025: “SIEMPRE.”
Live from Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Saturday 14th January, 2023.
Fallout begins with a brief outside shot of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey before transitioning inside to thousands of rabid fans that are jam packed inside the stadium. Various signs are being held up in support of their favorite stars, and it wouldn’t be a Fallout without the “Allen Price sucks” sign in the crowd. Speaking of Allen Price, the camera transitions over to him and Jean-Luc Watkins at ringside at the commentary desk.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Good evening wrestling fans and welcome to Fallout 025: “Siempre”! I am Jean-Luc Watkins and as always, joining me tonight is Allen Price.”
Allen Price: “Good evening Jean-Luc and hello to everyone watching at home! I don’t know about you Jean-Luc but I'm giddy with excitement for this evening’s lineup!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “For good reason too because tonight we could very well see the final match of The Golden One or The Rotten Gold, Devin Golden will possibly step into that ring for the last time in his storied career as he challenges World Champion, Alyster Black!”
Allen Price: “There’s a lot of history between these two guys, a lot of violent history, and it all comes to a head tonight with the richest prize in the game on the line!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “In addition to that we’ll see more F1 Climaxxx action and more non F1 action including Jason Randall taking on Darius Wright and a rare singles appearance from Luna Piper as she takes on Jin-ho…”
Allen Price: “Don’t forget about Ratin Mikichin vs Steve the Techno Vampire!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Believe me, I’ve tried to forget about that. Anyway, we’ll be kicking things off with the debuting Bellatrix Bordeaux facing “Der Basterd” Shawn Summers!”
Natalie Rosenberg: “Tonight’s opening contest is scheduled for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit!”
Good vibes fill the stadium and Bellatrix Bordeaux sprints out on stage to a positive ovation from the sold out crowd. Trixie waves out to the fans while sprinting down to the ring.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Making her way to the ring, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and weighing in at 125 lb…Bellatrix Bordeaux!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Bellatrix Bordeaux making her FWA debut tonight. There will be no lack of experience on her end as she has competed in some other promotions, although primarily in tag team action with her brother, but tonight she’ll go at it alone.”
Allen Price: “She’ll need all that experience and more considering who she’ll have to contend with.”
Shawn slowly rises through the stage with his head down and eyes closed. The lights strobe between white and red to the drums of the song as fog rises underneath him. Shawn tilts his head up, his face void of emotion as the camera pans around him. He stands in place taking in the moment until the chorus of "Cola" kicks in. He begins to make his way down the ramp mouthing the words to the song, ignoring the hands and verbal assault from the fans as he does.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Her opponent, making his down to the ring from Laguna Beach, California, and weighing in at 225 lb…he is Der Basterd...Shawn Summers!”
Halfway down the ramp, he takes a visual survey of the arena before slowly walking up the ring steps and slowly ascending the turnbuckle. His eyes closed his head tilted high - he's fully taking in the moment before hopping down into the ring. Shawn makes his way to his corner and crouches down as he awaits the signal of the bell from the referee.
Allen Price: “Talk about a mood killer, Jean-Luc.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “You can say whatever you want about Shawn Summers, but you can’t deny that recently he’s been on a different level. He’s become more motivated and more vicious.”
Allen Price: “One hundred percent agree with you there, Jean-Luc. Ever since he lost the TV title to Phillip A. Jackson, he’s become more unhinged and more focused. I don’t know if Bellatrix is aware of just who she is in the ring with, but for her sake I hope she’s able to hold her own.”
DING! DING! DING!
Referee Tommy Palmer calls for the bell and Trixie and Summers begin to circle each other before locking up. Summers quickly transitions into a side headlock, but Trixie instinctively shoves him off toward the ropes. Summers wisely hangs on though and he holds his hand out, calling for a test of strength. Trixie seems hesitant at first, but she eventually gives in and she reaches out only to get doubled over by a Shawn Summers boot to the midsection! The fans shower Summers in jeers as he drags Trixie over to the corner…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Summers, the sneaky veteran, lulled her in and she fell right into his trap. Although she is experienced, she lacks the years of experience in comparison to Shawn Summers.”
Summers fires off a barrage of forearm strikes in the corner and then transitions into kicks and stomps until Trixie is slumped down. Summers backs up a few steps before charging in…The Bees Knees! Summers isn’t through yet though as he takes up Trixie by the wrist and brings her down with a saito suplex and then rolls over for the pin…
One…TWO-NO!
Summers quickly transitions into a rear headlock in order to wear down Trixie, but Trixie begins to show some resilience as she rises up while Summers tries to maintain his firm grip but he’s forced to release it after a few back elbows from Trixie straight into his midsection. Summers is doubled over and Trixie strikes with an uppercut that has Summers reeling, and Trixie fires back with a standing dropkick! Summers drops to the mat, but not for long as he rises up while holding his jaw. Trixie charges toward him in what appears to be a thesz press but Summers catches her and he’s thinking Wipe Out, but Trixie blocks it and she claps her hands together with both arms connecting with each side of Summers’ head.
Summers releases his hold and staggers back, a bit stunned as he tries to shake it off but he’s taken down by Trixie with a running crossbody, and she immediately hooks both legs for the pin…
One…TWO-NO!
Allen Price: “Is it me or did she manage to hurt herself there?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It appears so, Price. That may have done as much damage to her as it did to Summers.”
Trixie is holding her chest after hitting that running crossbody and she takes a little bit of time to bring Summers up, and she goes for an irish whip but Summers counters with one of his own and sends Trixie sternum first into the turnbuckle! Trixie bounces off of that right into the waiting arms of Shawn Summers who hits a german suplex on Trixie! Summers picks her back up and he brings her in close…Wipe Out!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Summers with the perfectly executed overhead belly-to-belly suplex!”
Trixie sits up with a wince but Summers kicks her back down and he drops down for the lateral press…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Trixie gets a shoulder up this time and this allows Summers to grab hold and lock in a fujiwara armbar before transitioning into a bridging variation. Trixie howls out in pain as Summers wrenches back on the hold.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Summers is so precise with his submissions and Trixie is in dire straits right now.”
Trixie is reaching out for the ropes and eventually she does manage to snag the bottom rope with her index finger in order to break it up. Summers is not too keen on that being broken up and for good measure he drives a boot right into her midsection as she falls back down. He uses the ropes as leverage while driving down more boots to her. This draws the ire of the audience and Summers seems to revel in it. He brings her up and he begins to taunt her, and all that does is fire up Trixie as she strikes back with a headbutt! Summers is staggered and Trixie unleashes a flurry of strikes on Summers, backing him into the corner where she unloads on him with repeated headbutts until she makes herself dizzy. However, she does her best to shake that off and she drags Summers away from the corner and she hits a running bulldog on him and makes the pin…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Trixie sends Summers into the corner again and starts to unload on him with more headbutts…
Allen Price: “I think those headbutts effect her more than they do Summers at this point, Jean-Luc.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I’m afraid you may be right, Price.”
Trixie is a bit dizzy again as she stomps Summers down in the corner, but she doesn’t get all of the stomps due to her dizziness. She slowly wanders across the ring and shakes off any lasting effects of her dizziness before charging toward Summers for Bundle of Fun (cannonball in the corner to a seated opponent), but Summers moves out of the way in time and Trixie hits the corner back first! Trixie crumbles in a heap, and Summers gathers his bearings before dragging her away from the corner and putting her in position…Midsommar! Gotch style piledriver! Trixie’s head spikes off the mat and Summers drops down for the pin…
One…two…THREE!
Natalie Rosenberg: “The winner of the match, Shawn Summers!”
Summers has his arm raised and he quickly exits the ring and walks back up the ramp. Back in the ring, Trixie is checked on by the official, who seems okay but the referee insists on assisting her to her feet to a round of applause from the audience.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “A valiant effort by Bellatrix in her debut but Shawn Summers plays spoiler tonight.”
Allen Price: “A well deserved standing ovation for her as well, she held her own against a game Shawn Summers and proved herself. ‘Der Bastard’ is setting himself up well ahead of his clash with Vampyra at Back in Town for the Television Championship.”
After a commercial highlighting the newest ‘cutting’ edge blenders, we return to Fallout. In a backstage interview area, we see Todd Salum standing by with his microphone in hand. He slowly nods his head when he sees that it is his cue, and brings the mic up to his mouth.
Todd Salum: “Welcome back to Fallout, ladies and gentlemen. As is becoming something of a pleasant recurrence of events, I am joined at this time by the man who is in possession of the Golden Opportunity briefcase. He is, of course, ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ Chris Peacock.”
Salum bows his head slightly as Peacock walks into the frame, with a smile on his face and he shakes Todd’s hand.
Todd Salum: “Chris, first of all, I want to extend my congratulations to you following the events of Meltdown earlier this week, when you earned your spot in the Final Four of the F1 Climaxxx. You must feel relieved after things went down to the wire?”
Chris Peacock: “Thank you, Todd. It feels great. It wouldn’t be me if it was plain sailing, would it? I’ve never done things the easy way before in the FWA so there was no point starting with the Climaxxx. I am very pleased to have made it through though. There was some very tough competition in Pool B.”
Todd Salum: “Things are only going to get tougher though, with your next opponent being the current FWA World Champion - AND X Champion - Alyster Black. He is also someone who you have bonded with quite well over the last few weeks. How do you feel about that match?”
There is not an immediate answer from Peacock this time, as he takes a moment to thing, striking his chin.
Chris Peacock: “I’ll be honest, Todd. I haven’t put much thought into a match with Alyster yet. I’ve been too busy doing a combination of celebrating my own advancement or helping him prepare for his match tonight against that asshat.”
Todd Salum: “Devin Golden? A man you had some… colourful… words for on Meltdown?”
Chris Peacock: “I meant every single one of them. To me, it wouldn’t be fair on Alyster to bring up our upcoming match when he is preparing for one of the biggest of his life. I know I wouldn’t want someone distracting me ahead of such an important match. So like I said, I haven’t thought about the Final Four yet.”
Todd nods his head, understanding. However he inhales and points his finger up, looking at Peacock quizzically.
Todd Salum: “There is something that I wanted to ask you, though, Chris. You told Devin Golden that were he to win tonight, you would be cashing in your Golden Opportunity and taking the FWA World Championship away from him. You cited the fact that he would be in no physical condition to defend the championship against you in that moment. The same rings true for Alyster Black, does it not?”
The question causes Peacock to freeze slightly and his eyes dart around the space as he takes in what the interviewer has just said to him. He snaps out of it, though.
Chris Peacock: “Come on, Todd… you know I wouldn’t do that to Alyster. Someone like Devin Golden deserves it. It happened to him last year, and it-”
Todd Salum: “Pardon the interruption, Chris. But you just said yourself that taking the easy route is not for Chris Peacock. Would cashing that opportunity in on someone after they’ve been through a match like that not be doing just that? Especially as you will not have even competed tonight, son.”
Once again, Peacock is left rather speechless. He is almost visibly searching for an answer to the questions that Todd is putting to him and trying to put the pieces together.
Todd Salum: “It really comes down to whether your hatred of Devin Golden is worth you compromising your beliefs, doesn’t it?”
Still very little from the Golden Opportunity holder. He opens his mouth but no words come out, as he is in clear thought. He begins to simply drift away from Salum…
Chris Peacock: “Yeah… I-I-I suppose it does…”
Chris turns his head and then leaves the interview area. Salum shakes his head and breathes out a heavy puff of air before lowering his mic and the scene fades away.
The lights in the arena dim for the opening of “Vampire.” The crowd gets to their feet to give a warm reaction for the FWA Television Champion. After about fifteen seconds, the camera zooms towards the entranceway as the lights start flashing different shades of purple, red, and pink. We see a masked woman, cape flowing behind her. Vampyra has arrived. Her hands are out with her elbows on her hips. Covering her regular mask for matches is a more elaborate entrance mask with horns. Hanging almost like a sash across her shoulder is the FWA Television Championship. Puffs of fire shoot up on both sides of the stage.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Our next match is a Pool A Contest and is scheduled for one-fall, with a thirty minute time limit! Introducing first... representing MAYHEM's YOKAI Death Squad.. from Osaka, Japan... weighing in at one-hundred ten pounds... she is the reigning FWA Television Champion... The Dark Huntress, VVVAAAAMMPYRA!"
Putting her hand down, the YOKAI Queen holds out three fingers to form an "M" then does a small throat slashing gesture with her pointer finger. She walks slowly down the ramp, once again putting her hands to her side. The fire on the stage continues to spark up occasionally, adding a glow in the arena. At the end of the ramp, Vampyra motions for the camera to come near here. She takes off her extra entrance mask, holding it in her hand. Vampyra shows a wicked smirk before doing another small throat slash and walking around the ring.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Vampyra continues to impress here in the FWA. Don’t let her record in Pool A fool you because she has gone toe to toe with both the current FWA Champion Alyster Black as well as former champion MvH and given them both all they could handle! Not to mention she’s the current FWA TV Champion… and she’s been here less than six months!”
Allen Price: “That’s quite the resume so far here in FWA, JL!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Unfortunately, a win here can’t advance her but she’s a fighter, Allen. This match is all about pride.”
Unclipping her cape, she slides onto the apron and hooks her leg on the top rope before hanging upside down, arms crossed like a bat, placing her extra mask next to her. After a few moments, she swings herself into the ring, grabbing her extra mask. goes up to the corner turnbuckles. Putting one foot on the top rope, she does does another "throat slash" with her finger, sticking out her tongue, before she puts down the MAYHEM "M." She jumps down as her theme music fades away. Going into her corner, she sits down, cross-legged, keeping calm as she awaits her opponent.
The crowd boos as Kayden Knox emerges from the back wearing ripped jeans and his old school Chuck Taylors. He stops on the stage to take in the crowds reaction, remaining mostly emotionless but does flash a slight smirk.
Natalie Rosenberg: "AND her opponent, from Sin City, Las Vegas... weighing in at one-hundred eighty-five pounds... The Sin City Serpent... KKKKKAAAYYYDEN KNOX!"
Allen Price: “You don’t seem to thrilled to be having to call this match, JL”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Very astute of you, Allen. I would rather be just about anywhere else right now, not after what happened on the last episode of Fallout. Kayden Knox is a snake that needs his head cut off!”
Allen Price: “Allow me to catch up any viewers that might not realize but last time on Fallout, Kayden Knox stabbed a knife in the back of his fellow last surviving member of Executive Excellence, Gabrielle Montgomery. His own tag team partner!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He may have permanently put Gabrielle out of action too… I hope he gets what’s coming to him!”
Allen Price: “Boy, tell us how you really feel, JL! And because of Gabrielle’s injury, Kayden now inherits her positioning in the F1 Climaxxx… which could be a big deal here for him… and plus, a win over a current FWA champion would certainly be another big momentum builder for Knox.”
Kayden slowly makes his way down the aisle, ignoring the fans as he makes his way up the ring steps and steps onto the apron. He locks eyes with Vampyra before stepping into the ring and the match is about ready to get under way.
Referee Tommy Palmer calls for the bell and Trixie and Summers begin to circle each other before locking up. Summers quickly transitions into a side headlock, but Trixie instinctively shoves him off toward the ropes. Summers wisely hangs on though and he holds his hand out, calling for a test of strength. Trixie seems hesitant at first, but she eventually gives in and she reaches out only to get doubled over by a Shawn Summers boot to the midsection! The fans shower Summers in jeers as he drags Trixie over to the corner…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Summers, the sneaky veteran, lulled her in and she fell right into his trap. Although she is experienced, she lacks the years of experience in comparison to Shawn Summers.”
Summers fires off a barrage of forearm strikes in the corner and then transitions into kicks and stomps until Trixie is slumped down. Summers backs up a few steps before charging in…The Bees Knees! Summers isn’t through yet though as he takes up Trixie by the wrist and brings her down with a saito suplex and then rolls over for the pin…
One…TWO-NO!
Summers quickly transitions into a rear headlock in order to wear down Trixie, but Trixie begins to show some resilience as she rises up while Summers tries to maintain his firm grip but he’s forced to release it after a few back elbows from Trixie straight into his midsection. Summers is doubled over and Trixie strikes with an uppercut that has Summers reeling, and Trixie fires back with a standing dropkick! Summers drops to the mat, but not for long as he rises up while holding his jaw. Trixie charges toward him in what appears to be a thesz press but Summers catches her and he’s thinking Wipe Out, but Trixie blocks it and she claps her hands together with both arms connecting with each side of Summers’ head.
Summers releases his hold and staggers back, a bit stunned as he tries to shake it off but he’s taken down by Trixie with a running crossbody, and she immediately hooks both legs for the pin…
One…TWO-NO!
Allen Price: “Is it me or did she manage to hurt herself there?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It appears so, Price. That may have done as much damage to her as it did to Summers.”
Trixie is holding her chest after hitting that running crossbody and she takes a little bit of time to bring Summers up, and she goes for an irish whip but Summers counters with one of his own and sends Trixie sternum first into the turnbuckle! Trixie bounces off of that right into the waiting arms of Shawn Summers who hits a german suplex on Trixie! Summers picks her back up and he brings her in close…Wipe Out!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Summers with the perfectly executed overhead belly-to-belly suplex!”
Trixie sits up with a wince but Summers kicks her back down and he drops down for the lateral press…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Trixie gets a shoulder up this time and this allows Summers to grab hold and lock in a fujiwara armbar before transitioning into a bridging variation. Trixie howls out in pain as Summers wrenches back on the hold.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Summers is so precise with his submissions and Trixie is in dire straits right now.”
Trixie is reaching out for the ropes and eventually she does manage to snag the bottom rope with her index finger in order to break it up. Summers is not too keen on that being broken up and for good measure he drives a boot right into her midsection as she falls back down. He uses the ropes as leverage while driving down more boots to her. This draws the ire of the audience and Summers seems to revel in it. He brings her up and he begins to taunt her, and all that does is fire up Trixie as she strikes back with a headbutt! Summers is staggered and Trixie unleashes a flurry of strikes on Summers, backing him into the corner where she unloads on him with repeated headbutts until she makes herself dizzy. However, she does her best to shake that off and she drags Summers away from the corner and she hits a running bulldog on him and makes the pin…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Trixie sends Summers into the corner again and starts to unload on him with more headbutts…
Allen Price: “I think those headbutts effect her more than they do Summers at this point, Jean-Luc.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I’m afraid you may be right, Price.”
Trixie is a bit dizzy again as she stomps Summers down in the corner, but she doesn’t get all of the stomps due to her dizziness. She slowly wanders across the ring and shakes off any lasting effects of her dizziness before charging toward Summers for Bundle of Fun (cannonball in the corner to a seated opponent), but Summers moves out of the way in time and Trixie hits the corner back first! Trixie crumbles in a heap, and Summers gathers his bearings before dragging her away from the corner and putting her in position…Midsommar! Gotch style piledriver! Trixie’s head spikes off the mat and Summers drops down for the pin…
One…two…THREE!
Winner: Shawn Summers by pinfall at 11:47.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The winner of the match, Shawn Summers!”
Summers has his arm raised and he quickly exits the ring and walks back up the ramp. Back in the ring, Trixie is checked on by the official, who seems okay but the referee insists on assisting her to her feet to a round of applause from the audience.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “A valiant effort by Bellatrix in her debut but Shawn Summers plays spoiler tonight.”
Allen Price: “A well deserved standing ovation for her as well, she held her own against a game Shawn Summers and proved herself. ‘Der Bastard’ is setting himself up well ahead of his clash with Vampyra at Back in Town for the Television Championship.”
After a commercial highlighting the newest ‘cutting’ edge blenders, we return to Fallout. In a backstage interview area, we see Todd Salum standing by with his microphone in hand. He slowly nods his head when he sees that it is his cue, and brings the mic up to his mouth.
Todd Salum: “Welcome back to Fallout, ladies and gentlemen. As is becoming something of a pleasant recurrence of events, I am joined at this time by the man who is in possession of the Golden Opportunity briefcase. He is, of course, ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ Chris Peacock.”
Salum bows his head slightly as Peacock walks into the frame, with a smile on his face and he shakes Todd’s hand.
Todd Salum: “Chris, first of all, I want to extend my congratulations to you following the events of Meltdown earlier this week, when you earned your spot in the Final Four of the F1 Climaxxx. You must feel relieved after things went down to the wire?”
Chris Peacock: “Thank you, Todd. It feels great. It wouldn’t be me if it was plain sailing, would it? I’ve never done things the easy way before in the FWA so there was no point starting with the Climaxxx. I am very pleased to have made it through though. There was some very tough competition in Pool B.”
Todd Salum: “Things are only going to get tougher though, with your next opponent being the current FWA World Champion - AND X Champion - Alyster Black. He is also someone who you have bonded with quite well over the last few weeks. How do you feel about that match?”
There is not an immediate answer from Peacock this time, as he takes a moment to thing, striking his chin.
Chris Peacock: “I’ll be honest, Todd. I haven’t put much thought into a match with Alyster yet. I’ve been too busy doing a combination of celebrating my own advancement or helping him prepare for his match tonight against that asshat.”
Todd Salum: “Devin Golden? A man you had some… colourful… words for on Meltdown?”
Chris Peacock: “I meant every single one of them. To me, it wouldn’t be fair on Alyster to bring up our upcoming match when he is preparing for one of the biggest of his life. I know I wouldn’t want someone distracting me ahead of such an important match. So like I said, I haven’t thought about the Final Four yet.”
Todd nods his head, understanding. However he inhales and points his finger up, looking at Peacock quizzically.
Todd Salum: “There is something that I wanted to ask you, though, Chris. You told Devin Golden that were he to win tonight, you would be cashing in your Golden Opportunity and taking the FWA World Championship away from him. You cited the fact that he would be in no physical condition to defend the championship against you in that moment. The same rings true for Alyster Black, does it not?”
The question causes Peacock to freeze slightly and his eyes dart around the space as he takes in what the interviewer has just said to him. He snaps out of it, though.
Chris Peacock: “Come on, Todd… you know I wouldn’t do that to Alyster. Someone like Devin Golden deserves it. It happened to him last year, and it-”
Todd Salum: “Pardon the interruption, Chris. But you just said yourself that taking the easy route is not for Chris Peacock. Would cashing that opportunity in on someone after they’ve been through a match like that not be doing just that? Especially as you will not have even competed tonight, son.”
Once again, Peacock is left rather speechless. He is almost visibly searching for an answer to the questions that Todd is putting to him and trying to put the pieces together.
Todd Salum: “It really comes down to whether your hatred of Devin Golden is worth you compromising your beliefs, doesn’t it?”
Still very little from the Golden Opportunity holder. He opens his mouth but no words come out, as he is in clear thought. He begins to simply drift away from Salum…
Chris Peacock: “Yeah… I-I-I suppose it does…”
Chris turns his head and then leaves the interview area. Salum shakes his head and breathes out a heavy puff of air before lowering his mic and the scene fades away.
The lights in the arena dim for the opening of “Vampire.” The crowd gets to their feet to give a warm reaction for the FWA Television Champion. After about fifteen seconds, the camera zooms towards the entranceway as the lights start flashing different shades of purple, red, and pink. We see a masked woman, cape flowing behind her. Vampyra has arrived. Her hands are out with her elbows on her hips. Covering her regular mask for matches is a more elaborate entrance mask with horns. Hanging almost like a sash across her shoulder is the FWA Television Championship. Puffs of fire shoot up on both sides of the stage.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Our next match is a Pool A Contest and is scheduled for one-fall, with a thirty minute time limit! Introducing first... representing MAYHEM's YOKAI Death Squad.. from Osaka, Japan... weighing in at one-hundred ten pounds... she is the reigning FWA Television Champion... The Dark Huntress, VVVAAAAMMPYRA!"
Putting her hand down, the YOKAI Queen holds out three fingers to form an "M" then does a small throat slashing gesture with her pointer finger. She walks slowly down the ramp, once again putting her hands to her side. The fire on the stage continues to spark up occasionally, adding a glow in the arena. At the end of the ramp, Vampyra motions for the camera to come near here. She takes off her extra entrance mask, holding it in her hand. Vampyra shows a wicked smirk before doing another small throat slash and walking around the ring.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Vampyra continues to impress here in the FWA. Don’t let her record in Pool A fool you because she has gone toe to toe with both the current FWA Champion Alyster Black as well as former champion MvH and given them both all they could handle! Not to mention she’s the current FWA TV Champion… and she’s been here less than six months!”
Allen Price: “That’s quite the resume so far here in FWA, JL!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Unfortunately, a win here can’t advance her but she’s a fighter, Allen. This match is all about pride.”
Unclipping her cape, she slides onto the apron and hooks her leg on the top rope before hanging upside down, arms crossed like a bat, placing her extra mask next to her. After a few moments, she swings herself into the ring, grabbing her extra mask. goes up to the corner turnbuckles. Putting one foot on the top rope, she does does another "throat slash" with her finger, sticking out her tongue, before she puts down the MAYHEM "M." She jumps down as her theme music fades away. Going into her corner, she sits down, cross-legged, keeping calm as she awaits her opponent.
The crowd boos as Kayden Knox emerges from the back wearing ripped jeans and his old school Chuck Taylors. He stops on the stage to take in the crowds reaction, remaining mostly emotionless but does flash a slight smirk.
Natalie Rosenberg: "AND her opponent, from Sin City, Las Vegas... weighing in at one-hundred eighty-five pounds... The Sin City Serpent... KKKKKAAAYYYDEN KNOX!"
Allen Price: “You don’t seem to thrilled to be having to call this match, JL”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Very astute of you, Allen. I would rather be just about anywhere else right now, not after what happened on the last episode of Fallout. Kayden Knox is a snake that needs his head cut off!”
Allen Price: “Allow me to catch up any viewers that might not realize but last time on Fallout, Kayden Knox stabbed a knife in the back of his fellow last surviving member of Executive Excellence, Gabrielle Montgomery. His own tag team partner!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He may have permanently put Gabrielle out of action too… I hope he gets what’s coming to him!”
Allen Price: “Boy, tell us how you really feel, JL! And because of Gabrielle’s injury, Kayden now inherits her positioning in the F1 Climaxxx… which could be a big deal here for him… and plus, a win over a current FWA champion would certainly be another big momentum builder for Knox.”
Kayden slowly makes his way down the aisle, ignoring the fans as he makes his way up the ring steps and steps onto the apron. He locks eyes with Vampyra before stepping into the ring and the match is about ready to get under way.
Vampyra and Kayden Knox meet in the center of the ring as the bell rings. They move in for a collar and elbow lock up, but Vampyra evades Knox with a go behind and instead locks her opponent in a waistlock. However, Knox is able to overpower Vampyra, breaking free from her and trading places with Vampyra, now holding her in a waistlock. She struggles against the grips of her captor, attempting a back elbow to break it up but Knox avoids the blow and then tosses her back looking for a German Suplex, but Vampyra flips over and lands on her feet! Knox turns around and Vampyra strikes with a barrage of forearm and elbow strikes.
Having rocked Knox back with her strikes, The Dark Huntress follows up by attempting an Irish Whip, but Knox reverses it! Vampyra bounces off the ropes and comes back, sliding under the legs of Knox! Knox turns back around and is caught with a Roundhouse Kick to the chest! Knox falls backwards into the corner. Vampyra charges in with a handspring back elbow into the corner, sending Knox down into a seated position in the corner before The Huntress backs up and charges back in with a running double knee strike!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s a hot start for Vampyra! It’s clear she doesn’t care that she doesn’t have a shot at the Semi-Finals! She doesn’t want to leave the Climaxxx winless! Take it to him”
Vampyra backs up and plays to the crowd by holding up her fingers in the “M” as Knox pulls himself up using the ring ropes. The masked wrestler rushes back in, springboarding into the adjacent ropes… but KNOX SHOVES HER off the ropes and sends her flying out of the ring and she collides with the safety railing!
As Vampyra pulls herself up using the railing, Knox tightrope walks the top rope… MOONSAULT TO THE OUTSIDE connects to Vampyra!
With the match gone to the outside, Knox takes advantage and begins choking his masked opponent with one of the camera cords at ringside. Ignoring the warnings from the referee, Knox snapmares Vampyra using the camera cord and then continues to pull back on the cord around her throat on the ground.
Allen Price: “Kayden is definitely showing no mercy to Vampyra outside the ring!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Come on ref - disqualify him!”
Knox finally releases the choke just as it looks like the referee is about to call for the bell, and he gives her a boot right to the back of the neck to send her down to the floor. The fans at ringside let Knox have it as he pulls her back up by her own mask and then slams her into the apron. Kayden takes a moment to argue with a fan at ringside which allows Vampyra to start pulling herself up using the ring ropes. But Knox climbs back up the ring steps… he jumps onto the ropes and comes back down with a DDT onto the ring apron!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Ugh! Vampyra’s head just bounced off the apron!”
Allen Price: “That’s the hardest part of the ring, JL!”
Knox rolls Vampyra under the ropes back into the ring before climbing in and making the cover.
ONE! TWO! KICKOUT!
After the nearfall, Knox continues to control the offense as he leans in and delivers some punches to the fallen Huntress. He then picks her back up as the fans begin trying to rally behind Vampyra with a VAM-PY-RA chant. Knox yells out for the crowd to shut up before bringing her over to the corner and sitting her up on the top turnbuckle. He delivers a couple blows to Vampyra’s midsection before climbing up onto the turnbuckles with her…
But Vampyra begins to fight back! They exchange blows on the turnbuckles but its The Huntress getting the upperhand and she shoves him back off the top! Knox hits the canvas but rolls back to his feet…
DIVING HURRICANRANA to Knox! Vampyra with the pin!
ONE! TWO! KICKOUT!
Allen Price: “Vampyra is right back in this one now!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “She only gets a two count but more importantly, the tables may be turning here in her favor!”
Knox begins to pull himself up as Vampyra comes in with an elbow strike, but he manages to block it and scores a right hand of his own to Vampyra… but Vampyra fires back with a forearm! Back and forth they go - the fans giving a BOO and a YAY for Knox and Vampyra with each strike respectively until its Vampyra who gets a flurry of offense with forearm after forearm to have him staggered and then takes him down with a jumping bicycle knee!
Standing Moonsault to Knox and Vamyra gets another pinfall attempt!
ONE! TWO! TH - KICKOUT!
The Huntress isn’t deterred by the nearfall as she keeps on it, grabbing Knox by the arm as he is getting up and its an Irish Whip into the ropes. Knox comes back and it’s a leap frog from Vampyra as Knox bounces off the opposite ropes now. He comes back with a lariat attempt, but Vampyra ducks it! She bounces off the ropes herself as Knox hits the ropes a third time and she connects with a running calf-kick!
She looks to follow it up with a springboard moonsault, but Knox gets his knees up right into the ribs of Vampyra! Knox makes his way back to his feet, hitting Vamp with a jumping high knee to take her back down just as she was getting back to her feet.
