EARLIER TODAY
Todd Salum: “We’re here inside Korakuen Hall ahead of Fight Night later on this evening and I’m standing by here with the now forrmer FWA North American champion…”
Bryan Baxter: ”Tread lightly, Toddrick.”
Triple B gives an intense glare toward the interviewer, clearly still the word former still stinging.
Todd Salum: “Yes.. Sorry… yes, it was a tough loss for Bryan Baxter at the North American Showdown, but all hope is not loss. Because winning the F1 brings that title right back to you.
Bryan Baxter: ”And that’s exactly…”
???: “And that’s exactly what he’s going to do!”
Bryan is interrupted by a familiar voice as a familiar face walks in on the shot. It’s Mr. Bill Scorpane, Bryan’s former manager and more recently been seen as nephew OBB, or Ol’ Billy Boy.
Bill Scorpane: “That’s right, Toad… I’m back to where I belong! Because Bryan Baxter IS going to win the F1 because he’ll have me by his side. Tonight, ole Chrissy won’t know what hit him. Just like last time… in last year’s F1… I was right there in your corner to help you defeat that disco dancing dumbass… and tonight, we’re gonna do it again, big man!”
Todd Salum: “Well, what a turn of events… Mr. Scorpane is back in the corner of…
Bryan Baxter: ”Now wait just a goddamn minute… he don’t speak for me.”
Bill Scorpane: “Haha! Of course I do, Bryan. That’s quite literally my job.”
Bryan Baxter: ”I told you I didn’t want or need your help. You chose the Nephews, so go hang out with them. Go on another cosmic adventure. I don’t really care where you go… just don’t go to the ring tonight.”
A fired up Baxter pushes his way past Scorpane, who doesn’t look too pleased as he adjusts his suspends on his fancy suit.
Bill Scorpane: “Huh? What’s gotten into him? Aww, I’m sure it’ll be fine. I know what’s best for the boy. He’ll see.”
A smile returns to the face of Mr. Scorpane as he gives a nod to Todd before walking off, as Todd signs off.
the FWA proudly presents
FIGHT NIGHT.
only on the WCNetwork.
Saturday 16th March, 2024.
Live from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
After some sweeping shots of the interior of the historic Korakuen Hall and the excited FWA fans occupying it. Quickly though, attention shifts to the commentary table with the old Fight Night crew back together - Rod Sterling, Daniella Kennedy and Christian Quinn.
Rod Sterling: "Welcome one and all to the return of FWA Fight Night! It is a very familiar feeling for me sitting in between Daniella Kennedy and Christian Quinn - the gang is back together!”
Daniella Kennedy: "A pleasure to be here, Rod. There are three very important matches tonight and I’m looking forward to having a front row seat for all of them!”
Rod Sterling: "That’s right, Daniella. Whilst we were originally due to have FIVE matches on tonight’s card, outside circumstances have prevented that from being the case. As announced earlier this week on FWA.com, the Television Championship match between Brooklyn Steiner and Madison Gray has been pulled due to injuries suffered by both competitors in the last week.
In addition, due to travel issues being experienced by BOTH teams, the FWA World Tag Team Championship match has been POSTPONED. Jay Kenny and Donny Toner will defend their championships on Fallout 039 instead from Sapporo here in Japan.”
Christian Quinn: "A big shame, but the show much go-”
Suddenly, Korakuen Hall is plunged into darkness. An audible gasp emerges from the stands as the watching crowd wonders what is happening. Suddenly, a number of figures become visible among them in the darkness. They can be distinguished from the pitch black by the multi-coloured fluorescent shapes on their outfits… which resemble skulls on their heads and bones covering the rest of their bodies.
Christian Quinn: "What are those? Are they skeletons?”
Rod Sterling: "I would assume so, Christian, and that makes plenty of sense considering what match we have coming up next! Oh… HERE WE GO!”
The crowd starts to cheer and the skeletons in the crowd begin to dance in unison, lifting their arms and knees up in time with the music. Once the beat drops, the lights start to flicker and the skeletons begin to run through the crowd towards the ring and the entrance way. The camera shifts there where Halloween Knight is the first member of TR1CK or TR4SH to emerge, shimmying forwards with a chair in his hand. He is followed by Juan Tothrefor, who shows the appropriate amount of respect to the historic venue. Bringing up the rear is Trash Mammal, who crawls along the ground, taking in the various different scents on the ground. The bell chimes as the three make their way to the ring.
Kurt Harrington: "The following contest is a Trios Match scheduled for one fall with a twenty minute time limit, and it is for the FWA TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIPS! Introducing first, the challengers… at a combined weight of six-hundred and seventy-seven pounds… JUAN TOTHREFOR, TRASH MAMMAL and HALLOWEEN KNIGHT… THEY ARE… TR1CK OR TR4SH!!!!”
Daniella Kennedy: "Well, it is definitely true that the FWA fans have become enamoured with the spooky antics of these three men and they’ve proven to not be a bad team at all, guys. Undefeated in Trios action here in the FWA.”
Christian Quinn: "These guys are undefeated? Who the hell have they been facing? The vampire and the guy wearing the bikini?!”
Rod Sterling: "I’ll have you know, Christian, that these three might not look the most conventional of competitors, when that bell rings they are just as dangerous as anyone on the roster. Juan Tothrefor is a pupil of Chubby Carlos back in Art of Lucha Wrestling, Halloween Knight has decades of experience under his belt and recently mixed things up with the likes of Chris Peacock and Big Bryan Bastard… and as for Trash Mammal, they wouldn’t be getting this opportunity were it not for him claiming a briefcase as part of the Secular Spectacular match at the beginning of the year.”
TR1CK or TR4SH enter the ring as a group, with Trash Mammal scurrying under the bottom rope whilst Juan and Halloween Knight vault themselves over the top. Halloween Knight does another dance for the fans before the aesthetic inside Korakuen Hall returns to normal, only to then go dark once again…
The watching fans are in awe at the mesmerising entrance of The Coven. Blair Ravenwood makes a point to be at the forefront, with her sister Celestia to her left. On her right is Grandma Ethel… because Bellatrix Bordeaux is bringing up the rear. ‘The Hex Girl’ has her head bowed down and obscured by her hanging hair. The Ravenwood sisters and Bordeaux are all wearing a Trios Championship belt around their waists and with a snap of her fingers, Blair leads the group towards the ring. Trixie has her fists clenched and due to how slow she is walking, lags behind the group somewhat.
Kurt Harrington: "Their opponents… accompanied by Grandma Ethel… from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania… they are the FWA Trios Champions… BLAIR RAVENWOOD, CELESTIA RAVENWOOD and BELLATRIX BOOOOOORDEEAAAUUXXX… THEY ARE THEEEEEEEE COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVENNNN!!!”
Christian Quinn: "That chick at the back… is she all there?”
Rod Sterling: "Trixie Bordeaux is fully in the midst of preparing for her second King of the Deathmatch tournament and something tells me that her training and preparations have taken her to a somewhat dark place. That could spell bad news for TR1CK or TR4SH, who are looking to dethrone The Coven, who have impressively held the FWA Trios Championships since Back in Business last year, where they became the inaugural title holders.”
Daniella Kennedy: "The Coven are of course short one member tonight in their leader, Kleio De Santos, who we understand is preparing her own entry in the tournament. However from the looks of things here, it seems that Blair Ravenwood has taken on a de facto leadership role here tonight in Tokyo.”
Christian Quinn: "That’s good. If a leader is not present on the battlefield then someone needs to step up. That’s some good initiative being shown by Blair here.”
Grandma Ethel complains of hip pain which prevents her from getting into the ring, so she urges the younger members of the group to enter ahead of her. Blair confidently strides up the steps with Celestia right behind her. Trixie rolls under the bottom rope and into the ring. She sees the Ravenwoods posing for the cameras in the middle of the ring, but her eye gets drawn to their opponents as the luchadors are huddled in a corner to discuss game plan…
BORDEAUX CHARGES IN AND THROWS HERSELF AT HER OPPONENTS!! The lighting quickly turns to normal inside Korakuen Hall as Trixie slams Halloween Knight’s head into the mat repeatedly. Both Trash Mammal and Juan Tothrefor attempt to remove her from their partner, but synchronised Dropkicks from Blair and Celestia knock them through the ropes and out of the ring!
Rod Sterling: "Looks like Trixie didn’t want to hang around and wait for any of the formalities… and The Coven acted quicker than TR1CK or TR4SH to start the match off on the strong foot!”
FIRST MATCH | 1/20.
The Coven (Trixie Bordeaux, Blair Ravenwood, and Celestia Ravenwood) [c] vs. TR1CK or TR4SH (Juan Tothrefor, Halloween Knight, and Trash Mammal).
Trios Match for the FWA Trios Championships.
Match Writer: Man.
The bell rings and both Ravenwood sisters are ordered to leave the ring, with Trixie left to stomp on Halloween Knight’s chest as he tries to pull himself out under the bottom rope. However Bordeaux is tenacious and pulls him towards the middle of the ring by a boot. This does allow Knight to crack off a kick to Trixie’s face that knocks her back slightly. This gives Knight the space to kip up from the mat to applause from the fans. He does a small dance upon landing, but this only leaves time for Trixie to take him down with a Thesz Press.
Whilst on top of Halloween Knight, Trixie slaps him across the head and face several times and then slams his head into the mat repeatedly.
Christian Quinn: "You can’t be going around throwing down dance moves like that when there’s gold on the line! I’m not surprised at all that she's punishing him for that.”
Halloween Knight manages to get up and push his smaller opponent away, but Trixie catches him with a boot to the midsection. She strikes him on the back a couple of times and then rakes her fingernails down Halloween Knight’s back. Even with the costume on, this seems to cause Knight a lot of discomfort. Trixie slaps on a Headlock, but Halloween Knight evades it by pushing her away, however he maintains wrist control and tries to bring her in for a Clothesline, but Bordeaux ducks it.
She continues forward and hits the ropes and comes back at Halloween Knight with TORPEDO TRIXIE!!! Bordeaux’s head collides with Halloween Knight’s chest and knocks him flat onto the mat, and she goes for an early cover;
ONE… TWO… THREE-NO!!
The rest of TR1CK or TR4SH break up the pin attempt! Juan and Trash Mammal shove Trixie from on top of their partner and there is a stand off as they berate Trixie for attacking them before the bell. Bordeaux does not say anything in response, looking almost conflicted, but once again she gets back up from Blair and Celestia, who stand next to her. Halloween Knight is pulled up by his partners and the two teams find themselves standing off in the middle of the ring.
Rod Sterling: "These two groups have actually not had much to do with each other in recent times, due to other commitments, but I think quite a lot of animosity has developed due to how Bellatrix Bordeaux chose to start this match off.”
Daniella Kennedy: "TR1CK or TR4SH strike me as some pretty fun guys, but we’ve seen from their record that they are no pushovers. I do think they wanted a nice, clean match… but didn’t take too kindly to getting jumped before the bell.”
There are jibes hurled back and forth between both teams - only by Blair and Celestia for The Coven as Trixie stands in quiet anger - and both teams meet in the middle of the ring! In the exchange of strikes, The Coven are superior much to the chagrin of the watching fans. All three witches attempt a heavy strike at the same time, and all three luchadors duck it… TRES SUPERKICKS!! All three Coven members are taken down by the kicks and they roll out of the ring to regroup.
Grandma Ethel scurries around the ring to join the girls, encouraging them to get up and Blair brings them in together to give out instructions of how to regain the advantage. Celestia calls out as she sees Halloween Knight charging towards them… but he puts on the brakes just before the ropes! There is a small moment of relief for The Coven, but Halloween Knight shouts “BOO!”... AND JUAN TOTHREFOR FLIES FROM THE TOP ROPE WITH A CROSS BODY, LANDING SQUARELY ON CELESTIA!!
That was the first Jump Scare, and the second comes when TRASH MAMMAL WIPES BLAIR OUT WITH A TOPE SUICIDA!! It is just Trixie Bordeaux left standing, but not for long… as Halloween Knight elevates himself over the top and flattens her down with a PLANCHA!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "The Coven are not the only purveyors of magic it would seem, as TR1CK or TR4SH had a couple of tricks of their own up their sleeves!”
Halloween Knight scoops Trixie up from the floor and rolls her back into the ring, hooking a leg for a pin attempt;
ONE… NO!
A few heads are turned by Bordeaux kicking out at just one, and Halloween Knight is quick to roll over to the TxT corner where he tags in Trash Mammal, who enters to good support from the crowd. Trixie is back to her feet and she attempts to slap the rodent, but Basura expertly transitions the attempted strike into an Arm Drag. Trixie is back up immediately and her charge in attempt is avoided by Trash Mammal with a leapfrog. Trash Mammal then drops to the mat as she approaches once again, and trips her over!
Trixie rolls through though and she runs in towards Trash Mammal, who goes low again, but Trixie jumps up into the air and double stomps onto his back! From there, Bordeaux notes that her partners are back on the apron, so she tags in Celestia and gets onto the apron herself. Ravenwood wrings Trash Mammal’s arm and then brings him in close for a knee strike to the midsection. When she tries to wring his arm once more, Basura rolls through and takes Celestia over with an Arm Drag! She gets back up and is caught by another, and this time Trash Mammal holds her in place for a second.
Able to escape, Celestia shoves Trash Mammal into the ropes, but does not notice when Juan Tothrefor slaps his partner on the back to tag himself in. Celestia catches Trash Mammal with a back elbow to cut him off, but she turns around into a Superkick to the midsection from Juan! Tothrefor connects with a second to the shin, then another to the knee to get Celestia down to one knee… and then a final Superkick to the jaw!
Rod Sterling: "Juan calls that combination the Counting Stars, and I think that is what Celestia Ravenwood could be doing right about now!”
Juan drops to his knees and goes for a lateral press on one of the champions;
ONE… TWO… NO!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "TRIXIE BREAKS UP THE PIN… and NOW SHE’S GOING AFTER JUAN!”
Trixie connected with a knee to Juan’s head to break the pin up, and despite not being the legal competitor in the match, she gets on top of him and starts to rain strikes down onto his head! After emphatically slamming Juan’s head down onto the mat, she is able to get a couple more licks in when the referee’s focus is instead on preventing the rest of TR1CK or TR4SH from getting into the ring to stop her! Trixie even begins to choke Juan out with her forearm, and it is only once the luchadors have calmed down does the referee force her to stop.
Rod Sterling: "This really is some shift in attitude from Bordeaux here tonight, folks. I’m not sure where the shy and timid girl who we are used to seeing has disappeared to, but tonight she looks like a cold-blooded killer. It is haunting - pun not intended.”
Christian Quinn: "Hey, from what I gather, she’s one who is on the cusp of moving on up to that next level here in the FWA. Maybe a change of heart and something you know, a bit more mature, is what she’s needed this entire time. I wouldn’t go around picking on a fight with her if this is how she’s going to be, that’s for sure. Attacking people before the bell and using any chance to inflict punishment; that’s some ruthless stuff… and you have got to be ruthless to win.”
The fans are not happy with Bordeaux as she regains some advantage for The Coven. Celestia smartly prevents Juan from reaching his partners and drags him towards the middle of the ring and closer to the Coven corner. Grandma Ethel claps with pride at the smart ring awareness. Celestia reaches up and tags in her sister, and Blair enters the ring. Despite no longer being legal, Celestia grabs Juan but he wriggles free. Blair though acts quickly and Dropkicks Juan in the back of his knee, and Celestia then follows up with one to his chest!
That takes Juan down onto the mat, and Blair stomps on him a couple of times, before lifting him up from the mat. Blair quickly tags Celestia back in and together, they lift the much larger Juan up… and place him in the Tree of Woe! Juan waves his arms around as Celestia takes a few steps back and lines him up… and Penalty Kicks him straight in the face! Juan’s body goes limp, and Celestia tags Blair back in, who hits the ropes quickly… and smushes Juan’s face with a Low Dropkick!
Trixie reaches over the ropes and tags herself in, and once inside she charges across the ring and knocks Halloween Knight from the apron with a running forearm! The referee is trying to help Juan down unsuccessfully, so he fails to notice when Trixie drops down to avoid a Trash Mammal strike and she punches him in between the legs! Trash Mammal drops to the floor in pain next to his partner.
Christian Quinn: "She just punched a rat in the dick. She punched a rat in the dick.”
The referee is unable to free Juan from the Tree of Woe, so he is left in prime position for Bordeaux to charge in and crush him against the corner with the BUNDLE OF FUN!!! The Cannonball has enough power behind it to cause Juan to fall from the corner, and Trixie flips him onto his back;
ONE… TWO… THRE-NO!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "A kick out from Juan - that’s a four-time Art of Lucha Television Champion right there, this guy is not going to go down easily.”
Rod Sterling: "Unless you’re Johnny Johnson.”
The kick out causes Trixie to scream primally and she begins to lay into Juan with more punches to his head. Each one lands hard, and Juan does his best to get some form of defence up against them, but it proves futile. Juan does manage to tie his feet up around the bottom rope, causing a break. Trixie is frustrated by this development, so she pulls him away and stomps on him several times. With Juan down on the canvas, Trixie looks down at him and then at the top turnbuckle. She begins to scale upwards, with her back to Juan, presumably for the WHISTLING TRIXIE-
Trixie pauses and looks back towards the entrance way, as does everyone else… and a very short balding man in a black singlet waddles out from the back!
Rod Sterling: "THAT’S LOU CHA! He was on Ground Zero with Trash Mammal and Halloween Knight… but what is he doing out here?”
Daniella Kennedy: "He’s saying something and pointing in Grandma Ethel’s direction! I think he’s coming out here to even up the numbers for TR1CK or TR4SH!”
Christian Quinn: "Why, though? She hasn’t done anything!”
Lou Cha, recognised by almost no one, gets in Grandma Ethel’s face and begins to berate her at ringside, telling her that he’s evening out the odds. Ethel, as with everyone else, is extremely confused. However Lou’s interlude in the match is quickly over as TRIXIE FLATTENS HIM WITH THE WHISTLING TRIXIE FROM THE TOP ROPE DOWN TO THE FLOOR!!! The crowd cheer loudly for the death-defying move, and Bordeaux then stomps on Lou’s face on her way back into the ring with a stern warning not to get involved again.
Trixie slides back into the ring… and STRAIGHT INTO A FALCON ARROW FROM JUAN TOTHREFOR!!! The fans cheer as Juan hooks both of her legs -
ONE… TWO… NO!!!
Despite Trixie being momentarily distracted by Lou Cha’s arrival, she kicked out of the Falcon Arrow and both she and Juan rise to their feet at the same time and run towards each other with the same idea… and both collide in mid-air going for running cross bodies! Both legal participants are down, and make their way towards their partners for a tag. Trixie is much quicker in bringing Blair into the match, who sprints across the ring and tries to stop Juan… but he leaps… AND TAGS IN HALLOWEEN KNIGHT!
Knight is unable to leave the apron as Blair closes in on him, but he catches her with a Gamenguiri as she approaches him. This causes her to recoil, and Halloween Knight lifts himself up onto the top rope and steadies himself - as Trash Mammal tags himself in on Juan’s boot - HORRORCANRANA!!! Blair is flipped over and ends up back on her feet in The Coven’s corner, allowing Celestia to reach over and tag herself in. Halloween Knight rises to his feet and begins dancing after hitting his move… but BLAIR CRACKS HIM IN THE HEAD WITH THE SHINING WITCH!!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "Huge impact with that one from Blair Ravenwood, and everything is starting to really break down here. Look out for Trash Mammal!”
No sooner is Blair back up after sending Halloween Knight under the bottom rope with her move is Trash Mammal behind her… and he drops her with the RABIES SHOT!!! She holds the back of her head and Trash Mammal gets on top of her for the pin attempt - but the referee does not count because it is Celestia that is legal instead! Trash Mammal tries to plead his case, but gets a kick directly to the face for his troubles instead from Celestia!
As Celestia rises up to her feet, Juan is back in the ring and lining her up… but Trixie screams loudly once more and runs at him… and they both go over the top rope thanks to Trixie’s Cactus Clothesline!!! This once again leaves just Celestia and Trash Mammal on their own in the ring, with the latter very dazed after the kick to the whiskers.
Rod Sterling: "Celestia Ravenwood has the chance to end this here for The Coven. Will their reign continue here in Tokyo?”
Christian Quinn: "It looks like it could be about to go down that way, Rod. This rodent guy is not in a good way whatsoever!”
Celestia pulls herself up onto the top turnbuckle and holds out her arms to pose for the crowd as Trash Mammal waits below. She takes flight… HEX BOMB… BUT TRASH MAMMAL ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY!!! Getting straight back up, Celestia holds her lower back and staggers into the path of Trash Mammal… who rolls her up!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "HE’S PLAYING POSSUM!!!”
ONE!
…
TWO!!
…
Trixie tries to slide back in… but Juan holds her boot!
…
THREE!!!!
