Fallout 038: “対馬.” || RESULTS.

[Tommy Bedlam]

038: “対馬.”

Live from the Island of Tsushima in Japan.

Saturday 10th February, 2024.

Fallout 038 commences in unusual order, as FWA Brand Coordinator Jon Russnow stands on the stage on his own with a microphone in hand. From his expression, he seems to be incredibly stressed, and he mops his brow before raising the microphone to address the gathered crowd and the viewing audience at home.



Jon Russnow: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Fallout 038 coming to you right here from the Island of Tsushima here in Japan. Our 2024 tour of Asia has been an unprecedented success and I look forward to that continuing with our show tonight. Before we can get to that, though, an important announcement must be made.



“I regret to inform you all that this past Thursday in the main event of Meltdown XXXVIII, an injury was suffered by one of the competitors. Xavien Marshall sustained a knee injury which has ruled him out for an as yet undetermined period of time.”



Russnow nods his head solemnly and the fans in attendance are shocked by this news. Some chatter breaks out between them all, and Russnow motions for them to calm down in order for him to continue.



Jon Russnow: "There are several repercussions to this and most importantly, I must inform you that as a result of this injury, Xavien Marshall has been forced to relinquish the FWA World Tag Team Championship AND the Gunfight One Ring.”



More shocking revelations and everyone reacts in kind. Russnow takes another deep breath.



Jon Russnow: "Then, there are the implications of this development on the ongoing F1 Climaxxx tournament. As we know from his result on Meltdown, Xavien had already qualified for the next stage of the tournament. Halloween Knight had been eliminated from Pool B for failing to win either of his pool matches thus far and will remain so.



“Therefore, it is the decision of FWA management that both Bryan Baxter and Chris Peacock will advance from Pool B and automatically gain places in the semi final stage of the 2024 F1 Climaxxx.”



There are boos from the fans for the two less-than-popular competitors gaining automatic places in the final four.



Jon Russnow: "Baxter and Peacock will still face each other on Fight Night to determine who will be crowned the winner of Pool B. The winner of that match will face the winner of the match between Mike Parr and Konchu Hao in the semi final. We have also decided that only two competitors will advance from Pool A to mirror what is happening in Pool B. Therefore, the match scheduled between Xperienx Xtacee and Michelle von Horrowitz will not take place, as Xperienx has opted to compete in the King of the Deathmatch tournament instead.”



There is a lot of information to take in, but everyone seems on board with what Russnow has announced.



Jon Russnow: "All that is left to do is me to wish the remaining competitors in the F1 Climaxxx the best of luck and hope for a speedy recovery for Xavien Marshall. Thank you.”

Spoiler: GANGPLANK GALLEON (BIG BAND) || SUPER SMASH BROS. SOUNDTRACK

Russnow had not even finished speaking before being interrupted by very loud and obnoxious music. There is some confusion as to who this is for, but the question is answered when Chris Peacock and Alyster Black walk out from the back. Both had clearly listened to Russnow’s announcement and are in fits of laughter as a result. With them is the incapacitated Allen Price, although it seems that he has now learned to navigate his wheelchair on his own.



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Welcome one and all to Fallout, wrestling fans, and an unfortunate note to begin the show on. I am not talking about Allen Price being on our screens, but instead the shocking announcement regarding Xavien Marshall. A deep shame for the FWA to lose one of its rising stars to injury like that.



“Two people who I think will not be sending their best wishes to Marshall are Chris Peacock and Alyster Black. FTN are in action in our opening contest and you can see how elated Peacock in particular is about this. He attacked both Marshall and Baxter on Meltdown, forcing a draw and gave himself a better chance to top Pool B in the process. As we’ve just learned now, all he has to do to achieve that is defeat Bryan Baxter at Fight Night. The winner of that match faces the runner-up in Pool A - Konchu Hao or Mike Parr - whilst the loser gets fed to MvH.”



Black and Peacock taunt Russnow for a moment and then sprint down the ramp and slide into the ring. Peacock feigns hurting his knee as he does so in a clear taunt to his fallen rival Xavien Marshall. Price gets some serious speed in his chair down the ramp and he navigates it around the ring towards the commentary position.



Jean-Luc Watkins: "No… no… don’t you think about it. WHO SET UP ANOTHER HEADSET?”

Spoiler: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE || BON JOVI

The crowd rise and cheer as the lighting dims and attention turns to the stage where Tommy Bedlam walks out from the back with Chris Crowe next to him. Crazy Harry emerges as well, meaning that both teams have a manager accompanying them. The lights glisten off of Bedlam’s X Championship which he wears proudly around his waist.



Natalie Rosenberg: "The following contest is scheduled for one fall, with a twenty minute time limit. Introducing first, accompanied by Crazy Harry… they are the team of ‘The Showman’ Chris Crowe and the FWA X Champion Tommy Bedlam. This is DEAATTTTHHHHHHHHHSWWIIIIITCCHHHHH!!!



“Their opponents, already in the ring… the team of ‘Black Jesus’ Alyster Black and ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ Chris Peacock… EFFFFFFFFF TEEEEEEEEEE ENNNNNNNNNN!!!”



Allen Price: "Hey! What’s with the jobber entrance, Rosenberg?!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: "As you can hear, I am now being joined by Allen Price as we watch Deathswitch make their way to the ring. Tommy Bedlam the X Champion, of course, and he is set to defend that championship in the upcoming King of the Deathmatch tournament.



“Chris Crowe will also be busy that weekend-”



Allen Price: "Who gives, Jean-Luc? Right there, we have two of the greatest X Champions of all time. Chris Peacock helped elevate that championship to the height it is now by being part of the X4, and Alyster Black is the longest reigning champion in that title’s history. Tommy needs to pump those numbers up.”



Deathswitch enter the ring and clap their fans for the support whilst FTN seem to be continuing to make jokes about Xavien Marshall to each other.

FIRST MATCH || 1/20.

Deathswitch (Chris Crowe and Tommy Bedlam) vs. FTN (Alyster Black and Chris Peacock).

Tag Team Match.

Match writer: Man

<< 00:00 >>



The match begins with the crowd firmly in the favour of Deathswitch, but there are some voices making themselves heard in the duelling “LET’S GO DEATH-SWITCH!” “F-T-N!” chants booming around. It is both of the Chrises starting off the match for their respective teams. Peacock seems to have tempered his excitement regarding the pre-match announcements and turned his attention to the match at hand. Both men lock up. Crowe though gets the better of it and drives his knee into Peacock’s midsection, but Peacock then shoves him back. In a fit of frustration, Peacock swings at Crowe, but ‘The Showman’ blocks it and cracks Peacock across the face with a right hand!



Peacock immediately realises his mistake as Crowe reels off on him with punches that knock him back towards the ropes. A desperate kick out from Peacock to the known-plagued knee of Crowe is all that causes a small break between them. This gives Peacock a chance to hit a couple of jabs of his own. After the second, he spins on the spot and strikes a pose… BUT CROWE FLOORS HIM WITH A DISCUS LARIAT!!!



Jean-Luc Watkins: "An excitable Chris Peacock pays the price for his showmanship by the one official ‘Showman’ here in the FWA, and he needs to be careful. This would not be the first time that FTN have been brought down by their own hubris.”



Allen Price: "I think it is pronounced ‘hummous’, J-L. But this is merely an uncharacteristically slow start by my boys. We’ll be back in this one in no time at all, I’m sure of it.”



Despite almost taking Peacock’s head off, Crowe is unable to go for the cover as Peacock used whatever awareness he still possessed to roll towards Alyster Black and make the tag to his partner. There is a buzz in the crowd as the two renowned strikers look to face off, but Black wags a finger at Crowe. He indicates that he wants the X Champion. Tommy Bedlam is more than up for the challenge, and extends his hand for Crowe to tag, which he does.



As their partners did, the two circle the ring with Black talking some smack at the X Champion, whilst Tommy remains level-headed. Black flies in, leaping off the ground towards Bedlam, but Tommy catches him with an Uppercut in mid-air! This causes Alyster to fold backwards over himself comically. Black is given no time to shake the cobwebs as Bedlam pulls him up and sends him into the Deathswitch corner. Bedlam holds Black in position and then lights his chest up with a hard chop, with Black holding his hand over that famous scar.



Bedlam delivers a Snapmare to Black out of the corner and follows up with a boot to the back of the head. Bedlam tags Crowe back in.



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Advantage to Deathswitch in the early going. FTN seem a bit off the pace. Perhaps some of the pressure of losing their last two matches together is starting to become too much for the former champions.”



<< 05:02 >>



Tommy Bedlam shoots Chris Peacock into the ropes and then gets into position to take Peacock over with a Back Body Drop, but Peacock pumps the brakes and kicks Tommy in the face. Peacock follows up with a forearm to the face and he tries to scoop Tommy up onto his shoulders, however Bedlam slides down from his back and pushes Peacock into the ropes. Peacock hits them and comes back at Bedlam, who catches him with a big Snap Powerslam! Tommy presses Peacock’s shoulders into the mat;



ONE… TW-NO!!



After the pin attempt, Bedlam does not wait for Peacock to get up and brings him up forcefully on his own. A big Headbutt to Peacock causes the latter to drop to a knee. This allows Tommy to headlock him and bring him towards Crowe. Crowe tags himself into the match by slapping Tommy’s shoulder. He then joins Tommy in headlocking Peacock, and together Deathswitch execute a Double Bulldog! Allen Price is shown worrying on commentary, whilst Crazy Harry applauds.



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Looking quite concerned there, Price.”



Allen Price: "Look. Deathswitch have been practising for two weeks straight ahead of this match. To their credit, they know how big of an opportunity they were given by Chris and Alyster. You’re looking at the Tag Team of the Year in there, Jean-Luc. Just like all of FTN’s opponents together and individually, they’re going at their maximum to defeat the best two wrestlers in the world.”



Despite Price’s words, Peacock does not seem like one of the world’s premier competitors at present. Crowe lifts him up from the mat and holds him up for a moment… before delivering a Fallaway Slam! The impact sends Peacock rolling towards the corner, where he finds himself slumped against the bottom turnbuckle. Without a moment’s hesitation, Crowe puts the burners on and charges in to clatter into Peacock with a Corner Cannonball! He pulls Peacock out of the corner by his foot and then hooks the same leg;



ONE… TWO… THR-NO!!!



Alyster Black breaks up the pin! A stomp to the back of Crowe’s head is enough to do the trick, and the official ushers ‘Black Jesus’ back to his corner. Deathswitch and Crazy Harry are in hot protest.



Allen Price: "What are these carnie freaks complaining about anyway? Alyster was being helpful! Chris Crowe was in danger. There was a bee on his head.”



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Oh come on, Price. What a ludicrous suggestion. You know, I really do not care much for this blatant bias. If you’re going to be out here, at least do the damn job properly.”



<< 09:37 >>



The former FWA World Tag Team Champions show just why they were able to hold the titles for several months in 2023 by isolating Tommy Bedlam in their corner. Peacock is on top of ‘The Cowboy’ and drills him in the head with several punches. Some of the crowd count along to ten but Peacock halts it at eight and then tags Black in. Alyster cracks his knuckles upon entering and then gets to work initiating a VIOLENCE PARTY! The X Champion gets lit up repeatedly by the man who has held his championship longer than anyone else.



Once Black is finished, he tags Peacock back in and the two take a moment to discuss their next move. Peacock suggests something, but Black shakes his head. To illustrate what he wanted to do, Peacock hooks Bedlam up for a Suplex and motions for Black to come and join him. Black refuses and this allows Bedlam to spin out of it and he attempts to throw a lariat in Peacock’s direction, but Chris ducks it and then cracks Tommy with Fight Fever! He fails to follow up though as he remonstrates with Black.



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Seems like FTN are finding it hard to stay in sync out there and that’s something that the Deathswitch boys have not had to deal with at all in this match. Peacock is really fancying that Double Suplex, isn’t he?”



Allen Price: "For some reason it is one of his favourite moves. He never does a Suplex when he’s on his own, so not sure why he’s so desperate to do one with Alyster.”



Black tags himself back in during the commotion, and when he gets back through the ropes, he is cut off by Bedlam. Tommy shoots Black into the ropes and tries to follow up with THE LAST CALL - BLACK DUCKS IT - GO BEHIND - BACKDROP SUPLEX!!! Tommy gets dropped directly onto the top of his head by Black, who makes a cover;



ONE… TWO… THR-NO!!!



There is some frustration from Black following the kick out by Bedlam, but he slaps on a Headlock in order to keep Tommy grounded. The crowd starts to clap and Crowe joins in, willing Bedlam on. This seems to work, and Black can be heard audibly calling the entire spectacle “Bullshit!” and is loudly annoyed when Tommy feeds on the crowd’s energy and he takes Black over to drop him with a Back Suplex of his own.



Bedlam gets the tag to Crowe to good cheers from the crowd. ‘The Showman’ comes in like a house (or circus tent) on fire and immediately charges across the ring to knock Peacock from the ring apron. He meets Alyster Black with a kick to the midsection. With Tommy back to his feet, together they hook Black up… and deliver a Double Suplex!



Allen Price: "Aw, COME ON!”



<< 13:13 >>



Fatigue is starting to set in for both teams in this back and forth, physical match. Peacock and Bedlam are the legal men once again and both run into each other, looking for a Clothesline, and they take each other down. Once again, the performative aspect of professional wrestling comes into play with the fans clapping in unison. Crowe stomps his feet, trying to get the fans in support of Bedlam. Both Bedlam and Peacock crawl towards their respective corners, and get the tags in to their partners!



Black and Crowe enter the ring and immediately begin to trade bombs in the middle of the ring to loud cheers from the watching crowd. They are evenly matched, but Black begins to get an edge over Crowe thanks to a European Uppercut. Black knees Crowe in the midsection and seems to be trying to set him up for the Doctor Bomb, but Crowe blocks it. Crowe gets behind Black and attempts to apply a Cobra Clutch, but Black flips him over his head. With Crowe temporarily taken out of the picture, Black turns around to see that Bedlam is lining him up… SUPERKICK - BUT PEACOCK JUMPS IN THE WAY AND TAKES THE BULLET FOR BLACK!!



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Down goes Peacock! It’s a good job we’re past the point of trying to figure out whether this is a genuine friendship. They’ve proved it enough times now.”



Peacock’s sacrifice allows Black to hit the ropes… AND HE WIPES BEDLAM OUT WITH A ONE SHOT KILL!!! The massive Lariat sends Bedlam rolling under the bottom rope and he is down and out on the floor. Black though gets to his feet and finds Crowe trying to hook him up in order to finish him off, but he shoves Crowe out of the way to avoid The Closing Act. However, Crowe shows some impressive explosive energy to immediately charge forward and drive Black into the mat with a Running STO!!



