028: “NOLA.”
Live from the Smoothie King Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Saturday 13th May, 2023.
We scan around the packed Smoothie King Arena, the lights dimmed, until we settle on the familiar Fallout staging…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Welcome, wrestling fans, to Fallout 028, here in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it’s right into the action tonight!”
The crowd goes wild as ‘the Cowboy’ appears on the stage. Bedlam nods his head in appreciation of the fans’ support before he begins striding down the ramp towards the now rather full ring.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following match is an eight-person elimination contest, with a thirty minute time limit, where the winner will receive a shot at the FWA World Tag Team Championships with a partner of their choosing! Introducing first… from Sweetwater, Texas… weighing in at two hundred and forty four pounds… TOMMY… BEDLAAAAM!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam has, of course, been embroiled in a rivalry with the FWA Television Champion Shawn Summers, but tonight he looks to side-step and target a run at the tag team championships instead. Bedlam has had alliances in the FWA before, but has been something of a lone wolf since his return last year. Would be interesting to see who Bedlam picked, should he outlast the forthcoming seven other able competitors…"
Bedlam climbs through the ropes and stands alone in the ring. He turns around and stares at the stage as his music fades out…
There’s a mixed reaction for Madison Gray as she emerges onto the stage, Natalie Rosenberg in the ring and ready to make the introductions…
Natalie Rosenberg: "And next… from Portsmouth, England… weighing one hundred and twenty five pounds… ‘the Young Lioness’... ‘PARASITE’... MADISON… GRAY!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well, you heard it from Natalie Rosenberg, folks. The winner of this match gets to pick their partner for a shot at the belts in two weeks time, and here comes Madison Gray. She’ll want to bounce back from her first round defeat in the KODM here tonight."
Madison rolls into the ring. She is alone for now, but that won’t be the case for very long…
Another reaction, this time for ‘the British Apprentice’ as he walks through the curtain, flanked by both TYLER and Jeffry Mason.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Next… weighing in at two hundred and fifteen pounds… from Essex, England… ‘the British Apprentice’... REAGAN COLE!!"
Allen Price: "Reagan Cole has impressed as of late, making it to the quarter finals of the KODM and then qualifying for the Golden Opportunity match at the Carnal Contendership. He’ll look to keep that momentum going here tonight, and has a couple of potential partners to choose from should he triumph…"
Cole slides into the ring to join Gray, who he shares a stand-off with. Mason and TYLER remain on the outside.
There’s some positivity in the crowd, though most of the audience is as yet unfamiliar with this newcomer as she appears on the stage with a beaming smile on her face.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Weighing in at one hundred and twenty one pounds… from Kamakura, Japan… she is ‘the Holy Knight of Kamakura’... NORIKO… KAITOMI!!"
Allen Price: "Here comes the first of several newcomers here in the FWA, and ‘the Holy Knight of Kamakura’ will no doubt be hoping to make a big impression in her very first match. Tough ask, though. A lot of moving parts…"
After eyeing up Mason and TYLER on the outside, Noriko climbs into the ring as her music fades out. It’s soon replaced by…
There’s a mixed reaction for the next competitor, another newcomer who is probably getting more boos than cheers as she walks through the curtain.
Natalie Rosenberg: "From Mexico City, Mexico… weighing in at fifty kilograms… she is ‘The Last Twinkle in the Sky’... ‘Baby Kaiju’... ‘Best Joshi in the World’... ‘Final Gift of the 2nd Millenium’... ‘The Idol’... introducing… MAKIMA… SNOWMANTASHI!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "A young woman with quite the pro-wrestling pedigree makes her way to the ring. Makima is, as the name suggests, the daughter of Jon Snowmantashi, and was trained by her uncle Izaya Snowmantashi. Rumour has it her main source of inspiration, though, is an FWA hall of famer. I’m sure you can guess who from her leading moniker…"
Makima has a cute smile on her face as she climbs through the ropes, engaging in long, lingering stares at each of the other competitors as her music fades out…
A more positive reaction this time for a more familiar face, the audience popping for a second time as the former FWA World Tag Team Champion begins her swift descent down the ramp.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Weighing in at one hundred and twenty seven pounds… from Yokohama, Japan… she is ‘the Crimson Ghost’... AKA YUREEEEEEIIIIII!"
Allen Price: "Here’s someone who needs no introduction: a former champion here in the Fantasy Wrestling Alliance. Aka will be targeting her second reign with those tag belts, and in an interesting twist of fate the man she previously held them with is already in the ring…"
Indeed, there’s a lingering look between Yurei and Cole, the camera watching their stand-off before it has to turn to the stage for the next introduction…
Boos ring out in New Orleans for Al Blizzard, as the mysterious man walks through the curtain wearing a solemn countenance.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Introducing next… from London in the United Kingdom… he weighs in at two hundred and forty six pounds… ‘the Perfect Storm’... AL BLIZZARD!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "We got a small taste of what this man can do at the Carnal Contendership, after months of intermittent videos announcing his impending arrival. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a better look at this peculiar ‘Perfect Storm’ during this elimination match-up…"
Blizzard stands in the centre of the ring, seemingly oblivious to the presence of the other men and women in the ring, as his music fades out.
A hugely positive reaction as Lizzie Rose walks out onto the stage. It doesn’t seem to have the same effect as it usually would on ‘the Rave’ though. There’s an eerie off-ness about Rose as she surveys the arena with anxiety in her eyes (even more than usual).
Natalie Rosenberg: "And finally… from Brooklyn, New York… weighing in at ninety nine pounds… ‘the Rave’... LIZZIE… ROOOOSE!"
Allen Price: "Lizzie Rose looks to return to the championship picture after her loss of the FWA North American Championship to Bryan Baxter. Rose perhaps has a partner waiting in Joe Burr, but both of them have been a little preoccupied as of late with Princess Nova and Keres of Eternal. And it doesn’t look like the fog has cleared for Lizzie Rose here tonight…"
Indeed, there’s a lack of focus about Rose as she struggles to climb through the ropes. She eventually manages it and stands in the extremely full ring.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Looks like we now have a full cohort…”
There’s a pop in the arena as Gerald Grayson walks out onto the stage, a smile on his face and his championship belt on his shoulder. He holds the title in the air to more cheers from the NOLA audience before beginning his descent of the ring ramp.
Allen Price: “Here comes one half of the FWA World Tag Team Champions, fresh from a win over, um, Claw and Order on Meltdown XXVIII. Hardly their most impressive defense, but it is the sixth of this reign, which ranks as the fourth longest of all time with those specific belts, and the fifth longest tag team title reign overall in the FWA.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Are you disparaging Buster Murphy and Dave O’Houilihan there, Price? Our current world champion is a Ground Zero alumni, and I’d have thought you’d have more respect for our law enforcement agents… regardless, it looks as though Grayson - without partner Michelle von Horrowitz, notably, who was in Japan a night ago for a certain confrontation with a certain kaiju - is marching towards our position here at the commentary booth.”
We watch Gerald settle into his position at the desk, next to JLW, as a few eyes glance at him from in the ring.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Gerald, nice of you to join us, and just in time to see these eight competitors battle it out for a shot at your championships next week…”
Gerald Grayson: “Eight worthy competitors, and seems a fitting number, right Baby? Glad to be here. Price.”
Allen Price: “Gerald.”
Although we can’t see him, we can tell from Price’s tone that his eyes are narrowed. Meanwhile, Katie Baxter evacuates it before the carnage can commence, the official deciding that conducting any final checks would be too arduous a task and instead calling for the bell…
<< 00:00. >>
The match kicks off and, as you might expect, it is complete chaos from the outset. Reagan Cole immediately charges at Tommy Bedlam, who ducks the British Apprentice’s attempt at a clothesline and hoists him all the way over the top with a big back body drop!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Fortunately for Cole, this is not an over the top rope affair here tonight, with s only occurring by pinfall or submission… but Tommy Bedlam follows the Apprentice to the outside! And he hurls him over the steel ring steps!"
Meanwhile, Noriko Kaitomi has smothered Aka Yurei’s attempts at strikes by placing her in a side headlock in the middle of the ring. Al Blizzard and Madison Gray trade blows behind them, Blizzard successful in backing Gray up into a corner before unloading with boots to the midsection and then stomps once she falls into a seated position. Lizzie, in something of a malaise, has rolled beneath the bottom rope, watching the affair in an aloof fashion…
… and also watching on is Makima Snowmantashi, who has scaled to the top rope at the outset of the match!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Shooting star missile dropkick!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before!!"
Gerald Grayson: "Impressive. Would love to see her put a springboard on that."
Noriko is knocked over by the move, releasing the side headlock she had on Aka. And Makima follows up with a tiger suplex on Yurei!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Makima Snowmantashi calls that one the Red Giant Plex, and she bridges for the cover…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Kickout from Yurei!
***
<< 03:52. >>
We pick up the action on the outside, where Reagan Cole has turned the tables on Tommy and hits a series of knife edge chops whilst the Cowboy is backed up against the barricade, before whipping him hard into the ring apron! Cole looks to follow up, but he’s bowled off his feet by a running leg lariat from Kaitomi! Madison Gray is down nearby after a recent facebuster from ‘the Holy Knight of Kamakura’, who now looks to pick PARASITE up and throw her beneath the bottom rope…
Allen Price: "Al Blizzard with the baseball slide! He catches Noriko flush in the face and sends her sprawling!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Blizzard collects Madison Gray in a front facelock, hooks both arms… DDT!! PARASITE is spiked on her head on the outside!"
Before Al can follow up, though, Tommy Bedlam is on him with a pair of hard forearm strikes… before Noriko is involved with some Kesigari chops for both of them…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "But here comes Makima… SPRINGBOARD SHOOTING STAR PRESS!!"
Gerald Grayson: "Beautiful!! Incredible height on that aerial attack from the newcomer! Reminds me of Michelle. Glad to see she put a springboard on it."
Allen Price: "Feeling threatened by these young high-flyers, Gerald?"
Gerald Grayson: "Not at all! You know, Price, I once accomplished 18000090 splash. That’s fifty thousand full rotations, and a final quarter turn for the splash. Took me just over four hours. Admittedly, I achieved this incredible feat on a planet with no gravity, but still a human first!"
Meanwhile, Makima is back to her feet, where she rolls Al Blizzard into the ring. She slides in after him, stalking him from behind before nailing him with a standing shooting star press!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Star Killer #3! Into the cover!"
ONE… TWO… T – NO!
Kick out from Blizzard, and the match rolls on…
***
<< 07:04. >>
Reagan Cole and Tommy Bedlam are continuing their battle outside the ring. First, we see the Cowboy thrown back-first into the barricade next to the commentary booth. Bedlam slumps to the ground and Cole collects his legs, maybe looking to catapult him into the steel ring post. Tommy fights out with right hands, though, and then kicks Cole away from him with a boot. Bedlam quickly climbs to his feet and takes Reagan down with a hard clothesline! Cole is given no time to rest up, with Tommy picking him up by the scruff of the neck and throwing him over the commentary booth!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Watch out!"
The commentators disperse as Cole sprawls out amongst their chairs, whilst in the ring we see Aka Yurei drop Noriko over her knee with a backbreaker. Madison Gray, meanwhile, has turned the tables on Makima, working her over in the corner with a series of knife edge chops. Al Blizzard and Lizzie both watch on from the outside, hesitant to re-involve themselves in the action just yet…
Allen Price: "Madison Gray drags Makima out of the corner, maybe looking for a DDT here…"
Gerald Grayson: "But a beautiful Northern Lights Suplex from Makima Snowmantashi! She bridges for the cover…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Gray kicks out, and Snowmantashi is up to her feet quickly to see Aka Yurei charging at her for a discus lariat attempt… ducked by Makima…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "SKO!!! SKO!! Makima hits it!!"
Allen Price: "And she hooks Aka’s leg…"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Makima is up to her feet, but there’s no time to celebrate. It’s Madison’s turn to charge at her this time, and Gray is able to connect with a lariat! She drops Snowmantashi to the mat, and looks like she’s about to follow up…
… when Noriko comes from behind, attaches a rear waistlock, and throws Madison Gray across the ring with a release German suplex!!
To her credit, Gray quickly fights to her feet, but Noriko is on her immediately with her codebreaker finisher!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Noriko Kaitomi calls that Izanami! And that means the end!!"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Noriko and Makima are both up to their feet, and it seems as though they are about to start circling the ring… when Al Blizzard slides back in and takes Kaitomi down with a shoulder block! She rolls under the bottom rope, landing at Rose’s feet (Lizzie wanders around the ring and away from her, still presenting a lethargic image), and then Al doubles Makima over with a boot to the midsection…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Piledriver from Al Blizzard!"
Gerald Grayson: "No flips or frills from Al Blizzard, but some impressive offense from the hard-hitter. Not going for a pinfall, though…"
Indeed, Al Blizzard hoists Makima back up to her feet again… but in comes Lizzie Rose! She comes off the top rope with a jumping shoulder block!
Allen Price: "Lizzie finally introducing herself into this match!"
It’s a flurry of offense to follow from ‘the Rave’, who connects with a flapjack to Makima Snowmantashi, a spinning back elbow on Al Blizzard, and then a high-angle back suplex on Noriko. It appears she’s targeting Blizzard, looking to perhaps finish him off and steal an elimination with her sudden introduction into the match…
But she’s blindsided by a big boot from Tommy Bedlam!! The Cowboy, having dealt with Reagan Cole with a sidewalk slam on the outside, looks to stamp his authority on the match by hoisting Lizzie up… and then planting her back down with an Olympic slam!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The Rough Ride!! Tommy Bedlam with a lateral press on Lizzie Rose…"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Bedlam doesn’t get the chance to continue his attack, as a recovered Makima Snowmantashi again comes off the top rope, taking him down with a hurricanrana!!
Gerald Grayson: "Another picture-perfect aerial attack from Makima Snowmantashi. This young woman seems most at home in the skies. Just a shame she didn’t put a springboard on it. Everything can always be improved."
***
<< 14:38. >>
Al Blizzard battles Reagan Cole on the outside, with Al able to back Cole up with a series of alternating right hands and forearm strikes. He then connects with a running knee strike, before picking the Apprentice up and dragging his head into position between his legs.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Al Blizzard going for another piledriver here, but this time on the outside… reversal from Reagan Cole! Back body drop!"
Gerald Grayson: "And now Reagan is looking to slap on his heel hook… he might not be able to beat Blizzard on the outside, but he can certainly wear him down. And with no countouts or disqualifications, Cole can do a lot of damage with that move…"
Allen Price: "I think Blizzard knows that, too, and he lashes out with a wild boot to the Apprentice, catching him in the face and gaining some separation…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And then a big boot from Al Blizzard! Reagan Cole goes down again on the outside!"
Al looks to follow up by dragging Cole up to his feet, and then into a fireman’s carry. He turns to face the crowd…
Where his eye catches a fan holding a sign. A simple and familiar sign: ‘BECOME HIM’.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Al Blizzard letting himself get distracted, here. He drops Cole from his shoulders and takes a step towards this masked fan…"
Allen Price: "The same one we saw at Carnal Contendership?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Looks that way, Price…"
Al once more shouts angrily at the masked fan, just as he did in Nashville.
This time, though, unlike back in Nashville, the masked man lowers his sign… and then removes his mask…
Allen Price: "Who is that?!"
Some of the fans are alongside Allen Price in not quite knowing how to react to this reveal. Others though, do show shock and surprise at the man smirks at Blizzard.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "That’s… that’s Jason Quinn! Al Bliizard’s real life brother. He had a few matches on the British independent scene, and now he’s here in New Orleans!"
Allen Price: "I’m not sure Blizzard is too pleased about the reunion…"
Al’s face is indeed a concoction of emotions, quickly maturing from shock to anger. Blizzard looks as though he’s going to chase after this man, apparently his brother…
… when he’s blindsided by a chairshot from TYLER!!! Al hits the mat, and Jeffry Mason wastes no time in hoisting him, booting him in the midsection, and planting him on the outside with a piledriver!! A trio of officials are quickly between TYLER, Mason, and Blizzard, the three men in black and white ordering Cole’s accompaniment to the back.
Allen Price: "No disqualification means the British Apprentice won’t lose because of that intervention from TYLER and Jeffry, but the referees are sending them to the back. Great call! They’re not out here to interject themselves into the match."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Thoughts, Gerald?"
Gerald Grayson: "What are you implying, Baby?"
As the officials enforce their decision, Reagan throws Al back into the ring (which is empty - Tommy being currently down and the two remaining women trading blows on the opposite side of the ringside area). He follows him in, stalking Blizzard as he rises to his feet… and then Cole nails him with a jumping superkick!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The British Apprentice connects with the Cole-Breaker after the distraction, and now he hooks the leg…"
ONE… TWO… THREE!
Cole is up to his feet and breathing heavily, and takes the opportunity to suck in some deep lung-fulls of oxygen… and doesn’t see the threat from above! Makima Snowmantashi springboards off the top rope, diving off with a west coast pop! She grabs both of Reagan Cole’s legs in a tight pin…
ONE… TWO… THREE!
Reagan kicks out a little after three, and then remonstrates with the official about the call. Makima has no time to celebrate, having to duck a superkick attempt from Bedlam…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy going for the Buckshot but Makima ducks beneath it… springboards from the second rope… tornado DDT! Makima’s going for another elimination and hooks a leg…"
ONE… TWO… THR – NO!!
Bedlam kicks out!
***
<< 21:14. >>
Tommy Bedlam backs Makima up until the turnbuckles with a series of knife edge chops, then taking her by the wrist and whipping her into the opposite corner. The crowd gasps when Makima almost seems to run up to the top turnbuckle, before diving off it and taking down the charging Bedlam with a moonsault!!
Gerald Grayson: "Cat-like agility from Makima Snowmantashi!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "You sound impressed?"
Gerald Grayson: "How could I not be? Impressive debut performances from both Makima and Noriko here…"
Makima is once more climbing back up to the top rope, perhaps with another attack in mind for Bedlam… but she’s cut off at the pass by Noriko. She appears and nails Makima with a forearm, before climbing up to the second turnbuckle with her, applying a front facelock, and then superplexing her right on top of Tommy Bedlam!! Noriko pins Snowmantashi as Tommy rolls away…
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!
Shoulder up from Makima! Noriko doesn’t let any frustration show, instead signifying that it’s over. She stalks Makima from the corner as she rises, and then comes in for the kill…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Noriko Kaitomi is perhaps looking for a second Izanami of the match… BUCKSHOT!! TOMMY BEDLAM WITH THE BUCKSHOT!!"
Allen Price: "Out of nowhere!!"
Gerald Grayson: "And now the cover!! Tommy’s got her!!"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Tommy drags himself up to his feet as Noriko rolls out of the ring. He watches her leave, perhaps unaware that Makima is also rising behind him. Tommy turns around as Snowmantashi charges in for a high knee…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Makima Snowmantashi goes for Super Star Slayer… sidestepped by Bedlam… and he tries another Buckshot superkick… Makima ducks beneath it! SUPERKICK OF HER OWN!!"
Bedlam stumbles… Makima roars… she hits the ropes and goes for a leaping cross-body, but Tommy catches her! And then throws her overhead with a fallaway slam!! It’s Tommy’s turn to signify that the end is in sight. He drags Snowmantashi up in a front face lock, under-hooking both of her arms…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy looking to finish this one off with the Bull’s Eye… but another commotion at ringside! Someone’s hopped the barricade!"
Allen Price: "Not just someone! And not just one person, either!"
The camera cuts to ringside to pick up an interloper wearing a bright pink tracksuit. The young man has a smile on his face as he hops up onto the apron, threatening to climb through the ropes and approach Bedlam has he nears victory…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "That’s Harry the Sane Wizard!! Tommy Bedlam is forced to relinquish Makima, instead addressing this new threat… and Gerald Grayson has left the broadcast booth!"
Allen Price: "Indeed, the Daredevil appears to be remonstrating with Harry, and he pulls the young wizard down from the apron. Doesn’t look as though Grayson wants the Nephews getting involved in the culmination of this one…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "There’s never only one, though…"
Indeed, Uncle J.J. JAY! has slid into the ring behind Tommy, holding a championship belt…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "That’s Michelle’s FWA World Tag Team Championship in the hands of COSMIC HORROR! Gerald’s is right here on our desk…"
Allen Price: "And he clocks Tommy Bedlam with the gold!! The Nephews have had recent history with Tommy Bedlam… but do they really want the Cowboy out of tag team contention this much?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I think it’s more to do with who they do want to win this match, given what went down between the holder of that very championship belt and Makima’s father a couple of days ago in Japan…"
Speaking of Makima, Baby Kaiju wastes no time at all in heading straight back towards the top rope…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "SNOWFALL!!"
Snowmantashi connects with the moosault, and then hooks the far leg…
ONE… TWO… THREE!
Snowmantashi’s breathing is heavy as she rolls off Tommy and rises into a seated position. The crowd is appreciative of her efforts in what is a strong debut showing.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner… ‘the Last Twinkle in the Sky’... Makima SNOWMANTASHI!!"
Uncle has retreated from the ring and has reassembled with Harry and Gerald, the latter looking quite perturbed at how the finish went down. Snowmantashi narrows her eyes in their direction before lifting herself up to her feet.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "An impressive debut outing for ‘Baby Kaiju’, who sets up a tag team title shot next week against Gerald Grayson and the woman who will face her father in Mexico City at Back in Business."
Allen Price: "And Makima will, of course, have to pick a tag team partner with whom to face the Connection in Texas. With that big match you mentioned between Dreamer and kaiju in July, perhaps we’ll see a real family pairing going up against the Nephews?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Wouldn’t want to speculate, Price. But if tonight’s anything to go by, Makima takes after her old man, and the Connection has a lot to worry about…"
Alyster Black steps out from behind the curtain wearing something rather unusual, instead of his typical ring gear he is wearing a plain black t-shirt and jeans, along with his signature mask. Even with his less than familiar attire, the NOLA crowd is still familiar with him and they shower him with jeers. He saunters down toward the ring with his head held high at a brisk pace, he’s here for a purpose and he wants to get it over with ASAP.
Allen Price: “This crowd is merciless tonight. Still, Alyster Black looks determined, at least as determined as a man wearing a mask can look.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I suppose this means Black Jesus watched Meltdown, or at least heard what weasleperson, or should I say Zachary Kazadi had to say to him.”
Allen Price: “Do you think he’ll accept weaselperson’s challenge Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He’d be a coward not to Allen, it would go against all of Alyster Black’s principals.”
Alyster takes a microphone from Natalie Rosenberg and ascends the ring steps before stepping through the ropes and settling in the back right corner. He waits for the crowd to die down before tapping the microphone and then speaking.
Alyster Black: “First of all, fuck NOLA and fuck Devin Golden!”
The crowd goes insane, pelting the ring with trash as Alyster gleefully encourages them. It takes a few more moments for them to calm down so that he can continue.
Alyster Black: “You think I give a shit about you booing me? I’ve seen what makes you people cheer!”
The booing intensifies as Alyster shouts obscenities back at the crowd. He catches a full water bottle that’s been tossed at him from out of the air and throws it back, whether he hits someone or not remains to be seen.
Alyster Black: “You pricks were cheering me at Lights Out? What the fuck happened? Is this just because of Devin Golden? YOU FUCKING MARKS!”
A “You’re Gonna Get Your Fuckin’ Chest Carved In” chant breaks out through the crowd and all Alyster can do is bask in it, raising his arms to his side and throwing his head back. Satisfied with having gotten under these cretin’s skin.
Alyster Black: “Right, suppose I’d better let you all in on what’s going on with ol’ Black Jesus. There’s rumours flying around that need to be addressed pronto before they get out of hand. First and foremost, I have to acknowledge the weasel in the room, and that is my recent string of failures. It’s no secret that I’ve lost everything that I care about in the last year. My best friend died, then came back and was promptly kidnapped. His protege, someone who helped fill the void of his absence, hates my guts because she thinks I’m not trying to get him back from the group of maniacs that have taken him prisoner. I failed to dethrone Danny Toner, and when I finally did become World Champion I immediately lost the title in my first defence to a man who definitely makes the top three on my all time most hated rivals list. Then after going undefeated in the F1 Climaxxx I blew it all in the semi-finals against a man who had already been eliminated from the tournament.
“On the bright side, I broke the record for longest X Championship reign. But immediately after I lost that title and part of my soul at King of the Deathmatch when Danny Toner dressed up like me and cost me my first round match against the man who has kidnapped my best friend in the whole wide world. And to top off the pile of shit that is the last year of my life…I entered the Carnal Contendership with dreams of winning and main eventing Back in Business against my current tag team partner and best friend Chris Peacock. We all saw how that turned out didn’t we?”
Alyster pauses as the crowd seems to become a little uncomfortable at the former World and X Champion detailing the last year of his FWA in the most negative way possible.
Alyster Black: “I have too many people on my hit list right now. Danny Toner, The Buddy System, The Connection, my good buddy Chris Peacock, and even Shawn Summers.”
Black Jesus gives pause at the mention of that name, the crowd begin to boo again, but whether it's for him or Summers you can’t be sure.
Alyster Black: “Seriously, fuck Shawn Summers. He’s a gimmick stealing cretin and lucky that Danny Toner took me out of the King of the Death Match tournament because I can assure you that Black/Summers 3 would have ended with a death and it wouldn’t have been mine.”
There’s a mild pop at the shade thrown at Alyster’s forever rival that is quickly drowned out by more deafening boos for the masked man himself.
Alyster Black: “Too many people who want a piece of me, or deserve to get their ass kicked by me. Too many people who have made things personal or hold something that belongs to me. The Connection has the World Tag Team Championship that I promised my good friend Chris Peacock that I would deliver to him. Chris has the World Championship that I feel belongs to me, because, and I can say this because we’re friends; Chris, you ducked me in the F1 and we both know I would have beat you. Now, we’re going to have to wait until I can hold the threat of a Golden Opportunity cash-in over your head to have our friendly fight.”
Unsure of how to react, the crowd is mixed with cheers at Alyster calling Chris out and boos for both of them.
Alyster Black: “Danny Toner, you’ve taken my identity, my dignity, and my pride. All the time I’ve spent dealing with you has been a living nightmare and truth be told, if I could do it all again, I would avoid fighting you. It just wasn’t worth the pain.”
“And as for The Buddy System; I hope you’re watching Jeremey Best because this is a fair warning. I don’t need to intervene with your kidnapping plot. Violet Dreyer is a monster and she’s bloomed from an incompetent cheat into a violent and sadistic combatant. She has spent the last year watching me defend the X Championship and she has learned a thing or two, and now you fucked up and made things personal so she has a chance to apply that new found knowledge and you are in for a world of hurt.”
“But that isn’t what I need to warn you about. No, what you need to watch out for is that Moustachioed imp you have in your clutches. He won’t stay docile forever Jeremey, he will wake up and when he does, that will mean the end of you.”
A promise of Krash’s hopeful future isn’t enough to turn the NOLA faithful to Alyster’s side, not that he cares. He’s used to this.