After taking Vampyra back down to the mat with a leg hook reverse STO, Knox heads to the top turnbuckle… SWANTON BOMB… but Vampyra rolls out of the way and Knox hits nothing but canvas!
Allen Price: “Kayden just crashed and burned!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Happy to see it, Allen! Now let’s see if Vampyra can take advantage.”
Both competitors are slow to recover after the miss from Knox, but its Vampyra up first as Knox gets up to his knees. She delivers a few stiff kicks right to his chest before striking with a superkick to the kneeling Knox! Vamp goes for the pin.
ON! TWO! THR - Shoulder up!
Knox rolls to his knees and Vampyra quickly goes for another pinfall as she grabs him by the arm and rolls him up in a Magistral Cradle!
ONE! TWO! THRE - Kickout!
Both competitors roll back to their feet and it’s Knox striking first, swinging a right hand at Vampyra, but she ducks into a go-behind, waistlock and a Bridging German Suplex!
ONE! TWO! Kickout!
Allen Price: “I suppose we should give credit to Kayden for continuing to kick out of these fast and furious pinning situations from Vampyra!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, no thanks.”
Knox slowly gets to his feet as Vampyra runs to the opposite ropes and charges back in looking for a running dropkick… but Knox manages to move out of the way! Vampyra drops to the canvas but quickly rolls back to her feet, but Knox sneaks up behind her as he keap up and connects with The Knox Out! Knox rolls Vamp over onto her back and hooks a leg for the pin.
ONE! TWO! THREE! NO! Vampyra with the shoulder up!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “So close but luckily Vampyra gets her shoulder up just in time!”
Allen Price: “Maybe so, JL… but Kayden is back up and I think he's measuring her up… for the Executive Execution!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He shouldn’t be allowed to use that name anymore!”
Kayden licks his lips as he watches Vampyra slowly pulling herself up to her knees… he bounces off the ropes and heads in for the double foot curb stomp known as the Executive Execution….
But Vampyra dodges it! Vampyra rushes in with the DEATH-SPIKE spiking hurricanrana driver! A fired up Vampyra is quickly back up to her feet, once again playing to the crowd with the “M” motion with her fingers as a stunned Knox is struggling up to his knees. Vampyra bounces off the ropes…
THE BITE!
Vampyra hooks the leg.
ONE! TWO! THREEEEEE-NO! Knox once again kicks out!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Dammit! I thought she had him!”
Allen Price: “Not quite but Vampyra’s heading up top now!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Hopefully it’s to end this with her Nightfall twisting frog splash…”
Vampyra slowly makes her ascent to the top turnbuckle, but before she can get back up… Knox is back to his feet and rushes over, shoving Vampyra off the turnbuckles and onto the apron… BUT Vampyra lands on her feet! And she springboards into the ring with a crossbody!
BUT KNOX ROLLS THROUGH!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
NO! Vampyra kicks out!
Both competitors roll back to their feet but its Knox striking first with the PEACE OF MIND! Kayden slowly gets back to his feet first, and waits as Vampyra begins to get up… and once she’s up to her knees, he bounces off the ropes and drops her back down with the Order 66!
Having laid Vampyra back out, Knox grabs her by the foot and begins to pull her towards the corner. The crowd boos as he makes his climb up to the top turnbuckle…
Allen Price: “Vampyra is in trouble here! Looks like the Seventh Seal is coming.”
Knox spins off the top turnbuckle with the SEVENTH SEAL.
KNEES UP!
This time it’s Vampyra getting her knees up and Knox’s back bends across them! Knox rolls over, clutching his back as both competitors are down briefly. Vampyra slowly begins to pull herself up as Knox reaches up for the ropes. He begins to use the ropes to help himself recover… pulling himself up to the middle ropes, leaning against them…
VAMPYRA RUSHES IN WITH THE MOONLIGHT KICK!
Knox falls backwards into the ring, staggering across the mat before dropping down near the center of the ring! Vampyra, now out on the apron after delivering the move, runs the apron and climbs to the top…
NIGHTFALL!
She connects it! She hooks the leg!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Natalie Rosenberg: “The winner of the match, Vampyra!”
Vampyra climbs to her feet, falling back into the ropes and lifting up her arms in celebration as the crowd cheers showing their support of the Dark Huntress.
Allen Price: “What a win for Vampyra! She gets to hold her head high coming out of the F1 with a win! Well earned!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, yeah… but more importantly - Kayden Knox loses! Oh I’m so happy I got to call this match after all, Allen!”
Allen Price: “Haha… try to contain yourself!”
Vampyra rolls out of the ring, continuing to celebrate as she takes her WCW Television Championship and holds it up high. Meanwhile, Knox begins to stir in the ring, shaking his head as he realizes he just came up short in this one.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “And with that loss by Knox… it all comes down to Michelle van Horowitz vs. Tommy Bedlam for the second spot in the Climaxxx semifinals!”
Allen Price: “Another tough loss for Kayden Knox. Kayden's mind did not seem to be in that match at all.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “As it shouldn't be Allen; We all saw what he did last week to his own partner and broke what was left of Executive Excellence. When he left the ring he couldn't even look anyone in the eye. Gabrielle trusted him, all of us did.”
Allen Price: “Partner, I think you are letting this cut close to home.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “That's because Kayden's here while Gabrielle is in the hospital and they are working on her neck. He could of paralyzed her.”
Kayden Knox sits in the ring, his head held down. He is given a microphone, and for a few seconds doesn't say a word. He is catching his breath. He tries to speak but nothing comes out. When he does speak you hear him tremble and his voice break.
Kayden Knox: “Gabrielle, I am so sorry, I didn't have a choice. You were someone when we met last year that would go on to change my life. You did make me a better man, as much as a better man I wanted to be… you didn't make me a good man. I was enticed when you and I got together as a team. You could see the desire in our eyes. That desire evolved into an addiction of sorts for money, power and fame.”
Kayden stands back up and paces back and forth in the ring.
Kayden Knox: “We all came together for Executive Excellence; now everyone here knows the story. They saw how it played out. Danny, Gabi, and I when we got together the three of us we knew that Rupert Watkins thought he was the puppeteer but in reality we were the ones pulling the strings. That was at least, what I thought. The truth is however, I got the taste of the good life and wasn't aware of my surroundings and in the end it cost me everything it was just a matter of when not if it was going to happen.What do I mean?”
He pauses again and starts back up after shaking his head to the side.
Kayden Knox: “After Back In Business, when our group came together we were under the Fallout Incorporated banner, We each signed contracts to Fallout.”
The crowd boos the unfavourable trip down memory lane.
Kayden Knox: “These contracts seemed pretty standard to everyone they said. I didn't even give it a second glance. I should have. I didn't understand that they all were the same except for one.
Mine.
You see, what I failed to realise is that when I signed my contract with Fallout I sold my soul to the devil because in the fine print of my own contract it says that it's now owned by someone else. I do not know who it is. The letter I received came with a set amount of instructions with the warning that if I don't follow these instructions, then per my contract they can and will pull me from FWA television and would sue me for breaching my contract. Trust me when I say I didn't...”
Kayden's microphone goes off as a man starts to walk down to the ring. He is wearing a two piece suit and is older he gets to the ring ropes and waits for Kayden to hold open the ropes so that he can enter. He grabs a microphone and starts to speak towards Kayden talking down to him.
???: “Mr. Knox, you know that this is not what we discussed. My client said you could speak on the attack not on anything else. The cat is out of the bag now and my client and well, they are not pleased.”
He turns his attention to the crowd.
???: “I am so sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Maxwell Lester, and I am a lawyer who represents the individual that owns Mr. Knox's contract. So I have a cease and desist order right here.”
Maxwell Lester pulls the letter from his jacket and shows it to the crowd.
Maxwell Lester: “Yes it's very true that certain requirements that my client sees fit that Mr. Knox will obey. So my client wanted Ms. Montgomery out of the picture… so it was done. You see, my client wanted to put the final nail in the coffin that was Executive Excellence. That's not the only thing my client wants, though, and in due time all the cards will be on the table, but for right now they will be held close to our chests. You see, my client tells Mr. Knox to jump what will your response be?”
Kayden looks pissed off and reluctantly answers.
Kayden Knox: “How high?”
Maxwell Lester: “Very good, my client tells you to walk out of this arena right now, get into a van and drive. What will you ask?”
Kayden Knox: “Where to?”
Maxwell Lester: “If my client tells you to go to the hospital that Ms. Montgomery is at and Curb Stomp her head over and over. What will you do?”
Kayden looks on and has another livid look on his face as he grabs Lester by the jacket.
Maxwell Lester: “What will you do Kayden?”
Kayden lets go and simmers down. He answers.
Kayden Knox: “Drive her head into the ground.”
Maxwell Lester: “Very good, Mr. Knox. There is more to be done, this is only the beginning and everyone here knows the truth now, Kayden. My client will reveal themselves when the time is right. That being said, for now the FWA roster and fans should take a look at this beautiful face because you will be seeing a lot more of it.”
He laughs and tells Kayden to exit the ring and hold down the rope as they leave ringside.
Allen Price: “Kayden Knox’s contract isn’t owned by the FWA? Who owns it then? Did you know anything about this, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I have as many questions as you do, Price. However, one thing that I do know is that I’m glad to see that someone has this bastard by the balls after what he did.”
Before returning to the in-ring action, cameras shift backstage to look at "The Rotten Gold" Devin Golden, the man challenging Alyster Black for the FWA World Championship in a Winter Wasteland match in the main event. It'll be a Taipei death triple cage encounter.
While it sounds daunting and is truly scary, Golden is unfazed. His wide grin beneath the black Gangs of New York-style top hat accompanies four Mardi Gras beads – one each of gold, purple, green, and blue – plus the black walking cane he does not need and has never needed since introducing it following Meltdown X: The Bounty.
There is no interviewer. No one else with Golden, who twirls the cane in his right hand and positions his top hat with his left hand.
Rather than the usual elongated talking, Golden does something more fitting to stretch out vowels: He sings. It isn't good, but it also isn't bad!
Devin Golden: "Tooooniiiiight … is the niiiiight. It's a beauuuuuuuutifuuuuul niiiiiiiiiiight."
Golden's singing gets a cheer from the crowd as he chuckles creepily and lets out a reserved,
Devin Golden: "Ha-Haaaaaaaaah!"
The crowd responds with it's own "Ha-Haaaah!"
Devin Golden: "Tonight has the feeeeeeeling … of a funeral. And … in ways … it is one.
But not a funeral of my life. No no nooooooo. A funeral … maaaaaybe … of my life … here. A funeral of my coma … of my dream. Of my time … in … OUR … dreeeeeam."
Or … a funeral of Alyster Bbbbbbbbblaaaaaack's reign … as THE BEST."
Golden pauses as he stops twirling the cane and plants it into the floor.
Devin Golden: "We maaaaade this place. From the cooooold of our neurons and the heeeeeeat of our deepest desires. Do you want sex? Do you want drugs? Do you want … rock n roooooooooll?!?!
Well … we have it all. I've seen it all. Everything. Death and life and all the moments in the middle. But most of all … this world we made … is done in a square of ropes and padding. It is a square of athleticism and fortitude. Of energy and strength.
We are a world of wrestling. We are a world of make-believe wrestlers living our a fantasy or enjoying an escape or whatever other reasons you can … concooooooct.
Chriiiiiiiistopher Peeeeeeeacock … may not want to accept it. Aaaaaaaalyster Blllllllllack may not want to accept it. But it is the truuuuuth. A truth that comes for everyone, as it has for many before todaaaaaay.
And I am just glad … whether it is reciprocated or not … that if tonight is my funeral … it will be with Aaaaalyster Bllllllllllack! No one can define me in the last three years mooooooore … than the masked mad with a scar over his heaaaaaart."
Golden leans against the cane for a moment. The crowd cheers at the mention of the glass scarring.
Devin Golden: "But no matter … as this maaaaay beeee … the very laaaaast time I get to speeeeeak … directly … to you all. One last tiiiiiime … to spin my wheeeeeel … as ooooonly I … a Goooold of Rot … and a Goooold of One … can doooooo.
So graaaaant an old man his one dyyyyyyying wish and let me spare a threaaaaad.
You have allowed me to annoy you and madden you and frustrate you … and hopefully captivate you in a way … for fourteeeeeeeeeeeeen yeeeeeeeeeears.
And for that … thank you. Whether it ends tonight in three cages and a pile of glass or … some ooooooother time …
I am grateful for you all welcoming me back … time and time again … to your world."
Golden does a curtsey in front of the camera and tips his top hat in acknowledgement.
Devin Golden: "But hey!!! Tonight does not have to be saaaaaaad, oh no no NOOOO! If you did not know … or have not heaaaaaard … I'm from …
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIAAAANA!
And in New Orleans, a funeral … is a cause … for celebraaaaaaaaatiooooon!
A funeral … is a paaaaaarty!"
Golden points the walking cane directly at the camera and smiles the biggest, cheesiest, circus ring leader-like grin he can muster.
Devin Golden: "So tonight …
Let's throw a party."
Golden winks at the camera and removes the four Mardi Gras bead necklaces from around his neck. He lightly tosses them at the camera, and right before impact, the scene goes to black.
The crowd cheers, which only gets louder when one last sound is heard in the darkness.
Devin Golden: "HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The familiar collective groan that normally accompanies this entrance is even more ferocious than usual as the Turkish crowd seem less than appreciative to see Ratin Mikichin make his entrance from the back, appalled as any other crowd to see him wearing nothing but a mankini, this one a stained silver number. He raises the roof on his way to the ring and surprisingly some of the fans join in with him, albeit in a mocking manner.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall, with a sixty mi-”
The camera cuts to Natalie checking the card that she is holding and she looks incredulously at referee Joey Ortiz, who shrugs his shoulders.
Natalie Rosenberg: “They’ve given these two siixty minutes? Fine… introducing first, Ratin Mikichin.”
Allen Price: “Sticking around for this one, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I might as well. Not if it gets close to going the distance, but I don’t think there’ll be any way out of this so I might as well at least try to embrace it.”
Allen Price: “Well, for those not caught up, Ratin Mikichin and Steve the Techno Vampire are still stuck in a deadlock in their ongoing series of matches. This rivalry even spilled over into nGw, Jean-Luc!”
Ratin settles in the ring and he exchanges some heated words with some members of the crowd before brushing them off.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “What does it say when this is the person to get behind in these matches?”
Whilst there is nothing but utter contempt for Ratin from the crowd here in Istanbul, they seem much more receptive to Steve the Techno Vampire. Steve bobs his head up and down to his music as he rushes out from the back, the majority of his body masqueraded by his cape.
Natalie Rosenberg: “His opponent… Steve the Techno Vampire!”
Allen Price: “I think the answer is pretty simple, Jean-Luc. It is because Steve is helping the FWA fans believe in a more magical world! VAMPIRES ARE ALIIIIIVEEE!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Nope. You know what? I tried. I actually tried this week, Price. Your singing was the final straw.”
The familiar clunk of a headset is heard as Jean-Luc commences his fortnightly five minute phone break, whilst Steve rolls into the ring under the bottom rope. He opens his cape with outstretched arms and a folly of fake bats drop to the mat. Steve does not get the chance to savour the reception from the crowd though as Ratin blindsides him from behind! Joey Ortiz - frustrated that he has been relegated to this - hastily calls for the bell!
Having rocked Knox back with her strikes, The Dark Huntress follows up by attempting an Irish Whip, but Knox reverses it! Vampyra bounces off the ropes and comes back, sliding under the legs of Knox! Knox turns back around and is caught with a Roundhouse Kick to the chest! Knox falls backwards into the corner. Vampyra charges in with a handspring back elbow into the corner, sending Knox down into a seated position in the corner before The Huntress backs up and charges back in with a running double knee strike!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s a hot start for Vampyra! It’s clear she doesn’t care that she doesn’t have a shot at the Semi-Finals! She doesn’t want to leave the Climaxxx winless! Take it to him”
Vampyra backs up and plays to the crowd by holding up her fingers in the “M” as Knox pulls himself up using the ring ropes. The masked wrestler rushes back in, springboarding into the adjacent ropes… but KNOX SHOVES HER off the ropes and sends her flying out of the ring and she collides with the safety railing!
As Vampyra pulls herself up using the railing, Knox tightrope walks the top rope… MOONSAULT TO THE OUTSIDE connects to Vampyra!
With the match gone to the outside, Knox takes advantage and begins choking his masked opponent with one of the camera cords at ringside. Ignoring the warnings from the referee, Knox snapmares Vampyra using the camera cord and then continues to pull back on the cord around her throat on the ground.
Allen Price: “Kayden is definitely showing no mercy to Vampyra outside the ring!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Come on ref - disqualify him!”
Knox finally releases the choke just as it looks like the referee is about to call for the bell, and he gives her a boot right to the back of the neck to send her down to the floor. The fans at ringside let Knox have it as he pulls her back up by her own mask and then slams her into the apron. Kayden takes a moment to argue with a fan at ringside which allows Vampyra to start pulling herself up using the ring ropes. But Knox climbs back up the ring steps… he jumps onto the ropes and comes back down with a DDT onto the ring apron!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Ugh! Vampyra’s head just bounced off the apron!”
Allen Price: “That’s the hardest part of the ring, JL!”
Knox rolls Vampyra under the ropes back into the ring before climbing in and making the cover.
ONE! TWO! KICKOUT!
After the nearfall, Knox continues to control the offense as he leans in and delivers some punches to the fallen Huntress. He then picks her back up as the fans begin trying to rally behind Vampyra with a VAM-PY-RA chant. Knox yells out for the crowd to shut up before bringing her over to the corner and sitting her up on the top turnbuckle. He delivers a couple blows to Vampyra’s midsection before climbing up onto the turnbuckles with her…
But Vampyra begins to fight back! They exchange blows on the turnbuckles but its The Huntress getting the upperhand and she shoves him back off the top! Knox hits the canvas but rolls back to his feet…
DIVING HURRICANRANA to Knox! Vampyra with the pin!
ONE! TWO! KICKOUT!
Allen Price: “Vampyra is right back in this one now!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “She only gets a two count but more importantly, the tables may be turning here in her favor!”
Knox begins to pull himself up as Vampyra comes in with an elbow strike, but he manages to block it and scores a right hand of his own to Vampyra… but Vampyra fires back with a forearm! Back and forth they go - the fans giving a BOO and a YAY for Knox and Vampyra with each strike respectively until its Vampyra who gets a flurry of offense with forearm after forearm to have him staggered and then takes him down with a jumping bicycle knee!
Standing Moonsault to Knox and Vamyra gets another pinfall attempt!
ONE! TWO! TH - KICKOUT!
The Huntress isn’t deterred by the nearfall as she keeps on it, grabbing Knox by the arm as he is getting up and its an Irish Whip into the ropes. Knox comes back and it’s a leap frog from Vampyra as Knox bounces off the opposite ropes now. He comes back with a lariat attempt, but Vampyra ducks it! She bounces off the ropes herself as Knox hits the ropes a third time and she connects with a running calf-kick!
She looks to follow it up with a springboard moonsault, but Knox gets his knees up right into the ribs of Vampyra! Knox makes his way back to his feet, hitting Vamp with a jumping high knee to take her back down just as she was getting back to her feet.
After taking Vampyra back down to the mat with a leg hook reverse STO, Knox heads to the top turnbuckle… SWANTON BOMB… but Vampyra rolls out of the way and Knox hits nothing but canvas!
Allen Price: “Kayden just crashed and burned!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Happy to see it, Allen! Now let’s see if Vampyra can take advantage.”
Both competitors are slow to recover after the miss from Knox, but its Vampyra up first as Knox gets up to his knees. She delivers a few stiff kicks right to his chest before striking with a superkick to the kneeling Knox! Vamp goes for the pin.
ON! TWO! THR - Shoulder up!
Knox rolls to his knees and Vampyra quickly goes for another pinfall as she grabs him by the arm and rolls him up in a Magistral Cradle!
ONE! TWO! THRE - Kickout!
Both competitors roll back to their feet and it’s Knox striking first, swinging a right hand at Vampyra, but she ducks into a go-behind, waistlock and a Bridging German Suplex!
ONE! TWO! Kickout!
Allen Price: “I suppose we should give credit to Kayden for continuing to kick out of these fast and furious pinning situations from Vampyra!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, no thanks.”
Knox slowly gets to his feet as Vampyra runs to the opposite ropes and charges back in looking for a running dropkick… but Knox manages to move out of the way! Vampyra drops to the canvas but quickly rolls back to her feet, but Knox sneaks up behind her as he keap up and connects with The Knox Out! Knox rolls Vamp over onto her back and hooks a leg for the pin.
ONE! TWO! THREE! NO! Vampyra with the shoulder up!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “So close but luckily Vampyra gets her shoulder up just in time!”
Allen Price: “Maybe so, JL… but Kayden is back up and I think he's measuring her up… for the Executive Execution!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He shouldn’t be allowed to use that name anymore!”
Kayden licks his lips as he watches Vampyra slowly pulling herself up to her knees… he bounces off the ropes and heads in for the double foot curb stomp known as the Executive Execution….
But Vampyra dodges it! Vampyra rushes in with the DEATH-SPIKE spiking hurricanrana driver! A fired up Vampyra is quickly back up to her feet, once again playing to the crowd with the “M” motion with her fingers as a stunned Knox is struggling up to his knees. Vampyra bounces off the ropes…
THE BITE!
Vampyra hooks the leg.
ONE! TWO! THREEEEEE-NO! Knox once again kicks out!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Dammit! I thought she had him!”
Allen Price: “Not quite but Vampyra’s heading up top now!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Hopefully it’s to end this with her Nightfall twisting frog splash…”
Vampyra slowly makes her ascent to the top turnbuckle, but before she can get back up… Knox is back to his feet and rushes over, shoving Vampyra off the turnbuckles and onto the apron… BUT Vampyra lands on her feet! And she springboards into the ring with a crossbody!
BUT KNOX ROLLS THROUGH!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
NO! Vampyra kicks out!
Both competitors roll back to their feet but its Knox striking first with the PEACE OF MIND! Kayden slowly gets back to his feet first, and waits as Vampyra begins to get up… and once she’s up to her knees, he bounces off the ropes and drops her back down with the Order 66!
Having laid Vampyra back out, Knox grabs her by the foot and begins to pull her towards the corner. The crowd boos as he makes his climb up to the top turnbuckle…
Allen Price: “Vampyra is in trouble here! Looks like the Seventh Seal is coming.”
Knox spins off the top turnbuckle with the SEVENTH SEAL.
KNEES UP!
This time it’s Vampyra getting her knees up and Knox’s back bends across them! Knox rolls over, clutching his back as both competitors are down briefly. Vampyra slowly begins to pull herself up as Knox reaches up for the ropes. He begins to use the ropes to help himself recover… pulling himself up to the middle ropes, leaning against them…
VAMPYRA RUSHES IN WITH THE MOONLIGHT KICK!
Knox falls backwards into the ring, staggering across the mat before dropping down near the center of the ring! Vampyra, now out on the apron after delivering the move, runs the apron and climbs to the top…
NIGHTFALL!
She connects it! She hooks the leg!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Winner: Vampyra by pinfall at 12:25.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The winner of the match, Vampyra!”
Vampyra climbs to her feet, falling back into the ropes and lifting up her arms in celebration as the crowd cheers showing their support of the Dark Huntress.
Allen Price: “What a win for Vampyra! She gets to hold her head high coming out of the F1 with a win! Well earned!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, yeah… but more importantly - Kayden Knox loses! Oh I’m so happy I got to call this match after all, Allen!”
Allen Price: “Haha… try to contain yourself!”
Vampyra rolls out of the ring, continuing to celebrate as she takes her WCW Television Championship and holds it up high. Meanwhile, Knox begins to stir in the ring, shaking his head as he realizes he just came up short in this one.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “And with that loss by Knox… it all comes down to Michelle van Horowitz vs. Tommy Bedlam for the second spot in the Climaxxx semifinals!”
Allen Price: “Another tough loss for Kayden Knox. Kayden's mind did not seem to be in that match at all.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “As it shouldn't be Allen; We all saw what he did last week to his own partner and broke what was left of Executive Excellence. When he left the ring he couldn't even look anyone in the eye. Gabrielle trusted him, all of us did.”
Allen Price: “Partner, I think you are letting this cut close to home.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “That's because Kayden's here while Gabrielle is in the hospital and they are working on her neck. He could of paralyzed her.”
Kayden Knox sits in the ring, his head held down. He is given a microphone, and for a few seconds doesn't say a word. He is catching his breath. He tries to speak but nothing comes out. When he does speak you hear him tremble and his voice break.
Kayden Knox: “Gabrielle, I am so sorry, I didn't have a choice. You were someone when we met last year that would go on to change my life. You did make me a better man, as much as a better man I wanted to be… you didn't make me a good man. I was enticed when you and I got together as a team. You could see the desire in our eyes. That desire evolved into an addiction of sorts for money, power and fame.”
Kayden stands back up and paces back and forth in the ring.
Kayden Knox: “We all came together for Executive Excellence; now everyone here knows the story. They saw how it played out. Danny, Gabi, and I when we got together the three of us we knew that Rupert Watkins thought he was the puppeteer but in reality we were the ones pulling the strings. That was at least, what I thought. The truth is however, I got the taste of the good life and wasn't aware of my surroundings and in the end it cost me everything it was just a matter of when not if it was going to happen.What do I mean?”
He pauses again and starts back up after shaking his head to the side.
Kayden Knox: “After Back In Business, when our group came together we were under the Fallout Incorporated banner, We each signed contracts to Fallout.”
The crowd boos the unfavourable trip down memory lane.
Kayden Knox: “These contracts seemed pretty standard to everyone they said. I didn't even give it a second glance. I should have. I didn't understand that they all were the same except for one.
Mine.
You see, what I failed to realise is that when I signed my contract with Fallout I sold my soul to the devil because in the fine print of my own contract it says that it's now owned by someone else. I do not know who it is. The letter I received came with a set amount of instructions with the warning that if I don't follow these instructions, then per my contract they can and will pull me from FWA television and would sue me for breaching my contract. Trust me when I say I didn't...”
Kayden's microphone goes off as a man starts to walk down to the ring. He is wearing a two piece suit and is older he gets to the ring ropes and waits for Kayden to hold open the ropes so that he can enter. He grabs a microphone and starts to speak towards Kayden talking down to him.
???: “Mr. Knox, you know that this is not what we discussed. My client said you could speak on the attack not on anything else. The cat is out of the bag now and my client and well, they are not pleased.”
He turns his attention to the crowd.
???: “I am so sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Maxwell Lester, and I am a lawyer who represents the individual that owns Mr. Knox's contract. So I have a cease and desist order right here.”
Maxwell Lester pulls the letter from his jacket and shows it to the crowd.
Maxwell Lester: “Yes it's very true that certain requirements that my client sees fit that Mr. Knox will obey. So my client wanted Ms. Montgomery out of the picture… so it was done. You see, my client wanted to put the final nail in the coffin that was Executive Excellence. That's not the only thing my client wants, though, and in due time all the cards will be on the table, but for right now they will be held close to our chests. You see, my client tells Mr. Knox to jump what will your response be?”
Kayden looks pissed off and reluctantly answers.
Kayden Knox: “How high?”
Maxwell Lester: “Very good, my client tells you to walk out of this arena right now, get into a van and drive. What will you ask?”
Kayden Knox: “Where to?”
Maxwell Lester: “If my client tells you to go to the hospital that Ms. Montgomery is at and Curb Stomp her head over and over. What will you do?”
Kayden looks on and has another livid look on his face as he grabs Lester by the jacket.
Maxwell Lester: “What will you do Kayden?”
Kayden lets go and simmers down. He answers.
Kayden Knox: “Drive her head into the ground.”
Maxwell Lester: “Very good, Mr. Knox. There is more to be done, this is only the beginning and everyone here knows the truth now, Kayden. My client will reveal themselves when the time is right. That being said, for now the FWA roster and fans should take a look at this beautiful face because you will be seeing a lot more of it.”
He laughs and tells Kayden to exit the ring and hold down the rope as they leave ringside.
Allen Price: “Kayden Knox’s contract isn’t owned by the FWA? Who owns it then? Did you know anything about this, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I have as many questions as you do, Price. However, one thing that I do know is that I’m glad to see that someone has this bastard by the balls after what he did.”
Before returning to the in-ring action, cameras shift backstage to look at "The Rotten Gold" Devin Golden, the man challenging Alyster Black for the FWA World Championship in a Winter Wasteland match in the main event. It'll be a Taipei death triple cage encounter.
While it sounds daunting and is truly scary, Golden is unfazed. His wide grin beneath the black Gangs of New York-style top hat accompanies four Mardi Gras beads – one each of gold, purple, green, and blue – plus the black walking cane he does not need and has never needed since introducing it following Meltdown X: The Bounty.
There is no interviewer. No one else with Golden, who twirls the cane in his right hand and positions his top hat with his left hand.
Rather than the usual elongated talking, Golden does something more fitting to stretch out vowels: He sings. It isn't good, but it also isn't bad!
Devin Golden: "Tooooniiiiight … is the niiiiight. It's a beauuuuuuuutifuuuuul niiiiiiiiiiight."
Golden's singing gets a cheer from the crowd as he chuckles creepily and lets out a reserved,
Devin Golden: "Ha-Haaaaaaaaah!"
The crowd responds with it's own "Ha-Haaaah!"
Devin Golden: "Tonight has the feeeeeeeling … of a funeral. And … in ways … it is one.
But not a funeral of my life. No no nooooooo. A funeral … maaaaaybe … of my life … here. A funeral of my coma … of my dream. Of my time … in … OUR … dreeeeeam."
Or … a funeral of Alyster Bbbbbbbbblaaaaaack's reign … as THE BEST."
Golden pauses as he stops twirling the cane and plants it into the floor.
Devin Golden: "We maaaaade this place. From the cooooold of our neurons and the heeeeeeat of our deepest desires. Do you want sex? Do you want drugs? Do you want … rock n roooooooooll?!?!
Well … we have it all. I've seen it all. Everything. Death and life and all the moments in the middle. But most of all … this world we made … is done in a square of ropes and padding. It is a square of athleticism and fortitude. Of energy and strength.
We are a world of wrestling. We are a world of make-believe wrestlers living our a fantasy or enjoying an escape or whatever other reasons you can … concooooooct.
Chriiiiiiiistopher Peeeeeeeacock … may not want to accept it. Aaaaaaaalyster Blllllllllack may not want to accept it. But it is the truuuuuth. A truth that comes for everyone, as it has for many before todaaaaaay.
And I am just glad … whether it is reciprocated or not … that if tonight is my funeral … it will be with Aaaaalyster Bllllllllllack! No one can define me in the last three years mooooooore … than the masked mad with a scar over his heaaaaaart."