Wasting no time, Crowe then lifts Black up from the canvas… and drops him onto his head with a Piledriver!! Crowe shoots the half;



ONE… TWO… THREE-NO!!!



PEACOCK BREAKS IT UP WITH THE STRUT!!! Crowe is knocked back and loopy by Peacock’s knee, and together FTN bring him up. Black elevates Crowe up into the air with a Powerbomb and Peacock catches him with a Lungblower on the way down!!!



Allen Price: "THEY BLEW THEIR LOAD, JEAN-LUC!”



Off of The Load Blower, Black covers Crowe whilst Peacock keeps an eye on Bedlam and Crazy Harry…



ONE… TWO… THREE!!!

Spoiler: RESULT

Winner: FTN via pin fall at 15:58.

The bell rings and Peacock immediately bundles Black and hugs him on the canvas. They roll around on the mat together in jubilation before rising up and jumping for joy together. There is clear relief on their faces - much like Peacock had on Meltdown - that they were able to win a match after their recent misfortunes. Natalie Rosenberg seems disappointed that she did not get to make the four minute warning.



Natalie Rosenberg: "Here are your winners.. FTN.”



Jean-Luc Watkins: "To their credit, they managed to pull out this victory without needing to resort to any of the underhanded shenanigans we’re used to seeing from them. This is a big win that could propel them straight back into the hunt for the FWA World Tag Team Championships.”



Allen Price: "You’re damn right! People thought they were fools to challenge Deathswitch. These guys are good, I won’t deny that, but two former world champions, the greatest tag team of this generation and my two premier clients… there was no chance that FTN were going to drop this one, Jean-Luc. Now, everyone at home and on this island needs to SHUT THE HELL UP and listen to Chris Peacock!”



Peacock does indeed have a microphone, and he leans on the ropes watching as Deathswitch leave ringside and begin to head up the ramp.



Chris Peacock: "Awh, unlucky guys-”

Spoiler: RISE || SIXX:A.M.

There is a close up shot of Chris Peacock’s eyes bugging out as he hears the music. Alyster Black speaks in his ear to help him contain his rage upon hearing the music of the man who cost him the FWA World Championship back at Lights Out.



There is then a huge cheer when ‘Rockstar’ Randy Ramon marches out from the back and stands alongside Deathswitch, checking on his partner from the Buddy Bowl in Chris Crowe.



Allen Price: "HEY! GET HIM OUT OF HERE!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: "Randy Ramon… famed rival of Chris Peacock and Alyster Black and ally of Chris Crowe… he’s out here to show some solidarity with Crowe but probably rattle Peacock at the same time.”



In the ring, Peacock still has his microphone and he calls into it whilst staring directly at Ramon.



Chris Peacock: "Randy… I’m glad you're here… because Aly and I want to make another challenge. Those tag titles are up for grabs now that dickhead Marshall is out of the picture. You don’t get to just take those titles without going through US first!



“So Fight Night, you and Crowe against FTN. Winners walk out with the titles. It’s about time you faced me in this ring properly-”



Peacock stops himself when he sees two people walk out onto the stage.



Jean-Luc Watkins: "That’s Jay Kenny, Xavien Marshall’s fellow tag team champion and his advocate Thomas Princeton… and they’ve still got the titles!”



Indeed, Kenny has his championship over his shoulder and he scowls out at the fans whilst Princeton holds the other one close to his chest.



Chris Peacock: "Hey Princeton, you gave those up… bring them here!”



Thomas Princeton: "Chris, just do everyone a favour for one minute and shut your damn mouth. Because if you weren’t so busy running your mouth, you’d have been listening with your ears. I don’t know where you got the idea from that you and your special little friend could just walk into a match for vacant championships which aren’t even vacant?



“Were you not listening to Russnow earlier on? Xavien Marshall did relinquish the FWA World Tag Team Championships, but Jay Kenny here is as fit as a fiddle and as you can see, he hasn’t relinquished anything.”



Princeton motions to Kenny, who straightens up the belt draped over his shoulder.



Thomas Princeton: "So, Jay Kenny is still one half of the FWA World Tag Team Champions. Therefore, he will be defending the titles at Fight Night against Chris Crowe and Randy Ramon as planned. FTN never were and will not be part of that match.”



Peacock is incensed, throwing the microphone as far as he can up the ramp in a fit of anger. It seems that whilst Black is as equally annoyed, he is more concerned about containing his partner’s rage. Ramon is shown smirking at Peacock’s fit but then turns back to Princeton.



Thomas Princeton: "Chris, Chris… calm down. I think you’ll want to see who will be stepping in for Xavien Marshall as Jay’s partner, surely? I think you, Alyster and Randy will be particularly pleased about this one.



“I pulled a few strings and reached out to a few connections to find someone to step in for Marshall. So, without further adieu, can Jay Kenny’s partner and NEW FWA World Tag Team Champion please come on out!”

Spoiler: THAT’S NOT ME || SKEPTA FT. JME

The fans become unglued as the music is heard for the first time in a very long time… AND DONNY TONER WALKS OUT ONTO THE STAGE! The mask is proudly warn and Donny shakes hands with Princeton on the stage before he is handed the other tag team championship belt. All other concerned parties are in stunned shock at Donny’s return to the FWA.



Allen Price: "HOW?!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: "D-D-DONNY TONER?! We know that Princeton’s black book is well populated but this… I didn’t think we’d ever see Donny Toner in the FWA ever again!”



Fallout fades away from its eventful opening segment on the mystique and intrigue of Donny Toner’s return to the FWA. Consider the tag team division flipped on its head…

We cut backstage to the locker rooms, where Kleio is sitting on a bench taping up her wrists.



She is soon startled by a voice behind her but is relieved to see it's none other than Blair Ravenwood and her sister Celestia.



Blair Ravenwood: "Hello Kleio."



Kleio turns around with a smile, but Blair doesn't smile back.



Kleio De Santos: "Hello sisters. I am sorry that I haven't been in touch lately, I've had a few distractions pop up.".



Blair and Celestia both share a look and then look back at Kleio.



Celestia Ravenwood: "Oh, we know you're very busy as leader of the Coven."



Blair Ravenwood: "So busy. Doing...busy Coven leader things, huh?".



Kleio raises her eyebrows a bit at them.



Kleio De Santos: "Right...well, things are starting to resurface with XYZ. I don't know what his problem is. I thought he was supposed to face Brooklyn last week. He couldn't even do that. Chickened out. Now he's facing Gabrielle tonight. He probably thinks that she is some distinguished star...not the washed-up old hag she truly is. But it'll be really telling...I crushed Gabrielle when we faced. She was slower than she ever was, and she didn't stand a chance against me. If XYZ can't do the same, it'll be a big sign that he isn't even on my level. He isn't...I know that. I've known that for a long time. The Alphabet Man, the interview stealer, the guy who's handed every opportunity...he isn't on my level. I know you two are well aware of that..."



Blair and Celestia both stare blankly at Kleio.



They let her rant fester for a moment, but then Blair responds.



Blair Ravenwood: "Kleio, I'll be honest...we're a little worried that you...seem to have the wrong priorities".



Kleio immediately gets angry. She cuts Blair off before she can talk any further.



Kleio De Santos: "Who are you to question my priorities? Are you the leader of The Coven, Blair? No. You're not. I am The Witch Queen, I decide what my priorities are. The fact that you can't even seem to grasp the threat that XYZ is to us is proof that you have no standing to tell me what should or shouldn't be priority. So you go ahead and focus on getting carried by Trixie. I'll focus on making sure The Coven stay the power group in the FWA. Don't you dare question me again..."



Kleio storms out, leaving Blair and Celestia alone.



Blair waits a moment to ensure the coast is clear, then turns back to her sister.



Blair Ravenwood: "Do you not see it? She is unhinged. She's digging up old drama with XYZ. The guy did nothing to her. It's nothing but a distraction to our group, to our tag team titles. I'm going to be putting things in motion very soon. Can I count on you sister?"



Celestia seems uncomfortable about this situation still, but nonetheless...



Celestia Ravenwood: "I don't like this...I love Kleio...but, I see your point. You know Blair that I will always stand by you no matter what, but you have to promise me that you'll do this clean. We can overthrow Kleio amicably..."



Blair Ravenwood: "If we're going to do that, we're going to need Trixie and Ethel on our side. That can be your job..."



Celestia Ravenwood: "And what is your job?"



Blair chuckles evilly.



Blair Ravenwood: "Don't worry sister...I have plans".



The two witchy sisters begin to cackle manically, as the cameras back away, leaving them alone together in the locker room before fading to black.

Natalie Rosenberg: “Ladies and gentlemen, your next match is scheduled for ONE FALL!”



ONE FALL!



Natalie Rosenberg: “Introducing first, haling from ‘The City of Champions,’ Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, ‘The Conjurer, Colby Soooooooooooool!”

Spoiler: “Lay Down” || Priestess

The crowd is eager to boo Colby Sol as he appears at the top of the ramp, his head down as “Lay Down” booms from the PA system. Sol never acknowledges the jeers, marching toward the ring with purpose.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Colby Sol was impressive last week, winning his FWA debut. He’s looking to go 2-0 this week against Madison Gray, who has positioned herself in the heart of the FWA TV title picture.”



Colby Sol climbs into the ring, raising his head and acknowledging the crowd for the first time. He gives an arrogant smirk at the thousands who boo him and struts toward the corner, waiting for his opponent.



Natalie Rosenberg: “And his opponent, hailing from Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, ‘The Young Lioness,’ Madison Graaaaay!”

Spoiler: ”Jungle” || Fred again

Madison Gray appears at the top of the ramp, receiving a bit of a mixed reaction from the crowd. She appears laser-focused, locking her eyes on Colby Sol who is shadowboxing in the ring.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Madison Gray is also coming off a win last week, overcoming Sawyer Xavier on Fallout 37. She’s been on an impressive run as of late, and she’s looking to keep things going against Colby Sol.”



Gray acknowledges a few fans who are cheering her on her way to the ring before climbing through the ropes and immediately storming across the mat and going nose-to-nose with Sol, refusing to show any fear. The official quickly wedges himself between them, directing both competitors to their corners before this one gets underway.

SECOND MATCH || 1/20.

Madison Gray vs. Colby Sol.

Singles Match.

Match writer: Tommy

<<0:00>>



As the bell sounds, both Colby and Madison approach the center of the ring in a fighting stance. The Young Lioness looking for a chance to take advantage of her martial arts background and Colby Sol bounces side-to-side methodically, hands in front of his face, looking for an early opening to land a quick jab.



They circle each other, and it’s Madison who makes the first move, sliding in and going for a kick to Sol’s calf that finds its mark. She’s quick to follow it up with another kick to the back of the thigh that connects, bringing Colby Sol out of his stance a bit.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Last week, we saw Colby Sol in a match with La Sombra Filosa, and his boxing prowess paid huge dividends as he pummeled his opponent. It looks like things may be a bit tougher for ‘The Conjurer’ this week, as Gray is using quick strikes herself.”



After landing a few more kicks to Sol’s legs and one to the ribs, Madison Gray moves quickly to connect with a discus elbow smash that finds its mark, landing squarely across Colby Sol’s jaw, knocking him into the corner.



<<3:48>>



Jean-Luc Watkins: “There’s no other way to say it; this one has been all Madison Gray so far. Outside of a couple of quick punches, Colby Sol hasn’t been able to mount any type of offense. Both of these competitors are coming off wins last week, and right now, Madison Gray seems to have all the momentum coming off her victory over Sawyer Xavier.”



Madison drapes each of Colby Sol’s arms over the top ropes and chops his chest, sending the sound of flesh-on-flesh booming through the arena, much to the delight of the crowd.



She slowly backs away from the corner, sizing up Colby Sol. Madison Gray charges in at full speed, but Colby Sol gets a boot up! His foot catches Madison on the chin, and The Young Lioness is staggered. He jerks his arms from the top ropes, throws Madison in the corner by the head, and starts delivering a bevy of punches to the midsection.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “That’s how quickly things can change! Colby Sol is punishing Madison Gray with those heavy-handed punches to her ribs.”



Now it’s Sol who backs across the ring, never taking his eyes from his opponent. He runs across the ring and connects with an enziguri that snaps Gray’s head backward and into the top turnbuckle.



Sol, seeing an opportunity to inflict some more damage, quickly slides under the bottom rope and behind the dazed Madison Gray. He grabs her feet and snaps them out from under her, dropping her face first on the mat.



Colby pulls Madison’s legs toward him, placing one on each side of the ring post. He turns his attention to her right leg, pulls it back, and slams it hard around the ring post, wrapping the back of her knee around the steel.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “He may have just broken her leg! I’m not sure how Madison Gray is supposed to continue!”



Gray grabs her right knee and screams in pain, writhing on the mat, as Colby Sol looks at her from the outside of the ring, a sadistic smirk on his face. The crowd is unleashing on Colby Sol, booing him relentlessly, but he’s completely unmoved. With Gray already injured, Colby grabs her legs and pulls her back to the post.



Colby applies a figure-four leglock around the ring post! He’s torquing Gray’s legs around the unforgiving steel as the referee begins to count.



1…

2…

3…

4….



Colby Sol breaks the hold just before the five-count, keeping himself in this one, but there’s been a lot of damage done to Gray’s lower body.



He reaches under the bottom rope, grabs her by the hair, and drags her out of the ring, throwing her carelessly to the floor. As the referee’s count gets to 7, Colby rolls into the ring and back out, resetting the count, and turning his attention back to Madison Gray who is still favoring her leg.



<<7:17>>



Both competitors are still on the outside of the ring, and Sol wisely keeps rolling back in to reset the count. He’s clearly enjoying taking the fight to the outside where he can inflict even more damage. He drives Gray to the floor with a t-bone suplex right in front of the announce table.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Madison Gray is only a few feet away from my position here at ringside, and I’ve got to say, she doesn’t look good. Colby Sol has unleashed a level of brutality here that would take down virtually anyone on this roster.”



Sol hops up onto the ring apron, sizing up Gray. He runs across the apron and launches himself into the air for a shooting star press. BUT GRAY MOVES OUT OF THE WAY! Colby Sol smacks the ground head-first, and both competitors are down.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “I’m not sure that Sol needed to go high-risk there. He had Madison Gray down. He probably should’ve gotten her back in the ring and gone for the win, but the heart of ‘The Young Lioness’ was just too much. She got out of the way, and now both competitors are down right in front of my broadcast position, and the ref is counting. This one may end in a double count out.”