Alyster Black: “Now, having said all of that. What does the future hold for Alyster Black? I’ll tell you, my Back in Business hopes were tied to the Carnal Contendership. I lost fair and square, just like Cyrus lost the F1 fair and square. But unlike Cyrus Truth I won’t accept charity from Jon Russnow and allow myself to be inserted into the World Championship match at Back in Business. I’ve got too much pride, unlike Cyrus Truth. So you all can enjoy watching him get decimated by my good pal Chris Peacock.”
“It seems like everything and everyone I care about is all tied up at Back in Business. What’s left for me?”
He gives pause, allowing the crowd time to murmur amongst themselves and offer answers. A “weaselperson” chant begins to build through the crowd, the sound of barking can be heard. Alyster simply shakes his head.
Alyster Black: “Absolutely nothing of merit at all. So until something important comes up like say…an FWA World Tag Team Championship match…then I will fight exclusively for CDW! Later gators.”
The crowd is left disappointed as Alyster drops the microphone and takes his exit. Leaving to a chorus of boos, but instead of going back up the ramp he hops the barricade and exits through the crowd, flipping them all off as he practically fights his way out of the building.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wait a second, he just ignored Kazadi’s challenge!”
Allen Price: “Didn’t you hear him Jean-Luc? All of his potential Back in Business opponents are preoccupied at the moment. Every important match has been denied to Alyster Black.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Alyster Black versus Zachary Kazadi is a dream match Allen, and if Alyster is half the warrior he claims to be then he should accept the match!”
Allen Price: “Kazadi is barking up the wrong tree Jean-Luc, Alyster has more important things to worry about than potential dream matches.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Then Alyster had better get used to the sound of barking because I don’t imagine weaselperson will stop until he gets the fight he wants.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”In our second bout of the night we’ll see two competitors that qualified for the Golden Opportunity match. The returning KATSU, who after a brief sabbatical, returned at Carnal Contendership with a refreshed manner, and finished fourth in the CC will take on the man that finished fifth, Jackson Fenix. Fenix is in the midst of trying to turn a new leaf and showed a lot of promise with surprising performance in the CC.”
Allen Price: ”I don’t think anyone expected that performance out of Fenix. I spoke with him after he was eliminated, and I think he himself is even surprised by it all. He’s definitely shining with this new outlook he has.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”You can’t forget about KATSU, who is fresh off of a return and looks more focused and reinvigorated! She showed that she hasn’t missed a beat since her time away and she gave a spectacular performance! And she’s no doubt in a bad mood after she welcomed her Ground Zero student El Vengador into FWA on Meltdown only to have him attack her!”
There’s a nice pop as the familiar music hits and once it gets going, Jackson Fenix walks out on stage and following behind him is Nate Savage. Jackson soaks in the adulation from the fans and postures for them while Nate is still not as used to it as he shakes his head, but he lets Jackson have his fun.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The following contest is set for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit! Introducing first, being accompanied by Nate Savage, from Los Angeles, California and weighing in at 210 lb…Jackson Fenix!”
Allen Price: ”I gotta tell you Jean-Luc, it’s still a bit odd to see such a positive reception for Jackson Fenix and even for Nate Savage for that matter.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”It’s different, I’ll give you that, Price. Although it appears as though Nate still doesn’t share the same feelings toward the fans as Jackson does now, the fans are doing their best to try to change his mind on the matter. Speaking of Nate, it looks like he’ll be joining us here at the desk.”
Nate shared a fist bump with Jackson before joining Jean-Luc and Price. The sound of him putting on a headset is heard as he takes a seat.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Nate, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
Nate Savage: ”Well, I’m here to watch my best friend so I thought I’d sit down and call a little action with you two. To be honest, I’ve always kind of wanted to do this.”
Allen Price: ”Welcome to the desk, Nate!”
Nate Savage: ”You know what? Jackson likes you so I’ll be nice to you for him.”
Allen Price: ”Oh, well I appreciate that.”
The lights of the arena flash a light red as cherry petals fall on the big screen. The camera zooms in towards the entrance area as some smoke builds. After about thirteen seconds Katsu makes her way out, her cape flowing behind her, showing her Kitsune inspired mask. She basks in the red spotlight as fire shoots up from the side of the stage, her arms crossed in front of her with an “X,” hands doing the “wolf-head” gesture. The Huntress spins around and does a throat slashing gesture with her pointer finger as the flames shoot higher before making her way down the ramp.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Introducing their opponent, representing YOKAI Death Squad, from Osaka, Japan, she is the Kitsune Warrior, KAAATSUUUU!!!"
Moving down the ramp at a somewhat quick pace, Katsu removes her entrance mask to show her regular one and she gives a small head tilt while holding it next to her head. Going around the ring, she hands her mask to a younger fan before sliding onto the apron. One hand on the ropes, she opens up her cape and closes her eyes, keeping a calm aura to her. She quickly drops down into the splits then slides into the ring.
Heading to the nearest corner turnbuckles, Katsu climbs up them and puts one foot on the top rope. She does another throat slash before holding her finger down in an “M” formation. Heading down, she leans down in a superhero-like pose, holding her arms in an “X” in front of her chest. Katsu’s hands again have the wolf gesture before she spins around and heads to her corner.
Allen Price: ”Quite the impressive entrance from the newly refreshed Katsu!”
Nate Savage: ”It was okay.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Not a fan of Katsu, I take it?”
Nate Savage: ”Oh, I have nothing against her personally, but she’s going against my best friend so I will be a skosh bias”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Fair enough.”
Referee Larry Stevens checks both competitors and then calls for the bell…
The match kicks off and, as you might expect, it is complete chaos from the outset. Reagan Cole immediately charges at Tommy Bedlam, who ducks the British Apprentice’s attempt at a clothesline and hoists him all the way over the top with a big back body drop!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Fortunately for Cole, this is not an over the top rope affair here tonight, with s only occurring by pinfall or submission… but Tommy Bedlam follows the Apprentice to the outside! And he hurls him over the steel ring steps!"
Meanwhile, Noriko Kaitomi has smothered Aka Yurei’s attempts at strikes by placing her in a side headlock in the middle of the ring. Al Blizzard and Madison Gray trade blows behind them, Blizzard successful in backing Gray up into a corner before unloading with boots to the midsection and then stomps once she falls into a seated position. Lizzie, in something of a malaise, has rolled beneath the bottom rope, watching the affair in an aloof fashion…
… and also watching on is Makima Snowmantashi, who has scaled to the top rope at the outset of the match!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Shooting star missile dropkick!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before!!"
Gerald Grayson: "Impressive. Would love to see her put a springboard on that."
Noriko is knocked over by the move, releasing the side headlock she had on Aka. And Makima follows up with a tiger suplex on Yurei!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Makima Snowmantashi calls that one the Red Giant Plex, and she bridges for the cover…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Kickout from Yurei!
***
<< 03:52. >>
We pick up the action on the outside, where Reagan Cole has turned the tables on Tommy and hits a series of knife edge chops whilst the Cowboy is backed up against the barricade, before whipping him hard into the ring apron! Cole looks to follow up, but he’s bowled off his feet by a running leg lariat from Kaitomi! Madison Gray is down nearby after a recent facebuster from ‘the Holy Knight of Kamakura’, who now looks to pick PARASITE up and throw her beneath the bottom rope…
Allen Price: "Al Blizzard with the baseball slide! He catches Noriko flush in the face and sends her sprawling!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Blizzard collects Madison Gray in a front facelock, hooks both arms… DDT!! PARASITE is spiked on her head on the outside!"
Before Al can follow up, though, Tommy Bedlam is on him with a pair of hard forearm strikes… before Noriko is involved with some Kesigari chops for both of them…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "But here comes Makima… SPRINGBOARD SHOOTING STAR PRESS!!"
Gerald Grayson: "Beautiful!! Incredible height on that aerial attack from the newcomer! Reminds me of Michelle. Glad to see she put a springboard on it."
Allen Price: "Feeling threatened by these young high-flyers, Gerald?"
Gerald Grayson: "Not at all! You know, Price, I once accomplished 18000090 splash. That’s fifty thousand full rotations, and a final quarter turn for the splash. Took me just over four hours. Admittedly, I achieved this incredible feat on a planet with no gravity, but still a human first!"
Meanwhile, Makima is back to her feet, where she rolls Al Blizzard into the ring. She slides in after him, stalking him from behind before nailing him with a standing shooting star press!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Star Killer #3! Into the cover!"
ONE… TWO… T – NO!
Kick out from Blizzard, and the match rolls on…
***
<< 07:04. >>
Reagan Cole and Tommy Bedlam are continuing their battle outside the ring. First, we see the Cowboy thrown back-first into the barricade next to the commentary booth. Bedlam slumps to the ground and Cole collects his legs, maybe looking to catapult him into the steel ring post. Tommy fights out with right hands, though, and then kicks Cole away from him with a boot. Bedlam quickly climbs to his feet and takes Reagan down with a hard clothesline! Cole is given no time to rest up, with Tommy picking him up by the scruff of the neck and throwing him over the commentary booth!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Watch out!"
The commentators disperse as Cole sprawls out amongst their chairs, whilst in the ring we see Aka Yurei drop Noriko over her knee with a backbreaker. Madison Gray, meanwhile, has turned the tables on Makima, working her over in the corner with a series of knife edge chops. Al Blizzard and Lizzie both watch on from the outside, hesitant to re-involve themselves in the action just yet…
Allen Price: "Madison Gray drags Makima out of the corner, maybe looking for a DDT here…"
Gerald Grayson: "But a beautiful Northern Lights Suplex from Makima Snowmantashi! She bridges for the cover…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Gray kicks out, and Snowmantashi is up to her feet quickly to see Aka Yurei charging at her for a discus lariat attempt… ducked by Makima…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "SKO!!! SKO!! Makima hits it!!"
Allen Price: "And she hooks Aka’s leg…"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Elimination #1: Aka Yurei by Makima Snowmantashi [pinfall] at 08:32.
Makima is up to her feet, but there’s no time to celebrate. It’s Madison’s turn to charge at her this time, and Gray is able to connect with a lariat! She drops Snowmantashi to the mat, and looks like she’s about to follow up…
… when Noriko comes from behind, attaches a rear waistlock, and throws Madison Gray across the ring with a release German suplex!!
To her credit, Gray quickly fights to her feet, but Noriko is on her immediately with her codebreaker finisher!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Noriko Kaitomi calls that Izanami! And that means the end!!"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Elimination #2: Madison Gray by Noriko Kaitomi [pinfall] at 08:55.
Noriko and Makima are both up to their feet, and it seems as though they are about to start circling the ring… when Al Blizzard slides back in and takes Kaitomi down with a shoulder block! She rolls under the bottom rope, landing at Rose’s feet (Lizzie wanders around the ring and away from her, still presenting a lethargic image), and then Al doubles Makima over with a boot to the midsection…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Piledriver from Al Blizzard!"
Gerald Grayson: "No flips or frills from Al Blizzard, but some impressive offense from the hard-hitter. Not going for a pinfall, though…"
Indeed, Al Blizzard hoists Makima back up to her feet again… but in comes Lizzie Rose! She comes off the top rope with a jumping shoulder block!
Allen Price: "Lizzie finally introducing herself into this match!"
It’s a flurry of offense to follow from ‘the Rave’, who connects with a flapjack to Makima Snowmantashi, a spinning back elbow on Al Blizzard, and then a high-angle back suplex on Noriko. It appears she’s targeting Blizzard, looking to perhaps finish him off and steal an elimination with her sudden introduction into the match…
But she’s blindsided by a big boot from Tommy Bedlam!! The Cowboy, having dealt with Reagan Cole with a sidewalk slam on the outside, looks to stamp his authority on the match by hoisting Lizzie up… and then planting her back down with an Olympic slam!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The Rough Ride!! Tommy Bedlam with a lateral press on Lizzie Rose…"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Elimination #3: Lizzie Rose by Tommy Bedlam [pinfall] at 10:31.
Bedlam doesn’t get the chance to continue his attack, as a recovered Makima Snowmantashi again comes off the top rope, taking him down with a hurricanrana!!
Gerald Grayson: "Another picture-perfect aerial attack from Makima Snowmantashi. This young woman seems most at home in the skies. Just a shame she didn’t put a springboard on it. Everything can always be improved."
***
<< 14:38. >>
Al Blizzard battles Reagan Cole on the outside, with Al able to back Cole up with a series of alternating right hands and forearm strikes. He then connects with a running knee strike, before picking the Apprentice up and dragging his head into position between his legs.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Al Blizzard going for another piledriver here, but this time on the outside… reversal from Reagan Cole! Back body drop!"
Gerald Grayson: "And now Reagan is looking to slap on his heel hook… he might not be able to beat Blizzard on the outside, but he can certainly wear him down. And with no countouts or disqualifications, Cole can do a lot of damage with that move…"
Allen Price: "I think Blizzard knows that, too, and he lashes out with a wild boot to the Apprentice, catching him in the face and gaining some separation…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And then a big boot from Al Blizzard! Reagan Cole goes down again on the outside!"
Al looks to follow up by dragging Cole up to his feet, and then into a fireman’s carry. He turns to face the crowd…
Where his eye catches a fan holding a sign. A simple and familiar sign: ‘BECOME HIM’.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Al Blizzard letting himself get distracted, here. He drops Cole from his shoulders and takes a step towards this masked fan…"
Allen Price: "The same one we saw at Carnal Contendership?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Looks that way, Price…"
Al once more shouts angrily at the masked fan, just as he did in Nashville.
This time, though, unlike back in Nashville, the masked man lowers his sign… and then removes his mask…
Allen Price: "Who is that?!"
Some of the fans are alongside Allen Price in not quite knowing how to react to this reveal. Others though, do show shock and surprise at the man smirks at Blizzard.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "That’s… that’s Jason Quinn! Al Bliizard’s real life brother. He had a few matches on the British independent scene, and now he’s here in New Orleans!"
Allen Price: "I’m not sure Blizzard is too pleased about the reunion…"
Al’s face is indeed a concoction of emotions, quickly maturing from shock to anger. Blizzard looks as though he’s going to chase after this man, apparently his brother…
… when he’s blindsided by a chairshot from TYLER!!! Al hits the mat, and Jeffry Mason wastes no time in hoisting him, booting him in the midsection, and planting him on the outside with a piledriver!! A trio of officials are quickly between TYLER, Mason, and Blizzard, the three men in black and white ordering Cole’s accompaniment to the back.
Allen Price: "No disqualification means the British Apprentice won’t lose because of that intervention from TYLER and Jeffry, but the referees are sending them to the back. Great call! They’re not out here to interject themselves into the match."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Thoughts, Gerald?"
Gerald Grayson: "What are you implying, Baby?"
As the officials enforce their decision, Reagan throws Al back into the ring (which is empty - Tommy being currently down and the two remaining women trading blows on the opposite side of the ringside area). He follows him in, stalking Blizzard as he rises to his feet… and then Cole nails him with a jumping superkick!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The British Apprentice connects with the Cole-Breaker after the distraction, and now he hooks the leg…"
ONE… TWO… THREE!
Elimination #4: Al Blizzard by Reagan Cole [pinfall] at 17:03.
Cole is up to his feet and breathing heavily, and takes the opportunity to suck in some deep lung-fulls of oxygen… and doesn’t see the threat from above! Makima Snowmantashi springboards off the top rope, diving off with a west coast pop! She grabs both of Reagan Cole’s legs in a tight pin…
ONE… TWO… THREE!
Elimination #5: Reagan Cole by Makima Snowmantashi [pinfall] at 17:35.
Reagan kicks out a little after three, and then remonstrates with the official about the call. Makima has no time to celebrate, having to duck a superkick attempt from Bedlam…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy going for the Buckshot but Makima ducks beneath it… springboards from the second rope… tornado DDT! Makima’s going for another elimination and hooks a leg…"
ONE… TWO… THR – NO!!
Bedlam kicks out!
***
<< 21:14. >>
Tommy Bedlam backs Makima up until the turnbuckles with a series of knife edge chops, then taking her by the wrist and whipping her into the opposite corner. The crowd gasps when Makima almost seems to run up to the top turnbuckle, before diving off it and taking down the charging Bedlam with a moonsault!!
Gerald Grayson: "Cat-like agility from Makima Snowmantashi!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "You sound impressed?"
Gerald Grayson: "How could I not be? Impressive debut performances from both Makima and Noriko here…"
Makima is once more climbing back up to the top rope, perhaps with another attack in mind for Bedlam… but she’s cut off at the pass by Noriko. She appears and nails Makima with a forearm, before climbing up to the second turnbuckle with her, applying a front facelock, and then superplexing her right on top of Tommy Bedlam!! Noriko pins Snowmantashi as Tommy rolls away…
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!
Shoulder up from Makima! Noriko doesn’t let any frustration show, instead signifying that it’s over. She stalks Makima from the corner as she rises, and then comes in for the kill…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Noriko Kaitomi is perhaps looking for a second Izanami of the match… BUCKSHOT!! TOMMY BEDLAM WITH THE BUCKSHOT!!"
Allen Price: "Out of nowhere!!"
Gerald Grayson: "And now the cover!! Tommy’s got her!!"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Elimination #6: Noriko Kaitomi by Tommy Bedlam [pinfall] at 22:48.
Tommy drags himself up to his feet as Noriko rolls out of the ring. He watches her leave, perhaps unaware that Makima is also rising behind him. Tommy turns around as Snowmantashi charges in for a high knee…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Makima Snowmantashi goes for Super Star Slayer… sidestepped by Bedlam… and he tries another Buckshot superkick… Makima ducks beneath it! SUPERKICK OF HER OWN!!"
Bedlam stumbles… Makima roars… she hits the ropes and goes for a leaping cross-body, but Tommy catches her! And then throws her overhead with a fallaway slam!! It’s Tommy’s turn to signify that the end is in sight. He drags Snowmantashi up in a front face lock, under-hooking both of her arms…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy looking to finish this one off with the Bull’s Eye… but another commotion at ringside! Someone’s hopped the barricade!"
Allen Price: "Not just someone! And not just one person, either!"
The camera cuts to ringside to pick up an interloper wearing a bright pink tracksuit. The young man has a smile on his face as he hops up onto the apron, threatening to climb through the ropes and approach Bedlam has he nears victory…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "That’s Harry the Sane Wizard!! Tommy Bedlam is forced to relinquish Makima, instead addressing this new threat… and Gerald Grayson has left the broadcast booth!"
Allen Price: "Indeed, the Daredevil appears to be remonstrating with Harry, and he pulls the young wizard down from the apron. Doesn’t look as though Grayson wants the Nephews getting involved in the culmination of this one…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "There’s never only one, though…"
Indeed, Uncle J.J. JAY! has slid into the ring behind Tommy, holding a championship belt…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "That’s Michelle’s FWA World Tag Team Championship in the hands of COSMIC HORROR! Gerald’s is right here on our desk…"
Allen Price: "And he clocks Tommy Bedlam with the gold!! The Nephews have had recent history with Tommy Bedlam… but do they really want the Cowboy out of tag team contention this much?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I think it’s more to do with who they do want to win this match, given what went down between the holder of that very championship belt and Makima’s father a couple of days ago in Japan…"
Speaking of Makima, Baby Kaiju wastes no time at all in heading straight back towards the top rope…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "SNOWFALL!!"
Snowmantashi connects with the moosault, and then hooks the far leg…
ONE… TWO… THREE!
Winner: Makima Snowmantashi, last eliminating Tommy Bedlam by pinfall at 25:58.
Snowmantashi’s breathing is heavy as she rolls off Tommy and rises into a seated position. The crowd is appreciative of her efforts in what is a strong debut showing.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner… ‘the Last Twinkle in the Sky’... Makima SNOWMANTASHI!!"
Uncle has retreated from the ring and has reassembled with Harry and Gerald, the latter looking quite perturbed at how the finish went down. Snowmantashi narrows her eyes in their direction before lifting herself up to her feet.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "An impressive debut outing for ‘Baby Kaiju’, who sets up a tag team title shot next week against Gerald Grayson and the woman who will face her father in Mexico City at Back in Business."
Allen Price: "And Makima will, of course, have to pick a tag team partner with whom to face the Connection in Texas. With that big match you mentioned between Dreamer and kaiju in July, perhaps we’ll see a real family pairing going up against the Nephews?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Wouldn’t want to speculate, Price. But if tonight’s anything to go by, Makima takes after her old man, and the Connection has a lot to worry about…"
Alyster Black steps out from behind the curtain wearing something rather unusual, instead of his typical ring gear he is wearing a plain black t-shirt and jeans, along with his signature mask. Even with his less than familiar attire, the NOLA crowd is still familiar with him and they shower him with jeers. He saunters down toward the ring with his head held high at a brisk pace, he’s here for a purpose and he wants to get it over with ASAP.
Allen Price: “This crowd is merciless tonight. Still, Alyster Black looks determined, at least as determined as a man wearing a mask can look.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I suppose this means Black Jesus watched Meltdown, or at least heard what weasleperson, or should I say Zachary Kazadi had to say to him.”
Allen Price: “Do you think he’ll accept weaselperson’s challenge Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He’d be a coward not to Allen, it would go against all of Alyster Black’s principals.”
Alyster takes a microphone from Natalie Rosenberg and ascends the ring steps before stepping through the ropes and settling in the back right corner. He waits for the crowd to die down before tapping the microphone and then speaking.
Alyster Black: “First of all, fuck NOLA and fuck Devin Golden!”
The crowd goes insane, pelting the ring with trash as Alyster gleefully encourages them. It takes a few more moments for them to calm down so that he can continue.
Alyster Black: “You think I give a shit about you booing me? I’ve seen what makes you people cheer!”
The booing intensifies as Alyster shouts obscenities back at the crowd. He catches a full water bottle that’s been tossed at him from out of the air and throws it back, whether he hits someone or not remains to be seen.
Alyster Black: “You pricks were cheering me at Lights Out? What the fuck happened? Is this just because of Devin Golden? YOU FUCKING MARKS!”
A “You’re Gonna Get Your Fuckin’ Chest Carved In” chant breaks out through the crowd and all Alyster can do is bask in it, raising his arms to his side and throwing his head back. Satisfied with having gotten under these cretin’s skin.
Alyster Black: “Right, suppose I’d better let you all in on what’s going on with ol’ Black Jesus. There’s rumours flying around that need to be addressed pronto before they get out of hand. First and foremost, I have to acknowledge the weasel in the room, and that is my recent string of failures. It’s no secret that I’ve lost everything that I care about in the last year. My best friend died, then came back and was promptly kidnapped. His protege, someone who helped fill the void of his absence, hates my guts because she thinks I’m not trying to get him back from the group of maniacs that have taken him prisoner. I failed to dethrone Danny Toner, and when I finally did become World Champion I immediately lost the title in my first defence to a man who definitely makes the top three on my all time most hated rivals list. Then after going undefeated in the F1 Climaxxx I blew it all in the semi-finals against a man who had already been eliminated from the tournament.
“On the bright side, I broke the record for longest X Championship reign. But immediately after I lost that title and part of my soul at King of the Deathmatch when Danny Toner dressed up like me and cost me my first round match against the man who has kidnapped my best friend in the whole wide world. And to top off the pile of shit that is the last year of my life…I entered the Carnal Contendership with dreams of winning and main eventing Back in Business against my current tag team partner and best friend Chris Peacock. We all saw how that turned out didn’t we?”
Alyster pauses as the crowd seems to become a little uncomfortable at the former World and X Champion detailing the last year of his FWA in the most negative way possible.
Alyster Black: “I have too many people on my hit list right now. Danny Toner, The Buddy System, The Connection, my good buddy Chris Peacock, and even Shawn Summers.”
Black Jesus gives pause at the mention of that name, the crowd begin to boo again, but whether it's for him or Summers you can’t be sure.
Alyster Black: “Seriously, fuck Shawn Summers. He’s a gimmick stealing cretin and lucky that Danny Toner took me out of the King of the Death Match tournament because I can assure you that Black/Summers 3 would have ended with a death and it wouldn’t have been mine.”
There’s a mild pop at the shade thrown at Alyster’s forever rival that is quickly drowned out by more deafening boos for the masked man himself.
Alyster Black: “Too many people who want a piece of me, or deserve to get their ass kicked by me. Too many people who have made things personal or hold something that belongs to me. The Connection has the World Tag Team Championship that I promised my good friend Chris Peacock that I would deliver to him. Chris has the World Championship that I feel belongs to me, because, and I can say this because we’re friends; Chris, you ducked me in the F1 and we both know I would have beat you. Now, we’re going to have to wait until I can hold the threat of a Golden Opportunity cash-in over your head to have our friendly fight.”
Unsure of how to react, the crowd is mixed with cheers at Alyster calling Chris out and boos for both of them.
Alyster Black: “Danny Toner, you’ve taken my identity, my dignity, and my pride. All the time I’ve spent dealing with you has been a living nightmare and truth be told, if I could do it all again, I would avoid fighting you. It just wasn’t worth the pain.”
“And as for The Buddy System; I hope you’re watching Jeremey Best because this is a fair warning. I don’t need to intervene with your kidnapping plot. Violet Dreyer is a monster and she’s bloomed from an incompetent cheat into a violent and sadistic combatant. She has spent the last year watching me defend the X Championship and she has learned a thing or two, and now you fucked up and made things personal so she has a chance to apply that new found knowledge and you are in for a world of hurt.”
“But that isn’t what I need to warn you about. No, what you need to watch out for is that Moustachioed imp you have in your clutches. He won’t stay docile forever Jeremey, he will wake up and when he does, that will mean the end of you.”
A promise of Krash’s hopeful future isn’t enough to turn the NOLA faithful to Alyster’s side, not that he cares. He’s used to this.
Alyster Black: “Now, having said all of that. What does the future hold for Alyster Black? I’ll tell you, my Back in Business hopes were tied to the Carnal Contendership. I lost fair and square, just like Cyrus lost the F1 fair and square. But unlike Cyrus Truth I won’t accept charity from Jon Russnow and allow myself to be inserted into the World Championship match at Back in Business. I’ve got too much pride, unlike Cyrus Truth. So you all can enjoy watching him get decimated by my good pal Chris Peacock.”
“It seems like everything and everyone I care about is all tied up at Back in Business. What’s left for me?”
He gives pause, allowing the crowd time to murmur amongst themselves and offer answers. A “weaselperson” chant begins to build through the crowd, the sound of barking can be heard. Alyster simply shakes his head.
Alyster Black: “Absolutely nothing of merit at all. So until something important comes up like say…an FWA World Tag Team Championship match…then I will fight exclusively for CDW! Later gators.”
The crowd is left disappointed as Alyster drops the microphone and takes his exit. Leaving to a chorus of boos, but instead of going back up the ramp he hops the barricade and exits through the crowd, flipping them all off as he practically fights his way out of the building.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wait a second, he just ignored Kazadi’s challenge!”
Allen Price: “Didn’t you hear him Jean-Luc? All of his potential Back in Business opponents are preoccupied at the moment. Every important match has been denied to Alyster Black.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Alyster Black versus Zachary Kazadi is a dream match Allen, and if Alyster is half the warrior he claims to be then he should accept the match!”
