even the odds! He might not even need a partner, at this rate!”Ramon smiles, looking across the ring at Kenny, who glares back with a look slightly less confident than it appeared a few minutes ago. Both men shrug, then meet in the middle of the ring and start absolutely tearing into one another with haymakers. Eventually Kenny rakes Randy across the face and gets the upper hand. He drives an elbow into Ramon’s temple, and slams him down with a hard body slam. Kenny quickly tries to go for an ankle lock, but Randy is able to roll through it. Kenny wastes no time and hits Randy with a quick drop kick as he comes out of his roll. He drops an elbow on Ramon’s chest and keeps on the offensive. He climbs on top of Randy and starts laying into him with lefts and rights, pummeling the Rockstar into a mashed pulp. Jean-Luc Watkins: “I bet Ramon wishes he had a partner right now. Someone to get Kenny off of him, or at least so he could tag out and get a rest.”Konchu Hao: “I do not envy anyone who finds themselves on the other side of those fists. That’s gotta hurt.”Kenny climbs off, satisfied with his work so far, and taunts towards the crowd, who respond with a cacophony of boos. He laughs and turns his sights back to Randy who is slowly recovering. Kenny goes in with a right, but Randy blocks it and responds with one of his own. Kenny just shrugs it off and drives another elbow into the top of Randy’s head. He crumples down to the mat, holding his head in his hand. Kenny kicks at Randy, sending him under the bottom rope and to the floor. Jean-Luc Watkins: “I don’t think I’ve seen Randy Ramon beaten like this since the last time he stepped into the ring with me.”Konchu Hao: “I’ve literally never seen it.”Jean-Luc Watkins: “I just said… nevermind… back to the- hey, what’s going on?”The lights in the arena have dimmed. Randy has recovered enough to get back to his feet and once again has a mic in hand. Randy Ramon: “Sorry for the delay… but without further adieu, my partner has arrived.” He motions towards the entrance way. Every set of eyes in the arena turns towards the entrance ramp. Including those of Jay Kenny. But nothing happens, again. Until it does. Jay Kenny turns back around… ... … RIGHT INTO A PICTURE PERFECT RKO! … FROM DONNY TONER!!! … Ramon slides back into the ring. Konchu Hao: “I told you! I told you it was Rondo! It’s always Rondo!”He makes the cover. Jean-Luc Watkins: “I cannot believe what we’ve just seen.”ONE… TWO… THREE!!! {RESULT}Winners: Randy Ramon and Donny Toner via pin fall at 2:47. Natalie Rosenberg: “Here are your winners… and NEW FWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!!! THE ROCKSTAR, RANDY RAMON AND DONNY TONER!!!”The crowd aren’t sure if they should boo or cheer, though there are definitely more in favour than opposed. The two hold their championship belts high, before sharing a tentative embrace. Konchu Hao: “Randy Ramon and Donny Toner, I mean, Ryan Rondo, with the heist of the century here tonight. Donny reeled Kenny in… hook, line and sinker, and the kid fell for it.”The realisation of what just happened dawns on a dazed and confused Jay Kenny, who looks up to see the new champions standing over him. Jean-Luc Watkins: “Well, whoever, it is… they’ve conspired with Randy Ramon to screw this kid out of the tag team titles! Randy Ramon is a SIX time FWA World Tag Team Champion… that’s put him just one reign behind Ashley O’Ryan… and Devin Golden. I’m just stunned by these developments, Konchu…”Konchu Hao: “It has been a historic night here on Fallout, and it has been just how I like it, with CHAOS reigning supreme! KEHAHAHAHAAAA!”Fallout concludes with Randy Ramon and Donny Toner standing in the middle of the ring, over a betrayed Jay Kenny… having turned the tag division in the FWA on its head. [/color][/font] [/center] |
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