5…

6…

7…



Madison Gray gets to her feet first and instinctively rolls herself into the ring.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Madison Gray may win this one by count out! Sol is barely moving…”



8…

9….



Just before the official gets to 10, Colby Sol lunges from the ground and gets his upper body under the bottom rope.



<<9:35>>



Both Gray and Sol are back to their feet, though both are obviously feeling the effects of this match. Gray favors that right leg and Sol looks a bit dazed from his head-first crash to the floor.



It’s Madison Gray who makes the first move. She plants her left leg and connects with a spinning heel kick with the injured right leg. It finds its mark, but it lacks some power. Seeing an opportunity to follow up with more offense, Gray continues kicking with the right leg, but its clear that her kicks are lacking power.



Realizing that she needs more. Gray goes for broke. She leaps into the air and attempts a frankensteiner, but Sol uses his strength to catch her. Using her own momentum against her, Colby Sol connects with the Sol Reaper! He falls across Madison Gray and goes for the pin.



1…

2…

3…



Jean-Luc Watkins: “What a match! Colby Sol picks up the win, bringing his FWA record to 2-0, but you can’t take anything from Madison Gray. She took everything that the ‘The Conjurer’ could throw at her and kept coming back for more.”

Spoiler: RESULT

Winner: Colby Sol via Pinfall at 10:22.

Colby Sol rolls away from Madison and to the corner of the ring where he smirks at The Young Lioness who is being checked out by the referee and a ringside medical professional, who is checking her right leg. Sol pulls himself up by using the ropes and slowly stalks across the ring toward his fallen opponent. A couple more officials rush down to ringside and position themselves between Sol and Gray as Sol sarcastically puts his hands in the air, rolls out of the ring and makes his way up the ramp.



Madison Gray, with some help, gets to her feet, much to the delight of the crowd who fully threw their support behind her during the match. She refuses help, insisting on walking out of the ring and up the ramp under her own power.

We return to Fallout to find a middle aged man with slicked back hair in a three piece suit standing holding a retro style thin microphone complete with a long cord extending from the bottom of the microphone to out of the ring. Connoisseurs of Nothing But Game Shows Online or perhaps fans of nGw recognize this man as Chuck Winnington. In the ring he stands before a something covered by a large black sheet. Standing next to him in a black evening dress and a top hat is Tonya Scott, who we last saw on Fallout 37 for the Friendship Wrestling Association celebration.



Chuck Winnington: ”Good evening and welcome back to this stupendous edition of FWA Fallout! And it’s time for everybody’s favorite game…



LET’S!





MAKE!





A!





FRIEND!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Your guess is good as mine as to what this is all about, fans. This is Chuck Winnington from nGw, but I don’t know what he’s doing here on Fallout. And of course that’s Tonya Scott from Ground Zero who we saw last time on Fallout with the Friendship Wrestling Association.”



Tonya waves her hand along the sides of the sheet before she pulls it back to reveal a game show set while a campy eighties style game show theme music plays. Based on the name of the game show, the fans begin to boo because there’s a really good chance they know who this segment is associated with.

Chuck Winnington: ”Give it up for my lovely assistant, Tonya Scott! She is so multi-talented!”



Tonya Scott takes a bow.



Chuck Winnington: ”This is the gameshow that brings people together from different walks of life… from different points of view… different worlds… you know the old saying, opposites attract? Well that’s what this is all about. Taking the most different people in the world and making them… friends for life!”



“So with that in mind, let’s meet today’s contestants!”



“Up first, we have a man who embodies everything there is about friendship. He is the type who will go to the ends of the Earth for the people he calls friends. He is the World Champion of Friendship…



He is…



JEREMY BEST!”

Spoiler: LIFE’S A HAPPY SONG || THE MUPPETS

The crowd boos loudly as the FWA World Champion walks out from the back in a blue cardigan sweater and khaki pants with the Friendship Wrestling Alliance branded World Title around his waist. He is joined by Sir Stache and Mejor Amigo, who both wave to the fans. All three seem unphased by the boos and Jeremy in particular looks thrilled to be on his way to the ring to join this “game show.



Jeremy climbs into the ring and shakes hands with Chuck while Mejor Amigo awkwardly waves to Tonya Scott who just offers up a bit of a smile.



Chuck Winnington: ”Jeremy, thank you so much for joining us tonight.”



Jeremy Best: ”No, thank YOU, Chuck. For making this possible. Because you see, as the World Champion of Friendship, I am working hard day and night to make the Fantasy Wrestling Alliance more like the Friendship Wrestling Alliance. And you know what I kept hearing over and over again from all the Besties I meet out there in the public?”



Chuck Winnington: ”What’s that, Jeremy?’



Jeremy Best: ”They said… what the FWA needs.. .is MORE GAMESHOWS!”



The fans boo… seemingly in disagreement. Or maybe that just don’t like Jeremy very much. Either/or.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “I’m not sure the people agree…”



Chuck Winnington: ”Well that’s just super, Jeremy. I have to say, I couldn’t agree more! And that’s why you’re here today.”



Jeremy Best: ”Absolutely it is, Chuck. And there’s no better game for FWA than this one - LET'S MAKE A FRIEND! Because, let’s face it, despite my best efforts with the Buddy Bowl - there are still a lot of people in that locker room who… to put it quite frankly, need a friend now more than ever.”



Chuck Winnington: ”Well then we probably shouldn’t be wasting any time! Tonya, who is our next contestant on LET’S MAKE A FRIEND?”



Tonya Scott: “Yes! Our next contest is….. CYRUS TRUTH!”

Spoiler: BLOOD OF GLORY

The crowd comes alive as the number one contender for the FWA Championship, Cyrus Truth, emerges from the back. You could probably say he doesn’t seem thrilled to be taking part in this little game show, looking quite unamused by the proceedings.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Something tells me Cyrus Truth isn’t going to be that interested in being friends with Jeremy Best. For multiple reasons beyond just the fact that they are going to be opponents at The Grand March.”



Truth walks with caution, knowing that Jeremy isn’t alone in the ring, but climbs in. Jeremy offers a friendly wave to Cyrus.



Jeremy Best: ”Cyrus! We haven’t had the chance to interact too much but it’s so nice of you to be here and am glad to have you on the show that’s going to make us a couple of Besties!”



Jeremy extends out his hand for a handshake with Cyrus. Cyrus looks down at Jeremy’s hand and then back up, looking Jeremy dead in the eye. Cyrus simply shakes his head, leaving Jermey hanging.



Jeremy Best: ”We’ll get there, don’t you worry!”



Chuck Winnington: ”Alright, contestants - right now most people look at you two and see two very… very… different people. But by the time we are done here today - we are going to make friends out of you just yet! So Jeremy, with that in mind, what do you look for in a friend? And what do you see in Cyrus that makes you think you two could be friends?”



Jeremy Best: ”What a wonderful question, Chuck. Well, friendship… as you know… is kinda my thing. And the thing about me is, I can be friends with just about anyone. No… not just about… I can be friends with anyone. So sure… Cyrus here… he is a little rough around the edges… sure. He’s got that brooding loner thing going on. But I think, Cy… can I call you Cy?”



Cyrus doesn’t even bother giving Jeremy the benefit of a response.



Jeremy Best: ”I’ll take that as a yes. So Cy, you see… I think you are in dire need of a friend. Just think about your recent success. You challenged for the World Title how many times in 2023? When was the last time you were champion? I don’t actually need you to answer those questions because the actual answer isn’t the point… the fact is, you’ve been trying to do it all by yourself. You, perhaps more than anyone in the Fantasy Wrestling Alliance… you need a friend. The closest thing you have to a friend is that wizard fella… and let me tell ya… as someone has had him part of a team in the past… he’s at best an associate than a friend. I have a hard time trusting anyone with magic…”



Tonya Scott steps in, with an offended look on her face.



Tonya Scott: “Hey!”



Jeremy Best: ”Sorry, I meant dark magic. Not fun magic.”



Tonya seems relieved but Mejor Amigo rushes over to console her anyway.



Jeremy Best: ”So Cy… that’s what I think… I think you need me. You need a friend. And buddy… you got a friend in me.”



Chuck Winnington: ”Such motivational words from our champion of Friendship! Now Cyrus, it’s over to you. What do you think would make a good friend and how can Jeremy win over your friendship?”



The crowd is chanting for a bit of classic Wayward Warrior ultraviolence as Cyrus is handed a microphone thanks to Tonya, who looks a bit nervous standing that close to The Exile. Cyrus looks at this whole setup with an expression that belies irritation at this whole gimmicky mess that he’s found himself in.



Cyrus doesn’t even register Chuck’s question. Instead, he turns his steely gaze to the FWA World Champion, his opponent at the Grand March and the one roadblock between him and world title #5.



Cyrus Truth: “This some kind of joke, or are you being serious right now, Jeremy?”



Jeremy shoots Cyrus an incredulous look, as if he doesn’t understand. But Cyrus doesn’t let him reply as he continues.



Cyrus Truth: “Yet again, I find myself in the company of a new FWA World Heavyweight Champion. There’s been so many over the last five years that it’s hard to keep track of who in this company has had a turn with the belt. And just like so many before you, you’ve decided that FWA is your playground and everybody who walks down that ramp is yours to play with. And in this weird, twisted world of yours, Jeremy? You still think you’re the hero of this story.



Again, Jeremy’s expression is one of confusion. Of course he’s the hero, right? He’s the Champion of Friendship, extending the olive branch to his opponent. Why wouldn’t he be the hero?



However, Cyrus isn’t budging. Isn’t flinching or participating in this game. Something that Chuck Winningham is all-too aware of as he tries to interject.



Chuck Winnington: “Now, now! Cyrus, this isn’t part of…”



Cyrus Truth: “If you value your health and your ability to eat solid food, you’ll do yourself the greatest favor you can and shut. Your. Mouth.”



Chuck, immediately, does the smartest thing he could do…he clams up and exits the ring. Cyrus, intense and laser focused, gets right up to Jeremy, his gaze alternating between the FWA World Title and Best’s eyes.



Cyrus Truth: “I’m not about to play whatever twisted little game you want to play, Best. And I’m sure as hell not about to accept any offering of whatever you’re calling ‘friendship’ with open arms. Do you honestly think I’m stupid enough to buy this? Or am I supposed to believe that you’re that far gone that you’ve lost the plot in your own life?



“Either way, it doesn’t matter. I have spent the better part of five years clawing and scraping to return to the throne that has had a circus of pretenders sit upon. And I’ve seen those opportunities and moments well within my grasp only to have it ripped away from me by the actions of the cowardly. But not this time. I refuse to accept anything less than my ultimate victory. The reclamation of my throne, my fifth World Title crown, and the Long and Winding Road back to the main event of Back in Business…AGAIN.”



That statement, that declaration of intent has gotten everybody in the ring on edge. Sir Stashe and Mejor Amigo are, perhaps subconsciously, a bit leery as Jeremy continues to smile…but there is that look in his eyes.



Cyrus sizes up his opponent, this man, this obstacle between him and the glory that has consistently and frustratingly been just out of his clutches…the man who now is the only thing that stands to try and stop his redemption for the struggles of the past few years.



In a low growl, without anything less than leaden gravitas, The Exile points to the FWA World Title belt.



Cyrus Truth: “Spare me your olive branch. Save your breath trying to play mind games with me. I’ve seen them all before and played more than my fair share. But play time’s over, Jeremy. This little dream you’re dreaming? It’s about to become the catalyst for your well-overdue fall. Because if you think you’re going to get one over me like you did with Alyster? Hehehe…afraid not, boy. Alyster should’ve focused everything he had and everything he was in destroying you. In making sure you suffered for what you put Krash through…”



THAT gets Jeremy’s attention. The mention of Krash’s name seems to create a crack in the FWA World Champion’s overly smiling facade. Something that brings a slight grin to Cyrus’s face as he gets to see just a glimpse of the monster behind the mask of a saint.



Cyrus Truth: “...but Alyster wanted to do too much. Try to fix something that shouldn’t have been so easily broken. He willingly weakened himself in a power play to reclaim what Konchu and I took from him and Peacock, to make right with another friend. And Alyster paid the price for that. But I? I have faith in Konchu to clean up in the Climaxxx without my intervention and drive his elbow into your buddy Baxter’s skull. Meaning…that you have my complete, undivided attention…and all the hell that comes with it.



“And in case you forgot, Jeremy? In case this particular Truth just happened to slip your mind as you revel in this saccharine madness you’ve gotten all too comfortable in?”



“Krash was my friend too. And I sure as shit haven’t forgotten.”



There’s a moment. A brief moment where it looks as if Cyrus is going to start the bludgeoning here and now.



And Sir Stache and Mejor Amigo sense it too, as they both grab Cyrus’s shoulders and spin him around.



This? This was a mistake.



*THWACK!*



With a sickening crunch, Cyrus headbutts Sir Stashe, sending Jeremy’s crony to the mat in a heap. Jeremy, seeing this, slides out of the ring eyes wide as Tonya, without thinking, checks on him…positioning herself right in front of Cyrus.



Mejor Amigo, in an act of chivalric, blind stupidity, throws a punch at Cyrus. His fist connects with the side of Cyrus’s head…but all it managed to do was get The Exile angry.



Mejor Amigo’s punch is answered with a series of hard chops as The Exile backs the World Champion’s crony into one of the ring corners and batters the poor luchadore as Sir Stashe and Tonya take the opening to escape.



The two of them join Jeremy on the entrance ramp as Cyrus drags Mejor Amigo out of the corner and hoists him up onto his shoulders. Pausing just to let the moment sink in, glaring down the man, the obstacle between him and his fifth FWA World Championship, Cyrus flashes an almost demonic grin before…



Jean-Luc Watkins: “JOURNEY’S END!”



Mejor Amigo’s skull is driven into the mat as The Exile stand alone in the middle of this tacky game show set up. He stares down Jeremy with a look of conviction, a look that says that there will be a reckoning at the Grand March…

Spoiler: TWO WEEKS AGO ON FALLOUT 037

Kleio De Santos is seen in the backstage lounge with none other than the manager of The Coven, Grandma Ethel.



Kleio is not dressed to compete, and neither is Grandma Ethel who is in her bathrobe and slippers.



Kleio De Santos: “It's just an old bone. It is buried, really...



XYZ.



It's just...how many chances are they going to keep giving him Ethel? XYZ just gets thrown into the TV title picture instead? Why? Because he's whimsical I guess?



XYZ...look, I want you know something....I'm watching. Because if you choke here, against Steiner...I think I'll have lost all respect for you.”