Golden leans against the cane for a moment. The crowd cheers at the mention of the glass scarring.
Devin Golden: "But no matter … as this maaaaay beeee … the very laaaaast time I get to speeeeeak … directly … to you all. One last tiiiiiime … to spin my wheeeeeel … as ooooonly I … a Goooold of Rot … and a Goooold of One … can doooooo.
So graaaaant an old man his one dyyyyyyying wish and let me spare a threaaaaad.
You have allowed me to annoy you and madden you and frustrate you … and hopefully captivate you in a way … for fourteeeeeeeeeeeeen yeeeeeeeeeears.
And for that … thank you. Whether it ends tonight in three cages and a pile of glass or … some ooooooother time …
I am grateful for you all welcoming me back … time and time again … to your world."
Golden does a curtsey in front of the camera and tips his top hat in acknowledgement.
Devin Golden: "But hey!!! Tonight does not have to be saaaaaaad, oh no no NOOOO! If you did not know … or have not heaaaaaard … I'm from …
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIAAAANA!
And in New Orleans, a funeral … is a cause … for celebraaaaaaaaatiooooon!
A funeral … is a paaaaaarty!"
Golden points the walking cane directly at the camera and smiles the biggest, cheesiest, circus ring leader-like grin he can muster.
Devin Golden: "So tonight …
Let's throw a party."
Golden winks at the camera and removes the four Mardi Gras bead necklaces from around his neck. He lightly tosses them at the camera, and right before impact, the scene goes to black.
The crowd cheers, which only gets louder when one last sound is heard in the darkness.
Devin Golden: "HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The familiar collective groan that normally accompanies this entrance is even more ferocious than usual as the Turkish crowd seem less than appreciative to see Ratin Mikichin make his entrance from the back, appalled as any other crowd to see him wearing nothing but a mankini, this one a stained silver number. He raises the roof on his way to the ring and surprisingly some of the fans join in with him, albeit in a mocking manner.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall, with a sixty mi-”
The camera cuts to Natalie checking the card that she is holding and she looks incredulously at referee Joey Ortiz, who shrugs his shoulders.
Natalie Rosenberg: “They’ve given these two siixty minutes? Fine… introducing first, Ratin Mikichin.”
Allen Price: “Sticking around for this one, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I might as well. Not if it gets close to going the distance, but I don’t think there’ll be any way out of this so I might as well at least try to embrace it.”
Allen Price: “Well, for those not caught up, Ratin Mikichin and Steve the Techno Vampire are still stuck in a deadlock in their ongoing series of matches. This rivalry even spilled over into nGw, Jean-Luc!”
Ratin settles in the ring and he exchanges some heated words with some members of the crowd before brushing them off.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “What does it say when this is the person to get behind in these matches?”
Whilst there is nothing but utter contempt for Ratin from the crowd here in Istanbul, they seem much more receptive to Steve the Techno Vampire. Steve bobs his head up and down to his music as he rushes out from the back, the majority of his body masqueraded by his cape.
Natalie Rosenberg: “His opponent… Steve the Techno Vampire!”
Allen Price: “I think the answer is pretty simple, Jean-Luc. It is because Steve is helping the FWA fans believe in a more magical world! VAMPIRES ARE ALIIIIIVEEE!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Nope. You know what? I tried. I actually tried this week, Price. Your singing was the final straw.”
The familiar clunk of a headset is heard as Jean-Luc commences his fortnightly five minute phone break, whilst Steve rolls into the ring under the bottom rope. He opens his cape with outstretched arms and a folly of fake bats drop to the mat. Steve does not get the chance to savour the reception from the crowd though as Ratin blindsides him from behind! Joey Ortiz - frustrated that he has been relegated to this - hastily calls for the bell!
The crowd are less than pleased to see Ratin attack Steve from behind and they shower him with boos and abuse as he stomps down on Steve’s back whilst Ortiz uses his foot to remove the bats from the ring. In one of the biggest shows of aggression in any of these matches, Ratin drops a few knees down on the back of Steve’s head and then flips him over onto his back and mounts him (poor Steve) and grabs him by the throat and begins to throttle him! Steve has trouble breathing temporarily, but gets his hand around the bottom rope and this causes Ortiz to come over and break things up by pulling Ratin away.
Allen Price: “Well, it was obvious that after the tag team loss on Fallout 024 that there has been an escalation in tension between these two. A strong start from Ratin Mikichin.”
As Ratin attempts to push past Ortiz, the referee makes his presence known by holding the hairy Kazakh at bay with ease. This allows Steve to get back up and the vampire leaps towards them and connects with a flying punch to Ratin’s face over the referee’s shoulder. Ortiz himself was almost caught in the crossfire and he hands out a warning to Steve as well. Steve ignores it and brushes past the official as Ratin approaches him and Steve drops a shoulder to elevate Ratin over his head with a Back Body Drop! Ratin lands rough and Steve gets down and goes for the cover.
ONE… TWO… THR-NO!!!
Ratin just gets a shoulder up to the dismay of everyone, and Steve is left bewildered and he seems to take issue with the count and protests his case to Ortiz, who is having none of it. However, Steve is unwilling to let the issue go and fails to notice Ratin rising to his feet behind him and Ratin charges in and rushes Steve into Ortiz and into the corner!
Allen Price: “Joey Ortiz caught in the crossfire there! What could happen next? Oh… he’s okay…”
Ortiz brushes off being bumped into the corner and seems incredibly annoyed about the entire situation that he has been placed in. Both Steve and Ratin seem apologetic for their actions but the angered referee shakes his head… AND RUNS THROUGH BOTH OF THEM WITH A DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE!! The crowd are shocked as Ortiz then leaves the ring and starts walking up the ramp… and this match is over just like that.
There is some confusion as Ortiz is shown stomping up the ramp away from the ring. Both Ratin and Steve are down in the ring, holding the back of their heads after the impact they took.
Allen Price: “I don’t think anyone saw this coming… Joey Ortiz has walked out of this match and as a result, things are still not resolved between these two! What is going to happen next?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Did I miss anything?”
The crowd comes to their feet as "Your New Best Friend" Jeremy Best walks out from the back wearing a light blue collared shirt with khaki pants. Jeremy looks a little more disheveled than his usual polished look, including a growing peach fuzz on his face.
Allen Price: "Hey! Jeremy Best is here! What a pleasant little surprise. We haven't seen him in the ring much lately so I know the fans are excited to see him.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Yes, we've mostly seen Jeremy backstage as we've seen the drama unfold between him and his Buddy System tag partner, Bryan Baxter. They've had some wrestling ethics disagreements, I guess you could say.
Jeremy forces a smile as he walks down to the ring, though it's clearly not the normal, genuine smile he would give on an entrance. But he does wave to the fans before he climbs into the ring and takes the microphone.
Jeremy Best: "I feel like... I owe some people some apologies..."
Jeremy pauses as some of the fans in attendance boo at the thought that Jeremy needed to apologize for anything.
Jeremy Best: "I haven't been in this ring much the past few months. So first and foremost... all the fans... all the Besties out there... I feel like I owe you an apology. At Lights Out... I put all my heart and soul into the Golden Opportunity match. I dedicated my efforts to my good friend Krash. I wanted to win it for him. I wanted to be able to win the Golden Opportunity and then use my title shot to face the World Champion at his memorial Pay-Per-View, Back in Town. Could you imagine that? It could've been Jeremy Best versus Alyster Black as the Krash Memorial PPV. His two very best friends battling it out for the ultimate prize in the FWA."
"But... I failed. I let everyone down. And since then, I've been nursing some injuries and just haven't been in the right headspace. So I'm sorry to my fans for just not giving it my best lately."
"And to my friend XYZ... I owe you an apology. I wasn't in my best health or my best state of mind when I agreed to help you out against The Undisputed Alliance. We should've won that match... but once again, I let you down. And for that... I apologize."
"My newest friend, Lizzie Rose... I think I owe you an apology too. I got you mixed up in all this drama between me and Bryan... and it has not only cost you the North American Championship but also a spot in the F1 Semi Finals. So again... I apolog...
Jeremy is interrupted by the sound of his own tag partner's music. The North American Champion, Big Bryan Baxter, walks out from the back with a much heavier pace than usual. His face shows some aggrivation as he storms out and is followed by a frantic Mr. Bill Scorpane, who is trying to keep up the best he can with his large, unathletic, and older frame. Baxter climbs into the ring.
Jeremy Best: "Bryan... I probably owe you an apology too. I have been so distant to you in a time where you needed me most. It's allowed you to have so much negative influence and..."
Bryan Baxter: "That's enough, Jeremy! I'm tired of it! I'm tired of the apologies! Jeremy - YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR! STOP IT!"
Mr. Scorpane: "Bryan, let's go... he doesn't want anything to do with us anymore. He's made his choice."
Bryan Baxter: "No, let me say my piece. You've been talkin' for me enough. People keep dictactin' what's best for me my WHOLE career... Hell, my WHOLE life. I got somethin' to say and I wanna say it."
Bryan's tone causes even Mr. Scorpane to step back. He holds up his arm and indicates that the floor is his.
Bryan Baxter: "This sad sack shit has to stop, Jeremy. You say you don't like what you've seen from me lately? Well I don't like what I've seen from you. THIS AIN'T YOU! Jeremy Best doesn't DO sad. You don't throw yourself pity parties and ever since Lights Out - THAT'S ALL IT'S BEEN. Three months ago... you were mere moments away from having yourself the Golden Opportunity briefcase. You were in the picture of the FWA Championship. Now? You're barely wrestling! You're playing secondary character to people like XYZ and Lizzie Rose!"
"Meanwhile, in the past three months - my stock is SKYROCKETING! Not only am I undefeated in the F1 but I'm undefeated in singles competition here in FWA! But I don't want to be at the top of FWA by myself. I want to be at the top of the FWA with my friend. I want us BOTH getting title shots - I want us BOTH as champions. Singles. Tag. All of 'em."
Jeremy Best: "Bryan... it's not about the titles for me and you know that..."
Bryan Baxter: "Really? You came into this business with no desire to win?"
Jeremy Best: "No... it's not that... you know that... but..."
Bryan Baxter: "BUT NOTHING! You want to make friends? That's fine! But you wouldn't have put your BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS into this business if you didn't want to win, too. And I've wrestled against you in the past when title shots have been on the line - I've seen you put your body on the line in the Mile High Massacre... inside the Chamber for GO... you don't do that shit if you don't WANT to get to the top."
"I've been trying for the past three months to earn your trust back. You want me to be a better person. You want me to win the right way. You want me to be something YOU WANT ME TO BE. And for MONTHS, I've TRIED TO BE the person you wanted me to be... but Jeremy... that would be a LIE. And you know much you don't like me to lie, right?"
Jeremy bites his lip but nods his head in agreement.
Bryan Baxter: "But I'm the same guy you've been friends with for years. You've always known we did things different. BUT THAT'S OKAY! That's the great thing about this world... we're not all cookie cutter cutouts of one another. And that's what has made our friendship work. You think I want to hang out with a piece of shit like me all the time? We'd kill each other within the hour. But... somehow... some way... we've managed to make it work."
"Now here's the thing... I told you I would do anything to make it up to you right? And you've stated what it would take... so you know what, Jeremy, I'm going to do just that."
Having checked out for most of the conversation, Mr. Scorpane suddenly is alerted by BBB's words and scurries over.
Mr. Scorpane: "Bryan... no - we didn't talk about this!"
Bryan Baxter: "You want me to give Lizzie Rose a rematch?"
Mr. Scorpane: "NO! Stop this right now!"
Bryan Baxter: "DO YOU PEOPLE WANT LIZZIE ROSE TO GET A REMATCH?"
The crowd roars indicating that they in fact, did want that.
Mr. Scorpane: "Bryan, as your agent I order you to not do this. Think about the F1!"
Bryan Baxter: "Look, I may or may not make it to the F1 finals. I have a really big match coming up at the Final Four that will determine that... but I don't give a damn. I'll pull double duty if I have to! Because at BACK IN TOWN... I WILL GIVE LIZZIE ROSE HER REMATCH! For the FWA North American Title!"
The crowd once again roars in approval. Jeremy actually begins to smile while Mr. Scorpane is losing his shit behind them.
Bryan Baxter: "And Jeremy... I know what you want from me. I know you want me to do it the right way... or, should I say... YOUR way... but I've done my part. I've given you what you wanted. At Back in Town... I will win again and I will do it MY way."
Baxter drops the microphone at Jeremy's feet as he turns to leave. "Animals" begins to play on the speakers again as the angered Mr. Scorpane follows Baxter out of the ring, barking in his ear while Baxter ignores him up the aisle.
Allen Price: "How about that, JL? Sounds like we have ourselves a North American Championship match at Back in Town!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It sure seems that way, Allen. Last time it took everything and the kitchen sink for Baxter to take the North American Championship from Lizzie Rose. What will it take to keep her from getting that title back?"
Jeremy watches them leave from in the ring, a much happier Jeremy than when the segment started as we headed to break.
The theme song hits and there's a considerable amount of support for Jin-ho from the Istanbul crowd.
Allen Price: “Wow! I didn’t think even those people would cheer for this guy that hard. Is this Korean pop music really that popular?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I really want to know the coordinates of the rock you’re living under Allen because I’d rather not know about K-Pop as well.”
Allen Price: “I think it’s catchy! Maybe I’ll get my own K-Pop Warrior someday.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Hopefully it ends the same way it did with your Disco Warrior.”
The main vocalist of the CONpro, Jin-ho, appears on the stage and does a little dance routine for the fans to enjoy.
Natalie Rosenberg: "From JB Entertainment, he is the leader of the K-Pop group CONpro ... JIN-HO!”
The camera cuts to show some CONpro fans in the stands, most of them being girls, most of those girls wearing headscarves.
Allen Price: “Where are the other K-Pop guys we have? What were they called? PONI BOI? I thought they were supposed to be in the same group or something like that.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Rumours persist that the PONI BOI duo of CONpro have been called up to do compulsory military service in South Korea but my sources tell me that they haven’t reported back to the country yet.”
Allen Price: “You have sources in South Korean miltary complex?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “There’s no table that I don’t have a seat in, Allen.”
Jin-ho high fives some fans as he walks in the ramp and then eventually enters the ring, giving his fans another treat with a closing dance routine before proceeding to wait for his opponent and fellow musician. Then the lights go out.
Her theme song plays on a medium volume for a few seconds while the only source of light in the arena remains from Luna Piper’s iconic LED goggles.
Luna Piper: “Istanbul! Are you ready … to go under?”
A beat drop is followed by an unusually long silence. The silence is long enough for a fan to audibly shout “don’t bother mate we’ve already been under a dictatorship for 20 years”.
Allen Price: “I don’t think we’re going to hear from that fan any time soon.”
The music might be very unfamiliar to a FWA audience but the crowd at Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium immediately recognizes the song and a heavy wave of boo’s cover Kadıköy instantly!
Allen Price: “Whoa, I know Luna isn’t the most pleasant of people we have around FWA but what’s with that reaction! What is with this yellow and red shirt she’s wearing?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Do I need to spell everything out for you, Allen? We’re in the home stadium of Fenerbahçe, one of the Turkey’s biggest football clubs. Obviously the fans won’t like someone playing the music and wearing the jersey of their historic rivals Galatasaray, you doofus.”
Allen Price: “Football? Football is that popular in Turkey? Handegg my ass! Take that, soccer nerds!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Allen, you are so dense that light bends around you.”
Luna has a shit-eating grin on her face as she takes in the boos, almost taunting the fans to do more. She’s certainly not making security’s job today any easier.
Natalie Rosenberg: "From Stepford, Connecticut, she is 'TheTranceQueen' ... LUNA PIPER!”
She walks to the ring and shows 3 fingers to every fan she can manage to, referring to Fenerbahçe’s recent home defeat to Galatasaray by 3-0.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “This might get real ugly.”
Luna finally gets in the ring and after giving a condescending look to her opponent, turns to the fans again, takes off the Galatasaray jersey to reveal her usual ring top under it. She then proceeds to show the jersey to the fans like Mauro Icardi after he scored the third goal in the aforementioned match. Boo’s continue to rain harder on TheTranceQueen. She kisses the jersey and then hands it to a personnel before doing her warm-up for her match.
Allen Price: “Well, it was obvious that after the tag team loss on Fallout 024 that there has been an escalation in tension between these two. A strong start from Ratin Mikichin.”
As Ratin attempts to push past Ortiz, the referee makes his presence known by holding the hairy Kazakh at bay with ease. This allows Steve to get back up and the vampire leaps towards them and connects with a flying punch to Ratin’s face over the referee’s shoulder. Ortiz himself was almost caught in the crossfire and he hands out a warning to Steve as well. Steve ignores it and brushes past the official as Ratin approaches him and Steve drops a shoulder to elevate Ratin over his head with a Back Body Drop! Ratin lands rough and Steve gets down and goes for the cover.
ONE… TWO… THR-NO!!!
Ratin just gets a shoulder up to the dismay of everyone, and Steve is left bewildered and he seems to take issue with the count and protests his case to Ortiz, who is having none of it. However, Steve is unwilling to let the issue go and fails to notice Ratin rising to his feet behind him and Ratin charges in and rushes Steve into Ortiz and into the corner!
Allen Price: “Joey Ortiz caught in the crossfire there! What could happen next? Oh… he’s okay…”
Ortiz brushes off being bumped into the corner and seems incredibly annoyed about the entire situation that he has been placed in. Both Steve and Ratin seem apologetic for their actions but the angered referee shakes his head… AND RUNS THROUGH BOTH OF THEM WITH A DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE!! The crowd are shocked as Ortiz then leaves the ring and starts walking up the ramp… and this match is over just like that.
Winner: No Contest at 2:02.
There is some confusion as Ortiz is shown stomping up the ramp away from the ring. Both Ratin and Steve are down in the ring, holding the back of their heads after the impact they took.
Allen Price: “I don’t think anyone saw this coming… Joey Ortiz has walked out of this match and as a result, things are still not resolved between these two! What is going to happen next?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Did I miss anything?”
The crowd comes to their feet as "Your New Best Friend" Jeremy Best walks out from the back wearing a light blue collared shirt with khaki pants. Jeremy looks a little more disheveled than his usual polished look, including a growing peach fuzz on his face.
Allen Price: "Hey! Jeremy Best is here! What a pleasant little surprise. We haven't seen him in the ring much lately so I know the fans are excited to see him.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Yes, we've mostly seen Jeremy backstage as we've seen the drama unfold between him and his Buddy System tag partner, Bryan Baxter. They've had some wrestling ethics disagreements, I guess you could say.
Jeremy forces a smile as he walks down to the ring, though it's clearly not the normal, genuine smile he would give on an entrance. But he does wave to the fans before he climbs into the ring and takes the microphone.
Jeremy Best: "I feel like... I owe some people some apologies..."
Jeremy pauses as some of the fans in attendance boo at the thought that Jeremy needed to apologize for anything.
Jeremy Best: "I haven't been in this ring much the past few months. So first and foremost... all the fans... all the Besties out there... I feel like I owe you an apology. At Lights Out... I put all my heart and soul into the Golden Opportunity match. I dedicated my efforts to my good friend Krash. I wanted to win it for him. I wanted to be able to win the Golden Opportunity and then use my title shot to face the World Champion at his memorial Pay-Per-View, Back in Town. Could you imagine that? It could've been Jeremy Best versus Alyster Black as the Krash Memorial PPV. His two very best friends battling it out for the ultimate prize in the FWA."
"But... I failed. I let everyone down. And since then, I've been nursing some injuries and just haven't been in the right headspace. So I'm sorry to my fans for just not giving it my best lately."
"And to my friend XYZ... I owe you an apology. I wasn't in my best health or my best state of mind when I agreed to help you out against The Undisputed Alliance. We should've won that match... but once again, I let you down. And for that... I apologize."
"My newest friend, Lizzie Rose... I think I owe you an apology too. I got you mixed up in all this drama between me and Bryan... and it has not only cost you the North American Championship but also a spot in the F1 Semi Finals. So again... I apolog...
Jeremy is interrupted by the sound of his own tag partner's music. The North American Champion, Big Bryan Baxter, walks out from the back with a much heavier pace than usual. His face shows some aggrivation as he storms out and is followed by a frantic Mr. Bill Scorpane, who is trying to keep up the best he can with his large, unathletic, and older frame. Baxter climbs into the ring.
Jeremy Best: "Bryan... I probably owe you an apology too. I have been so distant to you in a time where you needed me most. It's allowed you to have so much negative influence and..."
Bryan Baxter: "That's enough, Jeremy! I'm tired of it! I'm tired of the apologies! Jeremy - YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR! STOP IT!"
Mr. Scorpane: "Bryan, let's go... he doesn't want anything to do with us anymore. He's made his choice."
Bryan Baxter: "No, let me say my piece. You've been talkin' for me enough. People keep dictactin' what's best for me my WHOLE career... Hell, my WHOLE life. I got somethin' to say and I wanna say it."
Bryan's tone causes even Mr. Scorpane to step back. He holds up his arm and indicates that the floor is his.
Bryan Baxter: "This sad sack shit has to stop, Jeremy. You say you don't like what you've seen from me lately? Well I don't like what I've seen from you. THIS AIN'T YOU! Jeremy Best doesn't DO sad. You don't throw yourself pity parties and ever since Lights Out - THAT'S ALL IT'S BEEN. Three months ago... you were mere moments away from having yourself the Golden Opportunity briefcase. You were in the picture of the FWA Championship. Now? You're barely wrestling! You're playing secondary character to people like XYZ and Lizzie Rose!"
"Meanwhile, in the past three months - my stock is SKYROCKETING! Not only am I undefeated in the F1 but I'm undefeated in singles competition here in FWA! But I don't want to be at the top of FWA by myself. I want to be at the top of the FWA with my friend. I want us BOTH getting title shots - I want us BOTH as champions. Singles. Tag. All of 'em."
Jeremy Best: "Bryan... it's not about the titles for me and you know that..."
Bryan Baxter: "Really? You came into this business with no desire to win?"
Jeremy Best: "No... it's not that... you know that... but..."
Bryan Baxter: "BUT NOTHING! You want to make friends? That's fine! But you wouldn't have put your BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS into this business if you didn't want to win, too. And I've wrestled against you in the past when title shots have been on the line - I've seen you put your body on the line in the Mile High Massacre... inside the Chamber for GO... you don't do that shit if you don't WANT to get to the top."
"I've been trying for the past three months to earn your trust back. You want me to be a better person. You want me to win the right way. You want me to be something YOU WANT ME TO BE. And for MONTHS, I've TRIED TO BE the person you wanted me to be... but Jeremy... that would be a LIE. And you know much you don't like me to lie, right?"
Jeremy bites his lip but nods his head in agreement.
Bryan Baxter: "But I'm the same guy you've been friends with for years. You've always known we did things different. BUT THAT'S OKAY! That's the great thing about this world... we're not all cookie cutter cutouts of one another. And that's what has made our friendship work. You think I want to hang out with a piece of shit like me all the time? We'd kill each other within the hour. But... somehow... some way... we've managed to make it work."
"Now here's the thing... I told you I would do anything to make it up to you right? And you've stated what it would take... so you know what, Jeremy, I'm going to do just that."
Having checked out for most of the conversation, Mr. Scorpane suddenly is alerted by BBB's words and scurries over.
Mr. Scorpane: "Bryan... no - we didn't talk about this!"
Bryan Baxter: "You want me to give Lizzie Rose a rematch?"
Mr. Scorpane: "NO! Stop this right now!"
Bryan Baxter: "DO YOU PEOPLE WANT LIZZIE ROSE TO GET A REMATCH?"
The crowd roars indicating that they in fact, did want that.
Mr. Scorpane: "Bryan, as your agent I order you to not do this. Think about the F1!"
Bryan Baxter: "Look, I may or may not make it to the F1 finals. I have a really big match coming up at the Final Four that will determine that... but I don't give a damn. I'll pull double duty if I have to! Because at BACK IN TOWN... I WILL GIVE LIZZIE ROSE HER REMATCH! For the FWA North American Title!"
The crowd once again roars in approval. Jeremy actually begins to smile while Mr. Scorpane is losing his shit behind them.
Bryan Baxter: "And Jeremy... I know what you want from me. I know you want me to do it the right way... or, should I say... YOUR way... but I've done my part. I've given you what you wanted. At Back in Town... I will win again and I will do it MY way."
Baxter drops the microphone at Jeremy's feet as he turns to leave. "Animals" begins to play on the speakers again as the angered Mr. Scorpane follows Baxter out of the ring, barking in his ear while Baxter ignores him up the aisle.
Allen Price: "How about that, JL? Sounds like we have ourselves a North American Championship match at Back in Town!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It sure seems that way, Allen. Last time it took everything and the kitchen sink for Baxter to take the North American Championship from Lizzie Rose. What will it take to keep her from getting that title back?"
Jeremy watches them leave from in the ring, a much happier Jeremy than when the segment started as we headed to break.
The theme song hits and there's a considerable amount of support for Jin-ho from the Istanbul crowd.
Allen Price: “Wow! I didn’t think even those people would cheer for this guy that hard. Is this Korean pop music really that popular?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I really want to know the coordinates of the rock you’re living under Allen because I’d rather not know about K-Pop as well.”
Allen Price: “I think it’s catchy! Maybe I’ll get my own K-Pop Warrior someday.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Hopefully it ends the same way it did with your Disco Warrior.”
The main vocalist of the CONpro, Jin-ho, appears on the stage and does a little dance routine for the fans to enjoy.
Natalie Rosenberg: "From JB Entertainment, he is the leader of the K-Pop group CONpro ... JIN-HO!”
The camera cuts to show some CONpro fans in the stands, most of them being girls, most of those girls wearing headscarves.
Allen Price: “Where are the other K-Pop guys we have? What were they called? PONI BOI? I thought they were supposed to be in the same group or something like that.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Rumours persist that the PONI BOI duo of CONpro have been called up to do compulsory military service in South Korea but my sources tell me that they haven’t reported back to the country yet.”
Allen Price: “You have sources in South Korean miltary complex?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “There’s no table that I don’t have a seat in, Allen.”
Jin-ho high fives some fans as he walks in the ramp and then eventually enters the ring, giving his fans another treat with a closing dance routine before proceeding to wait for his opponent and fellow musician. Then the lights go out.
Her theme song plays on a medium volume for a few seconds while the only source of light in the arena remains from Luna Piper’s iconic LED goggles.
Luna Piper: “Istanbul! Are you ready … to go under?”
A beat drop is followed by an unusually long silence. The silence is long enough for a fan to audibly shout “don’t bother mate we’ve already been under a dictatorship for 20 years”.
Allen Price: “I don’t think we’re going to hear from that fan any time soon.”
The music might be very unfamiliar to a FWA audience but the crowd at Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium immediately recognizes the song and a heavy wave of boo’s cover Kadıköy instantly!
Allen Price: “Whoa, I know Luna isn’t the most pleasant of people we have around FWA but what’s with that reaction! What is with this yellow and red shirt she’s wearing?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Do I need to spell everything out for you, Allen? We’re in the home stadium of Fenerbahçe, one of the Turkey’s biggest football clubs. Obviously the fans won’t like someone playing the music and wearing the jersey of their historic rivals Galatasaray, you doofus.”
Allen Price: “Football? Football is that popular in Turkey? Handegg my ass! Take that, soccer nerds!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Allen, you are so dense that light bends around you.”
Luna has a shit-eating grin on her face as she takes in the boos, almost taunting the fans to do more. She’s certainly not making security’s job today any easier.
Natalie Rosenberg: "From Stepford, Connecticut, she is 'TheTranceQueen' ... LUNA PIPER!”
She walks to the ring and shows 3 fingers to every fan she can manage to, referring to Fenerbahçe’s recent home defeat to Galatasaray by 3-0.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “This might get real ugly.”
Luna finally gets in the ring and after giving a condescending look to her opponent, turns to the fans again, takes off the Galatasaray jersey to reveal her usual ring top under it. She then proceeds to show the jersey to the fans like Mauro Icardi after he scored the third goal in the aforementioned match. Boo’s continue to rain harder on TheTranceQueen. She kisses the jersey and then hands it to a personnel before doing her warm-up for her match.
The match begins after the ringing of the bell and our competitors immediately go for a lock-up … well, more like Jin-ho goes for it but Luna refuses to engage, just smiling at his direction, certainly earning no love in the process. Then they go for another one, only for Luna to fake-out again. But before she can strut about it, Jin-ho attacks her from behind, throwing forearm smashes into her back repeatedly. Luna gets away by holding the ropes and clinging onto them for dear life. The referee has to break up the two of them and this only earns more boos for Luna, who turns her back on Jin-ho and throws more hand gestures at the fans. The Korean sensation uses this as an opportunity to run and nail her with a Dropkick and this sends her over the top rope and outside of the ring!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Great execution by Jin-ho as he manages to send the battle royale enthusiast Luna Piper over the top just like that!”
Allen Price: “Too bad this is a singles match.”
After pulling a sick dance move and getting cheered for it, Jin-ho runs the ropes and nails Luna with a Suicide Dive outside of the ring! Both musicians are down outside! The referee starts counting for a double count-out but Jin-ho gets up first before he reaches any significant number. He grabs Luna by her wrist and prepares to throw her back into the ring but Luna stands her ground and whips Jin-ho into the barricade instead. Luna then grabs her opponent and then throws him to the steel steps! The Korean’s face collides with the steps and he’s down once more. Luna enters the ring, while the referee’s count who had been stopped due to the action outside resumes from where it was left off.
5…
6…
The fans are chanting for Jin-ho to get up. They bang their hands on the barricade to support the K-Pop star. Luna is just sitting in the ring and pretending to check her clock.
7…
No signs of life from Jin-ho…
8….
Until now, he’s slowly getting up! Will he beat the count?
9…
And he does! He’s in the ring again with great amount of cheers thrown his way.
He tries to get up but Luna traps his head under her arm and throws rapid knees at his chest before nailing him down with a DDT. She goes for the cover immediately.
ONE… TWO-NO!
No! Jin-ho kicks out!
Luna is definitely not amused as she gets up, gets the leader of CONpro to his feet before whipping him into the ropes and then nailing him with her Dropkick, reaching insane elevation to kick Jin-ho’s face down!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s easy to do so because of her music and her antics, but people really forget that Luna Piper is an insane athlete.”
Her opponent lies in the ground and Piper takes a glance to the sky, it’s fairly obvious where she wants to take this fight to. She climbs the top rope, flashing a taunt to the crowd who boo her, signaling for the Lunasault! Then she goes for it …
But Jin-ho gets his knees up! And then immediately pulls Luna for a Small Package! The referee counts as the fans explode!
ONE… TWO-NO
Luna kicks out! She tries to get back on her feet and wobbles for a while, which is enough for Jin-ho to nail her with a Discus Lariat! Luna is down and Jin-ho makes a run for the corner, preparing for his own finisher, Jopping!