Allen Price: “Kazadi is barking up the wrong tree Jean-Luc, Alyster has more important things to worry about than potential dream matches.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Then Alyster had better get used to the sound of barking because I don’t imagine weaselperson will stop until he gets the fight he wants.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”In our second bout of the night we’ll see two competitors that qualified for the Golden Opportunity match. The returning KATSU, who after a brief sabbatical, returned at Carnal Contendership with a refreshed manner, and finished fourth in the CC will take on the man that finished fifth, Jackson Fenix. Fenix is in the midst of trying to turn a new leaf and showed a lot of promise with surprising performance in the CC.”
Allen Price: ”I don’t think anyone expected that performance out of Fenix. I spoke with him after he was eliminated, and I think he himself is even surprised by it all. He’s definitely shining with this new outlook he has.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”You can’t forget about KATSU, who is fresh off of a return and looks more focused and reinvigorated! She showed that she hasn’t missed a beat since her time away and she gave a spectacular performance! And she’s no doubt in a bad mood after she welcomed her Ground Zero student El Vengador into FWA on Meltdown only to have him attack her!”
There’s a nice pop as the familiar music hits and once it gets going, Jackson Fenix walks out on stage and following behind him is Nate Savage. Jackson soaks in the adulation from the fans and postures for them while Nate is still not as used to it as he shakes his head, but he lets Jackson have his fun.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The following contest is set for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit! Introducing first, being accompanied by Nate Savage, from Los Angeles, California and weighing in at 210 lb…Jackson Fenix!”
Allen Price: ”I gotta tell you Jean-Luc, it’s still a bit odd to see such a positive reception for Jackson Fenix and even for Nate Savage for that matter.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”It’s different, I’ll give you that, Price. Although it appears as though Nate still doesn’t share the same feelings toward the fans as Jackson does now, the fans are doing their best to try to change his mind on the matter. Speaking of Nate, it looks like he’ll be joining us here at the desk.”
Nate shared a fist bump with Jackson before joining Jean-Luc and Price. The sound of him putting on a headset is heard as he takes a seat.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Nate, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
Nate Savage: ”Well, I’m here to watch my best friend so I thought I’d sit down and call a little action with you two. To be honest, I’ve always kind of wanted to do this.”
Allen Price: ”Welcome to the desk, Nate!”
Nate Savage: ”You know what? Jackson likes you so I’ll be nice to you for him.”
Allen Price: ”Oh, well I appreciate that.”
The lights of the arena flash a light red as cherry petals fall on the big screen. The camera zooms in towards the entrance area as some smoke builds. After about thirteen seconds Katsu makes her way out, her cape flowing behind her, showing her Kitsune inspired mask. She basks in the red spotlight as fire shoots up from the side of the stage, her arms crossed in front of her with an “X,” hands doing the “wolf-head” gesture. The Huntress spins around and does a throat slashing gesture with her pointer finger as the flames shoot higher before making her way down the ramp.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Introducing their opponent, representing YOKAI Death Squad, from Osaka, Japan, she is the Kitsune Warrior, KAAATSUUUU!!!"
Moving down the ramp at a somewhat quick pace, Katsu removes her entrance mask to show her regular one and she gives a small head tilt while holding it next to her head. Going around the ring, she hands her mask to a younger fan before sliding onto the apron. One hand on the ropes, she opens up her cape and closes her eyes, keeping a calm aura to her. She quickly drops down into the splits then slides into the ring.
Heading to the nearest corner turnbuckles, Katsu climbs up them and puts one foot on the top rope. She does another throat slash before holding her finger down in an “M” formation. Heading down, she leans down in a superhero-like pose, holding her arms in an “X” in front of her chest. Katsu’s hands again have the wolf gesture before she spins around and heads to her corner.
Allen Price: ”Quite the impressive entrance from the newly refreshed Katsu!”
Nate Savage: ”It was okay.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Not a fan of Katsu, I take it?”
Nate Savage: ”Oh, I have nothing against her personally, but she’s going against my best friend so I will be a skosh bias”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Fair enough.”
Referee Larry Stevens checks both competitors and then calls for the bell…
DING! DING! DING!
***
<< 04:18. >>
The crowd fairly evenly split with supporters for both competitors in this contest. Katsu holds out her fist and Jackson returns the gesture with fist bump for Katsu, and the fans applaud them out of respect. Katsu and Jackson begin to circle each other for a bit before Jackson holds his hand up and motions for Katsu to grab hold of it. Katsu grabs hold of one hand and she holds out her free hand, and Jackson grabs hold out of that.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”It appears that we have a test of strength to start things off here!”
Nate Savage: ”Not what I expected to be honest, but let's see how this goes.”
Jackson pushes forward using his strength but Katsu powers through it and pushes forward on Jackson. Jackson pushes back up and forward again, and Katsu’s back is bending backward but she instinctively falls back and counters into a monkey flip that sends Jackson flying across the ring!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Katsu outsmarted Jackson on that exchange and she sent him across the ring with a nice monkey flip!”
Nate Savage: ”Come on, Jack!”
Fenix kips up and he swings wildly but Katsu catches him with an arm drag! Jackson springs back to his feet and swings again, but this time Katsu ducks underneath and gets him from behind in a rear waistlock. Katsu attempts a german suplex, but Fenix blocks it and spins out behind her and he’s the one with a rear waistlock on her and he doesn’t miss a beat as he hits Katsu with a snap dragon suplex! He quickly follows that up with a bicycle knee that finds its mark and Jackson drops down to hook the leg…
One…NO!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Fenix with the Double Shot but it wasn’t enough to keep Katsu down for the count! With that though, Fenix is in the driver’s seat now.”
***
<< 07:33. >>
Fenix is in control now as he quickly applies a rest hold headlock, and keeps it applied for several seconds before Katsu finds a way to slip out of it. Katsu drives several back elbows to the midsection and she has Fenix stunned. Katsu fires off a barrage of forearm and elbow strikes that leave Fenix even more stunned. She has him on the ropes now and lights up his chest with several knife edge chops! Katsu then sends him toward the opposite ropes and catches him in the chest with a roundhouse kick! This allows Katsu to strike with a standing spanish fly! Katsu isn’t through yet though as she runs the ropes and hits a springboard moonsault on Fenix and immediately goes in for the cover…
One…TWO-NO!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Katsu now has control and has dominated Fenix this last minute or so, but he’s still in this!”
Nate Savage: ”Not the first time Jackson has been dominated by a woman”
Allen Price: ”…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”...”
Katsu brings Fenix up in a front facelock and drills him more with some forearm strikes as she drags him toward the corner. She goes to light him up with more knife edge chops, and she gets a few shots in but Fenix blocks one and counters by turning the tables on Katsu by putting her in the corner now.
Fenix unloads on Katsu with a few forearm strikes of his own in the corner before he sizes her up and connects with a running corner clothesline! He places the dazed Katsu up top in a seated position and he climbs up to join her, but Katsu does her best to fend him off with some punches and kicks that sends Fenix down to the mat. Katsu bides her time as Fenix is getting back to his feet, and Katsu leaps off with a crossbody but Fenix catches her mid-air and hoists her up on his shoulders before dropping her with a fireman’s carry neckbreaker!
Fenix with a cover now…
One…TWO-NO!
***
<< 11:08. >>
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Fenix with an incredible counter into that fireman’s carry neckbreaker, but just not enough to keep Katsu down!”
Nate Savage: ”I thought he had her there!”
Allen Price: ”Katsu is resilient and won’t stay down so easily.”
Jackson is sizing her up now and he’s signaling for his signature superkick..
Allen Price: ”Jackson readying up for Superkick Me Baby One More Time!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Such an absurd name for a superkick.”
Nate Savage: ”You’re an absurd name for a superkick!”
Katsu is up and Jackson goes for it, but Katsu catches his boot before he can make contact and she spins him around and counters with a bridging german suplex!
One…two…THREE-NO!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Fenix missed the mark and paid dearly for it!”
Katsu sends Fenix toward the ropes and he avoids a dropkick by her, and he goes for a clothesline off the rebound but she ducks it and she catches Fenix with a hurricanrana into the middle rope where has him set up…Sakura Kick!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Katsu with the Sakura Kick and she’s closing in on a victory here as she’s ascending to the top…NIGHTFALL! She gets all of that Phoenix Splash!”
Katsu hooks the leg after hitting the Phoenix Splash…
One…two…THREE!
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The winner of the match…KATSU!”
The sound of a headset being thrown down can be heard and Savage storms away from the desk to go check on his friend.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Katsu is the victor here and clearly Nate Savage is not a happy camper after watching his friend come up short, but Jackson has nothing to be ashamed of with his showing tonight. He hung up there and kept up with Katsu, but in the end she’s the one with her hand raised.”
Allen Price: ”Since he’s gone I guess it’s safe for me to say that there’s irony that Katsu beat Fenix with a Phoenix Splash…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”I don’t think it was intentional, Price, but good catch there and wise move on waiting for our guest to depart.”
Savage is in the ring and checks on Jackson. Nate begins to help Jackson to his feet and is about to help him leave when Katsu stops them. Katsu holds out her fist for another fist bump and Fenix returns the gesture in kind and gives her curt nod before exiting the ring with Nate and allows Katsu to have her moment.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”We have more spectacular action on the way wrestling fans, don’t go away!”
An advert shows for Back in Business, on July 16th and 17th from Mexico City, prominently featuring the FWA World Champion Chris Peacock and the Carnal Contendership winner Cyrus Truth.
The crowd gives a warm reaction for “The Dastardly Dreyer” Violet Dreyer as she makes her way out from the back, a scowl on her face, displaying her disdain for everything that has happened in the recent weeks between her and her opponent tonight. You can definitely tell she’s coming out tonight and she’s ready to fight.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following match is scheduled for one fall with a twenty minute time limit! Introducing first, from Sydney, Australia… weighing in at one hundred, forty one pounds…. “That Dastardly Drewyer”.... VVVVVVIIIOOOOOOOOOLET DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDRRRRRRRRREYER!”
Allen Price: "Goodness, you cann she is not in a good mood, can’t you, JL?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And who can blame her? She’s been on a mission to save her friend and mentor Krash from the clutches of that weirdo Jeremy Best, but things have not exactly gone her way. Thanks to Bryan Baxter, Jeremy bested her in the King of the Deathmatch and while she was on hand for Carnal Contendership, she was unable to get her hands on Jeremy thanks to FWA security.”
Allen Price: "And that would explain why this match has been made here tonight. Violet Dreyer technically doesn’t even have a FWA contract but she’s been granted this match tonight becaus, let’s face it, it’s what the people want to see.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Jeremy Best get what’s coming to him? Absolutely they do.”
Violet wastes no time, marching down to the ring and sliding in through the bottom rope before hopping. It’s all business for Dryer as she stares down the entrance way.
Boos fill the arena as the lights in the arena dim. The camera zooms to the entrance way, awaiting for Jeremy Best to emerge.
Natalie Rosenberg: "And her opponent, being accompanied to the ring by Big Bry….
Natalie is interrupted as a member of FWA staff hands a piece of paper to her. She pauses to read it and noticeably rolls her eyes.
Natalie Rosenberg: "And her opponent, being accompanied to the ring by Big Bryan Baxter… AND… his hero… his BFF… the one and only… the legendary… KRASH….
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Oh come on! How many times is he going to do this fake reveal? We saw Krash on Meltdown, he’s in no shape to be on television!”
The crowd also isn’t buying it as they just boo louder as Jeremy Best and his own glorious mustache walks out alongside his partner and friend North American Champion Bryan Baxter. But they are definitely not alone. Joining them is a man, who while looking around the same stature as Krash, is wearing a mask to hide his true identity. The mask is white and features a prominent design of a handlebar mustache on it. The masked man waves with enthusiasm alongside Jeremy, who also waves to the jeering audience.
Natalie Rosenberg: "...from Friendship, North Carolina, weighing in at one hundred, eighty pounds… “Your New Best Friend” JEREMY BEST!
In the ring, Violet is not amused as she sees Jeremy and this masked “Krash” walking side by side, waving to each side of the ring as they make their way out while Bryan Baxter stalks behind them, just being his intimidating self as he holds the North American championship around his shoulder.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Yeah, no one is buying this at all.”
Allen Price: "But… how do we know for sure it ISN’T Krash under there?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "You can’t be serious. Of course it’s not.”
Allen Price: "I know, I know, it’s probably not. BUT WHAT IF? What if Jeremy has brainwashed him.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What if we all get abducted by aliens tonight? You’re being absurd, Price. Jeremy has proven to be a delusional nutcase and this is just another example of him living in his own world.”
Jeremy, Bryan, and “Krash” climb into the ring. Violet looks like she wants to go right after Jeremy right away, but the imposing Bryan Baxter immediately steps in between them, causing her to wisely back off for the time being as Jeremy asks for the microphone.
Jeremy Best: "Violet! Violet! Look! It’s KRASH! He’s here! He’s right here!”
Violet stares at Jeremy, not even giving him the time of day to acknowledge the masked imposter in the ring. “Krash” tries to run over and give Violet a hug, but she shoves him to the ground. “FUCK OFF!” she can be heard yelling off mic.
Jeremy Best: "Now that wasn’t very nice. That’s no way to treat your teacher!”
Jeremy offers a hand to “Krash,” helping him back to his feet and pulling him in for a hug, cradling his head in the embrace.
Jeremy Best: "It’s okay, buddy, it’s okay. Jeremy’s here.”
Jeremy caresses the back of “Krash’s” mask, consoling him after Violet’s rejection.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "This… is making me uncomfortable…”
Jeremy Best: "Violet… this isn’t what Krash wants. Maybe the mask is throwing you off, but you have to understand… Krash hasn’t been in front of thousands of fans… millions watching home on TV… the lights… the cameras… the anxiety was getting to him. He hasn’t wanted to come back yet because of it. But then I had the idea for the mask and it seems to help! Now he can be on TV with us again! And Violet, he doesn’t want us to fight. He wants us to all just get along. He wants us to all be one big happy family. So whaddaya say? Let’s forget this whole nonsense? Come join the Friendship Wrestling Alliance… it’s what Krash wants.”
Jeremy walks towards the center of the ring. Baxter stops him, asking him if he’s sure. Jeremy nods and Bryan willingly steps out of the way, getting rid of the barrier between him and Violet. Jeremy extends his arm, offering a handshake to Violet Dryer.
Violet walks to the middle of the ring and eyes Jeremy’s hand. She then looks over to the masked “Krash” cowering in the corner. She shakes her head and begins to extend her own hand towards Jeremy’s… but stops, turns it up and gives Jeremy the middle finger to a huge pop from the New Orleans fans.
Allen Price: "There’s your answer! And it’s a definitive one!”
Jeremy shakes his head frantically in disbelief but Violet swings and punches him right across the face! Jeremy drops to the mat as Bryan Baxter goes after Violet, but referee Richard Davis quickly intercepts Baxter! Davis directs traffic, threatening to DQ Best before the match even gets underway. Baxter and “Krash” both leave the ring as things can officially get underway.
***
<< 04:18. >>
The crowd fairly evenly split with supporters for both competitors in this contest. Katsu holds out her fist and Jackson returns the gesture with fist bump for Katsu, and the fans applaud them out of respect. Katsu and Jackson begin to circle each other for a bit before Jackson holds his hand up and motions for Katsu to grab hold of it. Katsu grabs hold of one hand and she holds out her free hand, and Jackson grabs hold out of that.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”It appears that we have a test of strength to start things off here!”
Nate Savage: ”Not what I expected to be honest, but let's see how this goes.”
Jackson pushes forward using his strength but Katsu powers through it and pushes forward on Jackson. Jackson pushes back up and forward again, and Katsu’s back is bending backward but she instinctively falls back and counters into a monkey flip that sends Jackson flying across the ring!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Katsu outsmarted Jackson on that exchange and she sent him across the ring with a nice monkey flip!”
Nate Savage: ”Come on, Jack!”
Fenix kips up and he swings wildly but Katsu catches him with an arm drag! Jackson springs back to his feet and swings again, but this time Katsu ducks underneath and gets him from behind in a rear waistlock. Katsu attempts a german suplex, but Fenix blocks it and spins out behind her and he’s the one with a rear waistlock on her and he doesn’t miss a beat as he hits Katsu with a snap dragon suplex! He quickly follows that up with a bicycle knee that finds its mark and Jackson drops down to hook the leg…
One…NO!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Fenix with the Double Shot but it wasn’t enough to keep Katsu down for the count! With that though, Fenix is in the driver’s seat now.”
***
<< 07:33. >>
Fenix is in control now as he quickly applies a rest hold headlock, and keeps it applied for several seconds before Katsu finds a way to slip out of it. Katsu drives several back elbows to the midsection and she has Fenix stunned. Katsu fires off a barrage of forearm and elbow strikes that leave Fenix even more stunned. She has him on the ropes now and lights up his chest with several knife edge chops! Katsu then sends him toward the opposite ropes and catches him in the chest with a roundhouse kick! This allows Katsu to strike with a standing spanish fly! Katsu isn’t through yet though as she runs the ropes and hits a springboard moonsault on Fenix and immediately goes in for the cover…
One…TWO-NO!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Katsu now has control and has dominated Fenix this last minute or so, but he’s still in this!”
Nate Savage: ”Not the first time Jackson has been dominated by a woman”
Allen Price: ”…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”...”
Katsu brings Fenix up in a front facelock and drills him more with some forearm strikes as she drags him toward the corner. She goes to light him up with more knife edge chops, and she gets a few shots in but Fenix blocks one and counters by turning the tables on Katsu by putting her in the corner now.
Fenix unloads on Katsu with a few forearm strikes of his own in the corner before he sizes her up and connects with a running corner clothesline! He places the dazed Katsu up top in a seated position and he climbs up to join her, but Katsu does her best to fend him off with some punches and kicks that sends Fenix down to the mat. Katsu bides her time as Fenix is getting back to his feet, and Katsu leaps off with a crossbody but Fenix catches her mid-air and hoists her up on his shoulders before dropping her with a fireman’s carry neckbreaker!
Fenix with a cover now…
One…TWO-NO!
***
<< 11:08. >>
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Fenix with an incredible counter into that fireman’s carry neckbreaker, but just not enough to keep Katsu down!”
Nate Savage: ”I thought he had her there!”
Allen Price: ”Katsu is resilient and won’t stay down so easily.”
Jackson is sizing her up now and he’s signaling for his signature superkick..
Allen Price: ”Jackson readying up for Superkick Me Baby One More Time!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Such an absurd name for a superkick.”
Nate Savage: ”You’re an absurd name for a superkick!”
Katsu is up and Jackson goes for it, but Katsu catches his boot before he can make contact and she spins him around and counters with a bridging german suplex!
One…two…THREE-NO!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Fenix missed the mark and paid dearly for it!”
Katsu sends Fenix toward the ropes and he avoids a dropkick by her, and he goes for a clothesline off the rebound but she ducks it and she catches Fenix with a hurricanrana into the middle rope where has him set up…Sakura Kick!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Katsu with the Sakura Kick and she’s closing in on a victory here as she’s ascending to the top…NIGHTFALL! She gets all of that Phoenix Splash!”
Katsu hooks the leg after hitting the Phoenix Splash…
One…two…THREE!
Winner: Katsu by pinfall at 12:18.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The winner of the match…KATSU!”
The sound of a headset being thrown down can be heard and Savage storms away from the desk to go check on his friend.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Katsu is the victor here and clearly Nate Savage is not a happy camper after watching his friend come up short, but Jackson has nothing to be ashamed of with his showing tonight. He hung up there and kept up with Katsu, but in the end she’s the one with her hand raised.”
Allen Price: ”Since he’s gone I guess it’s safe for me to say that there’s irony that Katsu beat Fenix with a Phoenix Splash…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”I don’t think it was intentional, Price, but good catch there and wise move on waiting for our guest to depart.”
Savage is in the ring and checks on Jackson. Nate begins to help Jackson to his feet and is about to help him leave when Katsu stops them. Katsu holds out her fist for another fist bump and Fenix returns the gesture in kind and gives her curt nod before exiting the ring with Nate and allows Katsu to have her moment.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”We have more spectacular action on the way wrestling fans, don’t go away!”
An advert shows for Back in Business, on July 16th and 17th from Mexico City, prominently featuring the FWA World Champion Chris Peacock and the Carnal Contendership winner Cyrus Truth.
The crowd gives a warm reaction for “The Dastardly Dreyer” Violet Dreyer as she makes her way out from the back, a scowl on her face, displaying her disdain for everything that has happened in the recent weeks between her and her opponent tonight. You can definitely tell she’s coming out tonight and she’s ready to fight.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following match is scheduled for one fall with a twenty minute time limit! Introducing first, from Sydney, Australia… weighing in at one hundred, forty one pounds…. “That Dastardly Drewyer”.... VVVVVVIIIOOOOOOOOOLET DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDRRRRRRRRREYER!”
Allen Price: "Goodness, you cann she is not in a good mood, can’t you, JL?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And who can blame her? She’s been on a mission to save her friend and mentor Krash from the clutches of that weirdo Jeremy Best, but things have not exactly gone her way. Thanks to Bryan Baxter, Jeremy bested her in the King of the Deathmatch and while she was on hand for Carnal Contendership, she was unable to get her hands on Jeremy thanks to FWA security.”
Allen Price: "And that would explain why this match has been made here tonight. Violet Dreyer technically doesn’t even have a FWA contract but she’s been granted this match tonight becaus, let’s face it, it’s what the people want to see.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Jeremy Best get what’s coming to him? Absolutely they do.”
Violet wastes no time, marching down to the ring and sliding in through the bottom rope before hopping. It’s all business for Dryer as she stares down the entrance way.
Boos fill the arena as the lights in the arena dim. The camera zooms to the entrance way, awaiting for Jeremy Best to emerge.
Natalie Rosenberg: "And her opponent, being accompanied to the ring by Big Bry….
Natalie is interrupted as a member of FWA staff hands a piece of paper to her. She pauses to read it and noticeably rolls her eyes.
Natalie Rosenberg: "And her opponent, being accompanied to the ring by Big Bryan Baxter… AND… his hero… his BFF… the one and only… the legendary… KRASH….
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Oh come on! How many times is he going to do this fake reveal? We saw Krash on Meltdown, he’s in no shape to be on television!”
The crowd also isn’t buying it as they just boo louder as Jeremy Best and his own glorious mustache walks out alongside his partner and friend North American Champion Bryan Baxter. But they are definitely not alone. Joining them is a man, who while looking around the same stature as Krash, is wearing a mask to hide his true identity. The mask is white and features a prominent design of a handlebar mustache on it. The masked man waves with enthusiasm alongside Jeremy, who also waves to the jeering audience.
Natalie Rosenberg: "...from Friendship, North Carolina, weighing in at one hundred, eighty pounds… “Your New Best Friend” JEREMY BEST!
In the ring, Violet is not amused as she sees Jeremy and this masked “Krash” walking side by side, waving to each side of the ring as they make their way out while Bryan Baxter stalks behind them, just being his intimidating self as he holds the North American championship around his shoulder.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Yeah, no one is buying this at all.”
Allen Price: "But… how do we know for sure it ISN’T Krash under there?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "You can’t be serious. Of course it’s not.”
Allen Price: "I know, I know, it’s probably not. BUT WHAT IF? What if Jeremy has brainwashed him.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What if we all get abducted by aliens tonight? You’re being absurd, Price. Jeremy has proven to be a delusional nutcase and this is just another example of him living in his own world.”
Jeremy, Bryan, and “Krash” climb into the ring. Violet looks like she wants to go right after Jeremy right away, but the imposing Bryan Baxter immediately steps in between them, causing her to wisely back off for the time being as Jeremy asks for the microphone.
Jeremy Best: "Violet! Violet! Look! It’s KRASH! He’s here! He’s right here!”
Violet stares at Jeremy, not even giving him the time of day to acknowledge the masked imposter in the ring. “Krash” tries to run over and give Violet a hug, but she shoves him to the ground. “FUCK OFF!” she can be heard yelling off mic.
Jeremy Best: "Now that wasn’t very nice. That’s no way to treat your teacher!”
Jeremy offers a hand to “Krash,” helping him back to his feet and pulling him in for a hug, cradling his head in the embrace.
Jeremy Best: "It’s okay, buddy, it’s okay. Jeremy’s here.”
Jeremy caresses the back of “Krash’s” mask, consoling him after Violet’s rejection.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "This… is making me uncomfortable…”
Jeremy Best: "Violet… this isn’t what Krash wants. Maybe the mask is throwing you off, but you have to understand… Krash hasn’t been in front of thousands of fans… millions watching home on TV… the lights… the cameras… the anxiety was getting to him. He hasn’t wanted to come back yet because of it. But then I had the idea for the mask and it seems to help! Now he can be on TV with us again! And Violet, he doesn’t want us to fight. He wants us to all just get along. He wants us to all be one big happy family. So whaddaya say? Let’s forget this whole nonsense? Come join the Friendship Wrestling Alliance… it’s what Krash wants.”
Jeremy walks towards the center of the ring. Baxter stops him, asking him if he’s sure. Jeremy nods and Bryan willingly steps out of the way, getting rid of the barrier between him and Violet. Jeremy extends his arm, offering a handshake to Violet Dryer.
Violet walks to the middle of the ring and eyes Jeremy’s hand. She then looks over to the masked “Krash” cowering in the corner. She shakes her head and begins to extend her own hand towards Jeremy’s… but stops, turns it up and gives Jeremy the middle finger to a huge pop from the New Orleans fans.
Allen Price: "There’s your answer! And it’s a definitive one!”
Jeremy shakes his head frantically in disbelief but Violet swings and punches him right across the face! Jeremy drops to the mat as Bryan Baxter goes after Violet, but referee Richard Davis quickly intercepts Baxter! Davis directs traffic, threatening to DQ Best before the match even gets underway. Baxter and “Krash” both leave the ring as things can officially get underway.
Jeremy rubs his face from that punch from Voilet but he can’t get up before Violet goes right after him, tackling him back down to the ground and unleashes a barrage of punches to Jeremy before wrapping both of her hands around his throat, choking him blatantly, right in front of the FWA official. She has to be warned repeatedly of the choking before she finally releases her grip on Jeremy’s pencil neck after a four count.
Violet only briefly backs off because as soon as Jeremy tries to start to get up, she begins to repeatedly stomp on his back and sides. Jeremy tries to escape the onslaught, crawling his way towards the corner but Violet follows him in, stomping a mudhole into Jeremy up against the turnbuckles.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Violet unleashing a gargantuan amount of aggression on Jeremy Best! And what a sight it is to see!”
<< 02:12. >>
Jeremy finds himself up against the ropes, trying to withstand the continued hard hitting offense of Dreyers. Violet charges in towards Jeremy, but Jeremy grabs the top rope, dropping down to pull rope down and sends Violet spilling to the outside. Best begins to complain to the referee about Violet’s ruthless attacks, while Baxter comes over and blindsides Violet from behind as she was getting back to her feet at ringside!