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Moving on though, our next scheduled match will not be taking place this evening due to unforeseen circumstances. XYZ was supposed to face the FWA TV Champion, Brooklyn Steiner, but XYZ never arrived at the building today so by forfeit Steiner will get the win. XYZ’s whereabouts remain unknown but as soon as there is an update I’ll be sure to notify you all, but the show must go on so stay tuned for more action on the way wrestling fans!”



LATER IN THE SHOW …



Steering the Magic School Bus from lane to lane through Mexico City is the weary-eyed XYZ, whose eyes are more red than we've ever seen before.



"It should be just up ahead."



"What's up ahead?"



"The park."



…



"Do you see him?"



"Who?”



"Wild Jerry."



"I don't see him."



"Then we must go to the next park."

Jean-Luc Watkins: “We can report for all the XYZites and The Menage-a-trois’ies that XYZ and the gang did find Wild Jerry. At a park. Playing soccer. And XYZ will be here for his scheduled match against the legend, the Hall of Famer, Gabrielle Montgomery. Which is next!”



Natalie Rosenberg: “Ladies and gentlemen, this next bout is set for ONE FALL! Introducing first, making his way to the ring, hailing from Sitka, Alaska ... weighing one hundred and eighty pounds ... X ... Y ... ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!”

Spoiler: ONE HEADLIGHT || THE WALLFLOWERS

[youtube]

“One Headlight” by The Wallflowers hits and the crowd turns its attention to the stage. XYZ emerges with the green cape tied around his neck, the long, spaghetti hair hanging over his forehead and eyes, and the big wide eyes to finish the pseudo-psychotic appearance. XYZ stands at the edge of the stage, his arms wide, soaking in the few cheers from the crowd. Most are numb to his antics and expecting another loss, as XYZ has been on a straight downward spiral for weeks, even months.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “I don’t like XYZ. I don’t think he has anything of value. But he’s a near-winner of the X Championship on four different occasions! He almost beat Alyster Black twice. He almost beat Tommy Bedlam twice. It’s like he has been on the verge of stuff so often and the close-calls have taken his spirit a bit. Have taken The Menage’s spirit.



Maybe it’s time just to put XYZ out of his misery. Wild Jerry told him in the promo vignette posted online that he wanted XYZ to disband The Menage and let them go free.”



The feed shifts from XYZ entering the ring to showing The Menage – Frank, Sierra, Lizzy Golden, and Christian Howard – in the backstage area of the arena watching on a TV. Then the feed shifts to Mexico City, where Wild Jerry is sitting in a bar among other residents of the country’s capital. He has a cerveza in front of him while watching Fallout on a TV in the drinking establishment.



XYZ removes the cape from around his neck and settles it underneath his corner of the ring. Then he closes his eyes and outstretches his arms again as “One Headlight” fades to a stop.



Natalie Rosenberg: “And his opponent, from Auckland, New Zealand… weighing in at one hundred thirty two pounds… she is the Caramel Naiad… GGGGGGAAAAABBBBRRRRIIIIEEELLLLE MMMMMMMMMMMMMONTGGGOOOMMMEERRYYYY!”

Spoiler: SAVE ME || LACUNA COIL

[youtube]

“Save Me” by Lacuna Coil hits and the lights dim. The crowd has a much larger reaction for Gabrielle Montgomery, the first-ever FWA Women’s Champion, a multi-time FWA World Champion, a four-time FWA Tag Team Champion, and a hall of Famer.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “The win-loss record could not be any different. Gabrielle is a 160-match winner, with only 76 losses. She is the longest-reigning women World Champion and a Quest for the Best winner, a Golden Opportunity winner. But she is only two wins and three losses since returning to the FWA, a possible sign of old years and many matches taking their toll.”



Gabrielle sports her classic ring gear – the shortest of shorts, a low cut sports bra, and knee high boots. She enters the ring and locks eyes with her opponent.

THIRD MATCH || 1/20.

XYZ vs. Gabrielle Montgomery.

Singles Match.

Match writer: TGO.

<< 00:00 >>



Bell rings and off we go. The crowd begins a “Gabby! Gabby! Gabby!” chant as XYZ crouches into position. Gabrielle quickly takes him down with a strong grapple and a side headlock takedown. She keeps the headlock applied on the mat with XYZ laying face-up and Gabrielle laying on her side. XYZ gets to one knee as Gabrielle drives forearm blows into the side of his face. She tries to whip the 180-pound wrestler to the ropes but he reverses it. Gabrielle ducks an arm lariat and hits an overhead arm drag. Then into another side headlock as XYZ stays on one knee.



Gabrielle squeezes the headlock tighter as XYZ tries to break the hold. He turns and tries a kick to the stomach, which Gabrielle blocks. She pulls X’s feet from under him and stomps into his chest twice before half-circling the exterior part of the ring once while XYZ recuperates.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Complete domination so far from Gabrielle. X hasn’t gotten any offense in.”



The feed shifts to showing Wild Jerry in the restaurant, a content and comforting look as he watches X struggle.



Gabrielle whips X into the turnbuckle but misses with the running elbow as X moves. The leader of The Menage hits a belly-to-back suplex and sprints to the turnbuckle for a running senton. Then goes for a quick cover as the announcer commends his flurry.



1.............



Quick kick out!



The offense was short-lived as Gabrielle kicks the gut and hits a step-up enzuigiri. Then three forearm strikes to the jaw as XYZ staggers backwards. She whips X to the ropes, dives to the mat as X runs over her, and pops up for a jumping heel kick. X grabs the ropes to stop his momentum and tries a tornado DDT, which Gabrielle counters by showing her impressive, iconic strength and walks X over with X in a bear hug position before dropping him for snake eyes onto the top turnbuckle!



***



<< 05:00 >>



Gabrielle hits repeated knee strikes as X is against the turnbuckle, knee striking XYZ until he is seated against the turnbuckle in a complete daze.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “XYZ is getting overpowered and this is what we expected. It's sad to watch now. Maybe this will be it for him."



Gabrielle whips X across the ring to the opposite turnbuckle, but another running elbow strike misses as X moves. He runs off the ropes and hits a jumping forearm. Then a spinning wheel kick. The second flurry of offense from the caped crusader finishes with a leg sweep into a quick leaping elbow drop to the chest, which is the end because Gabrielle counters the elbow drop into an armbar!



The crowd cheers the creative counter but XYZ quickly rolls backwards to where he’s unorthodox pinning Gabrielle, whose shoulders are down. But she kicks out before a one count. Then X gets to his feet and hits vicious kicks to the shins and thighs of Gabrielle, breaking the arm lock. He hits a standing dropkick to the chest, but Gabrielle bounces off the ropes and explodes with a running thrust kick.



Gabrielle covers.



1............

2...........

Kick out!



***



<< 09:00 >>



Gabrielle walks XYZ to the turnbuckle and sets up for her hangman’s neckbreaker, but XYZ kicks Gabrielle away and leaps off from the second turnbuckle for a flying double knees to the chest! He covers, hooking the near leg!



1.....

2.....

NO



XYZ was close, as Gabrielle slowly crawls to the ropes for support. Anzu commends X for putting up a stellar fight, and Jean-Luc wonders if that was his best chance to win. XYZ charges but Gabrielle lands a forearm strike to swat him back. Then a European uppercut. Then a hurricanrana. She races to the turnbuckle with XYZ laying face-up and hits a split-legged leg drop! Covers!



1...........

2............

3...



NO!



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Was that Gabrielle’s best chance to win the match?! Of course it wasn't.”



Feed shifts to the backstage area of the arena, where The Menage members are anxious and holding their collective theoretical breath as XYZ continues to fight on. Feed shows Wild Jerry in the bar, slamming his fist into the wooden bar top in response of X kicking out.



***



<< 12:00 >>



Gabrielle does the “it’s over” cutting hand motion and pulls X up to his feet. She gets ready for the 34-D Double D-DT finisher, but XYZ drives her back first into the nearest turnbuckle before she gets the arms fully hooked behind his back. XYZ backs up and tries a corner splash, but Gabby moves. Gabby tries the same, but XYZ moves. Gabby goes head first into the turnbuckle. XYZ goes to the top turnbuckle preparing for a springboard moonsault. But he fakes it out and lands on his feet, then tries a quick senton!



But Gabrielle with the knees up! XYZ stumbles forward, head first into the middle turnbuckle. Gabrielle grabs him by the neck and tries another 34-D Double D-DT finisher. She gets the arms hooked and picks up her right leg, rearing back for the move!



XYZ hooks one of his legs into the bottom rope, near the turnbuckle, and blocks it momentarily! Gabrielle kicks the shin of X to free that leg up, but X then steps onto the ropes and somehow backwards walks up the turnbuckle – while still in the head lock Gabrielle has had applied – and flips himself backwards into a headscissors position! He has his hands on the mat, upside down, before grabbing the middle and top turnbuckles and swinging around for a head-scissors takedown!



***



<< 14:00 >>



The crowd explodes as XYZ quickly runs to the turnbuckle, tight-rope walks the ropes, gets a bounce, and leaps for a front-flip springboard leg drop!



Jean-Luc Watkins: "No way. No way!"



XYZ covers right away!



1.................

2.................



.........



3! As Gabrielle kicks out a split second too late!

Spoiler: RESULT

Winner: XYZ by pinfall at 14:17.

The crowd cheers the result as XYZ picks up his first win in months. The Menage is shown cheering in the back.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “A truly shocking result tonight for XYZ over the Hall of Fame legend Gabrielle Montgomery. What a stunning win for the laughingstock of the FWA!”



Then the feed shows Wild Jerry in the nearly empty, quiet Mexico City bar shaking his head. He certainly heard those words. XYZ celebrates with a hand raised as Gabrielle frustratedly slams a fist into the canvas. Her return takes another slight detour from what she hoped, taking a tough loss, her second straight.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Gabrielle needs some answers after this one, but she will fire back. She always does. I wonder if Kleio de Santos, who has been quite critical of XYZ lately, watched this one.”

Natalie Rosenberg: “The following contest is set for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit!”

Spoiler: GODS || NewJeans

The song starts to play and after a few seconds of it playing, the fans are greeted by Medina Alvarez’s presence on stage. She looks out at the fans while vibing to the music and soon she makes her way down to the ring.



Natalie Rosenberg: “Introducing first, from Monterey, California and weighing in at 115 lb…Medina Alvarez!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wrestling fans, if you watched the last edition of Fallout, and if you haven’t then go do that now but if you did you would’ve seen the FWA in-ring debut of this young woman, Medina Alvarez. Medina scored the victory over fellow newcomers Leafdom, Savior Hawkins, and Maria Cappitani, and if that wasn’t enough it’s rumored that Medina is in talks to participate in this year’s upcoming King of the Deathmatch. Medina is making quite the splash in a short span of time here in FWA, and tonight she’ll be looking to make even more of a splash…”

Spoiler: Bow Down || I Prevail

GET ON YOUR KNEES AND BOW DOWN!



The familiar theme song plays and the crowd is on their feet as Jackson Fenix makes his way out. As usual he’s accompanied by his tag team partner, Nate Savage, as well as their mascot, Bubbles the Clown. Fenix hops on the back of Bubbles and rides the clown down to the ring while Savage does his best to keep up.



Natalie Rosenberg: “Her opponent, being accompanied by Nate Savage and Bubbles the Clown, from Las Vegas, Nevada and weighing in at 210 lb…he is ‘The Sin City Bad Boy’...Jackson Fenix!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Much like his opponent tonight, Jackson Fenix and his tag team partner were victorious on the last Fallout over a game Ctrl Alt Repeat in tag team action. However, tonight, Jackson has a chance to maintain that momentum for not only his team but for himself as well in singles action, but he’ll have to get through a hungry newcomer in Medina Alvarez. It appears as though I’ll be joined by Jackson’s friend and tag team partner, Nate Savage.”



Nate Savage: “I thought you could use some company, Jean-Luc.”



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Of course, no problem at all. At least it’s not that clown that follows you two around.”



Nate Savage: “Yeah, he gives me the creeps but Jackson loves him. Besides, he’s not much for conversation so you’d be calling the action on your own, but it would probably be an improvement over that idiot Allen Price.”



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Oh, definitely.”



Referee Joey Ortiz checks out both competitors before calling for the bell…

FOURTH MATCH || 1/20.

Medina Alvarez vs. Jackson Fenix.

Singles Match.

Match writer: Jimmy.

DING! DING! DING!



<< 00:00 >>



Alvarez offers a handshake and Fenix obliges the offer, and the two competitors begin to circle each other before going into a lock up. Fenix gains the early advantage as he has Alvarez in a front facelock before transitioning to a side headlock, but Alvarez shoves him forward into the ropes. Fenix rebounds off the ropes and catches Alvarez with a shoulder tackle that knocks her down to the mat, but Alvarez quickly kips back up to her feet. Fenix goes for a spinning heel kick, but Alvarez has an answer for that when she catches him by the boot and spins him around and applies a rear waist lock on Fenix.



Fenix tries to fight out of it by throwing a few back elbows, but it’s to no avail as Alvarez goes to lift him up yet Fenix prevents that from happening, which causes Alvarez to shove Fenix into the ropes while keeping the rear waist lock intact. Alvarez uses all of her strength to pull Fenix away from the ropes but he won’t budge, and this causes Alvarez to lose her grip and she falls backward but she quickly recovers on a roll through. Alvarez approaches Fenix again, but Fenix is ready for her and connects with a spinning back elbow! Alvarez staggers back a few steps while clutching her jaw, and Fenix gives her no time for reprieve as he connects with an enziguri! Alvarez drops to a knee and Fenix strikes with a shining wizard! Fenix drops down for the cover…



One…tw--NO!!



Jean-Luc Watkins: “What exciting back and forth action we have transpiring before our eyes in the opening minutes of this match, wrestling fans! Fenix and Alvarez seem evenly matched so far but of course that could change at any minute…”



Nate Savage: “Jackson is focused, Jean-Luc. I’ve known him for a long time and I’ve seen how he gets before big matches, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him as focused as I have recently.”



Fenix brings Alvarez to her feet in a front facelock, but Alvarez connects with a kick to a knee that forces Fenix to drop his grip momentarily. Alvarez then connects with a jawbreaker that stuns Fenix even more, and Alvarez unleashes a flurry of rapid fire stiff kicks to Fenix’s legs and chest area before dropping him with a roundhouse kick! Alvarez lies in wait for Fenix before hitting the ropes and she comes back with a running leg lariat that takes Fenix down! This time it’s Alvarez with a lateral press and a hook of the far leg…



One..tw--NO!!