Allen Price: “Jopping? What does that mean?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s a combination of jumping and popping, according to their song anyway. It’s a dumb name, but it’s a smooth Superman Punch that gets the job done.”
Luna gets up and Jin-ho makes another run, jumping and popping the punch … but Luna ducks it by pulling a bridge! She’s back up on her feet again and once Jin-ho turns back to face her, TheTranceQueen nails him with a Roundhouse Kick and the CONpro member goes down once again! This time, Luna chooses to waste no time before climbing the ropes this time. Piper goes for the Lunasault again .. and it’s successful this time! She hooks both legs and the referee makes his count.
ONE… TWO…. THREE!!!
Allen Price: “After a fast-paced match filled with drama, Luna Piper gets the win, her first win in what feels like forever, really.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Could’ve had it easier if she focused less on showboating and more on getting the job done … but I guess that’s TheTranceQueen for you.”
Allen Price: “How do you think this win will affect her standings within FWA, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Hard to say, really. Jin-ho, as exciting as he is, is still an amateur in this sport. My South Korean military sources tell me he’s going to be called up for the military himself soon so this might be the last time we’re seeing Jin-ho in FWA.”
We focus back in the ring, Jin-ho isn’t in the ring and there’s only Luna, getting her Galatasaray jersey back from the personnel … and a microphone as well!
Allen Price: “Uh-oh, she got a live microphone.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Uh-oh indeed, Allen. Uh-oh, indeed.”
Luna waits for the boos to die down before raising the mic to her lips.
Luna Piper: “Well, guys. This has been fun! I’m known for my interaction with my audience and trust me, I will never forget Istanbul, I will never forget today!”
The statement confuses the fans a bit as the city is somewhat praised?
Luna Piper: “Love me or hate me .. but at the end of the day, I’m doing all of this for you! So that you can either cheer me or boo me, it doesn’t matter! I knew that the Turkish people love themselves some South Koreans and K-Pop so I figured I couldn’t win you over to my side … so I had to be hated instead.”
Allen Price: “So … this has all been a trick? We’ve been tricked?””
Luna Piper: “I guess this is the part where I reveal that I don’t care about football, I don’t hate your local sports team or I don’t support your rivals and all that. That’s not how these things usually go but then again, I was never an usual girl, was I? Yeah, I don’t dislike Fenerbahçe at all!”
Luna is silent for a while before a sinister smile curls up to her lips.
Luna Piper: “Well … I don’t dislike them … I fucking hate them!”
The crowd is molten for Luna now.
Luna Piper: “Let it be known my victory over that loser Jin-ho today was totally fair and square, that’s more than your team can ever say, huh? You dirty, match-fixing cheaters! What do you know about integrity? You haven’t been to Champions League for 16 years! You haven’t won the league for nearly 10 years! And this year, when you finally had a realistic chance, you’re blowing it once again! You’re all cheaters, you’re all chokers, you’re all losers, just like your shitty football team!”
The cameras catch at least two people who try to jump over the rails but the security guards are worth every penny today.
Luna Piper: “Seriously, who scammed you to pick a flimsy little canary as your mascot, huh? Galatasaray got a fierce lion, Besiktas got a charismatic eagle and you guys got a scared canary. You’ve been morons throughout your club history and it never changed. And just a week ago, Galatasaray handed your ass to you in this very stadium! In your own home! What football team lets their fierce rivals batter them 3-0 in their own stadium? You guys continue to break new ground at being shit! You all suck!”
Luna puts down the microphone and shows the fans the Galatasaray jersey again. She takes her sweet ass time, milking as much hatred from the crowd as possib-
As Tommy Belam's music hits, the crowd is somewhat confused. They know that he has a match scheduled against Michelle von Horowitz, but Luna is still in the middle of the ring absorbing the hatred from the crowd. Tommy has on his ring gear as he steps into the ring. He walks over to the corner and motions for someone to hand him a microphone.
Tommy Bedlam: “Luna, I'm not sure that you and I have had the chance to meet yet, but I'm Tommy Bedlam. Now, unlike you, I have a real match against a real opponent, so if you would be so kind, I'm gonna ask that you shut the hell up and make your way out of the ring.”
Luna doesn't move as the crowd begins to jeer her even louder. She crosses her arms and gives Tommy a sarcastic grin.
Tommy Bedlam: “Listen, I'm not going to come out here and pretend to know the first damn thing about soccer. Hell, I think I'm supposed to call it football while I'm over here. As most of you know, I'm from Texas. No offense to your game, but we just don't really follow it back on the ranch. So, I'm not entirely sure about the whole idea of kicking a little round ball into one of those big ass nets, but I do know about kicking peoples' heads off their shoulders.”
It takes Luna a moment to realize what Tommy's saying, as she's too distracted by the hatred from the crowd. Just as she realizes what he just said, he shrugs his shoulders and plants a Buckshot Superkick square across her chin. She crumples to the ground. As the crowd goes absolutely insane, Tommy rolls Luna out of the ring with his foot.
The reaction for MvH is mixed as she walks out onto the stage with her FWA World Tag Team Championship on her shoulder, some of the favour that she's experienced during the European tour still audible but a lot more boos accompanying those than we've seen so far. She walks out onto the stage with an ambivalent countenance on her face, takes one look around the arena whilst a quartet of Nephews (Uncle J.J. JAY!, Thomas West, Harry the Sane Wizard, and Quiet) assemble behind her, and then begins her stride down towards the ramp.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a Pool A match in the F1 Climaxxx… scheduled for one-fall and with a thirty minute time limit… introducing first, from Rotterdam in the Netherlands and weighing in at fifty three kilograms… one half of the FWA World Tag Team Champions… 'Dreamer'... Michelle… von… HORROWITZ!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Here we are, wrestling fans! It's the final match up in the F1 pool stage, and - thanks to Vampyra overcoming Kayden Knox earlier on tonight - it's winner takes all! The winner of this match will join Bryan Baxter and Chris Peacock from Pool B and Alyster Black from Pool A in the semi-finals."
Allen Price: "We also know that the victor here, out of Michelle von Horrowitz and Tommy Bedlam, will set up a date with 'Big' Bryan Baxter on Fight Night: Final Four. MvH goes into this contest ahead of Bedlam by two points, but Tommy would leapfrog Dreamer with a win here by virtue of the head-to-head tie-breaker."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And Michelle, of course, has brought an insurance policy down to the ring… well, four insurance policies, in fact. Cthulhu's Nephews are down here in force, and one has to wonder why Jon Russnow hasn't banned this stable from ringside given their involvement in almost all of Michelle's F1 matches thus far."
Allen Price: "The only exception to that was get loss to Alyster Black, and we can throw the Mile High Massacre match two weeks ago into that, too. We know that Michelle can do it by herself, as she was for years before her alignment with the Nephews last summer… she's just choosing not to, right now, for reasons that aren't immediately clear."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What is immediately clear is that Tommy Bedlam - along with official DJ Franchise - will need to have eyes in the back of his head unless he wants to suffer the same fate as Vampyra, Gabrielle, and - before his premature exit from the tournament - Cornelius Aurelius Caesar."
Natalie Rosenberg: "And her opponent… already in the ring.. from Sweetwater, Texas and weighing in at two hundred and forty four pounds… TOOOOMMY BEEEEDLAAAAAM!"
Allen Price: "Istanbul seems to be firmly on Tommy Bedlam's side here tonight… who knew Turkey loved cowboys so much?!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam has earned this reaction thanks to a string of strong performances since his unexpected return a couple of months ago. Bedlam recorded victories against Nate Savage and Jason Randall in order to qualify for the F1 tournament, and has since put in some excellent performances against some of FWA's top stars."
Allen Price: "That's right, J-L. Bedlam may have come up just short against both members of Black Caramel throughout this pool stage, but he really impressed a lot of people in those defeats against Alyster Black and Gabrielle Montgomery, as well as with his win over Vampyra at the tournament's outset."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It's that win that keeps his hopes alive here at the business end of the tournament, but it he wants to qualify for those semi-finals he has another tough challenge to overcome here in Istanbul against a two-time FWA World Champion. I'm expecting nothing less than a barnstormer here, Price!"
Allen Price: "I hope you - and Tommy Bedlam - won't be disappointed…"
Michelle has spent a moment on the second turnbuckle, where she flips off a ten year old girl on the front row wearing a Tommy Bedlam shirt, before hopping down and staring down the much larger man. Match official DJ Franchise conducts his final checks and then, after Tommy's music fades out and the audience's anticipation has reached fever pitch, he calls for the opening bell…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Great execution by Jin-ho as he manages to send the battle royale enthusiast Luna Piper over the top just like that!”
Allen Price: “Too bad this is a singles match.”
After pulling a sick dance move and getting cheered for it, Jin-ho runs the ropes and nails Luna with a Suicide Dive outside of the ring! Both musicians are down outside! The referee starts counting for a double count-out but Jin-ho gets up first before he reaches any significant number. He grabs Luna by her wrist and prepares to throw her back into the ring but Luna stands her ground and whips Jin-ho into the barricade instead. Luna then grabs her opponent and then throws him to the steel steps! The Korean’s face collides with the steps and he’s down once more. Luna enters the ring, while the referee’s count who had been stopped due to the action outside resumes from where it was left off.
5…
6…
The fans are chanting for Jin-ho to get up. They bang their hands on the barricade to support the K-Pop star. Luna is just sitting in the ring and pretending to check her clock.
7…
No signs of life from Jin-ho…
8….
Until now, he’s slowly getting up! Will he beat the count?
9…
And he does! He’s in the ring again with great amount of cheers thrown his way.
He tries to get up but Luna traps his head under her arm and throws rapid knees at his chest before nailing him down with a DDT. She goes for the cover immediately.
ONE… TWO-NO!
No! Jin-ho kicks out!
Luna is definitely not amused as she gets up, gets the leader of CONpro to his feet before whipping him into the ropes and then nailing him with her Dropkick, reaching insane elevation to kick Jin-ho’s face down!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s easy to do so because of her music and her antics, but people really forget that Luna Piper is an insane athlete.”
Her opponent lies in the ground and Piper takes a glance to the sky, it’s fairly obvious where she wants to take this fight to. She climbs the top rope, flashing a taunt to the crowd who boo her, signaling for the Lunasault! Then she goes for it …
But Jin-ho gets his knees up! And then immediately pulls Luna for a Small Package! The referee counts as the fans explode!
ONE… TWO-NO
Luna kicks out! She tries to get back on her feet and wobbles for a while, which is enough for Jin-ho to nail her with a Discus Lariat! Luna is down and Jin-ho makes a run for the corner, preparing for his own finisher, Jopping!
Allen Price: “Jopping? What does that mean?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s a combination of jumping and popping, according to their song anyway. It’s a dumb name, but it’s a smooth Superman Punch that gets the job done.”
Luna gets up and Jin-ho makes another run, jumping and popping the punch … but Luna ducks it by pulling a bridge! She’s back up on her feet again and once Jin-ho turns back to face her, TheTranceQueen nails him with a Roundhouse Kick and the CONpro member goes down once again! This time, Luna chooses to waste no time before climbing the ropes this time. Piper goes for the Lunasault again .. and it’s successful this time! She hooks both legs and the referee makes his count.
ONE… TWO…. THREE!!!
Winner: Luna Piper by pin fall at 5:12.
Allen Price: “After a fast-paced match filled with drama, Luna Piper gets the win, her first win in what feels like forever, really.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Could’ve had it easier if she focused less on showboating and more on getting the job done … but I guess that’s TheTranceQueen for you.”
Allen Price: “How do you think this win will affect her standings within FWA, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Hard to say, really. Jin-ho, as exciting as he is, is still an amateur in this sport. My South Korean military sources tell me he’s going to be called up for the military himself soon so this might be the last time we’re seeing Jin-ho in FWA.”
We focus back in the ring, Jin-ho isn’t in the ring and there’s only Luna, getting her Galatasaray jersey back from the personnel … and a microphone as well!
Allen Price: “Uh-oh, she got a live microphone.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Uh-oh indeed, Allen. Uh-oh, indeed.”
Luna waits for the boos to die down before raising the mic to her lips.
Luna Piper: “Well, guys. This has been fun! I’m known for my interaction with my audience and trust me, I will never forget Istanbul, I will never forget today!”
The statement confuses the fans a bit as the city is somewhat praised?
Luna Piper: “Love me or hate me .. but at the end of the day, I’m doing all of this for you! So that you can either cheer me or boo me, it doesn’t matter! I knew that the Turkish people love themselves some South Koreans and K-Pop so I figured I couldn’t win you over to my side … so I had to be hated instead.”
Allen Price: “So … this has all been a trick? We’ve been tricked?””
Luna Piper: “I guess this is the part where I reveal that I don’t care about football, I don’t hate your local sports team or I don’t support your rivals and all that. That’s not how these things usually go but then again, I was never an usual girl, was I? Yeah, I don’t dislike Fenerbahçe at all!”
Luna is silent for a while before a sinister smile curls up to her lips.
Luna Piper: “Well … I don’t dislike them … I fucking hate them!”
The crowd is molten for Luna now.
Luna Piper: “Let it be known my victory over that loser Jin-ho today was totally fair and square, that’s more than your team can ever say, huh? You dirty, match-fixing cheaters! What do you know about integrity? You haven’t been to Champions League for 16 years! You haven’t won the league for nearly 10 years! And this year, when you finally had a realistic chance, you’re blowing it once again! You’re all cheaters, you’re all chokers, you’re all losers, just like your shitty football team!”
The cameras catch at least two people who try to jump over the rails but the security guards are worth every penny today.
Luna Piper: “Seriously, who scammed you to pick a flimsy little canary as your mascot, huh? Galatasaray got a fierce lion, Besiktas got a charismatic eagle and you guys got a scared canary. You’ve been morons throughout your club history and it never changed. And just a week ago, Galatasaray handed your ass to you in this very stadium! In your own home! What football team lets their fierce rivals batter them 3-0 in their own stadium? You guys continue to break new ground at being shit! You all suck!”
Luna puts down the microphone and shows the fans the Galatasaray jersey again. She takes her sweet ass time, milking as much hatred from the crowd as possib-
As Tommy Belam's music hits, the crowd is somewhat confused. They know that he has a match scheduled against Michelle von Horowitz, but Luna is still in the middle of the ring absorbing the hatred from the crowd. Tommy has on his ring gear as he steps into the ring. He walks over to the corner and motions for someone to hand him a microphone.
Tommy Bedlam: “Luna, I'm not sure that you and I have had the chance to meet yet, but I'm Tommy Bedlam. Now, unlike you, I have a real match against a real opponent, so if you would be so kind, I'm gonna ask that you shut the hell up and make your way out of the ring.”
Luna doesn't move as the crowd begins to jeer her even louder. She crosses her arms and gives Tommy a sarcastic grin.
Tommy Bedlam: “Listen, I'm not going to come out here and pretend to know the first damn thing about soccer. Hell, I think I'm supposed to call it football while I'm over here. As most of you know, I'm from Texas. No offense to your game, but we just don't really follow it back on the ranch. So, I'm not entirely sure about the whole idea of kicking a little round ball into one of those big ass nets, but I do know about kicking peoples' heads off their shoulders.”
It takes Luna a moment to realize what Tommy's saying, as she's too distracted by the hatred from the crowd. Just as she realizes what he just said, he shrugs his shoulders and plants a Buckshot Superkick square across her chin. She crumples to the ground. As the crowd goes absolutely insane, Tommy rolls Luna out of the ring with his foot.
The reaction for MvH is mixed as she walks out onto the stage with her FWA World Tag Team Championship on her shoulder, some of the favour that she's experienced during the European tour still audible but a lot more boos accompanying those than we've seen so far. She walks out onto the stage with an ambivalent countenance on her face, takes one look around the arena whilst a quartet of Nephews (Uncle J.J. JAY!, Thomas West, Harry the Sane Wizard, and Quiet) assemble behind her, and then begins her stride down towards the ramp.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a Pool A match in the F1 Climaxxx… scheduled for one-fall and with a thirty minute time limit… introducing first, from Rotterdam in the Netherlands and weighing in at fifty three kilograms… one half of the FWA World Tag Team Champions… 'Dreamer'... Michelle… von… HORROWITZ!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Here we are, wrestling fans! It's the final match up in the F1 pool stage, and - thanks to Vampyra overcoming Kayden Knox earlier on tonight - it's winner takes all! The winner of this match will join Bryan Baxter and Chris Peacock from Pool B and Alyster Black from Pool A in the semi-finals."
Allen Price: "We also know that the victor here, out of Michelle von Horrowitz and Tommy Bedlam, will set up a date with 'Big' Bryan Baxter on Fight Night: Final Four. MvH goes into this contest ahead of Bedlam by two points, but Tommy would leapfrog Dreamer with a win here by virtue of the head-to-head tie-breaker."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And Michelle, of course, has brought an insurance policy down to the ring… well, four insurance policies, in fact. Cthulhu's Nephews are down here in force, and one has to wonder why Jon Russnow hasn't banned this stable from ringside given their involvement in almost all of Michelle's F1 matches thus far."
Allen Price: "The only exception to that was get loss to Alyster Black, and we can throw the Mile High Massacre match two weeks ago into that, too. We know that Michelle can do it by herself, as she was for years before her alignment with the Nephews last summer… she's just choosing not to, right now, for reasons that aren't immediately clear."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What is immediately clear is that Tommy Bedlam - along with official DJ Franchise - will need to have eyes in the back of his head unless he wants to suffer the same fate as Vampyra, Gabrielle, and - before his premature exit from the tournament - Cornelius Aurelius Caesar."
Natalie Rosenberg: "And her opponent… already in the ring.. from Sweetwater, Texas and weighing in at two hundred and forty four pounds… TOOOOMMY BEEEEDLAAAAAM!"
Allen Price: "Istanbul seems to be firmly on Tommy Bedlam's side here tonight… who knew Turkey loved cowboys so much?!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam has earned this reaction thanks to a string of strong performances since his unexpected return a couple of months ago. Bedlam recorded victories against Nate Savage and Jason Randall in order to qualify for the F1 tournament, and has since put in some excellent performances against some of FWA's top stars."
Allen Price: "That's right, J-L. Bedlam may have come up just short against both members of Black Caramel throughout this pool stage, but he really impressed a lot of people in those defeats against Alyster Black and Gabrielle Montgomery, as well as with his win over Vampyra at the tournament's outset."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It's that win that keeps his hopes alive here at the business end of the tournament, but it he wants to qualify for those semi-finals he has another tough challenge to overcome here in Istanbul against a two-time FWA World Champion. I'm expecting nothing less than a barnstormer here, Price!"
Allen Price: "I hope you - and Tommy Bedlam - won't be disappointed…"
Michelle has spent a moment on the second turnbuckle, where she flips off a ten year old girl on the front row wearing a Tommy Bedlam shirt, before hopping down and staring down the much larger man. Match official DJ Franchise conducts his final checks and then, after Tommy's music fades out and the audience's anticipation has reached fever pitch, he calls for the opening bell…
The two begin the match by circling the ring, neither competitor seemingly want to rush into anything in the first exchange of the match. After perhaps two full circuits of the ring, they come together and it looks as though it's going to be a collar and elbow tie up to kick things off, only for MvH to duck beneath Tommy's grasp, roll through, and then slide beneath the bottom rope. Uncle is there waiting for her, and the two enter a brief dialogue on the outside, Michelle listening attentively to JAY! and nodding her head in recognition of his wisdom.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "MvH ducks out of the ring almost immediately here, and seeks the advice of Uncle J.J. JAY! on the outside."
Allen Price: "It doesn't seem as though Dreamer wants to rush into anything. The gravity of the situation perhaps weighing on her?"
After getting enough sage advice from Uncle, Michelle rolls back into the ring and climbs to her feet. Tommy hangs back, allowing Dreamer to rise and then watching on as she gets up and once more begins to circle the ring. He reciprocates, but this time Michelle doesn't even wait until the pair begin to come together before she drops back down to the mat and rolls beneath the bottom rope. She finds herself standing next to Thomas West, who takes his turn to offer some words (of encouragement? Of advice?) to von Horrowitz, who again listens patiently whilst keeping one eye on Tommy within the ring.
Allen Price: "Michelle von Horrowitz climbs back into the ring slowly, with Tommy Bedlam waiting across the ring with his hands on his hips. Looks like the Cowboy is losing patience, perhaps?"
Indeed, rather than circle the ring, this time Bedlam charges across the ring and looks to take MvH's head off with a big boot. She ducks beneath it, though, rolling through and climbing to her feet. She turns to see Tommy charging at her again, this time with a lariat attempt, but again she evades it, dodging to her left and throwing herself onto the mat and rolling beneath the bottom rope again. She is standing next to Quiet this time, and she mocks listening to his advice even though the masked man isn't actually uttering a word.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Maybe just some last minute mind games from Dreamer? You're right, Price: Tommy Bedlam doesn't seem too amused by these parlour tricks."
Eventually, after she's done pretending to listen to the silent Quiet, Michelle climbs up the ring steps and into the ring once more. Bedlam still has his hands on his hips, and is now shaking his head at what he clearly seems the cowardly antics of his opponent. Michelle begins to circle, but Tommy doesn't reciprocate… so Dreamer shrugs, and then slides beneath the bottom rope once more to converse with Harry…
.. and Tommy follows her out! He attempts to lunge at Michelle, but the Sane Wizard steps in-between the pair, forcing Bedlam to hold up before his shoves Harry out of the way. Michelle is waiting for him, though, and hits a low drop kick to the knees to double him over before connecting with an enziguri. Bedlam is using the ring apron for support, and von Horrowitz looks for a running knee strike, attempting to sandwich Bedlam's head between her knee and the apron… but Tommy dives out of the way at the last moment! Michelle hits the apron with her knee, and staggers back whilst wincing with the pain. Bedlam hoists her up, and drops her on the outside with a sidewalk slam!
Tommy picks MvH up and throws her under the bottom rope, with Dreamer immediately attempting to crawl across the ring and climb out of it on the opposite side. The Cowboy collects her before she does, though, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her into a big clothesline! Michelle lands at an ugly angle, remaining stationary for a moment whilst the crowd gives Bedlam a roar of support.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Michelle von Horrowitz has tried to evade Bedlam's advances here in the early going, but Tommy presses his point and finds the momentum on his side."
Allen Price: "Can't run away forever, J-L!"
Bedlam waits in the corner for Michelle to rise to her feet, and then charges in at her to hit the big boot that he missed earlier on in the match. MvH again seems to be rolling towards the ropes, maybe to get out of the ring and away from Bedlam again, but Tommy picks her up and applies a front facelock. He takes her over with a snap suplex, but keeps hold of the front facelock and drags Michelle up again. He picks Michelle up again, this time holding her up over his head and allowing the blood to drain to hers. The crowd count along as Bedlam keeps Dreamer hoisted up - five, ten, fifteen seconds, with Tommy eventually dropping her with the vertical suplex when the crowd hits eighteen. And now, for the first time in the match, Tommy goes for the cover…
ONE… TWO… NO!
Michelle is able to get the shoulder up, and once more Bedlam picks her up to her feet. He backs her into the ropes with alternating forearms and European uppercuts. He attempts to whip her into the opposite set, but Dreamer hooks the top rope with her arms to block it. Bedlam responds by nailing her with a quartet of rapid forearms, which forces her to release the ropes to throw up a guard, and then he tries the Irish whip, again. Michelle winds up for a discus forearm, but Bedlam has already hooked onto the opposite set of ropes to check his momentum, causing Dreamer to find thin air. Noticing Uncle behind Tommy on the outside, Michelle suddenly grabs DJ Franchise and pulls him between her and her opponent, so the official has his back to Tommy as the Cowboy begins charging… only for JAY! to reach beneath the bottom rope and grab one of Bedlam’s legs! Tommy stumbles as Dreamer pushes Franchise out of the way and connects with a mule kick to Bedlam… followed by a double underhook DDT!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam is spiked on his head! Dreamer hooks the far leg…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Allen Price: "Bedlam with the shoulder up!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "But Michelle von Horrowitz has turned the tide here, thanks to a bit of extra-curricular from Uncle J.J. JAY!. DJ Franchise needs to get control of this one…"
Allen Price: "Nothing he can do if his back is turned!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Common sense has to prevail, Price! Blatant diversion tactics from von Horrowitz mean only one thing."
MvH follows up after the kick out by picking Tommy’s leg and attempting to turn him onto his front for an ankle lock… but Bedlam rolls through, forcing Michelle forward and out through the second and third ropes. Fortunately for Dreamer. Thomas and Harry are there to catch her, saving her a hard fall. But as they dust her down, Bedlam strikes with a baseball slide, sending Dreamer sprawling towards the timekeeper’s area. Tommy follows her and picks her up by her hair, before hitting a pair of hard forearms and then throwing her into the steel steps with a hard Irish whip. Dreamer hits the steel hip-first and bounces over the steps, landing in a heap on the other side. Tommy takes a moment to look out over the crowd, most of whom are cheering for the Cowboy, who then proceeds to follow her around the steps. He lifts her up and throws her first into the barricade, where he tees off with a quartet of hard knife edge chops. He notes the referee has reached six and throws Dreamer under the bottom rope. He follows her in and waits patiently for Michelle to get to her feet. When she’s up to her knees and sucking in hard-won lung-fulls of oxygen, Bedlam charges at the ropes. He hits the first set, and then runs past Michelle into the opposite set. Dreamer turns to face him… just as he is propelling himself towards her with a massive discus lariat! Michelle is folded up like an accordion, and Bedlam promptly rolls her over before hooking the far leg.
ONE… TWO… T – NO!
Dreamer again gets a shoulder up, with Tommy wasting no time in again lifting her to her feet. This time he drags her head into position between his legs before hoisting her up… and then sitting out with a piledriver! Michelle bounces after the impact with the mat, Tommy again going for a cover, this time a lateral press with an elbow forced into Dreamer’s face.
ONE… TWO… …
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Michelle gets a foot on the ropes! The official enforces the break, with Dreamer again pulling herself out of the ring and seeking refuge amongst the Nephews."
Allen Price: "As Quiet and Thomas provide support, Tommy Bedlam follows her out. He lunges at Dreamer with another clothesline attempt…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Ducked beneath by Dreamer… and then a chop block to the back of the knee!"
Tommy crumples into a heap, holding his knee, and Michelle tries to press home her sudden advantage. She hits a stomp to the same knee, causing Tommy to roll onto his back. Michelle grabs his leg and turns him over in a stretch muffler!! The referee is well on his way with his count, already on four, and so Michelle this a few stomps to the back of the head whilst maintaining the hold until the official reaches seven. She then releases and rolls into the ring, DJ Franchise continuing as Bedlam fights to stumble back to the ring… and he just about slides in to escape the count!
… only for Michelle to reapproach and put Bedlam straight back into the stretch muffler! This time, it’s in the ring, and not only legal, but also putting the Cowboy in serious danger of submitting. Tommy’s palm stretches over the mat, the thought of submitting crossing his mind… before he makes a fist with that same hand, and then crawls hand over hand towards the bottom rope… before hooking onto it with his outstretched fingertips! Franchise begins his five-count, with Michelle quickly reeling off a trio of hard, gnarly stomps to the back of his head before relinquishing the hold. She backs away from Tommy, the official admonishing her for her late release of the hold… which allows Uncle to connect with a quick spray of pink mist to Tommy Bedlam, who is propping himself up using the second rope, from outside the ring!!
And then Michelle rolls him up with a school-boy…
ONE… TWO… TH – NO!
Allen Price: "Bedlam kicks out! Michelle von Horrowitz gets the closest she’s come to finishing this match…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And with a fistfull of tights, too, without DJ Franchise cottoning on. Dreamer seems intent on taking every single shortcut possible, here."
Bedlam scrambles up to his feet after the kick-out, and Dreamer is already coming at him with a vicious discus forearm! Bedlam is staggered, and Michelle throws herself off the ropes again and goes for a busaiku knee kick… only for Tommy to sidestep, and then double Dreamer over with a boot to the midsection. Quickly, the Cowboy lifts her up…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Sit out powerbomb!!! Tommy Bedlam folds Michelle up, and he holds her down for the cover…"
ONE… TWO… THR – NO!
Allen Price: "Michelle is able to kick out, but she’s cradling those ribs… we heard about an injury to them following the Mile High Massacre two weeks ago… could all of those bookings on this long European tour be coming back to haunt her?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It’s possible, Price. That brutal cage match only fourteen nights ago saw MvH thrown from the top of the structure and through our announce table. Dreamer can’t be expected to be fighting fit in such a short time span. Who can blame Tommy for seeking to take advantage of that?"
Tommy doesn’t lift Michelle up after the kickout, instead electing to stalk her from across the ring as she rises of her own accord. Just like he did earlier in the match with his discus lariat, Bedlam charges past Dreamer, and she turns around as he hits the ropes a second time before attempting a massive spear… but Michelle manages to leap over the top of it out of instinct alone. Dreamer braces herself when she lands, clutching her ribs again in pain… prompting the official to check on her, and allowing Thomas West to reach beneath the bottom rope and grab both of Tommy’s legs, causing him to faceplant the mat! The official doesn’t see it, given that he’s checking on Dreamer’s injuries, but Michelle quickly shrugs him off when she sees Bedlam climbing up to his knees. She grabs his head and yanks it into position between her legs, before hooking both arms, perhaps going for her patented Tiger Driver… but Tommy breaks his arms loose, and then lifts Michelle up and over for a big back body drop. Dreamer lands on her feet, though… but Tommy is already hitting the ropes, and she turns around as he connects with his spear on a second attempt!! Michelle is damn near cut in half, and instantly she’s rolling around clutching her ribs, until Bedlam is able to hold her into position to hook the leg…
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!
If Bedlam is frustrated, he doesn't let it show, and immediately follows up with a series of stomps to targeted body parts of his grounded opponent, culminating in a half-dozen hard stomps to the ribs. Michelle rolls onto her front and gets to her knees, Bedlam backing off and allowing her to climb to her feet…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam going for a cutter of some sort… but Dreamer pushes him off and towards the turnbuckles…"
Allen Price: "And almost squashing official DJ Franchise between the Cowboy and the corner! Bedlam has to check his momentum to avoid contact… and he turns around into a superkick from Dreamer!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "We don't see Michelle busting out her superkick all too often, with perhaps the last time being against Chris Kennedy at Back in Business."
Allen Price: "I can see the link."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well done, Price."