Loud cheers burst through Korakuen Hall as the spooky techno music blares out once more and Celestia bursts out of the trapping pin with a look of shock on her face. She exchanges a glance with Trixie, who appears devastated… with Blair and Grandma Ethel having the same visages on their faces, too.
Kurt Harrington: "Here are your winners AND NEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW FWA Trios Champions… TR1CK ORRRRRRRR TR4SH!!!!”
As The Coven are stunned into silence, Trash Mammal jumps up from the mat and starts jumping around the ring, before being joined by Juan and Halloween Knight. A weary and battered Lou Cha hoists himself into the ring as well, and the group welcome him into the huddle.
Daniella Kennedy: "The historic first reign as FWA Trios Champions for The Coven is officially over! For over eight months these witches held dominion over this division and these championships, but they have been dethroned by the unlikeliest of opponents here at Fight Night!”
Rod Sterling: "A definite underdog story comes to life, Daniella. These are three individuals that were judged and cast aside because they dared to be different but write them off at your peril! There are new champions in town and their names are Juan, Knight and Basura!”
The Coven maintain their shock as they regroup and start heading towards the back. Ethel does her best to comfort the disappointed girls and can be heard reassuring them.
Christian Quinn: "The Coven will be gutted by that result, there’s no doubt about it, but they have the King of the Deathmatch tournament to worry about first. The inquest over how they lost this match and their journey to reclaiming them can begin once that is over and done with.”
The celebrations in the ring are only just beginning though as TR1CK or TR4SH are handed their newly-won championships by the referee. Juan drops to his knees and looks upwards, reciting a prayer whilst Halloween Knight dances enthusiastically. Lou Cha attempts to look at Trash Mammal’s belt and is shunned. The party seems in full swing as we fade away…
We cut to a feed showing a clip from Fallout 38, one that was never before seen. XYZ is shown walking down a hall, when he’s suddenly dragged into a utility closet as he walks past!
XYZ’s calm demeanor is unchanged. A chain is pulled and a light clicks on, to reveal Blair Ravenwood alone as she emerges from the darkness.
Blair Ravenwood: “Hello friend.”
XYZ: “Friend?”
Blair Ravenwood: “Haven’t you heard that saying before? The enemy of my enemy…is my friend.”
XYZ: “Oh, I have heard of this slogan of the mouth. And … who is this enemy you reference?”
Blair Ravenwood: “Who is yours?”
XYZ: “I have many or few. They light up the night’s sky one day and leave it pitch black the next.”
Blair Ravenwood: “And yet who is the one who wakes up every morning cursing your name, all because you maybe didn’t smile at her the right way, or accidentally took the last donut off the concession table. Kleio De Santos…she is your enemy. So much so that you may not even realize it. As we speak, she is probably plotting on how to take you out, capitalize on whatever misfortune she can provide you. Well, I’m here to offer an alternative.”
XYZ: “An alternative? To what?”
Blair Ravenwood: “To being another one of her many victims…”
XYZ contemplates for a moment. Rubbing his fingers on his chin.
XYZ: “And what is it you are proposing regarding Kleio of the De Santos?”
Blair Ravenwood: “We team up. You join my plot to take down Kleio De Santos. You get rid of a pest that just hasn’t gone away, despite you beating her at Back in Business last year. And I get rid of someone who is leading my stable down a dark and dreary path. It is a win-win.”
XYZ doesn’t respond. He simply continues to stare at and study Blair.
She eventually quits waiting for a response.
Blair Ravenwood: “Think about it, and get back to me. But my offer is a standing one, and it’s one you won’t regret taking”
Blair walks past XYZ, leaving him in the utility closet alone, with a lot to think about.
The broadcast shifts focus to a Twitch stream hosted by none other than Jackson Fenix. It appears as though it’s not live and was streamed prior to Fight Night. Jackson has his streaming headset on as well as his usual Britney Spears t-shirt, an Oops!...I Did It Again Tour t-shirt to be specific. The stream appears to be close to coming to an end for the day as Jackson addresses his viewers after finishing up a game of Fall Guys with a win.
Jackson Fenix: “What a great way to end the stream with a win! Great stream chat! Thank you all for coming out today to hang and watch me play games for a few hours, I appreciate it!”
He starts to read the chat and sees something that catches his attention.
Jackson Fenix: “Before I go though there’s something I should mention. It was just brought up in the chat and I feel like I should say something, so what better time than now, I suppose. Anyway, y'all know that Carnal Contendership is coming up, right? Do you remember last year’s event? I know I do, I can’t forget it. I came so close to winning the whole thing but it just wasn’t meant to be, but hey, I did do well enough that earned me a spot in the Steel Roulette. We all know how that turned out though…”
“Well, I will be entering the Carnal Contendership once again this year, and this time I will win the whole thing. I know you’re all probably thinking that’s a big statement to make, but I’m confident in myself that I can do it. Look how far I made it last year, I know I can not only make it that far again but be the last one standing in the ring and punch my ticket to Back in Business.”
“You want to know what else will make this different from last year? Carnal Contendership will be in my backyard. That’s right, Carnal Contendership will be in my hometown of Las Vegas, and I can’t think of a better homecoming than winning the CC in front of my friends and family. I can’t lose, I can't let you down, and I can’t let myself down. Last year was the beginning of a new me that saw a lot of new opportunities that I earned, but every time I let y’all down. Not again, this year is my year, and it starts at CC in my hometown of Las Vegas, so if you’re a betting person you might want to bet on ol’ Jackie boy here because you’ll be a winner just like me!”
Jackson winks at the camera and flashes a smile before saying goodbye to his viewers as the stream ends.
The capacity crowd cheers wildly as the FWA X Champion, Tommy Bedlam, appears at the top of the ramp. The look on his face indicates that he’s all business tonight as he walks down the ramp, high-fiving a few of the fans along the way. Tommy steps into the ring, and in an unusual twist, walks over to the corner and motions for a mic. The music slowly fades out as Tommy looks around at the fans.
Tommy Bedlam: “In the months leading up to last year’s Back in Business, I went through hell because of Shawn Summers. He tormented me, he tormented Randi, and Walker, who wasn’t even born at that point felt the evil that is Shawn Summers.”
“When he challenged me to the Three Stages of Hell match and he had two titles, I knew that he’d do something sick for the third stage. What’d Shawn do? He told me that if I wanted a shot at ‘his’ titles, I’d have to put the naming rights to my kid on the line. And I did it.”
“I’ve gotta be honest here. Going into the match, I should’ve only cared about making sure that Shawn Summers didn’t get to name my kid. I should’ve only cared about making sure that I didn’t have a little ‘Shawn’ running around the house. But I wanted more than that. I wanted to take everything from that son of a bitch.”
“Round one, he beat me and kept his TV title. I was gutted. When I looked at him across the ring before the second round started, he had this sick, twisted look in his eyes, and I knew that I had already failed. But then, in the second round, I took this championship away from him.”
Tommy raises the X Championship in the air with one hand as the crowd cheers.
Tommy Bedlam: “Round three started, we’re all evened up at one apiece, and my kid’s name is on the line. Summers looked pissed, but not as confident, and I got him. Match ends, crowd goes wild, and he comes at me again. Thank God, my boy Chris Crowe came out and we flipped the switch on Summers.”
“I was in the back getting stitched up when Rocco came running in to tell me that Summers was dropping the TV title and skipping town. He took his ball and went home. Why? Because he didn’t break me. Ever since that night, I’ve done everything I could to restore some honor to the X Championship. I went to war with XYZ more than once. I’ve fought Keres. I’ve fought everyone who stepped up and said that they wanted a shot at this belt, and a few weeks back, I announced that I was going to put it on the line in the King of the Deathmatch Tournament.”
“That’s why it hurts me so damn bad to announce that I’m not going to be able to do that.”
The crowd is mostly confused before a chorus of boos rings out through the arena.
Tommy Bedlam: “Don’t get it twisted, this isn’t because I’m bitching out on defending this title. I’ve been broken and busted open more times than I can count over the last several months, and I’ve loved every second of it. The problem is, that I cannot receive medical clearance to compete in the King of the Deathmatch. There’s a fucking Texas bullrope match in this thing, and I don’t get to be a part of it.”
“Somewhere over the last few months, I’ve torn something in my shoulder, and it’s going to require surgery for me to have a chance at eventually coming back. I told Jon Russnow that I would sign a waiver, clearing FWA of any responsibility if something goes wrong in the tournament, but he shot that down. I got a second opinion, and all it did was confirm what the FWA doctors had already said. My shoulder is fucked up and the only way to fix it is to have surgery, and I’m gonna land on the shelf for a few months at best, and maybe longer. Maybe forever.”
The crowd has fallen dead silent as for the first time, Tommy shows some sort of emotion. He takes the title off his shoulder and holds it, looking down at the belt.
Tommy Bedlam: “With me not being in the King of the Deathmatch, I had to make a decision. I could go back on my word, hope this thing heals up pretty quick, and let the winner be the new number-one contender. Or, I could drop the X Title and let the King of the Deathmatch decide who takes my spot.”
“I’m ashamed to say it, but I went back and forth on it for a while. This belt has become a part of who I am since I pinned Summers for it. Every time that I’ve been scheduled to defend it, I’ve shown up and done it, but I can’t do that this time. With that in mind, I also don’t know how long I’m going to be out. A couple of years back, Jason Randall cracked some bones in my spine, and I came back 5 months later after doctors told me to take a year off. This time, they’re telling me 4 to 6 months. But I’ve also had to accept the fact that this might be the end of the road for Tommy Bedlam.”
“I’m not taking my ball and going home. Fuck that. Nobody ever pinned me and took this title from me. But you, the fans, deserve an X Champion who’s going to be here every week fighting, scrapping, and bleeding to hold onto this thing, and I cannot stand here and guarantee that I’m ever going to be able to do that again.”
Tommy drops the X Title in the middle of the ring and makes his way over toward the ropes. Suddenly, he stops and the crowd starts to cheer, assuming that he’s thought of a way out of this. Tommy returns to the middle of the ring and stands over the X title and then slowly steps out of his boots, sits them beside the championship, and waves to the crowd. He steps out of the ring and slowly makes his way up the ramp.
The reaction inside Korakuen Hall is mixed, but there is a definitely stronger level of cheers as to what Big Bryan Bastard would usually expect. The now-former FWA North American Champion actually seems rather taken aback by the showings of positivity towards him. It causes a small lapse in his overly-concentrated state before he snaps back into deep focus on his way towards the ring.
Kurt Harrington: "The following contest is an F1 Climaxxx Pool B Play Off scheduled for one fall, with a twenty-minute time limit! Introducing first, representing the Friendship Wrestling Alliance… from Hickory, North Carolina and weighing in at three-hundred and twelve pounds… he is BIIIG BRYANNNN BASSSSSSSSTAAAAARRRDDDD!!!”
Rod Sterling: "For those of you that did not see the recent North American Showdown, you will not have been privy to one of the greatest matches in recent memory between this man, Big Bryan Bastard and ‘The Prodigy’ Mike Parr. ”
Daniella Kennedy: "An hour and five minutes. Absolute cinema. But the now former North American Champion will need to put the disappointment of losing his championship behind him as he faces off against a man who he defeated in the previous F1 Climaxxx, Chris Peacock. But Bill Scorpane was a crucial factor in the outcome of that match. As we learned earlier on, Scorpane is staying in the back at Baxter’s request.”
Christian Quinn: "With the loser of this match facing Michelle von Horrowitz in the semi final, both men will want to come away the winner here. The Bastard made it that far last time around.”
Without much fuss, Big Bryan Bastard enters the ring. There is a moment where he looks at the crowd and nods his head briefly. After that, it is all business as he awaits his opponent.
Aside from a few pockets within the crowd which contain the ever-present FTN loyalists, there is a unanimously negative reaction for the former FWA World Champion, Chris Peacock. This reaction is amplified to the nth degree when the fans see that Allen Price is accompanying Peacock to the ring. It is not typical for a wrestler of Peacock’s stature to approach a ring by wheeling their manager’s wheelchair, but here we are. Chris sets Price up by the barricade and then rolls into the ring.
Kurt Harrington: "His opponent… representing FTN and being accompanied by Allen Price… from Brooklyn, New York and weighing in at two-hundred and ten pounds… he is ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ CHRIS….. PEEAAAAAACCOOOOOOOOCKKK!!!”
Daniella Kennedy: "Given where Peacock has parked him up, we are going to be spared from having Price here on the desk with us. Probably for the best, Christian, given the history there…”
Christian Quinn: "Yeah, I’m not at all bitter about that hack stealing my job, getting me demoted to being a fucking backstage interviewer and then getting this doofus to break my leg when he got his feelings hurt. It pleasured me to no end seeing Chris Peacock getting continually humbled over the last few months.”
Rod Sterling: "It was a rough end to 2023 for the former FWA World Champion. He suffered several big defeats, including two calamitous championship losses at Lights Out back in October. With wins against Halloween Knight and Deathswitch a couple of weeks ago in the bag, he is the man in form coming into this one.”
As soon as Peacock gets into the ring he makes a beeline for BBB. The referee comes across to get in between them to prevent things becoming physical before the bell has even rung. Peacock blows a kiss at Baxter as he is escorted away.
SECOND MATCH | 1/20.
Big Bryan Bastard vs. Chris Peacock.
Singles Match (F1 Climaxxx Pool B 1st/2nd Play-Off).
Match Writer: Man.
The bell rings, and as with each of his previous two F1 Climaxxx matches, Chris Peacock rushes his opponent from across the ring. However, Bryan Baxter is more than prepared and he immediately flattens Peacock with a Discus Lariat!! There is a loud pop as Peacock gets absolutely turned inside out by the massive impact and is already on the mat unmoving. BBB lifts Peacock up from the mat and folds him in between his legs. With complete ease, Bastard is able to lift Peacock up and he Powerbombs him into the turnbuckle!
There is no wasted movement from Baxter as he follows this up by backing into the opposite corner across the ring and sprints in… and splashes Peacock against the turnbuckle in the corner! He prevents Peacock from slumping forward and instead holds him in position before raising a finger to his mouth to instruct the crowd to be silent for a moment. They comply, so everyone can perfectly hear the impact when he slaps Peacock’s bare chest!
Rod Sterling: "That was deafening! Right next to the FTN scar as well, and just look at that handprint!”
Peacock, wide-eyed and with his mouth agape, holds his chest and when he moves his arm, a clearly visible red handprint engulfs his chest. A yelp can be heard from Allen Price as he sees the damage done to his client, and it would seem that Baxter enjoyed his handiwork, judging by the smirk on his face. Wanting to repeat the move, Baxter tries to put Peacock up against the turnbuckle once again, but this time the former FWA World Champion resists by raking Baxter’s eyes.
This gives Peacock a small window to reel off a couple of strikes to Baxter’s face and he manages to turn the tables on the larger man and get him in the corner. A couple of body blows seem to cause no damage and Peacock stomps on Baxter’s knee to chop him down to size slightly. He then reels off a couple more punches and a chop to the chest, which fails to reproduce the gunshot-like sound of it happening to him. Instead, Peacock gets up onto the second rope and starts punching the top of Baxter’s head… and then resorts to biting his opponent on the forehead.
Daniella Kennedy: "This has become somewhat of a hallmark for Chris Peacock in his matches; he has become scrappy and willing to take opportunities as they present themselves, or even bend the rules to create the opportunities for himself.”
Christian Quinn: "I always questioned this guy’s veracity and given what he did to me, I’m never going to buy him a beer, but even I’ve got to admit that he’s got this style down now. Look what happened last year when he tried fighting the fair fight against his best friend? He lost.”
The biting is reason enough for the referee to intervene, and he demands Peacock get down and away. Chris allows Baxter to step out of the corner for a moment, and connects with a kick to the side of his knee. All this seems to do though is anger Baxter. Chris attempts to stave his opponent off with another snap jab, followed by a second. However when Peacock tries to strike a pose before the third, he makes the grave mistake of turning his back on Big Bryan Bastard, resulting in him getting dumped on the back of his head with a German Suplex!!
Once again, Peacock gets folded up by Bryan. The Bastard is not able to go for a cover due to Peacock sidling back against the bottom turnbuckle in the corner of the ring. What Peacock’s positioning does permit however is for Baxter to gain momentum and charge towards him… Running Hip Attack! The replays show Peacock’s head viciously whiplashing against the middle turnbuckle and Baxter then pulls him towards the centre of the ring and makes the first pin attempt of the match;
ONE… TWO… THRE-NO!!!
Rod Sterling: "I didn’t expect either of these two to hold anything back, given their history. Big Bryan Bastard though is really taking out his frustrations of losing the North American Championship to Mike Parr on Chris Peacock.”
Christian Quinn: "This is pretty uncharted territory for Baxter, Rod. The guy went, what? Two years and he failed to win two of his matches? He hasn’t won either of his last two coming into this one. Against a former FWA World Champion, Baxter is the one with a point to prove here, if you ask me.”
Peacock is not given any opportunity whatsoever to make it back to his feet on his own accord, as Bastard plucks him from the canvas with ease and slings him over his shoulder. Carrying Peacock like it is nothing, Baxter then places Chris on the top turnbuckle in a seated position. From higher up, Peacock manages to fire off a couple of right hands, but Baxter is unfazed. Another huge palm strike across Peacock’s chest earns Baxter the space he needs to execute his next move, which is a Northern Lights Suplex from the bottom rope! The extra elevation makes it even worse for Peacock, and BBB impressively bridges to keep Peacock’s shoulders down for a cover;
ONE… TWO… THRE-NO!!!
It takes a lot from Peacock to slide a shoulder up from the mat, but once again, Baxter is not in the game of allowing his crafty opponent any space or room for manoeuvre. Once again, he lifts Peacock from the mat and this time he looks at the fans for some sort of approval and they cheer loudly;
Daniella Kennedy: "These fans here in Tokyo want to see Peacock put away once and for all, and I think that they could be about to here!”
Baxter raises Peacock in the air, looking for the BAXTER DRIVER - BUT PEACOCK SLITHERS DOWN THE BASTARD’S BACK!! Chris lands on his feet and ducks the attempted back elbow and hits the ropes, running on pure instinct - SPEAR FROM PEACOCK… BUT HE JUST BOUNCES OFF THE BIGGER MAN! Peacock may as well have ran into a brick wall, as it would have probably had more give than his opponent, and Peacock holds his shoulder at Baxter’s feet. A rough knee to the face from BBB is followed up with a Falling Headbutt which connects with Peacock’s forehead.
The former North American Champion looks for another pinning opportunity, but Peacock has enough about him to see it coming and roll underneath the bottom rope. He manages to land on his feet but is clearly worse for wear after the multitude of heavy shots from BBB. Allen Price manages to get himself around to his client, although he has a lot of difficulty moving the wheelchair around. Price gives Peacock some words of encouragement and tells him to get back in there, but before Peacock can do anything of the sort, Price yells and backs away as Big Bryan Bastard has joined the fray on the outside of the ring.
Baxter grabs Peacock by the neck and tries to bring him back into the ring, but Peacock does all he can to resist… which includes striking Baxter with the Fight Fever backfist! It does catch the bigger man off-guard, and Bax recoils holding his nose. Peacock smirks, nodding his head confidently.
Christian Quinn: "Yeah, you got one shot off, Peacock. Good for you. Great job. Why don’t you get back in there and follow up or something?”
Rod Sterling: "A good suggestion, Christian. Big Bryan Bastard is not the kind of opponent you want to waste time posturing like this against. Earlier in the match Peacock got dumped on his head for screwing around.”
It appears to be a lesson not learnt by Peacock, as he takes time to lick his hand and he lines Baxter up… and delivers a PIMP SLAP! The technique applied to the strike, combined with the striking power, meant that BBB would have almost certainly felt it. However, even with a bright red cheek that would almost certainly be throbbing in pain, Big Bryan bastard fails to see the amusing side of the blatant disrespect shown to him by his opponent. It was at this moment, that Chris Peacock knew he had fucked up.
In a very swift motion, Baxter takes Peacock by the throat and pushes him back against the steps and post and forces his head back as to leave his chest exposed one more time… and then delivers another huge slap across Peacock’s chest! The air escapes from Peacock’s lungs as he gasps and his first and immediate thought is to get as far away from BBB as he can. He scurries away from Baxter after breaking his grip and waits to be pursued by his opponent. Baxter follows Peacock around the corner, but Chris charges forward and Dropkicks the steel steps straight into Baxter’s knees! This causes the big man’s legs to go from underneath him and he is left hunched over the steps.
Peacock lines Baxter up and boots him in the side of the head, crushing it against the steps. It then takes a considerable amount of effort on Peacock’s part to get Bax back inside of the ring, and he uses the steps for leverage to pull Baxter’s right leg under the ropes in the corner… and he slams it against the ring post!