***



<< 05: 26 >>



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Alvarez just showed she’s just as focused to win this match. She’s eager to climb up the ranks here in FWA and to have a good showing before heading into KODM, or so we think if we are to believe the rumors swirling about…”



Nate Savage: “I’m not going to take anything away from her, but you know who I’m rooting for here, JL.”



Fenix got the shoulder up and that allowed Alvarez to transition into an arm bar submission. She manages to maintain control for a moment, but soon that slips away from her as Fenix manages to counter out of the hold and catches her with a roll-up!



One…tw--NO!!



Both competitors are on their feet now and Alvarez goes for a savate kick, but Fenix ducks that and connects with a spinning back heel kick to the midsection, spins her around and connects with a snap dragon suplex into a bicycle knee strike!



Nate Savage: “Double Shot! There we go, Jax!”



Fenix drops down for the cover…



One…two…NO!!!



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Fenix with his trusty Double Shot combination of a snap dragon suplex and a bicycle knee, but it wasn’t enough to keep Alvarez down unfortunately!”



***



<< 08:08 >>



Fenix lies in wait now and goes for Superkick Me Baby One More Time, but Alvarez catches him by the foot, spins him around and connects with a russian leg sweep! Alvares ascends to the top rope and just as Fenix is up on his feet, she leaps off and connects with a tornado DDT, planting Fenix face first on the canvas! Alvarez quickly hooks the leg…



One…two…thr--NO!!!



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Fenix went for his patented superkick but Alvarez had an answer for it, yet that still wasn’t enough to keep him down!”



Nate Savage: “I told you JL, he’s focused. This is a different Jackson Fenix.”



Alvarez thought that was it but she shakes it off and she has Fenix where she wants him in position for her Radiant Shock sunset flip powerbomb, but Fenix blocks that and catches her with a double leg takedown. Fenix then flings her into the corner with a slingshot where Alvarez bounces off the turnbuckle and stumbles into the waiting arms of Fenix…Sin City Hangover!



One…two…THREE!!!

Spoiler: RESULT

Winner: Jackson Fenix via pinfall at 10: 59.

Natalie Rosenberg: “The winner of the match, Jackson Fenix!”



Nate Savage leaves the commentary desk to join his friend in the ring for a celebration. Before they leave, Fenix assists Alvarez to her feet and offers her a handshake, which she returns in kind but obviously a bit visibly flustered due to the result of the match.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Jackson Fenix picks up yet another win for 2024 and keeps that momentum going for himself and Nate Savage. Meanwhile, Medina Alvarez will have to shake this one off and shift her focus on whatever is next for her. In the meantime, the action rolls on wrestling fans!”

Sewing Reality: Unraveling the TORN Universe



[THE FOLLOWING OUT OF CHARACTER INTERVIEW SERIES WAS FILMED PRIOR TO ELIZABETH ROSE BECOMING A MEMBER OF "ETERNAL". ALL THOSE INVOLVED WITH THE TORN UNIVERSE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE KNOWN THAT THIS INTERVIEW SERIES HAS NO IMPACT ON THE IN-CHARACTER/IN-UNIVERSE WORLD OF THE FWA]



Episode 2: ReNovated



We return back to the same studio which the first episode began in. Once again greeting the camera with a smile is the show’s host, Cameron Lewis.



“Hello viewers of all shapes, sizes, types, and ages and welcome back to another edition of ‘Lights, Cameron, Action,’ with me, Cameron Lewis, where we go out of character and get more insight on your favorite sports entertainers. This is as real as it gets. Last week we got our first look into the unique story of the TORN Universe with the creators of it, Slate Bass, and Eden. This week, on our special of ‘Sewing Reality: Unraveling the TORN Universe,’ we have a special guest. This woman before wrestling, dabbled in modeling before committing herself full-time to the sport. She was seen as a rising ‘babyface’ in wrestling, with an in-ring persona which took aspects of her personal life up to an 11.”



Cameron looks through her notes more.



“Then under the promotion run by Slate Bass and Eden, she surprised fans with her transformation and inclusion into the TORN Universe and now has created a new in-ring persona which has become her go-to, capturing the imagination of fans and even winning awards based on her portrayal of it. You may know her now in Fantasy Wrestling Alliance as ‘Princess Nova,’ this is Alexis Taylor.”







After the music plays for a few moments, we see the woman behind the tiara step through the curtains. Shedding her normal ‘in ring persona’ Alexis has something which is more akin to how she is in her normal life with a stylish leather jacket on, black boots, and a purple plaid skirt. On her head is a backwards black ball cap. A purse is over her shoulder. She waves to the cameras, showing a big grin as she sits down.



“Thanks for coming, Alexis. Though, I’m surprised you’ve gone casual-”



The girl behind the Princess Nova persona chuckles.



“Listen, I dress up like a Disney princess for a living, I think I can be excused for wanting to be casual.”



Cameron gives a laugh before leaning back in her chair.



“Before we get into the TORN universe, I think the audience wouldn’t mind learning about your life and career before you became Princess Nova. Anything you want to say, Alexis?”



“Well uh,” Alexis thinks before giving an answer. “I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and my family moved to Vancouver when I was like two or three for my mom’s work. I ended up getting into wrestling because my cousin, Ryan, would visit every summer and almost always we watched some wrestling event together. Of course, I mentioned some of my struggles as a teen before, but thankfully I got past all of that. I was in modeling for a bit out of high school but eventually became a wrestler and ditched the modeling career once it was obvious I couldn’t do both.”



“And you came up with the ‘Nova’ in ring name?”



Alexis nods. “Yeah, I just thought it was a pretty name. Wanted to do something slightly different than using my real name. I managed to get in the same promotion as Ryan for a bit, though when I got injured I did some announcing until my modeling contract expired and I could get out of it.”



Cameron reaches for her papers on her desk and pulls out two pictures of Nova before her Princess persona. It was before she even had tattoos and her hair in the first image is blonde with pink tips. Her attire is black and pink. The second picture, her hair is more colourful, dyed various colours of the rainbow and her in ring attire is covered in paint splatter matching her hair with long tights and a matching bra.



“And before you became Princess Nova, you had these gimmicks. The 'Punk Rock Princess' then the 'Rainbow Princess'. Tell me about them a little?”



Nodding, Alexis takes the first picture, her in the black and pink and explains.



“Uhh, early on I just felt like my in-ring persona should be the classic of taking a part of yourself and turning it up to 11. I love pop-punk. So I started there. But that run was cut a little short due to an injury, and I… I don’t know, I wasn’t confident in myself by then. I was trying to strike that balance between happiness and still keeping an edge.”



She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, eventually I decided to change. And since I dyed my hair a lot, I decided to incorporate that at the advice of an in-ring rival of my cousin’s, Tyler Keenan. Which by the way, I mean that when I say he’s probably one of the best wrestlers out there who never appeared for FWA. He said I should focus on my ‘cheerful side’ and over night I just felt…”



She smiles.



“I felt a lot better. My in-ring skills by then were also rounded out well. Ryan runs a wrestling school and he sort of helped round out that part of me.”



“And just to make sure the audience knows, you’re referring to Ryan Doucette.”



The screen shows an image of him.

“He primarily wrestled across the North American and European scene where he’s won several titles and was part of a tag team called ‘Danger Zone.’ But he has been less active over the past several years.”



Alexis nods. “Yep. That’s him. He sort of put wrestling to the back-seat once he and his wife, Victoria, had two kids of their own. He runs a wrestling school in Hamilton now, and he’s finishing schooling for physio-therapy so he can have options post-wrestling. He’s kind of like a big brother to me.”



“Was he a help for your career?” Cameron asks.



“Absolutely. He was the reason I met Slate and Eden in the first place. They wrestled in some of the same places. But I got advice from multiple people, tried to filter what was good advice and what wasn’t, and honestly, by the time I joined LDW where Slate and Eden were running things I was happy as a babyface.”



“But you still changed.”



The screen begins to play footage of Nova in her time in LDW. First it is under her colorful persona where she would wrestle familiar names to FWA fans like Reagan Cole, Darius Wright (now Death Walker) and others. There’s special attention to the storyline between her, Slate, and Eden, with her confronting Eden, fighting her, and being cut open with glass by Slate. Before finally emerging from the curtain a changed woman. Her attire is dress-like, hair dyed, and the cheerful energy was replaced with elegance.



“From what we know, Slate and Eden already had their ‘TORN Universe’ going on, but when you were added, you seemingly rounded things out. Why did you go through all that?”



Alexis scratches her cheek, thinking of an answer.



“Honestly, I had thought occasionally what my character would be like if I was a more villainous character. I didn’t want to rush that, but I just wanted to have ideas in my back pocket if I needed to freshen up or even if someone else needed it. I knew for a little while that I was going to be part of LDW and likely I’d have a storyline early with Slate and Eden. I was sort of brainstorming ideas beforehand, the ‘why’ of a feud, end goal, all that. Then I thought ‘What if they want to recruit me or something?’ I laughed then was like- ‘Oh [CENSORED]…’”



Alexis covers her mouth.



“Oops, uhh, is that going to be censored?”



“Probably. But a lightbulb went off then, right?”



The wrestler nods.



“Absolutely. I knew a bit about their lore. I like to hear people’s character’s and stuff backstage because I like to know how we can build storylines and feuds, but I still had a lot to learn about it.”



Humming, Cameron asks another question.



“And you teamed up with Slate and Eden, what was your relationship with them before and after?”



“Uhh, in RWK they were friends. They were friends with Ryan so by extension we were friends. We worked a couple matches together. My return match after I broke my ankle and had to stay out of the ring until my modeling contract expired was me in a tag match against Slate and Jeffry Mason. Then, I was Eden’s first in-ring match.”



“Oh? I didn’t know that.”



Alexis nods.



“Yep. Funny how it worked out? But then they were my bosses in LDW, but because I knew I’d be wrestling in the US a lot… and rent in Vancouver is [CENSORED] insane-”



She groans. “-Rant for another time. I ended up living with them during that time to ‘keep kayfabe’ so to speak and save a little money. So they were almost like my coaches. We’d work on stuff together. I also was kind of like the ‘Auntie’ to their daughter. So I was kind of a part of the fam’.”



“And you mention they coached you?”



Cameron grabs on those words and further dives into it.



“So did they coach you on the ‘Princess Nova’ character? Did they create it?”



“Honestly it was a team effort. Like I said, I had an idea and decided to roll with it as ‘what if’ but it grew. In fact-”



Reaching into her purse, Alexis Taylor pulls out a sketchbook. She flips through the pages and it seems to be prototype designs for her in-ring gear.



“I worked on sketches for some time, trying to get an idea of what to do. I instantly thought of the ‘Princess’ theme, just playing off my nickname. I messaged Slate and Eden to give their thoughts and at first they were surprised, fully expecting to just have me as a babyface, but they were hooked. I talked to my cousin too to give ideas and the whole gimmick came together. They would give input, and school me about the lore of the TORN Universe and how to ‘fit it in.’ Then we’d work on promos, and other things. By the week of my first match in LDW where I fought Darius Wright, you may know him as ‘Death Walker’ now in FWA, I already had my gear ordered and backstage after the show I worked on promos as the character.”



“And how was that adjustment so to speak?”



“It took me a couple tries until I got it and once I got it, I just absolutely loved it. I even YouTubed exercises for posture, and even when I had my gear on…”



She gets excited, blushing. “As a Disney girl, that was some serious wish fulfillment.”



“So I’m guessing that meant the adjustment was quick? Because you went from portraying a babyface character who was essentially just yourself to this heavy gimmick.”



“I guess it’s kind of like acting.” Alexis shrugs. “You do what you can to put yourself in that ‘role’ and now Princess Nova’s like, my baby. I understand the layers to her. She’s this sort of ‘good’ influence around Slate, and Eden, but she’s sort of still ‘corrupted’ by them. They bring out the ‘bad’ side of her and she’s incredibly loyal to the Bassignani family. She’s not the character to go cut a promo in the ring saying to the fans-” She puts on a faux British accent. “‘All you people are ugly commoners.’” And she snickers. “But if they are ‘rude’ to the people she cares about, she’ll be upset and lash out a little. So she’s technically a ‘heel’ or a ‘tweener’ in the wrestling sense, but she’s not all bad, and not all good. And it’s like… So fun to play as her.”



“And I want to get into a bit about the character itself.” Lewis puts her hand on her desk.



“So, we’ve seen that the character of Princess Nova has an undying loyalty to Keres now, and before that it was Keres’ parents; but what I want to know is why or how? Nova Taylor was put through so much by them but came out the other side as Princess Nova, their fierce ‘TORN Angel.’ Explain that for me a bit.”



“I think it came down to what they ‘offered’ her at the start.”



“And what was that?” Cameron asks for a clarification



“To not be pushed around anymore and to feel valued by family. And I don’t just mean that she joined them and they stopped what they did, but me being a former model, a woman wrestling men twice my size, an underdog babyface. Then looking at my career early on, in part because my cousin was in the same promotion, I was often caught in the crossfire. He had issues with Azrael? He threatened to smash my head open. She was collateral and I think in terms of the wins I had early on I had a win which people complained about- but that's another story.”



She refrains from getting into more detail. “But also had multiple big losses. Then my in-ring friends in the story were often my cousin’s old friends. So here comes Slate and Eden, giving her a chance to shed all that,giving her a purpose and a desire to make her stronger. Also me being an only child in-real life, maybe Nova the character always wanted a sibling? My mom died when I was 14, so maybe someone being a mother figure like Eden would help her? And honestly, the initial idea was Nova would ‘break out’ after a year or so, but I enjoyed playing the character so much I kept it. So I guess now, even if she may have some down moments… Like I’m in a new company, I’m back building myself up in the pecking order which always happens, Princess Nova has been the TORN Angel for so long that it’s all she knows.”



“Speaking of TORN Angel, I’ve always wondered, what exactly does that mean? What, or who, is the TORN Angel? Is this some kind of being that’s possessing Nova? Is it a representation of her mental state? Is it brainwashing? Sorry, go on.”



“The TORN Angel nickname I see as Princess Nova being the guardian angel, protector and nurturer of Keres. She’s in service to them. And-”



Alexis hums. “Maybe a bit of the ‘good influence’ in the family. For her mental state, I think it’s a mix of things. In the initial segments where I became Princess Nova we ‘ReNovated’ the “Mind, body, and spirit” of Nova Taylor. For the mind we did some cult-like imagery, hypnotism or brainwashing. But maybe it was a metaphor? Or maybe Nova was a willing participant? And over time things change. She gets closer to Keres, and, as you may see on FWA TV, she has a strong influence over Nova. Is this a spell? Is it possession? I think I’ll keep that hush.”