Baxter then grabs Violet tossing her shoulder first into the steel ring post! The fans at ringside let Baxter have it but he doesn’t appear to be done as he grabs Violet by the mohawk and begins to pull her up… but the masked “Krash” steps in! He shakes his head at Baxter!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What is going on here? That imposter is preventing Baxter from further damage… and Bryan is actually… backing off!”
Allen Price: "Of course! Krash wouldn’t want any serious damage to Violet! Maybe it really is Kr…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Please don’t finish that sentence.”
Baxter does in fact back off, as “Krash” takes Violet by the arm and begins to help her up, but Violet shoves the masked man away, clearly not interested in the help of her phony friend. She instead clutches her shoulder and slides into the ring herself but is met with boots to that shoulder from Jeremy.
<< 05:33. >>
The action continues in the ring as Jeremy has focused his efforts on that shoulder of Violet, wearing her down. Jeremy pulls her to the ropes, wrapping that right arm around the bottom rope and yanking back violently on the arm, continuing to apply pressure. The referee steps in, since Violet is technically in the ropes so Jeremy backs off, still wanting to adhere to the rules… but he does come back and give Violet a swift kick to the shoulder while her arm is still tied up in the rope.
Violet begins trying to pull herself up, but Jeremy takes her by the right arm and takes her down with an armdrag before dropping a legdrop across the shoulder and then he locks in the Friendship Bracelet!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Ever since Baxter helped him out by sending her into that ringpost, Jeremy’s offense has been very targeted on that shoulder. And with the damage he’s dished out to it so far, I’m not so sure how much of the Friendship Bracelet she will be able to withstand!”
Her screams of agony showcase the pain, but luckily for Dreyer, Jeremy had applied the submission in less than optimal ring position and she is able to wiggle her foot under the ropes and Jeremy is forced to break up the hold. Again, Jeremy releases immediately.
<< 07:06. >>
Jeremy continues to control the offense as he sends Violet into the turnbuckles and rushes in with a running shotgun dropkick right to her chest. The New Orleans crowd begins to rally, cheering in support to try and get Violet back into the match. That includes “Krash” at ringside, who plays to the crowd wanting them to support her friend. Bryan Baxter walks over and shoves the masked man. ”What are you doing?!” he shouts at her and the masked man simply shrugs.
Back in the ring, Jeremy positions Violet up onto the top turnbuckle before climbing up to the middle rope. He begins to hook her for a superplex, but with the crowd getting behind her, Violet does start to battle back! She fights off Best with some punches, sending Jeremy down off ropes. Best tries to come back in for an attack but Violet boots him in the face, sending him staggering before she leaps off and catches Best by the head…
Molotov Cocktail tornado DDT!
Violet is slow to recover but she does roll over and make the cover!
One! Two! Kickout!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It’s just a nearfall but that may have been what Violet needed to swing the momentum back in her favor!’
Allen Price: "Look at how happy that masked man seems at ringside! I dunno JL…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "No, Price! No! Don’t buy into Jeremy’s mindgames!”
<< 09:17. >>
Violet’s momentum continues as she grabs Jeremy in a rear headlock and then jumps between the middle and top rope, smashing Jeremy’s head into the middle turnbuckle with a running bulldog, the Mohawk Missle! Jeremy falls backwards to the mat as Violet ascends the turnbuckles herself…
ROOFTOP RIOT!
BUT JEREMY ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY!
Dreyer hit her shoulder hard on the canvas. She rolls to her side, clutching it in pain as Jeremy gets back up to his feet. Best stumbles over to Violet as she begins to try and get up, making it up to her knees as Jeremy begins to unleash his Friendly Fire kick combinations, each stiff kick from Jeremy landing squarely on that right shoulder.
Best looks to measure up Dreyer to finish off the Friendly Fire with a spinkick, but instead… he stops. Jeremy walks over and kneels down with her as she is struggling to even keep herself held up on her knees. The camera zooms in close and we can overhear Jeremy speaking to her. “We can still stop this,” Jeremy tells her. “We can be friends.”
Jeremy pulls Violet back up to her feet, having to support her weight and keep her from falling back over, but Jeremy pulls her in and hugs her as the arena fills with boos.
But Dryer doesn’t return the hug, instead she KNEES JEREMY RIGHT BETWEEN THE LEGS!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I don’t think she’s changed her mind.”
Allen Price: “That blow looked a little… low… to me, how about you, JL?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Yeah and she’s getting a bit of a warning from the official but I don’t think she cares to much!”
<< 12:23. >>
Jeremy finds himself in trouble now as the low blow had fired her up and she had Jeremy on the ropes, once again unleashing a fast paced barrage of punches and kicks, working Jeremy over in the corner. Sensing his partner was in trouble, Bryan Baxter climbed the apron providing a distraction…
But Violet springboards to the ropes and hits an enziguri to Baxter! Baxter holds onto the ropes as Violet drops to her knees by the ropes and… PUNCHES BAXTER RIGHT IN THE DICK!
BBB drops down to the floor, bending over and clutching his groin in pain as “Krash” rushes over to check on him…
Meanwhile Jeremy stumbles out of the corner into the waiting Violet who lifts him up…
DEADBEAT DERBY!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "She did it! I think she’s got him! Violet Dreyer is going to pull this off!”
Violet’s eyes grow wide as she realizes this is her chance…
But she doesn’t go for the pin…
Allen Price: “Wait, what is she doing? This is your chance, Violet! Take it!”
Instead, she sits down behind Jeremy… and sits him up… placing her hands across Jeremy’s shoulders…
AND APPLIES THE DREYER KNOT!
Jeremy IMMEDIATELY TAPS!
The crowd is ecstatic to see Violet pick up the huge win, cheering her on while she continues to have the Dreyer Knot applied to Jeremy in the ring.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The winner of the match… Violet Dreyer!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Violet has to be careful here, she doesn’t want to have the decision reversed…”
But in the ring, Violet doesn’t seem to care. She wants to dish out more punishment to Jeremy. She wants to cause him more pain. However, the masked “Krash” climbs into the ring and confronts Violet, seemingly asking her to stop.
This does get her to stop, as she lets go of Jeremy and stands up to go toe to toe with this masked man. “Krash” mimics Jeremy’s actions from pre-match as he holds his hand, hoping for a handshake… but once again Violet isn’t interested and instead blasts the masked man with an elbow to the side of the face, once again firing up the crowd!
Violet takes him to the mat with a double leg takedown and mounts the masked man, raining down some punches before she reaches to the mask and begins working on the laces to untie it…
CRACK!
Big Bryan Baxter from behind, armed with a steel chair, smacks Violet across her right shoulder! Dreyer drops to the mat beside the masked man, who quickly scurries away from her as Baxter moves in. Baxter lifts the chair up and drives the top of the chair down repeatedly across the shoulder.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Come on! The match is over! Violet won and didn’t even have a chance to enjoy her hard fought victory!”
Jeremy Best slowly gets to his feet with the help of “Krash.” Jeremy sees what Bryan is doing and he puts his hands over the eye holes of the masked man’s mask. He then turns them both away, as Jeremy can be heard off mic. ”We don’t want to watch what’s about to happen.”
Bryan unfolds the chair only to fold it back, but not before sliding Violet’s right arm into the chair, all the way up to her shoulder.
Allen Price: “Oh dear… this doesn’t look good…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “See, no way there real Krash let’s this happen!”
Bryan drags Violet towards the ropes and begins to climb to the top turnbuckle, eyeing that chair wrapped shoulder..
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Three hundred plus pounds is about to come crashing down on that shoulder and chair…”
Allen Price: “I can’t watch…”
Just as it looks like Bryan is about to come down, the attention of the crowd is diverted. Cheers begin to roll through the audience as Mike Parr rushes out from the back.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Now wait just a minute! Mike Parr is here! The Number One Contender for Bryan Baxter’s North American Championship!”
Baxter sees Parr coming, jumps down off the turnbuckle as Parr slides into the ring and goes right after Baxter. Baxter fires back and the two are exchanging blows left and right until Parr begins to get the upper hand and clotheslines BBB over the top rope to the floor!
Baxter lands on his feet, reaches into the ring and pulls Parr’s legs out from under him and pulls him to ringside, but Parr once again fights back! The two Back in Business opponents slug it out, Parr working Baxter toward the aisle.
Allen Price: “I’m not sure Mike Parr had much interest in saving Violet Dreyer as he did getting his hands on Bryan Baxter… but for one am glad he showed up anyway.”
Jeremy Best turns back around along with “Krash.” He notices that Bryan is gone looks down at Violet, who is clearly in agonizing pain but has been spared from Baxter, she has managed to pull her arm free from the chair.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I agree, Price. Violet may really owe Parr one. No matter what his true intentions were. A lot of damage has been done… but it could have been much worse.”
Jeremy paces the ring before he takes “Krash” by the arm and starts to leave, but freezes as he steps through the ropes. He steps back into the ring and turns to look at Voilet.
A twisted smile crosses his face.
Allen Price: “What now..?”
Jeremy walks back over to Voilet… and he picks the chair up himself.
He turns to look at “Krash.”
Turn back around, he instructs. The masked man obeys, turning around and holding his hands over his eyes once again. Jeremy lifts the chair up…
AND CRACKS IT DOWN ACROSS VIOLET'S SHOULDER AGAIN!
Allen Price: “Jeremy! No!”
AND AGAIN!
Jeremy stops. He looks down at Violet. The friendly face we’ve come to know is gone. He was enjoying this.
And he isn’t done yet.
Jeremy lifts the chair up one more time…
Jeremy stops in his tracks and turns to the entrance way. The fans come alive, which isn’t the normal reaction to this music, but they are clearly happy to see JACKSON FENIX running out from the back!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I never thought I’d hear that kind of reaction for Jackson Fenix! These two are no strangers and Jeremy doesn’t seem too thrilled to see his former friend.”
Jeremy stops in his tracks, seeing his former Undisputed Amigos partner making his way out, rather quickly and looking quite serious. Best backs up a bit, standing with “Krash” as Jackson climbs into the ring and is requesting a microphone.
Jackson Fenix: “Enough, Jeremy, enough! I can’t take this anymore. I can’t stand by any longer and watch you do this!”
The crowd responds to this with some cheers. Jeremy and “Krash” have exited the ring but they remain outside of the ring. Meanwhile, Violet is being helped by more officials but she refuses the help and leaves on her own.
Jackson Fenix: “Somebody has to do something about this and who better than the man that’s responsible for it all. Jeremy, you don’t know it but everything that’s gone on between us in the last year has haunted me. I look back at what I did and I regret what I did to you. I regret it because I’ve seen what it’s done to you. This is all my fault.”
Jeremy looks a bit confused by what Jackson is saying.
Jackson Fenix: “I wish I could take it all back, but I can’t. What I can do though is knock some sense into you and I can do that in a match. Not just any match either, Jeremy. I know a match that would be right up your alley. It’s a place we both know well because that’s where we became pals. On the next set of shows, I don’t care what show it happens on, but it’s time to settle this and there’s only one way…
A SESAME STREET FIGHT!”
The crowd erupts into cheers at the prospect of this happening. Jeremy doesn’t look so sure about it as Fenix’s music plays again and the crowd is still buzzing with excitement.
Allen Price: “Boy, a Sesame Street Fight! That can’t be good for Jeremy if this gets made official!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I’m just as surprised as these fans that Jackson Fenix of all people has stepped up to do something about Jeremy Best, but I think I can speak for everyone in this building that I hope this match gets made official because Jeremy Best does need some sense knocked into him, and Jackson Fenix might be the person to do just that…anyway, stay tuned wrestling fans, there’s more action on the way!”
Darkness.
In the background. We hear the chanting of a rabid crowd, mostly of men.
“F-Y-O-G”
“F-Y-O-G”
“F-Y-O-G”
“F-Y-O-G”
Lizzie Rose stands behind a curtain, completely confused, as if she just got there. All she can hear is a vocal crowd chanting four initials which have come to haunt her over the next week. Looking down she sees… She is dressed up fancy again. A superstar makeover, with a white dress that goes down to her knees, some fashionable boots, and a necklace. Her face is dolled up again with lipstick and makeup.
Lizzie Rose: “-N-Not again.”
She mutters to herself.
Lizzie Rose: “Those two always seem to find a way to bring me here and I’m sick and tired of it. And now Joe’s hurt because of it…”
She alludes to what happened on Meltdown. Her main ally against Eternal, gone. She hears on the speakers… Princess Nova.
Princess Nova: “Ladies and gentlemen of the FYOG arena! WELCOME TO FYOG WRESTLING! WELCOME TO HARDCORE CLIMAX!!!”
The screen has a filter, making it feel lower quality like cable television in the 90’s and the show logo appears.
View attachment 56909
Hardcore metal music blares through as we see a montage of hardcore wrestling, sex appeal, and different highlights from FWA and other stock wrestling footage making it feel very late 90’s, during a time where this in wrestling wasn’t just the norm, but celebrated. We then get a glimpse of the arena.
It feels dingy with it packed with rabid, sweaty, male wrestling fans. The ring has the HARDCORE FYOG logo on the apron with a blue, blood-stained mat, black ropes, and only flimsy steel barricades separating the fans from the wrestlers. In the ring, Princess Nova has a somewhat more risque princess dress on compared to normal, hugging her curves more with an exposed skirt, showing some leg. Just fitting in. She has a microphone in her hands.
Princess Nova: “The following match is a Hardcore match! The rules…”
She giggles.
Princess Nova: “Well [BLEEP] it, there ARE no rules!”
The TORN Universe censors Nova’s swear with a loud beeping sound. Back behind the curtain, Lizzie Rose has a look of great dread on her face… A hardcore match ON TOP of whatever mental mind-fuckery they’re going to put her through?
Lizzie Rose: “...Well this is great...”
Peering out of the shadows, a familiar girl appears. With her pigtails, dark hair, and unblinking expression… Keres.
Keres: “Well, what are you waiting for, Elizabeth? Go on.”
Keres pushes Lizzie and she falls through the curtains and she is in the entranceway diagonal from the ring. The fans JEER madly as she appears. Several fans in the front row flipping her off as Lizzie Rose looks around in shock. What the hell are these fans?
Princess Nova: “Introducing first, from Brooklyn, New York, she is That [BLEEP], Elizabeth Rose!”
Lizzie looks up at Princess Nova in the ring announcing her. Nova has a playful wave with her fingers.
Lizzie Rose: “-I never thought she was physically capable of such language…”
Reluctantly, Lizzie Rose gets off the dirty concrete floor of the FYOG Arena and makes her way down the aisle. The fans continue to boo her and… a chant begins.
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP!
Lizzie is taken back from the fans. She’s usually used to the fans being the polar opposite of this. They’re rabid, make Danny Toner’s language seem clean by comparison, AND they’re out to get her. Lizzie Rose gets into the ring and she rushes to Princess Nova, ripping the microphone from her hands.
Lizzie Rose: “Alright, I’m SICK OF THIS!”
The fans jeer as Lizzie Rose is reaching her limit.
Lizzie Rose: “Week after week, you and your ‘sister’ have done nothing but make my life a living hell. A-And you think this is something supposed to help me?! I can’t sleep, I can’t focus on any of my matches. My friends are hurt. For some reason as soon as I step out of this… Whatever it is, I can’t even REMEMBER anything!”
Princess Nova simply grins, tilting her head slightly to the side.
Lizzie Rose: “Don’t look at me like that…”
Lizzie Rose snaps at Nova and the fans jeer, though, in her defense, the anger is justified.
Lizzie Rose: “-And what’s going on with this crowd?”
Princess Nova: “It’s the late nineties, Elizabeth.”
Gently taking the microphone from Lizzie, the TORN Angel giggles.
Princess Nova: “This was the norm in wrestling. Vocal crowds. Passionate, no filter. Ah, it was a time so many look back at fondly… Even if so much of it isn’t aged well. Violence, racism, sexism, homophobia, you name it. But tonight, they’ll get one thing they crave: Blood.”
Nova has a sly smirk on her face, happily clapping to herself.
Lizzie Rose: “So THAT’s why you have me in a Hardcore match? And you guys think you’re funny and put me in a dress?”
Princess Nova: “Be fortunate we did not book you in a match where you competed in a bikini in a mud-pit, or where the object was to strip you down to your underwear. Because we as women weren’t treated all that well during this time… and for one, I actually think you look LOVELY in that dress…”
Seeing an opportunity to be snide and rude, the fans begin to chant…
“H-L-A!”
“H-L-A!”
“H-L-A!”
Both Nova and Lizzie shake their heads and gesture for the crowd to stop. Yeah, no. Ain’t happening.
Princess Nova: “Point proven. Sexism, homophobia. Things we do not support, but sadly must deal with while we are here. Good luck, Elizabeth… AND HER OPPONENT!”
The nu metal riffs of this era’s FAVOURITE band, Limp Bizkit, plays through the speakers as the crowd gives a LOUD response. After a few moments, someone with cut off jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt featuring the text “I’m HARD” on it, makes his way out through the curtains with a shopping cart FULL OF weapons. In one of his hands is a can of beer and he cracks it open before chugging it, smashing the can multiple times on his forehead!
Princess Nova: “Representing his homies in Cell Block 420 at the Philadelphia Correctional Facility, from the school of HARD knocks, weighing in at approximately 92500 Thumbtacks. He is the 69 minute man. The Viagra Avenger… he is extreme… he is… HARD, BO NAIR!!!”
Pushing his shopping cart down to ringside he throws various weapons around the ring. Trash can lids, baking trays, bats. Taking out a Kendo Stick… For some fucking reason, he smashes it against his head multiple times, busting himself open hard way! Going over to a couple of fans, they hand him solo cups filled with beer and he chugs them both. Lizzie looks on, disgusted at the “fine man” he’s going to be fighting, as Bo rolls into the ring and raises his kendo stick up high in the air. He’s already wobbling as Princess Nova hands him a microphone.
Bo Nair: “ALRIGHT ALL MY MOTHERFUCKERS! WHO’S READY TO GO IN HARD!?”
The fans give a thunderous cheer as Bo Nair runs around the ring, stumbling around.
Bo Nair: “Aww yeah. That’s real hardcore shit. Now to the bitch I’m facing tonight… Uhh…”
He looks at Lizzie Rose.
Bo Nair: “Look, I don’t fucking know who you are. I don’t know if it is because I’ve had five drinks already or that I’m already developing CTE even though nobody in this time has a fucking clue what that is, but I am fuuuuuuuuucked! But who needs to wrestle… WHEN I AM THE KING OF HARDCORE!!!”
Bo shouts to the top of his lungs.
Bo Nair: “And look here, bitch…”
He turns to Lizzie Rose. He slurs his words slightly.
Bo Nair: “I’m not sure if Imallowed to touch you. Looking at you, I’m worried Ima get h*rpes…”
Despite the FRAGRANT sexism from Bo Nair, the fans eat it up, cheering. Lizzie Rose just freezes. Jaw drops. R-really? The rabid crowd begin to chant.
“She’s got Herpes!”
“She’s got Herpes!”
“She’s got Herpes!”
Princess Nova has gotten on the commentary table, going solo.
Princess Nova: “I sincerely apologize for whatever Mr. Nair AND the crowd say to our dear viewers…”
Lizzie covers her ears and huddles herself in the corner. Just… No. This environment is vicious, crude, and downright evil. A stark contrast to most of what she’s known in FWA. But she’s trapped here.
Bo Nair: “What’s wrong, bitch!?”
Bo turns his attention back to Lizzie and he goes to the corner.
Bo Nair: “Can’t take extreme life? You signed up for this. Pro Wrestling takes ‘nice girls’ like you, chews them up, spits them out til' they’re nothin’! You brittlelittle bitch. I’m going to tear you apart by my weapons and pure bloodlust! Then how about I tear you apart again when I take you back to my hotel and-”
Lizzie has HAD IT with him and punches him in the jaw!
Princess Nova: “Thank you, Elizabeth, I did NOT want to poison my ears hearing where he was going.”
The bell rings and Lizzie’s third test in the TORN Universe begins. Even while competing in a dress, she seems to still have some mobility as she runs off the ropes and hits a second forearm. The fans jeer and continue to chant at Lizzie…
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP!
She takes an extra second, still shocked and in some ways disgusted that the rowdy and rude crowd is chanting such obscenities. But, with this match having “no rules,” she has no choice but to continue on. She runs off the ropes again-
And Bo Nair swings his kendo stick, nailing her in the ribs!
Princess Nova: “Ladies and gentlemen, this match has begun and our dear Elizabeth has already made an error. She tried a wrestling move in this environment”
Bo rubs his hand along the Kendo stick in an obscene gesture before cracking it across her back a second and third time!
Princess Nova: “Eww… This is no environment for a lady like me…”
Looking at the weapons he tossed into the ring, he grabs a metal stop sign. He places it on Lizzie’s stomach before cracking his kendo stick against it! Keeping up his weapons parade, he grabs a garbage can lid. Lizzie Rose, holding her ribs, gets to her feet and is met with that steel to her head! Then again, and again! Three shots with the garbage can lid in a row! Finishing off with his weapons spree, Bo Nair grabs a steel chair from the pile of weapons and decides to forgo the risk of CTE and CRACKS IT against LIzzie Rosie’s head!
Princess Nova: “OH NO!- I mean… OH MY GAWWWWWWD!... Did they not worry about concussions at this time?”
Lizzie Rose lies on the apron, her world is in a haze. Blood is formed from a cut on her forehead and she looks up. The fans, ever unforgiving, continue to chant…
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP!
The hand of Lizzie shakes as she attempts to pull herself up by the ropes. Bo Nair grabs a trash can and eyes up Lizzie Rose. He charges and smashes the trash can against her head, sending her crashing to the exposed concrete floor to a roaring cheer from the fans!
Lying on the outside, Lizzie Rose is in a mental fog as she rolls to her stomach. Her upper back is red from the hard fall to the floor. Several fans in the front row flip her off, yelling obscenities at her while Bo Nair gloats hard to the crowd. Lizzle grabs the steel barricade-
As a fan spits beer on her!
Princess Nova: “-That is disgusting! Poor Elizabeth…”
The fan throws his can at Lizzie Rose, still on the floor, now rubbing alcohol and who knows what else out of her eyes.
“WE WANT TABLES!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“WE WANT TABLES!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
Bo Nair rolls out to the opposite side of the ring and upon the request of the fans, he pulls out a table. He slides it into the ring and sets it up. He then grabs lighter fluid and we know what he is thinking. Holding it near his… groin area. He squirts the fluid in the air onto the table. Reaching into his boots, he pulls out a match-
And the table is on fire!
"WE WANT VIOLENCE!"
CLAP CLAP CLAP
"WE WANT VIOLENCE!"
CLAP CLAP CLAP
The fans roar in approval as Bo Nair goes back to his stash of weapons and pulls a barbed-wire bat out. Lizzie finally gets to her feet and pulls herself onto the apron, but she can’t even get into the ring as he nails her in the face with the barbed-wire bat!
Princess Nova: “-Such mindless violence… At this point I would KILL for a headlock.”
Glancing at his flaming table, Nair licks his lips and gets a crazed look in his eyes. Holding it over the fire, it too is lit ablaze!
Lying on the outside on her hands and knees, Lizzie’s face is cut up. Blood is dripping on the dirty floor. Bo Nair raises his weapon in the air and points at Lizzie. He shouts “Tell this bitch what you think of her!!!”
And the fans… chant.
“She’s a whore!”
“She’s a whore!”
“She-”
The audio for the viewers goes down as Princess Nova, with dread in her voice, says.
Princess Nova: “Dear God… Please, to anyone watching this, never chant that at a wrestling show to any performer, or anything racist, sexist, homophobic and the likes. This is Eternal’s official stance…”
Lizzie Rose is in a state of shock. She’s NEVER felt a crowd like this. The verbal abuse on top of mindless violence. But, the fans will never treat her like this, right? She shakes as she is still on the floor. Bo Nair steps between the ropes, nearly tripping from his concussed and intoxicated state and gets on the floor, his fiery weapon in his hands.
Lizzie Rose blinks, looking up at Bo Nair. The fire glows on her skin and she just… is done fighting.
“J-Just do it…” She mutters.
Bo Nair swings the weapon back and is about to knock Lizzie’s head off-
But something grips the bat like a vice. Turing around…
Keres.
Princess Nova: “Sister!!!”
Despite the fact the bat is wrapped in barbed-wire on TOP of it being on FIRE, she grabs the end of the bat with one hand. A cold stare is in her eyes as she rips it from Bo Nair’s hands and smashes it against his head!
Princess Nova: “You deserve that, Mr. Nair!”
Bo Nair flops on the floor with his face being cut and burnt from the bat shot. Keres stands over Lizzie Rose who sits there, confused. Did she just, save her? Kneeling down, Keres rubs her finger along Lizzie’s forehead, some blood on her fingers.
Keres: “B̴͙̯͋ẽ̶͖͙ ̵̘͉͊̓n̸̯̑o̸̘͛̾t̵̻̠̅͗ ̷̞̌͝à̷̻̦f̶̼̏͊ͅr̸̜̎â̴͚̆ì̶̻̰̍d̵̪̓͐.”
A chill goes down Lizzie’s spine.
Keres: “If we didn’t want what was best for you… We would have let him destroy you.”
Lizzie slides back, leaning her back against the barricade. Her eyes can’t leave Keres out of terror.
Keres: “Listen. Listen to these people. They don’t support people who fail to win, do they?”
Lizzie Rose shakes her head. She mutters.
Lizzie Rose: “S-shut up! They would never treat me like THIS!”
Keres: “Maybe not to this extreme…”
Keres’ eyes don’t leave Lizzie.
Keres: “But they always move on. They move on to new toys. Think… Bellatrix. Think of the woman who walks with the Kitsune… the Rodent… Or they go for their nostalgia. The man who speaks Truth. The final run of a man already draped in Gold, and so much more… They leave you aside.”
Leaning in closer, Keres touches Lizzie’s cheek.
Keres: “Your world is temporary. TORN is Eternal. This has always been For Your Own Good… For your potential. So go…”
Keres lifts Lizzie back to her feet and turns her attention towards Bo Nair who is dousing his face in water to deal with the burns.
Keres: “P̴͇̗̏r̴̢͍͛̄ͅo̵̖̥̭̿̿̇v̶̘͋ḙ̸̿ ̶̯͍̈́u̴̯͂͘s̵̞̟̯͐̓̃ ̶̨̡̗̅r̵͇͕̫̉͘ị̴̰͊͝ḡ̸̨͍ḧ̶̬̟͙́͑̋t̸̖̄̿!̵̼̑”
Lizzie Rose stares at Bo Nair…
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP!
And she clenches her first before she rips the baseball bat from Keres’ hands and swings it hard against Bo Nair’s back!
Princess Nova: “GO ELIZABETH!”
Princess Nova roots her on as Lizzie Rose smashes the flaming bat against Nair’s back multiple times before pushing him in the middle of the ring. Lizzie Rose pulls out from under a light tube and slides it in the ring. Lizzie cracks it against Bo Nair’s head then jabs some shards of glass against his eye! Bo Nair screams out in pain as Lizzie, her face covered in a crimson mask, pushes it until the glass breaks!