Rod Sterling: "Chris Peacock has spent most of this match getting beaten from pillar to post, so it does not surprise me that the resourceful former world champion has resorted to using his environment to his advantage. There seems to be some sort of communication between Peacock and Price, here…”
The referee urges Peacock to get everything back into the ring, but he ignores this request and is nonplussed when the official begins to count him out. He shares a nod with Allen Price… and PRICE TIPS HIMSELF OUT OF HIS WHEELCHAIR! Ever the dramatist, Price makes a very loud scene and feigns further and severe injury to his neck. He asks for the referee to help him, and the official begrudgingly does, however when he gets down to help Price up, Allen grabs onto his collar with two hands to prevent him from getting up.
Whilst this is happening, Peacock leaves BBB in stasis and heads to the timekeeper’s area… and requisitions one of the steel chairs stored in that section! It does not take a genius to figure out what he is going to do with it… and he SLAMS THE CHAIR AGAINST BAXTER’S KNEE!!! The joint is sandwiched in steel and Baxter shuffles back holding the knee.
Christian Quinn: "It is absolutely illegal but part of me honestly respects what they’re going for here- HEY! DON’T YOU DARE!”
The reason for Christian Quinn’s anger is because Peacock is back in the ring and he stands over Baxter with his foot in one hand… AND HE SLIPS DOWN TO APPLY THE COMMENTATOR’S CURSE!!! The very submission that Chris used to cripple Quinn two years ago, and defeat many opponents since, is synched in tightly. Allen Price finally accepts the assistance of the referee and is gently placed back in his chair.
With that dealt with, the official turns his attention to the ring where he sees that a submission is locked in. Baxter’s eyes are screwed shut in pain and concentration which is a stark contrast to Peacock, whose eyes are wide open and filled with derangement. Peacock screams his demands for Baxter to tap out, along with several very insulting comments about his weight in an attempt to demoralise him. The fans are all over Peacock, making it clear that they disapprove of his tactics, but their attention quickly shifts to them rallying in support of Baxter.
Daniella Kennedy: "Big Bryan Bastard will be in a world of pain right now, but he simply must endure this if he has a hope of winning this match and setting himself up a rematch with either Mike Parr or Konchu Hao.”
Rod Sterling: "After being subjected to that Inverted Sharpshooter by Parr and tapping out in his previous match, there is nothing that Baxter will want to do less right now. I think he’d rather let Peacock try to tear his leg off than submit.”
Using his free leg, BBB kicks out at Peacock. The grip of the former FWA World Champion is famously difficult to break, but Baxter kicks him in the head some more. This seems to gain him a bit of traction… very similarly to how Jeremy Best escaped the submission when Peacock placed it on him inside a Steel Roulette match… the kicks keep coming… and coming… and coming…
One final and definitive kick across Peacock’s nose causes the break! Baxter holds his knee and backs away into the corner… but an angry Peacock follows him.
Daniella Kennedy: "Baxter escapes the submission, but at what cost? That damaged knee is going to haunt him for the remainder of this match.”
With Baxter in the corner, Peacock continues to focus his attacks on his opponent’s right knee, even after Baxter had already escaped his submission attempt once. Peacock stomps on it several times and tries to hook it around the bottom rope but this is resisted by Bastard. A harsh elbow to Peacock’s chin creates a bit of separation, and Baxter hobbles out of the corner towards Peacock, who scores with a Dropkick directly to the knee! This takes it out from underneath the big man and leaves him in good position for Peacock to jump into the air and bring his leg down across the back of Bastard’s head with a Famouser! Baxter’s face is driven into the mat and Peacock strains to flip him onto his back so he can try for a pin;
ONE… TWO… NO!!!
There is some clear frustration on Peacock’s face as he once again fails to put away a man he has never defeated before.
Rod Sterling: "I think that Chris Peacock is starting to become desperate here. Beating Baxter and being recognised as the winner of Pool B would be a huge way of building some momentum going into the Semi Finals. But as we all know, Bryan Baxter is a very tough nut to crack.”
It would seem that Peacock’s desperation would take him to the high risk district as the corner is his focus after rising up to his feet. He stumbles towards it and pulls himself up, as Baxter struggles to pick himself up too due to the damage to his knee. Peacock sets himself on the top rope in the corner, waiting for Baxter to rise and face him. Once the Bastard is where he wants him, Peacock takes flight… GLITTERBALL DROP - BUT BRYAN CATCHES HIM!!! The fans cheer as Peacock’s face makes it clear that he knows he is in a lot of trouble.
Baxter groans as his knee wobbles, threatening to buckle from the additional weight, but he holds firms… and drives Peacock into the mat with a SPINNING SIT OUT POWERBOMB!! Peacock is unmoving due to the force he was slammed down with, and Baxter leans forward, placing his hands on Peacock’s chest;
ONE… TWO… THREE-NO!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "The last possible millisecond, guys. That’s when Chris Peacock managed to get a shoulder up. Baxter was so close to getting him there and well, just listen to these fans. They know this is Baxter’s opportunity to finish the former FWA World Champion off!”
It is clear that the Powerbomb did tremendous damage to Peacock, who remains pancaked on the May afterwards and Baxter slowly pulls himself up with the assistance of the ropes. The fans are almost entirely behind the former North American Champion at this point, and know that a Baxter Driver will almost certainly seal the deal at this point. Allen Price is obviously savvy to this too… as he jumps out of his wheelchair with no issue and clambers up onto the apron! The support for Baxter shifts into deafening jeers.
Christian Quinn: "Come on, can someone just get this idiot out of here? There’s a perfectly good match happening right now and then you’ve got this dipshit getting in the way. He’s not even pretending he needs that neck brace anymore.”
With Price up on the apron, the referee’s attention is fully consumed. However Baxter pays no attention to that as he sees that Peacock is still down on the mat and there for the taking. Therefore, he lifts Peacock up from the mat and gets him in position for the Baxter Driver once more, but something catches his eye, and he drops Peacock down to the mat with a thud. Someone is walking out from the back with haste… it’s BILL SCORPANE!
Daniella Kennedy: "Scorpane? We saw him earlier on and Big Bryan Bastard made it clear that he wanted to deal with Chris Peacock on his own. Scorpane has seemingly ignored that request!”
Rod Sterling: "This could be a good thing? We saw in the video tape earlier on; Scorpane was pivotal in Baxter defeating Peacock in the 2023 tournament. Perhaps he is just coming out here to ensure the same result?”
BBB leans on the ropes as Scorpane reaches the ringside area. As per his previous instruction, Baxter requests that Scorpane depart from ringside, but his former manager refuses and pulls something out from his jacket pocket… it’s the brass knuckles! Baxter shakes his head adamantly, refusing to use the weapon, and he turns back to Peacock… but Peacock kicks him in the midsection and hits him with the DISCO THRILLER STUNNER!!!
It is enough to get the Bastard down, but only to his knees. Peacock is down on the mat as well, still feeling the effects of the Powerbomb. He glances over at Allen Price, who has the referee firmly by the collar and is still preventing the official from seeing what is happening in the ring. On the other side, Bill Scorpane does his best to get Baxter’s attention and he slides the brass knucks into the ring… in between both Baxter and Peacock.
Rod Sterling: "They’re in the ring now! Is Baxter going to use them and defeat Chris Peacock for a second time?”
Christian Quinn: "Hey, if you ask me, it looked like Scorpane slid those brass knuckles closer to Chris Peacock...”
The brass knucks lay unretrieved in the middle of the ring but as pointed out by Christian Quinn, they seem to actually be closer to Peacock than Baxter, the presumed intended recipient. This is noticed too by Peacock, who quickly grabs the knucks before Baxter has even seen them! Chris keeps himself low on the mat and allows Baxter to lift him up from the mat… BUT PEACOCK COCKS HIS ARM BACK AND CRACKS BAXTER ON THE JAW WITH THE BRASS KNUCKLES!!!
The fans inside Korakuen Hall are not happy in the slightest as the big man drops instantly from the strike, and Peacock tosses the weapon out of the ring. At this time, Allen Price finally releases the referee and returns to his wheelchair. What the official sees when he returns to the action is Peacock standing over Baxter, who sits up slightly. The strike had only dazed Baxter, failing to knock him out. However, him trying to pick himself up only puts him in the perfect position for Peacock to hit the ropes and run through him with THE STRUT!!! Baxter slumps backwards, and Peacock jumps on top for the cover;
ONE… TWO… THREE!!!
Kurt Harrington: "Here is your winner… CHRIS PEACOCK!!!”
With a smug and satisfied grin plastered across his face, Chris Peacock sits up coming out of the cover and starts laughing. There is clear elation on his face as he revels in the victory and his avenging the loss to Big Bryan Bastard in the 2023 F1 Climaxxx. Allen Price claps enthusiastically on the outside like a seal, but only not as intelligent.
Christian Quinn: "Daylight ROBBERY at its finest here tonight in Tokyo. Peacock is desperate to avoid Michelle von Horrowitz for as long as he can and well, any meeting between them now can only happen in the tournament final. A cowardly display from someone I would not expect any more from.”
Daniella Kennedy: "I wouldn’t be so certain if I was Chris Peacock. There is still the small matter of having to get past either Konchu Hao or Mike Parr. As for Big Bryan Bastard, he has a rematch from last year’s F1 Climaxxx Semi Final against MvH once again. Given Bill Scorpane’s ties to the Nephews and his actions here tonight, it could be an uphill battle for Bax…”
Peacock leaves the ring and starts wheeling Price back towards the backstage area. They pass Bill Scorpane but do not interact with him. Scorpane’s attention is solely on the man left in the ring. Big Bryan Bastard starts coming to after getting his jaw swiped with the brass knuckles and he looks at his former agent in shock and disbelief. Scorpane simply shakes his head, before turning to leave…
The Fight Night feed shifts to the undisclosed island in Japan, the setting for King of the Deathmatch 3. XYZ is sitting in a hammock, his feet dangling over the side. He is then approached by Frank, the muscular and tall black man who is part of The Menage.
“X, none of us had any idea about Blair Ravenwood approaching you about overthrowing Kleio in The Coven. What are ya’ gonna do?”
“Not sure, Frank.”
“Well, if you don’t mind me saying, I think this is an opportunity. Both Blair and Trixie Bordeaux are in the King of the Deathmatch tournament. Maybe taking The Coven down, or at least gaining an ally in Blair, will help you win. I know that’s impo…”
“It is, Frank. It is important. But what’s also important is flying high with the wings of angelic soldiers. It’s important for me to bomb the hearts with salsa and oregano. The sea lions of yesteryear have always had opportunities to usurp the lords of the walkways. They chose to fight head on.”
“Understood, X. You know what Wild J would say about this.”
Frank leaves X to his thoughts, and a close-up shot of X looking off into the distance with no focus shows him softly nodding his head. Then he mumbles, “I do know what Wild J would say.”
The feed pans out to a wide shot of X sitting on the edge of the hammock, looking off a large cliff on the island, wherever it is.
As Blood of Glory blares and the crowd comes to life, the man looking to turn four into five and complete the journey to reclaiming his throne emerges from behind the curtain.
The Japanese crowd gives Cyrus Truth a hero’s welcome, a wrestler who’s had plenty of stops with various wrestling circuits in his career in the Land of the Rising Sun and has spilled more than his fair share of blood and sweat in rings across the islands. Louds chants of “Cyrus Truth! Ichiban!” thunder in the arena as Cyrus grabs a microphone from one of the nearby ring attendants and slides into the ring, soaking in the atmosphere.
As his music dies down, The Exile gives a cool smile to the fans in attendance as the cheers die down. The crowd is settled, quietly but diligently focused on everything the former World Champion has to say.
Cyrus Truth: “We are fast approaching the crossroads of fate, the next bend in the Long and Winding Road that has tested my mettle time and time again over the past several years. Ever since I lost my FWA World Heavyweight Championship to Dave Sullivan at the event preceding Back in Business that year, I have had one goal. One singular objective, an obsession that has continued to drive me forward even when my so-called peers insisted that what I sought was doomed to never be mine again.
Cyrus Truth: “And while some of FWA’s finest continue to fight and struggle in the F1 Climaxxx, and others take the plunge into the King of the Deathmatch tournament, it is the man many had written off as past his prime that stands to challenge the FWA World Champion. One goal…one objective. To turn four…into five.”
As if to punctuate that, Cyrus holds out his free hand, extending all five fingers, symbolizing The Exile’s quest to claim his five World Title under the FWA banner. And the crowd is all for that, especially if it comes at the expense of the current champion.
Cyrus Truth: “With the Grand March gone, FWA hasn’t told me exactly when I’m getting my shot…aside from the fact that it will likely be before or during Carnal Contendership. And while I can’t say I’m fond of waiting, the bottom line is that it doesn’t matter. Because the second Jeremy Best steps into the ring with me and the referee calls for the bell, I am coming for his throat.
Cyrus Truth: “Jeremy can play his little games as much as he wants. Game shows and talks about friendship as if he understands what the hell that word even means. I don’t claim to be the friendliest person in wrestling. But I damn sure am one of the most dangerous. FWA and its wrestlers might say I should be written off as a relic of glories long past…but there is something to say about how scared one should be about the resilience of a man long in the tooth in an industry that chews and spits out the young.
Cyrus Truth: “So to put this a little more succinctly? I am coming for Jeremy Best. I am going to drop that lunatic on his head. And I will step over his lifeless body as well as the corpses of any of his little flunkies that want to get involved to return to my throne, and become the FWA World…”
???: “Aaahhhheeem! Aaaaahhhheeeemmm! Pardon me!”
Cyrus Truth is interrupted by a voice that seems familiar to some of the fans in attendance but certainly is not recognized by Cyrus Truth. But those who watched World’s Collide will recognize “The Dubb” Bobby Joel making his way out from the back, but he is joined by FWA wrestler, Vengador, for some reason.
Rod Sterling: : “I’m not sure what the meaning of this is… we haven’t seen Vengador since his win at Winter Wasteland… and that man… wrestling fans, some of you may know him from as “The Dubb” Bobby Joel… but what he’s doing here and interrupting Cyrus Truth of all people… I’m at a loss for.”
Cyrus Truth is none too pleased as Bobby Joel and Vengador both climb into the ring.
Bobby Joel: “Now pardon me, Mr. Truth… I realize you may not know who I am but I’m about to change that. Because for people like yourself and the… uncultured… swine… of your typical mainstream rasslin’ fans may not be away of who I am so allow me to introduce myself. My name is “THE DUBB” BOBBY JOEL!
Cyrus Truth: And…is any of that supposed to mean anything to me? Look, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but…”
Bobby Joel, as if he didn’t hear Cyrus despite the fact that The Exile was 100% clear in what he said, continues to drone on.
Bobby Joel: ”In Japan I am a four time singles champion, six-time tag team champion, and I have done it all my way, whether or not these fans like it. But in the end, I provide results and that alone these fans can appreciate. I get… the dubb.”
“But I guess ya’ll are all askin’ yourselves… well than Mr. Bobby Joel… just why are you out here tonight? What business do I have interruptin’ Cyrus Truth talkin’ about his big ol’ title match coming up? And just what’s this impressive specimen doing with me here.”
The Exile simply sighs as he rather flippantly retorts.
Cyrus Truth: “No…not really. But I’m sure you’re going to waste even more of my time and these fans’ patience explaining, so you might as well get to it so that we can return to more important topics than some flash in the pan being led by an even more pathetic wannabe. So by all means, continue…but hurry up and get to the point. I was only given so much time for this segment, and unlike some folks on the roster, I actually try to make my statements without droning on and on to the point when nobody cares.”
Bobby Joel scowls at that as he motions to Vengador, who remains stoic in the background.
Bobby Joel: ”Well, it’s quite simple. Cyrus - you think of yourself as somethin’ of a big shot right. Former champion multiple times over. But here’s the thing, you’re in MY territory now, baby. BOBBY JOEL is the big deal in Japan.”
“But then I realized somethin’. I’ve been such a big deal in Japan for all these years… comin’ in as a foreigner… becomin’ a star in a place I didn’t necessarily belong… but there’s somethin’ I have done. And that’s come to the FWA and make my mark.”
“And the way I see it… I may be gettin’ older but I still got plenty of years left. And while I can still lace up my boots and step into the ring if I need to… why do that when I can lead someone to the top. Someone with potential. Someone… dangerous. Someone… deadly.”
Cyrus crosses his arms, almost begging Joel to get to the point.
Bobby Joel: ”Vengador walked into Japan for World’s Collide a few months ago… much like a young Dubb many moons ago… a stranger in a strange land. But he came in and he defeated another champion. I saw something in this mysterious man… and so I came to him and gave him the chance of a lifetime… a chance to make a name for himself. A chance to become the most feared man in professional wrestling.”
“And what better way to do that, Truth? What better way to do that… than… by taking out… THE EXILE!”
Cyrus looks at this duo with a look of exasperation, both at being interrupted and having to deal with yet another would-be legend killer looking to make his name at his expense. But eventually, Cyrus simply cracks a small smile as he simply says:
Cyrus Truth: “Well, why the hell not? If you’re that eager to get humiliated and dropped on your head, far be it for me to deny you that opportunity. Besides…I have two minutes to kill, anyway. This shouldn’t take very long.”
Vengador steps forward, approaching Cyrus. Not one to back down from a challenge, Cyrus seemingly dares Vengador to come to him. The masked man goes toe to toe with Cyrus… AND SWINGS A RIGHT HAND!
But Cyrus battles back!
The two continue to trade blows back and forth, but the number one contender for the FWA Title begins to get the upperhand, backing Vengador toward the corner as Bobby Joel begins to show some concern on his face.
Bobby Joel turns to the back… and he motions for help?
Christian Quinn: “What now??”
The boos poor back in as… TRIPLE J SECURITY come out!
The trio rush to the ring, seemingly at the behest of Bobby Joel, going straight after Cyrus, attacking Truth from behind.
But once again, Truth battles back! One at a time he lays waste to the members of Triple J Security, with ease..
But Vengador uses the distraction from security to attack Cyrus from behind with a big running lariat to the back of the head! Cyrus drops to the mat and Vengador begins putting the boots to Truth’s back.
Bobby Joel directs traffic, instructing Triple J security to join in and it’s a four on one assault to the fallen Cyrus!
Rod Sterling: : “This is a mugging! All for Vengador to try and make a name for himself? This is ridiculous! We need some help out here!’
And help…
IS ON IT’S WAY!
In the form of…
JEREMY BEST?!
Christian Quinn: “Jeremy Best!
Rod Sterling: : “Things might be going from bad to worse here for Cyrus Truth.”
Jeremy isn’t alone! He’s joined by Sir Stache and Mejor Amigo! The trio slide into the ring…
AND THEY GO AFTER Triple J Security!
Stache and Amigo do battle with the jobbers while Jeremy Best takes on Vengador, striking with a series of swift kicks to the midsection before knocking Vengador backward with a spinkick!
Jeremy lifts him up for the BFF!
But Vengador slides down his back!
Vengador ducks to ringside as Triple J security also are sent packing from the ring, regrouping with Bobby Joel at ringside.
The crowd is certainly very confused by this development as Jeremy Best offers his hand to the fallen Cyrus… helping The Exile up to his feet.
Rod Sterling: : “What is going on? Jeremy Best just made the save for his upcoming challenger?”
Christian Quinn: “Jeremy did say he was going to prove that he could be friends with Cyrus… I guess he saw his opportunity tonight.”
In the ring, Jeremy picks up the microphone.
Jeremy Best: ”Wait! Wait! Don’t leave yet!”
Bobby Joel, Vengador, and Triple J Security stop in their tracks as they are heading up the ramp.
Jeremy Best: ”You guys picked a fight with the wwwwrrrooooooonnngggggg person! Because you come after one of my friends… and you don’t just gotta problem with him anymore… oh no sorry Bob… now you got a problem… with ME! So how about… we head to the next Fallout… you four… against US FOUR… Jeremy Best… Mejor Amigo… Sir Stache… AND CYRUS TRUTH! TEAM TRUE FRIENDSHIP!”
The crowd seems unsure of what to make of it at first, but begin to cheer on the idea as Bobby Joel mouths, “YOU’RE ON!” from the aisle.
An ecstatic Jeremy celebrates in the ring… while Cyrus Truth watches on… unamused by Jeremy’s antics but also clearly uncertain about having this match agreed to without his consent. Jeremy tries to bring Cyrus in for a hug, or at the very least a handshake…
But instead, Cyrus decides to exit the ring on his own.
Jeremy shrugs his shoulders and waves to his “new friend” as he leaves the ring.
Kurt Harrington: “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for your MAAAAAIN EVENT! Introducing first, he is The Mad Wizard; he is KONCHU HAAAAAAO!”
Konchu appears at the top of the ramp much to the delight of the crowd. The lights shine bright down on him as he starts walking to the ring with laser-focus.
Christian Quinn: “Konchu Hao looks determined. He’s had an impressive F1 thus far, and if he gets past the North American Champion tonight, he has a date with Chris Peacock.
Hao slides under the bottom rope as he makes his way over to the corner, waiting for his opponent.