She smirks.



“Can’t spoil the plot now. We’re only in the Third inning.”



Alexis Taylor winks.



“Ok, that’s very insightful. Now I know you mentioned that there’s a lot of collaboration that goes on with all of this. And you mentioned all of her layers. But, from your brain personally, where do all of the ideas for Princess Nova come from? By that I mean, what are some of your personal inspirations for this character that are separate from Slate, Eden, the character of Keres, and what they’ve already created?”



“I get a mix from myself and multiple people. Like I use some aspects of my real life story in my character. I mention my mom’s passing where I do always have a pink bracelet in my boot to honour her, my dad did have drinking issues after her passing which he thankfully has gotten over, and for a long while as a teen, each weekend I’d steal his booze and drink, and now I only ever drink if I’m with someone I trust.”



“So does that mean the drinks she has in promos are alcohol free?” Cameron asks a quick question which comes to mind and Nova nods.



“-As I was saying. I take aspects from my life in character. But sometimes I or someone else takes tropes from horror, or media. Like I’ve had some Disney Princess inspired attires before. But I take ideas from others. For example, for our story with Lizzie, FYOG wrestling was inspired by Keres after Lizzie mentioned she did ‘e-feds’ back in the day. Then I decided to add the layer of us going through different eras of wrestling and sort of pay tribute and rip into them at the same time.”



“Diving a little into the more unique aspects of the character, could you touch on the reasoning and inspirations for both Nova’s teddy bear and lipstick? These are two things that many people have tried to figure out and probably aren’t even close to the mark. Touch on that and any fan theories you’ve heard about everything in general.”



“The teddy bear, Lulu, legit is just me being a SUCKER for stuffed animals! I just took the name of an old bear of mine. But I decided for a while to add that to play off the child-like wonder of Princess Nova. That and I could talk to it in promos. Though I decided to stop bringing it down to ringside after, at an indy show I was booked for, a fan tried to steal it. So now I just save it for a promo once in a while. As for the lipstick, that is a little more interesting.”



“Ooh, spill the details.” Cameron folds her hands on her desk and leans forward.



“I took inspiration from the mist some spooky or Japanese characters use. Something that can be used in a match for an advantage. That was suggested by a guy who appeared for us who had Japanese experience. So I then thought of different colours for different effects like how some mist has different colours.”



“But WHY do you do it?” Cameron presses. “There HAS to be something more.”



“A few things. First I think it is a nod to Eden. In our vignettes for our transformation, she gave me a kiss, sort of ‘sealing’ my fate. So if her ‘kiss’ has some special powers, maybe she gives it to her protege. But the reason why is a little… personal.”



Lewis leans back in her chair, humming. Alexis explains further.



“I’m bisexual.” She looks down slightly, her voice lowers slightly.



“Like I knew when I was in high school and came out when I was 18. Though I never really mentioned it in character for a couple years. Then in LDW I decided to highlight that. On the go-home show for the Blackout event where my turn happened, I wasn’t on the show proper and instead I was on a date, sort of trying to ‘get my mind’ off of Eden. Then Eden would sabotage that date from the shadows. The date was with a girl.”



Cameron raises an eyebrow as Taylor continues. “There I sort of got to be open a bit more about myself and when I see people use LGBTQ+ storytelling more, I always find it mixed. Sometimes it is really well told, other times it just relies on tropes or stereotypes, or feels like they’re just doing it to meet a quota. So I did my attempt as a member of the community. Then going back to Eden’s ‘kiss’ and my lipstick, Eden kissing Nova could have been just her playing into that aspect of her. But then for the lipstick, I think of Princesses being hopeless romantics. Always looking for a prince, and etc. So kind of that idea, using her charms and kisses to get what she wants, win a match, and she’s willing to do it to a guy or girl. As long as you're cute enough.”



Alexis winks.



“Am I asking too much?” Cameron Lewis asks Alexis and she gives a polite grin.



“Not at all. Honestly, I talk my partner’s ear off with all this.”



“Actually, speaking of… I have a surprise for you.”



Alexis stops. She instantly puts two and two together.



“No freaking way. You’re actually going to do this?”



“Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you, wrestler from Cosmic Joshi Wrestling… and Alexis’ girlfriend- Cali Hayama!”







There’s a cheer from the audience as we see, in the flesh, the Gaijin-Joshi herself, Cali Hayama. She’s got a leather jacket on with jeans and a pair of black boots. Her t-shirt underneath her jacket has a triforce on it. She gives a small nod to the audience as Alexis gets up.



“Seriously, Cal, you told me your flight from Japan got delayed!” Alexis jokes with her girlfriend. Cali has a smirk on her face.



“I wanted to keep it a surprise.”



Alexis playfully ‘hits’ Cali on the shoulder before embracing her in a hug. There’s an ‘aww’ from the audience. Cali even gives Alexis a kiss on the cheek before sitting down the seat next to her.



“Cameron, why did you do this? I’m not complaining, but-”



“I wanted to make my guests feel comfortable-”



“And come on, wouldn’t this show be heightened by a surprise guest?”



Cali sticks her tongue out. Clearly the couple have a playful relationship.



“And I also think she can give some insight into the Princess Nova character. Though, uh, for the audience, how long have you two been together?”



“It’ll be two years together in March next year.” Cali responds.



“March 18th to be exact.” Alexis Taylor winks.



“And you told me you’re, lesbian, right?”



“Bisexual.” Cali corrects the host. “Actually the first time we met was on an independent show in Langley, BC, it was like, my second or third match. That was before I was out. ‘Lex was out but she was already in a relationship. My YouTube Channel’s following was decent then. Just over 100,000. It was also before she even had her ‘Princess Nova’ character. This was pretty early on and even if we weren’t close we got on the right page with each other and knew we’d get along.”



Cali looks at Alexis and her partner gives a small nod, confirming the story. “Then we met in LDW, I was like, the second person to beat her under the Princess Nova gimmick… We became friends then. Then about two years ago we found ourselves on the same show again, I came out finally and at that point I became… Well not the first LGBTQ+ wrestler in Japan, definitely not, but the first one contracted to CJW and I thankfully have been supported there by management and my friends. At that point I knew, ‘Okay, Cali, you like this girl. She’s cute. It’s 2021. Love wins, take a chance’ and so far it’s worked out.”



She smiles at her girlfriend. She puts her hand on her thigh and Alexis smiles back. Even if she was taken by surprise, at least she’s happy someone she cares about is on the show with her.



“And I think you’re now seeing why I invited Cali here, Alexis. She saw you before and after the gimmick change, and can maybe tell us about some behind the scene details.” The host teases them. “Plus we’ve seen some of your pictures together on Instagram, I thought it was SO cute and worth seeing it in person.”



Alexis Taylor blushes. “God damn it, I knew I shouldn’t have made my Instagram not in character.”



“I guess that’s something to mention. In wrestling there’s ‘Kayfabe,’ the suspension of disbelief. Even if these days everyone knows it's scripted nature, Slate and Eden seem to take it to heart in that they have not had much of a public life where they as people out of the ring are seen. You seem to have a bit of a middle ground to it. You run an account on Twitter… I mean ‘X.’”



Cali interjects. “Girl, just call it Twitter. Take it from me, who added ‘X’ to her username when she was like 14, and has dealt with the consequences since a decade later.”



“Fine, your Twitter account, you seem to keep 100% in character, at Princess underscore Nova I believe. But you post on Instagram at AlexisTaylor and there is just you out of ring, maybe showing some in-ring attires.”



“I honestly do that because as a young wrestler, social media in a way is a necessary evil.” Alexis continues. “You use it to supplement storylines with only so much TV-time, and you need it to develop a brand. Slate and Eden are old school, but we’re in the social media age so we’re stuck with it. But I guess I use Instagram as my ‘break’ where I just do what I want to do. Yeah, I show match-pictures, attires, and share stuff, but if I want to post a picture of my cat, I can post a picture of my cat.”



“I think the world could use more cat pictures.”



Cameron comments. Cali chimes in.



“And I think to get my input, I’m double-y stuck with it because I balance wrestling with YouTube. I need it for both. But of course on social media I kind of need to do semi-in character and semi-not. That’s a frustrating hassle where sometimes you don’t know if someone’s just doing something in their character, or not, or doing a bit of both.”



She sighs.



“Like I could tell stories from first hand experience, or from others, of [CENSORED] hitting the fan with it. But I guess for me, since ‘Lex keeps her twitter strictly,” Cali imitates her girlfriend’s character by acting juvenile. “Oh, it’s all for the dearest Princess and her AMAZING sisters!” Her girlfriend cuts her a dirty look, “I don’t refer to her directly by name if I mention my relationship there. But on Insta I’ve tagged her in a lot of stuff. Like I did a post for her birthday in September and I wouldn’t do that on Twitter.”



“And I think we hav-”



“NO!”



“NO!”



Both girls cut off the host.



“Let’s not do that.” Alexis stops the host.



“Okay, okay. I’m sure the fans can check that later. But back to the topic at hand, by comparison, the Cali Hayama character in the ring is more grounded compared to Alexis’ Princess Nova. How much do you talk to her about it? Her character and storylines.”



“A decent bit. We know that sometimes we need a break from talking about wrestling, or our characters, but this woman…” She snickers.



“When she’s got an idea she needs to vent it to someone and write it down or she’ll go crazy! But I think as she has gotten more used to this character, even as friends before we dated, I’ve sort of been a soundboard for ideas. And I think something that I appreciate is that their ‘TORN Universe’ doesn’t exist in a vacuum and when they are engaged in a storyline with someone else, I would constantly see her backstage with the girl behind Keres, their opponents, Slate and Eden when they were around, and anyone in creative.”



“And going back to my interview with Slate and Eden, they said that the ‘TORN’ in TORN Universe stands for ‘The Ongoing Rebirth Narrative,’ what are your thoughts on that, Alexis?”



“That’s what it means?” Cali hums. “I honestly thought it was some space-time [CENSORED].”



Her girlfriend laughs before getting to the question. “I honestly see it just as a part of wrestling. I think there’s a lot of people who see wrestling in a very plain sense that they just look at the specific storylines and feuds in a box rather than stringing together the overall story of a character. And a character needs to change over time, whether subtly or in a big way. And even if you’re set, there needs to be some hurdle for a character where at least you need to stop and go ‘What do I do?’ And I think that goes to the storylines involved.”



Alexis taps her foot and thinks. “Ideally, every storyline that the TORN Universe gets intertwined with, whether it was The Residence or Eternal, their opponents need to be faced with something, something which may force them to change, or at least consider. You don’t need some magic BS to be TORN. Just changed. Like on the extreme end there’s me and the story we're currently developing with Lizzie.” Alexis gives an aside. “By the way, she is so [CENSORED] awesome, she’s already become a great friend in and out of the ring.”



“Glad to hear.” Cameron smiles.



“But Slate and Eden, for reasons discussed, wanted Nova to change. In Nova’s circumstances, she was pushed against a wall, they’d constantly mess with her mentally. Remind her of failures, try to shatter her confidence. So Nova had to either fight or give in. She fought. She beat Eden in a match, sort of showing aggression which would become commonplace as Princess Nova… But Slate kept pressing, destroying her. Then… eventually she lost her fight and gave in. She changed. And for a smaller example, one of my fav stories was against Brian Toogood. It was mainly Slate’s thing.”



“Oh yeah, Brian Toogood. Ended with a very unique Street Fight at LDW’s Brawlhalla event.”



“Brian’s been a pretty big independent name since that event. He’s for sure a good wrestler and is a great heel who is cocky, detestable, but still can be witty and not afraid to show ass, so to speak. He got under the skin of Eden after a losing streak, so Slate and Eden attacked him, specifically trying to test his relationship with his then girlfriend, now wife, Stacey. Brian was a heel. He is still a heel, but for that one story, we tried to show layers to him. That he genuinely did care about his partner. He was presented with a similar option, ‘Join us, and we can make you better.’ But unlike Nova or Lizzie, he refused. But by the end of it all, he was changed. Still a dick in character, but he was different.”



“And to add to that-” Cali speaks up after a nod from Alexis to hand to the floor. “I believe a storyline should give someone something to work with. And while I’m not going to be having magic powers or kisses or something, I think talking to Alexis, looking at these stories, sort of has made me think a lot more about the overall narratives for me and people I work with. Katsu was Vampya previously. That character was given to her when she sort of ‘graduated’ as a trainee wrestler to fit with her heel group. But after joining MAYHEM, she felt like she needed to update, especially once she was signed to FWA. So when we were going over it all, I kept asking questions Alexis would probably ask, ‘What’s the meaning behind the Kitsune? Why does she change?’ and more.”



“And I think it worked out for her, personally.” Alexis comments. “I’ve even seen her adopt some more ‘cinematic’ style promo videos.”



“It was a big change for all of us. Japanese wrestling has that sports presentation often. But I think seeing what you were doing beforehand, and a lot of peeps in FWA made us more considerate as to how to present our stories. Of course not every one of them will hit the mark with everyone, but we try to flex our creative muscle.”



“She is definitely somebody that I would love to have on the show sometime. She seems like a really interesting character and person.”



“It’ll be a harder pitch for her. Masked wrestlers are iffy on revealing personal details, even if she’s a little more open than some.”



“Alexis, Cali, you’ve both been absolutely fantastic, but unfortunately we have run out of time for this episode. On the next episode we are going to have your “sister” making her very first out of character appearance ever. I can assure you all that there are definitely going to be some things that everyone is really going to want to hear!”

Natalie Rosenberg: “Ladies and gentlemen, this next match is set for ONE FALL! Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by El Hijo de Garbage Von Truck, at a combined weight of 363 pounds, CTRL…ALT…REPEAT!”

Spoiler: “CTRL + ALT + DELETE || Reva

The crowd doesn’t care much for the newest tag team on FWA’s roster, as the boos seem to come from every corner of the arena.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “CTRL ALT REPEAT took the loss last week against the Undisputed Alliance, but they looked impressive, even in defeat. They’ll look to get themselves on track here against another long-time tag team in the FWA in Aka Manto.”



Natalie Rosenberg: “Aaaand their opponents, hailing from Japan, Aka Yurei, Keiko Hirabayashi, AKAAAA MAAAAAANTO!

Spoiler: ”Quake Theme” || Trent Reznor

The team of Aka Manto appears at the top of the ramp, Aka in red, Keiko in blue, as they’re washed in a sea of flashing lights. They too receive a chorus of boos from the crowd, but seem completely unmoved. Aka crawls under the bottom rope, as Keiko climbs into the ring, neither of them ever taking their eyes from their opponents.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Aka Manto is also coming off a loss last week, as they came up short against Deathswitch.”