Bedlam slumps into the corner now, with the official having darted out of the way. Michelle reels off with alternating forearm strikes and knife edge chops, and then it appears she's attempting to Irish whip Bedlam across the ring. She really has the heave to drag the big man out of the corner, but she doesn't let go of his hand, and instead yanks him back towards the original corner and hits a drop toe hold, attempting to send Bedlam's head into the second turnbuckle… but the referee is in the way!! DJ Franchise was trying to quickly dodge around the competitors as the Irish whip went down, and ends up flattened in-between Bedlam and the corner!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The referee is down!! DJ Franchise has collapsed into a heap after that impact with both Tommy Bedlam and the turnbuckles."
Allen Price: "Tommy Bedlam is a big dude, I wouldn't be surprised if Franchise was down for a while!"
Bedlam, after the drop toe hold and the collision with the referee, is on his knees, looking down at the referee, who is face down on the mat in front of him… and MvH levels him with a swift kick to the groin from behind!! The crowd collectively winces as Bedlam reaches for his nether-regions and then slumps to the mat, rolling about in pain. Michelle stays busy, barking orders to the outside, and Uncle J.J. JAY! quickly complies by sliding Michelle's championship belt under the bottom rope. Dreamer picks it up and then waits for Tommy to rise, lurking behind him like a predator stalking its prey.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "We've seen a low blow already, and now Michelle has the gold in her hands! An unsuspecting Tommy Bedlam gets to his feet… and he's LEVELED with the belt!!"
Allen Price: "A sickening connection! No pun intended!"
Bedlam hits the mat again, this time lying on his back, and the camera picks up a thin trickle of blood running down from his forehead. Michelle hands the blood-stained belt back to Uncle, who carefully gives it back to the timekeeper for safe-keeping. In the ring, Michelle has climbed up the turnbuckles and now steadies herself on the top rope…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "450 SPLASH!!"
Allen Price: "And look at the official! DJ Franchise is stirring!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "He's crawling over to make the count!!"
Allen Price: "NOT THIS WAY!"
ONE…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Come on, Tommy!"
TWO…
Allen Price: "This is bullshit!"
THRE –
NO!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam kicks out!! Tommy Bedlam kicks out!!!"
Allen Price: "Just LISTEN to this crowd!!"
Initial euphoria at the kick out then settles into 'LET'S GO TOMMY!' chant, a much smaller 'MvH' one dueling with it but being almost drowned out. Michelle, meanwhile, gets to her feet with a look on her face that suggests shock, frustration, and anger… and then she stomps down hard on the back of the referee's head!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Jesus!"
Allen Price: "The first ref bump looked accidental… but there's nothing indeliberate about this! MvH drags DJ Franchise up to his feet and then burls him through the ropes! DJ lands on a heap on the outside."
Michelle looks down at the Nephews around ringside and offers them a nod, which seems like the activation signal for phase two of the plan. As Uncle and Thomas climb into the ring, Harry hops up onto the apron as Tommy Bedlam is once more staggering up to his feet…
Allen Price: "Cosmic Busaiku Knee from Harry! He somersaults over the top rope and thuds into Bedlam's chest with the knee strike!"
Tommy somehow managed to stay on his feet, but stumbles right into Thomas West, who hits him with a HUGE pounce… but once again Bedlam doesn't go down! He instead staggers into Uncle's direction, and JAY! plants him on his head with the World's Most Complicated DDT!!
With the audience now entirely made up of nonplussed and booing fans, Michelle steadies herself upon the top rope, which she has climbed back up onto whilst the assault has been taking place… and hits a second 450 Splash!
Allen Price: "Michelle hooks the far leg, but there's no referee…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Oh, no…"
The crowd collectively groans as he reaches into his pocket… and pulls out a black and white shirt, emblazoned with the FWA logo! He pulls it over his head, and then - the audience beginning to throw empty glasses and other random shit into the ring - drops to his knees to make the count…
ONE…
Allen Price: "Absolute nonsense!"
TWO…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "For once, I agree, Price.”
THREE!
Allen Price: "…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "…"
We cut over to the time-keeper's area, where Quiet has seized the hammer from the man responsible for it, and the masked man rings the bell himself. Natalie Rosenberg, who may or may not be in on it, has no hesitations in making the announcement…
Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner… Michelle… von… HORROWITZ!"
MvH gets to her feet in the ring and Uncle takes her by the hand, lifting one up to signify her 'victory'. Harry the Sane Wizard has climbed out of the ring and rips a sign out of one of the front row fan's hands. When he rolls back into the ring and walks in wide circles, parading it for the crowd, we see that it says 'MORE NEPHEW BULLSHIT'.
Allen Price: "Couldn't agree more with that audience member's sign… this is… is that official?!"
The obligatory standings graphic pops up on screen, apparently legitimizing Michelle's victory by adding two points to her tally.
Allen Price: "Well… if that standings graphic is anything to go by… MvH has just punched her place in the semi-finals of this tournament…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "No."
Allen Price: "What do you mean, no?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I'm still a part owner of this company, damnit! I need to speak to Russnow about this bullshit."
We hear a headset being placed down on the desk, and the camera momentarily cuts to JLW storming up the ramp towards the stage. The Nephews seemingly don't even notice him, in their own world (and, indeed, on top of it). They have lifted Michelle up onto their shoulders, where she holds the FWA World Tag Team Championships high above her head.
Allen Price: "Well, it appears that the F1 Climaxxx pool stage has ended, but under acrimonious circumstances. And I have a feeling that we haven't heard the last of this…"
More thrown trash descends on the ring as Michelle is set back down on the mat. She climbs out of the ring and, followed by the Nephews, walks up the ramp with a cauldron of derision bubbling around her. We fade out to commercials.
When we come back from commercial, with the last of the adverts being a lengthy demonstration and sales pitch for a state of the art blender, we are following Jean-Luc Watkins as he strides down the corridor. The camera crew struggles to keep up, with the shot shaking as they attempt to match his pace.
Allen Price: "Welcome back to Fallout 025, ladies and gentlemen, and before we get to our main event, it appears my broadcast colleague is making good on his promise to question Russnow regarding the outcome of our last match…"
Indeed, Watkins turns a corner and eventually arrives at the office of Jon Russnow. The commentator gives the door three quick knocks and then opens it. The familiar figure of Russnow is inside, holding a dart and preparing to throw it into a board.
Jon Russnow: "Jean-Luc…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well?"
Russnow lowers his dart, his focus broken. He rounds his desk and takes a seat.
Jon Russnow: "Well, what?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well that was a complete shitshow."
A deep sigh from Russnow, who shoves the dart into a groove in his desk.
Jon Russnow: "It wasn't great."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well, we can do something about it. We still run this show, don't we? We haven't sold it to the cultists just yet.”
As Watkins leans over the desk, it seems that Russnow is attempting to avoid eye contact.
Jon Russnow: "My hands are tied on this one, Jean-Luc."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What are you saying?"
Jon Russnow: "We can talk about this later. But you've got two matches to call before we do."
His eyes flicker to the camera lens, and then back to his counterpart.
Jon Russnow: "This isn't the time."
Without another word, Jean-Luc stops looming over Russnow's desk, realising that he's not going to get anywhere here and that - perhaps - this wasn't the way to go about it. He nods at Russnow and turns, leaving the office.
We fade out, and we get to see that blender commercial again as the broadcast team resets themselves after this unexpected segment.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The next contest is scheduled for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit!”
And now we seem to have some electrical issues as the lights all around the arena flicker for a bit. Then they start shutting off from furthest sections to the ringside sections and stage. A few seconds of total darkness and then this plays on the arena sound system...
...which brings out loud reactions from the audience as they wait for one of the darkest souls to make his way out to the stage. Once the intro to the song has played, the song begins and all of the lights are flickering in bright white to each word of the chorus. And finally the lights return to normal as The Dark Traveler, Darius Wright steps onto the stage in the tattered remains of what was once a casual jeans/t-shirt look.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Making his way to the ring, from Los Angeles, California and weighing in at 243 lb…he is The Dark Traveler…Darius Wright!”
With only the collar and some pieces still attached to this top part of the black t-shirt, the dirty black jeans sport big ripped holes from about mid-thigh down to mid-shin and one old black hi-top Converse on his right foot with an old torn sock on his left that only covers the heel and ankle. He looks out over the large crowd with a blank look before creeping on down to the ring unenthusiastic and not animated as he once used to be. He steps between the middle and top rope to enter the ring then goes to the center where he takes a slow full 360 turn to look all around the arena with almost a psychotic stare yet his eyes blink like a normal person. Then he raises both of his arms and form an X over his head as he stares off into the hard camera and the lights flicker once again as the words to the chorus of Jeezy's Scared Of The Dark repeats...
Allen Price: “This man certainly exudes an intimidating presence. He’s not someone I’d want to run into alone in a dark alley.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wright is coming off of a decisive victory over The Boulder, and he’s looking to continue his winning ways here in FWA after getting off to a rocky start.”
The Wildcard bursts out on stage and he doesn’t pause to take in the crowd, he’s already halfway down the ramp as he’s in a rush to get this match started.
Natalie Rosenberg: “His opponent, from San Diego, California and weighing in at 234 lb…he is The Wildcard…Jason Randall!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Randall is coming off a disappointing loss to Shawn Summers on Fallout 024, so you can probably guess that he’d like to bounce back after that with a win tonight over Darius Wright!”
Allen Price: “It’s the battle of Southern California, Jean-Luc. Wright is representing Los Angeles, while Randall is representing San Diego. The Los Angeles Dodgers vs The San Diego Padres!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Is that football you’re referencing, Price? Why is everyone so obsessed with sports tonight?! It doesn’t matter anyway, why am I asking? Anyway, despite his loss to Summers, Randall made his intentions known to Vampyra that he has his eyes on her TV title.”
The referee, Larry Stevens, does his last minute checks before calling for the bell.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "MvH ducks out of the ring almost immediately here, and seeks the advice of Uncle J.J. JAY! on the outside."
Allen Price: "It doesn't seem as though Dreamer wants to rush into anything. The gravity of the situation perhaps weighing on her?"
After getting enough sage advice from Uncle, Michelle rolls back into the ring and climbs to her feet. Tommy hangs back, allowing Dreamer to rise and then watching on as she gets up and once more begins to circle the ring. He reciprocates, but this time Michelle doesn't even wait until the pair begin to come together before she drops back down to the mat and rolls beneath the bottom rope. She finds herself standing next to Thomas West, who takes his turn to offer some words (of encouragement? Of advice?) to von Horrowitz, who again listens patiently whilst keeping one eye on Tommy within the ring.
Allen Price: "Michelle von Horrowitz climbs back into the ring slowly, with Tommy Bedlam waiting across the ring with his hands on his hips. Looks like the Cowboy is losing patience, perhaps?"
Indeed, rather than circle the ring, this time Bedlam charges across the ring and looks to take MvH's head off with a big boot. She ducks beneath it, though, rolling through and climbing to her feet. She turns to see Tommy charging at her again, this time with a lariat attempt, but again she evades it, dodging to her left and throwing herself onto the mat and rolling beneath the bottom rope again. She is standing next to Quiet this time, and she mocks listening to his advice even though the masked man isn't actually uttering a word.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Maybe just some last minute mind games from Dreamer? You're right, Price: Tommy Bedlam doesn't seem too amused by these parlour tricks."
Eventually, after she's done pretending to listen to the silent Quiet, Michelle climbs up the ring steps and into the ring once more. Bedlam still has his hands on his hips, and is now shaking his head at what he clearly seems the cowardly antics of his opponent. Michelle begins to circle, but Tommy doesn't reciprocate… so Dreamer shrugs, and then slides beneath the bottom rope once more to converse with Harry…
.. and Tommy follows her out! He attempts to lunge at Michelle, but the Sane Wizard steps in-between the pair, forcing Bedlam to hold up before his shoves Harry out of the way. Michelle is waiting for him, though, and hits a low drop kick to the knees to double him over before connecting with an enziguri. Bedlam is using the ring apron for support, and von Horrowitz looks for a running knee strike, attempting to sandwich Bedlam's head between her knee and the apron… but Tommy dives out of the way at the last moment! Michelle hits the apron with her knee, and staggers back whilst wincing with the pain. Bedlam hoists her up, and drops her on the outside with a sidewalk slam!
Tommy picks MvH up and throws her under the bottom rope, with Dreamer immediately attempting to crawl across the ring and climb out of it on the opposite side. The Cowboy collects her before she does, though, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her into a big clothesline! Michelle lands at an ugly angle, remaining stationary for a moment whilst the crowd gives Bedlam a roar of support.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Michelle von Horrowitz has tried to evade Bedlam's advances here in the early going, but Tommy presses his point and finds the momentum on his side."
Allen Price: "Can't run away forever, J-L!"
Bedlam waits in the corner for Michelle to rise to her feet, and then charges in at her to hit the big boot that he missed earlier on in the match. MvH again seems to be rolling towards the ropes, maybe to get out of the ring and away from Bedlam again, but Tommy picks her up and applies a front facelock. He takes her over with a snap suplex, but keeps hold of the front facelock and drags Michelle up again. He picks Michelle up again, this time holding her up over his head and allowing the blood to drain to hers. The crowd count along as Bedlam keeps Dreamer hoisted up - five, ten, fifteen seconds, with Tommy eventually dropping her with the vertical suplex when the crowd hits eighteen. And now, for the first time in the match, Tommy goes for the cover…
ONE… TWO… NO!
Michelle is able to get the shoulder up, and once more Bedlam picks her up to her feet. He backs her into the ropes with alternating forearms and European uppercuts. He attempts to whip her into the opposite set, but Dreamer hooks the top rope with her arms to block it. Bedlam responds by nailing her with a quartet of rapid forearms, which forces her to release the ropes to throw up a guard, and then he tries the Irish whip, again. Michelle winds up for a discus forearm, but Bedlam has already hooked onto the opposite set of ropes to check his momentum, causing Dreamer to find thin air. Noticing Uncle behind Tommy on the outside, Michelle suddenly grabs DJ Franchise and pulls him between her and her opponent, so the official has his back to Tommy as the Cowboy begins charging… only for JAY! to reach beneath the bottom rope and grab one of Bedlam’s legs! Tommy stumbles as Dreamer pushes Franchise out of the way and connects with a mule kick to Bedlam… followed by a double underhook DDT!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam is spiked on his head! Dreamer hooks the far leg…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Allen Price: "Bedlam with the shoulder up!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "But Michelle von Horrowitz has turned the tide here, thanks to a bit of extra-curricular from Uncle J.J. JAY!. DJ Franchise needs to get control of this one…"
Allen Price: "Nothing he can do if his back is turned!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Common sense has to prevail, Price! Blatant diversion tactics from von Horrowitz mean only one thing."
MvH follows up after the kick out by picking Tommy’s leg and attempting to turn him onto his front for an ankle lock… but Bedlam rolls through, forcing Michelle forward and out through the second and third ropes. Fortunately for Dreamer. Thomas and Harry are there to catch her, saving her a hard fall. But as they dust her down, Bedlam strikes with a baseball slide, sending Dreamer sprawling towards the timekeeper’s area. Tommy follows her and picks her up by her hair, before hitting a pair of hard forearms and then throwing her into the steel steps with a hard Irish whip. Dreamer hits the steel hip-first and bounces over the steps, landing in a heap on the other side. Tommy takes a moment to look out over the crowd, most of whom are cheering for the Cowboy, who then proceeds to follow her around the steps. He lifts her up and throws her first into the barricade, where he tees off with a quartet of hard knife edge chops. He notes the referee has reached six and throws Dreamer under the bottom rope. He follows her in and waits patiently for Michelle to get to her feet. When she’s up to her knees and sucking in hard-won lung-fulls of oxygen, Bedlam charges at the ropes. He hits the first set, and then runs past Michelle into the opposite set. Dreamer turns to face him… just as he is propelling himself towards her with a massive discus lariat! Michelle is folded up like an accordion, and Bedlam promptly rolls her over before hooking the far leg.
ONE… TWO… T – NO!
Dreamer again gets a shoulder up, with Tommy wasting no time in again lifting her to her feet. This time he drags her head into position between his legs before hoisting her up… and then sitting out with a piledriver! Michelle bounces after the impact with the mat, Tommy again going for a cover, this time a lateral press with an elbow forced into Dreamer’s face.
ONE… TWO… …
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Michelle gets a foot on the ropes! The official enforces the break, with Dreamer again pulling herself out of the ring and seeking refuge amongst the Nephews."
Allen Price: "As Quiet and Thomas provide support, Tommy Bedlam follows her out. He lunges at Dreamer with another clothesline attempt…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Ducked beneath by Dreamer… and then a chop block to the back of the knee!"
Tommy crumples into a heap, holding his knee, and Michelle tries to press home her sudden advantage. She hits a stomp to the same knee, causing Tommy to roll onto his back. Michelle grabs his leg and turns him over in a stretch muffler!! The referee is well on his way with his count, already on four, and so Michelle this a few stomps to the back of the head whilst maintaining the hold until the official reaches seven. She then releases and rolls into the ring, DJ Franchise continuing as Bedlam fights to stumble back to the ring… and he just about slides in to escape the count!
… only for Michelle to reapproach and put Bedlam straight back into the stretch muffler! This time, it’s in the ring, and not only legal, but also putting the Cowboy in serious danger of submitting. Tommy’s palm stretches over the mat, the thought of submitting crossing his mind… before he makes a fist with that same hand, and then crawls hand over hand towards the bottom rope… before hooking onto it with his outstretched fingertips! Franchise begins his five-count, with Michelle quickly reeling off a trio of hard, gnarly stomps to the back of his head before relinquishing the hold. She backs away from Tommy, the official admonishing her for her late release of the hold… which allows Uncle to connect with a quick spray of pink mist to Tommy Bedlam, who is propping himself up using the second rope, from outside the ring!!
And then Michelle rolls him up with a school-boy…
ONE… TWO… TH – NO!
Allen Price: "Bedlam kicks out! Michelle von Horrowitz gets the closest she’s come to finishing this match…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And with a fistfull of tights, too, without DJ Franchise cottoning on. Dreamer seems intent on taking every single shortcut possible, here."
Bedlam scrambles up to his feet after the kick-out, and Dreamer is already coming at him with a vicious discus forearm! Bedlam is staggered, and Michelle throws herself off the ropes again and goes for a busaiku knee kick… only for Tommy to sidestep, and then double Dreamer over with a boot to the midsection. Quickly, the Cowboy lifts her up…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Sit out powerbomb!!! Tommy Bedlam folds Michelle up, and he holds her down for the cover…"
ONE… TWO… THR – NO!
Allen Price: "Michelle is able to kick out, but she’s cradling those ribs… we heard about an injury to them following the Mile High Massacre two weeks ago… could all of those bookings on this long European tour be coming back to haunt her?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It’s possible, Price. That brutal cage match only fourteen nights ago saw MvH thrown from the top of the structure and through our announce table. Dreamer can’t be expected to be fighting fit in such a short time span. Who can blame Tommy for seeking to take advantage of that?"
Tommy doesn’t lift Michelle up after the kickout, instead electing to stalk her from across the ring as she rises of her own accord. Just like he did earlier in the match with his discus lariat, Bedlam charges past Dreamer, and she turns around as he hits the ropes a second time before attempting a massive spear… but Michelle manages to leap over the top of it out of instinct alone. Dreamer braces herself when she lands, clutching her ribs again in pain… prompting the official to check on her, and allowing Thomas West to reach beneath the bottom rope and grab both of Tommy’s legs, causing him to faceplant the mat! The official doesn’t see it, given that he’s checking on Dreamer’s injuries, but Michelle quickly shrugs him off when she sees Bedlam climbing up to his knees. She grabs his head and yanks it into position between her legs, before hooking both arms, perhaps going for her patented Tiger Driver… but Tommy breaks his arms loose, and then lifts Michelle up and over for a big back body drop. Dreamer lands on her feet, though… but Tommy is already hitting the ropes, and she turns around as he connects with his spear on a second attempt!! Michelle is damn near cut in half, and instantly she’s rolling around clutching her ribs, until Bedlam is able to hold her into position to hook the leg…
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!
If Bedlam is frustrated, he doesn't let it show, and immediately follows up with a series of stomps to targeted body parts of his grounded opponent, culminating in a half-dozen hard stomps to the ribs. Michelle rolls onto her front and gets to her knees, Bedlam backing off and allowing her to climb to her feet…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam going for a cutter of some sort… but Dreamer pushes him off and towards the turnbuckles…"
Allen Price: "And almost squashing official DJ Franchise between the Cowboy and the corner! Bedlam has to check his momentum to avoid contact… and he turns around into a superkick from Dreamer!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "We don't see Michelle busting out her superkick all too often, with perhaps the last time being against Chris Kennedy at Back in Business."
Allen Price: "I can see the link."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well done, Price."
Bedlam slumps into the corner now, with the official having darted out of the way. Michelle reels off with alternating forearm strikes and knife edge chops, and then it appears she's attempting to Irish whip Bedlam across the ring. She really has the heave to drag the big man out of the corner, but she doesn't let go of his hand, and instead yanks him back towards the original corner and hits a drop toe hold, attempting to send Bedlam's head into the second turnbuckle… but the referee is in the way!! DJ Franchise was trying to quickly dodge around the competitors as the Irish whip went down, and ends up flattened in-between Bedlam and the corner!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The referee is down!! DJ Franchise has collapsed into a heap after that impact with both Tommy Bedlam and the turnbuckles."
Allen Price: "Tommy Bedlam is a big dude, I wouldn't be surprised if Franchise was down for a while!"
Bedlam, after the drop toe hold and the collision with the referee, is on his knees, looking down at the referee, who is face down on the mat in front of him… and MvH levels him with a swift kick to the groin from behind!! The crowd collectively winces as Bedlam reaches for his nether-regions and then slumps to the mat, rolling about in pain. Michelle stays busy, barking orders to the outside, and Uncle J.J. JAY! quickly complies by sliding Michelle's championship belt under the bottom rope. Dreamer picks it up and then waits for Tommy to rise, lurking behind him like a predator stalking its prey.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "We've seen a low blow already, and now Michelle has the gold in her hands! An unsuspecting Tommy Bedlam gets to his feet… and he's LEVELED with the belt!!"
Allen Price: "A sickening connection! No pun intended!"
Bedlam hits the mat again, this time lying on his back, and the camera picks up a thin trickle of blood running down from his forehead. Michelle hands the blood-stained belt back to Uncle, who carefully gives it back to the timekeeper for safe-keeping. In the ring, Michelle has climbed up the turnbuckles and now steadies herself on the top rope…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "450 SPLASH!!"
Allen Price: "And look at the official! DJ Franchise is stirring!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "He's crawling over to make the count!!"
Allen Price: "NOT THIS WAY!"
ONE…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Come on, Tommy!"
TWO…
Allen Price: "This is bullshit!"
THRE –
NO!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam kicks out!! Tommy Bedlam kicks out!!!"
Allen Price: "Just LISTEN to this crowd!!"
Initial euphoria at the kick out then settles into 'LET'S GO TOMMY!' chant, a much smaller 'MvH' one dueling with it but being almost drowned out. Michelle, meanwhile, gets to her feet with a look on her face that suggests shock, frustration, and anger… and then she stomps down hard on the back of the referee's head!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Jesus!"
Allen Price: "The first ref bump looked accidental… but there's nothing indeliberate about this! MvH drags DJ Franchise up to his feet and then burls him through the ropes! DJ lands on a heap on the outside."
Michelle looks down at the Nephews around ringside and offers them a nod, which seems like the activation signal for phase two of the plan. As Uncle and Thomas climb into the ring, Harry hops up onto the apron as Tommy Bedlam is once more staggering up to his feet…
Allen Price: "Cosmic Busaiku Knee from Harry! He somersaults over the top rope and thuds into Bedlam's chest with the knee strike!"
Tommy somehow managed to stay on his feet, but stumbles right into Thomas West, who hits him with a HUGE pounce… but once again Bedlam doesn't go down! He instead staggers into Uncle's direction, and JAY! plants him on his head with the World's Most Complicated DDT!!
With the audience now entirely made up of nonplussed and booing fans, Michelle steadies herself upon the top rope, which she has climbed back up onto whilst the assault has been taking place… and hits a second 450 Splash!
Allen Price: "Michelle hooks the far leg, but there's no referee…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Oh, no…"
The crowd collectively groans as he reaches into his pocket… and pulls out a black and white shirt, emblazoned with the FWA logo! He pulls it over his head, and then - the audience beginning to throw empty glasses and other random shit into the ring - drops to his knees to make the count…
ONE…
Allen Price: "Absolute nonsense!"
TWO…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "For once, I agree, Price.”
THREE!
Winner: Michellel von Horrowitz by pin fall at 14:40.
Allen Price: "…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "…"
We cut over to the time-keeper's area, where Quiet has seized the hammer from the man responsible for it, and the masked man rings the bell himself. Natalie Rosenberg, who may or may not be in on it, has no hesitations in making the announcement…
Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner… Michelle… von… HORROWITZ!"
MvH gets to her feet in the ring and Uncle takes her by the hand, lifting one up to signify her 'victory'. Harry the Sane Wizard has climbed out of the ring and rips a sign out of one of the front row fan's hands. When he rolls back into the ring and walks in wide circles, parading it for the crowd, we see that it says 'MORE NEPHEW BULLSHIT'.
Allen Price: "Couldn't agree more with that audience member's sign… this is… is that official?!"
The obligatory standings graphic pops up on screen, apparently legitimizing Michelle's victory by adding two points to her tally.
Allen Price: "Well… if that standings graphic is anything to go by… MvH has just punched her place in the semi-finals of this tournament…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "No."
Allen Price: "What do you mean, no?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I'm still a part owner of this company, damnit! I need to speak to Russnow about this bullshit."
We hear a headset being placed down on the desk, and the camera momentarily cuts to JLW storming up the ramp towards the stage. The Nephews seemingly don't even notice him, in their own world (and, indeed, on top of it). They have lifted Michelle up onto their shoulders, where she holds the FWA World Tag Team Championships high above her head.
Allen Price: "Well, it appears that the F1 Climaxxx pool stage has ended, but under acrimonious circumstances. And I have a feeling that we haven't heard the last of this…"
More thrown trash descends on the ring as Michelle is set back down on the mat. She climbs out of the ring and, followed by the Nephews, walks up the ramp with a cauldron of derision bubbling around her. We fade out to commercials.
When we come back from commercial, with the last of the adverts being a lengthy demonstration and sales pitch for a state of the art blender, we are following Jean-Luc Watkins as he strides down the corridor. The camera crew struggles to keep up, with the shot shaking as they attempt to match his pace.
Allen Price: "Welcome back to Fallout 025, ladies and gentlemen, and before we get to our main event, it appears my broadcast colleague is making good on his promise to question Russnow regarding the outcome of our last match…"
Indeed, Watkins turns a corner and eventually arrives at the office of Jon Russnow. The commentator gives the door three quick knocks and then opens it. The familiar figure of Russnow is inside, holding a dart and preparing to throw it into a board.
Jon Russnow: "Jean-Luc…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well?"
Russnow lowers his dart, his focus broken. He rounds his desk and takes a seat.
Jon Russnow: "Well, what?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well that was a complete shitshow."
A deep sigh from Russnow, who shoves the dart into a groove in his desk.
Jon Russnow: "It wasn't great."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well, we can do something about it. We still run this show, don't we? We haven't sold it to the cultists just yet.”
As Watkins leans over the desk, it seems that Russnow is attempting to avoid eye contact.
Jon Russnow: "My hands are tied on this one, Jean-Luc."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What are you saying?"
Jon Russnow: "We can talk about this later. But you've got two matches to call before we do."
His eyes flicker to the camera lens, and then back to his counterpart.
Jon Russnow: "This isn't the time."
Without another word, Jean-Luc stops looming over Russnow's desk, realising that he's not going to get anywhere here and that - perhaps - this wasn't the way to go about it. He nods at Russnow and turns, leaving the office.
We fade out, and we get to see that blender commercial again as the broadcast team resets themselves after this unexpected segment.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The next contest is scheduled for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit!”
And now we seem to have some electrical issues as the lights all around the arena flicker for a bit. Then they start shutting off from furthest sections to the ringside sections and stage. A few seconds of total darkness and then this plays on the arena sound system...
...which brings out loud reactions from the audience as they wait for one of the darkest souls to make his way out to the stage. Once the intro to the song has played, the song begins and all of the lights are flickering in bright white to each word of the chorus. And finally the lights return to normal as The Dark Traveler, Darius Wright steps onto the stage in the tattered remains of what was once a casual jeans/t-shirt look.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Making his way to the ring, from Los Angeles, California and weighing in at 243 lb…he is The Dark Traveler…Darius Wright!”
With only the collar and some pieces still attached to this top part of the black t-shirt, the dirty black jeans sport big ripped holes from about mid-thigh down to mid-shin and one old black hi-top Converse on his right foot with an old torn sock on his left that only covers the heel and ankle. He looks out over the large crowd with a blank look before creeping on down to the ring unenthusiastic and not animated as he once used to be. He steps between the middle and top rope to enter the ring then goes to the center where he takes a slow full 360 turn to look all around the arena with almost a psychotic stare yet his eyes blink like a normal person. Then he raises both of his arms and form an X over his head as he stares off into the hard camera and the lights flicker once again as the words to the chorus of Jeezy's Scared Of The Dark repeats...
Allen Price: “This man certainly exudes an intimidating presence. He’s not someone I’d want to run into alone in a dark alley.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wright is coming off of a decisive victory over The Boulder, and he’s looking to continue his winning ways here in FWA after getting off to a rocky start.”
The Wildcard bursts out on stage and he doesn’t pause to take in the crowd, he’s already halfway down the ramp as he’s in a rush to get this match started.
Natalie Rosenberg: “His opponent, from San Diego, California and weighing in at 234 lb…he is The Wildcard…Jason Randall!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Randall is coming off a disappointing loss to Shawn Summers on Fallout 024, so you can probably guess that he’d like to bounce back after that with a win tonight over Darius Wright!”
Allen Price: “It’s the battle of Southern California, Jean-Luc. Wright is representing Los Angeles, while Randall is representing San Diego. The Los Angeles Dodgers vs The San Diego Padres!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Is that football you’re referencing, Price? Why is everyone so obsessed with sports tonight?! It doesn’t matter anyway, why am I asking? Anyway, despite his loss to Summers, Randall made his intentions known to Vampyra that he has his eyes on her TV title.”
The referee, Larry Stevens, does his last minute checks before calling for the bell.
DING! DING! DING!
The two competitors don’t waste any time as they lock up, and Randall has the early advantage as he holds Wright’s head down and drives some knees into his dome! Wright is reeling now and Randall shoves him into the corner and unloads on Wright with some stomps. Randall pulls Wright out of the corner and aims for a discus lariat but Wright ducks underneath and strikes back with a headbutt! Randall staggers back and Wright spins him around and shoves him into the corner sternum first. Wright pounds away at the back of Randall with some clubbing blows before hoisting him up top in a sitting position, and for good measure, Wright drives home another clubbing blow to the back.