Kurt Harrington: “Aaand his opponent, he is the FWA North American Champion, “The Prodigy,” Mike Parr!”
Parr gets a warm reception reminiscent of the one he got when he overcame Bryan Baxter on the North American Championship Special.
Rod Sterling: “Mike Parr hasn’t always been a fan favorite, but he’s earned his respect. He definitely looked like a hero after stopping the North American Championship reign of Bryan Baxter. That look on his face says that he’s not satisfied though. He has his eyes set on Chris Peacock.”
Mike Parr steps through the ropes and hands the North American Championship belt to Richard Davis and backs into his own corner, waiting for the bell to sound.
FOURTH MATCH | MAIN EVENT | 1/∞.
Konchu Hao vs. Mike Parr.
Singles Match (F1 Climaxxx Pool A 2nd/3rd Play-Off).
Match Writer: Tommy.
<<0:00>>
Konchu Hao and Mike Parr slowly approach the center of the ring where they find themselves face-to-face. The crowd is electric for this one, and is clearly divided between Konchu and the man who ended the North American championship reign of Bryan Baxter.
LET’S GO KONCHU!!!
LET’S GO PARR!!!
Christian Quinn: “This capacity crowd is pretty evenly divided for our Fight Night main event.
Neither man seems willing to blink or back down, but it’s Parr who strikes first with a forearm across Hao’s jaw. Hao quickly strikes back with a forearm blow of his own as the two men begin to deliver a flurry of forearms, each of them to delight of their half of the crowd.
Rod Sterling: “Mike Parr and Konchu Hao are two of the most respected men in the FWA. Parr gained a lot of favor with the crowd by knocking off Baxter, putting an end to an incredible title reign.”
Parr gains the upper hand, staggering Hao before bouncing off the ropes and delivering a crushing knee strike to his opponent’s face. Hao staggers backward and bounces off the ropes himself, somehow staying on his feet. Parr quickly grabs him and drives him to the mat with a belly-to-belly suplex. Parr goes for a quick pin!
1…
2…
3..
NO! Hao gets a shoulder up and Parr quickly rolls off but maintains control with a chin lock.
<<4:22>>
Parr is still in complete control of this one and goes for another pin.
1…
Hao kicks out quickly, and Parr is starting to get frustrated. His incredulous look at the official gives Konchu just the opportunity he needs to deliver a crushing kick to the side of Parr’s head. The North American champion crumples to the ground as Konchu finally gets a break from the relentless offense that Parr has been bringing.
Konchu Hao pulls himself up by the ropes much to the delight of those who have thrown their support behind him. The “Mad Wizard” gets a sadistic look on his face as he methodically walks toward his opponent. He pulls Parr the rest of the way to his feet and shoves him into the corner. Hao delivers a brutal Mongolian chop that leaves Parr’s ears ringing. He follows it up with another and then another! Parr, still reeling from the kick to the head slumps down the turnbuckle.
Parr backs to the center point of the ring and charges in delivering a crushing knee to the side of Parr’s face. The champ looks to be out cold!
Hao goes for a pin of his own.
1…
2…
3.
NO! Somehow, Mike Parr finds the strength to drape one foot across the bottom rope, breaking the count.
<<7:11>>
Christian Quinn: “These two men are battling for the opportunity to face Chris Peacock, but with the punishment they’re dishing out, I’m not sure how much they’ll have for him.”
Rod Sterling: “Peacock has been through his own battle, though. There’s no way he’s going to be 100% after that match with Baxter.”
Hao delivers a kick to the gut, driving the wind out of Parr before he grabs his opponent by the back of the head and begins to unleash a series of knees.
Rod Sterling: “John Dee’s Knees! He’s setting up Parr here. He’s focused heavily on his head. Oh! It looks like the North American Champion is busted open.”
The camera pans in close, and sure enough, Parr has a nasty cut above his left eyebrow. Blood is running down his face.
Konchu shoves Parr away from him, and the champion looks like he’s out on his feet. Hao charges toward him, but Parr ducks down and grabs the top rope. Konchu hits the floor at ringside with a sickening thud.
The crowd’s attention is diverted by something at the top of the ramp…
Rod Sterling: “Well, speaking of the devil. What’s he doing here?!”
Chris Peacock makes his way down the ramp slowly, seemingly impervious to the boos that are pouring down on him. Hao is on the ground between the announce table and the ring, seemingly unaware of the fact that Peacock is looking to inject himself into this match.
Parr is groggy as he wipes away some of the blood that’s clouding his vision. He slowly climbs to his feet just as Peacock arrives at ringside.
Referee Richard Davis realizes that something is going on and moves away from Hao, whom he’s been checking on. He slides through the ring and cuts off Peacock who has climbed up on the apron. Chris Peacock puts his hands in the air, acting as though he’s not there for any real purpose.
Christian Quinn: “I’m sure that Peacock isn’t out here just to watch, but who would he be out here trying to help? Does he have a preference as to who he’s going to face?”
While Davis is tied up with Chris Peacock, Parr slides out of the ring and onto the floor. He pulls Hao up to his feet and delivers a beautiful snap suplex onto the floor. Hao grabs his back and ribs, writhing in pain on the floor.
Parr delivers a couple of stomps to Hao’s torso, continually looking toward the other side of the ring, keeping a watchful eye on Peacock who is diverting the attention of Richard Davis. Somehow, Hao drags himself to his knees and chop blocks Parr from behind, taking the North American champion’s legs out from under him.
Rod Sterling: “What’s really interesting about what Peacock is doing is that he’s keeping Richard Davis from counting one or both of these men out. This thing could have ended in a draw by now, but Davis can’t start the count.”
Parr is holding his knee as the bleeding above his eye continues. Konchu climbs onto the ringside steps and delivers a leaping stomp onto the same knee that he just hit with a shoulder. He goes to the well one too many times, though. As he goes airborne off the steps for a second stomp, Parr gets a boot up that lands flush against Konchu’s jaw, driving him backward, the back of his skull bouncing off the steps.
Christian Quinn: “These two men are going to kill each other before either one of them gets to Peacock. Maybe that’s why he’s out here. Let them brutalize each other on the outside of the ring and he can pick their bones in the next round.”
Peacock finally hops down from the apron and begins slowly backing up the ramp as Richard Davis begins to count both competitors out.
1…
2…
3…
4…
5…
Mike Parr is stirring, but he’s favoring that knee.
6…
7…
8…
PARR SLIDES UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE!
Rod Sterling: “CAN KONCHU BEAT THE COUNT?!”
9…
KONCHU DIVES UNDER THE ROPE! This one is going to continue
<<13:45>>
Parr is back on his feet, but he’s not putting much weight on that left leg. Konchu is still down. Peacock has moved back down the ramp and is now lurking around ringside between the announce table and the timekeeper’s area.
Parr limps toward the corner and begins a slow climb. He’s hobbled, and it’s making it harder for him to get up to the top.
Rod Sterling: “WHAT’S PEACOCK DOING?!”
Chris Peacock hops onto the apron, but he seems careful not to touch the rope. He’s not trying to interfere with Parr’s climb, but “The Prodigy” is still struggling. He gets to the top rope, and somehow he goes airborne! He’s going for X Marks the Spot!
KONCHU ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY!
BUT MIKE PARR MANAGES TO LAND ON HIS FEET!
Parr immediately grabs his already-injured leg. Konchu has the momentum, and he’s going for Rasputin’s Revenge! But Parr ducks under, hits the ropes, and connects with a Rolling Cutter!
1…
2…
3…
DING! DING! DING!
Kurt Harrington: “Ladies and gentlemen, your winner, “The Prodigy” MIKE PAAAAAAARR!”
As Mike Parr celebrates with his North American Championship in hand, Chris Peacock arrogantly steps into the ring and makes his way toward his next opponent. Parr cuts his celebration short and turns around, putting himself nose-to-nose with “Disco’s Last Warrior.”
Rod Sterling: “Are these two going to go at it tonight? Neither of them are at 100%.”
Chris Peacock gives Mike Parr a sly grin as he slowly backs away, drops down to his back, and rolls out of the ring, backing up the ramp as he keeps his eyes Parr who holds the North American Championship over his head as the camera fades.
Todd Salum: “We’re here inside Korakuen Hall ahead of Fight Night later on this evening and I’m standing by here with the now forrmer FWA North American champion…”
Bryan Baxter: ”Tread lightly, Toddrick.”
Triple B gives an intense glare toward the interviewer, clearly still the word former still stinging.
Todd Salum: “Yes.. Sorry… yes, it was a tough loss for Bryan Baxter at the North American Showdown, but all hope is not loss. Because winning the F1 brings that title right back to you.
Bryan Baxter: ”And that’s exactly…”
???: “And that’s exactly what he’s going to do!”
Bryan is interrupted by a familiar voice as a familiar face walks in on the shot. It’s Mr. Bill Scorpane, Bryan’s former manager and more recently been seen as nephew OBB, or Ol’ Billy Boy.
Bill Scorpane: “That’s right, Toad… I’m back to where I belong! Because Bryan Baxter IS going to win the F1 because he’ll have me by his side. Tonight, ole Chrissy won’t know what hit him. Just like last time… in last year’s F1… I was right there in your corner to help you defeat that disco dancing dumbass… and tonight, we’re gonna do it again, big man!”
Todd Salum: “Well, what a turn of events… Mr. Scorpane is back in the corner of…
Bryan Baxter: ”Now wait just a goddamn minute… he don’t speak for me.”
Bill Scorpane: “Haha! Of course I do, Bryan. That’s quite literally my job.”
Bryan Baxter: ”I told you I didn’t want or need your help. You chose the Nephews, so go hang out with them. Go on another cosmic adventure. I don’t really care where you go… just don’t go to the ring tonight.”
A fired up Baxter pushes his way past Scorpane, who doesn’t look too pleased as he adjusts his suspends on his fancy suit.
Bill Scorpane: “Huh? What’s gotten into him? Aww, I’m sure it’ll be fine. I know what’s best for the boy. He’ll see.”
A smile returns to the face of Mr. Scorpane as he gives a nod to Todd before walking off, as Todd signs off.
the FWA proudly presents
FIGHT NIGHT.
only on the WCNetwork.
Saturday 16th March, 2024.
Live from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
After some sweeping shots of the interior of the historic Korakuen Hall and the excited FWA fans occupying it. Quickly though, attention shifts to the commentary table with the old Fight Night crew back together - Rod Sterling, Daniella Kennedy and Christian Quinn.
Rod Sterling: "Welcome one and all to the return of FWA Fight Night! It is a very familiar feeling for me sitting in between Daniella Kennedy and Christian Quinn - the gang is back together!”
Daniella Kennedy: "A pleasure to be here, Rod. There are three very important matches tonight and I’m looking forward to having a front row seat for all of them!”
Rod Sterling: "That’s right, Daniella. Whilst we were originally due to have FIVE matches on tonight’s card, outside circumstances have prevented that from being the case. As announced earlier this week on FWA.com, the Television Championship match between Brooklyn Steiner and Madison Gray has been pulled due to injuries suffered by both competitors in the last week.
In addition, due to travel issues being experienced by BOTH teams, the FWA World Tag Team Championship match has been POSTPONED. Jay Kenny and Donny Toner will defend their championships on Fallout 039 instead from Sapporo here in Japan.”
Christian Quinn: "A big shame, but the show much go-”
Suddenly, Korakuen Hall is plunged into darkness. An audible gasp emerges from the stands as the watching crowd wonders what is happening. Suddenly, a number of figures become visible among them in the darkness. They can be distinguished from the pitch black by the multi-coloured fluorescent shapes on their outfits… which resemble skulls on their heads and bones covering the rest of their bodies.
Christian Quinn: "What are those? Are they skeletons?”
Rod Sterling: "I would assume so, Christian, and that makes plenty of sense considering what match we have coming up next! Oh… HERE WE GO!”
Kurt Harrington: "The following contest is a Trios Match scheduled for one fall with a twenty minute time limit, and it is for the FWA TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIPS! Introducing first, the challengers… at a combined weight of six-hundred and seventy-seven pounds… JUAN TOTHREFOR, TRASH MAMMAL and HALLOWEEN KNIGHT… THEY ARE… TR1CK OR TR4SH!!!!”
Daniella Kennedy: "Well, it is definitely true that the FWA fans have become enamoured with the spooky antics of these three men and they’ve proven to not be a bad team at all, guys. Undefeated in Trios action here in the FWA.”
Christian Quinn: "These guys are undefeated? Who the hell have they been facing? The vampire and the guy wearing the bikini?!”
Rod Sterling: "I’ll have you know, Christian, that these three might not look the most conventional of competitors, when that bell rings they are just as dangerous as anyone on the roster. Juan Tothrefor is a pupil of Chubby Carlos back in Art of Lucha Wrestling, Halloween Knight has decades of experience under his belt and recently mixed things up with the likes of Chris Peacock and Big Bryan Bastard… and as for Trash Mammal, they wouldn’t be getting this opportunity were it not for him claiming a briefcase as part of the Secular Spectacular match at the beginning of the year.”
TR1CK or TR4SH enter the ring as a group, with Trash Mammal scurrying under the bottom rope whilst Juan and Halloween Knight vault themselves over the top. Halloween Knight does another dance for the fans before the aesthetic inside Korakuen Hall returns to normal, only to then go dark once again…
The watching fans are in awe at the mesmerising entrance of The Coven. Blair Ravenwood makes a point to be at the forefront, with her sister Celestia to her left. On her right is Grandma Ethel… because Bellatrix Bordeaux is bringing up the rear. ‘The Hex Girl’ has her head bowed down and obscured by her hanging hair. The Ravenwood sisters and Bordeaux are all wearing a Trios Championship belt around their waists and with a snap of her fingers, Blair leads the group towards the ring. Trixie has her fists clenched and due to how slow she is walking, lags behind the group somewhat.
Kurt Harrington: "Their opponents… accompanied by Grandma Ethel… from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania… they are the FWA Trios Champions… BLAIR RAVENWOOD, CELESTIA RAVENWOOD and BELLATRIX BOOOOOORDEEAAAUUXXX… THEY ARE THEEEEEEEE COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVENNNN!!!”
Christian Quinn: "That chick at the back… is she all there?”
Rod Sterling: "Trixie Bordeaux is fully in the midst of preparing for her second King of the Deathmatch tournament and something tells me that her training and preparations have taken her to a somewhat dark place. That could spell bad news for TR1CK or TR4SH, who are looking to dethrone The Coven, who have impressively held the FWA Trios Championships since Back in Business last year, where they became the inaugural title holders.”
Daniella Kennedy: "The Coven are of course short one member tonight in their leader, Kleio De Santos, who we understand is preparing her own entry in the tournament. However from the looks of things here, it seems that Blair Ravenwood has taken on a de facto leadership role here tonight in Tokyo.”
Christian Quinn: "That’s good. If a leader is not present on the battlefield then someone needs to step up. That’s some good initiative being shown by Blair here.”
Grandma Ethel complains of hip pain which prevents her from getting into the ring, so she urges the younger members of the group to enter ahead of her. Blair confidently strides up the steps with Celestia right behind her. Trixie rolls under the bottom rope and into the ring. She sees the Ravenwoods posing for the cameras in the middle of the ring, but her eye gets drawn to their opponents as the luchadors are huddled in a corner to discuss game plan…
BORDEAUX CHARGES IN AND THROWS HERSELF AT HER OPPONENTS!! The lighting quickly turns to normal inside Korakuen Hall as Trixie slams Halloween Knight’s head into the mat repeatedly. Both Trash Mammal and Juan Tothrefor attempt to remove her from their partner, but synchronised Dropkicks from Blair and Celestia knock them through the ropes and out of the ring!
Rod Sterling: "Looks like Trixie didn’t want to hang around and wait for any of the formalities… and The Coven acted quicker than TR1CK or TR4SH to start the match off on the strong foot!”
FIRST MATCH | 1/20.
The Coven (Trixie Bordeaux, Blair Ravenwood, and Celestia Ravenwood) [c] vs. TR1CK or TR4SH (Juan Tothrefor, Halloween Knight, and Trash Mammal).
Trios Match for the FWA Trios Championships.
Match Writer: Man.
The bell rings and both Ravenwood sisters are ordered to leave the ring, with Trixie left to stomp on Halloween Knight’s chest as he tries to pull himself out under the bottom rope. However Bordeaux is tenacious and pulls him towards the middle of the ring by a boot. This does allow Knight to crack off a kick to Trixie’s face that knocks her back slightly. This gives Knight the space to kip up from the mat to applause from the fans. He does a small dance upon landing, but this only leaves time for Trixie to take him down with a Thesz Press.
Whilst on top of Halloween Knight, Trixie slaps him across the head and face several times and then slams his head into the mat repeatedly.
Christian Quinn: "You can’t be going around throwing down dance moves like that when there’s gold on the line! I’m not surprised at all that she's punishing him for that.”
Halloween Knight manages to get up and push his smaller opponent away, but Trixie catches him with a boot to the midsection. She strikes him on the back a couple of times and then rakes her fingernails down Halloween Knight’s back. Even with the costume on, this seems to cause Knight a lot of discomfort. Trixie slaps on a Headlock, but Halloween Knight evades it by pushing her away, however he maintains wrist control and tries to bring her in for a Clothesline, but Bordeaux ducks it.
She continues forward and hits the ropes and comes back at Halloween Knight with TORPEDO TRIXIE!!! Bordeaux’s head collides with Halloween Knight’s chest and knocks him flat onto the mat, and she goes for an early cover;
ONE… TWO… THREE-NO!!
The rest of TR1CK or TR4SH break up the pin attempt! Juan and Trash Mammal shove Trixie from on top of their partner and there is a stand off as they berate Trixie for attacking them before the bell. Bordeaux does not say anything in response, looking almost conflicted, but once again she gets back up from Blair and Celestia, who stand next to her. Halloween Knight is pulled up by his partners and the two teams find themselves standing off in the middle of the ring.
Rod Sterling: "These two groups have actually not had much to do with each other in recent times, due to other commitments, but I think quite a lot of animosity has developed due to how Bellatrix Bordeaux chose to start this match off.”
Daniella Kennedy: "TR1CK or TR4SH strike me as some pretty fun guys, but we’ve seen from their record that they are no pushovers. I do think they wanted a nice, clean match… but didn’t take too kindly to getting jumped before the bell.”
There are jibes hurled back and forth between both teams - only by Blair and Celestia for The Coven as Trixie stands in quiet anger - and both teams meet in the middle of the ring! In the exchange of strikes, The Coven are superior much to the chagrin of the watching fans. All three witches attempt a heavy strike at the same time, and all three luchadors duck it… TRES SUPERKICKS!! All three Coven members are taken down by the kicks and they roll out of the ring to regroup.
Grandma Ethel scurries around the ring to join the girls, encouraging them to get up and Blair brings them in together to give out instructions of how to regain the advantage. Celestia calls out as she sees Halloween Knight charging towards them… but he puts on the brakes just before the ropes! There is a small moment of relief for The Coven, but Halloween Knight shouts “BOO!”... AND JUAN TOTHREFOR FLIES FROM THE TOP ROPE WITH A CROSS BODY, LANDING SQUARELY ON CELESTIA!!
That was the first Jump Scare, and the second comes when TRASH MAMMAL WIPES BLAIR OUT WITH A TOPE SUICIDA!! It is just Trixie Bordeaux left standing, but not for long… as Halloween Knight elevates himself over the top and flattens her down with a PLANCHA!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "The Coven are not the only purveyors of magic it would seem, as TR1CK or TR4SH had a couple of tricks of their own up their sleeves!”
Halloween Knight scoops Trixie up from the floor and rolls her back into the ring, hooking a leg for a pin attempt;
ONE… NO!
A few heads are turned by Bordeaux kicking out at just one, and Halloween Knight is quick to roll over to the TxT corner where he tags in Trash Mammal, who enters to good support from the crowd. Trixie is back to her feet and she attempts to slap the rodent, but Basura expertly transitions the attempted strike into an Arm Drag. Trixie is back up immediately and her charge in attempt is avoided by Trash Mammal with a leapfrog. Trash Mammal then drops to the mat as she approaches once again, and trips her over!
Trixie rolls through though and she runs in towards Trash Mammal, who goes low again, but Trixie jumps up into the air and double stomps onto his back! From there, Bordeaux notes that her partners are back on the apron, so she tags in Celestia and gets onto the apron herself. Ravenwood wrings Trash Mammal’s arm and then brings him in close for a knee strike to the midsection. When she tries to wring his arm once more, Basura rolls through and takes Celestia over with an Arm Drag! She gets back up and is caught by another, and this time Trash Mammal holds her in place for a second.
Able to escape, Celestia shoves Trash Mammal into the ropes, but does not notice when Juan Tothrefor slaps his partner on the back to tag himself in. Celestia catches Trash Mammal with a back elbow to cut him off, but she turns around into a Superkick to the midsection from Juan! Tothrefor connects with a second to the shin, then another to the knee to get Celestia down to one knee… and then a final Superkick to the jaw!