Bo Nair is blinded as he stumbles near the flaming table. Lizzie Rose lunges forward with a Leaping Double Foot Stomp on Nair THROUGH the flames of the tables!
Princess Nova: “OH MY GAWWWWD! GOOMBA STOMP! THROUGH THE FIRE AND FLAMES!”
Bo Nair flops on the ground, fire burning his shirt and skin. Lizzie Rose stands in the ring, part of her dress burnt from the fire… But she doesn’t seem to care. Looking forward, she has an almost bored expression on her face. Her shoulders slouch and her eyes are cold. Watching this at ringside, Keres raises her fingers…
And snaps.
Appearing in front of Lizzie is a knee pad. Glued to the front of it are thumbtacks with the pointed ends facing out. She carefully slides it onto her knee and drags Bo Nair by the wrists, clutching them both. She pulls her knee back before lunging it forward to his face, driving the thumbtacks into his skull! Bo Nair slumps to the ground as Lizzie slides the knee pad off and goes for a cover.
One… Two… Three!
The bell rings and as it does, whatever state Lizzie Rose found herself temporarily in begins to fade. She blinks, looking at her hands… covered in blood.
Princess Nova: “And here is your winner… Elizabeth Rose!!!”
Princess Nova shouts over the speaker before she begins to skip down to the ring to join Lizzie and Keres.
Lizzie Rose looks at her opponent. Blood covering his face, his eye swollen, thumbtacks planted in his skull, burn marks all over his body. S-She did this? She sits, and begins to shake. Shake in horror.
Sliding into the ring, Keres and Princess Nova sit down next to Lizzie. The world around them slowly begins to fade to black.
Keres: “How did it feel, Elizabeth?”
Lizzie Rose doesn’t respond. She feels too sick to her stomach.
Princess Nova: “Aww, come on. You won! You won your release from FYOG! Be HAPPY!”
Keres: “No sister. We won… All three of us won today…”
Once again, Lizzie Rose doesn’t respond. She’s too horrified. Obscenities chanted at her. Blood on her hands. Mentally escaping, practically becoming another person for a moment… And worse…
It felt good. It felt good for her to stand up for herself and let go… But it isn’t right. Is it? Keres runs her hand along Lizzie’s hair.
Keres: “We got all we needed from you. We know what you have. Enjoy your life, Elizabeth…”
Princess Nova grins.
Princess Nova: “And remember, we LOVE you and will always be PROUD of you.”
Keres raises her fingers and-
Snaps
The two Eternal Sisters disappear and the FYOG arena slowly fades to black. Darkness goes around Lizzie as she lies there, closing her eyes, she begins to cry. Tears roll down her cheeks, mixing in with her blood. She wakes up to see herself-
Sitting on the backstage floor at the Smoothie King Center. The walls around her are adorned with the colours of the New Orleans Pelicans and a crowd has rushed to her. She’s still in her burnt, blood soaked dress, in tears. Blood drips from her forehead as she sobs on the floor. A doctor rushes over.
Doctor: “Lizzie! What happened!? Are you okay!? Lizzie!”
She doesn’t say a word. She buried her blood soaked face in her hands, crying.
Doctor: “Someone get some towels, bandages. Lizzie. Things will be okay…”
Blood drops on her phone. It has an email open.
From “Clique Wrestling”
“Dear User, CW Forums along with its e-fed, FYOG Wrestling, are closing. Thank you for your time.
Admin: Eternal.”
Several doctors approach Lizzie, helping her up, as a crowd looks onwards, concerned.
Lizzie Rose: “-W-What’s wrong with me…?”
Lizzie mutters to herself as the scene cuts away.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The next contest is set for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit! Introducing first, from San Diego, California and weighing in at 234 lb…he is The Wildcard…Jason Randall!”
Randall walks out on stage and as usual he doesn’t mess about and he briskly walks down to the ring. Randall has a scowl on his face as he stomps down the ramp toward the ring.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”and his opponent already in the ring, from London, England and weighing in at 235 lb…”Mister Europe”...Derrick Hunter!”
A smattering of cheers for Hunter, who keeps his gaze set upon Randall.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Welcome back wrestling fans! The action will continue as we see The Wildcard making his way out! We haven’t seen Randall since King of the Deathmatch after he went to war with Jeffry Mason. The Wildcard took time off to recover and thus missed out on the Carnal Contendership.”
Allen Price: ”Boy, you can still see him sporting some of the wounds from that battle with Mason, those do not look pretty!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”The Wildcard was taken to the limit against Mason in what was called a dream match for deathmatch fans, and it was certainly the show stealer from day one of the tournament. Randall came up short however, but he’s back with us tonight and he’s looking to rebound after a tough loss.”
Referee “Mean” Matthew Dean checks both men and then calls for the bell…
Violet only briefly backs off because as soon as Jeremy tries to start to get up, she begins to repeatedly stomp on his back and sides. Jeremy tries to escape the onslaught, crawling his way towards the corner but Violet follows him in, stomping a mudhole into Jeremy up against the turnbuckles.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Violet unleashing a gargantuan amount of aggression on Jeremy Best! And what a sight it is to see!”
<< 02:12. >>
Jeremy finds himself up against the ropes, trying to withstand the continued hard hitting offense of Dreyers. Violet charges in towards Jeremy, but Jeremy grabs the top rope, dropping down to pull rope down and sends Violet spilling to the outside. Best begins to complain to the referee about Violet’s ruthless attacks, while Baxter comes over and blindsides Violet from behind as she was getting back to her feet at ringside!
Baxter then grabs Violet tossing her shoulder first into the steel ring post! The fans at ringside let Baxter have it but he doesn’t appear to be done as he grabs Violet by the mohawk and begins to pull her up… but the masked “Krash” steps in! He shakes his head at Baxter!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What is going on here? That imposter is preventing Baxter from further damage… and Bryan is actually… backing off!”
Allen Price: "Of course! Krash wouldn’t want any serious damage to Violet! Maybe it really is Kr…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Please don’t finish that sentence.”
Baxter does in fact back off, as “Krash” takes Violet by the arm and begins to help her up, but Violet shoves the masked man away, clearly not interested in the help of her phony friend. She instead clutches her shoulder and slides into the ring herself but is met with boots to that shoulder from Jeremy.
<< 05:33. >>
The action continues in the ring as Jeremy has focused his efforts on that shoulder of Violet, wearing her down. Jeremy pulls her to the ropes, wrapping that right arm around the bottom rope and yanking back violently on the arm, continuing to apply pressure. The referee steps in, since Violet is technically in the ropes so Jeremy backs off, still wanting to adhere to the rules… but he does come back and give Violet a swift kick to the shoulder while her arm is still tied up in the rope.
Violet begins trying to pull herself up, but Jeremy takes her by the right arm and takes her down with an armdrag before dropping a legdrop across the shoulder and then he locks in the Friendship Bracelet!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Ever since Baxter helped him out by sending her into that ringpost, Jeremy’s offense has been very targeted on that shoulder. And with the damage he’s dished out to it so far, I’m not so sure how much of the Friendship Bracelet she will be able to withstand!”
Her screams of agony showcase the pain, but luckily for Dreyer, Jeremy had applied the submission in less than optimal ring position and she is able to wiggle her foot under the ropes and Jeremy is forced to break up the hold. Again, Jeremy releases immediately.
<< 07:06. >>
Jeremy continues to control the offense as he sends Violet into the turnbuckles and rushes in with a running shotgun dropkick right to her chest. The New Orleans crowd begins to rally, cheering in support to try and get Violet back into the match. That includes “Krash” at ringside, who plays to the crowd wanting them to support her friend. Bryan Baxter walks over and shoves the masked man. ”What are you doing?!” he shouts at her and the masked man simply shrugs.
Back in the ring, Jeremy positions Violet up onto the top turnbuckle before climbing up to the middle rope. He begins to hook her for a superplex, but with the crowd getting behind her, Violet does start to battle back! She fights off Best with some punches, sending Jeremy down off ropes. Best tries to come back in for an attack but Violet boots him in the face, sending him staggering before she leaps off and catches Best by the head…
Molotov Cocktail tornado DDT!
Violet is slow to recover but she does roll over and make the cover!
One! Two! Kickout!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It’s just a nearfall but that may have been what Violet needed to swing the momentum back in her favor!’
Allen Price: "Look at how happy that masked man seems at ringside! I dunno JL…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "No, Price! No! Don’t buy into Jeremy’s mindgames!”
<< 09:17. >>
Violet’s momentum continues as she grabs Jeremy in a rear headlock and then jumps between the middle and top rope, smashing Jeremy’s head into the middle turnbuckle with a running bulldog, the Mohawk Missle! Jeremy falls backwards to the mat as Violet ascends the turnbuckles herself…
ROOFTOP RIOT!
BUT JEREMY ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY!
Dreyer hit her shoulder hard on the canvas. She rolls to her side, clutching it in pain as Jeremy gets back up to his feet. Best stumbles over to Violet as she begins to try and get up, making it up to her knees as Jeremy begins to unleash his Friendly Fire kick combinations, each stiff kick from Jeremy landing squarely on that right shoulder.
Best looks to measure up Dreyer to finish off the Friendly Fire with a spinkick, but instead… he stops. Jeremy walks over and kneels down with her as she is struggling to even keep herself held up on her knees. The camera zooms in close and we can overhear Jeremy speaking to her. “We can still stop this,” Jeremy tells her. “We can be friends.”
Jeremy pulls Violet back up to her feet, having to support her weight and keep her from falling back over, but Jeremy pulls her in and hugs her as the arena fills with boos.
But Dryer doesn’t return the hug, instead she KNEES JEREMY RIGHT BETWEEN THE LEGS!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I don’t think she’s changed her mind.”
Allen Price: “That blow looked a little… low… to me, how about you, JL?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Yeah and she’s getting a bit of a warning from the official but I don’t think she cares to much!”
<< 12:23. >>
Jeremy finds himself in trouble now as the low blow had fired her up and she had Jeremy on the ropes, once again unleashing a fast paced barrage of punches and kicks, working Jeremy over in the corner. Sensing his partner was in trouble, Bryan Baxter climbed the apron providing a distraction…
But Violet springboards to the ropes and hits an enziguri to Baxter! Baxter holds onto the ropes as Violet drops to her knees by the ropes and… PUNCHES BAXTER RIGHT IN THE DICK!
BBB drops down to the floor, bending over and clutching his groin in pain as “Krash” rushes over to check on him…
Meanwhile Jeremy stumbles out of the corner into the waiting Violet who lifts him up…
DEADBEAT DERBY!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "She did it! I think she’s got him! Violet Dreyer is going to pull this off!”
Violet’s eyes grow wide as she realizes this is her chance…
But she doesn’t go for the pin…
Allen Price: “Wait, what is she doing? This is your chance, Violet! Take it!”
Instead, she sits down behind Jeremy… and sits him up… placing her hands across Jeremy’s shoulders…
AND APPLIES THE DREYER KNOT!
Jeremy IMMEDIATELY TAPS!
Winner: Violet Dreyer by submission at 14:03.
The crowd is ecstatic to see Violet pick up the huge win, cheering her on while she continues to have the Dreyer Knot applied to Jeremy in the ring.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The winner of the match… Violet Dreyer!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Violet has to be careful here, she doesn’t want to have the decision reversed…”
But in the ring, Violet doesn’t seem to care. She wants to dish out more punishment to Jeremy. She wants to cause him more pain. However, the masked “Krash” climbs into the ring and confronts Violet, seemingly asking her to stop.
This does get her to stop, as she lets go of Jeremy and stands up to go toe to toe with this masked man. “Krash” mimics Jeremy’s actions from pre-match as he holds his hand, hoping for a handshake… but once again Violet isn’t interested and instead blasts the masked man with an elbow to the side of the face, once again firing up the crowd!
Violet takes him to the mat with a double leg takedown and mounts the masked man, raining down some punches before she reaches to the mask and begins working on the laces to untie it…
CRACK!
Big Bryan Baxter from behind, armed with a steel chair, smacks Violet across her right shoulder! Dreyer drops to the mat beside the masked man, who quickly scurries away from her as Baxter moves in. Baxter lifts the chair up and drives the top of the chair down repeatedly across the shoulder.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Come on! The match is over! Violet won and didn’t even have a chance to enjoy her hard fought victory!”
Jeremy Best slowly gets to his feet with the help of “Krash.” Jeremy sees what Bryan is doing and he puts his hands over the eye holes of the masked man’s mask. He then turns them both away, as Jeremy can be heard off mic. ”We don’t want to watch what’s about to happen.”
Bryan unfolds the chair only to fold it back, but not before sliding Violet’s right arm into the chair, all the way up to her shoulder.
Allen Price: “Oh dear… this doesn’t look good…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “See, no way there real Krash let’s this happen!”
Bryan drags Violet towards the ropes and begins to climb to the top turnbuckle, eyeing that chair wrapped shoulder..
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Three hundred plus pounds is about to come crashing down on that shoulder and chair…”
Allen Price: “I can’t watch…”
Just as it looks like Bryan is about to come down, the attention of the crowd is diverted. Cheers begin to roll through the audience as Mike Parr rushes out from the back.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Now wait just a minute! Mike Parr is here! The Number One Contender for Bryan Baxter’s North American Championship!”
Baxter sees Parr coming, jumps down off the turnbuckle as Parr slides into the ring and goes right after Baxter. Baxter fires back and the two are exchanging blows left and right until Parr begins to get the upper hand and clotheslines BBB over the top rope to the floor!
Baxter lands on his feet, reaches into the ring and pulls Parr’s legs out from under him and pulls him to ringside, but Parr once again fights back! The two Back in Business opponents slug it out, Parr working Baxter toward the aisle.
Allen Price: “I’m not sure Mike Parr had much interest in saving Violet Dreyer as he did getting his hands on Bryan Baxter… but for one am glad he showed up anyway.”
Jeremy Best turns back around along with “Krash.” He notices that Bryan is gone looks down at Violet, who is clearly in agonizing pain but has been spared from Baxter, she has managed to pull her arm free from the chair.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I agree, Price. Violet may really owe Parr one. No matter what his true intentions were. A lot of damage has been done… but it could have been much worse.”
Jeremy paces the ring before he takes “Krash” by the arm and starts to leave, but freezes as he steps through the ropes. He steps back into the ring and turns to look at Voilet.
A twisted smile crosses his face.
Allen Price: “What now..?”
Jeremy walks back over to Voilet… and he picks the chair up himself.
He turns to look at “Krash.”
Turn back around, he instructs. The masked man obeys, turning around and holding his hands over his eyes once again. Jeremy lifts the chair up…
AND CRACKS IT DOWN ACROSS VIOLET'S SHOULDER AGAIN!
Allen Price: “Jeremy! No!”
AND AGAIN!
Jeremy stops. He looks down at Violet. The friendly face we’ve come to know is gone. He was enjoying this.
And he isn’t done yet.
Jeremy lifts the chair up one more time…
Jeremy stops in his tracks and turns to the entrance way. The fans come alive, which isn’t the normal reaction to this music, but they are clearly happy to see JACKSON FENIX running out from the back!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I never thought I’d hear that kind of reaction for Jackson Fenix! These two are no strangers and Jeremy doesn’t seem too thrilled to see his former friend.”
Jeremy stops in his tracks, seeing his former Undisputed Amigos partner making his way out, rather quickly and looking quite serious. Best backs up a bit, standing with “Krash” as Jackson climbs into the ring and is requesting a microphone.
Jackson Fenix: “Enough, Jeremy, enough! I can’t take this anymore. I can’t stand by any longer and watch you do this!”
The crowd responds to this with some cheers. Jeremy and “Krash” have exited the ring but they remain outside of the ring. Meanwhile, Violet is being helped by more officials but she refuses the help and leaves on her own.
Jackson Fenix: “Somebody has to do something about this and who better than the man that’s responsible for it all. Jeremy, you don’t know it but everything that’s gone on between us in the last year has haunted me. I look back at what I did and I regret what I did to you. I regret it because I’ve seen what it’s done to you. This is all my fault.”
Jeremy looks a bit confused by what Jackson is saying.
Jackson Fenix: “I wish I could take it all back, but I can’t. What I can do though is knock some sense into you and I can do that in a match. Not just any match either, Jeremy. I know a match that would be right up your alley. It’s a place we both know well because that’s where we became pals. On the next set of shows, I don’t care what show it happens on, but it’s time to settle this and there’s only one way…
A SESAME STREET FIGHT!”
The crowd erupts into cheers at the prospect of this happening. Jeremy doesn’t look so sure about it as Fenix’s music plays again and the crowd is still buzzing with excitement.
Allen Price: “Boy, a Sesame Street Fight! That can’t be good for Jeremy if this gets made official!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I’m just as surprised as these fans that Jackson Fenix of all people has stepped up to do something about Jeremy Best, but I think I can speak for everyone in this building that I hope this match gets made official because Jeremy Best does need some sense knocked into him, and Jackson Fenix might be the person to do just that…anyway, stay tuned wrestling fans, there’s more action on the way!”
Darkness.
In the background. We hear the chanting of a rabid crowd, mostly of men.
“F-Y-O-G”
“F-Y-O-G”
“F-Y-O-G”
“F-Y-O-G”
Lizzie Rose stands behind a curtain, completely confused, as if she just got there. All she can hear is a vocal crowd chanting four initials which have come to haunt her over the next week. Looking down she sees… She is dressed up fancy again. A superstar makeover, with a white dress that goes down to her knees, some fashionable boots, and a necklace. Her face is dolled up again with lipstick and makeup.
Lizzie Rose: “-N-Not again.”
She mutters to herself.
Lizzie Rose: “Those two always seem to find a way to bring me here and I’m sick and tired of it. And now Joe’s hurt because of it…”
She alludes to what happened on Meltdown. Her main ally against Eternal, gone. She hears on the speakers… Princess Nova.
Princess Nova: “Ladies and gentlemen of the FYOG arena! WELCOME TO FYOG WRESTLING! WELCOME TO HARDCORE CLIMAX!!!”
The screen has a filter, making it feel lower quality like cable television in the 90’s and the show logo appears.
View attachment 56909
Hardcore metal music blares through as we see a montage of hardcore wrestling, sex appeal, and different highlights from FWA and other stock wrestling footage making it feel very late 90’s, during a time where this in wrestling wasn’t just the norm, but celebrated. We then get a glimpse of the arena.
It feels dingy with it packed with rabid, sweaty, male wrestling fans. The ring has the HARDCORE FYOG logo on the apron with a blue, blood-stained mat, black ropes, and only flimsy steel barricades separating the fans from the wrestlers. In the ring, Princess Nova has a somewhat more risque princess dress on compared to normal, hugging her curves more with an exposed skirt, showing some leg. Just fitting in. She has a microphone in her hands.
Princess Nova: “The following match is a Hardcore match! The rules…”
She giggles.
Princess Nova: “Well [BLEEP] it, there ARE no rules!”
The TORN Universe censors Nova’s swear with a loud beeping sound. Back behind the curtain, Lizzie Rose has a look of great dread on her face… A hardcore match ON TOP of whatever mental mind-fuckery they’re going to put her through?
Lizzie Rose: “...Well this is great...”
Peering out of the shadows, a familiar girl appears. With her pigtails, dark hair, and unblinking expression… Keres.
Keres: “Well, what are you waiting for, Elizabeth? Go on.”
Keres pushes Lizzie and she falls through the curtains and she is in the entranceway diagonal from the ring. The fans JEER madly as she appears. Several fans in the front row flipping her off as Lizzie Rose looks around in shock. What the hell are these fans?
Princess Nova: “Introducing first, from Brooklyn, New York, she is That [BLEEP], Elizabeth Rose!”
Lizzie looks up at Princess Nova in the ring announcing her. Nova has a playful wave with her fingers.
Lizzie Rose: “-I never thought she was physically capable of such language…”
Reluctantly, Lizzie Rose gets off the dirty concrete floor of the FYOG Arena and makes her way down the aisle. The fans continue to boo her and… a chant begins.
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP!
Lizzie is taken back from the fans. She’s usually used to the fans being the polar opposite of this. They’re rabid, make Danny Toner’s language seem clean by comparison, AND they’re out to get her. Lizzie Rose gets into the ring and she rushes to Princess Nova, ripping the microphone from her hands.
Lizzie Rose: “Alright, I’m SICK OF THIS!”
The fans jeer as Lizzie Rose is reaching her limit.
Lizzie Rose: “Week after week, you and your ‘sister’ have done nothing but make my life a living hell. A-And you think this is something supposed to help me?! I can’t sleep, I can’t focus on any of my matches. My friends are hurt. For some reason as soon as I step out of this… Whatever it is, I can’t even REMEMBER anything!”
Princess Nova simply grins, tilting her head slightly to the side.
Lizzie Rose: “Don’t look at me like that…”
Lizzie Rose snaps at Nova and the fans jeer, though, in her defense, the anger is justified.
Lizzie Rose: “-And what’s going on with this crowd?”
Princess Nova: “It’s the late nineties, Elizabeth.”
Gently taking the microphone from Lizzie, the TORN Angel giggles.
Princess Nova: “This was the norm in wrestling. Vocal crowds. Passionate, no filter. Ah, it was a time so many look back at fondly… Even if so much of it isn’t aged well. Violence, racism, sexism, homophobia, you name it. But tonight, they’ll get one thing they crave: Blood.”
Nova has a sly smirk on her face, happily clapping to herself.
Lizzie Rose: “So THAT’s why you have me in a Hardcore match? And you guys think you’re funny and put me in a dress?”
Princess Nova: “Be fortunate we did not book you in a match where you competed in a bikini in a mud-pit, or where the object was to strip you down to your underwear. Because we as women weren’t treated all that well during this time… and for one, I actually think you look LOVELY in that dress…”
Seeing an opportunity to be snide and rude, the fans begin to chant…
“H-L-A!”
“H-L-A!”
“H-L-A!”
Both Nova and Lizzie shake their heads and gesture for the crowd to stop. Yeah, no. Ain’t happening.
Princess Nova: “Point proven. Sexism, homophobia. Things we do not support, but sadly must deal with while we are here. Good luck, Elizabeth… AND HER OPPONENT!”
The nu metal riffs of this era’s FAVOURITE band, Limp Bizkit, plays through the speakers as the crowd gives a LOUD response. After a few moments, someone with cut off jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt featuring the text “I’m HARD” on it, makes his way out through the curtains with a shopping cart FULL OF weapons. In one of his hands is a can of beer and he cracks it open before chugging it, smashing the can multiple times on his forehead!
Princess Nova: “Representing his homies in Cell Block 420 at the Philadelphia Correctional Facility, from the school of HARD knocks, weighing in at approximately 92500 Thumbtacks. He is the 69 minute man. The Viagra Avenger… he is extreme… he is… HARD, BO NAIR!!!”
Pushing his shopping cart down to ringside he throws various weapons around the ring. Trash can lids, baking trays, bats. Taking out a Kendo Stick… For some fucking reason, he smashes it against his head multiple times, busting himself open hard way! Going over to a couple of fans, they hand him solo cups filled with beer and he chugs them both. Lizzie looks on, disgusted at the “fine man” he’s going to be fighting, as Bo rolls into the ring and raises his kendo stick up high in the air. He’s already wobbling as Princess Nova hands him a microphone.
Bo Nair: “ALRIGHT ALL MY MOTHERFUCKERS! WHO’S READY TO GO IN HARD!?”
The fans give a thunderous cheer as Bo Nair runs around the ring, stumbling around.
Bo Nair: “Aww yeah. That’s real hardcore shit. Now to the bitch I’m facing tonight… Uhh…”
He looks at Lizzie Rose.
Bo Nair: “Look, I don’t fucking know who you are. I don’t know if it is because I’ve had five drinks already or that I’m already developing CTE even though nobody in this time has a fucking clue what that is, but I am fuuuuuuuuucked! But who needs to wrestle… WHEN I AM THE KING OF HARDCORE!!!”
Bo shouts to the top of his lungs.
Bo Nair: “And look here, bitch…”
He turns to Lizzie Rose. He slurs his words slightly.
Bo Nair: “I’m not sure if Imallowed to touch you. Looking at you, I’m worried Ima get h*rpes…”
Despite the FRAGRANT sexism from Bo Nair, the fans eat it up, cheering. Lizzie Rose just freezes. Jaw drops. R-really? The rabid crowd begin to chant.
“She’s got Herpes!”
“She’s got Herpes!”
“She’s got Herpes!”
Princess Nova has gotten on the commentary table, going solo.
Princess Nova: “I sincerely apologize for whatever Mr. Nair AND the crowd say to our dear viewers…”
Lizzie covers her ears and huddles herself in the corner. Just… No. This environment is vicious, crude, and downright evil. A stark contrast to most of what she’s known in FWA. But she’s trapped here.
Bo Nair: “What’s wrong, bitch!?”
Bo turns his attention back to Lizzie and he goes to the corner.
Bo Nair: “Can’t take extreme life? You signed up for this. Pro Wrestling takes ‘nice girls’ like you, chews them up, spits them out til' they’re nothin’! You brittlelittle bitch. I’m going to tear you apart by my weapons and pure bloodlust! Then how about I tear you apart again when I take you back to my hotel and-”
Lizzie has HAD IT with him and punches him in the jaw!
Princess Nova: “Thank you, Elizabeth, I did NOT want to poison my ears hearing where he was going.”
The bell rings and Lizzie’s third test in the TORN Universe begins. Even while competing in a dress, she seems to still have some mobility as she runs off the ropes and hits a second forearm. The fans jeer and continue to chant at Lizzie…
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP!
She takes an extra second, still shocked and in some ways disgusted that the rowdy and rude crowd is chanting such obscenities. But, with this match having “no rules,” she has no choice but to continue on. She runs off the ropes again-
And Bo Nair swings his kendo stick, nailing her in the ribs!
Princess Nova: “Ladies and gentlemen, this match has begun and our dear Elizabeth has already made an error. She tried a wrestling move in this environment”
Bo rubs his hand along the Kendo stick in an obscene gesture before cracking it across her back a second and third time!
Princess Nova: “Eww… This is no environment for a lady like me…”
Looking at the weapons he tossed into the ring, he grabs a metal stop sign. He places it on Lizzie’s stomach before cracking his kendo stick against it! Keeping up his weapons parade, he grabs a garbage can lid. Lizzie Rose, holding her ribs, gets to her feet and is met with that steel to her head! Then again, and again! Three shots with the garbage can lid in a row! Finishing off with his weapons spree, Bo Nair grabs a steel chair from the pile of weapons and decides to forgo the risk of CTE and CRACKS IT against LIzzie Rosie’s head!
Princess Nova: “OH NO!- I mean… OH MY GAWWWWWWD!... Did they not worry about concussions at this time?”
Lizzie Rose lies on the apron, her world is in a haze. Blood is formed from a cut on her forehead and she looks up. The fans, ever unforgiving, continue to chant…
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP!