Wright hangs Randall upside down in a tree of woe position in the corner, and Wright delivers some stomps of his own on The Wildcard. Wright continues this assault as he places his boot on Randall’s head and he pushes down on it, even going as far as using the ropes as leverage, before referee Stevens gets him to back off after a count of five. Wright releases the hold and Randall drops down to the mat in a heap. Wright drags Randall away and Wright looks to apply a kneebar submission, but Randall kicks him away and Wright stumbles back a few steps into the ropes. Randall springs up to his feet however, but Wright is right back on the attack with a spinning back fist that knocks Randall back into the ropes but Randall bounces off of them with a rebound and he fires back with a rebound lariat and both men are down before Randall rolls over on top of Wright with the lateral press…
One…TWO-NO!
Wright gets a shoulder up and Randall instinctively grabs a hold of Wright’s arm, and he transitions into an arm-trap and Randall unleashes a barrage of elbows to the head! Randall relinquishes his hold and paces around the ring while the referee checks on Wright…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Neither man is holding anything back. A win for Randall could move him one step closer to contendership for the TV title, while a win for Wright could move him further up the ranks and possibly near the TV title as well.”
Wright sits up and Randall charges toward him with a running boot, but Wright is wise to duck underneath and he catches Randall from behind with a roll-up!
One…TWO-NO!
Randall kicks out with authority and he rolls through as he rises to his feet, but so does Wright and Wright drives a knee right into the midsection! Wright then sends Randall over with a snapmare and he follows up with a low running kick to the spine! Randall winces in pain and Wright applies a rear chin lock, digging his knee deep into Randall’s lower spine. Randall is reaching out for the ropes, but they are too far. Randall starts to fight out of it despite Wright’s best efforts to keep him locked in the hold, and after a few elbows jabs to the midsection he’s forced to let go. Randall drives home repeated forearm smashes that rock Wright. Randall has Wright in position for a snap suplex but Wright blocks it and quickly counters with his own snap suplex! Randall pops up but Wright strikes with a spinning back kick and Wright hits Randall with a capture suplex! Wright hooks the far leg for the pin…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Wright mounts Randall and drives down some punches while Randall does his best to cover up. Randall eventually manages to counter as he grabs Wright by the arm and transitions into a fujiwara arm bar and he wrenches back on the hold but Wright wisely breaks it up by grabbing the ropes…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “A rare mistake by The Wildcard that he can’t let get to him.”
Allen Price: “I don’t know about you, Jean-Luc, but to me these two seem so evenly matched despite this being their first ever encounter.”
Wright begins to use the ropes as leverage to bring himself to his feet and Randall sneaks up behind him and locks in a rear waistlock, and Randall attempts a german suplex but Wright hangs on to the ropes which prevents Randall hitting his move. Wright nails a back kick to the midsection, and quickly follows up with a spinning back elbow. Randall is in a daze and Wright runs the ropes before coming back and hitting The Wright Way! Randall is more than stunned now but he’s still on his feet, which allows Wright to hit Bedtime Story on Randall! Wright keeps the sleeper hold applied after hitting the suplex and the referee sees Randall’s shoulders on the mat…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Randall kicks out and drops down but Wright brings him back up and Wright drives his knee right in Randall’s face! Wright has him right where he wants him as he brings Randall up, and Wright goes for a spinning back kick, but Randall catches it and spins him around and shoves him into the ropes and Wright bounces off the ropes and staggers back into a sling blade! Randall sizes up Wright and points his finger at Wright in a gun motion before pulling the trigger and he goes for The Kill-Shot but Wright side steps him and rolls him up!
One…two…THREE-NO!
Randall pops up out of the pin and both men are on their feet now and goes for a kick to the midsection, but Wright catches it and takes Randall down with Sweet Revenge! Dragon screw has Randall clutching at his leg as he tries to limp his way back to his feet while Wright sizes him and doubles him over with a spinning back kick! Wright brings Randall in close in position…Dark Cloud! Wright immediately drops down for the pin!
One…two…THREE!
After the match we see Wright assault Randall and lock in a knee bar submission on Randall. The Wildcard is howling in pain as more referees arrive on the scene to attempt to break this up.
Allen Price: “What is the point of this?! Come on, get him off!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wright wants to send a message, Price, and unfortunately it’s at the expense of The Wildcard!”
The lights go out and after several seconds they return but Wright is nowhere to be found. Besides Randall nursing his knee and the referees checking on him, all that is left in the ring is a cloud of smoke.
Allen Price: “I get that he wanted to send a message but there has to be a better way than to trying to end another man’s career!”
We fade in from black, focused on a large ornately decorated wooden set of doors. The trimming and carving on the wood depict an amalgamation of flowers, crows, doves, ravens, and the words “Bassignani” orderly placed in the center, separated by the seam of the doors. The round metal doorknob on one of the doors starts to turn and the door creaks open.
???: “Daddy!”
Yells an extremely happy female child’s voice.
A man is standing in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by a garden that seems almost infinite. A few feet from him, in the actual center, is a large tree with bright purple leaves. A stark contrast to the rather thunderstorm-esque looking sky that surrounds them.
???: “Ah! My darling daughter! How are you doing? Have you been playing nice with your sister?”
The man’s daughter, who is now seen to be 4-year old Keres, is wearing a cute white dress adorned with images of sunflowers. She runs up to her father. He is a large, strong man in a suit. Appearance similar to a certain former FWA star with well kept dark hair and beard. He gives a rare, warm smile. He is the imposing TORN Warrior known as Slate Bass, and gives him a big hug as he kneels down to meet her.
Slate: “Is this true, Nova? The two of you have been playing well today?”
Emerging from the aforementioned doorway is Princess Nova. Wearing a luxurious dress as normal, this one goes to her knees and is black with purple roses over it and a matching tiara on her head. She politely closes the door behind her as she excitedly approaches Slate Bass and Keres.
Nova: “As always.”
???: “Hmhmhm, I’m glad the two of you are still getting along just as much as ever.”
Slate Bass, Princess Nova, and Keres all turn to see the alpha woman of The Bassignani Family/The Residence, the “Seamstress of Reality”, Eden. Wearing her usual black garb; a tanktop and jeans… however, this time, with the addition of a small bag over her shoulder..
Slate: “Hello, my love. What a rare moment for all of us to be gathered in your garden. It’s been quite a while, actually.”
Eden: “Yes. About six months too long, to be exact. And a lot has changed…but I am glad to see that my family is still just as strong as ever.”
Eden says with an odd, yet sincere, tone.
Nova: “Strong and continuing to grow.”
The Princess grins.
Nova: “I believe I was the only one to leave the Residence. It was my trip to Europe.”
Slate: “We watched.”
He gently puts his hand on Nova’s shoulder.
Slate: “While it was not your time that night, you are expanding our reach as always. I believe we will do great things in FWA sooner or later.”
Nova blushes while Eden lets out an almost inaudible scoff.
Nova: “Means so much to hear that from you.”
Eden: “Nova, my Princess… I want you to know that I am proud of you. I will admit to having my doubts, as I have had with everybody. But you far exceeded my expectations in more ways than one. Namely, in nurturing our dear, sweet, Keres.”
She gives a genuine smile to Nova, which is rare for any blood member of the Bassignani Family. Returning the kind gesture, Princess Nova curtsies to her mentor and grins.
Nova: “You said it yourself, you knew I was the only one capable of the position. But it did take me falling under your learning tree to do so.”
While they three are engaged in conversation, the youngest of The Residence has been frolicking amongst a bed of flowers near the great tree in the center of the courtyard. Keres slips behind the tree for a second…
Eden: “Daughter, you can stop pretending now.”
Eden’s icey words cut through the air, seeming to let all the warmth out of the garden and allowing in a cold breeze.
Keres: "̤̞̺̕P̬͍̞r̢͉͙̻̞̫e̩͇̩t̴̠̖͎̦e̴̗̙̻̯͔̜͈n̘̥͕d͇̖͎͓̜̺͍í̻ͅng̬̯͇̭̹ͅ?̫̞"̖̠
Keres’ voice now a steely echo in the garden, as if it were coming from everywhere at once. She steps out from behind the tree, now a full 3 feet taller, wearing a full black and gray outfit, complete with two black pigtails falling from her head and black combat boots digging into the ground.
Keres: “I am merely having fun, mother.”
Slate Bass, Eden, and Princess Nova all stare at this adult looking Keres. All three, although having completely different demeanors, feel an immense sense of power in the air. The color itself around them seems to drain from everything but the purple leaves of the tree. Nova simply hums.
Nova: “Hehe, well, that’s my little sister.”
Slate: “Eden… what is going on?”
For perhaps the first time in his TORN existence, there is a small sense of caution in Slate’s voice.
Eden: “You know what this is, dear. And so does Keres. It’s what we’ve been preparing for all this time. Fate has truly arrived. And it is just as cruel as I thought it would be.”
Keres: “Cruel? Mother, there will be nothing of that sort. I love you. I love father. I certainly love my big sister. Everything I do is for the love of my TORN Universe.”
Not taking her eyes off of Keres, Eden reaches into her small bag, taking something out of it, and tossing the bag to the ground. In her hand Eden holds a wilted rose, crackling at the slightest touch.
Slate: “No.”
Slate walks over to Keres and is immediately stopped as the vines of a plant clutch his ankles. He tears them out at the root and continues to walk towards Keres.
Keres: “̤̜̠I͙̩̩ ̰͓͔͇̼ẉ͚̜͕̦̫a̲s̝͔͈͓̰ ̪͔̞̟͕bḛ̭ḭn͍͇͜g̼ ̴͚̟̜n̞͕̹̝̹̦i̤͍̣̞̱c̨̹e̯͓̘͘, ̦̱͓̭͍̹fa̟t̷̘̱̙ḥ̹̦̦͍e̺͉̹͔͕͈̥r͚͇͉̕.̲”̳͍̮̯͞
Slate reaches Keres and goes to place his hand on her shoulder…only to be met with a palm to the chest, dropping him to the ground in crippling pain instantly. Slate lets out a yelp as he crashes into the ground.
Nova blinks, surprised from what she has seen, though she doesn’t move from her spot, as if she… knows this was going to happen.
Eden: “This was inevitable. In fact this is what I always wanted. My daughter to surpass me, in terms of taking over at least. But for you to lay claim to the TORN Universe without earning it…you must be out of your mind.”
Keres: “A wise man once uttered the words, ‘I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity’...Mother… How can I earn that which was mine from birth?”
Eden, with an almost proud smirk on her face, clutches the wilted rose in her hand. She throws it forward and, from thin air, hundreds of dead rose petals move swiftly towards Keres as a form of smokescreen to cover Eden quickly moving towards her. However, this means nothing.
Keres: “You should know better, mother.”
Once the rose petals disappear, Eden is standing where Keres once stood…by herself.
Keres: “I̘̼͔ ̶̜͓̤̥͇̭a͖̦̖͙͈m̴̟̱̙̝̤̦ ̣͔͟t̤̥͈h̗i̢̼̤̥͎s ̶̙p̱̙̯l̞̙̘̝͓̟̼a̷̩͙̟̩͖̫͖c͏̭̞͓͚͉̯̥e̩̬̻.̬̳̻͢”
Keres, hanging upside-down from the tree, reaches down and grabs both sides of Eden’s head, clutching her mother between her fingers. The blank and cold gaze of Keres meets Eden’s eyes…eliciting the foreign feeling of fear into the Seamstress of Reality. She lifts Eden off the ground.
During all this, Princess Nova has remained unflinching, just letting the situation play out. As Keres’ caretaker, she had expected this day would come.
Nova: “Slate, Eden. We knew this would come, why fight it? It is what we always wanted…”
Slate: “Because fate deems it so…”
Slate, in pain, rushes at Keres, who has just headbutted Eden nearly unconscious. Keres hops down from the tree, landing right-side up, and stops her father, grabbing him by the throat after sweeping his leg from under him. Barely able to speak through his daughter’s clutches, he utters a few words.
Slate: “Show…me…your true poten-”
He fails to finish his sentence as Keres turns with him, slamming him into the tree, which then moves some of its roots to meld him partly into itself, keeping him stuck there.
Eden, moving slowly, looks up at Princess Nova and reaches out her hand as if asking for help… Princess Nova moves towards her mentor and gently grabs her hand, though not to tug, but as if you are holding that of a sick relative.
Nova: “I know this is scary. But it is time. Keres is ready. You told me how scary a new role is. Now this is yours.”
She gently kisses Eden’s hand.
Nova: “We’ll love you. I’ll always love you as my own family. Remember.”
Eden, looking up at Nova, moves her hand away and drops it. Smirking, she looks towards Keres, and then back to Nova.
Eden: “Thank you, Nova.”
Keres moves over to her mother and kicks her directly in the face, making her tumble towards the tree, landing in a seated position against it.
Keres: “This… This is where the two of you now belong. Mother. Father. Within my TORN Universe, your essence, your formerly unmatched power and potential, are now part of this tree. My tree. Me. This is where you both shall remain in here…”
Keres lets in a deep breath, her eyes roll back, and she lets out a deep exhale. We are now in the living room of the Bassignani Residence.
Keres: “And The Residence is where you shall remain outside of my TORN Universe. Free will. It is yours. Your time…is over. I cannot be denied.”
Eden: “Yes, my daughter. I am proud of you.”
Slate Bass nods in agreement, as they both sit in chairs in the living room.
Keres looks over at her “sister”, Princess Nova. She is standing with her hands together, head down. Though she did affirm Eden that everything was kind, she knew it was hard. She looks up.
Nova: “No longer. You are worthy, dear sister.”
Keres: “Nova. Your words touch me. You and I shall reign Eternal. This…FWA you have expressed so much about…introduce me to my new…friends. Now.”
Accepting Keres word, Princess Nova curtsies to her.
Nova: “Gladly. Let us prepare then, we have much to do.”
She gives a small grin before the two head off to another part of the house. The TORN Universe reaches a new place, with a new generation taking head.
The opening piano riff of Welcome to the Black Parade serves as background music as we go back to April 23rd 2021 - Fight Night: NOLA. The sound of Kurt Harrington’s voice is heard announcing the Gang Stars as the winners of the match, but it becomes distorted and turns to static.
Devin Golden has a piece of glass in his hand and Alyster Black is sat against the ring post on the floor, unable to move, the result of a vicious assault from Devin Golden. The Rotten Gold is egged on by his hometown fans, he squats down and pushes the shard of glass into Alyster Black’s bare chest.
The video turns to static.
Devin Golden: “I have gotten one up … on YOU at every turn.”
Various clips of Devin Golden beating Alyster are shown. Clips of the two of them brawling in the ring and outside of it. From various shows between 2021 and now. Fight Night: NOLA, the 15th Anniversary Show, Fallout 005, Lights Out 2021, Mile High 2021 and the latest from the 16th Anniversary show.
We see the Gang Stars with the FWA World Tag Team Championships at Lights Out with Golden Rock looking on from the floor, having just lost Game 7.
The clips finish on one of Devin and Randy holding the FWA World Tag Team Championship up high in celebration following them beating Alyster and Krash in the Mile High Massacre. Both members of the Gang Stars look on in disdain.
Devin Golden: “What has Golden done … to get another shot … at the FWA World Championship?”
Clips of Devin standing over a downed Alyster in various situations flash one after the other over a clip of Devin Golden holding a piece of glass in his hand, the clip is in black and white except for the colour red that the glass is covered in, it’s Alyster’s blood.
Devin Golden: “And then … at the Boountyyyy … it was me … Golden … sieeeempreeee … who won the World Chaaaaampionshiiiiip and sent Krash down a spiral that ultimately led … to his death.”
We transition to Meltdown X, the night of the bounty. Showing the Gang Stars valiantly fighting to keep the World Championship on the shoulders of Krash, but the clip ends with the image of Devin Golden driving away with the World Championship.
Devin Golden: “I … killed … KRASH.
Fast forward to Back in Business XVI. Krash and Randy share their final words before plunging into the waters, never to be seen again.
Devin Golden: “I didn’t shove him off the bridge, but I did sharpen the blade of Randy Ramon that did the deed, and I punctured Krash’s heart the night of the Bounty and TOOK HIS SOUL!”
We cut to Meltdown XXIII, Devin is in the ring with a beaten up but still standing Alyster Black, ranting at him, offering him this match.
Devin Golden: “I give you the opportunity … to beat me … in my last match. To retire me. To be the man … to send Golden back … to the place that you, too, one day will go. And to fittingly … and finally … proclaim … that you could be the very first person … to persevere beyond … me. Randy cannot say this. Ryan Rondo cannot say this. KRASH … cannot say this. Danny … Toner cannot say this.
It could be … you. And you will always have that on me.
Allllll you have to do … is accept.”
Devin Golden: “One … final … dance … before the music stops playing. Will you graaaant … an old man … with a walking caaaane … one last dance … Aaaaalyster?”
Then to Meltdown XXV, this time it’s Alyster holding the microphone.
Alyster Black: “When I’m done with you, and you “wake up” never to return. I just want you to remember this… everyone wants you gone and no one is going to miss you. Nothing in this world can compare to the feeling I have knowing that it’s me who has the honour of putting an end to you.”
Clips flash over the screen rapidly as the song reaches a crescendo. The Leather Boys attacking Golden Rock, Devin carving Alyster, the Gang Stars winning the tag titles at Lights Out, Golden Rock winning them back at Mile High Massacre.
We end on Alyster and Devin, eye-to-eye, with Alyster holding the World Championship up proudly.
The entire arena has a hush of anticipation hit it, as the main event is set to come. The image of the three cages and a single referee in the middle sets the mood.
An unexpected sound begins to play – one that if you’ve been watching for 14 years, you might remember from 14 years ago.
The opening buildup of Nelly’s “Heart of a Champion” plays as a few fans in the crowd recognize this as the original theme song of “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden. Right as the first real lyrics begin to play, though, the music stops.
And transitions right into a soothing and recognizable piano chord.
Then the bass guitar and karaoke-famous lyrics.
“Look … if you had … one shot.
One opportunity.
To Seize everything you ever wanted.
One moment.
Would you capture it, or just let it slip?”
More fans cheer as “Lose Yourself” by Eminem is the second of Golden’s theme songs in the FWA.
But it also stops, shifting right into a likewise-recognizable bass guitar beat that soothes the crowd yet again.
“There is …
A house …
In New Orleeeeans …
They caaaaaalllll the Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiising Suuuuuuuuun.
And it's been …
The ruin …
Of many a poor boy
And God …
I know …
I'm oooone.”
The crowd cheers for the soothing sound of “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals, the third of Golden’s theme songs all the way up until his first retirement in 2015! But it also stops after the first stanza, the bass guitar fading into silence.
Allen Price: “Of course he will prolong this. Of course he would.”
“ZOOOOOOOMBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Zombie” by The Cranberries causes the arena to nearly break the sound barrier. “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden appears through the opening with his trademark attire: a black top hat on his head, a black T-shirt below, a walking cane he twirls around in his hand as he absolutely does not need it BUT MAY NEED IT AFTER THIS MATCH, and a pair of boots and wrestling shorts.
Golden slowly struts out with his right hand twirling the cane and his left hand tipping the black top hat just over the edge of his head and brow. He looks down, covering his eyes mysteriously.
But then he removes the hat and does a fancy curtsey for the crowd before looking up and smiling at them.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “If this is how Golden is going out, then what a way it’ll be. He will wrestle in what he calls a Winter Wasteland match. It’s a mixture of a Taipei death match, which he has made his calling card, and even was the second stage of the 3 Stages of Hell tag team match at Back in Business XV between Golden Rock and TxR. But amid the shards of glass glued to Golden’s and Alyster Black’s hands will also be three cages, one on top of the other, with the FWA Championship swaying at the top. It’s a climb, a race, and that’s the simple way of explaining it all.”
Golden struts his way to the ring and enters the cage through the side door. He smiles as he allows the ref to take his hat and walking cane, leaving him as just him, which is more than enough. Golden takes in the atmosphere and closes his eyes. If this is his funeral, then he loves the design of the casket.
Golden then dips his hand in a bucket of glue off to the side, and then into a bucket of glass shards, revealing his hands after three seconds with pointy and sharp glass already causing minor scrapes against his skin.
The music fades – possibly for the last time ever – as Golden looks to the entrance.
If Golden’s music nearly broke the sound barrier, then Alyster’s music DID break it.
“Eins
Zwei
Drei
Vier
Fünf…”
The crowd then chimes in with the blaring audio!
Crowd: “ECHS! SIEBEN! ACHT! NEUN! AUS!”
This continues until the 30-second mark when the singing pauses and the metal sounds of the song take center stage. The crowd explodes when Alyster Black appears through the curtains. He holds the FWA World Championship over one shoulder and the FWA X Championship over the other.
He walks down with the trademark green and black robe – with yellow and white trim here and there – plus the black mask with yellow markings of a face. Alyster walks to the ring with purpose as the crowd continues singing.
“Hier kommt die Sonne
Hier kommt die Sonne
Sie ist der hellste Stern von allen
Hier kommt die Sonne”
Alyster removes the robe but leaves the mask just before entering the cage, joining his opponent. He hands the championship belts to the referee quickly, a symbol of urgency for this match to begin so Alyster can ABSOLUTELY WRECK “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden one last time.
Allen Price: “I love everything about what I’ve seen from Alyster so far. While Golden has made a spectacle of the start of this and his entrance, Alyster is ALL BUSINESS!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “That is what has endeared him to the fans. It’s why he IS the World Champion and X Champion. He is Aly Dos Belts!”
Alyster dips his hands in the glue and then the bucket of glass shards, resulting in a cheer from the fans. All the while, throughout this pre-match step, Alyster is looking directly across the ring at Golden, who watches the champion dive wrist-first into the tapei aspect.
There are two noticeable ways to the top. One is by climbing inside the cell and reaching a latched opening along the side of the ceiling of each cell, which leads to the floor of the next one.
The second way is by exiting the cage through the door and climbing along the outside. This is the more traditional way.
The two competitors don’t waste any time as they lock up, and Randall has the early advantage as he holds Wright’s head down and drives some knees into his dome! Wright is reeling now and Randall shoves him into the corner and unloads on Wright with some stomps. Randall pulls Wright out of the corner and aims for a discus lariat but Wright ducks underneath and strikes back with a headbutt! Randall staggers back and Wright spins him around and shoves him into the corner sternum first. Wright pounds away at the back of Randall with some clubbing blows before hoisting him up top in a sitting position, and for good measure, Wright drives home another clubbing blow to the back.
Wright hangs Randall upside down in a tree of woe position in the corner, and Wright delivers some stomps of his own on The Wildcard. Wright continues this assault as he places his boot on Randall’s head and he pushes down on it, even going as far as using the ropes as leverage, before referee Stevens gets him to back off after a count of five. Wright releases the hold and Randall drops down to the mat in a heap. Wright drags Randall away and Wright looks to apply a kneebar submission, but Randall kicks him away and Wright stumbles back a few steps into the ropes. Randall springs up to his feet however, but Wright is right back on the attack with a spinning back fist that knocks Randall back into the ropes but Randall bounces off of them with a rebound and he fires back with a rebound lariat and both men are down before Randall rolls over on top of Wright with the lateral press…
One…TWO-NO!
Wright gets a shoulder up and Randall instinctively grabs a hold of Wright’s arm, and he transitions into an arm-trap and Randall unleashes a barrage of elbows to the head! Randall relinquishes his hold and paces around the ring while the referee checks on Wright…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Neither man is holding anything back. A win for Randall could move him one step closer to contendership for the TV title, while a win for Wright could move him further up the ranks and possibly near the TV title as well.”
Wright sits up and Randall charges toward him with a running boot, but Wright is wise to duck underneath and he catches Randall from behind with a roll-up!
One…TWO-NO!
Randall kicks out with authority and he rolls through as he rises to his feet, but so does Wright and Wright drives a knee right into the midsection! Wright then sends Randall over with a snapmare and he follows up with a low running kick to the spine! Randall winces in pain and Wright applies a rear chin lock, digging his knee deep into Randall’s lower spine. Randall is reaching out for the ropes, but they are too far. Randall starts to fight out of it despite Wright’s best efforts to keep him locked in the hold, and after a few elbows jabs to the midsection he’s forced to let go. Randall drives home repeated forearm smashes that rock Wright. Randall has Wright in position for a snap suplex but Wright blocks it and quickly counters with his own snap suplex! Randall pops up but Wright strikes with a spinning back kick and Wright hits Randall with a capture suplex! Wright hooks the far leg for the pin…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Wright mounts Randall and drives down some punches while Randall does his best to cover up. Randall eventually manages to counter as he grabs Wright by the arm and transitions into a fujiwara arm bar and he wrenches back on the hold but Wright wisely breaks it up by grabbing the ropes…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “A rare mistake by The Wildcard that he can’t let get to him.”
Allen Price: “I don’t know about you, Jean-Luc, but to me these two seem so evenly matched despite this being their first ever encounter.”
Wright begins to use the ropes as leverage to bring himself to his feet and Randall sneaks up behind him and locks in a rear waistlock, and Randall attempts a german suplex but Wright hangs on to the ropes which prevents Randall hitting his move. Wright nails a back kick to the midsection, and quickly follows up with a spinning back elbow. Randall is in a daze and Wright runs the ropes before coming back and hitting The Wright Way! Randall is more than stunned now but he’s still on his feet, which allows Wright to hit Bedtime Story on Randall! Wright keeps the sleeper hold applied after hitting the suplex and the referee sees Randall’s shoulders on the mat…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Randall kicks out and drops down but Wright brings him back up and Wright drives his knee right in Randall’s face! Wright has him right where he wants him as he brings Randall up, and Wright goes for a spinning back kick, but Randall catches it and spins him around and shoves him into the ropes and Wright bounces off the ropes and staggers back into a sling blade! Randall sizes up Wright and points his finger at Wright in a gun motion before pulling the trigger and he goes for The Kill-Shot but Wright side steps him and rolls him up!
One…two…THREE-NO!
Randall pops up out of the pin and both men are on their feet now and goes for a kick to the midsection, but Wright catches it and takes Randall down with Sweet Revenge! Dragon screw has Randall clutching at his leg as he tries to limp his way back to his feet while Wright sizes him and doubles him over with a spinning back kick! Wright brings Randall in close in position…Dark Cloud! Wright immediately drops down for the pin!
One…two…THREE!
Winner: Darius Wright by pin fall at 13:17
After the match we see Wright assault Randall and lock in a knee bar submission on Randall. The Wildcard is howling in pain as more referees arrive on the scene to attempt to break this up.
Allen Price: “What is the point of this?! Come on, get him off!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wright wants to send a message, Price, and unfortunately it’s at the expense of The Wildcard!”
The lights go out and after several seconds they return but Wright is nowhere to be found. Besides Randall nursing his knee and the referees checking on him, all that is left in the ring is a cloud of smoke.
Allen Price: “I get that he wanted to send a message but there has to be a better way than to trying to end another man’s career!”
We fade in from black, focused on a large ornately decorated wooden set of doors. The trimming and carving on the wood depict an amalgamation of flowers, crows, doves, ravens, and the words “Bassignani” orderly placed in the center, separated by the seam of the doors. The round metal doorknob on one of the doors starts to turn and the door creaks open.
???: “Daddy!”
Yells an extremely happy female child’s voice.
A man is standing in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by a garden that seems almost infinite. A few feet from him, in the actual center, is a large tree with bright purple leaves. A stark contrast to the rather thunderstorm-esque looking sky that surrounds them.
???: “Ah! My darling daughter! How are you doing? Have you been playing nice with your sister?”
The man’s daughter, who is now seen to be 4-year old Keres, is wearing a cute white dress adorned with images of sunflowers. She runs up to her father. He is a large, strong man in a suit. Appearance similar to a certain former FWA star with well kept dark hair and beard. He gives a rare, warm smile. He is the imposing TORN Warrior known as Slate Bass, and gives him a big hug as he kneels down to meet her.
Slate: “Is this true, Nova? The two of you have been playing well today?”
Emerging from the aforementioned doorway is Princess Nova. Wearing a luxurious dress as normal, this one goes to her knees and is black with purple roses over it and a matching tiara on her head. She politely closes the door behind her as she excitedly approaches Slate Bass and Keres.
Nova: “As always.”
???: “Hmhmhm, I’m glad the two of you are still getting along just as much as ever.”
Slate Bass, Princess Nova, and Keres all turn to see the alpha woman of The Bassignani Family/The Residence, the “Seamstress of Reality”, Eden. Wearing her usual black garb; a tanktop and jeans… however, this time, with the addition of a small bag over her shoulder..
Slate: “Hello, my love. What a rare moment for all of us to be gathered in your garden. It’s been quite a while, actually.”
Eden: “Yes. About six months too long, to be exact. And a lot has changed…but I am glad to see that my family is still just as strong as ever.”
Eden says with an odd, yet sincere, tone.
Nova: “Strong and continuing to grow.”
The Princess grins.
Nova: “I believe I was the only one to leave the Residence. It was my trip to Europe.”
Slate: “We watched.”
He gently puts his hand on Nova’s shoulder.
Slate: “While it was not your time that night, you are expanding our reach as always. I believe we will do great things in FWA sooner or later.”
Nova blushes while Eden lets out an almost inaudible scoff.
Nova: “Means so much to hear that from you.”
Eden: “Nova, my Princess… I want you to know that I am proud of you. I will admit to having my doubts, as I have had with everybody. But you far exceeded my expectations in more ways than one. Namely, in nurturing our dear, sweet, Keres.”
She gives a genuine smile to Nova, which is rare for any blood member of the Bassignani Family. Returning the kind gesture, Princess Nova curtsies to her mentor and grins.
Nova: “You said it yourself, you knew I was the only one capable of the position. But it did take me falling under your learning tree to do so.”
While they three are engaged in conversation, the youngest of The Residence has been frolicking amongst a bed of flowers near the great tree in the center of the courtyard. Keres slips behind the tree for a second…
Eden: “Daughter, you can stop pretending now.”
Eden’s icey words cut through the air, seeming to let all the warmth out of the garden and allowing in a cold breeze.
Keres: "̤̞̺̕P̬͍̞r̢͉͙̻̞̫e̩͇̩t̴̠̖͎̦e̴̗̙̻̯͔̜͈n̘̥͕d͇̖͎͓̜̺͍í̻ͅng̬̯͇̭̹ͅ?̫̞"̖̠
Keres’ voice now a steely echo in the garden, as if it were coming from everywhere at once. She steps out from behind the tree, now a full 3 feet taller, wearing a full black and gray outfit, complete with two black pigtails falling from her head and black combat boots digging into the ground.
Keres: “I am merely having fun, mother.”
Slate Bass, Eden, and Princess Nova all stare at this adult looking Keres. All three, although having completely different demeanors, feel an immense sense of power in the air. The color itself around them seems to drain from everything but the purple leaves of the tree. Nova simply hums.