Rod Sterling: "Juan calls that combination the Counting Stars, and I think that is what Celestia Ravenwood could be doing right about now!”
Juan drops to his knees and goes for a lateral press on one of the champions;
ONE… TWO… NO!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "TRIXIE BREAKS UP THE PIN… and NOW SHE’S GOING AFTER JUAN!”
Trixie connected with a knee to Juan’s head to break the pin up, and despite not being the legal competitor in the match, she gets on top of him and starts to rain strikes down onto his head! After emphatically slamming Juan’s head down onto the mat, she is able to get a couple more licks in when the referee’s focus is instead on preventing the rest of TR1CK or TR4SH from getting into the ring to stop her! Trixie even begins to choke Juan out with her forearm, and it is only once the luchadors have calmed down does the referee force her to stop.
Rod Sterling: "This really is some shift in attitude from Bordeaux here tonight, folks. I’m not sure where the shy and timid girl who we are used to seeing has disappeared to, but tonight she looks like a cold-blooded killer. It is haunting - pun not intended.”
Christian Quinn: "Hey, from what I gather, she’s one who is on the cusp of moving on up to that next level here in the FWA. Maybe a change of heart and something you know, a bit more mature, is what she’s needed this entire time. I wouldn’t go around picking on a fight with her if this is how she’s going to be, that’s for sure. Attacking people before the bell and using any chance to inflict punishment; that’s some ruthless stuff… and you have got to be ruthless to win.”
The fans are not happy with Bordeaux as she regains some advantage for The Coven. Celestia smartly prevents Juan from reaching his partners and drags him towards the middle of the ring and closer to the Coven corner. Grandma Ethel claps with pride at the smart ring awareness. Celestia reaches up and tags in her sister, and Blair enters the ring. Despite no longer being legal, Celestia grabs Juan but he wriggles free. Blair though acts quickly and Dropkicks Juan in the back of his knee, and Celestia then follows up with one to his chest!
That takes Juan down onto the mat, and Blair stomps on him a couple of times, before lifting him up from the mat. Blair quickly tags Celestia back in and together, they lift the much larger Juan up… and place him in the Tree of Woe! Juan waves his arms around as Celestia takes a few steps back and lines him up… and Penalty Kicks him straight in the face! Juan’s body goes limp, and Celestia tags Blair back in, who hits the ropes quickly… and smushes Juan’s face with a Low Dropkick!
Trixie reaches over the ropes and tags herself in, and once inside she charges across the ring and knocks Halloween Knight from the apron with a running forearm! The referee is trying to help Juan down unsuccessfully, so he fails to notice when Trixie drops down to avoid a Trash Mammal strike and she punches him in between the legs! Trash Mammal drops to the floor in pain next to his partner.
Christian Quinn: "She just punched a rat in the dick. She punched a rat in the dick.”
The referee is unable to free Juan from the Tree of Woe, so he is left in prime position for Bordeaux to charge in and crush him against the corner with the BUNDLE OF FUN!!! The Cannonball has enough power behind it to cause Juan to fall from the corner, and Trixie flips him onto his back;
ONE… TWO… THRE-NO!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "A kick out from Juan - that’s a four-time Art of Lucha Television Champion right there, this guy is not going to go down easily.”
Rod Sterling: "Unless you’re Johnny Johnson.”
The kick out causes Trixie to scream primally and she begins to lay into Juan with more punches to his head. Each one lands hard, and Juan does his best to get some form of defence up against them, but it proves futile. Juan does manage to tie his feet up around the bottom rope, causing a break. Trixie is frustrated by this development, so she pulls him away and stomps on him several times. With Juan down on the canvas, Trixie looks down at him and then at the top turnbuckle. She begins to scale upwards, with her back to Juan, presumably for the WHISTLING TRIXIE-
Trixie pauses and looks back towards the entrance way, as does everyone else… and a very short balding man in a black singlet waddles out from the back!
Rod Sterling: "THAT’S LOU CHA! He was on Ground Zero with Trash Mammal and Halloween Knight… but what is he doing out here?”
Daniella Kennedy: "He’s saying something and pointing in Grandma Ethel’s direction! I think he’s coming out here to even up the numbers for TR1CK or TR4SH!”
Christian Quinn: "Why, though? She hasn’t done anything!”
Lou Cha, recognised by almost no one, gets in Grandma Ethel’s face and begins to berate her at ringside, telling her that he’s evening out the odds. Ethel, as with everyone else, is extremely confused. However Lou’s interlude in the match is quickly over as TRIXIE FLATTENS HIM WITH THE WHISTLING TRIXIE FROM THE TOP ROPE DOWN TO THE FLOOR!!! The crowd cheer loudly for the death-defying move, and Bordeaux then stomps on Lou’s face on her way back into the ring with a stern warning not to get involved again.
Trixie slides back into the ring… and STRAIGHT INTO A FALCON ARROW FROM JUAN TOTHREFOR!!! The fans cheer as Juan hooks both of her legs -
ONE… TWO… NO!!!
Despite Trixie being momentarily distracted by Lou Cha’s arrival, she kicked out of the Falcon Arrow and both she and Juan rise to their feet at the same time and run towards each other with the same idea… and both collide in mid-air going for running cross bodies! Both legal participants are down, and make their way towards their partners for a tag. Trixie is much quicker in bringing Blair into the match, who sprints across the ring and tries to stop Juan… but he leaps… AND TAGS IN HALLOWEEN KNIGHT!
Knight is unable to leave the apron as Blair closes in on him, but he catches her with a Gamenguiri as she approaches him. This causes her to recoil, and Halloween Knight lifts himself up onto the top rope and steadies himself - as Trash Mammal tags himself in on Juan’s boot - HORRORCANRANA!!! Blair is flipped over and ends up back on her feet in The Coven’s corner, allowing Celestia to reach over and tag herself in. Halloween Knight rises to his feet and begins dancing after hitting his move… but BLAIR CRACKS HIM IN THE HEAD WITH THE SHINING WITCH!!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "Huge impact with that one from Blair Ravenwood, and everything is starting to really break down here. Look out for Trash Mammal!”
No sooner is Blair back up after sending Halloween Knight under the bottom rope with her move is Trash Mammal behind her… and he drops her with the RABIES SHOT!!! She holds the back of her head and Trash Mammal gets on top of her for the pin attempt - but the referee does not count because it is Celestia that is legal instead! Trash Mammal tries to plead his case, but gets a kick directly to the face for his troubles instead from Celestia!
As Celestia rises up to her feet, Juan is back in the ring and lining her up… but Trixie screams loudly once more and runs at him… and they both go over the top rope thanks to Trixie’s Cactus Clothesline!!! This once again leaves just Celestia and Trash Mammal on their own in the ring, with the latter very dazed after the kick to the whiskers.
Rod Sterling: "Celestia Ravenwood has the chance to end this here for The Coven. Will their reign continue here in Tokyo?”
Christian Quinn: "It looks like it could be about to go down that way, Rod. This rodent guy is not in a good way whatsoever!”
Celestia pulls herself up onto the top turnbuckle and holds out her arms to pose for the crowd as Trash Mammal waits below. She takes flight… HEX BOMB… BUT TRASH MAMMAL ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY!!! Getting straight back up, Celestia holds her lower back and staggers into the path of Trash Mammal… who rolls her up!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "HE’S PLAYING POSSUM!!!”
ONE!
…
TWO!!
…
Trixie tries to slide back in… but Juan holds her boot!
…
THREE!!!!
Winners: TR1CK or TR4SH via pin fall at 16:13
Loud cheers burst through Korakuen Hall as the spooky techno music blares out once more and Celestia bursts out of the trapping pin with a look of shock on her face. She exchanges a glance with Trixie, who appears devastated… with Blair and Grandma Ethel having the same visages on their faces, too.
Kurt Harrington: "Here are your winners AND NEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW FWA Trios Champions… TR1CK ORRRRRRRR TR4SH!!!!”
As The Coven are stunned into silence, Trash Mammal jumps up from the mat and starts jumping around the ring, before being joined by Juan and Halloween Knight. A weary and battered Lou Cha hoists himself into the ring as well, and the group welcome him into the huddle.
Daniella Kennedy: "The historic first reign as FWA Trios Champions for The Coven is officially over! For over eight months these witches held dominion over this division and these championships, but they have been dethroned by the unlikeliest of opponents here at Fight Night!”
Rod Sterling: "A definite underdog story comes to life, Daniella. These are three individuals that were judged and cast aside because they dared to be different but write them off at your peril! There are new champions in town and their names are Juan, Knight and Basura!”
The Coven maintain their shock as they regroup and start heading towards the back. Ethel does her best to comfort the disappointed girls and can be heard reassuring them.
Christian Quinn: "The Coven will be gutted by that result, there’s no doubt about it, but they have the King of the Deathmatch tournament to worry about first. The inquest over how they lost this match and their journey to reclaiming them can begin once that is over and done with.”
The celebrations in the ring are only just beginning though as TR1CK or TR4SH are handed their newly-won championships by the referee. Juan drops to his knees and looks upwards, reciting a prayer whilst Halloween Knight dances enthusiastically. Lou Cha attempts to look at Trash Mammal’s belt and is shunned. The party seems in full swing as we fade away…
We cut to a feed showing a clip from Fallout 38, one that was never before seen. XYZ is shown walking down a hall, when he’s suddenly dragged into a utility closet as he walks past!
XYZ’s calm demeanor is unchanged. A chain is pulled and a light clicks on, to reveal Blair Ravenwood alone as she emerges from the darkness.
Blair Ravenwood: “Hello friend.”
XYZ: “Friend?”
Blair Ravenwood: “Haven’t you heard that saying before? The enemy of my enemy…is my friend.”
XYZ: “Oh, I have heard of this slogan of the mouth. And … who is this enemy you reference?”
Blair Ravenwood: “Who is yours?”
XYZ: “I have many or few. They light up the night’s sky one day and leave it pitch black the next.”
Blair Ravenwood: “And yet who is the one who wakes up every morning cursing your name, all because you maybe didn’t smile at her the right way, or accidentally took the last donut off the concession table. Kleio De Santos…she is your enemy. So much so that you may not even realize it. As we speak, she is probably plotting on how to take you out, capitalize on whatever misfortune she can provide you. Well, I’m here to offer an alternative.”
XYZ: “An alternative? To what?”
Blair Ravenwood: “To being another one of her many victims…”
XYZ contemplates for a moment. Rubbing his fingers on his chin.
XYZ: “And what is it you are proposing regarding Kleio of the De Santos?”
Blair Ravenwood: “We team up. You join my plot to take down Kleio De Santos. You get rid of a pest that just hasn’t gone away, despite you beating her at Back in Business last year. And I get rid of someone who is leading my stable down a dark and dreary path. It is a win-win.”
XYZ doesn’t respond. He simply continues to stare at and study Blair.
She eventually quits waiting for a response.
Blair Ravenwood: “Think about it, and get back to me. But my offer is a standing one, and it’s one you won’t regret taking”
Blair walks past XYZ, leaving him in the utility closet alone, with a lot to think about.
The broadcast shifts focus to a Twitch stream hosted by none other than Jackson Fenix. It appears as though it’s not live and was streamed prior to Fight Night. Jackson has his streaming headset on as well as his usual Britney Spears t-shirt, an Oops!...I Did It Again Tour t-shirt to be specific. The stream appears to be close to coming to an end for the day as Jackson addresses his viewers after finishing up a game of Fall Guys with a win.
Jackson Fenix: “What a great way to end the stream with a win! Great stream chat! Thank you all for coming out today to hang and watch me play games for a few hours, I appreciate it!”
He starts to read the chat and sees something that catches his attention.
Jackson Fenix: “Before I go though there’s something I should mention. It was just brought up in the chat and I feel like I should say something, so what better time than now, I suppose. Anyway, y'all know that Carnal Contendership is coming up, right? Do you remember last year’s event? I know I do, I can’t forget it. I came so close to winning the whole thing but it just wasn’t meant to be, but hey, I did do well enough that earned me a spot in the Steel Roulette. We all know how that turned out though…”
“Well, I will be entering the Carnal Contendership once again this year, and this time I will win the whole thing. I know you’re all probably thinking that’s a big statement to make, but I’m confident in myself that I can do it. Look how far I made it last year, I know I can not only make it that far again but be the last one standing in the ring and punch my ticket to Back in Business.”
“You want to know what else will make this different from last year? Carnal Contendership will be in my backyard. That’s right, Carnal Contendership will be in my hometown of Las Vegas, and I can’t think of a better homecoming than winning the CC in front of my friends and family. I can’t lose, I can't let you down, and I can’t let myself down. Last year was the beginning of a new me that saw a lot of new opportunities that I earned, but every time I let y’all down. Not again, this year is my year, and it starts at CC in my hometown of Las Vegas, so if you’re a betting person you might want to bet on ol’ Jackie boy here because you’ll be a winner just like me!”
Jackson winks at the camera and flashes a smile before saying goodbye to his viewers as the stream ends.
The capacity crowd cheers wildly as the FWA X Champion, Tommy Bedlam, appears at the top of the ramp. The look on his face indicates that he’s all business tonight as he walks down the ramp, high-fiving a few of the fans along the way. Tommy steps into the ring, and in an unusual twist, walks over to the corner and motions for a mic. The music slowly fades out as Tommy looks around at the fans.
Tommy Bedlam: “In the months leading up to last year’s Back in Business, I went through hell because of Shawn Summers. He tormented me, he tormented Randi, and Walker, who wasn’t even born at that point felt the evil that is Shawn Summers.”
“When he challenged me to the Three Stages of Hell match and he had two titles, I knew that he’d do something sick for the third stage. What’d Shawn do? He told me that if I wanted a shot at ‘his’ titles, I’d have to put the naming rights to my kid on the line. And I did it.”
“I’ve gotta be honest here. Going into the match, I should’ve only cared about making sure that Shawn Summers didn’t get to name my kid. I should’ve only cared about making sure that I didn’t have a little ‘Shawn’ running around the house. But I wanted more than that. I wanted to take everything from that son of a bitch.”
“Round one, he beat me and kept his TV title. I was gutted. When I looked at him across the ring before the second round started, he had this sick, twisted look in his eyes, and I knew that I had already failed. But then, in the second round, I took this championship away from him.”
Tommy raises the X Championship in the air with one hand as the crowd cheers.
Tommy Bedlam: “Round three started, we’re all evened up at one apiece, and my kid’s name is on the line. Summers looked pissed, but not as confident, and I got him. Match ends, crowd goes wild, and he comes at me again. Thank God, my boy Chris Crowe came out and we flipped the switch on Summers.”
“I was in the back getting stitched up when Rocco came running in to tell me that Summers was dropping the TV title and skipping town. He took his ball and went home. Why? Because he didn’t break me. Ever since that night, I’ve done everything I could to restore some honor to the X Championship. I went to war with XYZ more than once. I’ve fought Keres. I’ve fought everyone who stepped up and said that they wanted a shot at this belt, and a few weeks back, I announced that I was going to put it on the line in the King of the Deathmatch Tournament.”
“That’s why it hurts me so damn bad to announce that I’m not going to be able to do that.”
The crowd is mostly confused before a chorus of boos rings out through the arena.
Tommy Bedlam: “Don’t get it twisted, this isn’t because I’m bitching out on defending this title. I’ve been broken and busted open more times than I can count over the last several months, and I’ve loved every second of it. The problem is, that I cannot receive medical clearance to compete in the King of the Deathmatch. There’s a fucking Texas bullrope match in this thing, and I don’t get to be a part of it.”
“Somewhere over the last few months, I’ve torn something in my shoulder, and it’s going to require surgery for me to have a chance at eventually coming back. I told Jon Russnow that I would sign a waiver, clearing FWA of any responsibility if something goes wrong in the tournament, but he shot that down. I got a second opinion, and all it did was confirm what the FWA doctors had already said. My shoulder is fucked up and the only way to fix it is to have surgery, and I’m gonna land on the shelf for a few months at best, and maybe longer. Maybe forever.”
The crowd has fallen dead silent as for the first time, Tommy shows some sort of emotion. He takes the title off his shoulder and holds it, looking down at the belt.
Tommy Bedlam: “With me not being in the King of the Deathmatch, I had to make a decision. I could go back on my word, hope this thing heals up pretty quick, and let the winner be the new number-one contender. Or, I could drop the X Title and let the King of the Deathmatch decide who takes my spot.”
“I’m ashamed to say it, but I went back and forth on it for a while. This belt has become a part of who I am since I pinned Summers for it. Every time that I’ve been scheduled to defend it, I’ve shown up and done it, but I can’t do that this time. With that in mind, I also don’t know how long I’m going to be out. A couple of years back, Jason Randall cracked some bones in my spine, and I came back 5 months later after doctors told me to take a year off. This time, they’re telling me 4 to 6 months. But I’ve also had to accept the fact that this might be the end of the road for Tommy Bedlam.”
“I’m not taking my ball and going home. Fuck that. Nobody ever pinned me and took this title from me. But you, the fans, deserve an X Champion who’s going to be here every week fighting, scrapping, and bleeding to hold onto this thing, and I cannot stand here and guarantee that I’m ever going to be able to do that again.”
Tommy drops the X Title in the middle of the ring and makes his way over toward the ropes. Suddenly, he stops and the crowd starts to cheer, assuming that he’s thought of a way out of this. Tommy returns to the middle of the ring and stands over the X title and then slowly steps out of his boots, sits them beside the championship, and waves to the crowd. He steps out of the ring and slowly makes his way up the ramp.
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 3: Her Truth
“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. On the first part of this series, we got our first look into the unique story of the TORN Universe with the creators of it, Slate Bass, and Eden. Last week, we got a look into the character of Princess Nova and the person behind her, Alexis Taylor. This week, in what is going to be perhaps the biggest episode, we are going to be talking to a woman that, well, nobody knows anything about. Yet. She’s probably the most mysterious aspect of the TORN Universe other than the universe itself. Everyone please welcome the woman behind the character known as “The Daughter of Demise” Keres.”
Out walks a woman with her black hair tied up in a ponytail and wearing very normal clothing. A pair of gray jeans, white and black Adidas, a black shirt with the music artist Billie Eilish on it, and a lime green jacket that’s slightly shorter than the shirt and has the sleeves rolled up to just below her elbows. Looking completely different to how she is within the FWA and the TORN Universe, this is Keres, or rather the woman that portrays her. She takes a seat on the set and reaches out to shake Cameron’s hand.
“Oh my god, I couldn’t be more excited to have you here! I have to admit, I half-expected you to show up in character, but here you are looking completely different to anything we’ve ever seen. Thank you SO much for being here!”
The woman puts on a happy smile, chuckles, and blushes a little bit before responding.
“It’s actually really cool to be here, Cameron. Getting to show a part of me that nobody has ever really seen before is definitely a little weird, but I’m happy to do it. Showing off a little bit of my street style and personality is awesome, but now it’s going to be harder to hide in public, haha.”
“Well, let me just say that you look great right now. And I’m a big fan of Billie Eilish too, is she an inspiration of yours?”
“Oh, for sure. I’m all about girl power and women’s empowerment and she’s always been a huge part of those conversations. It’s one of the reasons that you’ve seen a majority of women in the TORN Universe. The only male, so far, has been Slate.”
Cameron leans in to prod a little further.
“So far? So you’re saying there’s a possibility of more men in the TORN Universe?”
“So, we’re always planting seeds that can lead in multiple directions. Maybe there have been discussions about that. In terms of future ideas, that’s not something I can really talk about. We wouldn’t want to spoil any potential plans or get anyone’s hopes up and then not deliver on something.”
Cameron shuffles through some cards on her desk and gets them in order.
“Completely understand. Right now I would like to get a little personal and peel back some of your layers. Let’s give everyone an insight into who you are and finally answer some questions that have been on everyone’s mind since you exploded onto the scene in the world of professional wrestling and sports entertainment. I’m going to start with maybe the most important thing… We all know that your real name isn’t Keres, so, can you tell us what your real name is? We’re dying to know!”
Cameron excitedly shakes her arms in front of her in anticipation of the woman’s answer. The woman smiles and looks around at everyone in the studio.
“That’s the million dollar question. And yes, I’ve definitely come here to give you that answer… but I have to admit that I’m a little scared.”
“And why is that?”
The woman nervously rubs her hands in her lap while looking down. She looks back up at Cameron Lewis, who has a puzzled look on her face.
“My name… is Crystal Amery.”
Cameron Lewis pauses for a moment and stares at Crystal, as if that name pinged something in her brain. Then it hits her.
“Wait… Crystal Amery…”
Cameron hops up from her seat and puts her hands over her mouth out of shock and surprise.
“Crystal Amery?! The missing high school athlete from years ago?!”
“All grown up.”