The hand of Lizzie shakes as she attempts to pull herself up by the ropes. Bo Nair grabs a trash can and eyes up Lizzie Rose. He charges and smashes the trash can against her head, sending her crashing to the exposed concrete floor to a roaring cheer from the fans!
Lying on the outside, Lizzie Rose is in a mental fog as she rolls to her stomach. Her upper back is red from the hard fall to the floor. Several fans in the front row flip her off, yelling obscenities at her while Bo Nair gloats hard to the crowd. Lizzle grabs the steel barricade-
As a fan spits beer on her!
Princess Nova: “-That is disgusting! Poor Elizabeth…”
The fan throws his can at Lizzie Rose, still on the floor, now rubbing alcohol and who knows what else out of her eyes.
“WE WANT TABLES!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“WE WANT TABLES!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
Bo Nair rolls out to the opposite side of the ring and upon the request of the fans, he pulls out a table. He slides it into the ring and sets it up. He then grabs lighter fluid and we know what he is thinking. Holding it near his… groin area. He squirts the fluid in the air onto the table. Reaching into his boots, he pulls out a match-
And the table is on fire!
"WE WANT VIOLENCE!"
CLAP CLAP CLAP
"WE WANT VIOLENCE!"
CLAP CLAP CLAP
The fans roar in approval as Bo Nair goes back to his stash of weapons and pulls a barbed-wire bat out. Lizzie finally gets to her feet and pulls herself onto the apron, but she can’t even get into the ring as he nails her in the face with the barbed-wire bat!
Princess Nova: “-Such mindless violence… At this point I would KILL for a headlock.”
Glancing at his flaming table, Nair licks his lips and gets a crazed look in his eyes. Holding it over the fire, it too is lit ablaze!
Lying on the outside on her hands and knees, Lizzie’s face is cut up. Blood is dripping on the dirty floor. Bo Nair raises his weapon in the air and points at Lizzie. He shouts “Tell this bitch what you think of her!!!”
And the fans… chant.
“She’s a whore!”
“She’s a whore!”
“She-”
The audio for the viewers goes down as Princess Nova, with dread in her voice, says.
Princess Nova: “Dear God… Please, to anyone watching this, never chant that at a wrestling show to any performer, or anything racist, sexist, homophobic and the likes. This is Eternal’s official stance…”
Lizzie Rose is in a state of shock. She’s NEVER felt a crowd like this. The verbal abuse on top of mindless violence. But, the fans will never treat her like this, right? She shakes as she is still on the floor. Bo Nair steps between the ropes, nearly tripping from his concussed and intoxicated state and gets on the floor, his fiery weapon in his hands.
Lizzie Rose blinks, looking up at Bo Nair. The fire glows on her skin and she just… is done fighting.
“J-Just do it…” She mutters.
Bo Nair swings the weapon back and is about to knock Lizzie’s head off-
But something grips the bat like a vice. Turing around…
Keres.
Princess Nova: “Sister!!!”
Despite the fact the bat is wrapped in barbed-wire on TOP of it being on FIRE, she grabs the end of the bat with one hand. A cold stare is in her eyes as she rips it from Bo Nair’s hands and smashes it against his head!
Princess Nova: “You deserve that, Mr. Nair!”
Bo Nair flops on the floor with his face being cut and burnt from the bat shot. Keres stands over Lizzie Rose who sits there, confused. Did she just, save her? Kneeling down, Keres rubs her finger along Lizzie’s forehead, some blood on her fingers.
Keres: “B̴͙̯͋ẽ̶͖͙ ̵̘͉͊̓n̸̯̑o̸̘͛̾t̵̻̠̅͗ ̷̞̌͝à̷̻̦f̶̼̏͊ͅr̸̜̎â̴͚̆ì̶̻̰̍d̵̪̓͐.”
A chill goes down Lizzie’s spine.
Keres: “If we didn’t want what was best for you… We would have let him destroy you.”
Lizzie slides back, leaning her back against the barricade. Her eyes can’t leave Keres out of terror.
Keres: “Listen. Listen to these people. They don’t support people who fail to win, do they?”
Lizzie Rose shakes her head. She mutters.
Lizzie Rose: “S-shut up! They would never treat me like THIS!”
Keres: “Maybe not to this extreme…”
Keres’ eyes don’t leave Lizzie.
Keres: “But they always move on. They move on to new toys. Think… Bellatrix. Think of the woman who walks with the Kitsune… the Rodent… Or they go for their nostalgia. The man who speaks Truth. The final run of a man already draped in Gold, and so much more… They leave you aside.”
Leaning in closer, Keres touches Lizzie’s cheek.
Keres: “Your world is temporary. TORN is Eternal. This has always been For Your Own Good… For your potential. So go…”
Keres lifts Lizzie back to her feet and turns her attention towards Bo Nair who is dousing his face in water to deal with the burns.
Keres: “P̴͇̗̏r̴̢͍͛̄ͅo̵̖̥̭̿̿̇v̶̘͋ḙ̸̿ ̶̯͍̈́u̴̯͂͘s̵̞̟̯͐̓̃ ̶̨̡̗̅r̵͇͕̫̉͘ị̴̰͊͝ḡ̸̨͍ḧ̶̬̟͙́͑̋t̸̖̄̿!̵̼̑”
Lizzie Rose stares at Bo Nair…
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP
“FUCK YOU LIZZIE!”
CLAP CLAP CLAP!
And she clenches her first before she rips the baseball bat from Keres’ hands and swings it hard against Bo Nair’s back!
Princess Nova: “GO ELIZABETH!”
Princess Nova roots her on as Lizzie Rose smashes the flaming bat against Nair’s back multiple times before pushing him in the middle of the ring. Lizzie Rose pulls out from under a light tube and slides it in the ring. Lizzie cracks it against Bo Nair’s head then jabs some shards of glass against his eye! Bo Nair screams out in pain as Lizzie, her face covered in a crimson mask, pushes it until the glass breaks!
Bo Nair is blinded as he stumbles near the flaming table. Lizzie Rose lunges forward with a Leaping Double Foot Stomp on Nair THROUGH the flames of the tables!
Princess Nova: “OH MY GAWWWWD! GOOMBA STOMP! THROUGH THE FIRE AND FLAMES!”
Bo Nair flops on the ground, fire burning his shirt and skin. Lizzie Rose stands in the ring, part of her dress burnt from the fire… But she doesn’t seem to care. Looking forward, she has an almost bored expression on her face. Her shoulders slouch and her eyes are cold. Watching this at ringside, Keres raises her fingers…
And snaps.
Appearing in front of Lizzie is a knee pad. Glued to the front of it are thumbtacks with the pointed ends facing out. She carefully slides it onto her knee and drags Bo Nair by the wrists, clutching them both. She pulls her knee back before lunging it forward to his face, driving the thumbtacks into his skull! Bo Nair slumps to the ground as Lizzie slides the knee pad off and goes for a cover.
One… Two… Three!
The bell rings and as it does, whatever state Lizzie Rose found herself temporarily in begins to fade. She blinks, looking at her hands… covered in blood.
Princess Nova: “And here is your winner… Elizabeth Rose!!!”
Princess Nova shouts over the speaker before she begins to skip down to the ring to join Lizzie and Keres.
Lizzie Rose looks at her opponent. Blood covering his face, his eye swollen, thumbtacks planted in his skull, burn marks all over his body. S-She did this? She sits, and begins to shake. Shake in horror.
Sliding into the ring, Keres and Princess Nova sit down next to Lizzie. The world around them slowly begins to fade to black.
Keres: “How did it feel, Elizabeth?”
Lizzie Rose doesn’t respond. She feels too sick to her stomach.
Princess Nova: “Aww, come on. You won! You won your release from FYOG! Be HAPPY!”
Keres: “No sister. We won… All three of us won today…”
Once again, Lizzie Rose doesn’t respond. She’s too horrified. Obscenities chanted at her. Blood on her hands. Mentally escaping, practically becoming another person for a moment… And worse…
It felt good. It felt good for her to stand up for herself and let go… But it isn’t right. Is it? Keres runs her hand along Lizzie’s hair.
Keres: “We got all we needed from you. We know what you have. Enjoy your life, Elizabeth…”
Princess Nova grins.
Princess Nova: “And remember, we LOVE you and will always be PROUD of you.”
Keres raises her fingers and-
Snaps
The two Eternal Sisters disappear and the FYOG arena slowly fades to black. Darkness goes around Lizzie as she lies there, closing her eyes, she begins to cry. Tears roll down her cheeks, mixing in with her blood. She wakes up to see herself-
Sitting on the backstage floor at the Smoothie King Center. The walls around her are adorned with the colours of the New Orleans Pelicans and a crowd has rushed to her. She’s still in her burnt, blood soaked dress, in tears. Blood drips from her forehead as she sobs on the floor. A doctor rushes over.
Doctor: “Lizzie! What happened!? Are you okay!? Lizzie!”
She doesn’t say a word. She buried her blood soaked face in her hands, crying.
Doctor: “Someone get some towels, bandages. Lizzie. Things will be okay…”
Blood drops on her phone. It has an email open.
From “Clique Wrestling”
“Dear User, CW Forums along with its e-fed, FYOG Wrestling, are closing. Thank you for your time.
Admin: Eternal.”
Several doctors approach Lizzie, helping her up, as a crowd looks onwards, concerned.
Lizzie Rose: “-W-What’s wrong with me…?”
Lizzie mutters to herself as the scene cuts away.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The next contest is set for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit! Introducing first, from San Diego, California and weighing in at 234 lb…he is The Wildcard…Jason Randall!”
Randall walks out on stage and as usual he doesn’t mess about and he briskly walks down to the ring. Randall has a scowl on his face as he stomps down the ramp toward the ring.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”and his opponent already in the ring, from London, England and weighing in at 235 lb…”Mister Europe”...Derrick Hunter!”
A smattering of cheers for Hunter, who keeps his gaze set upon Randall.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Welcome back wrestling fans! The action will continue as we see The Wildcard making his way out! We haven’t seen Randall since King of the Deathmatch after he went to war with Jeffry Mason. The Wildcard took time off to recover and thus missed out on the Carnal Contendership.”
Allen Price: ”Boy, you can still see him sporting some of the wounds from that battle with Mason, those do not look pretty!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”The Wildcard was taken to the limit against Mason in what was called a dream match for deathmatch fans, and it was certainly the show stealer from day one of the tournament. Randall came up short however, but he’s back with us tonight and he’s looking to rebound after a tough loss.”
Referee “Mean” Matthew Dean checks both men and then calls for the bell…
DING! DING! DING!
<< 00:05 >>
Hunter makes a beeline for Randall but The Wildcard was ready and much quicker on the exchange…Hail Mary!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Oh, Randall with his signature cutter right out of the gate!”
Allen Price: ”I don’t think Hunter was expecting that!”
***
<< 01:30 >>
Hunter hits the mat after the cutter but Randall drags him by the toward the corner and Randall drives down some vicious looking corner stomps to Hunter! The Wildcard dishes out some more punishment with repeated forearm smashes in the corner and then he follows up with a roaring elbow smash! Hunter is stunned and Randall drags him away from the corner and brings him up in position…
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Wildcard Special from Randall!”
Hunter writhes around on the mat but Randall doesn’t give him any room to breathe as he brings him back up…Deuces Wild!
***
<< 03:16 >>
Hunter is up to a knee but he has no idea where he’s at as Randall sizes him up…Kill-Shot!
Allen Price: ”Randall is bringing just about everything out of his arsenal tonight, he’s not playing around!”
Randall has Hunter in position and drives down some more vicious stomps while he has Hunter’s arm’s trapped in a surfboard-like position….
Randall brings Hunter up and drives a boot to the gut…Snake Eyes! Randall isn’t through yet…bulldog choke! Randall locks in that bulldog choke and Dean checks on Hunter and he’s out! Dean calls for the bell…
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The winner of the match…Jason Randall!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”A decisive victory for The Wildcard tonight, honestly I don’t think Derrick Hunter stood a chance because Randall dangerously focused!”
Allen Price: ”Decisive is an understatement! He mauled Hunter and he’s still not letting go of that bulldog choke!”
Randall still has the submission applied with no intentions of letting go despite the referee’s warnings and more officials arrive on the scene before Randall releases the hold. Randall rolls out of the ring to some jeers for his unsportsmanlike conduct but he doesn’t care. The referees scold him from the ring but he waves them off as he walks back up the ramp.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”You don’t have to like him but Randall made a statement tonight and put everyone on notice! There’s more action on the way wrestling fans, stay tuned!”
We return to inside the arena following the break, and a voice is heard loudly through the speaker system;
???: “HA-HAAAAAAAAAHH!”
The crowd all suddenly rise to attention and some of their stunned faces are shown from different sections of the arena and the atmosphere builds even louder…
Allen Price: ”Wait…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”This is most unexpected!”
The fans’ excitement levels and the volume in the arena amplifies greatly as the opening chords of a very familiar song begin to play;
After a few seconds of the song playing, the crowd almost blows the joint with their noise as a figure walks out from the back onto the stage. Initial shots show that the man is wearing a full three-piece suit and he has a moustache and long hair slicked back underneath a bowler hat.
Allen Price: ”It’s actually him, Jean-Luc! IN YOUR HEEEEAAADDDDDD!!”
The man twirls the cane in his right hand a few times and then reaches across his stomach and unclips the buttons on his jacket and opens it up… TO REVEAL THE FWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! The crowd immediately stop singing as the man flings the bowler hat to the side… IT’S CHRIS PEACOCK!!!
The FWA World Champion laughs heartily and removes the jacket, throwing it over a fan in the front row as he walks down towards the ring. Peacock wears a smug grin as he can barely contain his own excitement, finding amusement in the fact that crowd members are hurling trash in his direction.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Well, we saw earlier tonight that Alyster Black received a very less-than-warm reception from the crowd here in New Orleans, but I think with this ruse his tag team partner has upstaged him.”
Allen Price: ”Chris Peacock doesn’t care what these fans think of him. They hate him, and for good reason. Their hero is gone because of him and that would be a shame if it was not for their hero being an egotistical asshat, Jean-Luc.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Interesting you should say that… Well, regardless of his attire, it is good to see Chris Peacock tonight after what transpired earlier this week leading him to miss a scheduled appearance on Meltdown.”
Allen Price: ”Typical Danny Toner if you ask me, Jean-Luc. He was doing everything he could to get under Chris’s skin. Look how desperate people are to throw him off his game ahead of his match with Cyrus Truth at Back in Business.”
Peacock enters the ring and pulls the microphone out of his back pocket that he had stored there and he motions for the music to cut off, ensuring that it comes just before a chorus. The crowd are very loudly hurling abuse at him, but he ignores it.
Chris Peacock: “I think Alyster Black covered it well enough earlier on tonight, but let me just make my thoughts clear on something that I think you will all want to hear; fuck New Orleans and fuck your dearly departed but not at all missed by anyone else that isn’t one of you fucks or Reagan Cole… Devin Golden.”
The crowd boos and some trash lands at his feet, and the champion laughs before kicking it back from whence it came.
Chris Peacock: “You really can’t be telling me that youuuuuuuuuu misssssssss the sillllllllllllllllly maaaaaaaannn whoooo tallllks like he’s haaaaaaaauunnnntedddd, do you? Give me a fucking break, man.”
Peacock shakes his head, and then listens to the reaction he is getting and seems to be getting slightly riled up. He walks over to the corner and stands on the middle rope and leans over the turnbuckle.
Chris Peacock: “Well, TOUGH SHIT! He’s gone, he’s never coming back and it was all because of me. I’m the champion of this company and not that dickhead Devin Golden and that isn’t changing any time soon, so how about you all shut the hell up and you let the champion talk, huh?
Hey, last time I was here, what was it you were all doing to me? Oh, making choking noises. UHHHH UCCCCHHHHHHHHH BLEH… WHY DON’T ALL OF YOU YOU CHOKE ON THESE?!”
Grabbing his crotch, Peacock sneers out at the crowd and then jumps down from the corner and then looks into the camera in the ring with him.
Chris Peacock: “Just to touch on one other thing Alyster said earlier on. I’m not ducking anyone, bud and if we want to use Dildo Golden as a measuring stick, I think we know who actually would walked away as the winner from that one. If you’re still not sure, we can use Cyrus too after Back in Business because I sure as shit won’t fall where you did, big man. We’re much better as tag team partners, so let’s keep it that way for now.
And whilst I’m here, weaselperson… or Zachary as I’d much rather call you. I’m not very hard to find, guy. I’ve got enough delusional dickheads on my plate at the moment, but the more the merrier. Let’s do this thing sometime soon, okay?
Who else we got? Well, fuck the Nephews just out of principle. You know who else can go and fuck themselves, too? How about my opponent for tonight? Daniel Fuckin’ Toner.”
The crowd boo loudly for the mention of Toner and Peacock laughs loudly.
Chris Peacock: “Guess we found something we can all agree on, then. Danny, I have never been more disappointed in anyone as I am with you in my entire life. We were friends, Danny. There was things I would tell you that I daren’t share with anyone else. I always thought we shared a special bond, not just because we’re both from New York - a much better city than this dump, by the way - but because I thought we shared the same values.
I thought we were both there for the little guy, fought for the right reasons even though we lost our way a few times along the way, we always knew that doing the right thing was always the best thing to do, no matter how hard it was to do it. We fought the Nephews together, fought each other and would have fought anyone else who stood in our way. We… were fucking golden, man. Then you fucked it all up, Danny!
You showed everyone what a snake you really are and you bought into your own hype more than anyone else. You’re a self-absorbed asshole and a coward. Let me tell you, I took great joy in watching whoever that was at Carnal Contendership kick your ass. I’m just upset that it wasn’t me that got to do it. Not to worry, though, we’ve got tonight, Danny Boy.
So tonight, Daniel Toner will learn why I am the FWA World Champion and the measuring stick of this business today and he will understand that Chris Peacock is SIEMP-”
The crowd all rise to their feet again and begin cheering as the music plays once again and even Chris Peacock stands to attention, dropping the microphone and unclipping his championship from around his waist and the crowd rise to their feet to cheer again as another man walks out onto the stage, again dressed in a full suit with a walking cane and bowler hat.
Allen Price: ”Wait, this one wasn’t Chris… I think this one is actually him. I thought he was gone! He’s supposed to be gone!”
The man takes a few steps forward onto the stage and bows down, appreciating the positive reaction from the fans in New Orleans… and he removes his hat and looks up with a terrible smirk.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”THAT’S DANNY TONER!”
Being tricked once was angering enough for the NOLA fans, but it seems that the crowd are verging on a riot as Toner clearly had the same idea as Peacock, including copying the mannerisms of Devin Golden as he approaches the ring.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”If I know Danny Toner, I am sure that he was nothing more than amused by Chris Peacock sharing his thoughts on him. What he should be concerned about is the mystery individual that targeted him at the Carnal Contendership event. We still presently have no idea who that was, Price.”
Allen Price: ”It’s not like Toner doesn’t have enough enemies though, is it? There are plenty of people who want a piece of this guy and Chris Peacock here is just one of them, but we know Chris was not behind the attack on Toner as he was here at the commentary table - which is where I should have been as well, by the way!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”You need to let that go, Price. For Toner’s sake, he needs to make sure that his head is in the game tonight. Chris Peacock is not averse to playing some tricks of his own and if he’s not fully focused, he will lose to the FWA World Champion.”
The referee, Larry Stevens, stands in front of Peacock who seems to be chomping at the bit to be allowed to go after Toner as he enters the ring. Stevens however is keen for the match to begin in the conventional manner. ‘Zombie’ ends for a second time and the crowd make no bones about the fact that they are not fans of either of these men with duelling chants;
“FUCK YOU TONER!”
“FUCK YOU PEACOCK!”
“FUCK YOU TONER!”
“FUCK YOU PEACOCK!”
Despite the differences presently between them, both Peacock and Toner find amusement in the chanting by the crowd and both remove the waistcoats and shirts from their ensembles before motioning that they are ready to get going with the match.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Chris Peacock and Danny Toner,,, Part Six!”
<< 00:05 >>
Hunter makes a beeline for Randall but The Wildcard was ready and much quicker on the exchange…Hail Mary!
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Oh, Randall with his signature cutter right out of the gate!”
Allen Price: ”I don’t think Hunter was expecting that!”
***
<< 01:30 >>
Hunter hits the mat after the cutter but Randall drags him by the toward the corner and Randall drives down some vicious looking corner stomps to Hunter! The Wildcard dishes out some more punishment with repeated forearm smashes in the corner and then he follows up with a roaring elbow smash! Hunter is stunned and Randall drags him away from the corner and brings him up in position…
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Wildcard Special from Randall!”
Hunter writhes around on the mat but Randall doesn’t give him any room to breathe as he brings him back up…Deuces Wild!
***
<< 03:16 >>
Hunter is up to a knee but he has no idea where he’s at as Randall sizes him up…Kill-Shot!
Allen Price: ”Randall is bringing just about everything out of his arsenal tonight, he’s not playing around!”
Randall has Hunter in position and drives down some more vicious stomps while he has Hunter’s arm’s trapped in a surfboard-like position….
Randall brings Hunter up and drives a boot to the gut…Snake Eyes! Randall isn’t through yet…bulldog choke! Randall locks in that bulldog choke and Dean checks on Hunter and he’s out! Dean calls for the bell…
Winner: Jason Randall by knockout at 4:06.
Natalie Rosenberg: ”The winner of the match…Jason Randall!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”A decisive victory for The Wildcard tonight, honestly I don’t think Derrick Hunter stood a chance because Randall dangerously focused!”
Allen Price: ”Decisive is an understatement! He mauled Hunter and he’s still not letting go of that bulldog choke!”
Randall still has the submission applied with no intentions of letting go despite the referee’s warnings and more officials arrive on the scene before Randall releases the hold. Randall rolls out of the ring to some jeers for his unsportsmanlike conduct but he doesn’t care. The referees scold him from the ring but he waves them off as he walks back up the ramp.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”You don’t have to like him but Randall made a statement tonight and put everyone on notice! There’s more action on the way wrestling fans, stay tuned!”
We return to inside the arena following the break, and a voice is heard loudly through the speaker system;
???: “HA-HAAAAAAAAAHH!”
The crowd all suddenly rise to attention and some of their stunned faces are shown from different sections of the arena and the atmosphere builds even louder…
Allen Price: ”Wait…”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”This is most unexpected!”
The fans’ excitement levels and the volume in the arena amplifies greatly as the opening chords of a very familiar song begin to play;
After a few seconds of the song playing, the crowd almost blows the joint with their noise as a figure walks out from the back onto the stage. Initial shots show that the man is wearing a full three-piece suit and he has a moustache and long hair slicked back underneath a bowler hat.
Allen Price: ”It’s actually him, Jean-Luc! IN YOUR HEEEEAAADDDDDD!!”
The man twirls the cane in his right hand a few times and then reaches across his stomach and unclips the buttons on his jacket and opens it up… TO REVEAL THE FWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! The crowd immediately stop singing as the man flings the bowler hat to the side… IT’S CHRIS PEACOCK!!!
The FWA World Champion laughs heartily and removes the jacket, throwing it over a fan in the front row as he walks down towards the ring. Peacock wears a smug grin as he can barely contain his own excitement, finding amusement in the fact that crowd members are hurling trash in his direction.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Well, we saw earlier tonight that Alyster Black received a very less-than-warm reception from the crowd here in New Orleans, but I think with this ruse his tag team partner has upstaged him.”
Allen Price: ”Chris Peacock doesn’t care what these fans think of him. They hate him, and for good reason. Their hero is gone because of him and that would be a shame if it was not for their hero being an egotistical asshat, Jean-Luc.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Interesting you should say that… Well, regardless of his attire, it is good to see Chris Peacock tonight after what transpired earlier this week leading him to miss a scheduled appearance on Meltdown.”
Allen Price: ”Typical Danny Toner if you ask me, Jean-Luc. He was doing everything he could to get under Chris’s skin. Look how desperate people are to throw him off his game ahead of his match with Cyrus Truth at Back in Business.”
Peacock enters the ring and pulls the microphone out of his back pocket that he had stored there and he motions for the music to cut off, ensuring that it comes just before a chorus. The crowd are very loudly hurling abuse at him, but he ignores it.
Chris Peacock: “I think Alyster Black covered it well enough earlier on tonight, but let me just make my thoughts clear on something that I think you will all want to hear; fuck New Orleans and fuck your dearly departed but not at all missed by anyone else that isn’t one of you fucks or Reagan Cole… Devin Golden.”
The crowd boos and some trash lands at his feet, and the champion laughs before kicking it back from whence it came.
Chris Peacock: “You really can’t be telling me that youuuuuuuuuu misssssssss the sillllllllllllllllly maaaaaaaannn whoooo tallllks like he’s haaaaaaaauunnnntedddd, do you? Give me a fucking break, man.”
Peacock shakes his head, and then listens to the reaction he is getting and seems to be getting slightly riled up. He walks over to the corner and stands on the middle rope and leans over the turnbuckle.
Chris Peacock: “Well, TOUGH SHIT! He’s gone, he’s never coming back and it was all because of me. I’m the champion of this company and not that dickhead Devin Golden and that isn’t changing any time soon, so how about you all shut the hell up and you let the champion talk, huh?
Hey, last time I was here, what was it you were all doing to me? Oh, making choking noises. UHHHH UCCCCHHHHHHHHH BLEH… WHY DON’T ALL OF YOU YOU CHOKE ON THESE?!”
Grabbing his crotch, Peacock sneers out at the crowd and then jumps down from the corner and then looks into the camera in the ring with him.
Chris Peacock: “Just to touch on one other thing Alyster said earlier on. I’m not ducking anyone, bud and if we want to use Dildo Golden as a measuring stick, I think we know who actually would walked away as the winner from that one. If you’re still not sure, we can use Cyrus too after Back in Business because I sure as shit won’t fall where you did, big man. We’re much better as tag team partners, so let’s keep it that way for now.
And whilst I’m here, weaselperson… or Zachary as I’d much rather call you. I’m not very hard to find, guy. I’ve got enough delusional dickheads on my plate at the moment, but the more the merrier. Let’s do this thing sometime soon, okay?
Who else we got? Well, fuck the Nephews just out of principle. You know who else can go and fuck themselves, too? How about my opponent for tonight? Daniel Fuckin’ Toner.”
The crowd boo loudly for the mention of Toner and Peacock laughs loudly.
Chris Peacock: “Guess we found something we can all agree on, then. Danny, I have never been more disappointed in anyone as I am with you in my entire life. We were friends, Danny. There was things I would tell you that I daren’t share with anyone else. I always thought we shared a special bond, not just because we’re both from New York - a much better city than this dump, by the way - but because I thought we shared the same values.
I thought we were both there for the little guy, fought for the right reasons even though we lost our way a few times along the way, we always knew that doing the right thing was always the best thing to do, no matter how hard it was to do it. We fought the Nephews together, fought each other and would have fought anyone else who stood in our way. We… were fucking golden, man. Then you fucked it all up, Danny!