FIFTH MATCH || 1/20.

Ctrl Alt Repeat (Kenji Marufuji and Marmaduke Whistle) vs. Aka Manto (Keiko Hirabayashi and Aka Yurei).

Tag Team Match.

Match writer: Tommy.

<< 00:00. >>



The bell sounds and Keiko Hirabayashi is going to start this one out against Sir Marmaduke Whistle. They meet in the middle of the ring in a collar-and-elbow tie-up before Whistle throws Keiko across the ring with little effort. Never one to stay down, Keiko hops back up to her feet and goes in for another tie-up, but this one doesn’t end much better. Marmaduke quickly launches Keiko backward, rolling her toward Aka, who is eager to tag in.



Aka Yurei hops into the ring and quickly charges toward Sir Whistle who goes fora clothesline. She ducks under it, bounces off the ropes and he goes for another, but once again, Yurei ducks under. On the third pass off the ropes, she goes airborne and lands a forearm across his jaw, sending Sir Marmaduke Whitlse staggering into the ropes. He bounces off and is met with a running knee to the chest, and Sir Marmaduke Whitsle is down.



Aka moves in quickly, but Whistle manages to roll away and makes the tag to the outstretched arm of Kenji Marufuji. Fuji hopes into the ring and wastes no time landing a textbook dropkick into Aka’s chest. She’s quickly back up to her feet, but Marufuji is ready, planting another beautiful dropkick, this one knocking her through the ropes and to the floor.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Lots of fast-paced action to start this one out. Many of you in the FWA universe may not be as familiar with CTRL ALT REPEAT as you are Aka Manto, but they’re looking rather impressive thus far. Both of these teams are coming off losses last week, and one of them is poised to change their fortune.”



***



<< 04:17. >>



The tide has turned a bit as Aka Manto now seems to be in the driver’s seat. They’re making quick tags and have Marufuji closer to their corner, with the ring cut in half. Yurei delivers a series of fast stomps to the back of his head before tagging in a waiting Keiko, who hops into the ring and applies a Boston crab.



The official slides down, positioning himself right in front of Marufuji, and asking him if he wants to tap.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Will Marufuji tap out here? He’s a long way from home, and I’m not sure he can get a tag to Sir Marmaduke Whistle before that lower back gives way.



Marufuji refuses to tap, and he’s starting to drag himself along with Keiko toward the outstretched arm of Marmaduke Whistle, who is screaming for his partner.



Marufuji is getting closer to Sir Whistle! He’s inching his way across the ring….HE MAKES IT! Before Keiko can really process what’s happening, Marmaduke Whistle charges into the ring and lands a crushing blow across the back of her head. He keeps up his momentum, charging across the ring and knocking Aka off the apron.



Marufuji rolls out of the ring just as Sir Marmaduke Whistle charges toward Keiko and lands a splash across her back. He picks her up, throws her on his shoulders, and charges across the ring. He hits a running DVD, and goes for the pin!



1…

2…

3…



NO! Somehow, Keiko gets a shoulder up just before the count of three.



***



<< 06:01. >>



Whistle makes another quick tag to Marufuji, just as he whips Keiko into the nearside ropes. He catches her on the rebound, and they hit it! The High Bubble Tea connects, and Keiko is down. Marufuji goes for the pin.



El Hijo de Garbage Von Truck grabs a hold of Aka Yurei’s leg, preventing her from getting into the ring to help her partner!



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Look at that! El Hijo has a hold of Aka!”



1…

2…

3…



Jean-Luc Watkins: “CTRL ALT REPEAT picks up a win!”

Spoiler: RESULT

Winner: CTRL ALT REPAT via Pinfall at 6:48.

El Hijo de Garbage Von Truck lets go of Aka and scurries around the side of the ring where he meets both members of CTRL ALT REPEAT. Aka slides across the ring to check on Keiko who slowly pulls herself up from the mat. The winners back their way up the ramp, seemingly unphased by the boos that are raining down on them from the capacity crowd.

We cut backstage to the hallway where Kleio De Santos is marching down like she is on a mission. Just earlier tonight she was ranting about XYZ again. And now here she is again.



But before she can go any further, she bumps into someone. It was definitely her fault, as she was walking way too fast and right down the middle of the corridor.



With the camera still facing Kleio, she turns around and her face turns white.



The camera spins back around, and it's revealed to he XYZ himself!



The crowd pops as a staring contest ensues... followed of course by silence. Like two cats in an alley, both Kleio and XYZ standoff



Kleio, who looks caught off guard at seeing XYZ, shakes it off and regains her composure. She puts the metaphorical mask back on and gets back into villain mode.



Kleio De Santos: "Watch where you're going Alphabet Man. Better be careful bumping into people backstage. One of these days you might end up in a headlock for it. But that's the norm for you isn't it? Just wandering around cluelessly. That must be nice, stumbling into opportunity after opportunity. Some people have to grind in this business for years to get those types of opportunities. Some people have to claw their way up from being drafted last. But, you don't ever have to worry about that do you Sesame Street?"



Kleio stops there and awaits some sort of retort.



XYZ just continues to stare her down. Looking her up and down, studying her, until finally...



XYZ: "It has been a while, Kleio of De Santos. It has been a while. I know ... you and I ... we are not ... never were ... friends. But time passes and the eyes of the mountains shift."



Kleio rolls her eyes and then snarls at XYZ, who smiles back at Kleio.



XYZ: "I know you don't think highly of me. I watched your chat with Maw Maw Ethelia. I cannot argue with the lack of results. But ... I hope you saw what just happened ... in that ring ... against Gabrielle Montgomery.



A legend. A trailblazer. A visionary.



So the clock turns beyond the 12, so the tide shifts, so the pendulum swings. I hope ... more opportunities await for me and ... The Menage."



XYZ continues smiling, refusing to let her angst get the better of him. Before he leaves ...



Kleio bites her lip, and looks like she is about to snarl some response back. But instead, she huffs and pushes her way past XYZ.



The cameras turn back at XYZ who's staring mystically down the hallway back at her.

Natalie Rosenberg: “The next contest is set for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit!”

Spoiler: Go To Sleep || Eminem, DMX, Obie Trice

The familiar song hits and once the opening lyrics kick in, The Wildcard makes his way out on stage. As usual, Randall is all business and wastes no time walking down to the ring.



Natalie Rosenberg: “Introducing first, from San Diego, California and weighing in at 234 lb…he is ‘The Wildcard’...Jason Randall!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: “The Wildcard is on his way to competing in his third King of the Deathmatch and he looks to have better luck in it this year than the year prior where he was eliminated in the first round by Jeffry Mason, in what some called a dream match and the match of the tournament. Before KODM though, he'll have to contend with someone else who is no stranger to that tournament…”

Spoiler: Paint It Black || The Rolling Stones

Kleio De Santos steps out on stage and much like her opponent she doesn’t waste any time as she makes her down to the ring.



Natalie Rosenberg: “His opponent, from Miami, Florida and weighing in at 115 lb…she is ‘The Brazilian Witch’...Kleio De Santos!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: “KDS took part in the 2022 KODM where she reached the finals and in 2023 she made it to the semis. It’s unknown whether or not she will partake in this year’s event, but perhaps tonight is the night she makes it known despite her having other preoccupations as of late with XYZ…”



“Mean” Matthew Dean checks out both competitors and then calls for the bell…

SIXTH MATCH || 1/20.

Jason Randall vs. Kleio De Santos.

Singles Match.

Match writer: Jimmy.

DING! DING! DING!



<< 00:00 >>



Randall comes roaring out of the gate, catching Kleio off guard and starts pummeling her in the corner. Randall lights up Kleio with his signature corner stomps and he fires himself up while posturing for the crowd. Randall shifts his focus back on Kleio, who is slumped down in the corner, and he charges in with a running knee but Kleio moves and Randall’s knee hits the bottom turnbuckle with great force…



Jean-Luc Watkins: “That’s the knee that has given Randall trouble in the past, hence why it’s in a brace, but that can’t be good for him to start this one out that way.”



Randall clutches at his braced knee and this allows Kleio to roll him up for a pin…



One…tw--NO!!



Kick out by Randall but he seems to still be nursing his right knee as he struggles to get back to a vertical base. KDS senses the weakness and targets the right knee with several kicks that has The Wildcard struggling to stay standing. Randall blocks a kick and drops an elbow on her leg, and Randall uses his good leg to drive that knee into her midsection. Randall fights through the pain and stays standing on his bum knee and plants KDS to the mat with a snap DDT! This time Randall makes the pin…



One…tw--NO!!



Randall signals for the end already and looks to end this one early as he brings KDS up in a front face lock, and goes for a boot to the gut, which precedes the Snake Eyes stunner but KDS catches his boot and spins him around before she shoves him away into the ropes. Randall catches himself on the ropes, but before he can react, he’s clipped from behind on his bum knee! He drops down and clutches at the knee while KDS stomps on it for good measure…



Jean-Luc Watkins: “The Wildcard got a little ahead of himself and now it’s come back to bite him. The crowd does not like this turn of events, but Kleio doesn’t seem to care either way as she’s intent on rubbing more salt in the wound.”



KDS brings Randall up in a front facelock and has him in position…Letters to Kleio! KDS hooks the leg…



One…two…THREE!!!

Spoiler: RESULT

Winner: Kleio De Santos via pinfall at 02:57.

Natalie Rosenberg: “The winner of the match, Kleio De Santos!”



KDS has her arm raised in victory and quickly exits the ring while Randall is tended to by medical personnel, and eventually he’s assisted to his feet by more officials.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “What an upset win for Kleio and not the way I had expected this to go, wrestling fans. Randall looked hot out of the gate but once he triggered his bum knee, it was just a matter of time unfortunately and Kleio took full advantage. It still remains to be seen whether or not Kleio will partake in KODM, and if Randall will now for that matter but the action will continue here on Fallout…”

We see an ad for Fight Night and the King of the Deathmatch Tournament.



Natalie Rosenberg: "The following match is a non-title match scheduled for one fall and is our MAIN EVENT of the evening!”

Spoiler: HEX GIRL || THE HEX GIRLS

The crowd is at their feet as Trixie walks out from the back… not with her usual happy go lucky pep in her step, instead she has an unusually serious look on her face as she is joined by Blair and Celestia, her fellow trios champions.



Natalie Rosenberg: "Introducing first, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana… weighing in at one hundred twenty pounds… she is one third of the FWA Trios Champions… TTTTTTRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIXXXXXXXIIIIIEEEE!”



As her name is announced, Trixie turns to Celestia and Blair and motions them to the back. Celestia briefly protests, but Blair nods her head and escorts her sister to the back as Trixie begins to make her way down to the ring.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Interesting development here as Trixie elects to send her Coven teammates to the back. Trixie is coming off a disappointing loss in the main event of Fallout 37 when a world title shot was on the line, she’s looking to bounce back here tonight. Of course, King of Deathmatch is also on the horizon and Trixie has, perhaps inconceivably, become somewhat of a deathmatch expert in the past year since getting her first taste in last year’s KOTD. A win here tonight would give her some much needed momentum heading into the tournament with the X Championship on the line.”

Spoiler: A REAL HERO || I COLLEGE & ELECTRIC YOUTH

The fans in the arena go crazy as the theme of the reigning FWA World Television Champion "A Real Hero" by Electric Youth plays throughout the arena's PA system.



Out steps Brooklyn Steiner, and by his side is his training team, the ones purpose to get Steiner ready for his matches,Team Steiner. They are all wearing matching purple and yellow gear with Team Steiner written on the back. A member of Team Steiner on Steiner’s left walks behind him as proudly displays the FWA World TV title high in the air as the ultimate prize inside their camp.



Natalie Rosenberg: "And her opponent, from New York… weighing in at two hundred five pounds, he is the reigning FWA Television Champion…. This is…. BBBBRRROOOOOOOKKKLLLLLLLYYYNNNNN SSSTTEEEEIIIINNNEEEERRR!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Steiner has quite the entourage himself and his own gold here in FWA. Brooklyn has quickly earned himself the reputation of “The Workhorse” with his show stealing matches since his debut and has racked up a 5-0 singles record since his debut back in September. We knew when he debuted and defeated the legendary Ashley O’Ryan in his first match, this kid was something special. But he’s certainly defied all expectations so far on his way to that Television Title htat he picked up at Winter Wasteland. Win or lose here, Brooklyn has a date… well, I should say, a match, with Madison Gray at Fight Night looming”



Steiner is walking down the ramp with his team as his eyes are focused and he has the look on his face of a champion. The anticipation builds as Team Steiner marches alongside him.



All of a sudden, a passionate female fan jumps the guard rail in an attempt to get through security, and get to the Workhorse himself. However, the arena’s security guards step in, preventing the heartbroken fan from reaching Steiner.



Jean-Luc Watkins: ”Okay fans, I know Brooklyn Steiner is an attractive young man, but let’s try to restrain ourselves at live events.”



After the chaos and everything gets back on track, Steiner continues his walk to the ring, As he steps into the ring, the arena lights find Steiner and solely on him. With a final display of poise, Steiner starts to partake in some shadow boxing, bringing home the message that he's ready for the match against Trixie.

SEVENTH MATCH || MAIN EVENT || 1/20.

Trixie Bordeaux vs. Brooklyn Steiner.

Singles Match.

Match writer: Dubb.

<< 00:00 >>



The bell rings as Brooklyn and Trixie circle the ring, Trixie coyly biting her lip as she eyes down the handsome specimen before her. But she quickly shakes off whatever those thoughts might have been as she narrows her eyes, focusing in on Brooklyn before the two officially lock up in a collar and elbow tie up to get things started.



Brooklyn’s size advantage allow him to get the upperhand in the tie up, pulling Trixie into a headlock, but Trixie takes Brooklyn by the arm, twisting it around to escape and positioning him into a wrist lock, pulling his arm behind his back. Brooklyn swings a back elbow back to break the grip and then snapmares Trixie down to the mat and locks in a side headlock submission.



Trixie twists her petite body on the mat, bringing her legs up and wrapping her legs around Brooklyn’s neck into a head scissors submission, but Brooklyn rolls his body over to escape and both kip up simultaneously.



Brooklyn charges in at Trixie, but goes right into an armdrag takedown from the Hex Girl! Steiner is quick back to his feet as Trixie swings a punch at Steiner, but Steiner ducks and he takes Trixie down with an arm drag of his own! Trixie is quick back to her feet, and the two give each other a shared look of mutual respect as another smile flashes across Trixie’s face.