The studio audience buzzes with shock and awe. Crystal still nervously rubs her hands together and her face becomes a flush shade of red. Cameron Lewis regains her composure and sits back down in her chair.
“Ok, wow. I was not expecting that. For those of you unaware, and please correct and add more context as needed Crystal, but this young woman right here disappeared at the age of 16. Her parents had no clue what her whereabouts were and, eventually, the search for her died down. But before that happened, Crystal was an astonishing high school athlete from Connecticut. Even with her small frame, she excelled in powerlifting, and on top of that she had won a few mixed martial arts tournaments. I guess this explains how you do what you do in the ring. But please, tell us what happened when you disappeared, all the rest is very secondary right now.”
Crystal folds her hands in her lap and looks up at Cameron Lewis. She rubs her lips together while trying to figure out the right words to say.
“Right. So… I’ll start off by saying that whole thing about my parents not knowing where I was? Well that’s a complete lie. They knew where I was. They knew damn well where I was. I left them a note when I ran away from home.”
“You ran away? They made it seem like so much more than that. They had everyone thinking you were kidnapped or killed.”
“Of course they would do that. They needed a sob story to tell. They couldn’t let everyone know that their darling daughter got sick of their [CENSORED] and their abuse and left to chase her dream of being a wrestler. With no money, nobody to help, and no real destination, a 16 year old girl ran away from her uncaring parents and hitchhiked to the south. Oh, and let me clarify something because this really got under my skin when I was with them… My ‘father’ was actually my stepdad. They always lied to everyone.”
Cameron tosses half of the cards in her hands completely out of frame and reshuffles the remaining cards around.
“Wow, alright, so this episode took an unexpected turn. What a shocking development… uhm, so why did you run away? And how did you stay under the radar? Obviously it’s been a few years and you look different now so that might be part of it.”
“Yeah, changing up my appearance was a part of it. As most of you all probably remember, I was a blonde but for some reason my eyebrows were a really dark black, so I was incredibly recognizable. I decided to dye my hair to match my eyebrows and then that combined with the fact that I was hiding in the south, it was pretty easy to stay away from those that knew me.”
“I have to ask again, why did you run away? You portrayed your mom and stepdad in a negative light, so what drove you away from them?”
“They’re horrible people. My mom only cared about how successful I could be for her benefit. She wanted me to make money to fuel her lifestyle, which was just all partying and drinking. Even though we lived in Connecticut, we were far from wealthy. Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t dirt broke either, I guess you could say we were middle class. But yeah, she wanted her star athlete daughter to fill her bank account, so I’m glad that me running away pulled that opportunity from her.”
“And your stepdad? What about him?”
Crystal leans back in her seat, puts her hands in her pockets, looks up at the ceiling and takes a long, deep breath.
“There’s no other way for me to put this. I wanted him to die. I still do, because that’s how he made me feel about myself too. How my mother could let a man like that into our home… I will never understand. No matter what I did in powerlifting or martial arts, or even before that when I was trying to be a cheerleader or get into acting, he always said I sucked… And sure, while that’s not something you should be saying to a kid that’s trying to be their best, it’s not the worst thing in the world…”
“Crystal, before you continue, I can see this is bothering you a lot. If you’d like to switch topics, we can do that. If you want to stay on this one then you can continue, it’s up to you. I’ll follow your lead.”
Crystal leans forward in her seat and looks down at the floor. She lets out another deep breath and then looks over at Cameron.
“No, I’m here to tell everyone about me and tell my story. My truth. And this connects to how, and why, I became the character Keres alongside Slate, Eden, and Nova. I heard you say things would probably get censored, so I’m going to say [CENSORED] that man. Without getting overly graphic on your show… that poor excuse of a man abused me in unspeakable ways. Not only that, but he beat my mother so bad that she lost my unborn sister. The only positive thing about that is that she didn’t have to grow up with that thing as her biological father and didn’t have to go through what I experienced.”
Crystal has tears in her eyes as she says this. Seeing her emotional state, Cameron comes out from behind her desk and gives Crystal a tight hug as the studio audience claps and shares their approval for Crystal. Letting go of the hug, Cameron goes back behind her desk.
“Crystal, you’re incredibly brave. I’m so happy that you’re here. You’re so strong for saying and doing what you just did and I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of that. I feel bad for having to ask this, but I just need to know more about your story… What happened to your biological father?”
“He passed away when I was young. I don’t have any memories of him. From what I know, he was coming home from work one day and another driver ran a red light and slammed into his car head on. Died instantly. All I have from him is my name. He called me his ‘little gem’ when I was born, according to my mom. Even though I never knew him, I hope he’s proud of me.”
The studio audience applauds Crystal Amery, as does Cameron Lewis.
“Alright, Crystal, I want to thank you for sharing everything that you have. Thank you for being vulnerable and affording me the opportunity to speak with you like this.”
“Of course Cameron, your show has always been a favorite of mine. I wouldn’t have done this for anyone else.”
“I appreciate that very much. So, now I want to shift onto the topic of how you met Slate and Eden and got involved in the TORN Universe. When and where did this happen?”
“I owe my life to Slate Bassignani and Eden Martinelli. Those two people are more family to me than my actual family ever was. They discovered me when I was on the independent scene, I was rolling around between the south and the east coast scene and trying to make a name for myself, but I just couldn’t get anything solid going. I didn’t have much of a character but I had skill in the ring and creative ideas. One day Slate was at a show in Canada and I happened to be on that same show, my first time in the Great White North. He was wrestling a local guy that everyone knew and blew through him because he was doing a story for his own promotion LDW. He and Eden saw me wrestling that night, and later told me they heard me talking to some other people about all these ideas I had, and they approached me.”
“And what did you think of them when you met them?”
“I thought they were two weirdos about to do the whole ‘me and my girl across the bar’ kind of bit to an unassuming 18 year old.”
Everyone lets out a big laugh before getting back on track.
“No, but if I’m being serious, I had seen them before on TV and I was so fascinated by them. They approached me and wanted to sign me to LDW… and I said, initially, no, but we exchanged contact info.”
“Why did you say no? At the time, that would have been a huge opportunity for you.”
“I didn’t think it would be a good fit for me. I hadn’t found myself yet as a wrestler. If I would have joined, I would have been just another person on the roster, and I told them that, and they respected it. Even if I definitely could’ve used the money, because I was broke, homeless, and getting by on cheap pizza and the heat from a [CENSORED] car that was given to me in lieu of payment one time.”
Cameron goes through her cards again and scribbles down some notes.
“So then how did you all get together? We never actually saw you in LDW, but we did see the real-world Keres, the toddler, make a few appearances and then we saw this adult version of her that looked completely different from you. How did you end up as this adult version of her character?”
“I called them and asked them if they had a plan for that. They told me that the woman they had portraying the adult version of their child Keres was meant to be a temporary thing for a small story and that was it. Then, while on the phone with them… I sent them an 82 page document of my ideas that broke down their TORN Universe and how they could use this character of Keres in a much bigger way and evolve everything.”
“So the current form of the Keres character was all your idea? Well, your ideas on how to progress and further utilize something they weren’t going to continue with.”
“Yup. And they loved it. They immediately wanted to work with me. To keep a long story short, I ended up really connecting with Eden and Alexis. I told them about my life and my hardships, Eden shared with me her well-known Diabetes diagnosis and Alexis told me her life story. Eventually I connected with Slate as if he were my dad… then Slate and Eden offered me their home… They let me live with them because I had literally nothing except a car older than me, empty pizza boxes, and barely enough money to wash half of my clothing that I kept in a few bags in my trunk.”
“They didn’t mention any of this. The characters they play are completely different from who they are in real life it seems.”
“Yeah, they would never mention any of this. They believe that their work is what’s important and don’t like to brag about the good they do in real life. Eventually, they helped me get signed to the FWA along with Alexis as Princess Nova. I have to say, Alexis has been such a huge help. She’s wrestled longer than me and having someone like her by my side has been so valuable. I love her like an actual sister and our brains tend to go on the same creative wavelength, which is why we work so well together. This is going to sound so superficial, but now we all make a hell of a lot of money together while doing things we love. I wouldn’t have been able to be this successful, or maybe even alive, without them.”
“Hearing all of this from you perfectly explains why the character of Keres is as strong, unique, and creative as it is. Who you, Crystal Amery, are as a person shows why Slate and Eden have trusted you, and Alexis for that matter, to continue their creative universe.”
“Well, it is called “The Ongoing Rebirth Narrative” for a reason, it seems. After hearing them finally say what it stood for, I guess it explains why I’m here. In the real world, being with them was a rebirth for me. For them, me coming in and adding my hands to the steering wheel was a rebirth for all of them… and, well, the narrative is still ongoing.”
Cameron places her remaining cards on her desk, puts her hands together, and smiles at both Crystal and the studio audience.
“Before we go, I think this is something really cool that we need to do in order to end this episode on a happy note. Everyone, please welcome back to the stage Eden, but accompanying her this time, her daughter, the real world Keres!”
The studio audience cheers as Eden comes out with her real life daughter, and actual small child, Keres. Keres is dressed up as the adult version portrayed by Crystal Amery. Crystal stands and tightly hugs Eden before picking up Keres, spinning her, and giving her a snug hug as well. Cameron walks over to little Keres and gives her a high five.
“I want to thank everyone for being here for the final episode of this interview series where we went out of character, got a whole new perspective on the TORN Universe, and finally learned more about the woman behind the character of Keres. With that being said, Crystal and actual Keres, can the two of you sign us off for this final episode in the way only you two can?”
Crystal smiles and kneels down to Keres to whisper in her ear. Keres’ face lights up and she looks directly at the camera as Crystal does the same. They both put on a stone-faced expression, raise their hands beside their faces and s̵̞͗n̶̹͛a̴̛̟p̵̩̄.
The show instantly goes to black, mimicking the TORN abilities that the character of Keres displays on FWA television.
[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 3: Her Truth
“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. On the first part of this series, we got our first look into the unique story of the TORN Universe with the creators of it, Slate Bass, and Eden. Last week, we got a look into the character of Princess Nova and the person behind her, Alexis Taylor. This week, in what is going to be perhaps the biggest episode, we are going to be talking to a woman that, well, nobody knows anything about. Yet. She’s probably the most mysterious aspect of the TORN Universe other than the universe itself. Everyone please welcome the woman behind the character known as “The Daughter of Demise” Keres.”
Out walks a woman with her black hair tied up in a ponytail and wearing very normal clothing. A pair of gray jeans, white and black Adidas, a black shirt with the music artist Billie Eilish on it, and a lime green jacket that’s slightly shorter than the shirt and has the sleeves rolled up to just below her elbows. Looking completely different to how she is within the FWA and the TORN Universe, this is Keres, or rather the woman that portrays her. She takes a seat on the set and reaches out to shake Cameron’s hand.
“Oh my god, I couldn’t be more excited to have you here! I have to admit, I half-expected you to show up in character, but here you are looking completely different to anything we’ve ever seen. Thank you SO much for being here!”
The woman puts on a happy smile, chuckles, and blushes a little bit before responding.
“It’s actually really cool to be here, Cameron. Getting to show a part of me that nobody has ever really seen before is definitely a little weird, but I’m happy to do it. Showing off a little bit of my street style and personality is awesome, but now it’s going to be harder to hide in public, haha.”
“Well, let me just say that you look great right now. And I’m a big fan of Billie Eilish too, is she an inspiration of yours?”
“Oh, for sure. I’m all about girl power and women’s empowerment and she’s always been a huge part of those conversations. It’s one of the reasons that you’ve seen a majority of women in the TORN Universe. The only male, so far, has been Slate.”
Cameron leans in to prod a little further.
“So far? So you’re saying there’s a possibility of more men in the TORN Universe?”
“So, we’re always planting seeds that can lead in multiple directions. Maybe there have been discussions about that. In terms of future ideas, that’s not something I can really talk about. We wouldn’t want to spoil any potential plans or get anyone’s hopes up and then not deliver on something.”
Cameron shuffles through some cards on her desk and gets them in order.
“Completely understand. Right now I would like to get a little personal and peel back some of your layers. Let’s give everyone an insight into who you are and finally answer some questions that have been on everyone’s mind since you exploded onto the scene in the world of professional wrestling and sports entertainment. I’m going to start with maybe the most important thing… We all know that your real name isn’t Keres, so, can you tell us what your real name is? We’re dying to know!”
Cameron excitedly shakes her arms in front of her in anticipation of the woman’s answer. The woman smiles and looks around at everyone in the studio.
“That’s the million dollar question. And yes, I’ve definitely come here to give you that answer… but I have to admit that I’m a little scared.”
“And why is that?”
The woman nervously rubs her hands in her lap while looking down. She looks back up at Cameron Lewis, who has a puzzled look on her face.
“My name… is Crystal Amery.”
Cameron Lewis pauses for a moment and stares at Crystal, as if that name pinged something in her brain. Then it hits her.
“Wait… Crystal Amery…”
Cameron hops up from her seat and puts her hands over her mouth out of shock and surprise.
“Crystal Amery?! The missing high school athlete from years ago?!”
“All grown up.”
The studio audience buzzes with shock and awe. Crystal still nervously rubs her hands together and her face becomes a flush shade of red. Cameron Lewis regains her composure and sits back down in her chair.
“Ok, wow. I was not expecting that. For those of you unaware, and please correct and add more context as needed Crystal, but this young woman right here disappeared at the age of 16. Her parents had no clue what her whereabouts were and, eventually, the search for her died down. But before that happened, Crystal was an astonishing high school athlete from Connecticut. Even with her small frame, she excelled in powerlifting, and on top of that she had won a few mixed martial arts tournaments. I guess this explains how you do what you do in the ring. But please, tell us what happened when you disappeared, all the rest is very secondary right now.”
Crystal folds her hands in her lap and looks up at Cameron Lewis. She rubs her lips together while trying to figure out the right words to say.
“Right. So… I’ll start off by saying that whole thing about my parents not knowing where I was? Well that’s a complete lie. They knew where I was. They knew damn well where I was. I left them a note when I ran away from home.”
“You ran away? They made it seem like so much more than that. They had everyone thinking you were kidnapped or killed.”
“Of course they would do that. They needed a sob story to tell. They couldn’t let everyone know that their darling daughter got sick of their [CENSORED] and their abuse and left to chase her dream of being a wrestler. With no money, nobody to help, and no real destination, a 16 year old girl ran away from her uncaring parents and hitchhiked to the south. Oh, and let me clarify something because this really got under my skin when I was with them… My ‘father’ was actually my stepdad. They always lied to everyone.”
Cameron tosses half of the cards in her hands completely out of frame and reshuffles the remaining cards around.
“Wow, alright, so this episode took an unexpected turn. What a shocking development… uhm, so why did you run away? And how did you stay under the radar? Obviously it’s been a few years and you look different now so that might be part of it.”
“Yeah, changing up my appearance was a part of it. As most of you all probably remember, I was a blonde but for some reason my eyebrows were a really dark black, so I was incredibly recognizable. I decided to dye my hair to match my eyebrows and then that combined with the fact that I was hiding in the south, it was pretty easy to stay away from those that knew me.”
“I have to ask again, why did you run away? You portrayed your mom and stepdad in a negative light, so what drove you away from them?”
“They’re horrible people. My mom only cared about how successful I could be for her benefit. She wanted me to make money to fuel her lifestyle, which was just all partying and drinking. Even though we lived in Connecticut, we were far from wealthy. Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t dirt broke either, I guess you could say we were middle class. But yeah, she wanted her star athlete daughter to fill her bank account, so I’m glad that me running away pulled that opportunity from her.”
“And your stepdad? What about him?”
Crystal leans back in her seat, puts her hands in her pockets, looks up at the ceiling and takes a long, deep breath.
“There’s no other way for me to put this. I wanted him to die. I still do, because that’s how he made me feel about myself too. How my mother could let a man like that into our home… I will never understand. No matter what I did in powerlifting or martial arts, or even before that when I was trying to be a cheerleader or get into acting, he always said I sucked… And sure, while that’s not something you should be saying to a kid that’s trying to be their best, it’s not the worst thing in the world…”
“Crystal, before you continue, I can see this is bothering you a lot. If you’d like to switch topics, we can do that. If you want to stay on this one then you can continue, it’s up to you. I’ll follow your lead.”
Crystal leans forward in her seat and looks down at the floor. She lets out another deep breath and then looks over at Cameron.
“No, I’m here to tell everyone about me and tell my story. My truth. And this connects to how, and why, I became the character Keres alongside Slate, Eden, and Nova. I heard you say things would probably get censored, so I’m going to say [CENSORED] that man. Without getting overly graphic on your show… that poor excuse of a man abused me in unspeakable ways. Not only that, but he beat my mother so bad that she lost my unborn sister. The only positive thing about that is that she didn’t have to grow up with that thing as her biological father and didn’t have to go through what I experienced.”
Crystal has tears in her eyes as she says this. Seeing her emotional state, Cameron comes out from behind her desk and gives Crystal a tight hug as the studio audience claps and shares their approval for Crystal. Letting go of the hug, Cameron goes back behind her desk.
“Crystal, you’re incredibly brave. I’m so happy that you’re here. You’re so strong for saying and doing what you just did and I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of that. I feel bad for having to ask this, but I just need to know more about your story… What happened to your biological father?”
“He passed away when I was young. I don’t have any memories of him. From what I know, he was coming home from work one day and another driver ran a red light and slammed into his car head on. Died instantly. All I have from him is my name. He called me his ‘little gem’ when I was born, according to my mom. Even though I never knew him, I hope he’s proud of me.”
The studio audience applauds Crystal Amery, as does Cameron Lewis.
“Alright, Crystal, I want to thank you for sharing everything that you have. Thank you for being vulnerable and affording me the opportunity to speak with you like this.”
“Of course Cameron, your show has always been a favorite of mine. I wouldn’t have done this for anyone else.”
“I appreciate that very much. So, now I want to shift onto the topic of how you met Slate and Eden and got involved in the TORN Universe. When and where did this happen?”
“I owe my life to Slate Bassignani and Eden Martinelli. Those two people are more family to me than my actual family ever was. They discovered me when I was on the independent scene, I was rolling around between the south and the east coast scene and trying to make a name for myself, but I just couldn’t get anything solid going. I didn’t have much of a character but I had skill in the ring and creative ideas. One day Slate was at a show in Canada and I happened to be on that same show, my first time in the Great White North. He was wrestling a local guy that everyone knew and blew through him because he was doing a story for his own promotion LDW. He and Eden saw me wrestling that night, and later told me they heard me talking to some other people about all these ideas I had, and they approached me.”
“And what did you think of them when you met them?”
“I thought they were two weirdos about to do the whole ‘me and my girl across the bar’ kind of bit to an unassuming 18 year old.”
Everyone lets out a big laugh before getting back on track.
“No, but if I’m being serious, I had seen them before on TV and I was so fascinated by them. They approached me and wanted to sign me to LDW… and I said, initially, no, but we exchanged contact info.”
“Why did you say no? At the time, that would have been a huge opportunity for you.”
“I didn’t think it would be a good fit for me. I hadn’t found myself yet as a wrestler. If I would have joined, I would have been just another person on the roster, and I told them that, and they respected it. Even if I definitely could’ve used the money, because I was broke, homeless, and getting by on cheap pizza and the heat from a [CENSORED] car that was given to me in lieu of payment one time.”
Cameron goes through her cards again and scribbles down some notes.
“So then how did you all get together? We never actually saw you in LDW, but we did see the real-world Keres, the toddler, make a few appearances and then we saw this adult version of her that looked completely different from you. How did you end up as this adult version of her character?”
“I called them and asked them if they had a plan for that. They told me that the woman they had portraying the adult version of their child Keres was meant to be a temporary thing for a small story and that was it. Then, while on the phone with them… I sent them an 82 page document of my ideas that broke down their TORN Universe and how they could use this character of Keres in a much bigger way and evolve everything.”
“So the current form of the Keres character was all your idea? Well, your ideas on how to progress and further utilize something they weren’t going to continue with.”
“Yup. And they loved it. They immediately wanted to work with me. To keep a long story short, I ended up really connecting with Eden and Alexis. I told them about my life and my hardships, Eden shared with me her well-known Diabetes diagnosis and Alexis told me her life story. Eventually I connected with Slate as if he were my dad… then Slate and Eden offered me their home… They let me live with them because I had literally nothing except a car older than me, empty pizza boxes, and barely enough money to wash half of my clothing that I kept in a few bags in my trunk.”
“They didn’t mention any of this. The characters they play are completely different from who they are in real life it seems.”
“Yeah, they would never mention any of this. They believe that their work is what’s important and don’t like to brag about the good they do in real life. Eventually, they helped me get signed to the FWA along with Alexis as Princess Nova. I have to say, Alexis has been such a huge help. She’s wrestled longer than me and having someone like her by my side has been so valuable. I love her like an actual sister and our brains tend to go on the same creative wavelength, which is why we work so well together. This is going to sound so superficial, but now we all make a hell of a lot of money together while doing things we love. I wouldn’t have been able to be this successful, or maybe even alive, without them.”