You showed everyone what a snake you really are and you bought into your own hype more than anyone else. You’re a self-absorbed asshole and a coward. Let me tell you, I took great joy in watching whoever that was at Carnal Contendership kick your ass. I’m just upset that it wasn’t me that got to do it. Not to worry, though, we’ve got tonight, Danny Boy.
So tonight, Daniel Toner will learn why I am the FWA World Champion and the measuring stick of this business today and he will understand that Chris Peacock is SIEMP-”
The crowd all rise to their feet again and begin cheering as the music plays once again and even Chris Peacock stands to attention, dropping the microphone and unclipping his championship from around his waist and the crowd rise to their feet to cheer again as another man walks out onto the stage, again dressed in a full suit with a walking cane and bowler hat.
Allen Price: ”Wait, this one wasn’t Chris… I think this one is actually him. I thought he was gone! He’s supposed to be gone!”
The man takes a few steps forward onto the stage and bows down, appreciating the positive reaction from the fans in New Orleans… and he removes his hat and looks up with a terrible smirk.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”THAT’S DANNY TONER!”
Being tricked once was angering enough for the NOLA fans, but it seems that the crowd are verging on a riot as Toner clearly had the same idea as Peacock, including copying the mannerisms of Devin Golden as he approaches the ring.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”If I know Danny Toner, I am sure that he was nothing more than amused by Chris Peacock sharing his thoughts on him. What he should be concerned about is the mystery individual that targeted him at the Carnal Contendership event. We still presently have no idea who that was, Price.”
Allen Price: ”It’s not like Toner doesn’t have enough enemies though, is it? There are plenty of people who want a piece of this guy and Chris Peacock here is just one of them, but we know Chris was not behind the attack on Toner as he was here at the commentary table - which is where I should have been as well, by the way!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”You need to let that go, Price. For Toner’s sake, he needs to make sure that his head is in the game tonight. Chris Peacock is not averse to playing some tricks of his own and if he’s not fully focused, he will lose to the FWA World Champion.”
The referee, Larry Stevens, stands in front of Peacock who seems to be chomping at the bit to be allowed to go after Toner as he enters the ring. Stevens however is keen for the match to begin in the conventional manner. ‘Zombie’ ends for a second time and the crowd make no bones about the fact that they are not fans of either of these men with duelling chants;
“FUCK YOU TONER!”
“FUCK YOU PEACOCK!”
“FUCK YOU TONER!”
“FUCK YOU PEACOCK!”
Despite the differences presently between them, both Peacock and Toner find amusement in the chanting by the crowd and both remove the waistcoats and shirts from their ensembles before motioning that they are ready to get going with the match.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Chris Peacock and Danny Toner,,, Part Six!”
<< 00:00 >>
The bell rings and both Toner and Peacock surprisingly do not rush in, perhaps expecting the other to do so instead and they appear to be on the breach of a lock up of all things, but Peacock stops his forward motion when Danny raises both hands in the air. Peacock arches an eyebrow in response to this and Danny just smiles at him before bellowing at the top of his voice with outstretched arms.
“HA-HAAAAAHH!"
The New Orleans crowd begin booing loudly as Danny laughs in the centre of the ring. Peacock takes a step towards Danny, stretches out his own arms and let one loose himself.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
The crowd begin to throw trash at the ring as Peacock and Danny taunt their hometown hero. Danny walks over to the ropes and leans over, a hand cupped behind his ear.
’BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!’
Not to be outdone, Peacock walks over to the other side of the ring and "[/b][/color]shushes"[/b][/color] the fans on that side with a finger on his lip.
’BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!’
Danny and Chris return to their respective corners and it looks like this one may finally get properly underway, but the antics aren’t over yet. Danny climbs onto the turnbuckle and chants.
”DANNY! DANNY! DANNY FUCKING TONER!"
He can barely be heard over the noise of the seething crowd; he hops down with a grin on his face and looks at Chris expectedly. Chris shrugs his shoulders and begins busting out his classic disco moves in his corner, causing the crowd to begin a loud chant.
’YOU BOTH SUCK! YOU BOTH SUCK! YOU BOTH SUCK!’
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I have to say, in all my years in this business, I have never seen anything quite like this. This is one of the most hostile situations I’ve ever witnessed."
Allen Price: "As we saw earlier tonight, both Danny and Chris had to be escorted into the arena here tonight after management got word from the New Orleans Police Department that there were a number of very real threats issued for both Toner and Peacock. It- THAT BASTARD!!!"
As Chris turns twirls around and strikes his Fight Fever pose, Danny Toner comes charging across the ring and leaps into the air driving both his knees into the back of Peacock and squashing him against the turnbuckle! Peacock collapses in a heap and Danny starts stomping a mudhole on the downed Peacock. The atmosphere is incredibly strange and torn; the fans are happy to see Peacock get beaten down but are equally unhappy about who it is dishing out the punishment. Danny pulls Chris to his feet by the hair but immediately gets popped with a vicious uppercut that sends him reeling.
Allen Price: "I think Danny just lost a tooth!"
<< 04:45. >>
The champ has the upper hand as the match closes in on the five-minute mark. Danny hadn’t really managed to get it together following the sneak attack with Peacock countering anything Toner throws at him. Danny’s chest has already began to welt up following a succession of quick strikes from Peacock and his only response is to throw a wild haymaker that Chris easily avoids. Danny wobbles slightly and Chris quickly pimp slaps him and jaw-jacks as Danny holds his cheek, stunned.
Allen Price: "Thatta boy, Chris! Slap the taste out of that punks mouth!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I think it’s fair to say that Danny is showing some signs of ring-rust here following his lengthy absence. He of course competed under an Alyster Black match at King of the Deathmatch, but this is the champion, and you have to figure that’s a much taller order for Toner."
The slap serves to enrage Toner who simply bundles Chris to the ground with a double-leg takedown and begins raining fists down on the grounded Peacock. Peacock somehow manages to wriggle out from the onslaught and sprightly pops to his feet. Danny quickly follows him up from the canvas, but Peacock quickly grabs him and whips him against the ropes. On the rebound, Peacock looks to take Toner’s head off with a clothesline but Toner ducks under the outstretched arm, bounces off the opposite set of ropes and then saws Peacock in two with a spear! Danny hops to his feet and lets out a huge roar.
’FUCK YOU TONER! FUCK YOU TONER! FUCK YOU TONER!’
Danny shakes his head at the crowd and simply laughs at the baying crowd. He takes a little too long in his taunting as he turns around and is hit with the exact same move he just landed – a massive spear.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The crowd seem to be playing a factor in this match whether the two men in the ring realise it or not! Their attentions are split between focusing on the crowd and focusing on their opponent!"
Chris drags Toner to his feet and hoists Danny onto his shoulders and begins an airplane spin before dropping him with a loud thud by way of a Samoan Drop!
Allen Price: "Dance Dance Revolutions! Pin him, Chris!"
Chris quickly covers Toner, the referee sliding into position.
ONE- KICKOUT!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Now that’s the Toner we all remember."
The camera zooms in on Peacock who wryly smiles. He’s danced this dance before.
<< 09:04 >>
Following his quick kickout, Toner seems to have grown in confidence and he seems to be going up the gears. Peacock lifts Danny up for a suplex, but Danny uses the momentum from the lift to slip out of the hold and land behind Peacock. He quickly wraps his arms around his waist and nails him with a German suplex. He points to the top turnbuckle, drawing a negative reaction from the crowd.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I wonder…"
Danny takes a second to get his balance and to a backdrop of irate fans screaming at the ring, jumps off and HITS HIS PATENTED DOUBLE AXE-HANDLE! Danny quickly leaps on top of Peacock and covers the champion.
ONE- KICKOUT!!!
Peacock shows his own resiliency much to the delight of Allen Price on commentary. As he rises, he gives Toner a middle finger. Toner swings and misses, Peacock ducking under the haymaker and when Toner turns around he is immediately hit with Peacock’s Fight Fever punch. Toner falls to his knees and Peacock quickly spikes his head into the mat with a DDT. Peacock takes to the top rope as the fans chant loudly.
’FUCK YOU DISCO! FUCK YOU DISCO! FUCK YOU DISCO!’
Whether Peacock had something else in mind before the chant will never be known. He shakes his head at the crowd before taking flight with a HUGE frogsplash!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "THE GOLDEN TOUCH! They’re not going to like that in the Smoothie King Arena."
Indeed, they don’t, and the crowd let Peacock have it. He is beyond caring at this point, even when a couple of over-zealous fans hop the barricade. Security are quick to rush down to intercept, and the match official shouts instructions to remove them from ringside. Peacock watches on with curiosity but that allows Toner to crawl from behind and HIT A LOWBLOW! Danny catches the falling Peacock and jacks him up before transitioning a vertical suplex into a sitout faceplant!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "THE ROTTEN TOUCH! This is going to turn nasty."
Allen Price: "THAT NO GOOD CHEAT!"
More fans hop the barricade but are instantly swarmed by a boatload of security sprinting down the ramp. The referee sees Peacock on the mat and after a glance at the security detail and the near-rioting crowd, looks over to towards the ring-bell attendant. "[/b][/color]DON’T YOU FUCKIN’ DARE!"[/b][/color] comes the shout from Toner and the look in his face is enough to make the referee relent. Toner nods his head but instantly his demeanour turn to shock as Peacock rolls him up from behind!
ONE!
TWO!
THR- KICKOUT!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The champ nearly catches Toner! It may have been better for all involved if that was it!"
<< 12:33. >>
Toner and Peacock are both getting exhausted at this point, and it perhaps plays a part in the two of them having their guards down and connecting at the same time with superkicks! Both men lay on their backs breathing heavily for a moment before they both slowly rise to their feet. They stare daggers from across the ring and Peacock motions for Toner to bring it. Toner looks to comply but suddenly stops, his mouth slightly open as he looks beyond Peacock and out at the crowd. Peacock slowly turns his head to see what has shocked Danny – the members of the crowd have turned away from the action in ring. It is quite a site as rows upon rows of fans backs are the only thing that can be seen. They hate Toner and Peacock that much that they’re not even interested in watching them wrestle!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Now of this I’m sure; I have never seen anything like this before, Price. I think that neither Toner or Peacock are redeemable in any capacity to this crowd here in New Orleans and for good reason after everything that they have said and done tonight. Every fan in attendance has turned their backs on the action in the ring and are refusing to watch the match. Incredible."
Allen Price: "If you ask me, everything Chris Peacock has done tonight to taunt these people and manipulate them is justified. They’ve been nothing but awful to him every time we have been here, Jean-Luc!"
There is a moment where both Peacock and Toner are unsure of what to do, but soon enough their natural instincts kick in and they begin to start throwing haymakers at each other! Two of the best brawlers in the FWA show exactly why as they land bombs on each other’s faces and heads. Chris Peacock manages to block one of Toner’s punches, and this allows him to start unloading on Toner!
The strikes from Peacock are enough to knock Toner back a few paces and Peacock lands a couple of jabs to the face and then Peacock spins on the spot and gives Toner a middle finger and cracks him with another strong punch that knocks Toner to the ground! ‘The Last Draw in the Sky’ gets back up with the assistance of the ropes, and Peacock then Clotheslines Toner over the top rope down to the floor! Peacock is quick to follow out and as he swarms Danny, both men topple over the barricade and into the crowd!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "THIS ISN’T GOOD!"
The fans in the immediate vicinity do everything in their power to get at the two men fighting in the crowd but security in the Smoothie King Arena more than earn their wage tonight as they manage to form a circle around the two. Peacock and Toner go blow for blow with the security trying to usher them back to ringside. Eventually, the scrap spills back out of the crowd and Toner actually seems to be getting the upper-hand before Peacock sticks him with a headbutt busting his nose wide open!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Some colour for Toner! That was vicious!"
Allen Price: "Pfft! How many times have we seen Toner do the exact same thing to opponents? Karma!"
<< 15:43. >>
The fight is back in the ring, Toner is a bloody mess from the head-butt and Peacock is breathing out his ass, gassed from the ordeal of the match. The fans still aren’t watching the match, they turned their backs once again the moment the fight left the crowd. This time, every fan in attendance has put their arms over the backs of the people either side of them and are jumping up and down in unison whilst singing.
‘IN YOUR HEAAAAD! IN YOUR HEAAAAAAADD’
A nervous looking Natalie Rosenberg steps forward with a microphone.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Wrestling fans this is your Fallout Four Minute Warning! Four minutes remaining…"
The crowd pay absolutely no heed, simply getting louder.
’ZOMBIE! ZOMBIE! ZOMBIE-IE-IE-IE!!!’[/i]
Danny and Chris share a glance. "[/b][/color]Let’s finish this, champ!"[/b][/color] says Toner, mockery dripping from the last word. "[/b][/color]I thought you’d never ask!"[/b][/color] replies an extremely confident Peacock… before the world champion rocks Toner with a vicious forearm!! Toner is momentarily staggered backwards, before returning fire with a forearm of his own! And then Peacock comes back with a right hand… and Toner returns in kind! The two exchange right hands in the middle of the ring… until Toner seemingly gets the better of it, backing Peacock up towards the corner with right hand after right hand! Peacock is backed up against the turnbuckles, Danny firing off with right hands…
Until one is blocked by Peacock! And he fires back with a headbutt! Then some rights of his own, backing Toner all the way across the ring, before he Irish whips him HARD into the corner. Danny hits the turnbuckles and bounces back towards him, and Peacock runs through him with a clothesline!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "This hostile crowd is letting Peacock know exactly what they think of him!"
Allen Price: "I don’t even know what that noise is meant to mean…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I think they’re calling him a choke artist, Price."
Indeed, Peacock doesn’t seem to like the taunts, but shakes his head, zones them out, and hits Toner with a spear!!
Allen Price: "Keep your focus, Chris!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Doesn’t look like that’s too easy for him… this NOLA crowd looks to be getting in the champion’s head!"
Indeed, Peacock barks something inaudible at the crowd, and when they continue with their taunting he hops onto the second turnbuckle, reminding them all that he’s the world champion, before he hops back down into the ring…
… and gets clocked by superkick!!!!! Peacock slumps to his knees…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "EQUALIZER!! There it is!!"
Allen Price: “Oh, ffffff—"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Danny Toner just pinned the FWA World Heavyweight Champion!! I think a compelling case for him getting a shot at that belt sooner or later could certainly be made…”
Allen Price: “All thanks to this no-good Louisianan crowd!”
Toner holds his hand out to the official, insisting he lift it in victory, as the crowd rains down derision upon him.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Here is your winner… DANNY… TOOOOONER!”
Chris Peacock has rolled out of the ring and struggles to get to his knees on the outside. He snatches his championship belt away from the timekeeper when it is offered to him.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”That means a loss this week for both halves of Back in Business’s main event… an even keel that neither of them would have wanted to find themselves on.”
Allen Price: “That fact, and most importantly this match, are ultimately irrelevant… what is actually important is that world championship belt that Chris Peacock is clutching right now.”
We watch Chris walking up the ramp, turning away from Toner eventually and placing his belt on his shoulder. Then, we cut back to Danny in the ring, who watches Peacock go with a sly smile on his face.
Then, he glances around the vitriolic audience in the Smoothie King Arena. He blows them a kiss as we fade to black.
Recap footage of this Genki Pro segment plays.
There are cheers in New Orleans (moderate ones - the audience is mostly unaware of the concept of a Goldensibling) as XYZ walks out onto the stage. He is accompanied by the Menage, who follow him as he makes his way down the ramp.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well, it’s main event time, wrestling fans! Here comes XYZ, the first of four competitors in this one-fall championship match. X is looking for his first taste of gold since his return to the FWA, having twice previously challenged for the X Championship. Perhaps he’ll have better luck here with Shawn Summers and the Television Championship, though he is joined in the match by someone who has proved a constant thorn in his side over recent months…"
X climbs into the ring, loosening up as his music fades out. It’s soon replaced by…
There’s a mammoth pop for Trixie Bordeaux as she appears on the stage, New Orleans showing their appreciation for the nervous young woman who appears on the stage. She doesn’t seem to understand the reaction, smiling anxiously as she begins her march down the ring.
Allen Price: “Here comes a woman who has been enjoying some good fortune as of late, with two consecutive tag team preceding her quarter final run in the King of the Deathmatch. She’s more than earned this opportunity at the Television Championship, and now will try to win her first gold here in the FWA in front of a home-state crowd. Bordeaux grew up just down the road in Baton Rouge, and - in the absence of Devin Golden - it appears the fans are getting behind her here tonight."
Trixie climbs into the ring and shares a friendly nod with X. Nothing more than that, though. The two have accepted their roles as opponents here tonight. Her music fades out, and next we hear…
There are boos around the arena as Death Walker appears on the stage, accompanied by his Dark Guardian. The two survey the crowd before locking eyes with the two in the ring. They begin their way down the ramp.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Death Walker has been on a tear recently, also reaching the quarter final stage of the King of the Deathmatch, and doing so at the expense of XYZ. As I mentioned, the two have had more than just that run-in over the last few months. Walker has constantly appeared when XYZ has been at his most vulnerable, and - after KODM and Carnal Contendership - this is sure to be the latest chapter in that bad-blooded rivalry. Both will need to keep their focus on the match rather than each other if they want to dethrone the champion…"
The Guardian stays on the outside whilst Death Walker climbs into the ring. He shares a brief, tense stand-off with XYZ before retreating into his corner. He stares at both Trixie and X in turn, before his eyes rest on the stage in time for.
Huge boos ring out in New Orleans for Shawn Summers, who appears on the stage with both of his championship belts on his person, one on each shoulder. He stands on the stage for a moment, breathing in the derision that is raining down upon him.
Allen Price: "Here comes Der Basterd, and he’s draped in gold!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "That is the FWA X and FWA Television Champion, Shawn Summers, who has been on an incredible role as of late and looks to continue that against three very game opponents tonight. Summers came through the challenge of Tommy Bedlam at the Grand March, albeit winning by disqualification, and now he looks to consolidate his grasp on the Television Championship division."
Summers climbs into the ring, glancing around at the three others in their own corners, as Natalie Rosenberg joins them with a microphone in her hand.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following four-way contest is scheduled for one fall, with a sixty minute time limit… and is for the FWA Television Championship!!"
The four competitors stand in respective corners, varying levels of ease on their personage as the crowd’s anticipation heightens.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Introducing the challengers… first, from Sitika, Alaska… weighing in one hundred and eighty pounds… X… Y… Z!!"
More cheers for XYZ, led by the Menage on the outside of the ring.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Next… from the depths of HELL… weighing in at two hundred and forty three pounds… ‘the Dark Traveller’... DEATH WALKER!!"
A much more negative reaction for Walker, who looms ominously, a threatening figure in his mask with his fists clenched.
Natalie Rosenberg: "And… from Baton Rouge, Louisiana…"
A massive cheer around the arena, the hometown crowd already letting Trixie know they’re behind her…
Natalie Rosenberg: "… weighing in at one hundred and twenty five pounds… Trixie… BORDEAUX!!!"
The crowd launches into a chant as Trixie awkwardly glances around at them, the nerves of the big event plain upon her.
‘LET’S GO TRIXIE!
LET’S GO TRIXIE!’
Natalie Rosenberg: "And finally, introducing the champion…"
Boos immediately replace the cheers as Summers takes a step out of his corner, finally removing one of his belts from his shoulder and staring down at the gold.
Natalie Rosenberg: "… from Laguna Beach, California… weighing in at two hundred and twenty five pounds…"
He holds the belt high above his head, a smug grin on his face.
Natalie Rosenberg: "… he is your FWA X Champion, and your reigning and defending FWA Television Champion… ‘Der Basterd’... SHAAAAAAAAAAWN… SUUUUUUUUUUMMEEEEEERS!!"
Huge, roaring boos as Summers holds both of his belts up above his head now, standing in a central position, between his three opponents and amidst a cauldron of noise.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Incredible reaction inside the Smoothie King Arena. A full range of emotions on display for the four competitors here tonight, culminating in a one-eighty from Trixie Bordeaux to Shawn Summers."
Allen Price: "Trixie is enjoying considerable hometown advantage here, whilst the champion is… well, he’s Shawn Summers."
The belts are handed out to the timekeeper’s area, and the official conducts his final checks before, the crowd’s anticipation levels at fever pitch, he finally calls for the bell…
The bell rings and both Toner and Peacock surprisingly do not rush in, perhaps expecting the other to do so instead and they appear to be on the breach of a lock up of all things, but Peacock stops his forward motion when Danny raises both hands in the air. Peacock arches an eyebrow in response to this and Danny just smiles at him before bellowing at the top of his voice with outstretched arms.
“HA-HAAAAAHH!"
The New Orleans crowd begin booing loudly as Danny laughs in the centre of the ring. Peacock takes a step towards Danny, stretches out his own arms and let one loose himself.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
The crowd begin to throw trash at the ring as Peacock and Danny taunt their hometown hero. Danny walks over to the ropes and leans over, a hand cupped behind his ear.
’BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!’
Not to be outdone, Peacock walks over to the other side of the ring and "[/b][/color]shushes"[/b][/color] the fans on that side with a finger on his lip.
’BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!’
Danny and Chris return to their respective corners and it looks like this one may finally get properly underway, but the antics aren’t over yet. Danny climbs onto the turnbuckle and chants.
”DANNY! DANNY! DANNY FUCKING TONER!"
He can barely be heard over the noise of the seething crowd; he hops down with a grin on his face and looks at Chris expectedly. Chris shrugs his shoulders and begins busting out his classic disco moves in his corner, causing the crowd to begin a loud chant.
’YOU BOTH SUCK! YOU BOTH SUCK! YOU BOTH SUCK!’
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I have to say, in all my years in this business, I have never seen anything quite like this. This is one of the most hostile situations I’ve ever witnessed."
Allen Price: "As we saw earlier tonight, both Danny and Chris had to be escorted into the arena here tonight after management got word from the New Orleans Police Department that there were a number of very real threats issued for both Toner and Peacock. It- THAT BASTARD!!!"
As Chris turns twirls around and strikes his Fight Fever pose, Danny Toner comes charging across the ring and leaps into the air driving both his knees into the back of Peacock and squashing him against the turnbuckle! Peacock collapses in a heap and Danny starts stomping a mudhole on the downed Peacock. The atmosphere is incredibly strange and torn; the fans are happy to see Peacock get beaten down but are equally unhappy about who it is dishing out the punishment. Danny pulls Chris to his feet by the hair but immediately gets popped with a vicious uppercut that sends him reeling.
Allen Price: "I think Danny just lost a tooth!"
<< 04:45. >>
The champ has the upper hand as the match closes in on the five-minute mark. Danny hadn’t really managed to get it together following the sneak attack with Peacock countering anything Toner throws at him. Danny’s chest has already began to welt up following a succession of quick strikes from Peacock and his only response is to throw a wild haymaker that Chris easily avoids. Danny wobbles slightly and Chris quickly pimp slaps him and jaw-jacks as Danny holds his cheek, stunned.
Allen Price: "Thatta boy, Chris! Slap the taste out of that punks mouth!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I think it’s fair to say that Danny is showing some signs of ring-rust here following his lengthy absence. He of course competed under an Alyster Black match at King of the Deathmatch, but this is the champion, and you have to figure that’s a much taller order for Toner."
The slap serves to enrage Toner who simply bundles Chris to the ground with a double-leg takedown and begins raining fists down on the grounded Peacock. Peacock somehow manages to wriggle out from the onslaught and sprightly pops to his feet. Danny quickly follows him up from the canvas, but Peacock quickly grabs him and whips him against the ropes. On the rebound, Peacock looks to take Toner’s head off with a clothesline but Toner ducks under the outstretched arm, bounces off the opposite set of ropes and then saws Peacock in two with a spear! Danny hops to his feet and lets out a huge roar.
’FUCK YOU TONER! FUCK YOU TONER! FUCK YOU TONER!’
Danny shakes his head at the crowd and simply laughs at the baying crowd. He takes a little too long in his taunting as he turns around and is hit with the exact same move he just landed – a massive spear.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The crowd seem to be playing a factor in this match whether the two men in the ring realise it or not! Their attentions are split between focusing on the crowd and focusing on their opponent!"
Chris drags Toner to his feet and hoists Danny onto his shoulders and begins an airplane spin before dropping him with a loud thud by way of a Samoan Drop!
Allen Price: "Dance Dance Revolutions! Pin him, Chris!"
Chris quickly covers Toner, the referee sliding into position.
ONE- KICKOUT!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Now that’s the Toner we all remember."
The camera zooms in on Peacock who wryly smiles. He’s danced this dance before.
<< 09:04 >>
Following his quick kickout, Toner seems to have grown in confidence and he seems to be going up the gears. Peacock lifts Danny up for a suplex, but Danny uses the momentum from the lift to slip out of the hold and land behind Peacock. He quickly wraps his arms around his waist and nails him with a German suplex. He points to the top turnbuckle, drawing a negative reaction from the crowd.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I wonder…"
Danny takes a second to get his balance and to a backdrop of irate fans screaming at the ring, jumps off and HITS HIS PATENTED DOUBLE AXE-HANDLE! Danny quickly leaps on top of Peacock and covers the champion.
ONE- KICKOUT!!!
Peacock shows his own resiliency much to the delight of Allen Price on commentary. As he rises, he gives Toner a middle finger. Toner swings and misses, Peacock ducking under the haymaker and when Toner turns around he is immediately hit with Peacock’s Fight Fever punch. Toner falls to his knees and Peacock quickly spikes his head into the mat with a DDT. Peacock takes to the top rope as the fans chant loudly.
’FUCK YOU DISCO! FUCK YOU DISCO! FUCK YOU DISCO!’
Whether Peacock had something else in mind before the chant will never be known. He shakes his head at the crowd before taking flight with a HUGE frogsplash!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "THE GOLDEN TOUCH! They’re not going to like that in the Smoothie King Arena."
Indeed, they don’t, and the crowd let Peacock have it. He is beyond caring at this point, even when a couple of over-zealous fans hop the barricade. Security are quick to rush down to intercept, and the match official shouts instructions to remove them from ringside. Peacock watches on with curiosity but that allows Toner to crawl from behind and HIT A LOWBLOW! Danny catches the falling Peacock and jacks him up before transitioning a vertical suplex into a sitout faceplant!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "THE ROTTEN TOUCH! This is going to turn nasty."
Allen Price: "THAT NO GOOD CHEAT!"
More fans hop the barricade but are instantly swarmed by a boatload of security sprinting down the ramp. The referee sees Peacock on the mat and after a glance at the security detail and the near-rioting crowd, looks over to towards the ring-bell attendant. "[/b][/color]DON’T YOU FUCKIN’ DARE!"[/b][/color] comes the shout from Toner and the look in his face is enough to make the referee relent. Toner nods his head but instantly his demeanour turn to shock as Peacock rolls him up from behind!
ONE!
TWO!
THR- KICKOUT!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The champ nearly catches Toner! It may have been better for all involved if that was it!"