Nova: “Hehe, well, that’s my little sister.”
Slate: “Eden… what is going on?”
For perhaps the first time in his TORN existence, there is a small sense of caution in Slate’s voice.
Eden: “You know what this is, dear. And so does Keres. It’s what we’ve been preparing for all this time. Fate has truly arrived. And it is just as cruel as I thought it would be.”
Keres: “Cruel? Mother, there will be nothing of that sort. I love you. I love father. I certainly love my big sister. Everything I do is for the love of my TORN Universe.”
Not taking her eyes off of Keres, Eden reaches into her small bag, taking something out of it, and tossing the bag to the ground. In her hand Eden holds a wilted rose, crackling at the slightest touch.
Slate: “No.”
Slate walks over to Keres and is immediately stopped as the vines of a plant clutch his ankles. He tears them out at the root and continues to walk towards Keres.
Keres: “̤̜̠I͙̩̩ ̰͓͔͇̼ẉ͚̜͕̦̫a̲s̝͔͈͓̰ ̪͔̞̟͕bḛ̭ḭn͍͇͜g̼ ̴͚̟̜n̞͕̹̝̹̦i̤͍̣̞̱c̨̹e̯͓̘͘, ̦̱͓̭͍̹fa̟t̷̘̱̙ḥ̹̦̦͍e̺͉̹͔͕͈̥r͚͇͉̕.̲”̳͍̮̯͞
Slate reaches Keres and goes to place his hand on her shoulder…only to be met with a palm to the chest, dropping him to the ground in crippling pain instantly. Slate lets out a yelp as he crashes into the ground.
Nova blinks, surprised from what she has seen, though she doesn’t move from her spot, as if she… knows this was going to happen.
Eden: “This was inevitable. In fact this is what I always wanted. My daughter to surpass me, in terms of taking over at least. But for you to lay claim to the TORN Universe without earning it…you must be out of your mind.”
Keres: “A wise man once uttered the words, ‘I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity’...Mother… How can I earn that which was mine from birth?”
Eden, with an almost proud smirk on her face, clutches the wilted rose in her hand. She throws it forward and, from thin air, hundreds of dead rose petals move swiftly towards Keres as a form of smokescreen to cover Eden quickly moving towards her. However, this means nothing.
Keres: “You should know better, mother.”
Once the rose petals disappear, Eden is standing where Keres once stood…by herself.
Keres: “I̘̼͔ ̶̜͓̤̥͇̭a͖̦̖͙͈m̴̟̱̙̝̤̦ ̣͔͟t̤̥͈h̗i̢̼̤̥͎s ̶̙p̱̙̯l̞̙̘̝͓̟̼a̷̩͙̟̩͖̫͖c͏̭̞͓͚͉̯̥e̩̬̻.̬̳̻͢”
Keres, hanging upside-down from the tree, reaches down and grabs both sides of Eden’s head, clutching her mother between her fingers. The blank and cold gaze of Keres meets Eden’s eyes…eliciting the foreign feeling of fear into the Seamstress of Reality. She lifts Eden off the ground.
During all this, Princess Nova has remained unflinching, just letting the situation play out. As Keres’ caretaker, she had expected this day would come.
Nova: “Slate, Eden. We knew this would come, why fight it? It is what we always wanted…”
Slate: “Because fate deems it so…”
Slate, in pain, rushes at Keres, who has just headbutted Eden nearly unconscious. Keres hops down from the tree, landing right-side up, and stops her father, grabbing him by the throat after sweeping his leg from under him. Barely able to speak through his daughter’s clutches, he utters a few words.
Slate: “Show…me…your true poten-”
He fails to finish his sentence as Keres turns with him, slamming him into the tree, which then moves some of its roots to meld him partly into itself, keeping him stuck there.
Eden, moving slowly, looks up at Princess Nova and reaches out her hand as if asking for help… Princess Nova moves towards her mentor and gently grabs her hand, though not to tug, but as if you are holding that of a sick relative.
Nova: “I know this is scary. But it is time. Keres is ready. You told me how scary a new role is. Now this is yours.”
She gently kisses Eden’s hand.
Nova: “We’ll love you. I’ll always love you as my own family. Remember.”
Eden, looking up at Nova, moves her hand away and drops it. Smirking, she looks towards Keres, and then back to Nova.
Eden: “Thank you, Nova.”
Keres moves over to her mother and kicks her directly in the face, making her tumble towards the tree, landing in a seated position against it.
Keres: “This… This is where the two of you now belong. Mother. Father. Within my TORN Universe, your essence, your formerly unmatched power and potential, are now part of this tree. My tree. Me. This is where you both shall remain in here…”
Keres lets in a deep breath, her eyes roll back, and she lets out a deep exhale. We are now in the living room of the Bassignani Residence.
Keres: “And The Residence is where you shall remain outside of my TORN Universe. Free will. It is yours. Your time…is over. I cannot be denied.”
Eden: “Yes, my daughter. I am proud of you.”
Slate Bass nods in agreement, as they both sit in chairs in the living room.
Keres looks over at her “sister”, Princess Nova. She is standing with her hands together, head down. Though she did affirm Eden that everything was kind, she knew it was hard. She looks up.
Nova: “No longer. You are worthy, dear sister.”
Keres: “Nova. Your words touch me. You and I shall reign Eternal. This…FWA you have expressed so much about…introduce me to my new…friends. Now.”
Accepting Keres word, Princess Nova curtsies to her.
Nova: “Gladly. Let us prepare then, we have much to do.”
She gives a small grin before the two head off to another part of the house. The TORN Universe reaches a new place, with a new generation taking head.
The opening piano riff of Welcome to the Black Parade serves as background music as we go back to April 23rd 2021 - Fight Night: NOLA. The sound of Kurt Harrington’s voice is heard announcing the Gang Stars as the winners of the match, but it becomes distorted and turns to static.
Devin Golden has a piece of glass in his hand and Alyster Black is sat against the ring post on the floor, unable to move, the result of a vicious assault from Devin Golden. The Rotten Gold is egged on by his hometown fans, he squats down and pushes the shard of glass into Alyster Black’s bare chest.
The video turns to static.
Devin Golden: “I have gotten one up … on YOU at every turn.”
Various clips of Devin Golden beating Alyster are shown. Clips of the two of them brawling in the ring and outside of it. From various shows between 2021 and now. Fight Night: NOLA, the 15th Anniversary Show, Fallout 005, Lights Out 2021, Mile High 2021 and the latest from the 16th Anniversary show.
We see the Gang Stars with the FWA World Tag Team Championships at Lights Out with Golden Rock looking on from the floor, having just lost Game 7.
The clips finish on one of Devin and Randy holding the FWA World Tag Team Championship up high in celebration following them beating Alyster and Krash in the Mile High Massacre. Both members of the Gang Stars look on in disdain.
Devin Golden: “What has Golden done … to get another shot … at the FWA World Championship?”
Clips of Devin standing over a downed Alyster in various situations flash one after the other over a clip of Devin Golden holding a piece of glass in his hand, the clip is in black and white except for the colour red that the glass is covered in, it’s Alyster’s blood.
Devin Golden: “And then … at the Boountyyyy … it was me … Golden … sieeeempreeee … who won the World Chaaaaampionshiiiiip and sent Krash down a spiral that ultimately led … to his death.”
We transition to Meltdown X, the night of the bounty. Showing the Gang Stars valiantly fighting to keep the World Championship on the shoulders of Krash, but the clip ends with the image of Devin Golden driving away with the World Championship.
Devin Golden: “I … killed … KRASH.
Fast forward to Back in Business XVI. Krash and Randy share their final words before plunging into the waters, never to be seen again.
Devin Golden: “I didn’t shove him off the bridge, but I did sharpen the blade of Randy Ramon that did the deed, and I punctured Krash’s heart the night of the Bounty and TOOK HIS SOUL!”
We cut to Meltdown XXIII, Devin is in the ring with a beaten up but still standing Alyster Black, ranting at him, offering him this match.
Devin Golden: “I give you the opportunity … to beat me … in my last match. To retire me. To be the man … to send Golden back … to the place that you, too, one day will go. And to fittingly … and finally … proclaim … that you could be the very first person … to persevere beyond … me. Randy cannot say this. Ryan Rondo cannot say this. KRASH … cannot say this. Danny … Toner cannot say this.
It could be … you. And you will always have that on me.
Allllll you have to do … is accept.”
Devin Golden: “One … final … dance … before the music stops playing. Will you graaaant … an old man … with a walking caaaane … one last dance … Aaaaalyster?”
Then to Meltdown XXV, this time it’s Alyster holding the microphone.
Alyster Black: “When I’m done with you, and you “wake up” never to return. I just want you to remember this… everyone wants you gone and no one is going to miss you. Nothing in this world can compare to the feeling I have knowing that it’s me who has the honour of putting an end to you.”
Clips flash over the screen rapidly as the song reaches a crescendo. The Leather Boys attacking Golden Rock, Devin carving Alyster, the Gang Stars winning the tag titles at Lights Out, Golden Rock winning them back at Mile High Massacre.
We end on Alyster and Devin, eye-to-eye, with Alyster holding the World Championship up proudly.
The entire arena has a hush of anticipation hit it, as the main event is set to come. The image of the three cages and a single referee in the middle sets the mood.
An unexpected sound begins to play – one that if you’ve been watching for 14 years, you might remember from 14 years ago.
The opening buildup of Nelly’s “Heart of a Champion” plays as a few fans in the crowd recognize this as the original theme song of “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden. Right as the first real lyrics begin to play, though, the music stops.
And transitions right into a soothing and recognizable piano chord.
Then the bass guitar and karaoke-famous lyrics.
“Look … if you had … one shot.
One opportunity.
To Seize everything you ever wanted.
One moment.
Would you capture it, or just let it slip?”
More fans cheer as “Lose Yourself” by Eminem is the second of Golden’s theme songs in the FWA.
But it also stops, shifting right into a likewise-recognizable bass guitar beat that soothes the crowd yet again.
“There is …
A house …
In New Orleeeeans …
They caaaaaalllll the Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiising Suuuuuuuuun.
And it's been …
The ruin …
Of many a poor boy
And God …
I know …
I'm oooone.”
The crowd cheers for the soothing sound of “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals, the third of Golden’s theme songs all the way up until his first retirement in 2015! But it also stops after the first stanza, the bass guitar fading into silence.
Allen Price: “Of course he will prolong this. Of course he would.”
“ZOOOOOOOMBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Zombie” by The Cranberries causes the arena to nearly break the sound barrier. “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden appears through the opening with his trademark attire: a black top hat on his head, a black T-shirt below, a walking cane he twirls around in his hand as he absolutely does not need it BUT MAY NEED IT AFTER THIS MATCH, and a pair of boots and wrestling shorts.
Golden slowly struts out with his right hand twirling the cane and his left hand tipping the black top hat just over the edge of his head and brow. He looks down, covering his eyes mysteriously.
But then he removes the hat and does a fancy curtsey for the crowd before looking up and smiling at them.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “If this is how Golden is going out, then what a way it’ll be. He will wrestle in what he calls a Winter Wasteland match. It’s a mixture of a Taipei death match, which he has made his calling card, and even was the second stage of the 3 Stages of Hell tag team match at Back in Business XV between Golden Rock and TxR. But amid the shards of glass glued to Golden’s and Alyster Black’s hands will also be three cages, one on top of the other, with the FWA Championship swaying at the top. It’s a climb, a race, and that’s the simple way of explaining it all.”
Golden struts his way to the ring and enters the cage through the side door. He smiles as he allows the ref to take his hat and walking cane, leaving him as just him, which is more than enough. Golden takes in the atmosphere and closes his eyes. If this is his funeral, then he loves the design of the casket.
Golden then dips his hand in a bucket of glue off to the side, and then into a bucket of glass shards, revealing his hands after three seconds with pointy and sharp glass already causing minor scrapes against his skin.
The music fades – possibly for the last time ever – as Golden looks to the entrance.
If Golden’s music nearly broke the sound barrier, then Alyster’s music DID break it.
“Eins
Zwei
Drei
Vier
Fünf…”
The crowd then chimes in with the blaring audio!
Crowd: “ECHS! SIEBEN! ACHT! NEUN! AUS!”
This continues until the 30-second mark when the singing pauses and the metal sounds of the song take center stage. The crowd explodes when Alyster Black appears through the curtains. He holds the FWA World Championship over one shoulder and the FWA X Championship over the other.
He walks down with the trademark green and black robe – with yellow and white trim here and there – plus the black mask with yellow markings of a face. Alyster walks to the ring with purpose as the crowd continues singing.
“Hier kommt die Sonne
Hier kommt die Sonne
Sie ist der hellste Stern von allen
Hier kommt die Sonne”
Alyster removes the robe but leaves the mask just before entering the cage, joining his opponent. He hands the championship belts to the referee quickly, a symbol of urgency for this match to begin so Alyster can ABSOLUTELY WRECK “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden one last time.
Allen Price: “I love everything about what I’ve seen from Alyster so far. While Golden has made a spectacle of the start of this and his entrance, Alyster is ALL BUSINESS!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “That is what has endeared him to the fans. It’s why he IS the World Champion and X Champion. He is Aly Dos Belts!”
Alyster dips his hands in the glue and then the bucket of glass shards, resulting in a cheer from the fans. All the while, throughout this pre-match step, Alyster is looking directly across the ring at Golden, who watches the champion dive wrist-first into the tapei aspect.
There are two noticeable ways to the top. One is by climbing inside the cell and reaching a latched opening along the side of the ceiling of each cell, which leads to the floor of the next one.
The second way is by exiting the cage through the door and climbing along the outside. This is the more traditional way.
When the bell rings, the crowd begins trading off in a shouting match of “DE-VIN GOOOOOL-DEEEN!” and “ALY’S GONNA KIIIIILLLLL YOOOOUUUUU!” Golden smiles in a big, cheesy way as he stands across the ring from Alyster, who remains still as a pole. Golden then looks up above to see the roof of the first cage, followed by the roof of the second cage, followed by the roof of the third cage.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Golden exclaims, getting a cheer from the crowd.
“Thank youuuuuu .. for doing this … Aaaaaalyster … BLAAAAAAACK! I am sorry … for the scaaaaaar … on your heart … but you have a chance … to pay me … baaaaack … once and for allllll.”
Golden lunges forward and Alyster meets with a grapple. The two push one another in a came of strength to try and gain the upper hand, which the reigning FWA World Champion wins. Alyster backs Golden into the turnbuckle and takes the first shot, a punch with the glass of shards connecting to Golden’s cheek. The challenger is bleeding after one punch.
Alyster steps back and Golden holds his hand against his cheek, looking down and seeing the blood. He then looks up with a devilish smile.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Golden lunges back at Alyster, who whips Golden around and throws another right hand. Golden ducks this one and lands an open-fist punch into the stomach. Alyster’s mask guards his face, but Golden can attack the midsection. He even notices the scar of “F” “W” and “A” over his heart. With every punch, Golden makes a small cut with the shards of glass on his hands.
Allen Price: “If Chris wants Alyster to win, then I’m rooting for him. Let’s go, Alyster BLACK!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “That won’t win Chris back to you, Allen.”
Allen Price: “Whatever.”
Golden whips Alyster across the ring and tries a clothesline. It misses. Alyster hits the original ropes but Golden meets him with a jumping leg lariat across the chest and shoulders. Alyster goes down as “The Rotten Gold” lands the first takedown blow. Golden then mounts atop Alyster and begins punching into the mask, which hurts Golden more than Alyster but at least presses against Alyster’s face!
Allen Price: “This ring is going to be drenched in blood by the end of this. It’s disgusting, and only a disgusting person like Golden would ask for this match.”
Golden gets off of Alyster and looks down at his bloody hand and wrists from the shards of glass piercing his skin. He smiles again, but when he turns, he’s met with a ferocious right hand punch from Alyster Black. The impact and the pain of the glass shards knocks Golden onto his back. He then rolls out of the ring.
Alyster follows as Golden tries to gain some space from his opponent. Alyster smashes Golden’s face against the side of the cage, rubbing it against the steel chains. “The Rotten Gold” throws an elbow to try and reverse the way of things, but it’s nowhere near the target. Alyster then whips Golden into the side of the ring and kicks him hard in the stomach. Then an uppercut that slices open Golden’s jaw.
Alyster belly-to-belly throws Golden against the side of the cage, which rattles and shakes on impact. Alyster tries a right-hand punch but Golden dodges. Alyster’s hand hits the cage and causes more bleeding due to the glass shards, which are now falling to the floor upon each impact. Less and less sits on their hands.
Golden kicks the gut and hits a snap suplex where Alyster lands back first into the edge of the ring! The champion crumbles off of the edge as Golden begins to strut around the outside of the ring and skip a bit, ending with a sway back to the struggling Alyster Black.
Allen Price: “Why is he being so cocky? What is this dancing about?!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Why do you care, Allen? Nothing has been really done so far. No one can win with a pinfall or submission. The only way to win the match is by exiting the cage or climbing up through the door all the way to the top and retrieving the belt hanging above the third cage! Everything happening on the ground floor is just the appetizer.”
Allen Price: “You’re right that nothing is frantic about the match until someone starts climbing.”
Golden is having too much fun at the bottom level. He rolls Alyster back into the ring and immediately hits a one-armed running bulldog planting Alyster into the ring. Shards of glass bounce into the air on impact, and each move is fraught with the possibility of both the man on offense and man on defense landing on a sharp shard of glass laying on the floor outside the ring – or inside the ring.
Golden slowly picks Alyster up and begins to have a chat, as he is prone to do.
“I wanted you because no one has defined my run – this latest run – in the FWA more than you and Danny. You may not liiiike that … Alyster Blaaaaaaaack … but it’s true. And you may not liiiiiike me … Alyster Blaaaaaack … but I … I wish we could do this … foreeeeeeever.”
Golden then tries a belly-to-belly suplex, but Alyster headbutts him right away. The counter is a sternum-first irish whip into the turnbuckle, and a saito suplex onto the ring mat as Golden stumbles out of the corner holding his midsection. Then Alyster hits a pendulum backbreaker, landing it with an extra oomph for the chance of breaking Golden’s spine into pieces.
Alyster then stands over Golden and makes a quick walk towards the door of the cage. He opens it while leaning over the ropes and turnbuckle and begins his exit, but Golden grabs his right foot just before he steps through the ropes.
Alyster tries to kick Golden in the face, but “The Rotten Gold” grabs a shard of glass laying on the ring mat and sticks it into Alyster’s achilles area! The champion cannot withstand the pain silently and belts a scream. He then hobbles his way back into the ring as Golden gets up and tries to stick the shard into his stomach, only for Alyster to catch his wrist with both hands to block!
Golden then uses his free hand – left hand – for a punch to the chest. Golden tries another attack with the glass shard but Alyster blocks again by catching at the wrist and this time kicking Golden in the groin!
Next is a knife-edge chop with glass shards adding to the cuts in Golden’s chest. Then a forearm smash to the face. Golden has blood coming down his cheek and spoiling his five o’clock shadow. Alyster hits a snapmare as Golden’s back lands on the glass in the ring, and Alyster follows with a dropkick to the back of the challenger’s head!
Allen Price: “Every time Golden tries something, Alyster Black is answering and proving he’s superior. He has proven it for two years now! Ever since Golden resorted to the glass scarring, he has known Alyster is better when it comes to just wrestling!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, but this match isn’t just wrestling. It’s a race to the top!”
Alyster again tries to leave the ring, hobbling due to the cut in his achilles. He is able to exit, and Golden rolls towards the exit himself in trail. Alyster then looks up and sees the daunting climb before him – 10-15 feet per cage all the way to the top. He figures it might as well begin now, so he grabs the outside of the chain-link cage and steps up, beginning the climb.
Golden has exited the cage himself and goes to the other side to climb. Alyster reaches the top of the first cage rather quickly, with Golden about 5 seconds behind. Alyster finds his unstable footing on the roof of Cage #1, which has about 5 feet of luxury between the treacherous edge and the side of Cage #2.
Golden is up as well and before Alyster can try to climb Cage #2, Golden tackles him to the floor. He begins throwing wild rights and lefts until Alyster kicks him off! Golden rolls and gets upright, now looking agitated.
“WHY WON’T YOU KEEP THIS GOING?!” he yells. Alyster charges with a knee to the ribs. Then a DDT onto the sketchy and bending roof of Cage #1/floor of Cage #2. Alyster steps back and leans against the side of Cage #2, which he now recognizes as another climb in need. But first, he wants to inflict more pain.
Golden is kneeling and Alyster lands a running forearm smash into his back. He then picks a piece of glass shard that had remained glued to his wrist through Act One of the match and drives it into the back of Golden’s skin!!! Right around where the ribs would be. Alyster then sticks the glass shard into the other side of the lower back, inflicting more pain and causing more blood to appear!
Then Alyster does a double foot stomp into Golden’s back, keeping the challenger down!
Allen Price: “Alyster Black is doing EVERYTHING he needs to in order to stress that HE is the one who will walk out of here the FWA World Champion! And that Golden will be retiring!”
Alyster Black turns to Cage #2 and begins climbing, but he does it at a slightly slower pace than expected and Golden REFUSES to stay down. He grabs Alyster by the ankle and on the other achilles drives a shard of glass into the skin and tissue!!! Alyster falls to the top of the cell and rolls to the edge. Golden then begins pummeling Alyster against his mask until the champion retreats down the side of the cage and hops to the floor! Golden is in pain as Alyster collects himself at the bottom of the structure.
Instead of climbing to the top of Cage #2, though, Golden seizes a chance with Alyster not looking and does a SUICIDE DIVE FROM THE TOP OF THE CELL!!!
Alyster side steps at the last moment and Golden catches just one half of him, the other half crashing into the fan barricade! Both men are down and the crowd begins YELLING in entertainment!
Allen Price: “THIS IS INSANITY! Someone should stop this! Both men are bleeding and broken at this point!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “This is classic. Historic! Only the third triple cage match in FWA history and another tapei death match in Golden’s long career! And it’s with everything at stake! Title. Career. A rivalry hangs in the balance! Keep. It. Going.”
Alyster surprisingly is up first. He grabs Golden around the neck and slams him down with a bodyslam. Then he takes two steps to the side of the cage and begins his second climb of the outside of Cage #1. Golden is not moving much, slowly rolling to his side. By the time he is kneeling, Alyster has his hand over the edge of the top of the cage.
Allen Price: “If Alyster can sprint to the top, then he will win it right here! He has a huge head start!”
But he does not try to finish that scale. Instead, Alyster points to his elbow and then the crowd. The fans all cheer as Alyster LEAPS OFF for a pointed elbow drop 15 FEET DOWN INTO GOLDEN!!!
Allen Price: “WHAT A MADMAN! ALYSTER BLACK TAKING NO QUARTER TONIGHT!”
Alyster lays there for a second and eventually props Golden up against the barricade. He then does Violence Party, getting the crowd even more excited with frantic cheers heard throughout the arena. It’s DEAFENING!
Alyster leaves Golden a puddle of sweat, fatigue, and blood on the floor after the elbow drop and Violence Party. He begins to scale the cage, making the top in about 10 seconds of climbing. Alyster then looks down as Golden begins to rustle below. Somehow … the challenger is still moving.
Golden tries to catch up, making a quick climb of the cell after recovering from the 15-foot dive with a rough impact. Alyster is still up first and before Golden can get over the edge and to the top, Alyster meets him with a stingy right-hand punch to the face. Then a second one. Then a third one. Golden eventually is hanging by one hand off the side of the cage!
Alyster grabs one of the final glass shards in his wrist and plunges it into the hand of Golden, who REFUSES to let go. Alyster then begins carving his own message into the wrist.
Allen Price: “WHAT?! EYE FOR AN EYE?! YES! YES!”
He carves out a “D” in the wrist. Then an “I” next to it. And finally an “E” to finish the sentiment!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Alyster Black is saying what some – such as Chris Peacock – want to say as well to “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden! ‘Die already!’”
Allen Price: “YES! Die, you hack!”
Alyster tries to land one more punch to the face but Golden surprises him by swinging his hanging arm and connecting into the mask, stunning Alyster enough to pull himself onto the top of the cage. Golden then grabs Alyster around the waist and hits a German suplex!
Golden holds the waist lock and rolls over to his knees and feet. A second German suplex!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “All of the sudden, Golden has turned the tide of this match atop Cage #1! No one has made it on top of Cage #2 yet!”
Golden gets up and hits a THIRD German Suplex, this time releasing Alyster and throwing him against the side of Cage #2! Golden smiles as Alyster busts open part of the cage on impact. Golden then walks inside of Cage #2 with Alyster and hits his vertical suplex into a sitout faceplant!
Allen Price: “Golden needs to die already, dammit! How does he keep going?!”
Golden begins climbing from the inside of the cage and unlocks the latch in the ceiling. He then pushes the door of the roof open and climbs through, reaching the top of the 12-foot-high Cage #2! Golden is so much closer to winning the FWA World Championship!
Alyster Black begins stirring and realizes he is a full story behind. He sees Golden above him and quickly scurries to the wall of the cage, climbing from the inside. Golden can easily exit Cage #3 and climb the outside to the top, where the World Championship is hanging and lightly swaying.
“It’s not time to be oooooover … yyyyyyyyet” he says, turning back to meet Alyster in the opening. Golden and Alyster now stand inside of Cage #3 and begin throwing punches back and forth. The whole scene feels like a movie, with the crowd chiming in with a “HOLY SHIT!” chant. Alyster tries to gain the edge but Golden smashes his face into the side of the cage. Then smashes his face into the other side!
Golden and Alyster both are bloody from face to chest, with Alyster even bleeding beneath his mask!
Golden looks at Alyster and says, “This one is for Rondo!” He hits a cutter – a variation of the Amazing KO cutter used by Rondo – right onto the floor of Cage #3!
Golden sits next to Alyster, who lays face down inside of Cage #3. Golden then smiles and elicits a “HA-HAAAAAA” although it’s more fatigued than the ones at the start of the match.
“The Rotten Gold” then gets up and waits for Alyster to rise up. He has one more homage to pay as he stands inside of the top cell, waiting for a final blow and moment. As Alyster Black slowly stirs and gets to his knees, Golden crouches down.
“This one … is for a rockstar.”
When Alyster gets up, Golden fires off a version of the “Remix” superkick! But Alyster dodges it! And turns the tide with a kick and swinging neckbreaker! It’s just enough of a stymie of Golden’s run of offense to allow Alyster to lay down next to his foe and catch a breather!
Allen Price: “This is just insanity at this point. Both men are desperately trying to get one more cage up to grab the championship! I just hope Alyster is the one to do it!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “They can open their eyes and look up and SEE it hanging there!”
Alyster Black is first up, exiting the door to Cage #3 and beginning a slow and fatigued climb up the side. Golden sees Alyster trying this and does a dropkick into the side of the cage, knocking the reigning World Champion off-balance and causing him to fall to his feet. Golden slowly gets up and sees Alyster try to climb again. He again gets him off balance on the outside, this time shoulder-blocking the side of the cage from the inside.
Golden and Alyster then catch one another eye to eye through the cage’s steel links. Alyster is with his mask on. Golden smiles back at him.
“I wish … we could do this … foreeeeever,” Golden says, as he presses his blood-covered face up against the cage siding.
Alyster punches the cage right where Golden’s face is, and this allows the champion to begin climbing. Golden hurries out of the door and grabs Alyster’s foot to prevent him from getting fully to the top of the 10-foot structure.
Golden climbs up alongside Alyster and the two make it to the top at the same time. Alyster Black lands a fatigued right hand to the face. Then a stomp with his boot to the nose. He looks up and sees the championship swaying about 3 feet above his head, easily close enough to reach up and grab it with an outstretched arm and tippy toes.
But Golden low-blows him from behind, causing Alyster to go down to his knees!
Golden then sees a chance for himself to do the same, grab the belt on his tippy toes and win it!
Allen Price: “NO! NO!”
But he looks back down at Alyster Black and smiles.
“ONE MORE MOMENT, ALYSTER! ONE MORE MOMENT OF THE FINAL ACT!”
“The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden props Alyster Black up steps back to the other side of Cage #3. Alyster is about two feet from the edge of the cage as Golden charges and tries to TACKLE HIM OFF THE CAGE!
But Alyster Black explodes with a ONE-SHOT KILL lariat that nearly takes Golden’s head off!!!
Allen Price: “YES! YES! IT’S OVER!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Alyster with the ONE-SHOT KILL and he can grab the belt right now!”
But the champion doesn’t. Instead, he picks Golden up and for the first time all match – amid all the talking from Golden – speaks.
“I’m going to end it. You. Go to hell with me. This is the moment you wanted.”
Alyster then hoists Golden onto his shoulders and walks to the edge of Cage #3’s ceiling!
Allen Price: “What?! What is he thinking?!”
As Alyster is set to leap off the cage, Golden elbows the side of his face and slides off his back! NO BOMB TO HELL THIS TIME! Golden scurries to one side of the 12-foot-wide structure and charges forward, jumping up with his knee to hit an …
Allen Price: “*audible gasp*”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “EQUALIZER! GOLDEN HIT AN EQUALIZER!”
Alyster Black goes down like a bag of bricks. Golden looks down and smiles at the reigning World Champion, who refuses to stay down given the situation. Golden senses that he may need a second one. So he steps to the other side of the cage and with blood all over his face and bloody cuts throughout his chest and ribs, Golden charges forward and hits a SECOND Equalizer finisher!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Golden gave a homage to Rondo! He gave a homage to Ramon! Now a homage to Danny ‘F’n’ Toner!”
On the second one, Alyster Black is stunned and slowly tips over the edge of the ceiling of Cage #3 and down 10 feet to the top of Cage #2! The entire cage rattles on impact as Golden looks down at him.
Allen Price: “GET UP! SOMEONE! CHRIS! ANYONE GET IN HERE TO STOP THIS!”
The challenger is barely able to stand at this point, but he crawls to the edge and looks over the edge – the camera seeing him from below smiling while blood appears from his mouth.
Golden then rolls back to his stomach and gets up, looking up at the World Championship swaying above.
Allen Price: “This can’t be happening.”
“We are not done,” Golden says.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s happening, Allen! It’s REALLY … happening!”
Golden grabs the championship and unhooks it, retrieving his record-setting FOURTEENTH championship reign and record-tying FIFTH World Championship.
There’s blood everywhere. It’s all over the face and chest of “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden. It’s all over the chest of Alyster Black and while his mask covers his face – there are cuts and blood there, too. Blood stains all over the canvas 37 feet below where Golden stands. Blood stains in the chain-linked cage walls. Blood stains on the padding on the floor outside of the cage. Blood now on the plate of the World Championship held by the fatigued winner, who can barely stand up.