“Hearing all of this from you perfectly explains why the character of Keres is as strong, unique, and creative as it is. Who you, Crystal Amery, are as a person shows why Slate and Eden have trusted you, and Alexis for that matter, to continue their creative universe.”
“Well, it is called “The Ongoing Rebirth Narrative” for a reason, it seems. After hearing them finally say what it stood for, I guess it explains why I’m here. In the real world, being with them was a rebirth for me. For them, me coming in and adding my hands to the steering wheel was a rebirth for all of them… and, well, the narrative is still ongoing.”
Cameron places her remaining cards on her desk, puts her hands together, and smiles at both Crystal and the studio audience.
“Before we go, I think this is something really cool that we need to do in order to end this episode on a happy note. Everyone, please welcome back to the stage Eden, but accompanying her this time, her daughter, the real world Keres!”
The studio audience cheers as Eden comes out with her real life daughter, and actual small child, Keres. Keres is dressed up as the adult version portrayed by Crystal Amery. Crystal stands and tightly hugs Eden before picking up Keres, spinning her, and giving her a snug hug as well. Cameron walks over to little Keres and gives her a high five.
“I want to thank everyone for being here for the final episode of this interview series where we went out of character, got a whole new perspective on the TORN Universe, and finally learned more about the woman behind the character of Keres. With that being said, Crystal and actual Keres, can the two of you sign us off for this final episode in the way only you two can?”
Crystal smiles and kneels down to Keres to whisper in her ear. Keres’ face lights up and she looks directly at the camera as Crystal does the same. They both put on a stone-faced expression, raise their hands beside their faces and s̵̞͗n̶̹͛a̴̛̟p̵̩̄.
The show instantly goes to black, mimicking the TORN abilities that the character of Keres displays on FWA television.
The reaction inside Korakuen Hall is mixed, but there is a definitely stronger level of cheers as to what Big Bryan Bastard would usually expect. The now-former FWA North American Champion actually seems rather taken aback by the showings of positivity towards him. It causes a small lapse in his overly-concentrated state before he snaps back into deep focus on his way towards the ring.
Kurt Harrington: "The following contest is an F1 Climaxxx Pool B Play Off scheduled for one fall, with a twenty-minute time limit! Introducing first, representing the Friendship Wrestling Alliance… from Hickory, North Carolina and weighing in at three-hundred and twelve pounds… he is BIIIG BRYANNNN BASSSSSSSSTAAAAARRRDDDD!!!”
Rod Sterling: "For those of you that did not see the recent North American Showdown, you will not have been privy to one of the greatest matches in recent memory between this man, Big Bryan Bastard and ‘The Prodigy’ Mike Parr. ”
Daniella Kennedy: "An hour and five minutes. Absolute cinema. But the now former North American Champion will need to put the disappointment of losing his championship behind him as he faces off against a man who he defeated in the previous F1 Climaxxx, Chris Peacock. But Bill Scorpane was a crucial factor in the outcome of that match. As we learned earlier on, Scorpane is staying in the back at Baxter’s request.”
Christian Quinn: "With the loser of this match facing Michelle von Horrowitz in the semi final, both men will want to come away the winner here. The Bastard made it that far last time around.”
Without much fuss, Big Bryan Bastard enters the ring. There is a moment where he looks at the crowd and nods his head briefly. After that, it is all business as he awaits his opponent.
Aside from a few pockets within the crowd which contain the ever-present FTN loyalists, there is a unanimously negative reaction for the former FWA World Champion, Chris Peacock. This reaction is amplified to the nth degree when the fans see that Allen Price is accompanying Peacock to the ring. It is not typical for a wrestler of Peacock’s stature to approach a ring by wheeling their manager’s wheelchair, but here we are. Chris sets Price up by the barricade and then rolls into the ring.
Kurt Harrington: "His opponent… representing FTN and being accompanied by Allen Price… from Brooklyn, New York and weighing in at two-hundred and ten pounds… he is ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ CHRIS….. PEEAAAAAACCOOOOOOOOCKKK!!!”
Daniella Kennedy: "Given where Peacock has parked him up, we are going to be spared from having Price here on the desk with us. Probably for the best, Christian, given the history there…”
Christian Quinn: "Yeah, I’m not at all bitter about that hack stealing my job, getting me demoted to being a fucking backstage interviewer and then getting this doofus to break my leg when he got his feelings hurt. It pleasured me to no end seeing Chris Peacock getting continually humbled over the last few months.”
Rod Sterling: "It was a rough end to 2023 for the former FWA World Champion. He suffered several big defeats, including two calamitous championship losses at Lights Out back in October. With wins against Halloween Knight and Deathswitch a couple of weeks ago in the bag, he is the man in form coming into this one.”
As soon as Peacock gets into the ring he makes a beeline for BBB. The referee comes across to get in between them to prevent things becoming physical before the bell has even rung. Peacock blows a kiss at Baxter as he is escorted away.
SECOND MATCH | 1/20.
Big Bryan Bastard vs. Chris Peacock.
Singles Match (F1 Climaxxx Pool B 1st/2nd Play-Off).
Match Writer: Man.
The bell rings, and as with each of his previous two F1 Climaxxx matches, Chris Peacock rushes his opponent from across the ring. However, Bryan Baxter is more than prepared and he immediately flattens Peacock with a Discus Lariat!! There is a loud pop as Peacock gets absolutely turned inside out by the massive impact and is already on the mat unmoving. BBB lifts Peacock up from the mat and folds him in between his legs. With complete ease, Bastard is able to lift Peacock up and he Powerbombs him into the turnbuckle!
There is no wasted movement from Baxter as he follows this up by backing into the opposite corner across the ring and sprints in… and splashes Peacock against the turnbuckle in the corner! He prevents Peacock from slumping forward and instead holds him in position before raising a finger to his mouth to instruct the crowd to be silent for a moment. They comply, so everyone can perfectly hear the impact when he slaps Peacock’s bare chest!
Rod Sterling: "That was deafening! Right next to the FTN scar as well, and just look at that handprint!”
Peacock, wide-eyed and with his mouth agape, holds his chest and when he moves his arm, a clearly visible red handprint engulfs his chest. A yelp can be heard from Allen Price as he sees the damage done to his client, and it would seem that Baxter enjoyed his handiwork, judging by the smirk on his face. Wanting to repeat the move, Baxter tries to put Peacock up against the turnbuckle once again, but this time the former FWA World Champion resists by raking Baxter’s eyes.
This gives Peacock a small window to reel off a couple of strikes to Baxter’s face and he manages to turn the tables on the larger man and get him in the corner. A couple of body blows seem to cause no damage and Peacock stomps on Baxter’s knee to chop him down to size slightly. He then reels off a couple more punches and a chop to the chest, which fails to reproduce the gunshot-like sound of it happening to him. Instead, Peacock gets up onto the second rope and starts punching the top of Baxter’s head… and then resorts to biting his opponent on the forehead.
Daniella Kennedy: "This has become somewhat of a hallmark for Chris Peacock in his matches; he has become scrappy and willing to take opportunities as they present themselves, or even bend the rules to create the opportunities for himself.”
Christian Quinn: "I always questioned this guy’s veracity and given what he did to me, I’m never going to buy him a beer, but even I’ve got to admit that he’s got this style down now. Look what happened last year when he tried fighting the fair fight against his best friend? He lost.”
The biting is reason enough for the referee to intervene, and he demands Peacock get down and away. Chris allows Baxter to step out of the corner for a moment, and connects with a kick to the side of his knee. All this seems to do though is anger Baxter. Chris attempts to stave his opponent off with another snap jab, followed by a second. However when Peacock tries to strike a pose before the third, he makes the grave mistake of turning his back on Big Bryan Bastard, resulting in him getting dumped on the back of his head with a German Suplex!!
Once again, Peacock gets folded up by Bryan. The Bastard is not able to go for a cover due to Peacock sidling back against the bottom turnbuckle in the corner of the ring. What Peacock’s positioning does permit however is for Baxter to gain momentum and charge towards him… Running Hip Attack! The replays show Peacock’s head viciously whiplashing against the middle turnbuckle and Baxter then pulls him towards the centre of the ring and makes the first pin attempt of the match;
ONE… TWO… THRE-NO!!!
Rod Sterling: "I didn’t expect either of these two to hold anything back, given their history. Big Bryan Bastard though is really taking out his frustrations of losing the North American Championship to Mike Parr on Chris Peacock.”
Christian Quinn: "This is pretty uncharted territory for Baxter, Rod. The guy went, what? Two years and he failed to win two of his matches? He hasn’t won either of his last two coming into this one. Against a former FWA World Champion, Baxter is the one with a point to prove here, if you ask me.”
Peacock is not given any opportunity whatsoever to make it back to his feet on his own accord, as Bastard plucks him from the canvas with ease and slings him over his shoulder. Carrying Peacock like it is nothing, Baxter then places Chris on the top turnbuckle in a seated position. From higher up, Peacock manages to fire off a couple of right hands, but Baxter is unfazed. Another huge palm strike across Peacock’s chest earns Baxter the space he needs to execute his next move, which is a Northern Lights Suplex from the bottom rope! The extra elevation makes it even worse for Peacock, and BBB impressively bridges to keep Peacock’s shoulders down for a cover;
ONE… TWO… THRE-NO!!!
It takes a lot from Peacock to slide a shoulder up from the mat, but once again, Baxter is not in the game of allowing his crafty opponent any space or room for manoeuvre. Once again, he lifts Peacock from the mat and this time he looks at the fans for some sort of approval and they cheer loudly;
Daniella Kennedy: "These fans here in Tokyo want to see Peacock put away once and for all, and I think that they could be about to here!”
Baxter raises Peacock in the air, looking for the BAXTER DRIVER - BUT PEACOCK SLITHERS DOWN THE BASTARD’S BACK!! Chris lands on his feet and ducks the attempted back elbow and hits the ropes, running on pure instinct - SPEAR FROM PEACOCK… BUT HE JUST BOUNCES OFF THE BIGGER MAN! Peacock may as well have ran into a brick wall, as it would have probably had more give than his opponent, and Peacock holds his shoulder at Baxter’s feet. A rough knee to the face from BBB is followed up with a Falling Headbutt which connects with Peacock’s forehead.
The former North American Champion looks for another pinning opportunity, but Peacock has enough about him to see it coming and roll underneath the bottom rope. He manages to land on his feet but is clearly worse for wear after the multitude of heavy shots from BBB. Allen Price manages to get himself around to his client, although he has a lot of difficulty moving the wheelchair around. Price gives Peacock some words of encouragement and tells him to get back in there, but before Peacock can do anything of the sort, Price yells and backs away as Big Bryan Bastard has joined the fray on the outside of the ring.
Baxter grabs Peacock by the neck and tries to bring him back into the ring, but Peacock does all he can to resist… which includes striking Baxter with the Fight Fever backfist! It does catch the bigger man off-guard, and Bax recoils holding his nose. Peacock smirks, nodding his head confidently.
Christian Quinn: "Yeah, you got one shot off, Peacock. Good for you. Great job. Why don’t you get back in there and follow up or something?”
Rod Sterling: "A good suggestion, Christian. Big Bryan Bastard is not the kind of opponent you want to waste time posturing like this against. Earlier in the match Peacock got dumped on his head for screwing around.”
It appears to be a lesson not learnt by Peacock, as he takes time to lick his hand and he lines Baxter up… and delivers a PIMP SLAP! The technique applied to the strike, combined with the striking power, meant that BBB would have almost certainly felt it. However, even with a bright red cheek that would almost certainly be throbbing in pain, Big Bryan bastard fails to see the amusing side of the blatant disrespect shown to him by his opponent. It was at this moment, that Chris Peacock knew he had fucked up.
In a very swift motion, Baxter takes Peacock by the throat and pushes him back against the steps and post and forces his head back as to leave his chest exposed one more time… and then delivers another huge slap across Peacock’s chest! The air escapes from Peacock’s lungs as he gasps and his first and immediate thought is to get as far away from BBB as he can. He scurries away from Baxter after breaking his grip and waits to be pursued by his opponent. Baxter follows Peacock around the corner, but Chris charges forward and Dropkicks the steel steps straight into Baxter’s knees! This causes the big man’s legs to go from underneath him and he is left hunched over the steps.
Peacock lines Baxter up and boots him in the side of the head, crushing it against the steps. It then takes a considerable amount of effort on Peacock’s part to get Bax back inside of the ring, and he uses the steps for leverage to pull Baxter’s right leg under the ropes in the corner… and he slams it against the ring post!
Rod Sterling: "Chris Peacock has spent most of this match getting beaten from pillar to post, so it does not surprise me that the resourceful former world champion has resorted to using his environment to his advantage. There seems to be some sort of communication between Peacock and Price, here…”
The referee urges Peacock to get everything back into the ring, but he ignores this request and is nonplussed when the official begins to count him out. He shares a nod with Allen Price… and PRICE TIPS HIMSELF OUT OF HIS WHEELCHAIR! Ever the dramatist, Price makes a very loud scene and feigns further and severe injury to his neck. He asks for the referee to help him, and the official begrudgingly does, however when he gets down to help Price up, Allen grabs onto his collar with two hands to prevent him from getting up.
Whilst this is happening, Peacock leaves BBB in stasis and heads to the timekeeper’s area… and requisitions one of the steel chairs stored in that section! It does not take a genius to figure out what he is going to do with it… and he SLAMS THE CHAIR AGAINST BAXTER’S KNEE!!! The joint is sandwiched in steel and Baxter shuffles back holding the knee.
Christian Quinn: "It is absolutely illegal but part of me honestly respects what they’re going for here- HEY! DON’T YOU DARE!”
The reason for Christian Quinn’s anger is because Peacock is back in the ring and he stands over Baxter with his foot in one hand… AND HE SLIPS DOWN TO APPLY THE COMMENTATOR’S CURSE!!! The very submission that Chris used to cripple Quinn two years ago, and defeat many opponents since, is synched in tightly. Allen Price finally accepts the assistance of the referee and is gently placed back in his chair.
With that dealt with, the official turns his attention to the ring where he sees that a submission is locked in. Baxter’s eyes are screwed shut in pain and concentration which is a stark contrast to Peacock, whose eyes are wide open and filled with derangement. Peacock screams his demands for Baxter to tap out, along with several very insulting comments about his weight in an attempt to demoralise him. The fans are all over Peacock, making it clear that they disapprove of his tactics, but their attention quickly shifts to them rallying in support of Baxter.
Daniella Kennedy: "Big Bryan Bastard will be in a world of pain right now, but he simply must endure this if he has a hope of winning this match and setting himself up a rematch with either Mike Parr or Konchu Hao.”
Rod Sterling: "After being subjected to that Inverted Sharpshooter by Parr and tapping out in his previous match, there is nothing that Baxter will want to do less right now. I think he’d rather let Peacock try to tear his leg off than submit.”
Using his free leg, BBB kicks out at Peacock. The grip of the former FWA World Champion is famously difficult to break, but Baxter kicks him in the head some more. This seems to gain him a bit of traction… very similarly to how Jeremy Best escaped the submission when Peacock placed it on him inside a Steel Roulette match… the kicks keep coming… and coming… and coming…
One final and definitive kick across Peacock’s nose causes the break! Baxter holds his knee and backs away into the corner… but an angry Peacock follows him.
Daniella Kennedy: "Baxter escapes the submission, but at what cost? That damaged knee is going to haunt him for the remainder of this match.”
With Baxter in the corner, Peacock continues to focus his attacks on his opponent’s right knee, even after Baxter had already escaped his submission attempt once. Peacock stomps on it several times and tries to hook it around the bottom rope but this is resisted by Bastard. A harsh elbow to Peacock’s chin creates a bit of separation, and Baxter hobbles out of the corner towards Peacock, who scores with a Dropkick directly to the knee! This takes it out from underneath the big man and leaves him in good position for Peacock to jump into the air and bring his leg down across the back of Bastard’s head with a Famouser! Baxter’s face is driven into the mat and Peacock strains to flip him onto his back so he can try for a pin;
ONE… TWO… NO!!!
There is some clear frustration on Peacock’s face as he once again fails to put away a man he has never defeated before.
Rod Sterling: "I think that Chris Peacock is starting to become desperate here. Beating Baxter and being recognised as the winner of Pool B would be a huge way of building some momentum going into the Semi Finals. But as we all know, Bryan Baxter is a very tough nut to crack.”
It would seem that Peacock’s desperation would take him to the high risk district as the corner is his focus after rising up to his feet. He stumbles towards it and pulls himself up, as Baxter struggles to pick himself up too due to the damage to his knee. Peacock sets himself on the top rope in the corner, waiting for Baxter to rise and face him. Once the Bastard is where he wants him, Peacock takes flight… GLITTERBALL DROP - BUT BRYAN CATCHES HIM!!! The fans cheer as Peacock’s face makes it clear that he knows he is in a lot of trouble.
Baxter groans as his knee wobbles, threatening to buckle from the additional weight, but he holds firms… and drives Peacock into the mat with a SPINNING SIT OUT POWERBOMB!! Peacock is unmoving due to the force he was slammed down with, and Baxter leans forward, placing his hands on Peacock’s chest;
ONE… TWO… THREE-NO!!!
Daniella Kennedy: "The last possible millisecond, guys. That’s when Chris Peacock managed to get a shoulder up. Baxter was so close to getting him there and well, just listen to these fans. They know this is Baxter’s opportunity to finish the former FWA World Champion off!”
It is clear that the Powerbomb did tremendous damage to Peacock, who remains pancaked on the May afterwards and Baxter slowly pulls himself up with the assistance of the ropes. The fans are almost entirely behind the former North American Champion at this point, and know that a Baxter Driver will almost certainly seal the deal at this point. Allen Price is obviously savvy to this too… as he jumps out of his wheelchair with no issue and clambers up onto the apron! The support for Baxter shifts into deafening jeers.
Christian Quinn: "Come on, can someone just get this idiot out of here? There’s a perfectly good match happening right now and then you’ve got this dipshit getting in the way. He’s not even pretending he needs that neck brace anymore.”
With Price up on the apron, the referee’s attention is fully consumed. However Baxter pays no attention to that as he sees that Peacock is still down on the mat and there for the taking. Therefore, he lifts Peacock up from the mat and gets him in position for the Baxter Driver once more, but something catches his eye, and he drops Peacock down to the mat with a thud. Someone is walking out from the back with haste… it’s BILL SCORPANE!
Daniella Kennedy: "Scorpane? We saw him earlier on and Big Bryan Bastard made it clear that he wanted to deal with Chris Peacock on his own. Scorpane has seemingly ignored that request!”
Rod Sterling: "This could be a good thing? We saw in the video tape earlier on; Scorpane was pivotal in Baxter defeating Peacock in the 2023 tournament. Perhaps he is just coming out here to ensure the same result?”
BBB leans on the ropes as Scorpane reaches the ringside area. As per his previous instruction, Baxter requests that Scorpane depart from ringside, but his former manager refuses and pulls something out from his jacket pocket… it’s the brass knuckles! Baxter shakes his head adamantly, refusing to use the weapon, and he turns back to Peacock… but Peacock kicks him in the midsection and hits him with the DISCO THRILLER STUNNER!!!
It is enough to get the Bastard down, but only to his knees. Peacock is down on the mat as well, still feeling the effects of the Powerbomb. He glances over at Allen Price, who has the referee firmly by the collar and is still preventing the official from seeing what is happening in the ring. On the other side, Bill Scorpane does his best to get Baxter’s attention and he slides the brass knucks into the ring… in between both Baxter and Peacock.
Rod Sterling: "They’re in the ring now! Is Baxter going to use them and defeat Chris Peacock for a second time?”
Christian Quinn: "Hey, if you ask me, it looked like Scorpane slid those brass knuckles closer to Chris Peacock...”
The brass knucks lay unretrieved in the middle of the ring but as pointed out by Christian Quinn, they seem to actually be closer to Peacock than Baxter, the presumed intended recipient. This is noticed too by Peacock, who quickly grabs the knucks before Baxter has even seen them! Chris keeps himself low on the mat and allows Baxter to lift him up from the mat… BUT PEACOCK COCKS HIS ARM BACK AND CRACKS BAXTER ON THE JAW WITH THE BRASS KNUCKLES!!!
The fans inside Korakuen Hall are not happy in the slightest as the big man drops instantly from the strike, and Peacock tosses the weapon out of the ring. At this time, Allen Price finally releases the referee and returns to his wheelchair. What the official sees when he returns to the action is Peacock standing over Baxter, who sits up slightly. The strike had only dazed Baxter, failing to knock him out. However, him trying to pick himself up only puts him in the perfect position for Peacock to hit the ropes and run through him with THE STRUT!!! Baxter slumps backwards, and Peacock jumps on top for the cover;
ONE… TWO… THREE!!!