Jean-Luc Watkins: "A heck of a sequence to start the match, both showcasing some of their matt skill… which we have known about Brooklyn Steiner’s status as “The Workhorse,” but how about Trixie showing off her talents as well.



Both back up to a vertical base, Trixie and Brooklyn once again circle the ring and move in for another tie up. They jockey for position in a struggle before Trixie goes low for a double leg takedown, but Steiner holds his ground, blocking it at first until Trixie instead just grabs his left leg and then sweeps the right leg to take Steiner down to the mat! Trixie holds onto the left leg wrenching back on the ankle, until Steiner rolls over onto his stomach and then uses his arms to push himself back up onto his right leg while Trixie still has ahold of his other leg…



And Brooklyn leaps up with his free leg to deliver a single leg dropkick to Trixie’s chest, sending her down to the mat! The Coven member rolls back up into another armdrag from Brooklyn! Back up she is again into a knife edge chop that sends Trixie stumbling into the ropes. Steiner comes in with a knee to her midsection before sending her into the ropes, driving her back into the mat with a big shoulder tackle.



Trixie clutches her shoulder as she begins to get back up to her feet, only to have Steiner take her back down to the mat with another armdrag, this time hanging on for an armbar submission. Trixie shakes her head, fighting off the pain of Steiner as he wrenches back on the arm. Trixie fights her way back up onto her feet as Steiner keeps the armbar locked in until Trixie breaks it, with a hiptoss to take Steiner down to the mat and like a woman possessed… Trixie starts unloading a flurry of stomps to the Steiner!



Jean-Luc Watkins: "It’s been back and forth so far, but look at the fire in Trixie’s eyes as she unloads those stomps to Steiner’s midsection! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that look in her eyes!”



<< 06:16 >>



The back and forth action continues as Brooklyn Steiner reverses and Irish Whip of Trixie, sending her into the turnbuckles as he charges in with a running clothesline to her in the corner. Steiner backs up and charges in for another clothesline, but Trixie moves out of the way! Steiner crashes into the turnbuckles and Trixie immediately follows it up with a sitout jawbreaker!



Brooklyn drops to the mat and almost immediately bounces back up, clutching his jaw as Trixie rolls out onto the apron. She pulls herself up on the ropes, measuring Steiner up, but Steiner suddenly jumps to the ropes and springboards into a Triangle Dropkick - sending Trixie falling to ringside!



The Television Champion follows it up climbing to the top turnbuckle…



SHOOTING STAR PRESS OUT OF THE RING crashing onto the recovering Trixie!



Jean-Luc Watkins: “The Workhorse takes FLIGHT! What a move but it’s left both competitors down at ringside!”



The crowd gives a big ovation for Steiner’s acrobatic maneuvers as both competitors are down at ringside. He begins to stir first, grabbing Trixie and rolls her back into the ring… and comes back into the ring with an Arabian Press!



Brooklyn hooks her legs!



One!



Two!



Kickout!



Steiner sits up and paces the ring as Trixie begins to pull herself up. He goes right back after her, pushing her back into the corner and begins setting Trixie up on the top turnbuckle. He climbs up to the middle ropes, but Trixie begins to battle back! She delivers three consecutive punches to Steiner, shaking him up a bit, but Steiner recomposes himself and drives a forearm into Trixie’s chest to try and halt her comeback attempt on the top rope..

.

But Trixie shows spunk as she SLAPS Steiner hard and ten leans forward, BITING his forehead!



Steiner comes down off the ropes, staggering, grabbing at his head before turning back as Trixie now stands, perched atop the top rope..



FLYING CROSSBODY into a pin!



One!



Two!



Kickout!



Trixie rolls to her back and kips up with a fiery yell. She takes Brooklyn and sends him into the turnbuckles with an Irish Whip before charging in with a running corner splash before she begins to unload just a massive amount of repeated headbutts in the corner to Steiner. Over and over! She eventually staggers back, herself somewhat dizzy from all the attacks while Steiner slumps down into a seated position in the corner.



Trixie shakes off the effects of the headbutts as she goes back over and puts her boot across Steiner’s throat, choking him blatantly in front of official Larry Stevens.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “The usual fun-loving Trixie seems to be missing from this match! I don’t think I’ve ever quite seen this side of her. She getting ruthless in there with the Television Champion!”



After nearly getting herself disqualified, Trixie backed up to the center of the ring before charging back in with a BASEBALL SLIDE DROPKICK TO THE GROIN!



Trixie gets back up, once again ignoring the warnings from the referee about how low that kick was on Steiner…



<< 12:08 >>



Brooklyn looks to battle his way back against Trixie, fighting his way back up to a vertical base but Trixie looks to stop that as she hits the Torpedo Trixie spinning headbutt! This leaves Brooklyn staggering as she delivers the Shotgun Dropkick, sending Steiner down to the mat!



Trixie is feeling it as she heads to the ropes… and begins to climb up… she looks back to make sure Steiner is in position…



WHISTLING TRIXIE!



BUT STEINER GETS HIS KNEES UP!



Trixie’s body’s bends across his lifted up knees before rolling over to the mat.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Trixie looked on her way to victory there, but Brooklyn Steiner shuts up the Whistling Trixie!”



Both Trixie and Brooklyn were down, as Larry Stevens begins to count… at around the seven mark, Brooklyn sits up to his knees but Trixie is right behind him…



But Steiner strikes first with an inverted atomic drop and immediately follows it up with a springboard knee strike!



Steiner goes for the pin!



One!



Two!



Thre - NO!



Steiner gets back up, grabbing Trixie by the legs and pulls her away from the ropes before driving his knee multiple times into her inner thigh before stepping through, locking her legs up and turning over into a Sharpshooter submission.



Larry Stevens slides in, checking in on Trixie. Her face show the pain but she refuses to submit. As Trixie battles against the pain… the divided crowd goes back and forth between..



“LET’S GO TRIXIE”



“BROOKLYN STEINER!”



“LET’S GO TRIXIE!”



BROOKLYN STEINER!”



Trixie summons whatever she can from deep within… whether its the hex girl magic or just her resounding desire to lose another big match… she forces her way up onto her arms… and she scratches and she claws… her way… TO THE ROPES!

Larry Stevens gives Steiner a pat on the shoulder, letting him know of the rope break and the TV Champ immediately drops the submission. He wipes the sweat from his hair as a weakened Trixie begins to get up…



Sitting up to her knees..



As Steiner measures her up..



And he charges in with a running swing of his back elbow to the back of her neck..



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Turn That TV Off! Trixie is down! Steiner is going for the pin…”



ONE!



TWO!



THREE!





NO!



Trixie got her foot on the ropes!

Steiner’s eyes are wide as he realizes that once again the ropes had robbed him of a victory. But he stays determined as he pulls her away from the ropes to center of the ring, pulling Trixie back up to her feet…



And he hooks her for the Redemption Slam!



But Trixie breaks his grip with an ELBOW to the head! Steiner is rocked backward!



Trixie staggers, barely able to stand up on her feet as Brooklyn comes back with a knee to her midsection. And he goes for the Redemption Slam again but again she breaks free from it with a side elbow!



Steiner shakes off the attack and moves in with a swing of a right hand, but Trixie ducks out of the way and then comes back with a hard punch to Brooklyn’s head! And another! And a slap! And a combination of boxing style jabs! Steiner stumbles back and takes another swing at Trixie, but again she ducks out of the way and comes back with a big UPPERCUT to Steiner!



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Look at Trixie go! Battling back from near defeat with a series of almost mixed martial arts like attacks! Perhaps picking up some pointers from Kleio De Santos!”



Steiner falls to a knee, getting back up… struggling to maintain his balance as Trixie spins around nailing him with another TORPEDO TRIXIE!



Brooklyn falls backward into the ropes… the only thing keeping him from dropping to the mat. Trixie moves in, now grabbing Steiner and grabs him by the head… she goes for a running bulldog..



BUT STEINER SHOVES HER OFF and into the ropes! Trixie comes back off the ropes into a kick to the midsection from Steiner.



Steiner lifts her up for the Speed Of Light..



But TRIXIE GOES DOWN THE BACK!



HOCUS POCUS!



Trixie drops down for the pin!



ONE!



TWO!



THREE!

Spoiler: RESULT

Winner: Trixie via pinfall at 16:22.

Trixie sits up on her knees, her jaw wide open as she runs her hand through her hair, perhaps even surprised at her own big win tonight over the now previously undefeated in singles action, Brooklyn Steiner.



Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner…. TRIXIE BORDEAUX!”



Jean-Luc Watkins: “A big victory for Trixie Bordeaux, but a tough loss for Brooklyn Steiner ahead of his big match on Fight Night against Madison Gray. He’ll be hoping to turn his fortunes around, or his FWA Television Championship reign is in jeopardy.”



The camera is focussing on Bordeaux, though, who gets her hand raised in victory by the official as Steiner rolls out of the ring. The champion collects his belt off-screen and takes it up the ramp and to the back, leaving the young woman to celebrate her victory in the ring. She does so by collecting a microphone and occupying a central position, her music fading out to let Trixie speak.

Trixie Bordeaux: “Hello…”



Trixie looks nervous, having never spoken in front of a live audience before.



Trixie Bordeaux: “Uh… if you don’t mind, I’d like to tell you a story. Is that okay?”



The crowd shows their approval of Trixie with a polite applause.



Trixie Bordeaux: “Thank you… well, umm… about a year ago, I was going through a bit of a rough time in FWA. I was being bullied by Raygun Cole and Jeffry Mason all the time, and I was getting my butt kicked most weeks.”



Trixie frowns as she relives a not so great time in her career.



Trixie Bordeaux: “I wanted so badly to show everyone… and myself, that I wasn’t just some stupid, weak, scared little girl. I wanted people to take me serious. I wanted the people like Raygun and Jeffry to think twice before they messed with me again, and so I signed up for the King of the Deathmatch tournament… and Jeffry Mason beated me up worse than anyone has ever beated me up before. I was too weak to beat him.”



A mean scowl forms on Trixie’s pretty face as she continues.



Trixie Bordeaux: “But that has changed.”



The audience gives Trixie a small, encouraging applause.



Trixie Bordeaux: “I’ve gotten Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger… I’m not the same weak, scared, stupid little girl that I was back then. I proved that when I kicked Raygun Cole AND Jeffry Mason’s butts in Deathmatches!”



A nice-sized pop for Trixie kicking Jeffry and Reagan’s asses.



Trixie Bordeaux: “I proved that when I became a CHAMPION with Blair and Celery!”



An even bigger pop, as Trixie holds her portion of the Trios Championship high above her head, her confidence growing with every word.



Trixie Bordeaux: “I proved that tonight, when I kicked the TV Champion’s butt!”



A slightly more mixed response, as Brooklyn is a fan favourite, but Trixie either doesn’t notice, nor doesn’t care about the slightly more negative response.



Trixie Bordeaux: “...and I’m gonna prove it again, because I am entering the King of the Deathmatch Tournament!”



Big cheers for Trixie’s declaration as a fire burns bright in Trixie’s eyes.



Trixie Bordeaux: “And this time, I’m gonna win the WHOLE DAMN THING! And prove to YOU, to ME, to EVERYONE in the FWA! That Trixie Bordeaux is NOT TO BE FUCKED WITH!”

Spoiler: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE || BON JOVI

There’s a loud cheer amongst those assembled on the Island of Tsushima as the current FWA X Champion appears for the second time this evening. He seems all business, his eyes locked on the young woman in the middle of the ring as he stands upon the stage.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “Well, we’ve just found out that Trixie Bordeaux is entering this year’s King of the Deathmatch tournament, and the prize for that sixteen person extravaganza of barbarism is this man’s championship belt. She’s already defeated one of FWA’s champions tonight, but Bedlam is showing that he won’t back down from the challenge by coming out here tonight.”



Bedlam readjusts his championship belt upon his shoulder as he strides down the ramp, and it becomes apparent that he too has a microphone in his hand and has something to say ahead of the tournament on March 10th. His music fades out, Trixie’s eyes transfixed upon the champion - and more specifically upon the gold on his shoulder - as ‘the Cowboy’ lifts the microphone up towards his lips…



But before he can say a single word…

Spoiler: SONNE || RAMMSTEIN

More loud cheers upon the Island of Tsushima, which only get louder as the masked man appears on the stage. The longest reigning FWA X Champion of all-time, Alyster Black, stands on the stage, alone and with a microphone in his hand.



Jean-Luc Watkins: “... does this mean?! Alyster Black competed in last year’s King of the Deathmatch, where he was eliminated by Jeremy Best in the first round. That was the end of Alyster’s record breaking reign with the FWA X Championship, which he hasn’t tried to win back in the year since. But Black is out here now, as Bedlam and one of his main contenders converse, which can mean only one thing!”



Bedlam doesn’t look happy about being cut off before he could get started, but Alyster lifts his microphone and interjects again.



Alyster Black: “Hey Cowboy fuck! Yeah I’m talking to you, “Mr. X Champ”! You’ve been holding onto that belt for a little while now, not as long as some people standing out here but pretty long. Long enough that you’re actually starting to build a reputation, turn some heads, and create some buzz. I mean, there’s people out there who think you could actually go all the way and cement yourself as one of the best X Champions of all time. It’s all talk sure, but frankly, that kind of talk doesn’t sit well with the God-King of the X. That’s why I’m out here, to publicly announce that I, Alyster Black, the longest reigning X Champion of all-time, the man who elevated that belt to World Championship status, am entering King of the Death Match.”



A loud cheer for the proclamation from those assembled, with even Tommy relishing the idea of facing Black as part of the deathmatch tournament.



Alyster Black: “And Tommy, I don’t have Danny Toner running around in a Wall-Mart brought Aly Black costume fucking my shit up, I am not bogged down with two championship belts, and I don’t have a weasel nipping at my heels. So what you have here is an opportunity to legitimise yourself in a major way, to actually earn that praise. You can really cement yourself as one of the best X Champions of all time, all you have to do is survive me. I’ll see you in the tournament, cowboy.”



If Tommy wants to reply, he doesn’t get the chance. Alyster continues before his words have even had time to sink in.



Alyster Black: “Oh, and don't think I don't see you there Trixie. Where’s my trios title shot? I distinctly remember Chris and I beating you and one of those witches like we were in Salem and it was going out of style. Quit ducking us. We'll take you on in a handicap match if we have to.”



Alyster drops his microphone, and his music promptly hits once again, as if someone in the truck is under strict instructions. Tommy scowls at Alyster’s interruption, but holds his championship belt up in the air.



The final shot of Fallout 038 is from over Trixie’s shoulder. ‘The Cowboy’ holds his championship belt and, in the background, Alyster Black watches on from the stage.

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