<< 12:33. >>
Toner and Peacock are both getting exhausted at this point, and it perhaps plays a part in the two of them having their guards down and connecting at the same time with superkicks! Both men lay on their backs breathing heavily for a moment before they both slowly rise to their feet. They stare daggers from across the ring and Peacock motions for Toner to bring it. Toner looks to comply but suddenly stops, his mouth slightly open as he looks beyond Peacock and out at the crowd. Peacock slowly turns his head to see what has shocked Danny – the members of the crowd have turned away from the action in ring. It is quite a site as rows upon rows of fans backs are the only thing that can be seen. They hate Toner and Peacock that much that they’re not even interested in watching them wrestle!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Now of this I’m sure; I have never seen anything like this before, Price. I think that neither Toner or Peacock are redeemable in any capacity to this crowd here in New Orleans and for good reason after everything that they have said and done tonight. Every fan in attendance has turned their backs on the action in the ring and are refusing to watch the match. Incredible."
Allen Price: "If you ask me, everything Chris Peacock has done tonight to taunt these people and manipulate them is justified. They’ve been nothing but awful to him every time we have been here, Jean-Luc!"
There is a moment where both Peacock and Toner are unsure of what to do, but soon enough their natural instincts kick in and they begin to start throwing haymakers at each other! Two of the best brawlers in the FWA show exactly why as they land bombs on each other’s faces and heads. Chris Peacock manages to block one of Toner’s punches, and this allows him to start unloading on Toner!
The strikes from Peacock are enough to knock Toner back a few paces and Peacock lands a couple of jabs to the face and then Peacock spins on the spot and gives Toner a middle finger and cracks him with another strong punch that knocks Toner to the ground! ‘The Last Draw in the Sky’ gets back up with the assistance of the ropes, and Peacock then Clotheslines Toner over the top rope down to the floor! Peacock is quick to follow out and as he swarms Danny, both men topple over the barricade and into the crowd!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "THIS ISN’T GOOD!"
The fans in the immediate vicinity do everything in their power to get at the two men fighting in the crowd but security in the Smoothie King Arena more than earn their wage tonight as they manage to form a circle around the two. Peacock and Toner go blow for blow with the security trying to usher them back to ringside. Eventually, the scrap spills back out of the crowd and Toner actually seems to be getting the upper-hand before Peacock sticks him with a headbutt busting his nose wide open!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Some colour for Toner! That was vicious!"
Allen Price: "Pfft! How many times have we seen Toner do the exact same thing to opponents? Karma!"
<< 15:43. >>
The fight is back in the ring, Toner is a bloody mess from the head-butt and Peacock is breathing out his ass, gassed from the ordeal of the match. The fans still aren’t watching the match, they turned their backs once again the moment the fight left the crowd. This time, every fan in attendance has put their arms over the backs of the people either side of them and are jumping up and down in unison whilst singing.
‘IN YOUR HEAAAAD! IN YOUR HEAAAAAAADD’
A nervous looking Natalie Rosenberg steps forward with a microphone.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Wrestling fans this is your Fallout Four Minute Warning! Four minutes remaining…"
The crowd pay absolutely no heed, simply getting louder.
’ZOMBIE! ZOMBIE! ZOMBIE-IE-IE-IE!!!’[/i]
Danny and Chris share a glance. "[/b][/color]Let’s finish this, champ!"[/b][/color] says Toner, mockery dripping from the last word. "[/b][/color]I thought you’d never ask!"[/b][/color] replies an extremely confident Peacock… before the world champion rocks Toner with a vicious forearm!! Toner is momentarily staggered backwards, before returning fire with a forearm of his own! And then Peacock comes back with a right hand… and Toner returns in kind! The two exchange right hands in the middle of the ring… until Toner seemingly gets the better of it, backing Peacock up towards the corner with right hand after right hand! Peacock is backed up against the turnbuckles, Danny firing off with right hands…
Until one is blocked by Peacock! And he fires back with a headbutt! Then some rights of his own, backing Toner all the way across the ring, before he Irish whips him HARD into the corner. Danny hits the turnbuckles and bounces back towards him, and Peacock runs through him with a clothesline!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "This hostile crowd is letting Peacock know exactly what they think of him!"
Allen Price: "I don’t even know what that noise is meant to mean…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I think they’re calling him a choke artist, Price."
Indeed, Peacock doesn’t seem to like the taunts, but shakes his head, zones them out, and hits Toner with a spear!!
Allen Price: "Keep your focus, Chris!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Doesn’t look like that’s too easy for him… this NOLA crowd looks to be getting in the champion’s head!"
Indeed, Peacock barks something inaudible at the crowd, and when they continue with their taunting he hops onto the second turnbuckle, reminding them all that he’s the world champion, before he hops back down into the ring…
… and gets clocked by superkick!!!!! Peacock slumps to his knees…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "EQUALIZER!! There it is!!"
Allen Price: “Oh, ffffff—"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Winner: Danny Toner by pin fall at 17:32.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Danny Toner just pinned the FWA World Heavyweight Champion!! I think a compelling case for him getting a shot at that belt sooner or later could certainly be made…”
Allen Price: “All thanks to this no-good Louisianan crowd!”
Toner holds his hand out to the official, insisting he lift it in victory, as the crowd rains down derision upon him.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Here is your winner… DANNY… TOOOOONER!”
Chris Peacock has rolled out of the ring and struggles to get to his knees on the outside. He snatches his championship belt away from the timekeeper when it is offered to him.
Jean-Luc Watkins: ”That means a loss this week for both halves of Back in Business’s main event… an even keel that neither of them would have wanted to find themselves on.”
Allen Price: “That fact, and most importantly this match, are ultimately irrelevant… what is actually important is that world championship belt that Chris Peacock is clutching right now.”
We watch Chris walking up the ramp, turning away from Toner eventually and placing his belt on his shoulder. Then, we cut back to Danny in the ring, who watches Peacock go with a sly smile on his face.
Then, he glances around the vitriolic audience in the Smoothie King Arena. He blows them a kiss as we fade to black.
Recap footage of this Genki Pro segment plays.
There are cheers in New Orleans (moderate ones - the audience is mostly unaware of the concept of a Goldensibling) as XYZ walks out onto the stage. He is accompanied by the Menage, who follow him as he makes his way down the ramp.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well, it’s main event time, wrestling fans! Here comes XYZ, the first of four competitors in this one-fall championship match. X is looking for his first taste of gold since his return to the FWA, having twice previously challenged for the X Championship. Perhaps he’ll have better luck here with Shawn Summers and the Television Championship, though he is joined in the match by someone who has proved a constant thorn in his side over recent months…"
X climbs into the ring, loosening up as his music fades out. It’s soon replaced by…
There’s a mammoth pop for Trixie Bordeaux as she appears on the stage, New Orleans showing their appreciation for the nervous young woman who appears on the stage. She doesn’t seem to understand the reaction, smiling anxiously as she begins her march down the ring.
Allen Price: “Here comes a woman who has been enjoying some good fortune as of late, with two consecutive tag team preceding her quarter final run in the King of the Deathmatch. She’s more than earned this opportunity at the Television Championship, and now will try to win her first gold here in the FWA in front of a home-state crowd. Bordeaux grew up just down the road in Baton Rouge, and - in the absence of Devin Golden - it appears the fans are getting behind her here tonight."
Trixie climbs into the ring and shares a friendly nod with X. Nothing more than that, though. The two have accepted their roles as opponents here tonight. Her music fades out, and next we hear…
There are boos around the arena as Death Walker appears on the stage, accompanied by his Dark Guardian. The two survey the crowd before locking eyes with the two in the ring. They begin their way down the ramp.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Death Walker has been on a tear recently, also reaching the quarter final stage of the King of the Deathmatch, and doing so at the expense of XYZ. As I mentioned, the two have had more than just that run-in over the last few months. Walker has constantly appeared when XYZ has been at his most vulnerable, and - after KODM and Carnal Contendership - this is sure to be the latest chapter in that bad-blooded rivalry. Both will need to keep their focus on the match rather than each other if they want to dethrone the champion…"
The Guardian stays on the outside whilst Death Walker climbs into the ring. He shares a brief, tense stand-off with XYZ before retreating into his corner. He stares at both Trixie and X in turn, before his eyes rest on the stage in time for.
Huge boos ring out in New Orleans for Shawn Summers, who appears on the stage with both of his championship belts on his person, one on each shoulder. He stands on the stage for a moment, breathing in the derision that is raining down upon him.
Allen Price: "Here comes Der Basterd, and he’s draped in gold!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "That is the FWA X and FWA Television Champion, Shawn Summers, who has been on an incredible role as of late and looks to continue that against three very game opponents tonight. Summers came through the challenge of Tommy Bedlam at the Grand March, albeit winning by disqualification, and now he looks to consolidate his grasp on the Television Championship division."
Summers climbs into the ring, glancing around at the three others in their own corners, as Natalie Rosenberg joins them with a microphone in her hand.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following four-way contest is scheduled for one fall, with a sixty minute time limit… and is for the FWA Television Championship!!"
The four competitors stand in respective corners, varying levels of ease on their personage as the crowd’s anticipation heightens.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Introducing the challengers… first, from Sitika, Alaska… weighing in one hundred and eighty pounds… X… Y… Z!!"
More cheers for XYZ, led by the Menage on the outside of the ring.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Next… from the depths of HELL… weighing in at two hundred and forty three pounds… ‘the Dark Traveller’... DEATH WALKER!!"
A much more negative reaction for Walker, who looms ominously, a threatening figure in his mask with his fists clenched.
Natalie Rosenberg: "And… from Baton Rouge, Louisiana…"
A massive cheer around the arena, the hometown crowd already letting Trixie know they’re behind her…
Natalie Rosenberg: "… weighing in at one hundred and twenty five pounds… Trixie… BORDEAUX!!!"
The crowd launches into a chant as Trixie awkwardly glances around at them, the nerves of the big event plain upon her.
‘LET’S GO TRIXIE!
LET’S GO TRIXIE!’
Natalie Rosenberg: "And finally, introducing the champion…"
Boos immediately replace the cheers as Summers takes a step out of his corner, finally removing one of his belts from his shoulder and staring down at the gold.
Natalie Rosenberg: "… from Laguna Beach, California… weighing in at two hundred and twenty five pounds…"
He holds the belt high above his head, a smug grin on his face.
Natalie Rosenberg: "… he is your FWA X Champion, and your reigning and defending FWA Television Champion… ‘Der Basterd’... SHAAAAAAAAAAWN… SUUUUUUUUUUMMEEEEEERS!!"
Huge, roaring boos as Summers holds both of his belts up above his head now, standing in a central position, between his three opponents and amidst a cauldron of noise.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Incredible reaction inside the Smoothie King Arena. A full range of emotions on display for the four competitors here tonight, culminating in a one-eighty from Trixie Bordeaux to Shawn Summers."
Allen Price: "Trixie is enjoying considerable hometown advantage here, whilst the champion is… well, he’s Shawn Summers."
The belts are handed out to the timekeeper’s area, and the official conducts his final checks before, the crowd’s anticipation levels at fever pitch, he finally calls for the bell…
<< 00:00. >>
As soon as the match begins, XYZ catches Death Walker with a thrust kick that almost knocks him out of his boots! It backs him up into the ropes, and X immediately follows up with a massive clothesline, taking Death over the top rope. X follows him over, both of them sprawling to the outside, where XYZ lands some right hands… before Walker rolls him over, mounting X himself and replying with some forearm strikes of his own. X is finally able to throw Walker off him and scramble to his feet, attempting a clothesline on the rising Walker. Death ducks beneath it and transitions into a rear waistlock… German suplex on the outside!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "XYZ is spiked on the back of his head on the outside at an ugly angle! Looks like that rivalry between these two is far from over!"
Allen Price: "Unsurprising, Jean-Luc. Death Walker doesn’t really seem the sort to let things go…"
In the ring, Trixie and Shawn exchange holds before Summers powers her back into the corner after a test of strength. He whips her hard into the opposite corner, Bordeaux hitting the turnbuckles with such force that she bounces back towards Der Basterd… who grabs her in a bearhug, and then throwing her with a belly-to-belly overhead release suplex!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Wipe Out from Shawn Summers early on in this one!!"
Allen Price: "And now the champion looks for a cover…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Kick out from Trixie! Shawn slaps on a side headlock, though, settling into an advantage…
***
<< 05:18. >>
Outside the ring, Death Walker hoists Trixie up onto his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, but Bordeaux begins to fight out with elbows to the side of the head! Walker is forced to drop her, and Trixie follows up with a kick to the gut, doubling him over… and then a sit-out jawbreaker!! Walker stumbles and Trixie grabs him by the wrist…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Trixie going for an Irish whip into the steel ring steps, but a reversal from Death Walker!! Bordeaux gets thrown into the steel instead!!"
Allen Price: "An ugly collision there for Trixie, but Death Walker gives her no time to rest. He hoists her up and drags her head into position between his legs…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "POWERBOMB!!! ONTO THE BARRICADE!!"
Trixie’s back crashes over the barricade, which bends under her humble weight slammed into it by Death Walker. The crowd gasps for the move, and then boos Death as he looms over Trixie’s broken frame.
Simultaneously, in the ring, XYZ backs Summers into the ropes with overhand chops, before whipping him across the ring and attempting a standing dropkick. Summers hooks onto the ropes with his arms, though, checking his momentum and causing X to crash back-first onto the mat! XYZ quickly climbs up to his feet… but is met by a thumb to the eye from the champion!
Allen Price: "Typical!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Underhanded tactics from Summers, but in a four-way like this one it’s all legal!"
Der Basterd follows up by charging to the ropes, and then connecting with his Lights Out springboard knee kick!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And now an ankle lock!! Shawn Summers has it in!!"
XYZ writhes in agony under the pressure of the champion’s modified submission… and then even more so when Summers drops down into a grapevine!!
Allen Price: "XYZ is in serious trouble here!! He’s sundered in the middle of the ring!"
The referee is in close, asking if X wants to give it up… XYZ closes his eyes, shaking his head but pain etched upon his face… and then he’s saved by Death Walker! Walker charges Summers and strikes him with a wild boot to the face! Der Basterd is forced to relinquish the hold!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And Death Walker isn’t done there! He hoists the champion up to his feet… Spike DDT!"
And still no pinfall attempt from Death Walker! He picks up Summers… backdrop suplex!
Allen Price: "Now Death hooks the leg… he might have him!"
ONE… TWO… TH – NO!!
Summers with the shoulder up!
***
<< 10:31. >>
XYZ and Death Walker are standing in the middle of the ring, exchanging strikes. X has some success with chops: Mongolian ones, knife edge ones, and overhand ones… until Death fires up and shakes his head, and then strikes back with an incredible torrent of strikes! Hooks, uppercuts, axe kicks, and then a vile headbutt!! XYZ stumbles backwards, and we see a thin trickle of blood has emerged from his forehead!!
Allen Price: "X has been opened up by that headbutt! Death Walker again showing his vicious streak!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And now he has a sleeper locked in… BEDTIME STORY!! XYZ is thrown across the ring with the suplex, and Death goes for a cover…”
ONE… TWO… NO!
Broken up by Trixie! Bordeaux is still struggling after the powerbomb onto the barricade earlier in the match, though, and Death is able to grab her by the throat, hoist her up, and slam her down with an elevated spinebuster!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "HELL’S FURY!"
Allen Price: "Death Walker is cooking!! Walker covers Trixie now…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Broken up by Summers! He lifts Death up and pulls his head into position… he’s got the arms hooked…"
Allen Price: "MIDSOMMAR!!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "COVER BY SUMMERS!”
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!!!
Allen Price: "XYZ BREAKS IT UP!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "UNBELIEVABLE!! ALL FOUR ARE DOWN!!!"
****
<< 16:12. >>
Death Walker has Trixie on his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, but doesn’t notice that XYZ is up on the apron…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Springboard knee strike from XYZ! Death Walker is forced to drop Trixie, and X immediately follows up with a headscissors takedown!!"
Allen Price: "X is going up to the high rent district! You know what that means!!"
The crowd cheers X on as he steadies himself up on the top turnbuckle, before he begins to tightrope walk across the top rope… somersault leg drop!!!! But Death rolls out of the way!!
Allen Price: "XYZ crashes and burns!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And now Death has a rear naked choke!! This is the move that Walker has used to plague XYZ over the last few months! And now he’s looking to win the FWA Television Championship with it!"
Doing his utmost to escape, XYZ struggles, and forces Death back towards the corner. Death is forced into a seated position against the turnbuckles, but he keeps in the naked choke, and the official doesn’t call for a break given the rules of the match…
… but one is arranged by Trixie instead! She’s rolled under the bottom rope, and charges across the ring at the corner, hitting her ‘Bundle of Fun’ cannonball on both men!! The move is broken up, and X rolls beneath the bottom rope. Bordeaux collects Death Walker, and spikes him on his head with a DDT!!
Trixie stares up towards the turnbuckles, the partisan crowd cheering her on as she climbs up to her feet and begins her ascent…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Bordeaux is thinking Whistling Trixie here! If she hits this, we’ll have a new champion!"
Allen Price: "And almost everyone in this building is willing her on!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "But Shawn Summers is on the apron!! … and he has his FWA Television Championship in his hand!!"
He charges across the apron and cracks Trixie in the head with the belt!! Bordeaux falls off the top turnbuckle, lands on the apron in a heap, and then rolls onto the floor!!
And in the very next instant, Shawn Summers has hopped into the ring. Death is on his way back to his feet, but Summers mule kicks him and then drags his head into position between his legs…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "MIDSOMMAR!!!"
Allen Price: "SPIKED ON HIS HEAD!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And now the cover!!"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Summers got it! Summers retains!"
Allen Price: "XYZ couldn’t quite get there in time, collapsing into a heap as the three is counted!"
Summers rolls off Death Walker, who eventually retreats from the ring (alongside X) as the champion drags himself to his feet. Der Basterd allows the official to lift his hand into the air in victory… before immediately snatching it away again.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner… and STILL the FWA Television Champion… SHAWN… SUMMERS!!"
Summers collects the championship belt he struck Trixie with from the apron, and then demands his second from the timekeeper’s area. He stands in the middle of the ring, lifting both of them above his head to heavy boos from the surrounding audience.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well, it may not be the result that they want, but Shawn Summers emerges from another difficult challenge with that Television Championship still in tow. Since its introduction into the FWA, Der Basterd’s name really has been synonymous with that belt."
The double champion has ascended to the second rope and, with his music blaring out, hoists the championships up again. More booing, more vitriol… and a satisfied smile from Der Basterd…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It’s difficult to see anyone taking that championship from him…"
Allen Price: "Which one?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Either of them…"
Allen Price: "Well, I think there’s someone that springs to mind."
With Summers on the second rope, the crowd breaks out into positivity not usually heard when ‘Cola’ is playing. It’s because a second man has appeared on the stage. The double champion still has his belts on his shoulder and locks eyes with the interloper: the Cowboy returning his gaze in a tense, silent stand-off.
Der Basterd looks down at the Television Championship, not yet ready to abandon the spotlight, as we fade to black.
As soon as the match begins, XYZ catches Death Walker with a thrust kick that almost knocks him out of his boots! It backs him up into the ropes, and X immediately follows up with a massive clothesline, taking Death over the top rope. X follows him over, both of them sprawling to the outside, where XYZ lands some right hands… before Walker rolls him over, mounting X himself and replying with some forearm strikes of his own. X is finally able to throw Walker off him and scramble to his feet, attempting a clothesline on the rising Walker. Death ducks beneath it and transitions into a rear waistlock… German suplex on the outside!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "XYZ is spiked on the back of his head on the outside at an ugly angle! Looks like that rivalry between these two is far from over!"
Allen Price: "Unsurprising, Jean-Luc. Death Walker doesn’t really seem the sort to let things go…"
In the ring, Trixie and Shawn exchange holds before Summers powers her back into the corner after a test of strength. He whips her hard into the opposite corner, Bordeaux hitting the turnbuckles with such force that she bounces back towards Der Basterd… who grabs her in a bearhug, and then throwing her with a belly-to-belly overhead release suplex!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Wipe Out from Shawn Summers early on in this one!!"
Allen Price: "And now the champion looks for a cover…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Kick out from Trixie! Shawn slaps on a side headlock, though, settling into an advantage…
***
<< 05:18. >>
Outside the ring, Death Walker hoists Trixie up onto his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, but Bordeaux begins to fight out with elbows to the side of the head! Walker is forced to drop her, and Trixie follows up with a kick to the gut, doubling him over… and then a sit-out jawbreaker!! Walker stumbles and Trixie grabs him by the wrist…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Trixie going for an Irish whip into the steel ring steps, but a reversal from Death Walker!! Bordeaux gets thrown into the steel instead!!"
Allen Price: "An ugly collision there for Trixie, but Death Walker gives her no time to rest. He hoists her up and drags her head into position between his legs…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "POWERBOMB!!! ONTO THE BARRICADE!!"
Trixie’s back crashes over the barricade, which bends under her humble weight slammed into it by Death Walker. The crowd gasps for the move, and then boos Death as he looms over Trixie’s broken frame.
Simultaneously, in the ring, XYZ backs Summers into the ropes with overhand chops, before whipping him across the ring and attempting a standing dropkick. Summers hooks onto the ropes with his arms, though, checking his momentum and causing X to crash back-first onto the mat! XYZ quickly climbs up to his feet… but is met by a thumb to the eye from the champion!
Allen Price: "Typical!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Underhanded tactics from Summers, but in a four-way like this one it’s all legal!"
Der Basterd follows up by charging to the ropes, and then connecting with his Lights Out springboard knee kick!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And now an ankle lock!! Shawn Summers has it in!!"
XYZ writhes in agony under the pressure of the champion’s modified submission… and then even more so when Summers drops down into a grapevine!!
Allen Price: "XYZ is in serious trouble here!! He’s sundered in the middle of the ring!"
The referee is in close, asking if X wants to give it up… XYZ closes his eyes, shaking his head but pain etched upon his face… and then he’s saved by Death Walker! Walker charges Summers and strikes him with a wild boot to the face! Der Basterd is forced to relinquish the hold!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And Death Walker isn’t done there! He hoists the champion up to his feet… Spike DDT!"
And still no pinfall attempt from Death Walker! He picks up Summers… backdrop suplex!
Allen Price: "Now Death hooks the leg… he might have him!"
ONE… TWO… TH – NO!!
Summers with the shoulder up!
***
<< 10:31. >>
XYZ and Death Walker are standing in the middle of the ring, exchanging strikes. X has some success with chops: Mongolian ones, knife edge ones, and overhand ones… until Death fires up and shakes his head, and then strikes back with an incredible torrent of strikes! Hooks, uppercuts, axe kicks, and then a vile headbutt!! XYZ stumbles backwards, and we see a thin trickle of blood has emerged from his forehead!!
Allen Price: "X has been opened up by that headbutt! Death Walker again showing his vicious streak!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And now he has a sleeper locked in… BEDTIME STORY!! XYZ is thrown across the ring with the suplex, and Death goes for a cover…”
ONE… TWO… NO!
Broken up by Trixie! Bordeaux is still struggling after the powerbomb onto the barricade earlier in the match, though, and Death is able to grab her by the throat, hoist her up, and slam her down with an elevated spinebuster!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "HELL’S FURY!"
Allen Price: "Death Walker is cooking!! Walker covers Trixie now…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Broken up by Summers! He lifts Death up and pulls his head into position… he’s got the arms hooked…"
Allen Price: "MIDSOMMAR!!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "COVER BY SUMMERS!”
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!!!
Allen Price: "XYZ BREAKS IT UP!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "UNBELIEVABLE!! ALL FOUR ARE DOWN!!!"
****
<< 16:12. >>
Death Walker has Trixie on his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, but doesn’t notice that XYZ is up on the apron…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Springboard knee strike from XYZ! Death Walker is forced to drop Trixie, and X immediately follows up with a headscissors takedown!!"
Allen Price: "X is going up to the high rent district! You know what that means!!"
The crowd cheers X on as he steadies himself up on the top turnbuckle, before he begins to tightrope walk across the top rope… somersault leg drop!!!! But Death rolls out of the way!!
Allen Price: "XYZ crashes and burns!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And now Death has a rear naked choke!! This is the move that Walker has used to plague XYZ over the last few months! And now he’s looking to win the FWA Television Championship with it!"
Doing his utmost to escape, XYZ struggles, and forces Death back towards the corner. Death is forced into a seated position against the turnbuckles, but he keeps in the naked choke, and the official doesn’t call for a break given the rules of the match…
… but one is arranged by Trixie instead! She’s rolled under the bottom rope, and charges across the ring at the corner, hitting her ‘Bundle of Fun’ cannonball on both men!! The move is broken up, and X rolls beneath the bottom rope. Bordeaux collects Death Walker, and spikes him on his head with a DDT!!
Trixie stares up towards the turnbuckles, the partisan crowd cheering her on as she climbs up to her feet and begins her ascent…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Bordeaux is thinking Whistling Trixie here! If she hits this, we’ll have a new champion!"
Allen Price: "And almost everyone in this building is willing her on!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "But Shawn Summers is on the apron!! … and he has his FWA Television Championship in his hand!!"
He charges across the apron and cracks Trixie in the head with the belt!! Bordeaux falls off the top turnbuckle, lands on the apron in a heap, and then rolls onto the floor!!
And in the very next instant, Shawn Summers has hopped into the ring. Death is on his way back to his feet, but Summers mule kicks him and then drags his head into position between his legs…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "MIDSOMMAR!!!"
Allen Price: "SPIKED ON HIS HEAD!!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And now the cover!!"
ONE… TWO… THREE!!
Winner: Shawn Summers by pinfall at 19:41.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Summers got it! Summers retains!"
Allen Price: "XYZ couldn’t quite get there in time, collapsing into a heap as the three is counted!"
Summers rolls off Death Walker, who eventually retreats from the ring (alongside X) as the champion drags himself to his feet. Der Basterd allows the official to lift his hand into the air in victory… before immediately snatching it away again.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner… and STILL the FWA Television Champion… SHAWN… SUMMERS!!"
Summers collects the championship belt he struck Trixie with from the apron, and then demands his second from the timekeeper’s area. He stands in the middle of the ring, lifting both of them above his head to heavy boos from the surrounding audience.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well, it may not be the result that they want, but Shawn Summers emerges from another difficult challenge with that Television Championship still in tow. Since its introduction into the FWA, Der Basterd’s name really has been synonymous with that belt."
The double champion has ascended to the second rope and, with his music blaring out, hoists the championships up again. More booing, more vitriol… and a satisfied smile from Der Basterd…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It’s difficult to see anyone taking that championship from him…"
Allen Price: "Which one?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Either of them…"
Allen Price: "Well, I think there’s someone that springs to mind."
With Summers on the second rope, the crowd breaks out into positivity not usually heard when ‘Cola’ is playing. It’s because a second man has appeared on the stage. The double champion still has his belts on his shoulder and locks eyes with the interloper: the Cowboy returning his gaze in a tense, silent stand-off.
Der Basterd looks down at the Television Championship, not yet ready to abandon the spotlight, as we fade to black.