Winner: Chris Peacock via pin fall at 15:36
Kurt Harrington: "Here is your winner… CHRIS PEACOCK!!!”
With a smug and satisfied grin plastered across his face, Chris Peacock sits up coming out of the cover and starts laughing. There is clear elation on his face as he revels in the victory and his avenging the loss to Big Bryan Bastard in the 2023 F1 Climaxxx. Allen Price claps enthusiastically on the outside like a seal, but only not as intelligent.
Christian Quinn: "Daylight ROBBERY at its finest here tonight in Tokyo. Peacock is desperate to avoid Michelle von Horrowitz for as long as he can and well, any meeting between them now can only happen in the tournament final. A cowardly display from someone I would not expect any more from.”
Daniella Kennedy: "I wouldn’t be so certain if I was Chris Peacock. There is still the small matter of having to get past either Konchu Hao or Mike Parr. As for Big Bryan Bastard, he has a rematch from last year’s F1 Climaxxx Semi Final against MvH once again. Given Bill Scorpane’s ties to the Nephews and his actions here tonight, it could be an uphill battle for Bax…”
Peacock leaves the ring and starts wheeling Price back towards the backstage area. They pass Bill Scorpane but do not interact with him. Scorpane’s attention is solely on the man left in the ring. Big Bryan Bastard starts coming to after getting his jaw swiped with the brass knuckles and he looks at his former agent in shock and disbelief. Scorpane simply shakes his head, before turning to leave…
The Fight Night feed shifts to the undisclosed island in Japan, the setting for King of the Deathmatch 3. XYZ is sitting in a hammock, his feet dangling over the side. He is then approached by Frank, the muscular and tall black man who is part of The Menage.
“X, none of us had any idea about Blair Ravenwood approaching you about overthrowing Kleio in The Coven. What are ya’ gonna do?”
“Not sure, Frank.”
“Well, if you don’t mind me saying, I think this is an opportunity. Both Blair and Trixie Bordeaux are in the King of the Deathmatch tournament. Maybe taking The Coven down, or at least gaining an ally in Blair, will help you win. I know that’s impo…”
“It is, Frank. It is important. But what’s also important is flying high with the wings of angelic soldiers. It’s important for me to bomb the hearts with salsa and oregano. The sea lions of yesteryear have always had opportunities to usurp the lords of the walkways. They chose to fight head on.”
“Understood, X. You know what Wild J would say about this.”
Frank leaves X to his thoughts, and a close-up shot of X looking off into the distance with no focus shows him softly nodding his head. Then he mumbles, “I do know what Wild J would say.”
The feed pans out to a wide shot of X sitting on the edge of the hammock, looking off a large cliff on the island, wherever it is.
As Blood of Glory blares and the crowd comes to life, the man looking to turn four into five and complete the journey to reclaiming his throne emerges from behind the curtain.
The Japanese crowd gives Cyrus Truth a hero’s welcome, a wrestler who’s had plenty of stops with various wrestling circuits in his career in the Land of the Rising Sun and has spilled more than his fair share of blood and sweat in rings across the islands. Louds chants of “Cyrus Truth! Ichiban!” thunder in the arena as Cyrus grabs a microphone from one of the nearby ring attendants and slides into the ring, soaking in the atmosphere.
As his music dies down, The Exile gives a cool smile to the fans in attendance as the cheers die down. The crowd is settled, quietly but diligently focused on everything the former World Champion has to say.
Cyrus Truth: “We are fast approaching the crossroads of fate, the next bend in the Long and Winding Road that has tested my mettle time and time again over the past several years. Ever since I lost my FWA World Heavyweight Championship to Dave Sullivan at the event preceding Back in Business that year, I have had one goal. One singular objective, an obsession that has continued to drive me forward even when my so-called peers insisted that what I sought was doomed to never be mine again.
Cyrus Truth: “And while some of FWA’s finest continue to fight and struggle in the F1 Climaxxx, and others take the plunge into the King of the Deathmatch tournament, it is the man many had written off as past his prime that stands to challenge the FWA World Champion. One goal…one objective. To turn four…into five.”
As if to punctuate that, Cyrus holds out his free hand, extending all five fingers, symbolizing The Exile’s quest to claim his five World Title under the FWA banner. And the crowd is all for that, especially if it comes at the expense of the current champion.
Cyrus Truth: “With the Grand March gone, FWA hasn’t told me exactly when I’m getting my shot…aside from the fact that it will likely be before or during Carnal Contendership. And while I can’t say I’m fond of waiting, the bottom line is that it doesn’t matter. Because the second Jeremy Best steps into the ring with me and the referee calls for the bell, I am coming for his throat.
Cyrus Truth: “Jeremy can play his little games as much as he wants. Game shows and talks about friendship as if he understands what the hell that word even means. I don’t claim to be the friendliest person in wrestling. But I damn sure am one of the most dangerous. FWA and its wrestlers might say I should be written off as a relic of glories long past…but there is something to say about how scared one should be about the resilience of a man long in the tooth in an industry that chews and spits out the young.
Cyrus Truth: “So to put this a little more succinctly? I am coming for Jeremy Best. I am going to drop that lunatic on his head. And I will step over his lifeless body as well as the corpses of any of his little flunkies that want to get involved to return to my throne, and become the FWA World…”
???: “Aaahhhheeem! Aaaaahhhheeeemmm! Pardon me!”
Cyrus Truth is interrupted by a voice that seems familiar to some of the fans in attendance but certainly is not recognized by Cyrus Truth. But those who watched World’s Collide will recognize “The Dubb” Bobby Joel making his way out from the back, but he is joined by FWA wrestler, Vengador, for some reason.
Rod Sterling: : “I’m not sure what the meaning of this is… we haven’t seen Vengador since his win at Winter Wasteland… and that man… wrestling fans, some of you may know him from as “The Dubb” Bobby Joel… but what he’s doing here and interrupting Cyrus Truth of all people… I’m at a loss for.”
Cyrus Truth is none too pleased as Bobby Joel and Vengador both climb into the ring.
Bobby Joel: “Now pardon me, Mr. Truth… I realize you may not know who I am but I’m about to change that. Because for people like yourself and the… uncultured… swine… of your typical mainstream rasslin’ fans may not be away of who I am so allow me to introduce myself. My name is “THE DUBB” BOBBY JOEL!
Cyrus Truth: And…is any of that supposed to mean anything to me? Look, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but…”
Bobby Joel, as if he didn’t hear Cyrus despite the fact that The Exile was 100% clear in what he said, continues to drone on.
Bobby Joel: ”In Japan I am a four time singles champion, six-time tag team champion, and I have done it all my way, whether or not these fans like it. But in the end, I provide results and that alone these fans can appreciate. I get… the dubb.”
“But I guess ya’ll are all askin’ yourselves… well than Mr. Bobby Joel… just why are you out here tonight? What business do I have interruptin’ Cyrus Truth talkin’ about his big ol’ title match coming up? And just what’s this impressive specimen doing with me here.”
The Exile simply sighs as he rather flippantly retorts.
Cyrus Truth: “No…not really. But I’m sure you’re going to waste even more of my time and these fans’ patience explaining, so you might as well get to it so that we can return to more important topics than some flash in the pan being led by an even more pathetic wannabe. So by all means, continue…but hurry up and get to the point. I was only given so much time for this segment, and unlike some folks on the roster, I actually try to make my statements without droning on and on to the point when nobody cares.”
Bobby Joel scowls at that as he motions to Vengador, who remains stoic in the background.
Bobby Joel: ”Well, it’s quite simple. Cyrus - you think of yourself as somethin’ of a big shot right. Former champion multiple times over. But here’s the thing, you’re in MY territory now, baby. BOBBY JOEL is the big deal in Japan.”
“But then I realized somethin’. I’ve been such a big deal in Japan for all these years… comin’ in as a foreigner… becomin’ a star in a place I didn’t necessarily belong… but there’s somethin’ I have done. And that’s come to the FWA and make my mark.”
“And the way I see it… I may be gettin’ older but I still got plenty of years left. And while I can still lace up my boots and step into the ring if I need to… why do that when I can lead someone to the top. Someone with potential. Someone… dangerous. Someone… deadly.”
Cyrus crosses his arms, almost begging Joel to get to the point.
Bobby Joel: ”Vengador walked into Japan for World’s Collide a few months ago… much like a young Dubb many moons ago… a stranger in a strange land. But he came in and he defeated another champion. I saw something in this mysterious man… and so I came to him and gave him the chance of a lifetime… a chance to make a name for himself. A chance to become the most feared man in professional wrestling.”
“And what better way to do that, Truth? What better way to do that… than… by taking out… THE EXILE!”
Cyrus looks at this duo with a look of exasperation, both at being interrupted and having to deal with yet another would-be legend killer looking to make his name at his expense. But eventually, Cyrus simply cracks a small smile as he simply says:
Cyrus Truth: “Well, why the hell not? If you’re that eager to get humiliated and dropped on your head, far be it for me to deny you that opportunity. Besides…I have two minutes to kill, anyway. This shouldn’t take very long.”
Vengador steps forward, approaching Cyrus. Not one to back down from a challenge, Cyrus seemingly dares Vengador to come to him. The masked man goes toe to toe with Cyrus… AND SWINGS A RIGHT HAND!
But Cyrus battles back!
The two continue to trade blows back and forth, but the number one contender for the FWA Title begins to get the upperhand, backing Vengador toward the corner as Bobby Joel begins to show some concern on his face.
Bobby Joel turns to the back… and he motions for help?
Christian Quinn: “What now??”
The boos poor back in as… TRIPLE J SECURITY come out!
The trio rush to the ring, seemingly at the behest of Bobby Joel, going straight after Cyrus, attacking Truth from behind.
But once again, Truth battles back! One at a time he lays waste to the members of Triple J Security, with ease..
But Vengador uses the distraction from security to attack Cyrus from behind with a big running lariat to the back of the head! Cyrus drops to the mat and Vengador begins putting the boots to Truth’s back.
Bobby Joel directs traffic, instructing Triple J security to join in and it’s a four on one assault to the fallen Cyrus!
Rod Sterling: : “This is a mugging! All for Vengador to try and make a name for himself? This is ridiculous! We need some help out here!’
And help…
IS ON IT’S WAY!
In the form of…
JEREMY BEST?!
Christian Quinn: “Jeremy Best!
Rod Sterling: : “Things might be going from bad to worse here for Cyrus Truth.”
Jeremy isn’t alone! He’s joined by Sir Stache and Mejor Amigo! The trio slide into the ring…
AND THEY GO AFTER Triple J Security!
Stache and Amigo do battle with the jobbers while Jeremy Best takes on Vengador, striking with a series of swift kicks to the midsection before knocking Vengador backward with a spinkick!
Jeremy lifts him up for the BFF!
But Vengador slides down his back!
Vengador ducks to ringside as Triple J security also are sent packing from the ring, regrouping with Bobby Joel at ringside.
The crowd is certainly very confused by this development as Jeremy Best offers his hand to the fallen Cyrus… helping The Exile up to his feet.
Rod Sterling: : “What is going on? Jeremy Best just made the save for his upcoming challenger?”
Christian Quinn: “Jeremy did say he was going to prove that he could be friends with Cyrus… I guess he saw his opportunity tonight.”
In the ring, Jeremy picks up the microphone.
Jeremy Best: ”Wait! Wait! Don’t leave yet!”
Bobby Joel, Vengador, and Triple J Security stop in their tracks as they are heading up the ramp.
Jeremy Best: ”You guys picked a fight with the wwwwrrrooooooonnngggggg person! Because you come after one of my friends… and you don’t just gotta problem with him anymore… oh no sorry Bob… now you got a problem… with ME! So how about… we head to the next Fallout… you four… against US FOUR… Jeremy Best… Mejor Amigo… Sir Stache… AND CYRUS TRUTH! TEAM TRUE FRIENDSHIP!”
The crowd seems unsure of what to make of it at first, but begin to cheer on the idea as Bobby Joel mouths, “YOU’RE ON!” from the aisle.
An ecstatic Jeremy celebrates in the ring… while Cyrus Truth watches on… unamused by Jeremy’s antics but also clearly uncertain about having this match agreed to without his consent. Jeremy tries to bring Cyrus in for a hug, or at the very least a handshake…
But instead, Cyrus decides to exit the ring on his own.
Jeremy shrugs his shoulders and waves to his “new friend” as he leaves the ring.
Kurt Harrington: “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for your MAAAAAIN EVENT! Introducing first, he is The Mad Wizard; he is KONCHU HAAAAAAO!”
Konchu appears at the top of the ramp much to the delight of the crowd. The lights shine bright down on him as he starts walking to the ring with laser-focus.
Christian Quinn: “Konchu Hao looks determined. He’s had an impressive F1 thus far, and if he gets past the North American Champion tonight, he has a date with Chris Peacock.
Hao slides under the bottom rope as he makes his way over to the corner, waiting for his opponent.
Kurt Harrington: “Aaand his opponent, he is the FWA North American Champion, “The Prodigy,” Mike Parr!”
Parr gets a warm reception reminiscent of the one he got when he overcame Bryan Baxter on the North American Championship Special.
Rod Sterling: “Mike Parr hasn’t always been a fan favorite, but he’s earned his respect. He definitely looked like a hero after stopping the North American Championship reign of Bryan Baxter. That look on his face says that he’s not satisfied though. He has his eyes set on Chris Peacock.”
Mike Parr steps through the ropes and hands the North American Championship belt to Richard Davis and backs into his own corner, waiting for the bell to sound.
FOURTH MATCH | MAIN EVENT | 1/∞.
Konchu Hao vs. Mike Parr.
Singles Match (F1 Climaxxx Pool A 2nd/3rd Play-Off).
Match Writer: Tommy.
<<0:00>>
Konchu Hao and Mike Parr slowly approach the center of the ring where they find themselves face-to-face. The crowd is electric for this one, and is clearly divided between Konchu and the man who ended the North American championship reign of Bryan Baxter.
LET’S GO KONCHU!!!
LET’S GO PARR!!!
Christian Quinn: “This capacity crowd is pretty evenly divided for our Fight Night main event.
Neither man seems willing to blink or back down, but it’s Parr who strikes first with a forearm across Hao’s jaw. Hao quickly strikes back with a forearm blow of his own as the two men begin to deliver a flurry of forearms, each of them to delight of their half of the crowd.
Rod Sterling: “Mike Parr and Konchu Hao are two of the most respected men in the FWA. Parr gained a lot of favor with the crowd by knocking off Baxter, putting an end to an incredible title reign.”
Parr gains the upper hand, staggering Hao before bouncing off the ropes and delivering a crushing knee strike to his opponent’s face. Hao staggers backward and bounces off the ropes himself, somehow staying on his feet. Parr quickly grabs him and drives him to the mat with a belly-to-belly suplex. Parr goes for a quick pin!
1…
2…
3..
NO! Hao gets a shoulder up and Parr quickly rolls off but maintains control with a chin lock.
<<4:22>>
Parr is still in complete control of this one and goes for another pin.
1…
Hao kicks out quickly, and Parr is starting to get frustrated. His incredulous look at the official gives Konchu just the opportunity he needs to deliver a crushing kick to the side of Parr’s head. The North American champion crumples to the ground as Konchu finally gets a break from the relentless offense that Parr has been bringing.
Konchu Hao pulls himself up by the ropes much to the delight of those who have thrown their support behind him. The “Mad Wizard” gets a sadistic look on his face as he methodically walks toward his opponent. He pulls Parr the rest of the way to his feet and shoves him into the corner. Hao delivers a brutal Mongolian chop that leaves Parr’s ears ringing. He follows it up with another and then another! Parr, still reeling from the kick to the head slumps down the turnbuckle.
Parr backs to the center point of the ring and charges in delivering a crushing knee to the side of Parr’s face. The champ looks to be out cold!
Hao goes for a pin of his own.
1…
2…
3.
NO! Somehow, Mike Parr finds the strength to drape one foot across the bottom rope, breaking the count.
<<7:11>>
Christian Quinn: “These two men are battling for the opportunity to face Chris Peacock, but with the punishment they’re dishing out, I’m not sure how much they’ll have for him.”
Rod Sterling: “Peacock has been through his own battle, though. There’s no way he’s going to be 100% after that match with Baxter.”
Hao delivers a kick to the gut, driving the wind out of Parr before he grabs his opponent by the back of the head and begins to unleash a series of knees.
Rod Sterling: “John Dee’s Knees! He’s setting up Parr here. He’s focused heavily on his head. Oh! It looks like the North American Champion is busted open.”
The camera pans in close, and sure enough, Parr has a nasty cut above his left eyebrow. Blood is running down his face.
Konchu shoves Parr away from him, and the champion looks like he’s out on his feet. Hao charges toward him, but Parr ducks down and grabs the top rope. Konchu hits the floor at ringside with a sickening thud.
The crowd’s attention is diverted by something at the top of the ramp…
Rod Sterling: “Well, speaking of the devil. What’s he doing here?!”
Chris Peacock makes his way down the ramp slowly, seemingly impervious to the boos that are pouring down on him. Hao is on the ground between the announce table and the ring, seemingly unaware of the fact that Peacock is looking to inject himself into this match.
Parr is groggy as he wipes away some of the blood that’s clouding his vision. He slowly climbs to his feet just as Peacock arrives at ringside.
Referee Richard Davis realizes that something is going on and moves away from Hao, whom he’s been checking on. He slides through the ring and cuts off Peacock who has climbed up on the apron. Chris Peacock puts his hands in the air, acting as though he’s not there for any real purpose.
Christian Quinn: “I’m sure that Peacock isn’t out here just to watch, but who would he be out here trying to help? Does he have a preference as to who he’s going to face?”
While Davis is tied up with Chris Peacock, Parr slides out of the ring and onto the floor. He pulls Hao up to his feet and delivers a beautiful snap suplex onto the floor. Hao grabs his back and ribs, writhing in pain on the floor.
Parr delivers a couple of stomps to Hao’s torso, continually looking toward the other side of the ring, keeping a watchful eye on Peacock who is diverting the attention of Richard Davis. Somehow, Hao drags himself to his knees and chop blocks Parr from behind, taking the North American champion’s legs out from under him.
Rod Sterling: “What’s really interesting about what Peacock is doing is that he’s keeping Richard Davis from counting one or both of these men out. This thing could have ended in a draw by now, but Davis can’t start the count.”
Parr is holding his knee as the bleeding above his eye continues. Konchu climbs onto the ringside steps and delivers a leaping stomp onto the same knee that he just hit with a shoulder. He goes to the well one too many times, though. As he goes airborne off the steps for a second stomp, Parr gets a boot up that lands flush against Konchu’s jaw, driving him backward, the back of his skull bouncing off the steps.
Christian Quinn: “These two men are going to kill each other before either one of them gets to Peacock. Maybe that’s why he’s out here. Let them brutalize each other on the outside of the ring and he can pick their bones in the next round.”
Peacock finally hops down from the apron and begins slowly backing up the ramp as Richard Davis begins to count both competitors out.
1…
2…
3…
4…
5…
Mike Parr is stirring, but he’s favoring that knee.
6…
7…
8…
PARR SLIDES UNDER THE BOTTOM ROPE!
Rod Sterling: “CAN KONCHU BEAT THE COUNT?!”
9…
KONCHU DIVES UNDER THE ROPE! This one is going to continue
<<13:45>>
Parr is back on his feet, but he’s not putting much weight on that left leg. Konchu is still down. Peacock has moved back down the ramp and is now lurking around ringside between the announce table and the timekeeper’s area.
Parr limps toward the corner and begins a slow climb. He’s hobbled, and it’s making it harder for him to get up to the top.
Rod Sterling: “WHAT’S PEACOCK DOING?!”
Chris Peacock hops onto the apron, but he seems careful not to touch the rope. He’s not trying to interfere with Parr’s climb, but “The Prodigy” is still struggling. He gets to the top rope, and somehow he goes airborne! He’s going for X Marks the Spot!
KONCHU ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY!
BUT MIKE PARR MANAGES TO LAND ON HIS FEET!
Parr immediately grabs his already-injured leg. Konchu has the momentum, and he’s going for Rasputin’s Revenge! But Parr ducks under, hits the ropes, and connects with a Rolling Cutter!
1…
2…
3…
DING! DING! DING!
Kurt Harrington: “Ladies and gentlemen, your winner, “The Prodigy” MIKE PAAAAAAARR!”
Winner: Mike Parr via pinfall at 17:44
As Mike Parr celebrates with his North American Championship in hand, Chris Peacock arrogantly steps into the ring and makes his way toward his next opponent. Parr cuts his celebration short and turns around, putting himself nose-to-nose with “Disco’s Last Warrior.”
Rod Sterling: “Are these two going to go at it tonight? Neither of them are at 100%.”
Chris Peacock gives Mike Parr a sly grin as he slowly backs away, drops down to his back, and rolls out of the ring, backing up the ramp as he keeps his eyes Parr who holds the North American Championship over his head as the camera fades.