Golden walks over to the edge of Cage #3 and sits there, holding the FWA World Championship. He was prepared for this to be his final match – his funeral, as he said earlier. Here he is now holding the World Championship yet again. He outlasted Alyster effin’ Black, the Forever X Champion and one of his long-time rivals. He outlasted “D” “I” and “E” being carved with a shard of glass into his wrist, which still has blood coming from it and most certainly will be a set of scars.
Allen Price: “Devin Golden is World Champion again. I think I’m going to be sick.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I can take it home for you if you’d like.”
Allen Price: “I cannot believe the sight I’m seeing: Devin Golden holding the World Championship at the top of the cage.”
Golden holds it in the air as the crowd cheers one last time for the victor. “The Rotten Gold” looks down at Alyster Black, who still has not rolled over from laying face-up on the top of Cage #2. Golden then nods his head and says, “There will be moooore. I am suuuure you are not done.”
Is he referring to Carnal Contendership? The F1 Climaxx? Who knows? For now, Golden is yet again the World Champion – close to one year after he surprised the wrestling world at Meltdown X: The Bounty. The last scene is Golden holding the World Championship high into the air as he sits on the edge of Cage #3, his feet dangling dangerously over the side of the cell.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “You can just see the physical toll that this match has taken on the new champion, Price. That was a war and I do not think that either man is going to be the same again.”
As Devin gingerly climbs down from the top cage onto the middle one, ensuring that he does not loosen his grip on his newly-won championship, he breathes heavily. Still absolutely covered in blood, he grins through it all.
Allen Price: “At least for Devin Golden, there will be cause for celebration. The same cannot be said for Alyster Black, who I am sure will be devastated about this loss…”
A shot of Alyster shows the now-former champion still nursing some of the many fresh injuries that he has sustained during the match. Golden completes his descent to the floor and continues his celebration by re-entering the bottom cage and puts his feet down on the mat - a natural and comfortable feeling. A grin forms on his face and he stands in the middle of the ring as the chorus of ‘Zombie’ plays once again, his arms out, head tilted back and eyes closed.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Well, wrestling fans it has proven to be another historic edition of Saturday Night Fallout… but if we have learned anything, it is that the Devin Golden show will last forever… he is truly Siemp-”
The fans EXPLODE into a barrage of cheers and roars of approval as the Sister Sledge tune blares through the speaker systems inside the arena. In the ring, Devin Golden’s eyes widen as he knows what this means and who is going to be coming out. After a few seconds, Chris Peacock walks out from the back to an earth-shattering pop! He has the Golden Opportunity briefcase in his right hand and is dragging a referee by the collar with his left, and is making a beeline towards the ring!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He’s doing it! Chris Peacock… he’s going to cash in! The vulture is here to pick the bones and it must be deja vu for Devin Golden!”
Allen Price: “I’m speechless, Jean-Luc.”
Peacock walks through the open door to the bottom cage and brings the referee in with him and through the ropes and into the ring. Peacock gives Golden a middle finger… and shoves the case into the chest of the referee he brought out with him! More of the glass is cleaned up… and Peacock takes a spot in a corner, looking at a stunned Golden! The referee passes the case to Natalie Rosenberg at ringside, who nods her head at the instructions that she has been given.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Ladies and gentlemen… Chris Peacock is CASHING IN HIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY CONTRACT! Therefore, the following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is for the FWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “HE’S REALLY GOING TO DO IT LIKE THIS!”
The fans cheer again and the referee goes over to check on Golden and he takes the championship away from him. Golden takes a couple of steps into the middle of the ring and drops to his knees whilst the referee performs his checks on Peacock prior to the match starting. Golden’s expression turns into a smirk as he looks at Peacock and he closes his eyes, holding his arms out.
Allen Price: “What is he doing, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He’s accepting his fate. He knows that his illustrious career is about to be over, like this. Chris Peacock wants to kill him off like this… in the easiest manner that he could and Devin knows there is nothing he can do about it.”
Peacock wears a confused expression on his face as he sees what his opponent is doing. The referee is about to call for the bell, but Peacock holds his arm back! There is some confusion from the crowd… as Peacock shakes his head. He holds his arm through the open cage door and takes the microphone from Rosenberg.
Chris Peacock: “No. Stop. I’m not doing it. Not like this.”
The crowd boo Peacock for his decision, and his hands are visibly shaking as he takes a step closer to Golden, who seems slightly confused himself now.
Chris Peacock: “I’m not going to give you the satisfaction, Devin. I know this is what you want. You want everyone to be able to tell me that I did it cheaply, and I took the easy way out to become champion… and that I didn’t really beat you. I’m not going to let you tarnish MY legacy with that bullshit, Devin! Even after you’ve gone!”
Peacock seems to be fighting back tears, the weight of his decision clearly piling on top of him.
Chris Peacock: “When I become FWA World Champion, I don’t want there to be an asterisk next to it. I don’t want anyone to be able to say that I didn’t earn it properly, especially against you. You don’t have that power over me anymore. I’m free of your games so I’m not playing anymore.”
He crouches down, his face just inches away from Golden’s and he talks in a slow and calculated way.
Chris Peacock: “No… what I am going to do is take this from you and leave you and everyone else without any reason to doubt me. I’m going to do what I did at Back in Business and I am going to BEAT YOU! NO COMPLAINTS! NO EXCUSES! I’m going to KICK YOUR ASS AND SEND YOU PACKING AND TAKE MY TITLE ON FEBRUARY 12TH! BACK IN TOWN! YOU’VE GOT TWENTY-NINE DAYS, ASSHOLE!”
Peacock slams the microphone on the mat and he and Devin stare into each other’s eyes for a few seconds before Peacock stands up and backs away from him. Peacock snatches his briefcase back from Natalie Rosenberg before departing the bottom cage.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “What just happened? It looked like Chris Peacock was about to cash in… and become the FWA World Champion… but he changed his mind at the last second and he will now be cashing in his shot against Devin Golden on February 12th at Back in Town!”
Allen Price: “Chris Peacock realised that he did not want to take the easy way out, Jean-Luc… and despite everything that has happened between us in recent weeks, I respect the hell out of him for making that decision. He wants to be FWA World Champion more than anything else in the world, but he is going to do it HIS WAY.”
The man who will challenge Devin Golden for the FWA World Championship in just under a month departs the bottom cage and on the outside of the ring sees that Alyster Black has been assisted down from the roof of the middle cage and is in the process of refusing medical treatment. The doctors attempt to convince Black to go on a stretcher, but he would rather make his own way back.
Alyster stops resisting when he sees Peacock, and Chris bustles through the medical team to get to his close friend. They share a nod and Chris offers a hand to Black, who takes it, and Chris puts the former champion’s arm over his shoulder and he begins assisting Alyster up the ramp as the fans loudly cheer both men. Chris helps Alyster turn around and the crowd begin loudly chanting Black’s name. In the ring, Devin Golden is watching the scene unfold in a stunned silence, after just a couple of minutes ago thinking his whole world was going to come crashing down.
The final image of Fallout 025 is the duo of Alyster Black - the former champion - and Chris Peacock - the potential next champion - raising their middle fingers at Devin Golden - the current (and possibly forever) champion.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Golden exclaims, getting a cheer from the crowd.
“Thank youuuuuu .. for doing this … Aaaaaalyster … BLAAAAAAACK! I am sorry … for the scaaaaaar … on your heart … but you have a chance … to pay me … baaaaack … once and for allllll.”
Golden lunges forward and Alyster meets with a grapple. The two push one another in a came of strength to try and gain the upper hand, which the reigning FWA World Champion wins. Alyster backs Golden into the turnbuckle and takes the first shot, a punch with the glass of shards connecting to Golden’s cheek. The challenger is bleeding after one punch.
Alyster steps back and Golden holds his hand against his cheek, looking down and seeing the blood. He then looks up with a devilish smile.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Golden lunges back at Alyster, who whips Golden around and throws another right hand. Golden ducks this one and lands an open-fist punch into the stomach. Alyster’s mask guards his face, but Golden can attack the midsection. He even notices the scar of “F” “W” and “A” over his heart. With every punch, Golden makes a small cut with the shards of glass on his hands.
Allen Price: “If Chris wants Alyster to win, then I’m rooting for him. Let’s go, Alyster BLACK!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “That won’t win Chris back to you, Allen.”
Allen Price: “Whatever.”
Golden whips Alyster across the ring and tries a clothesline. It misses. Alyster hits the original ropes but Golden meets him with a jumping leg lariat across the chest and shoulders. Alyster goes down as “The Rotten Gold” lands the first takedown blow. Golden then mounts atop Alyster and begins punching into the mask, which hurts Golden more than Alyster but at least presses against Alyster’s face!
Allen Price: “This ring is going to be drenched in blood by the end of this. It’s disgusting, and only a disgusting person like Golden would ask for this match.”
Golden gets off of Alyster and looks down at his bloody hand and wrists from the shards of glass piercing his skin. He smiles again, but when he turns, he’s met with a ferocious right hand punch from Alyster Black. The impact and the pain of the glass shards knocks Golden onto his back. He then rolls out of the ring.
Alyster follows as Golden tries to gain some space from his opponent. Alyster smashes Golden’s face against the side of the cage, rubbing it against the steel chains. “The Rotten Gold” throws an elbow to try and reverse the way of things, but it’s nowhere near the target. Alyster then whips Golden into the side of the ring and kicks him hard in the stomach. Then an uppercut that slices open Golden’s jaw.
Alyster belly-to-belly throws Golden against the side of the cage, which rattles and shakes on impact. Alyster tries a right-hand punch but Golden dodges. Alyster’s hand hits the cage and causes more bleeding due to the glass shards, which are now falling to the floor upon each impact. Less and less sits on their hands.
Golden kicks the gut and hits a snap suplex where Alyster lands back first into the edge of the ring! The champion crumbles off of the edge as Golden begins to strut around the outside of the ring and skip a bit, ending with a sway back to the struggling Alyster Black.
Allen Price: “Why is he being so cocky? What is this dancing about?!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Why do you care, Allen? Nothing has been really done so far. No one can win with a pinfall or submission. The only way to win the match is by exiting the cage or climbing up through the door all the way to the top and retrieving the belt hanging above the third cage! Everything happening on the ground floor is just the appetizer.”
Allen Price: “You’re right that nothing is frantic about the match until someone starts climbing.”
Golden is having too much fun at the bottom level. He rolls Alyster back into the ring and immediately hits a one-armed running bulldog planting Alyster into the ring. Shards of glass bounce into the air on impact, and each move is fraught with the possibility of both the man on offense and man on defense landing on a sharp shard of glass laying on the floor outside the ring – or inside the ring.
Golden slowly picks Alyster up and begins to have a chat, as he is prone to do.
“I wanted you because no one has defined my run – this latest run – in the FWA more than you and Danny. You may not liiiike that … Alyster Blaaaaaaaack … but it’s true. And you may not liiiiiike me … Alyster Blaaaaaack … but I … I wish we could do this … foreeeeeeever.”
Golden then tries a belly-to-belly suplex, but Alyster headbutts him right away. The counter is a sternum-first irish whip into the turnbuckle, and a saito suplex onto the ring mat as Golden stumbles out of the corner holding his midsection. Then Alyster hits a pendulum backbreaker, landing it with an extra oomph for the chance of breaking Golden’s spine into pieces.
Alyster then stands over Golden and makes a quick walk towards the door of the cage. He opens it while leaning over the ropes and turnbuckle and begins his exit, but Golden grabs his right foot just before he steps through the ropes.
Alyster tries to kick Golden in the face, but “The Rotten Gold” grabs a shard of glass laying on the ring mat and sticks it into Alyster’s achilles area! The champion cannot withstand the pain silently and belts a scream. He then hobbles his way back into the ring as Golden gets up and tries to stick the shard into his stomach, only for Alyster to catch his wrist with both hands to block!
Golden then uses his free hand – left hand – for a punch to the chest. Golden tries another attack with the glass shard but Alyster blocks again by catching at the wrist and this time kicking Golden in the groin!
Next is a knife-edge chop with glass shards adding to the cuts in Golden’s chest. Then a forearm smash to the face. Golden has blood coming down his cheek and spoiling his five o’clock shadow. Alyster hits a snapmare as Golden’s back lands on the glass in the ring, and Alyster follows with a dropkick to the back of the challenger’s head!
Allen Price: “Every time Golden tries something, Alyster Black is answering and proving he’s superior. He has proven it for two years now! Ever since Golden resorted to the glass scarring, he has known Alyster is better when it comes to just wrestling!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, but this match isn’t just wrestling. It’s a race to the top!”
Alyster again tries to leave the ring, hobbling due to the cut in his achilles. He is able to exit, and Golden rolls towards the exit himself in trail. Alyster then looks up and sees the daunting climb before him – 10-15 feet per cage all the way to the top. He figures it might as well begin now, so he grabs the outside of the chain-link cage and steps up, beginning the climb.
Golden has exited the cage himself and goes to the other side to climb. Alyster reaches the top of the first cage rather quickly, with Golden about 5 seconds behind. Alyster finds his unstable footing on the roof of Cage #1, which has about 5 feet of luxury between the treacherous edge and the side of Cage #2.
Golden is up as well and before Alyster can try to climb Cage #2, Golden tackles him to the floor. He begins throwing wild rights and lefts until Alyster kicks him off! Golden rolls and gets upright, now looking agitated.
“WHY WON’T YOU KEEP THIS GOING?!” he yells. Alyster charges with a knee to the ribs. Then a DDT onto the sketchy and bending roof of Cage #1/floor of Cage #2. Alyster steps back and leans against the side of Cage #2, which he now recognizes as another climb in need. But first, he wants to inflict more pain.
Golden is kneeling and Alyster lands a running forearm smash into his back. He then picks a piece of glass shard that had remained glued to his wrist through Act One of the match and drives it into the back of Golden’s skin!!! Right around where the ribs would be. Alyster then sticks the glass shard into the other side of the lower back, inflicting more pain and causing more blood to appear!
Then Alyster does a double foot stomp into Golden’s back, keeping the challenger down!
Allen Price: “Alyster Black is doing EVERYTHING he needs to in order to stress that HE is the one who will walk out of here the FWA World Champion! And that Golden will be retiring!”
Alyster Black turns to Cage #2 and begins climbing, but he does it at a slightly slower pace than expected and Golden REFUSES to stay down. He grabs Alyster by the ankle and on the other achilles drives a shard of glass into the skin and tissue!!! Alyster falls to the top of the cell and rolls to the edge. Golden then begins pummeling Alyster against his mask until the champion retreats down the side of the cage and hops to the floor! Golden is in pain as Alyster collects himself at the bottom of the structure.
Instead of climbing to the top of Cage #2, though, Golden seizes a chance with Alyster not looking and does a SUICIDE DIVE FROM THE TOP OF THE CELL!!!
Alyster side steps at the last moment and Golden catches just one half of him, the other half crashing into the fan barricade! Both men are down and the crowd begins YELLING in entertainment!
Allen Price: “THIS IS INSANITY! Someone should stop this! Both men are bleeding and broken at this point!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “This is classic. Historic! Only the third triple cage match in FWA history and another tapei death match in Golden’s long career! And it’s with everything at stake! Title. Career. A rivalry hangs in the balance! Keep. It. Going.”
Alyster surprisingly is up first. He grabs Golden around the neck and slams him down with a bodyslam. Then he takes two steps to the side of the cage and begins his second climb of the outside of Cage #1. Golden is not moving much, slowly rolling to his side. By the time he is kneeling, Alyster has his hand over the edge of the top of the cage.
Allen Price: “If Alyster can sprint to the top, then he will win it right here! He has a huge head start!”
But he does not try to finish that scale. Instead, Alyster points to his elbow and then the crowd. The fans all cheer as Alyster LEAPS OFF for a pointed elbow drop 15 FEET DOWN INTO GOLDEN!!!
Allen Price: “WHAT A MADMAN! ALYSTER BLACK TAKING NO QUARTER TONIGHT!”
Alyster lays there for a second and eventually props Golden up against the barricade. He then does Violence Party, getting the crowd even more excited with frantic cheers heard throughout the arena. It’s DEAFENING!
Alyster leaves Golden a puddle of sweat, fatigue, and blood on the floor after the elbow drop and Violence Party. He begins to scale the cage, making the top in about 10 seconds of climbing. Alyster then looks down as Golden begins to rustle below. Somehow … the challenger is still moving.
Golden tries to catch up, making a quick climb of the cell after recovering from the 15-foot dive with a rough impact. Alyster is still up first and before Golden can get over the edge and to the top, Alyster meets him with a stingy right-hand punch to the face. Then a second one. Then a third one. Golden eventually is hanging by one hand off the side of the cage!
Alyster grabs one of the final glass shards in his wrist and plunges it into the hand of Golden, who REFUSES to let go. Alyster then begins carving his own message into the wrist.
Allen Price: “WHAT?! EYE FOR AN EYE?! YES! YES!”
He carves out a “D” in the wrist. Then an “I” next to it. And finally an “E” to finish the sentiment!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Alyster Black is saying what some – such as Chris Peacock – want to say as well to “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden! ‘Die already!’”
Allen Price: “YES! Die, you hack!”
Alyster tries to land one more punch to the face but Golden surprises him by swinging his hanging arm and connecting into the mask, stunning Alyster enough to pull himself onto the top of the cage. Golden then grabs Alyster around the waist and hits a German suplex!
Golden holds the waist lock and rolls over to his knees and feet. A second German suplex!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “All of the sudden, Golden has turned the tide of this match atop Cage #1! No one has made it on top of Cage #2 yet!”
Golden gets up and hits a THIRD German Suplex, this time releasing Alyster and throwing him against the side of Cage #2! Golden smiles as Alyster busts open part of the cage on impact. Golden then walks inside of Cage #2 with Alyster and hits his vertical suplex into a sitout faceplant!
Allen Price: “Golden needs to die already, dammit! How does he keep going?!”
Golden begins climbing from the inside of the cage and unlocks the latch in the ceiling. He then pushes the door of the roof open and climbs through, reaching the top of the 12-foot-high Cage #2! Golden is so much closer to winning the FWA World Championship!
Alyster Black begins stirring and realizes he is a full story behind. He sees Golden above him and quickly scurries to the wall of the cage, climbing from the inside. Golden can easily exit Cage #3 and climb the outside to the top, where the World Championship is hanging and lightly swaying.
“It’s not time to be oooooover … yyyyyyyyet” he says, turning back to meet Alyster in the opening. Golden and Alyster now stand inside of Cage #3 and begin throwing punches back and forth. The whole scene feels like a movie, with the crowd chiming in with a “HOLY SHIT!” chant. Alyster tries to gain the edge but Golden smashes his face into the side of the cage. Then smashes his face into the other side!
Golden and Alyster both are bloody from face to chest, with Alyster even bleeding beneath his mask!
Golden looks at Alyster and says, “This one is for Rondo!” He hits a cutter – a variation of the Amazing KO cutter used by Rondo – right onto the floor of Cage #3!
Golden sits next to Alyster, who lays face down inside of Cage #3. Golden then smiles and elicits a “HA-HAAAAAA” although it’s more fatigued than the ones at the start of the match.
“The Rotten Gold” then gets up and waits for Alyster to rise up. He has one more homage to pay as he stands inside of the top cell, waiting for a final blow and moment. As Alyster Black slowly stirs and gets to his knees, Golden crouches down.
“This one … is for a rockstar.”
When Alyster gets up, Golden fires off a version of the “Remix” superkick! But Alyster dodges it! And turns the tide with a kick and swinging neckbreaker! It’s just enough of a stymie of Golden’s run of offense to allow Alyster to lay down next to his foe and catch a breather!
Allen Price: “This is just insanity at this point. Both men are desperately trying to get one more cage up to grab the championship! I just hope Alyster is the one to do it!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “They can open their eyes and look up and SEE it hanging there!”
Alyster Black is first up, exiting the door to Cage #3 and beginning a slow and fatigued climb up the side. Golden sees Alyster trying this and does a dropkick into the side of the cage, knocking the reigning World Champion off-balance and causing him to fall to his feet. Golden slowly gets up and sees Alyster try to climb again. He again gets him off balance on the outside, this time shoulder-blocking the side of the cage from the inside.
Golden and Alyster then catch one another eye to eye through the cage’s steel links. Alyster is with his mask on. Golden smiles back at him.
“I wish … we could do this … foreeeeever,” Golden says, as he presses his blood-covered face up against the cage siding.
Alyster punches the cage right where Golden’s face is, and this allows the champion to begin climbing. Golden hurries out of the door and grabs Alyster’s foot to prevent him from getting fully to the top of the 10-foot structure.
Golden climbs up alongside Alyster and the two make it to the top at the same time. Alyster Black lands a fatigued right hand to the face. Then a stomp with his boot to the nose. He looks up and sees the championship swaying about 3 feet above his head, easily close enough to reach up and grab it with an outstretched arm and tippy toes.
But Golden low-blows him from behind, causing Alyster to go down to his knees!
Golden then sees a chance for himself to do the same, grab the belt on his tippy toes and win it!
Allen Price: “NO! NO!”
But he looks back down at Alyster Black and smiles.
“ONE MORE MOMENT, ALYSTER! ONE MORE MOMENT OF THE FINAL ACT!”
“The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden props Alyster Black up steps back to the other side of Cage #3. Alyster is about two feet from the edge of the cage as Golden charges and tries to TACKLE HIM OFF THE CAGE!
But Alyster Black explodes with a ONE-SHOT KILL lariat that nearly takes Golden’s head off!!!
Allen Price: “YES! YES! IT’S OVER!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Alyster with the ONE-SHOT KILL and he can grab the belt right now!”
But the champion doesn’t. Instead, he picks Golden up and for the first time all match – amid all the talking from Golden – speaks.
“I’m going to end it. You. Go to hell with me. This is the moment you wanted.”
Alyster then hoists Golden onto his shoulders and walks to the edge of Cage #3’s ceiling!
Allen Price: “What?! What is he thinking?!”
As Alyster is set to leap off the cage, Golden elbows the side of his face and slides off his back! NO BOMB TO HELL THIS TIME! Golden scurries to one side of the 12-foot-wide structure and charges forward, jumping up with his knee to hit an …
Allen Price: “*audible gasp*”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “EQUALIZER! GOLDEN HIT AN EQUALIZER!”
Alyster Black goes down like a bag of bricks. Golden looks down and smiles at the reigning World Champion, who refuses to stay down given the situation. Golden senses that he may need a second one. So he steps to the other side of the cage and with blood all over his face and bloody cuts throughout his chest and ribs, Golden charges forward and hits a SECOND Equalizer finisher!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Golden gave a homage to Rondo! He gave a homage to Ramon! Now a homage to Danny ‘F’n’ Toner!”
On the second one, Alyster Black is stunned and slowly tips over the edge of the ceiling of Cage #3 and down 10 feet to the top of Cage #2! The entire cage rattles on impact as Golden looks down at him.
Allen Price: “GET UP! SOMEONE! CHRIS! ANYONE GET IN HERE TO STOP THIS!”
The challenger is barely able to stand at this point, but he crawls to the edge and looks over the edge – the camera seeing him from below smiling while blood appears from his mouth.
Golden then rolls back to his stomach and gets up, looking up at the World Championship swaying above.
Allen Price: “This can’t be happening.”
“We are not done,” Golden says.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s happening, Allen! It’s REALLY … happening!”
Golden grabs the championship and unhooks it, retrieving his record-setting FOURTEENTH championship reign and record-tying FIFTH World Championship.
Winner: Devin Golden at 27:19.
There’s blood everywhere. It’s all over the face and chest of “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden. It’s all over the chest of Alyster Black and while his mask covers his face – there are cuts and blood there, too. Blood stains all over the canvas 37 feet below where Golden stands. Blood stains in the chain-linked cage walls. Blood stains on the padding on the floor outside of the cage. Blood now on the plate of the World Championship held by the fatigued winner, who can barely stand up.
Golden walks over to the edge of Cage #3 and sits there, holding the FWA World Championship. He was prepared for this to be his final match – his funeral, as he said earlier. Here he is now holding the World Championship yet again. He outlasted Alyster effin’ Black, the Forever X Champion and one of his long-time rivals. He outlasted “D” “I” and “E” being carved with a shard of glass into his wrist, which still has blood coming from it and most certainly will be a set of scars.
Allen Price: “Devin Golden is World Champion again. I think I’m going to be sick.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I can take it home for you if you’d like.”
Allen Price: “I cannot believe the sight I’m seeing: Devin Golden holding the World Championship at the top of the cage.”
Golden holds it in the air as the crowd cheers one last time for the victor. “The Rotten Gold” looks down at Alyster Black, who still has not rolled over from laying face-up on the top of Cage #2. Golden then nods his head and says, “There will be moooore. I am suuuure you are not done.”
Is he referring to Carnal Contendership? The F1 Climaxx? Who knows? For now, Golden is yet again the World Champion – close to one year after he surprised the wrestling world at Meltdown X: The Bounty. The last scene is Golden holding the World Championship high into the air as he sits on the edge of Cage #3, his feet dangling dangerously over the side of the cell.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “You can just see the physical toll that this match has taken on the new champion, Price. That was a war and I do not think that either man is going to be the same again.”
As Devin gingerly climbs down from the top cage onto the middle one, ensuring that he does not loosen his grip on his newly-won championship, he breathes heavily. Still absolutely covered in blood, he grins through it all.
Allen Price: “At least for Devin Golden, there will be cause for celebration. The same cannot be said for Alyster Black, who I am sure will be devastated about this loss…”
A shot of Alyster shows the now-former champion still nursing some of the many fresh injuries that he has sustained during the match. Golden completes his descent to the floor and continues his celebration by re-entering the bottom cage and puts his feet down on the mat - a natural and comfortable feeling. A grin forms on his face and he stands in the middle of the ring as the chorus of ‘Zombie’ plays once again, his arms out, head tilted back and eyes closed.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Well, wrestling fans it has proven to be another historic edition of Saturday Night Fallout… but if we have learned anything, it is that the Devin Golden show will last forever… he is truly Siemp-”
The fans EXPLODE into a barrage of cheers and roars of approval as the Sister Sledge tune blares through the speaker systems inside the arena. In the ring, Devin Golden’s eyes widen as he knows what this means and who is going to be coming out. After a few seconds, Chris Peacock walks out from the back to an earth-shattering pop! He has the Golden Opportunity briefcase in his right hand and is dragging a referee by the collar with his left, and is making a beeline towards the ring!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He’s doing it! Chris Peacock… he’s going to cash in! The vulture is here to pick the bones and it must be deja vu for Devin Golden!”
Allen Price: “I’m speechless, Jean-Luc.”
Peacock walks through the open door to the bottom cage and brings the referee in with him and through the ropes and into the ring. Peacock gives Golden a middle finger… and shoves the case into the chest of the referee he brought out with him! More of the glass is cleaned up… and Peacock takes a spot in a corner, looking at a stunned Golden! The referee passes the case to Natalie Rosenberg at ringside, who nods her head at the instructions that she has been given.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Ladies and gentlemen… Chris Peacock is CASHING IN HIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY CONTRACT! Therefore, the following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is for the FWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “HE’S REALLY GOING TO DO IT LIKE THIS!”
The fans cheer again and the referee goes over to check on Golden and he takes the championship away from him. Golden takes a couple of steps into the middle of the ring and drops to his knees whilst the referee performs his checks on Peacock prior to the match starting. Golden’s expression turns into a smirk as he looks at Peacock and he closes his eyes, holding his arms out.
Allen Price: “What is he doing, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He’s accepting his fate. He knows that his illustrious career is about to be over, like this. Chris Peacock wants to kill him off like this… in the easiest manner that he could and Devin knows there is nothing he can do about it.”
Peacock wears a confused expression on his face as he sees what his opponent is doing. The referee is about to call for the bell, but Peacock holds his arm back! There is some confusion from the crowd… as Peacock shakes his head. He holds his arm through the open cage door and takes the microphone from Rosenberg.
Chris Peacock: “No. Stop. I’m not doing it. Not like this.”
The crowd boo Peacock for his decision, and his hands are visibly shaking as he takes a step closer to Golden, who seems slightly confused himself now.
Chris Peacock: “I’m not going to give you the satisfaction, Devin. I know this is what you want. You want everyone to be able to tell me that I did it cheaply, and I took the easy way out to become champion… and that I didn’t really beat you. I’m not going to let you tarnish MY legacy with that bullshit, Devin! Even after you’ve gone!”
Peacock seems to be fighting back tears, the weight of his decision clearly piling on top of him.
Chris Peacock: “When I become FWA World Champion, I don’t want there to be an asterisk next to it. I don’t want anyone to be able to say that I didn’t earn it properly, especially against you. You don’t have that power over me anymore. I’m free of your games so I’m not playing anymore.”
He crouches down, his face just inches away from Golden’s and he talks in a slow and calculated way.
Chris Peacock: “No… what I am going to do is take this from you and leave you and everyone else without any reason to doubt me. I’m going to do what I did at Back in Business and I am going to BEAT YOU! NO COMPLAINTS! NO EXCUSES! I’m going to KICK YOUR ASS AND SEND YOU PACKING AND TAKE MY TITLE ON FEBRUARY 12TH! BACK IN TOWN! YOU’VE GOT TWENTY-NINE DAYS, ASSHOLE!”
Peacock slams the microphone on the mat and he and Devin stare into each other’s eyes for a few seconds before Peacock stands up and backs away from him. Peacock snatches his briefcase back from Natalie Rosenberg before departing the bottom cage.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “What just happened? It looked like Chris Peacock was about to cash in… and become the FWA World Champion… but he changed his mind at the last second and he will now be cashing in his shot against Devin Golden on February 12th at Back in Town!”
Allen Price: “Chris Peacock realised that he did not want to take the easy way out, Jean-Luc… and despite everything that has happened between us in recent weeks, I respect the hell out of him for making that decision. He wants to be FWA World Champion more than anything else in the world, but he is going to do it HIS WAY.”
The man who will challenge Devin Golden for the FWA World Championship in just under a month departs the bottom cage and on the outside of the ring sees that Alyster Black has been assisted down from the roof of the middle cage and is in the process of refusing medical treatment. The doctors attempt to convince Black to go on a stretcher, but he would rather make his own way back.
Alyster stops resisting when he sees Peacock, and Chris bustles through the medical team to get to his close friend. They share a nod and Chris offers a hand to Black, who takes it, and Chris puts the former champion’s arm over his shoulder and he begins assisting Alyster up the ramp as the fans loudly cheer both men. Chris helps Alyster turn around and the crowd begin loudly chanting Black’s name. In the ring, Devin Golden is watching the scene unfold in a stunned silence, after just a couple of minutes ago thinking his whole world was going to come crashing down.
The final image of Fallout 025 is the duo of Alyster Black - the former champion - and Chris Peacock - the potential next champion - raising their middle fingers at Devin Golden - the current (and possibly forever) champion.
